Building a new gaming rig budget $2000

[CarbonNanoTube]

So after almost 8 years of upgrading the same motherboard I've been given permission from the missus to build a new rig. I'm not interested in overclocking, I just want something I can build and never have to worry/tweak/etc about it. 

It's been years since I even tried to research hardware and it's all pretty overwhelming at this point. Looking for advice for the best bang for my buck.

I need 2x24" monitors and I want a Razer Orbweaver also considering the Razer BlackWidow Ultimate 2014 Elite Mechanical Gaming Keyboard (I want a back lit mechanical keyboard). Need both a SSD and HDD and have been very happy with Nvidia EVGA cards. My house has a lot of dust so a case that had easy to change/clean filters would be preferable. I don't need new headset or speakers. 

I think that covers it, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[angaddev]

This is a nice 980/i7 rig with 1ms 1080p monitors and your keyboard and mouse.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor ($300.94 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock 3 113.8 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($144.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Mushkin Stealth 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($143.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 4GB Video Card ($549.98 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT H440 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus VX238H 23.0" Monitor ($139.99 @ Micro Center)
Monitor: Asus VX238H 23.0" Monitor ($139.99 @ Micro Center)
Keyboard: Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Wired Gaming Keyboard ($119.00 @ Mechanical Keyboards)
Keyboard: Razer Orbweaver Elite Mechanical Gaming Keypad Wired Gaming Keyboard ($92.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $2035.77
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-03 11:37 EDT-0400

 

[angelice]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor ($249.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($119.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($78.30 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($129.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital RE3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($46.49 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital RE3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($46.49 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Video Card ($555.91 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 530 ATX Full Tower Case ($79.90 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Pioneer BDC-207DBK Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($42.93 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer S241HL bmid 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Acer S241HL bmid 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1839.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-03 11:40 EDT-0400

 

[angelice]

I left the price a little low because I couldn't find your mouse but it seems I still came in 60-70$ under budget.
Also on the above mentioned build. you mentioned nothing about overclocking so i used a cheap (GOOD) cooler and a non-K processor to save money I don't quite understand y the guy above me did the same thing with an expensive cooler?
It is unlikely that you will use more than 8gbs of ram unless you are doing some sort of editing and it is cheap and easy to upgrade later.
I do no like the kingston V-Now series they under-perform compared to other very similarly priced SSD'S.

 

[logainofhades]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($247.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper TX3 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($18.23 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($119.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($75.60 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.97 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($82.78 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT Source 530 ATX Full Tower Case ($79.90 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Pioneer BDC-207DBK Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($42.93 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($98.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: BenQ GL2460HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: BenQ GL2460HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1996.30
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-03 11:49 EDT-0400

 

[angaddev]

I left the price a little low because I couldn't find your mouse but it seems I still came in 60-70$ under budget.
Also on the above mentioned build. you mentioned nothing about overclocking so i used a cheap (GOOD) cooler and a non-K processor to save money I don't quite understand y the guy above me did the same thing with an expensive cooler?
It is unlikely that you will use more than 8gbs of ram unless you are doing some sort of editing and it is cheap and easy to upgrade later.
I do no like the kingston V-Now series they under-perform compared to other very similarly priced SSD'S.

Technically, you did the same thing as me, considering I posted first. Secondly, a good CPU cooler is still good to have in a premium build. Not only does the Dark Rock have great cooling potential, but it is very quiet. The 212 isn't really cut out for cooling high TDP cpus. Is there any reason not to include 16GB of RAM? It is cheap, and helps with productivity and multi-tasking, which I assume he will be doing as he has asked for two monitors. The V300 is not only reasonably fast, but very cheap. Your build might be cheaper but you have not included the peripherals which he requested

 

[angaddev]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($247.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper TX3 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($18.23 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($119.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($75.60 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.97 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($82.78 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT Source 530 ATX Full Tower Case ($79.90 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Pioneer BDC-207DBK Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($42.93 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($98.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: BenQ GL2460HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: BenQ GL2460HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1996.30
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-03 11:49 EDT-0400

Replace the two 970s with a 980? No scaling or stutter issues...

