1st Build Ever

[army8729]

I am currently sitting in Iraq bored out of my mind and I thought about the idea of putting together my own computer for the first time. I did some research and read some reviews and this is what I came up with for my initial thought for a build. Please provide any input/opinions on this build. Opinions im really looking for are:
A: Are all these parts going to be compatable?
B: Can anything be replaced with a better item for about the same price?
C: Can I get these parts at another site for cheaper?
D: Should I scratch this whole thing and go with someone elses build in these forums?
E: Will this build be able to play all sorts of games IE: WoW, Aion, FPS, Racing games etc etc and be able to have awesome Frames Per Second and a Low Latency(obviously ISP is a factor in this).

Manufacturers that I would like to stick with are:
Asus, Corsair, Intel, and nVidia
Thanks for the time!

ITEM-BRAND/MODEL-SUPPLIER-PRICE
CASE-NZXT Apollo Orange Steel Mid Tower Gaming Case-WWW.SVC.COM-$79.99
PSU-CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply-WWW.NEWEGG.COM-$129.99
MB-ASUS P5N-D - Motherboard - ATX - nForce 750i SLI - LGA775 Socket - UDMA133, SATA-300 (RAID) - Gigabit Ethernet - FireWire - HD Audio (8-channel)-WWW.AMAZON.COM-$79.99
CPU-Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 2.80GHz Processor-WWW.BUY.COM-$247.95
CPU FAN-Thermalright SI-128 CPU Cooler-WWW.XOXIDE.COM-$47.99
HDD-Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB SATA2 7200rpm 32MB Intellipower Hard Drive-WWW.EWIZ.COM-$59.99
RAM-Patriot Extreme Viper PVS24G8500ELKR2 4GB 2X2GB PC2-8500 DDR2-1066 CL5-5-5-15 240PIN Memory-WWW.BUYDIRECTPC.COM-$89.26
PRI OPTICAL-LG 22X SATA DVD-Burner with Software-WWW.BUYDIRECTPC.COM-$35.98
SOUND CARD-Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer PCI Sound Card-WWW.BHPHOTOVIDEO.COM-$84.95
VIDEO CARD-XFX GX-285N-ZDFF nVidia GeForce GTX 285 1GB - GX-285N-ZDFF-WWW.KATERNO.COM-$354.99
NETWORK CARD-Intel PRO/1000 GT Gigabit Ethernet PCI Network Adapter Card NIC-WWW.THEOUTLETSEASON.COM-$36.29
OS-Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit Edition- Full Version OEM (x64)-WWW.OUTLETPC.COM-$99.98
EXTRAS-Internal 8-in-1 Card Reader-WWW.BUYDIRECTPC.COM-$14.30
-Scythe Kaze Master Ace 5.25IN Bay 4 Fan Controller Black with Temperature and Fan Alarm-WWW.BUYDIRECTPC.COM-$39.89
TOTAL $1,401.54

[flanzig1]

The CPU/motherboard are a generation back. The Intel i5 or i7 CPUs would have your rig up to date. Don't need a Sli motherboard. Don't need an aftermarket CPU cooler unless overclocking.
Video card: The ATI 5800 series cards are the top dog in cards if gaming is what you will do with the PC. And look to Asus/Sapphire/HIS for brands of cards. Shouldn't need a NIC since all MBs today have a built-in NIC.

[orbrit]

also don't need the sound card - that board has onboard 8 channel sound too.

If my budget was $1400 I'd also build a Core i5/i7 rig

Something like this:

Case: Antec Nine Hundred Two Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $119.95
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129058

PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply $89.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139005

MB: ASUS P7P55D-E LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard $159.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131620

CPU: Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor $199.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115215

CPU Cooler - not necessary unless you overclock. If you plan to OC, Hypercooler 212works well.

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive $69.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136320

RAM: CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMX4GX3M2A1600C9 $109.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145260

Optical: ASUS 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 24x DVD Writer LightScribe Support - OEM $24.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827135209

Sound Card: Not necessary

Video Card: SAPPHIRE Vapor-X 100281-2GVXSR Radeon HD 5870 (Cypress XT) 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card $479.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102893

Network Card: Not necessary

OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit OEM $99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116754

Card Reader: Koutech IO-RCM621 All-in-one USB 2.0 3.5" USB 2.0 Front Panel Multi-format Card Reader with USB 2.0 Port $19.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820162024

Fan Controller: Not necessary - Antec 900 has variable speed fans. Use software like GPU-Z and real temp to monitor GPU/CPU temps

[David M]

Thanks for serving army!

Nice build Orbit.

You might bump the CPU up to an i7-860 to get the multi-threading for games that do this. Also consider the Corsair 750TX to give you little more wiggle room with the 4870 graphics card...and the desert heat and subsequent less efficient cooling which makes electronics less efficient.

Some of the BIOS's now have a feature to create fan speed profiles. ASUS has this for some boards.

Look on Amazon, Newegg and Pricegrabber for low prices. Stay away from the small time retailers and the ones with little or poor ratings. Never buy computer parts on EBAY...too many reported problems.

[army8729]

Originally Posted by David M Also consider the Corsair 750TX to give you little more wiggle room with the 4870 graphics card...

Thanks for the tips,
Seems like I need to do more research before I attempt another build in the future.

David are you saying I should use a ASUS EAH4870/2DI/1GD5 Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card instead of a 5870? There is a 4870 on newegg.com for $159.99.

Also I would never think of building my computer here in Iraq, way too hot and way too much dust and a pain in the ars to get back home. Im just getting an idea for a build for when I get home in a few months. Also I have never bought anything on EBAY...always afraid of getting crap that doesnt work.

Thanks again for the time.