Here is my suggestion. I went for a red/black theme style because I had the budget for it and it wasn't that much more expensive to do so. I decided not to suggest the phantom 820 because it's really not worth the price. Yes it looks pretty nice, but.. It's plastic and you see the dust on it very quickly. I had the original phantom before I bought my new case.

I do have to ask you about the "editing" part? Wich programs will you make use of. This is important for the RAM amount.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor | $336.74 @ SuperBiiz
CPU Cooler | Phanteks PH-TC12DX_RD 68.5 CFM CPU Cooler | $49.99 @ Newegg
Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $118.99 @ Newegg
Memory | G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory | $74.99 @ Newegg
Storage | A-Data Premier SP610 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $65.56 @ NCIX US
Storage | Western Digital WD Green 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive | $81.98 @ OutletPC
Video Card | Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card | $349.99 @ Amazon
Case | Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case | $99.99 @ Newegg
Power Supply | EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply | $49.99 @ NCIX US
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 8.1 - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit) | $90.26 @ OutletPC
Monitor | Dell P2314H 60Hz 23.0" Monitor | $164.00 @ B&H
Keyboard | Cooler Master Storm QuickFire Rapid Wired Gaming Keyboard | $86.00 @ Mechanical Keyboards
Mouse | Logitech G402 Wired Optical Mouse | $54.99 @ NCIX US
Headphones | Sennheiser HD 558 Headphones | $111.60 @ Amazon
Microphone| Blue Snowball White| $50.00
Mousepad| SteelSeries QcK Mass Mousepad| $10.00
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | $1795.07
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-04 15:20 EDT-0400 |

My short rationale for the chosen products:

---------

CPU: Intel quad-core, hyperthreaded CPU clocked at 4,0GHz with a boost up to 4,4GHz. Meaning 4 cores and 8 threads wich is very nice to have when editing. It is as well more then enough for gaming for likely quite some while. It's unlocked as well so we can OC this CPU as well.
CPU Cooler: Very solid air cooler from Phanteks. It's as well in red to match the theme. Sadly the fans are white, but overall it still looks pretty nice. It stands out this way! It as well is relatively easy to install and the fans are quiet.
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z97 board, Z97 is the latest chipset from Intel. It got a lot of nice features that can be made use of later. Such as M.2 sata ports wich allows SSDs up to 10Gbps speeds. But the 2 main factors that is the selling point for me is the improved on-board audio. It makes use of a seperate PCB design for just the audio components. Wich are as well special designed audio capacitors. To reduce the interference and give you a more clear sound signal. The other selling point is the Killer NIC. This is the network adapter that makes you able to prioritise games over other internet useage of the PC to improve latency and reduce "lagg". It isn't a big increase, but it's nice to have regardless.
Memory: RAM is RAM. The only thing that mathers is capacity. As I asked before I am not sure if 8GB is enough for your editing. But I do know that 8GB is enough for gaming. So I went for a 2x4GB, 2133MHz, CL9 kit from G.Skill. Normally I don't suggest this high of a speed for RAM, but because the price is so amazing. (currently a deal on newegg) I couldn't leave it alone. It as well got a black PCB with a nice looking cooler (it are guns!). So that will keep the build very clean.
Storage: 128GB is in my opinion still a very nice amount if you don't put games on the SSD. So just place the OS and some editing software and perhaps 1 or 2 smaller games with a lot of loading times that you play often on the SSD and you should have enough space. I as well added a 2TB HDD for your data wich is a nice amount and a good price.
Video Card: The GTX970 is very hard to get right now in the US. It's out of stock everywhere. So you have to keep your eyes open and keep in check for when the card is back in stock and order it asap. Or allready order it now so that you have it reserved. I went for the 970 because it's honestly an amazing card for the price. It got a lot of nice features and it performs amazing. Here is a nice video that talks about all these features. Don't worry the 980 and 970 both got these features.
Case: I opted for this case because it just is so damn good for the price. I don't like the Phantom because of the price. It's a lot of money and the build quality isn't that impressive. Here is a very well done review of the Enthoo Pro wich should hopefully make you consider this case.
Power Supply: 5 year warrenty, 80+ bronze, semi modular fully black sleeved cables, 750W PSU from EVGA. This is to much wattage for a single card setup, but gives you the option to later add another 970 for an awesome performance boost. It as well comes with 5 year warrenty so you allready just know because of that number, that they did not cheap out on parts at all. Then it does this all while still having an amazing price. Really a no-brainer for me.
OS: Windows 8.1 as you asked for. It's a pretty awesome OS.
Monitor: 1920x1080p, 23", IPS monitor from Dell. I have this monitor myself as a secondary monitor and love it. It's absolutely amazing. The colors are absolutely amazing and the stand is just kickass. It as well got a 3 port USB hub wich is very usefull for webcam, keyboard and mouse. The 8ms seems like a high number and while this is correct. It is perfectly fine for gaming. I tested a lot off games (Crysis 3, Tomb Raider, AC3, Bioschock infinite, CS:GO, & Dirt 3) on this monitor just to see how it would play, if I could see any motion blur. It is possible to see this, but only if you pay really close attention to it. During just regular play I could not notice it and really enjoyed playing on it.

Peripherals are all very hard to suggest, if we don't have enough information. So I picked the ones that I find will work in most cases.
But there are a lot of things we need to know before we can suggest the right setup. But anyway, here is the list. No I won't explain to much why I picked them. I did went for these because I think they will work for "most" people. But if you got the time to answer the questions, I will have a better idea if my suggestion will work for you.

Mouse: How do you grip the mouse? How many buttons do you want? I personally use 0 when I play any game. But for some games it could be helpful to have a few mouse buttons.
Keyboard: I recommend to go read about Mechanical Keyboards switch types first. Then after you know wich switch would be for you, you can give me that information. Then my other questions would be, do you want a TenKeyLess? Basicly numpadless keyboard. If you don't, do you want any "macro keys"? This can be helpful in some games, but in my personal experience I never used them when gaming. Only for some text macro's, push to talk, screenshot and other stuff. But not really to use while fighting a boss or anything.
* Headphones/Speakers: What music do you listen? Do you want speakers? Where will you sit when using the headphones, will it be in a loud room? Will you be on your own? Do you need a microphone?

