[millerm277]

Originally Posted by Athenian200

If I may say so... running a bigger monitor doesn't make a program run better, or even improve the graphics quality.

I assume you mean a higher resolution...in which case, you're somewhat correct, but it sure is nice if you ever want to do much in watching video (especially HD). I personally love widescreens (I've got a Samsung 906BW 19" widescreen), go to a store and try them out, see if you like them. And, personally...I do find a higher resolution to be nicer for games.

He might be able to get triple the ram, but 8GB (which is what my recommendation gave him) is all most motherboards can handle, and games benefit greatly from better RAM. Unless you're building a server, it pays more to have fast RAM than simply more RAM, especially after you hit about 2GB or 4GB. And I'm focused on the future.

Most games won't run on 64-bit windows, therefore...there is no real point to getting over 4GB. I'd say go with DDR3, as while it's more expensive, it still isn't that much in the overall total, and is slightly faster, and is the future.

If he builds the best system now, he can hold off for at least 2-3 years before upgrading, possibly more depending on his needs. People only have to upgrade annually because they go cheaper with their components all the time.

To a point, but...cheapening the components a bit makes sense. You will notice virtually no performance difference, and save a lot of money, and by the time it needs to be upgraded, the more expensive system would too. (Such as with my processor comparison).

I did select a quality power supply that would handle those components, and maybe more.

I like your power supply choice, PC Power and Cooling makes very good stuff as well.

Also, for review sites...be careful with Tom's Hardware, they aren't always truthful, and I recommend HardOCP in addition to the others mentioned.

You can get a nice set of speakers from anywhere from $100 to $500, depending on what you want. (2 speakers, 5 or 7? Subwoofer or no?)