Could Use Some Opinions About This Gaming Rig I'm Building

[FalconxxxPunch]

Intro:
About a week ago I decided to start looking into building a gaming rig. I researched a lot, received a lot of help, and so far I think I've done a pretty good job. I've already got a system outlined, but I still need a little help finalizing it. The system I have was made using a system presented by the user MalVeauX in this post as a basis. I'll post his recommendations here first since I used them as a huge stepping stone. I researched a little more and made a couple of changes, which are posted below MalVeauX's system. I'm not claiming my new system is any better or worse than his, but I hope that's where you guys can come in handy. Anyways, here it is...

Original System (recommended by MalVeauX):
Motherboard- Asus M3A79-T @ $189
Power Supply- PC power & cooling S75QB 750w @ $99
RAM- OCZ Reaper DDR2 1066 4gigs @ $49
CPU- Phenom 9850 black edition (overlock!) @ $160
CPU Cooler- Zalman 9500A cooler @ $46
Video Card- Saphire HD4870 @ $179
Sound Card- HT Omega Striker soundcard @ $85
DVD Burner- Samsung DVD-R/RW @ $29
Case- Cool Master Stacker 810 Full Tower @ 130
Hard Drive- WD Caviar 640g 7200rpm 16mb Cache HDD @ $75 (2x is 1.3tb @ $150)
Mouse- Logitech G5 @ $46
Keyboard- Razor Lycosa @ $80
OS- Vista Home Premium 64bit @ $99
Primary Display*- BenQ 24" 1920x1080 @ $299
Secondary Display*- Acer 22" 1680x1050 @ $170
Headset- Astro A40 Audio System @ $250
Original System Price- $2060
*- I'm using a dual monitor display because it was strongly recommended by a lot of PC gamers, including MalVeaux. I'm also going to use one of the monitors for playing my Xbox 360 on. The way I listed it, the primary display is the one that will be used solely for my computer, and the secondary display is the one that will be used as both a secondary display for my computer and for playing my Xbox 360 on.

Updated System:
Motherboard- ASUS P5Q PRO + XONAR DX LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard Bundle @ $184
Power Supply- PC power & cooling S75QB 750w @ $99
RAM- OCZ Reaper DDR2 1066 4gigs @ $49
CPU- Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ $190 or Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 @190
CPU Cooler- ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler @ $27
Video Card- SAPPHIRE 100259-1GL Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card @ $225
DVD Burner- Samsung DVD-R/RW @ $29
Case- Cool Master Stacker 810 Full Tower @ 130
Hard Drive- WD Caviar 640g 7200rpm 16mb Cache HDD @ $75 (2x is 1.3tb @ $150)
Mouse- Logitech G5 @ $46
Keyboard- Razor Lycosa @ $80
OS- Vista Home Premium 64bit @ $99
Primary Display*- BenQ 24" 1920x1080 @ $299
Secondary Display*- Acer 22" 1680x1050 @ $170 or BenQ 22" 1680 x 1050 @ $260
Headset- Astro A40 Audio System @ $250
Alternate Updated System Price (most expensive scenario)- $2117
*- I'm using a dual monitor display because it was strongly recommended by a lot of PC gamers, including MalVeaux. I'm also going to use one of the monitors for playing my Xbox 360 on. The way I listed it, the primary display is the one that will be used solely for my computer, and the secondary display is the one that will be used as both a secondary display for my computer and for playing my Xbox 360 on.

Differences Cliffnotes:
- Different Motherboard
- Different CPU
- Different CPU Cooler
- Different Video Card (1 GB instead of 512 MB)
- No Soundcard (one included in new motherboard)
- Second Option for Secondary Display
- +$56 from original system (In other words, not really a significant price difference)

So...
Now that I've outlined what I'm looking at, I have a few more questions...
1) What are the pros/cons concerning the updated system vs. the original system?
2) What are the pros/cons of the system in general? Remember, its primarily for gaming.
3) In the alternate system, which CPU should I go with? The Core 2 Duo or the Core 2 Quad?
4) In the alternate system, which secondary display should I go with? I'm going to choose whichever displays Halo 3/Xbox 360 games better.
5) Is overclocking a good idea on this system?
6) How long do you think it will take for game requirements to advance before I have to start revamping my system?

