HELP..I think I'm ready to build my 1st PC

[pauld13]

I was going to buy a new pc but now I'm thinking of building one..I have never done so before, however I am very comfortable working inside the box..I think I have changed every component with the exception of the mobo...budget around 1500..so many decisions though..such as...
Which case is best..
Which mobo..depending of course which cpu..
Intel is my preference so do I go with Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, Core i7
will the i7 support the nvidia GTX260 I have...and my soundblaster x-fi card...
psu what brand and how much power 500, 600, 700 or more
300gb 10,000rpm WD..or 2x500gb..if I go the 2x500 route which config is better raid 0 or raid 1
Vista or xp..home or ultimate..32bit or 64..will 64 support my GTX and soundcard
I have a sony blue ray drive and a dvd burner so that saves a few bucks..any help and suggestions appreciated..thanks

[saphalline]

Yes, your GTX 260 and X-Fi will be supported by ANY new system you build. No worries there.

Core i7 is the top dog right now, but tack on an extra $600 USD if you want in! New and expensive. The 920 itself is dirt cheap compared to the performance it pumps out, but the rest of the platform will make you poor. Intel's X58 chipset is the only one that currently supports i7, and the mobo's that use it are routinely more than $200. Likewise, the requirement of DDR3 costs a pretty penny over DDR2. Stick to Wolfdale or Yorkfield on a budget. Or Phenom for those who prefer AMD.

Why must you RAID just because you have two HDD's? You can use them as independent disks, you know! :p But seriously, if you care about your data, then RAID 0 is a bad idea. If one drive goes, everything goes! RAID 0 gives the best performance, however, so 3 x 500GB would be best if you go that route. Two for RAID 0, one for reliable storage. RAID 1 is... not really necessary for a non-critical desktop. No performance boost, redundant data backup, etc. Pro's and con's, pro's and con's... Read up on RAID if you're confused.

For the OS, there are really only two reliable choices. WinXP 32-bit, or Vista 64-bit. WinXP gives you compatibility. Vista 64-bit gives you future gaming potential (and greater than 4GB RAM support). And Vista is currently the only way to get DX10, so...

The case is personal preference, but some guidelines are in order. No wait, that would take too long! :p Look up some cases for examples: Antec Nine Hundred and Cooler Master HAF 932. You don't have to go overboard, but you also should avoid the $30 buckets.