Ok well ive seen how cheap you can buy these dell's and hp's prebuilt but it reeli makes me question the quality of the materials used. So i've just decided to build my own both to have a reliable comp and for a fun little project. My budget is around 800 CAD or 650 USD give or take a little if i have to and this only includes the tower and all essentials inside and NOTHING else. Ok now on to my question. Ive got everything pretty much under control except a couple things: 1) The mobo + processor and 2) Video Card 3) Power supply 4) Sound Card First the mobo/proces. This is one thing i havent had much expereince with. I want to be as future-proof as possible. So that means the dual cores operating at a minimum of 2.8. What are some good combos your recommend and what is even the advantages of having dual processors? Also a mobo supporting dual ram. Second the video card. Now i was just thinking go with ati or nvidia 256 MB pci express video card. Not sure about any exact models or other brands but feel free to list or tell me thigns i should watch out for. Thirdly when considering a power supply whats the minimum power i should take and what would the ideal one be for a relatively powerful desktop. Last but not least the sound card. Now i want oen that supports 5.1 surround. Now i see a bunch of cards online that support this for like as cheap as 10 bucks. When considering sound cards is there anything particular? I will be getting most parts on online stores or ebay for the cheapest price. Once again im looking for a relatively nice computer for gaming and such because my current laptop is not good enough. Thanks in advance, -Matt

Motherboard: Intel BOXDP965LTCK Weblink: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ... Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 2.13GHz Weblink: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ... Graphics Card: EVGA 256-P2-N541-T2 GeForce 7600GS 256MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 Weblink: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ... Power Supply: Nspire Power Supply Nsp-450P4Lf12 Atx2.0 450W 12Cm Led Fan Aluminum Black Weblink: http://www.copystars.com/nspire_pow... Pretty Good Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE Weblink: http://www.costcentral.com/proddeta... I didn't add these up but all are good parts.

What would you rather do? Spend $700 every 12 months or $1200 every 24-30 months - huh!. How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

CPU - Core 2 Duo E6300 (1.86GHz). Don't be fooled by the low clock speed...it'll kick the crap out of out of a 3.6GHz P4, plus you can overclock the hell out of it - about $250 Board - agree on Intel P965 chipset, but doesn't necessarily have to be an Intel board - about $175 RAM - 2GB DDR2-800 - about $250 Video - Geforce 7900GS - about $200 Soundcard - unnecessary. Use the onboard...you can always upgrade later. PSU - 500W - stick with reputable name brand units - at least $75. That puts the total at about $950 CAD. Rough prices were taken from TigerDirect.ca. You may know of a cheaper Canadian site.

ok thanks a lot guys...im guna start gettin the parts you suggested soon...ill let you know how it goes =)