New Computer Build

[lachapelle508]

A friend is wanting me to build a new computer and I was hoping for a little guidance on what I should recommend as I am a little behind on the latest tech.

She will be using the computer to play some games with moderate Graphics but I think the biggest point is that she streams a lot of stuff (T.V. Shows, Movies) from various websites and I want to make it so she can watch without interruptions.

Currently she is running a VERY out dated PC (Running AGP gfx and IDE drives) so anything will be an improvement, but I want it to have plenty of room for upgrading as she is not the type to do mass upgrades very often (She will likely want 10-15 years use if possible).

Budget preferred under $1000
Already has a new case (ATX I believe)

 

[cilliers]

Hey there, lachapelle508

Luckily there is already a section on Tom's where different home theater PC builds were recently compared. I believe that "Joseph's config" @ $700 was voted most popular and falls well within your budget. Ref: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/community-reader-pc-builds,3989.html

This is a good guideline for your build and from that, you can tailor the build to your specific need.

With that system, some "moderate gaming" is also possible, as per your initial statement.

 

[zeyuanfu]

I would do something like this for 800$:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($224.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Antec HCG M 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $797.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-25 14:52 EST-0500

The i5 and the 290 (which is a steal at this moment, going for 224.99$) will play most, if not all games at High or Ultra at 60 FPS.