Looking to build a new desktop. I switched to laptops about a decade ago and would like to get a desktop again for the house.

I have the monitor,keyboard and mouse already.

What are you going to do with it? $2k would be overkill for most things.

The wife and I will be using it for work (word processing, excel etc) shopping and most internet things.  My kids will be using it for school work and gaming of course.  I wanted to build a kick ass gaming system that will last for a while.

check out https://pcpartpicker.com/ .  The site helps you pick out components that work together.  Generally you decide what you want to do with the finished computer.  Then from that, you can easily decide on the cpu/motherboard combo and how much ram you want to stick in it.  Everything else is personal preference, and personally, I think you'd be a fool not to go with a SSD in this day and age.

For your $2k budget, does that include keyboard, monitor, and mouse?  Because all the little crap will nickel and dime you.    <-- EDIT.  re-read first post.
How much graphics card are you gonna go for?  Most people won't need a $600 graphics card.  Hell, most people don't need a $80 graphics card.  Answering that question will also determine how a big chunk of your budget gets spent.

Here's a couple of the computers I've built for people recently.  

http://pcpartpicker.com/list/gbYGXH  i7, quad core 4GHz, 64gb ram (customer had their own HDD and SSD, so this list doesn't include them)
http://pcpartpicker.com/list/YzvTwV   i7, hex core 3.4ghz 32gb ram, ssd raid  (the customer had their own video card, so this list doesn't include it)

Both of these boxes are liquid cooled.  The second box has more cores in the CPU, but its overkill.  The customer just absolutely had to have a hex core CPU even though he'll never need it.  That CPU socket also doesn't have integrated graphics, so he had to drop in a video card.  This second customer also really wanted dual DVD burners for whatever reason.  Go figure.

I had someone recommend this system to me.  Critique it for me:

Case:
SilverStone Primera PM01

Power Supply:
EVGA Supernova P2 850w

CPU Cooler:
Corsair Hydro H100i v2 Liquid Cooler

CPU:
Intel I7 6700K

Motherboard:
Gigabyte GA-Z170X-Gmaing 6

Video Card:
EVGA Geforce GTX 1070

Memory:
Corsair 2x16GB Vengeance L8X DDR4-3200

SSD:
Samsung 850 EVO 1TB

HD:
Toshiba P300 3TB

2k is a lot for a shopping/MS office desktop. As mentioned overkill unless you need a serious gaming rig
 

I want a serious gaming rig for the boys.  I have a laptop for my work stuff but will use the desktop when the boys let me lol

All the parts you listed look like they will work together.  That liquid cooler uses a usb2 header from the mother board for power and your case uses one for the front usb2 ports, so there go both of your usb headers.  If you wanted to use some other accessory that uses those headers, you'll probably have to buy a cable and power the CPU cooler directly from the PSU.

Some things to consider -
You can shave off ~$20 using different ram.  Different brand, same specs.  https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Cf98TW/gskill-memory-f43200c16d16gvkb  
The samsung evo is a really good SSD.  Ive also had good luck with PNY.  You can get 960GB for $210, where the samsung 1000GB is $306, so saving another $100 but losing 40GB.
For the case, I tend to stick to plain boxy looking ones.  Not a big fan of multicolored LEDs and space ship looking stuff.  A slightly more Amish case will save you another $40.
I cant really comment on the video card.  I don't really play PC games so haven't ever felt the need to drop $400+ on a video card.
And I think you may be going a bit overboard on the PSU.  Those parts should be pulling a lot less than 850 watts.  Even if you do feel like you need 850w PSU, there are a lot of other options for reliable ones that don't cost $140.
Toshiba HDDs have worked well for me.  they also sell 5TB models for ~$130.  Its more expensive than the 3tb model by $40, but its bigger.

I personally wouldn't get that Silverstone case for two reasons:

Noise
Light (all those LED fans will get really annoying really fast)

I have this for my gaming rig, and couldn't be happier.

Very quiet.  Very low temps.

There's nothing wrong with that build but you can probably do better for a little bit less money. I think watercooling is unnecessary and unneeded for most people. Also I used to own 2 Silverstone Cases and I would no longer recommend.
Here's what I'd do for your budget.

http://pcpartpicker.com/list/2TkBvV

Note: I actually upgraded you to a GTX 1080, swapped in a faster (but smaller) M.2 SSD, changed the CPU cooler, and some other things. Comes to $1672 with tax/shipping/rebates

I've probably built a dozen computers and the Fractal R5 is the best case I've ever worked with, happens to be on sale too right now. I also went with the window case for your boys, but you could easily do the non-window and save $10 also quieter.

Also if you do the 1080 video card, you'll need one more Intake fan, costs about $15 for a good one.

With that video card, power supply, and CPU HSF, this computer will be nearly silent and pretty decently power efficient.

This shaves $400 off and would still be excellent for 1440p or 1080p gaming. It's really good.

http://pcpartpicker.com/list/cdLR4C

this is very very similar to my build.  highly recommend.

With your build, why would you recommend 16gb of memory over 32?

Also on the SSD its 512GB instead of 1 TB.. Why would you want to go smaller?

I can definitely see the LEDs on the case getting to be a PITA real quick.  I like that case you recommended.  Is the Asus MB a better board than the gigabyte

I'm also a fan of that fractal r5 case.  It has a place on the top where you can mount the liquid cooler if you want to go that route.  But I always have to shift the cooler over to the left side a bit to clear the motherboard and ram.  There's 8 screws that hold up the radiator and I think I can get 6 of them into the holes which is plenty to hold it up.

