Help! I need somebody! Help!

[Avron]

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
Gaming//Photos//Photo shop.

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
$500-700

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
U.S.A
4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc, etc, etc, you get the picture.
Nope

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
possibly just a harddrive, Don't know the brand just came with this computer I bought.

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.
A little didn't get to much of it though.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
No, don't know how =/
8. WHEN do you plan to build it?
End of August.


I've always been a very big blizzard fan and I would really like to be able to play WoW on higher settings, plays kinda crappy right now(my computer only has PCI slots no express), and be able to run SC2//D3. Also I'd like to be able to use a pretty decent photo shop. I've had some help from some friends and this is what Ive gotten so far.
EVGA 512-P3-N801-AR GeForce 8800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail
COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power RP-550-PCAR 550W ATX from factor 12V V2.01 Power Supply 110-115V/ 220-230V Nemko, TUV, cUL, CE, BSM, FCC, CCC - Retail
ASUS P5K PRO LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail Go green w/ EPU technology

Just some ideas on parts, I really don't know though. Please help!

 

[DaveSimmons]

I'd pay the extra $10 for an E8400 3.0 GHz.

...and the ~$25 extra for an ATI 8450.

I'm happy with my GIGABYTE GA-EP43-DS3L motherboard, but it's only $5 cheaper and doesn't offer as much overclockery.

 

[Avron]

Could you offer links?

 

[DaveSimmons]

No, you'll have to copy-paste them into the search box at newegg

E8400: buy retail boxed
4870: pick the cheapest after rebate (also check for newegg "combo" deals)
P43: there's only one version of the gigabyte mboard

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: Avron
Could you offer links?

gotta do the work yourself...lol

 

[Slugbait]

If you don't mind rebates, you can save $13 going with Crucial XMS.

Cooler Master is better than most PSUs that come free with a case, but I wouldn't skimp when it comes to today's components. $95 shipped AR for a 610W continuous PP&C is a pretty rockin' deal...

 

[Zepper]

I think the Seasonic made, Antec Earthwatts EA-500, 500W PSU at $60.00 shipped from Newegg right now ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/...16817371007&Tpk=EA-500 ) is the best deal on a power supply out there - as long as it has all the connectors you'll need. I happened to have the link handy as I just checked to see if the free shipping deal was still going and it is - you won't to be able to wait until Aug. on this deal!
. I'm not into Intel systems, so others can advise you there. I don't see a case mentioned, so I'll recommend my usual, the Rosewill R5605 (it has the 270 degree door and the generic floppy bay (meaning any 3.5" external device can go in there while the 5601's bay is floppy specific unless you're willing to cut the bezel opening). The whole R5600 series is excellent and perhaps the best value out there when on the frequent discounts at Newegg. Depending on the length of your vid card, the Rosewill R6A series (aka the HEC/Compucase 6A series) are excellent cases too. Not much else in the Rosewill line to write home about. The 5600 series has 11" of card space, while I wouldn't want to put anything over 9.5" or so in a 6A case. There may be others that equal those two for the money, but they are few and far between. Note that most of their buyers seem to think so as well...
. I tend to like Hitachi hard drives. The two I have were competitively priced when I bought them and have held up well. With a new system, you'll have no problem with them. Other makes are better on old systems that lack SATA 2 controllers.

.bh.

 

[DSF]

There's not much point to creating a specific buy list for your computer right now if you aren't building until the end of August. With the exception of the occasional hot deal on a case or somesuch, you'll undoubtedly save yourself money by buying in August. Keep tabs on new build threads and front page articles in the meantime to soak up as much as you can.

Is this your first build? You sound pretty tentative about it. If you aren't sure of what you're doing, I'd recommend finding a friend who's willing to look over your shoulder. It's not that building a computer is difficult, but it can be a pain to troubleshoot if something doesn't work right, especially for a newbie.