need help building pc.

[demik]

Main uses will be gaming.

Small foot print but still be able to take a full size card with no problem.

Now my main question is, how many LEDs and gold plated connectors do I need to make me the best gamer ever?

Budget is 1k not including monitor.

[Computer-Lab in Basement]

Preferences:

CPU: Intel vs. AMD? (also applies to the mobo)

GPU: NVIDIA vs. AMD?


Or you open to opinions?

[Zombly]

In addition to computer-lab in basement, where do you live and if you want a pretty case let me know what you think of the Evga Hadron, I use the AIR, it's tiny and I love the design.
http://www.evga.com/Products/Product.aspx?pn=110-MA-1001-K1

[demik]

Intel and nvidia

Amd/ati card i had died on me way too soon and this nvidia card is still going strong

[Tym]

Maybe something along the lines of a GTX 780? The release of the ti should have pushed the price down to be in your budget (Not sure of comparisons due to increase tax in the UK).

CPU, you could probably sit happy on an i5 because an i7 would probably be overkill for a gaming rig.

Would a Fratcal R2 case be small enough for you? Think it might just be a Mid-tower (although I can't remember) solid case.

[Computer-Lab in Basement]

Maybe something along the lines of a GTX 780? The release of the ti should have pushed the price down to be in your budget (Not sure of comparisons due to increase tax in the UK).

CPU, you could probably sit happy on an i5 because an i7 would probably be overkill for a gaming rig.

Would a Fratcal R2 case be small enough for you? Think it might just be a Mid-tower (although I can't remember) solid case.

I second the i5 recommendation. Get one without integrated graphics, it'll save you a few bucks.

As for the graphics, I can't definitively recommend anything in particular, as I'm running a mid-range GT640 in my rig (cheap, cheap card, works great though) so anything you end up getting will be better.

Also, you going with an SSD? If so I recommend Samsung. Just upgraded to an 840 (120GB) not too long ago, it's been a great disk so far.

[missalaire]

Budget:
More specific use (what games, what programs):
Planned time until purchase:
Do you need an Operating System?:
Do you have any specific preferred components?:
Do you need a sound or wireless card?:
Do you want stock cooling or do you plan on overclocking?:
Do you need a monitor? mouse? keyboard?:
Zip code/location? (Shipping costs):

[Zombly]

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/3kdQX

This is if you want a small factor form, can reduce to a 128 GB SSD, just for OS + Games to cut it down to $900ish not sure on what the taxes are in UK are, I believe this is where you are?

e// Overkill parts are Ram/Mobo, only technically need 8 gigs, and if you decide on a different case or how big you actually want for a PC the whole build can change just a suggestion, can lower price of mobo by ~80, and just get 1 8 gig stick for now.

Ignore my whole post then for now lol, but it really depends on how small of a case you want, mini ITX, macro ITX, mid atx.

Obviously your looking for a smaller PC but it depends on how small.

[Computer-Lab in Basement]

I do believe demik is in West Coast, US (Cali).

[demik]

BEST COAST

Also ill answer these questions as soon as im at lunch

[lightsout714]

I don't think a 780 is going to fit into a 1K budget.

What resolution do you plan on gaming at? 1080p? If so and going nvidia you could get away with a 760. 770 would be better.

The parts picker above looks pretty good. I would not personally go ITX unless it was a priority. As stated also 16gb is probably pointless

But that is the direction I would go
i5 4670k (with at least a hyper 212 cpu cooler for mild OC.)
Asus or gigabyte motherboard
8 gb of some ram
gtx 760
500w psu
case you like


This was super fast without price shopping really at all. Add whatever case you like for about $120
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3kejK

[Tym]

I think you could roll a 780 in, but if not, anyone have any experience wit that new 750ti ? The budget card? (is it out yet?) that could be pretty promising.

[regack]

More specific use (what games, what programs):
Planned time until purchase:

These will have a lot of impact.   I would add the following two as they are related to what missalaire asked:

1) How patient are you (waiting for the best price on parts)?
2) What do you have today/right now, so we have something to compare to?

That said, if I was building something today, I would just try to reuse my existing GPU until after June/July whatever... unless you have a pressing reason to update Right Now.

[jdcarpe]

Your GPU will also perform better if you can find someone who will reflow it for you and replace those stock crystals with mandolin crystals. Just sayin'.

[demik]

Your GPU will also perform better if you can find someone who will reflow it for you and replace those stock crystals with mandolin crystals. Just sayin'.

