Jeez, yeah. This is more than helpful. I owe you a drink or two.
That front panel USB knowledge is clutch, thanks. I think I'm going to stick with keeping the Type-A ports accessible out of the box for now.
I think I might be well served to get a more compatible GPU though. This seems to be the one place where a return / re-purchase may be justified. I hear you on the side 120 mm case fan potentially being ineffective. I think I'll hold on to the fan for now - can't hurt to try if it fits and compare!
Last question (for now) just to be certain: You reference the power cable for the GPU. This is either included in the case or the PSU, right? I'm not missing a component?
Thanks so much Qrash. Anyone else that sees things I should look out for - tremendously thankful. Your patience with amateurs is appreciated.
I think you have a good plan to proceed with. And yes, your power supply comes with two PCI-E power cables for graphics cards. Take care not to confuse them with the somewhat similar looking 8-pin CPU power cable for the motherboard.