Sorry for not giving you specific parts, but if you really want best performance/price this is the way to do it.

r/buildapcsales

I'd suggest just hunting around for about 2-3 weeks on that sub, good deals pop up all the time. I'm sure you can find all these general parts I list below for a good price.Would recommend trying to get the more generic parts first...

Storage: m.2's, SSDs, HHDs and for best price/performance

• small m.2 (<128GB) for your OS, internet browser, frequently used programs and startup apps to make logins really fast
  
• Moderate sized SSD (500gb) to store games and less frequently used programs
  
• Large HHD (1TB+) for long term storage and for music, pictures, and videos
  
  ​
  
  Memory: DDR4 16GB RAM, ideally 2 8GB sticks which will give you room to expand later with 2 more identical sticks to 32GB. 16GB is usually more than enough for people unless you plan on using ram hungry programs in conjunction (lots of video editing, and AutoCAD design), but for gaming, streaming music, and using discord it should be more than enough. Speed kinda matters but you'll see significant price hikes in anything above 2600 mt/s.
  
  Remember to always check your Mother Board Bios when setting up your pc to make sure your ram is actually running at what you paid for, cause often times it will default to a lower clock rate than what it's capable of, and when expanding try to buy an identical set of RAM to reduce chances of compatibility issues.
  
  I'd hop on this one actually rn: https://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails?ItemList=Combo.3924617
  
  ​
  
  Case: Personal preference, you can definitely save money here tho by buying a case you see on sale on the sub I linked above. I personally like Mid Tower cases cause they offer good room to work and expand in, but aren't too big like a Full Tower Case.
  
  ​
  
  Graphics Card: You can def afford a 2070, and a 2080 might be pushing it. Recently tho with the AMD RX 5700 XT, the AMD RX 5700 XT has been bench marked above the 2070 in terms of performance and for about 100 bucks cheaper.
  
  So unless you see a really good deal on a RTX card you are probs best off with the RX 5700 XT.
  
  ​
  
  CPU Cooler: Once again this will be your personal preference. Most coolers will fit most CPU sockets. It's mainly a choice between air and water cooled. You can get pretty good AIO water coolers for less than 120 and they have significantly less noise output than their air cooled tower couterparts. I'd recommend the corsair AIO coolers as corsair has a really good warranty program that comes with their products. However you can get really good air coolers for a lot less. Just make sure to match it to the size of your case. (Most coolers will fit in most mid/full towers)
  
  ​
  
  Case Fans: Just make sure to match the size of the fan to what your case needs. Usually a case comes with 1 or 2, but I always get more so that I can run each fan at lower speeds to reduce noise while still maintaining high airflow and so that they all match. I'd also consider getting 1 or 2 extras to have on hand cause you never know when you just get a bad fan. I had one of my fans burn out on my radiator and I ended up having to put my PC out of commission for a week till the new fan came in.
  
  ​
  
  Peripherals: Whatever you like works for you, you'll find a lot of sales on keyboards, mice, headsets, and gamepads on r/buildapcsales.
  
  ​
  
  Monitor: At your price range you are going to want a 1440p 144hz monitor
  
  https://www.amazon.com/27-Inch-Monitor-Samsung-FreeSync-GamePlus/dp/B078P57ZWL
  
  I personally have this one, I really like it and it isn't too much compared to other monitors in that same price range. It is a freesync monitor so if you end up getting the AMD GPU you'll be on your way to having no screen tearing. I believe they sit at about 1 ms delay on the flat paneled one, and 4 or 5ms on the curved. However, you might find a better deal browsing that sub.
  
  ​
  
  PSU: You probably want something around 650-750 watts. Get one that is gold+ rated for efficiency.
  
  ​
  
  Finally for you last 2 things, you'll need to pick out a CPU and a Motherboard. Honestly, after suggesting the AMD GPU, I'd probably suggest getting a Ryzen CPU. Probably the Ryezen 7 series 2700x if you want to overclock, and the normal 2700 if you don't. As far as MOBO go, I usually recommend getting just a moderate MOBO if you aren't planning on OC the CPU, but if you are defiantly getting a better one might be worth it. I'm sure you could find one that's compatible with the ryzen 7 socket series on r/buildapcsales.
  
  ​
  
  You can definitely save a lot by being patient and buying things when they go on sale, so it might take 3+ weeks, but you'll end up with better components for less. Best of luck.

This is what I would call a "build" that's representative of what I BELIEVE you're looking for as far as a set up goes.

Before that though lets get into:

> A few people have recommended going with the I7 for the types of games i'll be playing, saying its needed to handle the workload but will the I5 get the job done, say for a game like star citizen (which is in alpha i know)?

Needed? Haha that's like saying that a family of 4 would ABSOLUTELY needed to get something like a Honda Odyssey full mini-van instead of a Honda CR-V because "you never know" if you're going to drive more than four people.

Star Citizen is an un-finished game let that be known to everyone. The Dev's are focused on FINISHING the game first which is obvious because the game is still in "beta" so of course there's bound to be some bugs in which the game is hogging hardware. You can make a conclusive requirement on a game that isn't 100% finished.

Here's the thing, most people don't have i7s in their gaming computers. Do you seriously think it's a smart business decision to cater and optimize Star Citizen to the top 1% of the PC gamers who all have overkill rigs over the other 99% who have lower end rigs? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out.

----------------------------------------------

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor | $219.99 @ Newegg
CPU Cooler | Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler | $68.49 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | MSI Z170A KRAIT GAMING 3X ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $124.99 @ B&H
Memory | Avexir Core Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory | $69.99 @ Newegg
Storage | ADATA Premier SP550 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $109.99 @ NCIX US
Storage | Hitachi Ultrastar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $35.99 @ Amazon
Video Card | Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card | $598.99 @ SuperBiiz
Case | NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case | $66.99 @ SuperBiiz
Power Supply | EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply | $79.99 @ Newegg
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit | $85.70 @ My Choice Software
Monitor | Asus ROG SWIFT PG248Q 24.0" 180Hz Monitor | $349.99 @ Best Buy
Keyboard | Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard | $129.99 @ Corsair
Mouse | Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse | $57.51 @ Jet
Headphones | Kingston HyperX Cloud II 7.1 Channel Headset | $91.89 @ NCIX US
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $2090.49
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-18 13:47 EST-0500 |

In this build I stuck to the "practical" side of computer building over niche parts. i don't know how you feel about that but because you'd need a small loan of a million dollars to actually make something that has the best quality all around.
The i5-6600k is literally enough. If people tell you that "oh why didn't you buy an i7 you totally need it for gaming", ask them for proof in benchmarks of REAL games. 9 times out of 10 they're probably going to give you some cherry picked benchmark from some game and you can just laugh at them for it.
Water cooling doesn't help you in temperatures unless you're running X99 level CPU's with crazy voltages. The NH-D14 might not look like the best thing in the world, but it has it where it counts. You can EASILY get up to 4.5~ Ghz with this air cooler under 65C assuming you got a decent i5-6600k from the famous Silicon Lottery.
This isn't the absolute cheapest SLI compatible Z170 board but atleast it looks cool. The black/white color scheme will work perfectly with the case! It has all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a Z170 board like M.2 ports for PCIE SSDs, SATA Express, USB 3.0, USB Type C and HDMI/DVI out.
16GB of ram on two sticks is enough. 2400Mhz ram costs just as much as 2133mhz ram so just go for it. Any brand will do. You might want to look around if you want to color match the build.
I kept with the program and used a 480GB SSD and a 1TB hard drive. Not the most glamorous brands by any stretch of the imagination but they will work just as well. Just like any other component the SSD/Hard drive can fail and that's just how life is. It doesn't matter if it's Samsung or Kingston or A-DATA or etc.. I've had my fair share of failed drives and the one company I will never by "consumer grade" products from is Seagate. Their hard drives have substantially higher failure rates after one year of use compared to any other competing company.
I kept the GTX 1080 because it fits with the budget and shouldn't really change. Brand doesn't matter as long as you aren't buying a founders edition or blower style cooler. You'll never reach the high overclocks like that.
I had to drop the case to a less expensive but still fabulous NZXT S340 case. The case doesn't impact performance really it's just there for aesthetics. If you really want the Phantom 530 then feel free to go for it. I'm not going to tell you its bad because it's your prerogative. I personally always go the extra mile for a case that I really want.(Well all my cases were made by NZXT, S340 White -> H440 Black/Orange -> Noctis 450 Black).
I tossed in a 750W Semi-Modular power supply from EVGA to make sure you have the room for upgrades in the future comfortably. You can run dual GTX 1080's just fine with this power supply. I don't go after fully modular cases unless I'm going for sleeved cables because Semi-Modular power supplies always have the "required" cables attached. I.E 20+ 4 Pin Motherboard/ 4+4 Pin CPU connector/ 2X 6+ 2 pin PCI-E connectors.
I went with a more expensive G-Sync enabled 180HZ Asus PG248Q monitor. Quality/features come at a price and this is as good as it gets for your budget if you want a 144Hz monitor. G-Sync will help your GTX 1080 in those times you can't quite reach those higher FPS in very VERY VERY demanding games. I just tossed this in because I feel that this monitor is probably something you'll be happy with. It definitely has that "gamery" vibe and the "this would cost you an arm and a leg" type of peripheral. If you didn't need the 180hz/G-Sync and you're completely fine with a 144Hz enabled monitor then the AOC G2460PF is the next best thing. It has VERY good reviews and a lot of people prefer this monitor over other ones in the same price range.
* I kept the rest of the peripherals to respect your decisions in the peripheral department. The one thing I will say though is that the G502 is a freaking dust magnet. I've owned one myself and it's great but the pads underneath the mouse have a problem of getting clogged with dust in time and just freaking terrible execution from Logitech. I switched to a Razer Deathadder Chroma and it's working dandy for me on my Steelseries QCK mousepad.


If you have any concerns or questions feel free to ask. There's obviously things about the build that can be changed if you feel strongly about certain components. That's personal and I wont contest that.

/u/JetJaguar124 /u/Integralds

So first thing's first, Windows: ~$130 for Home Edition.

Okay, so things to keep in mind:

1. If you go Intel, overclocking isn't too great on 9th gen intel, especially if you don't have a beefy aftermarket cpu cooler. So if you don't plan on doing that at some point then you don't need a K series CPU and an overclocking motherboard. So your motherboard should primarily focus on giving you decent I/O options.
   
   
2. You also probably want to aim for 1080p or 1440p tops, given your price range.
   
   
3. Related to #1: If you don't plan on overclocking then a basic-ish mobo will do fine, and you mainly want to focus on I/O and other features. If you are getting Intel doubly so, as, as I mentioned before, intel 9th gen doesn't overclock well due to relatively low headroom to begin with. For intel overclocking boards are "Z" while non-overclocking boards are "B". For AMD they are "X" and "B" respectively.
   
   The GPU you should be seeking to use is the 1660 Ti, which is basically a slightly gimped RTX 2060 but without the raytracing stuff. If you are willing to spend a bit more then you could get an RX 5700 instead, which is nearly ~30% faster on average.
   
   That'll put you at $270 - $360 depending on the model you pick. Yes, it's a third of your budget, but the GPU is the single most important part of your build.
   
   Secondly you'll want a decent CPU to go with that.
   
   The Ryzen 5 3600 looks like a pretty good CPU, its a bit under $200, its fairly beefy and extendable so it's somewhat "future-proof" - in that it shouldn't cause much bottlenecking and you could upgrade your GPU past a 2080 Ti before needing to change the processor.
   
   This MSI Tomohawk Mobo looks good for the 3600.
   
   So we're at ~$320 for that, or about $640 total. Plus windows that is ~$730.
   
   The RAM Inty recommended before should be fine. You only really need 16 GB. This will set you back ~$80. If you find yourself wanting more RAM later down the line you can always add another pair of sticks later and double up your RAM.
   
   That puts us at around ~$800.
   
   $80 for a 750W Fully Modular Corsair PSU is basically a steal. It's refurbished though, although that shouldn't be a problem - especially with a PSU.
   
   We're at ~$880.
   
   Some good thermal paste for your CPU.
   
   We're now at ~$890.
   
   Storage depends on what you want to do. Do you install a lot of stuff and files at once? In which case you might want to get a nice sized SSD plus a big HDD.
   
   For your system drive. Plenty of space, good price, AND its an nvme SSD.
   
   That makes for ~$990.
   
   If you need lots of extra space
   
   If you need extreme extra space
   
   Keyboard and case are up to you, decide as you please. For the case just make sure that it can support an ATX mobo, as the mobo listed here is full ATX. Mechanical keyboards are crack, but they tend to be more expensive so they're probably out of range. This will be another $100 to $150 depending on what you pick.
   
   Something to keep in mind though: Your case and your monitors are basically "future proof". In other words, they won't really get "worse" with time or cause future performance issues. So monitors and case are things where you want to consider what you'll eventually want and buy ahead, even if you have to stretch a bit.
   
   This just leaves your monitor. I would NOT recommend a 1080p monitor above 24 in. Honestly, if you can go for a 1440p monitor then do it. I'm a bit of a resolution whore tho, so if 1080p works for you then that's fine. I would also avoid TN panels - they tend to look more washed out, tinny, and have worse viewing angles . . . although they also tend to be a fair bit cheaper than the good panels (namely IPS panels).
   
   I used to own one of these . . . it was vvy vvy gud. This is a relatively artsy monitor, so if color gamut correctness or whatever is important for you for photo or video editing or whatever, then this is a good pick. It's a bit expensive, yeah, but also super gorgeous. It also goes up to 75 Hz. Conversely, get a freesync monitor, and this one is probably good - haven't done much research on it, but Dells are generally pretty good in my experience (my current 4K monitor is a Dell too). Freesync will allow you to basically eliminate screen tearing and will provide a smoother feeling experience because it will even out frame rates better.
   
   One last thing to keep in mind: Shopping around on ebay and other sites can save you a fair bit. My rule of thumb is to never, ever buy sensitive parts like hard-drives, cpus, or motherboards second hand or refurbished. But everything else is fair game. So refurbished GPUs, Monitors, PSUs, Cases, etc. should be fine. Pre-owned? Ehhh . . . that I'm much, much more sketchy on - personally I wouldn't, but that's just me.
   
   So in total it'd be somewhere in the range of $1500 including monitor, OS, case, and keyboard. The system itself is around $1000. But you can perhaps knock off a hundred bucks or two by shopping around and looking for where you can buy these parts cheaper than Amazon.
   
   But again: investing in a good monitor and case can be worth it. It means you won't have to replace it if/when you do upgrade. And worst case scenario you can offload your monitor as a side/secondary monitor when you upgrade your monitor to a new one.

2. This is heavly debatable on what the best option is and I encourage you to do some extra research yourself. However, I would go with the Noctua NH-D15 as a premuim cooler. If you dont plan on heavly OCing you could grab a cheap but effective cooler like 212 evo and save some cash.
   
3. Going with a single card is almost always the better becuase it: has better power efficiency...will generate less noise and heat
   ...will be able to achive similar preformance in all games and does not run the risk of xfire or sli not being supported fully.
   Running a 1070 will save you alot of hassle and provide you with consistant performance similar to 2 rx 480s. AMD has a reputation for squeasing more power in their cards as time goes on. However until amd releases vega they have no single card that can compete with anything above a 1070. The closest amd card that can maybe be a substitute is the fury x and even that gets beaten. These small improvements are nice but wont make up for that much preformance gain. Its really up to you on when you want to upgrade. Video editing is mainly cpu dependent and wont change alot if you swap the gpus around.
   I will finish answering your other questions in a bit. (im on mobile so sorry for any grammatical errors)
   
4. I assume you want 2 monitors for productivty purposes. I recommend getting A: a single ultrawide 1440p monitor that is great for gaming and productivity due to its massive size B: Grab either a 144hz or 1440p monitor and buy a cheaper 60hz 1080p monitor as you will probably be only be gaming on 1 monitor. If you go with option b choose a 144hz monitor if you play alot of games where speed and smoothness are key (cs go, lol, dota). 1440p monitors shine in impressive games(gta, witcher, skyrim). I personally own a 144hz monitor and it is fabulous. I cant strongly suggest any 1440p monitors but just look for good reviews. As for 144hz monitors the https://www.amazon.com/Asus-VG248QE-24-inch-Ergonomic-Back-lit/dp/B00B2HH7G0?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0 is great. As a rule of thumb when looking for a monitor look for a name brand(asus, acer, benq) and choose one with good reviews. Also, IPS pannels have better colors then TN pannels. For gaming you will want a monitor below 5ms response time.
   
5. I honestly don't know much about network adapters but I would just do a quick google search on witch ones are the best.
   If you have any further questions feel free to ask. Wait for deals on the U.K buildapcsales before purchasing parts, otherwise I can help you bring down the price abit if you want.

Except you are forgetting that a lot of what you are listing are already common buys when it comes to NA and I would wager Europe. If you are going to factor them in for consoles you need to factor them in for PC as well since things like TV, internet and having a cell phone are common things to own (maybe not a smartphone but a basic one with calling and texting capabilities).

For the following I'm going to assume DICE's report on recommend system requirements is accurate

So our PC in question needs to have:

• Quad core CPU with at least 3Ghz
  
  
• Windows 7 64 bit or higher
  
  
• 8 GB of RAM since it's 64 bit
  
  
• A modern DX 11 graphics card with 2 or more GB of video memory
  
  Now then we are also going to assume we are an average customer so we do not have the knowledge needed to put together a computer from individually purchased parts and since we work 5 days a week from 9-5 we don't really feel like figuring it out, we just want to buy something and have it work when we plug it in oh and it needs to be new for various reasons (warranty, not trusting of previous owner, etc). Our goal is to buy a PC that either matches or slightly exceeds DICE's recommended settings since we want our PC in question to be somewhat future proof for the next 5 years if we are going to be dropping a considerable amount of money on it. Now then our current PC is like 13 years old but has worked fine to meet our needs, we can get on the internet, do taxes on it, watch some videos and even play a few games on it.
  
  So lets head on over to amazon put in some of those specs and start searching. Well damn the most popular one on that page is the HP pavilion Elite for $819. That's a bit steep let's see if we can get something more in our price range and sort by low to high. Well the first one in the list we can rule out because it's graphics card doesn't even support DX10. That second one in the list, the ASUS, looks pretty good and the GeForce GT 640 sounds like the perfect card to match our needs and should be awesome for playing new release for the next few years so let's go with that for roughly $745 (before tax if applicable).
  
  So we order the ASUS and after a couple of days it arrives and we hook it up to our old monitor and sound system. About a week passes and we have just been having a blast playing BF4 but you know what hasn't been fun? Looking at that awful resolution on your monitor from 2000 and the way its speakers are just destroying the beautiful sound design done by the DICE team.
  
  Back to Amazon we go! We decide that since our new PC can output in HD we want HD with a nice screen res of 1920x1080. This Asus monitor is only $164 and is highly rated so we go with it. It arrives in the mail, we hook it up and that picture is just awesome now and we can truly understand why PC gaming rocks.
  
  To bad we forgot that it doesn't come with speakers built into the monitor. Well we could use this pair of earbuds that we got with our MP3 player we use at the gym but we feel we could really improve our value as a team member by getting a headset so we can communicate better with the rest of the team. You were talking with your PC gaming friend at the water cooler the next day about your dilemma and he tells you should just get a normal pair of headphones and a desk mic since it will probably be cheaper and of better quality and you decide that sounds pretty smart. So that night you order a pair of Sennheiser HD201 Lightweight Over-Ear Binaural Headphones and a logitech desk mic so our total for that comes out at around $36.
  
  So let's go back over what this PC upgrade cost us in the long run
  
  
• $745 for the ASUS tower
  
  
• $164 for the monitor
  
  
• $36 for the headphones and mic
  
  Total is roughly $945.
  
  Keep in mind this is all paid at once, while a smartphone plan is likely to cost you more in the long run you are paying it in increments. A tablet/laptop is going to run you around $300 for an average quality one. The PS4 is launching at the price point of $400.
  
  Yes you can probably recoup a lot of this in game sales from digital distribution platforms like Steam but if you are looking to buy on release it's still going to be on average the same price. Not to mention that consoles are now having similar sales on their digital stores and have things like Playstation Plus which actually get you sets of games for a reasonable monthly cost.
  
  I'm not trying to say one is better than the other but I will make the argument that one is more affordable than the other. To say there is no difference in paywall to get into PC gaming and console gaming is nothing but ignorance.
  
  Edit: I'm not saying you are wrong, I completely agree if people wanted to get into PC gaming they could stop spending money on things like new phones, TV's, tablets, etc every year and spend the money instead on a very nice gaming rig. But you need to stop thinking like a smart consumer more like an average one when making these kinds of arguments, because lets face it the average consumer is dumb or misinformed.

Looks alright. I wouldn't reccomend Ryzen chips. I would probably get something more like an i7 6700k or the 6700 (which is around $20 cheaper if you can't justify the price) for gaming. If you end up choosing an Intel CPU you'll have to choose a different Mobo as well but there are lots of good ones.

I'd reccomend getting an entry level 144Hz Screen. If you can stretch to something like this I would seriously reccomend it, though it's not going to hurt you if you don't. I think it was Jake from LG Evil that made T500 early in the game on a Mac Book running OW in wine.

I personally don't like any gaming Headsets other than the HyperX Clouds. There is a huge quality difference between them and any other "gaming" headsets I have used.

As far as mice and keyboards, I would probably just buy a nice cheap Keyboard to begin with because there are no benefits really to having a good keyboard if you're on a budget. A mouse is kinda personal, I use a Steel Series Rival 100 but am a palm style user and am completely arm aim. It's a good cheap mouse but you may want something else if your grip style is different. My brother plays claw and doesn't mind it though.

Parts and gear you should prioritise for Overwatch are: Good GPU. 6GB 1060s are plenty for overwatch unless you want to be running the game at consistently over 240FPS (here's Taimou's settings btw. These will help with you configuring your settings for Overwatch). A fast CPU (Overwatch can be very CPU dependant). SSDs are kinda nice and fairly cheap. If you have a SSD btw you're at a direct benefit to most other players because you load in matches faster and can therefore instalock first, if that's your thing. :P Monitors are the most important peripheral by far in my opinion, followed closely by mice. If you're not getting a 144Hz screen now, you'll want one eventually (you won't need one but you'll want one). The only other peripheral that is important for Overwatch specifically is a mouse. This is one of those what suits your style things and there's no real correct answer but for First Person Shooters you usually want a nice light fast mouse. Ideally with 2 buttons on the side of the mouse for binding melee and voice. Just don't get a Razer and you'll be fine.

I'd probably ask on /r/buildapc as well because they'll probably give you better advice than this sub will. Best of luck dude with your transition to PC. Hope this helps.

Edit: oh and Mousepad! In the beginning I'd reccomend a nice control style mouse pad for getting used to using a mouse for aiming. I can't reccomend you any though because I have always used the mats that come in WoW TCG boxes since a family member has heaps of them and I've never used any other control style mats. The bigger the better.

Hi Voldis, I've been a really long time CS player and was globally elitest so I can def. give some advice.

144 hz monitors are hella good and you'll notice a huge performance increase if you are gaming with more than 200FPS. The way that this works is that you can have up to 144frames in a period of one second, so compared to the 60 you normally see on monitors, you'll instead see 144. This makes a really big difference with transitions and movements, as they will look smoother and you will be less likely to see tearing. I think this is a pretty good reference https://pcmonitors.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Refresh-rate-comparison.png

unrelated snippet about refresh rates and FPS

You can look at refresh rates and FPS as two different entities. FPS is juts however many frames a second that you're getting, and the refresh rate is locked in at whatever the monitor allows. If two things are out of sync, ie the FPS "updates" at the 20ms mark, and the monitor updates at the 22ms mark, the monitor will display the frame from the 20ms mark, as it is the most up to date info. It's because of this that the 144hz/refresh monitor results in smoother transitions. Instead of only 60 updates, you'll get 144. To make this even more accurate, gsync was developed to ensure that the FPS refreshes at the exact same time as the monitor, so your screen will always give you the most recent information at a refresh point (22ms and 22ms instead of 20ms and 22ms)

end snippet

I personally recommend the http://www.amazon.com/Asus-VG248QE-24-inch-Ergonomic-Back-lit/dp/B00B2HH7G0/ although if all you care about are visuals, invest in an IPS. It isn't essential to have a 120/144hz, although it makes the whole CS:GO experience much more enjoyable.

Bunny hopping is something that just takes time to learn, but essentially you just need to spam jump right before you hit the ground with a scroll wheel. Through the use of air strafing, by pressing A or D and moving your mouse, you are able to control your momentum in the air and essentially control how fast you go. CS:GO has a hard cap of 300 units I think? after a jump, so by controlling your air strafing and in turn your velocity, you can move even faster than if you have a knife out (250 units.) It requires inhuman precision to maintain a velocity in the 250-300 range for long periods of time, especially on bumpy surfaces, which is why you don't see the pros bhop across the map.

About settings... everyone has their own preference and I think it really is unfair to say there is anything "best." Preferred resolution will vary from player to player, but all that matters is that you keep the same settings. Even if you start playing on tilt and doing really bad, you need to keep using the same settings. It'll make you a better player in the long run. If you really think you want to use a new resolution, do whatever, but try to stick with the same settings (like sensitivity and stuff.)

Gonna dump on some opinions here. Bhopping is insanely effective and can give you a slight edge over opponents. The half a second you save getting to garage on Nuke can result in you winning a 1v1. Learning smokes and flashes is an important thing, although its probably a better investment to focus on learning rotations. If you are able to get a good feeling for where other players should be, then keep track of where they actually are, and combine both of those with intel gained from your teammates positions, specifically where they can't be, you can probably out maneuver/play/position your opponents. Knowing where enemies are is a key component in winning as it will allow you to place yourself in a better position (ie if you know they are coming from B tuns on dust 2 to defuse your bomb in B, you can wait outside of the site to waste time.)

Definitely learn nades though, they're important (I still don't know them.) A good basic popflash to just practice is to throw it with right click and then walk over it. By doing so, you will force the enemy to look away and you won't get blinded by them. Pretty neat.

Another general tip is to just learn maps. If you can pre aim where people are going to be, you will have an advantage. Its much easier to mash WASD than it is to move your mouse. You'll also get called a cheater a lot which is pretty fun.

The way that tick rates work on server is that there are essentially a higher number of updates. So on a 64 tick server there are 64 updates a second, while in a 128 tick server there are 128 updates a second. It makes for a huge difference, although if you are below Badge (old LEM), then you probably won't really notice when it actually is a problem. Tick rates have nothing to do with refresh rates.

I would offer to help in game but I'm too busy to play really, although I don't mind explaining CSGO mechanics in depth. pls lmk if you have questions, I enjoy helping people get better at this, objectively, #1 FPS.

Also, watching streams really doesn't make you better after a certain point. You can use them to learn how to play counter-strike, but you can't use them to git guud because everyone plays differently. Watching someone else play may provide ideas, but at the end of the day CS:GO should be about having fun and playing in whatever way makes you happy.

sorry for long post,
tl;dr play csgo git guud

Hello! Personal opinions here. I've built a half dozen PCs for myself, with friends, and for friends.

Processor: Great choice, one of the best for single core processes out there (games). I have seen as low as $299 last week so keep an eye out if you're not in a rush.

Cooler: Go with a Noctura IMO. Best on the market, reasonable price. That said, the one you picked is fine. https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16835608041?Item=9SIAADY44C5830

MOBO: Fine choice. I am partial to asrock as I know their BIOS well but seems fine.

Memory: For $30 you could upgrade to something like a Trident Z RGB 3200. I am partial to the aesthetics if you have a window. https://www.newegg.com/g-skill-16gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820232476?Item=N82E16820232476

SSD: Wayyyy to expensive for that size. Also, go with a M.2. 1TB for around $100 right now and you won't need that HDD for a while. Here's a 500gb for $61. https://www.newegg.com/western-digital-blue-500gb/p/N82E16820250091?Item=N82E16820250091

HDD: Do you need this for now? Could offset with better components. You can always add storage when it foes on sale. Also, I am extremely partial to SSD only. I move a lot of large files around. That is just me. You will also get a more useful life from a SSD, even if just for storage.

GPU: Upgrade to a super. Watch this video for reasoning. Do not go with a 2080 super but the gains vs. spend in a 2060 super vs 2060 are worth it. (You could not get that HDD and easily pull this off).

Case: Personal preference.

Power: I am partial to Seasonic. Best warranty in the business (10 years). I saw full modular 650w for $65 the other day. Swap this part. https://www.newegg.com/seasonic-m12ii-620-bronze-620w/p/N82E16817151095

OS: Windows is Windows!

Monitor: Spend $100 more and get a 2k 144. Especially if you get the Super. Biggest upgrade I have ever made. I have a 28" curved Viotek that is a rock star and cost me $300. Even my entry level 2k 144 is awesome. Trust me on this if nothing else!!! https://www.amazon.com/27-Inch-Monitor-Samsung-FreeSync-GamePlus/dp/B078P57ZWL

The links are for reference only. You can easily get better prices by waiting, shopping microcenter, etc.

Let me know how it goes. Cheers!

I used to play WoW on a 2013 15 macbook pro till 2 weeks ago.

I bought a new desktop from a friend. Really powerful to me.

• Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5/3.9Ghz
  
• 16GB RAM DDR4 3000Mhz Vengeance
  
• EVGA GTX 1070 8GB
  
• SSD 480GB Corsair Force LE
  
• And Watercooling (even if not overclocked, as I don't know yet how it works)
  
  Now that is amazing, it is like I play a new game. (Going from 12-25fps to 90+, and I think WoW is limiting to 100 by default. Anyway).
  
  ------------------------------------
  
  My problem is I borrowed his monitor. From what I see, it is a ASUS VS228H-P 21.5" Full HD 1920x1080
  
  And for those who played WoW, it feels "smaller". My knowledge of screens is limited, but I think when I run WoW on the macbook, the resolution is 2880x1800. I feel I can't go to a smaller resolution.
  
  Another friend told me "if you are gonna do gaming, you need this monitor". But all I can see is the same "1920x1080" resolution.
  
  -------------------------------
  
  What is the advice from this community for a good compromise?
  
  
• I am looking for a 27'' screen.
  
• I've heard of 4k. By browsing here and there I found this one which is definitely high end budget to me. People said that under 32'', everything feels "tiny".
  
• In a 1st time I'm gonna play WoW on it, then I'll do more adventure games like the Witcher, Tomb Raider, Skyrim, etc. Anything that will be release and be awesome on the "adventure" side. I do not plan to do any MOBA or FPS, I'm too old for this :) My aim is just to play and have fun, not going to the competitive side of games, just enjoying chilling adventure games that I missed by having a mac.
  
