First Time Build: $1000 Gaming Rig Questions

[deathbylag]

Hey Guys!

This is my first time building a PC and I was hoping to get some comments on my tentative build so that I don't end up making a "rookie" mistake. I've done some research the last couple of weeks into the parts on my list but I really haven't found a great option for a 20"-23" monitor so any suggestions relating to monitors would be especially appreciated.

Approximate Purchase Date: Within the next few weeks (unless there are any known price drops that will be occurring sometime after that).

Budget Range: Ideally under $1,000 just for the computer and an additional $150-$200 for a decent monitor.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Solidworks Simulations, Internet Surfing, Music, Videos.

Are you buying a monitor: Yes, am looking to buy a 20"-23" monitor. Recommendations here would be especially helpful.

Do you need to buy an OS: Yes, Windows 7 64 bit.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg and Amazon but am also open to any suggestions.

Location: California, USA.

Parts Preferences: None.

Overclocking: Most Likely

SLI or Crossfire: No immediate plans but I'd like to have the option for future system improvements.

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920 x 1080.

Additional Comments: I would like to be able to purchase suitable equipment now so that it will be easy to update a single piece of hardware (GPU) in the future without having to rebuild my rig from the ground up each time.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: I've been doing all of my gaming on a laptop for the last couple of years and I die a little bit inside each time I have to decrease graphics settings .

Parts List:
(Please note that not all rebates were applied to this total and I am planning on purchasing a Core i5-3570K/Z77/8GB/GTX660 DIY Upgrade Kit from newegg to save some $$.)


http://pcpartpicker.com/p/hzke


NZXT Phantom 410 CA-PH410-B2 Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower White Trim Computer Case
{$99.99}
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146091

Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
{$79.99}
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148697

ASUS GTX660 TI-DC2O-2GD5 GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
{$309.99, part of newegg DIY kit for $689.99}
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1068638

RAIDMAX Blackstone series RX-700AC 700W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.3 / EPS12V V2.91 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
{$64.99}
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817152042

G.SKILL Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-1600C9D-8GAB
{$41.99, part of newegg DIY kit for $689.99}
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1068638

ASUS P8Z77-V LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
{$179.99, part of newegg DIY kit for $689.99}
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1068638

Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor
{$229.99, part of newegg DIY kit for $689.99}
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1068638

ASUS VH236H Black 23" 2ms Full HD Widescreen LCD Monitor
{$149.99 after rebate}
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236059


I'm fairly decided on the GPU/motherboard/RAM/CPU as they are all part of the DIY bundle on newegg but if anyone knows of a particular flaw with these components then I will reconsider buying the bundle. With this current list of equipment I am at a total of $1100 (just within my budget). Any input you guys have would be greatly appreciated

 

[azeem40]

When you say $1k just for the computer, do you mean including or excluding the OS?

I will assume including, so this is what I came up with:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($36.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H77-DS3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($43.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($244.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 520W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($61.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $967.90
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-09-15 22:46 EDT-0400)

$980 is the actual total with MIRs.

For monitor, I recommend the VS236H.