PC build under $1,000 including a monitor

Hello everyone! So, I am about to head off to college very soon, and I have been spending quite a bit of time lately pondering the possibility of investing in a brand-new desktop computer and a solid monitor.
My primary goal is to find a machine that can handle gaming, streaming movies, and running AutoCAD for my studies without breaking a sweat.
When it comes to gaming, I really enjoy just about everything, but I have been looking at titles like The Witcher 3, Dark Souls 3, and Battlefield 1; essentially, I want to ensure I can play all the modern hits and have a system that remains reliable for many years to come.
If there is any additional information you think I should provide to help narrow this down, please do let me know!
Ideally, I would love to go with an Intel and NVIDIA setup—perhaps something like a GTX 1060 if that fits within my budget constraints.
If you could find a moment in your busy schedules to put together a suggested build for me so I can finally make a decision, I would be incredibly grateful.
Any suggestions, critiques, or even harsh realities are more than welcome here!
I am open to buying from any major retailer, whether it’s Best Buy or Micro Center, and I will be paying in cash.
Also, I happen to have a 500GB hard drive salvaged from an old laptop where the motherboard died, but the drive itself seems perfectly functional; is it actually possible to mount that into a new desktop configuration to save some money while perhaps adding an SSD for extra speed?
Or would that be technically impossible to connect?
Thank you so much!

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Reddit thread

As long as the drive has a SATA port, you're good to go. 😁

1 x Asrock B150M COMBO-G (s1151,DDR4,USB 3.0,SATA III,2x PCI-e,LAN) mATX
1 x Intel Core i5 6402P processor
1 x Kingston 8GB 2133MHz DDR4 Non-ECC CL15 DIMM 1Rx8
1 x Zalman Z3, USB3.0 black, 3x120mm
1 x Fortron Hyper 500W, 80+ - 60mj.
1 x Inno3D GTX 1060 iChill X3 6GB GDDR5 192-bit HerculeZ X3
1 x Kingston UV400 120GB SSD, SATA
1 x LG 22" LED IPS, 22MP58VQ, VGA, DVI, HDMI

Total: $2316
futura

Robert Rodriguez2 said:Reddit thread

As long as the drive has a SATA port, you're good to go. 😁

1 x Asrock B150M COMBO-G (s1151,DDR4,USB 3.0,SATA III,2x PCI-e,LAN) mATX
1 x Intel Core i5 6402P processor
1 x Kingston 8GB 2133MHz DDR4 Non-ECC CL15 DIMM 1Rx8
1 x Zalman Z3, USB3.0 black, 3x120mm
1 x Fortron Hyper 500W, 80+ - 60mj.
1 x Inno3D GTX 1060 iChill X3 6GB GDDR5 192-bit HerculeZ X3
1 x Kingston UV400 120GB SSD, SATA
1 x LG 22" LED IPS, 22MP58VQ, VGA, DVI, HDMI

Total: $2316
futura

I was also wondering, what kind of performance am I actually looking at with a setup like this when it comes to running modern titles—you know, things like Battlefield 1, The Witcher 3, and stuff in that vein?

I’ll definitely crack it open and take a good look at everything once I have it in hand.

I'm planning on doing a bit more digging and seeing if anyone out there has some solid recommendations or parts I should Google, because honestly, there's no rush on my end; I just really want to make sure I'm getting the absolute most bang for my buck here.
Thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly!

Kyle Miller6 said:I was also wondering, what kind of performance am I actually looking at with a setup like this when it comes to running modern titles—you know, things like Battlefield 1, The Witcher 3, and stuff in that vein?

I’ll definitely crack it open and take a good look at everything once I have it in hand.

I'm planning on doing a bit more digging and seeing if anyone out there has some solid recommendations or parts I should Google, because honestly, there's no rush on my end; I just really want to make sure I'm getting the absolute most bang for my buck here.
Thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly!

