I might get flamed for probably no good reason but the Intel Xeon 1230V2 (V2 signifies it's Ivy Bridge over V1 which is Sandy Bridge). Why? This chip is also based off of the Ivy Bridge architecture and it's essentially an i7 without integrated graphics on die (so yes, since it's an i7, it has HyperThreading which I don't think you will use all that often). Not only that but it costs $240 (at least on Newegg it does), which is very close to the price of an i5-3570K. The only downside is that you cannot overclock.
Don't get AIO liquid coolers unless you absolutely must, as in you have absolutely no space for tower heatsinks but most cases with a 120mm back exhaust should be able to hold one. They only perform a bit better than some of the best heatsinks (Silver Arrow, NH-D14, Phanteks PH-TC14PE, etc.) but cost more. At that point you should probably go with your own custom loop (but that burns a hole in your wallet).
As far as RAM goes, probably one of the most popular RAM right now is from Samsung, the MV-3V4G3D/US 8GB (2x4GB) which is a kit of great value. Why? Although stock timings and speed are only decent (1600MHz and CL11), this kit can overclock up to 2400MHz (one person has even reached 2800MHz but I think he used some very extreme cooling. Dry ice I think?). In practice you won't notice a difference between most speeds unless you have some horribly loose timings/latency. Only around $40.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147096
Free shipping too.
Don't get AIO liquid coolers unless you absolutely must, as in you have absolutely no space for tower heatsinks but most cases with a 120mm back exhaust should be able to hold one. They only perform a bit better than some of the best heatsinks (Silver Arrow, NH-D14, Phanteks PH-TC14PE, etc.) but cost more. At that point you should probably go with your own custom loop (but that burns a hole in your wallet).
As far as RAM goes, probably one of the most popular RAM right now is from Samsung, the MV-3V4G3D/US 8GB (2x4GB) which is a kit of great value. Why? Although stock timings and speed are only decent (1600MHz and CL11), this kit can overclock up to 2400MHz (one person has even reached 2800MHz but I think he used some very extreme cooling. Dry ice I think?). In practice you won't notice a difference between most speeds unless you have some horribly loose timings/latency. Only around $40.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147096
Free shipping too.