Building a new rig, didn't decide everything yet

[PrayForDeath]

I am building a new rig, my budget is 1200-1500$, I am gonna overclock the CPU a little, I think somewhere between 3200-3400+. Not gonna overclock the video card. and I am buying everything retail.
Specs so far:
CPU: Athlon 64 90nm 3000+ 162$ at ZipZoomFly, final decision (most probably)
Motherboard: MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum 155$ at ZZF
RAM: Geil Ultra Series Value Dual Channel 184 Pin 1GB(512MBx2) DDR PC-3200 154$ at Newegg
Video Card: MSI GeFroce 6600 GT PCI E 187$ at Newegg.com , do you recommend any other brand for this card?
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar SE WD1200JD 120GB SATA 90$
DVD RW: NEC 16X Double Layer DVDRW Drive, Silver, Model ND-3520A 62$
Case: Not sure yet, maybe Thermaltake VA3000 something.. I gotta search in local stores.
PSU: Something over 400W, probably Antec.
Monitor: NEC MultiSync FP1350x 22" Flat (got it for 160$)
Thanks in advance, I hope you help me out with this.

 

[PrayForDeath]

Bump

 

[PrayForDeath]

Updated!
Any comments?

 

[amol]

good cpu
motherboard, i would get an MSI NF4 Ultra, but thats MY OPINION
RAM: are you OC'ING?
Video Card: i like EVGAs
Hard Drive: seagates are good
DVD RW: NEC ND-3520A
Case: I ordered the VA3000BWA, I'm awaiting shipment . . . a lot of anti-TT fanboys will say its bad, but the reviews have been good
PSU: I would say a GOOD quality 480W or higher
Monitors: if youre going CRT, NEC/MITSUBISHI is a good choice

 

[leigh6]

This NEC drive is the one everyone recommends. I do not have it though.

http://www.newegg.com/app/View...tion=27-152-040&depa=0

 

[jterrell]

Case is really a matter of taste. I prefer removeable trays but other that who really cares as long as it will cool provided enough fans.

My case isn't fancy or ultra quiet but does the job for 75 bucks.

I would suggest a fortron blue storm 500 watt psu/ It has sata and 24 pin connectors so will owrk with the new mobo's right out of the box. It's not too loud or anything and offers great rails, nice sleeves and a proven name.

I would have chosen a DFI Ultra had I waited another 2 or 3 months but couldn't see doing that. Any of the NF4Ultra boards whould be fine. No major probs that I know of. My board has a max of 900 HTT as opposed to 1000 HTT but it makes like zero difference. It overclocks to 240 fsb without any pain or rise in case, cpu temps. Overclocks much further once you get into the OS.

I love the DVD burner but I haven't used it enough to swear it'll stand the test of time. I do know the firmware just kept getting better for the 3500.

If you need speakers I really recommends the x-530s. They are high quality and have a 10 dollar rebate til the 31st. I ended up paying 42 bucks and got them in like 3 days from monarch with the cheapest shipping. My newegg order came 2 days later though it was ordered at the same time. Probably just a matter of monarch being smaller.

I chose the LEadtek 6600Gt because the 6800 GT was not in stock at the 375 it should cost. The Leadtek offers decent overclocking above even the extreme version I purchased and comes with an excellent cooling fan by 6600 gt standards.

Go with value ram of a name brand. I went crucial because I used it for all the servers I built for years and it very seldom failed while the oem compaq crap went out all the time.

 

[PrayForDeath]

Amol, yes I am overclocking a little, somehwere around 3200 to 3400, so do you think I should get anything above PC3200 for RAM? Is PC3200 sufficient for my overclock? I also don't understand what "Value" RAM means, and what brand do you recommend?
Actually, you made me change my mind about the mobo, I am thinking about this.
I think I'll stick with the MSI 6600GT. I've already finished POP and Splinter Cell, whereas I didn't try XIII yet.
Thanks for the DVD RW suggestion, I'll look for it.
Don't you think a good quality 400W PSU is enough? I don't wanna spend much money for a PSU. Do you recommend any specific model?
I already have speakers.
Thanks for the answers, any other comments?

 

[fireontheway]

Originally posted by: PrayForDeath
Amol, yes I am overclocking a little, somehwere around 3200 to 3400, so do you think I should get anything above PC3200 for RAM? Is PC3200 sufficient for my overclock? I also don't understand what "Value" RAM means, and what brand do you recommend?
Actually, you made me change my mind about the mobo, I am thinking about this.
I think I'll stick with the MSI 6600GT. I've already finished POP and Splinter Cell, whereas I didn't try XIII yet.
Thanks for the DVD RW suggestion, I'll look for it.
Don't you think a good quality 400W PSU is enough? I don't wanna spend much money for a PSU. Do you recommend any specific model?
I already have speakers.
Thanks for the answers, any other comments?

Corsair Value Select,and you can go past even 3500+ speeds easily.If you get an Antec 3700-BQE it will come with good quality psu so i guess thats one way saving money on the psu without sacrificing performance. The Chaintech VNF4 Ultra is a nice board but i would'nt count on Newegg's customer reviews,just google some reviews to to find out more info about the hardware you are interested at.

 

[PrayForDeath]

What do you think about this PSU?
I read the xbit labs review on the chaintech mobo, so now I've changed my mind and I'll probably get the MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum
I also found this, any thoughts?
I was wondering, does the CPU I linked come with a fan/heatsink?

 

[KayKay]

corsair valueselect is my recommendation

antec true 430 is not too bad, $75 @newegg, hopefully thats not too expensive for you

 

[Chosonman]

You may want to consider a Socket 754 system with Nforce3 Motherboard considering you can build one with a 6800GT for close to the same price as you're building the Socket 939 6600GT for. Just a thought.
I question the need for more expensive RAM. Everything else looks good.

 

[PrayForDeath]

Originally posted by: Chosonman
You may want to consider a Socket 754 system with Nforce3 Motherboard considering you can build one with a 6800GT for close to the same price as you're building the Socket 939 6600GT for. Just a thought.
I question the need for more expensive RAM. Everything else looks good.

I thought about that, but I don't wanna replace the whole PC in 1-2 years for more performance. So I want the most upgradable PC, hence the PCI-E and 939. What annoyes me is the fact that there's no video card in the 200-300$ range for PCI express, a PCI-e 6800 NU for example.
As for the RAM, do you think the one I linked is bad? I found this, which is what KayKay suggested. Is it better than Geil?
Is the Antec true 430 any better than the thermaltake I already linked? Is it 25$ better?
Thanks

 

[PrayForDeath]

Updated!
Any thoughts?

 

[PrayForDeath]

edit: problem solved...

 

[MarioBros]

Well, if you are OCing, I would suggest a DFI Lanparty board.
Good choice on the CPU. I'd use a 6600GT also.
Good Luck!