You’ll be able to handle most of it, probably even run things on high. Just remember, The Witcher 3 is still a beast; even 1080p struggles sometimes 😁 (fine at 1080p, but anything higher won't cut it 😁 )

I wouldn't recommend the combo deal because that motherboard has two DDR3 slots and two DDR4 slots. If you went with a B150 board that actually has four slots, you could use this or this one with the VRM heatsink
.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:You’ll be able to handle most of it, probably even run things on high. Just remember, The Witcher 3 is still a beast; even 1080p struggles sometimes 😁 (fine at 1080p, but anything higher won't cut it 😁 )

Oh, well, thank you ever so much! I suppose that means I can finally breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy some peace and quiet for a year or two, don't you think?

Kimberly Gomez34 said:I wouldn't recommend the combo deal because that motherboard has two DDR3 slots and two DDR4 slots. If you went with a B150 board that actually has four slots, you could use this or this one with the VRM heatsink
.

So, what if I just go ahead and swap out that Combo-G motherboard for this one that actually comes with its own built-in fan? Is that really the smartest move to make here?

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Kimberly Gomez34 said:I wouldn't recommend the combo deal because that motherboard has two DDR3 slots and two DDR4 slots. If you went with a B150 board that actually has four slots, you could use this or this one with the VRM heatsink
.

Yeah, I thought about it too, but I didn't want to blow my budget. I'd probably grab the second option, specifically 😁 because it has a VRM heatsink 🎉

Maybe that would work on an RX 480 + FreeSync IPS monitor😉

crimsonstag84 said:Maybe that would work on an RX 480 + FreeSync IPS monitor😉

That was my first thought reading the OP, but he wanted an NVIDIA and Intel combo, so that's what I built.👍

Robert Rodriguez2 said:That was my first thought reading the OP, but he wanted an NVIDIA and Intel combo, so that's what I built.👍

But really, what am I actually looking at with a setup like that? I mean, does anyone know the actual performance gap between a GTX 1060 and an RX 480?
And what kind of experience am I going to have with a monitor like that one? Please, guys, I’m looking for some solid advice here—that’s why I reached out for help in the first place, if you don't mind me asking.😁 Feel free to share your thoughts.
I'll be sure to Google everything once I finally get home from work, as I'm currently stuck on the clock.

Google the benefits of using a G-Sync monitor

The GTX 1060 is about 10% slower in older DX11 titles, but with newer games, it'll likely just be right in the mix—performing slightly better in some and trailing in others.

wiredotter14 said:Google the benefits of using a G-Sync monitor

The GTX 1060 is about 10% slower in older DX11 titles, but with newer games, it'll likely just be right in the mix—performing slightly better in some and trailing in others.

Oh, I certainly have already done that, actually, right after I finished up at work today.

Well, if that is the case, then things aren't looking too bad at all; I might even consider picking up a setup like that myself if someone happens to post one here.

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EVGA GeForce GTX 1060, featuring 8GB of GDDR5, a 256-bit bus, clock speeds of 1342MHz/2000MHz, PCI-E 3.0 x16, and HDMI.
The Intel Core i5 6400 Corsair.
Maybe it's just me, but I think this is a single 8GB stick of Value Series DDR4-2133.
Maybe someone's looking for a 120GB 2.5" bulk SSD? Just putting that out there.
ASUS Main board desktop H110 (LGA 1151, DDR4, USB 3.1, USB 2.0, SATA III, DVI, VGA, Audio, LAN) H110M_PRO-VD_PLUS
It looks like we're looking at the Corsair Builder Series CX450M, a modular power supply. This is the US version, and I believe it comes with a 5-year warranty.
Black Corsair Midi Tower case, no power supply included (P/N: Z1).
I guess it's just a standard Dell Monitor.

All things considered: $2285 I guess there's nothing much to say about Centro. Maybe it’s just one of those things.

