Trying to build my own PC

[Singham]

Hey all, fairly new here but have heard great things about the expertise here and could use your guys help!

http://pcpartpicker.com/list/jwDP3F

The above is definitely not finalized. I'm a bit confused as this will be by first time building a desktop, after multiple bad experiences with desktops and laptops that I bought pre-built I think I want to venture into building my own desktop. I only play games on my computer, usually SC2, CS:GO and League of Legends. I do plan on getting into more shooter style games like Battle Field etc.

I know I've heard I7 isn't always worth it over I5 and I can't pretend to understand things like i7-6700k over something that's like 4500k (I made that up but you get my drift). I heard the new AMD RX 480 graphics card was supposed to be really good and budget friendly but like I said this isn't my expertise and I won't pretend to know what I'm talking about.

I am looking for 16 gb RAM at least though. But I'm all open to suggestions, if anyone can help me build a computer that would be great. I'm trying to build it for around 1000 - 1400 dollars.

(Also I do want a SSD and a 2-3 TB HDD for general storage and the SSD for games and OS).
Any help/tips would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

 

[BadActor]

What monitor do you intend to use?

 

[Singham]

Do you mean resolution wise?

Edit: I was wanting a double/triple monitor but if it cannot fit my budget I don't mind waiting a few months and then buying more monitors.

 

[Geekwad]

Do you mean resolution wise?

Edit: I was wanting a triple monitor but if it cannot fit my budget I don't mind waiting a few months and then buying more monitors.

I would very highly recommend adaptive sync monitors to any gamer (I find it more important to smooth game play than the GPU/CPU horse race), with Gsync monitors only working with Nvida and FreeSync with AMD. With mulit-monitor setups, I find it even more important.

AMD will be the more affordable solution, and believe that with FreeSync, two RX 480 8Gb's would drive 5760x1080 quite capably.

Here's a few suggestions:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($304.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-E ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($119.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($66.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($90.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus Radeon RX 480 8GB Video Card ($259.99)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 650W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($85.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter
Monitor: AOC G2460PF 24.0" 144Hz Monitor ($229.81 @ Amazon)
Total: $1278.71
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

And with this, you can add the second card whenever, and of course add monitors.....

 

[BadActor]

Do you mean resolution wise?

Edit: I was wanting a double/triple monitor but if it cannot fit my budget I don't mind waiting a few months and then buying more monitors.

Sorry, didn't note the monitor. An i5 paired with a GTX 1060 would be a lethal combination for the games, you're playing. An i7 wouldn't hurt anything, but it pushes you past your budget and just isn't required.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI B150M Pro-VD Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($63.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($58.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($90.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($60.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GT OC Video Card ($249.99)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX TS 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($62.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($45.88 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 24.0" 144Hz Monitor ($257.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Keyboard: Razer BlackWidow Chroma Wired Gaming Keyboard ($159.04 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Razer DeathAdder Chroma Wired Optical Mouse ($60.99 @ Best Buy)
Total: $1400.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-24 05:17 EDT-0400

 

[Singham]

Do you mean resolution wise?

Edit: I was wanting a triple monitor but if it cannot fit my budget I don't mind waiting a few months and then buying more monitors.

I would very highly recommend adaptive sync monitors to any gamer (I find it more important to smooth game play than the GPU/CPU horse race), with Gsync monitors only working with Nvida and FreeSync with AMD. With mulit-monitor setups, I find it even more important.

AMD will be the more affordable solution, and believe that with FreeSync, two RX 480 8Gb's would drive 5760x1080 quite capably.

Here's a few suggestions:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($304.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-E ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($119.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($66.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($90.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus Radeon RX 480 8GB Video Card ($259.99)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 650W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($85.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter
Monitor: AOC G2460PF 24.0" 144Hz Monitor ($229.81 @ Amazon)
Total: $1278.71
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

And with this, you can add the second card whenever, and of course add monitors.....

Do you mean resolution wise?

Edit: I was wanting a double/triple monitor but if it cannot fit my budget I don't mind waiting a few months and then buying more monitors.

