Building a gaming pc! I need some expert tips please!

Hello,
So my brother birthday is on the 17th and im looking to buy him an entry level gaming PC. I was originally planning on buying a pre-built PC something along the lines of

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227385

but now i think building my own would be a better value.

So far I have selected these specifications. Let me know if there are any suggestions, tips, or even incompatibilities you see!

Motherboard: ASUS P8Z68-V LX Intel Z68
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500 3.3 GHz
RAM: Corsair XMS3 8 GB (2 x 4GB)
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 550 Ti
Hard Drive: Western Digital 1 TB Caviar Green SATA II
Optical Drive: Sony Optiarc AD7280S-OB
Case: Raidmax Altas ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Corsair Builder Series CX600 600 watt

This comes out to approximately $750. (787.27)

Any input is appreciated!

Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813128506
That HDD is going to slow down loading times BTW. HDD prices are crazy so just go with the cheapest option you can find.
Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811147153

Change your parts to this and you have one, great build

AH! Great case! I'll definitely look into getting that instead.

As for the motherboard I have 2 questions.
First are Z68's compatible with the GPU (EVGA GeForce GTX 550 Ti) that i picked?

Second, what about this motherboard? Its in the middle of both of the listed price ranges!
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applica [...] _wtuvVhg6g

The mobo is fine. The one that I listed has a better heatsink but since you're not OCing, you should be fine. The 550 Ti is compatible with all motherboards with a PCI-e slot.

Don't get the CX600. It makes an annoying high pitched noise.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] oksbtwjul1
This PSU will do a better, quieter job.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/ [...] ended-psus
Here is a list of good PSUs

Yes, go with that motherboard if you can.

The 2400 is really just clock speed but it really shouldn't make that much of a difference than the 2500.
The 2500K, on the other hand, overclocks to 4.7Ghz+ which can greatly improve performance.

Add a case and hard drive to this build and it will allow you to add another one of those vid cards later on for dual card set up. This card runs on par with a gtx 560 (non ti)


http://www.amazon.com/SAPPHIRE-Rad [...] d_vtp_pc_6 $169.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
SAPPHIRE AMD Radeon HD 6870 1GB GDDR5 PCIE Graphics Card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813157271 $121.99
ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

http://www.amazon.com/Intel-BOX806 [...] 610&sr=1-2 $219.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Intel Core i5-2500K Processor

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Maste [...] gy_e_img_c $24.39 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler, RR-B10-212P-G1

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820220570 $41.99 FREE SHIPPING
Patriot Signature 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory with heatshield Model PSD38G1600KH

http://www.amazon.com/Asus-24xDVD% [...] pd_vtp_e_4 $22.88 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25
Asus 24xDVD±RW Serial ATA Internal OEM Drive DRW-24B1ST (Black)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817371048 $59.99 FREE SHIPPING
Antec High Current Gamer Series HCG-620 620W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V v2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

I don't know the OP's budget, but looking at his build and seeing how he has a gtx 550, I'm going to guess it's not a monster budget. Also seeing how anything past 4.4Ghz on these Sandy Bridge cpu's nets you nothing other than bragging rights I would guess to drop down to a cheaper board, a better gpu and psu.

Guys one more question. If i buy these specifications will i need to buy a separate fan aswell? Or are the ones that come with the case enough??