My new system, need pointers

Running out of time to respond to this for a bit, but you should be able to use newer tech and still reach the same price point.

CPU - i5-760 - $209
Mobo - Asus P7P55D-E Pro - $180, currently out of stock, but best P55 mobo around
RAM - Corsair XMS3 CL9 1600 MHz 4 GB kit - $70
GPU - Zotac 1 GB GTX 460 - $190 (-$20 MIR)
HDD - Seagate 7200.12 1 TB - $70, or a Samsung Spinpoint F3 1 TB for $5 more
ODD - cheapest SATA DVD burner - $16
Monitor - Acer 21.5" 1920x1080 - $140
PSU - Corsair 650TX - $90 - free shipping (-$20 MIR)
Case - Antec 300 Illusion - $70 - free shipping
OS - Win 7 Home Premium - $100

EDIT (bad math, thanks to vindictive for the correction):
$1135 - no taxes, MIRs, shipping, or combos accounted for

Keyboard & mouse extra, but can be had for less than $20 at the low end.

the raidmax tower i have has a 500W power supply with it, which is enough to power the gtx 460. is the power supply in this model not very reliable? if i keep my current tower and psu then i save $80 that can either be saved or spent elsewhere.

With no details on the power supply in the item description, the safe assumption is that it is unreliable.

This recent article is an interesting read on power supplies.

With the mail-in rebates counted, the build above is already saving you $80.  

I agree with coldsleep's build.. however I am partial to the Samsung 1TB ( i don't rcomend any drives higher they jst are not reliable above 1TB imo) i am unfamiliar with zotac brand so I cannot comment.. also I am partial to the haf 922 case which is about the same price. Everything else from coldsleep looks great if you plan to overclock, you will want to use an aftermarket cooler though.. like the Hyper 212+

i don't know what math you are doing, but that build is well over $1000 after rebates.

1135

is there a big difference between the 760 and 750 to justify the extra 10-15 dollars. also, i don't need the best p55 mobo around, i'm aiming for medium-medium high that is focused on graphics and not computing power. games don't stress your cpu nearly as much as your cpu. this is probably the weakest part of my knowledge is good cpu/mobo combo and the compatible RAM.

760 gives a multiplier of 21. 750 has x20. if OCin get 760. ram= mushkin enhanced blkline 2x2gb ddr3 1600 cas 7

Clearly I forgot something when I was adding, what with being in a rush to get out the door. Perhaps the motherboard.

Suggested alterations:
-$10 switch CPU to the i5-750
-$35 switch mobo to ASRock P55 Extreme4 - 8x/8x, USB 3.0, SATA 6.0 Gb/s
or -$60 for this Gigabyte P55 USB3 - no SATA 6.0 Gb/s, but USB 3.0 is probably more important overall.

Could go with a cheaper case/PSU, though the above gets you below $1100, in theory.

I'd recommend against going with the last-gen tech that was originally being considered. Needing the monitor makes it hard to get any powerful build under $1000. It can be done, but it would require switching to an AMD build, which the OP indicated being against.

what about this mobo:

ASUS P7P55D Deluxe LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel

after a MIB it comes down to $120.