Best PC build for gaming and live streaming?

I'd love to dive deeper into this and provide more granular details later on.

Anthony Hayes82 said:...and that’s how I’d sum up what I consider a decent setup for myself. 🙂

Let me know once you pick it up—I'm curious to see what kind of FPS you're pulling in GTA and what settings you end up running. I've always had an interest in this specific build. 🙂

Since my job situation looks pretty solid, I’m leaning toward investing in a more serious, high-end build. I've been chewing on these complicated hardware bundles lately, and while they definitely have their perks, I find myself hesitating whenever an AMD processor comes up. Honestly, after a few bad experiences in the past—and now that I've grown quite fond of my Intel-based laptop—I think my heart is set on Intel.

To start things off, here’s how I’d budget for that list:

The Intel I5 4690k is a solid little chip. It’s been around the block, but honestly, it still holds its own if you aren't trying to run the most demanding modern titles at max settings. It’s like that old reliable pickup truck parked in your garage—it might not win any drag races against a brand-new Tesla, but it gets the job done when you need it to. If you're just looking to get some decent performance out of an older build, this processor is a pretty dependable workhorse.
I’ve been spending some quality time tinkering with the Asus Z97 Pro lately. It's one of those reliable workhorses that just feels solid when you're getting under the hood. If you're looking to squeeze a bit more performance out of your setup, this board is definitely worth a look.
I've got two 4GB sticks of HyperX Fury running at 1600MHz.
I've been running a 240GB Kingston SSD Now 300 lately. It’s a solid little drive.
If you're looking at the Corsair RM650, you're basically looking at a reliable workhorse. It’s one of those components that doesn't need to scream for attention because it just does its job quietly in the background. Think of it like a dependable mid-sized sedan—it might not win any drag races against a supercar, but it’ll get you to work every single morning without a hiccup. For most standard builds, it provides exactly the kind of stability you want so you aren't constantly worrying about power spikes or system crashes while you're mid-game.
If I were in their shoes, I’d start by throwing everything back into that old Mid tower first.

Down the road, I’ll probably look into picking up a better GPU, a larger case, and a Corsair 110i GT to help handle the overclocking on the i5.

I’m thinking about grabbing a cheaper, lower-end motherboard for now. My logic is that if a more powerful Broadwell chip hits the market down the road, I won't be stuck having to upgrade my board just to support it. This specific one works perfectly fine with the Intel I5 4690k Asus Z97 Pro 2, and honestly, the built-in auto-overclocking is a huge selling point for me. I don't exactly have days to spend hunched over my desk trying to hunt down a stable overclock manually.

Upgrading to Broadwell is honestly just an illusion. People talk about two specific chips, the i7-5775C and the i5-5675C, which some might even call "weaker" than the current K-series models because of the lower clock speeds—though they do offer a smaller manufacturing process and better integrated graphics. I say "weaker" in quotes because the difference in clock speed won't actually impact your real-world apps or gaming performance; that’s mostly just synthetic benchmark talk. So, the bottom line is: would you rather upgrade to the i7 4790k or the i7-5775C?

Let me know when you're ready to buy, because a lot of what you're looking at isn't worth the money. Everything from liquid cooling setups to those V300 SSDs—which are noticeably slower than the competition—this is a much smarter choice for roughly the same amount of cash.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7763/a...er-micron-nand
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/1...r-good-reviews

Anthony Hayes82 said:I could grab a cheaper, lower-end motherboard, sure, but if a solid Broadwell chip drops tomorrow, I won't be stuck needing an upgrade just to run it. This board handles both my i5 4690k Asus Z97 Pro 2 and future chips perfectly fine. Plus, it has automated overclocking, which is huge because I don't have all day to babysit a PC trying to find a stable overclock.

That board is insanely overpriced. The value proposition is garbage, but hey, it's your money... 😬

Timothy Kim60 said:Upgrading to Broadwell is kind of a pipe dream. People talk about two specific chips, the i7-5775C and the i5-5675C, which some argue could actually be "weaker" than current K-series chips because of the lower clock speeds—even though they have a better manufacturing process and stronger integrated graphics. They’re only "weaker" in quotes because the clock speed difference doesn't really matter in real-life apps or games; it mostly shows up in synthetic benchmarks. So, honestly, I'm just as torn between upgrading to an i7 4790k or the i7-5775C.

Hit me up when you're actually ready to buy, because a lot of this stuff isn't worth the money, from water cooling to those V300 SSDs that are noticeably slower than the competition.

