Never done this before...so yeah.

Centurion 5 case $50
Q6600 $273 (mwave.com)
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R $130
2GB Patriot DDR2800 $74
Corsair 520HX $99 (buy.com)
Arctic Freezer 7 Pro $22 (directron.com)
Seagate 320GB $80
EVGA 8800 640MB $350


Total: $1078 after $75 rebate.

Not bad, but I would switch the CPU to an e6420 (OCs very well), or if you arent oCing, a e6850 for around $275
I wouldnt choose a P35 mobo, as they are rather new, and pricey and dont offer the best bang for the buck. For that price I would get a ASUS P5W DH Deluxe or an Intel BadAxe 2.
Lower-priced choices are the MSI P6N SLI, and the Gigabyte GA965PDS3, as well as other Gigabyte and ASUS P965 and 650i SLI boards.

Cases are a personal preference, but the CM Centurion 5 is a little weak in terms of airflow for that setup. I would go for a case w/ at least two 120mm fans. A budget option is the CM Centurion 534 for the same price.

If he is running a 20" LCD, he might want to go for a 320mb GTS, as that res is borderline. The HSF, PSU, and HD are very very good choices...

Dont forget a SATA DVD Burner. SONY or SAMSUNG will do, but my personal preference is Lite-On.

Good LucK!

Thanks for your responses! I don't think I'll need to go with a quad core at this point...I know about the price drop, but it still doesn't seem necessary for a value gaming system.

I have read the only difference between the e6420 and e6600 is the mulitplier (for overclocking?) and getting the 6420 to reach 3.X area just produces more heat. Will I still need a 3rd party cooler (such as Artic Freezer) for the cpu if I plan to overclock it this way? Or will a case with better airflow (such as the recommended Centurion 534 w/2 fans) and intel's factory fan/heatsink be sufficient?

Another question, if I chose the GA-P35-DS3R board instead of the GA-965-PDS3, will I be achieving any noticeable improvement in performance either in gaming or applications? Again, thanks for your help.

You will be able to OC on the stock cooler, but you can achieve better results with after market heatsinks... If you are going to OC get an aftermarket heatsink.