Well, after weeks of research Arvel and I independently converged on the following 2 builds.

Main considerations

• Exceed minimum VR requirements to future-proof ourselves, but on a budget.
• Build system ourselves, or have it built by a vendor?

Arvel’s build (vendor built)

Motherboard: MSI H100M PRO-VD
Processor: Intel core i7 6700 3.4GHz
Video Card: NVDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB
Ram: 8GB Crucial 2133 MHz (x2)
Hard Drive 1: Crucial 240GB BX200 SSD
Hard Drive 2: Crucial 2TB MX300 SSD
Hard Drive 3: Toshiba 2TB
Power Supply: Ultra 750W
Vendor: Cybertron PC

Gary’s build (self built)

Motherboard: MSI Z170A Krait Gaming 3X
Processor: Intel Core i7 6700K
CPU cooling: Noctua NH-D15S
Video Card: ASUS STRIX-GTX1070-O8G-GAMING
Ram: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB 2400MHz (x2)
Hard Drive 1: Samsung 750 EVO – 500GB – SSD
Power Supply: Corsair RMi Series 650W
Case: Fractal Design Define R5

A few resources we found helpful

PC Part Picker – helps ensure your components are compatible.

Building a PC for Virtual Reality: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive – Does a good job breaking down the different builds depending on your budget.

Which motherboard/chipset is right for you? – As I went down the technical rabbit hole, this article was a factor in me deciding the Z170 chipset would be my selection.