Building a PC - advice requested

[elcidcannon]

So....I'm in the market for a new computer and I want to try and build my own. I'm decently tech savvy (have a EE degree), so I'm not scared of assembling hardware, soldering, etc. I imagine there's a litany of self-help DIY advice out there on the interwebs and I'm confident in my ability to get everything up and running.

What I would like advice on is the actual hardware I should get. Here are my usage requirements:

-Casual web browsing
-HD Youtube/movie trailers
-Gemstone, duh (multiple instances)
-No other gaming

-I'd like a video card that can support multiple monitors (at least 2, ideally 3)
-I don't really care about the cooling method, if it's feasible I'll probably just use a fan.

I'm down to spend several hundred dollars....would it be reasonable to expect I can meet my requirements under $500?

Thanks in advance!

[Whirlin]

I recommend http://pcpartpicker.com/
It gives you a breakdown of features/compatibility by component with all other components, and also lets you browse completed builds based upon your price point/specs.

I realized this site was awesome when I was messing with a build, and the comparability checker popped up saying my motherboard could support 4 front USB3 connections, but the case only supported 2... Just little random pieces of gold!

[Taernath]

You're looking at a bare bones setup if ll you're going to do is GS and Youtube.

4gb RAM
500GB HDD
$50-$100 GPU (R7 250 / GTX 750?)
$50 CPU w/stock fan

[Androidpk]

Onboard video could handle his needs.

[Taernath]

Onboard video could handle his needs.

Probably. It gives him options though, particularly if he's going going to stream HD on up to 3 monitors.

[Androidpk]

Gemstone on a 4k.

[elcidcannon]

Probably. It gives him options though, particularly if he's going going to stream HD on up to 3 monitors.

To clarify, I don't need HD video on 3 monitors. Worst case will be streaming on 1 monitor while gemstone/browsing on the others.

[Androidpk]

What about Twitching? Will you have a live Gemstone feed?

[elcidcannon]

Eh. Probably not.

[elcidcannon]

What about places to buy said hardware? Is newegg pretty much the premier site?

[Androidpk]

Newegg and Amazon.

[kutter]

Whirlin gave you the site to use, it is truly the best resource I have ever found for people wanting to do a build and it will give you the prices of the individual parts and if they are compatible to one another.

[elcidcannon]

yeah i've been perusing that. it's super helpful.

[Whirlin]

yeah i've been perusing that. it's super helpful.
It also gives pricing comparisons between all of the sites that they have databased

[Gizmo]

Just do what the pros do, ignore advice, and buy Best Buy PCs!

[elcidcannon]

So - browsing video cards. It seems like most cards have a mix of output types. Ie, I can't really find one with 3 HDMI or 3 DVI outputs. Most seem to have one of each. I was hoping to have a somewhat cohesive look with 3 of the same monitor....and the monitors I'm looking at don't have all 3 input types. Am I missing something, or will I need to find separate monitors that have the inputs I'm looking for?

[Whirlin]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f38sotYHqtA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f38sotYHqtA)

[elcidcannon]

Ok, cool. Watched the video but it didn't really answer my question.

I'd like to find a card with 3 of the same type outputs so I can use 3 of the same monitors (or find a monitor I like that has all 3 types of input, but that seems bass ackwards to me). The only cards I'm finding with 3 of the same type (3x displayport) are way overkill for the performance I need. Is that just the burden I'll have to bear in order to run 3 of the same monitor?

[Whirlin]

Ok, cool. Watched the video but it didn't really answer my question.

I'd like to find a card with 3 of the same type outputs so I can use 3 of the same monitors (or find a monitor I like that has all 3 types of input, but that seems bass ackwards to me). The only cards I'm finding with 3 of the same type (3x displayport) are way overkill for the performance I need. Is that just the burden I'll have to bear in order to run 3 of the same monitor?

Unless you're planning on having the monitors at a resolution over 1920x1080, DVI OR HDMI will run the same resolution, so any you can consider HDMI/DVI the same towards the 3 count

[elcidcannon]

Unless you're planning on having the monitors at a resolution over 1920x1080, DVI OR HDMI will run the same resolution, so any you can consider HDMI/DVI the same towards the 3 count

Interesting...I figured it'd be easier to find cards with 3x similar outputs. Oh well!

[Whirlin]

Interesting...I figured it'd be easier to find cards with 3x similar outputs. Oh well!
Yeah, all I'm finding are 3x Displayport connections... I found one at the $333 price point, which still might be more than you're looking to spend. Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970.