TELL ME MORE JD

[saltdiscus]

Definitely intel i7 and ftx 770.I build my pc recently with these spec.get asus rog motherboard for gaming.get evga graphic cards.

[nubbinator]

Definitely intel i7 and ftx 770.I build my pc recently with these spec.get asus rog motherboard for gaming.get evga graphic cards.

Might as well throw some Corsair into that mix.  And don't forget to recommend a CLC even if you won't be overclocking and some Corsair fans.  Did I mention Corsair yet, because it needs more Corsair.  And more Asus.  And more EVGA.  Because you should only buy from those three brands.  Ever.

[Hak Foo]

A CLC does have some conceptual benefits, even if you're running at stock-- it can be lighter and less awkward to mount-- in some situations-- than a bulky hugh-end heatsink.  It may also be quieter depending on the configuration.

I decided I just didn't feel comfortable with a potentially leaky device made by Cooler Master of all people sitting in my case, so I boxed up my Seidon 120M for a Thermalright Macho-- a heatsink that costs about 50 bucks if you can find it-- and it actually keeps my 8350 about as cool and is less noisy than the Seidon was, but that could be mounting differences.

OTOH, this all depends on the specific case and layout you're going for, especially if you're considering smaller form factors. 

Any plans for multi-GPU setups later?  If you're going that way, you'll probably find your choices very limited if you don't go for an ATX board... there are a few uATX boards with two x16 slots, but it's definitely a "better plan first".

[Photoelectric]

Definitely intel i7 and ftx 770.I build my pc recently with these spec.get asus rog motherboard for gaming.get evga graphic cards.

Might as well throw some Corsair into that mix.  And don't forget to recommend a CLC even if you won't be overclocking and some Corsair fans.  Did I mention Corsair yet, because it needs more Corsair.  And more Asus.  And more EVGA.  Because you should only buy from those three brands.  Ever.

That pretty much summarizes a lot of "build log" "mod" threads on some forums.  Make it all black with some paracord-sleeved cables and add a bit of LEDs, and call it a mod!

[nubbinator]

Definitely intel i7 and ftx 770.I build my pc recently with these spec.get asus rog motherboard for gaming.get evga graphic cards.

Might as well throw some Corsair into that mix.  And don't forget to recommend a CLC even if you won't be overclocking and some Corsair fans.  Did I mention Corsair yet, because it needs more Corsair.  And more Asus.  And more EVGA.  Because you should only buy from those three brands.  Ever.

That pretty much summarizes a lot of "build log" "mod" threads on some forums.  Make it all black with some paracord-sleeved cables and add a bit of LEDs, and call it a mod!

Yup.  It's something I tried for a long time to stem in /r/buildapc, but eventually gave up on.  I wanted some objectively good best bang for your buck builds and some real honestly awesome mods, but there are just too many shills and too many astroturfers and people paid off by some of those companies to keep people looking at things objectively.  It's stupid, but I take it as a mark of pride that I don't have a single Corsair, Asus, or EVGA component...though I do kind of get how EVGA still has fanboys.

[Hak Foo]

I had a bad experience with their handling of a defect on a M3A78, so I won't buy another Asus mobo. 

I did have a very positive experience with EVGA-- pulled a NF780i board of theirs out of a dumpster, works fine in a dogecoin-mining rig now-- but it wasn't enough to justify their GTX770 being $30 more than MSI's.

The modding culture as it was in, say, 2005, is gone.   The places I used to go for that-- Virtual Hideout, Gideontech, PCApex/PimpRig-- are all gone.  I think the affordability and availability of what was once "exotic" cooling-- from 120 and 140mm fans to water cooling-- has made it much less of a thing to need to start hacking the case up just for cooling performance, and that probably took a fair bit of wind out of the sails on those who did it for customization.

[do_Og@n]

Here's a quick build I put together. The Ram has a $15 off Promo code right now making the building almost exactly $1000.

Me personally I would go for a 4GB GTX 770 but that only comes in really handy if you are gaming at higher resolutions.

Good luck with your build.

[compgeke]

Maybe this?

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=24005286

Alright...I'll try and do something useful later. I just have this saved from a joke to make pretty much the most expensive system I could.

[lightsout714]

Here's a quick build I put together. The Ram has a $15 off Promo code right now making the building almost exactly $1000.

Me personally I would go for a 4GB GTX 770 but that only comes in really handy if you are gaming at higher resolutions.

