This is my first experience building a computer and I'd like to get some reassurance that this build will function properly and that everything will be compatible. I'll be using it for college and I'm hoping to be able to use it as a decent gaming computer for at least a few years. The current price just a few bucks over $1200. I'd welcome any advice on comparable parts that are cheaper, and I'd also be willing to spend a bit more if anyone has a particular enhancement that would be worth it. -Thanks for any advice/input! CASE: Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129042 POWER SUPPLY: Antec NeoPower 650 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371011 RAM: Patriot Viper 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model PVS24G6400LLKN - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820220335 MOBO: ASUS P5Q Pro LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131299 MONITOR: Acer X223Wbd Black 22" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824009145 HARD DRIVE: Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200KSRTL 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136039 VIDEO CARD: HIS Hightech H487F512P Radeon HD 4870 512MB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814161236 DISK DRIVE: LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model iHAS120-08 - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106264 PROCESSOR: Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8500 - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115036 OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit English for System Builders 1pk DSP OEI DVD - OEM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116488 HEATSINK/FAN: Sunbeam CR-CCTF 120mm "Core Contact Freezer" CPU Cooler http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835207004 PCI WIRELESS CARD: EDIMAX EW-7128G PCI Wireless Card - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833315041 Any opinions on whether to go with the Radeon 4870 or the GTX 260? I origanally had the 260 but due to my mobo choice and the fact that the 4870 is a bit cheater and at least equal in performance I was swayed to get the 4870 instead.
HD4870 is certainly worth having if it's cheaper, as its equal to the GTX260 in performance. Case is fine, PSU could be better, I'd recommend this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139001 (520W is ample for your system, but you need a quality unit, the NeoPowers aren't one of Antec's better products) RAM is fine, but I recommend Corsair for guaranteed reliability reasons. Motherboard, hard disk, DVD drive, Operating System, Processor and Graphics card are all fine, but I'd recommend this monitor and CPU cooler: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001268 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835154001 It's worth spending extra for a product that gets the job done well 24/7.
