13 wrote It's against the rules to talk about here, just Google/YouTube it.

The QX2710 is the best value since it's like $200. The Dell monitor is better, because it has G-Sync but that's really the only big benefit over the QX2710 since you'll be able to OC the QX2710 to 100-120Hz pretty easily most likely. You could quite easily cut the cost down by getting an i5 instead of the 6700k. I very much doubt you'll need an i7.

Don't get a 1080p 144Hz monitor, as I said. The QX2710 is the same price, but it's a significantly better monitor.

Are more games taking advantage of hyperthreading nowadays? Big open world games like Escape From Tarkov, demanding simulators, and sandbox games like GTA - do they take advantage of an i7?

If I was to go with the i5 7500 instead of the 6700k then I could possibly go for the Dell.. just not sure if more demanding games take advantage of i7, and if I were to go with an i5 would I be able to take full advantage of a 144hz 1440p monitor

imbarnett wrote Are more games taking advantage of hyperthreading nowadays? Big open world games like Escape From Tarkov, demanding simulators, and sandbox games like GTA - do they take advantage of an i7?

Sure do, but doesn't mean the i7 is necessary. Clock speed helps a lot more than people think so if anything, get an unlocked i5 and overclock it. Though a locked i5 will be fine if you're not going to OC.

imbarnett wrote If I was to go with the i5 7500 instead of the 6700k then I could possibly go for the Dell.. just not sure if more demanding games take advantage of i7, and if I were to go with an i5 would I be able to take full advantage of a 144hz 1440p monitor

The GPU is still the most important component for game performance, for the most part. You'll still be able to utilise a monitor with a higher refresh rate than 60Hz with an i5. Obviously the i7 is better, it's always going to be better, that doesn't mean you need it. If you're not specifically using a program that benefits a lot from hyperthreading, or specifically playing a game that the i7 is going to be a lot better than the i5, then there's really no need to spend the extra $100-150. There are some really badly optimised games, like Watch Dogs 2 or Cities Skylines where the i7 is going to be pretty beneficial, so if you were playing a lot of Watch Dogs 2/Cities Skylines specifically, it'd make sense to spend the extra for the i7. At 1440p, the CPU is going to make less of a difference than at 1080p anyway. You're not going to have any issues with an i5, it's not going to be a hindrance.

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How would an i5 7600k work in this rig? Are Kaby Lakes a no-go or is 'updating the motherboard in BIOS' no big deal?

You'll want to ask SuperBiiz or Newegg to update the motherboard's BIOS for you before sending it since older LGA1151 motherboards need a more recent BIOS for Kaby Lake CPUs to work properly. Or, you could get an i5-6600k instead which will work regardless, or a Z270 chipset motherboard since all Z270 chipset motherboards will work with Kaby Lake CPUs anyway.

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Couple of Z270 motherboards if you want, but they're a bit more expensive and the Z170 motherboard will be fine with the updated BIOS. Motherboards leave the manufacturer with the latest BIOS anyway so the only Z170 motherboards that won't work with Kaby Lake CPUs are ones that have been sitting in storage since before Kaby Lake CPUs launched.

If you're buying 16GB RAM right now, don't buy the two separate 1x8GB sticks, just buy a 2x8GB kit. Otherwise you can buy 1x8GB now, and add another of the same 1x8GB in the future. I'd probably buy a larger SSD and 8GB RAM instead of 16GB RAM with a smaller SSD. It's easier and cheaper to add another 8GB RAM. Here are options for 16GB RAM though;
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Also, the Cryorig M9i is going to be an absolutely fine cooler for stock speeds, and you'll be able to overclock a bit with it but if you plan on overclocking the CPU, I'd invest a little more in a better cooler. Cryorig H7 for $35, or the H5 for $45 would be a good shout.

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I'd buy the Ryzen 1700 bundle w/ the motherboard off of Amazon if I were to go ahead and go with this build - but would it be solid? Assuming Ryzen benchmarks well on release.

Not sure why it's showing there to be a compatibility issue, they obviously both go together. I'd go with the Ryzen 1700, stock "LED Spire" cooler, and an ASUS Prime X370-PRO Motherboard.

I'm half tempted to just build with the 6700k I received on my doorstep yesterday. But if 8c/16t is the same price and runs well - I won't mind being a rebel and going with AMD.

I very much doubt Ryzen is going to stomp all over Skylake CPUs. I imagine the 6700k will be better in single core performance so it will be better in most games, for now. If you want a system now, just build with the 6700k probably. It's not like Ryzen is going to make it obsolete. If you're worried Ryzen would be a better option for you, you could just return the 6700k for a refund and hold off for Ryzen benchmarks. Maybe even one of the 6C/12T parts would be a good option for you and you could save some money.