Hey man if your still looking for a PC build, I reference this website often when I have a friend that wants a quick overview on costs. http://www.hardware-revolution.com/best-gaming-pc-radeon-r9-geforce-gtx-780-ti-november-2013/ This will dump you in the mainstream ($850-$1850) lineup that he has listed. It's flexible with Tiers of performance. The author keeps the website fairly updated and goes for best bang for your buck style. Since you said around a $1000 budget, the Tier 4 (Green) would be around what your looking for. You could scratch off the audio card ($37) and swap out the SSD ($99) for a HDD with a bigger capacity for $40 less. Although I'm not a huge fan of Seagate drives, I would pick up a Western Digital Black Cavier (better internals, longer warranty, etc.) compared to a blue or "entry level" Western Digital drive. The case is entirely up to you, it's a design preference. Go with what looks "cool" to you. Just make sure your not picking up something like a micro-ATX case for a full ATX mobo. ;) Like others have said, NEVER skimp on the power supply. It's the heart of your PC persay. If your PSU craps out and frys half of the internal components you got one heavy paper weight. :D Good luck to you! Building a computer for the first time is quite an experience and in time you'll look at manufactured PC's with disgust. B)
