First build, want advice

[ReverendGadgetBoy]

I have never built a computer before. However, recently I decided that I was going to build myself one. It will be for gaming and all-around use. I plan to upgrade the computer as soon as I get the money, because funds are currently limited. I would like any advice on these components.

Case:
APEVIA (ASPIRE) X-CRUISER-RD Red Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
I'm not sure about the red, but I like the case.

PSU:
FSP Group (Fortron Source) FX600-GLN ATX12V/ EPS12V 600W Quad. SLi Power Supply
Seems ok. I'll want SLI later. Does this PSU only work with 7800s and 7900s?

CPU Cooling:
ZALMAN CNPS9500 AT 2 Ball CPU Cooling Fan/Heatsink
Good reviews, and I'll want to overclock.

Motherboard:
MSI 975X Platinum Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 975X ATX Intel Motherboard
No idea if this is good or bad.

Processor:
Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 Conroe 1066MHz FSB 2M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor
I like dual-core and these are supposed to be great for OCing.

RAM:
OCZ 1GB (2 x 512MB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM Unbuffered DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit System Memory
Seems fine. I'll upgrade to 3gb soon.

I have a cheap Maxtor 40gb HDD and a 200gb external to last me for a while.

I already own an old 6800GS video card, so I'll get SLI later.

I have an old monitor to use until I can get a 19" widescreen LCD.

I have an old Dell mouse and keyboard and DVD drive.

I can get Windows easy.

So does that cover everything? Am I making any stupid mistakes? Any suggestions at all are welcome.

 

[The_Prophecy]

1. Swap the power supply for the Antec Truepower 550W. Anything over 550W is overkill.

2. Unless you're going to be overclocking by more than 800Mhz, drop the Zalman cooler. The stock one will be more than enough.

3. NEVER USE the words "SLI later". If you are not going to get 2 cards and SLI them right away, don't bother.

4. That MSI board does not support SLI.

5. 19" LCD Monitors cannot display at resolutions above 1280 x 1024. SLI doesn't provide the user with any remarkable amount of extra performance until you get to 1600 x 1200.

6. Unless you are going to be SLI'ing 2 7900GT's or higher, it's a waste of money.

 

[dotti]

although the zalmans are great coolers,
i suggest u save money and get these
fan

and lastly i agree with prophecy anything over 550w is overkill

 

[ReverendGadgetBoy]

Thanks a lot everyone. I took The_Prophecy's advice and went with the Antec PSU. I also made the decision (based on Prophecy's information) that SLI does not suit my purposes. I did decide to upgrade my mobo to a much better one that people say is nice for OCing. I'm also going to go with the Arctic Cooling cooler. Price is similar, so I'm happy with this.

Anybody else have suggestions?

 

[The_Prophecy]

You can also get some really good overclocks with this board. In some cases.... you can actually get higher with this one than the P5B.

 

[sirheck]

yes prophecy is right i have sli <68gts>
i am going to sepperate them and make another comp
because of the heat and not much diff in games
but i play at 10x7 mostly and i cant get it to work
on my 32inch hdtv in sli

it works great with one card cant get it to work properly
with two

 

[ReverendGadgetBoy]

Ok I've made a few more changes. I upped my processor to the e6400 because I figured it was worth the extra money. I also upped my mobo to a better Asus because it's supposed to be the best and I wanted the extra slot. I changed my RAM to Corsair because it's faster and OCZ has compatibility issues.

Any more input?

 

[The_Prophecy]

The 6400 isn't worth the extra money. Get an E6300 and overclock it.....

 

[ReverendGadgetBoy]

Okay I'm back to the 6300. You're probably right, it isn't worth $50 extra.

 

[WR2]

That $50 you saved?
Since you're considering OC'ing You may want to use $30 of that and upgrade your RAM from CAS 5 to CAS4 timings.
CORSAIR XMS2 1GB (2 x 512MB) DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) CAS4

Are you still planning on using SLI? If not a 480W Power supply should be enough.
And if you dont need the extra X16 slot you can look at P965 motherboards and save an extra $100 there.
MSI P965 Neo-F