Good luck with your build.

(Attachment Link)

Thats a nice build. Me personally I'm not building any pc without an SSD these days. Changes the overall experience too much to not have it. I would forgo an HDD for now or use a spare and throw in an SSD.

[demik]

Definitely intel i7 and ftx 770.I build my pc recently with these spec.get asus rog motherboard for gaming.get evga graphic cards.

Might as well throw some Corsair into that mix.  And don't forget to recommend a CLC even if you won't be overclocking and some Corsair fans.  Did I mention Corsair yet, because it needs more Corsair.  And more Asus.  And more EVGA.  Because you should only buy from those three brands.  Ever.

That pretty much summarizes a lot of "build log" "mod" threads on some forums.  Make it all black with some paracord-sleeved cables and add a bit of LEDs, and call it a mod!

Yup.  It's something I tried for a long time to stem in /r/buildapc, but eventually gave up on.  I wanted some objectively good best bang for your buck builds and some real honestly awesome mods, but there are just too many shills and too many astroturfers and people paid off by some of those companies to keep people looking at things objectively.  It's stupid, but I take it as a mark of pride that I don't have a single Corsair, Asus, or EVGA component...though I do kind of get how EVGA still has fanboys.

both of you need to stop going off topic. Go talk smack about fanboys in my circle jerk thread

[SpAmRaY]

Will you be buying a new keyboard to go with this new PC?

[demik]

Will you be buying a new keyboard to go with this new PC?

Duh

[SpAmRaY]

Will you be buying a new keyboard to go with this new PC?

Duh

I figure it's time you get an HHKB-S.

[Computer-Lab in Basement]

Will you be buying a new keyboard to go with this new PC?

Duh

But that will have it's own budget, I'm guessing?

[demik]

Will you be buying a new keyboard to go with this new PC?

Duh

But that will have it's own budget, I'm guessing?

Of course

[do_Og@n]

Here's a quick build I put together. The Ram has a $15 off Promo code right now making the building almost exactly $1000.

Me personally I would go for a 4GB GTX 770 but that only comes in really handy if you are gaming at higher resolutions.

Good luck with your build.

(Attachment Link)

Thats a nice build. Me personally I'm not building any pc without an SSD these days. Changes the overall experience too much to not have it. I would forgo an HDD for now or use a spare and throw in an SSD.

I prefer an SSD to the traditional HDD but for your FPS you don't see any real change between the two. SSD's only really help with load times. Good thing about drives though is you can always add more or replace them down the road.

[Zombly]

Once you answer the questions by Misslaire, I'll help you further just need to know exact information, though my build that I posted for UK would be good if you just changed everything to US, I would recommend a smaller SSD just for windows or as stated just get a SSD and save 50-100 for a regular HD, this is what I'm currently doing.

Anyways PC building is fun/challenging and always rewarding.

[tjcaustin]

Will you be buying a new keyboard to go with this new PC?

Duh

But that will have it's own budget, I'm guessing?

Yeah, the budget of all his friends, just like last time.

[lightsout714]

Here's a quick build I put together. The Ram has a $15 off Promo code right now making the building almost exactly $1000.

Me personally I would go for a 4GB GTX 770 but that only comes in really handy if you are gaming at higher resolutions.

Good luck with your build.

(Attachment Link)

Thats a nice build. Me personally I'm not building any pc without an SSD these days. Changes the overall experience too much to not have it. I would forgo an HDD for now or use a spare and throw in an SSD.

I prefer an SSD to the traditional HDD but for your FPS you don't see any real change between the two. SSD's only really help with load times. Good thing about drives though is you can always add more or replace them down the road.

This is true. But loading games is still a big part of it. In between rounds, getting connected etc, lags with an HDD. But yeah you can always add those later. I would start with the ssd so you don't have to reinstall Windows.

[IPT]

do you have a microcenter nearby where you live?  They have the lowest prices on intel CPUs and have some combo deals too.

Also i dunno about the hate on EVGA, Corsair or Asus personally.  Yes they have lots of fanboys and what not, but they're also very readily available and most are high quality components.

Regarding small footprint but enough space for a fullsize GPU, you're prob going to be limited to mATX builds.
ITX builds are fun and interesting, but personally i think its limiting for a fullblown gaming build.
Also to get PSUs for those small cases like the bitfenix prodigy limits how strong a GPU will fit and can be powered.