In the future, moving to an i7 Haswell might actually make more sense since older processors will be cheaper by then. But I'd only do that if I start getting into heavy video processing or something similar. Right now, having all those cores—both physical and virtual—isn't really necessary for gaming, especially since an i5 does a great job for a much lower price. As for the SSD, I think I'll save some cash there. I was thinking about grabbing a Samsung EVO 120 instead of the Kingston 240GB, since they're about the same price. At this stage, storage capacity is way more important to me than raw SSD speed.

Regarding the cooler, I could go with an air cooler, but it would need to be a massive one with high TDP. That's a dealbreaker for me because a huge heatsink covers up the shoulder and the PWM capacitor heatsinks, meaning heat transfers directly onto them. Plus, it just looks ugly. If I ever wanted to swap out the shoulder component, I'd have to pull the whole cooler off. That's why an AIO is my top priority if I decide to overclock.

@analogtiger19/">@@analogtiger19, I hear you, but I'm willing to spend the extra cash. Even if the price-to-performance ratio isn't perfect, I think it's worth it. I'm not sure what specifically you look for in a motherboard, but mine is built with solid components, and the AI suite gives me everything I need, especially Fan Expert 3 and EPU.🙂

By the way, I was originally eyeing the Z97 Maximus IV Hero because of the aesthetics, but I ended up settling on this slightly cheaper version that looks pretty standard.😁

I still plan on getting a case with a window, though. My current setup is already sitting on my desk, so I want to be able to take a quick peek at the hardware while I'm gaming.😁

I’ve updated my previous post above. Honestly, nobody should be looking at the Kingston V300 anymore when there are so many better options out there.

By the way, it's not a requirement for the cooler to overhang the RAM. Not everyone uses high-profile sticks, and even if it does cover them, you aren't actually filling four slots. Plus, it doesn't transfer heat to the memory, and frankly, almost nobody deals with RAM temperature issues anyway. Long story short, you're just making things more complicated for no reason.😬

Anthony Hayes82 said:By the way, at first I was really leaning towards the Z97 Maximus IV Hero because those extra aesthetic touches looked cool, but in the end, I just went with this cheaper version. It looks pretty standard, nothing crazy, but it gets the job done. 😁

Look, you can find plenty of cheaper ways to get those Star Trek vibes inside your case. You don't have to blow a massive chunk of change on high-end components just to make it look good. 😁

Drew Sanchez82 said:Look, there are definitely some cheaper ways to go about this. Star Trek Look, you don't need to blow your entire paycheck on high-end components just to get things looking right. If you want to improve the vibe and the effects inside your case, there are plenty of ways to do it without breaking the bank. It's all about how you style it. 😁

I’m really not looking for that whole Star Wars vibe with multi-colored LEDs popping out of every single corner. Personally, I’m aiming for a clean, black-and-white aesthetic. I want a motherboard with a sleek, matte black PCB—not that cheap, brownish tint you see on most budget boards.
If I were going to pick up a Define S, that would basically be the dream setup. Everything would stay sleek and black—I'd probably just swap out the RAM cables and the fans—but then I’d add some white LED strips to give it just enough light to see everything without being too much. 😁

A Corsair 110 is definitely on my wish list. I might not jump into overclocking right away, but that’s the dream piece of gear I'm eyeing for later. 😁

If I were in your shoes, I’d definitely spend some more time modding it just for me. There’s nothing like building something that you can actually sit back, look at on your desk, and just really appreciate the work you put into it. 🙂

Anthony Hayes82 said:I mean, I’m really not looking for those Star Wars vibes with multi-colored LEDs popping out from every corner. I'm leaning towards a black and white aesthetic. Ideally, the motherboard should have a matte black PCB, not that cheap-looking brownish tint you see on most budget boards.
Since I’d probably grab a Fractal Design Define S, it would be the perfect setup. All black everything—maybe just some braided cables, the fans, and then some white LED strips to give it a subtle glow. 😁

And that Corsair 110 is a total must-have. Maybe not right away since I won't be diving headfirst into overclocking immediately, but it's definitely on my wishlist. 😁

Honestly, I’d mostly be modding it for myself, just so I can sit at my desk, look over, and actually enjoy the view. 🙂

Mhm, and you could pair that AIO with the i7 🍿
White LEDs or neon?

My rig is pretty decked out, though I rarely actually stop to look at it. 😁

There's a "case modding" thread somewhere in the hardware section where you can find all sorts of custom-built rigs.

