[Messiah]

Alright, this is going to be the first computer ever made by me.
I want this computer for gaming and everyday use.
I've had my experiance, did my research, I know how to put it all together, and I'm pretty sure all these components are compatible.
Theres are the parts I'm going to buy :

- Mother Board - $179.99 -
NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX (LGA 775)
Newegg.com - EVGA 122-CK-NF68-T1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Intel Motherboards

- CPU - $209.99 -
Intel Core 2 Quad
Newegg.com - Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor - CPUs / Processors

- RAM - $84.99 -
4GB DDR2 800 (2x 2GB Sticks)
Newegg.com - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory

- HDD - $0.00 -
120GB SATA HDD
Already got it, I'll get a bigger one later.

- GPU - $124 -
nVIDIA GeForce 8600GT 512MB PCI-E Video Card HDMI DVI
Found it on Ebay

- Disc Drives - $37.99 -
DVD/CD RW
Newegg.com - LITE-ON Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 20X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner with LightScribe - CD / DVD Burners

- PSU - $77.73 -
Corsair 57228 520W HX Series ATX Power Supply
Amazon.com: Corsair 57228 520W HX Series ATX Power Supply: Electronics

Total Cost - Around $700

I'm going to get a case from a local computer store, and I'm going to put Windows Vista Ultimate on it.
I think I'll like the outcome, if it all comes out right I'll have a great computer.

Tell me if you think I'm doing good, or wasting money, can I get better deals elsewhere?

[wafflehammer]

If you're going to be spending $100-$200 on a GPU then i highly recommend that you get this:

Newegg.com - ECS N8800GTS-512MX GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards

or at least a 9600 gt or something, 8600 is no good

[Redmo0n]

Also won't you want a bigger hard drive?

They are pretty cheap at the moment.

[surgeVel]

I agree, if this is for gaming, you will need at least a 9600GT (about $130 or less). If you don't plan on overclocking your quad core cpu, what you have is fine. The 680i is a safe board to go with to avoid the chances of having video corruption like the 700i series.

Also, this RAM is cheaper and highly rated (more than your GeIL)
Newegg.com - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory

[Luke]

srub the gpu and get either a 9600gt or 8800gt
if you will be ocing get cruciall ballistix ram (tracers)

[Messiah]

Thanks for the replies, I probably won't be overclocking.
I like the graphics card I have right now because it has a HDMI, CRT, and DVI plugin.
Currently I don't have a DVI monitor, and don't plan on getting one to soon, because this computer is going to break me.
I think its fine for what I'll use it for, I'm not a really hardcore gamer.

[surgeVel]

What games do you play? And do you really need the HDMI? Almost all new cards have DVI to VGA (CRT) adapters and if you play any games higher than WoW you will want the extra power of at least an 8800GS.

[Messiah]

Well, I mainly play simulation and strategy games. I play shooters sometimes, but other than that its online gaming.
Yes, I probably will be using the HDMI port often.
Also, if the memory my mobo takes is 64-bit, do I need a 64-bit OS? Weird I thought, it takes a 32-bit CPU but 64-bit memory, thats probably a noob thought and question though.

[thirdshiftdj]

just make sure its ddr2 that is all

[Puddle Jumper]

Like everyone already said that gpu is extremely overpriced. This GeForce 9600gso(renamed 8800gs) is cheaper and considerably faster. If you need to use HDMI you can always get a DV1-> HDMI adapter.

Newegg.com - ASUS EN9600GSO TOP/HTDP/384M GeForce 9600 GSO 384MB 192-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards