Looking for a good starting point that allows for upgrading over time

[Endurfree03]

I'm brand new to building PCs and would like to build myself a nice, "future-proof" gaming PC that has mid-high end specs for gaming and streaming. I have some parts in mind but I just want to see what other people who know a hell of a lot more than I do come up with. I have done a little work here and there on some desktops of my own over the year so i know a little bit, and have been inside of a computer before so I'm not completely going into the unknown here. I also would like to possibly think about water cooling or at least leaving it as an option to upgrade later, I just want to have this be something I can continually upgrade over time, I just want a good starting point.

[minibois]

The most important question now: what kind of budget do you have? There is really no way I can recommend anything without knowing what you want to spend. 

[Endurfree03]

well if I can do it over time I don;t have a limit really, I just want to know that if I set off to build this slowly as a project over time I will be able to use it when the time comes and I want have parts that aren't compatible. I figured that if I made it a six month or so project budget didn't really matter.

[Mello]

What are you doing? Video editing? Playing video games? 1080p, 1440p, 4K? How much space you have for the case? budget limit?

Just give us something to start with.

[minibois]

11 minutes ago, Endurfree03 said:

well if I can do it over time I don;t have a limit really, I just want to know that if I set off to build this slowly as a project over time I will be able to use it when the time comes and I want have parts that aren't compatible. I figured that if I made it a six month or so project budget didn't really matter.

You could get something like an i7 5820K (which is already very good for your purpose, but which you can always upgrade to the 6950X if you really needed more performance), GTX 1080 or Titan XP (or if you are gonna build later, the 1080 Ti might be announced and might be a better option) on an X99 motherboard, 32GB RAM (I would go for 4x8GB since I think all X99 motherboards have 8 RAM slots, so you can always upgrade to 64GB later if you really needed it) and get an M.2 256GB SSD (950 pro for example) and some more SSD's for more space.. 

A case that fits this all would probably be a bigger one and you can get an AIO in there too.. 

 

Something like that might work

[DarkBlade2117]

If you are trying to future proof as much as possible ( btw is kind of hard to do, we can't predict it ) a GPU will be the hardest part to do that. You'd be better off seeing what AMD's Vega offers since they tend to age better when it comes to get slight improvements ( sometimes bigger ones ) in drivers, just take a look at the 780Ti/780 vs 290/290x now. The 780/Ti are getting the same FPS numbers, just 290/x has just been improved upon by a lot. So I would wait for the RX 490 or the RX Fury ( Assuming that is the name which I would also assume would compete with a 1080 ). The card will ( If history repeats itself ) won't become obsolete as fast since it'll get further driver improvements increasing performance over time. 

As for CPU, again.. To last a long time as in you could later upgrade in 3 years easily I would say go X99, I would assume Skylake-E and maybe even Cannon Lake-E will be released on X99 or Cannon Lake-E will be the jump for Intel to DDR5 RAM ( Depends on when both launch ). You could find a i7-5820k or 6800k even a 5930k or 6850k to get the extra PCIe lanes and when games start utilizing more cores and stuff, or if 6 becomes to little ( for whatever reason ) The old 2011 CPUs are cheap as hell at the moment and Haswell-E or Broadwell-E will probably do the same thing, to the point where you'd be able to find a 5960x or 6900k for quite a low price.

PSU: Just get a 750w with a 6-8 year warranty, I don't see parts to start using more power, we've just been going down and 750w will allow for the most part any 2-3way SLI/CF setup in the future.

Everything else, well... cooling, just get decent air cooler like a Shadow Rock 2 or get a semi high end AIO. Storage? 500GB-1TB SSD Minimum and 2TB HDD for mass storage of videos, pictures, music, useless apps like Skype or programs you don't use very often and 2.5-3TB should last quite some time. RAM? Just get 16-32GB, 16GB will be fine plus you can always add more. Case? eh things seem to be getting smaller, I suggest something like the Phanteks P400S or the Corsair 400C. Get a quality keyboard, mouse, monitor. 1440p minimum, a keyboard and mouse that can take a beating or easily be repaired ect.

