I started out with the intention of upgrading my old PC but it's been 6 years now and I ended up finding something better that I wanted for pretty much each component :/ I will be using this PC for gaming and streaming, probably some video encoding as well.

Here is my tentative build: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/HGd2zM

I've already purchased the i7-7700k and am waiting for the G Skill RAM to come out in RGB. I am still unsure about the cooler, motherboard, and case. I want kind of the best (without going into the 'ridiculous' price range) but after looking through so many benchmarks and comparisons, my head is swimming. I think I picked the best parts but it would be great if I could get a second (or however many) opinion.

My thought process:
Cooler - I've been torn betwen the NH-15 and an AIO water cooler. However, since I am aiming for a 'pretty' visible setup with tempered glass case and sparkly lights, I figured the NH-15 is out. As to choosing the H110i GTX, I looked at some benchmarks and it looked like it might be most efficient AIO water cooler.
Motherboard - I want a z270 motherboard to take advantage of the new Kaby Lake stuff but it's hard to really get any comparisons since they're all relatively recent. I picked the ASUS Maximus Code because it has a lot of RAM slots, USB slots, and seems like it is good quality.
Memory - Not very knowledgeable about this. I just picked the highest speed with lowest CAS that the mobo could support. I picked G Skill because pretty lights.
Storage - Have a 1 TB SSD already.
Graphics card - The only part of my old computer I don't want to replace...yet.
Case - Like I mentioned previously, I'm looking for a good tempered glass case. I've heard Phanteks Enthoo Evolv is another really good one but it's mid tower and from the reviews, it seems to run kind of hot. If anyone knows of a better tempered glass case, I would love some advice.
Power Supply - I want buffer in case I eventually get a second 980.

If you guys have any improvements or suggestions I can consider, please let me know. Regarding budget, I would say I want to try and keep the total under $3000 but I can be flexible if something really warrants it.

I would get a GTX 1080 if it were me, but otherwise...nice build.

I'm assuming you already have SSD and HDD to re-use?

Thank you, I have a Samsung 950 1 TB and some random WD HDD. I will also look into a 1080 but from what I recall, the performance boost isn't really worth upgrading.

what? 1080 is like 2 980s

This post was edited by yupitsmeh on Jan 14 2017 01:51pm

I don't know how that thought got into my head (might've been looking at the 980ti) but I guess I'm getting a 1080 now...haha.

They are definitely the go to vid card atm.
The 1080Ti is supposed to be coming out in a cpl months, (~March) as well.

ya go with a 1080, didnt even know skylake 2.0 came out

yup but the differences dont seem super worth it unless upgrading or building new pc

This post was edited by serialj0e on Jan 14 2017 03:04pm

Hmm, would it be worth it to wait for the 1080ti?



Also, I've noticed the Founder's Edition is more expensive than a normal 1080. From what I've googled, they're just reference card versions? Anyone know if they're worth the markup?