"Future proofing" (but only to a certain extent.)

Been a long time since I've made a thread like this.


I'm trying to "future-proof" my PC, but only to a certain extent. I don't expect to play games perfectly that come out ~4 years from now. However I don't want to be buying another card by the end of next Summer.
The three things in need of an upgrade right now are my motherboard, my CPU, and my GPU.
Currently I've got running:

Kingston HyperX 8gb DDR3 1600mhz ram.
Western Digital 7200 RPM 750gb HDD. (Dedicated to music, games, and shows / movies.)
Seagate 7200 RPM 500gb HDD. (Dedicated solely to the OS, and small programs.)
ASUS M4A87TD USB3 Motherboard. This board does not support newer chips, but the board itself has surprised me greatly all around.
Sapphire Radeon 6870 1gb. This card has chugged along, but I can definitely see how it's aging..
Phenom II x4 975 BE. This chip was great, and it has done everything I've been asking it to. However I'm moving into 3D Modeling and a lot more "strenuous" video editing. I can definitely feel the age of this chip when I'm doing anything that would even attempt to push it to its limits, so to speak. (Rendering, 3D modeling, etc.)
CoolerMaster Hyper 212 PLUS Cooler. I mention this because I hope that this cooler will support the chip that I decide to upgrade to. If it doesn't, it isn't the end of the world, but I still hope.

I'm not sure what I want to buy and so that's why I made this thread. For months I've had my eyes set on the Sapphire 7950 card, but recently the 760 cards have caught my eye. PC Gaming seems to be leaning more toward nVidia nowadays, and so I thought perhaps an nVidia card would be a better choice.. Of course i haven't settled on anything.

Between the three parts I need to upgrade, I'm looking to spend no more than $600. What are my three best options based in this price range? I'll be posting a few items here as I find them on Newegg so I may ask you guys for opinions.

Thanks!

Your biggest upgrade right now is the CPU.

If anything you can just upgrade the motherboard and the processor, and wait until the HD9000 series come out later this year and see how they compare to what Nvidia offers unless you're using stuff for the 3D modeling that'll actually utilize the CUDA cores on Nvidia cards. Plus it'll give you the time to save up some money again maybe...?

So I wouldn't say it's.. "set in stone" but I'm pretty content with these but of course I'd like your guys' input.

For the card, I've chosen this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814202026 I've always had a good experience with Sapphire, and the reviews say this card overclocks like hell, and its voltage is unlocked. It's affordable, and apparently the cooling does a great job.

For the Motherboard I've chosen this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131873 The board has everything I'd need from it, and the reviews look fair. Not much else to be said.

For the chip, I've chosen this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819113284 The chip seems to be powerful, and I could definitely use the 8 cores for when I am rendering, 3D modeling, and so on. It's still going to support my Hyper 212, so I have an aftermarket cooler ready for it, saving me ~$40. The only "drawback" is that apparently it uses a lot of power. I've got a CrossFire / SLI Certified Corsair 600Watt PSU though, so I don't think power usage should be a problem. I could definitely be wrong though.

Can I get a few different opinions on these? Anything I need to watch out for.. Something better for similarly priced? Etc.

Thanks!