PC Gaming RIG Recommendations

[jaeminyou]

Hello geeks, nerds, and gamers

 

I've planned about building a PC for my brother next year. The budget is around $1500-$1550; however, I'm not sure which monitor to buy. I either have a choice of getting a cheaper Asus motherboard then getting a $300+ monitor or keeping the Asus Z170-A then getting a under $300 monitor. My brother have said he is not willing to overclock at all, and willing to play any sort of 'high-end graphics' game at an average of 60 FPS.

 

PC specs: 

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($191.91 @ Jet) 
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG M9i 48.4 CFM CPU Cooler  ($19.99 @ Newegg Marketplace) 
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($149.99 @ NCIX US) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($93.99 @ Jet) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($164.99 @ Jet) 
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB Strix Video Card  ($309.88 @ OutletPC) 
Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($66.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($43.89 @ OutletPC) 
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi Adapter  ($37.88 @ OutletPC) 
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($129.99 @ Corsair) 
Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $1259.49

 

[Note: I haven't added a monitor yet]

 

So, which choice should I make? Also, which type of GTX1060 brand do you guys recommend?

 

Thanks!

[Bananasplit_00]

dont get Z170 and a locked cpu, get H110, B150 or H170(H110 is the chepest and probably the best choice here), wifi adapter is shit, and the PSU isnt the best either

[Joshua Ondangan]

do what the dude above me say and grab a h110 for cheaps.

 

for the gtx 1060 grab the one which has better warranty service in your area. 

 

grab a kick ass monitor then all is good.

[Energycore]

There's a lot to do with that parts list. Look at that, managed to fit a GTX 1070 in there. Now you can grab a 1440p monitor and run it great.

 

Definitely not that PSU. You don't want your components acting up because they're getting bad power.

The Samsung SSDs aren't worth it anymore, they cost too much and their competition is the same and way cheaper.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($191.91 @ Jet)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG M9i 48.4 CFM CPU Cooler  ($19.99 @ Newegg Marketplace)
Motherboard: ASRock H170A-X1 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($76.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Avexir Core Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: SK hynix SL308 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($125.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC GAMING Video Card  ($399.99 @ B&H)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($66.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($62.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I REV 4.2 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter  ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($129.99 @ Corsair)
Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse  ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1229.80
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-12-20 03:32 EST-0500

 

And how about this monitor? http://pcpartpicker.com/product/D7hj4D/acer-monitor-umkg7aa002

[Aereldor]

Here's a full setup for that budget, and it's far more powerful than the PC you've put together. I've included a keyboard, mouse, monitor, and Windows key.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($229.99 @ B&H) 
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: ASRock Z170 Pro4S ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Team Elite Plus 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($74.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Crucial MX300 750GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($169.99 @ Jet) 
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Dual Series Video Card  ($397.42 @ Amazon) 
Case: BitFenix Comrade ATX Mid Tower Case  ($26.99 @ NCIX US) 
Power Supply: Corsair CXM 450W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Monitor: Asus VX24AH 24.0" 2560x1440 60Hz Monitor  ($201.99 @ Amazon) 
Keyboard: Redragon K552 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($47.47 @ Amazon) 
Mouse: Cobra E-3lue Wired Optical Mouse  ($9.87 @ Amazon) 
Other: Windows 10 OEM Key (Kinguin) ($25.00)
Total: $1353.68
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-12-20 03:33 EST-0500

 

 

[jaeminyou]

@Energycore My brother said he's not into hardcore gaming specs. He probably thinks GTX1070 crossed the line *shrugs* 

[Energycore]

Just now, jaeminyou said:

@Energycore My brother said he's not into hardcore gaming specs. He probably thinks GTX1070 crossed the line *shrugs* 

Then save buck and don't pay $300 for a card that's matched by a $220 offering.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($191.91 @ Jet)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG M9i 48.4 CFM CPU Cooler  ($19.99 @ Newegg Marketplace)
Motherboard: ASRock H170A-X1 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($76.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Avexir Core Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: SK hynix SL308 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($125.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 480 4GB GAMING X Video Card  ($222.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($66.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($62.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I REV 4.2 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter  ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($129.99 @ Corsair)
Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse  ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1052.80
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-12-20 03:36 EST-0500

 

And grab this monitor. You're getting Freesync which will eliminate screen tears and make frames smoother.

