New Gaming Rig

[LoKo]

Hey guys. After doing some research, I've finally decided on the components I'd like to use for my new computer. It'll be used for heavy, high end gaming, some video editing, and of course, general use. Any suggestions/comments/questions are appreciated =).

Case: Antec 900 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case (129.99)
Motherboard: ASUS P5Q Pro LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard (139.99)
Video card: VisionTek Radeon HD 4870 512MB (260.00) (Card that I believe gives the most bang/buck for high end gaming. I'm planning on adding another one in Crossfire in the near future.)
PSU: CORSAIR 750W CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply (129.00) (Will 750W be enough when I add a 2nd 4870 in the future?)
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor (189.99)
CPU Cooler: ZALMAN CNPS9500 AT 2 Ball CPU Cooling Fan/Heatsink (41.99)
Memory: CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit (84.00)
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s (84.99)
DVD-RW: SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe (23.99)
OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit English for System Builders 1pk DSP OEI DVD - OEM (99.99)
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Grand total: about $1,190. Not bad but I still need to buy a monitor and peripherals ..o.o.

My two main concerns are:
1) Space. I know the Antec 900 can get pretty cluttered. Will my 4870 fit properly? I've heard some stories of people having to mod their case to make their Video cards fit.
2) Heat. My video card alone is one of the hottest cards on the market. I'm talking temps between 80 and 90 C or higher. I know there is a fan fix for this but should I invest in a 3rd party CPU cooler? Is the Antec 900 sufficiently cooled for me to worry about this? I also don't want my computer sounding like a blow dryer. The other concern is the fact that I do plan on overclocking the CPU. Will the CPU cooler be sufficient for this or should I invest in something better?

Let me know if I missed anything important.

Also, any suggestions on the monitor and peripherals like the keyboard, mouse and speakers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Barrister73]

I cannot answer most of your technical questions, but I can tell you that the 900 is a very cold case. All those fans really keep the air moving. If you have concerns about too many cables restricting air flow, it can be rather easily fixed. Search the web for people showing how the cases were modified. It takes cutting just a couple of holes (and taping the cut edges) in specific spots to run wires behind the motherboard wall. You might also need to get a couple cable extensions to make everything fit nicely, but it's not too much additional money to do that.

MRR

[RickyTick]

That's an awesome setup.

Its a big jump in price, but the Yorkfield processors would be a big jump in performance too (if you can fit it in your budget). Look at the Q9450 and Q9550. I have the Q6600 overclocked to 3.0ghz, but I couldn't do it without a cpu cooler. Here's a great article on cpu coolers.
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=45&Itemid=62&limit=1&limitstart=0

There's plenty of room in the 900, and its known for being a great cooler. On mine, I have the 2 intake fans on medium, the 1 rear exhaust fan on medium, and the big top fan on low. Its not silent, but its not too loud either. btw, if you watch for specials you can find it for under $100. Here's a nice video review of the 900 by Rodney Reynolds. (he makes me laugh)
http://www.3dgameman.com/content/view/6347/48/

You can purchase a cooler for the video card too. You might want to go ahead and do it now and have it installed for the initial setup. Could save you the trouble of doing it later.

As far as mice and keyboards, Logitech seems to be the industry leader. I have the MX518 mouse and really like it. There are many others, just get a mouse with at least 5 buttons.

As far as a monitor goes, just stay with a big name like Samsung, Dell, LG, or BenQ. I have a 22 inch Samsung and love it.

Best of luck. Hope this helps some. Come back with any more questions.

[LoKo]

Some great suggestions here guys, keep em coming :)

Barrister - thanks for the tip on that. I've googled some pretty good guides on making the mods. I think I'll get the parts and see how they fit in the case and If they need some more room, I'll know where to look.

Ricky - I agree with you on the Yorkfield processors but unfortunately, after I buy the monitor and peripherals It'll be out of my budget :(. After looking at your link, I think instead I'll spend just a few $$ more on getting a nice cooler for my Q6600. I might have to leave out the gpu cooler though. I suppose this means doing the fan fix (which could be noisy) for the gpu but I suppose it shouldn't be too bad based on what Barrister and others have said about the 900's cooling. (Nice vid btw =D)

Thanks a lot for the help guys.. I really appreciate it :D

[RickyTick]

Don't get me wrong, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the Q6600, except maybe the stock cooler that comes with it.

You also asked about speakers earlier, and I don't know much about them. I game with a headset on, so I don't use speakers. Plus it covers up any noise from my case fans, kids, and wife. :D