Before recommendations are made, I'd like to state first that I don't want to raise the price of this thing much higher than where it already is.

Any other questions or comments are welcomed.

Thanks in advance to any help I get, and thanks again to MalVeauX for the original system recommendations.

 

[videogames101]

Uh, $250 headset? try this set if you want awesome sound, then add any mic. (headsets nearly always sacrifice sound quality compared to normal headphones) http://www.amazon.com/Sennheis...&qid=1229894605&sr=8-1

Or, if your dead set on a headset, http://www.amazon.com/Sennheis...-Headset/dp/B0012XFDWO is $100 cheaper


Go for the WD black caviar 1TB model for better performance. http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136284


CPU cooler i would change to xigmatek 1283, http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835233003


CPU, I'd go for the e8500 if gaming is your primary use for this rig.

 

[heyheybooboo]

I'll leave the discreet v. onboard sound debate to others - we've beat that discussion to death for the most part. I tend to bend toward the 'onboard' side unless there is a specific function you feel a discreet card will give you.

The Antec Nine Hundred is $110 with free shipping if that works for you

If you go with Intel, go with the e8400 and save a little cash. Check out this combo with the Asus P5Q Pro.

If you go AMD snag this combo (HIS HD4870 1GB & Asus M3A78T) unless you are serious about using all those PCIe x16 slots on the 790FX.

Consider the AMD Athlon 64 X2 7750 over the Phenom 9850. In the next 3 months there will be a series of new AMD AM2+ and AM3 processors for that Asus mobo that will look pretty spiffy next Fall (after a price drop or two).

The AM3 Phenoms will have dual memory controllers for both DDR2 and DDR3 which creates a few more futures moves.

Save money where you can - you've got a lot of 'elbow room' to 'phase-in' your purchases. Technology is always cheaper, faster and more capable down the road. Avoid the 'latest & greatest' where you can and learn to appreciate 6-month old technology.

You will save a small fortune over your lifetime -

 

[FalconxxxPunch]

Thanks for the good input, here is where I'm at right now:

Current System Choices:
Motherboard- ASUS P5Q PRO + XONAR DX LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard Bundle @ $184
Power Supply- PC power & cooling S75QB 750w @ $99
RAM- OCZ Reaper DDR2 1066 4gigs @ $49
CPU- Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 @ $190
CPU Cooler- XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler @ $37
Video Card- SAPPHIRE 100259-1GL Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card @ $225
DVD Burner- Samsung DVD-R/RW @ $29
Case- Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case @ 110
Hard Drive- WD Caviar 640g 7200rpm 16mb Cache HDD @ $75 (2x is 1.3tb @ $150)
Mouse- Logitech G5 @ $46
Keyboard- Razor Lycosa @ $80
OS- Vista Home Premium 64bit @ $99
Primary Display*- BenQ 24" 1920x1080 @ $299
Secondary Display*- Acer 22" 1680x1050 @ $170 or BenQ 22" 1680 x 1050 @ $260
Headset- Astro A40 Audio System @ $250
Total Estimated Cost: $2107

Potential Changes:
CPU:
Current- Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 @ $190
Potential- Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 @ $165*
Potential- AMD Athlon 64 X2 7750 @ $80**
Motherboard:
Current- ASUS P5Q PRO + XONAR DX LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard Bundle @ $184*
Potential- ASUS M3A78-T AMD Motherboard @ $150**
Hard Drive:
Current- (WD Caviar 640g 7200rpm 16mb Cache Hard Drive) x 2 @ $150
Potential- WD Caviar Black 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache Hard Drive @ $120 (Are you suggesting that I buy two of these?)
Headset/Headphone:
Current- Astro A40 Audio System @ $250
Potential- Sennheiser HD-595 Premier Headphone @ $220 + a Mic (how much do these usually cost?)
Potential- Sennheiser PC 350 Gaming Headset @ $155
*-go together
**-go together

Questions:
1) How is my overall gaming system looking?
2) What do you have to say about some of the potential alternate choices I have listed versus my current ones?

