Reddit mentions of Samsung 850 EVO 1TB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-75E1T0B/AM)

They were over $1000 USD for years, but in the last 3 they've been around 300 dollars.

I recently got this SSD last cyber monday for $280

So buy one. They're like, $350.

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E1T0B-AM/dp/B00OBRFFAS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427478813&sr=8-1&keywords=1TB+SSD

ur a scrub

Do. Not. Buy. This. Shit.

840's were notorious for being trash. This isn't even a good price anyways. You can get a used 1 tb 850 Evo for less.

Also same price on Amazon if you prefer:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OBRFFAS/ref=twister_B00PRDMHLU?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Same price on Amazon (been that way for awhile).

Is this the same model on Amazon for $259.99?
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E1T0B-AM/dp/B00OBRFFAS

The 2.5 inch Samsung 850 evo is 250 dollars right now for the 1TB version (50% off). The m.2 form factor version is also 250 dollars. I just bought mine (the m.2) like 10 minutes ago. You also get a free copy of Watch Dogs 2 apparently, but I didn't get mine because I'm not in the US :(

EDIT: Here is a list of all the SSDs that samsung has ATM. Some of them have discounts.

What are you going on about? $125 is a steal for a 1TB SSD. He went EVO because that's what he could get. He obviously wasn't in a store where he had options.

For reference:

Samsung 850 EVO - 1TB $318.77 @ Amazon

Samsung 850 PRO - 1TB $419.19 @ Amazon

It uses a standard 2.5" HDD. You can easily swap it out for a 2.5" SSD. Amazon currently has a 1TB SSD for $250.

This isn't that bad for a 1TB SSD

I have this one. 1TB Samsung Evo.

Is it overkill? Probably. I only use like 250GB. I just like not having to run out of space. Is it pricey? You bet it is. (Mayor White. Vote for me!). It was $550 when I got it. Worth every penny. Just make sure to apply the latest firmware, and install Trim Enabler. Awesome drive.

I've bought both the Samsung 840 and 850 evo cards and both work great. Amazon seems to have the 500gb version 43% off right now so that might be worth something.

Its $360 on Amazon, Great Device.

/r/buildapcsales my friend, lots of great deals.

specifically: SSD 1TB $219.99 or Monitor 144Hz 1080p Freesync $169.99

The 850 Evo is MLC and $315 on Amazon. Of course not NVMe, though.

Unless you pay an arm and a leg.

Seriously, I paid less for my 970 GTX - when the 900 line was the newest line.

I'd say just go with a Samsung EVO 850. Anything "better" isn't worth it for this application, anything lesser quality isn't saving enough money to worry about it. Copy the data, encrypt it with BitLocker & a very complex key, and send it on its merry way. (Or vice versa since it's a new drive-- Turn on BL and then copy data)


EDIT: Changed link for our neighbors up north.

Why are you using two SSDs? A single 1TB Evo is less expensive:

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E1T0B-AM/dp/B00OBRFFAS

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OBRFFAS/ref=twister_B00PRDMHLU?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

1tb samsung 850 evo.

Again, your prices seem to be like 5 years old. You can easily find drives from respectable sources that are faaaar cheaper than that, even in large sizes. Like, here's a 500GB SSD that's going for $0.28 per GB. This is literally the first result on Amazon when I check for SSDs, it's not like I'm digging around for great rates or anything, and it's not even a discounted price. SSDs have gotten straight up cheap, the only reason to go mechanical is if you need particularly large sizes, but even 1TB SSDs are pretty damn cheap. Here's one (again, first result on Amazon, and Samsung is probably one of the best brands) that's $0.31 per GB.

If you want a source that they are common, how about this: When I look up all new laptops on Amazon, there are 3,743 available with a SSD, and only 3,426 without. The majority of new laptops have SSDs.

