$1,000 Gaming Build w/Monitor,Mouse,Keyboard. Critique appreciated.

[Coldkilla]

I've looked at the sticky threads, and most builds don't include a monitor/keyboard/mouse in their pricing. I'm building my nephews first-ever gaming PC and the only thing to his name is an extra copy of W7 64-bit I've given him. I've comprised a list of things I'd buy, but I'd appreciate some critique. The reason I've chosen Nvidia/Intel is simply because if he has issues, I have the same brand so it is easier to guide him over the phone should he have any.

CPU | Intel i5-4690 $225
RAM | G-Skill 8GB $63
GPU | Gigabyte 960GTX 2GB $184
MOBO | Gigabyte GA-B85 $79
PSU | XFX TS Gold 650W$75
SSD | Samsung 850 EVO 250GB $130
DVD | LITE ON DVD BURNER $20

DISPLAY | BenQ GL2760H $200
KEYBOARD | Logitech K120 $28
MOUSE | Logitech G302 $45
CASE | Corsair 200R $60

Points:
1. He doesn't intend to overclock.
2. He doesn't need 2K/4K.
3. He does want a mouse "back button" for gaming/VOIP.
4. If he wants a bigger storage drive, he can buy it later down the road.

Any minor/major issues with this build? He gave me a budget of $1,000. I'm unsure how flexible he is (it's 5:26am here, I'll ask him later in the evening), but the total currently is $1,180. Cutting the price down *may* not be necessary, but it cannot be any higher than this.

 

[Ken g6]

With PCPartPicker, and some part tweaks, I managed to lower the price and include a GTX 970.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: *Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($222.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: *Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($54.75 @ OutletPC)
Memory: *Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: *Transcend SSD370 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($90.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: *PNY GeForce GTX 970 4GB XLR8 Video Card ($296.99 @ Amazon)
Case: *Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: *Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($36.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: *Samsung SH-224DB/RSBS DVD/CD Writer ($13.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: *AOC e2752Vh 60Hz 27.0" Monitor ($179.99 @ Best Buy)
Keyboard: *Logitech K120 Wired Standard Keyboard ($6.99 @ NCIX US)
Mouse: Logitech G302 Daedalus Prime Moba Wired Laser Mouse ($39.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1056.64
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-29 12:42 EDT-0400

 

[Yuriman]

Ken's build looks great. I would perhaps consider an H97 board for $20 more for the extra RAM slots, but it's by no means necessary. I'm also partial to IPS panels. Do you need the optical drive? I haven't used one in close to 8 years.

 

[DigDog]

+1, top picks for that money.

 

[mfenn]

With PCPartPicker, and some part tweaks, I managed to lower the price and include a GTX 970.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: *Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($222.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: *Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($54.75 @ OutletPC)
Memory: *Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: *Transcend SSD370 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($90.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: *PNY GeForce GTX 970 4GB XLR8 Video Card ($296.99 @ Amazon)
Case: *Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: *Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($36.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: *Samsung SH-224DB/RSBS DVD/CD Writer ($13.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: *AOC e2752Vh 60Hz 27.0" Monitor ($179.99 @ Best Buy)
Keyboard: *Logitech K120 Wired Standard Keyboard ($6.99 @ NCIX US)
Mouse: Logitech G302 Daedalus Prime Moba Wired Laser Mouse ($39.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1056.64
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-29 12:42 EDT-0400

That's an impressive kit for $1050.

 

[Coldkilla]

Excellent! Purchasing on Saturday!! You guys rock, as always. Thanks Ken!

 

[lehtv]

I would make some changes.

CPU: OK, but a slower i5 would be fine too
cooler: intel stock is not optimal but works... i'd try to sneak in an aftermarket one
Motherboard: OK
Memory: good
Storage: good
GPU: blower model? meh
case: a bit expensive, could save a few bucks here - it's just a case
PSU: poor quality capacitors, short warranty...
optical: good, but not necessarily needed - Windows can be installed from USB
monitor: I would not buy a 27" 1080p monitor, 24" looks sharper; I'd buy 144hz for gaming
keyboard: basic but works... but has no anti-ghosting
mouse: nice

I would build:
Gigabyte B85M-DS3H + Ballistix 2x4GB 1600 $91 AR @ newegg
i5-4590 + Lite-On DVDRW $213 @ newegg
Cooler Master Hyper TX3 $17 @ amazon
Crucial BX100 250GB $101 shipped @ newegg (shipping from OutletPC isn't free on the Transcend drive either)
Zotac GTX 970 + Witcher 3 $310 shipped @ newegg (upgrade warranty to 5 years with registration)
XFX TS550 Gold $56 AR shipped @ newegg
NZXT Source 210 Elite $40 AR @ newegg
AOC G2460PQU 144hz 1ms $250 @ amazon or BenQ XL2411Z 144hz 1ms $250 @ NCIX
Steelseries Apex [RAW] gaming keyboard $45 @ Amazon
Logitech G302 Daedalus Prime $40 @ NCIX US
= $1163

If that's too expensive, I would start downgrading in this order:
1. drop the TX3 cooler (can always upgrade cooling later) -$17
2. drop PSU to XFX 550W bronze $42 AR @ NCIX -$15
3. cheaper keyboard: Rosewill RK-8300 $15 @ newegg -$30
4. cheaper CPU: i5 4460 $180 @ NCIX -$20
5. cheaper, microATX sized case: CM N200 $35 AR AP @ newegg or Fractal Core 1000 $30 @ newegg -$5-10
With all of the above, total = $1071