Here's what I'm looking to get now. This is based on suggestions and recommendations across many sites.
I am going to use an old 8800GTS until the new 700-series Nvidia cards are out next month.
Since I'm not overclocking, I'm not sure if I even need an after-market cooler.
I still need a case, one that handles temperature well and is good at mitigating dust would be preferred. Any recommendations are welcome! (I'm kinda leaning towards a Define 4 mid-size tower right now.)
PCPartPicker part list /
Price breakdown by merchant /
Benchmarks
CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($129.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Redline 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($259.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Corsair Neutron Series GTX 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($187.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($177.85 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 660W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($127.55 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS29 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1172.34
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-25 20:42 EDT-0400)