parts list review for 1st build....

Ditch the DQ6, not needed. The DS3 is a champ and will also overclock GREAT, if you're into overclocking. If not, then the DQ6 is definitely overkill.

RAM is fine but there are some other choices in that price range though. SuperTalent is one, OCZ is another. G.Skill is more budget but does well. Again, depends if you're overclocking. If not, get the cheapest 667 RAM you can find, 800 isn't needed.

Ditch the Western Digital, keep the Seagate.

One thing to keep in mind......if/when you plan on upgrading the graphics card, check to make sure the PSU can handle the new card when you get to that point. That 430w PSU might not be able to handle certain DX10 cards, so you *might* need a new PSU later as well. Just keep it mind........but it's fine for the 7600GT.

Other than that, great specs!

thanks skyguy,

I wasn't sure on the Mobo's thanks for the headsup. As for ram, yeah, I'm still a bit confused about selecting ram with proper timings, etc...so many choices, hard to know if what I pick is right :?

For Hard drives, I'm actually going to get 2 drives, but I guess for $15 more I can make it two seagates  

Thanks for the info on the PSU.

I believe Fry's or something like that refreshed it's deal on the Antec Truepower Trio 650w PSU for 60 dollars after rebate. You'll be hard pressed to find something of equivalent nature at that price. I don't believe it has Active PFC though but it's not a must have feature.

If you were considering the DQ-6, also consider the Asus p5b-e or p5b deluxe. Those should cost a bit more (and quite a bit more for the latter) than the DS3 but are part of the bread and butter enthusiast c2d builds depending on your budget.

Well, RAM selection really only depends on your budget and whether you plan on overclocking.

If you're not overclocking, then get any brand, cheap 667 RAM that's 5-x-x-x timings.

If you are overclocking, then it gets trickier.....how high you want to overclock, how BADA$$ you wanna brag, and what your budget is. Generally speaking though, you'd want 800 RAM with 4-x-x-x timings, but that costs more than 800 @ 5-x-x-x stuff.

again, thanks skyguy and Syntonic.

I'll check out the Antec PSU and asus motherboards.

as for ram, I'm not looking to dive head-long into massive OC'ing, but rather into the stable, safe, and reliable OC'ing ranges...I just get confused when the mobo says it needs 5-5-5 timings, and then OC'ing changes all that :? maybe a few recommendations in the $200 +- range would be good to hear about? but nothin more than 250 w/o a rebate  

thanks again folks, this board is full of awesome helpful people, wouldn't be doing this w/o ya!

Prices always change and I'm in Canada, but your best bet is probably:

-SuperTalent DDR-800 (might go over the $250 tho)
-OCZ DDR-800 @ 4-x-x-x (will work fine, might hit your $250)
-Corsair DDR-667 @ 5-x-x-x (if you can get a good price on it)
-G.Skill DDR-800 @ 5-x-x-x (good budget OC'ing stuff)

SuperTalent is great, but will probably kill your budget. OCZ offers great timings and fast RAM for the price, but might push your budget. The Corsair is popular, but only get it if it's on sale otherwise it's overpriced. The G.Skill hits some decent overclocks at a very respectable price, so if you're not gonna OC hardcore then it might be your best bet overall.

based on your feedback, here's a few I found to consider:

OCZ
OCZ Platinum 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 - $238 w/ $35 rebate IN STOCK

OCZ 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 ATI CrossFire Certified) $250 w/ $35 rebate OUT OF STOCK

Corsair XMS
CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) $207 w/$40 rebate

Maybe consider getting a Radeon X1950 XT rather than the GeForce 7600GT?

Its $100 more, but only really $50 if you don't count the mail in rebate. I would think if you cheaped out on the RAM a little and spent the saved money on this card it would probably be worth your while.

Well, I'm partial to the OCZ Platinum...it has better timings and will give you a better overclock.

HOWEVER, the Corsair has a rebate right now that makes it a GREAT deal. Timings aren't as good, BUT that shouldn't really make a difference to you because it sounds like you won't be going for hardcore overclocks. So the Corsair would do fine, normally it's overpriced, but considering the rebate price it's a pretty darn good deal.

well I pulled the trigger and went with the OCZ ram, and 2 seagate drives. realized I don't have an install cd for xp, so I added on an oem xp home cd.

bottom line was $1170. with $85 in rebates and $5 off the seagate drives, I think that is pretty good   can't wait to get it and start puttin the pieces together. Time to read up on OCing and whatnot.

thanks all for taking the time to add your feedback...sure helps a lot for a newbie who's unsure of what's right or not.

- cheers

Awesome there! Good luck, let us know how it goes!