first build

[indaface95]

hi, this will be my first build and i want to use it mainly for gaming. what do you think of these parts?

case - antec 900 case w/ 650 watt powersupply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129064

hard drive - WD caviar black 750gb 72k rpm sata drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136283

cd drive - lite on black x18 dvd x48 sata dvd drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...20black%20sata

processor - inter core 2 duo e8500 3.16 ghz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115036

motherboard - asus p5q pro turbo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...%20pro%20turbo

memory - patriot extreme performance 4 x 2gb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...%20performance

graphics card - HIS radeon hd 4890
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814161278


now a couple questions

1: is the case and powersupply large enough to support everything and possibly x-fire and raid?

2: is the memory too much? would 4 gb of memory work just as well?

3: would all these parts make a good gaming machine to play the latest games and last for a year or 2 before needing a new upgrade?

4: im new to building computers, and if i assemble everything, do i just set up bios and install a OS and im good to go?

5:if it doesnt work will i be able to exchange w.e part doesnt work or get a refund?

sorry for all the questions. im a newbie

[glc]

1. Yes. However, see my comments below.

2. I'd start off with 4gb. Corsair 2x2 DDR2-800 kits are 46 bucks right now.

3. Definitely. The only upgrade I can foresee would be a new video card - which hardcore gamers change as often as their underwear and socks anyway. MAYBE up the ram to 8gb and put in a bigger hard drive if you fill yours up. By the time games are optimized for quad cores, it will be time for a new motherboard and ram anyway - socket 775 and DDR2 will be obsolete. That will also be an easy swap.

4. Pretty much!

5. Newegg RMA policies and customer service are excellent.

I would not worry about raid and crossfire. Raid is more trouble than it's worth, and by the time you want to add the second video card, you might as well just replace what you have with a current card - 1 current card will perform better than 2 old cards and be less trouble. The EA650 PSU is not Crossfire certified anyway - and I think trying to run two 4890's with it may be pushing it.

Excellent component choices, by the way - it looks like you have been studying carefully!

EDIT! That's just a DVD-ROM drive, for another 5 bucks or so you can get a burner.

[indaface95]

thanks a bunch glc, when do you think ddr2 and dual (or duo idk which fits gramatically) cores will become obsolete? and yes i think i will go with 4 gb memory. also any other opinions on the case and power supply? im still unsure about those

[Khalil]

Originally Posted by indaface95 thanks a bunch glc, when do you think ddr2 and dual (or duo idk which fits gramatically) cores will become obsolete? and yes i think i will go with 4 gb memory. also any other opinions on the case and power supply? im still unsure about those

hard to predict but I would guess at least another 2 years. DDR is still selling well and DDR2 have been the main RAM used for 3 years now.
The Core 2 Duo processors are way beyond current software capabilities so they are going to be going strong for at least 3 more years regardless of what new Intel processors come out in the future.

[LeftyAce]

The "Big ticket items" (Processor and ram...and by extension motherboard) don't tend to get obsolete very quickly. New models come out, but you won't suffer a huge performance handicap for 3-4 years. Video cards, however, get significantly better pretty quickly, and games are quick to take advantage of this. I have a 4 year old rig with a brand new video card in it, and while the Core2Duos will blow it away, I can still play new games at medium/high settings (AA3, Fallout3, ArmedAssault2, Call of Duty World at War).

The good news is, video cards are a pretty easy upgrade.

[glc]

The case and PSU are excellent - but the PSU isn't enough for multiple higher end video cards. It will power any single card on the market now and for the foreseeable future.

Now - if you really like that case and want even more power, you can always order it with no PSU and order a PSU of your choice. This, of course, will cost more. Antec EA series PSU's are excellent but my personal preference is Corsair. Another case worth looking at is the Coolermaster RC690, which is my personal favorite for the price.

[indaface95]

alrite, i think ill just go with the case and PSU i chose for now and upgrade when i need to, my main concern is making the computer work. a quick thing i forgot to mention, does windows vista Os come with windows internet explorer on it? or do i need to download it form somewhere else? also is is it worth paying more for home premium or would home basic be fine for gaming

[shadowpr]

Vista will come with IE 7 on it.

If you just want to game, basic would work, but I personally like home premium.

[glc]

I'd either use XP or wait for Windows 7.

EDIT: You can buy Vista Home Premium with a free upgrade to Win 7. $109.99 at Newegg.