Looks pretty good. A few things I'd advise

Get the 850 evo not the 840
Looks even cheaper on amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E1T0B-AM/dp/B00OBRFFAS


Also if you live near enough microcenter to drive id recommend getting the *CPU and mobo there. It doesn't list it on pc part picker for some reason but it's even cheaper and they have a mobo combo deal


I would strongly advise waiting for a non founders edition gpu. The other ones have better clock speeds for cheaper and better cooling!

Okay. Most Laptops take 2.5 inch drives. That's the size of SSD on Amazon.

1TB SSD is 327, still cheaper than a Nintendo Switch...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00OBRFFAS/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505418600&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=samsung%2B500%2Bssd&dpPl=1&dpID=41fw65-8tpL&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1

Where are you? Amazon says the EVO 1TB is in stock and as of this post they can deliver it by Saturday.

Okay. Most Laptops take 2.5 inch drives. That's the size of SSD on Amazon.

1TB SSD is 327, still cheaper than a Nintendo Switch...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00OBRFFAS/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505418600&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=samsung%2B500%2Bssd&dpPl=1&dpID=41fw65-8tpL&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1

Don't abandon the HDD. An SSD with enough storage space to cover windows installation, programs and games would be extremely expensive. Unless you can spare an extra 300 USD?

As I mentioned in my other comment the best thing for you to do is get a small SSD to run windows off - then have all your extra stuff (which doesn't need to go super fast) on the HDD.

This would keep you closer to the price range of 60 USD or 80 USD.

happens within 5-10 seconds for me.

using this setup:

I have my res scaled at 150%, all settings on Ultra. GPU limit off. Nvidia Control panel I have all the settings for BF1 set to override to the highest setting if possible.

> BenQ XL2720Z @ 1920 x 1080

> OP: Windows 7 64-bit

> CPU: Intel Core i7 6700K @ 4.00GHz (No Overclock)

> RAM: 16GB Corsair DDR3 @ no clue... (2 x 8 GB)

> GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 FTW (No Overclock) 08G-P4-6286-KR

> DISC: Samsung 850 EVO 1TB

You could have a failing hard drive. But as others have said, a Solid State Drive will do wonders. The computer will boot in less than 30 seconds, and launch apps so much faster than before.

You will need to back everything up on your computer before you get started.

1. Get one of these drives, format it for Time Machine and let it start backing up.
   
   
2. Wait at least 24 hours for the first full Time Machine backup to finish, and ensure that it has done at least a few additional backups.
   
   
3. If this is your first repair, don't worry; the replacement is very easy and does not require a ton of tools. Read this page on iFixit. Buy the tools from iFixit. Purchase the SSD from Amazon or Newegg. You've got 415GB of data now, so I would recommend you get a 1TB SSD. Alternatively, you could clean up / move your music projects (and other large files) to an external drive and save yourself about $100. Recommended: Samsung 500GB SSD, Samsung 1TB SSD.
   
   
4. After installing the SSD, you need to start the Internet Recovery process. Boot the computer while holding Cmd-R. If that doesn't work, use Cmd-Option-R. You'll also need to provide the name and password for your Wi-Fi network so that the computer can download the software from Apple. Go make some coffee or a sandwich while the computer does its thing.
   
   
5. After it's booted, use Disk Utility to format the new SSD.
   
   
6. Now plug in your USB hard disk and restore the Time Machine backup you made earlier.

Anyone know what's the current best price price for a good 1tb ssd is?
_____

This $250 850 EVO on amazon seems hard to beat but dont want to get it if there is likely to be a better price on something today.

also these ssds they are better http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E1T0B-AM/dp/B00OBRFFAS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1419760468&sr=8-2&keywords=tb+ssd

Close enough

No, a 1 TB SSD is actually closer to $300.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IAGSDUE/ref=twister_B01IB47HBG?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E250B-AM/dp/B00OBRFFAS/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1497739090&sr=1-1&keywords=850%2Bevo&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-960GB-Solid-SDSSDA-960GB-G26-Laptop/dp/B01LY5ZZ4P/ref=sr_1_6_f_f_it?s=amazonfresh&ie=UTF8&qid=1497739137&sr=1-6&ppw=fresh&keywords=1+tb+ssd

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LXPENRR/ref=twister_B01N26TZ6M?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E1T0B-AM/dp/B00OBRFFAS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483532764&sr=8-1&keywords=evo%2Bssd%2B1tb&th=1

then stick the old hd in an external enclosure for storage/backup.

