noob question on cooling

[MDTerp429]

here's my parts:

antec sonata II with antec SP-450 (450 W)
asus a8n-e
gigabyte GV-NX68T256DH Geforce 6800GT 256MB GDDR3 PCI-E
a64 3800+ Venice
Corsair VS 2x512 MB
Seagate SATA 3.0 GB/s 160 GB
NEC 3540A DVD Burner

i read a lot of posts about folks overclcoking to xx GHz on stock cooling, but i'm interested in keeping all my components good and cool, as i understand this helps preserve lifetime. could someone please explain the "practical" cooling options such as case fans and cpu/GPU/RAM heatsinks + fans? i have searched the forums and was unable to resolve. i can of course google, but i was hoping someone could give me an overview first so i can know where to start.

edit: i read on (i think) anandtech that good case fans is all one needs: intake in front and outtake in back. is this true? what about thermal compounds on CPU? all these terms i hear and i know what they are but i dunno if ALL are necessary or what combinations. also about how much does a good cooling solution cost?

what kind of cooling do i need? what are good brands for those components? i want to oc mostly just do it to see what the performance increase is. also doing a budget build for a friend and will oc it some if i think it would be useful for him. i presume cooling in the budget system is even more important since the build is mATX.

thanks in advance for any replies.

[MaxRat]

If you want good cooling for cpu and such check out ThermalRight products...as for the TIM..most use ArticSilver5...

[glc]

You should not have any cooling issues with the stock components. If the processor is retail boxed, it comes with a heatsink/fan with thermal interface material preapplied, which must be used to keep the 3 year warranty on the processor. The video card comes with an adequate cooling solution, as does the case. I'd build it stock and note the temperatures and go from there. If they stay within reasonable specs, leave it alone and enjoy the relative quiet.

Overclocking a mATX is not a good idea. The extra money you would spend for more cooling is better spent on a faster processor to begin with. Overclocking is a HOBBY, not a necessity.

You do not necessarily need a front intake fan as long as the front has some kind of air intake - the rear exhaust will suck enough air in to do the job.

[Cricket]

Basics to System Cooling.

Keep Your Computer Cool.

Case Cooling.

PC Cooling Guide.

Cooling Your Computer.

Cricket

[MDTerp429]

excellent. thx for the responses. the websites are exactly what i was hoping to get.