That Affordable Gaming Goodness

[Boots Ropeman]

Hello all!

 

I'm looking to build myself a new gaming rig, and I'm interested in seeing what the Linus Tech Tips community has in the way of advice. I've been browsing around quite a bit lately, and am pretty impressed with the practical knowledge that comes out of these forums as opposed to others I've seen. The fanboy bias in particular seems to be at a record low here, so congrats to you guys for that, and from now on, I'll probably be visiting these forums on the daily.

 

While I'm not a first-time builder, this will be the first gaming-oriented rig I've built, so I feel that I might be somewhat lacking in knowledge as far as price to performance goes. So without much further rambling, here goes...

 

1. Budget & Location

I'm shooting to come in right around $1000 for this build, and I'm located in that heavenly oasis they call Kansas, United States. It should be noted that there are no Micro Centers in my surrounding area.

2. Aim

This will be my go-to gaming machine. While I'll be doing a fair amount of programming and development work on it as well, its main purpose will be scratching a large digital destruction itch.

 

I tend to play a fair amount of competitive first-person shooters, and I plan on playing quite a bit of Titanfall, Battlefield, etc. Generally I'll play just about anything I have time for, but this is likely where the majority of my time will be spent, with Skyrim coming in a close second.

3. Monitors

Unfortunately, I will probably need to factor in a new monitor in this build. As much as I would rather have the money go toward the guts of my PC, my current monitor is an HP S2031, with a resolution of 1600 x 900, and it seems a shame to put good money towards a new build, and not enjoy some some sexy 1080 sauce.

 

Being a programmer by trade, it's nice to be able to work with two monitors, but I don't really feel it's a necessity for gaming, so I'm comfortable with using one of my current monitors along with the new one for productivity.

4. Peripherals

Other than the monitor issue described above, I'm set as far as peripherals go. I've already got a good mechanical gaming keyboard. That being said, I plan on upgrading my mouse, but I'm not really factoring that into the build budget. However, if anyone wants to recommend a good gaming mouse, that'd be great.

 

I'm currently running Windows 7, and the license is good for another installation, so I don't need an OS. I'd like to have Windows 8.1, as I've seen that it can handle some games better than Windows 7, but I don't feel the benefits warrant taking money away from the build's other components. That's just an opinion, so if I'm wrong, just tell me.

5. Why are you upgrading?

I'm upgrading because I've been on the same machine I built about 5 years ago, and want to make a shift from console to PC gaming, as I've missed out on it for most of my life. My current machine has served my basic computing needs well, but it's simply outdated, and is running on integrated graphics, so it's not the droid I'm looking for...

[Izaya Orihara]

Hello all!

 

I'm looking to build myself a new gaming rig, and I'm interested in seeing what the Linus Tech Tips community has in the way of advice. I've been browsing around quite a bit lately, and am pretty impressed with the practical knowledge that comes out of these forums as opposed to others I've seen. The fanboy bias in particular seems to be at a record low here, so congrats to you guys for that, and from now on, I'll probably be visiting these forums on the daily.

 

While I'm not a first-time builder, this will be the first gaming-oriented rig I've built, so I feel that I might be somewhat lacking in knowledge as far as price to performance goes. So without much further rambling, here goes...

 

1. Budget & Location

I'm shooting to come in right around $1000 for this build, and I'm located in that heavenly oasis they call Kansas, United States. It should be noted that there are no Micro Centers in my surrounding area.

2. Aim

This will be my go-to gaming machine. While I'll be doing a fair amount of programming and development work on it as well, its main purpose will be scratching a large digital destruction itch.

 

I tend to play a fair amount of competitive first-person shooters, and I plan on playing quite a bit of Titanfall, Battlefield, etc. Generally I'll play just about anything I have time for, but this is likely where the majority of my time will be spent, with Skyrim coming in a close second.

3. Monitors

Unfortunately, I will probably need to factor in a new monitor in this build. As much as I would rather have the money go toward the guts of my PC, my current monitor is an HP S2031, with a resolution of 1600 x 900, and it seems a shame to put good money towards a new build, and not enjoy some some sexy 1080 sauce.

