New computer build time? Or hold off?

[Taem]

Then all you need is mobo that has what you want (i.e. usb 3.0, pci-ex with sli or crossfire capability, and the processor type you plan on using), extra fans for the case and a good heat-sink for your new processor, and of course a good processor to go along with that, 16-gigs of DDR4+ memory (you should replace it all to the same brand and speed), and at least one video card with 2gb on board ram with good performance ratings

So many points to address here - I'll start with the mobo. I'm pretty sure I'll be going i5-4590 and not overclocking. I also don't need/want sli/crossfire. The guides I've read say that a H97 mobo is what I want. I'll also just use the retail heatsink, unless someone can suggest to me an aftermarket cooler that is just as easy to install and is a lot quieter.

As for memory - 16GB of DDR4? I'm pretty sure that's overkill, and incredibly way over my budget. 2 sticks of 4GB DDR3 is what I'm planning on getting.

Are you sure your PSU has the necessary power outlets to power the newer gen video cards and all your sata devices? Most PSU's under 600w are woefully lacking fyi. Anyway, have fun with your build!

I have a Corsair 600w modular PSU. I think that will suffice.

Got it. It's true that most programs still run off the disk, but I'm hoping in the future programs will load off the drive entirely into memory making them even faster than ssds. I have 12gb of ram right now and really enjoy it for working on pics in photoshop, but for gaming, 4gb is still plenty given that most games still run off the disk, only put part of the program into memory, and do the rendering from the video card itself. So, a good vid card is key here. I wonder how much of a difference a ssd might make? My sons computer boots up so ridiculously fast, I wonder if that isn't the way to go with a gaming rig? Regarding the heatsink, most "quiet" but "good" ones are really big... Really big! I had get a new case just to fit mine. I've personally had a ton of trouble with stock heatsink fans dying on me, so that's usually my first upgrade, but that's been my own bad experiences with them.

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Do you like the ssd? My sons hd crashed recently and he got a ssd for his windows partition, and two 1-tb satas set up as a Raid for storage. Im so jealous, but now he'll never have to worry about data loss from a hd crash.

Absolutely love the SSD. This is my 2nd one (first got fried) and Samsung has added a utility you can run that will monitor its performance and move data if part of it becomes defective/corrupted. I went with 500 GB, but even if you only get entry level (128?) it is well worth the money for a gamer. Diablo 3 loads zones so much more quickly on SSD's (I notice this with other people I play with) and Skyrim hits the disk all the time, so I also appreciate the SSD with it. By the way, I need to give some props to Steam for allowing multiple location installs. I don't care if my son has to use a HDD for Plants vs. Zombies, but I absolutely want Skyrim on the SSD. Steam makes that simple.

I'll also echo the recommendation that you put data on an external backup. I use iDrive and it's about $50/year. In addition to the extra security, it makes recovering from a disaster (lightning strike) very convenient on a new system.

I never thought of an online drive. Does it do real-time syncing too? I have an external 500gb ide drive I upload all my data onto yearly, but this leaves me vulnerable the rest of the year, and with a crash, all I got is my data, no drive back-up or image or anything so fancy. I'll have to check out that iDrive program.