Sorry, didn't note the monitor. An i5 paired with a GTX 1060 would be a lethal combination for the games, you're playing. An i7 wouldn't hurt anything, but it pushes you past your budget and just isn't required.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI B150M Pro-VD Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($63.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($58.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($90.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($60.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GT OC Video Card ($249.99)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX TS 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($62.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($45.88 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 24.0" 144Hz Monitor ($257.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Keyboard: Razer BlackWidow Chroma Wired Gaming Keyboard ($159.04 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Razer DeathAdder Chroma Wired Optical Mouse ($60.99 @ Best Buy)
Total: $1400.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-24 05:17 EDT-0400

First of all, thank you guys so much for your speedy responses and willingness to help! I have a few questions if that's alright.

From the two responses I received which graphics card would you say is better, the Asus Radeon RX 480 or the MSI GeGorce GTX 1060?
One of my friends that had built his own desktop told me that he wishes instead of a Mid Tower Case he had purchased a Full Tower Case because his system got very cluttered when he went to upgrade parts on a need by need basis. How true is this and would this be a factor for me?

Also Geekwad you mentioned two amd rx 480's, is there a reason why? As in if I only purchase one is the performance significantly worse? Sorry, like I said I don't know a lot of this. :\ I also assume the Gigabyte and optical drive will cost money (doesn't show on the list) Edit: nevermind I see that once I click the list it shows up and increases price to the 1300 range which isn't a deal breaker of course.

For the I7 processor, what's the difference between 6700 and 6700K, is it just the ability to overclock? Also is it safe to assume any I7 that's new generation is better than an I5?

BadActor, thank you for the list. How much difference is the I5 from the I7 listed in Geekwad's post?

If you guys had to analyze between the two lists given what would be the strengths and weaknesses of both?

Also, anyone can answer any questions, I didn't mean to direct it at one individual! Thanks again for the help!!

 

[Isokolon]

i7-6x00 & i5-6x00 are from the same generation.
The real difference is that the i7 git hyperthreading, the i5 doesn't. Performancewise the i7 is not worth it when it comes to gaming, the i5 has an identical single coreperformance in most benchmarks.

The K version is interesting for over clocking and is slightly over clocked by stock. But if you don't plan on over clocking you can go with the non-k, there's not much difference on stock speeds.

Gtx1060 vs Rx480 -- there are some games where one is better, other where the other is better.
There are some Dx12 features one doesn't support others that the other one doesn't.
The Rx480 has a better fps/$, on current games the gtx1060 is a few % faster.
On the other hand, the 1060 got only 6GB VRAM, the 480 8GB, so in the future the 480 could close the gap.
If it's about adaptive synch: amd freesynch displays are a lot cheaper than nvidia g-synch displays.
Overall go with what you can get the better offer on.

 

[BadActor]

Check out the benchmarks in the article below, it shows how the GTX 1060 does in a number of games against the RX 480.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/nvidia-geforce-gtx-1060-pascal,4679-3.html

 

[Geekwad]

Also Geekwad you mentioned two amd rx 480's, is there a reason why? As in if I only purchase one is the performance significantly worse? Sorry, like I said I don't know a lot of this. :\

The two RX 480's would only be truly necessary if you go with triple monitor gaming (5680x1080p resolution). With one 1080p 144hz monitor (max frame-per-second visual display capability: 144fps), one would be sufficient. When you go to three though, to maintain that golden 60fps+, you would need two.

The downfall with having two GPU's to achieve high FPS or higher resolutions (like 5680x1080p or a 2k or 4k monitor), is that not all games will support it. More and more are doing so than used to (I've been doing it for years), but it is important to keep in mind that not all do. The ones than benefit from triple monitor the most however (racing sims, many first person shooters, AAA games) do support it.....or shortly after launch with patches (or mods). Fallout 4, GTA5, and sneak/creep games like Assassin's Creed or Shadow or Mordor are just crazy fun with triples.

Still, it's best to get a single GPU if you can afford it, but adding one later is really what the feature was designed for.

For the I7 processor, what's the difference between 6700 and 6700K, is it just the ability to overclock? Also is it safe to assume any I7 that's new generation is better than an I5?

The 6700 has a slightly lower base clock speed, but the real difference between it and the 6700K does mostly come down to the overclock ability/potential. I feel overclocking has become highly overrated, and from a pure performance standpoint, it's always better to take the money you would have spent on better cooling, a better motherboard and a more expensive processor and bought a better GPU.

i5's have four cores and are capable of processing 4 threads, whereas an i7 has four cores but can process 8 threads (each core capable of two, called 'hyper-threading'.....or AMD will be calling it 'simultaneous multi-threading' in their new processors).