Quote: Fl@Tron

crimsonstag84 said:EVGA GeForce GTX 1060, featuring 8GB of GDDR5, a 256-bit bus, clock speeds of 1342MHz/2000MHz, PCI-E 3.0 x16, and HDMI.
The Intel Core i5 6400 Corsair.
Maybe it's just me, but I think this is a single 8GB stick of Value Series DDR4-2133.
Maybe someone's looking for a 120GB 2.5" bulk SSD? Just putting that out there.
ASUS Main board desktop H110 (LGA 1151, DDR4, USB 3.1, USB 2.0, SATA III, DVI, VGA, Audio, LAN) H110M_PRO-VD_PLUS
It looks like we're looking at the Corsair Builder Series CX450M, a modular power supply. This is the US version, and I believe it comes with a 5-year warranty.
Black Corsair Midi Tower case, no power supply included (P/N: Z1).
I guess it's just a standard Dell Monitor.

All things considered: $2285 I guess there's nothing much to say about Centro. Maybe it’s just one of those things.

At this very moment, that's the one I've truly set my sights on—it’s become my absolute favorite choice for what I'm planning to pick up!
Since I’m trying to keep things a little under budget, I was actually thinking about just picking up the Zalman Z3+ case instead of the Z1. Though, I have to admit, there is something incredibly appealing about that Z1 with its side tempered glass—it really does look quite sharp, doesn't it?
I really can't thank you all enough for the guidance; honestly, after everything we've discussed, I finally feel like I'm standing on solid ground! Now, the big moment has arrived where I just have to pull the trigger, make that final decision, and actually get this order placed. Isn't that always how it goes, though? You spend all this time weighing every single option and debating the specs, only to realize the hardest part is actually hitting "buy"!
If there happens to be anyone else out there who feels inspired to weigh in with some additional thoughts or perhaps a bit of seasoned advice, please, by all means, feel free to share!
You really are quite wonderful, aren't you? Truly top-notch!🙂

I guess it might be better to just go with the 250GB SSD instead. You might also want to consider looking into a Dell Monitor, since the panel on that one is probably a bit better if you're planning on watching movies.

Amy Vaughn12 said:I guess it might be better to just go with the 250GB SSD instead. You might also want to consider looking into a Dell Monitor, since the panel on that one is probably a bit better if you're planning on watching movies.

Well, I really need to see how much of a price difference we're actually talking about here, because I can't seem to find any information on whether that monitor supports FreeSync! If it doesn't have that feature, then I'm probably going to pass on it; I was originally thinking about going with an RX 480 build specifically for that reason, though if it lacks support, my only real option would be opting for the GTX 1060—provided, of course, that I don't end up blowing right past my budget.

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Hey everyone, I need a full PC build including a monitor for under $2333. Since I’ve still got about 10 days left here in Germany, I’m thinking about just picking everything up locally. Would anyone be willing to help me put together a solid parts list using a German online retailer?

It’s an Intel Core i5-6500 3.2 GHz (Skylake) Socket 1151—boxed.
ASRock H110M-HDS Motherboard - Socket 1151
It’s some pretty essential Value Series DDR4-2133, CL15—about 8 GB.
It’s a 1 TB Seagate Hard Drive.
EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, 4GB HBM
EVGA 550W Gold Power Supply - Corsair Midi-Tower
The black windowed Corsair Midi-Tower.
Samsung SSD 860 EVO, SATA 6G - 120 GB
It’s a Samsung Monitor—24 inches, VA panel, 60Hz, with HDMI and VGA. Just a standard setup, I guess.

Looks like it's about $1,080 over at Newegg.

Got it. $2467 A bit much? I guess you could save a little by doing it this way:

I guess this is the XFX XT 80% model you were looking at. It looks like a solid option, maybe.
I guess this Aerocool case looks okay, maybe? It seems like a decent enough option if you're looking for something simple.

If you can actually tell the difference, then it’s not even an issue.

If we're talking about the power supply, then yeah, but as for the case? Not really. 😉