Please confirm my puchase!

Hey all, I'm brand new in the world of system building and just got done throwing some components together on newegg. All components are at least 4 star, some are 5. Here is my budget system for $500. (I already have a monitor,keyboard, and mouse.)

Antec nsk4480b with 350w psu http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811129032

Core 2 Duo e7200 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115052

Kingston Valueram 2x1GB pc6400 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820134117

Seagate 250gb http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822148262

Philips DVD burner http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827248006

Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3L http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813128337

Windows XP home sp3

total is $537 (including shipping)

1.Is this a decent build? Are there any incompatibilities?

2.I have never overclocked, but I understand you need to overclock the Cpu by increasing the fsb speed. But this also increases the ram speed, and I understand the Kingston valueram isn't made for overclocking. Can I get around this by using the "multiplier" thingy?

Definitely need to throw a video card into that build. In doing so, once you select a video card, make sure your 350w psu is enough to handle the particular video card you pick out. The video card manufacturer will usually list in their specifications what the minimum watt rating is for a PSU.

As far as Overclocking goes. Some of the Intel CPUs are setup so you can't alter (raise specifically) the multiplier. Therefore, even if you were to alter (lower) the multiplier, you'd still have to increase your FSB speed just to get the processor back up to stock speed. So you're stuck in the same memory issue as far as Overclocking goes.

For memory, lots of folks seem to like OCZ (usually not to expensive). I personally like Corsair, which is usually a little more money.

BTW, when I clicked the link for your Case & PSU, it shows it being a 380W PSU.

Also keep in mind, if you plan to OC, you may need to consider an aftermarket cooler/heatsink for your CPU. Also take a look at how many case fans come with that Antec case, and whether you need to get some extras to provide for better airflow for cooling your system.

How much you OC, will determine how much more heat your system puts out. And more cooling is a great idea if you ever OC.

So to give you an idea of what you can do with an e7200 and DDR2-800 (ie PC2 6400):

E7200 multiplier @ 9.5

Intel processors are 'quad pumped' (plz don't ask). Stock speed of E7200 is 1066fsb, so /4 = 266mhz (x9.5 = 2.53Ghz, ie stock speed).

DDR2-800 is "double data rate" so = 400mhz

This means that with this memory, you can raise the processors stock speed from 266mhz all the way up to 400mhz. At 400mhz, the processor would clock in at 400 x 9.5 = 3.8ghz. All of this does NOT involve overclocking the memory If you want to overclock beyond 3.8Ghz in this situation, you would need to increase the speed of the memory beyond 400mhz.

I'd recommend you try shooting for 3.0 ghz at first because you wont likely need to play TOO much with your voltages around there (if at all, depends on your luck and the chip you get). You'll still after market cooling (heatsink) like the Xigmatek + a retention brack, or Sunbeam Core Contact. plus make sure your case has good airflow/fans to get the heat out!

Just because it's fun, to get to 3.0Ghz:

3.0Ghz = 3000Mhz so /9.5 = 315mhz. That's what you need to increase your CPU's fsb to in BIOS to reach 3.0Ghz.

Also, don't forget about a video card and a better power supply as mentioned! The Antec Sonata III case comes with a 500W PSU which will be fine for a ATI 4850 512mb video card, though it's going to impact your budget adding these.

Good luck!