Gaming PC build around $900?

A little bit of assistance here, even though I realize there are probably already a thousand threads just like this one...
So, I’m looking to pull the trigger on a completely new PC—ideally one where I won't feel the desperate need to swap out parts or upgrade components every single year. I just want something that offers the best possible bang for my buck. I was actually looking into Dell systems, specifically their desktops rather than laptops, but I’d love to hear your honest thoughts on them... or if you have any better suggestions entirely? 🙂 Just to clarify, I don't need a monitor included; I've already picked up a new one. 🙂

Seagate BarraCuda (3.5", 1TB, 64MB, SATA III-600). WD10EZEX
Intel Core i7 desktop processor (3.5GHz,16MB,125W,LGA 1366) box
MSI MAG B550 motherboard
EVGA 550W power supply, 80+
Patriot Signature, 1333Mhz, 8GB (1x8GB) PSD38G13332H
Dell optical drive SATA Bulk Black 24x
Zalman mid tower case black, ZAL-Z9 U3
EVGA GeForce RTX graphics card 3GB TRI-X, SAP-11221-12-40G
Raijintek CPU Cooler Themis P/N: CPRT-002

Total: $1997+$27 shipping, free assembly at the shop

You've got a top-tier motherboard here along with a solid cooler that offers plenty of overclocking headroom (free upgrade included 😬). For the most part, the components seem pretty well matched. I guess if we swapped in a slightly weaker cooler, ditched the GPU and the optical drive, we could probably squeeze in a 120GB SSD—though that wouldn't really change much for gaming.

The real issue is that almost every socket is either dead end or looking pretty uncertain regarding new CPU support. We aren't quite sure yet if Z87 boards will actually support the newer Intel Skylake generation, and honestly, it might not even result in a massive performance jump on the CPU side anyway. The LGA 1366 platform used in this build feels somewhat frozen; right now, it seems they won't be making new processors for it, though maybe they'll revive it later. As for the Socket AM4 platform, it's just too expensive and isn't really worth it for gaming, so I'd steer clear of that too.

So, when it comes to future-proofing, I suppose just overclocking this processor is probably your best bet moving forward.

So, just to be absolutely clear, the operating system isn't actually included in the price tag, is it?

crimsonstag84, that tri-x graphics card isn't going to fit in that case. I'd keep the GPU, but I’d definitely swap out the case.

placidowl2 said:Is the operating system included in the price?

Nope, find someone else to install it for you.

1cm... damn 😁

This seems fine:

http://www.amazon.com/details/product-link

The cooler might be about 3mm thicker, but I guess they should be able to make it fit.

placidowl2

Honestly, just go for a desktop—it's worth it. If you're sticking to 1080p, this setup should hold up for quite a while, even if you decide to crank up those settings later on:

Intel Core i7 desktop processor
RAIJINTEK AIDOS
GIGABYTE 970A-DS3P
KINGSTON 8GB 1600 MHZ
SEAGATE 3,5 1TB SATA 3 SSHD
MSI Gaming X graphics card
Dell optical drive
EVGA 550W power supply
MS DRAGON MIDI USB 3.0 ATX + 92 MM + 120 MM FAN

= $1923 including shipping and assembly.

Intel Core i7 desktop processor
Patriot Sig., D3, 1333MHz, 8GB
MSI gaming case
Cooler Master Hyper 212
MSI MAG B550 motherboard
MSI Gaming X graphics card, 3GB
EVGA 550W power supply, 80+
Western Digital Blue, 2TB HDD, 7200rpm
Crucial BX500, 2.5" SATA3 SSD

Price: $1981
Discount24(free assembly) + shipping around $27

1 x MSI MAG B550 motherboard, LGA 1366, DDR3, 4 slots
1 x Intel Core i7 desktop processor 3.5GHz, 16MB, 125W, LGA 1366, FD8320FRHK
2 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL11, Value
1 x Seagate BarraCuda 1TB, Serial ATA III, 7200 rpm, DESKTOP SSHD, 8GB SSD
1 x EVGA 550W power supply
1 x COOLERMASTER N400, NSE-400-KKN1, MIDI, USB 3.0, black, no PSU
1 x Dell optical drive, SATA, DVD-R 24x, DVD-RW 6x, DVD+R 24x
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 212, CPU cooler. FAN: 120mm, fan speed: 1000rpm
1 x MSI GTX 760 Gaming 2GB GDDR5, N760 TF 2GD5/OC, Dual-link DVI

$2011

www.newegg.com

Thanks everyone, I think I need to sit with this for a bit before I make my final call 🙂

Intel Core i5 Intel motherboard
Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H, 1150, B85 chipset, D3, S3, USB 3.0, DVI, bulk
ADATA MEM DDR3 8GB 1600MHz (2x4) XPG v1 kit AD AX3U1600W4G9-DB
MSI GeForce GTX 770, 2GB DDR5
WD Caviar Blue 1TB SATA 3 WD10EZEX Hard Drive
Asus DVD Writer
Seasonic SS-520GM2 EVO Power Supply, 520W
Zalman mid tower case black, ZAL-ZM-Z1

$1981 Amazon (Free assembly included)

- Honestly, if you were willing to shell out just a few extra bucks and tweak things slightly, I’d definitely suggest squeezing a 120GB SSD into this build somewhere

Grace Peterson17, it seems like certain components just aren't available for purchase at all right now.

crimsonstag84 said:The cooler will eventually fit (3mm), but they really need to coordinate that layout first.

In those more budget-friendly Z1 or Z3+ cases, everything fits perfectly fine—even GPUs up to 360mm.