 

Being a programmer by trade, it's nice to be able to work with two monitors, but I don't really feel it's a necessity for gaming, so I'm comfortable with using one of my current monitors along with the new one for productivity.

4. Peripherals

Other than the monitor issue described above, I'm set as far as peripherals go. I've already got a good mechanical gaming keyboard. That being said, I plan on upgrading my mouse, but I'm not really factoring that into the build budget. However, if anyone wants to recommend a good gaming mouse, that'd be great.

 

I'm currently running Windows 7, and the license is good for another installation, so I don't need an OS. I'd like to have Windows 8.1, as I've seen that it can handle some games better than Windows 7, but I don't feel the benefits warrant taking money away from the build's other components. That's just an opinion, so if I'm wrong, just tell me.

5. Why are you upgrading?

I'm upgrading because I've been on the same machine I built about 5 years ago, and want to make a shift from console to PC gaming, as I've missed out on it for most of my life. My current machine has served my basic computing needs well, but it's simply outdated, and is running on integrated graphics, so it's not the droid I'm looking for...

Do you have parts in your current build that could be reused? Also welcome to the forum enjoy your stay. 

[SAV1OUR]

THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING THE RULES!

give me a min to think of something

[SAV1OUR]

hows this?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($139.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($30.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($113.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory:  Kingston Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage:  Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($68.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage:  Seagate Barracuda ES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.95 @ Amazon)
Video Card:  EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card  ($249.95 @ Amazon)
Case:  Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($57.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply:  Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor:  Asus PB238Q 23.0" Monitor  ($193.58 @ Newegg)
Total: $1020.40
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-28 00:52 EDT-0400)

[Boots Ropeman]

Do you have parts in your current build that could be reused? Also welcome to the forum enjoy your stay. 

Unfortunately, I've already promised a family member that they can have my current PC after I finish the new build, so I won't be able to reuse anything. There's nothing very special there anyway lol.

[Faceman]

Hello all!

 

I'm looking to build myself a new gaming rig, and I'm interested in seeing what the Linus Tech Tips community has in the way of advice. I've been browsing around quite a bit lately, and am pretty impressed with the practical knowledge that comes out of these forums as opposed to others I've seen. The fanboy bias in particular seems to be at a record low here, so congrats to you guys for that, and from now on, I'll probably be visiting these forums on the daily.

 

While I'm not a first-time builder, this will be the first gaming-oriented rig I've built, so I feel that I might be somewhat lacking in knowledge as far as price to performance goes. So without much further rambling, here goes...

 

1. Budget & Location

I'm shooting to come in right around $1000 for this build, and I'm located in that heavenly oasis they call Kansas, United States. It should be noted that there are no Micro Centers in my surrounding area.

2. Aim

This will be my go-to gaming machine. While I'll be doing a fair amount of programming and development work on it as well, its main purpose will be scratching a large digital destruction itch.

 

I tend to play a fair amount of competitive first-person shooters, and I plan on playing quite a bit of Titanfall, Battlefield, etc. Generally I'll play just about anything I have time for, but this is likely where the majority of my time will be spent, with Skyrim coming in a close second.

3. Monitors

Unfortunately, I will probably need to factor in a new monitor in this build. As much as I would rather have the money go toward the guts of my PC, my current monitor is an HP S2031, with a resolution of 1600 x 900, and it seems a shame to put good money towards a new build, and not enjoy some some sexy 1080 sauce.

 

Being a programmer by trade, it's nice to be able to work with two monitors, but I don't really feel it's a necessity for gaming, so I'm comfortable with using one of my current monitors along with the new one for productivity.

4. Peripherals

Other than the monitor issue described above, I'm set as far as peripherals go. I've already got a good mechanical gaming keyboard. That being said, I plan on upgrading my mouse, but I'm not really factoring that into the build budget. However, if anyone wants to recommend a good gaming mouse, that'd be great.