Thanks again for all the help. Please provide any comments or ask any questions you'd like.

 

[zerocool84]

Are you going to overclock? Is sound very important to you as in sound in games/music? It seems like it probably is since you're willing to buy a $250 headset. How long do you go until you upgrade components in your system???

If you are overclocking I would say get a quad intel and overclock that. If you're not then get a dual intel. Oh and I would go with the E8400 instead of the E8500. Practically no performance difference between the two at stock and the E8400 is cheaper.

 

[FalconxxxPunch]

Originally posted by: zerocool84
Are you going to overclock? Is sound very important to you as in sound in games/music? It seems like it probably is since you're willing to buy a $250 headset. How long do you go until you upgrade components in your system???

If you are overclocking I would say get a quad intel and overclock that. If you're not then get a dual intel. Oh and I would go with the E8400 instead of the E8500. Practically no performance difference between the two at stock and the E8400 is cheaper.

I think I'm going to overclock. I don't know too much about overclocking, but if it can increase my performance, then yes. Sound isn't really that important to me, but don't get me wrong I like having good quality for everything, including sound. The reason I was going to buy that expensive headset was because it was recommended for playing Halo 3 on, which I'd use it for on top of my computer use. Honestly, I've been having second thoughts on it because I'm seeing more and more people recommending headsets that are at least $100 cheaper. As for how long I'm going to go until upgrading my system, well, probably awhile. I have no idea what the future will bring for me, but I'm spending all my extra cash on this right now, and after this I need to start saving up money for spending money, car money, etc. in college, which I'm going to next year. So yeah, it might be a few years before I can do major upgrades. Best case scenario, I start making a lot more money at my job and somehow find time to make a lot of money at college, in that case it might only be about a year or less.

So are you saying I should get an Intel quad core or a E8400?

Thanks for the input.

 

[videogames101]

Just one of the 1 TB drives, I figured you wouldn't need more storage then that?

Also, a quad-core is overkill unless your using a program which can take advantage of 4 cores, which games usually cannot.


That sound card/motherboard combo is awesome, P5Q Pro and Xonar, that is. Both great components.

 

[FalconxxxPunch]

Originally posted by: videogames101
Just one of the 1 TB drives, I figured you wouldn't need more storage then that?

Also, a quad-core is overkill unless your using a program which can take advantage of 4 cores, which games usually cannot.


That sound card/motherboard combo is awesome, P5Q Pro and Xonar, that is. Both great components.

So quad-core is overkill even for the latest games and games coming out within the next couple of years? This Quad-core is the same price as the Core 2 Duo I was looking at. What are some of the benefits of a quad-core CPU?

 

[videogames101]

Originally posted by: FalconxxxPunch

Originally posted by: videogames101
Just one of the 1 TB drives, I figured you wouldn't need more storage then that?

Also, a quad-core is overkill unless your using a program which can take advantage of 4 cores, which games usually cannot.


That sound card/motherboard combo is awesome, P5Q Pro and Xonar, that is. Both great components.

So quad-core is overkill even for the latest games and games coming out within the next couple of years? This Quad-core is the same price as the Core 2 Duo I was looking at. What are some of the benefits of a quad-core CPU?

If you want "future-proof" then yes, quad-core can be worth it. (But even the latest games today don't make much use of more than 2 cores.)

Turns out I was wrong, the Q6600 is faster, so yeah, it comes down to your use really. If gaming is your primary concern, quad-core won't do much for you until games start taking advantage of it. Quads have more theoretical gaming performance.