---------

###Hope you like it and If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Somewhat upgrade-able:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor | $199.99 @ Microcenter
Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $154.99 @ NCIX US
Memory | Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $71.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk | $122.99 @ NCIX US
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $59.98 @ Outlet PC
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card | $409.99 @ NCIX US
Case | Corsair 650D ATX Mid Tower Case | $159.99 @ Microcenter
Power Supply | Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply | $79.99 @ Newegg
Optical Drive | LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer | $15.99 @ Microcenter
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) | $89.73 @ Outlet PC
Monitor | Dell S2340M 60Hz 23.0" Monitor | $159.99 @ Adorama
Keyboard | SteelSeries 6Gv2 Wired Standard Keyboard | $98.98 @ Outlet PC
Mouse | SteelSeries Sensei RAW Wired Laser Mouse | $44.99 @ NCIX US
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available. | $1669.59
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-03 01:55 EDT-0400 |

More upgrade-able:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-3820 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor | $229.99 @ Microcenter
Motherboard | Asus P9X79 LE ATX LGA2011 Motherboard | $224.99 @ Amazon
Memory | Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $71.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk | $122.99 @ NCIX US
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $59.98 @ Outlet PC
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card | $409.99 @ NCIX US
Case | Corsair 650D ATX Mid Tower Case | $159.99 @ Microcenter
Power Supply | Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply | $79.99 @ Newegg
Optical Drive | LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer | $15.99 @ Microcenter
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) | $89.73 @ Outlet PC
Monitor | Dell S2340M 60Hz 23.0" Monitor | $159.99 @ Adorama
Keyboard | SteelSeries 6Gv2 Wired Standard Keyboard | $98.98 @ Outlet PC
Mouse | SteelSeries Sensei RAW Wired Laser Mouse | $44.99 @ NCIX US
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available. | $1769.59
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-03 01:58 EDT-0400 |

This is all based on speculation, but I don't think that the LGA 1150 socket (the socket that the i5-4670k uses) is going to be around for a long time in comparison to the socket used in the more upgradeable build (LGA 2011).

The i7 used in the LGA 2011 build is going to help improve performance, but it isn't going to make a big difference in gaming. However, I would say that the LGA 2011 socket is going to have better longevity, if that's what your after.

Other than the CPU and motherboard, the primary components of both builds are pretty much the same. You have your motherboard. In the i5 build, the motherboard is good enough to support overclocking quite well, as long as you aren't too extreme with it. In the more upgradeable build, the motherboard is also good enough to support overclocking, but the CPU will not be overclockable due to it not being an Intel "K" variant.

The SSD I have included is pretty much the best SSD on the market right now, and you have 128GB of it. That's pretty nice for storing your OS and programs that you're going to frequently access. The Hard Drive is for big data and files like Music and Videos.

The GTX 770 is the second best single GPU card out today. It has the best price:performance ratio of any card and will ravage any game.

The Corsair 650D is one of the nicest mid-tower cases out there. It isn't massive, but it isn't small either. It has a nice window so you can see inside. If you want, get some Logisys cathodes to light up your case for a quick mod that makes things look cool.

The monitor is a decent budget IPS display. If you want to focus more on the monitor, I can shift some of the budget to it. It has a pretty nice bezel.

It's finished off with a nice set of steelseries gear. The 6gv2 is the nicest mechanical keyboard I've used, with the exception of possibly the das keyboard. It doesn't light up, have extra buttons, or have any other frills. It's just a really nice mechanical keyboard. The mouse is the sensei [raw], which is a slightly lesser version of the sensei, but it's all you need. It has an ambidextrous design, which some of the right-handed people don't like. Just thought you should know that.

The last part is the gaming headset, and this is the reason why there's a sizable chunk of money at the end of the i5 build. There wasn't enough money to put in a GTX 780, overclocking, AND headphones. I should let you know that I don't believe in gaming headsets. A high-end gaming headset approaching $100 is essentially a $20-30 headphone with a microphone attached to it, sold at a large markup. It's all hype, and most people buy into it. The best solution is a nice pair of cans with a clip-on mic. I'm partial to the V-moda Crossfade M80 with this zalman clip-on mic, but on-ear headphones may not be your thing. The M80 has nice bass that is perfect for video games. Let me know.

www.amazon.com/V-MODA-Crossfade-On-Ear-Noise-Isolating-Headphone/dp/B005HSDLCO/
www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ/

That said, if you're dead set on a pair of gaming headphones you can't go THAT far wrong with a Logitech G35 or Steelseries Siberia V2. You just aren't getting what you pay for with the sound quality.

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.

>planned to buy all parts from Fry's because when I built a PC 4 years ago

Fry's has fallen apart at the 3 locations that I have visited this fall. I tried to go get a simple 512 GB SSD. The whole area was bare. They are maintaining about half the store. They don't even put up posters and lights - depressing AF.

> Microcenter before today, but I believe there is one in Dallas.

Microcenter also gives a $30-90 discount if a motherboard and processor are bought in the same in-store transaction. They often give discounts on other items in combination, like memory and power supplies. Call ahead to be sure they have the part you want, or compatible substitutes.

Microcenter will put the computer together for you. The fee appears to be $50 most of the time. Sometimes they will throw it in for free. I think it is based on location, and how much you bring in versus buy at the store.

Looking at Microcenter's price level, I would buy a motherboard and CPU there due to the discount. I would bring my graphics card, power supply, CPU cooler, and case that I ordered online. I am neutral about Microcenter's storage and memory prices. Monitors, keyboards, and mice are nice to try in person, but they prices at Microcenter are a little high.

>switch his other games to PC rather than buying the next generation of consoles

Good idea! It will cost less to only have one device and have that device be the PC.

