Ol'Lady here looking for my first gaming pc

As far as graphics I would suggest reading this article: http://www.anandtech.com/show/7981/best-video-cards-april-2014

Without knowing what resolution monitor you will be using, it is hard to advise on a particular graphics setup. I do think a Slade Level 4 with an extreme processor is overkill for a gaming PC. I would stick with desktop parts.

The other thing is that Intel is expected to release some updated desktop processors on June 2nd. These are expected to have bit higher base and turbo clocks as well as being able to hit higher speeds when overclocking.

If you only want one or two graphics cards, you might want to consider smaller form factor systems as well.

Based an a Slade system at your price range and assuming 1440p resolution, I would suggest: https://www.digitalstormonline.com/configurator.asp?id=964869

Edited by danjw1 - 14 May 2014 at 7:26am

Well to support a single 4k monitor, I would suggest this build: https://www.digitalstormonline.com/configurator.asp?id=965125

The other option would be to go with a Micro-ATX like the Virtue or Enix.

Edited by danjw1 - 14 May 2014 at 5:19pm

Originally posted by Counsel I have the Slade (4770K + GTX 780) and am loving it, but if you're interested in 4K gaming, you might want to look into a chassis with more airflow. 4K gaming currently requires two top-end graphics cards (Radeon R9 290s / R9 290Xs, GTX 780s / GTX 780 Tis), and that means a lot of heat - especially if they use a cooler design that doesn't blow heat out the back of the case. The Slade chassis CAN mount a bunch of extra fans to deal with that heat, but that means opening up the side and/or top vents, which loses most of the noise cancellation benefits.

The 550D (Slade) is capable of moving lots of air. With my suggested build I added the maxed out fans and the DS controller. When it is need the fan covers can be removed, when not, they can be left installed. It is a very flexible case, you just need to stay aware of the heat levels in it and adjust the system appropriately. Personally, I would just have the controller do the heavy lifting and leave the covers off all the time.

For lemango: Here is a review of the case that goes into what I am discussing above: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5708/corsair-obsidian-550d-starting-to-specialize

Edited by danjw1 - 14 May 2014 at 5:26pm

I think I'm going to go with a Asus ROG swift monitor/something similar instead of a 4k.

When someone asks me about PC hardware, I usually ask them to consider both what software that they run today, and what software that they might wish to run in the near future. Once the system requirements for their software are known it becomes much, much easier to recommend hardware to match. Danjw1 has recommended a really nice system that should do everything that you've expressed a desire to do.

I too am a new Slade owner so I may be just a tad partial to that particular model.
I am playing Portal, Portal 2, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, The Elder Scrolls Online, EVE Online, The Secret World, Lord of the Rings Online, World of Warcraft, and a host of older games from Good Old Games and Steam. Loving the machine but there are just not enough hours in any given day to play everything that I wish.

A couple of suggestions to help delay upgrading your hardware once that you have your new machine.
(1) Select a graphics cards with ample memory. When I bought my MacBook Pro back in early 2009 the graphics card on it had twice the memory common on PCs at the time. Now most mainstream cards offer four times the memory of my old notebook.
(2) If your budget permits, add extra disk storage. Games tend to "grow" over time and what ever storage that you start with will soon "shrink" as a result.
(3) Consider asking DS to install your OS on the SSD and place your user libraries and games on the HDD(s). If you choose to do this, your OS can be squeezed into about 80 to 100 GBs on your SSD. The remaining free space can be used for any games that might benefit from the SSD's speed. *Note* Not all games benefit from residing on an SSD so experiment and see what works for you.

With all of your research, you probably have many more good suggestions to consider so I'll stop here.

Please let us know on what you decide for your dream machine.

Thanks for the info and advice everyone...believe me, I read and take everything into consideration. Thanks!

Originally posted by lemango I forgot to mention,there's a lot of dust where I live due to my neighbor's yard being nothing but dirt and they all park their cars in the backyard. So, more often than not, a big cloud of dust comes rolling in to my side.

In that case you should make sure your case has positive pressure (more of bigger fans blowing air in then out) and filters on the the intake fans. The former to make sure that the air is entering the case only from the intake fans, the latter to filter that air. Another option is to use fan controls to ensure this. So running intake fans at higher RPMs than the exhaust. Either way, you will need intake fan filters. It is also important to clean the filters regularly.

Hey thanks for the input fitnessfun! I will definitely look into it. By the way I'm actually 39 but for some reason when I think of "Gamers" I think teens with zits. Even though I played my first computer game back when I was in 5th grade. I don't think I will ever stop liking computers/games/computer games, even if I hit 70!

39?.... kids these days.   

The last I looked, the average gamer was in their early to mid-30s. I'm nearly twice that age so don't feel "old" just yet. You have several more decades of gaming before you qualify for that moniker.