will this work

[bob windom]

I would appreciate advice on my selections for a first build. I am not a game player but rather a person very involved in photography, appreciate speed and want the ability to ugrade (ie: add more memory if needed) at a later date. I will be going with Windows XP Pro SP2

Case -- Antec Sonata Plus 550 ATX Mid Tower 550 Power Supply
Motherboard -- Abit IP35 Pro LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel
Video Card -- EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SCC 256 MB
Processor -- Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-
Core Proecessor
Memory -- Crucial Ballistix Tracer 2GB (2X1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2
800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
Floppy -- Sony Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive
Hard Drive -- Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000KSRTL 500GB 7200 RPM
SATA 3.0Gb/s drive
DVD Burner -- ASUS 20X DVDplus/minus R DVD Bfurner with LightScribe Black
SATA Model DRW-2014L1T

Am I missing anything - have I gone overboard or "underboard" on anything? Any suggestions would be more than welcome and I must say that this is greatly appreciated and certainly a fantastic help to those of us who are not all that computer savy. Many, many thanks in advance.

Bob Windom

[RickyTick]

Hi Bob. Hope this helps.

The Superclocked video card is really not needed for your build. Take a look at the 9600GT. Very nicely priced, and a great performer.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130334
I know its a lot more than the 8600GT SSC, so if price is an issue, stay with the 8600GT but not the SSC. They tend to run hotter and can be problematic. Besides, your not a gamer so a video card is not a big part of your pc needs. Here's the vanilla 8600GT at a great price.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130292

Now, if photography is your thing, you need to consider a couple of things. Where are you going to store all those pictures? Personally I would recommend an external hard drive. Western Digital has several. I have the MyBooks 320gb ,but it fills up quick. (My wife is a Photographer) If you want to store everything on your internal hard drive, then I would recommend something bigger than the 500gb. Maybe 750gb like this.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136144
Now this is a little different from the SE16 that we usually recommend and is a good bit more expensive. However, this drive provides a greater ability to set up multiple drives in Raid if you chose to go that route for extra storage. Here is an excellent review of this drive.
http://www.techreport.com/articles.x/13253
If you want to stay with the SE16, here is the 750gb at a great price.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136131

The IP35 Pro is great and the price is the best ever right now on newegg. They are making room for the IP35 Pro XE and the IP45 that is coming out soon.

[bob windom]

Hi RickyTick,
Many thanks for your prompt and excellent reply. It sounds as if you steered me in a much better direction in those areas. Much appreciated.

Bob Windom