>if I could save enough money by buying parts elsewhere or from multiple places to make up for paying for someone to build it I would do that.

If you can hang a picture, or play with a model train, you can build an PC. You will need a table, some tweezers, a pocket knife, and a Livestrong bracelet. <-- PC building joke

You do not need anything specific to build a PC. If you want to make it easy on yourself, get a magnetic screwdriver with a magnetic pickup tool. The long and thin pickup tool will help you retrieve screws that wander into cracks.

GreatNeck SD7C 8-in-1 Screwdriver with Magnetic Telescoping Pick-Up Tool

Dropping screws is inevitable, so avoid working over carpet. If you do drop a screw on carpet, sweep the pickup tool over the area slowly. The tip magnet will grab it off the surface. You could get a magnetic tray to reduce the chance of drops, but only buy it if you will also use if for other tasks (like auto).

Titan Tools 11061 Mini Magnetic Parts Tray

While some people suggest a grounding wristband to dissipate static, I think they are a waste for PC building. Plug in your power supply and touch it each time you come to the workplace. A powerstrip with an off switch can be used, if your power supply does not have a physical power switch on the back to turn off.

>I was deflated by how the little knowledge I'd picked up

You can learn almost everything you need to know off YouTube in a couple of evenings. Paul from Paul's Hardware is really careful about his accuracy and completeness. The Linus Tech Tips media group also has high standards.

Pauls Hardware Intro: How To Build a Gaming PC in 2019! Part 1 - Hardware Basics

LTT step-by-step PC build: No Dollar Wasted

Once you put it together

The cases that are included in these builds are cheap and should keep everything safe from cats and kids while a real case is shopped purchased.

• 6 core, 12 thread CPU
  
• Quiet cooling
  
• 16 GB memory
  
• 2 TB SSD
  
• Mid-range 8 GB video card
  
• WiFi/Bluetooth in both
  
• EVGA 500 Watt 80+ Gold power
  
• Comfy headphones, USB microphone
  
• Non-clicking mechanical backlit keyboard, gaming mouse
  
• 1440p, 100+ Hz, 27", FreeSync, GtG <= 3 ms, non-TN monitor
  
  
  

  Like yours: Intel and Nvidia
  

  
  

  PCPartPicker Part List
  

  
  

  Type|Item|Price
  

  ----|:----|:----
  CPU | *Intel Core i7-8700K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor | $359.99 @ Monoprice
  CPU Cooler | *Cooler Master MA410P TUF Gaming Edition 66.7 CFM CPU Cooler | $24.99 @ Amazon
  Motherboard | Asus TUF Z390M-PRO GAMING (WI-FI) Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $172.00 @ Amazon
  Memory | *GeIL EVO POTENZA 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $54.99 @ Newegg
  Storage | *Sabrent Rocket 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive | $249.98 @ Amazon
  Video Card | *NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8 GB Video Card | $399.99 @ Best Buy
  Case | *Fractal Design Focus G Mini MicroATX Mini Tower Case | $50.01 @ Walmart
  Power Supply | *EVGA GD (2019) 500 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply | $54.98 @ Newegg
  Monitor | *Acer VG271U Pbmiipx 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor | $369.99 @ Amazon
  Keyboard | *Velocifire TKL78 Wired Standard Keyboard | $29.99 @ Amazon
  Mouse | *MSI Interceptor DS B1 Wired Optical Mouse | $14.99 @ Amazon
  Headphones | *Superlux HD681 Headphones | $34.50 @ Amazon
  Custom | Fifine Usb Podcast Condenser Microphone K669 | $27.99 @ Amazon
  | Total | $1844.39
  | | *Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria |
  
  Get on budget: $1714.39 with a 1 TB SSD
  
  #Like Meta: AMD and AMD for performance/price
  
  PCPartPicker Part List
  
  Type|Item|Price
  

  ----|:----|:----
  CPU | *AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor | $194.00 @ Amazon
  CPU Cooler | *Cooler Master MA410P TUF Gaming Edition 66.7 CFM CPU Cooler | $24.99 @ Amazon
  Motherboard | *MSI B450M PRO-VDH MAX Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard | $79.99 @ B&H
  Memory | *G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory | $74.98 @ Amazon
  Storage | *Sabrent Rocket 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive | $249.98 @ Amazon
  Video Card | *Sapphire Radeon RX 5700 XT 8 GB PULSE Video Card | $408.98 @ SuperBiiz
  Case | *Fractal Design Focus G Mini MicroATX Mini Tower Case | $50.01 @ Walmart
  Power Supply | *EVGA GD (2019) 500 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply | $54.98 @ Newegg
  Wireless Network Adapter | *Asus PCE-AC55BT B1 PCIe x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter | $34.99 @ Amazon
  Monitor | *Acer VG271U Pbmiipx 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor | $369.99 @ Amazon
  Keyboard | *Velocifire TKL78 Wired Standard Keyboard | $29.99 @ Amazon
  Mouse | *MSI Interceptor DS B1 Wired Optical Mouse | $14.99 @ Amazon
  Headphones | *Superlux HD681 Headphones | $34.50 @ Amazon
  Custom | Fifine Usb Podcast Condenser Microphone K669 | $27.99 @ Amazon
  | Total | $1650.36
  | | *Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria |
  
  
  The MSI MAX motherboards have the needed BIOS that PCPartPicker warns you about.

KEYBOARD

I'm not really all that much of a keyboard guy. Having said that, you want a wired keyboard for gaming. I love my Saitek Eclipse II.

MOUSE

The Cobra is exactly that. I know that it's kind of suspicious at $5, but I've been using mine for the past 9 months, and it's exactly what you describe, a cheap mouse with adjustable DPI and no macros. Plus it looks kinda neat, fits the color scheme, and it isn't going to do anything stupid.

CPU

Here's an 8350 streaming on a much worse GPU than the one in your build.

