how to build a small pc

[yester64]

Hi, since i can not afford to buy a laptop right now, i am shifting to build a small desktop.
I don't like my old desktop (which looks ugly) and want to have the smallest case possible.
The only thing it needs to hold is my videocard nVidia GT8800.

What kind of case you would recommend?
I would need a new case, a motherboard and a new harddrive (1T). Not sure if i should upgrade the CPU too. I have a dualcore right now. It has to be relatively cheap or not exceed $500.

[AllRadioisDead]

I'd keep the CPU you have, it's more than enough. That's all I've got, sorry lol.

[Shibblet]

Hi, since i can not afford to buy a laptop right now, i am shifting to build a small desktop.
I don't like my old desktop (which looks ugly) and want to have the smallest case possible.
The only thing it needs to hold is my videocard nVidia GT8800.

What kind of case you would recommend?
I would need a new case, a motherboard and a new harddrive (1T). Not sure if i should upgrade the CPU too. I have a dualcore right now. It has to be relatively cheap or not exceed $500.

I'm going to throw out the Dell. You can get a small desktop from Dell right now that only costs around $249.95

I just built this for $509.00

Inspiron 546 MT Inspiron 546 Minitower w/ Black Bezel
SYSTEM COLOR • Piano Black
PROCESSOR • AMD Athlon™ II X2 250 (3.0GHz, 2MB)
OPERATING SYSTEM • Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
WARRANTY AND SERVICE • 1 Year Basic Service Plan edit
MEMORY • 4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz- 4 DIMMs edit
HARD DRIVE • 500GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
OPTICAL DRIVE • Dual Drives: 16x DVD-ROM Drive + 16x DVD+/-RW w/ dbl layer write capable
VIDEO CARD • Integrated ATI Radeon HD3200 Graphics
SOUND • Integrated 5.1 Channel Audio edit
KEYBOARD & MOUSE • Dell Consumer Entry USB Keyboard and Mouse

If you want cheaper, check out the options.

[cariboo]

If you are going to build it yourself, don't get to small a case. as the components tend to generate a lot of heat. I have a slim case that at one time had three SATA drives, and a AMD X2 cpu that generate a fair amount of heat. With the sides on the case I was seeing average cpu temps of 45°C, gpu temps in the 60°C range and the hard drives were running from 50°C to 55°C, adding a 450 watt power supply made it impossible to run with the side panels on.

[kerry_s]

Hi, since i can not afford to buy a laptop right now, i am shifting to build a small desktop.
I don't like my old desktop (which looks ugly) and want to have the smallest case possible.
The only thing it needs to hold is my videocard nVidia GT8800.

What kind of case you would recommend?
I would need a new case, a motherboard and a new harddrive (1T). Not sure if i should upgrade the CPU too. I have a dualcore right now. It has to be relatively cheap or not exceed $500.

if you go barebones it would be cheaper. for example:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&SubCategory=3&N=2010030003&SpeTabStoreType=1

i bought 2 of those foxconn's, 1 single core & 1 dual core.
just add ram,hd & wireless, work great. i bought the rs233 when it was on sale for $86.99 :)

[mamamia88]

who says you can't get a decent laptop for under $500?

[yester64]

who says you can't get a decent laptop for under $500?

Lol... where? which?

[wewantutopia]

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_slc.asp?Lprice=200&Hprice=499.99&Nav=|c:4935|&Sort=0&Recs=10

[mamamia88]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2034940032%204020&name=%24400%20-%20%24500

[yester64]

Thanks for the input.
I am so outdated. Problem i see so far, is this.
You have to make the choice between i5or7 or stay with dualcore.
Cpu's are so expensive.
For now i will stay with the cpu i have and either buy a new motherboard or a barebone.
I actually tend to like those lanbox cases. Really nice.

I got this together so far. What ya think.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133044

Not sure about the board. I do like gigabyte since they are so easy to install. Never had a problem. Is there any other better than gigabyte? Because this brand is not really in the top on newegg (for microatx).

[gn2]

Sell the GT8800 on Ebay and put the money towards an Acer Revo.

[yester64]

Sell the GT8800 on Ebay and put the money towards an Acer Revo.