TL;DR: If the computer that you're looking for has support for an M.2 SSD, you can have both the SSD and the HDD. Otherwise, you'll have to change the HDD for an SSD. Getting an SSD will be expensive, but if you opt for the laptop that already has an SSD, you will be completely unable to upgrade the graphics card. You may want to employ your local nerd to help you change your OS data over to the new SSD. Expect to spend about $300 on the upgrade, but realize that adding an SSD makes the laptop feel faster, not game better.

_____

Look to see if the laptop has support for a m.2 SSD slot. If so, you can have both an SSD and the 1TB HDD for storage/games.

The major improvement for having an SSD is reduced loading times of data that would typically be on the HDD. This means you computer boots in seconds (usually <5 seconds, after the splash screen/logo goes away), has minimal lagging after boot, and storage of any large files are infinitely faster.

However, you are looking at some major costs for an SSD drive: a 1 TB drive looks like it will run you just shy of $300 for either the m.s or a traditional SSD. However, a traditional 1TB laptop HDD will run you as little as $50, and if you step up to a higher performance drive, the price will almost certainly stay below $70.

It is worth noting that with most computers, the HDD will make them feel slow, as loading programs bogs the drive down, especially at startup. However, for gaming, there is no impact on performance aside from loading times. Certainly, the graphics card will have a much larger impact on gaming performance.

As far as how easy the upgrade will be, it should be noted that whether you change to a traditional SSD or to an M.2 SSD, you will have to migrate your OS files over to the SSD in order to see any improvement in speed. This can be a marginally difficult process, so ask your local computer nerd for any recommendations. Generally, the moving of the data is the most difficult part, and swapping the physical drives is no more difficult than upgrading the RAM would be.

A person who can come over and do the process for you will almost always be more helpful than a stranger on reddit. (Especially since said person/friend can see and touch the laptop, here on reddit we only have this forum-text stuff to go by ;)

*Note: The links given are for reference only. I do not endorse any of the brands, and I'm almost certain that you can find better deals and/or higher quality products out there if you search around.

Oh, that's way more than enough! Heck you could even grab a good terabyte SSD for that much! I'd recommend Samsung SSDs, since they've been proven to last for quite a bit longer than most competitors. Here's a 250, a 500, and a TB. $85, $140, and $285, respectively. I'd personally recommend the 500 GB, as it has a good Price/Capacity ratio. (I also own one myself!)

850 evo is fine for a lab.

Its on sale at amazon for 360

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00OBRFFAS

Just try to leave it <90% full

Corsair Obsidian 250D Mini ITX Case

G.SKILL 16GB 2666 RAM

Corsair Hydro Series Liquid Cooler

EVGA 450W Bronze Certified PSU

ASUS ROG Strix Z270i MB

Intel Core i5 7600K

Samsung 850 Evo 1TB SSD

Ordered everything off of Amazon for the 5% back with a Prime card.

I have a 15" 2011 MBP that is my daily driver. I replaced the drive and memory with the following:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OBRFFAS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008LTBJFW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Hope that helps. Good luck.

Thanks. The price discrepancy seems to decrease at larger sizes, at least in Canada: 850 EVO 1TB for $430 vs. Mushkin 1TB for $375. I was about to purchase the Mushkin, but I think I will go with the Samsung after your suggestion.

