Need Help for a New Build Gaming $1000-$1200

This is the setup I would go with if I had around $1000:

CPU: Intel i5 2500k $230
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Graphics: EVGA GTX 570 $330
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

MoBo: ASRock Extreme 3 $122
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

PSU: Antec High Current Gamer Series HCG-750 750W $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Case: CM HAF 912 $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

HDD: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 7200RPM HDD $85
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

SSD: OCZ Solid 3 60GB $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

RAM: Team Elite 8GB (2 x 4GB) $37
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Heatsink+Fan: CM Hyper 212+ $30
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

DVD-ROM: Sony Optiarc 24X DVD Burner $19
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

OS: Win 7 HP 64bit $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Total: $1203

Explanation:

CPU: The intel i5 2500k is an outstanding CPU in performance. It is only rivaled by a few other CPUs that are far more expensive than the i5 2500k. The closest rival is the i7 2600k, which is basically the i5 2500k with hyper threading and 100Mhz higher stock clock.

Graphics: The gtx 370 is an amazing card that is unbelievable at gaming.

MoBo: The ASRock Extreme 3 Z68 is an amazing motherboard with lots of features, the most notable is the 2 PCIe 3.0 slots, which allows you to CF and SLI in the future.

PSU: 750W PSU that is 80+ bronze certified. It will allow you to SLI AND overclock your CPU without any problems or worries of running out of juice.

Case: The CM HAF series are gaming cases designed for high air flow and since they have great air flow, the case will keep your components cool.

HDD: 500GB of storage space should be more than sufficient for your needs. I would not go higher since the HDD prices are sky high

RAM: 8GB of RAM is more than enough for gaming and everyday applications. You can even suffice on 4GB of RAM but since 8GB is so cheap, might as well pick it up now.

Heatsink+Fan: The CM Hyper 212+ will keep your CPU cool and allow you to OC it without any worries of overheating.

DVD-ROM: 24x DVD reader to watch DVDs and also to install Win 7

OS: Is this really necessary to explain?

Thanks, so what is the use of the SSD?

Better overall system performance and responsiveness. The OS can load as fast as 10 seconds and game load and opening times are greatly decreased.

swap that ocz solid 3 for a crucial m4 and you've got yourself a build.

The SSD is for a boot drive. It is significantly faster than a regular hard drive since it contains no moving parts. It is relatively new technology so the price is higher than standard HDDs. You can drop the SSD if you don't mind waiting a few extra seconds (15 max) for your system to boot up.

also agree with canyou, the m4 is a better SSD, and it's not all that expensive:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

I see. I have no patience so I will get that for sure.

alright! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask and Good luck on your build!

Thank you. I will not hesitate. How come I didn't find this forum sooner?

another couple questions to ask... what monitor(s) will you be using and what's the resolution, and are you close to a microcenter?

While the gtx 570s a great card, cheaper options could definitely handle most games on ultra settings, but if you're gaming on multiple monitors with high resolutions, you'd need the added power. If not, something like a gtx 560 ti, a 6950, or even the cheaper 6870 might be considered to save some dough.
6950 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
6870 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
560 ti - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

i recommend xfx for the amd options because they offer lifetime warranties, and that's awesome.

I ask the microcenter question because the i5 2500k sells there for $179, and if you combo the CPU with a mobo there you get $50 bundle savings. Obviously big savings over the prices on newegg.

also, you get the 2500k if you plan on overclocking. it's easy to bump the processor in the 4.2-4.5ghz range, but if overclocking isn't something you're comfortable with go for the cheaper i5 2500 or the 2400. the i5 2500 is the same exact processor but can't be overclocked, and the 2400 is a couple hundred mhz slower, and also can't be overclocked.

I will just be gaming on a single monitor. It's a 23in LED and with microcenter that price is only available for in store pick up and unfortunately I do not live near one.  

It seems you're all good to go. Good luck on your build!

ahh that's too bad. well with that setup any of the cards shown should offer great performance with whatever games you play. good luck with the build!