As someone who has a gaming PC and PS4, I have to say that
@TheHouseAlwaysWins does have a point there.
If you're looking for modern, mainstream gaming, chances are that getting a console is a cheaper and comfier solution in the long run. Most of the stuff out there is tailored for consoles, PC versions of games regularly get downgraded and there are very few great PC exclusives vs great console exclusives. Even small indie titles get console releases, so you really are not missing out unless you value modding to a greater extent, or plan on using your PC for something other than gaming (3D design for instance).
My point is, you can get PS4 Pro for 400-500$ or so (that is without any discount), whereas PC, just the rig, will cost way more. Not to mention you will need a new monitor most likely, which in itself is another 150-200$. If you're on a 1000$ budget, it can get tricky.
But since you've asked for PC specs, these are my recommendations:
- GPU: nVidia GTX 1060 6GB. The whole GTX series is fantastic, and this one is magnificent for its price. I think that with the miner fad being over, it's got a more reasonable price once more (note that there is a 3GB version which is also great and significantly cheaper).
- CPU: Intel i5 is in my opinion a very good choice that also doesn't come expensive. Don't bother looking at i9, that's insanely priced, along with most i7 CPUs. You can find great i5 CPUs, like 8400, 8600k. Even 6600k is still very good. Fair pricing.
- RAM: No less than 16GB.
- Be sure to get an SSD as opposed to regular HDD, it's way faster.
- The rest of the stuff (motherboard etc.) well, anything that can carry all of this, for a reasonable price. Look around.
- As much as I hate Windows, any other OS but Windows 10 is shooting your own foot.
If you need a monitor, anything that is Full HD (1080p) will work. You can go for HD Ready (720p), but that's just lame.
The whole rig should fit the maximum 1000$ budget, maybe exceeding it to 1200$ depending on prices around you. The most expensive thing is obviously the GPU, taking 1/3 of the budget on its own, but you asked for good stuff.
...
Now, I'm not saying that this is the best rig you can build, or the most reasonably priced one or whatever. I'm just saying that this is a very good rig, I personally have been using a very similar one for some time now and am absolutely satisfied. My good friend has a rig like the one I've listed and it's fantastic.
But obviously, no rush. You Murricans have that Black Friday thing and similar massive discount events, I guess PC components are also really cheap at that time too?
And without any jesting, think about the PS4 (Pro) if you are tight on the budget (I assume you have an HD TV already) - XBox sucks in my opinion.
If your priority is modern gaming and nothing else, latest gen of consoles is cheaper and more accessible way to gaming than building a PC. The horrible reality is that PC gaming is now playing a second fiddle to consoles, has been for a while and that won't change anytime soon, if ever. It will most likely just get worse. Sure, a great and upgraded PC will almost always beat console in terms of general usefulness, but if it's only gaming you're looking for, don't overlook this option because of "PC master race", "console peasants" or some other memes and bullshit.
Take a step back and analyze your gaming preferences in detail, without any...prejudice. As I've said, I own a gaming PC, have been playing on PC for ages now, and have only recently purchased a console. Being in such position, I think the aforementioned advice is the best thing you can do.
