Help please. I want to build a new gaming rig. Looking for opinions / suggestions. *Update* Parts list complete!

[electrickn]

Hey guys...I'm building a new system soon, and would like any opinions or suggestions you might have. I'm looking at around a 3,000.00 USD budget..give or take.
I had a good time discussing my last build here fours years ago, and I enjoy reading about other peoples builds, so why not do it again?

Approximate Purchase Date: Hopefully within a week, but definitely by the end of the month.

Primary use will be for Gaming, Possible VR Gaming, Home theater and some basic music production/recording.

I will be purchasing a monitor with this system.

I'm in NY

I do a lot of my parts shopping on Newegg.

Here's the initial parts list:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/XsxNJx

Here's the basics:

-Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz
-Gigabyte GA-Z170X-Gaming 5 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard
-Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3200 Memory
-EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB VR EDITION ACX 2.0+ Video Card
- Samsung 850 Pro Series 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive OR
Samsung 950 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive
-Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
-Corsair 760T Black V2 ATX Full Tower Case
-Corsair 850W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply
-Samsung S34E790C 60Hz 34.0" Monitor

- I'm only going with one SSD. There's two selected there because I'm not sure if I want to try an M.2 or stick with what I know. Currently using the Samsung 840 pro ssd.

- I am not positive on the motherboard yet. Never tried a Gigabyte board before, but I was inspired by a Carey Holzman build, so I thought I'd give it a try. I did eye up the ASUS MAXIMUS VIII.

- I have NO idea what operating system to go with. I love Windows 7, but I don't know if that will limit me down the road a few years from now. By default I selected 8.1, and I'd install classic shell for that Win 7 look. I don't know if I trust 10 or not....but certainly open to suggestions as to what would be the best OS now, and going forward.

I know I stated a budget, but depending on recommendations, I'm willing to flex a bit on that...especially if something's a good value, or totally "bad ass awesome"

 

[hiyabusared]

First buying the z170 board has no benefit since your buying a non K processor. Also an M.2 is faster than a SATA III Samsung 850. I have to say in personal experience the Asus board is a little better than the Gigabyte board. But again if its for a z170 board its a waste of money since your using a non K i7. Also if your spending 3k on your build why would you not at least go for a 120hz/144hz monitor over a 60hz? I would say great choice in PSU its a Tier 1. Also a good key note the 32GB ddr4 3200mhz is a waste of money. Testing has been and I'll link this below that the 2133/2666/3200. Its been shown that the frame difference is not worth the price over performance at times 2133 vs 3200 your looking at 5>fps. Even in some games the 2133 performs better than the 3200mhz. Also a minor note but totally up to you is your 980ti choice I would swap that version out for the EVGA 980ti FTW ACX 2.0+. Reason being is the FTW comes with the backplate which is great to help avoid flex on your pci-e ports, not to mention if you ever consider OC the card you'll achieve better OCing then the one your choosing plus it's 20 dollars cheaper on Amazon as well. The FTW also comes with higher clock n boost clock out of the box as well.

http://techbuyersguru.com/gaming-ddr4-memory-2133-vs-26663200mhz-8gb-vs-16gb?page=1

 

[electrickn]

Thanks..yeah, I changed to the non K CPU version this morning. I picked the motherboard when I had the K version selected. I didn't realize not using the K version would make that motherboard moot. I'm a little wary of having to use a CPU cooler (because I never used one; other than the stock fan before.) That's why I changed it. Again, that's why I'm here. I'm open to all kinds of changes. I'll look into the 120hz monitors.
Maybe I should select the K processor again?

 

[hiyabusared]

The K processor allows for OCing the CPU which in terms makes the z170 board worth the purchase. As for a cpu cooler since that i7 doesn't come with one so purchasing one is a must. Also don't be afraid of them. They are simple to install a good CPU cooler is a Cooler Master Evo 212. It's a beast of a cpu cooler and keeps temps down very well.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099

 

[electrickn]

Ok..I upgraded my list.
-Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor
Will this have a shortened lifespan vs the I7-6700?
-BenQ XR3501 144Hz 35.0" Monitor
-Samsung 950 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive
I'm hoping there's no issues installing this, but I'm dying to try one of these.
Speaking of, if there's a better motherboard option to consider (especially with the M.2) I'm all ears.
-Still thinking about the video card swap.

Here's the full system as it stands now:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/6tkmVn

 

[hiyabusared]

Is there a reason you need 32gb of ram? Also are you specific to the 3200mhz ddr4?

