1 Day from purchasing new system

[voodoo1694]

This is my first time building a PC. After careful research, it looks like these parts will go into my build. I will not be overclocking btw (at least not yet). I have my finger ready to purchase but I need some feedback first. Tips for a first-time builder are highly appreciated!

Antec LifeStyle Solo Chassis - Tower 4 x External, 4 x Internal - Black Piano Finish

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 G0 Stepping Kentsfield 2.40GHz 8MB L2 LGA 775 Processor Retail

ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler - Retail

(2x) Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

CORSAIR HX CMPSU-520HX 520W Active PFC NVIDIA SLI Certified Modular ATX Power Supply Retail

SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S203B - OEM

EVGA GeForce 8800GTS 320MB 320bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card Retail 320-P2-N811-AR

GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard Retail

SAMSUNG SpinPoint T Series HD501LJ 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

 

[Aznguy1872]

Everything looks pretty good. I would probably get the Crucial Ballistix ddr2-800 instead since they are for sure D9 chips. Other then that, its a solid build. Enjoy!

 

[Drexl]

It looks alright to me and I second the memory recommendation above, but personally I would get the Samsung Spinpoint T-166 (HD501LJ) hard drive because it should be quieter than the Seagate.

I love the Solo case. The built-in hard drive suspension is really cool and will keep the drive even quieter (if you use it).

One thing I'll add is that it's okay, really it is, to buy these parts from different places if it's cost effective to do so. I don't know if you're shopping around or not, but it seems like a lot of people want to buy them all from Newegg and in one order. Newegg is great, I like them and all, but they don't always have the best prices on everything. For instance, you'll save $20 by buying the case from NextWarehouse.com instead. I got mine from there for a little less than $80 shipped a couple of months ago. It's a little higher now but still a good deal.

 

[voodoo1694]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll look into the crucial RAM/Samsung HDD
I'm buying practically all of it except for 2-3 items from Clubit. The rest is Newegg.

Just curious -- Do I need one of those static grounding thingies?

 

[stultus]

nope. been building rigs for the last decade and never needed one. just try to ground yourself after scuffing your socks over a rug in the dead of winter and you'll be okay.

 

[dangman4ever]

Looks good to me. You can get the Corsair PSU cheaper here:
Corsair HX520 520W PSU - $105

 

[oynaz]

Seems like a good system, but I have two points.

If you are not overclocking, there is really no need to get an aftermarket CPU cooler (if there is no cooler included with the CPU, ignore this).

The PSU is good, but overkill for your system. 350-400 watts is plenty.

 

[voodoo1694]

Alright thanks for all the help guys. I finally bit the bullet. My final system is listed in the first post.

I'm just curious... after I build and boot, do I need to adjust anything in BIOS or does everything automatically configure itself? At what point do I boot with the Windows Vista x64 DVD? I'm completely clueless about BIOS so any help is appreciated.