Computer Recommendations

No you're all wrong here guys The OP should go for a Haswell CPU as since Haswell, CPU performance has been incremental at best. If he wants the best performance, one of these will do nicely: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116907 He should get the fastest RAM he can and at least 16GB of it in ECC. Get a 10000RPM HDD such as this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA86Y3RX6269&cm_re=10000rpm-_-9SIA86Y3RX6269-_-Product And this motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813182831R You'll thank me later. Server grade hardware is bulletproof in terms of durability and is more competitive, longer.

Getting a little spammy there Daggerfall. Nothing particularly wrong with Dell, depends on the series/model, people get too caught up in this or that brand being good or bad. Almost all brands make some good stuff and some shit. Alienware is not 200% mark up, maybe in the old days, but they may charge a bit extra for the branding. GTX 970 should be fine for any games at 1080p, GTX 980 is a bit better if you can afford it for more game eyecandy. I play Fallout 3 and Skyrim on my year old $400 laptop with no graphics card, just cpu integrated graphics which is a Baytrail M quad core and 4GB ram.

I am looking to get a desktop Daggerfall, and no I don't care about brand names, but I can see the value of building a computer of your own vs buying one pre-made off the shelf, however I absolutely know zero about hardware of a computer so I have always been nervous about buying the parts and putting it together wrong, or getting the wrong parts and it just 'poof' blows up in my face the instant I turn it on. I also want to thank everyone for putting in their recommendations in this.

Valid concern Daggera. But putting together a computer is honestly pretty easy, everything is keyed so it can only go in one way and there's plenty of guides online and otherwise that can show you how to construct it. If you can pull a dipstick on your car and check your oil properly, you can put a computer together.

That gives me some hope I think since I never own a car but if I am to approach the 'build it myself" way what is your opinion on this model? https://pcpartpicker.com/guide/8Z2Ff7/fx-8350-r9-390 It is a little more then I was looking to spend but I will be doing more then just gaming on it, such as projects including graphic design, flash, whatever.

AMDs are garbage. AVOID. Here, I'll compile a list of components and prices I think you should get, give me a little bit.

I also found this http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/landingpages/intel/i7/?gclid=CLr96vW2mcsCFQEdaQodZgEADA Allows you to customize the parts. Thank you very much Reaper! :D

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116907 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA86Y3RX6269&cm_re=10000rpm-_-9SIA86Y3RX6269-_-Product http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813182831R http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226589&cm_re=16GB_ddr3-_-20-226-589-_-Product http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA30R2NZ4763 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA5751ZT1001 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA24G2KG1917 This is a good list. You get this and a decent case and you'll have it last forever. Xeons are server grade parts - they're bulletproof and very powerful.

Wow, amazing. Thank you so much! https://49.media.tumblr.com/49a21e182fcdfb3e96cc9d9421f8ee3f/tumblr_mkmipvUcxH1s9s0bdo1_500.gif