Building my first system

[Reno5]

I've decided to build a new computer for myself and have put together a list of parts. This seems like a great place to get advice about this sort of thing, so any suggestions for improvement within a reasonable margin would be awesome. Thanks in advance. Also, I do not plan on using the crossfire feature in the motherboard right away.

Motherboard: Asus P5E w/ DualDDR2 1066, 7.1 Audio, Gigabit Lan, 1394, Dual PCI-E x16 CrossFire
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX18897(ME).aspx

CPU: Intel Core™2 Duo Processor E8400 3.00GHz w/ 6MB Cache
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX19796(ME).aspx

Memory: Corsair 4GB XMS2-8500D Dominator TWIN2X Dual Channel DDR2 Kit (2 x 2GB) w/ Airflow Fan
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX20277(ME).aspx

Case: THERMALTAKE Armor Super Tower w/ 25cm Fan, Black Steel
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX13748(ME).aspx

Power Supply: Silverstone Strider ST60F 600W Modular Power Supply w/ Quad +12V, EPS 12V
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX11458(ME).aspx

Graphics Card: eVGA e-GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB PCI-E w/ Dual DVI, HDTV-Out
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX19419(ME).aspx

Optical Drive: PIONEER DVR-215D 20x Dual Layer DVD+/-RW Drive, SATA, Black (OEM - No Software)
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX21342(ME).aspx

Hard Drive: Western Digital 500GB Caviar SE16 7200rpm SATA II w/ 16MB Cache
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX18678(ME).aspx

 

[cmashwin]

looks great overall... But why nvidia graphics card if u are thinking of crossfire later on.. According to the recent reviews the 4870 is a beast!! U can have 1 now, or even the 4850 and then add another if u need it..

 

[Reno5]

That's probably a good idea, I've just always dealt with nvidia cards in the past.

 

[jsc]

HD: a few dollars more will get you a WD 640 GB drive.

If you plan on OC'ing, you should give some thought about an aftermarket HSF. The Xigmatek s1283 is attracting a lot of attention these days - works very nearly as well as the TR Ultra 120 Extreme and costs about half as much.

 

[cmashwin]

well i have always dealt with nvidia and was almost even scared to go ATI/AMD way... But one look at my friend's 4870 changed that!! my 8800gts is a slouch compared to that thing.. anyways, its cheaper and better so its ur decision in the end..
If u planning to overclock,(and we all think u shud ), get the xigmatek as jsc said or any other similar quality cooler.. u shud be able to hit ATLEAST 3.8Ghz with comfortable temps.. (400 X 9.5)..

 

[Reno5]

Thanks for the recommendation for the 640 GB drive, jsc.

I don't plan on overclocking when I put the system together; I have no reason to whatsoever. However, from what I've been told I can add a heatsink to my cpu later if I want to. I may consider it in the future.

 

[Reno5]

Sorry for the double post, but I have a question. Which brand would be superior for the 4870, Sapphire or VisionTek? Or does it matter?