  ---------------------------------
  
  I start to feel overwhelm by browsing topics I am not familiar with yet (remember, I come from a all-in-one macbook). I need enlightenment, I plan to buy a new monitor around black Friday (in sale or not, $200 would be preferable, definitely under $400). If you guys have heard of a similar situation, and could tell me something like "Yeah I have a similar story and went with this monitor XXX, I highly recommend this to you, {you don't need 4k, you need 4k}, the fps above 60 {matters, not matters} for what you seek for, the price is just {$250, $450 but really really worth it, $350 right in your range!}"

If I may make a recommendation, try to go for 24", which suits 1080p better. 27" is still good, but it doesn't look as sharp. Also, I would strongly encourage getting a monitor with adaptive sync. ("Freesync" monitors if you have an AMD card, and "Gsync" monitors if you have an NVIDIA card.) It makes a huge difference.

Looks like you have a GTX 1070. In that case, I would recommend also upgrading to 1440p like /u/KarlofDuty said. I use a 980 Ti for 1440p@144hz w/ Gsync, and it does the job very well. A 1070 should do it even better.

The options you selected are all quite a bit overpriced for what they offer, in my experience. As for affordable better options, I use the Dell S2716DG, which meets all these critera and you can often find for about $450-500 -- check /r/buildapcsales often, because this monitor pops up there every other week. You can get a monitor multiple times better for the same amount that you're already willing to spend.

Please note that it is a TN panel, which is a type known for having washed-out colors. I own two different monitors with TN panels, and you can adjust color settings to make it still look great. The main benefit is that TN is usually much cheaper than the better alternative, IPS. (So, if you're willing to spend an extra couple hundred bucks, you can get an IPS panel instead. If accurate color is that important to you.)

You may be thinking, "but that's a 27"." The key difference is that 1440p looks great at 27", while 1080p looks best at 24" in my opinion. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Other note: there's a new release from Dell coming soon, which is basically the same thing but scaled down to 24" for better sharpness and increased the refresh rate to 165hz. I don't know how much it will cost, but if you're interested it might be worth waiting a little while.

BenQ PG2401PT - a bit over your budget bracket, but I think I would go for it personally if I could afford it. Reason for it being the 10bit panel (my new favorite). However, as with everything it has its drawbacks and for that monitor it's the size, only 24inches.

The PG monitor features a 10-bit IPS panel that uses a 14-bit 3D Look Up Table (LUT) to guarantee silky smooth color gradation on any image. The 10-bit panel can create more than one billion colors--64 times the amount of color available on an 8-bit panel, and with 14-bit processing capability, generates crisper definition and improved gray-level distinction. The 14-bit 3D Look Up Table (LUT), monitors improves RGB color blending accuracy, resulting in impeccable color and gray tone reproduction. Rated to 350 cd/m2 brightness, the monitor’s Brightness Uniformity Function enables PG series monitors to certify a consistent image across the entire display.

ASUS PB278Q 27-Inch - Almost 600 reviews and still sitting at 4.5/5 stars. Pretty lucky for you as the price on amazon.co.uk and amazon.com is almost the same, but the UK one is priced as £ (£465) instead of $($469). People who own it state its a good multi-purpose monitor. So even though it is a PLS monitor it should be fine.

ASUS PB287Q 28-Inch 4K - 4K version of the above monitor. 100 reviews, 4/5 stars.

Samsung 28-Inch 4K LED Monitor (U28D590D) - pretty decent looking monitor, but has mixed reviews so could be a gamble.

That's roughly it for now. Here's a pretty nice IPS monitor list with USD prices and some helpful notes. I got a few more monitors noted down, but they are gaming monitors with 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, G-sync etc.

I think it's worth checking out NEC monitors, which seem to be mega expensive, but offer amazing specs. As to Korean brands, I haven't looked around, have you found any good looking ones with decent specs?

As it stands the BenQ BL2710PT or Asus PB278Q are best choice for you, both 27 inch and 1440p. Also, since you aren't gaming then maybe have a look at 4K monitors? Obviously 4K requires a bit more powerful pc.

So when it comes to buying a mouse it is really all about your play style and feel. If you like to palm the mouse meaning that your whole hand is round the mouse a good mouse is the Razer Deathadder If you like the claw grip using mostly only your finger tips than I would recommend the Logitech G Pro I personally now use this mouse but used the Deathadder for a number of years. Both mice have over a 12,000 dpi setting once you install the software you can adjust as you please, but tbh most likely you will play between 200-900 dpi and 1.2-3.2 sensitivity in game. All of this is preference and you will figure out over a long period of time playing key board again is all preference it depends if you like silent of mechanical Razer Cynosa is a very nice silent one in your price range, for mechanical I have owned a lot of them and tbh the one I use is a off brand one I bought from my local Walmart and and I like it more than any high dollar ones I have owned so you might want to look there. Also you will need a nice mouse pad I have and will probably continue to use for years the razer goliaths speed it is cloth and I like it, there are also hard pads many people I know use and enjoy the Corsait MM8800 but again this is all up to preference. Last thing if you are trying to play at any high lvl of competition you might want to look into a 144hz monitor if your computer can run what ever game you are playing over about 200fps I have Acer 24inch 144hz the price is really good and makes a huge difference. well that is about all I can think about I wish you the best of luck and above all just have fun.

​

Most of the monitors here are free sync and I would say have good implementations however I will include a Gsync category.

​

I would not recommend 4k for the 2080. It would be able to run games around 60 fps at 4k however refresh rate will make things more enjoyable. Also, 4k high refresh rate monitors are currently very expensive.

​

Good value companies to look at:

Viotek

Pixio (Did not list since availability issues but worth looking at)

Nixeus

​

More established companies to look at:

Acer

Asus

Samsung

LG

Gigabyte (They have one monitor on the market)

​

​

TL;DR of VA vs IPS

IPS has slightly better viewing angles than VA.

IPS has slightly better colors VA.

IPS has better response time than VA.

However, VA does not have defects like IPS glow and much better contrast, so much better blacks and such.

​

TL;DR of TN vs IPS

IPS has much better viewing angles than TN. TN will color shift if looked at straight on.

IPS has much better colors than TN.

TN has the best response rate.

TN is basically worse in every way than VA and IPS except for response time.

​

​

27"

Nixeus EDG 27" (NX-EDG27S v2) : $399.99

Here is one of the best value 1440p, 144hz, IPS monitors

https://www.amazon.com/Nixeus-FreeSync-Certified-Monitor-NX-EDG27S/dp/B07N4DL9F7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=32PU0K3VQCQXR&keywords=nixeus+edg27&qid=1555093535&s=electronics&sprefix=nexius+e%2Celectronics%2C126&sr=1-1

Aorus AD27QD 27": $595.33

Arguably one of the best 1440p, 144hz IPS monitor:

https://www.amazon.com/FreeSync-Monitor-Exclusive-2560x1440-Response/dp/B07MVX3PKS

VIOTEK GN27DB 27": $329.99

A good value VA panel by Viotek

https://www.amazon.com/27-Inch-Monitor-Samsung-FreeSync-GamePlus/dp/B078P57ZWL/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=viotek&qid=1555094420&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Samsung CHG70 27-inch: $499.99

A good quality Samsung monitor however I would say it is overpriced, uses a VA panel

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XSQ5QN8/ref=emc_b_5_t

Dell S-Series 27" (S2719DGF): $368.75

A good cheap TN panel usually can be found around $300 on sale

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-27-Inch-LED-Lit-Monitor-S2719DGF/dp/B00N2L5CXO

AOC Agon AG271QX 27" : $390.00

An alternative to the dell.

https://www.amazon.com/AOC-AG271QX-2560x1440-Adjustable-DisplayPort/dp/B01G5JYN0C

​

​

32"

LG 32GK650F-B 32": $408.98

This is the LG monitor I would recommend over the one this post has

https://www.amazon.com/LG-32GK650F-B-Monitor-FreeSync-Technology/dp/B07FLGR2PN

BenQ EX3203R 32": $537.99

Here is an alternative Benq monitor

https://www.amazon.com/BenQ-EX3203R-FreeSync2-Brightness-Intelligence/dp/B07DPVRZXG

The two 32" monitors are also VA panels.

​

​

34"

MSI Non-Glare UltraWide 21:9 Screen 34": $419.99 also there is a $20 MIR.

Here is an MSI ultrawide (21:9) 1440p inside your price range

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824475018

Currently on sale on Newegg, however, remember Newegg has a terrible dead pixel policy.

Instead, I would buy it from B&H even though it is a little more expensive: $449.99

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1443762-REG/msi_optixmag341cq_34_curved_21_9_lcd.html

Acer ED347CKR bmidphzx 34" 21:9: $499.99

Here is an alternative ultrawide in case you don't want the MSI one

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1415643-REG/acer_um_ce7aa_001_ed347ckr_34_va_curved.html

Both of the ultrawide monitors I have listed are VA panels.

VIOTEK GN35DR 35" 21:9: $449.99

Another ultrawide alternative by Viotek

https://www.amazon.com/VIOTEK-GN35DR-35-Inch-Ultrawide-Monitor/dp/B07L9GL6WH/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=viotek&qid=1555094420&s=gateway&sr=8-4

​

​

Gsync monitors (Would not recommend since you are paying extra for gsync without any apparent benefits anymore since free sync now works with Nvidia GPUs)

Dell Gaming S2716DGR 27.0" : $446.00

Can be found on sale around $350 mark. This is a TN panel

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Gaming-S2716DGR-LED-Lit-Monitor/dp/B0149QBOF0

Acer Predator XB271HU bmiprz 27" : $599.99

The old goto monitor before free sync became compatible with Nvidia gpus.

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-XB271HU-2560x1440-Display/dp/B0173PEX20

ASUS ROG PG279Q 27" : $699.00

The other goto monitor before free sync became compatible with Nvidia gpus.

https://www.amazon.com/PG279Q-DisplayPort-Adjustable-Ergonomic-EyeCare/dp/B017EVR2VM

I am sure the title was a joke, but just in case: A better PC isn't going to help you with teamwork, which is the main reason people get stuck in 'Elo Hell'.

Moving on. If you want to build a PC that might actually improve your gameplay, you bought the wrong monitor. Especially if you play first person shooters as well, you should get a 144Hz monitor.

A 1080p, 144Hz monitor with a TN panel: http://www.amazon.com/VG248QE-1920x1080-DisplayPort-Ergonomic-Back-lit/dp/B00B2HH7G0

You'll also want to consider your peripherals. A mechanical keyboard with MX Browns, MX Reds, or custom manufacturer switches resembling either of those will be a huge improvement over the typical membrane keyboards. (I use the Logitech G910)

A responsive and comfortable mouse will help as well. (I use the Logitech G502)

For playing with all of your resources available, you'll also want a good, comfortable headset or a nice set of speakers. You can often hear ability sounds before you can see the animations. This can help you respond faster to situations. (I use the Logitech G35)

Once you have all of those things squared away: Everything in your build is fine. The only thing I want to add is that you do not need to overclock to play League, so you could probably save some money by buying a locked processor and a motherboard that doesn't support overclocking. I would recommend a better GPU, especially if you end up replacing your monitor with the one I recommended. A r9 390 will be a worthy investment now and for the future.


When this build is done, you'll no longer have any excuses for being bad at League of Legends....so you should start watching some streams of professional players while you are waiting for your parts to ship. I personally recommend twitch.tv/valkrin as he is very informative.

There's a lot of different builds you could look at.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor | $229.99 @ B&H
CPU Cooler | CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler | $34.88 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | MSI Z170A KRAIT GAMING 3X ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $114.89 @ B&H
Memory | Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $61.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $49.78 @ OutletPC
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC GAMING Video Card | $399.99 @ B&H
Case | NZXT S340 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case | $66.99 @ SuperBiiz
Power Supply | EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $74.99 @ NCIX US
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $1033.50
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-12-24 03:27 EST-0500 |

The above is just /u/motionglitch's build put into reddit markup.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor | $189.99 @ SuperBiiz
Motherboard | MSI Z170A KRAIT GAMING 3X ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $114.89 @ B&H
Memory | Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory | $43.99 @ Newegg
Storage | PNY CS1311 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $64.99 @ Jet
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $49.78 @ OutletPC
Video Card | *MSI Radeon RX 470 8GB Gaming X Video Card | $209.99 @ B&H
Case | Phanteks ECLIPSE P400 ATX Mid Tower Case | $60.99 @ NCIX US
Power Supply | EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $84.99 @ NCIX US
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit | $90.72 @ B&H
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $910.33
| *Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria |
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-12-24 03:26 EST-0500 |

I slightly altered his build, I felt I made it slightly more entry-friendly. I'll go through it one by one.



CPU - 6600k vs 6500. The main difference is the clocks. The 6500 is 300mhz slower than the 6600k. The other difference is that the 6600k is overclockable unlike the 6500. Overclocking is reasonably simple, but it's not for everybody. There is a risk (not very high, but it's there) to damage your CPU. I set you with a non-overclockable CPU first so that you can get the hang of building a computer first.

CPU Cooler - The overclockable CPUs from Intel don't come with a cooler, so for his build he needed to get a cooler. The non-OCable come with the regular stock cooler, which is (arguably) easier to install.

Motherboard (MOBO) - I kept the same motherboard, so that if you feel the need to upgrade your CPU to an overclockable model, you can just sell the 6500 and buy the 6600k/6700k + cooler.

RAM - I just got cheaper RAM, there's not going to be a huge impact on performance.

Storage - Our builds both have a 1TB hard drive, but I added in an SSD (solid state drive) to put your operating system and programs on. The main advantage of SSDs are speed, when used as the main system drive, it makes the system much more responsive. The main disadvantage of SSDs (as a rule of thumb) is that they do not handle writes very well. This means you'll mostly want to refrain from moving files back and forth. They aren't super fragile, but always exercise the "better-safe-than-sorry" principle (it'll save your ass more than a few times).

Video Card/GPU - I added a filter (I'm not very good at them :P) on this one. My main goal was to let you pick the performance that you'd want/need. The sweet spot for GPUs is the $150-$300 usually, but since AMD doesn't have a performance competitor for NV (Nvidia) past the 1060/$250, the 1070 is the next step up at about ~$400 (just over budget, but if you get some of these parts during sales you'll be able to fit it in your ~$1000 budget) I kept the VRAM (Video-RAM) capacity locked at 6GB/8GB, as I think Star Citizen would like to use all it can get :) Plus it'll increase the longevity of your card if you decide to keep it for a while.

* Add-On Here's some game benchmarks for the 480 4GB/8GB vs 1060 3GB/6GB. The 3gb 1060 is close enough to the 470 that you can consider them equal. Unlike the 480, the lower VRAM or capacity 1060 actually has a lower amount of cores, resulting in lower performance. There also is a factor I find a lot of people forget in the AMD vs NV debate; if you're planning on buying or upgrading to an adaptive-sync monitor, those that support AMD's version (Freesync) are on average, cheaper than their same specced NV (G-Sync) counterparts. See MG278Q@ $485 vs PG278Q@ $715 or the G2460PF @ (what should be) $200 G2460PG @ (what should be) $379

Case - I personally prefer the P400 over the S340 as it's the case I'm using at the moment, but both are wonderful cases and I'd suggest you look around to find the right case for you, they're highly subjective :)

* Add-On A great place to go looking at these cases would be the Hardware Canucks channel, they even just released a "Top Cases of 2016" video.

Power Supply (PSU) I just got a higher wattage PSU from the same line, they're good power supplies and should last you for a good few builds. More wattage was mainly for the "better-safe-than-sorry" principle.

Operating System (OS) Just added Win10 into the cost. If you're a dual-credit/college student, you're probably able to sign up for Microsoft Imagine/Dreamspark which gives you a few free Windows products, including Win10.



There are some really great channels out there that put out wonderful content, I'll list a few of my favorites here.

LinusTechTips.

Paul's Hardware.

Techquickie.

Hardware Unboxed .

He's a smaller channel, but I like MindBlank Tech.

Digital Foundry

I hope this helped :D

Always see this. You get a fantastic graphics card and then don't get a display to go along with it. Go ahead and get the 680 or a 770, as was already mentioned, but for the love of all that is holy get a monitor than can make use of good GPU technology.

Asus VG249QE great monitor. I'm using one right now. 144 hz, 3D enabled, 1 ms response time (gtg). Its great.

Korean IPS is also a great option. 1440p, 27" screen, overclockable to 100 hz. Check out this before you buy anything.

I'm not saying the monitor you picked was bad but you are building a great machine.. why not make your link between the hardware and your experience as good as the equipment you are putting in there? Makes sense doesn't it.

If you're a student you can get windows 8 for free or cheap. Check your campus IT website or go to Microsoft's website because they offer deals like this. Or find a student and give him 20 bucks or a case of beer to get you a serial key. Takes them like 5 seconds.

I strongly discourage a microatx motherboard. They aren't as efficient as mid atx mobo's because they dissipate heat less efficiently.

Why get an aftermarket cpu cooler. You are getting the non 'k' version of your cpu, so you can't overclock it and thus the stock cooler that comes with intel cpu's will be more than enough.


Good choice on the PSU and SSD. The case is nice as well.

Final note. Don't get that ram. It's 1333 and theres no point in not spending the extra 10 bucks to get ddr3 1600 ram. Get this or approved equivalent.

Any questions, feel free to ask.

Let me go over my picks for you.

Number 1 best value: Acer 240HY. 23.8", IPS, and almost no bezels. 60hz, so pretty great for the price, with HDMI.

Number 1 best 144hz gaming monitor: Viewsonic XG2401/2701. It has freesync, the best color of all sub $300 monitors, and can rotate into portrait mode if needed. This monitor is fantastic if you have an AMD graphics card. If you do not, however, you'll either want a G-sync monitor (Much pricier) or go for a Benq and save money, since those lack freesync (Which doesn't benefit Nvidia cards anyway) but still have fantastic ratings.

Speaking of which, this is the best 144hz monitor without Freesync or Gsync. BenQ XL2411Z

Want a fantastic cheap Freesync monitor? Look no further than any size of these Viewsonics. Viewsonic VX series. All are 60hz but overclockable to 75hz (Nice!) and they all have freesync. I'd still recommend the #1 monitor I listed first, since IPS will probably be a lot better on your eyes, but these are great alternatives if you want a cheap gaming monitor and have an AMD card.

Want 144hz gaming but you're a cheapskate? No problem. Either buy the AOC G2460PF (Freesync!) which doesn't look quite as good as the Viewsonic I mentioned second but is $60 cheaper, or go for the Atron Vision AVF24 for an alternate, highly rated but lacking Freesync monitor. You can even get them used off Amazon for $150ish too!

Personally, I think for you, the first monitor I listed is your #1 best bet, BUT you can, if you really want to pinch pennies, go for the Acer H236L 23" monitor and buy it refurbished for almost exactly $100. It's also a bezel-less monitor, looks okay, and has high ratings. Personally, based on my research though, if you're going to buy this one new, go instead for the Acer I listed at the top, since it's IPS and this one is LCD. It still seems the better deal.

Happy shopping!

Right, crash course time. I'm not really into the fighting game scene, barring watching a few EVO matches, but I'm going to go ahead and assume that they use TN panels, which prioritize high refresh rate and low input lag over picture quality. That one you linked most certainly does. If you've been using a TN monitor for a while, I'm not surprised that your friend's Predator got you thinking.

For picture quality, you have two options for panels: IPS and VA. Some people will tell you that IPS is the only way, but those people are wrong. IPS monitors clearly win the areas of color quality / vibrancy and viewing angles; TN panels have awful color shifting when viewed off-center, and VA panels, while better, aren't fantastic. On the other hand, all IPS panels bring with them the dreaded "IPS glow," a soft, pale light from the corners visible in dark content.

VA panels, on the other hand, stomp the competition when it comes to contrast - compare ~500:1 for TN, ~1000:1 for IPS, and ~3000:1 for VA - making them an excellent choice for movies. Think the difference between LCD and plasma televisions, which is actually not far off, technologically speaking. But, they're incredibly slow - there are only a handful of VA panels available with refresh rates over 60 Hz - and not really suitable for fast-paced genres like FPS.

Also, consider that both IPS and VA panels have inferior response times and input lag, compared to TN. Almost all gamer-oriented TN panels have ~1ms response times, while IPS aim for ~4ms and VA are lucky if they get ~8ms. What this means is that things might seem a little sluggish when you start out; I emphasize "might" because some people, like me, don't care about the difference, and others don't even notice it. Manufacturers attempt to fix this problem by building "overdrive" into their monitors, essentially pouring more juice into the pixels to force better response times. As you might imagine, though, this comes with its own problems, including higher input lag and "overshoot," faint trails and blurs behind fast-moving objects. This one I do care about, and it's one of those things that once you see it, you can't stop seeing it. IPS panels can suffer from this problem, but VA is where it gets really nasty.

So, in summary, you have three options:

• TN panels, which offer blazing speed and near-CRT levels of input lag, but often have poor colors, contrast, and viewing angles. This is almost certainly what you have right now.
  
• IPS panels, which offer rich colors and almost perfect viewing angles, but have only middling response times and suffer from glow. This is what your friend has.
  
• VA panels, which offer fantastic contrast and middle-of-the-road colors and viewing angles, but have low refresh rates and often suffer from input lag and overshoot.
  
  There are also other features that you might want to consider, but if you're not into PC gaming in a big way, they might be a waste. A few:
  
  
• 1440p+ resolution. This one can be nice even if you don't game. Higher resolution makes for a clearer, crisper picture, but does significantly decrease performance in games and can flummux Windows' and Linux's UI scaling to this day. Still worth it, in my opinion. Do note that the best resolutions for each screen size are probably: 1080p for 24", 1440p for 27", 4K for anything bigger.
  
• 21:9 aspect ratio ("ultra-widescreen"). I haven't used this one myself, but I hear it's pretty great, especially for games and movies. For applications, it might not perfectly replace two monitors, simply because you can't do things like full-screen a video on one monitor and work on another. It's up to you on that one.
  
• 120+ Hz. Fast refresh rates allow for more fluid gameplay, provided your graphics card can hack it. That 780 is a bit long in the tooth for this, at least with recent titles. In addition, 120 Hz offers a neat bonus: it's a perfect multiple of both 24 Hz and 30 Hz, which means it will eliminate judder in nearly all media.
  
• G-SYNC / FreeSync. Designed by NVIDIA and AMD, respectively, these technologies sync your display's refresh rate with your graphics card. What this means is that you can experience tear-free, buttery smooth gameplay without having to enable VSync and all the input lag nightmares that come with it. Note that, while FreeSync monitors are often competitively priced, G-SYNC adds a hefty tax, and you can't use one company's tech with the other company's graphics cards.
  
  Well, that's just about all you really need to know about finding a new monitor. As for suggestions, I don't really keep up with all the latest models and whatnot, so I'll leave that to others. The Predator is an excellent monitor, though. If you liked your friend's so much, why not get one yourself? It's right in the middle of your budget at ~$750, and includes all of the neat features above, minus 21:9. For $50 more, the ASUS PG279Q offers a similar experience with maybe juuuust a bit better colors. Finally, Acer also offers the 34-inch, IPS, 21:9, curved XR341CK for ~$840, which is...just...wow...really quite a...reasonable price...hmmmm. There's also the G-SYNC-enabled X34, but that $400 premium is absurd.
  
  Well, I know that was long, but I hope it helped. I just think it's always best to know what you're looking for, rather than just following some random recommendations. If you've got any questions, it's my long weekend, so ask away.

If you are serious about learning where the "small differences" happen that everyone talks about, I will try to explain them. I hope this gives you a better understanding of how games and technology works "behind the scenes".


Okay, first we are going to start with your question. Short answer: Yes, probably. Important part is finding/knowing what the right monitor is. I chose the 27" version of this monitor for my gaming PC. Two important features of it for us is the 1ms (millisecond, 1000 per second) response time and 144hz refresh rate. (NOTE: "standard" monitor response time is 5-20ms, with most TV's being slower (10-50ms). "standard" refresh rate for monitors and TV's is both 60hz.)


The response time is the time it takes for the TV to display the input you gave the game console, and the refresh rate is how many times the picture is updated on the TV each second. Also make sure your TV is set to Progressive scan and not Interlaced (the 720p, 720i, 1080p 1080i difference). In most cases(almost all) 720p is actually better than 1080i if you have an older TV that doesn't support 1080p by chance. SO, REMEMBER: Low ms input lag is best, and high hz refresh rate is best. Double Important: PS4 and Xbox One maxes out at 60fps in games. (hz is the limit for fps, so console Fortnite maxes at 60fps but PC maxes out at 240fps+ for top-of-the-line gaming PCs.) This is the #1 reason that "console pros" have still switched over to PC and play with controller. I'm not in any way trying to shame console players, I'm just trying to clearly explain what the "disadvantages" are and why. Because they directly relate to the discussion at hand.


Quick History Lesson: Basically, TV's have had a long history of different "input lag" issues plauging not ony cheaper TV's, with many having ridiculously long input lag. While trying to google a few examples I found something better, a reddit post specifically talking about reducing input lag on PS4. Bonus: I also found another good link comparing TV refresh rates so you can see how much they can vary, with 10-15ms being the standard good score, and some TV's reaching 140ms input lag when they aren't in Game Mode (another setting to check on the TV).

So, what your goal of investigating from here is researching your TV's model and seeing if you can find information about its input lag times and compare them to the numbers here. Input lag is the first "issue" you want to solve, if you have it (My personal metrics would be, if it has higher than 20ms input lag then it is the first thing you should replace, but if it only has 5-10ms input lag it's not worth upgrading to 1ms unless you are upgrading all the way to a gaming PC). Alright, so hopefully I clearly explained how and why input lag and refresh rate are and what you can and can't do about it in your current situation.

Also is your internet Wired or Wireless to your PS4? If it is wireless you need to switch over to wired. I might write another post about that if you are genuinely interested. :)

Edit: Bonus if your house is cold a lot, you can usually buy big packs of these hand warmers for a big discount, I think I got like 15 of these Large-Sized hand warmers for like $4.50. This is a secret Korean strategy not many people know about, but warming up your hands before your matches so you have better blood flow can make a big difference in how quickly/precisely you are able to execute maneuvers. All my gamer friends try to go home with a pack or two of my hand warmers, and yes the big ones last for 18 hours (I like them better than the smaller 10 hour ones).

That cleared things up, thanks.

• Going with the 1070
  
  
• So I can look at 1080p images in 1440p but the images are still 1080p themselves. For games, this just means I need to turn up the resolution to make use of the 1440 right?
  
  
• Just found out DropBox only gives 2GB free storage. How am I going to transfer the files I want to keep? Pay $9.99 for a month of 1 TB? (Just realized I'm a dingus and this case or at least the 200R will have 2 drive bays)
  
  
• I just read that Hz translates into what you should keep your FPS at. Isn't 144 Hz a bit much if FPS benchmarks for high end cards like the 1070/1080 are at a consistent 80-120 FPS? Does Hz matter as much if your FPS doesn't reach it?
  
  
• Think I'm gonna give up the 1440p for a more practical 1080p, I need to remember I only occasionally play games where graphics matters and that I'm still a part-time student. Asus vs BenQ vs Acer w/ G-Sync? I don't think 1080p needs G-Sync but I'm also uninformed. (A lot of pros/tech sites use and endorse the BenQ, plus it mentions eye comfort. But the Asus' colors look a lot better here)
  
  
• Was also thinking about headphones since my current setup is earbuds that only reach up to one ear. I found the M50x was well known, #1 best seller on Amazon and had great reviews. It's not too expensive ($120) so I think it's the sweet spot.
  
  (is the "HD" in the Acer is just for show? It has the same resolution as the other monitors)
  
  
• Can you find what display type my monitor is? I assumed it was TN since it was cheap but whites don't look pinkish
  
  
• Are most games not cpu-bound? It looks like it only causes a negligible FPS difference for most games.
  
  
• I assumed the motherboard was really important given the name and the fact that it's the core of the computer but I read a higher quality mobo just has more ports?
  
  If they're not weak links, don't fix what isn't broken I guess.
  
  

• A week or two from now, just going to buy these from the cheapest provider listed on PcPartPicker and play Overwatch, H1Z1, Skyrim, The Forest, etc. all set?
  

  
  

  PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
  

  
  

  Type|Item|Price
  

  ----|:----|:----
  CPU | Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor | $194.99 @ SuperBiiz
  Motherboard | ASRock B150M Pro4S Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $69.99 @ Newegg
  Memory | G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory | $59.88 @ OutletPC
  Storage | PNY CS2211 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $79.98 @ Amazon
  Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $47.49 @ OutletPC
  Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Superclocked Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card |-
  Case | Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case | $47.99 @ Micro Center
  Power Supply | EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $74.99 @ Amazon
  Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Home Full - USB 32/64-bit | $108.99 @ SuperBiiz
  Monitor | Asus VG248QE 24.0" 144Hz Monitor | $248.00 @ Amazon
  Headphones | Audio-Technica M50x Headphones | $119.95 @ Amazon
  | Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
  | Total (before mail-in rebates) | $1062.25
  | Mail-in rebates | -$10.00
  | Total | $1052.25
  | Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-09 22:03 EDT-0400 |07 21:55 EDT-0400 |

I have a 1050 ti, which from what I understand from being a new builder (first build finished about a week ago) is a decent step down from a 1060 6g, but I can play most non-AAA games at 1080p/60+fps with higher-ultra settings (MMOs like WoW, Trove, Rift, and MOBAs/arena brawlers like OW/TF2). I would imagine the 1060 would be able to play a wider variety of games in that same setting of 1080p/60+fps. Another thing that I gathered just from browsing here is that the 1070 is really the starting point of people building for a 144hz gaming setup.



Edit: If I can plug something else in as well, the monitor I ended up going with has been wonderful for me so far. This HP monitor is pretty basic @ 1080p/60hz, but the display really is fantastic and well worth more than the price tag. The colors are very nice and it displays all of the games I've played on it so far incredibly well. It could possibly be a nice starting point if you want to save a little bit before making some upgrades in the future.

No problem. I really don't know what monitor, but I HIGHLYYY suggest and almost as this point require you to get an IPS display lol...its BEAUTIFUL. There are some high end gaming ones(qniq or something) which are 1440p, IPS, 27", 120hz refresh rate gaming monitors. I think you can only buy them online though, never used or seen one.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CIZZ0QO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I have this monitor as well as another older 24" TN monitor and the difference is night and day. I really like the one on that amazon page although I wish I had gone 27"(mainly because I have the space for it). I prefer matte finish over gloss, 2-5ms reponse time is the best you can get, and 60hz refresh is the standard(gaming monitors go to 120, but I dont think we have any besides the qniq that are IPS as well).

