New System Build feedback/advice, please...

Question

Time to build a new WorkStation. My motivation for upgrading is that I have been using a mediocore laptop (i7m, 8gb, 250gb ) from my work as my home system for the last 2 years, I am starting to get more freelance coming in and need a good desktop.
I am not so sure about my processor, mother board and video card choice. I am more interested in app usability than absolute throughput and want to maximise my dollar investment.
Purchase date: this week
Budget:  I'd like to stay close to $1000-1300, but can spend more for significant performance gains. As I do more  research, my inclinations are trending higher.
System Usage: My primary uses will include photo editing with Lightroom and Photoshop, 3D graphics using 3D studio Max, Maya and Mud Box, HD video editing using Premiere and After Affects and  Web Design. I will also use it as an HD media player and hifi audio is important. Maximizing cs6 performance in premiere & pShop is my main target. I am focused mainly on user experience while running these apps. If I need to encode hrs of video or crank out frames in max/maya, I can do it at work. I seldom run games.
Monitors: I'm running two Dell U2410's IPS, calibrated w\Color Munki, one portrait one lanscape.
Parts to Upgrade: Full system build
O/S : Win7 Ultimate, I might play with Ubuntu/Virtualization
Vendor: Newegg unless I can save big $$ else where. I like B&H.
It needs to be an Intel machine & I have chosen lga 2011 becuase I'll eventually go to 64gb. I'll do some modest overclocking.
Any advice is appreciated. Thank you for your expertise.
Processor:
Intel Core i7-3820 Sandy Bridge-E 3.6GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 2011 130W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80619i73820
$299 w/ship
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115229
or
Intel Core i7-3930K Sandy Bridge-E 3.2GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 2011 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor BX80619i73930K
$569 w/ship
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116492
Do you have any feeling about how much I'll gain by going to the 6 core cpu over the 4 core? Remember, for me usability in the cs6 apps is more important than marginal gains in throughput.
Mobo:
MSI X79A-GD45 (8D) LGA 2011 Intel X79 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
$218 w/ship
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130635
or
ASRock X79 Extreme6 LGA 2011 Intel X79 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
$240 w/ship
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157289
or
MSI Big Bang-XPower II LGA 2011 Intel X79 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 XL ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
$380
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130626
I would really appreciate any feedback on mobos in regards to maximizing cs6...7...8 performance, system logiveity, and performance. Is it worth it to go for a higer end mobo? If so which one. I like the msi's based on eventually ug to 128 gb, but are they money well spent? Any probs w/these mobo's?
Memory:
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL10Q-32GBXL
$130
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231490
Hard Drive:
SAMSUNG 830 Series MZ-7PC256B/WW 2.5" 256GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
$160
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147164
Video:
GIGABYTE GV-N65TOC-1GI GeForce GTX 650 Ti 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card
$160 w/ship
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125447
or
MSI N660 Ti PE 2GD5/OC GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
Item#: N82E16814127696
$300
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127696
I am still a little unsure of the real world differnces that I'll realize by doubling my video card expense, advice please?
Optical Drive:
LG Black 14X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 5X DVD-RAM 12X BD-ROM 4MB Cache SATA BDXL Blu-Ray Burner with SW, 3D Play Back - BH14NS40
$70
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136250
Case:
COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
$60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233
Power Supply:
FX Core Edition PRO650W (P1-650S-NLB9) 650W ATX12V 2.2 & ESP12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply
$90
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207014
Total     $1190
or    $1760
I have picked the MSI motherboard due to its support for 128gb ram, superior audio and other high end features. The AS Rock for its rep for solid value/performance. Opinions?
Finally, I would like some advice on video cards. I prefer nVidia to ATI, but I'm not sure which chip to go for. The six fifties are cheaper, but the 660 ti provides more CUDA cores.

Answer 1

Alex,
I sure wish you would quick picking fights with lots of knowledgeable people just trying to help people build good PCs for running Adobe Premiere. (I am stating that based on not just this thread, but rather the strong challenges you seem to bring to about half of the threads that you've chosen to participate in).
I was the original poster to suggest that Neal select a larger case. Next Harm agreed and cited 6 points which I would agree with regarding why a larger box is better for a video editing rig.
What are the typical goals for someone wanting a video editing PC? I would expect that most users want:
- robust, runs and never fails
- has incredible power; face it, video editing with AVCHD is one of the most taxing applications a PC can face today
- quiet; who wants to be doing creative work with any server room like wind noise
Now let me be specific where you are simply WRONG WRONG WRONG:
You stated: "Back pressure increases in larger spaces due to natural impedance of airflow (much like with electricity traveling over distance)"
Fact: Exactly the opposite; Back pressure decreases in larger spaces due to more room for the air to flow (much like thicker copper passes electricity with less resistance than a thin wire)
Your stated: "Open non-compartmentalized spaces are a recipe for hot spots - areas of turbulence with higher temperatures." and then cited a server room article talking about cooling air taking the path of least resistance -- going under the floor in a server room, instead of through rack mounted servers.
Fact: Lots of open space for large, slow moving fans to keep a video editing box cool is a great way to go
You stated: "Full towers - in themselves - are worse for cooling"
Fact: That is one crazy indefensible statement!
I seriously doubt that you fully comprehend the differences and importance of thermal conductivity, heat capacity, conduction, convection, and radiation for you to make the statements that you have so far and these are the staples for discussing how heat transfer takes place.
Note to other readers... There are lots of ways to cool components including cpus, hard drives, gpus and memory. I suspect that the noise levels brought by servers and some gamers would be totally offensive to the ambient noise level that you want in the room with you for video editing. Therefore we are left with just a few quiet alternatives: 1) lots of volume at low velocity (large cases, large fans, slow rpm), 2) liquid cooling, and 3) Cases with doors or baffles to keep the sound from a noisier solution from getting back to your ears.
Regards,
Jim