Here's what I came up with [ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

Unsure of your budget, so may have gone over.

Why subtract $250 for the monitor? Have you already got it, or you're getting it free, or what? If you;ve not bought it yet, and you're looking at a monitor in this price range, get a QNIX QX2710 instead, you'll be able to overclock it fairly well(most likely), and it should be a little cheaper.

Now, on to the system. PSU is trash, and incredibly over-priced. No SSD in a $1k+ system is pitiful. DDR3 RAM with Kaby Lake is a no go. It's going to do damage over time, and it just makes no sense since you can get a DDR4 compatible motherboard and DDR4 RAM for a better price anyway, and that will make future upgrades easier, as well as cheaper. Plus, DDR4 RAM isn't going to do damage to the IMC, like the DDR3 will. 212 EVO is a trash cooler at this point. I mean, it's still a fine cooler for people who own it, but it makes no sense to buy new. There are better, newer, cheaper, easier to install, quieter coolers on the market. Also, do NOT pay almost $100 for your OS, that's a huge waste of money IMO. You can easily get your OS for free, or for less than $30 from G2A, Kinguin or somewhere similar. /r/microsoftsoftwareswap is another good place if you're buying OS.

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CPU: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] ($189.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] ($19.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] ($114.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] ($52.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] ($72.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] ($48.77 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] ($379.99 @ Jet)
Case: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] ($89.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] ($252.54 @ B&H)
Total: $1301.52

You can spend a little extra for the i5-7500 if you want. I replaced the motherboard with another Gigabyte board, that's the same price, but this one supports DDR4 and SLI so you can add a 2nd GTX 1070 at any point if you want. Nicer, quieter, better, easier to install cooler. You can use the stock cooler if you want to save $20 but stock cooler is ugly and loud. Added an SSD because anyone that doesn't put an SSD in a system that costs more than $1k, doesn't deserve a PC IMO lol. I included a cheaper GTX 1070 because why not. If you really want to spend the $20 premium for the Gigabyte card, that's fine too. I included an alternative case with a tempered glass side window, but the Enthoo Pro is a good case as well so if you'd prefer that, get that. I included a significantly better quality PSU as well, since you definitely don't want a PoS PSU in a $1k+ system.

Since I've managed to save about $60-$95(if you get the QX2710), you can spend some more money on some parts. You could get 2x8GB RAM instead of 1x8GB and/or a larger SSD. I'm pretty sure you can get a 525GB Crucial MX300 for $125, so I'd get that instead of the 240GB SSD. Better to get the larger/better SSD than more RAM IMO, it's easier to add another 8GB RAM in the future and 8GB is still alright for now anyway.

Also, GTX 1070 is perfectly capable of running 1440p60Hz. Anything lower than 1440p with a GTX 1070 is a waste IMO, so 1440p60 is a good option for monitor. An i5 is going to be perfectly fine for gaming and some possible editing/rendering. You can always upgrade to an i7 in the future if you really feel the need. Yes, you'll be able to use a 2nd monitor in the future if you want.

IMMERSIVE wrote Here's what I came up with [ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

Unsure of your budget, so may have gone over.

Ew, EVGA NEX units are absolute trash. Hell, even the CX units are probably a better choice lol.
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They do not belong in anuy system.

i5-7600 is a waste of $25 for 100MHz clock boost. Also, 960 EVO is a waste IMO, unless he's doing lots of stuff that'll benefit from the speed, which it doesn't look like. Sure, it's a good SSD but NVMe drives only make sense for super high end systems, or people that know they need the extra speed for what they use their system for.

13 wrote Why subtract $250 for the monitor? Have you already got it, or you're getting it free, or what? If you;ve not bought it yet, and you're looking at a monitor in this price range, get a QNIX QX2710 instead, you'll be able to overclock it fairly well(most likely), and it should be a little cheaper.

Now, on to the system. PSU is trash, and incredibly over-priced. No SSD in a $1k+ system is pitiful. DDR3 RAM with Kaby Lake is a no go. It's going to do damage over time, and it just makes no sense since you can get a DDR4 compatible motherboard and DDR4 RAM for a better price anyway, and that will make future upgrades easier, as well as cheaper. Plus, DDR4 RAM isn't going to do damage to the IMC, like the DDR3 will. 212 EVO is a trash cooler at this point. I mean, it's still a fine cooler for people who own it, but it makes no sense to buy new. There are better, newer, cheaper, easier to install, quieter coolers on the market. Also, do NOT pay almost $100 for your OS, that's a huge waste of money IMO. You can easily get your OS for free, or for less than $30 from G2A, Kinguin or somewhere similar. /r/microsoftsoftwareswap is another good place if you're buying OS.

