EDIT 1: switched out HDD for a 1 TB samsung spinpoint and added a Radeon 5870 card to compare with the Nvidia one I'd already picked out. Still on the fence about switching down to an i5 though.
Edit 2: I'm going with banthracis's build near the bottom of this page.
This is what I have so far: Sam's i7 930 build
APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Sometime this week
BUDGET RANGE: ~$1500 After Rebates
SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming
PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Monitor (I found this alienware monitor on sale for an absurdly low price, so I snatched it up
Speakers
PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg.com
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
PARTS PREFERENCES: I'm pretty confident I want to use an intel i7 930 CPU and 6 GB of RAM but could be convinced otherwise. I'd like to have a video card with HDMI output
OVERCLOCKING: Maybe
SLI OR CROSSFIRE: In the future, if necessary
MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1080
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I don't care so much if the computer is loud, I just want to make sure:
■It won't be a total nightmare to assemble (this is my first build after all)
■It'll keep cool during prolonged gaming sessions.
OTHER QUESTIONS: Are the mouse, mousepad, and keyboard I've picked out good for gaming?
I've read that the stock heatsinks and fans are fine if you aren't overclocking, is that true? Do I need to invest in additional cooling equipment?
I showed this build to a friend who said I'd want a 750 watt PSU for the components I have. I tried using the power supply calculator and it recommended something in the vicinity of 500 watts. Is the power supply I picked total overkill?
I'm willing to spend some extra cash to ensure that the computer will run well for a while and will be easily upgradable; that's why I got more power than I needed and a mobo with SLI support and 6 slots for RAM but only one video card and 3 sticks of RAM. Have I constructed a near-future-proof computer?
One more thing: I've been reading reviews and all of the stickied threads on building your first computer with the goal of picking out components that are top quality for the price, but I'm worried I've overlooked ensuring that every part will work well together. Is there some glaringly obvious way in which these parts won't all fit together to make a happy computer?
I'd really appreciate any input you might have about the build, even if it's just to say that you took a look and it seems fine. Thanks very much.
-Sam
Edit 2: I'm going with banthracis's build near the bottom of this page.
This is what I have so far: Sam's i7 930 build
APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Sometime this week
BUDGET RANGE: ~$1500 After Rebates
SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming
PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Monitor (I found this alienware monitor on sale for an absurdly low price, so I snatched it up
Speakers
PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg.com
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
PARTS PREFERENCES: I'm pretty confident I want to use an intel i7 930 CPU and 6 GB of RAM but could be convinced otherwise. I'd like to have a video card with HDMI output
OVERCLOCKING: Maybe
SLI OR CROSSFIRE: In the future, if necessary
MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1080
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I don't care so much if the computer is loud, I just want to make sure:
■It won't be a total nightmare to assemble (this is my first build after all)
■It'll keep cool during prolonged gaming sessions.
OTHER QUESTIONS: Are the mouse, mousepad, and keyboard I've picked out good for gaming?
I've read that the stock heatsinks and fans are fine if you aren't overclocking, is that true? Do I need to invest in additional cooling equipment?
I showed this build to a friend who said I'd want a 750 watt PSU for the components I have. I tried using the power supply calculator and it recommended something in the vicinity of 500 watts. Is the power supply I picked total overkill?
I'm willing to spend some extra cash to ensure that the computer will run well for a while and will be easily upgradable; that's why I got more power than I needed and a mobo with SLI support and 6 slots for RAM but only one video card and 3 sticks of RAM. Have I constructed a near-future-proof computer?
One more thing: I've been reading reviews and all of the stickied threads on building your first computer with the goal of picking out components that are top quality for the price, but I'm worried I've overlooked ensuring that every part will work well together. Is there some glaringly obvious way in which these parts won't all fit together to make a happy computer?
I'd really appreciate any input you might have about the build, even if it's just to say that you took a look and it seems fine. Thanks very much.
-Sam