Building a PC

** Didn't know if this fits in Tech talk or troubleshooting so eh **

Soo I'm planning on building a new PC 'Soon™' (within the next 2 weeks). Problem is, I don't know how to build a PC nor do I know about any of the part inside and which I should get. So I ask you, great people of RSBandB, to help me build my PC! I'm planning on ordering all (or most, at least) of my parts off of NewEgg, depending on whatever you guys tell me.

As for preferences, this PC will be primarily for Gaming and possibly some schoolwork. I'd like it to be able Crysis on max settings if possible, but at least WoW and TF2 on max settings. Keyboard and Mouse I have handled, I'll be buying a new Razer Mouse and keyboard in the future. Speakers are also fine as well. A moniter would be nice to fit into the budget, but can also always be bought later. In terms of a case, it doesn't need be flashy. Just a nice clean looking case would be good, maybe with blue lights if it has any XD

Budget is around $1200. It is negotiable and can go up or down a bit.

If anything else is needed, just ask. Now go and build me a PC!

You will need:
CPU: Intel Core i5 or greater (i5 is really all that's needed, in fact i3 would work if you are on a budget)
Motherboard: I prefer Asus, Gigabyte if wanting to install OS X.
GPU: NVIDIA's cards are pretty much stagnant so at this point go with ATi.
RAM: 4GB
Hard Drive: As much as you need.
Optical Drive: DVD-Burner
Case: Try to get one with lots of room to work in. Don't cheap out.
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium x64 (don't go ultimate, not worth it)
Power Supply: 500W should be enough.

What you should do now is look around for various ATi benchmarks for the GPU, pick that card first. After this I would pick the motherboard, CPU, and RAM. Then pick the power supply, brands are in the eye of the beholder, I had a Antec burn up on me and fry half the components The rest is fairly self explanatory.

CPU - If it's gaming you want, the minimum you need is i5, or the equivalent from AMD. I'd suggest that moving up to i7 is probably not the right decision- probably better to allocate money to other components.

GPU - I can't comment of specific models, but I would estimate a budget of about $300-350. You need to look for a GPU around this price and with no more than 1.75Gb memory. Don't get drawn into spending money on 2Gb+ memory- it's not needed. You're much better off with a bit less memory, but a better GPU overall.

RAM - The minimum you need is 4Gb, but if you find you have some money spare, you could just as well go to 6 or 8Gb.

Motherboard - Again, you'll be looking to spend around $350 here, maybe up to $400. Look for DDR3 RAM slots, and if you go for an nVidia GPU, dual-SLI as well.

Hard drive - To your requirements. I always advise on two smaller HDDs over a single big one. This allows OS and programs on one drive, and files on the other- it makes backing up and sorting out problems much easier.

Optical drive - Multiple drives are unnecessary for most people, so really you need DVD burner. I also have LightScribe in my PC- recommended and only marginally extra expense.

Cooling - At your budget liquid cooling is both unnecessary and uneconomical.

PSU - Extra power is always a good investment, if only for peace of mind. I'd recommend 750W, which will cost about $150.

Case - I'm not one for flashy and expensive cases. However do make sure it's good quality (look for reputable brand), and unless space if a big issue, get a hefty-sized one as well. This will aid both cooling and make it easier when it comes to working inside it.

OS - Assuming you're using Windows, I'd go for W7 Home Premium 64-bit. When you buy the OS you'll get both 32 and 64-bit, but make sure you install the latter. And unless you have a very specific need for Professional or Ultimate, I can almost guarantee it's not worth the money.

Sound and speakers - Sound cards are notoriously temperamental. Luckily though, they don't need to be expensive. I'd recommend creative, if only because I have no experience with anything else. Again with speakers, using Creative hardware together is advisable. I got my 5.1 set for $60, and sound card for about $75.

Other - Depending on your motherboard, you may want to buy extra (PCI) USB ports, either for extra capacity, or so you have USB 3.0.

Monitor - To your needs. 22" HD 1080p is what I use.