i wouldn't sweat it too much, i think by the time that you have bought all of your parts for this build, there probably isn't going to be a processor that does much better than the 6600 that you bought. There may be some advantages for say over clocking, but since this is a first build, i say don't even worry about overclocking, just worry about getting the parts that are going to work best together out of the box. And i second Drizzt5's comment about posting all of your parts. I personally use Newegg's wish lists like a mad man. Then we can check the parts and make sure everything will be good to go before you make the purchase. I built my first computer with help from people on this site about 4 years ago and i learned it definitely pays to do your research. So if you have questions, don't hesitate to ask. well this post turned out to be longer than expected...haha good luck with the build!