Greytop senior needs advice re: 2008 build

[mcurtin]

I'm looking to gather components for a new build (an expert assembler/builder will actually do the build). PC is to be used for: high def video editing, surfing with multiple windows open, management of large digital photo database, and finally for occasional but high end video game playing (when my son's come over to the house), so I don't want the PC to be a slouch at gaming.

I already have several components: Dell 2407 monitor from a previous build, Cooler Master's Cosmos 1000 case, DVD optical drives, and two (2) of these:

Patriot 2GB (2 X 1GB) 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM Dual Channel Desktop Memory

For video, I thought Radeon 4870 (any thoughts on the Powercolor brand?)

My idea was to get Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 or Q6700 (if anyone thought it was worth the extra $80. Please advise on any heat sink or fan to purchase instead of, or in addition to, what is included in the retail box.

Really need advice re: mobo. I plan to have 4 SATA drives (500 G or 640 G, not sure which and set them up as Raid 01 (0 + 1) or Raid 10 (1 + 0) so mobo should support those and ideally be very easy to set up. Don't need SLI support. I think I prefer Intel chipsets...should I be choosing an X38, or P45 board? I've had great luck in past with an ASUS board that also had wi-fi. I wouldn't mind having that wi-fi capability but it's not crucial. Down the road, I might upgrade to lower speed DDR3 memory so if board could support both, that would be great.

Finally, would 750 – 800 watt PSU be sufficient? Please recommend products (manufacturers) that have high reliability and ease of connection as well as good value per watt.

Re the hard drives: do number of platters matter in reliability and speed (e.g., the 640 WD has 2 320 G platters. I don't know how many the 500G has?

Also thank you in advance for any other suggestions, additions or criticisms.

 

[ilovebarny]

good ram good graphics i would suggest like a 9450 quad core if you can afford it, if not just stick with the q6600 and if you have to you can overclock.
any were from the 750-800watt range psu's would be fine might as well get a 800. just make sure the amps are good. i have no idea on the platters i think i read somewere that having two platters can make your seek times a little faster as one reader is not doing all the work. i would probably suggest the sapphire 4870 as it has more reviews from newegg.

 

[WR2]

Radeon 4870 would be a good choice. I like the Powercolor, Sapphire and Visiontek models but they're all based on the ATI reference model and so essentially the same.
POWERCOLOR AX4870 $255 after $30 rebate and a free copy of Grid racing game

I think the ASUS P5Q-E P45 motherboard $160 would be a good match for what you want. ASUS P5Q-E motherboard Review
The P5Q-E doesnt have Wifi but you can get an inexpensive add-in card ($15) for that.
There is a P5QC motherboard that can use DDR2 or DDR3 RAM but I don't feel it will give you any advantages.

For a single 4870 video card and the rest of your hardware a good 500W class PSU would be plenty of power.
Corsair 520HX or Corsair 650TX both $80 after rebate
The 520HX is modular - meaning you only attach the cables you need for your hardware. A few zip ties on the extra cables of the 650TX would also help keep the interior of your case neat.

The WD 5000AAKS 500GB HDD has three platters.

 

[mcurtin]

Thanks all for input...I've moved along a bit.

Unexpected bonus (actually sold some surplus tack and other horse paraphernalia) has me now thinking that I'll go with Q9550 (only $10 more than 9450).
Re graphics: I'll stick with Radeon 4870 or if this finalization takes much longer, then consider the 4850x2 as it will likely be only about $110 more than single 4870.  Does one need a MOBO that supports crossfire to get a dual-GPU graphics card?  Is it really a variant of crossfire but just doing it on one card rather than with 2 separate cards?
PSU:  Newegg had great price on 650TX so I bought it.
Memory:  you said with my memory I should really avoid X48 chipset...can you elaborate?  My memory is PC-6400 800.  Should I be ditching that memory that I already have(? try to sell) and if so what should I be getting (and I realize that this probably depends on the mobo as well)?  I think I'd prefer to stay with DDR2. and then,
MOBO:    I can't seem to get the pros and cons of the various chipsets organized in my mind.  I do want raid 10 support--may go to 4[ 640 GB drives but have only ordered 2 so far, so at this point will only need mirroring raid. .  I'll probably go with Vista Home Premium 64 bit.  I think I probably won't crossfire (except see above re 4850 x2) but if a great board otherwise supports it, then I don't really care about spending a few more dollars.  I really want excellent RAID support, though.
Thank you again.