I7's are fine for multithreaded stuff(photoshop, video processing, animation, etc) and while some games may take advantage, it depends on what games you play. Most of the games right now utilize the GPU more so than the cpu(may change in a few years, nobody knows; i heard witcher 3 recommends an i7). If you WANT to spend the money, an i7 is fine to get. It might come in handy later, it might not which is why I didn't add it. It's not a bad idea, it's just that you may never utilize it fully. The i7 is on sale at microcenter right now so you'd be adding about 80$ to your build which at this point would probably be worth it(normally it's $339). I have a feeling you really want to spend the money and get something that will last so in that case getting 2x8gb of RAM would be worth it as well.

http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Core-i7-4790K-vs-Intel-Core-i5-4690K

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2187021/true-4790k-4690k-dont-benifit-gaming.html

With the i7 4790k and now I upped you to 16gb of 2x8gb RAM:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor | $279.99 @ Micro Center
CPU Cooler | Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler | $99.99 @ Newegg
Motherboard | MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $99.99 @ Newegg
Memory | Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $119.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $188.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $44.99 @ Amazon
Video Card | MSI GeForce GTX 980 4GB Twin Frozr Video Card | $549.99 @ SuperBiiz
Case | Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case | $107.99 @ SuperBiiz
Power Supply | SeaSonic M12II 850W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply | $114.99 @ Amazon
Case Fan | Noctua NF-A14 PWM 82.5 CFM 140mm Fan | $23.99 @ Amazon
Case Fan | Noctua NF-A14 PWM 82.5 CFM 140mm Fan | $23.99 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $1674.89
| Mail-in rebates | -$20.00
| Total | $1654.89
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-13 21:20 EDT-0400 |

edit: http://www.amazon.com/BenQ-GW2765HT-27-Inch-LED-Lit-Monitor/dp/B00KYCSRSG/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1426296104&sr=1-1&keywords=benq+27+inch+monitor+2560x1440 This is a decent monitor, I've heard good things about BenQ but never used one myself.

http://www.amazon.com/PB278Q-27-Inch-LED-lit-Professional-Graphics/dp/B009C3M7H0/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1426296300&sr=1-1 This is another Asus one you can look at.

You could also consider getting 2x24" IPS displays and setting them up side by side. The two I've listed below here are 2560x1440p so the resolution is much more than the 24" ones.

Depends on your budget, bud.

I assume you know what things like refresh rate are, and what IPS/TN panels are. If not, [here's] (http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/r/refrrate.htm) a quick definition of what refresh rate is, and a [video] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8Y26Uq07Kw) on the differences between IPS and TN panels. Also, consider Freesync. Here's a [video on what that is] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ey-KObDABI).

Now that you've gotten settled, I'll give you some options :)

[Acer XG270HU] (http://www.amazon.com/Acer-XG270HU-omidpx-FREESYNC-Widescreen/dp/B00VRCLHYS/ref=sr_1_1?tag=amazon0606-20&ie=UTF8&qid=1430272001&sr=8-1&keywords=acer+xg270hu+omidpx) $419

[Asus MG279] (http://www.amazon.com/Acer-XG270HU-omidpx-FREESYNC-Widescreen/dp/B00VRCLHYS/ref=sr_1_1?tag=amazon0606-20&ie=UTF8&qid=1430272001&sr=8-1&keywords=acer+xg270hu+omidpx) $600

[LG Electronics 34UM67] (http://www.amazon.com/LG-Electronics-34UM67-34-Inch-LED-lit/dp/B00VBNQJSM/ref=sr_1_2?tag=amazon0606-20&ie=UTF8&qid=1431886478&sr=8-2&keywords=29UM67) $500

[Acer XR341CK] (http://www.amazon.com/Acer-XR341CK-bmijpphz-34-inch-UltraWide/dp/B0111MRT90/ref=sr_1_15?tag=amazon0606-20&s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1436945804&sr=1-15&keywords=3440x1440) ~$1000

[Acer G257HU] (http://www.amazon.com/Acer-G257HU-smidpx-25-Inch-Widescreen/dp/B00QS0AKVK?tag=amazon0606-20) $260 -- this is a really good monitor for the price if you're on a budget. It doesn't have freesync, but it's great for the price if you don't care about screen tear. Hey, that rhymes! LOL

[Acer H277H] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0148NNKU6/ref=twister_B016E49WWW?tag=amazon0606-20&_encoding=UTF8&psc=1) $280 same goes for this one! it's 1080p so it won't be taxing on your system like 4K would. 1440p isn't that taxing as well if you adjust your settings :)

If you are playing FPS shooters, having freesync could be a beneficial thing for you :) so consider that!

Hope this helps!

EDIT: quick side note! WAIT FOR COMPUTEX BEFORE YOU BUY ANYTHING! I can't tell you how many times people buy hardware before new ones get announced/come out, and then they beat themselves up. Consider these options as a pathway, but you should 1. Do more research on the things you look for in a monitor besides the things I've mentioned before and 2. Wait until something better gets released since you said you are planning to do a PC build in the near future. Wait for AMD's new architecture, named Polaris, to drop. Wait for benchmarks. Wait for monitors at computex to be announced, and then make a decision! :) All these things can help.

Why? Because I'm planning to do a PC build myself in the near future! :)

I will assume 1440p/144hz. Be aware - With AAA, you'd be hard-pressed to get a build that pushes solid 144fps at max settings. The 1080 will get you close, but not there. Of course you can adjust your settings as little adjustments will lead to big improvements without much sacrifice in quality.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD - RYZEN 7 1700 3.0GHz 8-Core Processor | $313.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard | MSI - B350 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard | $107.99 @ SuperBiiz
Memory | Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $132.66 @ Jet
Storage | Crucial - MX300 525GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $149.49 @ OutletPC
Video Card | Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB WINDFORCE OC 8G Video Card | $499.99 @ Amazon
Case | Phanteks - ECLIPSE P400S TEMPERED GLASS ATX Mid Tower Case | $89.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply | EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $89.49 @ SuperBiiz
Operating System | Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit | $86.88 @ OutletPC
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $1480.48
| Mail-in rebates | -$10.00
| Total | $1470.48
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-05-06 17:01 EDT-0400 |

Changed the GPU to a 1080 (non-blower). You'll be fine with the 1080.

Changed SSD to something way cheaper in terms of price/GB. Yes Ik Samsung has a bit of a reputation of being one of the best in quality and reliability when it comes to SSDs. But between the 850 Evo and MX300, there is little performance difference with the 850 Evo just pushing the MX300 out by a margin. The quality and reliability is basically the same. So I went with the MX300 as its way cheaper and has a bit more storage. Just wanted more budget headroom for the monitor.

Frequently on /r/buildapcsales you see great monitors that go on sale.

For this build I would recommend seeing if you could find:

Acer Predator XB271HU - 1440p/144hz/1ms/IPS/GSYNC. Frequently goes on sale for around [$525 refurbished] (https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsales/comments/68mbtd/monitor_acer_27_wqhd_2560_x_1440_4_ms_xb271hu/). Can find new for less than $700 when on clearance or random deals like [this one] (https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsales/comments/69kwn4/monitor_acer_xb271hu_27_gsync_1440p_165hz_ips/) on Amazon.

Dell S2716DG - 1440p/144hz/1ms/TN/GSYNC - Albeit TN panel, it has colors that come close to IPS quality when calibrated correctly (Of course theres still the fact that IPS is better color quality and view angles overall). But the Dell does make a compelling argument for being one of the cheapest monitors with its specs, especially with GSYNC. Can regularly find this monitor on sale for $479 +/- at either [Amazon] (https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Gaming-S2716DG-LED-Lit-Monitor/dp/B0149QBOF0) or [Best Buy] (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/dell-27-led-gsync-monitor-black/5293502.p?skuId=5293502).

Dell S2417DG - 24" variant of the one above. Same specs. Can regularly find on sale for around $400 or less at various places like [here] (https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsales/comments/69mo59/monitor_dell_s2417dg_1440p_165hz_1ms_39999/).

Again /r/monitors is a great place to get recommendations/suggestions with people more experienced in this field.

To cheapen the price of the build:

Get cheaper RAM. I will quote what I said before:

> if you're not the type to care about high speed RAM, then get the Gaming 3 back and pair it with the a cheap 16GB set like the [Team T-Force/Night Hawk 16GB] (https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Kgx9TW/team-t-force-night-hawk-16gb-2-x-8gb-ddr4-3000-memory-thwd416g3000hc16cdc01). You'll probably get around 2666 speeds. And its $30 cheaper.

Change storage configuration. Quote:

> You can always go 250GB SSD + 1 TB HDD instead of one big SSD. Its cheaper than a 500GB SSD and you get more storage headroom. You can put the OS and other programs on the SSD to achieve those load times and use the 1TB HDD for mass storage (documents, videos, photos, etc. Things that don't need those loading times).

Change case to non-tempered glass variant. Or just get a cheaper case in general.

With your CPU usage being that high, open task manager and find out what's using most of your resources. Prebuilts often come with a ton of manufacturer's bloatware.

Otherwise, there's not really a whole lot else worth straight up upgrading in your system right now. The 7700 is a great CPU, and the 1070 is a great GPU. You're at 1080p60, so there's not really a lot more performance you can squeeze out of that resolution/refresh rate for games. Nvidia's RTX cards just launched, but there's really no data for them other than they're the standard improvement over last gen's cards since literally nothing supports ray tracing yet. There's info circulating around AMD putting up GPUs on a 7nm process soon, but same with the RTX cards, it's probably wise to wait until more information is available before deciding on either. However, the 1080ti is likely going to take a dive in price pretty soon given the RTX release and Nvidia coming back into possession of thousands of Pascal boards once the crypto market demand died down. If you decide to step up your GPU, you might want to check into higher resolution and higher refresh panels as well, as there's not really more performance you can squeeze out of 1080p60 by upgrading your hardware. I've got this 1440p144hz panel and this 4k60 panel, and they're both outstanding performers for the price. You'd definitely need to up your GPU to drive them to their full potential, but it kinda sounds like you're thinking about doing that anyway, and like I said there's really not a whole lot more you can get out of 1080p60 that you aren't already getting out of your current hardware.

As for your CPU, not really a whole lot of point in upgrading there. Coffee Lake is just a hardware refresh of Kaby Lake [your CPU family], and Kaby Lake is just a hardware refresh of Skylake. It's a quad-core cpu, but it's hyperthreaded, which means it essentially functions as an 8-core. There's really no reason to put money into upgrading it until something actually better comes along.

But then again, these could all be totally moot points. Building a pc is a lot of fun and a great way to get to know every single bit of hardware in your rig. Given that you've already got a very well-performing pc, it might be worth your while to just put down some cash for an inexpensive pc just to fuck around with, like a Ryzen 3 GT 1030 build. It's a great way to learn more about hardware and how it interacts with your os without having to put down a ton of money, and it isn't necessarily devastating if you break your OS tinkering because all your more important data is elsewhere.

Well first off, if you are planning to move to PC, buy that bundle I linked. It's going to end soon, and its probably never going to happen again. You'll seriously regret it if you want to buy any of those games in the future. And all the money goes to charity, so think of it as a charitable donation.

---

As I said, if you need to own a PC or Laptop, or were planning to buy one anyway, you build the PC instead, also instead of buying a PS4 or XB1.

So assuming that IS the case, I can't give you a price, you have to determine that for yourself. That concept is unique to PC, considering they only make one version of a console, aside from the insanely overpriced storage capacity upgrades. What you need to do, is determine your budget for the PC that you were going to buy, if you were going to remain a console gamer.

One rule, is that you should completely avoid buying a laptop, unless you absolutely NEED a laptop. Usually, unless you are a business professional that will use one for work, or if you will be traveling constantly, you don't NEED a laptop. Even if you are in college, a small tablet is usually suitable enough for during class use, as opposed to a full laptop, which means you can just leave your PC in your room.

So lets say you wanted to buy a $600 off the shelf PC. Even switching from a Laptop to a Desktop would basically double your performance and storage capacity. The smaller you make something while keeping the performance constant, the more it is going to cost. Then when you move from buying an off the shelf desktop, to a custom built PC, you'll easily see a HUGE bump in performance, for the same cost. So you have $600, and now you have to decide which console you were going to buy. One of the next gen systems at $400-500, or maybe you weren't ever going to buy one of those consoles, but a PS3/360 instead, at $250. If one of these were the case, that would leave you with a budget of $850, $1000, or $1100. And look, I understand that you may have not been able to buy both a new PC and a new console at the same time. This means that you'll just have to wait and save up. Yes, its a bummer, but it will definitely be worth it in the end. And depending on how long you have to wait, you'll actually get more and more for your money, because of how rapidly the performance per dollar ratio increases.

So once you have your number, you have to determine how you want to use the PC. You'll obviously want to use it for gaming, but are you planning to do a lot of 3D or video rendering/compression? You need to know this, because is it quite a key factor that someone will need to know to map out a build for you. If you are planning on using content professional applications, you'll need a large portion of your budget spent on the CPU. You can obviously still run the applications, but rendering will take longer with a lesser CPU, which could be a problem for someone that want's to run a YouTube channel for instance.

So after you get someone to map out a build for you, you will need some additional things:

1. Mouse - You can get a nice gaming mouse from as low as about $20, though they can go up to about $70. If you look around while you are planning your build up until the point when you actually build it, you'll probably be able to find one on sale. I got my G9x, which is a $60-70 mouse, for only $35 w/ free shipping. The same goes for the other stuff below, as you don't really need to buy them in the same order as your other components. The best place to find deals that I have found, is /r/BuildaPCSales They also have separate subreddits for the UK, Australia, and Canada. You can find those in the side bar.
   
2. Keyboard - You can go ahead and get a membrane keyboard, but you really should invest in a mechanical. It WILL make you a faster typist, and it makes typing feel great. They range from $70-150, but just like the mice, you can easily find them in sales, for far less. Yesterday I saw a Razer black widow with no numpad for $40. And right now I see a $120 Ducky, for only $80. And a the Black Widow with Numpad, for $70 instead of $100. The one I would suggest to you, is called a CM Storm, Quickfire Rapid. It has no backlight, and no Numpad, but it is a great keyboard, and I have seen it dozens of times on sale for $45-50. You'll need to decide which switch type you want, between Blue, Brown, Black, and Red. Just go on youtube or google and look up a comparison. I'll just say do not get blue if you need it to be quiet.
   
3. Monitor(s) - You may be able to exclude this one. You can live without one if you have personal access to or ownership of a 1080P TV with an HDMI or DVI input. And you may already have a monitor from your old PC. You'll want one that's 1920x1080(or 1200), but you can use an old one for the time being, as long as it's of decent resolution. And again, you can easily find deals on nice monitors at the subreddit I mentioned earlier. I see 4 on sale right now, just on the first 2 pages. Even my main monitor is on sale, $250 instead of the usual $280. I bought mine on sale at $260 when it was going for $300 earlier this year.
   
4. Controller - First off, if you are a PC gamer that plans on playing more than just FPS, MOBA, and RTS, then you need a controller. There are tons of platformers, racing games, and third person shooters that play better with a controller, though don't always assume that all 3rd person shooters are better with a controller, because that definitely isn't the case, especially with the newer square enix games. I would personally suggest a PS3 controller because of how you can set it up with the method I mention in THIS post. You can basically get it to the point where you turn the controller on, and it immediately works in all games that claim controller support, wireless over bluetooth. You can get a new PS3 controller for as low as $35-40, and a bluetooth adapter from $5-10. You can avoid the adapter if you choose to use it wired instead. But you may be dead set on using a 360 shaped controller. You'll need a official wired controller if you don't already have one, or the wireless adapter which goes for $20-30. And I'm assuming you already own a wireless 360 controller. Another thing you might consider, depending on when you build you PC, is the brand new controllers from the next gen consoles. I know for a FACT that they both worth with PCs, but they may or may not release drivers. Microsoft already said that they wouldn't have PC support at launch. So there probably won't be instant support, but there will be driver packages popping up similar to the one I linked above, within the first week after launch, from tons of coders. The problem is that the XB1 is still using their own wireless, so it will NEED a wired controller, or an official wireless adapter. The PS4 on the other hand, is still using bluetooth, so it will work with the same bluetooth dongle you need for the PS3 controller now. The new controllers will be $20 more expensive, but the PS4 pad in particular has an incredible amount of additional potential. It has a clickable touchpad, a speaker, and a multicolor LED light bar. I'm 99.99% sure that we will eventually see a driver application that allows for the control of all 3 of those features, along with the standard controller functions. If I were you, I would get a PS3 pad now if you build before late November, and replace the controller after the PS4 releases, and use the same bluetooth adapter.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD - Ryzen 5 1500X 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor | $224.99 @ Amazon Canada
Motherboard | Gigabyte - GA-AB350N-Gaming WIFI (rev. 1.0) Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard | $149.99 @ Newegg Canada
Memory | Team - Dark 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $144.99 @ Newegg Canada
Storage | SanDisk - SSD PLUS 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $179.99 @ Amazon Canada
Video Card | Zotac - GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Mini Video Card | $562.99 @ Newegg Canada
Case | Cooler Master - Elite 110 Mini ITX Tower Case | $54.99 @ Newegg Canada
Power Supply | EVGA - B3 450W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $54.99 @ Newegg Canada
Operating System | Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit | $116.50 @ Vuugo
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $1489.43
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-08-21 21:33 EDT-0400 |

This pc is small enough to carry around in your back pack but strong enough to get ultra settings 60fps 1080p. I took into account your requests and gave my best shot at it. I'll start with the CPU. The ryzen 1500x can deliver on games and also is equipped with a stock clock of 3.5 ghz so you really don't have to overclock and comes with a pretty nice stock cooler. The motherboard includes wifi as an added bonus and the ram is a pretty fast 16gb ddr4 3000. The gpu is a 1070 which seems small but is actually pretty powerful when it comes to games. I managed to get a 480gb ssd for storage and a fully modular power supply for easy cable management. I really wouldn't overclock in a mitx build since they tend to get hot because of the small space.

Here's a monitor recommendation
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01H5KKQTM/?tag=pcp0f-20

Edit- also the corsair strafe mechanical keyboard is nice as well and if you need me to fit these two in the budget I can find a way

I have a very similar build (gtx1060, ryzen 5, 16gb 2400 ram) and I found a monitor on Amazon that I LOVE. It’s made by AOC, 24inch, 1080p, 144hz/1ms. Included a DisplayPort and a HDMI cables. It’s pretty bright but I really enjoy the colors and I think it looks great. I think it was just under $200. Oh and the screen rotates to vertical or horizontal, goes up and down like 8inches(more or less), tilts a decent amount, and the base rotates to make turning the monitor super easy. I absolutely love it. I’ll comment the model number once I get back to it but yeah. Only possible con that I found is that it’s black and red, but it’s very subtle.

Edit: here’s the link! Also, I didn’t see your budget but honestly I love this monitor so save your money for an upgrade or another monitor!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01BV1XBEI/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1520652149&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=aoc+monitor+24+inch&dpPl=1&dpID=51F2dZxXwRL&ref=plSrch

that build will work but you can get better performance for less if you haven't purchased parts yet

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor | $168.99 @ NCIX US
Motherboard | ASRock H81M-HDS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $49.99 @ Micro Center
Memory | Corsair XMS3 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory | $24.99 @ Newegg
Memory | Corsair XMS3 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory | $24.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $104.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $49.88 @ OutletPC
Video Card | HIS Radeon R9 290 4GB IceQ X² Video Card | $243.98 @ Newegg
Case | Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case | $43.99 @ SuperBiiz
Power Supply | EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | $39.99 @ Newegg
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | $751.79
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-31 04:36 EST-0500 |

- Intel offers much better single core performance which is more important in games

- due to a sale this is the cheapest 8GB you can get

- Newer better performing SSD

- you didn't have any HDD, 256GB will fill up really fast

- There is no reason to go Nvidia if all you want is performance, AMD offers better performance per dollar right now

- no reason to go ATX for a single GPU

- higher capacity, cheaper higher quality PSU

- Didn't include keyboard as there are too many variables however I don't recommend the Razer Blackwidow. If you want help choosing a better option just ask and i'll bombard you with a bunch of questions to help you decide what you should get

- Since you saved on the other parts i'd suggest getting a 144hz monitor like an Asus VG248QE. A 144hz monitor will be better in FPS games like CS but less useful in games like LoL where twitch reactions make less difference

Sounds like you're about done already, but for a monitor I'd recommend either and ultrawide or 144hz.

First thing you should do if you think you'd prefer ultrawide is check if the games you play support the resolution (if they don't you'll get large vertical black boxes on either side). Below is the 144hz monitor I have and I absolutely love it, I played on my friend's 60hz monitor the other day and it felt like I was playing at like 15 fps; the difference from 60 to 144 is that big, and with a 1060 you should be able to get over 144 on a lot of games on med-high and 80-100 on high/max. If you're doing a lot of video/photo editing though an ultrawide might be best since most of them are IPS and will give you much more accurate color than a 144.

The little accessories like USB hubs would kind of depend on what your setup actually looks like and what you need. Headphone stands are pretty much universally useful though.

https://www.amazon.com/VG248QE-1920x1080-144Hz-Gaming-Monitor/dp/B00B2HH7G0

Alright.. here goes.

Monitor: I recommend this monitor as my first cost effective choice. It is 144HZ, FreeSync (Nvidia compatible with no real issues), VA (meaning amazing contrast ratio, good colors, decent viewing angles), the only downside is that it is 4.8MS, which you don't notice as no true "1MS" panels exist - this can still push things very fast. Also, you will need to add about $30 to the cost as its stands sucks and needs a VESA mounted stand.

https://www.amazon.com/27-Inch-Monitor-Samsung-FreeSync-GamePlus/dp/B078P57ZWL/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=viotek+gn27&qid=1562858425&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&smid=A1BVYXEL822RF0

Then there is this monitor. The stand is already pretty great. It's 1440P, 144HZ, (it's TN - bad viewing angles, bad contrast, ok colors, but incredibly fast), it is also FreeSync.

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/accessories/apd/210-arcj?mkwid=shU4lw4CU&pcrid=331136387189&pdv=m&product=210-ARCJ&pgrid=68035644233&ptaid=pla-634261895451&VEN1=shU4lw4CU~331136387189~901pdb6671~m~~210-ARCJ~68035644233~pla-634261895451&cid=312465127&lid=59673390919&dgc=st&dgseg=dhs&acd=1230923830920560&gclid=CjwKCAjwvJvpBRAtEiwAjLuRPYLmCbpuuf8SOjkeRSI-gDKtasvJYVeXZaGrN0vObUe03qnd4f4fPBoCNfkQAvD_BwE

Mouse: Just get the Model O. It is such an awesome mouse for only $50. It is honestly insane how good it is for the price. It is definitely top 5 on the market.

https://www.pcgamingrace.com/products/glorious-model-o-black

Keyboard: You definitely want a mechanical keyboard. Most mainstream options aren't very good. Cherry is not the holy Grail. Here is my recommendation (it has Gateron Switches and nice keycaps.) You can also get the wristrest and mouse pad from them. There are cheaper options, but I like supporting the great company when I can.

https://www.pcgamingrace.com/products/gmmk-full-customized?variant=20235337826362

Headphones: This is kind of a mixed market. Many, many different options. I'm just gonna recommend a good cheap pair, but there are tons of options.

https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Swiveled-Neodymium-Omni-Directional/dp/B07JH3LSHN

OK, here are a few choices. You generally want to be looking at Freesync monitors, not G-sync, in this price range due to the G-sync price premium.

AOC Agon AG241QX

This is a 24" TN panel, so it's going to have a very high pixel density, but obviously it's a relatively small monitor. Since it's a TN panel, that means the response time will be very fast, so it could be a good choice if the sort of games you like to play include competitive shooters, RTS games, Rocket League, that sort of thing where precision timing and fast motion is really important. However, TN panels also usually have relatively poor colors compared to other types of monitors.

The AG241QX is also a G-sync Compatible certified monitor. That means everything should just work out of the box with an RTX 2070S (outside of needing to possibly enable G-sync in the Nvidia control panel).

If you want a bigger monitor, you could look at this:

Viotek GN27D

This is a 27" curved VA panel. VA panels have much better colors than TN, generally, but have lower response times, which can lead to some ghosting in very fast-paced games. This one, however, seems to have pretty good response times. I actually have this monitor and I haven't noticed any ghosting. That said, I generally do not play fast-paced shooters like CS:GO, I'm more of a single-player RPG type of gamer.

Also, this is a non-validated Freesync monitor - that is to say, Nvidia has not tested it and confirm that everything works perfectly with Nvidia cards. Freesync works with Nvidia cards on all Freesync monitors, but with non-validated monitors you may encounter issues.

In particular, I have discovered that Freesync does not always work on this monitor with my graphics card (GTX 1080) if my other display is plugged in. I never use both displays at the same time (they aren't even pointed in the same direction) so this isn't a big deal for me - I can just unplug the other display when I want to play a game - but it might be a big deal for you if you are hoping to game while also having something else available for you to look at on another monitor. However, if you are planning to use it with a single-monitor setup, I can confirm that it works great.

Hardware Unboxed has a lot of good monitor reviews and overviews for you to look at if you want to see more.

Alright, I see that the GPU handles 1440p @ close to 60 FPS in most newer tripple A titles & handles games on ultra setting ^1. It also handles tripple A games at a much higher FPS(75-100~) with 1080p, and by extension, esport games (dota 2, cs:go, overwatch etc) at more than 144fps. So the way I see it is that you have two choises:

• Option one: If you care about High details & high resolution in single player games, I'd most def go for a 1440p ISP monitor. This is gonna give you a very gorgeous & detailed look in-games. It's also gonna be very great watching movies on. Something like this monitor, it's around 200 euro on Amazon, but I would try to find it locally to save on the shipping cost.
  
  
• Option two: If your only experience gaming has been on a lapop the first option might sound tempting, but if you wanna play some competative games such as Fortnight, Cs:go, Pubg or Mobas a 144hz, 24 inch monitor with low responds time (1MS) is the way to go. It's kind of hard to explain just how significant the change from 60 to 120&144hz can be, but everything will look way smoother & the gameplay will seem more immersive. In general you're just gonna have a better experience. The details arent gonna be as clear as with a 1440p ISP panel, but it makes up for that with the fluidity of the gameplay itself. For a more thorough explanation, check out this video. This is a really good 144hz, 24 inch, 1MS, 1080p monitor
  
  
• Option three : If you wanna have the best of both worlds, save up more money & buy a 1440p, 144hz monitor. This will give you the benifits of both, but this comes at more than double the cost of what you had in mind for the budget. Something like this should give you the best gaming experience.
  
  Hope that gave you some insight into getting a monitor.
  
  

I dont know the monitors you posted, but i know this one from a friend ( https://www.amazon.com/Asus-VG248QE-24-inch-Ergonomic-Back-lit/dp/B00B2HH7G0/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1466380676&sr=1-1&keywords=asus+144hz+monitor ), very good monitor, used in a lot of tournaments, colors are good, thats all i can say for now.

I have this one : https://www.amazon.com/LG-Electronics-24GM77-B-24-Inch-LED-Lit/dp/B00P0EOX1S/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1466380719&sr=1-1&keywords=lg+24gm77 the colors are awesome ( a little bit better then the asus one ), very good presets for gaming or multimedia, very good quality, sturdy etc, mine came without a single pixel issue whatsoever.


I hope i could help, even though these monitors are little bit more expensive.

Ps: Another friend got the BenQXL2411Z ( https://www.amazon.com/BenQ-XL2411Z-Monitor-Supported-seamless/dp/B00ITORITU/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1466381020&sr=1-1&keywords=BenQ+XL2411Z ) which is also a very good monitor, according to him the Colorpresets where all terrible, he needed a few hours and programs to adjust it and is very satisfied with the outcome.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-3820 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor | $229.99 @ Microcenter
CPU Cooler | Swiftech H220 55.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler | $139.99 @ Microcenter
Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-X79-UP4 ATX LGA2011 Motherboard | $248.49 @ Newegg
Memory | Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $126.99 @ Best Buy
Storage | Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk | $219.99 @ NCIX US
Storage | Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $85.99 @ NCIX US
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) | $663.98 @ Newegg
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) | $659.99 @ Amazon
Case | NZXT Switch 810 (Black) ATX Full Tower Case | $152.95 @ Amazon
Case Fan | Noctua NF-P12-1300 54.4 CFM 120mm Fan | $22.99 @ NCIX US
Case Fan | Noctua NF-P12-1300 54.4 CFM 120mm Fan | $22.99 @ NCIX US
Power Supply | XFX ProSeries 850W 80 PLUS Silver Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply | $119.99 @ Newegg
Optical Drive | Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer | $49.99 @ Amazon
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 8 Professional (OEM) (64-bit) | $130.55 @ Amazon
Monitor | Samsung S23B300B 60Hz 23.0" Monitor | $179.99 @ Newegg
Monitor | Samsung S23B300B 60Hz 23.0" Monitor | $179.99 @ Newegg
Monitor | Samsung S23B300B 60Hz 23.0" Monitor | $179.99 @ Newegg
Keyboard | Ducky DK9087S2 Shine II Wired Standard Keyboard | $137.00 @ Mechanical Keyboards
Mouse | Logitech G500 Wired Laser Mouse | $52.49 @ Amazon
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available. | $3584.33
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-26 01:43 EDT-0400 |


Replaced the 4770k with the 3820 and a gigabyte up4. They're better for sli set ups, especially with your budget.The 840 pro is a better option for an ssd than the 830. I took out the network adapter, because it shouldn't be needed. The 32 gb of ram is pointless, and dominator platinum is way overpriced, 16 gigs should work fine. A 850 watt power supply will work fine with your setup. The asus blu-ray reader is cheaper, but you should also consider a regular $17 dvd reader, as it will do everything perfectly, unless you want to watch blu-rays on your computer.

With the sound card and speakers, I'm fairly certain you don't need $400 speakers, unless you are an audiophile, but you can add them back if you do want them. Without the speakers though, you shouldn't need the sound card, as the mobo's sound should be fine. If you want to get a good headset or speakers, you can add the sound card back in, or go for one of asus's xonar sound cards.

Instead of 2 144hz monitors, I gave you 3 60hz monitors for if you want to go with a multi-monitor set up. I would highly recommend going with this 1440p monitor instead, but either monitor set up should work.

I wasn't sure about the mouse, but the logitech G500 is supposed to be a very good mouse, but I recommend you do a bit of research to find out what you want. The Ducky shine 2 is a very good mech keyboard at the same price as the k95. I do recommend checking out /r/mechanicalkeyboards to do some research on some good mech keyboards, and to decide what kind of switch you want for it.

If you ask a question, and someone answers it correctly, reply with a thank you, but include this checkmark: ✓ ( or if you cannot enter Unicode, use !check instead )

This will score the user whose comment you replied to a 'point'. Currently the points will unlock special flair that will show in all Daily Simple Questions threads.

