Ready at last ...

I think you're selling yourself short with that case. The HAF 932 will have better air flow.

You definitely don't want that SSD, it's very old and around 8 times slower than an Intel SSD in small file performance, probably the worst SSD that DS offers. Prices on it never came down like they should have, so an Intel SSD will not only have much better performance but also a very similar GB/$ price point. The Intel 80GB would be more than enough for all OS/apps, but the 160GB is another option if you need more room for games or something and want to splurge.

The only thing Windows 7 Professional offers that Home Premium does not is the ability to download and install XP Mode virtualization software. If you don't have a need for XP Mode then just drop down to Home Premium.

Those are the only 2-3 things I would change, otherwise the config looks good.

There's nothing wrong with the airflow in a Sniper case, and it comes with an integrated very fine mesh that acts as dust filters without impeding airflow. It is not at all "airtight". There are large surfaces that are quite "open air", but they all possess the mesh. The HAF 932 is equally open air, and the fans are a little bigger, but there is no filtering at all. You have to go after-market for ones that fit. For your concerns, I think the Sniper is the right choice.

I opted for the Storm Sniper over the HAF 932 and have been perfectly happy with it--no cooling issues, very roomy, and a lower profile to boot (which was an issue with my desk height and my desire to elevate the case on a stand). I've also liked the front external port locations, the manual case fan speed control, and the solid-as-a-rock case handles. Having dug around inside the 932 at a local store, the Storm Sniper also seems a bit more solidly-constructed inside to me.

Several points of consideration on your configuration:

(1) If you want to use a DS-supplied SSD, then Dragoonseal is probably right. If you feel competent installing drives yourself, then there are better options than any of the SSDs that DS offers (check the online reviews, especially at Maximum PC). With the advances in SSD technology over the past 6-9 months, even the Intel drives have their disadvantages, comparatively speaking.

(2) As for your mechanical HDD, spend the extra $26 for the WD Caviar Black--you'll get a faster drive than the Hitachi, and at least as good as the Seagate (or a lot better, depending on what Seagate they use). Personally, I'd consider the +$46 for the 64 MB cache WD Caviar Black to be the primo deal--wish they'd had that one when I ordered last March.

(3) So where can you save some money? Well, if you're really not going to use this rig for heavy gaming (you're claiming that it's for photo and video work), then you're wasting a lot of money on the GTX 480--you'll simply not get any performance bang for all those extra bucks (photo and video processing being first CPU-intensive and then hard on the RAM for larger files sizes; GPU is a factor only if you try to go low-end, where it can become a bottleneck). I spec'd my system for the same work, and I'd recommend getting the Radeon 5770 (more than enough for graphics work) and saving yourself $321. Feel free to talk to the DS techs about this--they'll tell you the same thing. Then you can feel totally not guilty about moving up to the WD HDD!

(4) Now that you've saved that money by right-sizing the GPU, consider putting a little of that back in to upgrade to a USB 3.0 / SATA 6GB/sec motherboard for future compatibility--either +$86 for the ASUS or +$103 for the EVGA (I'm not familiar with the MSI). I'm using the ASUS, and have had no problems with it (DS tests all the RAM slots during QA to ensure that none are DOA, which is the sole complaint about this board on Newegg review forum).

(5) The Noctua cooler you chose is certainly adequate, but doesn't give you much cooling headroom for future expansion/upgrades. If you're not comfortable with installing your own cooler, the +$55 for the Noctua NH-D14 would be a better bet. If you're OK with installing your own cooler, the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus has tested better than either of the Noctua coolers, and costs only $30 (saving $58 from your current spec). See www.maximumpc.com/article/reviews/cooler_master_hyper_212_plus for a review.

On a side note, how about the Asetek twin-fan liquid CPU cooler? That's what's in my rig (I wanted the lower noise profile than the Noctua cooler, and didn't know about the CM Hyper Plus at the time), and I really like it (and this model has no history of leaking, despite what the haters say).

That said, I'd approach this cooler carefully, based on my experience with my configuration. The combination of the Storm Sniper case and ASUS mb doesn't leave enough clearance for the radiator to be mounted with stock 120x25mm fans--the radiator impinges on the ATX power connector on the mb by a full 5mm. DS found this out the hard way when they built my rig and shipped it to me with the ATX plug obviously bent down at an interesting angle.

In DS's  defense, my rig was their first build with this specific combination, and they went the extra mile to locate and ship to me two 120x20mm fans that would fit (no charge, though I had to do the mod myself). I can't recommend that you go that route unless DS agreed to set it up that way for you (which would require a bit of extra communication, as that's a custom mod). I'd be concerned about the Asetek cooler fit with the EVGA mb, too, unless DS can certify that they've done it and that it's not a problem. Given that the CM Hyper Plus cooler outperforms the Asetek twin-fan cooler, you're probably better off installing the CM cooler yourself, if you're inlcined to mess with anything.

boss i dont want to be an ass, but i dont consider most of bethels information very good, i dont want to go through doing a point by point denial, but a lot of the input is simply wrong, dragoon addressed some of it, but be careful who you listen to.