New build. $800 budget. How does this look?

VIDEO CARD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
$180

PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
$100
OR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
$120

MOBO
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
$99

RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
$43

CPU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
$167

HDD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E168...
$75

CD/DVD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E168...
$26

HEAKSINK
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
$30

CASE
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
$65

i remember reading somewhere that thermal grease comes with the heatsink i suggested
i saw that you paired up a cable with your thermal grease. you could get a cable for free with the HDD under the combo deals

do not go with your original gpu, go with xpandapanda's suggestion.
But it is $179.99 after rebate not $130

if you put it in your cart, the price is $160 + the game free. $130 after rebate. unless, that is a mishap everyone but me has known about

I'd take:

Processor - E8400, the new E0 stepping can get 4ghz easily. Save the extra money and put that into a better cooler

Mobo: EP45-UD3P, Since there is no difference between all three boards and their BIOS, take the UD3P for the extra PCIe slot.

HSF: Xigmatek Dark Knight $40, and it comes with a bolt through kit already.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Case: Antec 300 $60 free shipping - It will certainly have better cooling than the Smilodon. Pick up 2 120mm fans with the $10 saved.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

EDIT, NVM about the case, you already have the Smilodon.

nope, after mail in rebate it is $179.99
it says the graphic card is suppose to be $160 + the $49.99 game ( they call it free but really it is a combo which u can't sperate) - $10 instant saving and the - $30 mail in rebate. = final price of $179.99

Don't combine the OCZ Fatal1ty 550W with the GTX 260. Bad combination, leaves no room for OCing or extra hard drives.

my brain doesnt think that way, well, back to fixing the build so its under the budget

Thanks for all the replies already guys!

A few questions:

1.) REBATES: Anyone ever have problems getting their rebate checks? I'm a little nervous cause almost every item has one, and I need them all back for this to be affordable...

2.) CPU: Why the e8400 over the e8500? Doesn't the e8500 OC easier than the e8400? Or on air cooling will they both only get so far together. Anyone think its a good idea to find a comparably cheap intel quad?

3.) RAM: Why G. Skill DDR2 800 for $43 instead of Corsair DDR2 1066 for $34? I'm not understanding this one.

4.) MOBO: Will the GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P do SLI if I want to in the future? It says on the specs it does ATI CrossfireX. But I am getting an NVIDIA Card. Please help with this one.

5.) COOLER: I believe the Dark Knight Cooler is too large for my case, because there is a built in fan mounting right where the cooler would have to go. Is there a smaller cooler that is effective?

6.) PSU: The CORSAIR CMPSU-520HX 520W... I have this in my current system and loved using the modular to build. But someone said the Fatality 550w wouldn't be enough as it is... The Corsair is 30w less. Unfortunately the Corsair 620 is out of my budget... not sure what to do here... Got the corsair 520HX for $50 off buy.com first time around.

Again thanks for your help, keep the comments coming, I'd like to buy parts by wednesday.
~xRome

1. I never count on rebates, its like half of the time they work, and its usually 10 weeks or longer until you get them, long after you have forgotten that they were coming.

2. The E8400 and E8500 OC to the same level, so save a little money. Only go quad if you will make use of it, most games will not.

3. The G skill doesn't need a rebate to make it cheaper, and on LGA 775 there is no benefit going with higher rated ram speed than 800mhz, the memory controller cant make use of the extra bandwidth. DDR2-800 with low timings is the best option on LGA 775. If you get that Corsair ram, I would underclock it to DDR2-800 (or close to it, depending on where you end up with your OC) and get the tightest timings you can.

4. No, it is an Xfire only board. If you want SLI, then the only good option is to go with the much more expensive X58 and i7 chipset. Get an ATI gpu if you want to get a dual GPU setup later so you can Xfire. The other option is risking an Nvidia chipset (750i or 780i), these boards are plagued with stability issues and are usually not worth the headache.

5. Just move that side fan to another place to make room for the cooler. There are other coolers, but not the same price/performance ratio. If you want to keep that fan, maybe look at Zalman CNPS9700 LED

6. Do you really want modular? You get much more for your money getting a regular PSU and just tying up the extra cables in the HDD cage with zip ties. I would really get the 650tx, which would be able to handle two 4870's if you had molex connectors (but really the 750tx is the best option for that, it has more PCIE connectors and would be running at less load).

