[HorrorQueen]

I am building my first custom gaming PC from scratch, and trying to learn more about what I should be putting inside it.

I am mostly looking for help with the motherboard and graphics card, and also some advice on SSD memory.

I am going for:
16GB DDR3 RAM, Corsair 1600MHz
2TB Hitachi Deskstar 3.5" HD
Intel Core i7 950 3.06GHz

Any advice on how to get the best I possibly can out of the system, and what motherboard to get would be greatly appreciated. Also can anyone advise me and what SSD to get? I understand that if I install my OS and games and leave things like music and films on the hitachi drive, I will get much better performance. Is this correct?

[Scleros]

Random comments:

• A Core i7-950 would not be my first choice for a gaming processor for several reasons. The recently released Sandy Bridge based Intel processors such as the i5-2500(K) or i7-2600(K) are less expensive for comparable performance as the i7-950 or have better performance (see PassMark Intel vs AMD CPU Benchmarks - High End). They also use less power* which can be translated into lower chassis temperatures, a quieter system, or overclocking headroom. The new processors also use a LGA1155 socket vs. the i7-950's aging LGA1366 socket. This could become an issue for instance if your motherboard blows up over a year from now and LGA1366 socket replacement boards are in waning production.
  
  
• Once a processor is decided upon, shop for a compatible motherboard based on it having the features you desire, such as SLI or CrossFire support, SATA 6Gb/s, USB 3.0, RAID, front panel ports, etc.
  
  
• SSDs have access times and read latencies in the microseconds; hard drive times are measured in milliseconds. SSDs also tend to have higher sustained read transfer rates. This makes them suited for data that is frequently and randomly accessed. Improved load times for the operating system and saved games will also be noticed. Splitting data between an SSD and a conventional drive as you mentioned is a cost saving strategy to only place data on the SSD that will benefit from it's increased speed, however all the data could be placed on the SSD if it had sufficient capacity or cost wasn't an issue.
  
  
• Gaming components usually consume lots of power. Do not skimp on the quality of the power supply and match the wattage rating of the supply to the aggregate consumption of the components plus a margin for future expansion. The supply having adequate connectors with sufficiently long cables for the chassis and number of components is also a factor to be considered.
  
  
• I prefer Intel boards/processors/SSDs, MSI video cards, and Antec/Enermax/PC Power & Cooling power supplies, however everyone has their own favorites, so suggest you visit AnandTech, GPUReview.com, Guru of 3D, Overclockers, Tom's Hardware, and other review and technical sites and decide what components offer the best bang for your buck based on test data. Whatever you buy now will be obsolete in three years and useless in five for 3D gaming.

* See max TDP for Intel® Core i7-950 Processor vs. Intel® Core i7-2600 Processor

[cdad]

. Whatever you buy now will be obsolete in three years and useless in five for 3D gaming.

I don't agree with this part. If you build quality now it should last 5 years minimum. Its true that technology changes fast but if done right at the start your ahead of the curve so it takes longer to be passed by. The system I built is a little over 3 years old. It still has the ability to run all the latest games and software without problems. The point being that your looking to invest in the future as well as the here and now.

Take your time. I can't stress how much value can be done with good research.

[larrydm]

Hi far as the motherboard goes I always buy Gigabyte for three reasons 1- Ultra durable they are built to last! 2- Duel bios system you always have a backup bios in case of malware or other disasters. 3- Gigabyte motherboards use solid state capacitors These last longer then electrolytic capacitors and do not leak.And a great reputation.

The Video cards I like are ATI Radeon say HD 5000 series for a pci Express 16 slot