 

[FalconxxxPunch]

Originally posted by: videogames101

Originally posted by: FalconxxxPunch

Originally posted by: videogames101
Just one of the 1 TB drives, I figured you wouldn't need more storage then that?

Also, a quad-core is overkill unless your using a program which can take advantage of 4 cores, which games usually cannot.


That sound card/motherboard combo is awesome, P5Q Pro and Xonar, that is. Both great components.

So quad-core is overkill even for the latest games and games coming out within the next couple of years? This Quad-core is the same price as the Core 2 Duo I was looking at. What are some of the benefits of a quad-core CPU?

If you want "future-proof" then yes, quad-core can be worth it. (But even the latest games today don't make much use of more than 2 cores.)

Turns out I was wrong, the Q6600 is faster, so yeah, it comes down to your use really. If gaming is your primary concern, quad-core won't do much for you until games start taking advantage of it. Quads have more theoretical gaming performance.

How long until games start utilizing quad core? What types of things benefit from quad core right now?

Thanks.

 

[palladium]

Very few games can use 4 cores now, Flight Simulator is one of those that can. More and more games are starting to be developed for quad core processors. Stuff that do benefit from quad cores are video editing and 3D rendering. If you're thinking of doing any of these, you ought to get an i7 platform since i7 can handle 8 software threads at a time.

 

[TidusZ]

If you wanna overclock and not worry about your motherboard taking a smelly dump at high fsbs get the Gigabyte p45 UD3R (or UD3P if you want 2 pcie x16 slots). Its priced similarly to the asus p5q pro but its a better overclocker. Its the one I have in the mail for myself.

 

[Denithor]

Dual versus quad core gaming benchmarks.

Fast dual core (e8600) beats the quads in three of four games benchmarked, showing that raw speed beat more cores in these cases (which applies to about 90% of games today). If you look at the last benchmark, where the quads do manage to beat the faster dual core, you will see why we don't recommend AMD processors for gaming (X4 9950 loses to e8600 even in a quad-functional game). You will also see that the Q8200 is probably not the best choice for gaming because it has been neutered by low cache.

Best recommendation for today - buy the e8400 + P5Q Pro combo ($260AR) and smile when you see how well it handles games. Concerning the hard drives, buy either the 640GB or 1TB Caviar Black drive depending on how much storage space you need.

 

[FalconxxxPunch]

Updated System Choices:
Motherboard- ASUS P5Q PRO @ $130
Power Supply- PC Power & Cooling 750w Power Supply@ $110
RAM- G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 800 Memory @ $40
CPU- Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 @ $165
CPU Cooler- XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler @ $37
Video Card- SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4850 X2 2GB Video Card @ $330
DVD Burner- Samsung DVD-R/RW @ $29
Case- Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case @ 110
Hard Drive- Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 7200 RPM Cache Hard Drive @ $120
Mouse- Logitech G5 @ $46
Keyboard- Razor Lycosa @ $80
OS- Vista Home Premium 64bit @ $99
Primary Display- BenQ 24" 1920x1080 @ $299
Headset- Sennheiser PC 350 Gaming Headset @ $155
Total Estimated Cost: $1750

Potential Changes:
-Might get a secondary display or upgrade monitor

What do you guys think of that?

 

[CoinOperatedBoy]

If you are planning to overclock, you might want to beef up the RAM a little bit. The G.Skill sticks you picked out are OK, but the timings are a little loose.

For $10 more, you can get similar 4-4-4-12 sticks that may fare a little better when you go to OC:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231209

For max overclock potential, you may want modules rated for DDR2 1066 or higher if your FSB is going to exceed 500MHz. You won't see a huge performance increase, though.