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/FZJkcf/acer-xf240h-240-144hz-monitor-umfx0aa001

[Herman Mcpootis]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V5 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($251.99 @ SuperBiiz) i7 6700 without iGPU. 
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG M9i 48.4 CFM CPU Cooler  ($19.99 @ Newegg Marketplace) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X150-PLUS WS ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($119.41 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Team Elite Plus 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($74.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: SK hynix SL308 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($69.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Storage: Toshiba Product Series:DT01ACA 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($46.89 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 Fury X 4GB Video Card  ($319.99 @ Newegg) $300 after rebates.
Case: Thermaltake View 27 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($60.99 @ NCIX US) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($59.99 @ Amazon) 
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I REV 4.2 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter  ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Monitor: Asus MG24UQ 23.6" 3840x2160 60Hz Monitor  ($329.90 @ Amazon) 
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K65 Compact Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 
Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $1494.10
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-12-20 04:52 EST-0500

[jaeminyou]

@Energycore @Aereldor My brother suddenly changed his mind after a discussion. He said he wants to overlock his CPU, but not too often. 

So here it is:

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($229.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG M9i 48.4 CFM CPU Cooler  ($19.99 @ Newegg Marketplace) 
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($149.99 @ NCIX US) 
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($164.99 @ Jet) 
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB Strix Video Card  ($309.88 @ OutletPC) 
Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($66.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($62.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Monitor: LG 25UM58-P 25.0" 2560x1080 75Hz Monitor  ($179.00 @ B&H) 
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($129.99 @ Corsair) 
Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $1463.79 

 

What do you guys think? Will it cool well during hot days? 

[PS. My brother and I live in a humid area (South-East Asia)]

[Aereldor]

1 hour ago, jaeminyou said:

@Energycore @Aereldor My brother suddenly changed his mind after a discussion. He said he wants to overlock his CPU, but not too often. 

So here it is:

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($229.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG M9i 48.4 CFM CPU Cooler  ($19.99 @ Newegg Marketplace) 
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($149.99 @ NCIX US) 
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($164.99 @ Jet) 
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB Strix Video Card  ($309.88 @ OutletPC) 
Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($66.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($62.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Monitor: LG 25UM58-P 25.0" 2560x1080 75Hz Monitor  ($179.00 @ B&H) 
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($129.99 @ Corsair) 
Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $1463.79 

 

What do you guys think? Will it cool well during hot days? 

[PS. My brother and I live in a humid area (South-East Asia)]

• An anemic cooler like that is a poor choice
• 850 EVO SSDs are fast, but the speed doesn't make a huge difference to everyday tasks, and you could get more space for that money
• That's way too much for a GTX 1060. Save on the SSD, motherboard, and GPU budget to fit in a GTX 1070 instead.
• 25" ultrawides haven't enjoyed widespread popularity because of their extremely short screen height. The ultrawide experience is immersive, but you have to sit very close to a 25" ultrawide to fill your field of view, which puts more of the screen in your peripheral vision than would be considered comfortable. However, I could be wrong about this.
• Colour scheme could be improved.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($229.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 LED 66.3 CFM Rifle Bearing CPU Cooler  ($26.99 @ NCIX US) 
Motherboard: MSI Z170A Tomahawk AC ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($141.99 @ Jet) 
Memory: Avexir Core Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($80.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Crucial MX300 750GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($169.99 @ Jet) 
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Video Card  ($395.91 @ Jet) 
Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($66.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Power Supply: Corsair CXM 450W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Red 52.2 CFM  120mm Fan  ($10.89 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Red 52.2 CFM  120mm Fan  ($10.89 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Red 52.2 CFM  120mm Fan  ($10.89 @ OutletPC) 
Monitor: Asus VX24AH 24.0" 2560x1440 60Hz Monitor  ($200.03 @ Amazon) 
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K65 Compact Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 
Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Other: Windows 10 OEM Key (Kinguin) ($25.00)
Total: $1530.52
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-12-20 11:01 EST-0500

