First Build

[booerns14]

So basically I'm looking to build a mid-level gamer, part time htpc and one that will be relevant for more than a few years, for under a grand. I have a 1TB external and plan on using an SSD as a boot disk and for a game or two. I would like to be able to play a game like D3 at a modest graphics setting. I don't need out of this world fps (yet), but I'd like to be able to play the games without degrading the experience too much. One specific question is about motherboards, what are you paying for, durability, performance, brand? They all seem to have the same pattern of reviews, a large number of people who like them but with some ambivalence, smaller group with DOA ports, and another who get boards that show up doa or bite it fairly quickly. Also, with the cpu and gpu, are these components apt to wear out or are they more of a long term investment to stay ahead of the curve?

Here we go:
CPU: i5-3330 Ivy Bridge 3.0gHz --- coolermaster hyper 212 evo heatsink
SSD: Kingston Hyperx 90gb
Gpu: Sapphire Radeon HD 7850 1GB
PSU: Seasonic g-series 550W
RAM: Gskill ripjaws series 2x4gb
MB: Gigabyte GA-Z77-UD3H
Drive: asus 24x dvd burner (blueray later)
Case: Rosewill challenger

Thanks in advance.

*sorry i read the sticky AFTER typing this up.

 

[tiny voices]

Get an h77 board instead because you can't overclock. Use the saved money to bump up to a gtx 660.

 

[cutebeans]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($183.79 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($87.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Plextor M5S Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($113.69 @ Amazon)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($239.99 @ Newegg)
Wired Network Adapter: Rosewill RC-404 10/100/1000 Mbps PCI Network Adapter ($12.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 220 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Rosewill Green 530W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($54.82 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS29 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $882.79
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-17 20:03 EST-0500)

I really don't know your budget so I just put a $900 build.