 

I'm currently running Windows 7, and the license is good for another installation, so I don't need an OS. I'd like to have Windows 8.1, as I've seen that it can handle some games better than Windows 7, but I don't feel the benefits warrant taking money away from the build's other components. That's just an opinion, so if I'm wrong, just tell me.

5. Why are you upgrading?

I'm upgrading because I've been on the same machine I built about 5 years ago, and want to make a shift from console to PC gaming, as I've missed out on it for most of my life. My current machine has served my basic computing needs well, but it's simply outdated, and is running on integrated graphics, so it's not the droid I'm looking for...

Thank you so much for following the guidelines for this section of the forum, and giving us detailed enough information to really narrow our component search down.  Here is my build:

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hMSF

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hMSF/by_merchant/

Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hMSF/benchmarks/

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($139.99 @ Amazon)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($30.98 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard: MSI 970A-G43 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($69.98 @ OutletPC) <-- motherboard doesn't impact performance, you can save money on this component.

Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($64.99 @ Newegg) <-- least expensive 1600mhz, 9-9-9-24, 1.5v you can find.

Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($68.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda ES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.95 @ Amazon)

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card  ($309.99 @ NCIX US) <--- This is an AMAZING PRICE, GET THIS NOW!

Case: Antec One ATX Mid Tower Case  ($34.99 @ NCIX US) <-- if you want a nicer case, budget allows for it. But case doesn't impact performance, maybe buy nicer case fans.

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($44.99 @ Newegg) <-- Excellent price, buy this now.

Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($15.98 @ OutletPC)

Monitor: Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor  ($139.99 @ Amazon) <- Really nice IPS panel monitor!

Total: $975.82

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-28 01:00 EDT-0400)

[Meteora]

Unfortunately, I've already promised a family member that they can have my current PC after I finish the new build, so I won't be able to reuse anything. There's nothing very special there anyway lol.

Hey if you like to play mmo's or you just need alot of buttons on your mouse, corsair's m95 is great. I know this from using it alot, so whenever you get the money consider this.

http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Vengeance-Performance-Gunmetal-CH-9000025-NA/dp/B00B5QLS4A/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1395982936&sr=1-1&keywords=corsair+m95

[Boots Ropeman]

hows this?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($139.99 @ Amazon)

CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($30.98 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($113.99 @ NCIX US)

Memory:  Kingston Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($64.99 @ Newegg)

Storage:  Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($68.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Storage:  Seagate Barracuda ES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.95 @ Amazon)

Video Card:  EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card  ($249.95 @ Amazon)

Case:  Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($57.99 @ Micro Center)

Power Supply:  Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($44.99 @ Newegg)

Monitor:  Asus PB238Q 23.0" Monitor  ($193.58 @ Newegg)

Total: $1020.40

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-28 00:52 EDT-0400)

If at all possible, I'd like to try and go with a more powerful card than the GTX 760. I don't mean that to sound like a knock against the 760, as it's a great card.

 

I'd be comfortable going with a cheaper case, and I could maybe stretch my budget close to $1100 if need be.

[Izaya Orihara]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hN1q

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hN1q/by_merchant/

Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hN1q/benchmarks/

 

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($139.99 @ Amazon) 

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($30.98 @ OutletPC) 

Motherboard: MSI 970A-G43 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($69.98 @ OutletPC) 

Memory: GeIL EVO POTENZA 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($62.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($69.97 @ Amazon) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($84.81 @ Amazon) 

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card  ($249.99 @ Micro Center) 

Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($54.99 @ NCIX US) 

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($44.99 @ Newegg) 

Monitor: Dell U2312HM 23.0" Monitor  ($199.06 @ TigerDirect) 

Total: $1007.75

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-28 01:07 EDT-0400)

[SAV1OUR]

If at all possible, I'd like to try and go with a more powerful card than the GTX 760. I don't mean that to sound like a knock against the 760, as it's a great card.

