Help creating a gaming desktop

[alecd423]

Hello,
I have posted on here before asking for some help picking out parts for a ~2k gaming desktop. However, my mind kept changing (I want to keep it as low as possible without sacrificing performance) and it ended up not working out so well. Now, I believe I know exactly what I am looking for. I want to do 1440p at 60+fps. I have created a list, but am not sure if I am getting the most bang for my buck so I was hoping someone could look it over and tell me what they think.
-Thanks
[PCPartPicker part list](http://pcpartpicker.com/list/NJvVYr) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://pcpartpicker.com/list/NJvVYr/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/gx648d/intel-cpu-bx80662i56600k) | $219.99 @ SuperBiiz
**CPU Cooler** | [Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/hmtCmG/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr212e20pkr2) | $24.89 @ OutletPC
**Motherboard** | [Gigabyte GA-Z170X-UD3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/xdmxFT/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz170xud3) | $94.99 @ Newegg
**Memory** | [Mushkin Blackline 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/sQqbt6/mushkin-memory-997199t) | $57.99 @ Newegg
**Storage** | [Sandisk Z400s 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/hCL7YJ/sandisk-internal-hard-drive-sd8sbat128g1122) | $39.88 @ OutletPC
**Storage** | [Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/KyCwrH/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st2000dm001) | $65.89 @ OutletPC
**Video Card** | [MSI GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Video Card](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/NJM323/msi-geforce-gtx-1070-8gb-video-card-geforce-gtx-1070-armor-8g-oc) | $429.99 @ Amazon
**Case** | [Phanteks Enthoo Pro M ATX Mid Tower Case](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/jrVBD3/phanteks-case-phes515pbk) | $60.98 @ Newegg
**Power Supply** | [EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/Nd4gXL/evga-power-supply-120g10750xr) | $69.99 @ NCIX US
**Optical Drive** | [LG GH24NSC0B DVD/CD Writer](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/9nQRsY/lg-optical-drive-gh24nsc0b) | $14.89 @ OutletPC
**Wireless Network Adapter** | [Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/tTdqqs/gigabyte-wireless-network-card-gcwb867di) | $29.99 @ SuperBiiz
**Case Fan** | [ARCTIC Arctic F14 77.3 CFM 140mm Fan](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/BgGkcf/arctic-cooling-case-fan-afaco14000gba01) | $10.89 @ OutletPC
**Case Fan** | [ARCTIC Arctic F14 77.3 CFM 140mm Fan](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/BgGkcf/arctic-cooling-case-fan-afaco14000gba01) | $10.89 @ OutletPC
**Case Fan** | [ARCTIC Arctic F14 77.3 CFM 140mm Fan](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/BgGkcf/arctic-cooling-case-fan-afaco14000gba01) | $10.89 @ OutletPC
**Case Fan** | [ARCTIC Arctic F14 77.3 CFM 140mm Fan](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/BgGkcf/arctic-cooling-case-fan-afaco14000gba01) | $10.89 @ OutletPC
**Monitor** | [Asus PB328Q 32.0" 60Hz Monitor](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/PbX2FT/asus-monitor-pb328q) | $479.99 @ Amazon
**Keyboard** | [Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/6P2kcf/cooler-master-keyboard-sgb3010kkmf1us) | $19.99 @ Newegg
| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $1718.01
| Mail-in rebates | -$65.00
| **Total** | **$1653.01**
| Generated by [PCPartPicker](http://pcpartpicker.com) 2016-06-23 22:37 EDT-0400 |

 

[mrmez]

Looks pretty good to me.
Could do a few tweaks here and there, but most of that will just be a matter of preference.

 

[alecd423]

Out of curiosity, when should I pick an i5 over and i7 or vise versa?

 

[WiiUMasterGman]

The i7 is really only for editing. For gaming the i5 is good enough for every game

 

[mrmez]

With the current gen Intel chips, the i5s are so powerful, there's really little need for a i7 unless you're doing super cpu intensive rendering etc etc.

The K series can OC, and will give a decent boost, and with the Mantle et.al style GFX API's that seem to be coming out, CPU overheads will decrease, meaning a good choice like the 6600k should easily give 5+ years before you need an upgrade.

 

[alecd423]

With the current gen Intel chips, the i5s are so powerful, there's really little need for a i7 unless you're doing super cpu intensive rendering etc etc.

The K series can OC, and will give a decent boost, and with the Mantle et.al style GFX API's that seem to be coming out, CPU overheads will decrease, meaning a good choice like the 6600k should easily give 5+ years before you need an upgrade.

Thank you that was very helpful. I think that is where I am able to save money because before I had an i7. As a note, I do some programming and matab calculations for school. My current setup is a lenovo y500 with a 2.2ghz i7. I'm assuming the 6600k will be a huge boost and I shouldnt worried about the i7/i5 difference. Will I notice any difference? Or will my new chip blow my laptop out of the water?

 

[WiiUMasterGman]

The i5 should destroy the old i7

 

[alecd423]

Gotcha. Thank you guys for looking this over. I'm going to change the motherboard to an asus and pull the trigger on this. Thanks for the help.