First Custom Intel Build, Need Help

[Yaguer]

Hello everybody, this is my 2nd post here and I need some serious, honest advice here for my first custom-built computer. I'm going Intel, and this PC is meant for heavy-gaming and very heavy DAW usage, (Digital Audio Workstations), programs you produce music in.

This is what I had in mind thus far:

Computer Case: 1x Thermaltake VM600M1W2Z Dokker Tower Case - ATX, Mid-Tower, 3 x 5.25" Bays, 5 x 3.5" Bays, 7 x Expansion Slots, 2 x USB 2.0, Hard Drive Dock, Black
-TigerDirect: (39.99$) + (?) Shipping

Power supply:
-Newegg:
-TigerDirect:

Motherboard: 1x ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX
-Newegg: (129.99$) + (7.99$) Shipping

Processor: 1x Intel Core i5-2500 Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 BX80623I52500
-Newegg: (209.99$) + Free Shipping
-Amazon: (194.99$) + (?) Shipping
-TigerDirect:
-MicroCenter: Other Core i5/i7’s at much cheaper prices than Newegg and Amazon.

Hard Drive: 3x Seagate HDD’s Varied GB’s (Computer-Used 2-4 Years)

CD/DVDRom: 1x ASUS 24X DVD Burner
-Newegg: (21.99$) + Shipping

Sound Card: 1x M-Audiophile 2496 Digital Recording Interface
-Newegg:
-Amazon: (58.32$) +
-TigerDirect:
-MicroCenter:

Video Card: 1x EVGA 01G-P3-1561-AR GeForce GTX 560 Ti FPB (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
-Newegg: (249.99$) + Free Shipping + Rebate (234.99$)
-Amazon: (229.99$) + (?) Shipping

RAM: 1x G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
-Newegg: (46.99$) + Free Shipping
-Amazon:
-TigerDirect:
-MicroCenter:

I'm looking around those four sites so I can really get mid-to-high range quality products I want/need as cheap as I can.

1. What kind of Sound Card should I go for if I only plan on plugging in microphones and keyboards into MIDI? But is at least moderately good for helping me produce music to hear at home only?

2. I plan on SLI'ing this PC in the future, so is the EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti FPB Fermi worth two together?

3. I don't know how much power supply I need, but I got an old Alienware OEM for 750 Watts, for around 3 years, should I just use that one instead?

4. Is my Computer Case decent, or recommend something much better, has a lot of fans and ventilation under or around 100$?

5. I found the Intel Core-i7 2600 Processor in Long Island NY, for around 250$, and compared to all other major venues of computer parts, its incredibly cheap. Should I purchase the i7-2600, or stay around the i5-2500?
This is what I compiled from a Micro-Center I'm going to purchase from definitely as well:
-----
Micro-Center/Westbury
Processors:
Intel Core i5 2500k LGA-1155: 179.99
Intel Core i5 2550K LGA-1155: 199.99
Intel Core i5 2400 LGA-1155: 149.99
Intel Core i7 2600 LGA-1155: 249.99
-----

6. I want to play games like Galactic Civilizations 2, Diablo 3, Starcraft 2, Syndicate, Witcher 2, Civilizations, Battlefield 2 and Battlefield 3 on medium-to-high graphics, going more for performance than sheer enthusiastic experiences. Am I ok?

7. Anyone know any great Motherboards to accommodate all this, but perhaps cheaper yet flexible?

Thanks guys, I really appreciate it.

 

[Yaguer]

I just checked the "How To Ask For Build Advice" thread lol, so I'm going to apply that info here. My bad.

Approximate Purchase Date: 3/14/12 - 3/19/12

Budget Range: 600-900, After Rebates, I want to be cheap, but mostly cheap due to purchases from several different venues, not necessarily I want lower-end parts.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: (Music production, Gaming, Internet, Downloading/Uploading, Movies and Videos)

Parts Not Required: Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, although if anyone could suggest great keyboard and mouse, I want to replace mine...

Preferred Website: Newegg/Amazon/TigerDirect/MicroCenter, anything else reputable I don't know about, I'm all game.

Country: United States, New York, Queens.

Overclocking: Yes if everyone agrees my end build setup can do so without complications, no problem squeezing out more juice for the buck.

SLI or Crossfire: Yes, for the future.

Monitor Resolutions: 1920 x 1200 and a bit more, but I can downsize without issue.

 

[Guest]

PSU:XFX Core Edition PRO650W Was: $99.99 Now: $93.99
www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207014

+12V@53A and 4 x PCI-E connectors will be needed to SLI another 560

 

[vitornob]

CPU: You should stick with i5-2500k the price is awesome!