I'm bored at work today so i'll just piece out something, take it as you wish
for a 1k budget:  All prices is before tax

Core i5 4670K & AsRock Z87M Extreme4 : Microcenter  $279.98 (189.99 + 89.99)
http://www.microcenter.com/product/413251/Core_i5_4670K_34GHz_Socket_LGA_1150_Boxed_Processor + http://www.microcenter.com/product/414948/Z87M_Extreme4_Socket_LGA_1150_mATX_Intel_Motherboard

MSI GTX 780: $479.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127746
(cheapest i've found, i don't think this is really an option for a 1k build)

MSI GTX 770: $319.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127751

Gskill Ripjaw 8GB DDR3 2X4 $79.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231455
8GB kit should be good, wait for a sale when its around $50-60.  Can also go Kingston's HyperX series, i personally use the GSkill but i bought them 2 years ago when DDR3 was still cheap.

CORSAIR HX650 $109.99  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139012
Cheap modular PSU that'll get the job done for any single GPU configuration you're looking at.

Silverstone Precision PS07B-W $89.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163250
small no nonsense case that'll fit fullsize GPU
Another option that i personally use is the Corsair 350D.  Though that case is a midtower that only supports mATX, so its not a small tower by any sense, but still a solidly built tower.  I like it personally.

Crucial M500 240gb SSD $119.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148694

Grand total before tax and rebate: $999.93 

Course the top is just some suggestions, you can go down on the GPU to say a GTX 760ti or go look at the AMD side for a 280X.
Also can go find someone who's thinking of upgrading and buying their old GTX680 for $250 or less.

[compgeke]

Alright, I threw this together. It's $99 over but I do have a few suggestions.
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=32657288

First off, I would personally get the SSD and use your existing HDD for the time being. The next suggestion is, if you have a custom built computer, reuse your case and power supply which will save money as well.

[IPT]

the most annoying part is small footprint.  And also that DDR3 ram prices have doubled in the last year or so =/

[Zombly]

the most annoying part is small footprint.  And also that DDR3 ram prices have doubled in the last year or so =/

I know I live in Canada and bought a 16GB set on sale for $180, regular price 210..

[Lanx]

you save ALOT of $$$ if you're willing to go amd, i recently visited microcenter and they had a amd 8320 for 99bucks, i bought
8320 99bucks
asus mb (99bucks higher end for overclocking but not super crazy expensive)
ram 60bucks (i was running ddr2 for 10years! my first pair of ddr3)

i already have a corsair h100 and a modern (2013) ssd in my previous build, so i popped it all in and did easy asus overclock to 4200 (it was literally 1 click, i can manually get 300mhz out of it, i'm sure, but that would take too much time)

but the same intel 4670k (both unlocked processors) would be 60 to 90bucks over, depending on the mb, it could even be more.

it is a home/work computer i haven't played games on it, but it's' a ****ing 8 core! i am still using a 2005 ati 4850 for my dual monitors ha.

[fohat.digs]

You mentioned "small footprint" but I bought a monstrous CaseTek full tower over a decade ago that is still utterly awesome (and beige!).

Get a really nice case and swap parts individually as you need to. Every single component in my case has been replaced 2-3 times minimum and some a lot more, at least 4-5 mobos for example.

My biggest complaint is that every generation of mobos seems to have less slots for cards. I would love to have 4-6 slots minimum but that just ain't happening these days.

[cultofjosh]

A few of my personal recommendations.

I find the crucial SSDs to be a great bargain right now. I've been buying them for my office to upgrade machines here. They aren't the fastest, but honestly, I wouldn't put too much stock in getting the SSDs with the highest IOPs or read/write speeds unless you have a special need for that. Mechanical vs. any SSD is night and day, and the crucials are quite respectable performers. And so far, reliable. I've only had them a couple of months now.

Memory, I generally go with crucial unless I'm trying to save every last cent I can. I've also purchased a lot of Corsair RAM over the years but I feel like I've gotten a noticeably higher % of bad sticks from them. I still love corsair though, I have a corsair power supply, case, even a set of wireless headphones at home.

As for video cards, unless you're gaming at higher than HD resolution, you probably don't need to spend more than $250-$300 here. Despite the fact that I currently have 2 amd/ati r290x's, I would have gone nvidia if I didn't want to do mess around with the whole litecoin mining thing. Unless you really want to play cutting edge games with every setting maxed out, I can't imagine you'd need anything faster than the 770 mentioned. Depending on what you're doing, it's quite possible you'll be completely satisfied with a 760.

