CPU: Quad Core or greater
RAM: 8GB minimum
GPU: GTX590 or HD6990 or greater

GPu index chart: http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/2011-gaming-graphics-charts/Metro-2033-Gamer,2663.html

From there everything else optional, i would recommend a drive no larger than 1TB for games realistically a 250-500gb for gaming and a 1TB+ for archive storage... big platters = poor performance..

I suggest grabbing an AMD Bulldozer for the CPU they are cheap and living monsters for crunching numbers, your GPU can offset any gaming bottlenecks.

as a bonus this rig could run a VM while running Crysis 3 at the same time ^_^

Look at the "hi-performance system requirements" here. A little strange considering it mentions Bulldozer FX4150, but otherwise I'd say that you're looking at around $1000 for a custom built system, assuming you don't need peripherals.

For CPU, I don't think you need more than the fastest Core i5, which is a little over $200. For graphics, the specs suggest Radeon 7970 or GeForce 680, which are around $400-$450.

For a pre-built PC you're looking at a little more money, but not a huge amount more. Take a look at CyberPowerPC. You can pick something and configure it with a powerful video card and end around $1200-1300.

Still, there's no guarantee this will run Crysis 3 at its maximum, but it will certainly run games well.

If you want 27" 2560x1440 screen and are feeling a bit adventurish, then go to ebay and search for korean 27" 2560x1440 screens: Catleap, Shimian/Achieva, Crossover, Qnix and so on.

The prices start a bit over 200e (including shipping, but not taxes!) and rise if you want model with speakers, better stand, inputs, additional warranty and so on.

Why the low price? Well they use A- quality panels rejected for one reason or other by Apple and other big companies. So its possible, that there -may- be some lightbleed, stuck/defective pixel and so on. Alot of people have been buying the and ofcourse there have been few "bombs" - but most people have been happy with what they bought....also consider, that the similiar Apple 27" monitor costs around 1000e - so you could buy several and still have money to spend ;)

Also I would wait atleast for the new radeon hd 8xxx's which after the yours change. Cant remember when the new intels are coming, but I might not support intel if I was buying a computer. Atm Id propably go with the trinity 5800k and make passivily cooled computer.

The December 2012 Maximum PC lists the following in their "Best Bang for Your Buck" article:

Intel Core i5-3570K (3.4 GHz quad-core): $230
MSI Geforce GTX 660 Ti Power Edition: $310
Gigabyte Z77X-UP4 TH mobo: $190
Seagate Barracuda 3TB: $140
NZXT Phantom 410: $100
8GB DDR3/1600: $40
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo: $35

Computer you might want: $1045
Playing your games at blistering speeds: Kick-ass priceless

I'll leave the article open in case you have any questions...

Crysis 3 at Maximum Settings?

I don't think such a PC exists yet.

Define "maxed".

I'm not sure $1000 would even get you a PC that will run Crysis 1 at max (1080p, 32xAA, etc) without slowdowns.

I spent 700$ on my PC in 2009 and I can still play any game I want at almost maximum settings. Every year I buy a new video card for an average of 250$ and thats it. I play skyrim with all the HD texture pack, graphic mods and my FPS are very decent.

spend wisely and do your research, a lot of parts can be overkill and can cost you a lot of money. Also the way you treat your OS can affect the speed, dont install junk, watch for your startup, make sure your cores are used efficiently, etc.