First i7 build, need some input please

[neuro1]

I am building my first pc and was wondering which of
these motherboards would be good for some gaming. I am trying not to
get a hardcore overclocking motherboard, these motherboards are within my budget.

1. Msi x58 pro-e

2. Gigabyte ga-x58a-ud3r (rev.1) or Gigabyte ga-x58-ud3r

3. Asus p6tse

4. Asus p6t

5.... Asrock x58 extreme

From these boards, which is better for a budget build, will be
doing some overclocking. Whats the difference with the two asus boards and is it worth paying the extra for those features? Which of the boards will be good for future upgrades for adding another gpu and
memory? I have a questions on which motherboard to get. I was thinking to get the asrock x58 extreme but then I saw reviews that some people are having problems with the ocz gold 6gb ram, which i already bought. I was also looking at asus p6t or how about the gigabyte x58-ud3r? which of these are better, I have no intention of crossfire/sli right now but probably will in the future.

Also I was looking at cases and I have come down to these:

Antec 300
Thermaltake v3 black edition
Gladiator 600 (leaning towards this, I don't want a huge case)

I have already bought the i7-920 from microcenter and also ocz 6gb ddr3 gold low voltage ram. Am going to go for a xfx hd 5770 gpu. I had a question regarding modular vs non modular power supplies? I was looking at the ultra x4 600 watt modular power supply, would that be enough power for my system?

Thanks for your help

 

[MadAdmiral]

You might want to give us a budget (and check out the guidelines from the link in my signature). Unless you've got around $1,700-$1,900, an i7 is not ideal for a gaming build.

I'm going to take a stab at the budget: $1,000. I'm guessing this because the i7 is $200 from MC, the boards are about $200, RAM is about $150, and the 5770 (not a great gaming GPU on the budget) is $160.

Can you return that i7-920? I ask because using that is absolutely handicapping your budget for the major gaming parts...

 

[ulysses35]

i7 builds are not that expensive anymore - a reasonable system could be built for £800.00 ($1120 USD)

Asus or Gigabyte boards are very good for the i7, whichever you choose the Asrock one sould be left out of the equation completely

Case depends on your own preference of looks etc - some will say Haf... Some say Antec. Whatever you are happy with sitting under your desk. I would recomened going for the Antec 902 instead of the 300

PSU - make you go for a well known brand - Corsair are always very highly recommened.

That just leaves Video card and HDD / optical drives. Video cards are the hardest ones to choose from - dont necessarily always believe more memory is better because some budget cards have 1gb - but have been crippled in other areas.

HDD = Samsung Spin Point F3's are currentyl top of the tree for HDD's (excluding the noisey raptors) and then any mid range CD/DVD drive...

 

[MadAdmiral]

HDD = Samsung Spin Point F3's are currentyl top of the tree for HDD's (excluding the noisey raptors) and then any mid range CD/DVD drive...

They're acutally better than the Raptors. Seagate 7200.12 500 GB or 1 TB drives are also just as good, and almost always in stock. Right now, the Seagates are cheaper due to shipping.

EDIT: Forgot to add one thing. Yes, i7's can be had on med range budgets. However, to do so you must cripple the gaming performance of the build (i.e. opting for the HD 5770 instead of the HD 5870). That's why you need to have somewhere around $1,800 for a decent i7 gaming build.