And just to echo what's already been said, you'll need to make a decision about quad vs. dual core. The topic's been covered in detail all over these forums, but it basically comes down to how long you plan to keep this rig. The Duo will serve you better in present-day gaming, but you may grow into the Quad as more apps come out that will use it. If you're planning to upgrade in a year or two, stick with the Duo. Otherwise, the Q6600 is a pretty killer deal, but you may even look at a 45nm Yorkshire for longevity.

Edit: Also, I'm 100% against "gaming headsets". Every pair I've listened to has sounded like shit. Invest in some good headphones in your price range, buy a cheap $10-or-less Zalman clip-on mic, and call it a day. I'm a fan of the Audiotechnica ATH-AD700 phones for gaming. They're open air, comfortable, and sound good for <$100. If you want more noise isolation, you can get the closed-back ATH-A700s.

Double edit: Why did you switch from a Radeon 4870 1GB to a 4850 x2? Have you considered a GeForce GTX280?

 

[NoStateofMind]

I do not know why anyone would build a new sytem with $2K and NOT go with Core i7. Makes no sense to me. My opinion is like arseholes ........

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
I do not know why anyone would build a new sytem with $2K and NOT go with Core i7. Makes no sense to me. My opinion is like arseholes ........

Cus he would end up spending even more with i7 and he would just need upgrade his mobo/cpu/ram later when he wants to seeing as his other parts are high quality and should carry over nicely. He could skimp on all his other parts and it would be a lot cheaper but no need to.

 

[yh125d]

Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
I do not know why anyone would build a new sytem with $2K and NOT go with Core i7. Makes no sense to me. My opinion is like arseholes ........

The system he's priced out now is only 1750, and that's including monitor, peripherals, everything.

But yeah, if he was spending 1750 or 2k on the computer itself i7 would be the way to go

 

[FalconxxxPunch]

Answers To Your Questions:
Q1-

Originally posted by: CoinOperatedBoy
...it basically comes down to how long you plan to keep this rig...

A1- I'm planning to keep this rig for at least a couple of years. I might add a little RAM in a year or two and maybe even another video card or something, but I would like to keep my processor for a while.
Q2-

Originally posted by: CoinOperatedBoy
Why did you switch from a Radeon 4870 1GB to a 4850 x2?

A2- On another forum it was suggested that I might want to upgrade my graphics card from the 4870 1GB to optimize having a good monitor (or two).
Q3-

Originally posted by: CoinOperatedBoy
Have you considered a GeForce GTX280?

A3-Yes, I've definitely considered it, and I still am.
Q4-

Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
I do not know why anyone would build a new sytem with $2K and NOT go with Core i7

A4- It may seem obvious to you, but I'm new to the computer gaming scene and none of these choices are obvious to me. If you have some reasons why to go with an i7 I'd appreciate the input.

Updated System Choices:
Motherboard- ASUS P5Q PRO @ $130
Power Supply- PC Power & Cooling 750w Power Supply@ $110
RAM*- G.SKILL PI Black 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 800 Memory @ $40
CPU**- Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 @ $165
CPU Cooler- XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler @ $37
Video Card**- SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4850 X2 2GB Video Card @ $330
DVD Burner- Samsung DVD-R/RW @ $29
Case- Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case @ 110
Hard Drive- Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 7200 RPM Cache Hard Drive @ $120
Mouse- Logitech G5 @ $46
Keyboard- Razor Lycosa @ $80
OS- Vista Home Premium 64bit @ $99
Display**- BenQ 24" 1920x1080 @ $299
Headset- Sennheiser PC 350 Gaming Headset @ $155
Total Estimated Cost: $1750
*Indicates a component that has been changed
**Indicates a component that is up for debate below in the potential changes section

Potential Changes:
Display:
Considering getting a secondary display or upgrading my monitor choice
CPU:
Current (Dual Core)- Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 @ $165
Potential (Quad Core)- Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ $185 or Intel Core i7 920 @ $300?
Video Card:
Current- SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4850 X2 2GB Video Card @ $330
Potential- SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4870 1GB Video Card @ $240
Potential- EVGA GeForce GTX 280 1GB Video Card @ $375

My Questions:
1) How is my overall gaming system looking?
2) What do you have to say about some of the potential alternate choices I have listed versus my current ones?
3) If I went Quad Core, how long would it last me in comparison to a Dual Core?
4) Anyone have any suggestions on how I should treat audio in this system? (headphone, headset, speaker system, soundcard, etc...)

