$1,500 PC build ideas?

Greetings.
I’m looking for some guidance on putting together a new PC build for about 10 $0.00. The primary goal here is strictly for playing the latest AAA titles.
Also, if anyone has recommendations for reliable retailers, I'm all ears.
Thanks. 😁

Do you already have a monitor, or do you need one too?

analogtiger19 said:Do you already have a monitor, or do you need one too?

I've already got a monitor.
So, we're just talking about the tower itself.

And what resolution are you running?

1440p? 1080p at 144Hz?

If you're stuck on 1080p at 60Hz, then this PC build only makes sense if you're planning to grab a new monitor to actually match the hardware (or maybe a multi-monitor setup).

Also, are you planning on overclocking the processor?

wiredotter14 said:And what resolution are you running?

1440p? 1080p at 144Hz?

If you're stuck on 1080p at 60Hz, then this PC build only makes sense if you're planning to grab a new monitor to actually match the hardware (or maybe a multi-monitor setup).

Also, are you planning on overclocking the processor?

I'm currently using a 1080p monitor, though I might pick up something newer down the road.
I don't have any plans to overclock.

Look:

This PC build can handle 1440p gaming without breaking a sweat, and it'll crush 1080p at much higher refresh rates than just 60fps.



It’d be more futureproof for 1080p titles, too. If you decide to grab a better monitor down the road, you won't be stuck.



This is a similar PC build, but it only has 8GB of memory and a weaker graphics card.

Honestly, for most 1080p gaming, you probably wouldn't even notice the difference.
BTW, you could pick up an AMD RX 480 somewhere else, but the prices are basically the same, and they don't carry models with decent coolers at Future. Of course, you could always hunt for an RX 480 elsewhere or just buy the whole setup from a different shop.

If I were in your shoes, I'd go with the second option. You don't really need a GTX 1070 for 1080p, and this setup provides a solid foundation for an upgrade later on. Plus, you save over $500

admin.com
ASROCK B85M Pro4 motherboard $174
Samsung Evo 850 SSD 500GB $414
LC POWER Cosmo Cool CC-95 $29

future-it.us
Fortron 650W power supply $193
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 WINDFORCE OC $1300

HG spot
8GB Crucial 1600MHz RAM $73

uzishop.us
Xeon CPU E3-1220 v3 $602

micronis.us
Phanteks Enthoo Evolv case $348

If you have the time and actually enjoy building things yourself, I'd say go for these parts at that price point—assuming you aren't planning on overclocking the processor.

Alexander Moore67 said:admin.com
ASROCK B85M Pro4 motherboard $174
Samsung Evo 850 SSD 500GB $414
LC POWER Cosmo Cool CC-95 $29

future-it.us
Fortron 650W power supply $193
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 WINDFORCE OC $1300

HG spot
8GB Crucial 1600MHz RAM $73

uzishop.us
Xeon CPU E3-1220 v3 $602

micronis.us
Phanteks Enthoo Evolv case $348

If you have the time and actually enjoy building things yourself, I'd say go for these parts at that price point—assuming you aren't planning on overclocking the processor.

Plus, I'd be stuck paying four separate shipping fees.👎

PC build - Centro

It hits the full budget. Even the 1060 option isn't bad, but honestly, everything should run smooth at 1080p and 1440p.😁

Robert Rodriguez2 said:Plus, I'd be stuck paying four separate shipping fees.👎

PC build - Centro

It hits the full budget. Even the 1060 option isn't bad, but honestly, everything should run smooth at 1080p and 1440p.😁

It seems you can't even count to five.

wiredotter14 said:Look:

This PC build can handle 1440p gaming without breaking a sweat, and it'll crush 1080p at much higher refresh rates than just 60fps.



It’d be more futureproof for 1080p titles, too. If you decide to grab a better monitor down the road, you won't be stuck.



This is a similar PC build, but it only has 8GB of memory and a weaker graphics card.

Honestly, for most 1080p gaming, you probably wouldn't even notice the difference.
BTW, you could pick up an AMD RX 480 somewhere else, but the prices are basically the same, and they don't carry models with decent coolers at Future. Of course, you could always hunt for an RX 480 elsewhere or just buy the whole setup from a different shop.

If I were in your shoes, I'd go with the second option. You don't really need a GTX 1070 for 1080p, and this setup provides a solid foundation for an upgrade later on. Plus, you save over $500

This sounds perfect to me.
I think I'll go with the second option... it should be plenty. 🙂
Thanks 👍

Alexander Moore67 said:It seems you can't even count to five.

Nah, the issue is you clearly don't get it—delivery isn't free at those stores you listed above $667. You've only got one shop there that hits your threshold... which means you're still paying shipping at the other four.
Check your facts before you start talking nonsense...

wiredotter14

If you agree, there's a list on the side you can just copy—no need to mess around with creating an image. 😁

Alexander Moore67

That Xeon is basically a direct competitor to the i5-4590, which isn't exactly a great value for $600 (you could grab an i5 4460 for $466 instead). You probably meant the E3 1231 v3.

@wiredotter14

I don't know about you guys, but if I were building a gaming rig, I'd prioritize a high-end case and a solid power supply over an i7. 🤷

It's simple math. For $0.33 less, I’d just drop down to an i5 and put that extra cash toward a premium Fractal case and a 550W Gold-rated PSU with a 5-year warranty...

analogtiger19, an i7 isn't strictly mandatory, but for most games, it sits right in that sweet spot similar to an overclocked i5—except most people won't bother overclocking.

