Thoughts, Ideas, Suggestions on my first ever build

[JoelA]

This is my first time building a PC. I appreciate all the help I can get!

Here's what I have so far:

Case: Coolermaster Elite 334 nVidia ATX
Mobo: MSI X58 Pro-E
CPU: Intel i-7 930
Power Supply: Corsair CMPSU-750TX
RAM: Corsair DDR3 4GB 1333 MHz
DVD: Sony Optiarc Black 24X

Here's what I need:
Hard Drive

Here are my questions:
1. Do I need anything else?
2. Can I use the 4GB RAM or do I need to fill in all the slots?
3. What other suggestions do you guys have!

THanks!

 

[95BlackGA]

A must have is a video card, as that board does not have any onboard, nor do any of the X58 boards, if I recall correctly.

You can use just 4GB of ram, no need to fill up all the slots. However, why are you choosing dual channel kits, for this?

What's the intended use for the computer, what's your budget? Any overclocking? If so, get the 920, as I have heard it's better for overclocking than the 930.

 

[Slaymate]

You don't need to fill up all the ram slots, but the i7 930 has a Triple Channel Memory Controller so you need to buy Memory in a set of 3 sticks. 3GB (3x1GB), 6GB (3x2GB), 12GB (3x4GB or 6x2GB) and so on. A 6GB kit (3x2GB) is your best option for optimal performance and I recommend DDR3 1600MHz. Something like this
Newegg.com - OCZ Gold 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Voltage Desktop Memory Model OCZ3G1600LV6GK

What Video Card are you going to use?

 

[JoelA]

Guys, Thanks for the replies. I'm going to switch the RAM to Corsair DDR3 6GB 1600MHz C7 CORS It's 179.99 at Fry's with a $20 MIR. I paid $109.99, so I might as well throw out the extra cash.

I want to be able to connect the computer to my TV, to watch movies via NetFlix, browse the web on the TV, I'd also be playing StarCraft II when it comes out.

I know I'll need a good memory card, but I want to stay between $50 and $100. I was thinking about this: Newegg.com - MSI N240GT-MD1G/D5 GeForce GT 240 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card

Hard Drives: Any thoughts on brand? Western Digital vs Seagate? I see some Seagates with bad reviews.

 

[Trotter]

Operating system...?

A GTS 240 would be an insult to that 930, as well as a bottle neck. Stretch your budget by $10 and go with this at least:
Newegg.com - XFX HD-485X-ZNFC Radeon HD 4850 1GB 256-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

 

[Baez]

An even better matchup with a processor such as that is this:

Newegg.com - XFX HD-577A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

I know you don't want to go over $100 but honestly this card has the best performance to dollar ratio there is right now. If it's too much then pick up what Trotter suggested.

 

[95BlackGA]

An even better matchup with a processor such as that is this:

Newegg.com - XFX HD-577A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

I know you don't want to go over $100 but honestly this card has the best performance to dollar ratio there is right now. If it's too much then pick up what Trotter suggested.

I'd go with this choice. While it is a little over your budget, you can change out the 750W PSU for this 650W.

Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply

It's $90 shipped, and has a $20 rebate. It'll power the computer perfectly.

If budget is still an issue, you can swap out the MSI for this AsRock. It's about $30 cheaper on Newegg, and has pretty much the same features.

Newegg.com - ASRock X58 Extreme LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard

 

[JoelA]

Newegg.com - XFX HD-575X-ZNFC Radeon HD 5750 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
XFX HD-575X-ZNFC Radeon HD 5750 - Thoughts on this?

I want to try and buy components locally, just in case I need to return them.

OS will be Windows 7 Premium Home 64 bit