new build for first timer

[bricknothitback]

I am hoping to begin construction on this new system in the near future and am looking for feedback, I have virtually no experience with computer hardware. I want to be able to run the latest games (Far Cry 2 is the inspiration for this build, I want to be up and running when it arrives--sooner than later I hope, Far Cry will go down as the most enjoyable pc game I have ever played). I don't multi-task or video edit to any serious degree.

After much research I have come up with the following system:

cpu Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2
mobo GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX
ps CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX ATX12V V2.2 550W Power Supply 90
case Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower
ram G.SKILL 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 X2
video EVGA 512-P3-N841-A3 GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3
cooler ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler - Retail
hd Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
optical Lite-On LightScribe Dual Formal Double Layer DVD RW/CDRW
mouse Logitech MX518
keyboard Logitech 967740-0403 Black
OS Windows Vista 32 (not sure about this choice)
monitor SAMSUNG 226BW Black 22" 2

Questions I still have:

1. Will the e8400 work with the gigabyte mobo out of the box? I fear not and the idea of flashing the bios troubles me somewhat, though maybe it shouldn't

2. Windows Vista or XP? I have never used Vista and all the talk of its issues/compatibility is also troubling

3. I might go with the Westinghouse 2410NM 24" monitor if it is a big upgrade from the sammy

Thanks.

 

[rgeist554]

1. The Gigabyte site claims that motherboard supports "future 45nm processors". So it should, if their statement is true, work right out of the box.

*edit* http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/248347-31-worked - Guy in that thread said the 8400 worked in the DS3L straight out of the box.

2. Do you already own a copy of XP? If yes, then - Is there anything from Vista that you want / need? If yes to that, then get Vista. It's like the same price as a copy of XP pro, but you'll need to do some tweaking to get the best gaming experience from it.

3. I have had one terrible experience and one okay experience with Westinghouse - My opinion of them: Decent brand if it cheaper than a superior panel. (Ie. Samsung) The Samy 226BW is a really nice monitor, so you really can't go wrong with it, and going from 22" to a 24" means you have to run a native resolution of 1920x1200. That means that games are going to demand more GPU power.

 

[sprucebr1]

This looks good. If you have doubts about Vista, then you may want to stick with XP and SP3. From what I keep hearing, Vista is still not the best option, although they are going to have a service pack for it soon. Anyways, seeing as there are no huge benefits to Vista, XP may be the better choice, at least you know your drivers will work.