New to PC Gaming; and looking for some guidance

[Dwiggles]

MODs; I apologize if this is in the wrong section. I tried to search for similar threads before posting.

Hello everyone, This is my first post here and I'm currently looking into making the switch to PC gaming from console, which is why I am here.

My conscious mind HATES the idea of paying money inorder to play games, and I already Paid for in the first place. and because of it, I have dipped out of the gaming world pretty much entirely since PSN went paid. Well, I've been wanting to get back into it. and I think the PC is where I want go moving forward.

My main gaming style is Sim Racing, but I also enjoy RPGs, 3rd person shooters, as well as 1st person shooters even though I am not any good. I would like to build the best PC I can with my money, and hope to be able to run a few games in VR; specifically Dirt Rally and ProjectCARS2 though likely not solely exclusive to those titles only. But with the cost of the VR kits where they are today, It may be years end or early next yet before I get my hands on one.

I have a few ideas I have thrown together on pcpartpicker, but if I am being totally honest; when it comes to hardware, and PC in general, I would consider my understanding "novice" at best. I have around $800 dedicated to the case and hardware for this build at the moment (I already have a new Windows10 code) and wanted to reach out and see what you guys recommend because my goal here is to really stretch every dollar where it counts. So Please let me know what you guys think. I have no brand preferences at the moment, and with this being a budget build, I don't think it would be wise to pick and choose based on brand as opposed to functionally superior components. I would prefer a 256g SSD for data; and will likely pick up a 1TB 7200 HDD at a later date for additional storage. Thank you guys for taking the time to help me get the most out of my money! I'm excited to get this going!


EDIT:


1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Mostly gaming; but on occasion I will also use the PC for Photoshop (photography) and video editing on rare occasions when I dont feel like booting up my 2009 HP Pavilion Laptop.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
I would like to stay in the ballpark of $800, and will most likely shop the parts on newegg, pcoutlet, and amazon so tax and shipping shouldn't be of concern. But If needed, I do have 2 frys stores locally.

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Houston, Texas

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
I need "everything"
CPU & Cooler (if not stock)
Motherboard
Ram
SSD (I'm thinking around 256gb?; I will pick up a 1TB HDD for storage later)
GPU
PSU
Case (and fans?)

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Unfortunately, I have nothing to harvest.

6) Will you be overclocking?
Not sure. if the chip set allows, I could "play the silicon lottery" but I'm impartial

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
I will start out using our 1080p 120Hz 50" LCD in the living room, but may eventually move the PC to a dedicated screen/multi screen setup?

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Probably Within the next month or so unless there is a logical reason to hold out? But I'm not sure

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.
I need it to have either Ethernet or WiFi because I'm planning to game online.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yes, I have a key for Windows10 64bit for this machine

 

[tiraides]

This thread should actually fall under General Hardware.

Regardless, I'll help out with an Intel-based build. The links are all from Amazon for simplicity's sake.

$50 - Corsair 100R ATX mid-tower case
$39 - EVGA 600 B1 600W power supply
$189 - Intel Core i5-7400 quad-core processor
$69 - ASRock B250M PRO4 micro ATX motherboard
$115 - Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x8GB DDR4 2400 RAM
$250 - Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 WINDFORCE OC 6GB video card
$95 - Crucial MX300 275GB SATA 6Gb/s SSD

$807 - Total (assuming that you have Amazon Prime)

Yeah, it's a bit over $800, but I went with the GTX 1060 (which is better with VR than the RX 580) and doubled the RAM (which will help you with Photoshop and video editing). The big "compromise" with this build is that you can't overclock; fortunately, the Intel i5-7400 comes with a CPU cooler that saves you from spending around $30 or more for a good third-party cooler.

You can decide on your own whether or not you need some additional fans. The Corsair 100R comes with one front 120mm fan and one rear 120mm fan. (I personally go with four fans: two front intake, one rear exhaust, and one top exhaust.) Fortunately, you can grab a multi-pack of fans for around $10 to $15.

Thinking long term, a 1TB hard drive costs around $50. And for $50 more, you can increase the SSD capacity (assuming that you spend the extra $50 right now).