$850 gaming system

[xPandaPanda]

Hi, this is my first build, and i want to make sure everything is compatible and that i am getting back best bang out of the system. i plan i getting the system by the end of the month and its primary function is gaming and i plan on spending $850-ish. i will do some video editing and photoshop, but that is not necessary.

the place a plan to buy these parts from is Newegg.com

I will not be needing a Monitor, mouse, keyboard, speakers, cd burner or an operating system, as i already have those.


Here is the build i came up with:

case
Antec three hundred - 54.95
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042

hard drive
Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB - 69.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136320

memory
G.SKILL PI Black 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) - 49.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231209

motherboard
ASUS M4A78T-E AM3 DDR3 AMD 790GX ATX AMD Motherboard - 139.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131366

CPU
AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Black Processor Model - 134.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103649

PSU & video card
PC Power & Cooling 860W and SAPPHIRE 100259L Radeon HD 4870 512MB - 394.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.182373

Total - 844.89
After rebates - 809.89
with shipping - 878.62
with shipping + rebates - 843.62


I will probably upgrade by crossfiring an additional 4870. will my PSU handle it? and are there any suggestions to my build?
I will also be adding in after market cooler in the future. although i will be gaming, i do not plan on overclocking, as i want to increase the lifespan of my machine. I will also add thermal paste later.
the only concern i can see so far is the motherboard

I will play at 1680x1050 res.
I mostly play RTS games - A lot of Red Alert 3 currently, planning to play Starcraft 2 when it comes out. I also play FPS games, but not very much - Call of Duty 4, Crysis. MMORPG's are also fun to me, but i get bored of them really fast.

EDIT: i forgot to mention that i live in new jersery, and that there is a $60 tax on $850. If you could offer a website with a great selection of computer parts, it would be appreciated.

 

[xthekidx]

What resolution is your monitor? and what games will you play?

 

[stonebattle]

The build looks good to me.
I don't know if you're tied to Newegg or not, but shop around and you may save a few bucks. These folks have some interesting combos.
http://www.ewiz.com/combo.php

Good luck on your build

 

[Helloworld_98]

crossfire is overkill for that resolution.

only time you use cf or SLI is when you have a 1920x1200 or above resolution screen.

 

[xPandaPanda]

www.bbb.com gave ewiz a F-rating
other wise, id get http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=EV-G260_55&src=DC&sid=u0t0f0fp19877c0s1056 and theres a 10$ coupon. so total is $140

 

[Helloworld_98]

yes but most retailer reviewing sites have user reviews at over 8/10 average.

 

[xPandaPanda]

does anyone know of any other computer part retailers so i can avoid this 7.46% tax from newegg?

 

[shortstuff_mt]

I've had good luck with www.zipzoomfly.com. No one has mentioned a compatibility problem with the original build. You picked DDR2 RAM, but the motherboard requires DDR3 RAM. I would get one of these motherboards instead:

GIGABYTE GA-MA790GP-UD4H AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128384 $128.99

or

GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128387 $109.99

AMD CPU's actually perform better with DDR2 1066 RAM. I really like the PI Black RAM, but I would get DDR2 1066 to maximize your performance.

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231246 $59.99

The 640GB drives are faster than the 500GB models and don't cost much more.

Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319&Tpk=wd6401aals $74.99