Build Advice

[TJay_1986]

Hello everyone,

 

I know very little about building my own computer but I have been doing some research and watching some tutorials. I was looking for a computer I can do a little gaming on for under $550. I found this site and wanted to get some opinions on the build suggested. Or any other advice you guys could send my way. Thanks ahead of time.

 

http://pcbuildsonabudget.com/best-gaming-pc-build-under-500-dollars\

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor  ($93.95 @ SuperBiiz) 

Motherboard: MSI 760GMA-P34(FX) Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 

Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($54.89 @ SuperBiiz) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($48.49 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card: *Sapphire Radeon R9 270X 2GB Dual-X Video Card  ($158.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Case: *Cougar Spike MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($29.99 @ Mwave) 

Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($34.99 @ Micro Center) 

Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($13.98 @ Newegg) 

Total: $485.27

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-01 04:30 EDT-0400

[blackadder]

Hello everyone,

I know very little about building my own computer but I have been doing some research and watching some tutorials. I was looking for a computer I can do a little gaming on for about $550. I found this site and wanted to get some opinions on the build suggested. Or any other advise you guys could send my way. Thanks ahead of time.

http://pcbuildsonabudget.com/best-gaming-pc-build-under-500-dollars

seems legit to me.

[TJay_1986]

Thank you for the input blackadder.

 

I forgot to mention that I am in the States

[techguru]

use pc partspicker

then post up the build

[TJay_1986]

use pc partspicker

then post up the build

Done

[Faceman]

Done

That build will not get you as far as this one will:

 

The SSD is optional, but highly recommended.

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/9Pgc7P

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/9Pgc7P/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($114.89 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($49.98 @ Newegg)

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($54.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($49.98 @ NCIX US)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($48.49 @ OutletPC)

Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280 3GB Dual-X Video Card  ($164.99 @ Newegg)

Case: *Cougar Spike MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($29.99 @ Mwave)

Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($40.99 @ NCIX US)

Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($13.98 @ Newegg)

Total: $568.28

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-01 20:56 EDT-0400

[i_build_nanosuits]

Hello everyone,

 

I know very little about building my own computer but I have been doing some research and watching some tutorials. I was looking for a computer I can do a little gaming on for under $550. I found this site and wanted to get some opinions on the build suggested. Or any other advice you guys could send my way. Thanks ahead of time.

 

http://pcbuildsonabudget.com/best-gaming-pc-build-under-500-dollars\

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor  ($93.95 @ SuperBiiz) 

Motherboard: MSI 760GMA-P34(FX) Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 

Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($54.89 @ SuperBiiz) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($48.49 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card: *Sapphire Radeon R9 270X 2GB Dual-X Video Card  ($158.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Case: *Cougar Spike MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($29.99 @ Mwave) 

Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($34.99 @ Micro Center) 

Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($13.98 @ Newegg) 

Total: $485.27

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-01 04:30 EDT-0400

i understand you are on a very tight budget here, but IMHO that motherboard is way too cheap to support an FX-6300 CPU...the CPU will be trottled down to prevent the motherboard from overheating and you might kill the motherboard and your CPU...i would pick at least a chipset 970 motherboard with good VRM's with heatsinks on them...and you also want an aftermarket heatsink for that CPU...all things considered you would probably be better off with a core i3.

 

This would be much better with the prices right now, better motherboard, aftermarket CPU heatsink, dual RAM sticks for dual channel support, better GPU with 3GB of RAM, better PSU more reliable and better quality, no need for the optical drive:

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor  ($93.95 @ SuperBiiz)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($25.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Motherboard: ASRock 970 Performance ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($70.98 @ Newegg)

Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($52.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($48.49 @ OutletPC)

Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 280 3GB Double Dissipation Video Card  ($159.99 @ Micro Center)

Case: Thermaltake VL80001W2Z ATX Mid Tower Case  ($21.99 @ Micro Center)

Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($29.99 @ NCIX US)

Total: $504.37

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-01 21:13 EDT-0400

 

*60$ worth of mail in rebate reductions INCLUDED in the prices.

