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I own a GTX970 and don't live in the US where they are as cheap as $350, if they were $350 here I would have bought two. But yeah, there are far more affordable options out there, options which, when you consider that you're getting a very high end card for mid-range prices make zero economical sense, especially thinking long term when you come to replace the parts again in 3-4 years time (you can keep the GTX970 - or with people switching their 780ti's you can probably pick up one cheaper than a 970, though they drain more power so will cost you more in electricity over time).
/edit - also the guy said "not sure on what type of parts would be best", so I've given the best option :P
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Without knowing your budget it's hard to make recommendations. I would suggest going here: http://pcpartpicker.com/
It's a great site and there are even some builds listed on the front page for various price points. Once you create the build you want, the site updates prices of your components from a number of different retailers and even shows discounts and combo pricing. Also, you can view other peoples builds for ideas and get feedback/suggestions on your build.
You may also want to check out Tom's Hardware. They do a lot of different priced builds and have pretty decent reviews on components.
Good luck!