How does this CPU/Mobo combo look as the foundation for a build?

No. If you are going to spend that much money on a CPU/mobo, then i7 is the way to go, it will outperform the Q9650 in almost everything and can be overclocked like crazy.

On top of that, the 790i chipset is flaky and unstable. I would not recommend it under any circumstances. If you want SLI, you should go with i7/x58.

If you don't want to go to the i7 platform, then you should go with the P45 chipset and go for xfire.

Oh, spending over 1500 isn't a problem... if I go the Intel route I'm looking at probably EVGA x58, 6GB Corsair DDR3-1600, 2x 285's in SLI with a 300GB VelociRaptor and a 1TB Caviar Black.

If I go for AMD I'm looking at probably either a 940 BE with 2x 4870x2's or a 720 BE with 2x 4870's. Unless I get a 4850x2 I basically have to CF or SLI, I'll be running 3 monitors, so I need 3x DVI outputs.

I was going with the Corsair Dominators when I specced out an i7 build.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820145224

I'd go i7 myself. If you're going to spend that amount of money, get the better product.

If money isn't an object to you, then you can get those dominators, but if you look at the specifications, the OCZ's actually look better. They have tighter timings and can run below 1.65 volts, which is the limit for memory voltages on the i7. Many mobo's won't let you run at 1.65 volts, you have to run at either 1.64 or 1.66, and I have read reviews where people couldn't get those dominators stable unless they ran at 1.66v. Now 1.66v is actually probably fine, but I don't like to run anything on voltages higher than the manufacturer ok's, so its too high for me.

But the OCZ's are cheaper, and I think better ram. Dominators are overpriced IMO, although they are very good ram.

Definitely go i7 here.

The Corsair Dominators are nice if you can afford it, but here are my favorite Mushkins: link. However, they are perennially out of stock.

Don't know what your overclocking plans are, but Mushkin has also just released this very sweet set of RAM: link, which I would also expect to be perennially out of stock.

The mushkins look very nice, but expensive!!

Quite true. Lets give it a month and see where those prices wind up.

Like the advice here, the 7 series nVidia based motherboards are ridicously overpriced, they should be priced as bargain basement boards. Why anyone would buy one of these at the prices they demand is beyond my reasoning.