 

[superninja12]

i cleared the need vs wants.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($348.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i GTX 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($107.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($55.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($87.77 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB VR EDITION ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($699.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 760T Black V2 ATX Full Tower Case ($129.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 850W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($109.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG WH16NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($54.88 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($86.49 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus PG279Q ROG Swift 165Hz 27.0" Monitor ($799.00 @ B&H)
Total: $2765.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-08 18:59 EDT-0400

 

[hiyabusared]

I would say go with the Hyper 212 Evo for the cpu cooler. I personally find water coolers a hazard, though still great for cpu temps. It's just water coolers are not worth the risk in my opinion closed loop or not. Also you decided against the m.2 SSD? I personally still think you should go with the EVGA 980ti FTW ACX 2.0+ for better performance along with the back plate for less stress/flex on your pci-e slot. Not to mention higher clocks out of the box and better OC ability later on. Personally I think why not get a 144hz monitor and invest the money into another monitor and dual screen, I mean for 800 USD you could get 2, Asus VG248QE 144hz

 

[superninja12]

personal opions may vary ofc.
if i went for a cpu cooler i went with the cryorig h7, its more silent, easier to install, more compact and most important the temperatures are cooler too.

anyways this is a good liquid cooler so u have got nothing to worry about.
your evga is indeded better and op could add that if he wants to spend the more money for avg 5 more fps.

about the screen. i rather wants 1 badass gaming screen than 2 bad ones.
this one comes with an ips display and g sync.
so better picture quality, viewing angles, 165hz over 144hz, and no screen tearing in gaming.

and 27 inch is imo just as good as 2 24 inch screens. but again opinions may vary.

 

[hiyabusared]

personal opions may vary ofc.
if i went for a cpu cooler i went with the cryorig h7, its more silent, easier to install, more compact and most important the temperatures are cooler too.

anyways this is a good liquid cooler so u have got nothing to worry about.
your evga is indeded better and op could add that if he wants to spend the more money for avg 5 more fps.

about the screen. i rather wants 1 badass gaming screen than 2 bad ones.
this one comes with an ips display and g sync.
so better picture quality, viewing angles, 165hz over 144hz, and no screen tearing in gaming.

and 27 inch is imo just as good as 2 24 inch screens. but again opinions may vary.

First the FTW 980TI is 34 dollars cheaper than the one shown on newegg and its 20 dollars cheaper on amazon even. I don't see how that's not a logical choice? Hey everyone has their preferences on monitors and the like, But yeah I don't see where your seeing the EVGA FTW 980ti is more expensive I put the links below even. Unless its showing wrong on the forums cause it's showing the one choose is EVGA ACX 2.0+ at 699.99. Sorry I just opened newegg link and its showing 639.99 with a 20 dollar MIR.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014PXHC6M/?tag=pcpapi-20

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814487160&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker,%20LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

 

[electrickn]

Superninja12: thanks for the input...did you not like the BenQ 35" monitor I added? I really would like a very large monitor. See my current pc, I've been using on a 55" LED TV. Now granted this current rig will be at a desk, so I don't need anything that big, but I'd like something larger. Also, by not selecting the M.2 drive in your amended list, do you think they're not worth it? thanks

hiyabusared: Yeah the RAM thing...I find the extra cost in my range, not to mention possible future value. I'd rather have it and not need it then need it and not have it. I'm also going to be doing some music recording too. Haven't settled on a DAW yet, but that's a separate issue.
I don't get to build these but every 4-5 years so I want something special. I'm actually thinking now I might stretch my budget a bit more.... for performance and value. Not just to spend the money.

 

[hiyabusared]

Superninja12: thanks for the input...did you not like the BenQ 35" monitor I added? I really would like a very large monitor. See my current pc, I've been using on a 55" LED TV. Now granted this current rig will be at a desk, so I don't need anything that big, but I'd like something larger. Also, by not selecting the M.2 drive in your amended list, do you think they're not worth it? thanks

hiyabusared: Yeah the RAM thing...I find the extra cost in my range, not to mention possible future value. I'd rather have it and not need it then need it and not have it. I'm also going to be doing some music recording too. Haven't settled on DAW yet, but that's a separate issue.
I don't get to build these but every 4-5 years so I want something special. I'm actually thinking now I might stretch my budget a bit more.... for performance and value. Not just to spend the money.

Very valid point especially with the span you have to hold on upgrading. But yes I stand strong replace the EVGA 980ti ACX 2.0+ with my recommened EVGA 980ti FTW ACX 2.0+ for more performance and its even saving money. Though its very weird that pcpartpicker is showing that newegg has it for higher than what the actual website states. I would think there might be some refresh issues atm with pcpartpicker

 

[superninja12]

you want a 980 ti in sli to play games fluent on that resolution.
about the ssd yes the 950 will give u a noticeable difference.
however for a person like myself if i need to wait 15 seconds or 2-5 seconds for a game to load.
compared to a 45s hdd waiting time.

the 850 is enough for me bt if u want a razor lightning fast pc yeah grab the 950.

 

[electrickn]

you want a 980 ti in sli to play games fluent on that resolution.
about the ssd yes the 950 will give u a noticeable difference.
however for a person like myself if i need to wait 15 seconds or 2-5 seconds for a game to load.
compared to a 45s hdd waiting time.

the 850 is enough for me bt if u want a razor lightning fast pc yeah grab the 950.

That ASUS monitor (which looks great too) you picked out is a higher Res than the Ben Q. 2560X1440 16:9 (ASUS) vs 2560X1080 21:9. (BenQ) Is it the 21:9 aspect ratio? I'm actually not against running another card in SLI eventually, but I didn't think I would need it immediately with that monitor. Is that the case do you think?