1) never had a problem... except twice with OCZ
2) saves money, also, not sure what flyin15sec was saying about E0, but it sounded good and more money efficient
3) you are right, this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... is better, but it lacks quality
4) after some research, i dont think any LGA 775 motherboard can support SLI, so the answer to that one is no.
5)The CPU cooler i suggested?
6) I heard somewhere on the forums that 500watts from a quality brand work as it its a 600 watt. now that ive changed it a little, you could accommodate the 620 PSU

1.) Good to know. I had 3 rebates on my first build and got all of them.

2.) Ok e8400 saves me $23 over e8500. Will a first time OCer be able to make it 4ghz?

3.) I'd be getting the corsair 4gb 1066 off tiger direct, their rebate has an option to instantly reclaim it if you take $3 off what you would get back. Did it for last build too.

Also, the standard memory in the specs of the Gigabyte mobo says 1066... why would it need to be clocked down? I don't understand most of this stuff keep in mind ^_^

4.) The reason I wanted SLI capability is because my current system's weakest point is the vid card I guess. So I figured if I have the option to just add another one in a year when they are $100 or whatever, it would boost my system's performance by alot without having to change anything else.

Should I be considering any ATI Cards? I've just had a really bad experience with my first one...

5.) The fan mounting is permanant, even if the fan is moved, if i'm seeing it correctly. Hmm.

6.) Well, the Corsair Modular 620hx on buy.com for $105 after rebate. so that saves $15 off neweggs price...

I think the HD 4850 (ATI) is a nice mid range card. But in the 180US range, the hd4870 is pretty nice.

First time overclocker? They say your mileage may vary but I should think you could get to 3.8 fairly easy. You will need to get a superior cooler to reach the upper ranges of oc.
You might look at the Zalman 9000 series coolers, Xigmatek.

I think I've had about a 50% success rate with rebates.
I'd take the 3 bucks off for instant.

I'd reccomend an AMD X3 II 720 BE over the intel dual core. More performance, and upgradability for later and it's cheaper also.

Took the time to look through combo deals on newegg and saved $15. Nice.

Ok this may be my final list, unless someone comes up with an AMD system that I really like (I don't know anything about AMD..)
-----------------------
CASE:
Raidmax Smilodon - $70
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

PSU:
Corsair 620hx 620w modular PSU - $105
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=203270718

VIDEO CARD:
EVGA GTX 260 SC Edition - $170
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E168...
**OR**
GeForce GTX 260 Black - $180
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

The choice is because of bad reviews for XFX one...hmm

PROCESSOR: & MOTHERBOARD: combo deal save $15

Intel E8400 Wolfdale - $167.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 - $99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

CPU COOLING:
Arctic Freezer 7 Pro - $30
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

**OR**
Sunbeam CR-CCTF 120 mm Core-Contact Freezer - $30
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

HARD DRIVE:
Western Digital 640GB 32MB Cache - $75
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E168...
***FREE molex to SATA converter cable

CD/DVD:
Samsung with lightscribe - $26
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E168...

RAM:
CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) - $35
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...

TOTAL Before rebates: $893
TOTAL after rebates: $787
SHIPPING: $7
COMBO discounts: -$15

FINAL TOTAL: $779

This total is using the more expensive Vid card, just in case.

Which Vid card and cooler between the two options for each?

Lastly, does the build look solid?
~xRome

look solid to me. The Sunbeam cooler is better, but I have heard its a pain in the ass to mount on LGA 775 platforms.

I have decided that I want to buy a cooler that is not a pushpin design. I remember hating the feeling that I was going to snap my mobo in half installing it on the last build. I'd rather get something that has a metal bracket and screws that connect over and under the mobo. Any suggestions? I have seen some great reviews about Zalman coolers. I used a Zalman for a vid card cooler way back and liked it alot.

Here is the list of Zalmans for socket 775:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=E...

I was looking at the 9700 NT because it has a green LED instead of blue (to match the case green lights everywhere), but clearly thats not priority, just bonus.

Any suggestions?

Here is an AMD build I ordered a couple of days ago if you want to consider the 720:

CPU: X3 720 BE
Mobo: Gigabyte MA790XT-UD4P
HD: Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB 7200RPM 32MB
Cooling: Xigmatek HDT-S1283
Case: Coolermaster CM 690 Mid Tower
VGA: Sapphire 4870 1 GB
PSU: PC Power & Cooling 610W Silencer
Optical: Samsung SH-S222A/BEBS 22X DVD
Ram: Patriot Viper Extreme Performance DDR3 1333mhz (4gb)

I think the Scythe Mugen 2 or Xigmatek S1283V DK would serve you well for coolers, I would pick both before one of those Zalman coolers.