[ Register or Signin to view external links. ] / [ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

CPU: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] ($189.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] ($19.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] ($114.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] ($52.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] ($72.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] ($48.77 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] ($379.99 @ Jet)
Case: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] ($89.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] ($252.54 @ B&H)
Total: $1301.52

You can spend a little extra for the i5-7500 if you want. I replaced the motherboard with another Gigabyte board, that's the same price, but this one supports DDR4 and SLI so you can add a 2nd GTX 1070 at any point if you want. Nicer, quieter, better, easier to install cooler. You can use the stock cooler if you want to save $20 but stock cooler is ugly and loud. Added an SSD because anyone that doesn't put an SSD in a system that costs more than $1k, doesn't deserve a PC IMO lol. I included a cheaper GTX 1070 because why not. If you really want to spend the $20 premium for the Gigabyte card, that's fine too. I included an alternative case with a tempered glass side window, but the Enthoo Pro is a good case as well so if you'd prefer that, get that. I included a significantly better quality PSU as well, since you definitely don't want a PoS PSU in a $1k+ system.

Since I've managed to save about $60-$95(if you get the QX2710), you can spend some more money on some parts. You could get 2x8GB RAM instead of 1x8GB and/or a larger SSD. I'm pretty sure you can get a 525GB Crucial MX300 for $125, so I'd get that instead of the 240GB SSD. Better to get the larger/better SSD than more RAM IMO, it's easier to add another 8GB RAM in the future and 8GB is still alright for now anyway.

Also, GTX 1070 is perfectly capable of running 1440p60Hz. Anything lower than 1440p with a GTX 1070 is a waste IMO, so 1440p60 is a good option for monitor. An i5 is going to be perfectly fine for gaming and some possible editing/rendering. You can always upgrade to an i7 in the future if you really feel the need. Yes, you'll be able to use a 2nd monitor in the future if you want.

Wow dude you're great! The monitor I don't necessarily need right away, I have a 1080p 60hz monitor I use for my PS4 and I could manage with that for a little while - so I was worried about the tower, but I'll definitely look into the monitor you recommended. So, if you have a monitor that is at 60hz and your PC can push well over 60fps - is it worth getting a 120hz or 144hz monitor? I've been playing as -60fps for so long that constant 60fps would feel like butter.

I also didn't know I could get Windows 10 for cheaper - I'm in college atm so I could maybe get a discount? I never knew you could get it anywhere besides school or the official website - I'll definitely look out for that.

Also never knew I didn't have an SSD in my build, to be honest I thought SSD and Hard Drive were the same thing, just thought it was a component for space lol! Thank you for that.

The case, PSU (I was told to get a really good one, thanks for not letting me get a bad one - thought anything Corsair was solid. Thank you), CPU Cooler, and Motherboard all look like good choices.

The only thing I have questions about are the CPU, GPU, and RAM.

CPU, is the difference between the two so minimal that it's not worth going for the 7500? I know a lot of games 'recommend' and i7, so I just wasn't sure which one to go with. And would I ever have to upgrade to i7 in the future if all I plan on doing is FPS's and recording sometimes?

GPU, what's the real big difference between the individual manufactures? I was initially looking between the Gigabyte 1070 Windforce and the G1 Gaming and decided to go with the G1 because it had better reviews and it was smaller. Is there a performance difference between the one you chose and the one I chose?

And the RAM, is RAM just RAM then? I went with Corsair because it's supposedly trusted - and the PC Picker options for RAM seemed bugged. Are they practically the same then?

Thank you again man, I needed somebody to set things straight - this is helpful x1,000,000.

Ok I guess you actually answered half of those questions in your original response, anything you feel as if you're going to be answering twice you don't have to.

The CPU question still stands, is the upgrade to i7 worth it? I'm not out here making videos in 4k or shooting off rockets to space - i5 is the norm, correct?

I'm pretty sure you can get Win10 cheaper or even free as a student, but I'm not certain. However you can quite easily get it free, just search Google/YouTube quickly and it should be easy enough. Just definitely not worth paying $90 for OS.

For monitor, 120/144Hz is objectively better than 60Hz, however, I'd be moving on from 1080p at this point asap. The QNIX QX2710 is a great option because it's a really nice 1440p monitor for $220, and the majority of people who own one have easily overclocked theirs between 96-120Hz.
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Corsair PSUs used to be pretty good, but they done a bait and switch with the CX units so they were trash, and now there brand new CX units are decent quality, but only if they're cheap. Bronze rated PSU doesn't belong in this budget anyway. Also, Corsair PSUs are typically way over-priced IMO. Never ever pay attention to the brand of a PSU, it's the quality that matters, the components that make the PSU. Corsair don't make any of the PSUs they sell, just slap their sticker on units.

imbarnett wrote CPU, is the difference between the two so minimal that it's not worth going for the 7500? I know a lot of games 'recommend' and i7, so I just wasn't sure which one to go with. And would I ever have to upgrade to i7 in the future if all I plan on doing is FPS's and recording sometimes?

