I am looking for the best distro to replace windows 7 on my computer. I custom built my PC and have had nothing but problems with windows since. I have had multiple problems out of ubuntu 14.04 LTS and am looking to change. My hardware specs are as follows:
AMD FX_6350 6 core 3.9ghz processor
Radeon R7 260x GPU with 2GB of GDDR5
Dual 4GB ram sticks
1 TB hard drive

I'm not a heavy gamer. Use my desktop more for research, mulimedia, course work, with slight gaming. Would like to be able to run AMD catalyst for my GPU. Any and all assistance would be heavily appreciated....

Welcome to Linux Questions!

You could check out Linux Mint 16 Debian, I'm running an AMD FX-6300 6 core with an ASUS M5A78L-M USB3 Mobo with 8Gb memory and have had loads of problems trying to get a live Ubuntu 14.04 to load and run. It takes A..G..E..S to boot with long periods of, what looks like, nothing happening before it eventually comes up. Problems with Video (I've dual head Nvidea card (Can't remember the model off hand)and other niggles.

Mint 16 Debian came up fine on the live CD and I was even able to config the dual head set up. I've just got to find the time to run a final backup and salt away the config files so I can install and retain my /home partition.

Mint has just gone to V17 LTS I believe but I haven't seen anything in the wild yet.

Play Bonny!

I would agree with Soadyheid that Ubuntu and Mint are best options. But please note that Mint is more difficult to upgrade, that is essential for a long term linux user. But you will probably try another distro in that time.

Nearly any distro will run that box.

There's a spread of "I am Easy to Install" down to "You have to know stuff to live with me" in distributions. The latter type are more reliable in the long run.

There is also a plethora of special purpose distros, with all the OSS tools for something included.

Ubuntu is in the 'Easy to install' camp, but you don't learn much. Have you a special area of interest?

I am looking to get familiar with the whole linux plethora of products. I've been a long time windows user and have been in the mindset that microsoft was the only company out there. Im not completely illiterate when it comes to computers. But more advanced in the hardware side of the game. I've never really delved into the whole software, programming side of things. I'm looking to get my feet wet so to speak, but at the same time need an OS that I can use for everyday activities as well.

This is why the Geek-Giant in the sky invented live CD's.
1. Go to Distrowatch.
2. Browse about a bit among the various distros.
3. Burn some live CD's (one at a time if you're using a reusable CD/DVD.
4. Try them out at no cost and no obligation.
5. Pick the one that suits you and install it.
6. Enjoy
jdk

Right. Choose one. Try to save a few gigs of hard drive for an LFS partition.
THAT is how you learn stuff fast. Don't do it automagically (there are ways).
Do it from the book the slow hard way.

What problems!!!

Odds are they are not specific to the distribution, so you are wasting your time by changing.

If they are specific to the distribution then telling us what the problems were is critical to getting good advise on a distribution to minimize similar problems.

KDE

Edit.
http://distrowatch.com/search.php?os...&status=Active

I agree with Soadyheid, Ubuntu 14.04 and Mint are both great choices. I like Mint 17, and that is their latest long term support release. Get a 64-bit release of whichever you grab, because that obviously will work better with your processor. I'm a proponent of installing one or two, booting the same one for a period of time, get familiar with it, judge what you like and don't like, or would prefer to see tweaked; and do the same with the other one. Sounds like you mostly want the normal desktop variety of installation, so I'd start with well known distributions which provide a full desktop as the default install.