Mid range cooler, that offer the best bang for the buck:
Xigmatek Dark Knight(has bolt through kit)

High end coolers(all have bolt through kits):
T.R.U.E.
Noctua NH-U12P
CM V8
Prolimatech Megahalem

I appreciate all the suggestions for push pin design coolers, but i'd prefer to buy a mounting bracket cooler.

Any suggestions for $30-40 mounting bracket coolers?

The two that I suggested use backplates and are about $40...did you look at them? Flyin15sec also suggested all coolers with backplates.

edit

Ah. No I didn't look at any except the Dark Knight, which didn't show if it were push pin or backplate.

My mistake I guess though, I just assumed bolt-through meant push-pin... woops.

Bolt-through means it has a backplate, Pushpins means pushpins.

Roger, thanks for clarification. I'm still new  

FINAL BUILD. Parts purchased! Any last comments would be helpful. $800 budget!!!

-----------------------
CASE:
Raidmax Smilodon - $65
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

PSU:
Corsair 620HX Modular - $95 after opening credit card and rebate...
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=203270718

VIDEO CARD:
EVGA GTX 260 SC 216 - $190
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

PROCESSOR:
Intel E8400 Wolfdale - $167. Plan to OC to 4.0 Ghz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

CPU COOLING:
XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V - $40. You guys convinced me to go big on the cooler. Hope it pays off!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

HARD DRIVE:
Western Digital 640GB 32MB Cache - $75
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E168...

CD/DVD:
Samsung with lightscribe - $26
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E168...

MOTHERBOARD:
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 - $99 After rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...


RAM:
CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500), 5-5-5-15 - $35
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...

EXTRAS:
CoD5, molex-->sata cable, 8GB flash drive, arctic silver 5.

$791 after rebates and opening the amazon credit card. Oh and after a $15 discount from Newegg because I asked for one. No joke.
$9 under budget assuming I get all my rebates. Now i need to find a monitor >_<

Thanks for the help everyone!
Final comments?

~xRome

Looks good, I'm not crazy about that case, but that is mostly personal preference.

Thanks   and thanks for your input.

I bought a smilodon after watching a 3dgameman review of it. It seemed really solid for a first build so i tried it out. removable motherboard tray and screw-less fold down sides on both sides, tooless drive bays, built-in tool kit, 2 80mm and 2 120mm fans included, with a mounting for a 5th.

I have no experience to compare it to, but the case certainly made the build go smoother than it would have with a less user-friendly case.

And black/neon green is sexy, admit it ^_^

Looking for a 21-25" 1080p monitor, preferably with at least a tilt function.

Any suggestions from the pros on here?

Some ideas:

Samsung T260HD (25.5", $460, 1920x1200, includes HD tuner)

Samsung T260 (same as above, $400, no tuner - you'd need a tuner card in the PC to watch TV)

Asus VW246H $270 1920x1080
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236049

I've had good experiences with LG and Viewsonic too.

::whistles:: those look quite pretty, but I guess I should have given a budget to guide responses. Thanks for posting!

I'm looking to spend less than $200 if thats possible, I see a tiger direct special every once in a while for an acer 4ms 1080p for like 179. I don't need top of the line. 2ms sounds nice though. lol

I guess I don't need 1080p either to be honest, but I certainly would like to shoot for that if possible.

Well, yes, 1080p is good to have. Especially if you have an upconverting program like PowerDVD and spent all your TV budget on DVDs, like me  

How about this one?
Acer H233Hbmid Black 23" 5ms $210
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009162&Tpk=H233Hbmid
(Same price at tigerdirect but they add a couple of bucks for shipping.)

hmm. They have a lower model of the acer for only $179 or open box shipped for $140.

Interesting....

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

openbox:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

I have an acer right now that I kind of hate because it has terrible back light bleeding. I am going to bring it in for service and hope for a replacement because its still under warranty, but not manufactured anymore.

Hmmm, 1920x1080 and only 21.5"... Those pixels will be awfully small. You can adjust the size of Windows fonts, but some things will still be hard to see. I guess it's OK if you have good eyesight.