Help me minimize the cost of my first machine

[Pierrot_le_Fou]

First off, I would like confirmation that I'm not missing anything. Additionally, I am wondering if I'm needlessly spending money on some of my components (I am aware I am getting a disc drive with a blu ray player). This is what I have so far:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.00 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Z97M-PLUS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($126.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($79.75 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.92 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Rosewill FBM-01-450P MicroATX Mini Tower Case w/450W Power Supply ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Pioneer BDC-207DBK Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($42.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($102.98 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-N250PCe 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($18.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $788.59
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-06-10 17:24 EDT-0400)

I'm most curious about the motherboard; is there any benefit to the one I picked, or should I opt for one that is less expensive?

 

[vortical]

For the most part it is fine cost wise, my only thoughts are that if all you are putting in GPU wise is a 750ti, you dont need such an expensive CPU to power your machine.
This would be more appropriate. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116946

The 4670 and thus the 4690 refresh are top of the line gaming wise while the 750ti is on the low end of the spectrum.

 

[Pierrot_le_Fou]

For the most part it is fine cost wise, my only thoughts are that if all you are putting in GPU wise is a 750ti, you dont need such an expensive CPU to power your machine.
This would be more appropriate. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116946

The 4670 and thus the 4690 refresh are top of the line gaming wise while the 750ti is on the low end of the spectrum.

I suppose I was thinking that I'd be able to easily replace the GPU down the line, though I'd be more hesitant to replace the CPU—Especially because I don't intend to overclock. Is this an ignorant view?

 

[vortical]

For the most part it is fine cost wise, my only thoughts are that if all you are putting in GPU wise is a 750ti, you dont need such an expensive CPU to power your machine.
This would be more appropriate. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116946

The 4670 and thus the 4690 refresh are top of the line gaming wise while the 750ti is on the low end of the spectrum.

I suppose I was thinking that I'd be able to easily replace the GPU down the line, though I'd be more hesitant to replace the CPU—Especially because I don't intend to overclock. Is this an ignorant view?

Not at all, planning to build a system with future upgrading in mind is something many people do. HOWEVER if that is indeed the case i would recommend you rethink your power supply situation, as if/when you upgrade to a med/high end GPU 450w will almost certainly limit your choices.

 

[maddogfargo]

Not trying to change your platform needlessly, especially because the i5-4690 is an impressive new part.

But if cost/budget is an issue, would you be willing to consider an AMD build?

For gaming, it is a very good option. When done right, you can get similar performance as an i5 and likely upgrade the PSU and GPU at the same time. In some newer multi-threaded games AMD even creeps up near i7 territory.

 

[Pierrot_le_Fou]

Not trying to change your platform needlessly, especially because the i5-4690 is an impressive new part.

But if cost/budget is an issue, would you be willing to consider an AMD build?

For gaming, it is a very good option. When done right, you can get similar performance as an i5 and likely upgrade the PSU and GPU at the same time. In some newer multi-threaded games AMD even creeps up near i7 territory.

The issue with AMD is mostly that I'm less familiar with it— for whatever reason I found the Intel parts more intuitive during my research