you tell em jen.
potshot's recommendations are solid. i'm surprised at the low cost of a relatively high end i7 build overall. i'd take that build of his and then buy a beefy video card and not worry about crap for a while.
why not get a beefy video card anyways? at that resolution, it would barely strain itself, therefore increasing it's reliability. especially if price isn't an issue.
you never force your own recommendations on a client especially if they made it clear about something. never presume that as the "expert" your preferences are superior compared to theirs. that's terrible customer support, and makes you look like a big wannabe know-it-all. letting them know what options they have though, that's another story.
why the heck would she be willing to spend around $1500 for older video cards? she's not shopping apple.