(Semi) Newb Looking to Buy a Gaming Rig That Can Support 2560x1600 Res

[CaptainGG]

Hi there guys,

I am looking to buy/build a gaming rig.

Here is what I am HOPING to get out of it and what I am dealing with now:

The only game I really play is Dota 2 but I would like to have the option to be able to run more graphically demanding games on steam.

Here is where things get a bit tricky: I have a 30 inch monitor running a desktop resolution of 2560x1600 but when I currently play Dota 2 I have to scale down the in-game resolution to 1280x1024 because my computer just can't run it at max (I still do, however, run the game on high/very high graphics).

With my new rig I'd like to be able to run Dota 2 at a much maximum resolution with very high graphics quality. Additionally, I'd like to be able to run something like battlefield on high graphics at high resolution (not necessarily at maximum, that would be a bonus).

Hoping you guys might be able to suggest a build out of the many that are already listed on these forums that will satisfy my requirements.

Budget: <$1000

Thanks in advance for your help, I'm doing my best to learn about system-building but it's a steep learning curve!

 

[CaptainGG]

I would suggest an i5-4690 (non-K or K whichever is cheaper, the K's have been running cheaper in the US lately) over the FX-8350. For gaming it's a better chip and running the same price point as the 8350, at least here.

Edit: You edited while I was posting, the Intel CPU will serve you better.

What about the GPU? I've seen mixed reviews of the Windforce R9 290.

Also, would a build like that be able to do what I'm looking for? Max settings Dota 2 with great FPS at 2560x1600?

Would something like this be better? (Pulled from Best PCs under $750 thread)

SR-71's "SKYLAKE 'VX Micro Beast' EDITION"

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($194.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($56.00 @ Amazon)
Memory: Patriot Viper 4 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($52.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.17 @ Amazon)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 390 8GB PCS+ Video Card ($299.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone PS08B (Black) MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($54.29 @ Amazon)
Total: $745.42

 

[Grimwinder]

AS far as DOTA 2 goes, I can only give you my best guess based on the game and what I've read about the 290, you *should* be able to max it out with no issues. For other new "Triple A" titles you should get high settings for the most part but may have to tweak things down a bit. For reference here's some general benchmarks at your res on the card, as you can see it does pretty well, with Metro:Last Light being the only exception (and that game kills most cards)-

http://www.maximumpc.com/amd-radeon-r9-290-benchmarks/#page-2

 

[Grimwinder]

And yes, that last build you added would be good, the r9 390 will do you much better, the rest is probably almost equal across the board.

 

[CaptainGG]

And yes, that last build you added would be good, the r9 390 will do you much better, the rest is probably almost equal across the board.

Why is there no CPU cooler on that build? Also, is the power supply listed sufficient for the R9 390?

 

[Grimwinder]

Due to its quality, that PSU is enough. As for the cooler, for some reason Intel seems to be not shipping stock coolers with all of the Skylake chips, so you'd have to make sure the one you ordered has one. Beyond that, they aren't listing coolers (which come with *most* CPUs) because the stock coolers are fine unless you are overclocking.