Okay gaf, I'm going to need a computer soon, and figured this is as good a time as any to invest. I need to make incremental purchases to eventually complete something, so for now, excess RAM, Graphics cards (going to use onboard for a bit sadly), and luxuries like SSD's are shelved for now. I'm thinking the one area I absolutely cannot skimp on now (for the sake of future upgrades) is the motherboard. I was looking at the guide and would like some input regarding the jump from Great to Excellent regarding motherboards. What are some prominent features I should/could be looking for regarding Mobo's?
SSDs are not a luxury - they are a necessity. We also never recommend excess RAM and builds can be tailored to almost every budget. Where are you, what are you wanting to do and how much are you looking to spend? Fill out the survey in the OP.
As well, 'not skimping' on motherboard isn't as important as it used to be. The differences between a $120 motherboard and a $300 motherboard are usually not noticed by most people. (They include the ability to put 3 or 4 video cards, better onboard sound, more power controls for extreme overclocking (talking liquid nitrogen kinda stuff) and fancy colours).