– Maxing a game should be synonymous with 60 FPS.
– Hardware required to run max settings is dependent on the screen resolution you are playing on.
If you're concerned with visuals, one of the largest upgrades you can make to your playing experience is your monitor. 2560x1440 res is a major step up from 1920x1080, and it demands significantly more from your hardware. Always go with IPS display, stay away from that TN display junk. I use a 1440p Shimian (you can order them from South Korea for half the cost of the equivalent thing in the States) and a single HD 7970 GPU. Nvidia's 680 and 770 cards are roughly on par for a single card setup if you're on 1080p res, but the 7970 fairs a bit better at 1440p.
I'm also running with a Z77 Pro3 MB, i5 3570k CPU, 8GB Samsung RAM, and Crucial M4 SSD. All settings maxed, constant 60 FPS except in Ul'dah where it dipped to 50-55 in a very crowded beta 4.
I built my PC in January for about $950 including OS (took advantage of holiday sales). Monitor was $350. Zero complaints. Feel welcome to copy if you want the same experience.