Building a computer for the first time, need some help.

[ukulele_ninja]

I want to build a desktop around this processor. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115017
Ideally I want to be running Microsoft Media Center Edition or Ubuntu Studio depending which would be more functional. Ive never attempted to build a pc before so maybe that chip would be a little much even for what im doing. My plan is to use my PC as my entertainment system with a TV control card, run all my audio, DVD playback and such. I chose a 500 gig 17000 RPM HDD, but Im lost when it comes to picking out a motherboard. What do I need to look for in a motherboard and what am I going to need to cool this beast? Any suggestions are welcome if you could outline some ideas for me. My budget is $3500. I want something thats gonna last me a long time and not be outdated in a year.

[stmiller]

There are lots of options out there. I like Shuttle boxes:

http://hq1.shuttle.com/products_page00.jsp?PCLI=2

Plug in your CPU, hard drive, ram, and DVD drive and you are all set. Shuttle comes with its own heatsink/cooling system.

[blithen]

The link is invalid, but 17000rpm is alittle bit much. And with higher RPMs obviously the higher temperature and failures happen alot often. 10000rpm should be good. Maybe even less than that. 17000rpm is more for a HARDCORE gaming computer.

[starcraft.man]

LOL! You don't need a 17000 RPM drive. The link is also invalid as indicated.

If you want a bit of help choosing hardware, I recommend doing some review reading and picking what's best based on your budget.

Anandtech, Extremetech, Tech Report (google any of them, start with Anandtech), are all good sites to start with. When you've narrowed it to a few options, best to google the pieces of hardware for a wide selection of reviews, never just trust one site (even if their a really great site like Anandtech). Best of luck with the PC

[Turboaaa2001]

I suggest picking up some magazines. This past month there have been a lot of how-to articles on building basic, mainstream, and gaming rigs all under $1500 USD.

I always try to tell people to listen to suggestions from forums with a grain of salt. There are a lot of people who like to bicker about what is better than others.

I suggest, depending on your level, to get an Intel Core 2 duo with a MOBO that has a modern chip set such as the nVidia i680 or equivalent. 2GB DDR2 memory since DDR3 is still way too expensive and depending on what you want to do with this rig a low - midrange DX9 card or a midrange DX10 card. Also a 7200 RPM HD is fine for everything except mission critical storage and extreme gamers that spend more than $3 grand USD.

To give you a reference here is my rig. I believe I spent all together over the past year $1500 + on it. Initially I spent roughly $1000 USD.

Server Case ( I don't care about looks, just want room for parts and cooling)
BFG Tech nVidia i680 SLI MOBO (The most expensive part, would not suggest this price range for you)
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 Overclocked from 2.13GHZ - 2.71GHZ
2GB DDR2-533
160GB SATA HD
Two EVGA GForce 7600GT 256MB GDDR3 in SLI

I'm currently boycotting Intel because of some things their doing but the Core 2 Duo's are great for overclocking because they do not heat up much at all and you can use the stock cooler (unless playing high-end games). If you never overclocked before this is the best way to learn, just make sure you have good memory.