Have my case, now i have some questions.

[aidanklenk]

hello, I'm going to be building a new computer. this is my first build.
I have a few questions about building, though.
i know i can look most of these questions up online, but i would rather someone tell me, because i don't want to mess up.

this is the case i have. i bought it because it has some good ratings, and its really cool looking.
http://www.amazon.com/Nzxt-Technologies-Phantom-Green-Enthusiast/dp/B004WO17UC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1354010434&sr=8-4&keywords=NZXT+Crafted+Series
(its the black and green version.)


so here is where my questions start.
I do want an i7 processor, so i know i need an LGA 1155 socket motherboard. now, i see these motherboards going from 50-200+ dollars, and i'm not 100% sure why i would buy one for 200+ when i could get one at 50. would someone be able to clear that up for me?

next, i wont have the money for the whole build at once, i know about the parts i need (case, RAM, motherboard, CPU, gpu)
so, i was planning on buying my processor this friday, but then i thought, "i dont want to get it and see that there is a better one in the same price range in 2 months." so, what i'm asking is, which order should i buy these in? I plan on buying 1-2 parts every other week depending on price, (with the processor and GPU being bought on their own, obviously)

my case is a full tower, but i'm not sure if i should be getting low profile parts for it or not. i mean, it looks like it should be able to fit full size parts, but with nothing in it, i'm just not sure!

what wattage should my PSU be? or do i not know that until after i buy my GPU? i don't want to get too high of a wattage and ruin my motherboard or GPU (i'm not sure if that can happen, the thought just scares me!)

should i get a T.V. tuner? as in, do any of you have one and find it useful?

should crossfire or SLI be a main factor in choosing my motherboard and GPU? I will be using this for games.

do i really need 32GB of RAM? from what i've read, 8GB seems to be able to run every game out there right now, with extra to spare. am i incorrect in saying this?

these are all the questions i have right now. and thank you to anyone who is willing to take the time to answer them.
i would like to cut any corners on price i can, but i still want my system to be able to play games very decently for as long as possible.

EDIT: I already have a HDD, so i won't need to purchase one. sorry i forgot to include that!

 

[MichaelSP]

i7 has existed across multiple sockets but currently, the mainstream socket type, as you say, is 1155 although there is a higher level 'Enthusiasts' sockets 2011 with much higher performance parts available (pre-overclocking) but a higher price tag.

Motherboards have different features mostly is you difference. cheap ones may have less RAM slots, less slots for expansion cards (including graphics cards) etc. Massive changes from $50 to $200. Size changes too.

Probably buy your graphics card last only because they are most likely to see something new. Processors should be fairly static just after Ivy-bridge release so that should be safe along with motherboard to buy earlier. Storage just gets cheaper (if you want SSDs) or stays constant (if you want a HDD). Ram is pretty cheap right now but may still go cheaper.

Speaking of your Ram, 8GB is plenty for now, 16GB really is a maximum for most people.

High PSU won't ruin anything - it just will be a waste of power. And, yes, you cannot know what to get until you know what you need to power.

I cannot really give an opinion as to TV tuners - I've never used one.

If you want to SLI/crossfire, then you will have to look for a motherboard that can support it. It will need physical room (so likely an ATX form factor) and enough slots. Also, this will require a higher wattage PSU.

Hope some of this helps

 

[manofchalk]

Good choice on the case.

Its largely a matter of features, Overclocking and Crossfire/SLI support, number of SATA ports (and how many of them are SATAIII), USB ports and other misc things. For gaming you wont need to go above $150 when choosing a motherboard.
These are good boards to get. All support dual Crossfire/SLI and have roughly the same features (the ASUS has two less SATAIII ports though).
AsRock Z77 Extreme4
Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H
ASUS P8Z77-V LK

There wont be any new Intel CPU's until mid-next year (late next year for AMD), your good in that regard.
Only big technology release that will be happening soon is the Radeon 8000 series around new year.

Get low Profile RAM, but that to do with CPU heatsinks rather than case sizes. Unless you start wanting to fit watercooling (custom, not an all-in-one H100 or something), you should be fine in regards to size in that case.

Single graphics card, 650W. Dual cards, 750W. If you are unsure and want to keep the option open, get a 750W so you dont have to buy a new PSU if you do. Getting a too big PSU wont kill any components.

Dunno, never used one.

Not necessarily, but the boards that an enthusiast would be looking at all support it anyway.

Nup, just 8GB.