[cel4145]

I guess another way to ask the question is this.  Is the computer itself the enjoyment for you?  Do you just love building, tweaking, overclocking, running benchmarks, pushing the limits, etc.?  In other words, would having a $2500 computer be enjoyment in and of itself?  If so, go for it.

The thing is, though, that if one buys the top Intel processor and high frame rate GPU to built a bleeding edge fast computer for that kind of enjoyment, the enjoyment will be greatly reduced next year when the components are no longer the fastest. The guys that do as a hobby upgrade every year or so, not as "something I wouldn't have to replace," as the OP indicated, and they know better than to think that way.

 

[Xdaggersoul]

The thing is, though, that if one buys the top Intel processor and high frame rate GPU to built a bleeding edge fast computer for that kind of enjoyment, the enjoyment will be greatly reduced next year when the components are no longer the fastest. The guys that do as a hobby upgrade every year or so, not as "something I wouldn't have to replace," as the OP indicated, and they know better than to think that way.

For gaming, an I7 and a I5 does not make much of a difference to performance of Games.
That is why I recommend a 1080p monitor as the gtx 960/r9 380X will max out almost any game on the market at 60 FPS.
Newer games will also run smoothly at 1080p with the mentioned gpu's so I am not afraid that it will be 'obsolete' within a year.

 

[superjawes]

Here's what you need to do...go to The Tech Report and read their system guide. Figure out how much you need to spend on PC components to make you happy, then you'll have a leftover budget to spend on headphones.

Look at it like this:

1. "Sweet Spot" build = $1,021.41
2. Windows License = $100
3. Acer K272HUL bmiidp (27" 2560x1440 AHVA monitor) = $399.99
4. Keyboards, Mouse, other accessories = $200

Leftover budget = $778.60

Not everyone wants a 2560x1440 monitor, so you can trim down the components here and there, find some deals, and end up with more to spend on headphones.

So to be clear, you can easily get a good gaming PC and a nice headphone setup. Figure out what kind of PC hardware you want/need and move from there.

 

[El Zilcho]

  For gaming, an I7 and a I5 does not make much of a difference to performance of Games.
That is why I recommend a 1080p monitor as the gtx 960/r9 380X will max out almost any game on the market at 60 FPS.
Newer games will also run smoothly at 1080p with the mentioned gpu's so I am not afraid that it will be 'obsolete' within a year.

Right, which is why it has been said that a $1000-1500 computer would make more sense.
 
Also why I asked what monitor (or possibly multiple monitors) he would be using.  Some of the very latest games will stress a GTX 960 at max settings at 1080p, but should be playable (I can tell you from personal experience that you won't get 60FPS with a GTX 960 on some newer games).  Throw higher resolutions or multiple monitors into the mix, and a 960 will run out of steam fast.  A 960 is still a great card though, and will give good performance in most games at 1080p.  
 
But I agree, and have basically said as much, that all computers will be obsolete eventually.

 

[cel4145]

For gaming, an I7 and a I5 does not make much of a difference to performance of Games.
That is why I recommend a 1080p monitor as the gtx 960/r9 380X will max out almost any game on the market at 60 FPS.
Newer games will also run smoothly at 1080p with the mentioned gpu's so I am not afraid that it will be 'obsolete' within a year.

And that's why I asked him about specs on his current machine. If it has a slow celeron processor but could support a core i5, simply upgrading the CPU, GPU, and PSU could provide an amazing improvement in gaming. Add in an SSD, and it would feel like a brand new machine for all kinds of usage.

 

[Xdaggersoul]

And that's why I asked him about specs on his current machine. If it has a slow celeron processor but could support a core i5, simply upgrading the CPU, GPU, and PSU could provide an amazing improvement in gaming. Add in an SSD, and it would feel like a brand new machine for all kinds of usage.

Haha with that change, might as well buy the whole computer! 

 

[Xdaggersoul]

  Right, which is why it has been said that a $1000-1500 computer would make more sense.
 
Also why I asked what monitor (or possibly multiple monitors) he would be using.  Some of the very latest games will stress a GTX 960 at max settings at 1080p, but should be playable (I can tell you from personal experience that you won't get 60FPS with a GTX 960 on some newer games).  Throw higher resolutions or multiple monitors into the mix, and a 960 will run out of steam fast.  A 960 is still a great card though, and will give good performance in most games at 1080p.  
 
But I agree, and have basically said as much, that all computers will be obsolete eventually.

Yes not all games will run at 60 fps on FHD but it handles majority of the games and that gpu can be bought for $210 which is value for money. Once you step over FHD, things are gonna get a hell lot expensive. 

 

[cel4145]

Haha with that change, might as well buy the whole computer! 

Not necessarily. Probably cheaper to upgrade.

 

[velvetx]

If you are going to be building a decent "gaming" PC.  Please see the following:
 
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ZhFkt6
 
Please keep in mind that the Creative ZXR sound card can drive the Beyer Headphones you are looking for and will sound great so you wouldn't need an a standalone amp right off the bat.
 
Please note I included a monitor and operating system if you didn't have one as well as chose AMD since I was thinking more of a budget gaming machine rather than an over the top intel machine.  This machine if games were more demanding in the graphics department all you would have to do is upgrade the video card with this machine.  Also I decided that a HDD is better than an SSD since games are getting bigger and SSD is not as reliable as a good stable HDD.

