First PC Build - Any suggestions?

[alertalbert]

Hello, I have come across enough money to build my first PC, and this is what I currently have:

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/GrwBYJ
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/GrwBYJ/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($198.20 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($125.06 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($67.79 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($111.28 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 270X 2GB Dual-X Video Card  ($190.78 @ Amazon)
Case: BitFenix Prodigy (White) Mini ITX Tower Case  ($82.66 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Plus 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($73.65 @ NCIX US)
Total: $849.42
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-13 19:46 EDT-0400

 

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to improve it, but no major price changes(Adding more than $10 dollars to the cost)?

[Exp]

What is it going to be used for?

[spartaman64]

dont get fully modular get semi modular power supply and consider getting 2x4 GB instead of 1x8GB of ram

[spartaman64]

if its for gaming you might want to consider getting a weaker cpu to get a strong gpu

[Suffokation]

4460 + H97 or B85.

[alertalbert]

What is it going to be used for?

Website Development, some modded Minecraft gaming

 

4460 + H97 or B85.

Out of curiosity, why pick H97 or B85 over Z97

[Suffokation]

 

 

Out of curiosity, why pick H97 or B85 over Z97

Well, the locked processors cannot be overclocked and the Z97 chipset is designed for overclocking. B85 and H97 are cheaper because that don't have overclocking components.

[alertalbert]

Well, the locked processors cannot be overclocked and the Z97 chipset is designed for overclocking. B85 and H97 are cheaper because that don't have overclocking components.

 

I see... any suggestions for a good Mini-ITX motherboard with WiFi?

[stconquest]

$836

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($178.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($72.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: PNY XLR8 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card  ($212.98 @ Newegg)
Case: BitFenix Prodigy (White) Mini ITX Tower Case  ($77.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($59.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $760.80
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-13 21:58 EDT-0400

[stconquest]

$839

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($178.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($72.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: PNY XLR8 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($98.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X OC Video Card  ($239.99 @ Newegg) <<<will this fit?
Case: BitFenix Prodigy (White) Mini ITX Tower Case  ($77.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($59.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $781.80
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-13 22:01 EDT-0400

[stconquest]

$850

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($178.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($72.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: PNY XLR8 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Mushkin ECO2 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 290X 4GB TurboDuo Video Card  ($269.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: BitFenix Prodigy (White) Mini ITX Tower Case  ($77.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($59.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $792.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-13 22:05 EDT-0400

[stconquest]

$834

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($178.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($72.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: PNY XLR8 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Mushkin ECO2 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card  ($329.00 @ NCIX US)
Case: BitFenix Prodigy (White) Mini ITX Tower Case  ($77.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply  ($19.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $811.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-13 22:08 EDT-0400

[Exp]

Although I'm a bit squeamish with Mini ITX builds (never have attempted one in the past, I like a lot of room in a case), here's my take. It's actually almost exactly the same as one of the builds above me, but with more RAM and a different PSU. It has much higher performing parts than your initial build and is only $5 more, because you'd have overpaid quite a bit on the PSU, RAM, and Motherboard. On top of that, I believe the PSU in your original build is really sketchy, so I'd avoid it anyway.
 
I also included 16GB of RAM, which is the maximum for this motherboard. Programming and multitasking can benefit from it, and it's better to get the 16GB now than get 8GB now and get less performance/upgradability later on. I threw in a R9 290, but a somewhat cheaper R9 280x is a good option as well (here's a benchmark comparison of them). You could also go for a GTX 970 or R9 290x, but those would be a bit above budget, and wouldn't be necessary for 1080p minecraft. The 280x should be able to run vanilla on very high settings, if not completely maxed out. So it depends on the mods you'll be using. I think most video cards in this budget range will block some drive bays, so I'm not sure if everything will fit.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($186.56 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($72.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X OC Video Card ($239.99 @ Newegg)
Case: BitFenix Prodigy (White) Mini ITX Tower Case ($77.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Corsair CSM 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($56.50 @ Newegg)
Total: $854.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-13 22:29 EDT-0400

 

Edit: Also note that the R9 290 should be able to max out most games on 1080p 60fps anyway, let alone minecraft.