CPU Cooler

You don't "need" it if you don't want to overclock, but it's a good bit quieter than the stock one. I only put it in because you said you wanted it quiet.

RAM

Most games right now only use about 4GB, so 8 is the sweet spot for the rare game (like Crysis) that uses more resources than a normal game. Plus, you can add more memory in this build (you'll want to in about 2-3 years or so), and it'll only take you about 2 minutes. Ram has been going up in price lately; I was able to get 16GB of 1866 memory 9 months ago. I wouldn't buy much more than I had to now.

Storage

I'm running this exact hard drive in my build, and it's not giving me any problems. The SSD, on the other hand, is one I've never used before. It has nice reviews and is SATA III, so it should run fine.

VIDEO CARD

Here's my argument. They are very similar, and the 7970 is $80 cheaper.

Motherboard

This is one of the best AMD motherboards out there. It's only running the 970 chipset, which means that it can only run one NVIDIA graphics card (no SLI), or 2 AMD cards (in Crossfire, but the second one is kind of slow). However, Crossfire is terrible (no driver support), and I'd rather have one really nice card than 2 OK ones. Also, this card has heatsinks on the VRMs and is one of the best boards for overclocking out there. The way I see it is, if it can withstand a huge overclock, it's going to be pretty stable. Read the reviews on it. It's nice.

CASE

It matters a bit. This case has nice cable management options and a spot for the SSD. It's pretty sturdy, has USB 3.0, and a lot of fans included. I have no idea what it's going to cost to get it shipped from MicroCenter. If it's too much, we can look for another case.

Power Supply

You need about 500 watts for this build, but I went with a 600 watt power supply because as the capacitors break down (3+ years from now), you're going to lose some of your wattage. Plus, if you ever decide to do some crazy stuff that consumes a lot of power, you'll be covered.

OPTICAL DRIVE

This is a DVD/CD drive. It burns them and plays them. If you want Blu-Ray, we can throw that in, but it'll be about $30 more.

Wireless Network Adapter

Got it. This one's pretty awesome.

OS

Windows 8 works better with the AMD FX chips out of the box, but if you really want to run Windows 7, you can download and install some fixes from Microsoft that will make it pretty similar. If the interface is your gripe with Windows 8, you can install a start menu for it from a 3rd party developer. I use Windows 8 and like it a lot, but a lot of people don't.

Overclocking

It'll hurt things if you're being stupid. Otherwise, you'll be fine. Still, this thing should last for a long time.

I have a very similar build, and it worked out of the box. After I installed drivers (which you have to do anyway), it ran even better.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor | $179.99 @ Microcenter
CPU Cooler | Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler | $19.99 @ Newegg
Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard | $89.99 @ Microcenter
Memory | Kingston Blu 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $58.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Sandisk Extreme 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk | $84.99 @ NCIX US
Storage | Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $63.99 @ Geeks.com
Video Card | PowerColor Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card | $309.99 @ NCIX US
Wireless Network Adapter | TP-Link TL-WN822N 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter | $19.98 @ Outlet PC
Case | Zalman Z11 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case | $44.99 @ Microcenter
Power Supply | Cooler Master Silent Pro M2 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply | $46.00 @ Newegg
Optical Drive | Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer | $16.00 @ Newegg
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) | $89.73 @ Outlet PC
Mouse | Cobra 9897005984104 Wired Optical Mouse | Purchased For $4.97
Other| XStar 1440p Monitor| $279.99
Other| Saitek Eclipse II Keyboard Warehouse Deal| $39.99
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available. | $1345.57
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-02 18:11 EDT-0400 |

EDIT: These headphones and this mic will outperform $100+ headsets.

pc-kombo shared list

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-7700K | $323.59 @ superbiiz
Motherboard | ASRock Z270 Extreme4 | $139.99 @ newegg
Memory | Team Group T-Force Dark grey, DDR4-3000, CL16 - 16 GB Kit (16 GB) | $128.99 @ newegg
SSD | SanDisk Plus 960GB TLC (960 GB) | $259.99 @ Amazon.com
Video Card | Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Aorus 11G | $708.99 @ superbiiz
Case | PHANTEKS Enthoo Pro Midi-Tower - white Window | $109.99 @ Amazon.com
Power Supply | Seasonic X-Series (650 W) | $99.9 @ Amazon.com
CPU Cooler | be quiet! Dark Rock 3 | $64.99 @ superbiiz
Operating System | Windows 10 Home (32/64-bit, USB Flash Drive) | $102.99 @ superbiiz
| Total | $1939.42
| Generated by pc-kombo 04.08.2017 |

I normally don't do color schemes, but I made an exception here ;) Best gaming cpu with best gpu, you can play VR and everything else on this. 16 GB of fast ram (absolutely enough) and a 1TB SSD, a solid board and case as well as a high quality psu. The build is overclockable.

For the rest, there are many options, but I selected good ones:

Display: Dell S2716DG, https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824260333, 144Hz 1440p and Gsync.
Keyboard: Plugable mechanical, https://www.amazon.com/Plugable-Mechanical-Enthusiasts-Backlighting-Double-shot/dp/B01MA6O13L
Mouse: Razer Deathadder, https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA4RE4638718 - but there are so many alternatives you could get instead, browse a bit through the selection
Chair: I suggest a visit to Ikea, Markus is a great chair.
* Headset: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA7NT5JA1563 + https://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ/ - that's a very cheap solution, but it is also a very good one. Dedicated Headphones are way better than a gaming headset.

He actually makes a lot of good points!

