Building A Gaming Rig, Need Expert Opinions

[Themilkman]

I'm saving the majority of my income this summer to build a nice gaming rig at its conclusion, but I'm not well versed in computer hardware in the slightest (by that, I mean that I border the threshold between ignorance and idiocy on the subject). I do a lot of gaming, which my 360 does an apt job of handling; however, I really do love some of the computer exclusive games (Sims, etc.) and I would really love modding the hell out of some of my favorites (Fallout 3/New Vegas, Oblivion, Dragon Age: Origins). There is also the issue of new, hardware intensive games coming out later this year that I plan to buy (Skyrim, Mass Effect 3). I already have an HP desktop that I've pre-built that fits my price range, but I would really like informed opinions on this subject; this is a huge investment for me. Without further ado, here's what I've got:

OS: Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium [64-bit]
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-970 six-core [3.2GHz, 1.5MB L2 + 12MB shared L3 cache]
RAM: 9GB DDR3-1333MHz SDRAM [5 DIMMs]
Storage: 2TB RAID 0 (2 x 1TB SATA HDDs) - performance
GPU: 1GB DDR5 Radeon HD 6850 [2 DVI, 2 mini-DP, HDMI. VGA adapter]

What do you guys think? The price is about $2,200 with the 27 inch LCD monitor included. The GPU is the best they offer; is this a wise choice? Do I really need that much power? All opinions are appreciated.

 

[~Darkseeker~]

To be honest, that's the previous generation of Core i7's - they cost the same as the Sandy Bridge on average and have lacking performance by comparison.

9GB RAM is unheard of to me, it's usually only in even numbers, sounds real odd (5 DIMMS?! surely that's not possible with dual or triple channels)

The GPU is fine. overall, this is essentially 'last year's model' for over $2k. Are you comfortable building your self? i'm sure we can sort out a much better computer for the same price if you're willing to put it together.

 

[Themilkman]

I would very much prefer just doing the project myself, but I have very little knowledge in the area of computer assembly. I figured that I wouldn't be getting really great bang for my buck if I were to go via a factory, but it seems like the most sensible solution to me right now (I have no friends with viable computer knowledge and I don't see myself learning enough over the duration of the summer to really hit the project with sufficient clout). Even if the system is a bit antiquated, is it stilla good system overall? How do you think it would fare on a new game like Skyrim? I've also upgraded the RAM, since that last one sounded a bit fishy.

New RAM: 12GB DDR3-1333MHz SDRAM [4 DIMMs]