Looks nice, but isn't 1GB ram a little small? Well, never had a pc like that really. So i am wondering if it can handle video decoding.
I have to read on the Atom cpu since i don't know much about it.

[MooPi]

Wow if your budget is under 500 you can definitely go with AMD's new quad. It's priced @ 99$ and I have one. It rocksssssss.
Got it overclocked just a smidge over 3.2 GHz.

[Exodist]

Hi, since i can not afford to buy a laptop right now, i am shifting to build a small desktop.
I don't like my old desktop (which looks ugly) and want to have the smallest case possible.
The only thing it needs to hold is my videocard nVidia GT8800.

What kind of case you would recommend?
I would need a new case, a motherboard and a new harddrive (1T). Not sure if i should upgrade the CPU too. I have a dualcore right now. It has to be relatively cheap or not exceed $500.
A few things to consider.
- A dual core @ 3Ghz still runs very good. I would keep the CPU.
- You 8800GT, Ist it AGP or the now normally PCI-X?
- How is your motherboard? If your current Mobo and components work good with your PSU. Then I would use all the parts, just blow off the dust and save money.
- Smaller the case, the harder it is to keep cool.

Newegg for example has a nice selection of cases. I like my Coolermaster Centurion5. But take into consideration all 3 of my HDDs are in my 5.25 bays and my Radeon 4850HD takes up my entire bottom section of my case. Take a look at this photo I took of my PC in November.
http://picasaweb.google.com/exodist2009/MyPCNov2009#5400844716537039106
http://picasaweb.google.com/exodist2009/MyPCNov2009#5400844715405425490

A new Case, Keyboard and mouse may all you really need to feel refreshed with your current system.

[yester64]

A few things to consider.
- A dual core @ 3Ghz still runs very good. I would keep the CPU.
- You 8800GT, Ist it AGP or the now normally PCI-X?
- How is your motherboard? If your current Mobo and components work good with your PSU. Then I would use all the parts, just blow off the dust and save money.
- Smaller the case, the harder it is to keep cool.

Newegg for example has a nice selection of cases. I like my Coolermaster Centurion5. But take into consideration all 3 of my HDDs are in my 5.25 bays and my Radeon 4850HD takes up my entire bottom section of my case. Take a look at this photo I took of my PC in November.
http://picasaweb.google.com/exodist2009/MyPCNov2009#5400844716537039106
http://picasaweb.google.com/exodist2009/MyPCNov2009#5400844715405425490

A new Case, Keyboard and mouse may all you really need to feel refreshed with your current system.

Hey, i think you have the same keyboard. Saitek?
My gfx is a pcie version.
I actually hoped to get the thing smaller.
Now i am torn apart, since those atom pc's look really nice. Just don't know how they do if i want to decode movies.
Normally i do just the usual meaning browsing the web answer emails. So nothing hardcore really.
I am not even gaming anymore on the pc. Mainly shifted to the xbox but i still have some games i like to play on the pc.

I think i settled for a netbook for travel, but i am not sure about my main pc. Atom or not. Does anyone use an atom pc here and if yes, what you do with it. From what i read, its a weaker celeron.

[MooPi]

Yes and they struggle on the easiest of tasks. Good for a portable but not a desktop. Definitely not a desktop.

[Gizenshya]

Keep in mind that a regular ATX motherboard will not fit in a microATX case. It is impossible... I've tried.

If you get a MicroATX case, just make sure you think about airflow. I've had hard drives die on computers I've had before. I've also had freezing and random restarting problems from heat. Install a couple more fans (maybe cut out holes in the case for them), and you should be fine.

[alexfish]

Looks nice, but isn't 1GB ram a little small? Well, never had a pc like that really. So i am wondering if it can handle video decoding.
I have to read on the Atom cpu since i don't know much about it.

Atom 330 great little machine DVD decoding not/ Amd Phenom quad core 8950
and above goes like stink / Rip /beats the pants out of Intel

Opera 10.10.4742.gcc4.qt3 Goes like a bat out of hell on The atom330 just testing now Ubuntu9.10

[LinuxFanBoi]

Keep in mind that a regular ATX motherboard will not fit in a microATX case. It is impossible... I've tried.