This should be working, hopefully

In case you missed it, click here for yesterday's Daily Simple Questions thread.
There may be some questions still unanswered! Below are a selection of questions with no replies. See if you can help them out.

If you don't want to see this comment click the little [-] to the left of my username to collapse this comment.

----

> Looking at buying someone's 4670k/ 16GB DDR3 build to use as a streaming PC. He's taking the storage, GPU, and PSU to use in his new build, and I was planning on throwing something like a 1050Ti or a 1060 in it to handle encoding, jury's still out on a capture card. You guys think the old one can handle streaming, and how much would you pay for it?

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/am2dm3/daily_simple_questions_thread_feb_01_2019/efj9e3t/

----

> Anyone have recommendations for typing speed / accuracy tools or programs? Looking for something for a work project and figured I'd pick your brains.

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/am2dm3/daily_simple_questions_thread_feb_01_2019/efjof92/

----

> My microphone keeps switching back to "Telephone Quality" in the sounds section. How do I get it to stick on "DVD Quality"?

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/am2dm3/daily_simple_questions_thread_feb_01_2019/efjtwcb/

----

> I want to make an external power switch for my PC, something like this but drilling it into my desk to hide the wires. Im just wondering how worried I need to be about ESD. with the spades and wires under my desk. Obviously im gonna insulate the wires, I just need to know how much I need to insulate them,

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/am2dm3/daily_simple_questions_thread_feb_01_2019/efk43ia/

----

> Hi. I recently built myself a new pc. it's working great and I have had no problems with it so far. I just have one question; my PSU (Corsair rm850x white) came with some cable combs for the cables. I am now using the one for the 24 pin motherboard connector, but I had a hard time installing the combs on my GPU cables. They are 2x 6+2 pin so I used the 8 "slot" cable combs, but when I tried to install them I just could not press the cable into them. The cable just kinda got a little bend. It does not look all that bad right now, but I think it would look much better with these on. Any tips on how I can install them easier?
>
> ​
>
> Thanks!

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/am2dm3/daily_simple_questions_thread_feb_01_2019/efk7kwn/

----

> anyone else get a PM about joining to mine whatever the hell XMV is?
>
> I don't mine or never have mined anything

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/am2dm3/daily_simple_questions_thread_feb_01_2019/efkeubt/

----

> CPUID HWMonitor
>
> When I'm looking at the CPU temp, why are there 3 different temperature readings labeled as TMPIN0/1/2?

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/am2dm3/daily_simple_questions_thread_feb_01_2019/efkjoo0/

----

> I was looking into buying a gaming PC on eBay. I found one for a great price, and the person is in my general area. It will be express shipping. Everything brand new would cost about $870 USD, but it’s being sold for $490 USD. It also has thermal cooling and a GTX 970. The seller has over an 300 point score and has 100% positive feedback. They also told me that there is no warranty but they’d be happy to help me if there were any issues. Should I go for it? I’ve bought more expensive things on eBay before but something about buying computers makes me nervous, but I know I’m not gonna get a better deal anywhere else. Is there anything else I should check? Cheers.

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/am2dm3/daily_simple_questions_thread_feb_01_2019/efkv17w/

----

> Hello! I built a new pc recently and everything is working well except I am having an issue with my RAM. I have 16 gb of RAM in the form of 2 8 gb Corsair sticks. However, I am only able to use 7.9 gb of this Ram because 8.1 gb is "Hardware Reserved". I have looked up the issue and tried to fix it many times in the form of changing my memory settings, resetting bios etc... to no avail. If anyone could shed any light on how I might fix this that would be fantastic. The RAM is two sticks of Corsair Vengeance LPX and in BIOs it lists that all 16 gb is accessible so I don't think a stick is broken. I have a X470 Aorus Ultra Gaming motherboard. Any help would be much appreciated! Thank you.

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/am2dm3/daily_simple_questions_thread_feb_01_2019/efkv3cb/

----

> My ethernet is not working at all, I've tried troubleshooting and reinstalling the drivers. I am connected to the router and it won't connect to the internet. Apparently it has an invalid IP?

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/am2dm3/daily_simple_questions_thread_feb_01_2019/efkzewu/

----

> My monitor has this vertical line in the exact center of the screen, with one side slightly few pixels higher on the right side it seems.
>
> Did I get a faulty monitor? I'm not sure if it was always like this... it only took me recently to notice.
>
> Is there a fix to do in the display setttings?
>
> It's an HP Omen 27 inch with 144hz g-sync.

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/am2dm3/daily_simple_questions_thread_feb_01_2019/efl0spy/

----

> Having a problem with RAM's 32GB shenanigan for more than a year now.
>
>
> I am truly at my wit's end so any help would be appreciated. I used to be able to bear with 16GB but new work pretty much require 32GB now or it will keep crashing my chrome and even OS sometime.
>
> I have 2 sets of 4x8GB (Kingston HyperX 2400 C15/Corsair Vengeance 2666 C16). 32 GB is the goal
>
> Neither of them would work fully with R5 1600 on Gigabyte AB350 Gaming 3.
>
> 2x8GB of Hyper X gives 2400 Mhz max
>
> 2x8GB of Corsair gives 2133 Mhz max. Further than that system would not post. Automatically set to 2133 later.
>
> 4x8GB of Hyper X must be at 1833 Mhz max. Further than that it will set to 16GB 2400 Mhz (with another 16 in hardware reserve)
>
> 4x8GB of Corsair will go triple beeps multiple times then it settles with 16 GB 2133 Mhz (with another 16 in hardware reserve)
>
>
> Full spec
>
> R5 1600
>
> Whatever ram it work
>
> Gigabyte AB350 Gaming 3 @bios F25
>
> Gigabyte gtx 1080
>
> Corsair RMx 650
>
> Hyper X userbench https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/11698268
>
> Corsair userbench
> https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/14342851
>
> Edit: Corsair's ram is actually on motherboard QVL up to 4 slot so it's strange it won't work properly too.

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/am2dm3/daily_simple_questions_thread_feb_01_2019/efl3gem/

----

> I am trying to transfer all my GoPro footage on my external hard drive to PC. Currently, my hard drive is formatted to Mac. How can I transfer the files from Mac to PC? I have an unformatted hard drive spare but if I plug it into either Mac or PC it’s then formatted to that right?

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/am2dm3/daily_simple_questions_thread_feb_01_2019/efl3kju/

----

> I'm looking for a new Monitor and I narrowed it down to either the the Acer XF240H or Asus MG248QR both are 24" TN Panels with 144hz and Freesync. I know that IPS looks better but I want a TN because of the price and the 1ms response time. Also both claim to reduce eyestrain with low blue light and no flickering. I want to try that because I have sensitive eyes. Which one of these would you recommend regardless of the price difference and why?

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/am2dm3/daily_simple_questions_thread_feb_01_2019/efl4pci/

----

> What do you prefer a i5-6400 or i5-7400 ?
>
> Note: using a gigabyte h110m-h mobo

/r/pcmasterrace/comments/am2dm3/daily_simple_questions_thread_feb_01_2019/eflaje6/

----

User | Points
-----|-------
A_Neaunimes | 506
badillin | 432
Luminaria19 | 400
zakabog | 395
thatgermanperson | 314
Sayakai | 312
saldytuwas | 249
095179005 | 227
Excal2 | 222
motionglitch | 211


----

I am a bot - This action was done automatically. Please direct any questions or concerns ( or bug reports ) to \/u\/eegras - About /u/PCMRBot

Since you've already got your answer on refresh rate, this monitor has been fantastic for me. It's just a little over $250 at the moment.

ASUS VG248QE 24" Full HD 1920x1080 144Hz 1ms HDMI Gaming Monitor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B2HH7G0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_qOj2AbWHEN4Y7

Note that I haven't done any research on newer monitors or pricing so make sure to still do that on your own, but I've had two of these since late 2015 and they've been great. As most TN panels though, the colors aren't going to be perfect like an IPS, but at the time of purchase it was the best best for a 1ms response monitor at 144hz. Pretty sure there are IPS panels these days that get pretty close to that, so if you care about accurate color representation you may want to go that route.

In 2019 you do not absolutely need a CRT. A low enough input lag monitor combined with the input lag reductions of Faster Melee (online build to play Melee on computer it is excellent) is more than enough to match and even surpass the input lag of a crt. You can play Melee online and it is impressive how good it is.

​

- All you need to play on computer with a Gamecube controller is a Mayflash four port adapter which is 20 american dollars. The Wii U gamecube adapter will work as well. ultimate adapters should work I think too.

​

Many years of good resources for this game exist. The 20XX hack pack and the Unclepunch training mod are superb. Here are links to these things.

​

Get the launcher to play Melee online and find games with people - https://www.smashladder.com/guides/view/27dz/project-slippi-dolphin-launcher-2-0-guide-windows

Best monitor for playing melee on computer. Very good value for its performance - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H5KKQTM/

The Unclepunch training mod - https://smashboards.com/threads/training-mode-v1-1-updated-1-11-19.456449/

20XX hack pack - https://smashboards.com/threads/the-20xx-melee-training-hack-pack-v4-07-7-04-17.351221/

​

Project Slippi is also worth mentioning. It can be put on your Wii and does a great many things to assist with improvement and automatically will save all games you play as replay files. This video I saw explains the basic idea well enough - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDJiMES-dn4&feature=youtu.be

Project slippi was used at many recent tournaments with some large ones being listed here - https://slippi.gg/

​

These are some of the better resources and tools. These are only some things. If there are questions you have ask me. Good day :-)

The Samsung C27HG70 is the 27" version of the monitor Hoi_C recommended. As far as I know, the specs are otherwise identical: 144hz 1440p VA panel with excellent color accuracy and HDR (not strictly necessary for gaming, but still a nice touch). It's also within your budget, selling around $450 on Amazon. Note: this monitor comes with Freesync support (not G-Sync), so it pairs much better with a high-end AMD GPU than an NVIDIA. That said, if you don't care about variable refresh rate, it's still a great option regardless.

​

If you're tempted by ultrawide monitors, Massdrop has a really good one for $550 (a little over budget, but you basically can't get better specs than this without spending at LEAST $200 more). For a similar price, the Acer Predator XB271HU will offer similar specs to the Samsung monitor, but with G-Sync.

​

As for what I'm using, I have the ASUS ROG Swift PG279Q. Pretty much the top of the line for G-Sync at 1440p, but I can't recommend it to you because it's too over budget at $680.

​

TL;DR: the Samsung C27HG70, Massdrop Vast, and the Acer XB271HU are all excellent monitors, and you can't go wrong with any of them. Best all around value is the Samsung.

I had the perfect recommendation for you, but when I checked on the price I discovered the it took a $70 hike. Lucky for you there is a similar one Lenovo released here. It's pretty much the same as this, it just doesn't have Freesync. But thats alright since you're using a 1050ti. It is $130, but there are some used ones at $102-$115. I have 2 different Lenovo monitors and they work great for gaming. I like them because of the thin bezels and the matte displays. If you can't squeeze the lenovo into your budget, this is pretty popular. There is also this, which is vesa mountable, which is nice. I hope this helps a little. Good luck!

If I were you I would definitely look into getting a 2560x1440 monitor, it will be fantastic for any sort of editing and will provide a stellar gaming experience too. Unfortunately most of the affordable displays have to be imported from Korea via eBay, here are some links: Qnix, Achieva Shimian, Yamakasi Catleap. There is another alternative if you're absolutely sure you want a 1440p monitor and you don't want to take the risk with a Korean display. Monoprice sells a 2560x1440 IPS display for under $400. Dell and ASUS also have a really nice 1440p monitor, they just tend to be more expensive.

I think if I were you I would take a serious look at the Shimian Achieva, while it's a smidge more expensive then the Qnix, it has a glossy finish which aids the vibrancy of the colours it's displaying and would be the best pick for photoshop and other editing programs. Take in mind that without a matte finish it can succumb to screen glare but if you're willing to tweak the lighting in your room, it'll look fantastic.

Then you can afford a second Korean 1440p monitor into your budget if you want to or if you'd like to save some money then you could just look into a cheap 1920x1080 screen for a secondary monitor if you'll only be using one monitor for the important stuff (editing and gaming). But if you want my honest opinion, the ultimate setup for your needs and your budget would include this BenQ display. It is simply one of the best gaming monitors ever made-- it has a sweet 144Hz refresh rate, unbelievable build quality and can be put into portrait mode incredibly easily. On the negative side it is not an IPS screen and is not 1440p but if you play any sort of competitive game (SC2, LoL/DotA, Counterstrike) you will see the buttery smoothness that this monitor offers. If you combine that with a 1440p screen, that is a delightful combination.

tl;dr trying to figure out what's important for me. Looking for 1) ~27", 2) curved (just a preference), 3) high refresh rate (not sure how important this is), 4) IPS (not sure how important this is), 5) 1440p (or 1080p?), 6) VESA mountable, 7) low blue light, 8) flicker-free, 9) tiny bezel for a multi-monitor setup for long hours of non-media and non-gaming related usage.

Looking to get a new monitor setup and have put in some 15-20 hours of research, and I feel more lost than when I started.

For programming/reading/daytrading (and not gaming/doing media related stuff), what should I be looking for and what criteria should I be evaluating? I'm trying to maximize screen area across a multi-monitor setup (4-8 monitors total for 2 rows) and ease on the eyes for long hours of work (so: flicker free and low blue light), I don't really care about color range/trueness.

Size: looking for 27" as that's the largest that can realistically be mounted on a desk stand in a multi-monitor setup.

Panel type: TN/IPS/VA - what's best? I'm seeing a lot of conflicting opinions but it seems that TN is cheapest, VA best for gaming (?) / media, IPS best otherwise?

Curve: I think I prefer curved - opinions?

Resolution: 4k seems like a waste, leaving 1080/1440. It seems that the limiting factor for taking in data from my monitor setup would be my vision as opposed to the number of pixels per screen given that I'll have at minimum 4x27" monitors. If that's true, how much advantage is there really to 1440 versus 1080?

Refresh rate: is high refresh rate actually worthwhile/easier on the eyes [for not gaming]?

Response delay: Not really a consideration for usage unrelated to gaming.

Flicker-free/low blue light: Sounds nice, potentially the most important factor, but horribly subjective -- how do you actually quantify this? It's listed on some monitors and not on others, but never quantified. Is this a real/worthwhile thing, and am I to just believe that it works fine on any monitor that mentions these features?

Mounting: looking to get a 2x2/2x3/2x4 monitor setup, so VESA mount is critical. Further, it seems that I'm realistically limited to 27" monitor size due to monitor stand limitations (I don't want to mess with wall-mounted arms). If there were some good >30" monitors I might be able to make a 2x2 setup work (Samsung's 49" looks sooo fantastic but seems tragically awkward/difficult to make work in a multi-monitor setup due to weight/size).

Brand names: Recommendations? I keep reading through horror stories about dead pixels from foreign/less heard of brands that only produce monitors. Anything to watch out for?

Some monitors I've been looking at:


(1)

pros: 27", curved, 1440p, 144Hz, VESA mount,

concerns: VA and not IPS (is this even bad?), doesn't mention "flicker free" (but it's 144Hz? are refresh rate/flicker-free even related? idk), complaints about dead pixels

https://www.amazon.com/VIOTEK-GN27D-Curved-Computer-Monitor/dp/B078P57ZWL/


(2)

pros: 27", 1440p, 144Hz, IPS (!!!), mentions flicker free, good brand

concerns: not curved, pricey, doesn't mention low blue light

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CH9ZTI4/


(3)

great (best?) brand (Asus), 31.5" is a good size but might be awkward/hard to mount, options are straight+1440p+75Hz and curved+1080p+144Hz rather than the ideal curved/1440p/144Hz, really great sounding blue light/flicker free tech (subjective though)

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=0JC-001P-00A25


(4)

Asus, 27", IPS, 1440p, not curved, pricey (165Hz is overkill)

https://www.amazon.com/PG279Q-2560x1440-G-SYNC-Gaming-Monitor/dp/B017EVR2VM/


(5)

Asus, 27", IPS, 1440p, requires out of stock adapter to VESA mount, low refresh rate

https://www.amazon.com/Designo-MX27AQ-2560x1440-Frameless-Monitor/dp/B00VRKVGSC



curved+IPS+high refresh rate+1440p seems like a hard combination to come across, though I'm not sure that those are important features.

IPS stands for in plane switching. It's a newer panel technology, as opposed to traditional TN panels(don't actually know what that stands for). Anyway, TN panels are the kind that your laptop or current monitor has, in that if you aren't looking at it dead on, the colors shift and get all weird. IPS panels don't do that, and they have noticeable better color quality.

As for longevity, a 970 will last you a long time at either resolution(years). And in stead of turning down the resolution, you should turn down things like filters and texture quality. You want to run your monitor at it's native resolution regardless.

As for value, if sub $300 is your price range, I suggest a 1080p/144hz monitor, unless you're comfortable buying an overclockable 1440p monitor on ebay(QNIX is the brand). I can't personally recommend that because I have no experience with it, but lots of people around this sub recommend them. You aren't really going to find any major brand IPS 1440p monitors until about $400 or over, so it sounds like a really solid 1080p monitor is the way to go for your budget. Regardless, if you're coming up from 720p/30FPS, you're definitely going to be awe struck by the quality of 1080p.

Hope that helps, good luck! This is the 1080p/144hz monitor I recommend: amazon link to the Asus VG148QE

It's by far the best possible 1080p combo with your 970. It's a G-Sync monitor, which for lack of a desire to get technical is magic nVidia smoke that makes for a simply amazing gaming experience. Trust me, get this monitor.

TL;DR For ultrawide, go for the LG29UM67 or AOC Q296PM. For 16:9, check out the AOC G2460P or BenQXL2411Z. Check /r/buildapcsales for deals.
-

You should choose based on your budget, how you plan to use the PC, your gaming preferences, and what GPU brand you end up using.

With the GPU choices you can make in your budget, you should probably stick to 1080p monitors.

If you have an AMD card, you should look for a monitor with freesync, which will smooth framerates below 60hz. If you have NVIDIA, you can look into GSync, which is the proprietary NVIDIA version of freesync (with some extra features), but that will probably raise the price of a monitor by several hundred dollars.

If you want more productive space and greater immersion in your games, look into a 21:9 ultrawide. I use a LG29UM67, which has Freesync if you use and AMD GPU. The AOC Q296PM is another great choice. Look for sales; I got mine for $270. Many games have 21:9 support, but there are some glaring exceptions, which would leave you playing in 1080p with black bars on the sides. I wouldn't recommend going less than 29" with 21:9. Also, most lower-budget 21:9 monitors only give you around 60Hz refresh rate, so if you're getting more than 60fps in a game, your monitor won't display it.

If you will be playing with higher framerates or want a smaller screen, then you should opt for 16:9, which is the current standard. Then you can go for something with a high refresh rate, around 144Hz. If you want the best picture quality, you could go for an IPS panel instead of a TN; what I'll recommend below is TN.

So, for a good 16:9 monitor at a budget price, I'd recommend the AOC G2460P, especially if you have and AMD GPU. The BenQXL2411Z is another great choice, but it has no freesync.

Make sure you check /r/buildapcsales for deals. Monitors go on sale fairly frequently.

I actually already asked this question to /r/pcgaming and got some excellent feedback.

I ended up purchasing a 1440p 60hz monitor for the resolution later that day, and just picked up a 1080p 144hz recently, so I have the advantage of playing with both of them side by side to give you an accurate insight.

The 1440p has much higher color quality and makes games look ridiculously beautiful. The fact that you're at 2k 1440p means you really don't need much, if any AA to get smooth models. The desktop work space is very nice to have outside of gaming, especially if you work on editing video or do graphics design. This thing is BRIGHT. I had to turn the brightness almost all the way down just to keep it at a comfortable level, especially at night.

What I've noticed with my 1440p is if you're running a rig with a 970 or a card of equivalent or lesser performance, playing 2k 1440p resolution with ultra settings will yield framerates under 60 in most AAA games.

It also is a double loss in performance because the games you do have that pump out over 100 fps tear badly on 60 hz monitors. The lack of consistency in frames per second in general is noticeable enough to degrade the entire gaming experience. This can be somewhat fixed by enabling vertical sync, but it doesn't work well in every game, causes input lag sometimes, and from what I've observed it's there just to do what it can.

In a nutshell, 1440p didn't match up with my system's performance output at all. I had to actually turn down games in order to get a substantial, fluid frame rate. And even then, it was still capped at 60 fps max. I even overclocked my monitor to 75hz, and it looked worse even though it read 75 fps in-game. And turning down the game's resolution to 1080p on the 1440p monitor obviously didn't look good at all.

The 1080p 144hz monitor isn't as great in the color and clarity department on the desktop (in-game there is a smaller, noticeable difference, however it is not a deal-breaker), but holy cow when I first connected it, the difference was night and day. The game was so much more fluid and played more "live" if that makes any sense. Every single game looked and played like it felt like it was supposed to, some even better.

I wanted to cry when I first played CS:GO at 275 fps. It was that beautiful.

In all seriousness though, being at 1080p vs 1440p meant my graphics card could pump out much higher framerates above 60 at ultra settings with AA, where it was having trouble staying in the 50s in Witcher 3 at 1440p with some things such as foliage distance, shadow quality, nvidia hairworks, draw distance, and terrain quality turned down or off completely. I love my 1440p monitor and its resolution, but it just doesn't do well for gaming on this rig.

And the biggest difference? I was actually able to SEE the frames at 100+ fps. I play games exclusively on my 144hz monitor now while the 1440p is great for a second monitor with a large desktop workspace.

At 1080p@144hz, you will get higher and much more consistent, fluid frame rates that won't screen tear at higher ultra with AA. Games look so much better, I cannot stress that enough. OR at 1440p you'll get lower frame rates at lower graphics settings at the cost of a higher resolution, and will have bad screen tearing in games pumping out over 100 fps, forcing you to enable vertical sync.

After playing with both of them for many hours, if I had to go back and pick one, I'd pick the 1080p 144hz hands down. Actually if I could have an extra $1200+ to throw down, I'd pick up a 1080 pascal and a 1440p@144hz monitor.

TL;DR Don't get a 1440p unless you have the rig to back it up. If you want to push 1440p for gaming, you'll need a rig running a 980/i5 or better, and a 1440p monitor with 144hz to get the minimum performance necessary for games to look as good as you paid to play them at that quality. Otherwise, go 1080p@144hz.


My rig for those wanting details:

Edit: Duh, forgot to include the monitors in the pcpartpicker:

• Asus VG248QE 24" 1080p@144hz
  

• Acer G257HU 25" 1440p@60hz
  

  
  

  
  

  PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
  

  
  

  Type|Item|Price
  

  ----|:----|:----
  CPU | Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor
  CPU Cooler | Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler |
  Motherboard | MSI H110M Gaming Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard |
  Memory | G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory |
  Storage | Sandisk Ultra II 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive |
  Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB FTW ACX 2.0 Video Card |
  Power Supply | Corsair Gaming 700W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply |
  Operating System | Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 OEM (64-bit) |
  | Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
  | Total (before mail-in rebates) |
  | Mail-in rebates |
  | Total |
  | Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-03 09:18 EDT-0400 |

It really depends on what your brother is playing for games. If they are gaming casually and want it to look amazing this would be a good.

That looks like a good 4k monitor. That 1080Ti could push 4k pixels but only at 60fps max for many games.

If your brother is playing competitive or fps games I would recommend a 1440p monitor. It is known to be the best sweet spot resolution for 27" monitors. Below is a great 144Hz, 1440p, g-sync, IPS monitor. A gaming monster. Having a g-sync monitor is a gamers dream. It keeps everything buttery smooth without any tearing.
Acer Predator XB271HU 27" https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=24-106-004

IPS monitors are great with awesome colors but can be expensive. Dell makes a very similar monitor that is a TN panel which has worse colors and viewing angles but is cheaper.
Dell Gaming S2716DGR https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0149QBOF0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_HsWIBbD73QJ2K

If you mean 2716dg then there are a few things to consider:

• If you're moving from a TN to TN panel it will be a huge improvement.
  
  
• Dell QC is about a decade ahead of Acer and about 3000 years ahead of Asus.
  
  
• It's a great TN panel but even with perfect calibration, its still not an IPS. This monitor suffers from color banding that can't be 100% fixed as it has no gamma controls outside of Nvidia panel.
  
  
• Viewing angles on the this monitor are better than most TN panels but it's still a TN panel. Even a little big of an angle will make the screen look pinkish.
  
  
• Colors are good but not IPS good. Digital vibrant controls tends to oversaturate them.
  
  
• You can't get 144hz 1400p cheaper. It's the best value option.
  
  
• If you get an good IPS lottery panel it blows it out of the water. 4ms vs 1 ms isn't noticeable, I haven't played competitively in over a year but I've had a fair bit of tournaments behind me from quake 2, CS, WoT and Dota. The new IPS monitors have excellent combined response rate (Input lag + 4ms response rate is often better than the TN input lag + 1MS response).
  
  
• IPS lottery means you need to get lucky with QC. Some have terrible bleed and dead pixels. I won the lottery, that being said all the 1440p panels out there have some sort of a drawback.
  
  Personally I went with https://www.amazon.ca/Acer-Predator-NVIDIA-Widescreen-Display/dp/B0173PEX20/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496077486&sr=8-1&keywords=acer+predator+27(Don't get scared it's in Canadian dollars), and I don't regret my decision. I'll trust Acer long before I'll ever trust Asus, had some terrible experience with them.

i'll save you some time.

 

the top 1080p 144hz 1ms TN Panel they recommend over there on every post that asks, #1 is the Viewsonic XG2401

& #2 is the LG 24GM77-B

they say these two have the best color accuracy for a tn.

 

i recommend the Samsung CFG70

it has better color accuracy than both of those monitors above (because it's a VA panel and not a TN) and colors look as good as on my other IPS display IMO. (IPS panels have the best color accuracy)
and it has great viewing angles unlike a TN panel.
also it's $70 off rn. i really wouldn't pass this offer up as you're getting better color accuracy and better viewing angles for only $20 more than the Viewsonic.

 

good luck (:

Hey, The_MonBear,

​

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Ffhb3b Will provide you with a PC that is compatible with and without your hypothetical 980TI, and will also have an SSD in case the one you use for your Xbox does not have matching connectors or SATA ports (don't know why, but some add-ons are strange and are incompatible with certain setups.) It also provides a setup that is very clean are cable-management friendly, as I have friends who have used this case in similar mid-range builds.

If you want, I included a reliable Flash drive for transferring files and booting a copy of windows off of.

If you need to have a more in-depth guide on your building process that uses near-identical components t this PC, I recommend Joey delgado's Ryzen 5 2600 build ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98ujnl1_hW0)

​

The 580 and the 980Ti have very similar performance outputs, but depending on your budget and your card type, buy a free sync monitor (AMD GPU but about +$50 per 60/144/240 Hz increase) or G-sync (Nvidia but a ~$200 + every 60/144/240 Hz upgrade)

A 1440p 144Hz monitor would not fit in your budget, as it would make your build $1100+ save it be some very unreliable purchases. If you want any monitors I have a few I'd recommend:

​

1080p 75Hz: https://www.amazon.com/Sceptre-E248W-19203R-Monitor-Speakers-Metallic/dp/B0773ZY26F/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=1080p+to+hz+monitor&qid=1556595028&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

1080p 144Hz: https://www.amazon.com/BenQ-Response-Equalizer-Vibrance-Adjustable/dp/B01H5KKQTM/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=1080p+to+hz+monitor&qid=1556595028&s=gateway&sr=8-3

1440p 60Hz: https://www.amazon.com/BenQ-GL2706PQ-Black-Gaming-Monitor/dp/B06XDQ2RRQ/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=1440p+60hz&qid=1556595119&s=gateway&sr=8-1

​

You can use windows without a product key, you just will have a watermark in the right-hand corner of the screen at all times. if you NEED a product key, I recommend you use a reputable site that someone else or yourself may research, otherwise you just have watermarked windows with fewer customization options.

​

Hope you find this build guide very helpful!

I have a 144hz monitor, and it is great.

I benefit greatly from the extra hz for games like CS but if you already have a 60hz monitor and play games such as PUBG, I don't think the benefits of a 144hz monitor will make a great impact on gameplay.

• you get 60-100fps, and whatever frames your getting thats what you will see, so if your getting 60fps you will see 60 frames, instead of the potential 144.
  
  Though you may get more frames once the optimisation update gets rolled out.
  
  If you have the spare money and play many competitive FPS's, I say go for it, but you may not see that great of a difference until you get more frames on PUBG.
  
  As for the monitor, it looks great, it has the best response time that monitors have to offer along with Freesync support, looks good.
  
  I have this monitor: https://www.amazon.co.uk/BenQ-XL2411-e-Sports-eQualiser-Adjustable/dp/B01H5KKQTM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491496383&sr=8-1&keywords=benq+zowie+xl2411

He's right. Do you WANT to play at 14440p/144? If you don't care about playing at 1440p, then don't worry about getting a 1440p monitor.

I recommend you do, though. I just built an EVGA 1080FTW/i7 6700k build last week, and I'm absolutely glad that I got a 1440/144 monitor since the 1080 has enough power to make it worth it.

I play Overwatch, Rocket League, Borderlands 2 on maximum graphics at 1440/144 easily, at a nice and cool 67 degrees or so. I can also get Battlefield 1 at a stable 100 FPS on Ultra at 1440/144 as well. I have not overclocked.

I would have hated myself if I had gone for a 1080 monitor with the ability to go higher and still have amazing graphics and butter smooth FPS.

>Which one is cheaper and better?

Cheaper? 1080/144. Better? 1440/144.

Go with 1440/144. You'll kick yourself for settling for less when you get playing with that 1080 card.

---

I personally recommend this monitor. It's the one I have, and a friend of mine who built first recommended it to me. It's 1440p, 144 refresh rate, with GSync. It's also rather huge at 27", but I love it.

It IS a TN panel, not IPS, but once you adjust it based on suggestions, it's just as good as an IPS for a lot cheaper.

Watch the sales on it. It's "retail" $800, but I never once have seen it even remotely that high. I got mine for $449 from a Best Buy sale, and I frequently see it on sale at /r/buildapcsales. Otherwise you can take a look at jet.com and see if you can find one there for cheaper with the discount codes. Such as right here. Pay by debit card and opt out of free returns (can still return if damaged/defective, and can pay to return if you just don't like it) and add in the $50 max SHOP10 discount code, get it for $450 new.

tl;dr - Get a 1440p/144 monitor.