I revised the build a little, try this

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor | €201.90 @ Caseking
Motherboard | ASRock H97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | €75.00
Memory | Kingston HyperX Fury Red 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory | €47.77 @ Amazon Deutschland
Storage | Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | €82.89 @ Amazon Deutschland
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | €51.45 @ Amazon Deutschland
Video Card | PowerColor Radeon R9 390 8GB PCS+ Video Card | €333.94 @ Amazon Deutschland
Case | Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case | €88.58 @ Amazon Deutschland
Power Supply | XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | €68.61 @ Amazon Deutschland
Case Fan | Corsair Air Series SP120 Quiet Edition (2-Pack) 37.9 CFM 120mm Fans | €32.90 @ Caseking
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | €983.04
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-26 16:56 CET+0100 |

Personally I think Skylake + DDR4 is not that much of an upgrade, especially because it doesnt really futureproof your computer or somehow give any benefit over Haswell.
The CPU linked in the build below is not the actual one you would/should be getting, but instead a downclocked, low-voltage version with not nearly as much power as the i5-4590/4690 or the i5-6600 (Although the price difference is not that big, 10$ http://www.amazon.de/Intel-Skylake-5-6600-Herzen-BX80662I56600/dp/B010T6D39O/ref=pd_sim_sbs_147_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=518KNd4nD%2BL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=1NCRQ0G15THJ2XS9AKTA)

Overall I think his build is pretty good, seeing as airflow and a good case seem immportant to you I would like to at least recommend swapping in the Fractal Design case incase you should go with this build. It is fantastic, a breeze to build in, quiet, clean, cool.

If you have anymore questions feel free to ask

EDIT:
Sry had the wrong PCPP in there, fixed now!

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor | $160.00
Motherboard | ASRock - AB350M Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard | $59.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Toshiba - P300 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $40.00
Power Supply | SeaSonic - S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | $45.98 @ Newegg
Case| Lian Li K5X| $42.00
Memory| Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 8GB Single DDR4 2666 | $65.00
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $412.97
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-09-29 16:47 EDT-0400 |

For some reason it doesn't look like Micro Center sells the Ryzen 1600 new any more, but your location says they have an open box for $160 which sounds like a good deal to me. You can also get this hard drive and case there at these prices.

You'll notice I haven't included a gpu. Because of the monitor you've bought you're probably going to want an AMD gpu, which puts us in a difficult position on this budget. Due to the Ethereum mining craze AMD gpu prices are pretty crazy, so when buying new your options are basically an RX 460/560 for ~$100 or an RX 470/570/480/580 for $250+. An rx 460 or 560 would probably be sufficient for the games you've listed with the exception of PUBG, so my recommendation is go to with something like this rx 460 and save your cash for a gpu upgrade when you want to play more demanding games and the gpu prices have come back down.

Alternatively, we could go with a Ryzen 3 1200 and you could fit an RX 580 into budget, but considering your desire to stream and the fact that cpu's depreciate less quickly than gpu's I think the Ryzen 5 1600 + RX 460 is a better plan. Especially if you can get the Ryzen 1600 for $160 there.

Or you could look around the net for something like a used r9 290 or r9 390 for around $200.

As for the speakers, If your budget is around $30 then I'd probably just get some headphones. This Superlux set with a cheap mic like the $7 Zalman mic are common budget suggestions.

Yeah, two things, but they could potentially put you over budget, depending on how you go about this.

One: If you're doing video editing, then you're going to want a monitor with an IPS panel. This basically means that the monitor has very high color accuracy (and that's really useful for video making, so that the video won't look funny to any viewers with IPS panels, of which many people have). This is a really nice one that's very popular. Obviously, if you went with both monitors, it'd put you over budget, so that's up to you. All IPS monitors are 60Hz or less, unfortunately, though some do overclock a little.

Two: I would strongly suggest getting a pair of headphones and a separate mic. Headphones have pretty shit quality for what you pay. I'd suggest this pair and this microphone. Unfortunately, that's really expensive for you because Canada, so you may want to go to /r/headphones to learn about something more affordable if that's an issue. Just don't get the ATH-M50's; they have a terrible soundstage (other than that, they're awesome headphones, but good soundstage is important for gaming).

Other than that, you should be just fine. Might want to switch to this RAM though, just because it's cheaper and there's no sense in overpaying for RAM (unless it's for looks!).

Oh, if you can, I would STRONGLY suggest using ethernet. It's about twice as fast and much more reliable than wifi.

For £350 I have to recommend:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
Motherboard | MSI H81M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | £30.97 @ Scan.co.uk
Storage | Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | £35.94 @ Aria PC
Case | Zalman ZM-T3 MicroATX Mini Tower Case | £19.94 @ CCL Computers
Power Supply | EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | £35.40 @ Amazon UK
Other| Sapphire AMD R9 280 Graphics Card (3GB, DDR5) | £129.90 @ Amazon
Other| Crucial 8GB DDR3 1600 MT/s CL11 SODIMM 204 Pin 1.35V/1.5V Memory Module | £51.09 @ Amazon
Other| Intel Pentium Dual Core G3258 | £47.98 @ Dabs
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | £351.22
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-13 17:46 BST+0100 |

The G3258 + H81 is such good value. Out of the box it'll do well but what makes this amazing is when you overclock it. https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=182658.0 . Also the 280 will run every game at 1080p on Ultra settings. Fantastic card for the price.

For £450,
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor | £133.14 @ Aria PC
Motherboard | Asus H81M-PLUS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | £40.57 @ Scan.co.uk
Storage | Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | £35.94 @ Aria PC
Case | Xigmatek Recon ATX Mid Tower Case | £27.94 @ Amazon UK
Power Supply | EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | £35.93 @ CCL Computers
Other| Sapphire AMD R9 280 Graphics Card (3GB, DDR5) | £129.90 @ Amazon
Other| Crucial 8GB DDR3 1600 MT/s CL11 SODIMM 204 Pin 1.35V/1.5V Memory Module | £51.09 @ Amazon
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | £454.51
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-16 12:02 BST+0100 |

The extra £100 has gone into getting an i5. This will perform better in intensive CPU tasks but in gaming there will only be a few fps difference. I can't really recommend it over the £350 build because you already have your laptop for work.

