cpu block question: material = cosmetic change. I highly recommend going for an apogee XT because of the mounting system. If you ever so slightly mis-setup the EK block, you'll have way worse temperatures than the potential 0.2c improvement you could have by using it.

video card question: pretty much again a question of what looks best. Those blocks are very comparable in terms of performance. Pick with your wallet, remember nobody but you will see it

rad question: if you're buying in canada, check your prices on both shopbot.ca and pricebat.ca for the best possible price. RIGHT NOW ncix has some good shipping deals so it makes sense to price match to them and get 10-15$ express shipping. I would recommend a mcr320 for the cost/performance ratio which is simply miles ahead of anything else.

reservoir question: This will depend on your case. I find bay reservoirs to be easiest to install / maintain but it isn't always the easiest to fill. I'd pick with my wallet here again, remembering that the reservoir doesn't need to be very large to be useful.

pump question: they would all work since you have a medium sized loop. The d5 can be controlled so maybe you'd like the extra choice. I know I do. I have 2 of them soft mounted on foam pads and I barely hear them and both my loops are fine :P

tubing question: I personally go with 3/4 OD but for it's minimal compared to 1/2 OD. Try UV tubes instead of UV dyes. It's way less messy, won't leave deposits on your blocks and tubes and reservoir.

fittings question: you can use bards for a less expensive solution or compression fittings for a nice look. However, be aware that large compression fittings won't fit on small blocks. You'll need angled fittings for those (or use the alternate config for the XT). Bards are fine though.

I guess my overall recommendation is: don't go for the bling, go for what makes sense in the performance/cost metric.

Happy new year and enjoy watercooling!