Desktop Computers

Mist

REEEEeyore
<Gold Donor>
31,084
23,420
PCPartPicker part list/Price breakdown by merchant

CPU:Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor($328.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler:Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler($26.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard:Asus Z97-E ATX LGA1150 Motherboard($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory:Crucial Ballistix Tactical 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory($114.99 @ Amazon)
Storage:Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive($161.99 @ Amazon)
Storage:Western Digital BLACK SERIES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive($70.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card:EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0 Video Card($314.99 @ NCIX US)
Case:Corsair 760T White ATX Full Tower Case($149.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply:EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Total:$1348.80
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-05 20:54 EDT-0400

Buy a Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 key off reddit and you're good to go.
 

Julian The Apostate

Vyemm Raider
2,336
2,439
PCPartPicker part list/Price breakdown by merchant

CPU:Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor($328.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler:Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler($26.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard:Asus Z97-E ATX LGA1150 Motherboard($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory:Crucial Ballistix Tactical 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory($114.99 @ Amazon)
Storage:Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive($161.99 @ Amazon)
Storage:Western Digital BLACK SERIES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive($70.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card:EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0 Video Card($314.99 @ NCIX US)
Case:Corsair 760T White ATX Full Tower Case($149.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply:EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Total:$1348.80
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-05 20:54 EDT-0400

Buy a Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 key off reddit and you're good to go.
Thanks so much for taking the time to do that. Will give an update when I can!
 

Big Phoenix

Pronouns: zie/zhem/zer
<Gold Donor>
46,225
97,808
Imo id go with a 4690k and change the 970 to a 980ti if youre wanting to go with a 27 inch monitor. Its $200 more but would handle 1440p flawlessly while the 970 struggles to stay above 60fps in everything. Though if youre deadset on the monitor price then the 970 would be fine as no good $300 or less 27 inch 1440p monitors out there.
 

Mist

REEEEeyore
<Gold Donor>
31,084
23,420
Yeah, there's a lot of shit you could do differently, but I put together best, easiest build I could for that budget.

If you wanted, you could just put a 980ti in there right now and be all set for high res gaming for 2-3 years, if you're willing to drop the money on the monitor now.
 

Noodleface

A Mod Real Quick
38,242
15,023
When I did a similar build I had people yelling at me about using 16GB of RAM and using a SSD + platter drive, but it worked really well. Mist's parts look good - case is really subjective but I just did a build with a Corsair case and I really liked the design and ease of installation.
 

Sterling

El Presidente
13,089
8,063
Why would anyone yell at you for using a SSD and a HDD? I mean I get that some people are still all about the 8GB of RAM, but the 2 drive thing makes no sense.
 

Noodleface

A Mod Real Quick
38,242
15,023
I prefer it, but I use a lot of storage for other media (videos/pornos/movies/music). I think the point was to get a 1TB SSD and replace the combo, but I don't really know. I don't know if "yell" is appropriate, but "strongly disagreed with" is more like it.
 

Sterling

El Presidente
13,089
8,063
SSDs are getting cheaper, but platter drives are still a good bit cheaper so for stuff like media it seems fine.
 

Lanx

<Prior Amod>
64,723
144,299
There's no reason to store 1TB of "media" or porn or pictures or mp3's on a SSD, other than just to have it all on one drive? But only retards want everything on one drive. Normal ppl want to have a separate Data drive b/c, that's just better.

Now installing and running programs/games from your SSD drive makes total sense. Like in a 30man raid, if you all zone in at the same time, the SSD guy would be the first one in. Hell in 05 i was the only one a SSD and i was at least 20s faster then the next guy loading in.
 

Noodleface

A Mod Real Quick
38,242
15,023
Current gaming won't require over 8GB. If the extra $50 isn't much for you, the 16GB can be useful in other applications (video editing, photo editing, recording maybe).
 

Joeboo

Molten Core Raider
8,157
140
I bought my first CD-ROM just to play Myst and 7th Guest. I think it was about $400 for a single-speed CDROM. Installed it in my 486 66mhz. Then 2X speed drives came out like a month later. I was pissed.
 

Jysin

Ahn'Qiraj Raider
6,444
4,330
I prefer it, but I use a lot of storage for other media (videos/pornos/movies/music). I think the point was to get a 1TB SSD and replace the combo, but I don't really know. I don't know if "yell" is appropriate, but "strongly disagreed with" is more like it.
Pointless storing media on an SSD anyway. Your bitrate while reading from the disk for playback is a tiny fraction of platter drives, let alone SSD. I have a 512GB Samsung 850 Pro for OS, programs, & games. Then a 4TB HD for all my active torrents and local media storage. For the long term media for my HTPC and Photoshop archive, I have a 5x4TB Synology NAS in RAID 5.
 

popsicledeath

Potato del Grande
7,547
11,831
I think the objection to a standard HD was these days, with all the portable and external options, why put storage on a single drive, in your Desktop? I don't think anyone is saying store everything on an SSD (though it's nice and snappy!). I think it's that if it's already going to be on a relatively slow storage drive, make it external so all your devices can access it without having to leave your computer on?
 

meStevo

I think your wife's a bigfoot gus.
<Silver Donator>
6,481
4,759
8gb would be just fine for gaming but 16gb comes in real handy when youre playing a game and alt tab with 20 tabs open in firefox while also streaming something from netflix/amazon.
It's funny how much this reads like a joke but is so, so true, lol.