 

My build incorporates a well-matched black-and-red colour scheme. I even have a red LED CPU cooler and red LED RAM. I also incorporated a significantly more powerful GPU, red case fans, and a better - and redder - motherboard. I replaced your storage solution with an SSD that is still very fast, but has a lot more storage for the same price. I have reservations when it comes to 25" ultrawide monitors, so I chose to use a standard 24" 1440p monitor instead. As a bonus, this steal of a display performs very well in the sRGB colour space, which will come in handy if you ever decide to edit photos or videos for web.

 

[Energycore]

5 hours ago, jaeminyou said:

@Energycore @Aereldor My brother suddenly changed his mind after a discussion. He said he wants to overlock his CPU, but not too often. 

So here it is:

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($229.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG M9i 48.4 CFM CPU Cooler  ($19.99 @ Newegg Marketplace) 
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($149.99 @ NCIX US) 
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($164.99 @ Jet) 
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB Strix Video Card  ($309.88 @ OutletPC) 
Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($66.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($62.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Monitor: LG 25UM58-P 25.0" 2560x1080 75Hz Monitor  ($179.00 @ B&H) 
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($129.99 @ Corsair) 
Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $1463.79 

 

What do you guys think? Will it cool well during hot days? 

[PS. My brother and I live in a humid area (South-East Asia)]

You're still trying to pay $300 for a video card that's only really woth $240

[Energycore]

4 hours ago, Aereldor said:

An anemic cooler like that is a poor choice

Ironic then that you recommend a Hyper 212 EVO

Spoiler

Instead give OP something with real performance

http://pcpartpicker.com/product/YwGkcf/be-quiet-cpu-cooler-bk018

[Energycore]

5 hours ago, jaeminyou said:

[PS. My brother and I live in a humid area (South-East Asia)]

Ah well, where will you buy? We can hunt for deals there.

[Aereldor]

2 hours ago, Energycore said:

Ironic then that you recommend a Hyper 212 EVO

  Reveal hidden contents

Instead give OP something with real performance

http://pcpartpicker.com/product/YwGkcf/be-quiet-cpu-cooler-bk018

Isn't a Hyper 212 EVO on par with or better than the Cryorig H7, rather than the M9i?

[Energycore]

1 minute ago, Aereldor said:

Isn't a Hyper 212 EVO on par with or better than the Cryorig H7, rather than the M9i?

No the H7 and basically any $30 120mm CPU cooler is better than the 212 EVO

 

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Raijintek/Aidos/

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Raijintek/Themis/

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/CRYORIG/H7_Universal/

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/beQuiet/Pure_Rock/

[Aereldor]

4 minutes ago, Energycore said:

No the H7 and basically any $30 120mm CPU cooler is better than the 212 EVO

 

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Raijintek/Aidos/

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Raijintek/Themis/

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/CRYORIG/H7_Universal/

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/beQuiet/Pure_Rock/

Well, thanks for letting me know. I'd appreciate some performance comparisons, if that's possible. I don't want to go about recommending anything less than the best value.

[Energycore]

2 minutes ago, Aereldor said:

Well, thanks for letting me know. I'd appreciate some performance comparisons, if that's possible. I don't want to go about recommending anything less than the best value.

