Multitasking Multimedia PC - Tell me if this looks good or help me save $

[UsernameTaken]

this is my last thread about this PC!! i just want to make sure it looks good before i order. tell me if i can save money!!!

i will use this computer for:
dual boot xp & ubuntu
i multitask a lot but here is the basics
mainly multimedia and p2p, azureus, photoshop, movie maker, itunes, firefox, dvd decrypter,
a few games, maybe counterstrike, starcraft

i bought a gateway like 10 months ago and it has onboard video and windows is installed on a partition, so i am buying an extra hard drive and video card to install into the gateway and then put windows on its own hard drive to make it more stable and run WoW better for my brother. i am buying two of the same video cards, NOT FOR SLI/CROSSFIRE

the e6320 is 1.86 ghz $165.5 and the e6550 is 2.33 ghz $178.99. should i get the e6550 instead and keep everything else the same? i would have to change motherboards because its a different front side bus, whatever that means

components that ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT CHANGE

Rosewill RCR-102 52-in-1 USB 2.0 Black Card Reader
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820223073 - $9.99

JBL Duet Speakers
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836101074 - $39.99 Silver
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836101013 - $39.99 White

Saitek Slim Eclipse USB Keyboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823175104 - $39.99

Hard Drives
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 (Perpendicular Recording) 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - ST3320620AS - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148140 - $79.99

Western Digital Caviar SE WD800JD 80GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822135106 - $41.99 x2

components that PROBABLY WILL NOT CHANGE

PSU
OCZ GameXStream OCZ600GXSSLI ATX12V 600W Power Supply 100 - 240 V CB/CE/CSA/UL/FCC - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341001 - $109.99

Wireless
TRENDnet TEW-443PI IEEE 802.11b/g 32-bit PCI 2.2 Bus Master Wireless Adapter up to 108Mbps Data Rates 64/128-Bit WEP (Hex or ASCII), WPA/WPA2, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833156165 - $24.99

Monitor
ViewSonic Optiquest Series Q20WB Black 20" 5ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 1000:1 - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824116075 - $199.99

Processor
Intel Core 2 Duo E6320 Conroe 1.86GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115015 - $165.50

Optical Drive
LG Black GSA-H54NK - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136119 - $27.99

everything else subject to change:

Case
Rosewill R5717-P SL 120mm Fan ATX Mid Tower Computer Case withTool-Free kits - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147057 - $34.99

Mobo
EVGA 122-CK-NF63-TR LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188019 - $158.99

RAM
CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145015 - $84.99

Video Card - x2

HIS Hightech H165PRF512N-R Radeon X1650PRO 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161036 - $79.99
SAPPHIRE 100166L Radeon X1650XT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102068 - $104.99

Leadtek WinFast PX7300GT TDH 128MB DDR3 Extreme GeForce 7300GT 128MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814122008 - $79.99
EVGA 256-P2-N615-TX GeForce 7600GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130062 - $89.99
EVGA 256-P2-N554-AX GeForce 7600GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130017 - $99.99

 

[Äߧý∩†H♠H䎀]

Kind of confused on the x2 Video Card? What do you mean you want 2 of the following below? If so don't waste your money on 2 low end cards for SLI just get 1 good card single. Looks like your willing to spend around $220 or so if that is the case. Just buy a 8600gts instead then.

As for the E6550 you may as well spend the extra $10 and pick it up. Your missing a soundcard. Unless your running on board but I guess thats fine with those speakers.

Also other part I see you have x2 by the Western digital Harddrives. Is that for a Raid 0 Array? If so you should buy the 16mb cache version a little better performance. Seagate looks good.

I'm guessing your close to budget and selected some cheap speakers for a upgrade later right?



3rd if you ever plan to buy a quad core don't buy that board. It will run 1066FSB quads and thats it. Will only overclock to 2.7 maybe 2.8 if your really lucky. If you want to buy a quad down the road with a 1333FSB and overclock buy the NF68-A1 Revision.

