New Family Home Computer

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My mum has given me the task to build a new home computer for the family. This computer needed to last quite a while (5-7 years at least), and will be mainly used for office appliations, searching the web etc. But it also needed to be able to play some good games.

After much deliberation, and reading many reviews, this is what I've decided on (although I can change it, thats why I'm posting it here!)

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Core 2 Duo e8400: I wanted a processor that will overclock quite well without having to buy an aftermarket fan, I've got an e8500 in my own computer and it has done me wonders.
Asus P5QL PRO: This motherboard has a P43 chipset as I have no plans for crossfire for this computer as the only person playing games on it will be my 9 year old brother. This motherboard has overclocking capabilities and I like ASUS.
Gigabyte ATI Radeon 4850: Same graphics card that I have in my computer at the moment, relatively inexpensive and works a treat.
Kingston DDR2 4GB: This ram is rated to speeds of 1066MHz for when I O'C the computer a little, I've never had any problems with Kingston. 4GB so that when we upgrade to Windows 7 (eventually) it should still work well.
Cooler Master Elite 334: Haven't had any experience with this case but it looks good, and the reviews I've read about it have been fairly positive. Only comes with one fan though.
Pioneer DVR-217 SATA DVD Re-Writer: I've got this in my own computer, and I like/trust Pioneer.
Logitech S150 2.0 Digital USB Speakers:Just needed cheap speakers, these were the best option.
Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop 1000:I've never had any problems with this Microsoft Wireless Keyboard, I like it.
Samsung 20" 2033SW:I personally own a Samsung 22" and it is of the highest quality, I wouldn't expect any less from this 20".
Seagate Barracuda 320GB 7200RPM 16MB SATA 1.5Gbs: Don't really have any experience with Seagate, but from what I've heard they are good.

Basically what I wanted to know was what you thought of this build, and where it could be improved?

Thanks very much :)
 

The case comes with a PSU included.
 
I made a system for what your saying a while back. I used a dualcore AMD business class for its low watt (low heat) and the M3A78-CM Asus board. The PSU will be the first thing to die on the build you have now. Good luck!
 

Thanks, I really didn't want to go AMD because I have no experience with them.
If you think the PSU will be the first thing to die (I don't even know what type of PSU it is, just comes bundled with the case) perhaps I should look into buying a case and CPU seperate? I don't want the PSU to fry anything.

Does anyone have any experience with relatively inexpensive but quality PSU's?
 
PSU's are normally you get what you pay for. I have a pile of PSU that "came with the case" And easy way to check if its good is see how heavy it is compared to a high quality PSU, its very crude but it helps. You can replace a PSU if it goes out, as long as your mobo doesn't go with it.

I have been trying some of sparkle's new PSU i think its a different brand now i think. Anyways I have used a few and all have been within spec and seem to be doing alright. Look for PSU that are 80+ certified they use better parts and should last longer ^_^.


I understand you not going with AMD, change is scary ^_^
 
Thanks for the reply. How can I find out if the PSU is 80+ certified?
 

The thing is, my nine year old brother is going to be using this computer a fair bit. He likes to play games such as CoD4, BF 1942 etc. I would prefer to have it in there so that as he grows up (and gets more games) he can use it. I think crossfire is a bit overkill though.
 
I've had minor quality issues with every one of the 5-6 low-end Coolermaster cases I bought; I've since switched to Rosewill at the low end, and have been satisfied. Their layouts are similar.
If this is the included PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171028 (for reference; I know you aren't buying from Newegg), reviews are mediocre. It won't kill your system, but is overrated, so is probably not a good choice, especially if you intend to overclock.
That may not be the one though. I'm guessing you're in the UK; do PSUs there, as in much of Europe, require Active PFC? There won't be a voltage switch on a PSU with Active PFC, as there is on the Coolermaster I linked.
As far as 80+, go here: http://www.80plus.org/manu/psu/psu_detail.aspx?id=0&type=2.
Personally, I will no longer buy a PSU that is not 80+ certified, with Active PFC. Usually I buy Antec, but Corsair, Seasonic, PC Power & Cooling, and Enermax are also good choices.
On a family system, I'd keep any overclock simple and low. Remember, you're the one who will get called when the machine resets for any reason, and will need to try to walk them through BIOS settings.
 
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