Have you considered having eCollegePC build you one? They will build one to your specifications and provide a 3 year parts and labor warranty at no extra charge. Shipping is free too. A bunch of people here at GB have gotten new gaming computers from them. They are also very fast in building one for you.
This is an example of one that cuts no corners for $1053, free shipping and 3 year warranty. You can always back off on a couple of things to stay under $1,000.
Intel Core i5-3570 3.4Ghz 6MB Cache Quad-Core
Stock Intel LGA1155 Heatsink and Fan
ASUS P8H77-V LE (Intel H77, HDMI, DVI, 2xPCI-E, 6xSATA, 4xDDR3)
4GB (2GBx2) PC3 10666 DDR3 1333Mhz Memory Lifetime Warranty
1TB 7200RPM 32MB Cache SATA3 6Gbps (Major Brand)
24X LG SATA Lightscribe Dual Layer DVD+/-RW DVD-RAM w/Nero
1GB GeForce GTX 560Ti GDDR5 PCI-E Dual-DVI/HDMI (Major Brand)
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
Antec Black Three Hundred Two (3 5.25, 6 3.5) 2 Fans, Audio/USB 3.0
650watt AGI Power Supply
Onboard LAN included
Onboard Sound included
Wires and Cables neatly tied up away from fans
3 Year Parts and Labor Warranty
You can always add more RAM later if you need to, but if possible, I'd go with 8 GB.
If hubby knows what to get, check them out.
EcollegePC EDIT: I should add that unless they have changed, places like Best Buy sell computers with integrated graphics and as a gamer - even the new adventure games - you will not be happy with one from there.