Build it cheap, upgrade later.

[randomBullets]

1)Usage: Mostly iRacing; some AutoCAD, Inventor, Photoshop CS6(day job)

2) Budget: $400 or as close as possible(yeah I know)

3) USA

4) CPU, Board, Ram, GPU, SSD

5) I have 600 watt antec PSU a full size ATX case, couple monitors, keyboard, mouse, other SATA drives for storage.

6) Overclocking? Options are nice.
7) Current monitors are not 1080s, but I'll get one, not included in this pricing.

8) When? Now

9) I want to run triples, eventually all 1080HD. On really good settings with DX11 in iRacing.

10) I see them offered on this forum cheap, so not included in this price.

OK, now the hard part. I want a z170 board. So I can upgrade later. I like matching brands when possible, and colors. I was looking at GTX 960. And I really need to stick with Intel and nvidia. It plays better with iRacing.

Thanks for any help.

 

[cyclone3d]

Save up your money and build something good.

 

[defaultluser]

You can't afford a GTX 960 or an SSD on that budget.

You also can't afford to splurge on an "upgradable and overclockable" pretty z170 motherboard, as those start at ~$150.

This is how many cores iRacing uses: two, maybe three. The high-clocked Skylake Core i3 was made for this game! And luckily for you Photoshop also likes two fast cores.

How to build a computer for iRacing and other PC Games.

Here's what you CAN afford:

Core i3 6100: $120. The board can handle a Core i5 or i7 if you need to upgrade later, it just can't overclock.

Amazon.com: Intel BX80662I36100 Core i3-6100 3M Cache, 3.70 GHz Processor: Computers & Accessories

Gigabyte B150 4 DDR4 slots, MicroATX, $82 shipped

GIGABYTE GA-B150M-DS3H (rev. 1.0) LGA 1151 Intel B150 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Newegg.com

16GB DDR4 2400 - $58 shipped.

G.SKILL NT Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 2400 (PC4 19200) Intel Z170 Platform / Intel X99 Platform Desktop Memory Model F4-2400C15D-16GNT - Newegg.com

Gigabyte Windforce 2 GTX 950 - $147 shipped

GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 950 2GB WINDFORCE 2X OC EDITION - Newegg.com

You'll just have to treat an SSD as one of your "upgrade later" options, and use one of your data drives for now. At least the 16GB of ram should mean you're accessing the disk less during games.

You can add an SSD for $80, or a more upgradable motherboard for another $70. You're just cutting things too close with this budget.

 

[Dangman]

What Antec 600W PSU do you have? How old is it?

 

[m_isom]

I like defaultuser's list, maybe change the motherboard to a Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI for $129 before $10 rebate. Also consider half the ram G.Skill NT series 8GB for $34 if we are pinching pennies to help fund the Z170. There is also a $10 rebate on that GTX 950

 

[defaultluser]

I like defaultuser's list, maybe change the motherboard to a Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI for $129 before $10 rebate. Also consider half the ram G.Skill NT series 8GB for $34 if we are pinching pennies to help fund the Z170. There is also a $10 rebate on that GTX 950

No. Don't castrate this system's performance just to get a pointless motherboard. There are already games hitting up against the 8GB barrier, so not spending that extra twenty five toward a solid foundation is just a silly waste of money.

If the OP is too impatient to save a little more money today, what makes you think he will tomorrow? We're trying to get him something upgradable but still quite gaming capable for the next two years, not something he'll have to upgrade in six months.

There's too many poorly-designed leaky PC ports that are a lot closer to playable with 16GB...there's also a lot of WELL DESIGNED games that are getting closer and closer to 8GB

There is no reason inn the year 2016 to build a new gaming system with 8GB ram, End of story. I'm not against him spending more for a better motherboard, but not at the cost of something else. The GTX 950 is already slightly cutting corners for single-screen 1080p gaming in 2016, but it's the best he can get.

 

[m_isom]

It is easier by far to add ram than to replace a motherboard. Can add another 8GB kit to fill out the Z170 (or the B150) board's 4 slots. It is about the options. Can go to a K quad or refresh chip near the end of the 1151 cycle, but do not expect a price drop on CPU. Can SLI for a boost with a cheap 2nd 950 later, though by then a newer single mainstream card would be better. Extra slots for options, B150 Micro-ATX will hold a dual slot GPU and a single x1 card, the Z170 ATX can hold an x1 card, a dual slot gpu, a legacy PCI card, a 2nd dual slot gpu, and a x4 card. Or after the initial $400 the OP may not even bother to upgrade for 2 to 5 years. I am still on a 2500K myself since may 2012.

How Much RAM? 4GB vs. 8GB vs. 16GB Performance
4GB vs 8GB vs 16GB, gaming was almost identical. They also chose 8GB as the sweet spot even after forcing 10GB of usage during gaming.