This would be the intel version of the build, depending on the games you play this one probably perform better, it also consumes less energy, will run cooler and give you an upgrade path to a core i5 or core i7 if you find you need more CPU horsepower down the road, i would go with this one instead and the provided CPU heatsink is perfectly fine to use with that CPU:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4160 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-GAMING 3 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($46.98 @ Newegg)

Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.49 @ OutletPC)

Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 280 3GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($159.99 @ Micro Center)

Case: Cougar MG100 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($28.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($29.99 @ NCIX US)

Total: $477.42

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-01 21:19 EDT-0400

*45$ worth of mail in rebate reductions INCLUDED in the prices.

So as you can see the intel i3 build is even cheaper and will perform better.

[TJay_1986]

Thanks for the great advice guys.

[TJay_1986]

This would be the intel version of the build, depending on the games you play this one probably perform better, it also consumes less energy, will run cooler and give you an upgrade path to a core i5 or core i7 if you find you need more CPU horsepower down the road, i would go with this one instead and the provided CPU heatsink is perfectly fine to use with that CPU:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4160 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-GAMING 3 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($46.98 @ Newegg)

Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.49 @ OutletPC)

Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 280 3GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($159.99 @ Micro Center)

Case: Cougar MG100 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($28.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($29.99 @ NCIX US)

Total: $477.42

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-01 21:19 EDT-0400

*45$ worth of mail in rebate reductions INCLUDED in the prices.

So as you can see the intel i3 build is even cheaper and will perform better.

 

How would this play games like SC2 and dayz? I'm not really much of a gamer. Just play a few.

[i_build_nanosuits]

How would this play games like SC2 and dayz? I'm not really much of a gamer. Just play a few.

it play those games really well, much better than th FX6300 in fact.

[TJay_1986]

What would upgrading to a core i5 consist of? Would it fit in place of the core i3 in that build?

 

I just found this 

http://www.microcenter.com/product/432161/Core_i5-4590_33GHz_LGA_1150_Boxed_Processor

[Faceman]

What would upgrading to a core i5 consist of? Would it fit in place of the core i3 in that build?

 

I just found this 

http://www.microcenter.com/product/432161/Core_i5-4590_33GHz_LGA_1150_Boxed_Processor

Do you live near a Microcenter?

[TJay_1986]

Do you live near a Microcenter?

 

Yeah. About 45 mins away.

[Faceman]

Yeah. About 45 mins away.

I would go through that particular Microcenter's catalog and see what CPU and mobo deals they have.  Ideally, if you had enough money, an i5-4690k + ASRock Z97 Pro4 for $250 would be your best bet, but that might throw you over budget. 

 

What specific Microcenter location is nearest to you and I will try and look it up.

[TJay_1986]

I would go through that particular Microcenter's catalog and see what CPU and mobo deals they have.  Ideally, if you had enough money, an i5-4690k + ASRock Z97 Pro4 for $250 would be your best bet, but that might throw you over budget. 

 

What specific Microcenter location is nearest to you and I will try and look it up.

 

I live near the one in Fairfax Virginia.

Thanks a lot for your help.

[Faceman]

I live near the one in Fairfax Virginia.

Thanks a lot for your help.

Happy to help man!  I'm just glad you came here first asking for advice instead of going through with your planned build.

 

For processor, I think you should go with the i5-4590.  For only $160, its a great deal and will offer you some good performance for many years to come.  If budget is super tight, you could go for an i3 and still be very well off.  But for now, lets try and make it work with the i5.

 

Wow, so I'm not sure if there are some pricing errors, but at that location, there is a bevy of GOOD motherboards that you can choose from for a very low price.  I would take full advantage of their Open Box items, because the prices are insanely good, and Microcenter is very good with customer service and overall help, plus they give you 30 days to make sure it is good and working.  They should let you comb through the open box item(s) to make sure that all of the essential parts are there.  If its missing a manual or Driver CD something like that, don't fret, manuals and drivers can be accessed online easily.

 

The mains things you need to check for with open box items are:

Q-Connectors

Motherboard standoffs and screws

I/O Shield

SATA Connectors

 

I'm going to recommend going for a Z97 motherboard because there are just so many open box ones to sort through, I'm confident that you will find one that works for around $50, which is basically half of the retail price for one of these motherboards.  It also offers more features, and a better upgrade path if you ever decide you want to upgrade, it will make the transition seamless.  Your processor is locked, so you won't be overclocking, but this motherboard does support overclocking, so again, in the future if you decide you want to upgrade, you can buy an unlocked processor and plop it right in and be good to go.

