First gaming build, review

[Epic]

Hello everyone! Tax time is here and I have decided to finally build a true gaming rig. I have a handfull of builds under my belt, so i'm not too PC illiterate. I came up witha basic build layout just under or near $2000 (which is my budget). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Oh, and another thing. Should I stick with Windows XP or make the move to Vista?





ASUS 16X DVD±R DVD Burner with 12X DVD-RAM Write and LightScribe Black E-IDE/ATAPI Model DRW-1612BL-BK - OEM
Item #: N82E16827135141
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$28.99



Thermaltake Tsunami VA3000BWA Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811133132
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$115.99



Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822148140
Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy

$89.99



BFG Tech BFGR88768GTXOCE GeForce 8800GTX 768MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 OC HDCP Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814143080
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

$579.99



ETASIS ET750 ATX12V / EPS12V 750W Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817608006
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

-$10.00 Instant
$179.99
$169.99



Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16823126179
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

$71.99



Logitech G5 2-Tone 6 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Wired Laser Mouse - Retail
Item #: N82E16826104191
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

$45.99



CORSAIR XMS2 DOMINATOR 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-6400C4D - Retail
Item #: N82E16820145168
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

$40.00 Mail-in Rebate
$315.00



ASUS P5B Deluxe LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813131045
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

$176.99



Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6600 - Retail
Item #: N82E16819115003
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy

$313.00



ZALMAN CNPS9500 AT 2 Ball CPU Cooling Fan/Heatsink - Retail
Item #: N82E16835118003
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

-$15.00 Instant
$62.99

[Mr.Ferrari]

Tsunami does seem to have some reported problems with the 8800 cards and the hard drive cages. Not the greatest thing quality/buck either. Up to you though.

Swap that asus for a lite-on.

Otherwise everything looks great. But you do know that the P5B Deluxe can not do SLI? Just asking since you bought a SLI powersupply.

I would stick to XP with upgrade coupon.

[freakitchen]

Welcome to the forums, Epic - that's a very nice list.

One problem that you might not be aware of is the combination of the 8800GTX and the Thermaltake Tsunami case - the way that Thermaltake position the hard drive trays means that there is just not enough physical room to fit such a large card in lengthways. I believe other Mid-Towers don't have the same problem, but you might consider a full-tower case to be safe.

The retail boxed processor comes with a heatsink and fan - unless you're wanting to Overclock, you don't need the aftermarket fan. If you do wish to overclock, get an OEM processor.

I'd say you don't need to go to the expense of Dominator RAM. You should consider dropping to XMS DDR2-800 - you could even drop further, to Corsair Value Select DDR2-667, if you don't intend to overclock.

You need a retail-boxed burner to get burning and playing software. I'd suggest Lite-on.

I don't know how urgently you wish to build - but I'll point out that the Core2Duo processors are scheduled for a price drop in April. By this time, the full range of DX10 video cards will be released. Just a thought

FK

[Epic]

Do you have any suggestions on a different tower?

[Epic]

Originally Posted by Freakitchen Welcome to the forums, Epic - that's a very nice list. One problem that you might not be aware of is the combination of the 8800GTX and the Thermaltake Tsunami case - the way that Thermaltake position the hard drive trays means that there is just not enough physical room to fit such a large card in lengthways. I believe other Mid-Towers don't have the same problem, but you might consider a full-tower case to be safe. The retail boxed processor comes with a heatsink and fan - unless you're wanting to Overclock, you don't need the aftermarket fan. If you do wish to overclock, get an OEM processor. I'd say you don't need to go to the expense of Dominator RAM. You should consider dropping to XMS DDR2-800 - you could even drop further, to Corsair Value Select DDR2-667, if you don't intend to overclock. You need a retail-boxed burner to get burning and playing software. I'd suggest Lite-on. I don't know how urgently you wish to build - but I'll point out that the Core2Duo processors are scheduled for a price drop in April. By this time, the full range of DX10 video cards will be released. Just a thought FK

Thanks FK! I think am I going to OC this rig, that's why I went with the XMS2 and the aftermarket fan. Thanks for the headsup on the price drops, I guess it would be wise of me to wait a few more weeks

[Mr.Ferrari]

We'll my absolute favorite full tower has to be the Coolermaster Stacker. However it is higher on the price range. Gigabyte aurora is good too.

Just do a search on newegg for towers that have a wider looking motherboard area. Or any full tower.

[glc]

I'd recommend the standard XMS2-800 CAS 5 ram. The P965 chipset doesn't really take advantage of ram with tight timings and you can hit 400 FSB with it no problem.

If you are going to run XP, get a retail DVD burner so you get software. Consider a SATA burner instead of IDE.