An i5 is going to be perfectly fine for the vast majority of games. The i7 is better, but it costs more. The only reason to spend more for the i7 is if you are playing CPU intensive games, and especially if you;re aiming for 144FPS in those CPU intensive games, and/or if you are doing lots of CPU heavy stuff like editing/rendering/compiling/encoding/etc. However, the i5 is still going to do all of this stuff, just slower than an i7. I done editing/rendering on an old ass shitty Pentium for ages. It sucked because it was super slow, but it still worked. You shouldn't have to upgrade to an i7, I imagine the i5 should be fine for you, but you still have the option to upgrade to the i7 later. The i5-6500 and i5-7500 are essentially the same CPU, the 7500 is just slightly newer and has an extra 200MHz clock speed so will be slightly faster. I would probably pay the extra $5-10 for the 7500 over the 6500 to be fair. Whether the i7 is worth the extra $100 is entirely up to you, but I wouldn't sacrifice components elsewhere to fit the i7 in unless you knew for a fact you'd absolutely need it.

imbarnett wrote GPU, what's the real big difference between the individual manufactures? I was initially looking between the Gigabyte 1070 Windforce and the G1 Gaming and decided to go with the G1 because it had better reviews and it was smaller. Is there a performance difference between the one you chose and the one I chose?

Honestly, at this point nothing. Performance between all 1070s is going to be very similar and GPU Boost will auto OC your card so performance is going to come down to temps and silicon lottery mostly. The main thing to look for when deciding between different versions of a GPU is which looks the nicest to you and is within your budget. If the Gigabyte card looks nicer to you, and you don't mind the extra $20, go for it. Or if you prefer the look of the Windforce card from Gigabyte for $380, that's a fine option too. I don't think the Windforce has a backplate or RGB LEDs. I'm pretty sure the EVGA card has a backplate, but no RGB LEDs, and the G1 has a backplate and RGB LEDs I think. I'm not entirely certain though, there's so many different variations of GPU models from different manufacturers these days that it's hard to keep track but product pages(or reviews) will give you that information if it's important to you.

imbarnett wrote And the RAM, is RAM just RAM then? I went with Corsair because it's supposedly trusted - and the PC Picker options for RAM seemed bugged. Are they practically the same then?

To a certain degree, yes. As long as it's compatible, it doesn't really matter what RAM you get. There are only like 3 companies that make RAM, and then the companies that sell them just make heat spreaders and/or put their sticker on the RAM and re-sell it. You were originally looking at DDR3 RAM, which is not the standard anymore, DDR4 is the standard now. The issue with this is that DDR3 is going to cause issues with Skylake/Kaby Lake CPUs(which the i5-6500 and i5-7500 are).

13 wrote I'm pretty sure you can get Win10 cheaper or even free as a student, but I'm not certain. However you can quite easily get it free, just search Google/YouTube quickly and it should be easy enough. Just definitely not worth paying $90 for OS.

For monitor, 120/144Hz is objectively better than 60Hz, however, I'd be moving on from 1080p at this point asap. The QNIX QX2710 is a great option because it's a really nice 1440p monitor for $220, and the majority of people who own one have easily overclocked theirs between 96-120Hz.
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Corsair PSUs used to be pretty good, but they done a bait and switch with the CX units so they were trash, and now there brand new CX units are decent quality, but only if they're cheap. Bronze rated PSU doesn't belong in this budget anyway. Also, Corsair PSUs are typically way over-priced IMO. Never ever pay attention to the brand of a PSU, it's the quality that matters, the components that make the PSU. Corsair don't make any of the PSUs they sell, just slap their sticker on units.

imbarnett wrote CPU, is the difference between the two so minimal that it's not worth going for the 7500? I know a lot of games 'recommend' and i7, so I just wasn't sure which one to go with. And would I ever have to upgrade to i7 in the future if all I plan on doing is FPS's and recording sometimes?

