PC upgrade advice needed

Alright, let's get down to business... I'm planning to build a new PC.

I already have a hard drive—a Seagate 2 TB, 7200rpm, 64MB

Graphics card is already ordered—EVGA GeForce GTX, 4 GB DDR5, 128-bit, 1256/7000 MHz

Case—Windows 7

I need some solid advice regarding a motherboard, processor, RAM, and power supply.

Here is what I am currently running:

Motherboard—ASUS p5Q (I'll pay up to $283 for a replacement)

Processor—Intel Core 2 quad q9550 at 2.83 GHz (maxing out at $533)

RAM—Corsair DDR2 PC2-6400 (400 MHz) 2x 2GB

Power Supply—Corsair TX 650 W (willing to spend up to $183)

I'd probably skip that GPU and just grab a cheaper version:

https://www.newegg.com/p/amd-ati-gpu/8...ce-oc-2gb.html

But first, what's the main thing you're using this PC for?

Otherwise, here's a solid best-buy for that tier:

Gigabyte GA-AB350M-Gaming 3
AMD Ryzen 5 1600
G.Skill 8GB DDR4 2400MHz C15

3 $57 - Newegg

I’d honestly go with the Pentium G4560 + RX 470 if gaming is the main goal here. You'll actually get some decent playtime out of that RX 470, whereas with the AMD build, you're basically just waiting around until—if ever—you decide to drop in something more serious.

The goal here is gaming—though I'm not looking to push any extreme limits—just a machine that won't become an expensive paperweight anytime soon.
I’ve already pulled the trigger on the graphics card, so there's no turning back there.
Now, regarding the CPU—I'm leaning toward an Intel i5... so, what should I actually be looking out for?

Would this setup work?
Asus Prime B250M-A
paired with this processor
Intel Core i5-7400 (3.0GHz, 6MB, LGA1151), Kaby Lake, boxed, BX80677I57400SR32W

And which RAM would be a solid choice for this combo?

Look, HERE it’s been explained to you plenty of times already why you should go with an AMD build instead of the i5. Either way, your math on those specs is all over the place. You ended up paying more than what things are actually worth, and honestly, with that total budget, you could have put together a much better gaming combo... But whatever, it is what it is. Since you're already committed, you might as well at least drop in a decent processor, specifically the one crimsonstag84 recommended to you.

The Intel Core i5-7400 is decent if you're strictly focused on gaming, but looking at the big picture, the Ryzen 5 1400 offered here is the superior value. That i5 has lower clock speeds and is completely locked. Since all Ryzen chips are unlocked, you can overclock the R5—even with a basic Wraith Stealth cooler—to the point where it actually beats the Intel chip in single-core Cinebench tests, effectively neutralizing its IPC advantage. When you factor in the better multi-threading thanks to SMT, plus a much more future-proof platform with an easier upgrade path to multi-core processors compared to limited quad-cores, it’s clearly the smarter buy.

Video

The only potential edge for the i5 is that you can pair it with some budget motherboards in the $40-$$150 range, but even if A320 boards for the AM4 socket were available, it would be a waste to take an unlocked CPU and stick it on a basic board instead of pairing it with a B350 motherboard.

Kimberly Gomez34, look, the Ryzen 5 1400 comes with that Wraith Stealth cooler, which is pretty mediocre.
In that link you posted, they’re using a Wraith Spire on a test bench and there’s zero throttling (obviously!), but how does it actually hold up with the Stealth?

Regarding that thread about coolers for the Ryzen 5;
http://www.lc-power.com/en/product/p...lies/lc-cc-95/

It says they're compatible with AM4, so for $33, you'd end up with a perfect cooler for the Ryzen 5 1400.
Honestly, might even be a step up from the Spire.

But then you hit the point where you could just grab the 1500X for $50, which gets a decent cooler and more L3 cache—so it's really only $17 more expensive if you factor in buying a better cooler separately.
I haven't seen anything regarding overclocking on the Wraith Stealth.

If I were in your shoes, I’d go with the Ryzen 1500X, an AM4 motherboard for roughly $267 (which is about half the price of the CPU), and put $333 toward some DDR4 RAM without a second thought. If you can swing 16GB, do it; otherwise, stick with 8GB and upgrade later. You won't even need an extra cooler since this model comes with a decent one included.

Your PSU is more than sufficient for what you're doing, so there's no need to swap it out. Also, keep this in mind: if you decide to upgrade in a year or two, adding more cores on an Intel build usually means replacing the entire architecture along with the CPU—unless you hunt down a used Extreme edition, which isn't worth the cost. With Ryzen, however, you could grab a used high-end model or a newer series that will almost certainly be compatible with that same motherboard. It simply gives you much more flexibility than Intel does.

Since gaming is your main priority here, you'll likely find yourself wanting a stronger GPU sooner rather than later. As someone mentioned earlier, a GTX 1060 would have been the better move. But it is what it is.

Before Ryzen arrived on the scene, there wouldn't have been any debate; you'd just grab an i5 CPU for gaming and call it a day. Nowadays, though, investing in a Ryzen chip makes more financial sense because it's a solid performer and offers much better future-proofing for upgrades.