First time gaming build $1000-$1500

[coorsdelight]

Budget
I am from Massachusetts and if possible I would like the keep the range between $1000-$1500. I have always bought computers from cyber-power and would like to make sure I am getting the most for my dollar based on what I use it for.

Resolution
I game on a single 1920x1080 27'' monitor(Samsung S27D590P) and have an old 24" monitor for web browser type stuff.

Games / Settings Desired
Highest setting possible within the range, I mostly play WoW, HoS, H1Z1, Diablo 3, Overwatch,

Any other intensive software or special things you do (Frequent video encoding, 3D modeling, etc)
I currently only Fraps certain boss kills but would love the ability to stream. A friend usually does the video editing.

Country
United States

Parts that can be reused
If the monitor is up to standards I can use that but I'm not against buying two new monitors for a completely new setup

Do you need an OS?
Yes, I currently use Windows 7 but do not have a key

Do you need peripherals (e.g. monitor, mouse, keyboard, speakers, etc)?
As mentioned before I wouldn't be apposed to two new monitors even if this goes above the price range. I have a mouse, keyboard, speakers.


This will be my first time building from scratch. My experience is very limited but I have watched a few videos so I have a basic foundation. Any tips would be appreciated moving forward. Thank you for taking time to read this over and making a parts list.

[Deleted]

I just made a build on another thread, will just add an o/s and monitor. This is 1440p gaming and really one 1440p monitor is enough, keep the Samsung you got as 2ndary for net browsing etc while gaming. Doesn't matter that is 1080p.


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock 3 67.8 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler ($59.90 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170X-Gaming 3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($138.98 @ Directron)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($84.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390X 8GB Video Card ($389.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro M Acrylic ATX Mid Tower Case ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($87.95 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: BenQ GW2765HT 60Hz 27.0" Monitor ($349.00 @ B&H)
Total: $1650.56
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-12 08:47 EST-0500


You can obviously make this build cheaper. Cheaper ram,mobo, cpu cooler, gpu, case...everything really. The point was that you go for quality parts, a rig that you will enjoy for the next years.

[coorsdelight]

Is there anything else I would need to order to complete the full build or is everything included in this? Also any suggestions on videos to watch before tackling this? Thank you again for all the insight.

[Deleted]

You'll need a simple phillips screwdriver, thats it, everything else comes with the parts. As for guides there is literally thousands on youtube, this is a recent skylake guide. Just remember after you install the cpu in the mobo, then do ram (start further ram stick from cpu, in your case your two red slots), then cpu cooler. Standoffs to case and the mobo to case, you can grab the whole thing from the cpu cooler and lift the mobo up and in the case. Its easy really and each cable goes in one way so you can't really mess it up.

[Deleted]

i'd presonally get a 144hz monitor, i got one recently and it's awesome!

the Samsung 850 EVO is an awesome choice, comes out best in alot of benchmarks and reviews.

only thing i'd change is the GPU to NVIDIA.. because iv'e had issues in the past with the radeon drivers and the Geforce Experience is just so easy to use. And also has shadowplay if you want to record gameplay but thats optional.

[Lathais]

i'd presonally get a 144hz monitor, i got one recently and it's awesome!

the Samsung 850 EVO is an awesome choice, comes out best in alot of benchmarks and reviews.

only thing i'd change is the GPU to NVIDIA.. because iv'e had issues in the past with the radeon drivers and the Geforce Experience is just so easy to use. And also has shadowplay if you want to record gameplay but thats optional.

Right now is a horrible time to buy nVidia. nVidia does not support ASync compute at the hardware level which is one of the main advantages of DX12. With games like Hitman coming out that will be utilizing this, nVidia is not in a good spot until their new cards come out later this year. Aside from that, in the mid-high end, AMD is outperforms nVidia at resolutions above 1080p and at 1080p they are roughly equal.

In addition, your experience with bad drivers is anecdotal. Sure, when the were still ATI they had a lot more issues, but now that they are owned by AMD they have stepped up their driver game. For every person that has a bad experience with AMD I can find you a person that had a bad experience with nVidia. Besides, AMD does not force you to register with an e-mail address and install GFE or other similar bloatware in order to use the latest drivers.

[Deleted]

144Hz Screens aren't really a great idea unless you have a beast of a PC. You need to get 144FPS to make full use of it and that is really hard in most new Games. And the 2nd Problem is the GSync/FreeSync Problem. GSync sucks Ass and will hopefully be abandoned soon.

And for GPU, it does not matter. Nvidia in general has the better performance is way more energy-efficient and cooler/more silent because of that. In some Games lately AMD Cards had horrible performance and Cards like a 780 beat a FuryX in Benchmarks.

But for everything lower than a 970 you get more Price/Performance from AMD I guess.

[coorsdelight]

There wasnt a dvd drive listed with the build. Does this mean I would have to place like windows onto a zip drive to install it?

[Tomservo]

You'll need a simple phillips screwdriver, thats it, everything else comes with the parts. As for guides there is literally thousands on youtube, this is a recent skylake guide. Just remember after you install the cpu in the mobo, then do ram (start further ram stick from cpu, in your case your two red slots), then cpu cooler. Standoffs to case and the mobo to case, you can grab the whole thing from the cpu cooler and lift the mobo up and in the case. Its easy really and each cable goes in one way so you can't really mess it up.

An anti-static strap can be a wallet saver!

[Lathais]

There wasnt a dvd drive listed with the build. Does this mean I would have to place like windows onto a zip drive to install it?

This is the way things are going. You can even buy W10 on a USB stick:
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/...hsMRoCnzfw_wcB

That aside, you can download the .iso straight from MS and make a bootable USB Stick very easily. Otherwise, external optical drives are pretty cheap. That's what I have because I have 3 PCs at home and none have an optical drive, so on the rare occasion I need one, I can move it whereever easily.