TL:DR- You can future proof, it won't be easy, won't be cheap, but if history repeats itself going with an AMD GPU when Vega releases and going on an X99 platform is your best bet for doing minimal upgrades in the future or at least finding good deals on cheap parts.

[Endurfree03]

I'd like to be able to handle 4K when the time comes, lots of gaming and streaming, space is not an issue, I would rather have something extra large for the space to cool and expand if I want to down the line, for budget I don't want anything crazy like 5 thousand dollar GPUs or anything, but I don't mind spending 1500 on a great processor or graphics card because I know mid to upper end stuff comes with a decent price tag. I am thinking SSD for the speed, I would like to have it start fast and I like the idea of the reliability and speed I hear about with SSD, unless maybe there are drawbacks I don't know about.

[DarkBlade2117]

2 hours ago, Minibois said:

You could get something like an i7 5820K (which is already very good for your purpose, but which you can always upgrade to the 6950X if you really needed more performance), GTX 1080 or Titan XP (or if you are gonna build later, the 1080 Ti might be announced and might be a better option) on an X99 motherboard, 32GB RAM (I would go for 4x8GB since I think all X99 motherboards have 8 RAM slots, so you can always upgrade to 64GB later if you really needed it) and get an M.2 256GB SSD (950 pro for example) and some more SSD's for more space.. 

A case that fits this all would probably be a bigger one and you can get an AIO in there too.. 

 

Something like that might work

Plus, Look at X79 CPU's, dirt cheap. I think Skylake-E will be the last CPU to launch on X99 which will make finding a used Broadwell-E CPU in 4-5 years quite easy, and much cheaper.

[Endurfree03]

I also do want to go with something that has clean and stylish looks, and I plan on doing some kind of cool lighting, I like a glass case from Lian Li I found recently.

[TheCakeIsNaOH]

 

As you do not have a budget posted I will assume that any price is fine. If you need to build right now I would recommend an x99 system but if you can wait for AMD zen then do so. If you decide to go with an x99 system then get the best motherboard you can afford and a 6 core- you could get a higher core count CPU later on in a couple years, a 6800k is better than a 6700k if you want to stream and game at the same time(and the motherboards are better). Get 16gb+ ram, and a 600-1000w PSU(any higher is wasting money). Gpu depends on what games you want to play and at what resolution and frame rate. For a cpu cooler, I would recommend a cheaper air cooler first then go for liquid later(so you will have a backup), and get a great case as that is the hardest part to upgrade. Get the biggest ssd you can for a boot drive and then get a big hdd(or a nas) later when you need more storage for games or video.

[Endurfree03]

I jut plan on taking my time and doing this right over time, I want to learn more about this stuff because I loved tinkering with the last two desktops I had and got great results from what I did, even thought it was all just self taught stuff.

[Endurfree03]

5 minutes ago, Minibois said:

You could get something like an i7 5820K (which is already very good for your purpose, but which you can always upgrade to the 6950X if you really needed more performance), GTX 1080 or Titan XP (or if you are gonna build later, the 1080 Ti might be announced and might be a better option) on an X99 motherboard, 32GB RAM (I would go for 4x8GB since I think all X99 motherboards have 8 RAM slots, so you can always upgrade to 64GB later if you really needed it) and get an M.2 256GB SSD (950 pro for example) and some more SSD's for more space.. 

A case that fits this all would probably be a bigger one and you can get an AIO in there too.. 

 

Something like that might work

from what I have seen the motherboard was the part I was worried about as far as making sure I could get a good one now and build over the next 6-10 months with no issues. I have no idea how fast motherboards go in and out as far as being able to work with other parts.

[DarkBlade2117]

2 hours ago, Endurfree03 said:

I also do want to go with something that has clean and stylish looks, and I plan on doing some kind of cool lighting, I like a glass case from Lian Li I found recently.

If you want a quality case have you considered this? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811854040&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker, LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

Also, ya I know what you mean. When I got into PC building a few things I did maybe weren't the best for my money, but I did learn a lot more from being stupid. Biggest mistake I made was buying a 750Ti over a GTX 950 for a $10 price difference, I'd probably have that 950 now plus an i7 (Which I need more than the GPU horse power)

Anyways, what do you mean over time, like you are going to buy parts over time or you are going to buy a full build and tinker with it, maybe experiment with a custom loop or painting some parts ect?

