Making a Gaming Rig Build for $1600

[jhonmagana1]

I have a $1,600.00 budget to make a new gaming rig. The rig will be used for WoW, ESO, The Witcher 3 and ARK. I will be moving to New Zealand soon to begin my PHD and want a rig that will be the most future proof. I expect to be away for at least 5-10 years and want to keep upgrade paths available to make sure it will last me that time. I was thinking about an i5 since it will just be for gaming, probably a 6th gen+ for DDR4 capability. I have no idea what kind of mobo I should get for upgrade opportunities in the future.

Thanks for any comments and help.

 

[Andrew Orzechowicz]

Unfortunately there really is no such thing as being "future proof" but you can have a system that can be upgraded fairly easily. If you don't mind the size, a full tower will have the most options and can house the largest motherboard, which means more possible upgrades. The board is just a seat for all your components, so the primary factor in choosing which one to get should be compatibility. There are websites like pc part picker that let you select parts and automatically checks for issues as you add or remove parts. Get a large enough PSU that will be able to handle whatever GPUs the companies throw at us in the coming years, and that's about all you can do in terms of future proofing.

 

[jaslion]

I have a $1,600.00 budget to make a new gaming rig. The rig will be used for WoW, ESO, The Witcher 3 and ARK. I will be moving to New Zealand soon to begin my PHD and want a rig that will be the most future proof. I expect to be away for at least 5-10 years and want to keep upgrade paths available to make sure it will last me that time. I was thinking about an i5 since it will just be for gaming, probably a 6th gen+ for DDR4 capability. I have no idea what kind of mobo I should get for upgrade opportunities in the future.

Thanks for any comments and help.

Well on october 5th intels new coffee lake linup launches. This will bring us a 6 core i5 which is the future.
4 core i5 are already struggeling in larger games to keep up since games are now really starting to want more than just 4 cores. If you need to buy it now right at this moment either get a i7 7700k (which is a bad idea since it's going to be beaten by cheap i5's) or a ryzen 6 core or up (same problem as the i7 7700k).

 

[jhonmagana1]

I don't need it right now, my current gpu died and im using my super old 9600GT. I will probably wait for coffee lake lineup, thank you jaslion for advice. I was was wondering more about what GPU/mobo i should get. i was thinking like a 980 gtx and i guess i have to do some more research and see what socket the coffee lake lineup will go with. I wonder if i should get a ssd for games and one for booting, i guess a ssd for booting isnt necessary but it would be nice. Also is there any big difference between ssd that are connected via sata vs PCIe? Does anyone know if DDR4 will have any major impact on gaming? I'm porbably going to steer clear of an AMD cpu since intel is normally better with games.

Thanks again for all the help, it is much appreciated!!

 

[ohiou_grad_2006]

AMD or Intel, not you'll be using ddr4 for new equipment. Intel is a little better for gaming, but with the new AMD Ryzen chips, AMD jumped like 50% in ipc performance, and is bearing Intel right now in multithreaded/multitasking performance.

Their new AM4 socket is supposed to be supported until 2020, they are already talking about new chips based on it.

As far as new i5s beating the Ryzen 6 core, I'm not convinced. They will do better in gaming, in situations where games rely on higher ipc performance, but I think the Ryzen 6 core will still do better at multitasking and multithreaded workloads due to having the hyperthreading ability. So basically the same situation as now, except Intel will have 6 cores vs 4.

That said, the Intel chips are good, but not that much better. I'm running a Ryzen 5 1600 overclocked to 3.7ghz and I'm pleased so far with it.

 

[AziWazzi]

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Tcmz4C

 

[ohiou_grad_2006]

If the op goes for a Ryzen build like above, I would suggest an AMD b350 board to save cost. Also, I think I would roll with the stock cooler. I had mine overclocked at 3.7 on the stock cooler. I did buy a 30 dollar air cooler however. But it looks like I can sell the stock cooler for 25 or 30 online.

I would also consider getting a GTX 1080 vs the 1070. I don't think they run much now at current pricing.

The only other tweak, instead of that SSD on there, get a Samsung 960 ebo nvme drive. Still fits the m.2 slot, however, it's supposed to be much faster. I think the crucial drive is still standard sata speeds. I actually was going to get one of those at microcenter a couple of weeks ago, and the salesman pointed me to the Samsung. So I got it instead. When I researched after getting it, I think it's more like 3.5gb per second read time instead of like 500mb per second. So for the 20 bucks it's hard to go wrong there. My system is just over 20 seconds from when I got the power button until I'm on the desktop.

 

[jhonmagana1]

Thank you for the input, I really appreciate it. I didn't put too much thought into making a AMD cpu since I was looking at gaming to be the main purpose for this rig. Does anyone have any suggestions for what a good mobo would be for the LGA 1151 socket of the new Coffee Lake cpus?

 

[blankcr8]

I would suggest waiting on a Mobo because although it'll be 1151 socket you'll need a 300 series board, not the 200 series being used currently.

 

[ohiou_grad_2006]

Intel will do better for gaming, no question. But the AMD will still do good at it. Keep in mind they are supposed to be supporting the am4 socket until 2020. Which should mean say in 2019-2020, but a new cpu, drop into your board, sell your old one, and be set for a little bit. Vs Intel, you might be looking at another new board and cpu. What resolution and refresh rate will you be playing at?

