Possible new system build

[zeroinfish]

I am considering trying to build my own PC. I am not an idiot, but I am not very informed about PC hardware and it makes me kind of nervous to try. I am especially worried about getting compatible components so that everything works properly once I snap it in. Could I please get some feedback on this build I am considering?

GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard ($90.00)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128059

Intel Core 2 Duo E4500 Allendale 2.2GHz 2M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Processor - Retail ($125)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819115031

Western Digital Caviar SE WD1600AAJS 160GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM ($50)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136075

Kingston 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail ($42)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820134046

Kingston ValueRAM 1GB (2 x 512MB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Dual Channel Kit System Memory - Retail ($25)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820144199

COOLER MASTER CAVALIER 3 CAV-T03-UK Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail ($60)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811119074

SAMSUNG Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 20X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache PATA 20X DVD±R DVD Burner - OEM ($25)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827151151

Antec earthwatts EA430 ATX12V v2.0 430W Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, CUL, FCC, TUV, CE, CB, C-tick, CCC - Retail ($35)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817371006

Microsoft Windows XP Home With SP2B 1 Pack - OEM ($90)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16832116056

Radeon HD 3850 RV650 55nm 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready Video Card (~$150)
No link yet, waiting on a price cut or something.

Total: just under $700

I'd appreciate any tips on what won't work together, what I forgot, or what I could do better. I am most concerned with getting the best deal, and this is actually a bit more expensive than I was hoping for, so if there is anyway to cut costs by moving to a cheaper (but still good value) component, I'd love to hear that too.

Thanks all for helping a newbie.

 

[Oil]

Everything looks fine but make sure the 2x1GB and 2x512MB sticks will play nicely with that motherboard. If possible, get another 1GB stick instead of the 2x512MB

 

[zeroinfish]

Thank you for the advice. How would I *know* if the RAM and motherboard play nice together? I don't mind doing the legwork to check, but I don't really have any idea what to look for that might make them not work together.

That's really my major concern with all of this, that I might buy it all and find out that one part doesn't play nice with another, or I don't have the right kind of connectors for the component I bought, or such and such can't fit in my case or needs more power or who knows what. I want to make sure I am buying the right things before I turn my first homebuilt computer into a $700 black hole. ;-)

I chose the two 512 sticks with the idea that I could run them in "dual channel" mode that way. Is that a bad idea? I thought 4 gigs would be wasted by my 32-bit OS, so 3 seemed like the best medium. Is it better to get three 1 gig sticks? is 3GB even a good number? Someone told me it was not much better than 2, but I don't understand why.

Thanks again for the help!

 

[aigomorla]

4gb can always be saved when you migrate to vista 64.


Also, dont mix match the ram. Try to keep the ram the same as much as possible. If one pair cant do a certain FSB while the other can, your overclock has died.

I dont see an aftermarket cpu cooler. Do you plan to overclock?

 

[zeroinfish]

I read an article about "overclocking for newbies" and to be honest it sounds beyond me. Just building the computer myself seems kind of like pushing the envelope. I suppose I might reconsider overclocking if I build a computer that actually works, but for now it is not in the plans. What does it mean to mix and match RAM? The sticks I listed are all Kingston and seem to have the same numbers in the name, so I thought they were matched.

I also am hoping not to upgrade to Vista. Would this processor even run Vista64? It seems like a waste to buy XP now and then upgrade to Vista later.

Any more answers or comments about whether all these items will properly fit in together would be greatly appreciated. I'm new at this and want to make sure I am buying the right items before I commit. If things don't "just work" I will have no idea how to fix it. Thanks! ;-)

PS: for instance that DVD drive I listed said PATA... I've heard of SATA. Does PATA mean it won't work? That is the kind of thing that worries me.