smelku wrote I'd like to start this off by saying that I'd like to enlist the help of people who actually have experience in this subject. Honestly, it will be fairly apparent if you know what you're talking about or not, and I'm just hoping to get some opinions and suggestions before I go about spending my money.

I haven't built a "nice" computer in the past 5 or 6 years, so a lot of the talk about the bells and whistles on various MOBO's or topics like "GPU Coil Whine" kind of go over my head.

My current build (before the sad death of my GTX 560) is as follows:

CPU: AMD Phenom II x4 965 Quad Core Processor
GPU: ATI Radeon HD 4850 1 GB VRAM
RAM: Generic
PSU: Generic
MOBO: ANCIENT ASUSTek that is a pos
HDD: Generic

So..you can see my issue(s) here.

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My basis for what I'm looking for in a build is as follows:

Preferably an Nvidia card (to utilize features like Shadowplay and good driver support)

Something strong enough to stream games of varying quality.

I don't need fancy aesthetics like liquid cooling or matching color parts; I plan to keep my PC on a cooling shelf next to my desk.

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Here is a mock-up build of what I've got so far: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

I am totally open for criticism and/or suggestions! I'd like this to be an enjoyable learning process, so if you have critiques on the Motherboard, GPU, Memory, etc. please let me know. Otherwise, I'll reward helpful comments with a bit of rep!

Sanctyy wrote Will you be overclocking? If not, the i7 is a waste, a Xeon would be a better option. If you are overclocking, I'd get a better cooler than the 212 EVO. You could save $20 on mobo, $10 on RAM and another $20 on the GPU without sacrificing any features or performance. You're also going to need a case, and you'll want an HD for mass storage. I've heard bad things about the 840 SSD's, so swap it for an 850 or a BX100 from Crucial.

smelku wrote Thanks for the input! I'm not too interested in the Xeon, and I am more interested in the i7 for utilizing its multithreading capabilities. Do you have any suggestions other than the 212 EVO? I've updated the list to swap out the motherboard, and i don't know if it has updated yet. Also, I have a nice 2TB HDD sitting next to me I plan to use for the build.

Sanctyy wrote

smelku wrote Thanks for the input! I'm not too interested in the Xeon, and I am more interested in the i7 for utilizing its multithreading capabilities. Do you have any suggestions other than the 212 EVO? I've updated the list to swap out the motherboard, and i don't know if it has updated yet. Also, I have a nice 2TB HDD sitting next to me I plan to use for the build.

Yeah, the Xeon is a hyperthreaded CPU. The Xeon E3-1231 V3 is a 4 core, 8 thread CPU, the same as an i7 so performs pretty similarly to an i7-4790, but without the iGPU, and it's $100 cheaper. So, if you're not overclocking, then you'd be better with a Xeon. For motherboard, Z97S SLI Krait is your cheapest, similar option, it's $20 cheaper. You can get a Zotac GTX 970 for $20 less than the Twin Frozr. As for cooler, Noctua NH-D14/NH-D15 or Phanteks PH-TC14PE are your best bets for an air cooler. Otherwise, a nice AIO would do you well.