Some Question's from my side :
CPU :
Xeon gaming and normal apps - How is Xeon on Gaming and Normal PC applications?
i7 Extreme Sandy Bridge - Is this required for my usage and will it be worth it?
Core i7 First Gen Core systems - So Sandy Bridge Extreme Processors are very expensive but 970 and 980 6 core Westmere CPU's cost only $500.Is that a bargain and Is buying 1 year old processors good?
i7 2600K - Will this be enought for me?
i5 2500K - Will this be enought for me?
For your uses, with the photo and video editing and virtual PCs, an i7 would benefit you. Go for the 2600k. The 970 and 980 does have 6 cores with hyperthreading, but the 2600k has 4 cores and hyperthreading. The difference is that if you get a good enough cooler, you can overclock the CPU to 4.5-5Ghz.
Core vs thread - so AMD vs Intel,AMD provides more Cores but Intel does threading.Whats the difference?
Duration Without Update - How long each of them will be enough to perform the heavy task applications,2-3 years?
The 8-core CPUs AMD came out with are not that good. I would stick with intel for your uses.
Motherboard :
Sound Card - Is it Required or Motherboard will take care of it
Wi-Fi Card - Is it Required or Motherboard will take care of it
Blue-tooth Card - Is it Required or Motherboard will take care of it
SATA 3 and PCI-E 3
Duration Without Update - How long will this be enough to perform the heavy task applications,2-3 years?
Sound card on the MoBo can work, but I just switched to an actual card and its absolutely amazing.
You'll have to buy a separate wifi card. You can get one that plugs into the PCI slot, or a USB one. USB is a little better because you can get an extender and put it where you want.
You'll need a bluetooth card, too.
Most new MoBos come with SATA 3, and a few with PCI-E 3.0. PCI-E 3.0 might be a good idea if you're thinking of using this PC for many years to come.
With 1155 CPU socket motherboards, a BIOS update will allow you to upgrade to the new Ivy Bridge CPUs that are coming out.
RAM :
Channels - How many channels is good?
Speed - Whats the difference between different 'mhz'?
Duratin Without Update - How long will this be enough to perform the heavy task applications,2-3 years?
2 channels is all you get/need with a 1155 board.
The faster the speed, the faster the RAM. Most users get 1600mhz.
I would say to get 16GB of RAM for your uses. G. skill and corsair are favorites. Look for 16GB of 1600mhz RAM @1.5 volts and the lowest of timings.
GPU:
Cores - I read this when checking out Nvidia Cards,they have 100's of cores.What do they mean?
Speed - How much is good as in 'hz'?
Bandwidth - How much bandwidth is good?
Duration Without Update - How long will latest GPU's be enough to perform the heavy task applications,2-3 years?
You'll want to look at generations more than Mhz. top of the line for Nvidia is the 580, 570, 560 ti, and 560. For AMD, its 7970, 6970, 6950, 6870. Just depends on how much money you want to spend on it.
Heatsinks and Coolers:
Are liquid Coolers really required?
Fans vs Liquid Coolers?
Are heatsinks required?
What all components can and should have heatsinks and cooler?I see them on RAM these days
Heatsinks and fans are required on the CPU and GPU. Air is just as sufficient as liquid and a lot less hassle. Liquid would be for extreme overclocking.
Most RAM will have a heat spreader on it so it displaces the heat more evenly.
Power Supply - How Many Watts Should my Power Supply be and what all Sockets Should it have?
Depends. If you're thinking of getting two graphics cards, a 750w-850w is recommended. If just one, 650w would be plenty.
The main thing to look for is quality of parts and amps on the 12V rail. Good brands are seasonic, silverstone, antec, corsair, pc power and cooling, and xfx.
Optical Drive - Should I buy a Blu-ray Drive?
If you have blurays and want to play them.
