Please Advise on PC build

Hello,

I would appreciate recommendations and advice on my efforts to build a fairly decent PC for less than $500 that I could upgrade as my economics improve.

I'm not a gamer, but want to improve on my current system because I do a lot of multitasking, listening to streaming audio and video while running a number of other high memory applications (photoshop, acrobat and a variety of video and music editing software). My current system has 2 gb memory and a single core intel processor, so one can see I am a few years in back of current technology.

My proposed build would be:

Rosewill R218-P-BK-450W MicroATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $55
newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147082&Tpk=N82E16811147082

MSI 890GXM-G65 AM3 AMD 890GX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - $121
newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130269&Tpk=N82E16813130269

AMD 965 Black Edition Phenom II X4 Deneb 3.4GH Processor - $130
newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103727&Tpk=N82E16819103727

ADATA Premier Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 Desktop Memory Model (for MSI board) - $48
newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211548&Tpk=N82E16820211548

1TB WD Caviar Black 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" HD (Retail) - $95
newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136786&Tpk=N82E16822136786

WinXP 32 bit Professional w/ SP3 - no cost

I'll initially be installing XP because I currently have the OS, but realize that I won't get the full benefit of memory until I run a 64 bit OS. At some point I'll probably go with Win 7 Professional - $140.

I will be using my Plextor PX-708A CD/DVD burner from my current computer which is one reason I'm going with this motherboard (1 IDE connection). May be penny-wise and pound-foolish here, but this has been an exceptionally good burner for me. I know more modern burners are very cheap, but they also seem to self-destruct. The versitility of using other IDE drives now as well as the option to upgrade later to SATA I - III components or even SSD, I think is nice.

My major concern is the MSI 890GXM-G65 does not receive very good reviews on NewEgg's site, mainly it seems because of a lot of faulty connections ports, etc. An almost identical board is the ASUS M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 which generally receives better reviews, but its format is ATX not microATX. I like the versitility both these boards have with all the panel ports as well as their upgradability. If I go with the ASUS board, I'll use their recommended memory (Corsair XMS3 8 GB (2 x 4GB) 1333 MHz PC3-10666 240-Pin DDR3 Memory Kit CMX8GX3M2A1333C9).

I would really welcome and appreciate all thoughts on how both boards compare!

A second concern is whether the Rosewill R218-P-BK-450W case has enough power to run my upgraded system and whether it will keep it properly cooled. I could substitute the Rosewill TU-155 II 500 ATX Mid Tower Case with 500W Power Supply and perhaps add an optional fan, if this former case is insufficient. Any thoughts on the case?

I hope to receive a lot of recommendations, thoughts and experiences with these components and my line of thinking. And thanks to everyone, this indeed looks like a good community to lock into.

jmole1944

Check out the build I did at the end of this thread
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/ [...] rder-parts

Remove the expensive gaming graphics card with

GIGABYTE GV-R657OC-1GI Radeon HD 6570 1GB $60 [after rebate]
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814125376

And the total price drops to $483

Its all quality components and the most recent generation of parts that will be easily upgraded for at least the next couple of years
You can add another 4 gig [ total 8 gig ] for less than $10 too . Make sure its 1.5 volt or less

For a 64 bit OS . try ubuntu Linux . Its free