I think the monitor upgrade is the perfect idea. Upgrading to a 24 inch 1080p monitor will make him sooooo happy if he spends even a little bit of time in front of the computer. If you are looking for the best bang for your buck in your price range of $200-300 I can give you some suggestions.

If your boyfriend is using his computer for mostly FPS gaming, I would check this one or this one out or this one out. These monitors are great for FPS gaming because it has a refresh rate of 144hz and a great response time which helps in fast pace games like FPS games.

If you want to go above $300 but stay below $400 for the sake of getting a 27 inch gaming monitor as opposed to a 24 inch (which the three above are), check this one



If you boyfriend only games some of the time, mostly plays non-FPS games or uses the computer for any kind of photo editing or video editing I would check this one out. Dell Ultrasharps are top of the line monitors. I personally have owned 3 of for 2 years and have loved them to death. This monitor is an IPS monitor, while the above is a TN monitor. IPS monitors have better color accuracy and viewing angels and are better overall except for refresh rate. Unless you need a 27 inch monitor, this is far and away the best all around monitor in your price range.

There are also some good gaming monitors monitors in the 150-200 range as well if you don't want to blow your entire budget on a monitor. For hardcore gaming check out this [one] (http://www.amazon.com/BenQ-Gaming-Monitor-RL2455HM-24-Inch/dp/B007HSKSMI/ref=zg_bs_1292115011_4). It doesn't have has high of a refresh rate as the other gaming monitors but is sub $200.

Let me know if you have any more questions

For sure! As I said, I ran the Ryzen 1600 + RX 580 setup previously and every game I played I always put on ultra high settings with no stuttering or frame rate drops. I play a lot of League of Legends and even though it gets me over 350fps. I capped it to 144fps just for consistency purposes and it will usually hover around the 140-144fps range during a big late game team fight.

I also forgot to answer your last question about the monitor, my best advice would be to not get a 1440p monitor. Instead get a 1080p 144hz monitor with Freesync (supported with Radeon GPUs). I'm not sure if you have experienced the difference between 60hz and 144hz but I made the switch a couple months back and the difference in visual smoothness is MIND BLOWING especially for fast reaction games like CS:GO. The Freesync is just a cherry on top for even more visual heaven.

I highly recommend the AOC G2460PF it is the monitor I bought with my setup and it is quite hard to find any monitors with these specs for under $200 anywhere else. Here's a quick link to where I purchased it.
Here

Sorry for the long reply I am just still amazed by the great performance of those parts I bought in a price to performance perspective.
Good luck with your build :)

Alternative AMD build at the bottom of this post

--------

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel - Core i5-7600K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor | $299.99 @ Amazon Canada
CPU Cooler | CRYORIG - H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler | $46.75 @ Amazon Canada
Motherboard | ASRock - Z270 Killer SLI/ac ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $229.99 @ Newegg Canada
Memory | G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $177.99 @ Memory Express
Storage | Samsung - 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $136.50 @ Amazon Canada
Storage | Seagate - BarraCuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $62.99 @ Amazon Canada
Video Card | MSI - Radeon RX 580 8GB ARMOR OC Video Card | $389.99 @ Memory Express
Case | NZXT - S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case | $99.99 @ Memory Express
Power Supply | EVGA - SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $114.99 @ Amazon Canada
Monitor | ViewSonic - XG2401 23.6" 1920x1080 144Hz Monitor | $329.99 @ Amazon Canada
Keyboard | Corsair - K55 RGB Wired Gaming Keyboard | $69.99 @ Amazon Canada
Mouse | Corsair - Harpoon RGB Wired Optical Mouse | $39.99 @ Amazon Canada
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $1999.15
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-08-03 19:00 EDT-0400 |

Notes:

The original motherboard you selected doesn't support overclocking, I've replaced it with a motherboard that does. In addition, this board also has built-in WiFi which replaced the internal WiFi card you had on your list originally.
I removed Windows from your list of items, non-activated Windows runs nearly identically to activated Windows. You can read about that here. It seems like a good way to save some money until you have some more room to spend.
Picked a speedier kit of RAM for about $20 additional.
Added a 1TB Seagate HDD to your build since it's unlikely that a 250GB SSD will give you enough room for your games and video footage. The 2TB HDD is only +$30 additional for reference.
I hope you didn't want it to be $2000 after tax, because 120Hz monitors aren't exactly cheap. The one I included has FreeSync (only compatible with AMD GPU's), which reduces screen tearing at certain refresh rates. Here's another option (no FreeSync, slightly cheaper): BenQ ZOWIE 24" 1080p LED Full HD 144Hz.
I swapped the 1060 6GB for an RX 580. The performance on RX 580 is slightly better than the 1060 6GB in most test cases, and it supports FreeSync (the free version of NVIDIA's G-Sync).


------
With all that being said, I've also put together another build centered around AMD Ryzen 1600. This build doesn't cost as much, and will offer competitive performance to the i5 7600k you originally selected. More importantly, the motherboard supports future AMD Processors until the year 2020, which will make upgrading in the future easy and inexpensive (Intel is dropping support for LGA1151 after this generation).

Here is the AMD Ryzen 1600 build ($80 less).

I would personally recommend the AMD build, however, you can't go wrong with either.

The questions to clear up are: Which resolution do you want? 1440p is a bit much for the RX 480, but to move from a solid 1080p display you have to a new one just for Freesync might be not worth it – maybe depending on whether you'd be happy to continue to use it as second display, or whether you can sell it for a good price.

Panel is the next questions. There are some IPS displays with Freesync, which is nice as it means better colors and viewing angles. Freesync also introduces freesnyc-range as a feature, the FPS area where it works. That differs from display to display. Also, high-hertz or staying closer to 60; normally freesync means that the display goes up to 70 at least. Related to panel as high-hertz means TN.

I'll give you some concrete options for your budget. See them as starting points, there are valid alternatives. Samsung S24E370DL seems to be a good choice when not wanting to spend too much (~160€). 24", 1080p, Freesync-range from 45-75, reportedly hackable to 35-75, PLS-panel (equal to IPS). I'd get that, it's a nice small upgrade to what you have, Freesnyc, better panel, higher hertz.

If you want to go to 1440p, I'd consider the Ilyama B2783QSU-B1. 1440p, 27". But Freesnyc-range only 48-70Hz and it is a TN-panel with not so great viewing angles, something to be aware of.

The alternative is to go to 120 or 144Hz displays. I personally would not do that. But it could work here given you play some older games where your FPS will be high enough. A solid model would be the ViewSonic XG2401.

I think most of this sub is in agreement that a higher refresh rate monitor is better for gaming than a higher resolution monitor. Look for a 1440p 144hz monitor with gsync. Dell makes a classy looking one. Though I'm sure you can find something cheaper than $600.

With this budget you should be getting something from the top tier of PSUs. Any of EVGA G2, Corsair AX, or Seasonic Platinum series 650W+. [Consider this one.] (https://pcpartpicker.com/product/9q4NnQ/evga-power-supply-220g20650y1) Though I would really like to see something like this in there.

edit: A note for that case: it comes with the three front LED fans only. No exhaust fan(s) included. You'll definitely want to buy at least one extra of those fans to use as exhaust. This is the exact fan that comes with the case. The LED hub can support up to 6. Your MOBO probably doesn't have 6 fan headers though, so look into a solution for that if you end up getting a total of 6 fans. Your CPU cooler will need at least one fan and it won't be LED unless you buy one. With an all glass case you might want all your fans to be uniform LED. The fans are bad ass and I love that case.

Also with a glass case you might be interested in braided power cables that look a lot nicer than generic PSU cables. Check out cablemod. Also a lot easier to work with.

I must say it's very enjoyable working with high budget builds. I get to recommend all the cool stuff.

> I'm using an R9 280x

You've got a few options:

• single 1080p 120/144Hz
  
• triple 1080p 60Hz
  
• single 1440p 60Hz
  
  Now, you also don't want anything over 24" and you don't want to spend more than 400€ (551,60$). So I'd probably go with the first option...a single 1080p 120/144Hz. You probably won't saturate that monitor but that's ok because then you won't have any frame tearing issues. You'd be looking at around 60fps for Crysis 3 on high settings, and you're pushing 100fps for BF3 on ultra. So you would be able to take advantage of a 120/144Hz monitor.
  
  >And is there such a big difference between 60Hz and 120/144
  
  Yes. It's going to look a lot smoother the higher the frame rate, so if you're playing something like Civ V you probably won't notice a difference at all, while something like BF3 or CounterStrike where there's a lot of movement and fast paced things going on you'll be able to see it.
  
  This monitor looks like it fits the bill nicely. It's 24" 144Hz 1080p and comes in at $280. Sorry that it's an Amazon link, but you can just take the model and search it on whatever site that you want to and it'll probably be pretty close in price.
  
  If you want other monitors that you don't want to game on, I'd suggest you just go with a 1080p 60Hz monitor since you won't be utilizing the speed. Something like this. 24" 1080p 60Hz at $180.
  
  Unless you're planning on triple monitor gaming, or if you're a productivity guru you probably don't need a third screen. If you do want three screens I'd get three of the 1080p 60Hz one since you probably won't be able to take advantage of three 120/144Hz monitors with a single 280x.

I usually build my own but because of current sale in /r/BuildaPCsales I have to recommend a prebuilt for the money (you will be underbudget even with taxes if you don't get the speakers or speakers plus cheaper keyboard).

• $1100 This desktop: AMD Ryzen 7 1700 8-Core Processor 3.0GHz; GTX 1070 8GB; 16GB DDR4; 1TB HDD + 240GB SSD
  
  
• $400 This monitor: Dell Gaming S2417DG YNY1D 24-Inch Screen LED-Lit Monitor with G-SYNC 1440p, 1ms response time, GSync....simply a BEAST for gaming. You NEVER want to cheap out on your monitor if it is your primary monitor, never.
  
  
• $52 mouse: Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum RGB Tunable Gaming Mouse, FPS Mouse
  
  
• $40 Headset: HyperX Cloud Core Pro Gaming Headset for PC, Xbox One, PS4 RECERTIFIED
  
  I have bought 2 from these guys and other than plain box the headsets looked new and have zero issues with them. Comfortable, great sound (for gaming NOT for music), average to above average mic (for gaming) which is removable.
  
  
• $100-$200 insert mechanical keyboard of your choice. This is highly subjective because it depends if you want Blue keys (very clicky sounding with tactile feedback) or Brown keys (quieter but has tactile feedback), Red Keys, etc. I have every major brand of gaming keyboard from Corsair, Razer, Ducky, Das (I even have a legendary IBM Model M) but my daily driver is currently a Corsair K95.
  
  
• $250 External speakers (optional) Corsair SP2500 High-power 2.1 PC Speaker System Hands down my favorite PC speakers of all time. Super clean sound (for PC speakers/not audiophile) and chest thumping clean bass.
  
  This setup will be able to play almost any game at 1440p 60FPS at high settings.

FreeSync doesn’t affect Nvidia cards, it just doesn’t work with them. You’ll get the same framerates on a FreeSync monitor as with no sync monitor, you just can’t enable the FreeSync feature for use, the monitor will just work as a regular monitor. G-Sync is a nice feature but it usually adds $50-100 to the price tag so be cautious. Tearing can occur regardless of monitor depending on your framerates and the game, but with 144hz you should be relatively fine unless you’re playing at 160+ FPS.

That ASUS is overpriced for a TN monitor, if you don’t mind TN go for the Acer XFA240 which does have FS. But with your 1070Ti you may want to consider 1440p, especially since you were considering a $350 ASUS, you can get the Dell S2417DG which isn’t much more, has G-Sync and is the best value 1440p 144hz on the market currently. A 1070Ti will play most games in 1440p admirably and it will be great for a long time. I know neither is 27” but you’re gonna have to compromise somewhere, and 24” is still a great size.

If you're looking into getting a 144hz monitor, you first need to make sure your machine can output fps higher than 144 consistently at the graphic settings you play at. You can turn on a fps counter in Steam. Make sure the fps isn't limited in Rocket League settings.

Most 144hz monitors cost +$200. You also can't use HDMI to take advantage of the higher refresh rate, you would need a DisplayPort cable or DVI cable. A few possibilities you can check out are below:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B2HH7G0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_1ykdAb3X3PKNE

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M1DEEYP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_iykdAbF7T639T

Then make sure your display adapter properties enables the higher refresh rate on your new monitor. Test the refresh rate at https://www.testufo.com/refreshrate

Although 75hz seems pretty good at the moment. I don't know if you really need to upgrade now, but if you have the extra cash lying around that's up to you.

If you're talking about a general upgrade to improve fps or to play on higher settings, then you probably want to invest into a better graphics card. Look into a gtx 970 or gtx 1060 (or if AMD rx 480 or rx 580). A 1070 or 1080 is probably overkill for 1080p gaming. Those graphic cards have the power to support higher monitor resolutions like 4K. I would ask your friend for advice first since he's the person that made the computer for you so they know what's compatible and what's best for your build.

I feel like in order to play on a 144hz monitor at least on max settings with Rocket League you would at least need at gtx 1060. Your gtx 560 probably isn't powerful enough to utilize a higher refresh rate monitor like 144hz.

Also make sure your power supply unit has enough wattage to power all your new upgrades. You seriously don't want to skimp out on a cheap PSU because those can blow up and cause fires destroying your PC (or worse your house).

Overall you're probably looking at $300-500 if you're going to buy a new graphics card with a 144hz monitor, depending on if you can find good deals or if you buy new.

I'm not too experienced with different monitors, but in my opinion 144Hz is really nice to have, the game feels much smoother. I own one myself This one but I'd recommend That one

The one I own isn't really better than the one I recommend performance wise, but I liked it more aesthetically.

So maybe you could see if you can get these BenQ's somewhere. Also if you see some Monitors from Zowie, they are most likely the same as the BenQ's
Hope that helps :)

Edit: I play CS:GO aswell and I never want to go back to 60Hz. So if you are able to get stable 120-144fps or more I'd go for 144Hz monitor.

I looked at these exact three screens when I wanted to buy a new monitor.

They are all probably similar quality screens, but the Dell has excellent features and and excellent stand for the price. The Asus is nice if you want to do any moving of the screen at all, this is not for you. The Acer is pretty sexy and a tad cheaper at Amazon. As is the Asus.

I have the Dell and it is beautiful. I recommend this one.

Note that RAM isn't that important in a pure gaming/3D work build, unless you're a really insane multitasker (16GB RAM here - 40 programs running, 2 of them games, plus 200 chrome tabs will take up ~7.5GB RAM. Yes, I really get lazy with lots of stuff open), but feel free to add if it fits your budget.

I would go with a 1x8GB stick instead of 2x4GB in the above build, because it would have a better upgrade path.

The monitor is expensive mainly because it's a 4K monitor, therefore offering really crisp images - I'm not sure if you need this, but the Macbook has a high-res screen, too. You could go to a store that sells 4K TVs to check how the image quality looks like, and compare them to Full HD TVs - note that the crispness can be even better in a monitor, because of their smaller screen sizes.

For some reasor, /u/AHomelessManOnMeth's monitor has some bad reviews. I would suggest you to take a look at the ASUS PB278Q and the ASUS MX279H. I'm not quite the best person to suggest a monitor, but hopefully someone else could advice you better.

 
Also, what do you expect of your build? You definitely have money to choose.

• Tons of storage? (3TB HDD, for example);
  
• What are your favorite colors/styles? Would you prefer a case similar to Apple's designs? Would you rather save space or to have better performance?
  
• Would multi-monitors be a big deal? Do you like ultrawide monitors?
   
  I can come up with a part list for you.
  
  

https://smile.amazon.com/Asus-VG248QE-24-inch-Ergonomic-Back-lit/dp/B00B2HH7G0?ie=UTF8&tag=pcpapi-20

If your budget is up to $250 that ASUS monitor supports up to 144Hz so if you are playing more competitive/eSports type games they will be much smoother if your GPU is capable.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236722&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker,%20LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

Is similar to the first option, but offer FreeSync, if you are using an AMD video card. Also just a little be more expensive and may be out of your budget.

https://smile.amazon.com/ViewSonic-VX2757-MHD-DisplayPort-FreeSync-Technology/dp/B01A0ZRRCI?ie=UTF8&tag=pcpapi-20

Two options from ViewSonic 24" for $160 and 27" for $220. Both are 1080p so be aware that the larger screen isn't higher resolution. This doesn't make a huge difference in gaming, IMO, but windows and text in a browser might seem larger than typical if used to a 24" 1080p monitor.

Both support FreeSync and go up to 75Hz. Obviously not as high as 120 or 144, but its still a noticeably and welcome improvement to 60Hz.

https://smile.amazon.com/AOC-G2460PF-24-Inch-Gaming-Monitor/dp/B01BV1XBEI?ie=UTF8&tag=pcpapi-20

Final option here, AOC 24" 1080p with FreeSync and refresh rates up to 144Hz. If refresh rate is a high priority this is the most affordable option to get the highest refresh rates available today. It also comes with a pretty robust stand that allows it to be raise quite high, and rotated vertically. Seems to hit all the features for a great price and reviews seem to be quite favorable.

intel i7-7700K build

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel - Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor | €339.98 @ Amazon Italia
CPU Cooler | Corsair - H110i 113.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler | €126.73 @ Amazon Italia
Motherboard | ASRock - Z270M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | €119.42 @ Amazon Italia
Memory | Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | €128.69 @ Amazon Italia
Storage | Samsung - 850 EVO 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | €96.70 @ Amazon Italia
Storage | Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | €78.76 @ Amazon Italia
Video Card | Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card | €544.99 @ Amazon Italia
Case | NZXT - S340 Elite (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case | €98.99 @ Amazon Italia
Power Supply | XFX - XTR 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | €98.52 @ Amazon Italia
Operating System | Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit | €72.77 @ Amazon Italia
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | €1705.55
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-05-24 23:19 CEST+0200 |

amd r5-1600X build (obs.: i selected the X version but best value (price/performance) is nonX which comes with CPU cooler so you don't even need the Corsair saving you 156€ in the total price

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD - Ryzen 5 1600X 3.6GHz 6-Core Processor | €248.08 @ Amazon Italia
CPU Cooler | Corsair - H110i 113.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler | €126.73 @ Amazon Italia
Motherboard | Gigabyte - GA-AB350-Gaming ATX AM4 Motherboard | €104.51 @ Amazon Italia
Memory | Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | €128.69 @ Amazon Italia
Storage | Samsung - 850 EVO 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | €96.70 @ Amazon Italia
Storage | Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | €78.76 @ Amazon Italia
Video Card | Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card | €544.99 @ Amazon Italia
Case | NZXT - S340 Elite (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case | €98.99 @ Amazon Italia
Power Supply | XFX - XTR 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | €98.52 @ Amazon Italia
Operating System | Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit | €72.77 @ Amazon Italia
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | €1598.74
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-05-24 23:22 CEST+0200 |

monitors with gsync;

24" 1440p@165hz €416

27" 1440p@144hz €634

I used pcpartpicker.com to filter the specs I needed, and unfortunately most of the 144hz monitors I found were unfortunately out of stock (or would take long to deliver). Here's what I found:

This Asus is 75hz but cheaper than most.

This Acer sounds perfect but is unfortunately out of stock.

And as stated previously, this AOC would also be great, but is out of stock temporarily as well.

I guess the Asus one sounds better than just a 60hz, but i'll have to look up some reviews. What do you think, if I may ask?

EDIT: I keep seeing people saying that 144hz doesn't work with HDMI, and using HDMI seems like you'll get a max of 75~hz? I'd also like to add that I definitely understand the future proofing, but as of right now the only games I go over even 70-80 fps in are games like csgo (which I don't play so often anymore), and star wars BF/battlefield. On top of that, I'm ignorant to the glory that is anything above 60hz, so it wouldn't be a huge detriment to me. I'll definitely be on the look out for these monitors, but I just can't seem to find any at a good price for my budget, or that are in stock. Thank you though!

I recommend the Dell S2417DG Its only 24inch and TN but its a great bang for the buck. I have it and love the monitor. Had it for about 18 months no issues so far.

​

I got mine on sale for 350$ but anything below 400$ is a decent price.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Monitor-S2417DG-24-Inch-Response/dp/B01IOO4SGK

​

As for the 2080 I have the 2080 FE it has good thermals and like the aesthetic but Id normally recommend a EVGA SC for any Nvidia card.

​

Id switch your cooler to the Be quite Dark Rock silent 4. And upgraded you to a 2tb drive since its few $ more. Also you have an 8700k you dont need z390 so id bump that back to z370.

​

I updated your list if you are interested in my thoughts.

​

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/bJkYjy

​

GL and nice build!

​

EDIT: Price correction and spelling

I have an use a Predator XB1.. IPS 1440p +144/165hz & Gsync.

Before that I've always been accustomed to TN 60hz or IPS 60hz. Off the bat I will say if you like content creation and consumption (watching beautiful movies and photographs etc) the IPS is the way to go.

Also, if you value how something looks much greater than its utility, then trading a 1ms response time to a 4ms response time is practically an easy trade for the great picture and color reproduction.

I always wondered how it was to be above 60hz.. When I actually began playing I was amazed at how noticed it actually was going from 60 to 165 (I OC'd mine). It was extremely evident in my gameplay experience. I'll use battlefield 4 to explain this. Whenever there's an explosion it's not much more fluid than being a completely blurry mess, when I'm running I have to advantage of being served the latest frames directly from the GPUs (I use 2 980s), when I'm sprinting to approach a target I can much more easily depict whether if in the distance it's a person or am object (because as you run you naturally see some things in the distance as tiny aberrations, which you must react and identify quickly otherwise you may be shot at first). It definitely improved my game play and my server rank statistics substantiated this claim as there was a significant improvement across the board.

1440p. I love it. It's nice for viewing things on the Web and being able to have my editing tools and thumbnails spread out nicely. Most importantly I have 2 980s so this would be the highest resolution I can play games at maximum graphical settings without AA. Another neat thing is that because it's 1440p it naturally removes the need for any MSAA, you can turn it up to 2x but I doubt you'll noticed anything, which is awesome. I have my 24" 1080p IPS monitor right next to it because I've always preferred 2 than 1 or 3.

Here's my use case: Spend hours in Photoshop/Lightroom, spend hours watching Netflix, spend hours playing games (bf4, mostly competitive or RPG /twitch games).

Why do I stress the hours portion? Well throughout all this I'm changing positions on my chair, with a TN panel that'd be pretty terrible because if you look at the display other than directly from the front you get distorted colors, while as with IPS you can view it from multiple angles (think of reclining your chair and watching a movie as an example).

Please bear in mind what power you have to drive the display you want. If you want 1440p of 4k do you have the card/s to play games at the settings you want? I'm an edge case, I wanted to be able to max out every piece of eye candy and keep my fps always higher than 120-150.

Here's an Amazon link to the actual display I have:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0173PEX20/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1464209928&sr=8-3&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=Acer+predator&dpPl=1&dpID=41LRxNywlpL&ref=plSrch

What GPU do you have? AMD or Nvidia because then you will know if your going with free sync or g sync (make sure to get g sync... if you dont know what it does it stops frame tearing (look it up), and makes the game smoother with less input lag and less stutter. Even though its a bit more expensive, once that warranty runs out, your going to be wishing you didn't go with AOC. Then for your secondary monitor. Your also gonna have to ask yourself do you need it now or can it wait, and do you really need 2 monitors. obviously its gonna take a good video card, but thats why you have the nice 144hz monitor. Now to ask yourself... what res do you want to be playing at and do you really need 144 hertz. Competitive games like CS:GO your going to need to 144 hertz because of how smooth everything is and how much it really will effect you. but if you know your not playing games like CS:GO and you know your not gonna be getting a super high fps, then i would say get a nice 1440x2160 or 4k (depending on what video card you have and if you can run it). If you know your gonna use 144 hertz,

http://www.amazon.com/Asus-VG248QE-24-inch-Ergonomic-Back-lit/dp/B00B2HH7G0

http://www.amazon.com/Dell-Monitor-P2415Q-24-Inch-LED-Lit/dp/B00PC9HFNY
it will either be about 390 dollors for the 24 inch, or about 490 for the 27 inch. Do some research yourself and see what would suit you better, 24 or 27 inches.

and thats only if your photo editing and doing that kind of stuff. unless your doing that then i would say stick to 1440x2160

reply back for any help!
GL

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor | $190.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | Asus H110M-E/M.2 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $36.98 @ Newegg
Memory | Avexir Core Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory | $69.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $48.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card | XFX Radeon RX 480 8GB GTR Video Card | $249.99 @ Newegg
Case | Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case | $59.99 @ Newegg
Power Supply | SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $62.99 @ SuperBiiz
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit | $79.99 @ Newegg
Monitor | Acer R240HY bidx 23.8" 60Hz Monitor | $119.99
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $939.70
| Mail-in rebates | -$20.00
| Total | $919.70
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-21 23:25 EST-0500 |

Monitor is 119.99 with Amazon Prime but you should consider this or this.

The XFX GTR is hands down the best aftermarket rx 480 (check reviews online) available. It's usually near $300.00 but there is an ongoing sale that helps you save $50. So it drops to $250.00 (which is a steal imo).

I'm not usually one for rebate as it takes a while to receive and by then you'll usually have forgotten about it as well so you'll feel that the price is without the rebate. However that's just me, do as you see fit.

Decamarks didn't include windows 10 with his build? It's included in mine. With Rebate and maybe switching of the monitors, you have about $30-50 for an extra SSD of 120 GB for your OS to run off of. I suggest this if you can fit it in your build.

As for the Memory, I went for the cheapest while still maintaining decent ratings, (there are cheaper memory sticks out there). For the PSU, I went with Seasonic as you do not the 750w with the build unless you are planning on SLI in the future. I kept your case the same as that is entirely up to your personal preference. I hope this helps.

Edit: Also if you want a more popular mobo (the one I have in the build currently is fine ), consider this. But keep in mind, this will push the price to the budget of $950 . Counting rebate and everything.

This is what it would look like with the SSD and the Case Fan but it goes a little bit over budget with the HP monitor.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor | $190.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | Asus H110M-E/M.2 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $36.98 @ Newegg
Memory | Avexir Core Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory | $69.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $41.89 @ OutletPC
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $48.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card | XFX Radeon RX 480 8GB GTR Video Card | $249.99 @ Newegg
Case | Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case | $59.99 @ Newegg
Power Supply | SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $62.99 @ SuperBiiz
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit | $79.99 @ Newegg
Case Fan | Corsair SP120 57.2 CFM 120mm Fan | $12.99 @ Newegg
Monitor | HP 22cwa 21.5" 60Hz Monitor | $99.99
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $974.58
| Mail-in rebates | -$20.00
| Total | $954.58
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-21 23:32 EST-0500 |

Je ne te compres pas...
Honestly, this is beyond my expertise but ill give you my humble opinion.
Are you sure your cpu will give you the most out of your graphic cards? I feel like you could use a a more powerful cpu.
are you gaming with the second monitor? Bc if you are just going to use just for social media while gaming i would suggest you to get a hp pavilion monitor at $90.00.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015WCV70W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_uIAPzbXJ1FT3C

You can use win 10 without paying for it, just download the driver and click that you will activate the key code later. Its pretty much the same as win 10, just that you will have a water mark in your right bottom corner telling to to activate it. Also, you wouldn't be able to your background screen from windows but you will be able to do it from google (just right click the image and click set as a background)
And the most important thing... YOU ARE MISSING RGB!!!
Edit
I think this psu is better for your rig https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LY4OJYJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_0JAPzbCV07BSN
Gold standard does a fine a job, platinum and titanium are pretty much much for bragging rights.

144hzmonitors.com has a pretty good buyer's guide. Since you're Nvidia, the Acer XB271HU is probably your best bet: 27", 1440p, IPS, 144-165Hz, ~$700. I believe Acer and ASUS have the only offerings with all these specs in IPS, but lots of people have had backlight bleed issues. The newest versions like the one I leaked supposedly have better quality control though and lots of people love them.

Dell and BenQ also have similar but in TN panels, and I'd probably recommend them if you don't want IPS or would rather spend less. I have a Dell S2716DG primarily for gaming and it's great. But if you can afford it, then IPS is definitely nicer.

Few changes made!

• Motherboard: This motherboard is an ATX version. The H440 is an ATX sized case and the motherboard that I suggested was M-ATX (smaller) to fit inside the smaller case that I suggested.
  So I now went with a nice black & white, with little bit of red accents to fit nicely with this case.
  
• PSU: Changed to the G2. As you can read above in my rationale, I only picked the GS version of the EVGA PSUs because it's more compact compared to the G2. The quality of the G2 units are higher compared to the GS, but they're also a bit bigger. That's no problem for the H440!
  
• Lightning: I mean, this is all up to you, but I've added in a nice 140mm red LED fan for the rear exhaust. The case indeed comes with a lot of fans, but the airflow is pretty restricted. This case design isn't extremely well done compared to the competition. But no fear, it's still going to be more than cool enough for both the CPU & GPU.
  You may add in a red LED strip, but I personally think that this would be too much. The motherboard & GPU will both light up as well, so with the extra case fan.. I think that this is enough lightning?
  You can always later add it if you think you need it.
  
  ---
  
  

• Monitor: The Asus VG248QE is a very well respected monitor, but it's also pretty damn old. It's almost 4 years old!
  

  So I would personally recommend a slightly newer design from BenQ. But it sadly may arrive after Christmas. I mean, the Asus monitor certainly won't be bad at all, but I do believe that the colors will be slightly better on the BenQ. Especially the blacks is something BenQ did right (I have looked at this Asus monitor and compared it with the BenQ XL2411Z which this "BenQ Zowie" monitor is based off. I preferred the BenQ by a long shot!
  

  
  

  ---
  

  
  

  As you can see, I also don't like to have a lot of shops! I've filtered out most of them. MicroCenter, Amazon & Newegg! :)
  

  
  

  PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
  

  
  

  Type|Item|Price
  

  ----|:----|:----
  CPU | Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor | $280.00 @ MicroCenter (combo)
  CPU Cooler | CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler | $34.99 @ Newegg Marketplace
  Motherboard | MSI Z170A KRAIT GAMING 3X ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $110.00 @ MicroCenter (combo)
  Memory | Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory | $99.99 @ Newegg
  Storage | Sandisk SSD PLUS 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $69.99 @ MicroCenter
  Storage | Toshiba P300 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $63.00 @ MicroCenter
  Video Card | Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Windforce OC Video Card | $389.38 @ Amazon
  Case | NZXT H440 (Matte Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case | $110.00 @ Amazon
  Power Supply | EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $80.00 @ Amazon
  Case Fan | Thermaltake Riing 14 LED Red 51.1 CFM 140mm Fan | $17.99 @ Newegg
  Monitor | Asus VG248QE 24.0" 1920x1080 144Hz Monitor | $269.91 @ Amazon
  Keyboard| ikbc F108| $135.00 @ Amazon
  | Prices include shipping, taxes and discounts | NO rebates!
  | Total | $1660.26
  | Generated by Kiwiandapple |

For budget level I've seen in person the Viewsonic XG2401 , Acer XF24H (Roommate owns this one) , and Samsung C24FG70 (I own this one) and they're all really good budget monitors. If I had to rank them in terms of display it would be Samsung->Viewsonic->Acer. The Samsung is the only one that is not a TN pane but it is also the priciest. I bought it because I got it on a huge deal at Fry's. the curve is negligible. All 144hz, all 1 ms response time, all 1920x1080 which is all we can hope for at this level of GPU really, maybe a little 1440 but not a whole lot. I would recommend any of the three. We were cautious about the Acer due to lack of reviews but has really impressed us so far. Just have to a do a little fiddling with colors out of the box. Another bonus the Samsung has is the quality as it comes out of the box. It also produces the largest reproduction of color gamut. In my opinion all are very good value and fantastic 144hz entry level monitors. They're no 144hz IPS GSync monitor or anything but they definitely get there job done!

