Need some advice on first time build

[grande351]

I'm in the process of planning my first ever build and could use some advice!

Approximate Purchase Date: ASAP

Budget Range: $1,000 - $1,500

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Video editing, watching movies, making DVD's, general use, CAD.

Are you buying a monitor: Yes

Parts to Upgrade: New build from scratch

Do you need to buy OS: Yes

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: TigerDirect, Newegg

Location: City, State/Region, Country - Baltimore, Maryland

Parts Preferences: None

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080

Additional Comments: Looking for a reasonably fast and reliable computer that will last for a few years

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: My current computer, a very old Dell, is slow and dying!! 🙁

I've tried my hand at picking out a list of parts:

Intel Core i5-3470 Processor
ASUS P8Z77-V LX Intel 7 Series Motherboard
Kingston HyperX 8GB Desktop Memory Kit
Seagate Barracuda 2TB Serial ATA Hard Drive
Ultra LSP750 750-Watt Power Supply
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit OSS
Corsair Graphite Series 600T Mid Case
Logitech MK320 Wireless Keyboard and Mouse
Asus Internal SATA 12x Blu-Ray Burner
Acer 27" Wide 1080p LED Monitor. VGA, DVI

My questions are:
1. Am I in the ballpark or totally out to lunch with my choices?
2. Are there better options out there than what I've chosen?
3. I haven't picked a graphics card yet, can someone suggest a decent, reasonably priced one?
4. I'm thinking about adding an SSD to use as my main drive, is this a good idea?

I'm a total noob at this and would greatly appreciate any advice I can get!

 

[g-unit1111]

1. Am I in the ballpark or totally out to lunch with my choices?

That power supply is among the absolute worst brands you could go with. Stay very far away from Ultra.

That Kingston Hyper X RAM is actually rated at 1.65V, it won't work with Ivy Bridge.

2. Are there better options out there than what I've chosen?

Need a budget.

3. I haven't picked a graphics card yet, can someone suggest a decent, reasonably priced one?

Also need a budget before I can suggest a good GPU. ~$250 range: Radeon 7870 XT. <=$250: GTX 660TI. ~$300 - ~$350 - GTX 670. <=$400 - Radeon 7970 GHz edition.

4. I'm thinking about adding an SSD to use as my main drive, is this a good idea?

Yes - make sure you get a good one. The current best of the best are the OCZ Vector, the Samsung 840 Pro, the Crucial M4, and the Plextor M5S.

 

[grande351]

Thanks for the response!

What would be a good alternative to the Ultra power supply for the same or less money (< $70)?

My budget for this build is around around $1,500 max. My total for parts so far, without SSD & graphics card is $1109.91

Which RAM will work with my processor?

 

[g-unit1111]

Thanks for the response!

What would be a good alternative to the Ultra power supply for the same or less money (< $70)?

My budget for this build is around around $1,500 max. My total for parts so far, without SSD & graphics card is $1109.91

Which RAM will work with my processor?

Actually pay more for the power supply. This is probably the most crucial component of your system. Going cheap or getting the wrong one in this area will end badly. I have had a couple of Ultra power supplies and they were nothing but disappointments.

For your budget here's what I would suggest:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($369.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($81.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($80.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($21.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1177.87
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-28 15:19 EST-0500)

 

[grande351]

Thanks for the reccomendations!

You didn't have a monitor in your list. Do you have a preference?

 

[g-unit1111]

Thanks for the reccomendations!

You didn't have a monitor in your list. Do you have a preference?

Not really, I kind of leave monitor open ended since that's really a personal preference thing. I bought an Asus VH236H back in December and that's a really good monitor for $150.