i got an ivy i7 and am happy with it. but keep in mind i upgraded from a nephalem :X

if your an overclocker currently on a sandy bridge, you won't be so impressed with ivy bridge overclocking.
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you can benefit from higher than 2gb ram if your using a 64bit OS. So only get more if your going the 64bit route which you ought to.

The recommended amount of ram for a WIN 7 rig is 6gb which is...

upgrade your rig to an ivy bridge cpu and a z77 panther point motherboard :X

thats the best way to get your SATA 3 goodies :X

my recommendation is the Asus P8-Z77-V Premium, Deluxe or Pro.
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intel nics are the best performers :X i only recommend those for ethernet nics ...

Xonar Phoebus is over the horizon. I recommend waiting for that one :X