If you get a MicroATX case, just make sure you think about airflow. I've had hard drives die on computers I've had before. I've also had freezing and random restarting problems from heat. Install a couple more fans (maybe cut out holes in the case for them), and you should be fine.

How do SSD's stack up on heat output?

[1roxtar]

If you really want to be unique and still use a small form factor desktop, try this amazing-looking case.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129056

[HappinessNow]

If you really want to be unique and still use a small form factor desktop, try this amazing-looking case.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129056Wow!...nice case.

[Exodist]

Keep in mind that a regular ATX motherboard will not fit in a microATX case. It is impossible... I've tried.

If you get a MicroATX case, just make sure you think about airflow. I've had hard drives die on computers I've had before. I've also had freezing and random restarting problems from heat. Install a couple more fans (maybe cut out holes in the case for them), and you should be fine.
Very true. Also the video card "may" have trouble fitting as well.




Hey, i think you have the same keyboard. Saitek?
My gfx is a pcie version.
I actually hoped to get the thing smaller.
Now i am torn apart, since those atom pc's look really nice. Just don't know how they do if i want to decode movies.
Normally i do just the usual meaning browsing the web answer emails. So nothing hardcore really.
I am not even gaming anymore on the pc. Mainly shifted to the xbox but i still have some games i like to play on the pc.

I think i settled for a netbook for travel, but i am not sure about my main pc. Atom or not. Does anyone use an atom pc here and if yes, what you do with it. From what i read, its a weaker celeron.
Atoms = I only surf facebook. MP3 encoding is a huge load for them.



Here is a MicroATX suggestion from me using your existing parts:

This Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138154
This Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119088

That case is awesome.. Nothing will overheat in that case. I owned one at one time. The face gets dusty, but airflow and cooling is not an issue.
Make sure your parts are compatible with that mobo since I dont know all your specs.

[yester64]

If you really want to be unique and still use a small form factor desktop, try this amazing-looking case.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129056

That is one bad *** case. lol
But i have to say, it looks kinda like a coffee machine with the percolator on top. I think i wil go for the lanbox. The only thing i have to get is the case and the mobo.
Sadly i5&7 are to expensive so i will stick with the old cpu.
Anyway, your guys help was great. I mean it. :guitar:

[fatcrab]

Be sure to read the reviews on that case.It looks like you might have to do some mods to fit that 8800.

[Gizenshya]

How do SSD's stack up on heat output?

no idea... I've never used or worked with any :(

Exodist posted the BIOSTAR G41DVI LGA 775 Intel G41 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138154), and I think it would be perfect. I'm a big fan of BIOSTAR, and I've had wonderful experiences with all theor mobos that I've tried. Exodist also posted a case that reviewers said uses a regular ATX power supply, so it seems that you'll be able to use the same power supply that you use now. Most of them use regular ATX power supplies I think, anyway, but that case should work. Just be sure to check on newegg about it first.

[Exodist]

Be sure to read the reviews on that case.It looks like you might have to do some mods to fit that 8800.
Should fit. I had a nv7800 in mine. My 8800 I had was the same size. But different manufacturers make different sizes, so it would be good to check. But if not, it has on board Video incase he doesnt need the 8800 anymore or it goes down.

If you have one of those larger cards like this EVGA one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ImageGallery.aspx?CurImage=14-130-082-TS&ISList=14-130-082-S01%2c14-130-082-S02%2c14-130-082-S03%2c14-130-082-S04%2c14-130-082-S05%2c14-130-082-S06&S7ImageFlag=1&Item=N82E16814130082&Depa=0&WaterMark=1&Description=EVGA%20320-P2-N811-AR%20GeForce%208800%20GTS%20320MB%20320-bit%20GDDR3%20PCI%20Express%20x16%20HDCP%20Ready%2 0SLI%20Support%20Video%20Card

Just remove the 3.5 floppy carriage. Its removable with one screw.


Also one of the best parts about that case is the entire front is a wire-mesh style, So you get excellent airflow in addition it has a direct air vent just for the CPU fan that is adjustable in inner length. That way you can pipe cool air directly onto your CPU heatsink/fan.

