Now that we're back on topic, can someone answer this question? Its pretty much the only thing keeping me from ordering the parts at this point

the compatibility filter tells you what's wrong on the system screen.

I have one last question. For the graphics card I noticed different manufacturers for the 7950. What are the advantages of the XFX over other brands like Asus?

What does that i5 overclock to? Mine does 4.2Ghz 24/7 without crashing, but I'll be butthurt if I spent more money than I needed to on it since it was one of the highest expenditures I had (along with GPU).

It seems like most fall in the 4.1-4.8 range at safe voltages (Sub 1.4v). If your temps and voltage are both low, consider upping the volts to try for a higher OC. Its recommended to keep that chip under 90C load (Use Prime95 or Intel burn test for temps/stability), and under 1.4vcore, I'd consider anything sub 1.35 acceptable.

Edit:
Different GPU vendors have different warranties and reputations. XFX has been declining since they stopped offering their lifetime warranty but still make a decent card. Honestly it comes down to how much you mind paying for a name and who's charging what. Most are usually within 30$ of each other. Currently EVGA is probably one of the only brands offering lifetime and keeping a solid rep but they're NV only. For AMD, ASUS, Sapphire, and HIS are the usual ones I look at, and they usually do some nice custom coolers. Gigabyte had some shit go down not too long ago about not honoring GPU RMAs that were clearly within warranty, MSI has sold me bad product about three times now, and PowerColor and VisionTek are just sort of there.

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on May 8 2013, 9:37 am by Excalibur.

So I decided on this as my final build. Any comments before I begin ordering the parts? I already have the CPU so the overall cost is closer to $1100.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-2600K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($301.97 @ Outlet PC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($27.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($219.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($68.66 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($322.98 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT LEXA S (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($88.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1400.53
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-08 10:25 EDT-0400)

Thanks for that informative response, Ex.

My concerns:
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Another Shell shocker, today only. I hate spending this much on RAM
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($219.99 @ NCIX US)
Bad Deal - Good Deal
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($68.66 @ Amazon)
Shell Shocker, today only. WD Caviar Blues are notoriously unreliable. These may be better than previous versions, but I find it hard to pass up $10 more for twice the space and a faster drive.
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($322.98 @ Newegg)
I guess I don't understand why you'd get an expensive 7950 over an equally priced 670. The deal is gone now, but it will come back eventually.
Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($109.99 @ Newegg)
This was a good buy at $80. $30 more makes it not worth it. $110 is platinum efficiency. I have no good replacement at this moment. PSU deals are finicky.

I'll give you one thing rockz, you know how to squeeze some dollars.

Is the highest-end computer only around $1100? It seems surprising if there aren't builds in the $1400-$1500 range which perform better.

I guess you can spend more, but it's not really worth it?

It's a $1400 machine - he just has the CPU already. If he wants to spend more, it should go toward the graphics card (and maybe another TB of storage if he thinks he'll need it).

Or you know, get a nice monitor and accessories with the leftover money; it doesn't have to go directly into the tower.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/VYPg
May 3rd: $1000
May 8th: $812

This is how builds are supposed to look on PC Partpicker. All the parts, all on sale at the same time.

Superbiiz also has a $7 off $49 coupon code, so it's actually $805.