I7 975 Extreme Edition in ASUS Rampage II Extreme with dual GTX 295's

The processor is such a waste of money. You are paying so much money for that .77 clock speed. Just get the i7-920 or i7-860 and overclock it to 3.33ghz.

^^ what this guy said about the processor and vid cards

i am casting my voice here ^^

if not OCing that mobo is over kill. Also if your not going to OC to the max water cooling is a waste.

Ah yes, I went back and rechecked the benchmarks, the 5870s were about the same as the 295s.

Well thank you all for your comments. I didn't plan on doing any overclocking, that's why i was looking at the i7 975, but i would like to have the option later down the track. Overclocking... hmmmm, OCing a 920 to speeds that of a 975? How much can you get out of a 975 safely, with an air cooled system? That is one of my other reasons for opting for the 975 vs the 920.

As for my choice of GPU's, all research i have conducted thus far has suggested that they are the best on the market at the moment, all round anyway. They did have a lower score for some games in particular, but overall, they had a slight edge on the competition.

As for using the SSD for my OS, i like that idea. It does look a little expensive, but their speed and accuracy is just too tasty to pass up.

niklas_13 suggested that the mobo was overkill... what is overkill when you are trying to build an ultimate gaming monster? Besides, i would like to have the option to overclock in the future, when i learn how to do it safely.

Any more thoughts?

^Hey, as always and typically if you want a cpu other then the i7 920 you hear
"Dewd, you can get can the 920 and o'erclock it to the 975 dewd"
"Dewd don't waste your money"
and...etc
I say, if you have the money then go for it. the 975 will definatly overclock higher then the 920 because of its much higher stock clocks. Its good processor. If you want something like this it obviosly means you have money to spare so I am right with you.
In addition get two Intel SSD's and Raid them for Xtreme performance(They make a MASSIVE DIFFERENCE). And i'd wait for just a couple weeks or maybe a month for the release of the Nvidia DX11 cards and buy them.
-Air cooling will be fine, get this cooler:
Cooler Master V8 Cpu Cooler
^Its an excellent cooler for your processor and costs around 60 dollars on sites like newegg.
A good PSU is this
Corsair 850HX Modular Power Supply Unit
^It will support your system very well and its good quality, also sold on sites like newegg for around 150-160dollars.
-For your case you can get a nice Lian-Li, Thermaltake Armor, or some other quality and well cooled case, if you are stuck and can't choose i can recommend one for you.
-Other then that, great build Have fun with a really powerful processor and an excellent Motherboard.

Please don't let any kind of fear of overclocking make you waste $1,000 on the i7 975. There are a lot of resources here and it's really not /that/ hard. You just need to read a couple of guides and remember a few rules and you're fine. I have my 920 at 3.2 GHz right now.

Here's the case I'm using: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] -_-Product

It's really roomy, has enough space for my 4870X2 and will accomodate the reported length of the 5970 (two 5870s on one board).

And there's good space for whatever kind of cooling solution you choose to implement.

Seriously consider scrapping the 975 for the 920. It's the best change you can make.

Jesus Christ that's a high clock, imagine how much heat that CPU is putting out

^Absolutely, i read some reviews and watched a few youtube videos on this case and it looks pretty awesome. Definitely a goer. Thanks mate.

^A few people have mentioned this same PSU, leading to have some faith in it. After some more reviews, i am solidly confident in it. Cheers again to you, and the other guys who have recommended it.

^A few guys have also mentioned this particular SSD. I have done some reading up on this too, and i am feeling confident that it will have a positive effect on my intended build.

Thanks again for your help mate. I am leaning more towards the idea of overclocking an i7 920, but as blackhawk192 said, i do have the extra cash at the moment. I think that while i have the opportunity to go for the 975 i might as well. Plus, imagine owning an overclocked 975!

Anyway, i know it looks like i am flopping like a fish on the deck over the CPU, but i just cant make my mind up yet, is that a crime? lol.

Overclocking the processors is easy on air cooling, you just need a well ventilated case, an excellent CPU cooler like the one i recommended for you (coolermaster V8), and good thermal paste like artic silver or something. If you have that you are set.
-As i said earlier, you have the money for it, go for it by all means. The i7 975 you won't even need to overclock it because its stock speed is already at 3.33ghz and if you do, it will be much easier to get it higher then the 920. Moreover, when the core i9 comes out, the i7 920 will be worth less then the dirt stuck on the bottom of my shoe and the 975 will still be worth a huge amount and still have selling value. Therefore you will be able to sell it and upgrade to an i9 when you want.

I have done some reading on water cooling kits. What is the general consensus on water cooling kits?