New to Mac, and need an affordable, upgradable desktop

[tt0maria]

Hi,

I just switched to Mac last year after using PCs my whole life. I love the OS, but Macs are so expensive! I'm looking to build a Hackintosh (my first computer build) that will work as a good desktop + htpc. I'm also looking into possibly gaming in the future. For now, I want something that will work for QWHD for movies, etc. Here's what I've planned using the 27" non-4k iMac, the CustoMac mATX, and the CustoMac Budget ATX as guides.

Intel Core i5-4570
Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Crucial Ballistix Sport XT 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
WD Black Series 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM HD
EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2 GB Superclocked ACX Video Card
Corsair CSM 650W 80+ Gold cert Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply
TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter

*Maybe*:
Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case
Acer K272HULbmiidp 60Hz 27.0" Monitor

Potentially adding a sound card in the future if necessary.

Is this good to start with for WQHD and upgradable in the future? Or is it overkill? I would be very happy to hear your thoughts! Thanks a bunch!

 

[Hawkeye]

If you're not hardcore gaming, and not using power hungry applications for 3D graphics or video or photos, it's already an overkill, IMO.
Normal desktop tasks can easily be done with integrated gfx and slower CPU.

Gaming on 1440p or 1600p - on high settings and with good framerates - however, requires all the gfx power you can get. The GTX 760 might be too slow too often.
All this if you aim at top-quality, console-beating graphics in this high resolution. You can of course, always adjust resolution (interpolating) and graphic settings of the games. They will still run fine. The GTX 760 is a real good card for 1080p.

8 GB RAM are enough for gaming as of now.

I'd say, start with integrated gfx of the CPU and add a graphic card later on, if you decided on gaming.
Never buy hardware before you need it, it's outdated so fast.

 

[trs96]

Have to agree that a 760 and a core I5 is overkill for an HTPC. I've used a core I3-2105
for 3 years with a GT 640 and it still works great in that regard. If you don't plan on
gaming anytime soon, save up your money and get a GTX 970 (mini-itx size) when they
come down in price 1-2 years from now.

 

[tt0maria]

Thanks for the advice! I guess I was working off of all the gaming posts I had read...everybody says you need a good graphics card to run high resolution well, and you need a substantial cpu to run everything. Good to know that I don't necessarily need all that power for great looking video on a WQHD monitor. Would the same hold true for 4k monitors?

 

[trs96]

Good to know that I don't necessarily need all that power for great looking video on a WQHD monitor. Would the same hold true for 4k monitors?

The gfx card(s) is the critical component in a 4K system. Up until the GTX 970 and 980 many would
use dual cards in SLI or Crossfire. Now these higher end "Maxwell" cards with 4GB of Vram seem
up to the task. I'm going to eventually get a 970 when the 60 Hz 4K monitors come down in
price. Probably in 1-2 years, once more 4K content is available.