Again, unless you plan to game at higher than HD resolutions, don't get hung up on whether or not the motherboard can do crossfire/SLI. I've bought lots of motherboards with that capability, and have never used it. If it wasn't for my mining experiment I would only have 1 card right now. I would say if you plan on adding a 2nd card in the next 6-12 months, then you'll want it. If not, it'll probably be more cost effective to replace your card with whatever the current equivalent is at the time. In general, I replace my video card every 2 years with whatever is the best bang for the gaming dollar, which is usually a card in the 250-300 range.

I definitely agree that intel i5 is the way to go. There are some great bargains in that line. I had several generations of AMD CPUs in the past, but I've been with Intel since the core 2 duo. That being said, if you want to put every last penny into your video card, AMD are worth a look. You won't get as good performance per dollar or watt, but you will get a cheaper base system that will likely be completely fine for your needs.

Power supplies - PC Power & Cooling or Seasonic, I have a PC Power & Cooling at home and a Corsair at work right now. Corsair's power supplies were made by seasonic. Maybe they still are, I haven't researched it in a while. If you do plan on adding a 2nd video card in the future, make sure you account for that when choosing a power supply.

I've used either Gigabyte or Asus for motherboards forever. I've gotten rock solid amazingness from both of them as well as mediocre ones as well. If you go micro-atx you can get a really great feature set for a reasonable price (see my previous comments about not obsessing about SLI/Crossfire.) Mini-itx as well, although with mini-itx you're only going to have 1 expansion/video card slot and half the memory capacity.

I can give you some case recommendations if I get a better idea of what you're looking for. I obsess over computer cases so I have a good idea of what's out there

[Leslieann]

My advice...

If the only thing you do that's really taxing is gaming, an AMD is fine, in fact they work great for pretty much anything.
I like AMD, but if you do anything else on a regular basis that needs some serious grunt, go with an Intel I5. If you want raw power, Intel wins. Period. At worst you spend a bit extra, but other than that, you really cannot go wrong with Intel. As for I5 vs I7, the only benefit of an I7 really is hyper threading, which games don't really take advantage of. While AMD can be cheaper, when you compare them power to dollars, they run about even with Intel, they aren't quite the bargain many immediately think they are, in fact the real savings often come from the cheaper board they use.

Board, I recommend ASROCK or Asus. I have had very few problems with them, however, I've been a bit less happy with Asus lately.
On the other hand, if you want to run OSX on occasion, Gigabyte is a better option. I just get tired of chasing oddball drivers and bios and such that they like to use. Oh, and go MATX.

Memory,
You only need 8 gigs. I have 16 and it's VERY hard to use more than 8. Don't get me wrong, if I built another desktop today, it would have 16, maybe even 32, but I always over build. It's easy to add more later if you need it. 8 is perfect, any more takes money away from the rest of your system. Also, don't buy into the huge heatsink, overclocking memory. Basic memory from a good brand will work just fine, you also don't need the fastest.  DDR3 1600 (pc3 12800) is perfectly fine, DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) is better, but overkill and over priced. I prefer lower latency and more memory over raw speed and less memory.

Case and power supply
This is where you are a bit in trouble. You want small, with a full size graphics card. You wont get a combo, so...
Get a 500 watt PSU, anything with a good name brand will work. Corsair obviously is a good one, but you will pay more. An Antec is just fine too.  500 watts is enough that any good brand in that range should be fine.

The case...
The Fractal Design 1000 is actually darn nice for the money at only $30. I have a few of them and they are a bargain. Power Spec makes a similar case for about $25, I have a few of them too. Both have good airflow and are just hard to beat.
If you want something a bit nicer... SilverStone SST-PS07B is about as small as you can get and still use a full size graphics card and standard PSU without looking like a shoebox. These run $80-$100.



Basically, this leaves you with your choice of drives... I like SSD, but it may not be in your budget and the video card. I would spec the drive you want, and then buy the best video card you can with what's left. Any video card over $200 will play almost anything out at decent resolution and quality, you don't need a $500 card these days and much above $300 or so and you start getting less and less for your money.

