New Rig - Looking for Comments

[Adian]

It's been a while since I built my current system, and it's time for an upgrade. I hadn't built the last rig with overclocking in mind, but this time around I'm planning to try my hand at it. I did some research and came up with the list of parts below, but I've been out of touch for a long time and I'm sure there is room for improvement.

Case - NZXT Tempest
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146047

PSU - Silverstone DA800 800W PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817256036

Mobo - ASUS Rampage Formula
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131284

CPU - Intel Core 2 Duo 3.16 E8500
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115048

RAM - Corsair Dominator 4GB DDR2 1066
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145197

Video - ASUS Radeon HD 4850 *2 in Crossfire
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121253

HDD - Western Digital Caviar SE16 640 Gb *2 in RAID 0
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218

Optical - Pioneer DVD+-W/RW Dual Layer CDW/RW
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827129020

Later I may add another 4GB pair of the same memory, but I think four gigs should do well enough for now. I'll also likely add a DVD-ROM for copying, but that's not an immediate need. I also intend to use the on-board sound (or the card that comes with the mobo), and have speakers/monitor/keyboard/mouse.

Please, if there's something I'm forgetting, if I've made a poor decision, or if there is something similar to what I have that will give more bang for the buck, let me know. I'm also a little concerned about whether or not I selected a large enough power supply. The calculators I used didn't have the equipment I'm planning to put in it, and I worry that I didn't select something close enough.

Other than that, any input or suggestions would be helpful.

 

[shadowduck]

E8500 is not worth the extra over the E8400. Change the CPU.

There is no reason to buy 1066- especially that series which has been proven to be garbage RAM. Buy some Mushkin DDR2-800 RAM instead.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146731

Is this strictly a gaming computer or you doing more video editing etc?

RAID serves no purpose on a gaming machine and doubles you points of failure.

Motherboard is overkill. Look at the P5E Deluxe instead.

PSU is fine.

 

[Adian]

Actually, I had swapped the Corsair out for a set of Mushkin based on some comments I got on another board, I just forgot to update it here.

The E8400 and P5E Deluxe are things I'll have to look into, but I agree that the Rampage is probably overkill, given my knowledge level and all the advanced options it has. I had selected it because the reviews I'd read were universally positive, and the mobo is one area I'm willing to pay more for really solid equipment. Of course, that doesn't mean I'm going to throw money away. ;P

The machine isn't strictly a gaming machine, though I will be doing quite a bit of that. I don't do any video editing, though I will be using this as my everyday computer. It will have my movie and music libraries, documents, etc.

I'd read that about RAID 0, but I'd thought I had come up with a solution. I admit that I hadn't looked that closely into it yet, since I was still in the planning phases, so it may not be a viable option. I've never had a RAID before.

Anyway, my computer now has a smaller, slower 80 gig SATA drive that I was planning to include and use exclusively as a backup. That would keep me from having to burn DVDs every week or so and give a little more protection for my more vital data. It won't be able to hold nearly all the things I'd like, but some is better than none if one of the drives fails. Is that even an option?

 

[aevm]

Shadowduck said it all. OK, one thing I'd add: change the PSU to the 750TX. It saves you $110 and it's still top quality and plenty for your build.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006&Tpk=750TX

 

[shadowduck]

The machine isn't strictly a gaming machine, though I will be doing quite a bit of that. I don't do any video editing, though I will be using this as my everyday computer. It will have my movie and music libraries, documents, etc.

RAID offers you zero benefit. Skip it.

 

[Adian]

Cool, will do.

 

[aevm]

The Pioneer DVD you picked is out of stock. This SH-S203N is very good, $4 less after shipping, and in stock:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151154&Tpk=SH-S203N

That's a very nice case you got there.

 

[Adian]

Heh, thanks. I like it too. It was between this and the Antec 900 - the case I have now doesn't have a lot of airflow, and that's something I'm looking to remedy in the future.

I have to admit that I didn't do as much research about the optical drive as the rest of the build, and I certainly didn't notice that the one I'd selected was out of stock. ^_^''' Thanks for letting me know, and finding a very suitable replacement.