Hard Drive and Memory

Hi all! This is my first post, so be nice.

I've been scouring this forum for a week now and have decided to go with Tony's build (for the most part). It works for him, right? The only changes I see that are necessary are an upgrade to the GA-P55M-UD4 main board and the addition of a wireless card, thanks to matix. I might opt for a different PSU as well.

Am I able to use any hard drive? Obviously I want a SATA drive to match the motherboard, and I understand there are concerns when approaching 1TB of storage. I don't need that much, so I'm not worried there. My question is, are there any brands that don't conform to Apple specs? As long as I have a SATA drive, does it matter which one I go with?

The same question applies to memory. I've checked out builds on here and everyone's memory seems to be from a different manufacturer.

I just want the least expensive solution possible and I'm unsure if I need to conform merely to my motherboard or to my motherboard AND Apple specs as with other hardware.

And while I'm here, thank you Tony for your tireless efforts! Without you I wouldn't have mustered up the courage to start on this path. Other sites are confusing and contradictory at best. It's good to see that you and your group strive to filter out all the nonsense and misinformation AND stay current.

Patrick

I'm using a WD 1TB drive as my boot drive without any problems and a WD 2TB drive for storing data.

Apparently the P55 chipset is fussy about memory, so I suggest you only use memory recommended for your motherboard, which you can find on the Gigabyte website.

Enjoy!

As for RAM, once you decide on which Mobo you want, check what others are using with these boards.

One thing you might want to consider is to take low-profile RAM if you plan on using supersized coolers.

Good Luck with your build,
Lnx2Mac