Let me get this straight, im selecting a motherboard for my build, I know ill be using LGA 1155 socket, however, what is the difference between a configuration of 1 x PCIe 2.0 x 16 or 2 x PCIe 2.0 x 8 and a secondary PCIe of 8 x PCIe 2.0

Compared to one PCIe 2.0 x 16 and secondary of PCIe 2.0 x 8

I know graphics cards are fitted into these slots, but i want to know the exact details. does it allow for further SLI ETC?

Also, don't sound cards take up PCI Slots? I know how to put it all together, i just need the purchasing details and advantages and disadvantages.

Also what difference will it make that i'll be connecting it to a HDTV till i get another monitor. will i need any other PCIE Cards apart from Video card and sound card?

Firstly.... Yeah you're right the x16 is more specifically for Graphics cards running in SLI/Crossfire, though I think some high end sound cards can make use of it. You can put a slower PCIe card in it though so you don't lose anything by having 2 faster slots, it just allows for more expansion potential in the future. You won't need any other PCIe cards that I can think of.

For your tv you're going to want HDMI and if your tv has selectable HDMI mode you need to set it to game/data etc instead of image/picture otherwise the image will never display properly (being stretched beyond the screen so you lose a small portion of it) some TVs do this automatically.
Also bear in mind that most HDTVs will only support a limited set of resolutions... this is mostly a problem with playing older games that run in 800x600, 1024x768 etc.... (my tv supports them but then nothing from that till 1280x720).

RE: sound card. Note that motherboards these days have sound built-in, usually 5.1 or 7.1, and it's actually pretty decent quality. That's an easy place to save $100, at least until you decide whether or not you'd like to fork over the money for a dedicated sound card.

My tv is 1080P, does that mean it would support 1920x1080? Or would it only be able to go for a lower resolution?

Edit: NVM, Misread.

The configuration you don't need to bother with is x16 and x4. An x4 slot isn't really fast enough for a second graphics card; it's mainly interesting for professional exotica like a dual NIC or a dedicated RAID controller.

x16 and x8 is fine. So is x16 / x8 and x8 (it means that if you install one graphics card, the PCI-e bus runs at x16; if you install two, the PCI-e bus runs both at x8).

If you do get a dedicated sound card, usually it needs only a PCI-e x1 slot (or a PCI slot, depending on the card). Because onboard sound is pretty decent now, the big reason for doing so is for an audiophile or professional sound card, not a "gaming" card.

Another thing to watch is the slot arrangement. Big modern graphics cards are double-width, so they cover the slot below them. If you use a microATX board (which has only 4 expansion slots), you may lose a slot you wanted for another feature.

Also watch for SATA port coverups. Sometimes the SATA ports are set behind the first graphics card slot, and a big graphics card will block most of them. I have one rig where only 2 of the 6 SATA ports are usable because of this.

Sorry but I disagree.... Realtek HD is the most commonly found sound chip in my experience and whilst it's not bad, it's nothing compared to a half decent dedicated sound card. I figured the same thing as you initially and stuck with it but I was always annoyed that the sound quality wasn't on par with my consoles so I purchased a Soundblaster X-FI and the difference is incredible. You need a half decent set of headphones or speakers to really benefit though. (I use a pair of Astro A40's plus Mixamp)


Edit: Cjrgreen's other points about covering up & blocking are very important to take note of though... it's stupid that motherboard makers overlook something as simple as that but they do.

the first thing you should know and everybody's neglected to tell you: don't call it your 'rig'...

i haven't bought a sound card in years. i've built myself 3 or 4 gaming PCs without a dedicated sound card, and never missed it. unless you're a sound aficionado, and you have the necessary higher-end equipment, you'll be fine with onboard-sound. and if you find out you're not, you can always buy a sound card later. i wouldn't make that a priority.

also, towers: decide early on whether you'll stick with stock components, specifically coolers, or whether you'll want to install custom parts. many CPU coolers are too big for even medium towers. invest in a large full tower (Coolermaster HAF-32, for example) if you intend to go all out on your PC's intestines. custom coolers are mandatory if you intend to overclock your components.
if you have no such ambitions, and you really shouldn't have them if you're just getting started, select a nice mid-tower with good cooling, meaning several fans or at least provisions for their installation. you may have to buy 1 or 2 extra fans. make sure you have at least 1 in front and 1 in back to create an air stream. side and top fans may help.

and don't be stingy on the PSU. select a good one (check round-ups online) from a well-known manufacturer, and one that provides more than enough power, with reserves.

go SATA on all your drives, version 2 or 3, as your budget and choice of mainboard allows.

Sound cards use 1x PCI-E ( the small slots), so you don't need to use one of the precious x16 or x8

the x16/x8/x4 etc refer to relative speed. As a rule, you may consider that

one 2.0 PCI-E 8x has a bandwidth capacity equal to one 1.0 16X
while one 2.0 16x has the same capacity as two 2.0 8x

yet it is the card that determines the bandwith actually used. I don't think that cards have saturated the 16x yet, so in practice, for common cards there is little difference between 2.0 x8 and 2.0 x16

Anyway, this only matters if you're interested into sli or crossfire configs. As far as I'm concerned don't advise them, as they tend to multiply PSU requirements and make heat management more difficult, for faily modest gains.

edit : and of course, for SLI / CF, you need a SLI/CF vertified mobo, a compatible PSU ( yeah, 2 sets of GPU cables ), 2 graphic cards supporting the SLI/CF mode and the little bridges that usually come with the cards

Some miditowers - such as the Coolermaster HAF 912 Plus and 922 - are extraordinarily wide and so they can accomodate some pretty considerable CPU coolers. Take my 912 Plus for example: I could easily fit a Noctua NH-U12P-SE2 inside, and though that's not the most powerful CPU cooler around, it's also pretty far from being the most basic.

E: Similarly some full towers are quite narrow. Checking the dimensions is always a good idea.

As far as cases go, I love the Antec 300. Best bang for the buck imho.

When I was building my computer, I had originally looked at the Antec 300 precisely for that very reason. But after giving it some thought, I opted to go with the HAF 922. It's a little more expensive, but I figure it very well may be the last case I ever buy. What term would you suggest?

I have a 300 I think and I love it. There's more refined versions of it out now though.

HAF 932 Advanced is even better, but the HAF 912 and 922 are probably better bargains.

For overclocking, you'll want something better than the stock cooler. Intel stock coolers suck, I can't put it any more bluntly. The best bargain on LGA 1155-compatible coolers is probably the CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Plus; you can spend a lot more without doing a lot better.

I am not fond of Gigabyte's recent motherboards, or Seagate's recent Barracudas. Gigabyte still has a half-ass "Hybrid EFI" BIOS that they claim is partly UEFI compatible but isn't UEFI at all. Gigabyte won't have UEFI until the X79-chipset motherboards. ASUS and MSI have UEFI now. Seagate's quality went to hell in a dragline bucket after they bought Maxtor and hasn't come back.

I prefer ASUS or MSI for motherboards in most cases (watch it with MSI; they have known compatibility issues with G.Skill-branded memory; I use Corsair or Kingston with them), Western Digital over all others for disk drives, and any of Corsair, Antec, or Seasonic (except Antec Basiq) for power supplies.