[Endurfree03]

3 minutes ago, relaxative said:

 

As you do not have a budget posted I will assume that any price is fine. If you need to build right now I would recommend an x99 system but if you can wait for AMD zen then do so. If you decide to go with an x99 system then get the best motherboard you can afford and a 6 core- you could get a higher core count CPU later on in a couple years, a 6800k is better than a 6700k if you want to stream and game at the same time(and the motherboards are better). Get 16gb+ ram, and a 600-1000w PSU(any higher is wasting money). Gpu depends on what games you want to play and at what resolution and frame rate. For a cpu cooler, I would recommend a cheaper air cooler first then go for liquid later(so you will have a backup), and get a great case as that is the hardest part to upgrade. Get the biggest ssd you can for a boot drive and then get a big hdd(or a nas) later when you need more storage for games or video.

yes budget does not matter, but the higher the budget the longer the build time will be because I'm budgeting out a certain amount each month max I would like to do. 800 a month is where I start getting at the limit. I would just but the processor and GPU in two month periods compared to everything else based on price, where I plan on buying all other parts one at a time each month.

[Endurfree03]

2 minutes ago, DarkBlade2117 said:

If you want a quality case have you considered this? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811854040&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker, LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

Also, ya I know what you mean. When I got into PC building a few things I did maybe weren't the best for my money, but I did learn a lot more from being stupid. Biggest mistake I made was buying a 750Ti over a GTX 950 for a $10 price difference, I'd probably have that 950 now plus an i7 (Which I need more than the GPU horse power)

Anyways, what do you mean over time, like you are going to buy parts over time or you are going to buy a full build and tinker with it, maybe experiment with a custom loop or painting some parts ect?

I just mean that I plan on buying one expensive part at a time, like maybe budgeting 800 a month for everything, so a processor would need two months to save for, same for GPU, when I could buy the motherboard one month then RAM the next without killing my bank account. I was just nervous about leaving that much time and still having everything work together nicely in the end, even if it takes longer than planned.

[minibois]

10 minutes ago, Endurfree03 said:

from what I have seen the motherboard was the part I was worried about as far as making sure I could get a good one now and build over the next 6-10 months with no issues. I have no idea how fast motherboards go in and out as far as being able to work with other parts.

With CPU's, probably all CPU's that will work on it have been made already. That is not a bad thing though, since you can even get a 10 core 20 thread chip on the platform. The i7 5820K will be really good for the next years to come, you have the room to upgrade, X99 support M.2 SSD's too (some support it weirdly though.. But M.2 SSD speeds will be plenty for the upcoming years) and the GPU's will work on it for years to come, because of PCI-E's great backwards and forwards compatibility.

 

[Endurfree03]

9 minutes ago, DarkBlade2117 said:

Plus, Look at X79 CPU's, dirt cheap. I think Skylake-E will be the last CPU to launch on X99 which will make finding a used Broadwell-E CPU in 4-5 years quite easy, and much cheaper.

you basically have nailed what I have on my list of dream items here, which is fine if I stick to my timeline, I just wanted to know if this would all work together nicely or if when I finish and boot it up I am just setting myself up for tons of issues that are beyond what I know at this point.

[Endurfree03]

15 minutes ago, Minibois said:

You could get something like an i7 5820K (which is already very good for your purpose, but which you can always upgrade to the 6950X if you really needed more performance), GTX 1080 or Titan XP (or if you are gonna build later, the 1080 Ti might be announced and might be a better option) on an X99 motherboard, 32GB RAM (I would go for 4x8GB since I think all X99 motherboards have 8 RAM slots, so you can always upgrade to 64GB later if you really needed it) and get an M.2 256GB SSD (950 pro for example) and some more SSD's for more space.. 

A case that fits this all would probably be a bigger one and you can get an AIO in there too.. 

 

Something like that might work

you basically have nailed what I have on my list of dream items here, which is fine if I stick to my timeline, I just wanted to know if this would all work together nicely or if when I finish and boot it up I am just setting myself up for tons of issues that are beyond what I know at this point.

