~$1,200 desktop for development and mild gaming

What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games or programs you will be using.

• I'm a software developer. I sometimes find that my laptop is not powerful enough to run the software that I'm building, specifically not enough RAM. However, I might do some gaming as well. Specifically, I play Counter-Strike: GO, and I also have an Oculus Rift DK2. Whenever I try to use pcpartpicker, I always make something either super frugal or super beefy. I need help r/buildapcforme!

What is your maximum budget before rebates/shipping/taxes?

• Roughly $1,200, but I'm somewhat flexible.

When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Note: beyond a week or two from today means any build you receive will be out of date when you want to buy.

• Within the next two weeks.

What, exactly, do you need included in the budget? (Tower/OS/monitor/keyboard/mouse/etc)

• Just the tower. I have a keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc. No need for an OS either. I run Linux, and I might dual boot with Windows, but I already have a copy.

Which country (and state/province) will you be purchasing the parts in? If you're in US, do you have access to a Microcenter location?

• Chicago, IL, USA. There is a microcenter in Chicago, but I'd prefer to purchase parts from Newegg, Tigerdirect, or Amazon, if possible. The parts don't all have to come from one place. I have an Amazon prime account, and I also might spend some bitcoins on the PC, hence Newegg and Tigerdirect.

If reusing any parts (including monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse/etc), what parts will you be reusing? Brands and models are appreciated.

• I have a HHKB2 keyboard, Asus VS248H-P monitor, Logitech M570 trackball mouse, and I sometimes use the Logitech G9x mouse.

Will you be overclocking? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line? CPU and/or GPU?

• No.

Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSD, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc)

• I'd like to have an independent graphics card, not onboard. I have no preference for NVidia or ATI, either is fine. I'd like an SSD, but probably also a larger platter HD as well if possible, but if the budget can't fit it, just the SSD is fine. I'd prefer more money spent on RAM or a graphics card. On the RAM issue, I'd like the PC to have at least 8 GB, but 16 GB would be great.

Do you have any specific case preferences (Size like ITX/microATX/mid-tower/full-tower, styles, colors, window or not, LED lighting, etc), or a particular color theme preference for the components?

• No preferences here.

Do you need a copy of Windows 7 or 8.1 included in the budget? If you do need one included, do you have a preference for one or the other?

• Nope.

Extra info or particulars:

Thank you for your help!