Thanks for the recommendations, really appriciate the help.
Not sure if I'm to big of an ignoramous to put this thing together or having rotten luck with components, but going to drop this thing off at the Best Buy Geek Squad to have them make this bastard work. On Friday I ended up picking up the new GPU and a new PSU (MSI gold series 850w) at BB after work. Installed the GPU, swapped out the PSU, plugged it in and turned it on..... nothing. Tried a few times to cycle the switch, checked the connections, still nothing.
I had used most of the old cables for ease, so took all of those out and put the new connectors, plugged it back in and turned it back on. This time I got some lights on the mother and GPU, but no fans and it doesn't boot up. I thought maybe there is to much of a power draw with the GPU to fire up, so I took that back out along with the cables, tried to start it up again, and again I got some lights, no fans, and still wont boot up. It occuerd to me at this point that I had not powered it up since I got back from the PC shop that told me the old card was dead, and was worried that maybe it got damaged in transporting it around.
Pulled everything back out for the umpteenth time, put the original PSU back in with its original cables and it turned on just fine. Thankfully it's still working, but back to where I started. So now I have an appointment to drop this off tonight with the Geek Squad. I'm at my wits end trying to trouble shoot this thing and just want it to go.
I think what you had said was the culprit all along that an 850w PSU should be sufficient, and I should have jumped to 1000w just to be sure. Now I just don't have the time or patience. Will return the new PSU for a 1000w and have them deal with it.
What an adventure this has been!!!!