Haven't built a PC in 7 years

[Mr_Fleabite]

I'll try to keep this brief. I Haven't built a PC in quite a while and I'm trying to get back up to speed, in the interim I've followed ZERO in the world of desktop tech evolution. So, I could really use some advice with respect to GPU's, the old AMD vs. Intel, has Overclocking gotten any safer, etc...?
Here's what I have to work with:
A mid tower case (can fit a GPU up to 11")
a 19" 1680x1050 monitor
keyboard, mouse, & speakers
internal DVD/CD R/W

What I'd like out of a new desktop PC:
Quality power supply (it's what killed the last one I had)
Quiet..er..ish (fractal R4 case?) this is a nice to have, not a necessity
SSD, for OS, at a minimum
No plans to OC, I don't have the time or want the risk
Would like smooth gaming play back at 1080p, RPG's FPS mainly, (high settings strongly preferred, no need for ultra)
The Budget:
$600-700 w/o operating system (I'm assuming this is reasonable, if not let me know, I'd be a lot happier w/ 600ish)

Here's what I've got worked up so far, no motherboard listed, I'm really lost on this aspect and could use some solid advice. This GPU fits in the old case I have, in which case I could pocket the difference or upgrade the GPU? CPU? SSD? Mobo? if it made a meaningful difference in performance.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/4NPHCJ

Am I headed in the right direction?

Side note/question, seeing the size of some of the CPU coolers, are there a lot of weight related issues? Many are over 1 pound, is an aftermarket cooler still necessary, even when not over clocking?

Apologies for the long post, thanks for the help.

 

[Forever Oleg]

Because you are gaming at 1680x1050 resolution, it is smart to invest more in the CPU, and a little less into the GPU, thus you have this build: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/JK2NdC

If you plan on getting a 1080p monitor, I can suit you with a better build.

 

[Mr_Fleabite]

Because you are gaming at 1680x1050 resolution, it is smart to invest more in the CPU, and a little less into the GPU, thus you have this build: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/JK2NdC

If you plan on getting a 1080p monitor, I can suit you with a better build.

Yes I think a 1080, is in the near future. I'm curious why the micro ATX board, cost?
Thanks for the quick reply

 

[Forever Oleg]

I simply like mATX boards - they are cute 😀

That one is a very high quality board for the price. You could go with a more expensive/higher quality board of course.

If you want to upgrade to a 1080p monitor, I would recommend getting FX-8320 + 212 EVO/Cryorig H7 with an MSI Gaming mobo alongside GTX 970. FX's 8-cores are not that bad and if you don't want to upgrade at all in the next 5+ years then FX 8-core or an i7 are your top choices but the i7 is too expensive. Here's the build: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QPxQrH

You can see the sacrifice on the SSD.

 

[Mr_Fleabite]

I simply like mATX boards - they are cute 😀

That one is a very high quality board for the price. You could go with a more expensive/higher quality board of course.

If you want to upgrade to a 1080p monitor, I would recommend getting FX-8320 + 212 EVO/Cryorig H7 with an MSI Gaming mobo alongside GTX 970. FX's 8-cores are not that bad and if you don't want to upgrade at all in the next 5+ years then FX 8-core or an i7 are your top choices but the i7 is too expensive. Here's the build: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QPxQrH

You can see the sacrifice on the SSD.

Do you think 650 watt PSU will cover an AMD build with a GPU like that? At first I was leaning AMD, because of cost but, buying a larger PSU and nearing the top of the AM3+ food chain leaves little room to change CPU's (if I ever get around to it), and the costs even out a bit.
Have you used that cooler before with that motherboard? do they work well together?
I'm also thinking I can put more into the CPU or GPU if I can find a card that fits in my old ATX mid tower (11" max)

 

[Forever Oleg]

New stuff is new stuff. No need to worry about old dusty PC towers, and yes that PSU is the HIGHEST quality. 650W is plenty for the FX 8-core + GTX 970 build.

If you could stretch the budget you could get the best of both of my builds - i5 + GTX 970.