My first project

Hello Tom's!

I have been wanting to build my own system for years now, but I just never really had the knowledge or the funds for it. I'm working full-time now, and although I'm not exactly rolling in dough, I am pulling in a little extra every month. My birthday just passed last week, and when my fiance had asked me what I wanted for a present, I had spontaneously answered that I wanted a new tower. I've never built my own tower before, and although the handful of $700 gaming towers we've bought off of Craigslist are much better than average, they aren't really performing as dreamily as I'd hoped.

Of course, I don't exactly have the funds to jump in with both feet. My plan is to pick out a processor, mobo, and chassis first, and then pick up the rest month to month. That sounded simple enough...but here I am a week and 100+ pages of research and specs later, still chasing my own tail. So, that's when I decided I may need some (or a lot of) expert help.

General Specs (Tentative)

OS: Windows 7 Ultimate-64
Processor: Core i7-950 w/ Cooler Master Intel Core i7 compatible V8 RR-UV8-XBU1-GP 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler
Mobo: *Refer below*
PSU: ???
GPU: *Refer below*
RAM: 4GBs initially ~ 8GBs (or more, need advice) finally
Sound: ???

Chassis: ??? (Will want steel full-tower chassis)
Cooling: ???

Processor, Mobo, Chassis

I have decided on a processor: the Core i7-950. That is, unless you guys feel I should go with something else. I am also contemplating on a Cooler Master Intel Core i7 compatible V8 RR-UV8-XBU1-GP 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler; again, need your opinion on the product. I have not been able to decide on a mobo due to a) the number of mobo's and specs out there (all with conflicting reviews), and b) I don't know if I should be using SLI, or just stick with one GPU. I do know for sure that I want to go with Intel & nVidia products, if that's any help.

I have yet to even look at any chassis; although I plan to buy the chassis first, I want to have every component picked out already so that I can make sure everything will fit comfortably and correctly.

GPU

At this point, I am still unsure about the whole SLI thing. In terms of performance, what is the difference between running a GTX 480 and 2 x GTX 460's? What are the drawbacks? Any relevant information you can give me? I understand the concept and everything, just haven't read any real feedback from consumers. Thanks.

I guess that about wraps it up for now. Hope to hear from you guys soon, in the mean time I'll keep doing research. Thanks!