Best graphics card for gaming on 2560x1440 resolution.

Aldo_M

Commendable
Oct 29, 2016
3
0
1,510
I have been looking in building the best pc possible for around $800 excluding the monitor, and other accessories. Just the computer itself. So I went with the i5 6600k CPU, and the MSI GAMING GeForce GTX 970 4GB GPU. I was wondering if there was any other way to get better gameplay but spending less (more so with the GPU).
 
Solution
Spend more on the GPU for best 1440p gaming. The CPU does not make much difference, if comparing a non-overclock i5 to the 'K' i5. Overclocking means spending more on the motherboard and cooling, meaning you cannot get a GTX 1070. The gtx 970 is fine for 1080p gaming, but will be disappointing at 1440p. Also this build has no SSD, but you can choose to get one later on, or save a bit more for the initial purchase.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6400 2.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($174.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI B150M Pro-VD Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($56.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: GeIL EVO POTENZA 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory...
Spend more on the GPU for best 1440p gaming. The CPU does not make much difference, if comparing a non-overclock i5 to the 'K' i5. Overclocking means spending more on the motherboard and cooling, meaning you cannot get a GTX 1070. The gtx 970 is fine for 1080p gaming, but will be disappointing at 1440p. Also this build has no SSD, but you can choose to get one later on, or save a bit more for the initial purchase.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6400 2.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($174.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI B150M Pro-VD Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($56.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: GeIL EVO POTENZA 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($71.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Hitachi Ultrastar 7K3000 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($45.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Windforce OC Video Card ($389.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ B&H)
Total: $793.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-10-29 23:15 EDT-0400
 
Solution
Cases are very personal, I personally like med or big cases for comfort. The suggested build comes with a micro-atx, but the gtx 1070 will not fit in every small case. It should be fine with any non small case though.

The gtx 1070 will enable you to max out about any game and get solid 50-60 fps. Some exceptions would be heavy CPU/unoptimized games, such as Crysis 3 or DayZ.