$700-800 Gaming/Basic Editing Rig

Crt · July 5, 2014

So this is a build for my friend, he wants to have a snappy experience with his computer for about $600-$800. So his primary goals are to have main programs (such as PS and basic video editing to upload to YT) and games on his main drive and have a separate drive for things such as media consumption and more space-hogging games.

I’m using PC Part Picker because it’s convenient for me and he will most likely order only online.

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Ryousha/saved/Wx6qqs

My rationale for this build is a little biased and doesn’t make much sense, I would love feedback! Tell me what you guys think.

CPU: AMD FX 6300

I chose this CPU because it performs well for price to performance and because I don’t think he’s going to go do hardcore video editing. He’s most likely going to use Avermedia to record footage anyways. He’s going to be using a ≤1080p monitor. So no 1440p monitors. This CPU is not being used with an aftermarket cooler due to budget constraints. He does not plan on overclocking.

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-3DP AM3+

It's an affordable motherboard. Reviews says it's decent on what it has to offer. I rather not go for cheaper Micro-ATX Board.

RAM: Kingston Fury 8GB DDR3 1600MHz

I feel that the sweet spot for ram is 8GB because 4GB might not be enough.

STORAGE:

Crucial MX100 256GB SSD
- I chose this SSD because it provided a brilliant price for dollars to gigabytes and was extremely affordable to put in a low-mid range cost build. He wants a snappy experience and asked for an SSD to be put in his build.
Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200rpm HDD
- I chose this HDD because it just happens to have a really compelling price, although WD wouldn’t be a bad substitute, it just comes down to price.

GPU: Asus GTX 750Ti 2GB or [brand Name] R7 260X 2GB

I chose this graphics card because the price to performance ratio is decent enough to play most games at med-high settings (with no AA). I was speculating between AMD R7 260x or the GTX 750Ti, but they’re both competing in the same category. I am choosing the 2GB model compared to the 1GB model because Skyrim with mods tends to take up more than 1GB of V-Ram. It honestly depends on the pricing of the 260X and the 750Ti. My friend doesn't plan on playing the newest games that get released and is more prone to play Source-Engine games, World of Tanks, or Battlefield 3.

CASE: Corsair 450D

I’m looking for better alternatives, but I’m looking for a pleasing, elegant case that isn’t the NZXT Phantom 240/410, but can still provide excellent cable management and ease to build. I’m a crippled person that has 1 usable arm and another arm that can barely hold a bag of groceries. Would love other alternatives. I showed my friend the NZXT H440 and Phantom 240/410/Original, but he wasn’t pleased with the plastic gloss finishes and their designs.

POWER SUPPLY: Corsair CSM 550W 80+ Gold Power Supply

Corsair is known for quality customer support. I’m on the fence about the power supply because 550W seems completely overkill for this build. And the price seems a bit high, but a quality power supply is what dictates what doesn't destroy your PC in a few years. Would love better alternatives.