I did a bit of a mix between your original build and idroid's, with a few of my own parts thrown in:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/hSNx
CPU: Intel Core i5 3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-D3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard
Memory: G.Skill Ares 2x4GB DDR3 1600 1.5V CL9
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM HDD
Storage: Kingston Hyper X 120GB 2.5" SSD
Video Card: XFX HD7950 3GB
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (White) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Power Supply
Monitor: Dell U2412M 60Hz 24.0" Monitor
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit OEM
The total(including shipping) is $1,461.74 after $55.00 in MIRs($1,516.74 before MIRs)
Here's a link to those Logitech speakers on amazon($69.99, free shipping)
http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Surround-Sound-Speakers-...
Everything comes in under $1600 before you start getting cash back through rebates.
3570k for low power and overclocking ability. Hyper212+ since its the best bang for the buck in air coolers atm.
That Gigabyte mobo because Newegg users could overclock on it and found relatively less fault with it than with
other Z77 mobos at a halfway decent price. 3GB Seagate HDD cuz you picked it and it has a better rating at
Newegg than the 3GB Western Digital HDD. Kingston Hyper X 120GB cuz you picked it and it both performs well
and has relatively fewer complaints than similar capacity/speed/price SSDs at Newegg. Oh, the gskill Ares cuz
it is under 40 bucks, the promo code on those corsair modules expires soon, and the Ares heatspreaders are
guaranteed to fit under the hyper212s fan. The right speed, low latency and low voltage,too.
I picked this xfx hd7950 because it has a good custom cooler with 2 fans and should overclock to beyond hd7970
levels. That means it can comfortably do eyefinity(3x 1920x1200) in games with high settings. That's more
performance than needed now, but will last a while on 1 60Hz 1920x1200 panel. It also draws less power than
a 7970(at stock, anyways. They would both draw more power once overclocked).
That Fractal case is awesome(a little pricey for my tastes, but it ticks all the right boxes). Windowed, White, and
has tons of enthusiast features that you usually find on much more expensive cases. Many features all cases
ought to have, actually(easily fit, add, or remove large air coolers with back plates; cable management; can fit
extra long video cards; ssd mounts; several large fans; both bottom psu and front intake dust filters; usb 3.0
ports in the front; sound dampening material; fan controls; room for more fans; very sleek).
This xfx psu goes back to normal price tomorrow at ncix, but you can still cash in on the rebate. High quality,
Seasonic built, ball bearing fan, plenty of amps on the +12v rail, many connectors including enough for the
most power hungry single gpu cards, jonnyguru and kitguru recommended(unlike many sites who "review"
power supplies, these 2 sites actually do a proper evaluation). They load the power supply to 25,50,75, and 100%
and even overload it to see how much it can deliver above its rating before shutting down. They also test the
amount of ripple in the rails that the power supply is delivering. And they test at higher temps like how things
would be inside of a case(like most people run them). They take em' apart to examine the quality of the parts
inside and how they are assembled. Oh, this xfx 550w is better reviewed by users on newegg than the xfx 750w.
The dvd burner and OS are the ones you picked. They are the cheapest for getting the job done. That dell screen
is the only decent IPS panel in this price range(pixel pitch, response time, newegg user reviews, its a dell...).
Those speakers seem to be the best for the money on amazon(based on RMS power, anyway).
You might consider a decent headset in that price range(chat in and out of games, less cable clutter, don't have
to worry about speaker placement, won't bother neighbors/family/roommates when things get loud in game).
About the gpu and power supply...
I'm not a fan of sli/crossfire since some games never get around to supporting them and those that do may be
subject to micro stuttering that could negate any positive influence extra frames per second might provide. It is
better to get one powerful gpu than 2 lesser ones(less electronic waste, less power usage, lower cooling require-
ments, less stringent mobo requirements). If you want a better experience later, don't add another card but
swap in a newer, faster, better card instead.
That leads to the psu. It is lower wattage(44A +12v ie 528w), but it's more than enough for this build. Most pc
parts nowadays use +12v power in one way or another, and the cpu and gpu are by far the biggest culprits. The
parts in a system will never reach max tdp all at once(or never at all in many cases under normal use). Even if
you ran prime95 and Furmark on OCed cpu and gpu at the same time, you wouldn't come close to maxing the
psu, let alone while gaming. The optical may spin up at launch for drm and the hdd/ssd is accessed both then
and when loading the world/levels/maps, but the cpu and gpu don't really kick in until you are in the game
actually playing it. That's all for now. I hope this build it to your liking(or rather your friend's liking).