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First time gaming-build (i7-930 Processor [Looking for around $1500])

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APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: End of August (after summer wages are earned)

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming (may eventually purchase Blu Ray drive to watch movies on TV)

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: All parts required (however, I'm mostly interested in help on tower components)

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Have been using newegg, but am open to other sites

PARTS PREFERENCES: Intel processor (i7-930)

OVERCLOCKING: Yes

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe in the future, want a good enough graphics cards for now and upgrade to Crossfire when I need too

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1080

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Although value and performance are very important to me, I also want to balance those with future expandability ("future proof," I guess?). The main goal of this computer is to run the next wave of Blizzard games (maxed out); however, I want to be able to run any game of my choosing on very high settings.

BUILD:

Intel Core i7-930 Bloomfield 2.8GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Noctua NH-D14 120mm & 140mm SSO CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
Is this overkill?

ASUS P6X58D-E LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
I'm really not sure on this one, it was recommended on another thread for a similar build

SAPPHIRE Vapor-X 100281-2GVXSR Radeon HD 5870 (Cypress XT) 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
My main questions regarding this build involve the graphics card. I'm currently flip flopping between 5850 and 5870 (Am I right in thinking the current generation of Nvidia are to be avoided?), guidance and advice would be much appreciated. Also, if I opt for a 5850 is it worth getting one of the 2GB variations? And finally, are the high end graphics card manufacturers worth their premium?

Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
Planning on adding a 160GB SSD when I get the chance to round up some cash (kind of hoping they get cheaper before too long)

G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL8TU-6GBPI
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

ASUS Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP Black Steel + Plastic and Mesh Bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
Not particularly set on this case, but looked liked a good one

More about : time gaming build 930 processor 1500

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^ Nice selection of parts...
Suggestions...
1. Mobo - Yes that is a good X58 mobo...stick with that...

2. RAM - That GSKillz is good...other options...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

3. HDD - Definitely this one...
Samsung F3 1TB - A very fast 1TB at a very good price...

4. CASE - HAF 922 is very solid Mid-high budget case with lots of room and very good airflow...

5. PSU - No doubt about that PSU...

6. Graphics card - There is no significant performance increase with a 2GB card...stick with 1GB...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submi...|14-161-331^14-161-331-TS,14-150-490^14-150-490-TS,14-125-316^14-125-316-TS,14-121-374^14-121-374-TS
And if you will mainly be playing Blizzard games and might add another card in crossfire, then the HD 5850 is not a bad idea at all...It is also a very powerful card for 1080p resolution...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submi...|14-125-318^14-125-318-TS,14-150-491^14-150-491-TS,14-127-500^14-127-500-TS,14-150-494^14-150-494-V01,14-121-375^14-121-375-TS

7. HSF - If you are not planning for a very high overclock, say only upto 3.8-4GHz, then CM Hyper 212+ would suffice...You can get even better performance with a better fan if you want to...but the stock fan is not bad either...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002G1YPH0/ref=s9_simh...

The OP's build is almost identical to the build that I started out wanting to buy for my first gaming rig. Bottom line is that your not going to be able to find all of those parts for $1500. You'll likely spend $1800-$2000 for that build. For the build that I ultimately chose, I downgraded to the Core i7 860, a LGA 1156 motherboard, and 4GB of dual channel memory. Those compromises will save you a good deal of cash and you'll maintian excellent performance at 1920 x 1080. If you choose to crossfire 5850s or use a single 5870, I can't imagine a blizzard game that could challenge that system. Though by using a single gpu, you could get by with a lower wattage PSU (mabye 600 or 650).

My Build:
Intel Core i7-860 Lynnfield 2.8GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

ASUS P7P55D-E Pro LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

XFX HD-587X-ZNFV Radeon HD 5870 (Cypress XT) 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 compatible RR-B10-212P-G1 120mm "heatpipe direct contact" Long life sleeve CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ600MXSP 600W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply compatible with core i7
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
Note: $99/ $20 off, $20 Mail-in rebate, and 20% off with promo code "bigsave20" = $44! Good deal!

Case, Monitor, Hard Drive, and Disc Drives are all personal preference. Don't forget to factor in the operating system. All together I spend around $1500 with a few great deals.

"You'll likely spend $1800-$2000 for that build" (midd2006)

Could you elaborate? With gkay09's advice I was able to get the final cost of the tower down to about $1450. While I grant I will end up paying about $1800-$2000 for everything including a monitor, OS, speakers, and a gaming mouse/keyboard, the tower is what I wanted to spend around $1500 on, and as far as I can tell, mission accomplished.

FINALIZED BUILD:

Intel Core i7-930 Bloomfield 2.8GHz

GIGABYTE GV-R585OC-1GD Radeon HD 5850 (Cypress Pro)

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive

ASUS P6X58D-E LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit

ASUS Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM

CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready

COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP Black Steel + Plastic and Mesh Bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 compatible RR-B10-212P-G1 120mm "heatpipe direct contact" Long life sleeve CPU Cooler

TOTAL COST: $1472

Although I appreciate your (midd2006) advice on the processor concession, one of the main goals of this computer is upward mobility in the future, and I'm willing to take a bit of a hit on the processor and motherboard.
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