New here, asking for help w/ system build

[Destrachan]

Hey all, as you can see I'm admittedly new here. I'm trying to build a system myself, however I'm at a bit of a loss regarding 2 things.

First off, what I've got listed below are the components that I'm looking at getting, the problem I have is I'm not entirely sure what size of power supply I should get.

Secondly, as I'm sure you can guess, this system is going to be used for gaming 98% of the time. I know that this isn't the forum for software questions, but can someone please tell me what version of Vista I should purchase? It's just bizarre, I've been dealing w/ computers for a decent amount of time and haven't the slightest clue.

Any help or further suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

APEVIA X-CRUISER-BK Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Mail-in Rebate
$79.99 -$20.00 Instant $59.99

MSI P6N SLI-FI LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 650i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
$119.99

EVGA 640-P2-N821-AR GeForce 8800GTS 640MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - Retail
Mail-in Rebate
$389.99 -$30.00 Instant $719.98

Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 Conroe 2.66GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6700 - Retail
$320.00

G.SKILL 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL4S-1GBHK - Retail
In Stock
$75.49 $301.96

HITACHI Deskstar T7K250 HDT722525DLA380 (0A31636) 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM $59.99

PHILIPS 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with 12X DVD-RAM Write Black IDE interface (ATAPI) Model SPD2413BD - Retail $32.99

Creative Sound Blaster SB0570 Audigy SE 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - OEM $27.99

 

[slicessoul]

PSU : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817256011

 

[akhilles]

You're def. getting the right parts. The ram is overpriced for a single gig.

HK overclocks moderately:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/editions/choose.mspx?wt_svl=10033VHa2&mg_id=10033VHb2

HZ overclocks crazy:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231065

Get 2 kits of either one. Don't mix 'em up. Still cheaper than the 4 single sticks you picked out.

If you can afford top brand like silverstone for psu, get it. Otherwise, don't get anything less than a Fortron/Hiper like:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817128005

That's good for a single card setup. If you plan to sli, find one here:

http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone_build_psu.html

 

[samsayit]

I think everything looks good! Although I agree, the RAM is a bit overpricy, but not a hellot.
So go!

 

[Destrachan]

Thanks for the help and suggestions. I will plan on getting the memory that you pointed out, that definately is the better buy. I do plan on having an SLI setup, so for the PSU, what do you think about this?

Hiper Modular II Type-R 730W Power Supply - SLI Ready

EDIT: I just found this PSU as well.

Silverstone Decathlon Quad SLI Ready Power Supply

 

[samsayit]

Thanks for the help and suggestions. I will plan on getting the memory that you pointed out, that definately is the better buy. I do plan on having an SLI setup, so for the PSU, what do you think about this?

Hiper Modular II Type-R 730W Power Supply - SLI Ready

I have a Hiper PSU (although another model) and I am very pleased with it, especially since it is modular. It is also very quiet.

 

[Destrachan]

Also, something I just noticed as well regarding the PSU's. Can someone give me a brief explination of Rails? I saw that 1 of them had 1 12v rail and then the other had 3 or 4.

When purchasing a PSU I'm guessing that's something that should be taken into consideration, however it's not easy to consider when you haven't any idea as to what it means. :?

EDIT: Nevermind, I decided to attach my head properly and bow down to the power of wikipedia.

 

[akhilles]

Well, power-hungry video cards take more than 1 pci-e power cable. 2 pci-e cables would be minimal for any modern gaming pc. 4 is kinda standard for high-end psu's.

A pc gamer should look at both the maximum wattage output & the combined +12v rail amperage of a psu. nvidia cards list both requirements while most other cards don't. 18a combined should be enough for low to mid-range cards. High-end cards usually take 30+ amps.

While the hiper you listed is good, but the vertical modular cables are not (56a). I'm afraid your case or the majority of mid towers won't fit it easily. I think it must face downwards & the cables will interfere with the cpu cooler & air flow.

Just pick a good psu with the cables on the front.

The silverstone 60a you listed is of much better quality than the hiper. It'll last much longer.

 

[Destrachan]

Akhilles, thank you very much. I really do appreciate all the assistance that you've provided.