First Build, Any suggestions?

[Terps]

After talking with a few guys at work, they directed me here and suggested a few things to look at.

Here's the build:

1 COOLER MASTER Centurion 534 RC-534-KKN2-GP Black Aluminum & Mesh bezel / SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811119106
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16811119106

1 SAMSUNG 18X DVD±R DVD Burner With 12X DVD-RAM Write Black E-IDE/ATAPI Model SH-S182D/BEBE - OEM
Item #: N82E16827151133
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16827151133

1 Scythe SCNJ-1100P 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler - Retail
Item #: N82E16835185038
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16835185038

1 Kingston HyperX 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory Model KHX6400D2/1G - Retail
Item #: N82E16820134009
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820134009

1 Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822144701
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16822144701

1 Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 Allendale 1.8GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E4300 - Retail
Item #: N82E16819115013
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819115013

1 SAPPHIRE 100176L Radeon X1950PRO 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814102061
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16814102061

1 PowerTek 750W F5-Series ATX12V 750W Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817713002
http://www.newegg.com/product/Product.asp?item=N82E16817713002

GIGABYTE GA-965P-S3 LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813128017
http://www.newegg.com/product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813128017

Grand Total: $767.42

Picked the Mobo/PSU based off of the bundle they're offering right now.

Big questions are:
1. Will everything here work well together.
2. Better off to just go with 2GB ram or safe to upgrade later if I need to?
3. Case - Is it a decent case for the price? Any other suggestions?
4. Case - Will the heat sink fit in the case okay? Co-worker had a problem fitting his in the case that he purchased.
5. Any general advice as to what tools/etc. will be helpful for the build?

Thanks in advance!

 

[GoldenRiver]

the build looks good.
Are you on a budget?? if so, how much??
right now u would need 2gb memory pay like 50 bucks more, or u can get 2 sets of 1gb (2x512mb) which would be around 100 bucks for 2 decent sets.

do you play games? you can get the 512mb X1950XTX for like 30 bucks more with a pretty big leap in performance

 

[Terps]

Sort of on a budget, but $80 more could probably be dealt with. What 2gb ram should I get for gaming?

 

[GoldenRiver]

$80 more for ram? because each set is like 50-60 dollars so 100-120 bucks, you can get w/e you want look around at reviews.

 

[jeff_2087]

For sure you should get 2 sticks of RAM for 2GB, 2 sticks in dual channel gives much better performance than 1. Something like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231098

Also, you should ditch that PSU, I've never heard of PowerTek and a quality PSU is key. You don't need 750W anyway, you could get a cheaper PSU from a company like FSP group that's around 500W and would be more reliable.

Note that Intel is cutting prices in a few days but that CPU is already pretty cheap so you might be able to save $10-$20 by waiting a few days. Not a big deal though.

 

[Newf]

Looks like you are building a gaming rig. Are you planning to overclock as well? Windows XP or Vista?

 

[Terps]

jeff - Thanks for the advice on the PSU. Just had selected that one because it was bundled with the Mobo on their site.

Newf - Yeah this is going to be set up for gaming mainly. Overclocking, yes, but not right away most likely... And hopefully XP if I can get my hands on a copy from the techs at work.

Also, I tried to find the Graphics Card that GoldenRiver suggested (X1950XTX) and was not able to find it for as cheap as he suggested it. Can anybody point me to a better deal on that card? Or any other suggestions for a card besides the 1950PRO?

 

[alcattle]

lowest I saw is $275. a Pro was $190

 

[jeff_2087]

Also, I tried to find the Graphics Card that GoldenRiver suggested (X1950XTX) and was not able to find it for as cheap as he suggested it. Can anybody point me to a better deal on that card? Or any other suggestions for a card besides the 1950PRO?

I wouldn't count on finding a x1950XTX for the price he suggested. If you want to upgrade from the Pro, your next best stop is probably the 8800GTS 320. Everything in between tends to be poorer value.

Also, about overclocking, everything you've got is well set up for it. It'd be a piece of cake by following one of the C2D overclocking guides.

 

[alcattle]

or get an 8500 GT for $100, DX-10 and SLI ready

 

[jeff_2087]

or get an 8500 GT for $100, DX-10 and SLI ready

Except it sucks...

 

[alcattle]

Have read any tests on them yet? Still looking for straight info.. :?

 

[jeff_2087]

Nope, it seems there's none to be found. I'm basing the opinion that it sucks on that the 8600GTS plays in the ballpark of the x1950Pro and 7900GS. The 8500GT has half the stream processors, slower core, and slower memory compared to the 8600GTS. Based on that, I doubt it'd even make it into the ballpark of the 7600GT. Maybe it could watch from the stands but it'd get a crappy seat at the back of the stadium.

 

[alcattle]

just read on guru3d about the new nVidia lineup, where the 8500 fit where the 7800/7900 were and the 8600 sits where the 7950pro,gtx and all were. anyhow both of them above the 7600

 

[jeff_2087]

They wish. Maybe I'm totally wrong but all the benchmarks I've seen put it solidly in place with the x1950Pro. Like here:

http://www.ocworkbench.com/2007/nvidia/8600GTS/b3.htm

The x1950 comes out on top in Doom 3, FEAR, and PREY. It only loses in Chronicles of Riddick.

And for a more familiar site, check out Tom's.

http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/04/17/geforce_8600/index.html

the x1950 here wins most of the time again. Four out of six of the gaming benchmarks, I didn't look at 3dmark.

 

[S1dewinder]

Regarding your case questions, I just bought a similar case a month ago and it's a nice case. It has great airflow through the front grille and the looks are nice. I am not a big fan of the screwless design where you can mount drives by using the sliders, but thats just me. It's a nice case for the money.