Most will tell you that an i5 is all you need for gaming, which is mostly true......very few games now make use of more than 4 threads, but when you see results in benchmarks for i5 vs i7 differences......keep in mind that they typically are doing as little as possible in the background when they make their benchmark runs. Over time, if you begin to multitask while you game more and more (say video chat, stream, record, or play huge MMO's with tons of players and big maps......perhaps while streaming and recording) the 8-threaded performance comes in very handy. In VR, it's also quickly going to be the recommended setup as HMD's continue to advance.

Not to say at all an i5 isn't a great processor. You may determine it and an even better GPU with higher resolution monitors is where you want to go......so there are trade-offs, especially when working with a particular budget.

 

[Singham]

Also Geekwad you mentioned two amd rx 480's, is there a reason why? As in if I only purchase one is the performance significantly worse? Sorry, like I said I don't know a lot of this. :\

The two RX 480's would only be truly necessary if you go with triple monitor gaming (5680x1080p resolution). With one 1080p 144hz monitor (max frame-per-second visual display capability: 144fps), one would be sufficient. When you go to three though, to maintain that golden 60fps+, you would need two.

The downfall with having two GPU's to achieve high FPS or higher resolutions (like 5680x1080p or a 2k or 4k monitor), is that not all games will support it. More and more are doing so than used to (I've been doing it for years), but it is important to keep in mind that not all do. The ones than benefit from triple monitor the most however (racing sims, many first person shooters, AAA games) do support it.....or shortly after launch with patches (or mods). Fallout 4, GTA5, and sneak/creep games like Assassin's Creed or Shadow or Mordor are just crazy fun with triples.

Still, it's best to get a single GPU if you can afford it, but adding one later is really what the feature was designed for.

For the I7 processor, what's the difference between 6700 and 6700K, is it just the ability to overclock? Also is it safe to assume any I7 that's new generation is better than an I5?

The 6700 has a slightly lower base clock speed, but the real difference between it and the 6700K does mostly come down to the overclock ability/potential. I feel overclocking has become highly overrated, and from a pure performance standpoint, it's always better to take the money you would have spent on better cooling, a better motherboard and a more expensive processor and bought a better GPU.

i5's have four cores and are capable of processing 4 threads, whereas an i7 has four cores but can process 8 threads (each core capable of two, called 'hyper-threading'.....or AMD will be calling it 'simultaneous multi-threading' in their new processors).

Most will tell you that an i5 is all you need for gaming, which is mostly true......very few games now make use of more than 4 threads, but when you see results in benchmarks for i5 vs i7 differences......keep in mind that they typically are doing as little as possible in the background when they make their benchmark runs. Over time, if you begin to multitask while you game more and more (say video chat, stream, record, or play huge MMO's with tons of players and big maps......perhaps while streaming and recording) the 8-threaded performance comes in very handy. In VR, it's also quickly going to be the recommended setup as HMD's continue to advance.

Not to say at all an i5 isn't a great processor. You may determine it and an even better GPU with higher resolution monitors is where you want to go......so there are trade-offs, especially when working with a particular budget.

Thank you all for your input! I spent some thinking on all of it and came with this build. Could I get some input on it whenever you guys have some free time? Thanks!

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($304.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-P ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($92.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($66.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($41.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.96 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 480 8GB Video Card ($269.99 @ B&H)
Case: Corsair 750D Airflow Edition ATX Full Tower Case ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($58.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($46.85 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: Asus VS238H-P 23.0" Monitor ($113.98 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Razer DeathAdder Chroma Wired Optical Mouse ($59.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $1283.46
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-26 02:39 EDT-0400

 

[Geekwad]

Give this monitor a look for an inexpensive FreeSync option:

http://www.viewsonic.com/us/vx2457-mhd-2.html

http://www.amd.com/en-us/innovations/software-technologies/technologies-gaming/freesync

For your SSD, consider a Samsung....and perhaps a bit bigger considering your overall budget. Do also keep in mind that that you don't necessarily need a CPU cooler off the bat (the stock one does OK).

