Help me build a gaming PC!

i7-4790K is excellent gaming processor due to it's high guaranteed clock

As most games right now don't benefit much from a lot of cores, an i5 is a reasonable choice. You get 4 physical cores, and only 4 threads ( vs. i7 8 threads.)

16 GB of RAM is sufficient for any gaming needs now and probably into the near future

I suggest an SSD boot drive, minimum 256 GB. I suggest a HD for games, say 1 GB. With more money there are more options

With no budget given, I will assume you want value, so I suggest a GTX 970

Frank, he bulletized his requirements...there is a flaw in the code for the forum that makes the automatic color of the bulletized text to be white. You have to manually set it to another color other than black for it to be visible. It also doesn't format the bullets correctly either (there are no bullets, in other words). Here are his requirements:

Originally posted by CardinalNation - Budget: I'd like to keep it around 3k or under. It really depends on the answer to #2. I'm flexible. - Expectations: I'd like the computer to be able to run the latest and greatest, and have room/the requisite parts to be upgradeable for at least a couple of years. Keeping that in mind, I don't have a lot of technical skills when it comes to computer hardware. I've installed video cards/ram and replaced thermal paste, but that's about it. I don't want to pay for hardware that requires any maintenance or fine-tuning on my part to realize its full potential. I'm fine if the thing can run games on Ultra settings instead of Ultra ++++++. - Usage: Playing games and the web. Right now my main game of choice is a 15 year old emulated MMO but I'd like the capability to play something like Skyrim on the higher settings. - Special Needs: I'd prefer a decent sized SSD (128GB is probably too small). I also want a case that doesn't scream 15 year old nerd child. I'd prefer to keep the neon lighting and EXTREME designs to a minimum. I do like the one that come standard on the Slade, so something like that would be awesome. I also have two 27 inch LG monitors that I'll be using if that matters. If the video card is going to go nuts, a liquid cooling system or anything that would keep it from blasting loud fans would rock as well.

From Skyrim benchmarks, it looks like a single GTX 980 should be fine. I went with a reference cooler so it won't dump heat into the case; important if you want to upgrade with a second GPU later on (you'll want at least a 650W PSU for GTX 980 in SLI, so the 750W should be more than adequate for upgrades). The Slade case is rather understated, so I hope that fits your aesthetics desires...it is also pretty quiet, too. Hopefully something like this can fits your needs:

Configuration URL:     https://www.digitalstormonline.com/configurator.asp?id=1140693
Specifications:
Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Corsair Obsidian 550D
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7 4790K 4.0 GHz (Codename Devils Canyon) (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS Z97-PRO (Intel Z97 Chipset) (Features 802.11ac Wi-Fi Connectivity)
System Memory: 16GB DDR3 2133MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 750W EVGA SuperNOVA
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Optical Drive: ASUS Blu-Ray Player/DVD Writer (Play Blu-Ray and Burn DVDs) (Model: BC-12B1ST)
Storage Set 1: 1x SSD (256GB Samsung 850 PRO)
Storage Set 2: 1x Storage (2TB Western Digital - Enterprise Edition)
Storage Set 3: - No Thanks
RAID Config: - No Thanks
RAID Card: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Graphics Card(s): 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 4GB (Includes PhysX)
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
HPC Processor: - No Thanks
Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Digital Storm Vortex 120mm Radiator Liquid CPU Cooler (High-Performance Edition)
H20 Tube Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System Selected
Chassis Fans: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: - No Thanks
Airflow Control: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: Noise Suppression Package Stage 1 (Optimized Airflow & Fan Speeds Only)
LaserMark: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: Stage 1: Overclock CPU 4.0GHz to 4.4GHz
Boost Graphics Card(s): - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
Boost OS: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (64-Bit Edition)
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows CD)
Virus Protection: FREE: McAfee AntiVirus Plus (1 Year Service Activation Card) (Not Pre-installed) ($35 Value)
Office: - No Thanks
Game: - No Thanks
Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
Portable Gaming: - No Thanks
Branded Gear: - No Thanks
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 10-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: Life-time Expert Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty (3 Year Labor & 1 Year Part Replacement)

No problem.

The on-board audio (on the motherboard) is quite capable these days. There shouldn't be much of a reason to go with a dedicated sound card.

IMO, only people using their computer for recording would need other than onboard audio ( and they would use audio interfaces, typically USB connected.)

Some people say using an audio card can gain you some FPS by offloading some processing


Edited by michaeljhuman - 31 Jan 2015 at 7:02pm

I've personally had an issue with the onboard sound - but everyone else's mileage may vary - namely, ports going bad. My current DS system, still under warranty (it's about 4-5 years old) has this problem, and so did it's predecessor. I don't know if it's bad solder joints, or what, but now the only way I can get audio is via optic SDF port, which has it's own limitations.

I guess I'd just do what I did, go with onboard sound, and if it goes bad/bad ports, buy a sound card.  

Edited by Psimon - 01 Feb 2015 at 9:01am