[alertalbert]

Although I'm a bit squeamish with Mini ITX builds (never have attempted one in the past, I like a lot of room in a case), here's my take. It's actually almost exactly the same as one of the builds above me, but with more RAM and a different PSU. It has much higher performing parts than your initial build and is only $5 more, because you'd have overpaid quite a bit on the PSU, RAM, and Motherboard. On top of that, I believe the PSU in your original build is really sketchy, so I'd avoid it anyway.

 

I also included 16GB of RAM, which is the maximum for this motherboard. Programming and multitasking can benefit from it, and it's better to get the 16GB now than get 8GB now and get less performance/upgradability later on. I threw in a R9 290, but a somewhat cheaper R9 280x is a good option as well (here's a benchmark comparison of them). You could also go for a GTX 970 or R9 290x, but those would be a bit above budget, and wouldn't be necessary for 1080p minecraft. The 280x should be able to run vanilla on very high settings, if not completely maxed out. So it depends on the mods you'll be using. I think most video cards in this budget range will block some drive bays, so I'm not sure if everything will fit.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($186.56 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($72.98 @ Newegg)

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($114.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($104.99 @ Newegg)

Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X OC Video Card ($239.99 @ Newegg)

Case: BitFenix Prodigy (White) Mini ITX Tower Case ($77.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Power Supply: Corsair CSM 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($56.50 @ Newegg)

Total: $854.00

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-13 22:29 EDT-0400

 

Edit: Also note that the R9 290 should be able to max out most games on 1080p 60fps anyway, let alone minecraft.

Thank you for this very detailed and helpful build/explanation. I will be using your build in my completed build. I will just make a few slight modifications, such as slightly cheaper processor and a different R9 290 card. Again, thank you for your help!

[stconquest]

Thank you for this very detailed and helpful build/explanation. I will be using your build in my completed build. I will just make a few slight modifications, such as slightly cheaper processor and a different R9 290 card. Again, thank you for your help!

 

You know that is a $900+ build right?

 

[alertalbert]

You know that is a $900+ build right?

 

 

As I said, I have made slight modifications to bring the price down

[stconquest]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($178.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($72.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: PNY XLR8 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: PNY XLR8 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Mushkin ECO2 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card  ($352.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: BitFenix Prodigy (White) Mini ITX Tower Case  ($77.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply  ($19.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $888.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-13 23:56 EDT-0400

 

The Mushkin ECO drive is fast.

[Exp]

Thank you for this very detailed and helpful build/explanation. I will be using your build in my completed build. I will just make a few slight modifications, such as slightly cheaper processor and a different R9 290 card. Again, thank you for your help!

Oh no problem! You can go with an i5 4460 or something similar. The main difference I can see is just that that i5 4590 seems to have a higher turbo boost clock, which helps in a lot of everyday situations where single-core performance is needed.

And after rebates and such, the build is on budget. I know it's a bit of a hassle, but I'd say it's worth it in the long-run. Don't forget to use the promo codes at checkout as well. That'll save around $60, right at checkout! The $850-range is a range I'd consider a "sweet spot" when it comes to ATX builds, but mITX builds I've seen run a little more expensive.

 

I didn't see that you didn't directly import your pcpartpicker list. I was assuming that your $850 price was after the rebates and such, so that's my bad. I can try to make an alternative that's around $850 before the rebates, if you'd like.

 

Edit: You could also check if there's a microcenter near you (link). As far as I know, they can save you anywhere from 10-20% on many items.