 

On to the options:

 

MSI Z97-PC Mate - $50-$60.  There are 8 of these that are open box for you to comb though.  Be diligent, and make sure it contains everything you need, and has a 15-30 day return window so if it doesn't work, you are safe to exchange it or return it.

 

ASRock Z97 Anniversary Edition - $55

 

Gigabyte GA-Z97X SLI - $50

 

And those are just a few.  I would go with the MSI Z97 Mate because they have the most open box ones to choose from, so your chances of finding one that works and has everything you need should be higher.

 

You could also go for an H97 motherboard, which doesn't allow for overclocking.  This doesn't matter much right now with a locked processor, but if you ever wanted to upgrade to an unlocked processor in the future, this means you would have to buy a new motherboard that supports overclocking.  Which is kind of why I'm steering you towards the Z97 from the start, it costs roughly the same, if only $10 more, and it gives you a better upgrade path, as well as some more base features.  Motherboard on Intel, you really can't go wrong as long as you pick something that is compatible with the features you need.

 

i5 Build:

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/D7tY7P

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/D7tY7P/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($159.99 @ Micro Center)

Motherboard: MSI Z97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($60.00)

Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($54.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($48.49 @ OutletPC)

Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280 3GB Dual-X Video Card  ($164.99 @ Newegg)

Case: Thermaltake Commander MS/I Snow Edition (White/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($37.99 @ Micro Center)

Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply  ($39.99 @ Newegg)

Total: $566.44

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-02 03:08 EDT-0400

 

i3 Build:

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Lp7JZL

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Lp7JZL/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i3-4160 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($99.99 @ Micro Center)

Motherboard: MSI Z97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($60.00)

Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($54.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($48.49 @ OutletPC)

Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280 3GB Dual-X Video Card  ($164.99 @ Newegg)

Case: Thermaltake Commander MS/I Snow Edition (White/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($37.99 @ Micro Center)

Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply  ($39.99 @ Newegg)

Total: $506.44

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-02 03:09 EDT-0400

 

Also, don't forget to factor in an operating system, which generally costs $75+

[TJay_1986]

I think I am going to go with that i5 build. Again, thanks a lot. I am learning, but this is all pretty new for me.

[Faceman]

I think I am going to go with that i5 build. Again, thanks a lot. I am learning, but this is all pretty new for me.

Its daunting at first, but eventually it will all make sense.  Come back and ask any questions you might have, someone will always be around to help!

[TJay_1986]

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($159.99 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: MSI Z97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($60.00)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($48.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280 3GB Dual-X Video Card  ($164.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake Commander MS/I Snow Edition (White/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($37.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply  ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $566.44

 

So I am going with build above but I would like a different case. Shipping is pretty high on that one for some reason. What should I look for with cases?

[Faceman]

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($159.99 @ Micro Center)

Motherboard: MSI Z97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($60.00)

Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($54.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($48.49 @ OutletPC)

Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280 3GB Dual-X Video Card  ($164.99 @ Newegg)

Case: Thermaltake Commander MS/I Snow Edition (White/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($37.99 @ Micro Center)

Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply  ($39.99 @ Newegg)

Total: $566.44

 

So I am going with build above but I would like a different case. Shipping is pretty high on that one for some reason. What should I look for with cases?

Sorry for the late reply, I just saw that you replied.  In order for me to be notified that you have replied, you need to quote or "@" me.

 

That is a really nice looking build!  The Thermaltake case I selected is available at Microcenter, do they not have one at your location?  If not, you can pick one that they have in store, they have a large selection.  In a case, you want functionality and features.  Make sure it has USB 3.0 ports, plenty of space for fans, able to support long graphics cards, and wide enough for CPU coolers if you ever buy an aftermarket one, which is not really necessary for your current CPU choice.

 

I would go to the store and see what they have available.  They have a lot on the showroom floor that you can check out, and the people at MC are super helpful in answering any questions.