So...
What do you guys think now? Luckily, my price cap is around $2000 (give or take a couple hundred), so that last build had a little room to grow (the most expensive scenario of my alternate choices yields $1930). By the way, about the headset/headphone thing, I'm going to double my headset for Xbox 360, so its a little complicated. I'm considering getting a pair of headphones, but I have to do a little more research.

Thanks for all the help and thanks in advance to any more help.

 

[NoStateofMind]

dvd - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827151173
case - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811129021
2 HD raid - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136319
monitor - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824014181
graphics - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814121291
psu - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817256017
keyboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16823114004
mouse - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16826104076
ram - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820145220
mobo - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813188039
cpu - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819115202
os - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16832116488
hsf - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835207004

$2156.54 shipped

 

[videogames101]

Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
dvd - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827151173
case - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811129021
2 HD raid - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136319
monitor - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824014181
graphics - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814121291
psu - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817256017
keyboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16823114004
mouse - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16826104076
ram - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820145220
mobo - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813188039
cpu - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819115202
os - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16832116488
hsf - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835207004

$2156.54 shipped

come on man, at least name the parts? I can give advice for or against this stuff unless I know what it is, and theres no way I'm clicking all those links.

 

[NoStateofMind]

the only things different are:

2 HD : Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB
graphics: ASUS EAH4870 Radeon HD 4870 1GB
psu: SILVERSTONE 750W
ram: CORSAIR XMS3 6GB (3 x 2GB)
mobo: EVGA 132-BL-E758-A1 LGA 1366 Intel X58
cpu: Intel Core i7 920
hsf: Thermalright Ultra 120 1366

 

[betasub]

Thanks for posting the names of the parts, PCS. Athough going to the trouble of posting the newegg links is sure to help the OP, other thread readers can now see your recommendations while quickly browsing. Looks like a solid list of components to me! :thumbsup:

 

[CoinOperatedBoy]

Just throwing a quick vote against the HD 4850x2 or CrossFire/SLI. Sure, multi-GPU is required for complete performance domination, but I really think it causes more problems than it's worth. I like to stick with single-GPU solutions, at least for now. The GTX 280 hit $300 at a retailer or two, but prices are bouncing around right now. And the HD 4870 1GB is definitely solid.

Plus, whether or not you plan to use CF/SLI may influence your mobo choice and you could save a few bucks if you do go single-GPU. Or if you do get a CF/SLI board and you're not satisfied with your single-card setup, save for a month or two and pop another one in.

Core i7 doesn't offer gigantic performance gains over Core CPUs, but if you want an open upgrade path in a couple years, it's the way to go. You're not going to find much better components to swap into your socket 775 build down the line, but it probably does have better present-day bang-for-buck.

 

[jae]

IMHO, stick with the LGA775 setup.
e8400
Asus P45 P5Q (or Gigabyte UD3P/R)
PCP&P 750w
4GB (2x2GB) DDR2-1066
1GB HD4870

Once your driving down the road, and you feel as if the e8400 overclocked isn't powerful enough for your task or you need a quad core for whatever, just swap it out for a Q9550. History repeats itself and I believe the same thing that happened with single-core processors vs. dual-core processors, will happen with dual vs. quad-cores. LGA775 may be a dead platform, but I think a C2Q will be more than enough to hold you through college. Just my 2 cents. There is the option of going AMD in prep of the Phenom II. But no one knows for sure if the performance will be on par with C2Q or i7 platforms.

(P.S. My apologies as this may confuse you even more. lol)