Review before i purchase

I just wanted to know what you guys think of my rig and hopefully i can get some positive feedback.  Should i change anything major? Im pretty content with what i have now, but im always open for suggestions from someone who might know more about pc's than me (dont take that lightly, i am experienced in the field)

Anyway, simple rules i would like to point out:

I DONT want to surpass $2,000.00

I will be adding another 2 gigs of ram in the future

I will be adding a sound card in the future

I dont want anything to be overclocked

I have disc drives already, and 2 other HDD's im installing manually when i receive the comp

This rig is for a college course (Game and Simulation Programming) Im majoring in this field, i will be using this comp to build/test/play games with high levels of processer performance and DX10 support

Thanks! and happy reviewing!  (ps, dont be shy, i think i can handle the truth)

 

Rig:

Case: Digital Storm 450Si (Black Aluminum Edition)
Power Supply: 750W Corsair HX (Dual SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 2.5GHz (1333MHz FSB) (6MB Cache)
Motherboard: nVidia 780i Core 2 Quad (nForce 780i SLI)
Memory: 2GB DDR2 Corsair at 800MHz XMS2
Floppy / Card: - No Thanks
Hard Drive 1: 320GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM) (SATA)
Hard Drive 2: - No Thanks
Raid Option: - No Thanks
Hard Drive 3: - No Thanks
Optical Drive 1: - No Thanks
Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks
Network Card: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Video Card: nVidia GeForce 9800GTX 512MB
TV Tuner: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Motherboard Multi-Channel High Definition Audio
Physics Card: - No Thanks
Cooling: Air Cooled Stage 3 WindTunnel (Copper Heatpipe Heatsink & Zalman Case Fans)
Case Lighting: - No Thanks
Round Cables: - No Thanks
User Manual: Personalized Platinum Digital Storm Binder (Includes Paperwork/Benchmarks/CDs/Manuals)
Overclock Processor: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my processor
Overclock Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Overclock Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
Tweak Windows: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (64-Bit Edition) (For Enthusiasts)
Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based)
Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Benchmarking: - No Thanks
Pre-Install Game: - No Thanks
LCD Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks my keyboard comes with a mouse
Warranty: 3 Year Platinum Care Extended Parts & Labor Warranty

 

i like most of it, id go for the 9450 over the 9300 personally

 

dont know why you would need 3 HDDs unless you are going to use them externally id narrow it to 2 at most

-9450 (not overclocked)

-stage 2

-(you have to custom order this): tell DSO that you want to have them install a 5.25x3 intake in the front, have them place a 120mm scythe/zalman fan in there

 

this will provide very ample cooling for a stock processor in the 450i, and leave you the room to overclock it later should you choose to. my board is asus, so this also cools my ram, but i dont know what the 780 layout is.

 

*edit* the fans will run you about $15 a peice, extra for the mount. but the money that you save choosing the 450i case will MORE than make up for the value of the cooling you will be getting.

 

Also a snippit from tomshardware:

 

" the Geforce 8 and 9 require a basic level of power, otherwise they are unable to exploit their 3D potential. The speed of the CPU should lie somewhere between 2600 and 3000 MHz; any lower, and the new graphics chips lose considerable performance"

 

Youre right on the cusp of that level with a Q9300. A mild overclock of it would allow you to use the full potental of the 98GTX, Keep in mind though at stock, you probably would lose little or none at all. But just so info id like to get out there.