 

[Y0GI]

This is a nice 980/i7 rig with 1ms 1080p monitors and your keyboard and mouse.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor ($300.94 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock 3 113.8 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($144.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Mushkin Stealth 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($143.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 4GB Video Card ($549.98 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT H440 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus VX238H 23.0" Monitor ($139.99 @ Micro Center)
Monitor: Asus VX238H 23.0" Monitor ($139.99 @ Micro Center)
Keyboard: Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Wired Gaming Keyboard ($119.00 @ Mechanical Keyboards)
Keyboard: Razer Orbweaver Elite Mechanical Gaming Keypad Wired Gaming Keyboard ($92.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $2035.77
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-03 11:37 EDT-0400

DO NOT get the Kingston SSD Now V300! Here's why: http://www.anandtech.com/show/7763/an-update-to-kingston-ssdnow-v300-a-switch-to-slower-micron-nand

Yogi

 

[angaddev]

ok, ok calm down
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor ($300.94 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock 3 113.8 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($137.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Mushkin Stealth 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($143.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.97 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($569.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT H440 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus VX238H 23.0" Monitor ($139.99 @ Micro Center)
Monitor: Asus VX238H 23.0" Monitor ($139.99 @ Micro Center)
Keyboard: Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Wired Gaming Keyboard ($119.00 @ Mechanical Keyboards)
Keyboard: Razer Orbweaver Elite Mechanical Gaming Keypad Wired Gaming Keyboard ($92.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $2058.80
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-03 13:41 EDT-0400
Also, if you're looking for a nice mechanical gaming keyboard, check out the corsair RGB range.

 

[logainofhades]

The GTX 980 is definitely faster, than the 970, but I am not sure it is $200+ faster. The extra 200mhz on the cpu side isn't worth $50 either.

 

[logainofhades]

Changed things up on my previous build, to a single 970.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($247.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper TX3 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($18.23 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97-GAMING 3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($97.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($75.60 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.97 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($82.78 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 450D ATX Mid Tower Case ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Pioneer BDC-207DBK Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($42.93 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($98.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: BenQ GL2460HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: BenQ GL2460HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Razer Naga 2012 Wired Laser Mouse ($68.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1743.40
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-03 14:32 EDT-0400


With the 980 in case the OP feels the extra performance is worth the added cost.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($247.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper TX3 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($18.23 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97-GAMING 3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($97.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($75.60 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.97 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($82.78 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($569.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 450D ATX Mid Tower Case ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Pioneer BDC-207DBK Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($42.93 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($98.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: BenQ GL2460HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: BenQ GL2460HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Razer Naga 2012 Wired Laser Mouse ($68.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1963.40
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-03 14:33 EDT-0400

 

[angaddev]

What's the point of having a $2000 budget and not buying a high-end gpu??

 

[CarbonNanoTube]

Not sure how to post the actual list but this is what I threw together taking your suggestions, keeping it under $2000 and throwing in some brand loyalty. I don't need a mouse or an OS.

EDIT figured it out:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor ($300.94 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock 3 113.8 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($119.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Mushkin Stealth 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($143.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.97 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Video Card ($555.91 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 530 ATX Full Tower Case ($79.90 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Pioneer BDC-207DBK Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($42.93 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer S241HL bmid 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Acer S241HL bmid 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Razer Orbweaver Elite Mechanical Gaming Keypad Wired Gaming Keyboard ($92.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1970.54
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-03 14:50 EDT-0400

 

[logainofhades]

The 970 and 980 are technically high end GPU's. Why waste money needlessly? It is up to the OP to decide if the 980 is worth the extra cost vs the 970. They should look at the reviews and decide for themselves. The 970 is the current price/performance winner, though. It can beat an R9 290/290x and costs a good deal less. The CPU side, the 4790 isn't worth the cost increase vs the 1231v3. 200mhz isn't going to affect overall performance whatsoever.

 

[CarbonNanoTube]

The 970 and 980 are technically high end GPU's. Why waste money needlessly? It is up to the OP to decide if the 980 is worth the extra cost vs the 970. They should look at the reviews and decide for themselves. The 970 is the current price/performance winner, though. It can beat an R9 290/290x and costs a good deal less. The CPU side, the 4790 isn't worth the cost increase vs the 1231v3. 200mhz isn't going to affect overall performance whatsoever.

What would you do with the extra $200 then?

 

[logainofhades]

Pocket it for something else. $2k on a system, to me, is insane anyway, as I am a bit of a cheapskate. If I had $2k to blow, I wouldn't probably spend it on a new PC, but that's just me. :lol: My priorities are elsewhere at the moment.

 

[CarbonNanoTube]

Pocket it for something else. $2k on a system, to me, is insane anyway, as I am a bit of a cheapskate. If I had $2k to blow, I wouldn't probably spend it on a new PC, but that's just me. :lol: My priorities are elsewhere at the moment.

I hear you. This has been a long time coming for me. Almost 8 years with the same motherboard has become agony at this point. I've been given 'permission' to spend 2k so I figured I'd get as much out of it as possible because I won't be upgrading again for a while.

 

[logainofhades]

Pocket it for something else. $2k on a system, to me, is insane anyway, as I am a bit of a cheapskate. If I had $2k to blow, I wouldn't probably spend it on a new PC, but that's just me. :lol: My priorities are elsewhere at the moment.

I hear you. This has been a long time coming for me. Almost 8 years with the same motherboard has become agony at this point. I've been given 'permission' to spend 2k so I figured I'd get as much out of it as possible because I won't be upgrading again for a while.

