I've narrowed my choice down to either 9600 gt in sli
 
or 8800gts
 
I'm open to other selections but under no circumstances can price go over $310 as that is my absolute max in terms of what I will buy.

I've got your first option in my current build and I'm pretty satisfied with it. It was pretty easy to set up too. What are your specs? I mean obviously you have a MoBo that will do SLi right?

 
http://secure.newegg.com/Shopping/ [...] 130358%7c2

Here are better deals on Hard drive and PSU

1) Save $30 on same PSU

http://www.buy.com/retail/usersear [...] isplay=col

2) Instead of two SLOW 250GB drives for $120..get this FASTER 500GB drive for $85

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Prod [...] t=celebros

or this FASTER 640GB drive for $99

http://www.buy.com/prod/western-di [...] 27115.html

Now regarding your question... which monitor do you have ? At what res do you play? 9600GT beats 8800GTS.

http://firingsquad.com/hardware/ge [...] /page9.asp

Though the Radeon 4870 should beat 9600 SLI.

I presume your main usage is gaming.   For the games you will play and the resolutions you will play at, go to tom's vga charts to see if a good  single card or a sli configuration will be better.   Then pick.   I am not a fan of the complexity of sli.
 
SLI has been a poor upgrade path in the past.  It should be used only by
those who will not currently be satisfied by the fastest available single vga card
which is currently the 9800GX2.  The new 9800GTX or 8800GTS-512 offer very good performance for the money.    
To get SLI. you have to spend more up front for a SLI capable mobo, and a  
more powerful SLI capable PSU.  Upgrading a single card later with a
second equal card does not get you 2x increase, it is more like 1.1x to 1.5x depending on the game.
At that time, you will still be paying top dollar for a card that is closer to  
being obsolete.  A higher end card will likely appear before summer.  It would be better to sell the old card and use the proceeds  
towards a better new generation single card.
 
On your build, a 9800GTX would save you money.   A non-sli mobo could save you $100, a smaller psu would save you $40, A E8400 would be better for gaming and save you $20....  etc... Pretty soon, even the 9800GX2 would not cost you more.   My strategy would be to get An EVGA 9800GTX.  If you love it, then great.   If you still want more, then you can  use the "step-up" program for the new 260 unit.  
 
---good luck----
   

I like everything but this....

Sorry but that thing is F-U-G-L-Y......it's like the opposite of pigeon-toed.....it makes the Antec 900 look like an even better piece of art!

 
yea what mobo would you recommend if i decide to eliminate sli from this and future builds? you're steering me back to single card now
 

 
mad lol? no other full tower case with that rating for anywhere near as cheap even if it sort of makes me look like a ricer of the pc world

I would suggest a P35 based board from Asus or Gigabyte.   Perhaps a basic board like the Gigabyte  GA-EP35-DS3L for $89.99  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813128337   P35 is good because they have been out for a while and the Bios'es  are now mature.   Check the features you might want to see if  a more expensive variant is needed.  IE. do you need more than 4 sata ports or 6 usb ports?  If so, look at the DS3R.   Only if you are looking for the very highest overclocks would a X38/48 board be appropriate.
 
As to the case, that is a personal choice.  Almost any case is ok.   I don't like "bling" or fussy front doors.   How about the Antec Three Hundred? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811129042  It will hold all your stuff, have good front to back ventilation, and come with dust filters.   Shop around though, shipping can add much to the cost.