All in all I have to recommend the £350 build and saving some money for an SSD

Here is a suggestion of a good build. You could get a 280x if you want, but the 280 will be good enough for now.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor | £109.99 @ Ebuyer
Motherboard | MSI 970A-G43 ATX AM3+ Motherboard | £45.95 @ Amazon UK
Memory | Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | £62.97 @ Amazon UK
Storage | Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | £35.94 @ Aria PC
Video Card | MSI Radeon R9 280 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card | £149.99 @ Amazon UK
Case | Fractal Design Core 2300 ATX Mid Tower Case | £36.95 @ Amazon UK
Power Supply | EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | £46.09 @ Aria PC
Optical Drive | Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer | £10.46 @ Aria PC
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) | £72.35 @ Aria PC
Monitor | BenQ RL2455HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor | £131.09 @ Scan.co.uk
Wireless Network Adapter | TP-Link TL-WN727N 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter | £7.38 @ Misco UK
Keyboard | Corsair Raptor K30 Wired Gaming Keyboard | £37.79 @ Aria PC
Mouse | Logitech G402 Wired Optical Mouse | £35.65 @ Amazon UK
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | £782.60
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-29 20:02 GMT+0000 |

Edit: By the way I found a Gigabyte 280 for £139.99 on Amazon if you want to save a tenner.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-6700 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor | $297.99 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler | CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler | $34.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard | MSI Z170A KRAIT GAMING 3X ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $149.99 @ Amazon
GPU | Evga GeForce 980 Ti | $419.99 @ Amazon
Memory | Corsair Dominator Platinum Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 DRAM 3200MHz | $109.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $49.99 @ Amazon
SSD | Kingston SV300S37A/240G | $67.86 @ Amazon
Case | Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case | $54.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply | EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $94.74 @ Amazon
Monitor | ASUS 23" 1920x1080 2ms | $128.99 @ Amazon
Windows | Windows 7 Professional | $88.97 @ Amazon
Optical Drive | LG Optical Drive | $13.99 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | ~$1512.57
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-24 17:28 EDT-0400 |
Just a tad over budget but you can easily bring it down to $1400 if you feel like it by going with an i5 for $200. And I have the optical drive needed to install windows, etc. With this GPU you should be more than good for now and the near future. glhf!

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor | £259.20 @ Amazon UK
CPU Cooler | Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler | £26.99 @ Novatech
Motherboard | MSI Z97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | £64.99 @ Amazon UK
Memory | Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory | £55.92 @ More Computers
Storage | Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | £115.48 @ Amazon UK
Storage | Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | £74.99 @ Novatech
Video Card | XFX Radeon R9 390 8GB Double Dissipation Video Card | £263.30 @ More Computers
Case | NZXT Noctis 450 ATX Mid Tower Case | £103.32 @ Aria PC
Power Supply | EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | £74.99 @ Amazon UK
Keyboard | Corsair K65 RGB UK Wired Gaming Keyboard | £94.93 @ More Computers
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | £1134.11
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-14 21:25 GMT+0000 |

so prices for the naga on pcpartpicker are kind of fucked so i went and looked on amazon and found this

though personally I would give preference to this which will better match the keyboard as well. I don't know if your friend is open to alternatives to the Naga, but it is definitely not the only option for an RGB mouse with macro-keys.

I made sure the case has blue lighting by default, but you could also look into a custom LED strip in the case, which if you do it right will probably look better.

As for the build itself, this will handle any modern title with ease on 1080p ultra settings, while recording or streaming.

I don't know if your friend already has his audio gear (headphones and mic) but if he doesn't my suggestion would be a blue snowball mic and the ath-ad700x which if you ship them from japan (top option in the link) ends up cheaper than the 500x which is a lower tier model.

Two ways to go. I will actually give you a decent headset recommendation just in case that's the way he wants to go.

Headset

Skullcandy SLYR in fact. Now of course the brand has done a good deal to gain a reputation of flashy products with low quality, but they absolutely upped their game with this one. Great sound quality, and a solid mic.

Headphones and mic.

For the mic, definitely a Blue Microphones Snowball. The Ice version is relatively inexpensive, and awesome for picking up voice for VOIP/games.

For headphones, there's a mountain of options available. Some good options however:

• AKG K240
  
  
• Superlux 668B.

Okay man I got to tell you. $10k is seriously overkill for anything. Really. I need a few more details and I'm definitely willing to change the build i thought up of right now if you give me more details. What graphics do you want? This computer is definitely good enough to play ANY game out there on 4k graphics. I also included a great monitor, mouse, keyboard, speakers, I got you the entire thing for less than $5000. You will need to find an SLI bridge by the way, just get one on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/ROG-Enthusiast-2-Way-SLI-Bridge/dp/B013HKXSQ2).

Here is the build: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/nDyG2R

I'll say this... You could definitely get a better PC by putting in some SLI Titan XPs. But it is TOTALLY not worth it unless you are going to play 8k or something... but I can make adjustments if you want just tell me. What's more is that you could wait a couple of months for new hardware that is just around the corner. Wait a couple of months if you can and you will be able to get an even better computer. That's all I gotta say for now tho.

PCPartPicker Part List

|Type|Item|Price|
|:-|:-|:-|
|CPU|AMD - Ryzen 5 2600X 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor|$159.99 @ Amazon|
|Motherboard|MSI - B450 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard|$99.99 @ Amazon|
|Memory|Team - T-Force Delta RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory|$69.99 @ Newegg|
|Storage|Crucial - MX500 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive|$64.99 @ Amazon|
|Storage|Hitachi - Ultrastar 7K3000 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive|$49.50 @ Amazon|
|Video Card|EVGA - GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB XC ULTRA GAMING Video Card|$309.99 @ Amazon|
|Case|NZXT - H500i ATX Mid Tower Case|$96.99 @ Amazon|
|Power Supply|EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply|$79.99 @ Amazon|
|Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts|||
|Total|$931.43||
|Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-07-05 21:35 EDT-0400|||

CPU: If you aren't overclocking, the x variants will have a little more of a boost overall. Get the 2600 instead if you want to OC. It's worth noting that Zen 2 CPUs come out soon, it might be worth waiting for reviews/benchmarks.

