Building a computer? Need advice/suggestions? Come here!

[Amit]

String together $110 and buy this: HIS HD 4850. It will make you a happy man. No sense in throwing away that cash on something shitty at $80 when $20 more gets you crazy performance.

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

Soon I will be building my friend a computer for personal use (gaming) and recording music for his band.
Does anyone have any good sounds devices to recommend, that will be able to record at high quality?

[Cojafoji]

String together $110 and buy this: HIS HD 4850. It will make you a happy man. No sense in throwing away that cash on something shitty at $80 when $20 more gets you crazy performance.

I can definitely vouch for this.

[Bhamid]

Just remember to get it before stock runs out

[bleach]

[Note: Please go through my entire post before replying because I might have some info already in there.]
So, I need a new, price-performance, watt-performance, durable graphics card to replace a temporary one that has been in my system. I'll probably purchase it within this month of June (when my report card comes in probably 2 weeks later). My budget range is around USD ~$320 after rebates but if it is necessary the absolute max is probably $350 after rebate/coupon. My usage includes gaming (Crysis series, Halo series --no anti-aliasing, maxed settings, 1920 x 1080 resolution), multimedia/entertainment (pictures, videos, movies, etc.), productivity (school stuff), and general stuff like surfing the internet.

My current specs:

• Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate x64
• Intel Core i5 750 2.66 GHz @ 2.66 GHz
• Asus P7P55D Pro Motherboard
• OCZ Platinum Low-Voltage D/C Kit 4 GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 PC3-10666 @ 7-7-7-20
• Western Digital Caviar Green 750 GB WD7500AADS Hard Drive
• ATI Radeon X300 SE 128 MB DDR 64-bit
• Gearhead 24XDVDINTLS DVD Burner Drive
• Cooler Master Extreme Power Plus 600 Watt (RS-600-PCAR-E3) [+12V1=18A, +12V2=18A]
• Antec Three Hundred Mid-ATX Case
• Samsung 2494SW 24" LCD Monitor (1920 x 1080 max supported resolution)

I don't care where I can buy the graphics card, as long as the retail/e-tail is trustworthy, reliable, has good support, and won't charge too much for shipping. (I don't know which is better though: Newegg or Tigerdirect in terms of online stores because Newegg charges me tax and certain products require shipping fee while Tigerdirect doesn't charge tax or shipping at the moment that is.) I need a graphics card that has sufficient drivers/support, an excellent warranty, can overclock to certain clock speeds that will have noticeable improvements but will not require voltage tweaking, can fit in an Antec 300 and be supported by my power supply unit, can last 3 years (but if I wanted, there is a very small chance that I might sell it and this is where any double lifetime warranties would be helpful), has good cooling/fan, is efficient, and won't have a major impact on my other components (such as creating enough heat to cause damage). I'm looking at XFX at the moment because their double lifetime warranty appeals to me and since I live in [southern] California, I suppose I'm eligible for their double lifetime warranty no matter where I buy the card, and no matter the model. However, I'm willing to look at Evga too because they're pretty good also.

GPUs in consideration:

• XFX Radeon HD5850 HD-585X-ZNFC 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 - $303.09 taxed/shipped
• XFX Radeon HD5850 HD-585X-ZAFC 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 - $309.99 shipped
• Sapphire Radeon HD5830 100297L 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 - $218.14 taxed/shipped and after mail-in-rebate
• XFX Radeon HD5830 HD-583X-ZNFV 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 - $309.99 shipped
• I would still like the reference cooler ATI Radeon HD5850 from either Sapphire or XFX if you could find it online.

Again, I can't have a graphics card that will obstruct anything in my case (can't be too long, since the Antec Three Hundred is probably a low-tier computer case) and must have good cooling [sound generated should be within an acceptable acoustic range]. The reason I didn't include the Evga GeForce GTX 465 is because it seems like it is competing more with the ATI HD5830 than it is with the ATI HD5850 in terms of performance, nor the Evga GeForce GTX 470 because my power supply most likely won't support it. As always, I'll be open to other suggestions even if it requires me putting out a bit of my own money (no more than $30-40) since the $300 (give or take + tax/shipping) is being paid by parents.

[Warsaw]

Eh, I think a 600W PSU can get by as long as you only have one GTX470. You have a Lynnfield CPU which helps with power consumption, so you might be able to squeeze it. The minimum spec PSU for the GTX470 is 550W anyways, so there you have it.

Of the ATi cards you listed, it's kind of a no-brainer for the HD5850.

[bleach]

Which cooler for the HD5850 is better? the 585X-ZNFC or 585X-ZAFC? (Reference cooler I guess was discontinued because the custom fans and whatnot is cheaper for XFX to make?).

[bleach]

Sorry for doublepost and bump but I have a question different from the one above (resolved). I'm thinking about selling my Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus 600W RS-600-PCZR-E3 (with box, item(s) that came with power supply which was basically a manual, and the power supply itself) and buying Corsair CMPSU-650TX non-modular power supply for $69.99 (MIR = $20, tax exempt, free shipping), since I'm in a monetary drought. I bought the Cooler Master power supply at Fry's in January and it doesn't have any problems. But I want to upgrade my power supply to fit my needs and future proof it. What do you guys think?

[Cortexian]

+50 Watts isn't worth upgrading over, but Corsair makes better quality PSU's than CM from what I've read. Future-proofing a PSU is buying a good quality 1000+ wall PSU now, because if you treat it right it'll last you for 5+ years.

Unless the power connector standards change. Unlikely.

[bleach]

I just don't trust my current power supply to run 3-4 hard drives, 2-3 optical drives, and CPU/GPU overclocks in the future and I've also heard good reviews regarding Corsair's power supplies. I only need a power supply to last 3 years as when I graduate high school, I'm getting a notebook, as a gift. During those 3 years though, I need it to be very efficient and sturdy.

EDIT: Am I going to benefit more from the Corsair CMPSU-650TX than I am with the Cooler Master eXtreme Power+ 600?