Ideally you would want to get a 1920x1080 monitor with a DVI or HDMI or DisplayPort connector. VGA isn't that good.

If you live nearby a microcenter they have a sale for a good monitor at $80: http://www.microcenter.com/product/408370/E2252SWDN_22_1080p_LED_Monitor

It's a 22" monitor which is a good size. It's full HD and has a good 5 ms response time and uses a DVI connector. You will however have to buy a HDMI or Displayport to DVI adapter as the RX 480 in my build does not have a DVI output.

If you would be willing to pay about $20 more you could get this monitor: http://www.microcenter.com/product/462882/S22F350FHN_22_HD_LED_Monitor

This is as good as the other monitor but it has HDMI input so you would not have to buy an adapter for it, and it has a technology called freesync. Freesync only works on AMD graphics cards and basically makes the image look smoother and nicer. It's hard to explain, I would look up an explanation.

If you do not live by a micro center you have some options on amazon here for $100: https://www.amazon.com/HP-Pavilion-21-5-Inch-HDMI-Monitor/dp/B015WCV70W/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1474251803&sr=1-1&keywords=monitor

That is a very nice HP monitor. It uses another screen type called IPS which has very very nice colors, and it has a much wider range of colors it can produce. Unfortunately this monitor does not have Freesync but it is still very solid and would do very good for gaming and it would not need an adapter.

Also, if you would rather have Freesync over IPS, there is this $120 monitor on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/ViewSonic-VX2257-MHD-DisplayPort-FreeSync-Technology/dp/B018MYT3YO/ref=sr_1_13?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1474252022&sr=1-13&keywords=freesync+monitor

This one is very good as well, it doesn't have IPS but it does have Freesync. You would not need an adapter for this one either.

First, I think ultra-wide setups (whether curved 21:9 or triple-monitor) won't be well-suited to Star Citizen. Unlike a standard First Person Shooter where you're scanning a primarily flat area, space exists all around you.

IMO, the best way to experience SC will be with a VR headset. But, being an MMO, I know that my play sessions might last as long as 12 hours. Given my desire to avoid headset-induced fungal/bacterial infections, I'm going for a great, large, single monitor.

Unfortunately, there isn't a monitor on the market which ticks all the boxes right now. Acer tried a 4K 144hz 32" G-Sync monitor, but the DisplayPort 1.3 they used couldn't carry the necessary bandwidth. Right now I'm using a 27" Dell 1440P 144hz and love it, but wish for a larger screen with similar or smaller pixel size.

According to techbuyersguru.com, monitor manufacturers aren't going to be re-attempting large + awesome again any time soon.

> THE 4K G-SYNC GAMING MONITOR:
>
> Acer Predator XB321HK
>
> We're keeping this monitor here as a placeholder, so readers realize that yes, we know a lot of you are on the lookout for a replacement to this venerable 32" 4K G-Sync monitor, the only one of its kind ever released. The issue with it was that with existing Displayport technology, it was impossible to achieve a refresh rate higher than 60Hz at 4K, and serious gaming rigs are now able to easily surpass that 60 frames per second, even at this extreme resolution. 4K refresh rates of 120Hz and above are coming with the new DisplayPort 1.4 standard, which has recently been adopted.
>
> THE GURU'S TIP:
>
> A new generation of 4K G-Sync monitors that exceed the 60Hz refresh rate will be arriving later this year. To learn more about this exciting new development, see our report on The Future of Display Tech from CES 2017. The only problem: for the foreseeable future, these monitors will be 27", so it's going to be several years before a true replacement for the XB321HK appears!

So, unfortunately, your best bet is probably the Acer Predator X34 for now. It's less "ultra-wide" than a triple-monitor setup, has good pixel size (same as 27" 16:9 1440P), and has an increased refresh rate (100hz). The Z35P could be alright too, if you prefer VA over IPS.

The shitty thing is; because it's ultra-wide, the 34" X34 is the same exact screen height as a 16:9 27" panel. You could get the ASUS ROG Swift 27" 16:9 for $375 less, have the same screen height (same usable screen area wearing in-game helmet), and have a faster refresh rate while drawing fewer pixels, increasing your GPU's FPS output. If you're cool with a TN panel, the $450 Dell S2716DG is hard to beat. You just won't be happy with the color reproduction.

So...just buy your pick of the 27" 1440p G-Sync monitors and be done with it for now. :(

Do your own research on panel types: TN -vs- IPS -vs- VA

Would be easier if you gave the actual model numbers of the products you were looking at or the specific price range you were looking for. For example, the only LG 34" ultrawide IPS 2560x1080 monitor I can find is the 34UM65-P which is discontinued -- so I can't find a general price as to what you're getting.

Speaking from personal experience I can say a few things though.

1. Owning a 1080p144 TN monitor I can honestly say that I won't buy a TN panel to upgrade, I only really got this because when I did 144Hz IPS panels with low input lag didn't exist without an huge price tag. I think that the increase in colour accuracy and contrast ratio to be well worth it for everything; general use, gaming and video playback.
   
   
2. Ultrawide 1080p (2560x1080) at 34" is about the same pixel density of 1080p at 27" (~6600PPI). I personally think this is too low in terms of PPI and provides a pretty rough image; the bare minimum in my mind is about 8400PPI (or a 24" 1080p monitor). This may be fine for you but I'd definitely recommend seeing the monitor in action before you buy it if you haven't already.
   
   
3. The GTX1080 is a beast of a card, but 4k is also a beastly resolution to pump out. If I recall correctly the benchmarks I saw showed the GTX1080 just missing 60fps at 4k for the majority of "new AAA" games they benched; things like Rise of the Tomb Raider, Hitman and Shadows of Mordor. I wouldn't recommend anything more than 1440p if you like high framerates; unless you really want/need the extra screen real-estate 4k provides, which definitely is tempting but not from a gaming standpoint.
   
   
4. A lot of games hate non-16:9 aspect ratios, you can find threads filled with frustration from widescreen gamers since they're frequently overlooked. Case in point, recent Overwatch problems where the devs felt that "seeing more" on the sides equated to an unfair advantage and screwed with the display profiles for widescreen users. It's something to keep in mind.
   
   Finally, if you're definitely looking at upgrading to a GTX1080 soon, it's probably not in your best interest to get a 1080p monitor. The GTX1080 is generally considered to be complete overkill for this resolution and if you're going to invest in a high-end, money-heavy card you may as well wait, save more money, and invest in a higher resolution monitor as well.
   
   ---
   
   SIDENOTE: If money isn't too much of an issue or you're up for waiting until you get enough for a new monitor, I'd recommend the Acer Predator XB271HU or the ASUS PG279Q in order to fully take advantage of the GTX1080 you're planning on buying. Both are 1440p IPS monitors with low response times (not TN level but from what I've seen, easily good enough) and 144Hz+ with G-Sync (and the PPI at 27" makes me drool -- ~12,000PPI).
   
   ---
   
   Advice for the moment though? Specifically think about exactly what you want to use the monitor for, do you need a large one? Do you want a high pixel density? Do you do work with multiple windows open when you're not gaming? Is ultrawide something you absolutely need?
   
   Finally, check out this guide, they have an excellent break down of what's "best" at the moment for a variety of categories and is a great starting point.
   
   Unfortunately the guide I was going to link is a part of the /r/pcgaming banned domains list for referral spam and my first comment was auto-moderator deleted. My bad, I had no clue. If you'd like to know what it was just PM me and I'll send it to you. To be clear, I'm not affiliated with them, I just think it's a good resource to compare recent monitors.

Trying to decide what to get for Christmas. Budget is probably in the less than $400 range. I want a 1440p G-sync monitor but I figure that is probably out of my budget. So I am trying to decide if I should go with a 25" 1440p monitor without g-sync or a 24" 1080p monitor with g-sync. I'm upgrading from a regular 24" 1080p monitor (which I will probably keep for a dual monitor set-up). I would be fine with staying in the 24"-25" range.

So basically I'm trying to decide what is more important, higher resolution or g-sync. I like to play modern fps games as well as lots of other types of games, but I'm not really that competitive or anything, if that matters. I linked two possible monitors above but if you can suggest something better please let me know! Thanks.

Here is my build for reference (already built):

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor | $257.98 @ Newegg
Motherboard | Asus Z87-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard |-
Memory | Kingston 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $61.73 @ Amazon
Storage | Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $89.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Western Digital BLACK SERIES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $69.00 @ B&H
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB FTW ACX 2.0 - GS Video Card | $503.98 @ Newegg
Case | NZXT Source 210 Elite (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case | $45.99 @ Directron
Power Supply | Corsair Builder 750W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | $74.99 @ Newegg
Optical Drive | Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer | $18.88 @ OutletPC
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) | $89.88 @ OutletPC
Wireless Network Adapter | Rosewill RNX-N180UBE 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter | $19.45 @ OutletPC
Monitor | Asus VS248H-P 24.0" Monitor | $147.99 @ SuperBiiz
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $1419.86
| Mail-in rebates | -$40.00
| Total | $1379.86
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-15 22:24 EST-0500 |

They'll both have extremely similar performance, but the one with the 6600K should have slightly better performance. I would DEFINITELY suggest switching one or both of those hard drives for an SSD, that will VASTLY improve your load times and generally make your life easier. I would also ditch the fan controller, disk drive, and peripherals and invest that money in a nicer monitor. Get a cheap keyboard and mouse until you can afford good ones. I recently bought this monitor and the extra performance you get is certainly worth the price. I have the 390 too, and it doesn't have much trouble running almost every game at decent settings.

Not who you asked, but in my experience and my opinion, it won't be an issue for most people. There's a tiny bit of visual blur on fast full screen movements, especially when it's shifting wildly between bright and dark. For myself, the difference in cost - and I love the IPS color rendition, though other techs are close now - is worth the tiny bit of blur. If you're playing competitively, yeah, probably not what you want, but for everything else it's probably fine.

This is likely what /u/cloudaura1234 is talking about - we use them at work and I've recommended them to other people. https://www.amazon.com/HP-Pavilion-21-5-Inch-Monitor-22cwa/dp/B015WCV70W They're common enough there might be one on display at a Best Buy or something to try out first. Worth looking, maybe.

That said, Amazon mentioned that there's a larger Acer with a slightly faster response time for only a few bucks more. https://www.amazon.com/Acer-R240HY-bidx-23-8-Inch-Widescreen/dp/B0148NNKTC/ I do not have experience with this monitor, unlike the HP, but IMO it might be worth a shot. Do note that it likely gets its higher response from overdriving the panel, which can cause ghosting as noted in the reviews. This can apparently be turned off.

​

​

​

I never said anything about 4K tvs. I don't own a 4K anything. It's not like 4K is the only thing you are allowed to upscale to. The 4 displays in question, I didn't use them all simultaneously, this was just over the course of a few years. These were my 4 most recent displays I have used for my PC over the years. The first was a 1080p TN monitor, the next was a 1080p television, then a 1440p PLS monitor, then the one I have now, another 1440p PLS monitor.

I'm just amazed that you are literally telling me that I didn't see with my own eyes what I did see as recently as just two fucking days ago when I switched ArmA 3 to 720p (which should scale perfectly to 1440p) because I was having a hard time getting above 30fps in multiplayer. When I switched to 720p the colours were indeed less fucking vibrant, it was more like I was streaming the game rather than running it on my local machine, that's what it looked like. Are you going to now tell me that that definitely didn't happen? Because it did.

I'm not saying this to try to "win" the argument, I wish it fucking didn't happen because I would find upscaling from a lower resolution to be very helpful for when I am playing a game I can't run very well and want a solid framerate, but I don't do it because it just doesn't work as I would like it to. It looks strange, I can't quite describe it perfectly, but the closest I can describe it is that the colours are somewhat washed out and don't look as bright or whatever.

The only reason I can think why I have had these experiences is because perhaps monitors generally aren't as good at upscaling as TVs. Which would make sense, because TVs have to display a very wide range of different resolutions, but with monitors I suppose they kind of expect you to do everything in the native res, I don't fucking know.

I'm not making this up, and to be honest I don't know why you would think I would make it up. Actually, maybe I am incorrect and I am doing something wrong. In which case I would appreciate it if you would help me. So, I have a 1440p monitor. Let's say I can't get a FPS to stick to a solid 60fps, so I want to reduce the resolution. What would be the best way to go about doing that? Should I just change the in-game resolution, or is there something else I can do to make it look better, like changing desktop resolution too? And seeing as you know so much about upscaling, here is my current monitor: http://www.amazon.com/PB278Q-27-Inch-LED-lit-Professional-Graphics/dp/B009C3M7H0

Take a look at my monitor specs and you will be able to see if it is shit at upscaling or something. If it is shit at upscaling, then we know what the issue is, and why I have experienced the phenomenon that I can only really describe as loss of quality in colour reproduction. I'm not trying to say I know anything about upscaling (or really anything about monitors and stuff) and I appreciate that you are elaborating and teaching me more about it. But I can't stand that you are telling me that something that I definitely have witnessed multiple times, didn't happen. It would be like if you told me what I had for lunch today, it's fucking stupid.

For the mouse you don't need to spend a bunch of money to get something good, here's the mouse my friend uses. http://www.amazon.com/E-3lue-EMS109BK-Precision-Control-1600dpi/dp/B005CPGHAA/ His only complaint is he can't turn off the LED on it, which could be a problem if you don't like it. You could spend a bit more for a better mouse such as the Deathadder or Steelseries Rival (I personally own the rival, great mouse)

For keyboards, it's up to you if you want mechanical or membrane. Mechanical will be more expensive but it's nicer to type on and feels better. This is a very basic membrane keyboard, it works. Here is a good mechanical. (FYI it doesn't use the standard Cherry MX keyswitches most mechs use, although they still feel better then membrane). You can also look at Corsair's keyboards, Corsair's, and other manufactures mechanical keyboards.

For the monitor I'm assuming you want something decent, 1080p, 60hz? Here is a 24 inch 1080p 60hz monitor, you could look at cheaper ones too. It really depends on what you want. I use 2 23 inchers that I got for $100 and they work fine for my uses.

Good luck!

Keep in mind these are just my amazon searches, so there definitely could be better actual monitors on different websites or better prices elsewhere.

This is the one I have. It’s the cheapest high refresh rate g-sync monitor that I know of. It’s good but the colors aren’t the greatest. It’s still an insane improvement over my $120 Costco 1080p 60hz monitor.

This is basically the best 1440p monitor currently available. It’s got g-sync, an IPS panel, and i think an audio pass through. But, it’s expensive and kind of flashy which may mess up your setup if you care about that.

This is a nice 4K IPS monitor. It’s only 60hz but even with a 1080ti you won’t get above 60fps in many games at 4K with higher settings. Again, it’s expensive.

This is a 4K 144hz monitor with g-sync. You could probably find a way to get a 1080ti, a better monitor, and better cpu for about half the price so...

I think this is a great build. If you want to spend a little more money, I would say upgrade the power supply to an EVGA G2 550W. It is pretty much the gold standard for power supplies, and with a staggering 10 year warranty, you'll have it through many upgrades and potentially another build. Other than that, I might upgrade to a better SSD but the one you picked is probably fine.

For monitors, I'd personally recommend this for you: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BV1XBEI/?tag=pcpapi-20

It's a 1080p 144hz freesync monitor. While you might not be able to push 144 FPS at high settings in every single game you play, you can definitely get it in league, and even if you are below 144 FPS in more demanding games you'll have the freesync.

If you want to spend less then go for a 1080p 60hz monitor. I'm sure you can get one for $100 or less. But I really think you'll like the 144hz; it helps give you that competitive advantage. Even just typing on it and moving your mouse around is really pleasing.

Hello everyone!

I've been thinking of upgrading my dual monitor setup. Currently I own 2x BenQ RL2455HM.

---------

My PC's Specs

• ASUS G75VW
  
• Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium
  
• Intel i7-3610QM (2.30GHz)
  
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M
  
• 24GB Ram (8GB onboard & 2x 16GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1866MHz)
  
  My Gaming Habits:
  
  
• I play a wide variety of games, but at the moment I've been playing quite a bit of Diablo 3, Dark Souls 2, League of Legends, Civilization V, FPS games, Planetary Annihilation, and Rust.
  
  Cost
  
  
• Cost isn't too big of a deal for me, but I would like to stay around the $200-300ish (per monitor) price range.
  
  Other Considerations
  
  
• While response time is of great concern to me, I'm also looking for a monitor that has great picture quality in terms of clarity and color.
  
  Monitors I've been researching:
  
  
• BenQ XL2420Z
  
  
• ASUS VG248QE
  
  -----------
  
  So what do y'all recommended as far as a potential monitor upgrade for a person like me?
  
  Thanks.

Is there any monitor better than these ones at the same price? I know it's a vague noob question to ask but I read online that a higher resolution doesn't mean it has better image quality.

This monitor reaches my max size and max resolution. I'll be happy with a 2k monitor as well, i'm not looking for a 1080p monitor.

The monitor in the link is 4k, 1ms, Freesync, 60hz. Is this a bad combination? I've seen TONS of deals out there with 1080p 144hz specs, but doesn't 1080p seem a bit low resolution for monitors larger than 22" ??

https://www.staples.com/Dell-S2817Q-28-Ultra-HD-4K-LED-Monitor/product_2629483

This other monitor looks great as well.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QS0AKVK/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I1QXN34V76623K&colid=355WIX6N4FF37

I'm planning on using a 2nd monitor for my laptop (970m) that will help me do architecture programs, movie watching, and videogame playing. So I care a lot about image quality and performance. Let me know what you think.

I'm not fully aware of every monitor price right now, but I highly doubt you'd find 144hz in that price range. Probably best to just grab some 23in 1080p. You can definitely get an IPS for that price, though. I just bought one for a friend not long back for around $140.

I believe this popular one is what I went with: https://www.amazon.com/Acer-R240HY-bidx-23-8-Inch-Widescreen/dp/B0148NNKTC/

Edit: On second glance, looks like you really can find cheaper monitors with a higher refresh rate. Honestly, just search the terms on Amazon and check reviews. I know that's not the greatest answer, but as long as the monitor has the specs you want and doesn't have horrible reviews, that's pretty much the best approach.

Ouch, my bad, I meant the i7-7800K!! Sorry to bother, but I still am a tiny bit confused.
>Yes, gaming performance is almost always going to improve. Every generation we get a bump in Instructions Per Cycle or IPC. This means that at the same clock speed, the CPU with the higher IPC will perform better.

>To simplify it here is a simplified 'benchmark'

>i7-2600K @ 4GHz = 500 points
>i7-4790K @ 4GHz = 700 points
>i7-7700K @ 4GHz = 1000 points
>i7-8700K @ 4GHz = 1200 points

>i7-8700K @ 3.5GHz = 1000 points

>i7-8700K @ 4.5GHz = 1400 points

>These numbers are made up, just to help you understand.

So basically the Ghz are faster with each new generation? Like for instance, would the Intel i7-7700K at 4.2GHz run faster than the Intel i7-8700K? Like I know the 8th Gen is faster, but what I am trying to say is the GHz speed is different for each generation? Sorry if that was not clear, I'm trying to write my thoughts down.

Also, this was the website I was looking at to compare the two CPUs.
Link

The main thing I am worried about here is Minecraft, and I know it sounds dumb and stuff, but I've been seeing on other PlanetMinecraft and Reddit forums that it is hard to tell with Minecraft, and you never really know how to tell if it is going to run well or not. My current laptop, a Lenovo YOGA 710-14IKB, can run MC vanilla at a max of about 120fps, which is the highest I have ever seen it go. When I am running on MultiMC with a custom modpack of about 120 mods on the lowest settings, I am lucky to get 40fps. I just really want to make sure that the parts I am looking at will run these games considerably better (To play my heavy games such as Black Flag and PUBG I use Nvidia Geforce Now).

Also, I was browsing around Microcenter yesterday, and I found a couple good looking monitors. I wanted to make sure that they would work with the parts I will get in the future, plus I want to wait for the prices to go down, maybe get a holiday/special event deal or something. This is one in particular I was looking at, I will probably have to go over budget, but monitor is important.
*Dell Gaming Monitor-144Hz, 3ms Response Time, 27" Monitor--$479.99 @Amazon

Let me know what you think. (Also, this is kind of my first post on Reddit, so sorry if the formatting is bad, I was looking at the Markdown chart below.)

Anyway, thanks so much for your help! I've learned a crap ton ever since you started commenting. Thanks!

I’ll edit this comment and link some more than capable PC’s if you’d like any help with that.

Edit: Here’s some links to some more than capable PC’s

https://www.ibuypower.com/Config/MobileConfigurator/Battlebox-2019-Ultimate

https://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/VR-Ready-Deal-RTX-2070-Super

These are both absolutely killer. The first link is the most powerful out of the two. Personally, intel is a very good processor, but AMD has really been killing it with Ryzen. You might want to consider going with similar components but a Ryzen professor instead. Regardless, both of these pc’s will run anything at 4K with relative ease, and you’ll be hitting 144hz in 1440p-1080p no problem.

Here are some cheaper options that would run FiveM just fine. They will run pretty much everything at top graphics in 1080p. You can also hit 1440p on some games.

https://www.ibuypower.com/Store/AMD-Ryzen-3rd-Gen-Starter

https://www.newegg.com/0/p/N82E16883230425?item=N82E16883230425


Lastly I’ll include my monitor recommendation, I’d also recommend that you get two monitors personally. If your budget is $3,000 and you want to go all out, two monitors is a must have. Heck maybe even three monitors. If I had your budget, I’d do one of the top links and three of these bad boys.

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-27-Inch-LED-Lit-Monitor-S2719DGF/dp/B00N2L5CXO/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?adgrpid=66546153543&gclid=CjwKCAjwqNnqBRATEiwAkHm2BDIgdGff33la-8fLf7WUprkF5eHv4ZAYmWjoUPWWtTK6x6uLqzbLTBoCJ4MQAvD_BwE&hvadid=337560437256&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9014261&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=14554267898925917790&hvtargid=kwd-316396663808&hydadcr=20132_9665281&keywords=dell+1440p+144hz&qid=1566001701&s=gateway&sr=8-3

That’s a really long link, but that’s a 144hz 1440p Free-sync monitor. Free-sync is compatible with both AMD and Nvidia cards.

Ultimately, I’d spend a few days doing some research before you turn loose of 3 grand! There’s a lot of options out there, and these are just a few of the pc’s I found in a 10 minute search. If you’re only interested in FiveM then you might not want to spend so much money. On the other hand, if you want to be able to play anything and everything, go for it! Good luck with everything, and have fun bro!

the one i have is sick dude

http://www.amazon.com/VG278HE-27-Inch-Screen-LED-lit-Monitor/dp/B00906HM6K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407598984&sr=8-1&keywords=asus+27+inch+144hz

in additoin to being 144hz, also has 1ms response time. And the color and saturation is amazing. Honestly when i got this and played chiv, chivalry looked even better. All the lighting looks amazing, colors are way more vibrant, and walking inside stoneshill for example... even the torches on the wall and stuff look different in an amazing way.

Investment? yes.. it's pricey but peripherals make your gaming experience so good.

If that one is out of your price range, you can try this

http://www.amazon.com/VG248QE-24-inch-LED-lit-Monitor-response/dp/B00B2HH7G0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407599102&sr=8-1&keywords=24%27%27+asus+144hz

asus is awesome company, and if anything is wrong with your monitor, say you have dead pixel or something, they will send you replacement before you send to them. Great support awesome company and solid products.

You could go for one of those korean monitors or samsung or w/e.. but asus is tits man. Highly recommend. Sir_Pink and I have the same monitor and we love em.

So yeah, basically you have it all right about ips and TN. I don't know what they stand for, but all I know that it's just the type of panel on the monitor. And the ips is just going to have way better color reproduction than a TN panel. I would go for IPS if you want better colors. And a cheaper all around cost. You can find any IPS monitor for easily around $150-200.

I will say that I find DELL monitors to run a little higher than most, but they still compete for the most part. I like this one cause it has a small bezel http://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=24-260-217 it would be great for dual monitors with a nice dual monitor stand.

I like ultrawides too http://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=24-025-212

Another slim bezel http://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=24-236-583

Budget ips http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0148NNKTC/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1451334778&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=ips+monitor&dpPl=1&dpID=519rzl-wIQL&ref=plSrch

If I got anymore questions I can answer here, and you do have my steam and I could answer on there too.

To give you a couple items as a ballpark for your shopping:

Monitors
==========

• $100: One of many simple 1080p 60 frames. Nothing too fancy. They are honestly fine for gaming.
  
  
• $210: AOC G2460PF has 144 frames per second and Freesync. The high frame rate means that visuals look better in motion. Have someone with a high refresh rate monitor show you testufo.com, even at slow speed it's just so much clearer looking. The Freesync is for AMD cards; it eliminates vertical sync issues, which aren't that big of a deal on 144Hz monitors, but it doesn't make the monitor more expensive. Note the great stand on this one.
  
  
• $400: Samsung U24E850R has 4K resolution PLS at 60 fps and Freesync. The high resolution (4 times 1080p) means that your graphics will be world-class. In motion it will suffer slightly by only having 60Hz. The PLS panel type is very similar to IPS panels and means it has more expressive colors and better viewing angles than traditional TN panels. This one will look gorgeous if your graphics card can drive it :). Also has a good stand.
  
  Keyboards
  ==========
  
  
• $110: K70 Red Switches Red LED. Red switches are the most produced switch as they are the gaming switch. This is an alright price, I bought this keyboard (with Brown switches) for $85 a few months ago but it basically never goes that low. If you wait a few weeks you might find one for $100.
  
  
• $90: K95 Red Switches White LED. The K95 is a premium version of the K70, including a bunch of macro keys on the left. This one is a lower price because Corsair is selling it as certified refurbished: someone got this brand new, returned it for some reason, and Corsair determined the reason to be minor/fixable. If you wanted to buy now I say go for this one since you're getting a better deal than the current K70 prices.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BV1XBEI this one is 1080p 144hz

http://acerrecertified.com/UM.KG7AA.002 this one is 1440p60hz and is not new.You take a risk here.Cheapest brand new 1440p 60hz monitor costs about 250. edit : http://pcpartpicker.com/product/6RJkcf/aoc-monitor-q2778vqe 27inch not IPS http://pcpartpicker.com/product/D7hj4D/acer-monitor-umkg7aa002 and 25 inch ips

What games do you enjoy playing?If you play a lot of competitive games and first person shooters then 144hz should be better for you.If you enjoy visuals more(GTAV,Witcher 3 and such) then 1440p should serve you a bit better.

Your rig can power both options extremely well.

If you want to save up some money for 1440p then that fine.

Lastly a cheap nice 1080p 60hz monitor http://pcpartpicker.com/product/bmbp99/aoc-monitor-i2267fw this uses VGA and DVI .In the box you will only find a vga cable though.Use a dvi cable for better performance.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015WCV70W/ this monitor is also nice and you can use an hdmi cable to connect it.(you have to buy one if you dont have).It comes with a VGA cable.Since the monitor you are currently using has a dvi connection,if you pair it with this monitor and hdmi you can have both monitors connected on your PC very easily

You're already somewhat scraping the barrel when it comes to budget parts.

What you could do if you find them is step down the GPU to a 1050 or 460 and it won't hurt you too much, if I remember correctly I saw someone reviewing the 460 and it performed extremely well with Rocket League on ultra. Edit part 2: I forgot I mentioned this to some one else but EVGA's B-stock is nice if you don't mind refurbished parts. Usually they're cards that RMA'd for something minor or they lost the silicon lottery with a low overclock.

A thing with windows, is that if you're a student attending a university, the institution might have a deal with Microsoft and allow you to use their products -like windows- up to 100% off. So make sure you check there. You could also take the shady route and pirate it but don't tell anyone I said that.

Another, is that your monitor can be a little cheaper. If you're ok with 60Hz on the dot, the Acer R240HY is something I can wholeheartedly recommend. It's a little light so it wiggles around when you touch it, but otherwise its a perfect budget monitor.

Aaaand lastly, you can check out r/buildapcsales to see if theres anything higher tier at the price point you need.

Edit: for your LED strip, there are a lot of choices, so really its best to pay attention to reviews or see what other people say they use on like r/battlestations or something similar.

I have a 144hz Asus monitor and a IPS Dell Monitor.



After using calibration profiles for both, the IPS easily has better color depth, accuracy, viewing angles, and etc.


HOWEVER, the monitor I ended up using more is the Asus, because I play competitive CS. Actions feel much more responsive and fluid even on 64 tick servers, but much more-so on 120 tick+ servers. I play on the lowest settings, and on high digital vibrance, so the IPS beautiful screen is useless.


Any game that couldn't utilize the 144 hz, was a bummer to play on the Asus. Even after calibration, the colors felt over-saturated and or washed-out. I don't know much about color accuracy or what-not, but the IPS definitely looked better on games, movies and and even browsing.


Depending on what your doing, could highly influence which monitor type is better, but I think 9/10 if cost isn't an issue, the IPS is a better choice. And, if money still isn't an issue, and you want the best of both worlds, those overclocking IPS monitors from Korea is always an option.

1. Yes, huge difference.
   
   
2. No, you don't need it.
   
   
3. You won't see any more or less FPS, but the game will generally feel and play more smoothly.
   
   
4. The refresh rate of your montor won't make you any better or worse. It just makes the game easier on your eyes.
   
   
5. Not that I know of, but I'm sure there are some plenty of great players who play on 60 hz.
   
   
6. Asus makes the cheapest decent quality 144 hz monitor (that I know of) and other companies like BenQ make slightly nicer, but more expensive models. If you don't have a lot of cash and really want a new monitor, you can probably find a cheap or used 120 hz monitor which isn't quite as nice as 144 hz, but is still waaaaaaaayy better than 60 hz.