To do so, at the top of your build on pcpartpicker look for the [bb] button and click it. Cut or copy that code and go back to your forum post. There's a light switch in the upper-left corner and when you click on it, it shows the bb code that goes behind-the-scenes with your post. I'm sure you're familiar with HTML, and it's very similar to that. Anyway, that's where you can paste the code from pcpartpicker.

[alertalbert]

Oh no problem! You can go with an i5 4460 or something similar. The main difference I can see is just that that i5 4590 seems to have a higher turbo boost clock, which helps in a lot of everyday situations where single-core performance is needed.

And after rebates and such, the build is on budget. I know it's a bit of a hassle, but I'd say it's worth it in the long-run. Don't forget to use the promo codes at checkout as well. That'll save around $60, right at checkout! The $850-range is a range I'd consider a "sweet spot" when it comes to ATX builds, but mITX builds I've seen run a little more expensive.

 

I didn't see that you didn't directly import your pcpartpicker list. I was assuming that your $850 price was after the rebates and such, so that's my bad. I can try to make an alternative that's around $850 before the rebates, if you'd like.

 

Edit: You could also check if there's a microcenter near you (link). As far as I know, they can save you anywhere from 10-20% on many items.

To do so, at the top of your build on pcpartpicker look for the [bb] button and click it. Cut or copy that code and go back to your forum post. There's a light switch in the upper-left corner and when you click on it, it shows the bb code that goes behind-the-scenes with your post. I'm sure you're familiar with HTML, and it's very similar to that. Anyway, that's where you can paste the code from pcpartpicker.

I live in the most remote location ever so no hope of a microcenter anywhere close. Since Mini-ITX will run a little higher, could you please try to make a alertnate build around the same price point, but in a Mid Tower ATX Case. Thanks again!

[Exp]

I live in the most remote location ever so no hope of a microcenter anywhere close. Since Mini-ITX will run a little higher, could you please try to make a alertnate build around the same price point, but in a Mid Tower ATX Case. Thanks again!

Do you want it to be around $850 before or after rebates?

 

Edit: And it's not by too much, but it is notable. Mostly the parts that are mITX-specific are the ones that are a little more expensive. In any case, you'll get more features and expandability in an ATX build

[alertalbert]

Do you want it to be around $850 before or after rebates?

 

Edit: And it's not by too much, but it is notable. Mostly the parts that are mITX-specific are the ones that are a little more expensive. In any case, you'll get more features and expandability in an ATX build

 

Preferably before, but $850 after could work, I'm just unsure how mail-in-rebates work.

[stconquest]

$822

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($173.61 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI H81M-E34 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($49.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: PNY XLR8 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: PNY XLR8 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Mushkin ECO2 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card  ($329.00 @ NCIX US)
Case: Thermaltake Versa H21 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($32.29 @ Directron)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply  ($19.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $790.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-14 10:33 EDT-0400

[Exp]

I believe with mail-in rebates, you get a form and fill it out either online or in a letter that you mail to the manufacturer. Then, in a little bit of time, they send you some form of credit (usually a gift card) with the amount on it. I'm not sure if you can return things after you've submitted a mail-in rebate. You can get much more for your dollar if you consider the mail-in rebates before purchase. I believe in the vast majority of situations on this forum it's considered into the final price.
 
This is just about the best I could do with $850 before rebates in an ATX build. I couldn't fit the 850 EVO in the budget, but I got 128GB of Crucial SSD for a boot drive/essential applications and 1TB of HDD space. For the case, it was between this and the Corsair Carbide 200R. That part is up to you, though. I threw in a wireless adapter, since it sounds like you'll need it. I really think 16GB of RAM in this case can be useful. I know when I'm doing some programming (I'm not very good), I have tons of tabs, windows, and applications open. You may be able to get away with 8GB with an ATX build, which would allow you to allocate more of the budget to, say, the CPU or GPU. The wireless adapter pushed the price at checkout to around $865, unfortunately. If you desperately wanted to cut that $15 out, you can switch to a NZXT Source 210, which has one less USB port on the front, one less fan, etc. I don't know if 250GB of storage is enough for you, but I'll trust your judgement on that. You can always go with a 128 Crucial MX100 and 1TB WD Blue for around the same price.
 
