i only plan to have 1 internal HDD, but i've got 5 USB devices i keep plugged in regularly now:

wireless keyboard/mouse
external hard drive
wireless network adapter
extention for USB ports on Dell monitor
connection to UPS for managed shutdown (in case of blackouts)

my cell phone also has a USB interface i use occasionally.

i want to replace the keyboard/mouse with something that has a charging station (the AA batteries in my current mouse die every couple of months), so i could look for a PS/2 connection for that. but yeah, other than that i do use a fair number of USB ports.



hmm good to know. i'm not picky about sound in a game at all -- i usually disable it, actually. but i've got a huge media library and a 500W speaker system, and the walls in my house are sound-proofed. you do the math  



i wouldn't say serious overclocking, but some is a possibility. so bigger question - can i safely remove the stock heatsink if i decide later that i want something a little more flashy?



right now this is the one i'm pretty sure i'll get: Thermaltake W0106RU. it's $100 after mail-in rebate, has a very high customer satisfaction rate, it's from a well-respected company, and it's 700W! should the deal expire before i make the purchase, i've got a couple backup options, and i'm adding your suggestion to my list.

while i realize 700W is way more than i'll need, i might, might do some case modding down the line, and i'm sure it won't hurt to have some extra power (case modding or not). my initial attraction to the XPS 200 i have now was its subtle, low profile design, but i've come to realize that low profile systems just require too many hardware compromises for me -- so instead i'm thinking about turning my computer into an art project  

Don't worry about not having enough USB ports--powered hubs are easy enough to come by.



Generally, but you may need to be careful. I'm not sure what Intel is using on theirs, but AMD's HSFs use thermal transfer pads that can be rather sticky, so trying to yank them off can result in ripping the CPU right out of the socket (ruining it). If you pop the clips then carefully wiggle it until it breaks loose though, it's no problem (I had to do that for my last build, as the mobo died after 24 hours).



That's the one I'm planning to use in my new machine. Not sure how 90% 5 egg rating counts as underrated, though

Intel's new cpu retention system is beefy enough that you'd probably pull the socket loose from the board before you pulled the cpu from the socket

I'm excited for you, nothing better than getting a fast new computer

I was finally able to link to my wishlist. Here's what I'm looking at WWW Link.

I was looking at the new Spider platform from AMD. It looks pretty interesting. However, at this point, parts are still too expensive considering performance isn't a whole lot better than a Q6600 Core 2 Quad platform. Definitely be keeping on eye on it though. When the non-Crossfire motherboards come out (AMD 770 chipset), I think it may be a good performance/value option. Only the Crossfire motherboards are available right now and they're expensive (AMD 790FX and 790X chipsets). ATI's Radeon 3800 series GPU is part of the Spider, I think that GPU was mentioned earlier in the thread.

Change "not a whole lot better" to "not quite as good" and it would be more accurate. Phenom is, on average, just a little slower clock-for-clock than the Core2 quads . . . and AMDs clock speed tops out where Intel's begins. Then consider that the Q6600 is soon to be eclipsed by the cheap 2.66ghz Q9450 Yorkdale which is faster than Phenom clock-for-clock and things aren't looking good for Phenom.

i just ordered all the components. the BillMeLater financing with newegg was really, really easy.

Most online retailers, newegg included will sell OEM copies of windows (XP home for $89). OEM copies can only be sold with some sort of hardware, but especially on ebay and such people will just send you an old broken memory module or something with it just to fulfill that obligation.

Not recommending piracy at all, but if you'd like hassle free use of the software you've paid for, Windows Genuine Advantage is trivially easy to disable without compromising access to updates.

I haven't had any problems with software bought on eBay myself, but if you want pirate software, it's very easy to find and get, no need to pay for it. I'm running a genuine copy of Windows XP on my normal system, but I do have a pirate version I use on an old test box I have laying around. Microsoft is pretty thorough about checking for valid keys in their products so you will likely run into problems getting updates with an illegitimate copy of Windows or Office. Personally, I've found claims of defeating Microsoft Genuine Advantage fairly exaggerated. The WGA/MGA cracks out there are quite obvious and Microsoft regularly updates the tests. Plus, with pirate software, there's the risk of corruption, viruses, trojans, and the like. Though, with the cost of software these days, the temptation is there.

the first parts arrived today. my friend and i are putting the thing together on Thursday. i can't wait to unleash this baby on GC2.

and i think the only piece of software i'll need to pay for is Windows, which i got OEM from newegg. i can get office 2007, acrobat professional, and sophos antivirus for free from work.

I went ahead and ordered my parts a few days ago. Don't know exactly when I'll get to building the system, but I'll have the parts on-hand anyway. That NewEgg is so fast, they just showed up at my door.

Did you open your Core 2 Duo box yet? Man, that HSF is monsterous. I can't imagine needing anything more than that. It comes with a solid grease on it, not gum so I don't think there's any issue with using it. That giant thing look's like it's going to be highly precarious to install with the motherboard mounted in the chassis. I might be assembling as much as I can on the bench. If I ever have to change the CPU, I may consider pulling the motherboard assembly from the chassis first.

I have to say, I like the AMD mounting system a lot better. Barring the sticky gum, AMD HSF's and CPU's are pretty easy to remove and replace. Also, AMD puts pins on the processor and receptacles in the socket. Intel puts pins on the socket and contacts on the CPU. I like the AMD way better, more idiot proof and the CPU is easier to handle. Plus, there's just one big lever on the HSF instead of 4 lame pins.

Well, hope things go smoothly for you.

Heh, the Core2 heatsink is montstrous? It's very small compared a decent aftermarket HSF. It might seem large compared to older generation heatsinks, but that's not really relevent. It's just barely adequate for a non-overclocked quad, not to mention having a poor noise/performance ratio even with its poor performance. The stock socket 939 cooler with the heatpipes looks like a much better unit. I also hate Intel's stock heatsink retention mechanism with those spring loaded plastic pins. I don't trust them at all.

I think having the pins in the socket instead of the cpu is more idiot proof. It's very easy to bend a pin while handling the cpu, especially since each generation seems to have more/thinner pins. Pins in the socket are safely out of the way.