Well there's the reviews I linked with each cooler even the little 92mm one beating the 212 EVO

 

And there's tomshardware's Editor's Choice cooler

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/deepcool-gammaxx-400-slim-tower-cpu-cooler,4460.html

[Aereldor]

2 minutes ago, Energycore said:

Well there's the reviews I linked with each cooler even the little 92mm one beating the 212 EVO

 

And there's tomshardware's Editor's Choice cooler

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/deepcool-gammaxx-400-slim-tower-cpu-cooler,4460.html

To think that I've been choosing the 212 EVO over this unless it's for a blue build. I can't thank you enough for calling me out on this.

[jaeminyou]

3 hours ago, Energycore said:

You're still trying to pay $300 for a video card that's only really woth $240

My brother somewhat just like the brand 'Asus'. I'll try to convince him. Is zotac good enough?

[Energycore]

1 minute ago, jaeminyou said:

My brother somewhat just like the brand 'Asus'. I'll try to convince him. Is zotac good enough?

Not the Zotac mini, that one has a pretty shit cooler.

 

I'd get the massive MSI RX 480 4GB Gaming X

http://pcpartpicker.com/product/7wgPxr/msi-radeon-rx-480-8gb-gaming-x-video-card-radeon-rx-480-gaming-x-8g

 

For 1060s, you'll have to pay more for a good cooler, but this Zotac AMP! is pretty good

http://pcpartpicker.com/product/QVWrxr/zotac-geforce-gtx-1060-6gb-amp-edition-video-card-zt-p10600b-10m

[jaeminyou]

3 hours ago, Energycore said:

Ah well, where will you buy? We can hunt for deals there.

The parts are absurdly expensive here. So I'm planning to order it online in Korea since it's 20-50 dollars cheaper than here. 

[Energycore]

1 minute ago, jaeminyou said:

The parts are absurdly expensive here. So I'm planning to order it online in Korea since it's 20-50 dollars cheaper than here. 

That makes sense. Well in that case I'll give you a rough guide:

 

RX480s generally perform on par with the GTX 1060 except on the Nvidia Gameworks games. The 4GB variant tends to be cheaper than the rest of the similar performing cards.

Any 1060 with a cooler that's really small with a single fan (like the Zotac Mini 1060) is very loud or really hot, I wouldn't get it.

And don't forget a good PSU

[jaeminyou]

3 minutes ago, Energycore said:

Not the Zotac mini, that one has a pretty shit cooler.

 

I'd get the massive MSI RX 480 4GB Gaming X

http://pcpartpicker.com/product/7wgPxr/msi-radeon-rx-480-8gb-gaming-x-video-card-radeon-rx-480-gaming-x-8g

 

For 1060s, you'll have to pay more for a good cooler, but this Zotac AMP! is pretty good

http://pcpartpicker.com/product/QVWrxr/zotac-geforce-gtx-1060-6gb-amp-edition-video-card-zt-p10600b-10m

I think I'll go with the MSI version. MSI have a good custoner service here.

[jaeminyou]

2 minutes ago, Energycore said:

That makes sense. Well in that case I'll give you a rough guide:

 

RX480s generally perform on par with the GTX 1060 except on the Nvidia Gameworks games. The 4GB variant tends to be cheaper than the rest of the similar performing cards.

Any 1060 with a cooler that's really small with a single fan (like the Zotac Mini 1060) is very loud or really hot, I wouldn't get it.

And don't forget a good PSU

Which PSU do you recommend me? I heard some bad news about Corsair PSUs...

[Energycore]

5 minutes ago, jaeminyou said:

Which PSU do you recommend me? I heard some bad news about Corsair PSUs...

Quick guide:

Corsair PSUs expect the VS series and the CX with green sticker (the ones with grey are good).

EVGA: B2, GQ, GS, G2, G3

Seasonic: Anything from Seasonic. They're one of the best.

Super Flower: Same as Seasonic.

XFX: All expect the XT series

 

For a more in depth discussion on good PSUs, check out the Tier List that's linked in my signature, and choose something from Tier 3 or higher.