Help me convert my budget PC build to a budget gaming system

[VinnyVincent]

I built this system earlier this year, but having sold my PS4 I am missing the gaming world...Current system specs:

B250 motherboard
Pentium G4560 processor
Two 4GB sticks of 2133mhz ram
120GB SSD
500GB HDD
No GPU
Linux Ubuntu OS

Considering these upgrades:

• 
  GTX 1060 GPU
  Windows 10 OS

Would this make a decent system, or am I going to wish I got something better a year from now?

I'm currently using 55" TV that only has a 60hz refresh rate, so FPS is going to be limited anyways. It's also only 1080 and not 4k.
I prefer to play RPG's, like elder scrolls, fallout 4, the witcher 3, ect. I MIGHT be interested in dabbling with a VR setup later on down the road. To be quite blunt...I'm mainly interested in the VR for porn.
Do these upgrades make sense, or should I maybe be looking at something like a 1050ti + upgrade to an i5?

My thought process is that the 1060 seems like a decent card, so by spending a lot on the card and leaving the g4560 processor, I could always throw in an i7 a few years down the line when they are much cheaper...


EDIT: I am also wondering if it makes sense to spend more on the 6gb version of the 1060 instead of the 3gb for my uses?

 

[tsnor]

The 6gb is a lot more expensive because crypto currency guys can use it. The 3gb no longer works for etherium. I'd get the 3gb, but there are some know frame rate issues with the 3gb in some games. (But I'd get the 3).

Yes, adding a video care like the 1060 will make your G4560 a gaming rig. At some point you'll need more CPU, but you have lots of options for that.

Most people game at 1080p at 60 hz, which is exactly your TV's framerate and resolution. Higher resolution systems are still rare.

Intel controls price/quantity of processors. I have never seen old intels become cheap (until they are a decade old and selling used), so do not assume you'll see a $150 new i7 cpus at some point to upgrade the G4560. I have an old Pentium Anniversary system running, the i7 that fits that board costs more now then when the pentium aniversary was new.

If you are in school you may be able to get a cheap win10, other than that buying for $100 is the right answer. There is a very small chance the games you want will run on Linux -- you can check that out on steam.

8gb is plenty.

 

[VinnyVincent]

The 6gb is a lot more expensive because crypto currency guys can use it. The 3gb no longer works for etherium. I'd get the 3gb, but there are some know frame rate issues with the 3gb in some games. (But I'd get the 3).

Yes, adding a video care like the 1060 will make your G4560 a gaming rig. At some point you'll need more CPU, but you have lots of options for that.

Most people game at 1080p at 60 hz, which is exactly your TV's framerate and resolution. Higher resolution systems are still rare.

Intel controls price/quantity of processors. I have never seen old intels become cheap (until they are a decade old and selling used), so do not assume you'll see a $150 new i7 cpus at some point to upgrade the G4560. I have an old Pentium Anniversary system running, the i7 that fits that board costs more now then when the pentium aniversary was new.

If you are in school you may be able to get a cheap win10, other than that buying for $100 is the right answer. There is a very small chance the games you want will run on Linux -- you can check that out on steam.

8gb is plenty.

Thanks for the detailed response, this really helps!
Also great call on getting windows 10 as a student! My girlfriend is in college and it looks like I might be able to get windows 10 "education version" for free! I'm going to try installing it tomorrow and see if it really is free, or if it's just a free upgrade.

Regarding the 3gb VS the 6gb gtx 1060; I saw some videos where on most games it only made a difference of 5-10FPS. My concern would be "future proofing" so to speak...do you think it might make more of a difference with a VR setup, or maybe in future titles a couple years from now? Or do you think by the time the full 6gb would actually make a difference, the card would be too slow anyways? 5-10FPS on most titles definitely does not seem worth an additional 80 dollars on a 200 dollar card...

 

[tsnor]

The 6gb is a lot more expensive because crypto currency guys can use it. The 3gb no longer works for etherium. I'd get the 3gb, but there are some know frame rate issues with the 3gb in some games. (But I'd get the 3).

Yes, adding a video care like the 1060 will make your G4560 a gaming rig. At some point you'll need more CPU, but you have lots of options for that.

Most people game at 1080p at 60 hz, which is exactly your TV's framerate and resolution. Higher resolution systems are still rare.

Intel controls price/quantity of processors. I have never seen old intels become cheap (until they are a decade old and selling used), so do not assume you'll see a $150 new i7 cpus at some point to upgrade the G4560. I have an old Pentium Anniversary system running, the i7 that fits that board costs more now then when the pentium aniversary was new.

If you are in school you may be able to get a cheap win10, other than that buying for $100 is the right answer. There is a very small chance the games you want will run on Linux -- you can check that out on steam.

8gb is plenty.

Thanks for the detailed response, this really helps!
Also great call on getting windows 10 as a student! My girlfriend is in college and it looks like I might be able to get windows 10 "education version" for free! I'm going to try installing it tomorrow and see if it really is free, or if it's just a free upgrade.

Regarding the 3gb VS the 6gb gtx 1060; I saw some videos where on most games it only made a difference of 5-10FPS. My concern would be "future proofing" so to speak...do you think it might make more of a difference with a VR setup, or maybe in future titles a couple years from now? Or do you think by the time the full 6gb would actually make a difference, the card would be too slow anyways? 5-10FPS on most titles definitely does not seem worth an additional 80 dollars on a 200 dollar card...

the 3gb 1060 is a great card. A 1050 ti would be a great card, 1060 is better. I'd personally be happy with the 3gb, but the games I play are not that video intense, and I only plan to game at 1920x1200 (1080p plus a little more vertical height).

Glad you can get an academic version. They are typically full versions, not upgrades.

 

[VinnyVincent]

Thanks again,
I ended up going with the Zotac 1060 6gb mini, since it was on sale for 239 today, which wasn't much more than the 3gb model. I figure the additional VRAM might buy me another year or two before my next upgrade.

A couple things;

1) I don't have any case fans installed and am using a cheapo diablotek mid tower. http://www.microcenter.com/product/456699/Diamond_ATX_Mid-Tower_Computer_Case_-_Black

Do you recommend adding any fans to deal with the additional heat? If so, how many, what size and where? The only "fan" I have now is the one built into the PSU, which brings me to...




# 2) I THOUGHT I was doing a good thing by buying a "name brand" EVGA 400W PSU to replace the one that came inside the diablotek case. Apparently I should have done some research as it is ranked as "tier 7" on some sites.
http://www.microcenter.com/product/457412/400W_ATX_Power_Supply

How worried should I be about continuing to use this with the new GPU? Even with the new GPU, I should still be under 200W most of the time. I also keep the house cool...Thoughts?

 

[ohiou_grad_2006]

Which power supply specifically did you get? Also, you are definitely going to want to get all the case fans that you can fit. I've seen some threads saying those mini zotac cards can run hot.

 

[VinnyVincent]

Which power supply specifically did you get? Also, you are definitely going to want to get all the case fans that you can fit. I've seen some threads saying those mini zotac cards can run hot.

http://www.microcenter.com/product/457412/400W_ATX_Power_Supply

That's the power supply. It's just called EVGA 400 N1. It's the cheapest power supply that EVGA sells.
I've got a feeling you guys are about to tell me to throw it in the trash LOL.
Another issue with it is I think that it only has one fan hook up.