Drew Sanchez82 said:Mhm, you'd probably pair that AIO with an i7 🍿
with i7 white LED or maybe some neon lights?

My rig is pretty polished, but I rarely actually stop to look at it.😁

There’s a "case modding" thread over in the hardware section where you can find all sorts of DIY builds.

LEDs, sure, but definitely not neon. 😁

Yeah, the plan is to pair it with an i7 once I pick one up. 😁
Mainly for the overclocking potential, but also because my apartment gets pretty brutal in the summer—room temps can easily climb north of 86°F. 🙂

I'll take a look... 🍿

EDIT: I checked out the thread, but honestly, it wasn't really my style. I'm more about that clean aesthetic rather than those cluttered, messy mods. 😁

Something more like this, just a black and white theme with the fans and cables: http://core0.staticworld.net/images/...55127-orig.jpg

It's a solid case. Mine's a TT Element g.

I’ve been crunching the numbers a bit, and honestly, I don't think I'll be able to pick up any new games through next year. Plus, things are looking a little shaky at work, so I'm not even sure if my current company will still be standing by then.
For now, I'm sticking to a strict budget $2000 while trying to grab enough components for a decent gaming setup that actually looks good.

AMD FX 8320E
MSI 970 GAMING
MSI GTX 960 GAMING 2GB GDDR5
2XCRUICAL 4GB DDR3
CORSAIR RM650 FULL MODULAR
120GB SAMSUNG 850 EVO SSD

I'll probably pick up the case, some red cables, an AIO, and the LED lighting down the road whenever I have a little extra cash to spare.

MSI boards are pretty terrible on that socket (and honestly, they're some of the worst out there). Especially if you're planning on doing any overclocking

Timothy Kim60 said:MSI boards just aren't great on that socket—honestly, they're some of the worst. Especially if you're even thinking about overclocking.

So, how would an Intel Core i5-4570 paired with an ASUS CROSSBLADE RANGER hold up?

Not great. That processor is basically half as powerful as an Intel Core i7-4770K, and the integrated graphics won't do anything for you anyway.

2x Crucial 4GB CL11
Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P motherboard
Noctua NH-D15 CPU cooler
EVGA 600W Power Supply with Intel Core i7
AMD FX 8320E X8 16MB 3,5GHz
PowerColor R9 290 4GB GDDR5 OC

Total: $1909 UziShop

Unfortunately, if you're hunting for red PCBs on an AM3+ socket, I think you might have overextended yourself here. 😁

ASUS boards tend to lean toward blue, and those high-end models are honestly overkill and way too pricey for what they offer. You're left either overpaying for some AsRock (Mortal Kombat) stuff or settling for mediocre MSI boards—which aren't even really "mediocre." My experience has been pretty grim, especially when you consider how much they cost compared to what you could actually get from Gigabyte or ASUS.

To be blunt, with the AM3+ socket, it only makes sense to pick up a few specific boards from ASUS or Gigabyte in the $55 to $90 range. $333 Anything else is either complete overkill or significantly worse for a similar price point.

Timothy Kim60 said:Unfortunately, if you're dead set on getting a red motherboard for that AM3+ socket, I think you might have already overextended yourself. 😁

ASUS boards tend to lean blue, and those high-end models you're looking at are honestly overkill and way too pricey. Your other options are either paying extra for some AsRock (Mortal Kombat) stuff or settling for mediocre MSI boards—and they aren't even mid-range quality. In my experience, it’s usually a bad deal. When you look at what you could actually get from Gigabyte or ASUS for that kind of cash, it just doesn't add up.

To be honest, with an AM3+ socket, it really only makes sense to grab one of the few solid boards from ASUS or Gigabyte in the $550 to $900 range—$333 though even that feels steep. Anything else is either total overkill or just significantly worse quality for the same price tag.

Ah, I see. It sounds like sticking with Intel is the better move for what I need, but maybe I should just hold off on buying anything until I can save up a bit more. 😁

Man, when you know what you want, it's hard. I want it to run smoothly and, honestly, I want it to look good. But I don't want something that's just going to last two or three years; I want a build I can invest in over time and maintain without losing quality. I'm not a fan of blue or yellow builds—I'd much rather go with white or red. 😁

Regarding Mortal Kombat, I’m running an EVGA Z77 motherboard. It’s got that red aesthetic and clocked RAM. That board would be a solid choice for you, though I honestly doubt you could find one sitting on a shelf anywhere anymore.

High-end motherboards, especially those top-tier models like the Extreme series, perform exceptionally well on Intel sockets.