It's under $1400, granted, but consider the following
1) Only 1GB of DDR667 RAM.
2) Cheap ECS motherboard.
3) No monitor, and that's at least an extra $150 if he wants LCD.
4) No speakers, keyboard or mouse, which could cost from $50 to $150, depending on what he wants.
Mine lacks case, keyboard, mouse and speakers, but they can still be squeezed into the budget. However, I have to admit yours is a good alternative.
The question here is: is a 8800GTS really worth it? Me, I'd rather get 2GB of RAM and better quality parts with a 7900 or 7950.