Help with First Build

[builditbigger]

Hello all, I was hoping you guys could look at my build and see if I was missing anything (do I need a sound card?) and if anything isn't compatible. I'm looking to spend under $2,000 if you're wondering about my budget. Feel free to suggest any changes/replacements/upgrades/whatever!

Thanks,

P.S. - One final note, would it be worth it to upgrade my video card to ATI Radeon HD 5850?

My Computer Build


CPU - Intel Core i7 860 - $289.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-214-_-Product

Memory - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 - $95.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231193

Motherboard - ASUS P7P55D EVO LGA 1156 - $186.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-049-_-Product

Video Card - SAPPHIRE 100282SR Radeon HD 5850 - $309.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-857-_-Product

Hard Drive - WD Caviar Black 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" - $109.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136284

Case - Antec Nine Hundred Two Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $119.45
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129058

Power Supply - CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V - $109.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139006

Cooling - Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 92mm CPU Cooler - $26.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-134-_-Product

CD/DVD - Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD+R - $31.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827118030

Monitor - SAMSUNG ToC T240HD Rose-Black 24" - $269.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-280-_-Product

[glc]

1. You do not need a network card, all motherboards these days other than entry level models come with 10/100/1000 onboard.

2. If you want socket 1366 X58, there is only ONE board that I recommend - the Asus P6T Deluxe V2.

3. Also look at the socket 1156 P55 option - with a i7-860 and an Asus P7P55D - unless you plan on running multiple video cards in SLI or Crossfire - or you plan on heavily overclocking. This combination appears to be more stable and less quirky than X58. If you do that, you would want dual channel ram instead of triple channel.

4. The stock heatsink/fan is fine for stock and lightly overclocked systems.

5. That DVD burner is a slim model, designed for laptops and mini-ITX systems. It won't work in your case.

What operating system do you plan on using?

[builditbigger]

Thanks for the input, although I've been told that having a non-stock cpu heatsink and fan is a good idea to have my cpu run cooler and quieter. Anyways, I've changed out to an i7-860 and changed the motherboard and memory, all of it has been edited into my first post. Feel free to check again, and thank you for your time!

P.S. - Is there anywhere I could give you some positive feedback? =) Thanks

[glc]

There is no reason to get the Evo board - the plain P7P55D is just as functional.

For a final check, go to whatever Asus board you use's page and download the QVL. It's recommended you use ram that's on the list.

Again - what OS are you going to use?

[builditbigger]

Alrighty using the plain P7P55D and changed the ram, although I can't edit my original post anymore, but here' s the changes:

Memory - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 F3-10666CL8D-4GBHK - $99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-189-_-Product

Motherboard - ASUS P7P55D LGA 1156 - $149.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131404

For OS:

I'm probably going either Windows 7 64 bit if it's stable and good, or Windows XP 64 bit otherwise for gaming purposes. And I'll probably dual boot into Debian or Ubuntu.

[glc]

With 4gb ram, you can use anything - but if you want more, you need 64 bit. 64 bit is *better* with 4gb because it will all be seen. Before you try XP 64, you need to check for driver support.