Switching back to PC from Mac. Newbie to builds.

I'm going to need your help deciding on a configuration for my gaming/work PC. I'm going to use it for Starcraft 2, Call of Duty, and I might attempt to integrate Xbox 360 capabilities into the computer so I can play it off the computer instead of the TV -- utilizing my computer's hard-drive, not the console's. Ideally, I'd love to be able to play on the highest settings for all those games that I'd play, however -even though I consider myself a gamer- it isn't the number 1 priority. It is just a hobby. But who doesn't want the best of everything?

I've decided to set my budget to $1,200. And I hope this relatively low budget won't be a sacrifice to quality performance. Again, I still would love to play games on their highest settings, have an overclocked computer so I can squeeze out higher GHz without paying +100 for 0.2GHz in a chip, etc.

I am also in the market for a huge, kick ass monitor so if you have an suggestions let me know. I found some by googling monitor reviews. They're pretty decently priced. The best I found was $300 for a 27''

I do plan on multitasking a lot btw. Not all programs will be intensive. Besides video games, I will be running trading software -- hopefully the bloomberg terminal if the company I intern with could hook me up.

The most fundamental debate that I have is between AMD v. Intel (AMD seems to be better for lower budget?)

I've been playing around with both AMD and Intel builds. Attached below are both of them. Please pay specific attention to the motherboard, the video card that I choose and the cooling system (I don't have that much money to spend, but I do want DS to overclock my computer)
Do I need more memory? Is Raid worth it?

The Intel Build (this version is bit out of my budget, is it worth it... or can I tone it down without sacrificing performance?)

Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Ironclad
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7 930 2.8GHz (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS Rampage II GENE (Intel X58 Chipset)
System Memory: 6GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 750W Digital Storm Certified (Dual SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition Recommended)
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (500GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM)
Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks
Optical Drive 1: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)
Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks
Internet Access: Wireless-PCI N 300Mbps (Supports 802.11n/g/b)
Video Card: 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470 1.2GB (Includes PhysX Technology)
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 1:Coolermaster V6 GT Dual 120mm Fans High Performance Cooler (Compatible With AMD, i5, i
H20 Tube Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System Selected
Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: - No Thanks
Enhancements: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: FREE: Stage 1: Overclock the processor between 3.3GHz to 3.9GHz (Cooling Upgrade Recommended)
Boost Video Card: FREE: Yes, Overclock the video card(s) as much as possible with complete stability
Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
Boost OS: FREE: Yes, Disable and tweak all of the non-crucial services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-Bit Edition)
Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based)
Virus Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Benchmarking: - No Thanks
Install/Test Game: - No Thanks
Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
External Storage: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: - No Thanks
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 5-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: Life-time Expert Customer Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty

The AMD Build

Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Cooler Master CM 690 II Advanced
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: AMD Phenom II X4 955 (3.2GHz) (Quad Core) (Black Edition) (8 MB Cache) AM3 Socket
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-890XA-UD3 (AMD 790X Chipset) (SATA3 and USB 3.0) (Socket AM3)
System Memory: 8GB DDR3 1333MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 750W Digital Storm Certified (Dual SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition Recommended)
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (500GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM)
Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks
Optical Drive 1: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)
Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks
Internet Access: Wireless-PCI N 300Mbps (Supports 802.11n/g/b)
Video Card: 1x ATI Radeon HD 5670 1GB
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 1:Coolermaster V6 Single 120mm Fan Performance Cooler (Compatible With AMD, i5, i7)
H20 Tube Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System Selected
Chassis Airflow: Upgrade Chassis With Zalman Performance Fans (Up to 6 Fans)
Internal Lighting: - No Thanks
Enhancements: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: FREE: Stage 1: Overclock the processor between 3.3GHz to 3.9GHz (Cooling Upgrade Recommended)
Boost Video Card: FREE: Yes, Overclock the video card(s) as much as possible with complete stability
Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
Boost OS: FREE: Yes, Disable and tweak all of the non-crucial services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-Bit Edition)
Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based)
Virus Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Benchmarking: - No Thanks
Install/Test Game: - No Thanks
Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: Logitech 2 Piece (Black Edition) Amplified Speaker Set
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
External Storage: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: - No Thanks
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 5-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: Life-time Expert Customer Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty
Thanks for your help. I'd be lost without you guys.

Edited by 010101 - 30 Jul 2010 at 10:06am

Thank you rholyrag! And I did not realize, haha... I just updated it.