Are these the right parts?

[Awesomeness]

I have never built a tower before but it sounds like fun and sounds really good for making computers on a cost/power ratio rather than just buying a big brand name. So that's why I want to do it! ^_^

However, the "I have never built a tower before" part presents a little problem to me. I did my best to find compatible parts (I think they are all compatible) and this is what I got:

So, if these were shipped to me right now (gasp!), would I have all the parts I need to assemble my computer?

And more importantly, do these parts match up? As in they are compatible with each other?

I am 0% experienced in buying computer parts as well. This was entirely based upon my own guesswork. Could you give me some comments on what I can do (if anything) to improve this setup? As in do I need the second set of RAM? Or should I want a different video card? etc.

Thanks guys, I'm new here

 

[Indigo]

Other than a slight misstep on the motherboard (I would have gone with a Z68 chipset instead, but that's because I know about them) and the fact that you don't have a power supply, you did pretty good overall.

That, and an operating system, but that's usually up to the builder to determine that.

FYI - most power supplies unless they're labeled "Green" Come with the power cord that you spent money on.

Edit - my bad, I thought you meant that you had already ordered them and were merely exasperated to find out you may have picked wrong...

Here's the motherboard I would go with:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128502

and the power supply:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020

and just in case you need it:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986

 

[Awesomeness]

Okay, so I did about a tenth as bad as I expected.

I'm planning on temporarily having Debian until I can... er, obtain... Windows 7 for dual booting. >_>

Okay, so I need to get rid of the plug, get a power source, and possibly change the motherboard. Do you have any suggestions for choosing the motherboard and power source? EDIT: Stupid me- forgot to click links XD

EDIT: Do you by chance have a recommendation for a motherboard that includes 1 or more USB 3.0 ports?

And most importantly, will the big box I'm getting fit any motherboard and stuff? Will the IO area with the USB ports and such fit with this box?
(Is the extra 4GB of RAM needed? At 33 bucks it seemed like a good deal.)

 

[Indigo]

Most folks give themselves little credit when it comes to picking parts for a computer. As long as you pay attention to reviews, and comparison shop, there's little reason to expect problems.

The motherboard I linked has 2 USB 3.0 ports, which is mostly adequate for folks. Intel seems to be dragging their feet on USB 3.0's spec, but you can find boards with more of them - personally, I'm not a heavy user of USB, and 2.0 is more than fast enough for 90% of what I use my system for. If you expect to use a lot of high bandwidth devices (external hard drives, flash drives, scanners, etc) then you should invest in a board with more USB 3 plugs.

Looking at the case you've chosen, it's a standard Mid ATX tower, and it's pretty good on the inside, so I don't think you'll have any problems with it. Generally when there's a product on Newegg (which is where I check first) and it's got 5 eggs, and over 900 reviews, that's a pretty good indicator that it earned that 5 egg rating, so thanks for introducing me to the case *I* might use for future build projects!

The only real issue with a case like that is the length for longer video cards, but if you stick with the 460, there's no reason to expect space issues.

If you want to spring for 8GB of RAM vs 4GB, I won't tell you to avoid it as it's one less upgrade you have to worry about. I'd also stick with G.Skill as you've done. They're making bulletproof memory these days (I finally bought some a few months ago, and the system is rock solid)

 

[Awesomeness]

Okay, so I'm using that motherboard, (I thought it didn't have USB3 because I saw the 8x USB2 down the page) and that power source. Not using that plug. Everything else is okay.

Assuming I have a computer maintenance kit (which I do) and some arctic silver is this all I need to make a working computer to hook up to a mouse, keyboard, monitor etc? I can't find any tutorials on be Internet for construction of towers.

 

[Indigo]

When you buy OEM parts, unless you specifically buy an OEM labeled heatsink (which it doesn't look like you have) then it comes with it's own thermal pad, which means you plug the CPU into the motherboard, then put the heatsink on top and tighten the retaining mechanism. There's nothing else you need to do with it.

scraping the thermal pad off in favor of a thermal grease/goo like AS is a waste, the thermal pad will be fine for out of the box installation.

 

[Awesomeness]

Okay, so cooling stuff comes with the CPU; I don't need any of it myself. Are there tutorials that can help me build the computer?

By the way, thanks so much for putting up with all these questions! This is like my dream computer I'm making right here. ^_^

 

[Indigo]

I love helping folks with build questions and configuration help. It's a passion of mine.

YouTube oddly enough is a good resource, also Maximum PC's website has tutorials up there that are very helpful. Here's a couple of links that I like: (You don't need to worry about the parts lists they use, the assembly is the same)

Maximum PC | Build It: A $340 Ultra-Budget Box

Maximum PC | How to Build a Kick-Ass Gaming Rig for Under $700

Tiger Direct's Build a PC Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ETu53QfDwk

 

[Awesomeness]

This is my semi-final draft. It looks fine, but is there anything I can do to bring the price down?

 

[Indigo]

Drop the Western Digital 1TB and opt for a Samsung 1TB instead. You'll save about $30. The drives are very reliable, have used them a lot lately for both personal and business builds.

The GeForce GTX 460 is a little underpowered by today's standards, but if you're happy with where the performance will be, it's a fine card. I know opting for a 560 or 560 Ti isn't going to SAVE you any money in the immediate term, but down the road, it'll save you from upgrading when some new games come out next year.

Do you have a real need for 16GB of RAM? Most systems can't even touch 8GB, and that's even with games like Starcraft II and DiRt 3, etc. I use 8GB at home and I *never* run into the max. I also do video encoding projects which take up all 6 of my cores on a regular basis. 8GB has been plenty, and considering you can buy a G.Skill DDR3 kit for $49 right now, it's a steal.

If you aren't going to be overclocking, there's no need for a 2500K processor. Opt instead for the plain 'ol 2500. It's just a few bucks, but if you're trying to tighten the ship up, it's a good little amount to drop.

Other than that, looks to be a stellar build.

Can I have it?