[Solved] I7 Trading PC build help

Hi,

I need help choosing parts for a new PC. I need plenty of CPU power, so I've been looking at the i7 Core 920 CPU. But I'm less certain of which motherboard, memory, GPU and case to choose. My main priority is that all the parts should fit together nicely and not cause me a headache, as has happened when building PCs in the past.

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Now

BUDGET RANGE: Should meet my needs at the lowest cost possible. I'm expecting to pay around $1000, but no limit really.

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Stock trading (multiple real-time stock charts are very CPU intensive), blu-ray ripping, h.264 encoding, internet, watching movies.

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, OS, hard drives.

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: I would prefer to buy from an online retailer in the US that charges no sales tax to California. I have free shipping with Amazon.

PARTS PREFERENCES: Intel i7 Core 920. No preference for the rest, other than that I want everything to fit together nicely without any compatibility problems.

OVERCLOCKING: No, SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe, if not complicated to set up (or manage if you have to switch between SLI and 4 monitor setup).

VIDEO/GPU: Fanless, Perhaps HDMI for connecting directly to TV incl. audio?

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 4 monitors at 1920x1200, but should be able to add 2 more later if I want to (3rd GPU?).

OS: Plan to run Win XP 32-bit but upgrade to Win 7 next year.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: My GPU power needs are modest as I'm not a gamer. However, please add an alternative that plays games nicely as well. I'm thinking that since I probably need two GPUs anyway, two cheaper cards could perform well with SLI or Crossfire? I also value a quiet computer and are looking for a quiet case (with a perfect fit for the motherboard), fanless graphics cards and maybe a custom quiet CPU cooler.

Thank you for your reply. I'm now ready to order my parts, and just wanted to check if anything has changed since you made the list, or if anyone else has additional suggestions.

Also, I want the most quiet case possible. And since the Cooler Master HAF has a clear window, I figure there must be other cases that are more quiet. Any ideas? Thanks.

UPDATE:
I finally settled on the build below. The PC posted the first time and installing Windows 7 RC was painless. I couldn't be happier. I have installed three HIS H465PS512P Radeon HD 4650 in this computer with no problems, even though the power supply is only 500W. I haven't run the GPUs in Crossfire mode or played 3D games though, but for stock trading and other types of work it works beautifully.

The Sonata case looks great. Not so quiet as I had expected, but quiet enough. No grounding problems as other users have reported. Playing Blu-Ray movies worked as well, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that audio was passed out of the DVI ports with the supplied DVI to HDMI adapter. Without a doubt the best PC I've ever built.

Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz Processor $280

ASUS P6T SE LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $195

OCZ OCZ3P1600LV6GK DDR3 PC3-12800 1600MHz 6GB Platinum XTC Triple Channel Kits $95

HIS H465PS512P Radeon HD 4650 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail $71

LG Electronics GGC-H20L LightScribe Blu-Ray/HD DVD Combo Drive (Black) $116

Western Digital Caviar Black 640 GB Bulk/OEM Hard Drive 3.5 Inch, 32 MB Cache, 7200 RPM SATA II WD6401AALS $70

Antec Sonata III 500 Quiet Super Mini Tower ATX Case (Black) $129

TOTAL $956 (with one graphics card and mostly no tax and free shipping from Amazon.com).