As it stands, it’s a solid foundation for future upgrades since it can handle just about anything from upcoming processor generations, especially since newer titles are leaning harder into multi-core performance.

Besides, there's plenty of wiggle room in this second PC build budget up to $3333 to grab a pricier case, but personally, I think the Zalman Z3 + is perfectly fine.
I might eventually pack this thing with cooling if I want dead silence, though the case already has decent airflow (and honestly, that i7 doesn't run that hot anyway).

I opted for the i7 because the user mentioned a $1,000 budget, which provides a great platform for the Future. You could go with the B150 + i5 route, but that's a weaker CPU combo and doesn't sit in the same price bracket. Since the user is currently playing at 1080p, it makes way more sense to invest in a processor that won't become obsolete for at least the next 5 or 6 years (which isn't really true for an i5) rather than overspending on an overkill GPU that'll be easier to swap out later.

Better power supply... I'd say this Fortron is pretty reliable. It's Modular, so less cable clutter, and it comes with a 5-year warranty, which some of those flashy brands don't even offer. There's no need for a beefier PSU for this PC build, and finding something with a 5-year warranty without spending a massive extra chunk of change isn't easy (at least not that I know of).

@Kimberly Gomez34

the more you know... hahaha. Honestly, I'm still wondering how you guys keep copying this stuff.
P.S. Right now, it doesn't make much sense to go for those Xeon chips; the platform is getting old. Skylake isn't overpriced anymore, and the older generations aren't exactly a steal either.

If you're pairing a GTX 1070, I would absolutely push for an i7 (or even a Xeon) when putting together a new PC build. At this price point, a difference of a few dozen bucks isn't a dealbreaker to jump up to an i7; in fact, it can actually end up being cheaper than trying to build an overclocked i5 setup.

Similarly, if someone already owns an i5 and just wants to upgrade their GPU, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the GTX 1070. My advice changes depending on whether you're starting from scratch or upgrading existing gear—when building a brand new system, that budget almost always makes the move to an i7 a smart play.

Patriot Viper4, 3000Mhz, 8GB (2x4GB), CL16
MSI Z170M_Mortar
VGA Gigabyte Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 WINDFORCE OC 8GB GDDR5 P/N: GV-N1070WF2OC-8GD
AMD Radeon R3 SATA III 240GB SSD, 2.5” 7mm, SATA 6 Gbit/s, Read/Write: 530 MB/s / 470 MB/s
Toshiba P300 2TB 3.5"
GIGABYTE B700H Power Supply 700W, Modular, 80+ Bronze
Zalman Z1 neo Midi Tower black without PSU P/N: ZAL-Z1 NEO
Raijintek Themis CPU Cooler - 120mm
Intel Core i7 6700

Total: $3353 Centro

Something along those lines... you'd probably have some room to play around with overclocking on the SkyOC UEFI. 😛

EDIT: Yeah, I removed the processor 😁

Where’s the processor? You probably forgot to copy it.

Let me throw my input in here so I can build one for myself for about $3.25...

Intel Core I5 6400 box
-for gaming, I wouldn't bother going above an i5. At typical resolutions, an i7 would barely squeeze out an extra 2-5 fps, which doesn't mean anything once you're already over 60fps anyway.
ASROCK H170M Pro4S
-it has everything a user would need. 😬
PC-19200 RAM, 16 GB, Kingston HyperX Fury, HX424C15FBK2/16, DDR4 2400 MHz, kit 2x8GB
-not much to say about this RAM at these prices for a PC build.
PCI-E GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1070 G1 gaming, 8GB
-still got 3 years of warranty left. It’ll handle 1080p indefinitely and holds its own just fine at 1440p.
Samsung 250.0 GB 750 EVO, MZ-750250, SATA 3, 2.5", 540/520 MB/s
Seagate 2000.0 GB ST2000DM001, SATA, 64MB cache, 7200 rpm, 3.5", desktop drive
ANTEC P100, MIDI, gray, no PSU included
-solidly built case, quiet and has good airflow.
550W, ANTEC True Power Classic TP-550C, ATX, 120mm fan
-great Gold rated unit (basically rebranded Seasonic) with a 5-year warranty.

This setup is designed to stay under $3.25, though I’d probably swap things around for a 500GB SSD plus a 1TB HDD, but that combo runs $100 more than $3.25 over budget.

The components are fine, but honestly, if you're dropping more than $3000 on a PC build, there's no point in settling for an i5. Going with an i7 ensures you can handle higher resolutions, better FPS on a high-refresh monitor, VR, and all that other stuff.
That power supply you mentioned is solid, though Fortron is pretty reliable too.

Basically, an i5 + GTX 1070 setup is just a budget 1440p build. What I put together—the i7 + GTX 1060—is much better for the Future. (The 1070 is a great card right now, but it's overpriced because there's zero competition for it.)

If the goal is just pushing max settings at 1080p, you could do that for way less money—maybe around $800.

A more powerful processor won't actually boost your performance at higher resolutions; if anything, it’s the opposite—as you crank up the resolution, the CPU becomes less relevant, and the performance gap between different processors starts to shrink significantly.

Personally, I’m pulling the trigger on the i7. It gives me peace of mind knowing I have the top-tier CPU for this socket right out of the gate. It's essentially future-proofing my rig for the most demanding titles and ensuring I can squeeze every bit of potential out of my GTX 1070, no matter what games come our way down the road.