[DarkBlade2117]

2 hours ago, Endurfree03 said:

you basically have nailed what I have on my list of dream items here, which is fine if I stick to my timeline, I just wanted to know if this would all work together nicely or if when I finish and boot it up I am just setting myself up for tons of issues that are beyond what I know at this point.

I would buy parts in bunches if you can't get it all at one time. Get RAM, CPU, Motherboard and CPU cooler for one bunch so you can make it it all works. Then get a Case and PSU, then after that storage and GPU. I wouldn't personally get like a CPU one month, than the next motherboard and RAM, than a GPU after that.

[Endurfree03]

I recently found myself with lots of extra time and I want to do this as a hobby really, I'm a disabled vet/wounded warrior and my disability recently basically got way worse, then I found out I had stage 4 cancer from Afghanistan as well, so now I'm considered unemployable by the VA which has given me a TON of time to fill, lol. after all that I figure the time to do this build has definitely come, before it is too late or something else comes up and takes priority. I have been watching all sorts of LMG videos to learn more, but figured I should come to these forums and ask to be sure, because I know I am totally new at this.

[minibois]

11 minutes ago, Endurfree03 said:

I recently found myself with lots of extra time and I want to do this as a hobby really, I'm a disabled vet/wounded warrior and my disability recently basically got way worse, then I found out I had stage 4 cancer from Afghanistan as well, so now I'm considered unemployable by the VA which has given me a TON of time to fill, lol. after all that I figure the time to do this build has definitely come, before it is too late or something else comes up and takes priority. I have been watching all sorts of LMG videos to learn more, but figured I should come to these forums and ask to be sure, because I know I am totally new at this.

Must suck to have that all  but great to hear you're still quite a positive person with a great mindset towards it all!

[Endurfree03]

1 minute ago, Minibois said:

Must suck to have that all  but great to hear you're still quite a positive person with a great mindset towards it all!

it is what it is, it has just made me realize that I need to do what I want to do now and not put things off because things happen. video games have been great at eating up time and keeping my mind going as well, so why not try and build a great gaming rig. The budget is a total strain but like I said, things happen and in the end you can't take your money with you, so whatever, find a way and make things that make you happy happen.

[Gonio]

Without specifics and knowing exact demands and use scenario's you can still use some rule of thumbs for an voerall normal use and gaming focussed build.

 

1: a good case goes several builds. Same applies for PSU and storage. PSU would say that unless you go extreme ocing with 4 GPU's, a 500-650W range PSU is good enough as long as it has all connectors you need and good components. Storage has limit by your needs for capacity. However a 250+ GB (prefer 500 though if possible in budget) SSD as main disk will go for many a long way, while mass storage can be expanded easy.

 

2: Leaves the base of the system. A good mobo/CPU can have a long usable lifespan. CPU demands are for overall normal tasks not the biggest limiting factor. A 6500K and up build will be neough for most gamers for the coming 5+ years. Recommend a OCable combi here to increase possible future usable lifespan jsut in case. A small easy OC can add that 2 years lifespan or punch needed for smooth gaming for example.

 

3: 2 ties in with RAM. 16GB is in most scenarios more then enough. If building now, would go DDR4 what makes a possible expansion in the future easier since it won't be gone for a while. Speeds are overall not a restricting factor unless very specific loads. So the currently standard 2133 or 2400 speed is good enoughfor the years to come.

 

4: CPU cooler. A good cooler can go a long way. So unless you get screwed by sockets that have a physical change that don't fit already existing ones, it will be usable for a long time migrating builds even. There are many good performing aircoolers that from a budget point of view make watercoolers useless. Good watercoolers do have more potential obviously then aircoolers, but you enter the realm of high end OCing then, or must be looks in your deciding factor in. Watercoolers are more likely to fail sooner however over longer time.

 

5: Leaves the GPU. A good enough GPU can in theory also last multiple builds, unless a major change happens on PCIe slots that outperforms a PCIe gen 3 slot. Graphics improve fast currently however and don't think that stops for a while. So this is the possible first component in line for a upgrade. This always is the matter of budget and screen setup, and for me personally also temps, noise and powerusage.