What is your current hardware? A 4 core Mac with 16 GB ram & a 512 GB SSD Samsung should get you where you want to go, using Parallels 8 (or 9) if you plan on using MS Word.
Just read up on how to optimally set up your VM if you don't go with the default settings. W7 runs about 90% of native speed on Parallels 8 except for games. If you want to go native, use Bootcamp or get a PC,
I actually think building your own machine is a mistake for most people. Why not go with a formula that has been "beta tested" by others? Imagine looking for help on a forum. What model & specs do you have? Instead of a brand, model, you have to talk motherboard, custom settings & whatever other variable you may have introduced. A specific model & brand coming up with similar problems helps all concerned track down a solution. One off Franken-models, not so much.
Do you use the resources monitor to help figure out what is happening with your current machine?
Are you running low on free RAM? You might have an application you use that has significant memory leak issues.
If you are currently using 16GB ram you should be able to create a report with a heck of a lot of photos. I assume you are using a 64bit version of W7, not a 32 bit, which cannot address that much RAM.
The new digital cameras with their very high pixel counts when taken at the highest resolution, can test many a program.
You might want to compress photos before entering them into Word? or whatever you are using for your reports.
