i7 has no practical use right now as it isnt even wide spread. Quad cores can outpreform them in some applications. Untill it is more mainstream and does not cost like 500 dollars for one, it would make more sense to go with a extreme version of a quad core.
Did you actually bother looking at the current prices for the i7's? You can get the 920 for under $300.
Overall the I7's edge out even the highest Core 2 Quads, definitely so with overclocking. Irregardless, the X58 platform as a whole is a great choice and is well worth the price, certainly at the price point Bisjac is looking at. If he were spending under a $1000 then I'd recommend a Core 2 Quad. There is no reason to wait for them to go "mainstream". They aren't going to experience some massive magical price drop. If you really want to cheap out, you'll have to wait till the i5 processors hit the market in a year or two.
Also, why the forget are you recommending the
GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked Edition 896? First, his budget is much larger than that and to get something like a GTX 260 for a $1500 gaming budget is a regrettable choice. Future proof is hardly the term I'd use. Secondly, why would you pay extra for the "Superclocked edition"? you can just as easily do the exact same overclock at home for free, save the extra money
and still keep your warranty.
Like I said earlier, the Antec 900 is a
really popular case, but it is still not a choice I'd recommend. The cooling is mediocre, the cable management is almost non-existant and it is still a tight fit for modern GPUs despite being intended as a "gaming" case. A better choice would be to spend a little Extra and get the HAF 932 or even the Antec 1200. Both have superior cooling capabilities, great cable routing options and plenty of room for expansion.
Why are you recommending Ultimate Vista? It isn't worth the extra expense unless you really want Dreamscene or think bitlocker is a feature worth dieing for. Home Premium works well. At least you chose the 64-bit version.
