Looking to refresh my PC

[Goothry]

It's about time to build a new one. I'm looking for what is recommended in terms of quality components, and if they turn out to be a bit more pricey then so be it. Let's get this started:

1. Gaming PC primarily, and otherwise I desire to feed my need for multitasking. I'm often guilty of trying to play a game, listen to music, open a bunch of articles, and watch a video all at the same time. My overall goal is to be able to run Witcher 3 everything on Ultra at 1440p.

2. I expect to spend around $2,000.00. Why, you may ask, am I spending this much? I want to be sure that I'm getting quality components, and I'm willing to pay for it.

3. All parts will be purchased from the US. I will mostly, if not then exclusively, use Newegg.

4. I do not expect any parts will come from outside the US.

5. Brand preferences are as follows:

MOBO - Asus​

Components - Corsair - I just like how they look and they ahve yet to fail me. Honestly, its not a big deal to stay consistent with this brand.​

GPU - Nvidia - I'm mainly looking at Nvidia because of the extra features they nearly always seem to have that AMD doesn't. I know that in general these features don't really matter, but it annoys me to no end when the game I'm playing can't do an associated gimmick, for example the phsyX in BL2​

CPU - Intel​

6. Reusing: Cosmos II, Corsair Vengeance k70,H2100 Headset, Crucial M4 SSD, SeaSonic 650W, my crappy $5 mouse, current bluray drive and my current 1080p monitor (for now). Additionally, I'm not against keeping my 7970 for a while longer in order to find a GPU(s) to fit my needs. I'm okay with juggling parts if need be; I'm not 100% dead set on reusing any existing component, except my case.

7. I would like to leave my system open to overclocking, although realistically I probably won't touch it. I have that capacity in my current PC and I can't think of even one time I tried it or cared to.

8. Using 1080p right now, but I want to eventually graduate to an actual gaming monitor and be at 1440p, but I'll deal with that down the road.

9. Build time is going to be 6 mo or more. I'm in no hurry to get the components I desire.

10. I'll be upgrading from Windows 7 home to Windows 7 pro for $10, and then be moving on to Windows 10 pro. I may want some dvd/bluray playback software, but honestly I probably won't bother.

On a side note, I hear intel is releasing new CPUs soon. Would it be best to wait to see how those flesh out before I get to far into the process?

I'll be checking back to see any suggestions people might have!

 

[Ken g6]

On a side note, I hear intel is releasing new CPUs soon. Would it be best to wait to see how those flesh out before I get to far into the process?

Yes. Skylake is supposed to be coming in August.

On the other hand, Nvidia just came out with their 980 Ti, and isn't likely to produce any better card for a year or so. So I'd say that if your computer is any good at all, now would be a good time to order a 980 Ti and put it in your current computer. Here's a nice one that's currently in stock.

What is your current CPU? You might not even find it worthwhile to upgrade it to Skylake.

 

[Ketchup]

Are you going Haswell-E? I don't see the need to spend that much if you are not, and I don't see the need for that CPU for a gaming machine.

I like Ken g6's advice. If you don't have something too old, just get a 980 Ti now, and see how it does for you.

 

[Goothry]

For reference I'm currently rocking out a i5-2500k CPU, Asus deluxe pro-v/gen 3 MOBO, with 8 gigs ram. I do not, as of this time, have an aftermarket cooler.

My concern is for how much longer the 2500k will remain relevant. It is a few years old now, and I know that it's definitely fine in the short run but for how much longer?

 

[Ketchup]

Still a good chip, and easy to overclock (especially with a decent cooler, like the one I have).
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099

I would just grab a new video card and see how it does. Very few games are going to be limited by that CPU.

 

[mfenn]

In order to get 60 FPS in The Witcher 3 Ultra at 2560x1440, you will need at least a 980 Ti. In order to keep the minimums above 60 FPS, you will need GTX 980 SLI.

GTX 980 Ti $650
GTX Titan X $1050
GTX 980 SLI $1000 AR

The GTX 980 Ti would be a good value choice if 60 FPS isn't a hard requirement. Also, the GTX 980 SLI obviously give you more power for less money than a Titan X, but it is an SLI arrangement, with the resulting frustrations and peculiarities (driver issues, frame pacing issues, heat, noise).

Your current system should be able to run the SLI GPUs if your motherboard is SLI-capable. IMHO it's worth dropping in the SLI cards and seeing if performance improves to where you want it to be using your 2500. If so, then great! If not, then the GPUs can easily be carried over to a new CPU/mobo/RAM.

EDIT: Thanks to Ken for the GTX 980 Ti benchmark!

 

[Goothry]

I'll admit I was ensnared by the prospect of a new flashy CPU combo that I didn't really consider anything else.

I'll be mulling this over for a bit.

Thank you guys for some great feedback!