[Solved] Core system for gaming o/c i5 or o/c Ph II X3?

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: next week

BUDGET RANGE: $800 (Would like to put a max of ~800 into the core components. Preferably less)

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming 80%, 3D design work 20%

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, GPU (for the time being), optical drive (have this already: DVD+/-R/RW 16X 12X +/-DL LS 12X RAM SuperMulti SATA drive). Already have one 500GB hard drive, will get another.

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg, frys, amazon

PARTS PREFERENCES: none

OVERCLOCKING: Yes (on air only)

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Yes crossfire, i like ATI.

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1080, 23" LG. Possibility of running a tripple head (20, 23, 20) in the future.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Torn between paying 110 more for an i5 over a Phenom II x3 Black. I want the mobo/CPU/PSU combo to deal with anything i throw at it for a few years. GPUs etc... I'm going to use an HD4850 for the moment, since most games i play are CPU biased, later I'll buy pair of 4890s or 5XXX series. Do i really need the i5 or will the Phenom II be perfectly capable of dealing with whatever games and GPUs come along? I was leaning towards the AMD setup based on bang for buck but the trouble is i've read a few too many reviews concluding the i5 is really hard to beat in pretty much every type of application (games/number crunching etc). However I can't seem to find a well reviewed hs/cooler for the 1156 socket.

Looking at these components to be combined with either I5 or Phenom II X3:

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822152181 - 54.99

CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power ... - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817139006 - 119.99

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL7D-4GBRH - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231276 - 88.99
(Am i right in thinking this ram will work with AMD and Intel mobos?)

Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811129042 - 54.95

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders w/ Tech Guarantee - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6832116677 - 109.99

Scythe SCKTN-3000 92mm Sleeve "KATANA3" 3Heat Pipes CPU Cooler - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835185096 - 28.69 (can't find a hs/cooler for the i5 socket type!)

Total so far minus mb/CPU: 457.60


The two options:

1. Phenom II X3 720 2.8 Black
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819103649 - 119.99

with:
ASUS M4A78T-E AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131366 - 129.99

Total: 707.59

2. i5-750 2.66
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115215 - 199.99

with:
EVGA P55 LE 123-LF-E653-KR LGA1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813188054 - 169.99
(BTW i chose the i5 motherboard based on reviews of other boards having some bad comments. I need a system that goes together with the least amount of software/ram/BIOS trouble)

Total: 827.85 (assuming a hs/c costs about the same)

Any thoughs or recomendations are much appreciated.

Thanks shortstuff, thats saves a few bucks.

Just a side thought, should i opt for a different case - with enough room for big graphics cards? If so, which one?

You can my an i5 for $160 if you have a microcenter nearby.