Lightning Strike

I lost my computer system last week to a lightning strike. A local shop is assesing the damage, but I expect at least the motherboard is gone. My question: if I have to replace the motherboard, should I upgrade to a E8500 (3.166 ghz) and a Gigabyte EP45-UD3R or go to a I7 processor at a lower ghz? FSX is the only "game" i play on the PC, and I would like to increase my performance from the previous (see specs in signature). Cost is a factor, but I won't know how much the insurance will cover until I get the estimate from the shop.If I go to a I7, will I need DDR3 memory? Can I still use Win XP?Dale