 

[JK1]

  I don't have any headphones right now, and the only computer for gaming I have is an old dell with components from 5 years ago. I know I could easily get both, by splitting it down the middle, but at that point why bother with either. I always told myself that, if I were to get a gaming PC it would be really good, and something I wouldn't have to replace. Same goes for headphones.

Any pc you buy now, no matter how good it is, will seem very old and slow in just a few years. That is why I generally don't spend so much on a pc. A headphone will likely last much longer, and won't seem outdated in two or three years. With computers, instead of buying an expensive  one every 6 years, buying one for half the price every three years makes more sense for those into games and other power computing.

 

[SyntheticShotz]

  Any pc you buy now, no matter how good it is, will seem very old and slow in just a few years. That is why I generally don't spend so much on a pc. A headphone will likely last much longer, and won't seem outdated in two or three years. With computers, instead of buying an expensive  one every 6 years, buying one for half the price every three years makes more sense for those into games and other power computing.

Agreed. The more expensive parts provide diminishing returns in terms of price vs. performance, and may even become less expensive and/or replaced with a new product. I've had my AMD Radeon 7970 for two years and two new series of cards have come out (the R7/9 200 and 300 series). While I don't call my system slow, I couldn't compare my system with what you can get for the same price today.
 
 
 
Splitting the funds sound like a really good idea, and some members here have already provided you with a breakdown of what you've been spending. The jump from your current computer to an upgraded/new computer according to the examples above is bigger than a $1200+ computer to a $2500 computer.

 

[Music Path]

  Hello, Head-Fi.org!
 
In a bit of a predicament, and I was hoping there was some users out there with the same problem, maybe they had it before, or they currently have it.
 
So I currently have ~$2500 in, despencible income, and I would like some help deciding. I am an enthusiast for anything and everything tech, and right now there are two things that I am seriously looking at:
 
1. A really nice PC, because I do enjoy my fair share of games, or
2. A really nice headphone setup, most likely containing a Schiit Lyr, Bifrost, and Beyerdynamic dt880s.
 
Basically what I am looking for is maybe some opinions from the Head-Fi community as to wether a really nice PC or a Headphone Setup is well worth it. I could consider myself a compulsive listener of music, often times with High Quality recordings, but I still wonder if it is really all worth it, as in 'will it get used almost everyday, do I have the music library, and is there anything more I need to obtain to make this all work.'
 
Any accounts and comments related to this decision for me will be greatly appreciated. Cheers!

Better spend it on a headphone setup. Last longer and doesnt change much the tecnology. 

 

[4ktvs]

  For gaming, an I7 and a I5 does not make much of a difference to performance of Games.
That is why I recommend a 1080p monitor as the gtx 960/r9 380X will max out almost any game on the market at 60 FPS.
Newer games will also run smoothly at 1080p with the mentioned gpu's so I am not afraid that it will be 'obsolete' within a year.

I would recommend a R9 290 over the GTX 960 as the R9 290 is a much faster card and it cost just a little more.
 
I think the GTX 970 is also great bang for the buck and can be found under $300 new sometimes. I may not know my audio worth a darn yet, but I do know some about PC gaming builds.
 
He might also want to think about a 144hz 1080P screen because when paired with something like a GTX 970 or even the R9 290 it could go well over 60FPS and the OP would enjoy very smooth gameplay. It gets much more costly once you try to drive something above 1080p or more than one screen though. He could do it for the $2500, but it's also going to be more costly to run down the road when upgrading to play the latest games.

 

[sheryar]

few suggestions from someone that owns a gaming rig and is a fanatic for gaming:
 
(1) dont spend all your money on a CPU, the performance gain from a Ci7 and Ci5 are just marginal. Buying the top of the line processor to future proof you system like you mentioned is just a failure imo
 
(2) I am not a Nvidia fanboy, having said that i recommend that Nvidia over the AMD. Nvidia not only has great drivers, the drivers are constantly upgraded! Everyone game releases follows up with a driver release making the card more effective at running that game!
 
(3) my preference would be a GTX 970 or higher
 
(4) the Senn HD 598 (open cans) and Momentum (closed) are going for $150 on amazon these days, i suggest you grab those. The are great headphones leaving you with 2300$ for the gaming rig!!!

 

[Xdaggersoul]

 
I would recommend a R9 290 over the GTX 960 as the R9 290 is a much faster card and it cost just a little more.
 
I think the GTX 970 is also great bang for the buck and can be found under $300 new sometimes. I may not know my audio worth a darn yet, but I do know some about PC gaming builds.
 
He might also want to think about a 144hz 1080P screen because when paired with something like a GTX 970 or even the R9 290 it could go well over 60FPS and the OP would enjoy very smooth gameplay. It gets much more costly once you try to drive something above 1080p or more than one screen though. He could do it for the $2500, but it's also going to be more costly to run down the road when upgrading to play the latest games.

R9 290 is a good card for the money but I saw a Asus 290x for less than 300 from Newegg. Rather go for that than the 290. 
144hz FHD monitor is expensive compared to a regular 60hz monitor. I find 60hz to be the sweet spot in gaming. 
 
The increased cost for the monitor will lead to a lower budget for his audio system.