Final (specific) advice for a ~$1100 build needed

[faust pas]

Approximate Purchase Date: End of week

Budget Range: $1000-1100

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, radiology software

Parts Not Required: Accessories, monitor, mechanical HDD

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Amazon/Newegg

Country: USA

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

I have done some shopping and taken some advice already from this forum which has helped. Right now I have in my shopping cart(s):

micro ATX form factor case
PSU = Cooler Master Silent Pro M600 600 W
Memory = Corsair Vengeance Blue 16 GB DDR3 SDRAM
SDD = Crucial M4 64GB SDD
DVD/R = Asus 24xDVD-RW Serial ATA Internal OEM Drive DRW-24B1ST
Graphics = Probably Radeon HD 7850 or 7870

What I need help with is motherboard/CPU configuration. Definitely want Ivy Bridge with Z77 NB set up, however I need advice regarding Core i7 or Core i5 Ivy bridge. Is an i7 IB worth the extra $70, and if so, would i need to up the ante on the microATX mobo and go for something like an Asus Maximum Gene? Or should I put the $70 saved with an i5 into a Maximus Gene? Or would an i5 and something equivalent to this AsRock Pro4-M (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157306) be powerful enough for mid-level gaming?

An i5/Pro4-M/Radeon 7850 configuration would save me the most money but I am wondering where putting in the extra $100 or so would provide the most benefit.

Thanks for your help.

 

[James McKeane]

What I need help with is motherboard/CPU configuration. Definitely want Ivy Bridge with Z77 NB set up, however I need advice regarding Core i7 or Core i5 Ivy bridge. Is an i7 IB worth the extra $70, and if so, would i need to up the ante on the microATX mobo and go for something like an Asus Maximum Gene? Or should I put the $70 saved with an i5 into a Maximus Gene? Or would an i5 and something equivalent to this AsRock Pro4-M (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157306) be powerful enough for mid-level gaming?

An i5/Pro4-M/Radeon 7850 configuration would save me the most money but I am wondering where putting in the extra $100 or so would provide the most benefit.

Thanks for your help.

I think you should go with an i5 3450 IvyB and the ASRock Pro4-M.