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($304.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-P ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($92.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($66.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($90.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($68.12 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus Radeon RX 480 8GB Video Card ($269.99)
Case: Corsair 750D Airflow Edition ATX Full Tower Case ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($48.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter ($29.99)
Monitor: ViewSonic VX2457-MHD 23.6" 60Hz Monitor ($150.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1296.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

 

[Singham]

Give this monitor a look for an inexpensive FreeSync option:

http://www.viewsonic.com/us/vx2457-mhd-2.html

http://www.amd.com/en-us/innovations/software-technologies/technologies-gaming/freesync

For your SSD, consider a Samsung....and perhaps a bit bigger considering your overall budget. Do also keep in mind that that you don't necessarily need a CPU cooler off the bat (the stock one does OK).

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($304.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-P ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($92.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($66.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($90.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($68.12 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus Radeon RX 480 8GB Video Card ($269.99)
Case: Corsair 750D Airflow Edition ATX Full Tower Case ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($48.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter ($29.99)
Monitor: ViewSonic VX2457-MHD 23.6" 60Hz Monitor ($150.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1296.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Thanks for the quick response. When you said to consider getting a larger SSD did you mean more than the 250 GB or my initial 120? Also, any suggestions for a keyboard/mouse? I was looking into razer but that's also pretty expensive. As for the screen, is that screen you suggested have a large borderline as opposed to others on the chance I go and buy a second monitor in the upcoming few months?

The graphics card I selected is 250. Is that the standard price? I've seen a few posts saying it's over priced and that it should be 199.99. However no matter where I go the price is not reflective of it. I know I decided to go with i7 6700 but I may get the i7-6700k. Would you say it's worth it? And is it definitely better than the i5-k one?

Thanks again for all your help!

 

[Isokolon]

the i5-6600k will do fine, anything above isn't necessary if you're gaming + listening to music + talking to your friends on ts3/mumble/skype at the same time.
the i7 won't hurt but it's not gonna do much for you performancewise. but as was pointed out, with VR, streaming, editing, etc. the i7 is definitely worth it.
the K only offers overclocking-potential. if you do plan on OC, buy the K. if you don't feel like OC go the non-K-route. without OC they do perform basically the same.

 

[Singham]

the i5-6600k will do fine, anything above isn't necessary if you're gaming + listening to music + talking to your friends on ts3/mumble/skype at the same time.
the i7 won't hurt but it's not gonna do much for you performancewise. but as was pointed out, with VR, streaming, editing, etc. the i7 is definitely worth it.
the K only offers overclocking-potential. if you do plan on OC, buy the K. if you don't feel like OC go the non-K-route. without OC they do perform basically the same.

My thought process was (and please correct me if I'm wrong) if I can afford it within my budget to afford an i7 it'd be better to get that then the I-5 even if I'm not needing it. Wouldn't the i7 stay more relevant as well years down the road as opposed to the I-5, or am I thinking in an outdated fashion? I'd just hate to have to upgrade from an I-5 a few years from now because it became "outdated" or couldn't handle applications I wanted to use etc.

Also how important is over clocking and does it decrease the life of the cpu if you try to over clock it?

 

[Geekwad]

Thanks for the quick response. When you said to consider getting a larger SSD did you mean more than the 250 GB or my initial 120?

Just larger than the initial 120gb. 240gb+ is a good size. This is another good choice:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/y8Jkcf/crucial-internal-hard-drive-ct240bx200ssd1

But Samsung is widely agreed upon as being the standard for performance right now.

Also, any suggestions for a keyboard/mouse? I was looking into razer but that's also pretty expensive.

Having a good K/M is so personal, I really just suggest getting into a store to try them out. Mechanical keyboards come with a range of switch types, and the different types change the character of the keyboard. I like blue switches, but others swear by cherry....same with mice, it all depends on how it feels in your hands.

To get going though (and as a backup), this is a place to start:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/mRBrxr/cooler-master-keyboard-sgb3010kkmf2us

As for the screen, is that screen you suggested have a large borderline as opposed to others on the chance I go and buy a second monitor in the upcoming few months?

The bezel is acceptable, but of course there are others that are thinner:

https://pcpartpicker.com/products/monitor/#A=2&sort=a8&page=1

The graphics card I selected is 250. Is that the standard price? I've seen a few posts saying it's over priced and that it should be 199.99. However no matter where I go the price is not reflective of it.

