High end parts overclock better, that case is probably perfect for ya (definatly good size wize)
Every link i post is an in-stock item. They were not all in stock at the same place.
Case:
CM Stacker 830 If you like this case, go for it. 379.99
Hard Drives:
Samsung Spinpoint F1 Best performing drive you can buy in almost all areas of hdd usage. However a raid of these can be spendy. 279.99 a drive.
To raid WD Raptor X 150Gig raid would be cheaper and you won't notice the diffrence except in windows boot time...
Memory:2x
Cell shock A slightly less heard of brand, but they offer the best memory with a neat touch: Guaranteed D9GKX in every stick. 2 Gig kit 243.36 *note getting 4 gigs would use every ram slot, which will limit performance minutely on the intel board. The 780i board may not like it a bit more, But this memory will run at 1111mhz 24/7 easily with stock cooling. With water you could run these 1200mhz+ 24/7, without hurting them.
CPU:
QX9650 Without a doubt the single best processor on the market. Will run at 4.5ghz on water 24/7 1099.99
Power:
Koolance 1200W Liquid cooled 1200watts of awsome... 499
I/O drives is personal preference, however blu-ray burners are out. So to be maxed you would need one of them (waste, just get the lite-on). 35 for the lite-on and 200 for the blu-ray.
Sound Card:
Auzentech X-Fi Prelude best soundcard for a reason, high-end caps, opamp, DAC, and optical sound output. *note you will need to water cool the 8800's to fit this card in Tri-SLi setup. 189
This is where things get tricky, the motherboard. nVidia currently has the second best performing card, the 8800 Ultra. The best being currently the 3870X2. But three way SLI is the best performing graphics option right now (quad-fire isn't out). All you need to decide is this: Do i want the absolute overall best system, or do i want the best graphics performance...?
For best overall graphics you need:
Asus Striker II Formula a 780i masterpiece. 319.00
3x 8800 Ultras will be hard to find, as they have been officially retired. Plus they are a waste of money as they are just overclocked 8800GTXs
So instead go with three
Asus 8800GTXs. 474.99 a card. Each will overclock very far on water, and will run stay at these clocks 24/7.
For overall best performing system:
Asus Maximus Formula x38 Best possible crossfire board to date (will do quadfire with 3870x2's when the drivers come out) 259.99
2x
Asus 3870x2 The best graphics card on the market, 1 gig of vram, a 512bit ring bus, all on one pcb. 494.34 which is a damn good deal. Each will overclock crazily high on water. Best overclocking video card (other than the standard HD3870). It will run the highest stable clock you can reach 24/7 stable.
Gaming peripherals are personal choice.
Razer Lycosa being the "best" (most technologically up-to-date) gaming keyboard to date.
G15-Hands down the most purchased gaming keyboard to date, and the most loved. The amber version is a bit more up-to-date, but has less buttons and no flip screen (it's built in).
Razer Death adder is the "best" (yet again up-to-date) gaming opticle mouse. However the boomslang is the same pcb and engine with a different design.
Logitech MX518 has been praised for years and is a top for most gamers (uses same opticle engine as the dimondback)
Razer Lachesis Tied for best laser gaming mouse. 4000dpi, on the fly switching, 145grams, Teflon feet, glowing scroll wheel, straight mouse.
Logitech G9 Tied for best laser gaming mouse. 3200dpi, on the fly with display, changable weight (120-185 grams i believe), Teflon feet, changeable hand grip: straight or thumb rest, free-scroll mouse wheel.
Headphones: This is my area of specialty. For the best sound quality (for gaming, and music) get a pair of audio-technica ath-a900's with a clip on zalman ZM mic1 would get the best of of your gaming experience. Surround headphones are a gimmick (very bad quality drivers, diaphrams, etc...). You wont need a amp to power them, and people around you won't hear them. circumaural is what your looking for in lan headphones.
However if you are looking for headphones that are not really designed for the lan environment (and this really depends on the music you listen too), get a pair of grado sr 225 or 325i's.
However if you want a built in mic sennheiser pc 350's are top, with razer barracuda's and icemat siberias in close second. Perfect for gamers but not the best gaming sound you can get.