 

[J_E_D_70]

Something like this but swap 8700k/z370 when the release. Maybe by then ram and gpu prices will creep back down.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($322.59 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - H5 Ultimate 76.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($46.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus - PRIME Z270-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($144.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($151.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung - 960 EVO 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($220.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI - GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Video Card ($449.81 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT - S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.75 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($89.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1581.77
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-09-15 19:46 EDT-0400

 

[jhonmagana1]

Thank you guys so much for the responses, I'm sorry it has been a few days since I have responded. I forgot to say that I was hoping to get a new monitor, I'm aiming for a 1440p 144hz IPS panel monitor with freesync/g sync. So I took the already made part list and changed it a little to get with the changes you recommended. I do have windows 10 license that will be provided by my dad and I have a NZXT 410 case currently I want to keep to keep cost down. Also I was wondering if I should upgrade my psu, I currently have a Tagan ITZ series 900w, but it is non modular. The part list is included at the end of this entry, Thanks!

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($196.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - GA-AX370-Gaming ATX AM4 Motherboard ($87.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($145.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung - 960 EVO 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($117.60 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($66.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card ($523.89 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Asus - MG279Q 27.0" 2560x1440 144Hz Monitor ($449.00)
Total: $1588.24
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-09-17 19:49 EDT-0400

 

[jhonmagana1]

I completely forgot that I would need an amd gpu for freesync to work or a nvidia card for g sync to work... any advice on where I should go for this?

 

[ohiou_grad_2006]

As far as the case you should be good there. Just make sure to measure inside and check the length of the card you are buying so that you know the card will physically for inside without having to take a hacksaw to the case or something. May want to make sure you have enough standoffs, if you aren't sure, maybe ordering a kit like this would be a good idea.

https://m.ebay.com/itm/20-Pcs-PC-PCB-Motherboard-Brass-Standoff-Hexagonal-Spacer-M3-6-4mm-T1-/252482072132?epid=1849330064&hash=item3ac91aae44%3Ag%3AlqQAAOSwARZXnOjc&_trkparms=pageci%253Aeb0d1b74-9c0a-11e7-a1e5-74dbd1806ed4%257Cparentrq%253A92741c0115e0aa42e4483557ffe5d6f7%257Ciid%253A1

On the power supply, I'm not sure. I would reconsider it I think considering you are getting a 1080 etc. I don't know much about that unit, but a quick search on Google showed it was only rated by users as 3 out of 5. Let one of the other guys give feedback on that one. I'd maybe think on the Corsair cx750m.

http://www.corsair.com/en-us/cx-series-cx750m-750-watt-80-plus-bronze-certified-modular-atx-psu-na

As far as free sync vs gsync, I'm not using those technologies yet. I'm still using vsync on my 24 inch Asus 1080p.

Here's a quick thing where some folks were discussing maybe there's some information there.

https://pcpartpicker.com/forums/topic/157095-gsync-vs-freesync-vs-vsync-what-are-they-and-the-differences

Double check, but I think freesync is only for and cards, and gsync only for Nvidia cards. I'm assuming that if you tried to use a freesync monitor with an Nvidia cards for example, that the monitor would just use the older vsync technology.

But my assumption would be double check it, but if you buy an AMD GPU, then you want a freesync monitor. If you use an Nvidia cards, then you want to look at g sync monitors. Otherwise, if you get a generic monitor, it will likely use vsync. So far I use that at times, but some guys say they get lag and stuff when using vsync. Not really experienced that a lot, but I'll let some of the other guys with in here.

 

[jhonmagana1]

So I looked into it and it seems that AMD GPUs only work with FreeSync and Nvidia cards only work with Gsync. From the little I read about vsync it makes you have some lag and apparently competitive players will play with that off and just deal with screen tearing to get frames as soon as they can. I don't think this would be a problem unless I was playing pvp in ESO/WoW if it would even matter in WoW. I guess they aren't that necessary for me unless I decided to play a new FPS game. Yeah I know my PSU is super old, probably like 10 years old. I couldn't really find anything about it when I looked it up, so I really have no clue if it's 80 plus or if it would be suitable to OC on it.

 

[ohiou_grad_2006]

You also need to remember that PSU's age as they get use, so that PSU may not be able to put out the power it used to when it was new, especially after 10 years. So I would just caution running a 450-500 dollar gpu on an iffy psu. If you did need to make room for a PSU in budget, you could go to the 1070 as suggested. Even the 1060 6gb should do good if you are on 1080p. I just got hold of an RX 480 8gb card, bought from my friend. I upgraded from my old Radeon 7950 and it's a very nice improvement. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 looks great nearly maxed out.

 

[AziWazzi]

I have a $1,600.00 budget to make a new gaming rig. The rig will be used for WoW, ESO, The Witcher 3 and ARK. I will be moving to New Zealand soon to begin my PHD and want a rig that will be the most future proof. I expect to be away for at least 5-10 years and want to keep upgrade paths available to make sure it will last me that time. I was thinking about an i5 since it will just be for gaming, probably a 6th gen+ for DDR4 capability. I have no idea what kind of mobo I should get for upgrade opportunities in the future.

Thanks for any comments and help.

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/Aziwazzi/saved/rLMt6h
Good value and good build imo

 

[jhonmagana1]

So this is the final part list. Was told to use my budget on the parts and I will be gifted a monitor, yay parents!

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/hXkR7h
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/hXkR7h/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($194.99)
Motherboard: Asus - STRIX B350-F GAMING ATX AM4 Motherboard ($86.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($183.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung - 960 EVO 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($117.60 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($66.02 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB STRIX GAMING Video Card ($779.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT - S340 (Black/Blue) ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($81.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1576.54
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-09-25 22:59 EDT-0400

I went with this ram to get the cheapest samsung die b ram. I got the ryzen 5 for $195 from http://www.ebay.com/itm/272635262563 (thanks reddit) there is also a ryzen 7 1700 for $270 http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-AMD-RYZEN-7-1700-8-Core-Processor-3-0-3-7GHz-AM4-with-Wraith-Spire-Cooler-/262896694740?hash=item3d35dd35d4:g:mIEAAOSw4A5Yyeon