$199 would be for the reference 4gb model. For a custom 8gb model, it is about right for this point in the cycle (it is just about to be released, so very new):

http://videocardz.com/62392/asus-shows-off-radeon-rx-480-strix-and-rx-480-dual

You'll see them start to pop up in the next week or two. This is another good option:

http://videocardz.com/62220/xfx-radeon-rx-480-double-dissipation-pictured-some-more

or

http://videocardz.com/62443/gigabyte-launches-radeon-rx-480-g1-gaming-series

I know I decided to go with i7 6700 but I may get the i7-6700k. Would you say it's worth it? And is it definitely better than the i5-k one?

I wouldn't say the i7 is better than the i5, it just has more potential over time (of course it really depends on how you use it).

Thanks again for all your help!

NP

 

[Isokolon]

Of course if you can afford it it's nice.
But investing the extra cash into a better headset, maybe a fancier case, a pricier mouse/keyboard might just make your experience better than unused potential on the CPU.

As far as relevance goes, time will tell. There's no way to foresee if the 8 threads of the i7 will provide an edge in a couple of years or if the industry develops a need for.more physical cores, or if the Skylake architecture outdates all together before any of these things happen and you'd have to upgrade no matter what.

Also it depends on your needs. I find ultra graphics on a level of 2014 more than enough to enjoy a game and find modern day games on lower/medium settings still very nice to look at. Other people upgrade their CPU every two years.
The difference of the i5-6600 to his predecessor is actually a bit larger than the difference of the i7-6700 to it's predecessor.
I think Intel did a pretty good job with the i5-6600. But if you got 100 bucks you don't know how to spend anyway (lucky you) go for the i7. It might stay relevant for a year longer. It might seriously outperform the i5 with games hitting the market in 2018. Or it might not.

As for overclocking, if done with reason and caution you shouldn't see any problems, given you win in the chip lottery.
As to importance: you can boost the speed up a bit. This help you gain some fps/speed in CPU limited applications.
I personally started to overclock my 2009(?) CPU a while ago just to keep it relevant a little while longer. Others make over-clocking their hobby.
Is it important? There a millions of people who never overclocked anything ever and still live a decent life. There are those people who overclocked their CPU that saved.them a few bucks by achieving the speed of a more expensive chip with their cheaper one.
It all comes down to preference.

 

[Singham]

I'll be replying in a few hours but I wanted to thank all of you for all your input. It's great to hear advice and suggestions from people who have the technical expertise. Thanks for taking time out of your day to just answer all my questions and offer input!

Based on what I've heard I don't think the I7 is really worth it for me especially since I won't be editing etc. like you said I could potentially buy a better headset or mouse/keyboard or even a second screen!

 

[Singham]

Is it recommended to purchase a protection plan for each of the products I buy or do you think it's an unneeded expense?

Also this is kind of random but do you recommend Intel CPU's over AMD CPU's?

 

[BadActor]

Until AMD Zen CPU's come out, there's no compelling reason to use an AMD for gaming. I would skip the protection plan and instead rely on the warranties.

 

[Singham]

Until AMD Zen CPU's come out, there's no compelling reason to use an AMD for gaming. I would skip the protection plan and instead rely on the warranties.

My friend said he had the AMD FX-8320.

On benchmark test it shows to beat the I-5 Im going for by a little bit. Is that actually accurate? I had always thought Intel was the better brand.

 

[BadActor]

There may be an odd game or two where the FX performs better, but for the most part, Intel is the better gamer of the two. The FX is also outdated and no real way to upgrade from it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKR04WMP9sw

 

[Singham]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($238.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-P ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($92.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: PNY Anarchy 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($63.15 @ Amazon)
Storage: PNY CS2211 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.99 @ Best Buy)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($66.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 480 8GB Video Card ($269.99 @ B&H)
Case: Corsair 750D Airflow Edition ATX Full Tower Case ($149.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($75.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($46.85 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter ($29.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: AOC G2260VWQ6 21.5" 75Hz Monitor ($119.99 @ Best Buy)
Total: $1249.68
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-28 03:18 EDT-0400


Is this motherboard good for the I5 I have picked out? Will it work fine or do I need a better one for the components I have? (overclocking etc)

 

[BadActor]

That board would be fine for basic overclocking.

 

[Singham]

Thanks for all your help. I'm planning on ordering the parts I can this weekend, if I think of anything else I'll ask but I honestly think you answered it all. Thanks again for being so patient!!

 

[SeymourButtts]

I upgraded from an FX cpu and the i7 absolutely destroyed it! My FX was overclocked and my i7 is completely stock. I can't say I would go the rx 480 I would try to pick up a 1060 to be honest.