However much ram you go with initially, I say keep it to as few sticks as possible.  That way you have empty ram slots later so you can upgrade without throwing away parts.

The m.2 SSD is newer technology than the sata SSD you picked initially.  Its a lot faster and a lot more expensive because its new.  m.2 uses a PCI lane, so that takes away one of your pci slots for future upgrades.

i haven't kept up with the PC world much, but i never came close to maxing out my 16GB when gaming (bf4 on the highest settings), and photo/video editing.  

i would definitely go with the 1TB SSD, rather than the 512GB.  

2k can buy you a serious gaming platform for your boys. While at it teach them how to record and edit their gaming videos and post it on youtube. Go learning experience.
 

You probably want SSD for video gaming recording. You want fast write speed on your storage to keep up with the video game footage. At 30fps recording, normal HDD can handle it but higher frame rate like 60FPS for shooters, you need a SSD or RAID HDD config to keep up. If you can afford 1TB SSD go for it. You won't wear out a 1TB SSD. I put over 25TB on my 1TB SSD game recording and it still 100%. That's is over 6 months of daily recording of video game footage.





 

Z170 mobo, i7-6700k CPU, 1tb ssd, gtx 1080.  That should do you for a while.

What games, exactly, do you want to be able to play?

2K is a serious budget for a gaming computer, but a huge waste if you actually just want to play counterstrike and flash games.

I can't imagine buying a 1070 "just because" at today's prices.

This is the build I am going with for a general purpose rig that I won't have to upgrade any time soon. I have TBs of network storage so don't need much on the desktop. But, drives are cheap if you needed more.

1) No games are using more than 16gb, in fact 8GB is fine for 95% of games. And even stuff like photoshop or video editing, 16GB is plenty for most people. I'd rather save money if I can.
2) I really like that Intel part as it's very fast, but swapping it out for a 1TB SSD does make sense.
3) I used to be a devoted Gigabyte guy. But I have had some issues. My new MB is an ASUS and I think the thing that really sets ASUS apart is the fan control. With that case, the right fans, and an ASUS motherboard, I can make my computer virtually silent even under heavy loads. It has full control of DC or PWM fans with programmable limits and manual or automatic control. Asus also has top-notch temperature sensors on their boards.

I pimped out the "ultimate" list to include:
1TB Samsung M.2 SSD
LG Blu-ray Disc reader/ DVD writer
Copy of Windows 10 64-bit (you may not need this)

http://pcpartpicker.com/list/RJrkD8

JUST under $2,000 ...

AND I updated the "budget blaster" to include a 1TB SSD:
http://pcpartpicker.com/list/TVNMFd
Just under $1300.

There are means of getting Win 10 for really cheap, legally.

The budget blaster will smoke any game at 1080p or 1440p. It will do great for VR but may struggle with some games at 4k resolution (which only matters if you have a 4k monitor)
The ultimate should handle almost anything very well except SOME games at 4k may be a bit of a challenge.


Keep in mind you may eventually want a new fast-refresh monitor with G-sync such as this one:
https://www.amazon.com/PG278Q-2560x1440-G-SYNC-Gaming-Monitor/dp/B00MSOND8C/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1476815443&sr=8-2&keywords=144%2Bhz%2B1440p%2Bgsync&th=1

I like that ultimate list. As far as what games I have no idea what they are planning. I know my youngest is getting in to the YouTube video clips so this will be awesome.

I work for the city where I am. The city has a computer program for us so I'm going to get the "ultimate" setup so I don't have to have to worry about it for a while.

Thanks for all the help

Been doing some shopping as well.. What do you guys think of this gaming PC build?



http://pcpartpicker.com/list/YHnzvV

That expensive CPU / Mobo/ ram combo might actually be slower in games than the i7 6700k due to single core performance.
That CPU is better OTOH for video editing, 3D modeling, and CAD.

The truth is the i5 6600k is not bottlenecked by most games and the 1080 is only really necessary if you have a high end 1440p or 4k monitor. And there is virtually zero benefit to having 32gb of RAM for any game that currently exists. But it's still cool and computers are fun. So do what you like if it makes you happy.

I appreciate your input. I guess i'm trying to be future proof as more games become multi-threaded.



I also might spin up some VMs, hence the 32gb. I'll keep researching though.



Always a goddamn beating buying a new PC. You have to do weeks of watching youtube vids, going over specs, comparing.. now I remember why I bought Dells for so many years and just added the vid card and a HD.





 

Eh, it's not that hard. The i7-6700k is a great CPU and it'll handle just about any normal task with amazing efficiency. And it overclocks easily with a Z170 motherboard. RAM is pretty cheap so if you want more it's no biggie.

The new Pascal GPUs are just incredible.

GTX 1060 - 125W TDP
GTX 1070 - 150W TDP
GTX 1080 - 180W TDP

The fastest single graphics card in the world only uses 180W and could easily be powered by a 500W power supply. The GTX 1070 competes with the fastest cards from the last generation and can be had on sale in the $380 region all while using 30-50% less power.
If you are only doing 1080p and nothing more, the GTX 1060 does really well.

Thanks for all the help.  As soon as my employer approves the parts list I'm going to grab that ultimate setup you made.  We get interest free loans for computers so I figure I'd go all out for a system.  Only change I'm making is bumping up the memory to 32GB.  Might as well since I have the opportunity.