Need geek-based build advice

[Myranda]

So, want a PC which will be both my main gaming rig, but also a learning/work machine which will be doing an awful lot of virtualisation.

So, either...

i7 3770k
Gigabyte Z77 mobo
32gb ddr3 1600mhz ram
xfx 7970 card
Samsung 840 128gb SSD
2x 3tb seagate baracudas
(insert appropriate case+PSU)
About £1300 ish...

Or

FX-8 8150
Gigabyte 970A mobo
32gb ddr3 1600mhz RAM
xfx 7979 card
Samsung 840 128gb SSD
2x 3tb seagate barracudas
(insert case + PSU)
About £1200

Which is idealist? Thanks

 

[Myranda]

I'd not thought of the 2011 socket stuff, I'd (wrongly it seems) thought that it would be significantly more expensive.

Live and learn.

Also, while I know that traditionally the AMD piledrivers are slower, with heavy virtualisation would the extra cores not make a difference? Or at least not enough of a difference to account for the i7s being faster and stuff?

Aaaand a final question

Its going to take a few months to save up for a proper beast of a machine, so I want something in the meantime, that's ultra-cheap that can play a couple of older games (up to Supreme Commander 2 and Dawn of War 2) ideally falling into a sub £300 (or less) price bracket. Afterwards I'm sure I can re-purpose it when its a second PC as some sort of server or whatever.

Thanks!
P.S. really liking that 2011 build.