I have this Asus monitor. I was originally running two of those and decided to upgrade one to a 1440p and went bigger as well. I thought it would look silly at first but I actually really like my setup.

I basically ended up using them just like you described. My desktop is on the 1440p, it is also where I obviously play games as well. The majority of my web browsing is done on the 1080p, simply because the 27" 1440p tends to be a little "too much" when just trying to casually browse. I also do the majority of the videos on the 1080p.

One is a VA display and the other is a TN. So I basically almost have the most obscure difference of monitors but I love it. Honestly at my casual sitting/viewing angles, the colors are not drastically different and the contrasts are similar enough. It's not like they are sharing any of the images I'm looking at to where it will matter anyway.

> I know I at least want an 144 Hz monitor and have heard disagreement as to whether a higher refresh rate would lead to any significant difference in performance.

>I was originally leaning towards 1440p monitors but my friend said that it's not worth the price and is not supported as much as 1080p. He also said that 1440p can distort certain programs' UIs and create unwanted problems. Is this a correct assessment?

Virtually every game on the market that isn't trash shovelware (and even some/most of those do, too) will support 1440p.

And the distortion your friend is talking about, I *only experience it on Spotify where some of the text on the 'friend activity' sidebar becomes blurry. Here's the Windows UI that some complain about being too small. I don't really mind it, but to each their own. I wouldn't allow it to influence my choice in monitor, personally.

The best resource for monitors is NCX. Dude is fantastic when it comes to monitor recommendations. Out of that selection of monitors (plus 1), I'd personally go for either the S2417G or the XG2401.

I don't like VA monitors because, while they're in the middle of IPS and TN for color accuracy while still having low input lag, they can be bad when it comes to ghosting. Immediate no-no from me.

If you have any questions, or you'd like some help with your PC build, let me know! Always happy to help. :)

Here you go. I got a GTX 1060 6GB card in here. You didn't have enough money in your budget to get a GTX 1070 but you also had a bit of extra money (70 pounds) if I went with the GTX 1060 3GB. If you want to save 70 pounds I'd suggest going for the GTX 1060 3GB over the 6GB since the FPS of both cards are very simillar (3-5 FPS loss with the 3GB).

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor | £175.19 @ Aria PC
Motherboard | Asus - STRIX B350-F GAMING ATX AM4 Motherboard | £107.95 @ BT Shop
Memory | G.Skill - NT Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory | £56.86 @ Amazon UK
Storage | Samsung - 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | £84.97 @ Amazon UK
Storage | Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | £38.34 @ Aria PC
Video Card | EVGA - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB SC GAMING Video Card | £251.97 @ Amazon UK
Case | Phanteks - Enthoo Pro M Tempered Glass (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case | £90.31 @ Box Limited
Power Supply | Corsair - CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply | £74.99 @ Amazon UK
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | £880.58
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-11-16 23:25 GMT+0000 |

 

Here is a build with the GTX 1060 3GB. You save $80 if you decide to go with this one.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor | £175.19 @ Aria PC
Motherboard | Asus - STRIX B350-F GAMING ATX AM4 Motherboard | £107.95 @ BT Shop
Memory | G.Skill - NT Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory | £56.86 @ Amazon UK
Storage | Samsung - 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | £84.97 @ Amazon UK
Storage | Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | £38.34 @ Aria PC
Video Card | Zotac - GeForce GTX 1060 3GB 3GB Mini Video Card | £174.98 @ Novatech
Case | Phanteks - Enthoo Pro M Tempered Glass (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case | £90.31 @ Box Limited
Power Supply | Corsair - CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply | £74.99 @ Amazon UK
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | £803.59
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-11-16 23:29 GMT+0000 |

 

- [Here is a video] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvNxTJjUZtw) that compares GTX 1060 6GB to GTX 1060 3GB (no, the 3GB is not a half as good version of a 6GB).
- Considering the games you are playing, I would also highly recommend you get this [1080p 144hz 1ms monitor] (https://www.amazon.com/VG248QE-1920x1080-144Hz-Gaming-Monitor/dp/B00B2HH7G0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1510875098&sr=8-2&keywords=asus+144hz+monitor). It is great for RPG and MOBA (also you just need to get a better monitor than that imo xD).

Build looks very strong. The case is 9.21" wide and the cooler is 6.42" tall, it may be a bit cosy but the cooler will fit without a problem.

The only thing I can somewhat recommend is that for $100 more you can get the Acer Predator XB271HU (27", 144hz, 1440p, IPS). If you are fine with a TN panel then stick with what you've selected but when buying a high end monitor like this I feel that you might as well get the best you can. Other than that you are good to go. Gl building

I don't know about the AOC, but I have the 1440p version of the Acer (every other spec the same, even same case/bezel) and two KN242HYL 60hz IPS panels (also same case/bezel) and they are fantastic.


Worth noting that CamelCamelCamel tracks third party sales of that Acer as being 195ish and sold from amazon for a few bucks less. This isn't much of a deal so much as it's normal price. link here


Personally I think monitors are one thing that is pretty safe to buy used. They are pretty stationary, people don't modify them, they have a very long life expectancy. If you're okay with that try checking ebay for it or make a post on /r/hardwareswap . Craigslist and facebook marketplace also work, these are very common models.


If you're specifically looking for new, check /r/buildapcsales - If you filter for posts tagged "monitor" and sort it by top for the past month, you will find what sort of deals are possible. Usually deals repeat themselves I find, just be patient.

I've had mine for about a month and I'm also in college as well.

• Battery life is absolute shit, the battery lasts about 3 hours on a full charge, turning on battery saver doesn't seem to help that much. If you ever get this, just make sure you have your charger at all times.
  
  
• This build quality is nice, doesn't feel like some cheap laptop, as it should be cause its 1000 dollars. As I said I've only had it for about a month but everything works fine so far. The webcam doesn't seem to work when I got mine but I don't need it anyway so I didn't bother to get mine replaced, plus I like to have it off.
  
  
• I don't really know much about screen quality, for me every monitor seems the same lel. I have a Benq gaming monitor that I use most of the time with my main rig and I honestly can't see the difference between that and this laptop display, and apprently people say the screen quality for that monitor isnt the best, sooo yea.
  
  
• Thermals seems fine. CPU idle temps at 42 and GPU idle temps at 39. I haven't had long gaming sessions on this device so I don't really know how the thermals will be in-game. Although I did test it out on fortnite when I got it for around 10 mins and the temps seems to be in the mid to high 70s.
  
  
• I don't really know what the differences from a k570 is but looking at the specs the k571 is just a upgraded version of the k570.
  
  
  I don't use this machine for video editing and haven't really used it for gaming yet. But with an i7-9750H and 16 GB of Ram paired with a GTX 1650 you should be fine with whatever you are doing. The 120HZ Screen will be amazing for gaming. Oh and also the battery seems to charge pretty fast. Overall this is a pretty good laptop but if all you want is raw performance, there are cheaper laptops out there with a GTX 1060 that will have better performance.

I have an NZXT Phantom 630 but it's above your price and it's too expensive, thankfully I got it on sale. So if the case looks good and you've done your research on it, it should be fine for you.

I like my bigger monitor because I think I can work better/faster on it and I think it is better for gaming. I would highly recommend putting a little bit more in your monitor and go with this one. http://www.amazon.com/VG248QE-24-Inch-Screen-LED-lit-Monitor/dp/B00B2HH7G0/

It has a higher refresh rate at 144hz and it is bigger at 24 inches and it's not terribly expensive. Plus it always has the option for 3d if you eve r wanted to get into that, so this is a great choice if you don't want to go up to 27, but still want a great monitor.

Closest I could find with given specs:
Dell Gaming Monitor S2417DG YNY1D 24-Inch Screen LED-Lit TN with G-SYNC, QHD 2560 x 1440, 165Hz Refresh Rate, 1ms Response Time, 16:9 Aspect Ratio https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IOO4SGK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_hJiiDbXHW5V5R

I would echo others that 1440 on 24 is a waste. I’ve been reading around for awhile, as I will be upgrading everything eventually. I tried to do some quick research since I don’t look for 24” often, and it’s a bit hard to find one that is both 1080/144 and IPS. If you are fine with going with a cheaper TN panel you should be good (narrow viewing angles).

This one here but it’s curved:
MSI Full HD FreeSync Gaming Monitor 24" Curved Non-Glare 1ms LED Wide Screen 1920 x 1080 144Hz Refresh Rate (Optix MAG24C) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07794JYLJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_KWiiDbCCTEYVP

I know you said you don’t like the size of 27, but have you looked at frameless monitors? Those cut down the bulk and can be quite aesthetically pleasing. I would go for other specs first as 1440 on a 24” will needlessly bump up your cost. 1080/144, freesync, at least 1 DisplayPort (Nvidia supports freesync but only through DP, newer AMD cards support freesync through HDMI and DP). Do note, HDR is only supported on most Freesync 2 panels, which from what I’ve seen, only come on 27”+ panels.

Keep options open for adding a second panel, since the additional space is a godsend for multitasking. Higher resolution is nothing compared to two screens, even if you plan on gaming, it’s a great quality of life thing to be able to have a second panel for browsing, researching/etc.

well the first one is free sync so no reason to buy that unless your going AMD.

The second one i think is over priced. It is probably cause it is a BenQ but it has a refresh rate of 60hz which is poor. It doesn't have either g sync or free sync.

My recommendation is https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Gaming-S2716DG-LED-Lit-Monitor/dp/B0149QBOF0

It is a little more but if you camp dell, amazon, and ebay you can find it sub 400 used, but 450 right now for new is a great deal doesn't go much below that ever. I got one for 350 used. It is 27" 1440p 144hz. It looks fantastic and has an amazing stand. The color are great after calibration and it has g sync to boot.

I bought 2 monitors less than a week ago, [here] (http://www.amazon.com/AOC-G2460PF-24-Inch-Gaming-Monitor/dp/B01BV1XBEI?ie=UTF8&keywords=Monitor%20aoc&qid=1463849652&ref_=sr_1_4&sr=8-4)
but just found this... For cheaper and... Possibly better? 60hz vs 144hz. Then higher resolution, and it's an IPS...? I don't currently have a GPU to push either but plan to upgrade in the next 6 months or so...

Possible better cheaper monitor I might want [instead] (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?sdtid=8766539&SID=deada3281f7311e6ad6e1614fd76521c0INT&AID=10440897&PID=1225267&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-cables-_-na-_-na&Item=N82E16824025212&cm_sp=)

I play mostly Blizzard games, I like 2 monitors to play on one and either surf the web on the other or watch a streamer. If I play FPS games they are usually the solo campaign. Dark Souls, Witcher, Metro. I don't play a ton of huge FPS like battlefield etc. I wasn't sure what my priorities should be. Higher resolution vs higher Hz? Do I want to hold out for a 4k? I think most of these questions are personal opinion, but I'm just not sure what I should be valuing given the types of games that I play.

Here is my recommendation

This is exactly what I would do... its a bit over $300 but is generally one of, if not THE, most recommended 1440p, 144hz monitors.

I know that you said that refresh rate isn't huge for you... but with having a 2070 super, I would go for 144hz that way you've got the ability to have higher refresh rates with other games, if/when you play them.

If you ABSOLUTELY CANT go over $300, let me know and I can probably find you something else... but the monitor that I included here is quite a great one... I dont have it personally, but ive got probably 5 friends with it and they all love it.

EDIT: it's actually being sold directly from Dell right now for $299.99

That is a pretty good monitor too. I use a similar one, but it is the ASUS VG248QE.

http://www.amazon.com/VG248QE-24-inch-LED-lit-Monitor-response/dp/B00B2HH7G0

Pretty much has all of the same features as your BenQ. Either the ASUS is really good or I got really lucky (also a TN panel) because I have two of them set up as dual monitors and I recommended one to a friend, all 3 had excellent colors right out of the box. I have yet to tweak anything on mine.

If you aren't necessarily on a budget, what I have as an example might not be for you.

I got these last year on sale for $80.00 each

I arranged them in a way that I tucked the side monitor bezels behind the center screen bezels. I noticed them quite a bit still at first, but the more I raced I began to forget they were even there. Before those I was using a single 43" screen. I'll take 3 smaller screens every day and twice on Sunday.

I'm sure there will be other people chime in with suggestions but I'm happy with what I've got. I follow some sim pages on instagram, and there are some amazing rigs out there. Obviously the more screen surface the better, the farther they can wrap around you the more immersive it will feel.

Building a rig is part of the fun though. Good luck.

​

There is a reddit for monitor help maybe he meant you were asking unrelated to The Show

​

Anyway, this is what i have had for awhile

https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-VG248QE-1920x1080-Gaming-Monitor/dp/B00B2HH7G0/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=asus+monitor&qid=1574814809&sr=8-6

​

Asus is a good brand imo basically you are looking for anything with a really low response time like this one is 1 ms.. I will say that getting cheaper faster monitor means that you sacrifice on coloring a bit like for me this monitor took some tweaking out of the box but i am happy with it.

​

Note im not saying this is the best monitor its just the only one I have used and I have enjoyed it.. You could do further research on monitors based off these specs because im sure they have newer models that are better.

PLEASE DO NOT BUY THAT MONITOR WITH THAT PREBUILT.

That monitor is G-Sync, and much more expensive than a comparable one without G-Sync. AMD cards do not support G-Sync.

AMD cards support something very similar called freesync, which is basically the same thing but it's cheaper for a monitor maker to put into their monitors.
If you are wanting a similar experience, look at a monitor similar to this one: https://www.amazon.com/GN27D-Computer-Monitor-Freesync-Optimized/dp/B078P57ZWL/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1522499064&sr=8-8&keywords=1440p+144hz+freesync

If you want something with much much better colours and such, look at this: https://www.amazon.com/MG279Q-27-Inch-FreeSync-Gaming-Monitor/dp/B00ZOO348C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1522499049&sr=8-1&keywords=mg279q&dpID=51V6VuWx%252B-L&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

If your budget isn't super tight, I'd go for the second monitor that I linked (if you were wanting to go for your original prebuilt).

The RX 580 is slightly faster than the 1060 in the HP system that others are recommending, however not a huge difference between them. The CyberPowerPC one is likely to be a bit better cooled (and looks better IMO) and you do have the advantage of probably better support with a Tier 1 manufacturer like HP. The HP also has an NVidia card, so you'd want a G-Sync monitor like the dell you linked if you wanted to go for that one.

NVidia's probably going to release their graphics cards in a few months, but playing the waiting game is painful, so I completely understand either way. Something else to consider is that NVidia normally releases their 80 and 70 before anything else, and the 60 and 50 come a couple months later, so it might be an even longer wait for the range you're looking at.

Acer R240HY

It's pretty nice. 1/4 inch side bezels. Matte screen. 23.8" 1080p, IPS, 5ms. HDMI, DVI-D, and VGA (no DisplayPort but I use an adapter and it works fine). No built in speakers but there's a headphone/speaker port.

No Vesa mounts. I don't use monitor arms anyway but that could definitely be a deal breaker to some, especially since arms help a lot with lining up monitors but I had planned on just overlapping them anyway.

All in all it's not a bad monitor, but it's pretty basic. I bought it because I wanted a thin bezel for triple monitors and it does that really well. Really you're just paying for the thin bezels.

Previously I had the BenQ GL2460HM but sold it just because I wanted my monitors to match. That one is good as well, but it's TN panel. 2ms response time, had Vesa mounts, a matte screen, and speakers. The speakers weren't great, but they were good enough for regular use and if I wanted ultra gaming sound, I would use headphones anyway.

I don't regret my purchase but it definitely is situational.

Found two very quickly for you. Both have solid reviews and are roughly within budget.

This 27inch ASUS monitor is 1080p, 144hz and has a 1ms response time for $279.00. Granted it's a little higher than you wanted but it also comes down to $189 for a 24inch and I believe 40-75hz. 144hz would be great for next-gen too.

This ASUS one is currently $259.99, is 1080p, 144hz and 1ms response time, 24 inches. I have personally see this and it has some great colors. Currently have one in the house.

Both have exceptional reviews (4.4/5 stars with 1000+ reviews).

Like I said, look around and see what deals there are but you can't go wrong with these.

My 4K ASUS monitor is currently available for 299.00 on Amazon, too. 1ms response time and 60hz. I personally love it.

I would definitely go with 1440p for just gaming. I have a 4k monitor at work at a 1440p one for personal use. I can't really notice a difference with gaming between 1440p and 4k unless you put them side by side doing the same thing. I think 1440p would fit better into your budget and requires far less graphical power to drive. There is a massive difference between 4k and 1440p for viewing lots of text on the screen at once so you if you anything like that it might be worth it. I would also recommend that you take a look at IPS panels and adaptive refresh rate monitors (g-sync for nvidia). IPS is slightly slower (it won't matter unless you play very competitive games) and costs more. However, it will display more colors and will display them more accurately. G-sync allows your graphics card to dynamically set the refresh rate of your monitor which leads to a far better gaming experience, especially when your frame rate is below 120hz. My personal monitor has both of these technologies and they make a big difference.
The monitor you picked out has a 60hz refresh rate, that's fine for casual gaming but I recommend you pick out one with a higher refresh rate before you get one in 4k.

Reccomendations:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B01IOO4SGK/ref=dp_olp_all_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=all
This one is 1440p, g-sync, 144hz, and TN. It's a little out of your budget but regularly goes on sale. My friend has one for cs-go and loves it.

https://www.amazon.com/AOC-AG241QX-2560x1440-Adjustable-DisplayPort/dp/B01NCTHS6E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519152011&sr=8-1&keywords=1440p+120hz
This is a 1440p, freesync (you'll need an amd gpu to take advantage of the adaptive refresh), 144hz, TN monitor. It's a little bit cheaper than the last one.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD - Ryzen 5 1400 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor | $165.88 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | MSI - B350 PC MATE ATX AM4 Motherboard | $84.49 @ SuperBiiz
Memory | Corsair - Vengeance LPX 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $64.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Plextor - M7V 256GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $82.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Hitachi - Ultrastar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $39.90 @ Amazon
Video Card | Sapphire - Radeon RX 570 4GB PULSE Video Card | $182.99 @ SuperBiiz
Case | Phanteks - ECLIPSE P400 TEMPERED GLASS ATX Mid Tower Case | $74.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply | SeaSonic - 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $56.99 @ SuperBiiz
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $753.22
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-05-15 21:12 EDT-0400 |

##Build Basics:

- Great gaming performance for the money. 50-60fps at 1080p easy

- 256GB SDD + 1TB HDD combo (No WD Blue) plextor and hitachi are pretty reliable brands

- Huge side window on Phanteks TEMPERED GLASS P400. It looks amazing, heres a [video review] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaVmbStgW8E) by HardwareCanucks

Overall, this build is a great deal, but it is $50 overbudget. however, look at it if you were spending $25 for the SSD and $25 for the glass window. Its great!


As for a monitor recommendation, I'll refer you to a techdeals [video] (https://youtu.be/K0ZQUkuO7FU) where he reviews the [Acer - R240HY] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0148NNKTC/?tag=pcpapi-20)

Its an overall great monitor that fits any budget for $120.

However, if you want a piece of the technology that makes games smooth as silk, no stuttering and tearing, than buying a Freesync monitor might be a good option for you!

In that case I'd buy the $180 [ASUS VG245H] (https://pcpartpicker.com/product/CMCrxr/asus-vg245h-240-75hz-monitor-vg245h)

If it's a work station, possible video editing etc.. I would go with socket LGA 2011-v3 instead of skylake.

The i7-5820K is an LGA 2011-v3 processor and it's better than any skylake out right now. More PCI-E lanes, more max memory support, supports DD4 just like skylake, and X99 Mother Boards (chipset for lga 2011-v3) have 8 DIMM slots (8 sticks of ram) allowing you to get them up to 128 GB of ram with 8 16GB Sticks "should you ever need that much".

LGA-2011 V3 is also quad channel memory and not dual channel, so you need 4 sticks of ram instead of 2. Easy deal just go with 4 sticks of 4 gb or 4 sticks of 8 GB for 16 or 32 GB. 4 sticks of 4 is say 80 bucks or 4 sticks of 8 for 100-130.

The i5-2580k is a beast and is currently the 4th best cpu on the market going by benchmarks. It's also a 6 core vs's syklakes 4 core and has as good or better overclocking potential. It's a beast of a CPU. Price point wise it's only 30 dollars more than the i7 skylake posted below but way more than 30 dollars value wise in terms of performance "in my opinion".

Now for the monitor, don't buy that through PC part picker or newegg. Shop for that exclusively. Do research, read review after review. If possible go in stores and see them. Your talking about something you'll be spending $300 on that you will be staring at for thousands of hours.

On a whim though I found this one which looks pretty freaking good for $339. http://www.amazon.com/VG248QE-24-Inch-Screen-LED-lit-Monitor/dp/B00B2HH7G0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373906581&sr=8-1&keywords=asus+144hz

Myself though I have a 2560X1440 monitor that is $400. However it's 60hz with a 4ms response time.

So pick your poison, 144 Hertz 1080p for 300+ or Bigger resolution for the same money but not 144 hertz.

As a developer myself though, I can tell you that I would not trade my 2560X1440 for a 1920X0180 for anything, hertz or not.

Writing code, designing things etc, 2560X1440 is awesome. I can see almost twice as much code on the screen at a time. I can see my entire database schema without having to scroll, etc etc etc.

> 1). HD means 1080p, which is the most common monitor resolution right now. Above that is 1440p, which is a very common resolution f or 144Hz monitors, and 4K which is usually 60Hz. There are two 4K 144Hz monitors on the market but they cost a few thousand dollars.

Your PC needs to have a powerful GPU and CPU to take full advantage of 144Hz. For the "extra smoothness" to work, you need to have as much FPS as you can. If you only get 50fps on a 144Hz screen, it will not be any different than a 60Hz TV.

Ok, I understand that 4K isn’t an option. My PC is 3 years old but was pretty awesome back then. Doubtful it’s up to par today; however, I plan on building a new PC soon so buying this monitor is sort of prepping for the new Pc.



> 2). Every GPU will work with every monitor as long as the connectors match (most will use HDMI or DP). However if you want to be able to use Gsync/Freesync, you need to make sure you have the right GPU. Gsync is a monitor feature that will match the refresh rate to your current framerate, eliminating any screen tearing and input lag.

For a Gsync monitor, you need an Nvidia card, while for Freesync you need an AMD card. The monitor will still work with a different GPU brand, but you won't be able to use Freesync or Gsync. Bear in mind Gsync monitors are always ~$100-200 more expensive than Freesync.

Which do you prefer (which of course would include choosing one graphics card over the other).


> 3) 30"x60" seems quite big. You will be fine with a 27" monitor, but you can go with 24" if price is an issue. Bear in mind the vast majority of 1440p monitors will be 27".

Yea, it is, but my battle station is already nearly full. I have two large monitors for music recording and a massive tv screen (I need to measure the diagnosis but I’m think 30-32”. I think 27” would work better for multitasking.

> 4) For both 4K and 144Hz, prepare to spend ~$2000. There are 4K monitors with Freesync for $500 but they are only 60Hz. You can also find multiple Freesync 1440p 144Hz monitors for ~$400-500. Gsync monitors with the same stats tend to be more expensive.

Yea I’m ditching the 4K idea. I’m actually looking at monitor with free sync right now, would you mind giving me your opinion?

https://www.amazon.com/27-Inch-Monitor-Samsung-FreeSync-GamePlus/dp/B078P57ZWL

In case anyone cares, the reasoning behind the 60 FPS limit is due to your monitor's refresh rate. The amount of times the screen refreshes (draws a new picture on the screen) is measured in hertz (hz). Most monitors are 60hz meaning they refresh 60 times per second. Your computer may be producing 200 frames per second but your monitor doesn't display them all. Sometimes part of 1 frame and part of the next frame are shown together and cause screen tearing. Limiting your FPS in game to 60 FPS will help eliminate this effect. VSYNC accomplishes this by matching the FPS of your game to the refresh rate of the monitor. This can cause input lag and is generally bad for fast paced games, especially first person shooters. This can have minor effects on WoW during PVP or raiding where movement and reactions need to be quick but in general it's not that big of a deal. The best way is to arbitrarily set your max FPS either through the slider on the in game menu or with the command "/console maxfps 60". If you want to properly use your beefy video card running WoW at 100+ FPS, then get a higher refresh rate monitor. Usually 120hz but the Asus 24" 144hz monitor is $269 US. I own one and highly recommend it for anyone that plays PC games. If you really want to utilize the full potential of 120hz and 144hz monitors, then you'll want to check out Blurbusters which activates the full refresh rate of your 120hz monitor.

I really like it a lot. I went from 1080p 60hz -> this and the colors I got from this amazon review here made it look really really nice

Although I don't have it on 144hz yet (still on 760 GPU, waiting for MSI Gaming X 1070 to be in stock) its still a huge upgrade, they colors look really nice and the stand is super good. Also, games run really well surprisingly even though I'm on 1440p and that probably has something to do with g-sync, so that is really good as well.

Overall rating it right now solid 9/10

Sure, what games will you be playing? That will help me find one.

Knowing nothing about your gaming habits, this monitor
Is about the best you can buy. A really fast refresh rate (good for shooting games and competitive games like rainbow six siege, csgo, fortnite, pubg, overwatch, Fallout, pretty much any games) this monitor has a really high resolution compared to the standard 1080p monitor. It also has G-sync that makes games a lot smoother. (It only works with Nvidia gpus)

IF you want a cheaper monitor, then this 4K monitor is both bigger and has a much higher resolution (more detail) but a lower refresh rate, so the image won’t be as smooth and snappy (which isn’t important for games like WoW or Dota or more casual games like Strategy games or games like undertale/enter the gungeon)

You can always have one 4K or 1440p monitor and then a smaller or cheaper 1080p monitor next to it for YouTube videos or google while gaming.

(Lmao I should make an Amazon affiliate link and make some ca$h from this)

Spent several grand building out this magnificent beast of a workstation/cockpit:

http://imgur.com/a/GAgVj

I had everything else but the monitors and the cockpit, which was about $1900 and $1500 USD, respectively. I got all but one accessory for the cockpit, and shipping was $200 cause it weighs over 200lbs :D

I already had the $400 wheel, $300 pedals, $200 shifter, $150 handbrake, and a PC that is nothing less than $2500-3k to drive such a setup.

That said, I can race around any track I want around the globe, do so without spending thousands on tires/gas/gear each race weekend, am not risking life or limb, and am on-hand at home to be a father to my 1yr old daughter.

Sure I've spent the price of a not-even-that-old Honda Civic on this setup over the years, but its good clean wholesome fun, and fantastic practice for later in life should I ever decide to buy a track car.

Most women see this "rig" and roll their eyes HARD, but only after scooping their jaw up off the ground. Men just get insanely jealous and beg to drive it after scooping their jaw up off the ground :)

Worthit to me!

Disclaimer: I am an IT Systems Admin and an avid gamer/sim racer for years...

Not a monitor but if you haven't built yet you could save some coin by getting two 2x8 ram sets. They're around $110 each so you'd be looking at $220 for 32gb instead of $290.

Also: TITAN X? Jesus. I'd go 1080 and save your money if you're only doing 1440p at 144hz that'd still be more than enough horsepower and the cost difference alone would save the money so you wouldn't have to chip in for the monitor. But, you do you.

As for a monitor: best option in my opinion.

You get 1440p, a hella high refresh rate, gsync, a good screen size, IPS with great colors and picture, and its reputable with a good warranty.

• Yes, your video card will support dual monitors.
  
• I have 2 24" monitors currently, the only thing about the size of the monitors is will they fit, mine barely fit but it works. If you're going 1080p, get 144hz and take advantage of that GPU. I recommend this
  
• That 1440p monitor seems fine, I don't know anything about it, just make sure to check reviews.
  
  If you're planning on playing FPS games like CSGO or BF1 I recommend getting the 1080p 144hz monitors because of the faster refresh rate, though if you're playing games like Witcher 3, Skyrim, Fallout 4, games that don't have fast paced multiplayer where every frame counts, I'd say get the 1440p monitor. That's just my .02

RAM speed is negligible, at best, in terms of performance. I'd suggest getting a 512 or 1TB SSD, personally. The cost difference is worth it to ensure you have plenty of room for any future needs. The motherboard you have should be fine, I think.
Cooler-wise, is this going to be in your bedroom? If so, even watercoolers aren't necessarily going to be silent under a full load. The key to quieter fans is larger fans moving more slowly. Water coolers may allow that, but I doubt they're going to be silent under a major load.

Moving above a 1080 monitor should be a priority. That's what'll allow you to fit more on the screen, rather than simply have it be bigger. I don't know about a 4K screen, but a 1920x1200 model would probably do nicely in a 24" size. IPS is well worth is for good color reproduction, as I understand it. I have a professional photographer client who uses 3 of these Asus monitors and swears by them. They're pricey, but have excellent color fidelity, apparently. (I wouldn't know, having difficulty distinguishing many different hues.)

well the i3 is way better than the amd CPU when it comes to single core performance (43% better) which is what most games use!

• Comparison 1
  
  
• Comparison 2
  
  
• Youtube video its a crappy way to do a review but it proves its point
  
  
• Another reason why you should get the i3 over the fx is because the i3 is newer by 3-4 years.
  
  GPU recommendations
  
  
• i recommend a 470 over the 950: benchmarks
  
  
• or you can get the GTX 1060 over the RX 470: becnhmark
  
  
  

• all in all GTX 950< RX 470 < GTX 1060
  

  
  

  
  

  anyways here is a build i recommend:
  

  
  

  PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
  

  
  

  Type|Item|Price
  

  ----|:----|:----
  CPU | Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor | $118.10
  Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $44.99
  Memory | Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory | $69.99
  Video Card | Asus GeForce GTX 1060 3GB Dual Video Card | $219.99
  Case | Corsair Carbide Series 88R MicroATX Mid Tower Case | $49.99
  Power Supply | EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | $37.48
  Monitor | Asus VS229H-P 21.5" Monitor | $109.00
  | Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
  | Total | $649.54
  | Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-09-27 00:11 EDT-0400 |
  
  
  
  

• this build is a lot better than the one you made! the most recent gtx 1060 so all games (maybe even on ultra but high for sure!) at 60 fps 1080p.
  
  
• i didnt include the operating system because i guess you have all that? same with hard drives and ssd's
  
  any questions let me know!
  
  Edit: i went a bit over what you tallied up. I added your prices up and i got roughly $640 USD and im guessing this is before taxes. My build is $650 USD (plus tax), if you want to save those $10 you can do on of 2 things.
  
