Planning a $1,000 Gaming PC

[WhiteFlame0]

This will be my first PC build, criticism and advice is welcome.

 

Budget and Location:

My budget is about $1,000, but I'm flexible if I need to be. I live in the USA (Missouri specifically).

 

Aim:

My primary focus is gaming, though I'll also use it for word processing and web browsing. I do edit video sometimes, but nothing big. I'm going to get the new Battlefield game when it comes out, and I suspect the system requirements will be very similar to Star Wars Battlefront (2015). Other games include Minecraft, Arma 3, and Metal Gear Solid V.

 

Monitors:

When I first build the PC I'll be using my TV (1080p 60Hz). Soon after I plan to buy a 1080p 60Hz monitor, and in a few years I may upgrade to 1440p 60Hz or 1080p 144Hz. I'm planning the PC around 1080p 60Hz.

 

Peripherals:

I can reuse my mouse, and I have a TV I can use temporarily. I also have an old USB keyboard I can use for a while. I figure I can build the computer now and worry about fancy peripherals later on. I'll be reusing my laptop hard drive (if possible), but I think the OS may be tied to my motherboard, so I may need to buy a copy of Windows.

 

I'll be building the PC sometime 2-10 months from now. I want to plan the PC as if I were ordering parts today, and update it as time goes on.

 

So far I'm looking at a GTX 970 and a quad-core i5 (the i5-4690K looks promising). The hard drive I'm hoping to reuse from my laptop is a Seagate STBD1000400 SSHD.

 

Amazon link to the hard drive: http://amzn.com/B00BSH3CCC

PC Part Picker link: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/J9kRpg

 

I don't plan to overclock until I need to.

 

I don't know which manufacturers are the best for this GPU, or if it's possible to use a laptop drive in a desktop. Any help answering these questions or choosing other parts is appreciated.

[Moonzy]

2 minutes ago, WhiteFlame0 said:

I'll be building the PC sometime 2-10 months from now.

plan a week before if possible, prices and technology changes too fast, especially with new gpu coming out a month or two later

 

but generally i recommend something like this for now

Spoiler

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/4NJqLk
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/4NJqLk/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($194.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: MSI B150 Gaming M3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($101.88 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($64.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($84.88 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($47.99 @ Micro Center) 
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card  ($329.98 @ SuperBiiz) 
Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($63.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($95.25 @ Amazon) 
Total: $983.95
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-25 16:19 EDT-0400

and you can get windows from other sources, like G2A or Kinguin or subreddit microsoftsoftwareswap

[Starelementpoke]

5 minutes ago, WhiteFlame0 said:

This will be my first PC build, criticism and advice is welcome.

 

Budget and Location:

My budget is about $1,000, but I'm flexible if I need to be. I live in the USA (Missouri specifically).

 

Aim:

My primary focus is gaming, though I'll also use it for word processing and web browsing. I do edit video sometimes, but nothing big. I'm going to get the new Battlefield game when it comes out, and I suspect the system requirements will be very similar to Star Wars Battlefront (2015). Other games include Minecraft, Arma 3, and Metal Gear Solid V.

 

Monitors:

When I first build the PC I'll be using my TV (1080p 60Hz). Soon after I plan to buy a 1080p 60Hz monitor, and in a few years I may upgrade to 1440p 60Hz or 1080p 144Hz. I'm planning the PC around 1080p 60Hz.

 

Peripherals:

I can reuse my mouse, and I have a TV I can use temporarily. I also have an old USB keyboard I can use for a while. I figure I can build the computer now and worry about fancy peripherals later on. I'll be reusing my laptop hard drive (if possible), but I think the OS may be tied to my motherboard, so I may need to buy a copy of Windows.

 

I'll be building the PC sometime 2-10 months from now. I want to plan the PC as if I were ordering parts today, and update it as time goes on.

 

So far I'm looking at a GTX 970 and a quad-core i5 (the i5-4690K looks promising). The hard drive I'm hoping to reuse from my laptop is a Seagate STBD1000400 SSHD.

 

Amazon link to the hard drive: http://amzn.com/B00BSH3CCC

PC Part Picker link: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/J9kRpg

 

I don't plan to overclock until I need to.

 

I don't know which manufacturers are the best for this GPU, or if it's possible to use a laptop drive in a desktop. Any help answering these questions or choosing other parts is appreciated.

Wait and don't make the list if you plan on building it in 2-0 months. Polaris and Pascal are coming.

[Joegeddon]

I would wait until Polaris and Pascal come out. I'm waiting until Polaris is released and then buying the R9 390 at a discounted price.

[Starelementpoke]

2 minutes ago, Moonzy said:

plan a week before if possible, prices and technology changes too fast, especially with new gpu coming out a month or two later

 

but generally i recommend something like this for now

  Hide contents

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/4NJqLk
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/4NJqLk/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($194.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: MSI B150 Gaming M3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($101.88 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($64.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($84.88 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($47.99 @ Micro Center) 
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card  ($329.98 @ SuperBiiz) 
Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($63.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($95.25 @ Amazon) 
Total: $983.95
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-25 16:19 EDT-0400

and you can get windows from other sources, like G2A or Kinguin or subreddit microsoftsoftwareswap

Why MSI when you can get Sapphire for cheaper? At least when I last checked.