 

I'd be comfortable going with a cheaper case, and I could maybe stretch my budget close to $1100 if need be.

ok so rather then a 770 what about a 280? its roughly the same performance and price

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($139.99 @ Amazon)

CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($30.98 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($113.99 @ NCIX US)

Memory:  Kingston Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($64.99 @ Newegg)

Storage:  Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($68.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Storage:  Seagate Barracuda ES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.95 @ Amazon)

Video Card:  MSI Radeon R9 280 3GB Video Card  ($305.38 @ Newegg)

Case:  Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($57.99 @ Micro Center)

Power Supply:  Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($44.99 @ Newegg)

Monitor:  Asus PB238Q 23.0" Monitor  ($193.58 @ Newegg)

Total: $1075.83

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-28 01:09 EDT-0400) 

[Izaya Orihara]

If at all possible, I'd like to try and go with a more powerful card than the GTX 760. I don't mean that to sound like a knock against the 760, as it's a great card.

 

I'd be comfortable going with a cheaper case, and I could maybe stretch my budget close to $1100 if need be.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hN3R

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hN3R/by_merchant/

Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hN3R/benchmarks/

 

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($139.99 @ Amazon) 

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($30.98 @ OutletPC) 

Motherboard: MSI 970A-G43 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($69.98 @ OutletPC) 

Memory: GeIL EVO POTENZA 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($62.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($69.97 @ Amazon) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($84.81 @ Amazon) 

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card  ($309.99 @ NCIX US) 

Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($54.99 @ NCIX US) 

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($44.99 @ Newegg) 

Monitor: Dell U2312HM 23.0" Monitor  ($199.06 @ TigerDirect) 

Total: $1067.75

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-28 01:09 EDT-0400)

[Izaya Orihara]

ok so rather then a 770 what about a 280? its roughly the same performance and price

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($139.99 @ Amazon)

CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($30.98 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($113.99 @ NCIX US)

Memory:  Kingston Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($64.99 @ Newegg)

Storage:  Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($68.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Storage:  Seagate Barracuda ES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.95 @ Amazon)

Video Card:  MSI Radeon R9 280 3GB Video Card  ($305.38 @ Newegg)

Case:  Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($57.99 @ Micro Center)

Power Supply:  Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($44.99 @ Newegg)

Monitor:  Asus PB238Q 23.0" Monitor  ($193.58 @ Newegg)

Total: $1075.83

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-28 01:09 EDT-0400)

A gtx 770 is like 5$ more. Actually less than 5$ more. And about 10% higher peformance. 

[Faceman]

If at all possible, I'd like to try and go with a more powerful card than the GTX 760. I don't mean that to sound like a knock against the 760, as it's a great card.

 

I'd be comfortable going with a cheaper case, and I could maybe stretch my budget close to $1100 if need be.

Here is the same build, except with a more expensive GPU, the R290.  A benefit of buying ATI for the build I selected, is that this motherboard is crossfire capable.  In the future if you need another performance boost, just buy another 290 and plug that sucker in and you're good to go!

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hMRW

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hMRW/by_merchant/

Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hMRW/benchmarks/

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($139.99 @ Amazon)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($30.98 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard: MSI 970A-G43 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($69.98 @ OutletPC)

Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($72.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($68.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda ES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.95 @ Amazon)

Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card  ($439.99 @ Newegg)

Case: Antec One ATX Mid Tower Case  ($34.99 @ NCIX US)

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($44.99 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($15.98 @ OutletPC)

Monitor: Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor  ($139.99 @ Amazon)

Total: $1113.82

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-28 01:13 EDT-0400)

 

Here is what it would look like with a GTX780:

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hMQh

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hMQh/by_merchant/

Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hMQh/benchmarks/

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($139.99 @ Amazon)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($30.98 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard: MSI 970A-G43 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($69.98 @ OutletPC)

Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($72.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($68.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda ES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.95 @ Amazon)

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card  ($489.99 @ Newegg)

Case: Antec One ATX Mid Tower Case  ($34.99 @ NCIX US)

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($44.99 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($15.98 @ OutletPC)

Monitor: Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor  ($139.99 @ Amazon)

Total: $1163.82

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-28 01:16 EDT-0400)

[SAV1OUR]

A gtx 770 is like 5$ more. Actually less than 5$ more. And about 10% higher peformance. 

from what i have seen its pretty much equal

[Izaya Orihara]

from what i have seen its pretty much equal

r9 280x and and 770 are pretty much equal. Not the r9 280. It's not like the 270 and the 270x. Not just an oced card. 

