I've been a Mac user for quite some time now, so video games have been kind of isolated to consoles. Not that that's a huge issue lately, console games are perfectly serviceable, but I'd like to dive into this strange world people call "Steam" and there just isn't an option on my Playstation-Box One U for that. I think it's finally time to build a gaming PC, or get one pre built.

I'm probably not going to get into VR for a while (I'm way not an early adopter), but I'd like to get one that can run well for a few years and won't look crappy on my 40+ inch TV, since that'll probably be my monitor. I'm a complete neophyte when it comes to gaming PCs though. I had a Sony Vaio a while back, but that was mainly for editing. I needs advice y'all, please help. Thanks in advance, duders.

What's your budget?

always a good place to start. it'll give you baseline expectations of what your money will get you.

http://www.logicalincrements.com

So you are gonna play on a 1080p 40inch monitor?

1. Pick A Budget (That link to logical increments is a decent starting point) and know what you want in a PC(ie 1080p @ 60 Gaming, Editing)

2. Use PC Part Picker: https://pcpartpicker.com/

3. Find keep track of sales using https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsales or Slick Deals

4. Don't be afraid to ask questions (https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc)

5. Watch lots of Build guides on Youtube. NewEgg has good ones (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIF43-0mDk4), Linus Tech Tips, Paul's Hardware, etc.

6. Know what parts do what. Scroll to the bottom of the chart on the Logical Increments Page

@kcp12: That's a nice collection of tools, thank you.

As to budget questions, I don't want to spend more than, say $700 (and that's at the absolute bleeding edge for me, probably try to stay in the $500-600 range). Probably will just want to run it through my TV's HDMI port (I know, lag, not the best, but I don't have room for a dedicated monitor space until my housemate moves out), though I think it has a PC monitor plug.

Even if you don't plan on getting VR soon, I think looking at the recommended PC specs for VR is a good starting point. I would also check the NeoGAF PC build thread. The first post is kept up to date.

Also, I pretty much use my gaming PC connected to my TV and its awesome; Steam Big Picture has come a long way. You can even launch Home Theater software like Plex or LaunchBox from Steam Big Picture. It's great, especially if you tend to play more game that work well with a gamepad.

For $500-$600 you're going to be on the very low end of gaming PCs. Unless you're just interested in running older games or current games on low to medium settings, you may consider sticking with your consoles for awhile and saving up some more money. At that range, 50% more money could get you 100% better performance or even more.

It all depends on what you expect this machine to be able to do, and for how long.

Remember that you'll need to fit a Windows license into your budget. Probably $80-$100. (Windows 10 is only "free" as an upgrade to an existing Windows install.) If you're in school, there may be education discounts available.

I'm going to stick with Windows 7 and 8.1 for as long as possible (I don't like 10 for various reason)... but I'm guessing most people will say to go with 10, as it's the latest.

And include a decent keyboard & mouse, if needed. You mention playing on TV. If you plan on doing most of your gaming with controller, and don't think you'll need a fancy gaming keyboard & mouse, maybe get something like this. I'm using this (previous version) for my PC hooked up to TV at the moment, and using wireless 360 controller for Big Picture Mode gaming. The keyboard's probably not great for gaming (considering the tiny arrow keys), but it's good enough for basic desktop/internet use.

hmm- that's going to be awfully tight if you're looking to get a few years use out of it. most builds with a gaming focus call for you to spend at least 200-300 on the GPU alone. and if you REALLY want to take advantage of the platform, you'll want an SSD that will set you back another 100 or so, and we haven't even factored in a CPU yet.

you can certainly build a machine for that budget that will play a great deal- but it probably won't have the legs or fidelity you're looking for. basically what @mike said.

I say take a look at some threads in the pc forum, there are a lot of threads with similar questions and good answers in them. Plenty also show off the parts and builds they decided to go with.

All this has been extremely helpful and I've learned a lot. First off, I definitely need to think about upping my budget on this project because I would like this thing to last a few years. Next, assembly doesn't look as difficult as I thought it'd be. I assumed I'd need to solder things and know more about electrical engineering than I do. Lastly, I have much more research to do before I can start purchasing parts... I need a more concrete idea of what I want to be able to play before I get started.

Thanks to everyone who contributed advice, I'll keep you posted.

@phoenix654: soldering! :D

Its easier than lego. You want some small screwdrivers and you are set to go, the pieces only fit in one place so as long as you dont rage and break something you will be fine.

^This