  
• get the Zotac 3gb GTX 1060 mini - $199 (save $10 here)
  
  or
  
  
• Get the monitor that you listed: HP Pavilion 21.5-Inch IPS LED HDMI VGA Monitor
  
  or do both to save $20 USD lol
  

Well if you use it wireless, you would see an improvement in battery life if you get a g900. If you're using it wired, then the only difference would be shape, and sensor performance. Sensor performance usually doesn't really matter much in Overwatch unless you're playing widowmaker or mccree, and even then a subpar sensor would probably be good enough. I don't really know how good the sensor in the ouroboros is, but realistically most sensors in $60+ gaming mice are good enough for overwatch. Also as a side note, from what I hear logitech has better customer support compared to razer.

If you have any problems with your current mouse, ie shape, battery life, durability/build quality, or if you reallly just wanna buy a shiny new mouse, then consider buying one. If not, then maybe rethink it. :]

as for 144hz monitors, I have this one, but you also can't go wrong with Benq monitors generally. Personally I like them, they are noticeably more responsive compared to most regular monitors.

GPU: GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 970 4GB G1 GAMING OC EDITION, GV-N970G1 GAMING-4GD

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125684



MONITORS: ASUS VG248QE

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B2HH7G0/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_0?th=1


I was just informed in my thread that my GPU can only support 4 monitors anyways, so I'll have to be either upgrading my GPU, or adding another GPU.

I don't do gaming, but I do sometimes deal with large data sets, and regularly use live stream data, and watch multiple sports games on different screens. Lots of multi-tasking, so the extra monitors are pretty necessary.

I'm not too good with this stuff - what components are compatible with what, etc - but do you have any idea what my options would be to get to all 6 monitors going? Adding a little processing power wouldn't be too bad either. I'm going to have to buy an additional/replacement GPU anyways, as apparently my current GPU only supports 4 monitors.

Here's a thread that I posted last night with all of my computer specs, if you are interested in helping in any way I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks for your time

https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/6z6bas/adding_3_more_monitors_to_my_3_monitor_setup/

The human eye is actually pretty danged good at detecting this kind of thing. 144 fps will look clearly different from 60 fps. In fact, 144 is the standard for competitive CSGO (they used this one at ESL Barcelona).

Hokay, now let's talk about screen size and resolution. The main issue with a 27" 1080p monitor is that pixel density is pretty low. Not a problem if you sit far back from your monitor. Or maybe not a problem at all - some people aren't bothered in the last, but others can't stand it. It's a personal choice, but I guess refresh rate kind of is too.

As for a cheaper, similar monitor, consider the MG278Q at a little under $400. I think the only difference is that it's TN, while the 279 is IPS. IPS panels tend to have higher input lag, but better viewing angles and color accuracy. TN is generally considered better for gaming anyway.

I also couldn't help but notice in your other thread that you wanted to get a GTX 970. However, you won't be able to use this monitor's FreeSync feature, which Nvidia refuses to use (Nvidia's equivalent is G-Sync, and monitors that support that start $100 more expensive).

If you didn't know, what these technologies do is even up refresh rates based on your FPS. A regular 60Hz monitor will refresh every 1/60th of a second no matter what. So if you're running 60 FPS, it lines up perfectly - each frame is shown once. At 30 FPS, every frame will last two refreshes. But if you're running, say, 40 FPS, frame timings become inconsistent: 2 of the same frame in a row, then maybe 1, then another 1, then 2, etc. - this is why a solid 30 fps can look better than 40.

So basically, with FreeSync, if you run 40 FPS, the monitor will simply refresh 40 times per second. Consistent timings no matter your FPS.

It's far from a necessity, though; even if you get this and the GTX 970, you'd still be getting a 1440p144 monitor.

I know that was more than you asked for! But I hope the info helped, and you can make a more informed decision on whether you want 1440p, 144Hz, both, or neither.

I would head over to r/monitors for a ton of good advice. Some quick tips would be pay attention to resolution, your 1070 should have no trouble running 1440p which a step up from many common HD TVs and monitors. Next is refresh rate. Higher refresh rate, put simply, makes most things much smoother. I'm not 100% but you should be able to play plenty of games @ 144hz with slightly lessened graphics settings. I run a 1080 with 1440p @144hz and that card is only a step above yours.

My monitor is the https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Gaming-S2716DG-LED-Lit-Monitor/dp/B0149QBOF0. It can regularly be found on sale for ~$450 USA. Another thing to look out for is TN vs IPS which are common types of panels monitors use. TN is known for having lesser colors and viewing angles but is vastly cheaper and doesn't suffer from the many quality control issues that IPS monitors do. Just check out some amazon reviews on popular IPS models. Not saying they aren't fantastic looking, but you will pay more and there's a chance you'll have to send it back a few times. My monitor is a TN and it looks and plays incredibly. If you go with this one, download anow aftermarket color profile.

Lastly, G Sync. It basically is there to remove screen splitting. It's a great feature but you will pay more for it. Makes game play buttery smooth and pairs well with a high refresh rate monitor. Freesync is AMD's version so look out for that because you don't want to be paying for a feature you can't utilize. You want G Sync for a Nvidia card.

Hope this helps!

Here's everything for equipment, so hopefully this answers any questions:

---

Wall:

• TV
  
  
• Lights/Nanoleaves
  
  
• Whiteboard
  
  ---
  
  Desk:
  
  
• Top (74x1 1/2")
  
  
• Drawers (can't see in picture) (2x, in brown-black)
  
  
• Top Legs (Supports top off of drawers)
  
  I also made modications to the desk, including installing a grommet with 2 USBs and 2 outlets, as well as a wireless charger.
  
  ---
  
  Audio Setup:
  
  
• Shure SM7B
  
  
• Rode Arm Stand
  
  
• Behringer Xenyx X1204USB
  
  
• Dbx 286s Microphone Preamp
  
  
• Sennheiser HD 660 S
  
  
• Headphone stand (Not sure if I can recommend. Headphones leave a lot of marks on the stand and can make the transparant plastic look foggy)
  
  ---
  
  Peripherals:
  
  
• Glorious Model O (White, might want to wait for the Model O- to drop if you have smaller hands)
  
  
• The Glorious GMMK (Full sized, white keycaps, Kailh Speed Silver switches)
  
  
• Mouse Bungee (White)
  
  
• Mouse Pad (XL)
  
  
• Monitors (2x)
  
  ---
  
  PC specs:
  
  
• 2080ti
  
  
• i9-9900k
  
  
• 64 GB Ram
  
  
• 4 TB SSD
  
  
• 3 TB HDD (Unsure what exactly, bought a long time ago. Pretty standard HDD though)
  
  
• 1000w Power Supply
  
  
• HZXT H500i Case
  
  
• Asus ROG Maximus XI Hero Z390 Motherboard
  
  
• Corsair Hydro Series H150i Water Cooling
  
  ---
  
  
  Any other questions, feel free to leave them and I'll try to respond :)
  
  ---
  
  Edit: Thank you for the gold random kind redditor!

I can get you cheap, but not best. I can get you best, but not cheap. You're asking for two mutually exclusive things, do you want the best over the cheapest or the cheapest over the best?

I can offer up three cheap, decent monitors (about a 4 out of 10 on quality): ASUS VS239H-P, Dell E2414Hx, Acer G246HL.

I can offer up 2 fantastic, but decently expensive monitors (about a 7-8 out of 10 on quality): Dell UltraSharp U2412M, Asus PB238Q

Trade offs for everything.

I like to think after 3 beers I'm unstoppable but after 6 I go downhill at games.

And Sabitins is apparently pretty new, at least the beer bar. It still smelt like fresh wood when I was in there. I found out about it from my preceptor when I was at my rotation.

I go to Wilkes so Gerogetown or Wegmans are my go to craft stop! Sometimes Georgtown has some pretty good buys out of the dollar beer bin too! I made a pretty decent craft 6 pack the other week from it. And if you want some killer ice cream, hit the Snack Shack that's like right next to the cow.

And your setup is much more colorful! One day I'd like some LEDs and a nice monitor stand to hide some of the wires and give me a smaller footprint.

As for the Asus it's this one!

I would honestly say just get a VA pannel its a pretty good mix. Its got better colors than a TN but not quite as good as a IPS. They go to 144hz so they aren't as good for super high end esports stuff where some people want 240 hz but honestly literally 99.99% will never notice the difference. If you like curved and are looking for 1440p I would look at this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078P57ZWL/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 27 inch 1440p 144hz. It's cheaper than ASUS or ACER but buy through amazon or something just in case. I have one as my main display and it works great the panel itself is a samsung.

I just went through this whole debate myself after I upgraded from a 770 to a 1070. I had initially considered a 1080 but I felt this was actually overkill for my personal requirements as a gamer. The 1070 saved me money and leaves the door open for an upgrade to the 1080Ti whenever that comes out.

In the end, I picked out this monitor, the 27" ASUS RoG Swift, 1440p/144Hz with G-Sync. I was prepared to buy it for myself but my wife surprised me big time and got it for me for my birthday.

I have to say I have been very pleased with my decision (and my wife!). The monitor looks amazing and I've got it running at 144Hz on the desktop. For BF1, I typically get between 75 and 100 FPS in game. I can't really perceive the framerate going up or down though, thanks to G-Sync. It keeps things really smooth.

This monitor replaced a 24" 1080p/60Hz monitor and the difference is very noticeable since I kept the old monitor on as a secondary next to my new primary. BUT, I would say that if I had to pick one feature, it is the refresh rate that I notice more than the resolution. I can shake a window around on the 60Hz monitor then drag it over to the 144Hz and do the same thing, and the difference in smoothness is very apparent. The resolution upgrade is less noticeable for me.

My old monitor lasted me a little over 4 years before I felt compelled to upgrade and that's what I'm looking to get out of my new monitor.

Hope this helps!

My rig is overkill for 1080p at 60hz. I may be in the market for a monitor (depends if I end up liking the Vive I'm going to demo this Thursday).

Currently I am fairly certain this is my best option: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MSOND8C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_RGYGxbT59H390

But also, Best Buy has a Samsung 4K 28" monitor for only $400! Sounds like a killer price to me. I'm just wondering which would be the best. My main game is CSGO which I can pull well over 100fps in 4K super sampled. Then again 144hz is amazing in competitive games. So many choices!

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor | $280.00
CPU Cooler | CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler | $34.88 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-Z170MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $115.00
Memory | Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory | $94.89 @ OutletPC
Storage | Sandisk SSD PLUS 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $68.88 @ Jet
Storage | Toshiba P300 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $63.00
Video Card | Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Windforce OC Video Card | $389.38 @ Amazon
Case | NZXT H440 (Matte Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case | $95.99 @ NCIX US
Power Supply | EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $79.99 @ B&H
Monitor | Asus VG248QE 24.0" 1920x1080 144Hz Monitor | $269.99 @ SuperBiiz
Other| iKBC F108| $129.99
Other| CableMod® WideBeam™ Foam Adhesive LED Strip 30cm - RED| $18.99
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $1640.98
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-12-17 04:37 EST-0500 |

So uh.. Yeah. I'm a noob. Kind of did some changes.. Changed the monitor to a 144Hz for that juicy CS:GO gameplay, got a far more aesthetically pleasing case, which also comes with 4 fans, as opposed to 2. They don't have the fancy lighting though, so I added a good red LED strip. As for the peripherals, I only need a keyboard, and my good friends over at /r/MechanicalKeyboards hooked me up with one of the best currently available on the market! Again, sorry for all the fuss, I don't mean to say you did a bad job recommending just idk I really care about looks and it drives me crazy if things don't look right to me.

Only compatibility issue that was given was this:

"The NZXT H440 (Matte Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case supports video cards up to 406mm long, but video cards over 294mm may block drive bays. Since the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Windforce OC Video Card is 298mm long, some drive bays may not be usable."

From this I gather that I just barely won't be able to use one of the drive bays, which shouldn't be a problem at all.

Sorry again! And thanks again! Uggh

Edit: These are all of the right parts, correct? Just want to make sure because it's 6 am and I haven't gone to sleep yet.
CPU
CPU Cooler
Motherboard
Memory
HD
SSD
GPU
Case
Power Supply
Monitor
Keyboard
Lighting

I narrowed it down to three sites to make it easier to order, plus I have Amazon Prime and NewEgg Premium, which makes it easier with those sites!

Typically, games display resolutions that your monitor is capable of handling. You only see up to 1080p on your notebook because that's probably it's maximum resolution.

If you get a 1440p monitor you'll be able to select 1440p. Also BDO is pretty CPU intensive, so you might have to disable some graphics options to play at a decent FPS depending on your CPU.

Downscaling** essentially renders the game at a higher resolution, and downscales the picture to fit your monitor. It is usually very stressful on your GPU, and doesn't really offer a huge gain in terms of picture quality if you're already running at a high resolution.

I highly recommend this monitor. I just got it myself on an impulse buy and it's pretty solid. The color settings need some tweaks, but there's a pretty good review on amazon that gives you some tweaks to improve the color depth. It's 1440p, g-sync capable, 1ms response time, AND 144 Hz and costs less than or about the same as most 1440p/gsync monitors. Solid buy imo, but you will have to spend time tweaking the colors/contrast.

I'm using a Benq XL2420G with my PC for gaming and a 5k iMac for most other things at home. I considered the Asus PG278Q, but some of the quality complaints scared me off and I've been pretty happy running a single 980. There is also the Acer XB270HU IPS 1440p 144hz g-sync monitor coming out soon that looks to be a pretty nice setup and might even push me to upgrade once I see a few more reviews.

My requirements at the moment are something greater than 1080p for work and a g-sync (or freesync later) monitor at 144hz for gaming. If I only played games where I could easily get 144fps I might be able to forego g-sync for lightboost, but I've been happy with g-sync in bf4 and wouldn't want to play without it now.

Well, under $400, you have some of these options (TN Panels):

• Asus 24" 1080p 144Hz
  
• Acer 27" 1440p 144Hz FreeSync
  
• Viewsonic 27" 1080p 144Hz FreeSync
  
• AOC 24" 1080p 144Hz G-Sync
  
• BenQ 24" 1080p 144Hz
  
  Obviously there are more options, but all of those have the 144Hz, some are 1440p, while others are not.
  
  If you wanted an IPS one:
  
  
• Asus 27" 1440p 60Hz IPS
  
  The TN Panels still have fantastic pictures so, it's not a bad choice and would be good for gaming. If you can save up another $400, you can go with the Asus ROG 27" 1440p 144Hz IPS. Just got this about a week or so ago and it is just fantastic. 100% worth the extra money.

Honestly, that's not a bad monitor. I don't think you'd see much of a visual improvement with any modern 1080p monitor.

120-144hz is always a worthwhile upgrade in my opinion, especially in games like CSGO and DOTA2. Something like this Asus would do the job nicely.

I would stay at 1080p as your system will have a hard time running most games at a higher resolution.

Edit: I totally forgot about Freesync! If you get a new monitor, definitely get one with Freesync; I use G-Sync on a daily basis and it's amazing. This looks to be a good one

Well, here in the US Dell S2417DG a 24" screen, TN panel, 2560x 1440 res, 144hz, G-Sync can go down to $380-$390 USD depending on sales. The price for the monitor swings a lot, so you might have to monitor, hehe, the price for a bit. If you can wait to earn the extra $50 you can get the S21716DG, which is the 27" version, again monitor the price.

My experience with the S2716DG has been amazing. Jumping from a 60hz screen playing Overwatch to the 144hz monitor. The fluidity of the movements on screen, made me cry. I thought my old 60hz was enough but, I'm glad I made the change.

Well, at the same time... that G-Sync in tacking on about $150-200 to the price. You might also want to look at the AOC Agon line of 2K, 144hz, Freesync monitors. The Freesync monitors are generally cheaper. Reviews are great and the monitor looks amazing as well but, the Dell was the cheapest G-Sync I could find (at the time) and I went with that.

Mentioned this only as an idea. Not sure how easy it will be to buy from the US Amazon store and have it delivered to Canada and how VAT will be applied to the product.

Amazon Canada S2417DG

US Amazon S2417DG

I looked up Buyoo's website... and I can say I'm glad I didn't buy the monitor. Its way too sketch! They are a very small company.

Hell, they even have a video on their website telling you how to remove reviews on Amazon..


Anyways, Buyoo is NOT a retailer. They don't sell anything specific like Newegg, Best Buy, Frys, etc. They're more like a website like Slickdeals/PCPartsPicker that is meant to find you deals... BESIDES, how can a small company that no-one's ever heard of expect to make a profit by selling these monitors for $100 less than their actual price?

...What I am thinking is Buyoo "bought" these monitors off of that Amazon scammer selling them for $137, and Buyoo is hoping they can make a $30 profit by selling them on Walmart... Except Buyoo will never receive those monitors to send out to people who placed their orders, because they don't even realize that they bought from a scammer.

I play on this: https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Gaming-S2716DG-LED-Lit-Monitor/dp/B0149QBOF0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502089602&sr=8-1&keywords=dell+s2716dg



I have two of these for my PC setup. Wouldn't recommend them as there are much cheaper options that will perform just as well. In theory, any 1ms response TN panel will be the best as far as response goes.



For picture though, an IPS panel will be nicer, even though they have a response time of about 4ms at best, you will not be able to tell the difference I assure you, and the color will be much more vibrant, and the viewing angles will be much better.



Personally, I would recommend a 27" IPS panel. You should be able to get one for just under $200, and if you are willing to go down to 24", could go even cheaper than that.

Gaming headsets don't do much compared to real headphones besides the looks and comfort that they give you (is they offer comfort) get ATH M50x. They are nice headphones at $150 they sound really nice, get an AMP if you want better quality in the sound. The way they make 7.1 audio is that they use software. You can use Microsofts 7.1 audio (only in the newest update of Windows 10) or you can use Razer's 7.1 FREE 7.1 audio software. Does the Motherboards I/O please you? Why don't you get it on water. The RAM is at a good speed (the sweet spot of RAM speeds). Look at cases like the DeepCool Genome and the Corsair 570x case. Those are cases that I think look cool at a similar price (the DepoCool Genome comes with a CPU water cooler with a reservoir and 3 fan radiator pre installed).
Edit: 144Hz in 1440p is really nice and you will love it. Dell makes a 1440p 144Hz monitor too that looks nice and professional and it is 27 inches. Right now the monitor cost less in Dells website, the only thing that is bad is pixel inversion but you can enable ULMB. This monitor has the nicest stand I have ever seen even and it is really nice. You can't make a better stand then this one. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IOO4SGK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apis_1499057239133

I have a PC connected to my living room TV for occasional web browsing and streaming - personally, I find TVs to be not great at being monitors. It's something about the screen size and the distance from the viewer and refresh rates/color/etc being optimized to display motion & not text, etc. That said, I'm sure the best TVs make excellent monitors. Plus, 4K TVs with HDR are pretty cheap now.

For desktop use, if you're ok with HD, I've always had good luck with Asus VS series monitors. Big glossy bezels but I stopped noticing it after a while, and 2ms response time. If budget allows, get 4 - you kind of have 4K, with huge bezels.

I think HDR is a premium feature on monitors - the cheapest one seems to be this Dell but they get up there in price like this Samsung or this Asus ROG

Good luck!

Desk: IKEA Linnmon/Oddvald. Pretty solid desk for the price, although leg room is a bit lacking, probably upgrading soon.

Chair: DXRacer Formula Series, really helped my posture and got rid of my back pain. Plus I'm a huge gear-head so it's very much my style.

Keyboard: Das Keyboard Professional w/ Brown Switches. This keyboard is fantastic, it's a treat to use every day, feels buttery smooth to type on and build quality is superb. I also have a CM Quickfire Ultimate that I use at work, also browns.

Mouse: Zowie EC2-A. Replaced my old Logitech G400 when it started intermittently cutting out, I think I like this mouse even more.

Mousepad: SteelSeries QcK+ for all that low DPI goodness.

Headset: Kingston HyperX Cloud II. I love this headset, it's super comfortable and has good directional sound.

Speakers: Cyber Acoustics CA-3602 FFP. I use my headset mainly but these are good enough for when I need them.

Monitors: BenQ XL2411Z flanked by two ASUS VS247H-P mounted on an Ergotech Triple Monitor Stand. Finally got the monitor stand this year after using two boxes to hold up my side monitors for far too long. However, the BenQ is probably my favorite purchase out of all of these, would've bought three if it served any real benefit to me.

Random Peripherals: uxcell extended power switch. I keep my computer under my desk so this is handy so I don't have to crouch under my desk to turn on my computer.

Inateck PCI-E to USB 3.0 5-Port PCI Express Card. My motherboard came with a fairly low number of USB ports so this allows me to plug in my printer and external hard drive, etc.

Honestly bro I don't know anything about what makes a good IPS display, but I can sort of help. First of all I would recommend selling both displays. A dual monitor setup works best when both of the monitors are the same. Second piece of information is that many people don't realize that when searching for a monitor the advertised response time isn't how long it takes before you button press registers on the screen (factor in ping if you are playing a game). The response time they advertise is actually just how long it takes to for a pixel to change from one color to another. They usually test this by changing it from one shade of gray to another (you'll after see this referred to as GtG which stands for gray to gray). The metric that they don't publish is how long it takes the monitor to process the digital signal and display it. DisplayLag.com is a good place for this information, but they don't have every monitor there because it takes lots of time and money to do the tests because monitors ain't cheap. The Asus PG279Q seems like a good choice. Watch out for the PG279QZ though. Looking around it appears people are saying that it isn't as bright as the PG279 despite Asus claiming it is. It's something about how back-lighting is handled or something I don't really know.

I don't have any specific model recommendations but I'll say I've been happy with my monitors from Dell and Acer over the years, and I hear good things about Asus and BenQ models.

Maybe one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Gaming-VG27BQ-Monitor-155Hz-DisplayPort/dp/B07WPFP6S4

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Monitor-S2417DG-24-Inch-Response/dp/B01IOO4SGK (24" and 27" versions on this page)

24" vs 27" for a 1440p screen is kinda a personal preference thing. 24" is less area for your eyes to sweep for enemies, but also can cause scaling issues for text in windows at default settings, some legacy apps might be very tiny. But it also has great pixel density kinda like a phone or 4k screen does and will look very crisp.

27" is less dense but still pretty dense, and is nice and big so if you aren't sitting super close, still easy to see.

This is probably as overkill as it gets before starting to lose performance.

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel - Core i9-9940X 3.3 GHz 14-Core Processor | $1815.75 @ shopRBC
Motherboard | Asus - ROG RAMPAGE VI EXTREME OMEGA EATX LGA2066 Motherboard | $1027.44 @ Amazon Canada
Memory | Corsair - Vengeance RGB Pro 128 GB (8 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $1179.87 @ Amazon Canada
Storage | Samsung - 970 Evo 2 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $659.99 @ Amazon Canada
Storage | Samsung - 970 Evo 2 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $659.99 @ Amazon Canada
Video Card | Asus - GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB Dual OC Video Card (2-Way SLI) | $1569.99 @ Amazon Canada
Video Card | Asus - GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB Dual OC Video Card | $1569.99 @ Amazon Canada
Case | Corsair - 1000D ATX Full Tower Case | $412.33 @ Amazon Canada
Power Supply | EVGA - SuperNOVA T2 1600 W 80+ Titanium Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply | $465.18 @ Amazon Canada
Case Fan | Noctua - NF-A12x25 PWM 60.1 CFM 120 mm Fan | $37.90 @ Amazon Canada
Case Fan | Noctua - NF-A12x25 PWM 60.1 CFM 120 mm Fan | $37.90 @ Amazon Canada
Case Fan | Noctua - NF-A12x25 PWM 60.1 CFM 120 mm Fan | $37.90 @ Amazon Canada
Case Fan | Noctua - NF-A12x25 PWM 60.1 CFM 120 mm Fan | $37.90 @ Amazon Canada
Monitor | Asus - PG279Q ROG Swift 27.0" 2560x1440 165 Hz Monitor | $799.99 @ Amazon Canada
Monitor | Asus - PG279Q ROG Swift 27.0" 2560x1440 165 Hz Monitor | $799.99 @ Amazon Canada
Main Monitor | Asus - ROG SWIFT PG27UQ 27.0" 3840x2160 144 Hz Monitor | $2398.99 @ Powertop
Keyboard | Corsair - K95 RGB PLATINUM Wired Gaming Keyboard | $269.99 @ Amazon Canada
Mouse | Logitech - G502 LIGHTSPEED Wireless Optical Mouse | $199.99 @ Amazon Canada
Headphones | Sennheiser - HD 650 Headphones | $492.29 @ Amazon Canada
Microphone | Rode NT-USB USB Condenser Microphone | $225.00 @ Amazon Canada
Headphone Amp | Audioengine D1 24-bit Digital-to-Analog Converter | $229.99 @ Amazon Canada
Custom Loop | EK Water Blocks EK-CoolStream SE 480 (Slim Quad) Radiator | $132.28 @ Amazon Canada
Custom Loop | EKWB EK-Cable Splitter 4-Fan PWM Extended, 2-pack | $32.99 @ Amazon Canada
Custom Loop | EKWB EK-ACF Compression Fitting for Soft Tubing, 10/16mm (3/8" ID, 5/8" OD), Black, 4-pack | $53.11 @ Amazon Canada
Custom Loop | EKWB EK-ACF Compression Fitting for Soft Tubing, 10/16mm (3/8" ID, 5/8" OD), Black, 4-pack | $53.11 @ Amazon Canada
Custom Loop | EKWB EK-ACF Compression Fitting for Soft Tubing, 10/16mm (3/8" ID, 5/8" OD), Black, 4-pack | $53.11 @ Amazon Canada
Custom Loop | EKWB EK-ACF Compression Fitting for Soft Tubing, 10/16mm (3/8" ID, 5/8" OD), Black, 4-pack | $53.11 @ Amazon Canada
Custom Loop | EKWB EK-Furious Vardar EVO 140 PWM 140mm Fan, 2500 RPM, 2-pack | $88.00 @ Amazon Canada
Custom Loop | EKWB EK-Furious Vardar EVO 140 PWM 140mm Fan, 2500 RPM, 2-pack | $88.00 @ Amazon Canada
Custom Loop | EKWB EK-Velocity CPU Waterblock, Intel CPU, Copper/Plexi | $138.42 @ Amazon Canada
Mousepad| Logitech Powerplay Wireless Charging Mat| $203.00
Custom Loop| EK-CoolStream CE 420 | $135.00
Custom Loop| EK-XRES 140 Revo D5 RGB PWM| $255.00
Custom Loop| EK Vector RTX RE Ti RGB| $230.00
Custom Loop| EK Vector RTX RE Ti RGB| $230.00
Custom Loop| EK-Vector RTX Backplate – Nickel| $72.00
Custom Loop| EK-Vector RTX Backplate – Nickel| $72.00
Custom Loop| EK-FC Terminal X2 3-slot – Plexi| $50.00
Custom Loop| EK-DuraClear 9,5/15,9mm 3M RETAIL| $27.00
Custom Loop| EK-CryoFuel Solid Cloud White (250mL) BUY 5| $20.00
| Total | $16914.49

This uses a custom cooling loop, it is not very hard to make since I used soft tubing, but if you don't want to use that, you can get 2 of THIS or THIS GPU and THIS CPU Cooler and just remove all the Custom Loop parts.

For the main monitor, I chose a 4K 144Hz monitor and 2 secondary 1440p 165Hz monitors which can also be used for gaming or can be used when you stream.

For the CPU I chose a 14 core i9 CPU, which has the best balance of cores and clock speed of the i9 CPUs, you could get more cores but the clock speed will drop a lot and so will your gaming performance.

Alright so here's my recomendations. I used https://www.productchart.com/monitors/ by the way, so you can do your own research if you'd like.

24" 1080p 60Hz IPS - 130 USD - Super easy for a 1070 to handle, this is standard run of the mill today.
https://www.amazon.com/Dell-SE2416HX-Screen-LED-Lit-Monitor/dp/B01717TLMM?psc=1&SubscriptionId=AKIAJ76EIXAV3V6D6JEQ&tag=globalnetwork-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B01717TLMM

25" 1440p 60Hz IPS - 300 USD - Ideal load for a 1070, better for games with a focus on graphic quality over smoothness and/or are not competitive.
https://www.amazon.com/Dell-UltraSharp-U2515H-25-Inch-LED-Lit/dp/B00SPWPF1O/ref=pd_sim_147_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00SPWPF1O&pd_rd_r=H73A8JMDBX9R9WJMCRNV&pd_rd_w=6T2Lk&pd_rd_wg=FR5eC&psc=1&refRID=H73A8JMDBX9R9WJMCRNV

24" 11080p 144Hz TN - 250 USD - Ideal load for a 1070, better for games with a focus on smoothness over graphic quality and/or are designed to be competitively played.
https://www.amazon.com/VG248QE-1920x1080-144Hz-Gaming-Monitor/dp/B00B2HH7G0?psc=1&SubscriptionId=AKIAJ76EIXAV3V6D6JEQ&tag=globalnetwork-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00B2HH7G0

So i made an alternate pcpartpicker list for you that is more focused on intel. the 9600k is much better for gaming than 2700x, just keep that in mind (Despite it having less cores)

Here are my thoughts. Just know im a little biased towards intel over ryzen at this budget

would you consider a slightly faster processor. My build was the same except I got a 9700k with a noctua nh-d15

the 9700k will make your computer much more upgradeable in the future and you wont have to rebuild as often


Other notes: Powersupply is def too expensive

if you are student try and see if you can get student version of office. all you need is a .edu address

Big One: CHECK AMAZONWAREHOUSE for used monitors. A lot of times they run the used price -20% of base price of total monitor after you put it in shopping cart. i got ASUS ROG PG279Q for like 280 on there. the ASUS ROG PG279Q does not have that special deal right now but another 1440p 144hz+ monitor might.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00N2L5CXO/ref=dp_olp_all_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=all

for monitor you picked on amazon used deals (there is no special 20% off on that monitor right now)

Ram: Your RAM is massively overkill but it is a good choice for 2700x.. Only get that RAM if you get an AMD. I still would recommend 9700k or 9600k imo over that, but i am biased towards intel so keep that in mind. just remmeber you can save some money on ram if you get intel. Also, I only have 8 gb of ram and it works fine with my build and things i do (Gaming)

-That motherboard seems a bit pricey for ryzen, but I dont really know about ryzen boards. I just know that htey are generally cheaper than intel boards and that MB is running hte same price as my intel board

-don't get that cooler. just use stock cooler. I think someone else already said it but the stock cooler is fine with ryzen. only get a cooler for ryzen if you get a good one

Note: power supplies are really cheap on amazon warehouse right now

check out used version of this power supply
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IKDETOW/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_3?smid=A2L77EE7U53NWQ&psc=1#

it is much higher quality and is same price as your power supply but is

Overall pick this build if you are primarily gaming imo