Mobo: Highly rated mobo for the CPU.

RAM: Fast, RGB memory for performance and aesthetic puropses.

Storage: Highly rated SSD for OS and some key games/programs, 2TB storage for other games/mass storage.

GPU: Solid GPU for 1080p 144hz gaming. Chose EVGA for their great customer service.

Case: Black and red case with RGB strips included. Get the H500 instead if you don't want the RGB strips/have your own.

PSU: 80+ gold, fully modular PSU with a long warranty.

​

EDIT: I didn't realize you were also looking for a monitor! I'd recommend this one, as it should pair well with the rest of the build.

If you have any questions, let me know!

Here is my recommendation:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor | $169.99 @ Microcenter
CPU Cooler | Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler | $29.98 @ Outlet PC
Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard | $104.99 @ Microcenter
Memory | Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $59.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk | $164.99 @ NCIX US
Storage | Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $69.99 @ Amazon
Video Card | PowerColor Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card | $219.99 @ NCIX US
Wireless Network Adapter | Rosewill RNX-N600UBE 802.11a/b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter | $25.22 @ Amazon
Case | Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case | $49.99 @ NCIX US
Power Supply | XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply | $54.99 @ NCIX US
Optical Drive | Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer | $14.99 @ Newegg
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) | $89.98 @ Outlet PC
Keyboard | Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Wired Gaming Keyboard | $39.99 @ Newegg
Other| Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Headphones | $99.95 @ Amazon
Other| Zalman Zm-Mic1 Microphone| $8.48 @ Amazon
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available. | $1203.51
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-21 23:53 EDT-0400 |

I think this build falls right in the sweet spot for performance vs. price. The CPU/Mobo is a combo at Microcenter, you'll have to add around $20 for tax. A note on the headphones, these are the best headphones for gaming for the price. I strongly recommend against buying any name-brand headset, you will overpay and get a product that doesn't sound as good. Let me know if you have any questions.

If you're okay with warehouse deals:

The R9 280 for $127 - you save around $24

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor | £137.99 @ Amazon UK
Motherboard | MSI H97M-E35 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | £61.14 @ Amazon UK
Memory | Kingston 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | £51.44 @ Amazon UK
Storage | Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | £43.92 @ Amazon UK
Case | Fractal Design Core 1500 MicroATX Mini Tower Case | £39.50 @ Amazon UK
Power Supply | EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | £38.52 @ Amazon UK
Other| Amazon Warehouse R9 280 | £127.00
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | £499.51
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-22 14:45 GMT+0000 |


Changed the case and the motherboard, check the case out see if you like it!

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i3-4170 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor | $99.99 @ Micro Center
Motherboard | MSI H81M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $45.98 @ OutletPC
Memory | G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory | $29.99 @ Newegg
Video Card | PowerColor Radeon R9 270 2GB TurboDuo Video Card | $89.99 @ Newegg
Case | NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case | $36.99 @ SuperBiiz
Power Supply | EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | $24.99 @ NCIX US
Wireless Network Adapter | Belkin F9L1001 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter | $5.99 @ Micro Center
Monitor | Acer S220HQLAbd 60Hz 21.5" Monitor | $79.99 @ Amazon
Keyboard | Rosewill STRIKER RK-6000 Wired Standard Keyboard | $49.89 @ OutletPC
Mouse | Logitech G303 Daedalus Apex Wired Optical Mouse | $49.99 @ Amazon
Headphones | Audio-Technica ATH-T200 Headphones | $19.99 @ Micro Center
Mousepad| Steelseries Qck | $10.00 @ Steelseries
Other| Zalman ZM-Mic1| $7.27 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $601.05
| Mail-in rebates | -$50.00
| Total | $551.05
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-27 13:11 EST-0500 |

That wasn't easy at all.

I added a keyboard with some shitty ALPS mechanical switches.

Mouse is great though, and I love my Steelseries Qck. I use both the G303 and the QCK, and it's a pretty good combination.

Hah, every time I think I'm getting close to finalising my build someone piques my interest with something cool sounding.

Here's the motherboard I was originally looking at. This guy

And here's one that'd let me eventually add another graphics card in crossfire. That guy

But it's twice as much and I probably wouldn't be able to afford the other card for the foreseeable future...

D'you reckon it's worth it if i start with one R9 280 and the better motherboard and upgrade it later down the line?

Will this future proof it to an extent or would I just be wasting my money?

Cheers!

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor | $343.99 @ SuperBiiz
CPU Cooler | CRYORIG H5 Ultimate 76.0 CFM CPU Cooler | $56.60 @ Amazon
Motherboard | Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $150.88 @ OutletPC
Memory | Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory | $59.99 @ SuperBiiz
Storage | Sandisk Ultra II 960GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $228.60 @ Amazon
Storage | Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $117.99 @ Micro Center
Case | Fractal Design Define R5 Blackout Edition w/ Window ATX Mid Tower Case | $109.99 @ Newegg
Power Supply | SeaSonic 660W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $126.99 @ SuperBiiz
Monitor | Acer G257HU smidpx 60Hz 25.0" Monitor | $259.99 @ B&H
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $1455.02
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-14 11:38 EDT-0400 |

So seeing you have a headset, the A40s. They aren't very good compared to price equivalent Of DT 990's and as well as DT 770s now I would highly suggest upgrading to a headphone and a modmic or blue yeti.

Comparisons

Headsets are generally really bad, the A40s/A50s are ok, they aren't great but not bad. What I would do is move to headphones and a modmic. People have made this switch and love it. The DT 990s are stupid comfy, same for the DT 880s and DT 770s and any Bererdynamic headphones. They are so comfy, huge pads, deep cuffs, comfy, so much.

Open vs closed back

Headsets are generally closed back, however they have some issues with that. They tend to have bad audio positioning in the headset. They don't give spacial awareness and such.

Open headphones leak sound, so people around you can hear. The drivers are directly exposed or slightly covered. However they offer a lot better experience, much larger sound stage, much better audio positioning, and everything better overall.

