Second build, critique/advice needed

So then, this'll be my second build, and I'm looking forward to getting my hands dirty. My current baby has done me well for the past 3 or so years, but she's getting obsolete, and parts of her are on their last leg. After a great deal of research I think I've come up with a solid build, but I'd like some advice from those with experience, and any help with shaving down the price will be apreciated as well. I have a couple of questions, too, but I'll save those towards the end. Just to be on the safe side, I'll paste some of the questions from the "How To Ask For New Build Advice" thread




APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Before June

BUDGET RANGE: ~$1,500

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, internet, movies, music (listening), eventually music (making), and just about everything that takes my fancy


PARTS NOT REQUIRED: (e.g.: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, OS) Keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers/headphones, OS, optical drives, fans

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg, Amazon, Tiger Direct, ect

PARTS PREFERENCES: Intel, ATI, you'll get a good idea from my parts list

OVERCLOCKING: Maybe/Eventually

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Yes, part of the build

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1440x900 (don't laugh), another, larger one when I get the scratch

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Classy looks, no window, no LEDs, reasonably quiet, room to grow


With that out of the way, here's what I've got (Links all lead to Newegg):


CPU: Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor $199.99

MoBo: ASUS P7P55 WS SuperComputer with NF200 LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard $229.99

Memory: A-DATA Gaming Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) $106.99

Vid Card:XFX HD-577A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 (In 2-way Crossfire) $319.98 ($169.99*2)

Boot Drive: Western Digital Caviar Blue WD1600AAJS 160GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" (2 in RAID) $78.98 ($39.49*2)

Storage Drive:Western Digital Caviar Blue WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" (2 in RAID) $139.98 ($69.99*2)

PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-850HX 850W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply $199.99

Case: COOLER MASTER COSMOS S RC-1100-KKN1-GP Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case $199.99

TOTAL: $1535.89

Now then, first thing is why I'm going with that mobo. I figure that it'll be cheaper in the long run to go with a nf200-equipped motherboard and then toss in a third vid card, and maybe a new PSU when the need arises, than buying a new mobo, processor, and vid card.

Second, questions. First off, does anyone know if XFX cards come with Crossfire bridges? Might be a stupid question, but it doesn't say so anywhere, and I just want to be sure before I buy one. Next, has anyone worked with the Cosmos before? See, I have really big hands, and my current P180 was way to cramped when I was working with it. It shredded me pretty nicely, too. I'd really like to avoid a repeat of that.

I'll also be recycling my current Yate Loons. I might need to pick up a few more, but they're cheap enough not to be a concern. Thanks very much for the help!

Not a great build for $1,500. Here's a much better one:

CPU/Mobo: i5-750 and Asus P7P55D-E Pro $375. A cheaper, more future proof board.
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws 2x2 GB 1600 mhz CAS Latency 7 $120. Faster sticks.
GPU: HD 5970 $700. You'll never need to Crossfire this. Or if you balk at spending $700 for a video card, grab the HD 5870 (in a combo with the RAM) for $490.
HDD: Seagate 7200.12 500 GB $55. A faster HDD than either of those. Can grab mulitple ones if needed. That said, I'm not a huge fan of RAID setups (unless you're doing RAID 1).
PSU: Antec Earthwatts 750W $85 after rebate
Case: HAF 922 $80 after rebate. The Cosmos is extremely expensive and isn't that special. The lights on this turn off if that's a huge issue.
HSF: Coolermaster Hyper 212 Plus $35 (with free card reader)

Total: $1,450

The board supports USB 3/SATA III. So once the new storage devices actually use those speeds, you'll be able to take advantage of it.

The HAF 922 is bigger than many full towers. In fact, the only reason I woud get anything bigger is if you're trying to add an internal liquid cooling system (which I don't recommend). It's also possibly the best case ever made.

I would definitely grab the 500 GB platter drives (Seagate 7200.12 500 GB/1 TB, Samsung Spinpoint F3 500 GB/1 TB, WD Caviar Black 1 TB 6 GBps only) regardless of you configuration. They're a lot faster than older models.

The Newegg combo deals change every month. The best thing to do is come back about two weeks before your planned build date and ask for suggestions then. Computer technology changes to fast to try and plan a build a couple months in advance. What we suggest today may not be what we suggest a month or two from now.