Maximum PC

I'm in the market for a new computer and was looking at the cost to build compared to a boutique gaming machine. It shows that I get a lot more for the same money but I never have built one and I am worried about throwing money out the window. I've seen numerous tutorials and it does seem like plug and play but looking for confirmation. Below is the configuration any help would be greatly appreciated and thanks in advance all.

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100 92.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V PRO ATX LGA1155 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair XMS3 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1.5TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Storage: Corsair Force Series GT 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card
Case: Corsair 600T White Graphite ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Corsair Professional Gold 850W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer
Monitor: Asus PA248Q 24.1" Monitor or Dell UltraSharp U2412M
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit)
Total: $2169.24

I'm only going to comment what I think is necessary.

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor: If your primary purpose is to play games, or rather, you don't spend a lot of time doing other heavy lifting stuff, get a Core i5-3570K. The only difference is the i7 gives you HyperThreading.

CPU Cooler: Corsair H100 92.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler : You can save $60 or so if you get a Cooler Master 212 Hyper (whatever it's called).

Memory: Corsair XMS3 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory: You may not need this much.

Storage: Corsair Force Series GT 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk: I'm not sure about this brand, as people usually go for either Samsung, Intel, or OCZ.

Power Supply: Corsair Professional Gold 850W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply : You don't need this much power. 600W should be fine.

Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer: Do you need a Blu-Ray reader? If you have a PS3 or a stand-alone Blu-Ray player, this is kind of redundant.

Monitor: Asus PA248Q 24.1" Monitor or Dell UltraSharp U2412M: I have the U2412M, it's a good monitor. Not sure about the other one.

EDIT: Regarding the monitors, people say the ASUS one is a better choice, given the feature set.

Next time, use pcpartpicker for its ease:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/itYq

I've done your build with a bunch of suggestions for changes according to my preferences but arguably on your behalf as well

I concur with LatiosXT in that:
- for gaming, all you need is a i5-3570K
- since you are new to building, I'd suggest going with a great bargain Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo (or Plus, whichever is cheaper) - if you want to go higher-end air or even water cooling later, decide that as a future upgrade
- 16 GB is unecessary for gaming

In addition, imho:
- I've chosen an ASUS mobo with slightly less features only because I think it's money saved / they are features you don't need. I could be wrong though.
- Samsung RAM is good - google it.
- Seagate 2 TB HDD - cheap and good.
- Carbide 300 saves you $100 over the 600T (and again imho, better on the eyes).
- Seasonic PSU - can't go wrong.

Other thoughts:
- Definitely build if you are able and willing. It's not just getting a lot more for the same money, it's getting more for less money. It's not plug and play, but the process does actually makes sense. Just have a little patience. A lot of patience is helpful, too.
- Other than a few parts here and there, imho you can't go very wrong because you are dealing with the higher-end. For example, I think LatiosXT is probably right in that the ASUS monitor is better than the Dell. The difference is probably not very big at all though. So things get down to price and personal preference - is the slight edge of the ASUS worth the extra $25 bucks or so? Or maybe you like how the Dell looks better? We can have that discussion with almost every part you or I listed.