[ronstig]

6 minutes ago, WhiteFlame0 said:

This will be my first PC build, criticism and advice is welcome.

 

Budget and Location:

My budget is about $1,000, but I'm flexible if I need to be. I live in the USA (Missouri specifically).

 

Aim:

My primary focus is gaming, though I'll also use it for word processing and web browsing. I do edit video sometimes, but nothing big. I'm going to get the new Battlefield game when it comes out, and I suspect the system requirements will be very similar to Star Wars Battlefront (2015). Other games include Minecraft, Arma 3, and Metal Gear Solid V.

 

Monitors:

When I first build the PC I'll be using my TV (1080p 60Hz). Soon after I plan to buy a 1080p 60Hz monitor, and in a few years I may upgrade to 1440p 60Hz or 1080p 144Hz. I'm planning the PC around 1080p 60Hz.

 

Peripherals:

I can reuse my mouse, and I have a TV I can use temporarily. I also have an old USB keyboard I can use for a while. I figure I can build the computer now and worry about fancy peripherals later on. I'll be reusing my laptop hard drive (if possible), but I think the OS may be tied to my motherboard, so I may need to buy a copy of Windows.

 

I'll be building the PC sometime 2-10 months from now. I want to plan the PC as if I were ordering parts today, and update it as time goes on.

 

So far I'm looking at a GTX 970 and a quad-core i5 (the i5-4690K looks promising). The hard drive I'm hoping to reuse from my laptop is a Seagate STBD1000400 SSHD.

 

Amazon link to the hard drive: http://amzn.com/B00BSH3CCC

PC Part Picker link: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/J9kRpg

 

I don't plan to overclock until I need to.

 

I don't know which manufacturers are the best for this GPU, or if it's possible to use a laptop drive in a desktop. Any help answering these questions or choosing other parts is appreciated.

 

Would recommend waiting for polaris/pascal but if you really want to plan now:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/YqY8RB

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($223.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($28.98 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: MSI Z97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($79.88 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: Kingston HyperX FURY 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($36.98 @ PCM) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($68.39 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate SuperSpeed HDD 1TB 2.5" 5400RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive  (Purchased For $89.99) 
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 390 8GB Double Dissipation Video Card  ($329.99 @ Amazon) 
Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($63.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($71.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $994.18
 

Should be decent for quite a while.

[WhiteFlame0]

I'm aware of Pascal, haven't heard of Polaris. For now I'm trying to educate myself on the current market and I'll update the list when new technology is available.

[Moonzy]

Just now, Starelementpoke said:

Why MSI when you can get Sapphire for cheaper? At least when I last checked.

because the perfectionist in me wants to build a themed pc... D:

i know there are cheaper parts lol

[Starelementpoke]

Just now, Moonzy said:

because the perfectionist in me wants to build a themed pc... D:

i know there are cheaper parts lol

Screw the themes, we want performance!

[WhiteFlame0]

So far two people have posted builds with the R9 390... is the price / performance better than the GTX 970 at this point?

 

[ChrisCross]

wait for next gen gpu's!

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/tkGtmG
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/tkGtmG/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($301.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($28.98 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H170-GAMING 3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($94.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($49.50 @ Newegg) 
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($56.94 @ NCIX US) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($45.00 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 390 8GB Nitro Video Card  ($317.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Case: Fractal Design Core 2500 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($55.99 @ Directron) 
Power Supply: XFX TS 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($56.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $1008.36
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-25 16:28 EDT-0400

[Starelementpoke]

2 minutes ago, WhiteFlame0 said:

So far two people have posted builds with the R9 390... is the price / performance better than the GTX 970 at this point?

 

It has been for like a year or so.

[WhiteFlame0]

3 minutes ago, WhiteFlame0 said:

So far two people have posted builds with the R9 390... is the price / performance better than the GTX 970 at this point?

 

1 minute ago, Starelementpoke said:

It has been for like a year or so.

 

I don't remember where I got it in my head the 970 was better, I'll definitely look into the R9 390 and probably end up waiting for the new GPUs.

[Clanscorpia]

No point in buying a GPU right now except for SLI/Xfire. I'd wait for Polaris and Pascal and if the rumors are true, Polaris it will have 980ti performance for $300.

[WhiteFlame0]

Thank you everyone, this all helps me a lot. I'll come back later to see if anything new comes up.

[Shahnewaz]

Stick to this, and update as time goes by.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($194.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($53.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($36.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($45.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 390 8GB Nitro Video Card  ($317.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1100 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($39.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($73.77 @ Amazon)
Total: $762.72
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-25 16:34 EDT-0400