[PurposeOfReason]

If you really want to be unique and still use a small form factor desktop, try this amazing-looking case.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129056
I threw up a bit in my mouth.

[Exodist]

I threw up a bit in my mouth.
That goofy thing is a electrical accident waiting to happen. Only people who think they have a old style cray buy those.

[PurposeOfReason]

That goofy thing is a electrical accident waiting to happen. Only people who think they have a old style cray buy those.
More that it is advertised as a test bench but the stupid fan on the top is in the way. I run my hardware on a bench and have never had problems with electricity.

[3rdalbum]

I lusted after the Antec Skeleton until someone asked me what would happen if I spilt my drink.

I don't think 8800s and "small form factors" go together too well :-) You haven't seen my GTX260 (about the same size as most 8800s) sitting in my regular ATX case, my god if it was any longer I'd need to cut open the drive bays.

Don't bother with an Atom-based machine, they are not up to the task of video encoding and decoding. I run one as a home server, it's fine, but it took something like 14 hours to encode a Lord Of The Rings movie into H.264. By comparison, my Core 2 Duo does it in real-time (3 hours).

I have seen AMD-based mini-ITX motherboards on eBay. They can handle AM2+ processors up to a particular wattage, and by extension they should be able to do the latest AM3 processors. You might be able to put a Phenom 2 x4 in there, but it would have to be a slower one (or maybe an x3).

I've been dying to buy one of those motherboards and an AMD CPU, but I know that the small motherboard wouldn't exactly be conducive to getting the most performance from the CPU. And I can't justify buying one because I already have enough computers.

[ratcheer]

I have been using two Shuttle XPC's for a little over five years, now. One of them had a video card die a few months ago and I replaced it with a better card for about $40. Other than that, they have been rock solid.

Tim

[yester64]

Very true. Also the video card "may" have trouble fitting as well.




Atoms = I only surf facebook. MP3 encoding is a huge load for them.



Here is a MicroATX suggestion from me using your existing parts:

This Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138154
This Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119088

That case is awesome.. Nothing will overheat in that case. I owned one at one time. The face gets dusty, but airflow and cooling is not an issue.
Make sure your parts are compatible with that mobo since I dont know all your specs.

The case would be not much different from my case. Mine ist 16 high. Looks nice.
I want it to put it on my desk, but as i got told i might run into overheating.

[yester64]

I lusted after the Antec Skeleton until someone asked me what would happen if I spilt my drink.

I don't think 8800s and "small form factors" go together too well :-) You haven't seen my GTX260 (about the same size as most 8800s) sitting in my regular ATX case, my god if it was any longer I'd need to cut open the drive bays.

Don't bother with an Atom-based machine, they are not up to the task of video encoding and decoding. I run one as a home server, it's fine, but it took something like 14 hours to encode a Lord Of The Rings movie into H.264. By comparison, my Core 2 Duo does it in real-time (3 hours).

I have seen AMD-based mini-ITX motherboards on eBay. They can handle AM2+ processors up to a particular wattage, and by extension they should be able to do the latest AM3 processors. You might be able to put a Phenom 2 x4 in there, but it would have to be a slower one (or maybe an x3).

I've been dying to buy one of those motherboards and an AMD CPU, but I know that the small motherboard wouldn't exactly be conducive to getting the most performance from the CPU. And I can't justify buying one because I already have enough computers.

From what i read, i have to conclude to bury my dreams of small pc which is still powerful to decode.
I am not sure if i need the gfx card really, but sometimes i actually do play, just not that often really.
With the AMD cpus i have to clue how to compare them to the cpu i have right now.

[yester64]

I have been using two Shuttle XPC's for a little over five years, now. One of them had a video card die a few months ago and I replaced it with a better card for about $40. Other than that, they have been rock solid.

Tim

Looks nice. Kinda what i was looking for. But it looks like that it is a special size mobo. Am i correct?

