Looking for a moderate gaming build

[flutter]

Hello all!

1. Use: Mostly gaming, hopefully a little streaming. I am looking to catch up on games I have slowly been acquiring over the years - from Dark Souls 1 to Witcher 3. I currently have a 1080 monitor, and do not plan to upgrade to 4k in the near future, but I'm sure I will eventually. I currently have no plans for VR (but am not opposed).

2. Budget: I am open to spending up to $1,000 or so, but as a student I would rather minimize costs if possible. If I can play the games I want for $600, then great. I do have some interest in a bit of future proofing - I've been using my last desktop for 7 years. It would be great to do the same with this one.

3. Country: US.

5. No fanboy allegiance.

6. Current parts: My current computer is an Cyberpower i7 from 2009 that I got broken from the ashes of Circuit City. Old boy has been chugging along for a good run. Not a fan of the case, and most of the parts are several generations outdated now. I was planning on using the HDD and DVD-Rom drive because why not. I do not think the PSU is very good, but I am open to using it.

7. Overclocking: I love the idea of overclocking, but I am not much of a tinker-er. I'm more interested in just having a decent machine at a solid value. I'll go down whichever path seems the better value.

8. Res: As mentioned above, I am currently sticking with a 1080 screen. But upgrading is certainly a possibility in the future.

9. When: I was hoping to build it over the next month or two. Summer is when I have time.

10. Software: I can get Windows from my school, as well as the other major packages I would normally buy.

Sidenote: I am currently in Atlanta, which has access to 2 Microcenters. But next week I will be moving to Indiana which has none. Should I get the CPU/Mobo bundle before I leave?

Thank you all for your help! It is very much appreciated.

 

[mnewsham]

Should I get the CPU/Mobo bundle before I leave?

Without a doubt yes, 6600k is probably what you'll want at that budget.

 

[flutter]

As a total noob, here is what I was currently thinking. Please excuse the super basic questions.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($197.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI Z170-A PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: GeIL EVO POTENZA 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($49.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($47.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($43.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $504.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-15 16:59 EDT-0400

This is pretty much the $1,000 build posted by Ken, lacking HDD and optical drive which I can reuse, and adding a wireless card. Needs a GPU of course.

Few questions:
1- This has the i5-6500 which cannot be overclocked. Is the ~$50 savings worthwhile? Mircocenter's bundles are $20 apart plus cooling?
2- I had heard that the 6500 comes with cooling which is sufficient. Is that the case?
3- MicroCenter's lowest cost bundles are based on the ASUS Z170-E 1151 ATX, which is roughly $50 more than the MSI Z170-A PRO the recommended build uses - they seemed fairly similar at first glance. Is one better?
4- I added a wireless card, as far as I can tell, I need one. WiFi is not on any of these boards right?

GPU question:
I see a lot of people saying 380x for more modest builds, 1070 for more burly builds. I'm not sure how much oomf I really need. How can I get a grasp of what works best for me?

Thanks again!

 

[DigDog]

first thing, the new AMD 480 is due to launch at the end of the month, and legend has it, it will cost $200.

if this is true, you should build your system around that.


re: system build.
the 6500 is a fine cpu; it will serve you well. however, i should mention that with a 6600k, a Z-motherboard, and a 212 EVO, you should be able to hit 4.5Ghz comfortably.
there is an extra price to pay, but it might be worth it - it will probably add one extra year of viability to the CPU.

otherwise, you can simply get a 6500, H or B series motherboard, and use the stock cooler. lower price, and the system should run fine for at least 2 years.

also, you can get a 480Gb SSD for $99, because 240Gb is not going to be enough.

i would spend a little more and get a gold rated EVGA, the internal component are better and it will last easily into your second build.