2014 i5 Cheap-ish Gaming Rig?

Edan4

Honorable
Jan 15, 2014
1
0
10,510
Hello everybody. First time posting here. I am somewhat unfamiliar with computer hardware (I've taken some steps to educate myself on the matter and will continue to do so, but the meanings of a lot of numbers are still lost on me), and I want to know what my best options for building a gaming PC are. I have seen other, similar threads on this forum, so I figured this would be one of the best places to ask.

What I need:

> Made for Windows 7 or 8
> Intel i5 processor
> 1080p monitor
> A good cooling fan (and a case to accommodate it)
> 1 TB storage (though I will settle for something less)
> Enough power/graphical capabilities to run something like, say, Far Cry 3, Bioshock Infinite, or Metro: Last Light on maximum settings (or just fairly high settings if that is unrealistic for my budget)

Additionally, if possible, I'd like recommendations for:

> A decent headset (don't need anything super high-quality, just something functional)
> A wireless gaming mouse with 6+ total buttons

My budget: $1000-1500 (this will be done with money I'll get from working after the school year ends, so I'm not entirely sure how much I will have)

I will try to get my parts on Cyber Monday, though I realize stock will deplete fast on that day.

I am not particularly interested in overclocking, seeing as how I have no idea how to do it. Don't need SDD, or really multiple hard drives at all. I just want a fairly simple, somewhat inexpensive rig. I'm indecisive between Windows 7 and Windows 8, since I've heard the latter is kind of pointless and I have a lot of experience with the former, but I'll go with whichever option is best.

I would really appreciate some input on this topic, and thanks in advance to anybody who contributes.
 
You need to do a little bit more research, my man. For example, there is absolutely no reason to get an i7. The only difference between an i5 and an i7 is a tiny bit of L3 cashe (makes no difference for gaming), and hyperthreading. Hyperthreading only affects double precision workloads, i.e. number calculations that have to be accurate out to some hundredth decimal place. Games don't require anywhere near this sort of accuracy, and so no game should see any sort of huge improvement from hyperthreading; they should see no improvement unless they're very poorly coded.