[Exodist]

Looks nice. Kinda what i was looking for. But it looks like that it is a special size mobo. Am i correct?
Yea they are great. I had a little aluminum one that I got from tigerdirect.
The Mobo, PSU and Case are all made for each other.
It has a special heatpipe that is designed to pump heat out the back of the case. So you 80mm case fan in the back works as both CPU and Case fan.
Mine ran very warm, but never hot. The most room I had was 1 AGP and 2 PCI slots.
It had room for 1 HDD and a DVD/CD Drive.
Very portable tho. But no gaming system.
I have a AMD AthlonXP 2400+ in mine with 2GB of DRAM. I ran Ubuntu 5.04 on it and it ran awesome. I wished I had kept it, but I sold it to buy parts here and there for my new system.

[fatcrab]

You might have a look at this case.It seems to run cool.http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112222.It is about the size of the lanbox. Be sure to read the reviews.:)

[ratcheer]

Looks nice. Kinda what i was looking for. But it looks like that it is a special size mobo. Am i correct?

I am not sure whether the motherboard is a special size, but it takes all standard sized components. Mine has a SB Audigy sound card, regular nVidia PCI Express video card, CD/DVD writer drive, 80 GB SATA disk drive (it was pretty big when I bought the system in 2004), room for another disk drive, and plenty of front and rear ports.

Tim

[ratcheer]

Very portable tho. But no gaming system.


Mine were refurbs that was actually used at the World Cyber Games championships, that year.

Tim

[yester64]

Yea they are great. I had a little aluminum one that I got from tigerdirect.
The Mobo, PSU and Case are all made for each other.
It has a special heatpipe that is designed to pump heat out the back of the case. So you 80mm case fan in the back works as both CPU and Case fan.
Mine ran very warm, but never hot. The most room I had was 1 AGP and 2 PCI slots.
It had room for 1 HDD and a DVD/CD Drive.
Very portable tho. But no gaming system.
I have a AMD AthlonXP 2400+ in mine with 2GB of DRAM. I ran Ubuntu 5.04 on it and it ran awesome. I wished I had kept it, but I sold it to buy parts here and there for my new system.

Hard choice.
My graphicscard is a eVga GT8800 which takes 2 slots. Has the big *** fan on it.
At the time they had also a $20 cheaper version which was one slot.
The rest is standart. 3 HDD, 4 GB Ram DDR2 800.
For some reason i like the idea of barebone since everything is already connected. But not sure how the board is then.
I like to replace my harddrives with just one of 1T capacity. Saves spaces, but have to figure out which drive will be fast.
But i like to stay with Western Digital since i have the best experience with them.
Very quite.

[terry@softreq.com]

Rather than buy a new machine just upgrade what you have.

Chances are the case and floppy are okay.

Just install a new motherboard, processor, memory, video card and power supply. Maybe put in a big hard drive.

Personally I like the AMD Athlon II 245. It's a dual core processor that runs at 2.9 mhz per core. You can buy the processor and a motherboard for as little as $110.00 (at Newegg).

With some memory and a power supply, you could get away with a purchase under $200.

Keep the hard drive you have (if it's a SATA drive) and install ubuntu on that, and then upgrade to a 2nd 1TB drive if you need it.

Also, you can always upgrade to a decent video card for $20-$60 (non-gaming card).

I'm re-using my case, hard drive and floppy, and for $230 (after mail-in rebates) I have a very fast dual core machine, great motherboard, power supply and memory.

Later on I will remove the dual core and drop in a high end quad core processor when the prices comes down a bit (year or so).

[pluto4ps]

Hi, www.theitwares.com
Check out this website where you can build your desktop, however the prices are in Rupees you can convert it into your own currency.
Personally I feel you can go for Motherboard, RAM, HDD. Recently I too upgraded my desktop and I upgraded my RAM and HDD. Coming to the CASE I would suggest to go for BIG one, it will allow the components to breath air...

[Exodist]

Mine were refurbs that was actually used at the World Cyber Games championships, that year.

Tim

All kewl, sounds like they have really upgrade mobo specs since I last had one.




Hard choice.
My graphicscard is a eVga GT8800 which takes 2 slots. Has the big *** fan on it.
At the time they had also a $20 cheaper version which was one slot.
The rest is standart. 3 HDD, 4 GB Ram DDR2 800.
For some reason i like the idea of barebone since everything is already connected. But not sure how the board is then.
I like to replace my harddrives with just one of 1T capacity. Saves spaces, but have to figure out which drive will be fast.
But i like to stay with Western Digital since i have the best experience with them.
Very quite.