[Anthony10]

Here is the same build, except with a more expensive GPU, the R290.  A benefit of buying ATI for the build I selected, is that this motherboard is crossfire capable.  In the future if you need another performance boost, just buy another 290 and plug that sucker in and you're good to go!

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hMRW

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hMRW/by_merchant/

Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hMRW/benchmarks/

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($139.99 @ Amazon)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($30.98 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard: MSI 970A-G43 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($69.98 @ OutletPC)

Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($72.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($68.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda ES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.95 @ Amazon)

Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card  ($439.99 @ Newegg)

Case: Antec One ATX Mid Tower Case  ($34.99 @ NCIX US)

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($44.99 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($15.98 @ OutletPC)

Monitor: Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor  ($139.99 @ Amazon)

Total: $1113.82

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-28 01:13 EDT-0400)

 

Here is what it would look like with a GTX780:

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hMQh

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hMQh/by_merchant/

Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hMQh/benchmarks/

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($139.99 @ Amazon)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($30.98 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard: MSI 970A-G43 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($69.98 @ OutletPC)

Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($72.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($68.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda ES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.95 @ Amazon)

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card  ($489.99 @ Newegg)

Case: Antec One ATX Mid Tower Case  ($34.99 @ NCIX US)

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($44.99 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($15.98 @ OutletPC)

Monitor: Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor  ($139.99 @ Amazon)

Total: $1163.82

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-28 01:16 EDT-0400)

That is what I would buy. GTX 780 would be worth the extra $50 over the r9 290. I would get a Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 though, the antec one is a bit of a cheap case in my opinion. It is definitely worth stretching the budget, as the price point you are at is right before getting into top of the line GPUs. The RAM is kinda ugly IMO, but there is a lot of RAM for with the same specs/price that you can choose.

[Faceman]

That is what I would buy. GTX 780 would be worth the extra $50 over the r9 290. I would get a Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 though, the antec one is a bit of a cheap case in my opinion. It is definitely worth stretching the budget, as the price point you are at is right before getting into top of the line GPUs.

     I personally have a GTX780, and I love it.  One thing to be aware of, is the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO is a big mammoth of a CPU cooler and does not fit inside all ATX mid-tower cases.  The Antec One might not be pretty, but it is very large, with plenty of room for the 212 EVO, and good airflow so your components aren't cramped.   You could also do some bargain hunting on the Monitor.  I chose an IPS monitor because it is typically a little bit of a nicer appearance.  You could probably find a 21in' IPS monitor for around $120, and if you wanted to not go IPS, you could probably find a nice  21in' TN monitor for $90-$100.  With the budget you have, you should be able to fit a GTX780 in there, just a matter of rearranging and compromising.

     Other ideas for compromising would be to get some Patriot Viper Xtreme RAM.  It is only $55 after MIR.  I have this RAM myself and it performs well.  It is 1600Mhz and 10-10-10-27.  Ideally you want 9-9-9-24, but the difference is only 10%, and for gaming, you will not notice this 10% difference.  Going with this specific RAM is a better value proposition than the RAM listed in that build.  You would be paying almost $20(40%) more for a 10% increase in performance, that is not even noticeable.  If you decide to do this, this offer ends March 31st.  The deal on the CX600M for only $45 is a good one, buy that before the deal ends or it goes out of stock.  Again, I have this same PSU and it rocks.  Very quiet and performs well, as well as semi-modular. I paid $55 for it in late January.

