First Build, SLI rig

[GeneralRecall]

Dell has finally gotten too expensive and my desires have grown to big, so I’ve decided to jump off the deep end and build my own computer. This rig is mainly going to be for gaming with a secondary roll as 3D creation (mainly 3ds max). I haven't seen to many guides or posts for SLI systems so I've just been compiling parts based on manufacturer lists, newegg reviews and misc reviews I find off google. Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated.

-Motherboard-
EVGA 122-CK-NF68-A1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
$229.99

-Power Supply-
ENERMAX Galaxy EGX1000EWL ATX12V/ EPS12V/ BTX 1000W Power Supply - Retail
$329.99

-CPU-
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80562Q6600 - Retail
$277.99

-CPU Heatsink-
ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler - Retail
$19.99

-RAM-
CORSAIR Dominator 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-8500C5D - Retail x2
$362.00

-GPU-
EVGA 768-P2-N831-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail x2
$1099.98

-Hard drive-
SAMSUNG SpinPoint T Series HD501LJ 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
$109.99

-Optical-
LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner included extra White bezel, with 12X DVD-RAM Write Black IDE Model LH-20A1P-186 - Retail
$27.99

-Case-
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
$129.99

-OS-
Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM
$111.99

-Keyboard-
Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard - Retail
$68.99

-Mouse-
Logitech G5 2-Tone 6 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Wired Laser Mouse - Retail
$45.99

-Total-
$2,814.88

I've been referencing these parts against the SLI approved list at:
http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone_ecosystem.html

Here is the motherboard approved memory:
http://www.evga.com/support/mbmem/

Some additional notes:

I've seen that this forum is a fan of the Asus motherboards and I originally had the
ASUS P5N32-E SLI LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
selected but I was unhappy with the reviews it was receiving and the supported memory.

I'm unsure about the quality of the power supply, but I've been unable to find any wildly popular 8800GTX SLI approved power supplies. I've read some reviews about the quality of their components, but if anyone knows of a more popular one of the SLI approved list let me know.

I don't plan on overclocking, but the aftermarket heatsink was cheap enough that it like a decent idea to get it.

Thanks for taking a look at this. Let me know what you think

[dalenorth]

What a nice budget you have there
Your Power Supply is good
Here's a link to another one u may prefer, sorry but I can't access newegg atm.
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/129283

[perkster]

the power supply is a good make, yes we do like ASUS boards here, but thats not to say others arent good too.

If you want SLI go ahead but in general the opinion on here is that youre better off sticking that extra $1000 aside for the next gen card in 6 months time rather than getting 2 8800's now, one 8800 can play any game at moment on full settings. But its your computer and your budget so Im not going to say anymore on it.

The ram you have chosen along with the aftermarket cooler are mainly for overclockers, you seem to worry about the supporting ram but all you really need for that processor is 667mhz ram, which will still be 1 step quicker than 1:1 ratio with your processor. maybe 800mhz for some headroom but going for 1066 RAM is overkill unless you are going to heavily overclock, save yourself some money

SAMSUNG hard drives are not recommended, samsung make primarily cameras and monitors, trust them for those but not hard drives, youre better going for a SEAGATE 7200.10 SATA drive, the 320gb is best gb/$ at moment.

You have picked out an IDE DVD burner, IDE is old technology on a new build Id highly recommend you switch it for a SATA version. Lite-on are great brand though.

Dont forget to include an operating system, you are going for 4gb of ram so you will need either XP 64 bit version or Vista 64 bit, otherwise you wont see or use all that Ram.

The heatsink may be more trouble to install than the standard one that comes with the processor, and you may need some thermal paste, in my view if you arent overclocking you should stick to the standard one and not void your warranty on your processor, plsu the antec 900 is a very cool case with good airflow, providing you keep it clean (which can be hard).

I wouldnt base your build off reviews on newegg, some people there are heavy overclockers and others are just people who dont know what they are talking about and most reviews are written after owning it for 1 day where no conclusions can really be made.