Total was around $2200 when I got it all, it was during cyber Monday so it was all on sale.
Parts and Spec list:

• Intel i7 6700k 4.00 GHz
  
• Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 Founders Edition
  
• Corsair LPX 32GB 2 x 16GB Memory
  
• Gigabyte LGA 1151 Intel Z170 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard GA-Z170X-Gaming GT
  
• NZXT Computer Tower Cases CA-S340W-B3
  
• Cryorig H5 Universal CR-H5A Mid Tower CPU Heatsink with XT140 Fan for AMD/Intel
  
• Noctua 140mm Premium Quiet Quality Case Cooling Fan x3
  
• Samsung 850 EVO 1TB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD
  
• Seagate 3TB BarraCuda SATA 6Gb/s 64MB
  
• Corsair HXi Series, HX1000i, 1000 Watt (1000W), Fully Modular Power Supply, 80+ Platinum Certified
  
• Acer XF270HU 27-inch WQHD Widescreen LCD Monitor
  
• Razer BlackWidow Chroma Clicky Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EHBERSE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OBRFFAS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I considered that as well but I'm pretty sure it's fast enough. I record to the HDD and play from the SSD.

There is nothing rugged about rugged HDDs. Typically, prepackaged external drives use the worst OEM drives possible. If you have to work on an HDD, get a good bare drive and put it in a good, ventilated case.

Better, however, to get a Samsung 850 and a USB3 -> SATA cable or ext 2.5" case. You don't need external power for these, just plug n go.

OR... get an msata Samsung 850 and appropriate adapter. I keep something like this with me all the time.

Since when was a 1tb SSD $800? Am I missing something?

Samsung EVO for $300

I'm retiring my old gaming PC for a newer more powerful laptop and I have a question about using the SSD as an external drive. I'm going to part out the desktop as much as I can and use the monitor/keyboard/mouse with a docking station for the laptop while I'm at home. Maybe even get an external GPU in the future if the laptop can't quite handle it.

I'l going to take the SSD out and try to use it as an external drive with USB-C, it's a 1 TB SSD and I don't want to lose it. This is the SSD I have https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OBRFFAS/ref=twister_B00PRDMHLU?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 - Samsung 850 EVO.

My question is, will I lose the data on the SSD? If I just take it out of my desktop, put it in an external case, and hook it up to my laptop will it have any problems with accessing the data? I plan on deleteing the windows install on the desktop SSD after I remove it, and just use it as storage for any very large games like WoW.

Yeah, and I like Samsung which is not that far off either: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E1T0B-AM/dp/B00OBRFFAS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425837175&sr=8-1&keywords=1tb+ssd

As soon as you can price storage and turn around and post it, they tend to drop price. Just a couple years ago my 500GB SSD cost me over 500$.

I'm going to buy this SSD and wanted to know how I could go about transfering my data from my old Western Digital black 1tb harddrive to the new one?

Yeah, I'd wait until black Friday, I would assume most of the sales would go on there. Check out Amazon and Newegg, they usually are good places to be looking. And also, on Amazon, there is a 1TB 850 Evo on sale, in case you were looking for that.

The rates in India are way off, the same Mushkin Enhanced Reactor is at 500$ on Ebay India and Amazon India both, whereas Samsung Evo SATA III 1TB SSD is near 370$ on Amazon India. This is very sad state in India where computer peripherals are way over priced when compared to the rates in US markets.

I think this 1TB Samsung 850 Evo is a pretty good deal.

will this work with my case?
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E1T0B-AM/dp/B00OBRFFAS/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1449486057&sr=1-3&keywords=Samsung+850+EVO

I've used the Samsung M9T 2TB HDD without problems, it was the largest 2.5" drive I could find at the time, it might still be.

You could try the Seagate Momentus XT 1TB if you wanted an SSHD, or if you had a bit more money to spend, the old faithful Samsung 850 Evo

290 new on Amazon

http://smile.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E1T0B-AM/dp/B00OBRFFAS/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1453412000&sr=1-5&keywords=samsung+850&sa-no-redirect=1

Samsung EVO http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E1T0B-AM/dp/B00OBRFFAS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453059860&sr=8-1&keywords=ssd+1tb+samsung

I think so

I'm looking to add another SSD to my build. I've settled on a 1tb dedicated solely to my games, and I was looking for input.

