Questions about the i3 6100 vs i5 6400/6500, and the 1050 Ti vs 1060, plus compatibility.

an i5 has alot of difference compared to the i3 as it has 2 more extra cores but no hyperthreading and also the i3 should not bottle neck

quick update:
$100CDN diff between the i3-6100 vs i5-6400. That's a big deal in terms of GPU so I'd probably have to err on the side of the better GPU and go with the i3-6100.

I'll make up a quick build without Windows in the cost.

All I can say is when it comes to a lower end cpu model the two things that differ are.

1. The amount of cpu cores per die.
2. The level and layers of cache will be smaller in data size quoted for the cpu.
3. The default core frequency the cpu runs at by default will be slower in speed.

4.Having a cpu with more cpu cores is better, as well as one with a higher level of cache size and cache layers from 1 to 3 levels or stages of cache found on higher Intel model chips such as the i5 or i7 range you can buy.
That is why they cost much more because they have a higher bandwidth of processing power.

It means more data can be processed in one clock cycle of the cpu Rylie.
The faster and more data you can process in bandwidth in one cpu clock cycle the better a cpu is.
And less likely to cause what we call a bottle neck of the system.

If for gaming an I 5 is a better choice of cpu, and i3 is mainly for use with the basic things such as word processing, internet surfing. playing games with a good graphics card such as a GTX 1060 card if your intention the I5 though more pricy is what you should consider buying to avoid cpu bottle necking of your system.

The 1050ti is a waste of money unless it's vastly cheaper than the RX 470. The 470 is much faster and usually similar in price. It's similar to the 1060 3gb and RX 480 4gb. Except the 1060 3gb and 480 4gb trade wins in DX11, but the 480 pulls a bit ahead in DX12 and Vulcan. This is how the best price/performance looks at this price range.

1050 > RX 460
RX 470 > 1050ti
Rx 480 4gb > 1060 3gb
1060 6gb > RX 480 8gb

The difference is that the 1060 3gb is a cut down version of the chip in the 1060 6gb.

The i3 should perform decently, but as you know the i5 is stronger overall.

Things seem overpriced in Canada, but you have to remember currency exchange rates. It's not $1=1$.

There's such a huge difference between the 1050 ti and the 1060, in both performance and in price. Have you looked at the AMD RX 470? I'm not sure how much it costs in Canada, but it sits a lot closer to the 1060 in performance, but a lot closer to the 1050 ti in price. If you're going to be using this build for a long time between upgrades, it might be a good compromise.

Just an EXAMPLE..
(this is just to see what is roughly the CHEAPEST you can build in Canada, but not necessarily what I'd recommend)
http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/tKWyqk

Some points:
a) recommend 16GB DDR4
b) there are cheaper motherboards, but that's the cheapest I could recommend (and if you go with 2x4GB to start for DDR4 you'd want FOUR slots)
c) I'd use a non-stock CPU cooler like the Cryorig H7 (mainly about noise)
d) GTX1050Ti is a 4GB card, so that's good. I didn't know that. Not bad for the price.

Anyway, not sure if that helps.

Still not sure about the CPU vs GPU, but it would depend what the absolute budget limit is. An i3-6100 + GTX1050Ti is a fairly good gaming machine if you tweak the games properly.

My last rig was an i7-3770K + GTX680 which ran most games really well, and it would be nearly identical to this for most games.

Just FYI, but I had a GTX680 2GB until about two weeks ago then I went to a GTX1080.

I was actually surprised at how many games still ran great on the GTX680 (which is about the same as a GTX1050Ti). Out of my large list only a few, newer and demanding games really needed the better GPU to run smoother and look better.

Even CRYSIS 3 ran pretty great with some careful tweaks (1080p@60FPS). I was surprised that Assassin's Creed 4 still runs like ass though, and tweaking that is such a hassle I played UNITY instead (I thought it would work the other way) on my GTX1080.

I'm pretty good with TWEAKING the settings to get the best result though, and that's something you'll need to learn if you aren't yet good at it.

For example, with a 60Hz monitor you would first decide on:
a) VSYNC ON or OFF
b) Adaptive VSYNC? (which just auto toggles VSYNC ON or OFF)

Then you play around with the quality settings to get the best result visual which also gives you the desired FPS result. Maybe you aim to stay at a solid 60FPS with VSYNC ON (to avoid screen tear). Well then use FRAPS for a while (or Steam FPS counter) and monitor the FPS. Oops, you start to STUTTER and notice you're dropping below 60FPS.

Well then, let's drop maybe 8xMSAA to 4xMSAA or some combo of settings to raise your FPS back up again.

Anyway, that's the start of it. The advantage of Adaptive VSYNC is that if you drop below 60FPS (60Hz monitor) it will just turn VSYNC OFF automatically. You get some SCREEN TEAR but not added STUTTER which is usually the best trade-off.

In Max Payne 3 I believe VSYNC would lock to 60FPS but if I couldn't output that it dropped to 30FPS which was really jarring in terms of lag/sluggishness. When I forced on Adaptive VSYNC and carefully adjusted the settings I ended up about 90% at 60FPS then usually just dropped into the 50's, got a little screen tear, then jumped back to 60FPS VSYNC'd.

About the only issue is that any cut scene below the target (i.e. 30FPS video) will also have screen tear.

(NVidia Control Panel-> Manage 3D settings-> add game-> Adaptive VSYNC-> SAVE -> TEST)

Good luck!!

Other:
as for the BUDGET, even $50 difference can change things a lot. I would like to see a 120GB or better SSD in there for Windows/applications as well as a 1TB or better hard drive for games/backup etc. but my minimum would be a 1TB HDD in which case you should PARTITION it to use 200GB for the C-drive and have the remaining as another drive letter (then you can easily CLONE the C-drive partition to an SSD later and reclaim the used space).

Other:
*If you want a list of recommended titles in certain genres, or specific questions about some games performing at near the GTX1050Ti level I can probably help out there. For example, all the BATTLEFIELD games run great.

Ebay has a mixture of reliable and non-reliable keys AFAIK.

I'm not sure how to confirm reliability short of knowing someone else had one from the exact spot so you'll have to tread carefully.

I've heard of people using these keys though, so the following (last point) is a bit confusing to me:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/howtotell/Shop.aspx

"With the exception of Product Key Cards (PKC’s) distributed with COA’s, Microsoft does not distribute products keys as standalone products. If you see a listing on an auction site, online classified ad, or other online page advertising product keys for sale, it’s a good indication that the keys are likely stolen or counterfeit. If you were to purchase and use a stolen or counterfeit product key to activate Windows installed on your PC, the key may not work for activation, may already be in use on another PC, or it might be blocked from use later by Microsoft when the key is reported stolen. The best way to get everything you expect up front is to buy genuine Microsoft software preinstalled on a new PC or genuine Microsoft software from an authorized reseller."

The last part is interesting:
"might be blocked from use later... "

So... ?

Anyway, if you aren't aware you can install Windows 10 for free at first, then add the code later.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/software-download/windows10

1. Download the MS Media Creation Tool to a PC
2. run (may need to choose "other PC" option, and set to download and burn to DVD or USB (probably W10 64-bit Home)
3. Boot to it on the newly built PC and Install W10
(I suggest having a suitable e-mail created already such as an MSN/Hotmail e-mail then use that when prompted at end of install)

4. If no key yet, skip that during install and add later.