New build for 1500 help

There are a million threads like this.


Just make sure you put more care into assembly than you do in typing.

That's a good build, but I think I'd change a few things anyway. I'm going to assume that you don't care about overclocking and you do care about games a lot.

Case: Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case (or maybe RC-690, cheaper and without bling; good price at www.buy.com)
MoBo: Asus P5Q Pro (save $160 compared to the Rampage Formula)
Video Card: VisionTek Radeon HD4870 X2 (add $290 compared to the HD 4870)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814129114
PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V //again, good price at www.buy.com
Ram: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (save $47 over the DDR2-1066 version)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231122
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB
Heatsink: none, just get the CPU retail, save $35
OS: Microsoft Vista Home Premium 64-Bit
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor
or
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz 12MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor

This build will cost $48 more than evongugg's, or about the same if you go with the RC-690.
It will overclock less well, but it will be better for games thanks to the double video card with extra RAM.

well seeing as how this is my first build i want to keep it simple. But eventually i would like to do overclocking and anything else i can to make the system run beutifully. I want ot get a solid machine that has the capability to be overclocked and anything else that may be coming out even though i might not be doing it right away. Give it 6 months ill be wanting more you know how it is.

All right, let's see. If you're looking for a very high overclock, and money don't matter much, then the Rampage Formula and DDR2-1066 make sense. Also add a Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme + a SFF21F fan, or a Noctua NH-U12P CPU cooler.

For a good overclock without breaking the bank, the "Core Contact" or the HDT-S1283 coolers are among the best choices, and you can stick with P45 and DDR2-800.

If you get the HD 4870x2 you should pick a case that can fit it. Not sure if it's the world record as size goes, but it's close. Most full towers should be OK, but some mid-towers are roomy enough too. This applies to the fancy CPU coolers too - the best ones are very big.