Building 101

[Elbatrop1]

He was talking about the first one you mentioned. When I made my parts list for you, I made sure that the CPU was socket 939 to match the mobo.

 

[GrimReaper23]

Nice change on the Sig though I like your old one better because of the chip but there are quite a few cases with removable mobo trays. I'm getting one in the mail soon. HIP-HIP-huray!

 

[rosencrantz]

oh the abit, weird, i thought it was a 939 socket.

 

[rosencrantz]

Antec 550 Watt Power Supply With 2 Fans 5.25 Control Panel, Model "TRUE CONTROL 550W" - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-103-922&depa=0
$108

ASUS "A8N-SLI" nForce4 SLI Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket 939 CPU -RETAIL
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-131-524&depa=0
$169

AMD Athlon 64 3000+, 512KB L2 Cache, Socket 939 64-bit Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-501&depa=0
$146

HP DVD640I Internal DVD±R/DVD±RW w/ LightScribe RETAIL, Retail
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=27-140-007&DEPA=1
$99

Seagate 160GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive, Model ST3160023A-RK, Retail
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=22-148-031&depa=1
$115

EVGA nVIDIA GeForce 6600GT Video Card, 128MB DDR3, 128-Bit, DVI/TV-Out, AGP 8X, Model "128-A8-N350" -RETAIL
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-130-220&depa=1
$179

Lian Li Black ATX Mid Tower Case, Model "PC-6077B"
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-112-044&depa=1
$125

Kingmax SuperRAM Series Dual Channel Kit 184-Pin 1GB(512MBx2) DDR PC-3700, Model MPYD42D-2K - Retail http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-156-024&depa=1
$131

= $1072

figure this'll drop to below 1000 by summer...sound good?

 

[rosencrantz]

really tho, how much of this stuff is "gamer stuff" that most people don't use...

i.e SATA drive? that much better?
SLI that important?
550W PSU really crucial?

I want a good machine, but don't want to get stuff that as a less-than-avid gamer is not really necessary.

I understand a solid mobo is essential, and same with RAM and I want a good case (which i think this is)

Also I have no idea what a good sound card is.

 

[Elbatrop1]

i.e SATA drive? that much better?

They are at their best when you need more than one hard drive, because, unlike IDE HDs, they have their own dedicated channel.

SLI that important?

RIght now? No. Later on when one 6600GT can't play the latest game, yes. By the time that 1 6600GT cant play a game at a decent frame rate, the cost of getting a second 6600GT will be pretty low. That is why I recommend the SLI boards. If you dont mind just upgrading the vid card and not just adding in a second one, maybe go for a mobo like this:

ASUSnForce4 Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket 939 CPU, Model "A8N-E" -RETAIL $138
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=13-131-530&depa=1

This board is only $30 cheaper.

As for that RAM you picked, that is a little excessive. Just go with one of the budget types from Crucial, Corsair, or Kingston, etc. I still stand by my recommendation of the Kingston Valueram for $90. Without overclocking, your ram will be running at PC3200 speed anyways, so there is really no point in getting PC3700 RAM if you are not going to overclock.

550W PSU really crucial?

If you someday went to add a 2nd vid card onto your SLI mobo, then yes. If you go with a non-SLI board, then about 450W will do. This might be a little more than is absolutely necessary, but the PSU is one thing you cannot be skimpy with.

As for a sound card, both this^^^^ mobo here or the SLI one come with very good onboard sound, and you shouldnt have to worry about getting anything else for a sound card.