First Build; Gaming/Animation; $1500-range

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Within the week

BUDGET RANGE: $1,300-1,800

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Animation software (3ds Max and etc.-- I am a beginning multimedia computing student, with long-term goals toward video game design), gaming + mods

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Keyboard, mouse, monitor

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg

PARTS PREFERENCES:
An Intel i7 core driven machine, with a high-quality Nvidia graphics card.


OVERCLOCKING: Maybe (probably not) SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Yes to SLI

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1080, 1920x1200

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I already have a potential rig more or less plotted out. I was just curious to know whether I was making any big mistakes, or whether there were any compatibility issues between my parts. This will be my very first rig-- prior to this, I knew essentially nothing about computer hardware (and still know very little).

Also-- am I missing any parts? Will everything fit in the case I chose?

I'm looking for a system that can last me for some years into the future, and that can be easily upgraded.

Noise-level doesn't particularly matter, but I am concerned about the computer overheating.

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Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W
Quad-Core Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115202

EVGA 121-BL-E756-TR LGA 1366 Intel X58 Micro ATX SLI Micro
Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813188051

SILVERSTONE DA700 700W ATX 12V 2.2 & EPS 12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready Modular Active PFC
Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817256035

Antec Solo Black/Silver Steel ATX Mid Tower
Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811129018

Noctua NH-U12P SE1366 120mm SSO
CPU Cooler - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835608007

Patriot Viper 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666)
Desktop Memory Model PVT36G1333ELK - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820220369

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5"
Internal Hard Drives - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136284

EVGA 02G-P3-1187-AR GeForce GTX 285 FTW Edition 2GB 512-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported
Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814130496

Some version of Windows Vista

EDIT: Will add a decent optical drive.

The above suggestions are pretty good except for the DVD burner. It's 2009 and IDE should have been put out to pasture a long time ago. I would pick up a SATA DVD burner.

SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 22X DVD-R 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner LightScribe Support - OEM $28.99

Don't forget to get the 64-bit version of Windows.

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders w/ Tech Guarantee - OEM $109.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] 11-119-137 Combo Discount: -$15.00 Combo Price: $164.98
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders w/ Tech Guarantee - OEM | Includes free Windows 7 upgrade coupon
COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Prod [...] e=10006382 $104.99 Free Shipping
PC Power and Cooling SILENCER 750W QUAD S75CF Power Supply Retail

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=MB-EX58U4P Combo Price: $488.98 | $473.98 after rebate Free Shipping
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD4P Core i7/ Intel X58/ DDR3/ CorssFireX & 3-Way SLI/ A&GbE/ ATX Motherboard
$20 off with Code MINIPICO20 Intel Core i7 Processor i7-920 2.66GHz 8MB LGA1366 CPU, Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835185093 $36.99
Scythe MUGEN-2 SCMG-2000 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835154003 $4.99
Tuniq TX-2 Cooling Thermal Compound - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814127429 $219.99 ($204.99 after $15.00 Mail-In Rebate) Free Shipping*
MSI N275GTX TwinFrozr OC GeForce GTX 275 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.231003 Combo Discount: -$7.00 Combo Price: $187.98 $10.00 Mail-In Rebate
OCZ Gold 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Voltage Desktop Memory Model OCZ3G1600LV6GK - Retail
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827151171 $25.99
SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 22X DVD Burner - OEM

Total: $1,234.89 $1,174.89 w/rebates

or...

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/w [...] nload.aspx <---Save yourself some money until March 2010 and download Windows RC 7 64 bit.

http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] ,2298.html <--- gtx 275 SLI > gtx 295