Long time coming... PC buildin' time!

Unlike before, RAM on Sandy/Ivy Bridge systems have nothing to do with OCing because the CPUs are unlocked and you just increase the multiplier. There's pretty much no real world difference between 1600Mhz and faster RAM. This low voltage Samsung kit is one of the best out there, overclocks really well if you want it to.

You definitely want 4GB 680's if you're thinking of going SLI, especially at 2560x1600. Do some reading on voltage unlocks for the 680, you'll want one which can be unlocked to make the most of the watercooling. The MSI Lightning edition has this feature but unfortunately it only comes with 2GB VRAM afaik. I think there's some hacks for other cards which will let you overvolt but I don't have any first hand experience so can't advise you there.

Yeah I noticed they were all x79 based. Know anything about NIC cards? Do they really help or give a noticeable different in ping?

I've gotten into a "supposedly" locked nvidia card before to change voltages. Voids the warranty if you do that but I'll wind up taking the stock heatsink off anyway so warranties will be gone regardless.

I assume you're referring to Network Interface Controllers. Unfortunately, my knowledge on that subject is limited to the acronym.

From the reviews I read they provide little to no difference unless you're on a low power system (which you're definitely not...). The biggest impact on pings is always going to be your ISP and the location of your house.

Going for an overhaul with an "overkill" objective once every three years sounds like a fantastic -- and ultimately sensible -- upgrade program to me. I imagine it takes some discipline, though.

I would agree with xcylent on the GPUs. Three or four 4gb 680s sounds so sick it gives me the goosebumps! But yeah, I think you'll need some VRAM to play at the resolutions you want -- and on a multi-monitor setup at that.

I'd sure love to see pics of this big, beautiful monster once it is up and running. Sounds like it's going to be one kickass rig.

I've order a cross desk from redharbringer. Been watching this guy with a prototype for 2 years. Cost me 1900 bucks but the desk is too cool. He opened up ordering for a week, but I wont get mine until December

http://redharbinger.com/

That is awesome!!!

Are the two PC's independent or can they function as one? I'm wondering what uses there are in having two complete machines in one monstrous housing.

The new one is for a little of everything and I do have a media center.

Have you considered 2 7970s in crossfire? they have 3GB frame buffer and cost a lot less than the 680s and are just as fast.

Nope I haven't, but I'll definately look into it.

Considering your budget I'd go with your original idea of 4GB 680 SLI, I can tell you first hand that 7970 CF suffers pretty badly from microstuttering in some games, and given that this is a no expenses spared build you don't want to be let down by microstuttering or bad driver support.

There are 6GB versions of the 7970 and crossfire scales better than sli so idk what you mean slh28. Micro stutter has not really been a problem for most people in a long time.

Sure are...the Toxic and Vapor-X are available (on occasion) - the larger frame buffer won't help with microstutter. It would help with extreme resolutions when using higher levels of game I.q.
Unless LK is planning on keeping the cards for a while (in which case I'd suggest a reference design + waterblock), I'd look at a GTX 670 4GB - $120 (or more) cheaper than the equivalent GTX 680/HD 7970 with comparable performance, which means recouping a bigger chunk of the initial outlay when the GK 114/HD 8000 arrives in March (give or take). This is also the timeframe for the GeForce version of the GK 110 -if it eventuates after HPC orders are filled.

While true as a general rule, when Crossfire fails it usually fails big time- so something to note is how long it takes for multi-GPU driver fixs to appear

That depends on if you notice it in game- some do, some don't. The fact that it exists is not a matter for dispute

[source]
A more graphic example might be video showing the effects
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Sorry for the double post. For some reason, editing the post above I couldn't add links.

So, as for the build...
CPU: i7-3930K @ $570
Mobo: Asus R4F @ $370
RAM: 32GB (4x8G) Corsair DDR3-1866C10 @ $190. A little overkill but cheap enough. I know from first hand experience that this kit works fine with the R4F/R4E
GPU: 2 x EVGA GTX 670 SuperClocked 4GB @ $860
GPU blocks: 2 x Aquacomputer AquagraFX GTX 670 @ $218
LGA 2011 CPU block: XSPC Raystorm Copper w/aluminium hold down bracket @ $95 (conversely a standard delrin top Raystorm + aluminium hold down @ $65 total). The standard delrin Raystorm ships with a plexi hold down plate which can flex under pressure- doesn't instill a lot of confidence. Standard Raystorm w/ supplied 2xblue LED's (can be swapped out for any other 3mm light colour), and with the optional aluminium hold down as fitted to my Z77

If you're looking at blocking the board I'd suggest going with the Rampage IV Extreme since there are no full cover blocks for the Formula. (EK's block set $118)

Should run you about $2k ( 2-and-a-half for tri-SLI). Should leave some budget for storage, RAID card if needed etc.
As for monitor- 30" 2560x1600, I guess the ubiquitous U3011 @ $1100, or if the anti-glare coating on the Dell is a problem, a Korean iCinema clone. The Crossover features DisplayPort as well as HDMI, DL-DVI, Component etc. Only a one year warranty though, although eBay offer an extended warranty...for a few extra dollars naturally

I really like corsair ram when budget isn't an issue. I'd be willing to use another 670 even though I know there's only a 20% increase in frame rates in the best situations. Need the gpu setup, motherboard, and ram to last at least another 2-3 years.

A tri-SLI might not do too much for your overall framerate, but it should smooth out the gameplay- both raising minimums and reducing any microstutter, although at 2560x1600 there should still be instances where you can gain more than incrementally in GPU power while not running into CPU limitation.

Yeah I know tri sli wont help the bottom line TOO much, but I am concerned with another 30" monitor upgrade one day.

It's pretty bad in Dirt Showdown and Sleeping Dogs. It's not unplayably bad, but it is definitely noticeable and annoying. FPS's like BF3 seem fine for the most part though.

You can't really game on an even number of monitors, there will be bezels right in the middle of your FOV. So you'd be looking at 7680x1600, and from what I've seen no existing setup (not even OC'd Quadfire 7970) can run that maxing all games out there. But if you're only playing MMOs then 4GB 670 SLI might be able to do that resolution.