[demik]

on case, i want more of a box than a small tower. im willing to go up a few hundred to accommodate a good card/ssd

Budget: 1k give or take a few hundred
More specific use (what games, what programs): mostly FPS, nothing too taxing but who knows.
Planned time until purchase: ~2 months
Do you need an Operating System?: yup
Do you have any specific preferred components?: intel/nvidia, no specifica companies on the gpu
Do you need a sound or wireless card?: nope and nope
Do you want stock cooling or do you plan on overclocking?: i dont plan on overclocking atm
Do you need a monitor? mouse? keyboard?: nope, nope, and nope
Zip code/location? (Shipping costs): best coast los angeles

with that said, thanks for all the suggestions.

[Photoelectric]

RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231518

(I personally have 16GB and I do sometimes have almost 9GB used up with my applications + SSD cache, but that's pretty uncommon for most other users).

[cultofjosh]

Based on some of the suggestions here (gskill, asrock), your preferences, and my own preferences, I threw this together. I've wanted to do a build in a Silverstone SG10B since it came out. I was getting ready to make a home server out of one when I discovered geek hack and starting spending all of my extra money on keyboard parts

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=25391666

$1,259.80 without looking for the lowest prices. That also includes an OEM copy of windows 8.1 pro.

The case is adding some cost here, so if you don't love it, don't get it. Not sure if I would recommend this case if you merely "like it" due to potential limitations of the size and air flow. The DVD is also adding a little extra cost as well since you need a slim line slot loading optical drive, and those seem to be very rare. I didn't look for blu ray, I was scared to see what it would cost, if it exists.

The 3rd primary source of the higher price is the power supply. For a build this small, I would definitely go platinum rated for the reduced heat production. Silverstone says this about power supply size:

"Maximum length for PSU is 180mm, we recommend 160mm due to varying connector locations on PSUs and the unique structure of SG10."

This seasonic is 160mm (6.3 inches.) You definitely don't want to risk going 180mm with a modular power supply as the jacks add some depth to it. Of course in a case this small it's possible you can still run into an issue following their advice. (they say that as well.)

For vid card, I went with a stockish/reference looking evga one. I don't think you'd be able to fit any weird fan assemblies in there that stick out like the asus and gigabytes. Silverstone has this to say about fitting a VGA card in there:

"Compatible up to 13.3” long, width restriction-5.70"

Of course, I've never done a build in this case, so I can't guarantee anything. But this stuff seems like it would all fit together OK. You may have issues with this case if you need a ton of extra disk space. There are 4x2.5 internal and 2x3.5 internal, but they have this warning:

"If you intend to utilize all hard drive slots, please remove all unused power supply cables. These unused cables may cause problem with the installation. SSDs are highly recommended in place of hard drives."

Case product page:
http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=392&area=en

By the way, I never take my own advice. This is the computer I built myself at work (some of the frivolous parts I paid for - ie vid cards, noctua heatsinks...)

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=25391286

It's meant to be a virtualization workhorse. I plan on trying Qubes OS on it but am running Windows 8.1 Enterprise at the moment.

[demik]

I should have mentioned that im sticking with win7

[missalaire]

on case, i want more of a box than a small tower. im willing to go up a few hundred to accommodate a good card/ssd

Budget: 1k give or take a few hundred
More specific use (what games, what programs): mostly FPS, nothing too taxing but who knows.
Planned time until purchase: ~2 months
Do you need an Operating System?: yup
Do you have any specific preferred components?: intel/nvidia, no specifica companies on the gpu
Do you need a sound or wireless card?: nope and nope
Do you want stock cooling or do you plan on overclocking?: i dont plan on overclocking atm
Do you need a monitor? mouse? keyboard?: nope, nope, and nope
Zip code/location? (Shipping costs): best coast los angeles

with that said, thanks for all the suggestions.

Are you looking to buy all at once? If so, then I suggest waiting til 1-2 weeks prior to purchasing because part prices can change a lot in 2 months.

[demik]

Nope. I usually buy stuff in parts waiting for deals

[missalaire]

Nope. I usually buy stuff in parts waiting for deals

Ok, well don't you worry about deals, love. I"ll keep an eye out for you

[cultofjosh]

I should have mentioned that im sticking with win7

Shouldn't matter in the end too much, I just stuck something in there as a placeholder for pricing. I actually use a windows intune subscription with software assurance. I think I pay $11 a month (1 year commitments) and I believe it comes with downgrade rights. More expensive but I'm a stickler for licensing since I'm an IT director. Windows enterprise allows me to virtualize several copies of it on the same computer.

Nope. I usually buy stuff in parts waiting for deals

Wow, I can't imagine being that patient with computer parts Good luck!