Hey all, I am new to your forums and I am embarking on my first system build for gaming, specifically to play all the newer D10 games and some of the older games such as Everquest 2 to it's max capability. Below is my current build specs and before I order I would like some input from some experienced builders....

DVD Drive: ASUS 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model DRW-2014L1T - Retail

Case: Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

HDD: Western Digital Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM

Vid Card: EVGA 512-P3-N841-A3 GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP

Power Supply: Rosewill RX850-D-B ATX12V v2.2 & EPS12V v2.91 850W Power Supply - Retail

Memory: Patriot Extreme Performance 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual x 2 for 8 gig

MOBO: ABIT IP35 Pro LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model BX80562Q6600 -

OS: Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Ultimate for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM

My primary questions are, (1) Am I forgetting anything? Do you think I'll need any special cables or anything? (2) Is everything compatible? (3) I am planning on OC'ing in the future to 3 ghz, would the power supply I have be sufficient? (4) Is everything listed relatively easy to install, this being my first build, I'll be refering to this forum and a couple sites on the net to install, I chose parts I thought would come with good manuals and references, if not, let me know what parts I may have the hardest time installing or having issues with.

Also, I was torn between the Vista Ultimate and Premium, any reason I should use Premium with this build or just go with Ultimate?

That's it, I look forward to your expert opinions!

1. Looks good to me, but you may want an extra 7.2k RPM drive with more storage (350-500GB) for all your non-application needs. As for cables, the drive is OEM, but your motherboard should come packed with all the necessary equipment.

2. Yes

3. That PSU isn't too great. Read on to figure out why.

4. Yes, but read some guides for first time builders. You don't want to do something stupid like forget to install stand-offs (Although, I don't believe that will be a problem since the Antec 900 comes pre-done with standard ATX stand-offs in place)

Vista Ultimate just supports more RAM (if you use the 64bit version), more than you actually will ever use IMHO. You can go with whichever is cheaper, but definitely use the 64 bit version since you've got 4GB or RAM.

Looks like your Processor tag got cut off. Is it OEM or retail? If it's OEM, then you need to find a cooler for it. Also, I recommend you order your Q6600 from ClubIT or somewhere the guarantees G0 stepping. That way you can get a higher OC on stock voltage. (I do recommend an aftermarket cooler such as the TR120, Tuniq Tower, Arctic Freezer 7 Pro, Zalman 9700, etc. They're all pretty good, but TR120 is probably the best)

Also, you don't need an 850W PSU for your setup and you definitely don't want a Rosewill. I've heard some people that say they're fine, but they do rank at the bottom of the PSU tier scale. Check out the Silencer 750 Quad if you still want something of high Wattage (This is a tier 1 PSU which I personally can guarantee is extremely good). It's like $148.00 on newegg after a promo code, which I can give you if you PM me. If you need something cheaper though, try the Corsair 520HX or 550VX - Even an OCZ 600W (StealXtreme or GameXtreme) would be fine for you.

PSU Tier list: http://www.tomswiki.com/page/Tiere [...] ngs?t=anon
Check it out for your self to get a feel for what's good or what's not. (Tier 3 is acceptable - anything above that is exceptional)

I would probably go with a different power supply. http://tomswiki.com/page/Quality+PSU+Brands+and+Models

You're not going to need 8 Gig of RAM. Just get 1 2x2048meg set. The rest looks good.

1) Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, Speakers, but I assume you have those already. If you're overclocking (as you suggest you will), I'd recommend a third-party CPU cooler.
2) Only real concern is making sure the new power supply has enough connectors (PCI-E/SATA) for your components.
3) See previous recommendation
4) Fairly easy to install. Google, YouTube and the manuals are your friends.

Ultimate vs. Premium - Not a user, so I can't say either way.

-Wolf sends

Good catch on the 8Gb, Wolf, I failed to notice that during my first post. >.>

As Wolf said, You really don't need 8GB. 4GB is more than sufficient for anything you plan on doing with the system. RAM definitely won't be the bottleneck to your system.

Yes, forgot to mention I already have the basics such as keyboard, mouse and monitor. The keyboard/mouse are USB wireless, I'm assuming they will work with a new system build right off but then again..maybe not. Will I need the PS mouse and keyboard or shoud the USB wireless work OK? I think they are Microsoft input devices.

Wolf, I think you're right, I'll step the memory down to 4GB, thanks for noticing that.

I'd consider the Corsair hx520w, it's modular and allows you to keep clutter down so you can have a cooler case. The vx550w would be good too. Others to consider PCP&C 610 silencer (now is owned by OCZ, so you might have to look up that manufacturer on some websites), PCP&C 750 quad for ~$150 on newegg (with promo code ), Antec Neo 550w, OCZ GameXtreme PSU's.
4gb is all that I'd get for you system and for it's intended use. Other than the few suggestions that others have made, you have a solid build. I'm assuming you already have a "monitor" to hook up to that nice system? It would be a shame to see you hooking that system up to a 1024x768 CRT, but that is just MHO.

USB mouse/keyboard work just fine for the initial install.

I agree with the power supply, I've never gotten anything good from Rosewill. I highly recommend modular power supplies. When connecting things the fewer extra cords you have in there the better.

8GB is a bit of overkill for now...oh 2-3 years from now will probably be a different story. I've got 4GB and thanks to Vista's "I'll preload all your favorite files for you" feature, I've turn out of RAM only once.

If you can find an 8800 GTS with 640mb grab it. Future games will be using larger and larger textures and the more space on your video card the better, because that's one less game where you have to downgrade a few settings just to be playable.

Otherwise you've got quality parts, and shouldn't have any problems with it. Except for installing vista.

When you first install only install 2GB first then download the memory hotfix for 3GB+ from MS website (though with a P35 board you might not have to) otherwise you'll get BSOD while installing.

For heatsink, I'd recommend the Thermalright 120 Ultra Extreme.

Stick with Vista 64 Ultimate, after many years of dealing with MS' various flavors of its OSes I've learned pick the top one as its the one they didn't partially nerf to sell cheaper (or be more "helpful" or whatever marketing BS they use) ...which means its not missing huge chunks of code, which means it will likely have the least number of issues in the future.

The most frustrating part of this entire endeavor will be cabling. Dropping in the CPU and cards will be a breeze. The heatsink might be an adventure depending on which one you use. The fun part is when you have the MB in the case and you're trying to figure out where all those little wires from the case/drives/powersupply connect to the MB and in which direction and why are they so cramped together....

I disagree with the GTS 640MB, it's not a G92 card, so it actually costs more than an 8800GT 512MB, but doesn't perform as well. The new G92 based 8800GTS 512MB wouldn't be a bad choice though, as it performs better than the 8800GTX in some cases.

Cool, I'll get a different PSU and research a heat sink or cooler, I have no experience in this area so I'll make sure and read various reviews on them, usually purchase from Newegg, so I'll try to stick to those. Thanks for all the input!

As for my monitor, I have a basic widescreen monitor, 7ms refresh and not sure of the resolution, however i plan on gaming on a 32 inch HDTV in the future, so I'll keep the monitor for now.