Maximum PC

Hello I'm looking for help/critique on a new rig I'm thinking of building. It's primary use will be gaming, with maybe some mild encoding. Also want it to have OC capabilities to help's longevity a bit, but I will be having it run at stock in the present. I'm just looking for the best quality parts that I can purchase for this rig that will fit within the stated $1k budget (I know people's choices are subjective). The cheaper the total cost the better, obviously without sacrificing quality. The good thing I don't need a monitor and the keyboard/mouse is optional if I want to reuse some of the ones I have lying around the house. Here is what I have so far;

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ogK9

For those that don't want to view the link:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ogK9
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ogK9/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: [url]http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ogK9/benchmarks/
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CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Amazon) *
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.29 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LX ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($114.99 @ NCIX US) *
Memory: Samsung 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($35.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($93.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($104.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: HIS Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card ($257.55 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec One ATX Mid Tower Case ($54.97 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($61.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $986.72
Total: * $896.72 If CPU and MoBo purchased from microcenter in-store near me
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

I'm at odd's basically on what to go with for the SSD, MoBo, Case and Brand of 7870. As far as the case is concerned, I want it to have good airflow, expandability, bottom mounted PSU, easy access to internals and somewhere to route cables. Also front USB 3.0 ports and tool less if possible.

*= *Note* I can get the CPU and Mobo from a microcenter near me. CPU for $169.99 and $40 off any Z77 board purchased with a ivy bridge CPU.

Case is a good choice for your needs, motherboard is stable with a MaxPC recommendation and the SSD and RAM are tested good. You might want to swap out the WD hard drive for a Seagate Barracuda, I've heard they have more storage for the money. I can't comment on the video card.

Good choice of parts overall.

Ah yes, vendors. We should make others more aware of these. Try to use reputable vendors (NewEgg, TigerDirect, MicroCenter, Amazon if the seller looks legitimate). Also keep these as low as possible, 2 is probably my maximum. The more vendors you use, the more disorganized things become and you're more than likely going to pay for more shipping in total.

Thanks for the advice guys. As far as the HIS card, I had originally thought about the Gigabyte 1Ghz edition card, until I did some research on what reference card to get and so far I see people recommend Sapphire, HIS, Powercolor, MSI and EVGA. So I'm still up in the air about that. I will follow your suggestion on the PSU, and the HDD reason I went with that is because I heard Seagate's quality control has fallen off through the years since the merger with Maxtor? But I will take you advice on that also. As far as the vendor's that is what I was giving when I used the PC part picker site to build that example rig. In my own personal research I narrowed everything down between MC and NCIX, what you guys suggest as a good alternative to my RAM choice? Thanks for all the help so far, I appreciate it.

As far as RAM goes, I usually go with Crucial, Corsair, or Patriot. Samsung seems to be a highly recommended one too.

If you live near a Micro Center you can pick up a 3570k for $169.00.