I'm more interested in if the platform (LGA 1136 vs LGA 1156) will come into play. And 24GB of ram is a waste IMO, i have 8GB now and I have plenty of headroom. Also, it's way easier to add ram and a video card later on, I only need to upgrade the platform at the moment.

CPU is not irrelevant, for multiboxing it's one of the most taxed components in my current system now.

I found a deal at microcenter, the i7 930 for $200 + tax, local pickup, so no shipping. Can't beat that price.