I don't think its possible unless he spends a bit more cash..
$310- q9550
$135- average 750i Board
$70- average price for a 4gb DDR2 kit with decent timings
-$200- money saved from not going 8800GT SLI (not buying either card)
$230- GTX 260 Core 216/ HD 4870 price
____
$545
vs
$295- Core i7 920
$244- Core i7 mobo (the MSI X58, the cheap one, has had some burn out issues)
$118- DDR3 Triple Channel
-$200- money saved from not going 8800GT SLI (not buying either card)
$230- GTX 260 Core 216/ HD 4870 price
_________
$687
Its like $142 more for the i7 rig.. worth it yes..