An i5 is going to be perfectly fine for the vast majority of games. The i7 is better, but it costs more. The only reason to spend more for the i7 is if you are playing CPU intensive games, and especially if you;re aiming for 144FPS in those CPU intensive games, and/or if you are doing lots of CPU heavy stuff like editing/rendering/compiling/encoding/etc. However, the i5 is still going to do all of this stuff, just slower than an i7. I done editing/rendering on an old ass shitty Pentium for ages. It sucked because it was super slow, but it still worked. You shouldn't have to upgrade to an i7, I imagine the i5 should be fine for you, but you still have the option to upgrade to the i7 later. The i5-6500 and i5-7500 are essentially the same CPU, the 7500 is just slightly newer and has an extra 200MHz clock speed so will be slightly faster. I would probably pay the extra $5-10 for the 7500 over the 6500 to be fair. Whether the i7 is worth the extra $100 is entirely up to you, but I wouldn't sacrifice components elsewhere to fit the i7 in unless you knew for a fact you'd absolutely need it.

imbarnett wrote GPU, what's the real big difference between the individual manufactures? I was initially looking between the Gigabyte 1070 Windforce and the G1 Gaming and decided to go with the G1 because it had better reviews and it was smaller. Is there a performance difference between the one you chose and the one I chose?

Honestly, at this point nothing. Performance between all 1070s is going to be very similar and GPU Boost will auto OC your card so performance is going to come down to temps and silicon lottery mostly. The main thing to look for when deciding between different versions of a GPU is which looks the nicest to you and is within your budget. If the Gigabyte card looks nicer to you, and you don't mind the extra $20, go for it. Or if you prefer the look of the Windforce card from Gigabyte for $380, that's a fine option too. I don't think the Windforce has a backplate or RGB LEDs. I'm pretty sure the EVGA card has a backplate, but no RGB LEDs, and the G1 has a backplate and RGB LEDs I think. I'm not entirely certain though, there's so many different variations of GPU models from different manufacturers these days that it's hard to keep track but product pages(or reviews) will give you that information if it's important to you.

imbarnett wrote And the RAM, is RAM just RAM then? I went with Corsair because it's supposedly trusted - and the PC Picker options for RAM seemed bugged. Are they practically the same then?

To a certain degree, yes. As long as it's compatible, it doesn't really matter what RAM you get. There are only like 3 companies that make RAM, and then the companies that sell them just make heat spreaders and/or put their sticker on the RAM and re-sell it. You were originally looking at DDR3 RAM, which is not the standard anymore, DDR4 is the standard now. The issue with this is that DDR3 is going to cause issues with Skylake/Kaby Lake CPUs(which the i5-6500 and i5-7500 are).

Thanks a lot man, it's a little difficult to find the STANDARD parts, you're making it really easy.

I think the only things I'm debating are the GPU still (are either of them 'easier' to install?).

And the CPU I don't think I'll ever NEED to upgrade to an i7 to be fair. Of all the games I'd think Escape From Tarkov and Squad would be the most CPU intensive games - neither of them seem to be bad enough to upgrade - we'll see when we get there.

Other than that I think I'm banging on all cylinders man, THANK YOU!

As far as I'm aware, you're going to need an i7 or an unlocked and overclocked i5 to reach 120-144FPS in BF1 at higher settings, but that doesn't really matter if you get the QX2710 since it's 1440p and will OC to like 100-120Hz, so you'll still be able to get decent FPS and take advantage of the monitor OC. If you do decide you want an i7 in the future, you can just buy an i7 and swap the i5 out for it, then resell the i5 to make some money back.

No, all GPUs are going to be the same to install, and perform similarly. Just whichever you think looks nicest. I just double checked, the EVGA card I included doesn't have a backplate. The Windforce definitely doesn't have a backplate. The G1 Gaming has a backplate. These also have backplates;
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and I'm not sure, but I think this one has a backplate;
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as for RGB LEDs, I'm not sure so if that's important to you, you'll need to double check product pages before buying. The G1 is a nice card and it definitely has a backplate and RGB LEDs so that wouldn't be a bad shout. EVGA are very well known for their great customer service, so that's a reason to lean towards them. Really though, just buy whichever you think looks nicest, or is cheapest if you'd rather save money.

13 wrote I'm pretty sure you can get Win10 cheaper or even free as a student, but I'm not certain. However you can quite easily get it free, just search Google/YouTube quickly and it should be easy enough. Just definitely not worth paying $90 for OS.

Adding onto this. Microsoft still offers the free Windows 10 upgrade for customers who use assistive technologies. You don't even have to use any such thing, just click their upgrade button and you have an active Windows 10 on your computer. I don't know if it's Windows 10 Pro or Home, but still a free OS. If you search on Google assistive technologies windows 10 upgrade it will be the first link from Microsoft (not sure if I'm allowed to link to this, so what to type in will suffice.)