danhasmail,
So, it sounds like from what you've said so far, that you probably aren't doing anything really CPU intensive. Unless you're doing 3D CAD, 3D Graphics Design, high-end audio/video editing, etc, then you don't
need the Core i7, and you won't likely see the difference over a quad core Core i5. So if you'd like to save a little money towards the SSD (solid state drive), I'd highly suggest going with the Core i5.
Also, the motherboard you picked is definitely overkill for most people. Unless you are planning on using all the bells and whistles, you could easily save a bundle there as well. You could save between $100 and $200 to get a more basic board.
Your choices aren't bad, it's just I don't really think you'll see the benefit of them. If you drop the price put into the motherboard, CPU, and RAM (also - didn't mention this one yet) to more reasonably priced stuff, then you won't have to add to your budget for the SSD.
Also, I'd suggest comparing the Samsung F3 drives with the one you picked. Especially if you end up swapping the large drive over to data usage, the Samsung's are about the fastest things, mechanical, right now. Some of the WD drives outpace them for app performance, but not pure transfer throughput (which is what would matter for the data drive). Again, what you've got picked isn't bad, but that might be a better option.
As a for instance, a few months ago, I custom-built a system for someone with these things in mind:
1. Performance that should still be plenty good in 3 to 5 years for most stuff - web, email, office apps (including Quickbooks), etc
2. Stability for the same time period.
3. Backup - well, this may not matter for your usage, I don't know.
What I ended up putting together was a Core i5 with 8GB of DDR3 Ram, Windows 7 Pro, some lower mid range or mid range graphics card (I forget which), and 3 Samsung F3 drives. 2 of them 500GB, and one 1TB. Besides that, picked up an external drive that actually has a 7 year warranty! First I'd seen with such a long warranty. I can't remember the name/model of that one at the moment. Oh, we did use an Asus board with SATA3/USB3 capabilities, and still didn't spend but maybe half of what your current mobo selection costs.
That system is a screamer in my opinion. I don't think you could actually "see" or "feel" the difference - in most circumstances - unless it were running of a good SSD vs the mechanical hard drive. That was an option we dropped at the time, to cut some of the total cost. Of course, since that time, there have been significant drops in some SSD prices.
Also, on Windows 7, if you're a NewEgg email list member, whatever it's called, I forget, they had a sale just recently where you could get Win 7 Pro - Full Edition, I believe for less than what you've got listed on the upgrade - would save another $40.
All that said, you have to make the final call. If it were me, I'd save the money on the mobo, cpu, and ram, and invest that in the SSD - you'll get way more bang for your buck.
As for the graphics card, my opinion is go with a low to mid range card for now. Then if you decided to jump into any real gaming, you can upgrade then. Graphics cards change so fast, you could end up SAVING money in the long run if you got later what you want to get now.
Sorry for the word count, there. I've been out of sorts lately, and seems I'm having a harder time keeping my verbiage in check!
![[blush]](/data/assets/smilies/blush.gif "[blush] [blush]")
