Im trying to build a custom desktop for myself in the 800-1000 maybe more range depending on the parts, i have the human interface parts just need to build myself a tower and i am pretty good about most parts of the computer, i dont know to much about motherboards and processors and coolant systems though so if someone could help me with building a comp that would be fantastic
Thanks in advance

We could probably come up with better suggestions, if we new what you use your computer for.

LIke endyen said, if you can provide us with a little more information, it'll be a lot easier for us to come up with the parts.

I plan on using the computer for gaming. most likely age of conan and other games. what other info would you like to know

What resolution is the monitor you'll be using?

I'll just go ahead and give you the blanket answer that you're most likely to get:

CPU: Intel E8400
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L
CPU Cooler: Xigmatek HDT-S1283
GPU: 8800GT 512 or 8800 GTS 512 OR get one of the new cards from ATI or Nvidia when they're released in the next week or so
PSU: A corsair 550 or 650
RAM: A couple gigs of PC-800 (I like G.Skill, but they're a ton of good options out there)
Case: Personal preference, but the Antec 900 is probably the most widely known and used for gaming

Hamsystem offered a good summary. I believe his list will fall within your budget depending on number and size of HDD[s]. Do you need an optical drive? I've used SATA models from Lite-On, Samsung, and Sony without issues.

im a moderate gamer i want as much fps as i can get for what i can afford but im not gonna cry over a 1 fps difference or something similar, right now im runnig a lg flatron w1952tq 19inch and 1440 x 900 resolution whichi believe is the native resolution.
i was also told bya friend to get a quad core like a kentsfield but im once again not the most knowledgeable in the processor and mobo field

also jtt i have in the comp i have now a dvd and cr drive i could salvage out of them but i would like to get a more reliable dvd drive with burning capabilities for dvds and the like

CPU: Intel C2Q Q6600 Quad-Core or C2D E8400 Dual-Core
RAM: 4GB DDR2 800mhz (RAM is so damn cheap get 4gigs)
GPU: ATI Radeon 4870 512mb (they come out real soon) or 8800GTS 512
Mobo: nVidia 750i SLI or Intel P35 (id go with the P35 with option to Xfire, but 750i for SLI. depending on if you go nv or ati)
HD: 500GB (2x250GB) in RAID 0 (im a RAID fan)
CPU Cooler: Xigmatek 92mm Rifle Cooler (damn good cooler and is only $27)
PSU: Corsair 650watt
Case: Personal preference really, I like Apevia personally, Antec is also good

Now on deciding wether to go with the Dual-Core (E8400) or the Quad-Core (Q6600) its really a hard decision. The E8400 will give better game performance right now, but when stacked up against a Q6600 on a game that supports 4 cores it will lose to the Q6600, unfortunately not many games are multi-core optimized. The Q6600 will give better general work performance than the E8400 but its not like the E8400 is gonna give bad general performance either. I chose the Q6600 because its more future proof.

If you do decide to go Quad then the Q6600 is nice, but is getting a bit outdated, the Q9300 is nice Quad-core that just came out, but get higher freq. RAM and a good quality motherboard with it if you plan to OC because it has a lower multiplier but higher FSB. Higher FSB will put more stress on your RAM and motherboard to acheive higher clock speeds

At 1440X900 you won't need to sli/crossfire. Just go with a quality single card solution. For the price, the 8800gt is hard to beat. Also, as far as a DVD drive is concerned, you can get a good SATA drive for ~$30. I got an Asus with lightscribe on it from Newegg and its been great. Unless you absolutely have to recycle an old IDE drive, go with SATA, its so much easier to set up and makes for less clutter in your case.

I would get a single card now but get a motherboard that can go for Xfire or SLI. That way down the road if a game comes you cant handle all you have to do is pop another card in.
But im more of a future proof guy.

i thought the next gen cards were not slated for release untill january, but they come out in the next month or two?

The biggest issue for my last build was HEAT . The Intel mobo I got has 3 sensors and a program to monitor those sensors. I did not overclock it.

First I had to replace the stock CPU fan (P4 Northwood) with a Zalman 9700. The stock one could not dissipate the heat generated by the CPU fast enough when I played any 3D game, and the temp soared to 70C quickly.

Then, I found that the memory was also overheating quickly. So I added heat spreaders, which helped a little, and then rigged another case fan to blow directly on the memory.

I have not had any issues with the ATI X800XT card. However, the newer ones generate lots of heat. Reading the reviews on NewEgg, I see that picking one with good cooling fan(s) is important, and you may need to run a program to adjust the fan speed.

I am about to build a new computer and will be taking care to ensure everything is air-cooled well as quietly as possible. Games will max out all the components.

so far ive been able to refine my needs into
-a mobo that can handle a Intel C2Q Q9300 Quad-Core and also can handle xfire/sli
-antec 900 case unless i can find one that is a little cheaper but of the same quality and form factor
-ATI Radeon 4870 512mb if they come out within the next couple months, i have an old card i can throw into it in the meantime that is on the cusp of handling age of conan
-HD: 500GB (2x250GB) in RAID 0 (im a RAID fan)
-CPU Cooler: Xigmatek 92mm Rifle Cooler (damn good cooler and is only $27)
-PSU: Corsair 650watt
- and 4 gb of ddr 800+ mhz (what is considered a reliable ram manufacturer today)
i also am a future proof kinda guy xpyro, this will be the first quality computer i have built for myself and would like it to last a while and to do pretty well on the performance side. Also xfire do you know how many cores age of conan supports
still not sure which mobo to go with what i need hopefully this post irons out some of the info needed to decide

So for CPU you want the Q9300. I think thats a good choice, its running on the new 45nm Yorkfield, with the 1333FSB. I would go with the ASUS P5K Intel P35 chipset motherboard. It has two pcie-e lanes and P35 supports Crossfire (two ati cards). This board is priced well ($120) and is reputable. The Ram id go with would be DDR2 1066mhz. Go with Corsair, G.skill, Crucial, Mushkin, or OCZ id recomend. So;

CPU: Q9300
RAM: DDR2 1066mhz
GPU: 4870 512mb
Mobo: Asus P5K P35

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131180
is this the board you speak of?
and when does the ATI Radeon 4870 512mb come out?