Elbereth's Journal: New PC for $1000?

I've been living under a rock for the past five years, so I'm really quite ignorant when it comes to the latest technology. Can anyone give me a quick run-down on what might work well for a new gaming PC? I'm no fanboy, but I usually end up regretting it whenever I stray away from Asus, Intel, and nVidia. What gives the most bang for the buck? It looks like a Core i5 is my best bet, but I keep wondering if maybe an entry-level Core i7 would be better. There are so many choices, I feel paralyzed by indecision.

In the meantime, I guess I'll spend a few hours reading tech sites, trying to figure out what the hell all the new buzzwords mean. I hate trying to decode all the marketing fluff.