Help With First Time PC Build - What do you guys think?

gjensen

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Feb 1, 2016
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I am a first time PC builder. With some research and help from a friend, I came up with this build.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/rnssqs

Is this a decent mid-level PC that will run most of my games at 60fps? Anything I can change for cheap to significantly add performance? Anything I can save money and downgrade without loosing too much performance? Let me know and give me some tips!

Note: My buddy is giving me a compatible power supply and monitor, so they're not on my parts list
Note: Keep it simple, I'm new to PC building :D
 
Solution
960 is adequate for ultra gaming in 1920x1080, giving playable FPS (40 min, 50+ avg). the 970 will keep you closer to a 60 min, but costs twice as much
This is what I am thinking of - spend more on the GPU as the CPU is good enough at stock. What is the exact power supply he is giving you. We need to make sure it can be compatible with either R9 390 or GTX 970:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock Z170 Pro4S ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($38.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 390 8GB Nitro Video Card ($309.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $763.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-02 06:47 EST-0500
 

gjensen

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Feb 1, 2016
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Power Supply - XFX 650W Bronze

A couple notes:
- I'll be playing on a 1080p monitor
- I don't plan on overclocking at anytime

Is the 970 a necessary upgrade?
 

gjensen

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Feb 1, 2016
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Would the 970 last me significantly longer? Or long enough to warrant a $80 price bump?