is this a good 1st atx build?

I would change to an i5 setup. It would make for better, and more consistent performance. CX power supplies are not very good either. You want your ram in a 2x4gb configuration, for that board. I will see what I can come up with. Difficult with that long graphics card.

 
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.50 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: Mushkin Radioactive 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 970 4GB AMP! Extreme Edition Video Card ($405.99 @ Directron)
Case: Thermaltake Versa H22 ATX Mid Tower Case ($33.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $986.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-07 14:07 EDT-0400
 
Solution