Help with this HQ budget-gaming build

[MySoox]

Case: NZXT LEXA Blackline Chasis $110
PSU: Corsair 650W $80
CPU: Core 2 Duo E8400 $165
Mobo: Asus P5Q PRO $115
Memory: 2x2GB mushkin DDR2 800 5-4-4-12 @ 1.8V $55
GPU: MSI Radeon HD 4850 $180
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Big Typhoon $45
HDD: 1TB Seagate Barracuda $110


Got a couple questions on the bolded things and overall

1) Is it worth upgrading the E8400 to an E8500? 0.16 GHz worth an extra $40?
2) People either say this fan sucks, or it's really good. Possible problems with size? Better options?
3) People say my hard drive might not fit. They recommend raptors, but raptors are extremely expensive (why?).
4) Is this a good medium-budget build?
Games I want to play:
CoD4 (and 5 in the future)
L4D
Fallout3
Prince of Persia (new versions)
The Witcher: Enhanced Edition
Far Cry 2

5) I'll upgrade processor and video card when necessary. Will a Quad core and a high-end video card work well with the rest of the build?





Edit: Read in another thread that we're expecting a price drop in processors. Is it worth waiting for a slight drop in my cheap processor?

 

[veg1992]

1. Heck no!
2. Eh its ok, I'd rather get a Core Contact Freezer
3. Raptors are pricey because they are at 10k RPM, but most HD's are close to matching that..
4. That's closer to high end..
5. That GPU is high end , Dual Cores are better at Quads currently at games (not multi-thread ready for Quads)
Here's my revisions:
Newegg.com - Sunbeam CR-CCTF 120mm "Core Contact Freezer" CPU Cooler - CPU Fans & Heatsinks
Newegg.com - G.SKILL PI Black 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 900(PC2 7200) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory

 

[MySoox]

Currently, the only games that take advantage of quad-core are GTA4 and Crysis. More will catch on though, and I will eventually need to upgrade.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[veg1992]

Currently, the only games that take advantage of quad-core are GTA4 and Crysis. More will catch on though, and I will eventually need to upgrade.

Thanks for the reply.

Yep, and there was this RTS game... it was either Supreme Commander or CoH.. forget which..

but it also does it

 

[Druid]

supreme commander does somewhat but not very efficiently