Memory why are you getting PC5400? Go at least PC6400. I love this G.SKill here. Highly overclockable. Unsure my limit I havn't had much time to tinker with settings but I see lots of reviews pushing to 950Mhz easy with some timing changes and slight volt jump there running 1050mhz and up.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231114

 

[UsernameTaken]

Kind of confused on the x2 Video Card? What do you mean you want 2 of the following below? If so don't waste your money on 2 low end cards for SLI just get 1 good card single. Looks like your willing to spend around $220 or so if that is the case. Just buy a 8600gts instead then.

i have an older computer that i am using right now, and it has onboard video. im getting one card for the new pc and one card for this pc. not for sli/crossfire

As for the E6550 you may as well spend the extra $10 and pick it up. Your missing a soundcard. Unless your running on board but I guess thats fine with those speakers.

im going onboard, i might upgrade later.

Also other part I see you have x2 by the Western digital Harddrives. Is that for a Raid 0 Array? If so you should buy the 16mb cache version a little better performance. Seagate looks good.

no im installing windows on a separate hard drive instead of on a partition. the older computer has windows on a partition and i was just going to install this drive to install it on a separate hard drive. so same as the video card, one goes in the new one, one goes in the old one.

I'm guessing your close to budget and selected some cheap speakers for a upgrade later right?

i dont do anything with a lot of audio and JBL's cheap speakers are really good.

3rd if you ever plan to buy a quad core don't buy that board. It will run 1066FSB quads and thats it. Will only overclock to 2.7 maybe 2.8 if your really lucky. If you want to buy a quad down the road with a 1333FSB and overclock buy the NF68-A1 Revision.

i dont know anything about overclocking but i do know that the e6550 does not work with my current board becuase of the FSB.

Memory why are you getting PC5400? Go at least PC6400. I love this G.SKill here. Highly overclockable. Unsure my limit I havn't had much time to tinker with settings but I see lots of reviews pushing to 950Mhz easy with some timing changes and slight volt jump there running 1050mhz and up.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231114

i have no idea most of this was recommended to me here or on other forums i dont know what those numbers even mean or how to overclock. i didnt know you could overclock memory.

 

[Äߧý∩†H♠H䎀]

Okay well I didn't know you were using parts for 2 computers. I guess what you have listed is fine for just a computer.

 

[UsernameTaken]

well in my search for a new motherboard ive come up confused.

im looking at 11 different motherboards right now and i have no idea what to pick.

the memory i have this one is DDR2 800. one of the mobos i was looking at says it supports DDR2 1200. would this work?



EDIT:
ive narrowed it down to 6 motherboards. i know eSATA is the future and my external HDDs have eSATA ports so i would like something with eSATA but i can live without it (and definitely for a couple years). i do know that you can add this with an add on card (but are they PCI? PCI-E? or is it just a cable that plugs into a normal SATA slot?). i need firewire for my camcorder. i really like having lots of USB ports, i believe every computer should have 10 . 4 is fine but i REALLY LIKE that the EVGA has 6 and the lifetime warranty makes me feel a lot more secure buying it so im leaning towards that one. but i dont know about the other companies' warranties.


here are my thoughts on each motherboard

really cheap and has eSATA, but sound card seems cheap
ASUS P5N-E SLI LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 650i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $126.99

cheap and nice MIR, has eSATA
Foxconn P35A-S LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $149.99

cheap and has eSATA
MSI P6N SLI Platinum LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 650i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $149.99

has a sound card (but it might be a gimmick), no eSATA and 1 PCI-E/PCI, expensive
ASUS P5N32-E SLI Plus LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 650i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $179.99

eSATA, expensive
Foxconn N68S7AA-8EKRS2H LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $209.99

lifetime warranty, 6 USB ports, 2 PCI and 2 PCI-E slots, no eSATA, really expensive
EVGA 122-CK-NF68-A1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $219.99

 

[UsernameTaken]

Can somebody please help me? I'm so confused!

I have already picked out my keyboard, mouse, speakers, case, hard drives, DVD drive, monitor, wireless card, RAM, and video card.

Do these look good?

PSU - OCZ StealthXStream OCZ600SXS ATX12V / EPS12V 600W Power Supply 100 - 240 V CB, CE, CSA, UL, FCC - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341010

RAM
A-DATA Extreme Edition 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211174

Motherboard
???

I was looking at these 2. They have firewire and lots of USB, the only thing I don't like is that they don't have eSATA. But the EVGA has a lifetime warranty and the ASUS has a 3 year warranty.

ASUS P5N32-E SLI Plus LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 650i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131153

EVGA 122-CK-NF68-A1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188013