First Attempt To Build

[RobMiller]

Hey everyone,

I'm trying to build my own desktop, but I need a little bit of help. I'm pretty entry-level in terms of my overall knowledge, but I'm learning as fast as I can. If possible, please explain your advice - too many unknown acronyms or concepts will make it hard for me to follow.

USES:
gaming, 3d modeling, modding, online college programming courses, small amounts of video and sound editing; I will NOT be doing any overclocking

COMPONENTS:
- Intel i7 2600 processor
- Asus P8P67 Evo Rev 3.0 motherboard
- Sapphire Radeon HD 6950 graphics card
- 8g (4g x 2) G.Skill Sniper DDR3 1333 ram
- Western Digital Caviar Black hard drive
- LG Black bluray drive

That leaves me with heat sinks/fans, a power source, and a case still to figure out. I don't know what kind of power I'll need because I'm not 100% set on the components yet, and I didn't look at fans because I don't know what kind of space I'll have.
The links provided are for the lowest cost for that item [from a reputable source].
The part I'm the most hesitant about is the hard drive. I do not want to go SSD, and I'd prefer not to go 1tb+ in size. I've picked the Caviar Black because it's a decent size and speed, but I read a large number of crappy reviews on it. Can anyone help me out with a hard drive choice?

Thanks!!

 

[rolli59]

If you are not overclocking then the std cooler is fine (can't because none K CPU) The WD black series are one of their best drives so it is a good selection.

 

[r0aringdrag0n]

-I would NOT buy that CPU, even though the Intel Core i7 2600 is the best for gaming, I would add $20 and buy the i7 2600k. It allows for overclocking (you never know when you might want to over clock)
-Why buy a $200 MotherBoard when you can buy a ~$150 Motherboard for the similar performance, My theory is "A motherboard is just a "Docking Station" for all the other components so an expensive MoBo(Motherboard) is not needed."
-If you want a decent Heatsink and fan (I heard the Intel stock is horrible for the i7) then I would recommend the Cooler Master Hyper 212+ which is only $28
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065
- For your needs, a 500W PSU is sufficient as long as you don't add another gfx card, but to be safe, we can go with a 750W PSU such as the CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750, which is $110
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139021
- For a case, I wouldn't go with anything over $50 for a mid-size case. I would recommend something such as the CM HAF 912 for a mid-size case
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6531504&SRCCODE=GOOGLEBASE&cm_mmc_o=VRqCjC7BBTkwCjCECjCE

 

[RobMiller]

The only part I had already purchased was the motherboard; I bought it already because I had an opportunity to get it for 20% off and I couldn't pass that up.

The reason I chose the i7 2600 over the i7 2600k is because I'd prefer to have the virtualization option over the overclocking option. Neither of them offer both.

I should have mentioned that I do intend on getting a second 6950 graphics card in a couple of months. I guess I'll go with the larger power supply.

Thanks so much for the replies - I really appreciate your time. I'll repost the edited build tomorrow morning so we can see where we're at. Any/all other feedback is still welcome and appreciated!

 

[AlExAlExAlEx]

Since I see you're doing modeling and you aren't willing to OC.(OverClock)
I suggest you get 16GB of ram, these days ram is so cheap..if you need it, its worth it.

 

[RobMiller]

Updated list of components:

- Intel i7 2600 processor ($299.99 no tax or shipping)
- Asus P8P67 Evo Rev 3.0 motherboard ($188.00 + $14.61 tax + $3.70 shipping)
- Sapphire Radeon HD 6950 graphics card ($264.99 + $18.55 tax + $7.87 shipping)
- 16g (4g x 4) G.Skill Ripjaws X DDR3 1333 ram ($79.98 + $6.30 tax, no shipping)
- Western Digital Caviar Black hard drive ($64.99 + $4.55 tax + $7.87 shipping)
- LG Black bluray drive ($69.99 + $4.90 tax + $0.99 shipping)
- Cooler Master Hyper 212+ heat sink and fan ($27.99 + $1.96 tax, no shipping)
- Corsair Enthusiast Series TX750 v2 750w power supply ($99.99 + $7.00 tax, no shipping)

So far we're at roughly $1174.22 minus $15.00 in mail in rebates, minus $10 new customer discount at New Egg for a total of $1149.22 spent (taxed and shipped). I also will be getting a free copy of Deus Ex, so that's cool I guess.

In a couple of months I'll get another Sapphire Radeon HD 6950 graphics card to upgrade my graphics.

 

[rolli59]

Looks good to me.