I've researched things, and I've decided I need a new PC. Yet, instead of buying the newest Dell XPS, I thought it might be interesting to build my own. Unfortunately, I'm only 17 and low on money. Thus, I have enough money for anything lower than $1600. I'm just looking to see if this set-up works, and if anyone can offer better parts or cheaper parts with equivalent power. Thanks in advance.

CASE: http://www.newegg.com/product/prod [...] 6811133154
MOTHERBOARD: http://www.newegg.com/product/prod [...] 6813131276
VIDEO CARD: http://www.newegg.com/product/prod [...] 6814130328
POWER/COOLING: http://www.newegg.com/product/prod [...] 6817703005
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/product/prod [...] 6819115037
RAM: http://www.newegg.com/product/prod [...] 6820146565 (Buying two of these)
HARD DRIVE: http://www.newegg.com/product/prod [...] 6822148298
OPTICAL DRIVE: http://www.newegg.com/product/prod [...] 6827129018
SOUND CARD: http://www.newegg.com/product/prod [...] 6829126004
COOLING: http://www.newegg.com/product/prod [...] 6835186134
MONITOR: http://www.newegg.com/product/prod [...] 6824009094
KEYBOARD: http://www.newegg.com/product/prod [...] 6823175103

TOTAL: $1,643.51 after shipping.

The only thing I actually need is a wireless card. I can't find one that isn't par with one in a motherboard.

Thanks again.

9600gt is weak for a $1600 build, that model is overpriced too, get this one instead:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814134037

Get more than 2 gb of ram, that one is overpriced. Also, use 2x2 sticks.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820144216

Drop the sound card. It's no better than the onboard.
Motherboard is overpriced. Consider a much cheaper x38, with basically the same oc performance.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813127033
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813128089
Use the money saved on Q9450 quad cpu, which overclocks almost as well as e8400 on x38/48 (when fsb isn't a bottleneck) and is quad for futureproofing.

Get separate wi-fi card, it's cheaper that way.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6833320022

^I agree with dagger on the motherboards, WiFi, and sound card and CPU. The RAM OP listed is DDR2 while the board is a DDR3 only. DDR3 is NOT backward compatible with DDR2

But, I would have to disagree with her on RAM and Graphics.

Graphics: Don't agree because ECS is not the best of quality. Get an EVGA or BFG or other good manufacture.

RAM: The Crucial Ballastix win if OCing else get the GeIL that dagger listed. I don't consider the Ballastix overpriced esp. due to the OCing ability. What's over priced is DDR3 RAM**

**If going for 4GB+ consider an x64 OS.

For the graphics card, it's same gpu manufactured by Nvidia and sold to ECS/EVGA/BFG, same cooler, same board with same layout, different price. In any case, 3 year warranty from ECS ought to be enough. You do not need EVGA's lifetime warranty. It'll be obsolete in 3 years anyway.

I use the ram linked. 8gb in 4 sticks, oc to 1066 stressed fully stable, but only at a loose 5/5/5/18 timing. Any tighter is unstable at 1066. Decided to roll back to 800 and tightening timing to 4/3/3/12 instead. If you stick with the more expensive ram, pay more to get 4gb, 2 is not enough. And ideally, get 2gb sticks instead of 1gb. Leaves room for possible future upgrade.

If you already have OS, use it. If you have to buy, get 64bit Vista for futureproofing.

Basicly I agree with everything dagger said.
Also check out the ASUS P5E "not premium"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131219

I only have 1 more thing to add.
A WIFI card in a tower computer case has problems (even more so in a big tower like your case) if it sits in a corner (the case acts as an EMI shield and blocks the signal). You need an aditional antenna that you can place at least 30cm (1 foot) away from your case. Symptoms are temporary signal loss, slow transfer rates, random online/offline jumps, failed CRC checks for transfers aka corruption ...
A cheaper sollution to an additional antenna is a USB dongle and a 3-5feet USB cable to move the receiver away from the case.

^True about WiFi.

True. But if you look at the quality of the material mainly the caps, you would notice that BFG/EVGA uses better quality caps. I would never personally touch any thing made the following brands(after they died on me, all motherboards):

ECS
BIOSTAR
JETWAY

Going to be dual booting XP (already have) and Linux.

Thus why I opted for an internal wireless card, such as those provided in laptops (similar to the one I'm on now).

A smart choice. However that board you picked is still far overpriced.
Consider the WIFI PCI card and an antenna for $30 from ASUS if you want to save some money.

This thing costs around 20 EUR here and it's by far not the cheapest option (newegg.com has some at $10).
http://www.asus.com/products.aspx? [...] odelmenu=1

Even if you pick the $225 ASUS (most expensive alternative choice we hinted at) board and spend $50 for a WLAN card and antenna you save close to $100 over the P5E Premium board (just so you know).

Good luck with your build.