$2000 build (Brand new builder)

You need to share the wishlist so we can see it....

However, given the budget, here's what should be on it:

CPU/Mobo: i7-930 and Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R $474
RAM: Mushkin Enahnced Redline 3x2 GB 1600 mhz CAS Latency 6 $215
GPU: HD 5970 $700
SSD: Intel 80 GB $220
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1 TB $80 (or more if you need them)
PSU: Cosair 850W Modular 80+ Silver $150 after rebate
Case: HAF 922 $90
Optical: Cheap SATA DVD burner $19
HSF: Coolermaster Hyper 212 Plus $30 (Amazon, Newegg's price is obscene for this)
Monitor: Asus 23" 1080p $180 after rebate

Total: $2,158

https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.as... will this work?

No. It comes up empty. Have you actually gone through the process to share it?

I put it share with public. If that is not the way, then how do I do it?

Forgive me. I just found out it takes like 24 hours to show up. I will delete this thread and make a new one later.

The url you need to post will be something like this: newegg/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=xxxxxxxx. Your link is newegg/wishlist/MySavedLists.... which is a link to your private lists.

EDIT: Or you could just list out the parts you have in the list, which is actually preferred...

Just out of curiosity, is this the list:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx...

Yes! lol yes. So what do you think of it?

Also I am buying the Spire Thermax Eclipse II as my heatsink, rated number 1 on frosty tech

I'd go with mine. Leave out the 500 GB HDD, HDMI and tool kit. All you'll need to put the computer together is a small screwdriver. Everything else is unnecessary. The 1 TB HDD should be big enough for now, and you can't use RAID with differently sized HDDs. The HDMI cable you can get for a lot less from monoprice.com.

I'll explain the differences.

RAM: The ones I linked to are the fastest sticks out there. The ones you picked aren't bad, so it's an easy way to save money.

GPU: Dual 5850s are alright, but doesn't leave you any where to upgrade. A sinlge 5970 would perform better (especially when overclocking it), and leaves an upgrade path.

SSD: A 40 GB SSD is basically useless. After the required free space (20%) and the OS (16 GB), you'd have room for only 1 or two games. The 80 GB is the bare minimum I'd consider.

HDD: Two different sized HDDs aren't that useful. I'd stick with a single 1 TB for now. The Spinpoint is also just a tad better than the Seagate.

PSU: 950W is overkill. You won't need that much power. Dual 5970s would only need a 850W unit, and that includes overclocking. The one I linked to is also more efficient, which means less heat and a lower power bill.

Monitor: I don't see the reason to pay $30 more for that one. It's only .6" bigger and everything else is the same. I'd save the money.

I have already purchesed the hard drives, tool kit, and the monitor. Also on the computer I am using right now I only have 21GB used and thats with 6 people on it. Also What can I do if i have a 500GB hdd and a 1tb hdd and one 40GB ssd?

Well, you need to put the programs and OS on the SSD. After that, it kind of depends on the general use of the storage. If you use the HDD mostly as data storage, I would probably just use the two drives separately to store different types of data (videos on one, music on the other or something like that) or use the 500 GB as a back up only. If you constantly rewrite data, I'd use the 500 GB as the scratch drive.

It's not that there isn't good configurations for two differently sized HDDs, it's just that you can't put them in RAID to have a competely redundant drive or to increase performance. You just have to use them separately, not as a single drive.

could I raid the ssd and the 500GB and then use the 1tb as a stand alone?

Nope. You need the size of the drives to be the same. Even if you could, it's my understanding that RAID 0 uses each drive's read/write speeds together as one (i.e. add the two read speeds), making them faster. Putting a standard HDD and a SSD in RAID 0 together would actually make the SSD slower because they'd be using the slowest speed as the base.

I'd just stick with using all of them as separate drives.

Okay so can i do this? can i have SSD sperate and RAID 0 two 500GB F3 ?

That would work. I will point out that if you're not using the RAID for the boot/app drive, you won't really get any benefit. So it'd be chaeper to just get a single 1 TB drive.

I was thinking the SSD be my boot/app drive and the two 500GB in RAID 0 be my files and apps that won't fit on the SSD

That's generally how it's done. You really won't notice much performance difference between the RAID 1 TB and the single 1 TB for your uses. I certainly don't think the higher cost ($30) and double risk of losing everything is worth it.

Ok then, could I raid the SSD and 2 500GB hdd all in one?

No. You don't have to RAID everything. If you had a SSD and two 500 GB HDDs, you would need to run the SSD by itself and put the two HDDs in RAID.

ok and then lets say I did raid the two HDD how would I be able to make accounts on it that utilized the SSD?

You wouldn't. If you need something to take advantage of the speed of the SSD, you have to put it on the SSD.

Each drive is an separate thing. All RAID does is treat two equivalent drives as one single one. RAID 0 treats it as a large, faster drive, RAID 1 as a single, slower drive with a complete backup (everything is saved to two places, one on each drive).

Okay then so RAID 0 then?

That's what you'd be wanting...

However, I'll say again that there are down sides to RAID 0. First, it's more expensive. Instead of getting a single 1 TB drive ($80), you'd be getting two 500 GB drives ($110). Second, the risk of failure is doubled. If you lose a single drive, you lose everything in the entire RAID and you will not be able to recover any data.

Since you aren't using the drive as the main drive (you're C: drive is the SSD), you're not going much of a performance gain. So you'd be paying more, risking more only to get nothing in return.

ok then, should I just spend the money to get a 80GB intel SSD and 500 HDD?

Depends on how much space you need. If you have more than 16 GB of programs (ONLY programs, not data or OS), then the 40 GB would be enough. If you've got more than that, you should consider the 80 GB.

After you've determined that, you just need to figure out how much space you need purely for the data (videos, files, music, everything that's not a program). The smallest HDD I would get right now is a 500 GB. Don't forget to leave some room to grow into.

okay thanks, other then that is my computer build kick ass? (go to the link you posted)

Not exactly. I'd still switch the board to the one I posted above (Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R) as it's just as good and will save you some money. Also, I'd switch out the two 5850s for a single 5970. You'll get a little more performance, especially if you overclock it, and you'll keep an upgrade path open. And don't buy the HDMI cable from Newegg. You will get price gouged. Check out MonoPrice.com. They have HDMI cables starting at about $3.

well I really don't like the 5870 because it just cost to damn much, if I had to switch them out i think the 480 would be a better choice.

also i can get the i7- 930 for 199 at my microcenter!

I didn't say anything about the 5870. Going from two 5850 to a 5870 would be a drastic power cut. Going from two 5850s to a single 5970 would see a power increase. Going from two 5850s to a single GTX 480 would be the same as switching to the 5870, without the benefit of an extra $100. And getting two 480s is insane, as it costs $300 more than the 5970, is on the same power level, requires massive amounts of power and specialized cooling. Right now, the GTX 480 is a bad choice.

As for the i7, you may be able to get it for cheap, but make sure the board and other parts aren't more expensive when you get that price.

I meant to say 5970 lol. and i would only get one 480

The 5870 is still a better buy than the 480. They perform about the same, but the 5870 is $100 less. Also, you don't need to worry about needing a huge power supply (a 750W is capable of powering dual 5870s, you'll need a 950W for dual 480s) or the cooling system.

I just don't like the 5970. If it were you would you pick two 5850's or one 5870

I don't normally post, but MadAdmiral--you need to get an award for patience in this thread  

@BigMike3541

agreed...

I'd probably go with a single 5870 so I could add a second one later. However, the 5970 is already two 5870s on a single card, so you'd save $100 (and still have an upgrade path) if you did get it...