The 980, in that case, might be worth it to you. I still stand by the CPU comment though. That definitely is not worth the price difference.

 

[angelice]

I tend to agree since you won't be overclocking, and well everyone knows that Xeons are "silicon lottery winners" and as such have better life spans.

Glad some of our ideas where helpful.

 

[angelice]

I left the price a little low because I couldn't find your mouse but it seems I still came in 60-70$ under budget.
Also on the above mentioned build. you mentioned nothing about overclocking so i used a cheap (GOOD) cooler and a non-K processor to save money I don't quite understand y the guy above me did the same thing with an expensive cooler?
It is unlikely that you will use more than 8gbs of ram unless you are doing some sort of editing and it is cheap and easy to upgrade later.
I do no like the kingston V-Now series they under-perform compared to other very similarly priced SSD'S.

Technically, you did the same thing as me, considering I posted first. Secondly, a good CPU cooler is still good to have in a premium build. Not only does the Dark Rock have great cooling potential, but it is very quiet. The 212 isn't really cut out for cooling high TDP cpus. Is there any reason not to include 16GB of RAM? It is cheap, and helps with productivity and multi-tasking, which I assume he will be doing as he has asked for two monitors. The V300 is not only reasonably fast, but very cheap. Your build might be cheaper but you have not included the peripherals which he requested

Actually you might note that I said I was unable to price the item he listed (And left some room to purchase it) and when I saw yours said that It still came in about 60-70$ under budget. May I ask why you would make the assumption that A hyper 212 is uncapable of cooling a high TDP Processor, because we (I own a system builder company which name I will not mention) use Coolermaster Hyper 212 as our base cooling solution. We have even used it on numerous occasions with mildly overclocked AMD FX-8350 and above processors that are still capable of running temps in the 50 degree celcius mark under full load. While the I7-4790 is only a 88W processor those processor's are 125w and up before they are overclocked. I am quite positive that a I7-4790 is not a hotter processor than an AMD FX-8350

This is a nice 980/i7 rig with 1ms 1080p monitors and your keyboard and mouse.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor ($300.94 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock 3 113.8 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($144.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Mushkin Stealth 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($143.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 4GB Video Card ($549.98 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT H440 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus VX238H 23.0" Monitor ($139.99 @ Micro Center)
Monitor: Asus VX238H 23.0" Monitor ($139.99 @ Micro Center)
Keyboard: Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Wired Gaming Keyboard ($119.00 @ Mechanical Keyboards)
Keyboard: Razer Orbweaver Elite Mechanical Gaming Keypad Wired Gaming Keyboard ($92.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $2035.77
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-03 11:37 EDT-0400

DO NOT get the Kingston SSD Now V300! Here's why: http://www.anandtech.com/show/7763/an-update-to-kingston-ssdnow-v300-a-switch-to-slower-micron-nand

Yogi

This is what I was talking about. on the SSD Side.

 

[Farapon]

Don't get 60Hz monitors and a 980

 

[CarbonNanoTube]

Don't get 60Hz monitors and a 980

A quick search seems to imply potential issues when using 4k@60hz. I would never have the inclination to do this. Or is there some other issue?

 

[angaddev]

I've tried to take in all the feedback and compile it here, 144hz monitors to take advantage of a 980, a powerful GPU. Crucial ssd, xeon etc
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($247.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock 3 113.8 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97-GAMING 3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($93.66 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($75.60 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.97 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($569.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($13.50 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer GN246HL 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($238.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Acer GN246HL 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($238.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Razer Naga 2012 Wired Laser Mouse ($68.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $2101.59
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-04 07:56 EDT-0400

 

[Farapon]

In the far future you can get a ssd and a better cooler and get more performace in gaming

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($336.74 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($113.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 980 4GB Video Card ($559.98 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($13.50 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer GN246HL 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($238.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Acer GN246HL 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($238.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Razer Naga 2012 Wired Laser Mouse ($68.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $2039.07
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-04 20:16 EDT-0400

And this is the most epic build you can have considering your restrictions
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor ($289.99 @ TigerDirect)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97-D3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($92.75 @ Amazon)
Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($68.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($86.54 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 980 4GB Video Card ($559.98 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($13.50 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer GN246HL 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($238.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Acer GN246HL 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($238.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Razer Naga 2012 Wired Laser Mouse ($68.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $2011.63
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-04 20:26 EDT-0400
Your CPU will run very cool, so its life time will be long.
Your monitors are excelent for gaming and more.
Your ssd will handle you OS and some more programs or games and will boot in like 8 seconds.
The 980 will give you exellent fps at high settings
Enjoy it.

 

[CarbonNanoTube]

I'm having trouble finding much regarding issues with the 980 used at 1080p 60hz, not 4k. Could you provide any information?