Hardware choices for my new system

[Cpt_Obvious]

Recently the computer I built last year and the monitor I used with it were stolen. Fortunately insurance paid for the whole thing and I have a nice internship so naturally I want to rebuild it. I havent really payed any attention to hardware since I built my system but Ive been reading a few articles (mostly here on tom's hardware) and Ive come up with a few choices:

2 9600 GTs in SLI
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127333

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037

2GB DDR2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231098

XFX 780i Mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813141005

-OR-

MSI 650i Mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130081

as you can see I have two motherboards... I cant really decide which one I want.
Being a college student, its hard for me to bring myself to pay an extra hundred some dollars for a better motherboard, so I was just wondering what you guys think.
Is the 780i mobo worth the price jump, or should I stick with the 650i?

a psu is missing from this list, Ive looked into it a little bit, but Ive heard its easy to make a mistake when buying one if you just look at the wattage.
Do you have any recommendations for a psu?

any other comments on my choices are welcome, I want to take full advantage of this opportunity to rebuild my system

 

[effel]

Biostar P45 Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138118)
ATI 4850 512mb Video Card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121253)
2 or 4GB DDR2 800 Crucial or Corsair preferably (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148076)
PC Power & Cooling 610W (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703005)
Intel e8400
Thermalright Ultra 120 (extreme if you want) w/ Nexus/Scythe/Artic Cooling Fan
Zalman VF900 for the graphics card (not sure if it'll fit or not...) (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118001)

With this set-up, you can get a high overclock on the e8400, max graphics on just about any game at 1650x1050 or less with great frame rates, and keep all your components well powered and cooled.

 

[efx92]

I don't think you need SLi unless you're using a big widescreen monitor(1900x1200 I think). So I would get a single ATi 4870 once they are in stock or maybe get like a single 8800GTS.

If you're going to overclock I heard that the nVidia chipsets aren't very good for it.

If you're going to be using a 64bit OS then get 4GB of RAM, trust me, it's worth it.

and the PSU that effel listed I have it and it works very well, it also comes with a paper to show you that the company tested it and PC Power & Cooling is a good brand.

 

[Cpt_Obvious]

wow

thanks for the recommendations for the 4850, I hadnt really looked into ati cards at all but it looks like exactly what I was looking for

I had an 8800 GTS in my old box and I wanted to get something a little better without breaking the bank
it looks like the only thing better than this card are the way high end nvidia ones like the GX2 and 280 and 260

at least I got the cpu right


btw will this zalman fan do the trick?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118223