So this is my first gaming PC that I haven't had to build super-budget in oh, ever, and I'm having some trouble selecting a few parts. My budget currently hovers around $1250. I've been out of the game for about three years, back when the 2500K/2600K were king, so naturally, I've had to catch up on a number of things. That being said, here's my incomplete build as it stands currently. If you notice the lack of a video card, it's because I plan to buy that later, but please do factor that into my final price. I'm thinking about an additional $200 cost or so. Also, if you notice that I have selected 16GB of RAM instead of 8, it's because I occasionally do exceed that limit and it's a pain in the ass when I do. Finally, lots of hard drives because lots of files.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

First question: I'm aware that i5 is the choice for gaming and i7 is not significantly better because most games don't make much use of the benefits the i7 series offers, so this was the natural choice. I don't plan to overclock as well. However, gaming is only a small part of what I do (lots of encoding and multi-tasking), so would an i7 be the better choice here, and can I justify the price increase? Bear in mind I'm upgrading from an AMD Phenom X4 840. Solid little CPU, but clearly incredibly outdated at this point.

Second: My most uncertain pick is always the motherboard. I know right now I would like an H97 type, as I've heard that some older models may need to be flashed to work with the 4690, and I don't like doing that if I don't have to. That being said, does anyone have any suggestions on a reliable model? I've used Asrock in the past, but it appears I got lucky with my old model, as the reviews are just terrible on many of their boards. I'd prefer to keep it under $100, but I can go up to $110 or possibly $120.

Other considerations: Case. Last time I built a computer, the CM HAF series were wholeheartedly recommended to me, but I ended up going with an old reliable Antec 100. Great case for my purposes, which were only onboard video and a mid-range CPU. Nowadays, I notice that Corsair and NZXT seem to be the cases of choice. I have two basic requirements for a case: airflow and lots of space, but preferably not massive (essentially: mid tower). I want to avoid extra cooling options if I can help it, but I'm aware that newer CPUs can run hot, and once I stick a video card in there, I may have to look for an aftermarket cooler, or at the very least extra fans. That being said, I'm stuck between the N600 case I've selected here, the HAF 922 (old model, but still solid), the CM Storm Enforcer (another oldish model), the NZXT Phantom 001, or a Corsair model. Other considerations include sturdiness, as I travel a fair amount. Any help would be much appreciated.

Finally, is the PSU overkill? Considering an additional video card at some point in the near future, I'd like to plan for full load extra due to degradation over time, but if I can drop to a 650W or below, that would be great for my wallet. Also, I know Corsair's reputation has dropped a little and that Seasonic, EVGA and Rosewill seem to be well-regarded. Perhaps I should select one of them instead? I'm trying to keep in the $90 range and below while still getting an excellent model.

P.S. If there are any good wireless keyboard/wired mouse deals, that would be a great help as well.

Thanks for bearing with the long post. I'm sure some of my questions are common sense, but I want to get a group of opinions before I make my final choice. I respect the constant help you give to people in this subreddit!