Currently looking at the Sandisk Ultra II (960gb) or the Samsung 850 EVO (1tb). I know the 850 evo is faster than the Sandisk, but is it fast enough to warrant spending $100 more?

Thanks for any help.

I have 4tb wd $115. If you do want to go with a 1tb or more SSD. You're looking at $200 to $1000. SSD aren't meant for Mass storage unless you're swimming in money.

but if you still want an SSD

• 1tb WD $289
  
  
• Samsung 850 EVO 1tb $299
  
  
• Crutial MX300 2tb $549

So like this guy would probably be fine?

The more the better honestly. Difference between SSD and HDD is night and day. Amazon has an insane deal on the 1tb 850 EVO SSD right now.

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E1T0B-AM/dp/B00OBRFFAS/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1480384063&sr=1-2&keywords=850%2Bevo&th=1

Samsung Evo 1TB for $250 is a pretty great deal.

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E1T0B-AM/dp/B00OBRFFAS?th=1

Edit: It's $220 on eBay through newegg though.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/302130800590?rmvSB=true&afepn=5337259887&afepn=5337259887&rmvSB=true

So, I followed link to official Dell website and found more than enough info about my laptop! Thank you so much, I had no clue to look up official info online... Anyways, within the upgrade section max pimped out version (1TB SSD and 2X8GB RAM) would cost me 1080 USD which to me looks unreasonably expensive... Could you tell me how are these prices? $910 for 1TB SSD and $85 for each 8GB RAM. They seem overpriced to me, for example the model I linked in the original thread, the Samsung 850 EVO 1TB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-75E1T0B/AM), costs $350... so both 1TB, but one is ~$550 more expensive... what is happening here? Brand name gives them a boosted value? Is the quality difference noticeable?

As for the RAMs, any suggestions what I should get? I have the native i7-5599U Processor w 2 cores. Also, is it possible to set up 12GB RAN? 4+8... to try to not hit that hard on budget at once... I can always get another 8GB RAM... would this bring up any issues?

Again, thank you for your time

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E1T0B-AM/dp/B00OBRFFAS/ref=lp_10338773011_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1419802826&sr=1-3

What about this? It's the 850 vs the 840 and it's ~$30 more.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00OBRFFAS/ref=twister_B00PRDMHLU?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
It's $453 cdn

Hey, I live in Singapore,

I'd recommend Bizgram (in Sim-Lim) I've bought the majority of my computer parts from there, prices are good and they are very reliable, (the only thing I wouldn't recommend buying from them are high-end GPU's as they tend to be quite expensive)

You shouldn't need any extra cables they all come with your PSU, also you should probably get a single 1TB SSD, instead of 2 i'd recommend this;

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-850-EVO-2-5-Inch-MZ-75E1T0B/dp/B00OBRFFAS/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1475151333&sr=1-4&keywords=samsung+850

I'm not sure if the Apple Store will do that but it's super easy to do yourself. Watch this tutorial on how to install an SSD in the main drive bay, this tutorial on how to install a second SSD in the optical bay, and this tutorial on upgrading the RAM. The MacBook Pro you linked is more than sufficient to run Ableton. I use one just like it every day although it was much slower before I did the SSD and RAM upgrades. Here's a link to the SSD's I use and here's a link to the RAM upgrade kit for that computer. Upgrade at least the main drive to the largest SSD you can afford and max out the RAM to 16GB. Enjoy!

Sounds good I'm fairly impartial on brands. Mostly just attracted to Corsair's name and logo. Certainly not opposed to saving a few bucks.

Thanks for the keyboard recommendation am looking into it.

The 8700k is tough to track down. Amazon has one for $690 but thats a bit steep. I see softwarecity.ca is getting 610 units in a couple days and just emailed them about potential preorder.