 

[superninja12]

I'm talking about the samsung one not the benq.
for the benq 1 ti will suffice

 

[electrickn]

Superninja12: thanks for the input...did you not like the BenQ 35" monitor I added? I really would like a very large monitor. See my current pc, I've been using on a 55" LED TV. Now granted this current rig will be at a desk, so I don't need anything that big, but I'd like something larger. Also, by not selecting the M.2 drive in your amended list, do you think they're not worth it? thanks

hiyabusared: Yeah the RAM thing...I find the extra cost in my range, not to mention possible future value. I'd rather have it and not need it then need it and not have it. I'm also going to be doing some music recording too. Haven't settled on DAW yet, but that's a separate issue.
I don't get to build these but every 4-5 years so I want something special. I'm actually thinking now I might stretch my budget a bit more.... for performance and value. Not just to spend the money.

Very valid point especially with the span you have to hold on upgrading. But yes I stand strong replace the EVGA 980ti ACX 2.0+ with my recommened EVGA 980ti FTW ACX 2.0+ for more performance and its even saving money. Though its very weird that pcpartpicker is showing that newegg has it for higher than what the actual website states. I would think there might be some refresh issues atm with pcpartpicker

So you think that's a really important feature, the backplate? I honestly never considered the stress on the board as a factor. That's a good point. I just thought that the VR version was really cool, coupled with the front plate. I'll reconsider that then.

 

[electrickn]

I'm talking about the samsung one not the benq.
for the benq 1 ti will suffice

Oh..got it. Thanks

 

[superninja12]

Backplates don't help the cooling performance, or serve any gaming features. but besides looking cool, they also increase the strength/rigidity of the card making it less prone to bending/warping.

but is not needed at all

 

[superninja12]

and i've got a problem against that screen the resolution doesn't scale well with the screen size.
this means the image on the screen will look really washed out.
if u got time go to a store and look for a big tv screen on 1080p and 1 on 2k or 4k.
you will see a big difference.

 

[electrickn]

i cleared the need vs wants.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($348.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i GTX 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($107.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($55.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($87.77 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB VR EDITION ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($699.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 760T Black V2 ATX Full Tower Case ($129.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 850W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($109.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG WH16NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($54.88 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($86.49 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus PG279Q ROG Swift 165Hz 27.0" Monitor ($799.00 @ B&H)
Total: $2765.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-08 18:59 EDT-0400

So you think Windows 10 is the way to go? Over 7 or 8?
You're right about that resolution.

 

[superninja12]

windows 10 for sure,
microsoft is dropping support for windows 7 soon and directx12 will be fully optimalized for windows 10.
so games will run way better(they do already now) on windows 10 than 8 8.1 or 7

 

[hiyabusared]

Superninja12: thanks for the input...did you not like the BenQ 35" monitor I added? I really would like a very large monitor. See my current pc, I've been using on a 55" LED TV. Now granted this current rig will be at a desk, so I don't need anything that big, but I'd like something larger. Also, by not selecting the M.2 drive in your amended list, do you think they're not worth it? thanks

hiyabusared: Yeah the RAM thing...I find the extra cost in my range, not to mention possible future value. I'd rather have it and not need it then need it and not have it. I'm also going to be doing some music recording too. Haven't settled on DAW yet, but that's a separate issue.
I don't get to build these but every 4-5 years so I want something special. I'm actually thinking now I might stretch my budget a bit more.... for performance and value. Not just to spend the money.

Very valid point especially with the span you have to hold on upgrading. But yes I stand strong replace the EVGA 980ti ACX 2.0+ with my recommened EVGA 980ti FTW ACX 2.0+ for more performance and its even saving money. Though its very weird that pcpartpicker is showing that newegg has it for higher than what the actual website states. I would think there might be some refresh issues atm with pcpartpicker

So you think that's a really important feature, the backplate? I honestly never considered the stress on the board as a factor. That's a good point. I just thought that the VR version was really cool, coupled with the front plate. I'll reconsider that then.

I find it to be helpful and as for temps someone stated before that's a very minor temp difference period. What I am saying is overall its a more effective card in terms of performance and price. As I said its got better advantages including price. For 60 dollars less including the back plate the card comes out of box with higher clocks and better OC ability. In terms of preference its really up to you. But for a slightly better card even if its 5fps+/- its well worth paying a lesser price. Jeez even the EVGA 980ti Classified is cheaper than the one selected on newegg. Why is this even a debated subject. Regardless of what others think it is your choice but I would think consumer wise you would pick something that gives better fps for a deal. It's like why pay more for less?

 

[electrickn]

Thanks again for everyone's help! I went over budget, but that's ok (mainly because of the display.)
I'll probably be building it Saturday. Can't wait.
Here's what I went with:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/4zQqLk

 

[superninja12]

thats a lot of money

 

[electrickn]

Yeah, but I think it's the peripherals I added. I briefly started playing around with an X99 rig and multiple video cards, and that got way out of hand fast. So this Rig is somewhat of a compromise.