First build, help and opinions appreciated.

[ExpertMode]

Hey guys I'm sorta new to the forum and I'm looking to get a gaming rig. I have a decent understanding of the tech talk going on here, but please do try and tone it down a bit considering I am still new haha.

So basically I'm looking to build a gaming rig for some mainstream games, nothing extravagant. The majority of my time will probably be spent on Counter-Strike Source, but having the option of playing other decent to high end games would be nice. I have a budget of about $1200-$1500 And please keep in mind that I'm *most likely* not going to experiment with over clocking.

I've been looking around for a bit now and definitely have some compatibility issues etc, but that's where you guys come in

So for a short list I'm looking at:

Video Card: Nvidia GeForce 8800 320mb *no plan to get sli involved*

CPU: (Just an idea) Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.40 GHz (I read somewhere though that quadcore is just overkill for the things I'm going to be doing, but I'd also like to try and future-proof this machine a bit )

PSU: Antec NeoPower 650 Blue - 650W (No real reason for choice other then price, and store)

Mobo: Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R (Heard good things about this, but I'm really quite clueless in the mobo department, but it does have a good price tag.)

RAM: Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X2048-6400C4 (2x1gb) Timings: 4-4-4-12 (I'm also really lost with the RAM, would 4gb ram help that much more, considering I'm on a budget?)

HD: Seagate Barracuda (ST3250620A) 7200.10 250GB (Awesome price tag, do you guys think 250 gb is enough?)

Cooling: Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro for Intel Socket 775 (Heard only good things about this, and it has a good price tag)

Case: Not really sure, want something with lots of fans, I'm not taking any chances

CD/DVD ROM: LG (GDR-H30N) 16X DVD-ROM Drive, Beige, OEM (Good price tag)


So now that I'm done with my list I have a few questions haha

1. Soundcard? Need to buy one or what? Come equipped in the mobo?
2. 2gb ram vs 4gb? Which do you think is better for my situation?
3. Dual core vs Quad core? Again which do you think is better for my situation?
4. Am I missing anything crucial to complete a build?

I guess that's it for now, all opinions and advice are welcome, definitely open for discussion about this.


Thanks guys/gals, Chris.

 

[cfvh600]

Your build looks good.Your video card the 8800 GTS 320? I'd go for the 8800GT rather.You'll be surprised how quickly a 250GB hard drive gets full.Especially if you put some video files and music on there.My experience with sound has been that a sound card is better than onboard mobo sound most of the times.Hope it helps.

 

[Maziar]

Hello and welcome to the forums mate

1_That motherboard has onboard sound and onboard sound isnt very bad, but if u want better quality then get a new one

2_2GB is enough for todays games and apps but if u have the money then go for 4GB RAM

3_Keep the Q6600 and dont change it to dual core

4_Get a 8800GT instead of 8800GTS 320

overall its a solid build

 

[killz86]

I agree with Mazier on the quad-core and 8800GT. and yes if you have the money go for 4gb's you will be amazed how much memory you can use these days on vista

 

[jsc]

Cooling: Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro - excellent budget cooler.

Build suggestion - After you get all the parts, breadboard it before you install the parts in the case. That lets you test the parts before you install them in the case.

 

[ExpertMode]

Alright guys thanks for all the responses, I just got home so I still have yet to read about it, so I'm not even sure what the difference between a gt and gts actually is. Also I'm glad that the general consensus is that it's a pretty solid build, but does anyone have any suggestions/criticism? I was expecting a ton of problems with this, haha

Thanks again, Chris.

 

[maverick7]

get a 500 gig western digital caviar and a 8800gt, as for the case, consider a antec 900, and the q6600 is a good choice in processor.