Hi guys, I'm a first time builder and came up with a build that I think would be decent for gaming. I'm running off a 7 year old dell and I really need a new pc, so any help I can get with the parts I'm gonna list for my pc would be appreciated....

Case: Either Coolermaster Cosmos 1000 or Antec 900

Mobo: Asus Rampage Formula LGA 775 Intel X48 ATX

Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 Yorkfield 2.66 ghz LGA775 95w
Model BX 80569Q9450
RAM: Corsair XMS2 4gb (2x2gb) 240 pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800

Video Card: ATI 4870 Diamond or Sapphire

PSU: Antec true power quattro 850w

CPU Fan: Zalman 9700NT

Hard drive: Western Digital 500gb SE16 SATA

Optical Drive: Lite-on 20x SATA DVD R/W


I won't be overclocking this pc, as I am not sure how to do it and it kinda scares me anyhow. Is there anything missing from here that I should add? I'm not sure either if I'm going to put a sound card in, but if I do, it will likely be the Razer Barracuda AC1 or whatever its called.
Also, I read the 4000 series cards from ATI get hot... maybe add more fans?

Well more fans never hurt unless you need a quite PC. Personally I dont mind a loud pc so I put 4 120MM 1900RPM fans in my case. I helps the cool alot.

Personally I dont like ASUS but thats just me. Bad taste for 6 years ago and 4 DOA motherboards.

That mobo is meant for overclocking , there is a guide and if you take it step by step, you won't have to worry about a dead cpu.

well, if im feeling up to it, i can try to oc.... i just wanna make sure this build looks feasible as it is, so i can go to my local pc store and buy the parts and get started making it. one thing i didnt ask... lets say this build is kosher and i put everything together correctly, is it hard to install the vista 64 bit os? i read somewhere that if there was 4 gigs of ram that the os crashed after install or something of that nature... anyone else heard of this?

About the Vista crashing. Try installing it with one stick of ram if it crashes during the install.

so is this a feasible build anyone? does it look like anything is wrong with this? cause I'd like to build a new system already and i dont wanna get the wrong things.

Looks like a good build to me, don't forget to buy some thermal compound for your CPU cooler, I like to use Arctic Cooling MX-2.

I have the same RAM as you and I had no problems installing Vista 64bit, if you have any trouble with it just try it with one stick of RAM in different slots and that might help but i didn't have any problems.

well i think the zalman fan comes with some cooling compound if i recall... ty for the reply, i been waiting for someone to say its at least a feasible build cause this may just save me like 400-700 bux instead of ordering from a gaming site

Yes, Zalman fans do come with thermal compound, but usually it's better to buy a separate tube of compound because it performs better kinda like an after market CPU cooler is better than a stock CPU cooler.

oh, well i guess thats something ill look into with the thermal compound. im kind of excited to be building my first pc finally even tho im nervous that i might mess it up

Yeah, just take it slow and follow instructions. This is a helpful video, watch part 1 and 2 to help you build your computer.
Part 1- http://youtube.com/watch?v=B3O1J8GSamM
Part 2- http://youtube.com/watch?v=-VQmbE1 [...] re=related

lol all the wires in the video are crazy lol! ty for the vid links, those could possibly help very much, and thanks again for the help... btw do you think the 850w power suppy may be good enough to run this as a crossfire system later on down the road?

Yes, 850w is enough for a Crossfire build. I would get a Corsair or PC Power & Cooling because those are the best brands for a PSU but it's up to you, Antec probably makes pretty good ones too.

after i get everything set up part wise, like after all wires and stuff are connected, is there anything i have to do before i install my os? like do i have to go in to bios or something first and then install the os? Or, after i have everything connected and attached can i just put the os disk in the cd rom drive and get started installing it?

if i dont plan on overclocking, since the x48 is a overclocking mobo, whats a good mobo to have that is crossfire compatible?

Stick with the x48 if you plan to go Crossfire, since it will keep both PCIe 16x running at 16x instead of dropping to 8x + 8x. I'm about to go with the Asus P5E, it's like $70 cheaper, still pretty good for OCing if you decide to try it out, and it's X48.