Buying a New Rig: Thoughts Please

Hello all,

I'm getting close to buying a new rig and moving into my new office; and with Windows 7 coming out, I figure I'll be ordering this soon. This is overkill for work, but not 5-boxing. Being that it's my business, it's tax-deductible! My work related stuff is spreadsheets, internet, and Bloomberg. I'm looking at spending around $3k on a quality system that can be upgraded easily so that I can get 4-5 years of life out of some of the parts. (If in 3 years I'm buying a whole new system then I probably spent too much and should have kept the price tag to about $2k.) I've never built a computer before, but I've changed out enough cards, memory, etc. over the last 20 years to think I'm capable of it. Besides support from Dell / HP these days sucks, as do the compromises they make. Thoughts appreciated.

Here's so far what I'm putting together: (all from NewEgg)

Intel i7 920 for $279.99
12GB Corsair Dominator DDR3 Triple Channel for $429.98
ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX for $289.99
WD VelociRaptor 300GB for $229.99
Plextor 24X DVD/CD Writer for $44.99
Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound for $6.99 (Is this really an upgrade? Is it easy to apply?)
Case options:
Antec 902 ATX Mid Tower for $119.95
Antec 1200 750W ATX Full Tower for $249.99
Optional?: Zalman 120mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler for $66.99

Sub-Total: Pre-Case I'm at $1281.93 and I'm not sure I need the CPU cooler. Assuming the cooler and the 1200 case, I'm at $1598.91, and now...

Graphics Cards: As I mentioned earlier, I'm looking to keep this computer a while and upgrade it. The primary upgrades over time will be processor, graphics and RAM. So just like I went with the i7 920, I'm thinking of going for a fast enough GPU to 5box and then upgrade it every year by buying the best card at a certain price point. Best at $200?

Choice seems to be ATI 4890 vs. Nvidia GTX 260. Performance seems close but edge to ATI and ATI has HDMI output (which I'm not sure I'll need/want.) I'm usually partial to Nvidia, but it seems that the ATI 4890 is the pick.

Price with Graphics at $200: $1798.91

Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit 1-pack OEM for $179.99 (Can I get this or do I have to buy the full retail version at $319.99?)

Price pre-monitors and accessories: $1978.90 at OEM price

Monitors: I like buying them at retail so I can see them live and return them that day if they're not what I expect. Buying 2 at $300 each or so. Looking to run main toon on a full screen, probably 24" widescreen 1900x1200 and four followers on the other.

Price now about $2578.90. I've got tons of keyboard, mice, speakers etc.

My last decision seems to be an SSD drive. I'm leaning towards Intel for the performance, stability, etc. (I have to do some work), but the price does seem insane. The 80GB seems too small, but the 160GB is $659.00. I'm thinking of building the system as is for now and see how it goes before upgrading to SSD.

Thoughts appreciated!

Thank you.

Get rid of the velociraptor and put in a cheap ($100) SSD for WoW (and your other gaming needs). I use the RiData MLC 32GB SSD and it works like a charm. Everyone telling you that you need some expensive Intel version is wrong, IMHO.

check out the configurator for i7 machines at www.buyxg.com. You can the same system I did for $1,500, including a much nicer video card than the 260.