Going off what I've seen in the press lately, I'd maybe consider replacing the 8800GT with a 9600GT, it only clocks in at a slightly lower speed than the 8800GT, but runs at cooler temps with I believe less power consumption, also gives better OC'ing opportunities too I believe! :) Either way you're looking at a pretty damn powerful rig indeed!

Good luck on it all ;)

 EDIT: Good choice on using MicroDirect too, I don't think I've seen any online shops cheaper than they are :)

 You've have a good point there. According to Tom's Harware the 9600gt is only on avaerage 12% slower than the 8800gt but on MicroDirect costs about 20% less so it definately has the better cost/performance ratio. Hmmmm.

I don't know what OS you're gonna be using and what kinda games you'd be running on it but I have a feeling you'd get generally better DX10 support with the 9600GT as well. *shrugs*

EDIT: Quickly while I think on - I reckon the following will be a priceless addition to the rig - http://www.microdirect.co.uk/(11731)XPRO-Black-17-in-1-Internal-Card-Reader-USB-20.aspx

I have an internal floppy / memory card reader in my system and it's amazing how convenient they prove themselves to be, I'd recommend one to anybody, I don't think the make is too much of a concern, I randomly spotted that and it seems even more flexible than what I have, and I paid £17 for what I have at the time!

Again, I think that's good advice, does a standard case come with the required compartments for an addition like a card reader?

I've been looking more into the 9600gt, with the £28 I save I could get an SLI mobo which would obviously give me the option of an easy and cheap GPU upgrade in the future. I don't really know much about SLI(does it require specific ram, are the mobos generally more expensive with less features?). One thing I have noticed is that they seem to only support up to PC6400 ram which means I'd have to settle for slower memory, will this result in a big hit in performance? Also what rating of PSU would I need to accomodate 2 9600gts?

Also, now that I'm thinking of getting a brand PSU which start at about 50 quid and a case at 24 would it be worth my while going for a case/PSU combo like one of these

http://www.microdirect.co.uk/productInfo.aspx?ProductID=16714&Desc=1#ShowReview

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/141707

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/128045

or at a push

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/136343

and are the PSUs they come bundles with any good?

I realise I'm throwing quite a few questions at you guys, again thanks for the help.

EDIT - Forgot to address your OS question, I was wondering if I can use the same XP copy that I'm running from my laptop or whether you need a copy for each machine, if it's the latter then I may have to get a hold of a not-strictly-legal copy until I can save some extra mula. Either way the answer to your question is XP.

Well all you'd need for the card reader I linked to or others like it is a 3.5" bay on your case for a standard floppy drive which I'd be pretty sure every case has. Still worth making sure though.

As for SLI, well I'm no expert on that myself either but as far as I know it would just be a case of a compatible mobo and nothing more. Obviously readjusting any of your previous choices to fit the new mobo if necessary but again I don't think you'd need anything more.

I couldn't say about the PSU again, but I think the 650W could be enough to accommodate for an SLI setup, but if you haven't already make sure it is a well known and reputable brand behind it to be on the safe side!

Technically I don't think MS like you using the key from your existing install on another but I don't think you can be busted for it. If you wanna play it safe and not risk that particular key, I will go ahead and wear my pirate hat when saying XP and WGA is easily bypassed if need be. Although I don't know if there'll be any measures to circumvent this with SP3, it'll be cracked in no time though!

Personally, I would never skimp on the PSU, it's usually the last thing on my list that gets cut.  Here is a list of PSU tiers, 3 and up should suit you fine. 

 Agree with Jake on the CPU considering the programs you're using but you said it costs too much.

For the RAM, you can get away with 800mhz sticks unless you're doing some crazy overclocking.  Would also suggest getting 4gb if budget allows.

Lastly, concerning the LCD, you said you wanted to game and do some design work.  If you're serious about both of them professionally, I would stick with a CRT.  99% of 22" LCDs are made from TN panels which result in colour banding and diminished viewing angles.  Other sizes have more options of panels(PVA/MVA/IPS) which solve the banding/viewing angle issues but also introduce input lag and generally a lot more expensive.

Cheers for the list though it doesn't bode well for the combos I've listed, think I'll buy seperately. As for the monitor, I don't have enough space for a big crt or the budget for a fancy flat panel so I'm gonna have to make do.......the pitfalls of being a student!

Would you have any idea what power of PSU I'd need for 2x9600GT and also a good, reasonably priced SLI board?

Either this or this should be enough.  For modular(detachable connectors for less clutter/better airflow), this.

As for the mobo, not sure since I don't dabble in SLI.  Gotta find someone else for that.

forgot to ask this last time but are you going to hook up any consoles to the lcd?

I'd definitely go for the latter. Modular PSU's ROCK.

 well....duh....everybody would prefer that but it costs too much. The trick is to reach a compromise. the one youchose is fine