Mics

Now for headphones, they don't come with mics so you have a few options. You can get a Blue Yeti mic, a modmic, Audio Technica AT2020, or similar. I'll list a few

Modmic 4.0

Blue Yeti

Snowball

Headphones closed and open

Open, DT 990

Closed, DT 770

Open, AKG q701

AKG 7xx, open

Closed, Status Audio CB-1

Open, Status Audio, OB-1, Hardware Canucks did a video on this

AMPs/DACs

Magni 2

* Aune T1 Mk2

Finals words

I would visit /r/headphones for a 2nd opinion too. Also feel free to ask any questions regarding this or the build. I included a 1440p monitor if you wanted to upgrade instead of the headphones.

This should do nicely for you. There's room in the budget to swap the i5 6500 out for an i7 6700 if you feel like you'll get use out of it.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor | €219.00 @ Amazon France
Motherboard | Asus H110M-K Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | €59.99 @ Amazon France
Memory | Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory | €89.99 @ Amazon France
Storage | Crucial MX300 525GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | €135.95 @ Amazon France
Video Card | Zotac GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB Mini Video Card | €173.80 @ Amazon France
Case | Thermaltake Core V21 MicroATX Mini Tower Case | Purchased For €0.00
Power Supply | XFX ProSeries 450W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | €54.90 @ Amazon France
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Pro Full - USB 32/64-bit | €141.00 @ Amazon France
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | €874.63
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-12-08 19:15 CET+0100 |

Here you go! Key feature list:

• Mid-range i5 CPU that should be entirely sufficient to pair with the GPU.
  
  
• 480 gigabytes of SSD storage - you should be able to put all your games on this, and if not, you can always add an HDD.
  
  
• Good-quality power supply to ensure system stability and prevent component decay.
  
  

• R9 390 video card that works with the cheapest FreeSync 144Hz monitor on the market - should serve you very well.
  

  
  

  PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
  

  
  

  Type|Item|Price
  

  ----|:----|:----
  CPU | Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor | $199.99 @ Amazon
  Motherboard | ASRock Z170 Pro4S ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $82.98 @ Newegg
  Memory | G.Skill NT Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory | $29.98 @ Newegg
  Storage | Sandisk Ultra II 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $120.99 @ Amazon
  Video Card | Sapphire Radeon R9 390 8GB Nitro Video Card | $317.37 @ Amazon
  Case | Fractal Design Core 3000 USB 3.0 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case | $62.31 @ Amazon
  Power Supply | EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $74.99 @ Amazon
  | Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
  | Total | $888.61
  | Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-02 19:44 EDT-0400 |

Here's a good place to look for monitors at a good price.


Right at the top I see a 1080p TN monitor for $100 with a $20 rebate.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004J6BIJ8?pldnSite=1

If you plan on getting vega, or a 1080, then 1080p is a complete waste of your time. Go for either 1080p 144hz, or 1440p of any refresh rate, at the minimum. It's hard to fit those in a $190 budget though.

This one comes close to being in your budget, and offers freesync/144hz.

This one also comes close to your budget, and has 1440p 60hz.

Could I swap to this ram instead and order it from Amazon? I have quite a few Amazon gift cards that I could use.

Do you need the OS & optical drive too?

Anyway I went on the assumption you did. Here's what I did.

I think an i5 in this build would have to be at the expense of the GPU so instead I went for an Ivy Bridge i3.

The mouse, headphones and microphone would bring this upto ~£725. If you want a generic keyboard then his would go down to £700. I've gone for a separate headphones and the clip on mic as these are what I've seen recommended for budget options rather than cheap "gaming" headsets with both.

Here are the benchmarks for the 7770

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i3-3220 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor | £96.29 @ Novatech
Motherboard | ASRock B75M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard | £52.82 @ Amazon UK
Memory | G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | £37.08 @ Amazon UK
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | £49.57 @ CCL Computers
Video Card | Asus Radeon HD 7770 2GB Video Card | £131.56 @ Amazon UK
Case | NZXT Source 210 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case | £33.47 @ Scan.co.uk
Power Supply | OCZ 500W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply | £49.98 @ Ebuyer
Optical Drive | Sony AD-7280S-0B DVD/CD Writer | £12.58 @ CCL Computers
Monitor | AOC E2243FW 21.5" Monitor | £105.88 @ Ebuyer
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) | £72.96 @ CCL Computers
Keyboard | Microsoft Sidewinder X4 (UK Layout) Wired Standard Keyboard | £32.48 @ Amazon UK
| | Total
| Prices include shipping and discounts when available. | £674.67
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-09-10 19:06 BST+0100 |

Hap hap hello there! I am a bot and you linked to Amazon.

This comment contains 1 pricing graph(s)

____

Product 1: ASUS ROG Enthusiast 2-Way SLI Bridge (B013HKXSQ2)

Imgur pricing graph

||Amazon|3P New|Used|
|--:|:--|:--|:--|
|Cur|$35.00|$52.70|Not in Stock|
|Hi|$36.99|$68.99|$43.74|
|Lo|$33.27|$31.14|$25.20|
|Avg|$34.78|$45.62|$32.83|

_____

^^I'm ^^a ^^bot. ^^Please ^^PM ^^any ^^bugs

hey man, thank you AGAIN! now, last question (im preparing to order all the parts today): I found this GPU on amazon for 190€: http://www.amazon.de/SAPPHIRE-Radeon-3072MB-GDDR5-PCI-E/dp/B00IRTXPBM/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1406906434&sr=8-6&keywords=Sapphire+Radeon+R9+280X+3GB+Dual-X+Video+Card#productDetails

but i cant figure out if it is the same one you recommended or not. Can you advise?

I think I'm going to base my build off of your suggestions. However the memory components you suggested are showing up as more expensive on amazon than PCPartPicker suggests. So would:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00UVN2C8O/?tag=pcp0f-21

work equally well in your build?

Would you say that this is a good 1080p alternative?