Completely out of the loop on m.2, reading now. I currently have Crucial 480GB and Samsung 1TB

He said he used the PcGamer High end build guide with some changes. He swapped the 1080 to a 1070, the SSD's to a 1TB SSD, he changed the case to a MasterCase Maker 5 Mid-Tower and ordered everything form Amazon

So overall I'm guessing this is his build;

• CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K - $350
  
• GPU: GeForce GTX 1070 - $450
  
• Motherboard: Asus ROG Maximus VIII Hero - $215
  
• Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws 4 Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 - $145
  
• SSD: 1TB Samsung 850 Evo 2.5-inch SATA - $317
  
• CPU Cooler: Corsair Hydro Series H100i v2 240mm AIO - $97
  
• Optical: LG UH12NS30 - $52
  
• PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G2 80 Plus GOLD - $141
  
• Case: MasterCase Maker 5 Mid-Tower Case - $178
  
  Coming to a grand total of 1945$ add shipping to that and you're looking at pretty close to 2 grand.
  
  This build is fucking retarded though.
  
  First of all, you can actually buy a a goddamn prebuilt with almost the same specs for about 400$ cheaper. That HP is just the first one I found, there are dozens of other prebuilts ranging from about 400-100$ cheaper with no real performance loss.
  
  Yeah it's a prebuilt and has bloatware and all that shit, but in terms of performance it's actually pretty much equal to the authors build.
  
  Second, you could just go for a more reasonable part list.
  
  Swap the 6700k to an i5 6500 with the stock cooler and you'll cut 250$ from the price.
  
  Even an i5-6600k with a hyper 212 evo would cost you about 260$, saving almost 200$
  
  Swap the ridiculous motherboard to something decent for about 100-150$ and you're saving another 100$ right there.
  
  32 gigs of RAM is overkill, you could easily go for 16GB DDR4 2400, and save another 70$
  
  Dump the optical drive, who the hell watches BD movies on a PC anyways? If you really need a DVD drive they're like 20$
  
  Swap the ridiculously high end case to something like Fractal Design R5 and save another 50$. R5 is still an excellent and fairly high end case, you could easily go for a 50-80$ mid-tower and save 100$.
  
  I would also swap the 1TB SSD to a 256gb SSD and a 2TB mechanical drive which would be about 160-200$ saving him another 100$. but I can at least understand that someone wants the simplicity of just having a single drive.
  
  With a few simple changes he could save about 450-650$ without losing any performance whatsoever in gaming, and that's without hunting for cheaper prices from somewhere that's not Amazon.
  
  He said he paid about 100$ extra to buy everything from Amazon, so with an updated parts list and using PCpartpicker the price drops down to 1171$ so about 770$ cheaper than the authors build and with no real performance loss.

I would suggest getting a small SSD to use as a boot drive in addition to your HDD. Maybe something like the 850 EVO. http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E1T0B-AM/dp/B00OBRFFAS

$314. So like a quarter of the price of a decent pc. https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-850-EVO-2-5-Inch-MZ-75E1T0B/dp/B00OBRFFAS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1469840688&sr=8-3&keywords=850+evo+samsung

Yeah, personally I'd stick with 8GB of RAM, unless there's a good reason to have more.

You should be able to sell those extra 16GB for more that $100.

Then you sell the 1TB drive for $40-50, you're getting close to $200.

Given how powerful the whole system is overall, I'd probably target to upgrade the SSD.

You sell the current 250GB one for more than 100 bucks, so you're now close to $300 cash. Currently the Samsung 850 EVO 1TB is at $340 in Amazon...

I think it'd be amazing to have a 1TB SSD on such a powerful system. He could store pretty much everything in there and it would simply fly no matter what you throw at it.

The 2TB drive could be used purely as a storage box, or even some kind of backup for the SSD (RAID, etc).

People rarely use 1TB SSDs. You get something in the 250-500GB range for 80-160 USD, like this.

Please play again LOL :) My SSD alone was $470

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E1T0B-AM/dp/B00OBRFFAS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420303209&sr=8-1&keywords=MZ-75E1T0B%2FAM