I'm currently considering building my own Desktop after I about an additional month of working. I did a quick check and was pleasantly surprised that an AMD build is significantly cheaper than an i7 build.

Here's my current parts list, I need some advice and opinion on the parts in general (cost saving ideas?) and AMD processors (have not had experience with them) and PSU suggestions as well. I've used the link Penguin Paul provided some time ago (thanks dude!) and it came up with about 420-480W.

1. COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
2. Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
3. ASRock M3A780GXH/128M AM3 AMD 780G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
4. EVGA 896-P3-1170-AR GeForce GTX 275 896MB 448-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
5. SUPER TALENT 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model WA133UX6G8 - Retail
6. AMD Phenom II X4 810 2.6GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor Model HDX810WFGIBOX - Retail
7. Sony Optiarc 24X DVD/CD Rewritable Drive Black SATA Model AD-7240S-0B - OEM

I was thinking of getting this but I'm not sure if its overkill.

Newegg.com - RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-530SS 530W ATX12V V2.2/ EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Modular LED Power Supply - Power Supplies

Or would it be more practical to get this?

Newegg.com - hec HP585D RETAIL 585W ATX12V Power Supply - Power Cord Included - Power Supplies

I didn't look at everything but I do have some things to note about it.
1. That board has 3 PCI-e x16 slots. Now unless you are planning on doing a triple card SLI you might want to get a board that has less of those slots and more PCI slots because PCI slots are used for more cards than PCI-e x16; those are pretty much used for only graphics cards. Thats what I would do.
2. That board only has dual channel & you are getting a triple channel kit; are you planning on a triple channel set up? With 6 gb and 3 sticks you might as well. However with that set up (3 sticks) on that board you won't even get dual channel because you either need 2 sticks or 4 to get dual channel.
3. With the processor you are getting a really powerful one; you need to think about what you are using your computer for & decide if you need one that powerful or if you wouldn't mind saving money by getting a slightly (almost unnoticeable) slower processor or maybe even a dual core. However that depends on what you do with your computer. When it comes to heavy game playing the emphasis is more on the graphics card than the processor. If you do a lot of video editing or run heavy computational programs then go for it.
4. Hard drive. Can you spend a little more and get more. I found a Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda LP ST31000520AS 1TB 5900 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive - Internal Hard Drives for $80. On the other hand I like having my operating systems on 1 drive and my data on another. What about an external for backup?
Just a few thoughts that went through my head but like I said I didn't go through everything.

Thanks Town those are very good points.

I didn't actually give this much thought as what I did was basically just swap the motherboard and processor out from a previous i7 build I had in mind. Totally forgot about the triple channel kit, thanks for reminding.

Right now the hard disk seems decent enough for me because I've an external 1TB and with my lappie coming into play for work... I may not need as much. However, it is something I'm still considering since the price/value of a 1TB is much higher.

I would very much like to run triple SLI, but as I was gaming earlier I remembered that would pull up my PSU cost as well. Not to mention I'm unsure how far I should plan ahead.

As to the processor... I'll keep that in mind. I picked that earlier with thoughts that I'll be doing video and photo editing due to the nature of Mass Comm majors but after you mentioning it... I'm still surviving on a C2D laptop so I should be able to downclock a lil. Any recommendations?

Originally Posted by Kaistar

However, it is something I'm still considering since the price/value of a 1TB is much higher.

Do you mean isn't?

I found this processor: Newegg.com - Socket AM3, Triple-Core, Processors - Desktops, CPUs / Processors, Computer Hardware
A triple core thats a little faster but only a savings of $25. Its up to you but sounds to me like you'll need the power. I did discover that you picked out the cheapest quad-core pheom. The only way to go down anymore is to get one with less cores. Which will probably have a more significant performance impact than dripping the frequency a little. I've heard (from a friend) that doing so should save a lot but I think that was for an i7. I think that the i7 is overpriced and overrated but it has been over 3.5 years since I built a computer so I'm slightly out on the technology.

I meant "is", as in I'm considering a 1TB as the price may be higher but so is the value. Bang for buck wise, the 1TB is much better.

Yeah the i7 IS overpriced. I've not tried it so I'm not sure if its overrated, but my circle of friends are gravitating less to it. They're waiting for the i5 but I'm skeptical.

Yeah I picked the cheapest Phenom II X4. But I was surprised at the price and the clock rate when compared to similar Intel processors.

Thanks to your heads up I did a check and was somewhat disappointed that AMD has yet to develop triple channel. Or rather, none of their boards support it yet. I've always went along with Intel so suffice to say AMD builds aren't my forte.

Btw, interesting read I have found on processor comparison and current technology. It focuses on AMD processors but lightly touches on i7 as well. Lots of benchmarking.

AnandTech: The Phenom II X4 810 & X3 720: AMD Gets DDR3 But Doesn't Need It

I don't think that you need a motherboard that specifically says it supports triple core processors but I think all you need to do is match the socket type. The socket for the CPU has to be the same as the MB. I might read your article later and get back to you but I don't have time now.

Oh, I meant triple channel as in the RAM. Not triple cores. I'm still debating with myself the 810, 720 and 920. Core speed vs L3 cache vs Cores.

Update: I've gotten some additional funds and have re-picked most of the parts. Upped the processor for more cache and core speed, dropped the RAM to a lower clock speed and changed the motherboard due to concerns for future upgrades.

AMD Phenom II x4 945 3.0Ghz 95w TDP
G.Skill DDR3 1333 PC10666 2x2GB
MSI 790GX-G65 board.