MPR: honestly, forget about the i7. If you wanna spend a bit more, get a better graphics card.

as for the ram amount being too much...i'd say its about right for a high end gaming pc.
I used to say 4gb is a good number for gaming pcs, you will never need more than that...but now I feel that 8gb is now that 'standard'. I have 4gb, and I find myself wishing I had more (after 6 years but still).

So yeah, 8gb ram as a standard gaming rig, 12gb if you want to go slightly overboard with the ram. But as Harner said, in 3-4 years, I wouldn't be surprised if 12gb is coming up being the next 'standard' for ram in gaming pcs.

Also, sorry I didn't get round to making a build for you, works kept me pretty busy, and had shit to do when I wasn't at work so...you know. Looks like you got the pricing sorted anyway....

I am keeping an eye on this thread anyway..because..well it's pretty much the most interesting thread on CD atm.