Get Tims model number from him and check out the Shuttle XPCs. I am serious when I said i loved mine. I still wish I had it.

[ratcheer]

Get Tims model number from him and check out the Shuttle XPCs. I am serious when I said i loved mine. I still wish I had it.

No, mine are now ancient (2004) models. But, they were quite hot in their day. SB83-G5's with Pentium 4 Extreme Edition @ 3.4 ghz.

Tim

[cascade9]

Thanks for the input.
I am so outdated. Problem i see so far, is this.
You have to make the choice between i5or7 or stay with dualcore.
Cpu's are so expensive.
For now i will stay with the cpu i have and either buy a new motherboard or a barebone.
I actually tend to like those lanbox cases. Really nice.

I got this together so far. What ya think.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133044

Not sure about the board. I do like gigabyte since they are so easy to install. Never had a problem. Is there any other better than gigabyte? Because this brand is not really in the top on newegg (for microatx).

'Better' is relative. Gigabyte makes good motherboards these days, probably some of the best, but thats opinion (I wont say anything nasty about asus LOL)

I prefer building my own boxes to barebones systems, I've never been that impressed with the barebones I've seen.


Hey, i think you have the same keyboard. Saitek?
My gfx is a pcie version.
I actually hoped to get the thing smaller.
Now i am torn apart, since those atom pc's look really nice. Just don't know how they do if i want to decode movies.
Normally i do just the usual meaning browsing the web answer emails. So nothing hardcore really.
I am not even gaming anymore on the pc. Mainly shifted to the xbox but i still have some games i like to play on the pc.

I think i settled for a netbook for travel, but i am not sure about my main pc. Atom or not. Does anyone use an atom pc here and if yes, what you do with it. From what i read, its a weaker celeron.

If your not gaming, consider flicking the 8800GT for something a bit smaller that runs less hot- 9400/9500/9600 for example.

Atoms are fine for desktop use, but are really gutless compared to Core2Duos or AMD X2/X3/X4 CPUs. If your getting a netbook, keep a normal desktop CPU IMO. Its not going to be any more expensive than getting an Atom seeing how you already have parts, and will be much nicer if you do have any serious number-crunching to do (video or audio encoding in particular).


Keep in mind that a regular ATX motherboard will not fit in a microATX case. It is impossible... I've tried.

If you get a MicroATX case, just make sure you think about airflow. I've had hard drives die on computers I've had before. I've also had freezing and random restarting problems from heat. Install a couple more fans (maybe cut out holes in the case for them), and you should be fine.

I have got a ATX motherboard to fit into a micro-atx case, but that took a lot of grinding and a few pop rivets. Not for the faint hearted LOL.

Heat can be an issue. I've run a few small form factor PCs, this can be the main issue. Just make sure you get a case that takes at least 92mm fans, and better yet, 120mm. The bigger fans move more air, and are quieter as well.


Here is a MicroATX suggestion from me using your existing parts:

This Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138154
This Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119088

That case is awesome.. Nothing will overheat in that case. I owned one at one time. The face gets dusty, but airflow and cooling is not an issue.
Make sure your parts are compatible with that mobo since I dont know all your specs.

I wouldnt get that exact case (see below) but there is nothing wrong with that board, and even if the OP doesn't like biostar, there is other similar micro-atx cases for similar prices.

If it were me, I would get a mirco-atx case (its not as small as itx, but easier to upgrade), keep your current CPU and RAM, and get a SSD and a HDD (SSD for speed, minimal power use and noise, HDD for sheer data storage)

SSD- OCZ Vertex Series, 30GB, $130-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227393

HDD- WD EADS (32 MB cache) Green Power 1TB, $85
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136317

I wouldnt get exactly the case that Exodist posted, but near enough (as for why the 341 over the 541, its got 120mm fans)-
COOLER MASTER Elite 341, $45-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119193

BIOSTAR G41DVI, $60-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138154

Total- $320.

You should be able to run your current power supply with that case (standard ATX power supply) and fit the 8800GT if you decide to keep it.