     Best of luck, and if you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

[Anthony10]

I personally have a GTX780, and I love it.  One thing to be aware of, is the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO is a big mammoth of a CPU cooler and does not fit inside all ATX mid-tower cases.  The Antec One might not be pretty, but it is very large, with plenty of room for the 212 EVO, and good airflow so your components aren't cramped.   You could also do some bargain hunting on the Monitor.  I chose an IPS monitor because it is typically a little bit of a nicer appearance.  You could probably find a 21in' IPS monitor for around $120, and if you wanted to not go IPS, you could probably find a nice  21in' TN monitor for $90-$100.  With the budget you have, you should be able to fit a GTX780 in there, just a matter of rearranging and compromising.

     Other ideas for compromising would be to get some Patriot Viper Xtreme RAM.  It is only $55 after MIR.  I have this RAM myself and it performs well.  It is 1600Mhz and 10-10-10-27.  Ideally you want 9-9-9-24, but the difference is only 10%, and for gaming, you will not notice this 10% difference.  Going with this specific RAM is a better value proposition than the RAM listed in that build.  You would be paying almost $20(40%) more for a 10% increase in performance, that is not even noticeable.  If you decide to do this, this offer ends March 31st.  The deal on the CX600M for only $45 is a good one, buy that before the deal ends or it goes out of stock.  Again, I have this same PSU and it rocks.  Very quiet and performs well, as well as semi-modular. I paid $55 for it in late January.

     Best of luck, and if you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Haha i think you got me mixed up with the author of the thread

[Faceman]

Haha i think you got me mixed up with the author of the thread

ahh, you're right I did. My mistake. its late on the east coast

[WoodenMarker]

How's this look? http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hPSt

Move rear fan to front for intake. Use Arctic F12 PWM CO for rear exhuast.

[Boots Ropeman]

Here is the same build, except with a more expensive GPU, the R290.  A benefit of buying ATI for the build I selected, is that this motherboard is crossfire capable.  In the future if you need another performance boost, just buy another 290 and plug that sucker in and you're good to go!

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hMRW

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hMRW/by_merchant/

Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hMRW/benchmarks/

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($139.99 @ Amazon)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($30.98 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard: MSI 970A-G43 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($69.98 @ OutletPC)

Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($72.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($68.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda ES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.95 @ Amazon)

Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card  ($439.99 @ Newegg)

Case: Antec One ATX Mid Tower Case  ($34.99 @ NCIX US)

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($44.99 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($15.98 @ OutletPC)

Monitor: Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor  ($139.99 @ Amazon)

Total: $1113.82

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-28 01:13 EDT-0400)

 

Here is what it would look like with a GTX780:

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hMQh

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hMQh/by_merchant/

Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hMQh/benchmarks/

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($139.99 @ Amazon)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($30.98 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard: MSI 970A-G43 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($69.98 @ OutletPC)

Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($72.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($68.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda ES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.95 @ Amazon)

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card  ($489.99 @ Newegg)

Case: Antec One ATX Mid Tower Case  ($34.99 @ NCIX US)

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($44.99 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($15.98 @ OutletPC)

Monitor: Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor  ($139.99 @ Amazon)

Total: $1163.82

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-28 01:16 EDT-0400)

If I were to move to a multiple GPU setup in the future (which would most likely be around the end of the year), would this power supply have enough go juice or would I need to plan on upgrading it?

Also, say I were to go with the 780. I know this board doesn't support SLI, but would you aniticpate even needing to move to SLI with that powerful of a card? I don't know much about the longevity of graphics cards, and maybe it's not something that's easy to predict.

[Faceman]

If I were to move to a multiple GPU setup in the future (which would most likely be around the end of the year), would this power supply have enough go juice or would I need to plan on upgrading it?

Also, say I were to go with the 780. I know this board doesn't support SLI, but would you aniticpate even needing to move to SLI with that powerful of a card? I don't know much about the longevity of graphics cards, and maybe it's not something that's easy to predict.

