[Solved] First build. Spec suggestions

Hello All,

I'm about to embark on my first build. It's pretty confusing out there for a newbie and I'm looking for some down to earth advice. I am NOT A GAMER. My main uses will be software development with a decent amount of multitasking. I will watch videos but not edit. My budget ~$700 but if that's unrealistic (or overkill) please let me know. Does anyone have any spec suggestions. I know this is a very general question and I'm sure it's been asked before but, still, I couldn't find a really relevant thread.

Thanks a lot

Welcome to the forums! How much storage space do you need? I'll configure a whole computer if you'll put it together!

^955, I'd say. It overclocks almost as well if you need processing power, and it'll be plenty without OCing if you don't. You could also look at less-expensive processors, if you don't need the power and want to keep $60. What kind of software development will you be doing?
Also, the Spinpoint F3 drive is well reviewed.
Without a graphics card (and therefore without heat issues), you could look into all sorts of interesting case setups, if that's your style. Check out Newegg's Mini-ITX offerings:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] TX%20Tower
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] %20Desktop
These tend to be slightly more expensive than standard ATX cases.

"Perform better" in what way, though? For coding and media viewing? Not really.

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I should also have mentioned that I intend to install Linux on the machine. My code will probably be processor intensive relative to your standard web browsing and word processing usage but nothing like high end gaming. I'm looking for the ability to upgrade later (so, for example, I don't want a socket that's being phased out) but for now the specs really don't have to be bleeding edge.

Go for an AM3+ mobo, then. It should let you upgrade the CPU from the 955 in a while.

Just for comparison, how about Intel builds?