One for the techies...

[KonThaak]

Slightly OT, since it has nothing to do with the paranormal, but it does influence the machine on which I will be checking the forums in the future, and it will influence how well I can research and such...

My computer is outdated, and is steadily becoming obsolete. I'm looking to put together a home-made system that'll last me a good, long time, without getting so outdated that the low-end software on the market is taxing. I'm here asking for input from those of you with technical know-how, to find out if any of the components I'm going with is just completely a bad idea... Some of the components are about as advanced as I could get, while others were moderated for budget reasons.

The design specs and my reasoning for wanting each component are as follows:

CPU: AMD Phenom X4 9850 2.5GHz From what I've seen, this is the fastest AMD quad-core on the market, and from what I understand, the software is 12-18 months behind the hardware. What this tells me is that while this is massive overkill right now, it won't be too terribly long before software starts getting released that will more fully utilize the multiple core aspects of the newer CPU's...and if the software is still only in the works right now, this puppy will last me a nice, long while.

Mobo: Biostar TA770 A2+ I'm a bit leery about getting a motherboard from a company I know next to nothing about, but from what I'm seeing on the 'Net, they're pretty good at building budget boards. For what I'm paying for this board (eighty bucks), I don't expect at all that it will outlast--or even match pace with--my processor, but hopefully, by the time it crashes on me, I'll be able to afford one of the nicer ASUS models...

Video: ASUS EN9600GT I fully recognize that this, like the processor, is massive overkill for what I need. It's a gamer video card, and I chose it for a number or reasons... Similar to the situation with the processor, I doubt that this piece will be outmoded before it dies on me. Secondly, I do enjoy gaming once in a while, and it's irritating that my machine can't handle modern gaming, anymore. What's more, this card should handle modern OS's and programs in stride, at least the visual aspect of them. It's something I expect to be able to hold onto until, as I previously hinted, I've run it into the ground, and it doesn't function, anymore.

Memory: OCZ Gold DDR2 800 Dual Channel Because if it's good enough for a hardcore gamer, it's more than good enough for me... 4 GB's of RAM. This is probably the most swappable component of any system, and by the time 4GB's no longer satisfies my needs (if such a day *EVER* arises), I would imagine that DDR2 1066 sticks may be available in 2GB DIMM's. We'll see.

Power: Corsair CMPSU 750TX It has enough connectors for my system... My only question is, is 750W enough to power what I've mentioned above? Technophiles? Geeks? Anyone?

Case: Antec P182 This was the first component to go over-budget... My old case only has 2 80mm fan ports, and from all I've heard, modern northbridges and video cards are always a hassle to keep cool, and the CPU I'm getting runs fairly hot, as well... AMD stock fans and heatsinks always seem to work better than off-brand coolers, which leaves just the case fan ports to help keep my system cool. I picked this one because with the internal layout of the case, the insulated walls, the easy-to-install hard-drive drawers, the fact that it basically houses a wind-tunnel to blow air directly onto the motherboard (specifically the video card), and a grand total of 5 120mm fan ports (2 of which are the wind tunnel, one blowing on the power supply (in addition to PSU fans), and two at the top rear of the case), I figured it would do a better job than anything else at keeping my system as cool as it can get.

So, now that I've posted all that... Does anyone know of any compatibility issues between the components I've listed?

[Eilonwy Solstice]

I wish I could help you, Josh. But I’m afraid computers aren’t my strong suit.

[Koralth]

We've got techies?

[KonThaak]

I was hoping people here knew people... Ron used to know a guy. Damned shame what happened to him, but I figured if Ron had connections, other folks had connections, too...

Hopefully, the tax rebates will be coming soon, and I'll start buying parts within the next couple of weeks.