Im a relative newby when it comes to this stuff, but Ive always wanted to try my hand a building my own gaming computer. Ive been doing a lot of research on which components to use and Ive selected a few, yet Im unsure about my choices. I was hoping to get some advice on whether the components Ive selected are a wise choice and maybe some suggestions for what I still need to procure.

So far Ive chosen the AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000 for my processor. Ive been ready many reviews on this CPU and I hear its pretty fast, although it does generate a ton of heat. What kind of cooling system should I get?

For memory, Ive chosen the Corsair XMS2 2GB 240-Pin DDR2. Reviews say this is one of the best.

Finally Im thinking about the Samsung SP2004C SATA II 200GB 7200RPM for my hard drive. I was told that ancillary components such as hard drive arent as important as far as brand names like the CPU or motherboard.

With this, Im having problems selecting a motherboard. From what Im finding ASUS seems to be the dominant board as far as gaming machines go, yet Im stumped about which model is the best for me. Also, going on the ASUS website for motherboard comparisons and punching in the specs above doesnt give me the option of selecting either of ATI or nVidias top boards (GeForce and Radeon). I know this is probably the most important component aside from the CPU, so any advise is appreciated as well as suggestions the for the remaining components.[/b]