First build, need some advice

[lunatic666]

hi, let me start off by saying i dont know much about tech but ive always wanted to build a comp so i would like some advice on parts.

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: soon hopefully BUDGET RANGE: around $600 -700 CDN

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: gaming, surfing the internet, watching movies

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: keyboard, mouse, monitor, power supply is an Ultra LSP650 650-Watt Power Supply, video card is 9800gt
and hard drive is 1tb WD Caviar Green

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: bestdirect.ca(since i live in canada) tigerdirect, newegg

These are the parts ive selected:
Gigabyte MA790X-UD4P ATX AM3 AMD790X DDR2 CrossFireX 2PCI-E 2PCI SATA2 Sound GBLAN Motherboard
http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/214187/GA-MA790X-UD4P/Gigabyte/

OCZ Reaper OCZ2RPR800C44GK 4GB DDR2 2X2GB PC2-6400 DDR2-800 CL 4-4-4-15 Memory Kit
http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/121616/OCZ2RPR800C44GK/OCZ%20Technology/

Coolermaster CM 690 Mid Tower Black ATX Case 5X5.25 5X3.5INT No PS Front USB Sound Firewire & eSATA
http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/115378/RC-690-KKN1/COOLERMASTER/

AMD Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition Quad Core Processor AM2+ 3.0GHZ 8MB Cache 125W 45NM
http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/206162/HDZ940XCGIBOX/AMD/

Windows Vista Home 64bit

The total with OS comes up to $642.51 CDN before tax with free shipping

OVERCLOCKING: Maybe(never overclocked before but want to learn) SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe in the future?

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1080

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: are all these parts compatible with one another? any further suggestions?

 

[o1die]

I'd go for the 720 tri core phenom II, just for the energy savings. The 940 is an energy pig. I would also download Windows 7 RC for free while you can still get it. I like it better than vista. It's good for a year. Then you can decide whether it's worth a premium or get vista later.

 

[lunatic666]

will a x3 be noticeably slower than the x4 cuz i usually have alot of programs running at once. arent there some compatibilyty issues with windows 7? to install win7 on a new pc do i just burn it on a dvd and install it?

 

[o1die]

Windows 7 works fine with all my stuff. It found all my devices, and required fewer security updates. Go with the 64 bit version. You can also download a free trial of windows xp that works with windows 7 for using old files that only work with xp. It took me about 5 hours to download the file using dsl, and 20 minutes to burn a dvd using an iso software file I found doing a search online. The phenom 720 won't be that much slower than the 940, and overclocks well. It only uses 95 watts and works with more motherboards. Some boards don't run well with the 125 watt 940.

 

[lunatic666]

k thanx for the reply. how is the stock fan on the x3? ive heard they r pretty good and better than most stock fans. is it still better to buy a better cooler?

 

[jsc]

If you are going to overclock, you will need a better cooler.