Help with Intel Core 2 Extreme Build

[Genghis505]

Situation: A friend will be getting a Core 2 Extreme X6800 as a gift. He will have almost $1,500 for everything else and he wants me to help with the build. I haven't built a computer in a long, long time. He has no experience. So I'm hoping the friendly people here can help me, help him. He's currently using a 5 year old Gateway.

He will probably use the machine for 50% video editing, 30% Gaming (FPS type), 15% Movies, 5% Other. No overclocking. Stability is important.

Monitor: Samsung 215TW ($328 after $100 rebate at OD)
Case: Undecided (since this is subjective, I told him to look for something he liked)
PSU: Antec TruePower 2.0 TrueControl II-550 ($95)
CPU: Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 ($0, not part of the $1,500)
MB: Asus P5B-E ($165)
RAM: Undecided (I'm thinking 2Gb, he wants more)
Video Card: Undecided
Sound Card: Creative SB X-Fi XtremeMusic ($117)
HDD: 2 x Seagate 7200.10 320GB ($190)
DVD: NEC 16X DVD+- ND 3550A OEM ($36)
OS: MS Windows XP MCE 2005 OEM ($120)

Sorry for all of the "Undecided's", but I have no clue where to start. So this will be a work in progress. I'll edit this as I go along. We have about a month to gather up the necessary parts. Please let me know if I'm missing anything. I'll periodically check the forum during the evenings, since I work in the AM. Thanks.

Total so far: $1,051

Edit: add that CPU will be a gift to him, add MB, Sound.

 

[A5]

RAM: 2GB OCZ Gold EL $230. Honestly, more RAM would be nice, but his budget can't really fit another 2GB.
MB: I don't know much, but AT recommends the Gigabyte 965P-S3 (About $130). You can certainly spend a lot more though.
Sound: X-Fi ExtremeMusic (about $100)

This leaves about $200-$250 for video, which means the recommendation is a X1900XT 256MB. If he steps down a range (closer to $200), the X1900GT is the choice.

 

[Genghis505]

Thanks for the reply. I'm leaning towards that sound card as well. I'll look into the MB suggestion. It's been a long time since I've looked at RAM, so I am completely clueless. Would there be any way for him to get more RAM into the system? Either cheaper RAM or cut back on the second HD. He could always get a second hard drive later. He's living off of an 80Gb hard Drive right now. So I'm sure 320Gb will feel like a lot, at least until he starts doing more video editing. He has access to an HD video camera and I'd hate to see how much memory those files are.

 

[Insomniator]

Why does he want the extreme so bad? A cheaper Core 2 would allow for more ram and a better video card which would end up being a better system overall..

 

[Genghis505]

Sorry about the confusion. I should have explained that the processor is basically a gift to him. But everything else around it, he has to get himself. And yes, I would have chosen a lesser processor as well. But this is basically what we have to work with.

 

[Genghis505]

Since there will be no overclocking, is there any cheaper RAM available that I might be able to squeeze in 4GBs? Will speed of the RAM really matter for this build? I was thinking to help make this happen, we could not purchase a sound card initially and use onboard sound and only purchase 1 320Gb HD to begin with.

I added the Asus MB for no particular reason other than it was suggested on another thread. I still need to research the one that A5 suggested. For the price, I'm leaning towards the Gigabyte 965P-S3.