     You're right, it is not easy to predict.  I have a GTX 780 myself, I anticipate getting 3 years out of it before having to either upgrade or SLI.  I might not have to do either, some older cards are still running games like BF4 today, just not at ultra and high settings, its all about how much you are willing to compromise.  You will need to get a better power supply than the CX600M if you wanted to SLI.  The Corsair RM650 for $99 is a good, cost effective option.  Power supplies tend to only have about 3 year lifespans, anymore than that and consider yourself lucky.  If don't plan on SLI for 2 years, then wait 2 years and buy another power supply then, instead of buying a nice one, have it run just 1 card, and when it is almost dead start juicing 2 cards.

      Another thing with SLI, is that not all games can utilize this feature, so you will have to disable one of your cards, and its kinda like, why did I pay for 2 GPUs when not all games benefit from it.  In the future, I see more games utilizing SLI, but for right now, it is not 100% utilized.  Problems can also occur with SLI, I haven't done much research into SLI, but I left my build open-ended enough that I would be able to go this route if I wanted to.  A lot of the time, people recommend to just buy the most powerful single GPU that you can afford, because less problems tend to occur.  The resale value on video cards isn't as bad as you would expect, so you could either go SLI in a couple years, or you could sell off your old card, and buy a new, more powerful single GPU.

 

     The GPU is the single most important component of your computer when you are building for gaming.  The GPU should account for 40%-50% of your overall budget.  No component will have as much of an impact on your performance as the GPU.  I recommend starting with 1 GPU, and seeing how you like your performance.  A GTX 780 will be able to run all those games you mentioned at around 55-60fps.  Check some benchmarks if you don't believe me.  legitreviews.com, anandtech, 3dguru, etc..

 

 I am going to do a new build for you, one that is upgrade-ready.  It will be more expensive though, and I am going to go with the assumption of 1 GPU for the next 2 years and go with a less expensive PSU.  Do you have any family or friends that you trust who live near a Microcenter?  If you do, have them help you out.  Microcenter has AMAZING bundle prices on their CPUs + Motherboards. You will be able to get an i5-4670k + ASRock Z87-Extreme4(overclock ready and SLI capable) for $275!!!  Here is the build without Microcenter

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3i5rY

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3i5rY/by_merchant/

Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3i5rY/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($227.99 @ NCIX US)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($30.98 @ OutletPC) <-- Optional, but pretty much required for overclocking.  Also is more quiet than stock cooler.

Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($109.99 @ Micro Center)

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($74.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($65.99 @ Amazon)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($89.99 @ Newegg)

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card  ($489.99 @ Newegg)

Case: Antec One ATX Mid Tower Case  ($34.99 @ NCIX US)

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($44.99 @ Newegg) <-- I would buy this now, it is a good price for this component that will work for 1 GPU for sure.

Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($15.98 @ OutletPC)

Monitor: AOC I2269VW 60Hz 21.5" Monitor  ($119.99 @ Best Buy)

Total: $1290.87

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-28 16:48 EDT-0400)

 

Check out the build I have in my profile, it is very similar and I love my computer.  Works very, very well and I don't plan on changing anything for 3 years at the earliest.

[Boots Ropeman]

Do you have any family or friends that you trust who live near a Microcenter?  If you do, have them help you out.  Microcenter has AMAZING bundle prices on their CPUs + Motherboards. You will be able to get an i5-4670k + ASRock Z87-Extreme4(overclock ready and SLI capable) for $275!!!

I made the mistake of assuming there were no Micro Centers around me, but it turns out there's actually a Kansas City location which isn't too far, so I'll definitely be checking into this deal. Thanks!

 

How's this look? http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3hPSt

Move rear fan to front for intake. Use Arctic F12 PWM CO for rear exhuast.

I think the price of this build is pretty appealing, especially since the monitor and mouse are fit in there and it's still under a grand, but at the same time, I think it would be a shame to miss out on the 4670k deal and lose the overclocking and SLI capabilities.

 

 

EDIT:

As it turns out, the Kansas City Micro Center doesn't have the Extreme4 in stock. However, next weekend I'll be making a trip to St. Louis, and after doing some checking, there's a Micro Center on the way that has this bundle in stock, so hopefully if it stays in stock, I can reserve it next week and pick it up on my way.

Edited March 29, 2014 by Boots Ropeman