First time PC build compatibility questions. Thanks!

[inquisitivePC]

Hi, I've never built a PC before but I've done some research and think these parts will work with each other but I'm not 100% positive.

CPU (No air conditioning in summer so I can't overclock unless I want a damaged CPU lol)
Intel Core i5-2500 Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 BX80623I52500
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115073

Motherboard (Expensive but has PCIe 3.0 and I've read that 3.0 cards won't work on 2.0 boards)
ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271

RAM (Heat spreaders because of the no air conditioning, house can be 90 degrees in summer)
CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=20-233-144&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Keywords=and+forgot+to+lookat+supported&Page=6#scrollFullInfo

HDD (Went with blue: not as loud as black but faster than green)
Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKX 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136769

Optical Drive (I assume any drive will do?)
ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204

GPU (I believe there was a cheaper 7850 but all the reviews said the fans made a lot of noise)
SAPPHIRE 11200-01-20G Radeon HD 7850 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card OC
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102984

Case (Will the front fans be able to work with the front panel closed?)
Corsair Obsidian Series 550D Quiet Mid-Tower Cases CC-9011015-WW
http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Obsidian-Series-Mid-Tower-CC-9011015-WW/dp/B006L6ZSWC/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1333550915&sr=1-4

PSU (I know to go 80+ but don't know how much power I need.)
??? (I don't know how many watts the motherboard, case, HDD, RAM will take up?)

Total should be around $1,200. :( I was hoping to go more along the lines of $800 or $850 but got worried that a GTX 560 would be underpowered when the next gen of consoles comes out so I went over on the GPU. Also the PCIe 3.0 made me go over on the motherboard thinking all cards in 5 years will be 3.0 only and won't work with a 2.0 motherboard.

Thanks for you help. :D

[bighoo93]

Here are my thoughts. I am not particularly experienced, but just did a new build last weekend so I can share some thoughts. I am planning to write some reviews of certain components, but for now just a few thoughts:


CPU (No air conditioning in summer so I can't overclock unless I want a damaged CPU lol)
Intel Core i5-2500 Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 BX80623I52500
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115073

You might consider a CPU cooler like the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065). I found it a challenge to install, but I find that to be true of the stock cooler as well. However, it is keeping my i7-2600k overclocked to 4.2 GHz quite cool. For $20 may be worth an upgrade to the stock cooler for your peace of mind.


Case (Will the front fans be able to work with the front panel closed?)
Corsair Obsidian Series 550D Quiet Mid-Tower Cases CC-9011015-WW
http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Obsidian-Series-Mid-Tower-CC-9011015-WW/dp/B006L6ZSWC/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1333550915&sr=1-4

Love the look of that case. I just built with the Antec Three Hundred Two (http://www.anandtech.com/show/5462/antec-three-hundred-two-stay-cool-budget-enthusiasts). It is pretty impressive, particularly in terms of ventilation. There is a vent on every side, including the top and bottom, with fans pre-installed on the rear and top. I think it has a great internal design for airflow, which again, seems to be a primary concern. It looks fine, though the one you are planning has a better look, IMO. But the 302 is about ~$100 less, so it is worth considering. I like that the one you picked says it has noise-muffling material. The 302 definitely makes some noise because there is so much ventilation, but it doesn't bother me. Just a light swooshing air sound.

[RickyTick]

Looks like a very nice build.

I agree with bighoo on the cpu cooler. It's well worth the $20 - $30 investment.

[RickyTick]

I just noticed the i5-2500 is on sale at Newegg for $195 if you use promo code EMCNFNE23, and it has free shipping right now too.

[inquisitivePC]

Thanks! I unfortunately had to lower the price to sub $800 and so had to choose a few different parts... will post $777 build in new topic.