Looking for Opinions on a new Build

[Siniq]

First time post looking for opinions on this build. My old PC is nearing 6 years old, so it is definitely time for an upgrade.

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing 
   Gaming Mostly, however I do some photo/video editing as well from time to time
2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
   Haven't set a hard budget, will be picking up pieces when there is a good deal/sale
3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
   Canada, mostly(if not entirely) from NCIX
4. IF YOU have a brand preference. 
   None, anymore :-)
5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
   KB/Mouse
6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.
   I have, been researching/reading reviews for a couple months, have been lurking this site for 
   a few weeks reading more
7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
   May overclock some, but doubt I will push to the upper limits of what the hardware will do.
8. WHEN do you plan to build it?
   By the end of the summer is my goal, but that is price dependent
9. What resolution do you use?
   1920 x 1080

Build
Motherboard: ASUS P8Z68-V Pro
CPU: Intel Core i7 2600K
CPU Cooling: Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H70
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1600 CL9-9-9-24 (2 kits for 16GB Total)
RAM Cooling: Kingston HyperX Cooling Fan Accessory - Black
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 6970 2GB GDDR5
Case: Corsair Graphite Series 600T Special Edition White
PSU: Corsair Professional Series Gold AX850
SSD: Intel 320 Series GEN3 40GB 2.5IN SSD SATA2
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 1.5TB SATA2
Optical: LG BH12LS35 Blu-Ray Writer 12X BD-R 16X DVD+R Lightscribe
OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Edition 64BIT DVD OEM

Other Options I Considered
Motherboard: ASUS P8P67 Deluxe REV3.0 + SSD: OCZ Solid 3 120GB 2.5IN SATA3

If I wasn't going to use the SRT functionality from the Z68 motherboard, I was considering the above, with OS/Frequent Games/Programs on the SSD

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X F3-14900CL9D-8GBXL 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1866 CL9-10-9-28

Looking at this RAM, but ended up with the DDR3-1600 as it is cheaper, and can be overclocked to these speeds if desired.

Some Concerns I Have

1. RAM Cooling. I looked for the specs of the RAM cooler with respect to clearance from the bottom of the fan to the socket of the memory modules. Coming up empty, does anyone know if the RAM Cooling unit will have clearance over the RAM, prior to me buying it?

2. Which setup will be best over the long haul?

• P67 Chipset, with the OS on the SSD
• Z58 Chipset, with SRT

3. Video Card.

• Will the performance increase justify the price point? I looked at getting a 6950 and unlocking it, but after further reading, it is difficult to do, since you need a reference card to do it and most 6950 are not reference.
• Is there a XFire/SLI setup that would improve performance, without drastically increasing the price?
• If the 6970 is the best option, is there any large difference in manufacturer? Which would you recommend?

Any assistance, suggestions I will gladly take and investigate. I personally think the above build is solid, possibly even a bit overkill, but I intend on this build lasting for a lengthy amount of time.

Thanks Canucks :-)

[severity]

I had the 2600k in my other computer and in the one i just built i put in a 2500k and for gaming i do not notice a difference one bit.

[francisw19]

Yeah...agreed with severity above on the CPU. If you're mostly gaming, just save the $100ish and get a 2500K instead. On my rig, it's been more than enough power for gaming.

Your RAM looks good (The 1600MHz kit)...G.Skill kits are quite good. However, I'd ditch the RAM cooler altogether. DDR3 DIMMs run at a pretty low voltage and don't need active cooling. The heatspreaders on the RAM will do the job.

Regarding the SSD setup...I'd go for the larger SSD and use the mechanical disk for documents, etc... I'm not sure if you've had an SSD before...if not, they are a great upgrade.

[LarkStarr]

third for the 2500K if you're just gaming, use the extra cash somewhere else. I have the asus z68 mobo and I'm loving it a lot. I havn't had the chance to play with the RST yet though (No SSD yet)

Do your research on the H70 - I know a lot of people who don't think it's worth it.

[neojjjk]

for gaming 2500k is the best option .
& if you don't want to overclock ,then i5 2400 is the best VFM choice .