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($177.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($71.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($109.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X OC Video Card ($239.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 220 ATX Mid Tower Case ($47.99 @ Directron)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($43.99 @ NCIX US)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN881ND 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($18.79 @ OutletPC)
Total: $815.71
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-14 11:38 EDT-0400
 
Here's one with $850 as the price after rebates and sales.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($177.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($71.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Mushkin ECO2 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 290X 4GB DirectCU II Video Card ($279.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.88 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN881ND 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($18.79 @ OutletPC)
Total: $853.60
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-14 11:35 EDT-0400

 

I'd probably actually go with a mITX build here. The price and performance difference isn't too bad, and it'll consume less space. I do imagine it may be on the more difficult side as your first build to fit everything in the small case and I'm not even 100% sure if all the parts we're recommending will fit. I know the video card will likely cover some drive bays, but I don't know how many/if any will be still usable.

[stconquest]

Rebates suck a$$... but it is better than nothing.

[alertalbert]

I believe with mail-in rebates, you get a form and fill it out either online or in a letter that you mail to the manufacturer. Then, in a little bit of time, they send you some form of credit (usually a gift card) with the amount on it. I'm not sure if you can return things after you've submitted a mail-in rebate. You can get much more for your dollar if you consider the mail-in rebates before purchase. I believe in the vast majority of situations on this forum it's considered into the final price.

 

This is just about the best I could do with $850 before rebates in an ATX build. I couldn't fit the 850 EVO in the budget, but I got 128GB of Crucial SSD for a boot drive/essential applications and 1TB of HDD space. For the case, it was between this and the Corsair Carbide 200R. That part is up to you, though. I threw in a wireless adapter, since it sounds like you'll need it. I really think 16GB of RAM in this case can be useful. I know when I'm doing some programming (I'm not very good), I have tons of tabs, windows, and applications open. You may be able to get away with 8GB with an ATX build, which would allow you to allocate more of the budget to, say, the CPU or GPU. The wireless adapter pushed the price at checkout to around $865, unfortunately. If you desperately wanted to cut that $15 out, you can switch to a NZXT Source 210, which has one less USB port on the front, one less fan, etc. I don't know if 250GB of storage is enough for you, but I'll trust your judgement on that. You can always go with a 128 Crucial MX100 and 1TB WD Blue for around the same price.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($177.98 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard: ASRock H97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($71.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($109.99 @ Micro Center)

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($104.99 @ Newegg)

Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X OC Video Card ($239.99 @ Newegg)

Case: NZXT Source 220 ATX Mid Tower Case ($47.99 @ Directron)

Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($43.99 @ NCIX US)

Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN881ND 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($18.79 @ OutletPC)

Total: $815.71

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-14 11:38 EDT-0400

 

Here's one with $850 as the price after rebates and sales.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($177.98 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard: ASRock H97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($71.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($114.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Mushkin ECO2 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)

Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 290X 4GB DirectCU II Video Card ($279.99 @ Newegg)

Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX US)

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.88 @ OutletPC)

Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN881ND 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($18.79 @ OutletPC)

Total: $853.60

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-14 11:35 EDT-0400

 

I'd probably actually go with a mITX build here. The price and performance difference isn't too bad, and it'll consume less space. I do imagine it may be on the more difficult side as your first build to fit everything in the small case and I'm not even 100% sure if all the parts we're recommending will fit. I know the video card will likely cover some drive bays, but I don't know how many/if any will be still usable.

 

I think I've decided what I will purchase:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($189.72 @ SuperBiiz)

Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($87.83 @ Newegg)

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($62.52 @ Newegg)

Storage: PNY Optima 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($95.38 @ Amazon)

Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X OC Video Card  ($275.58 @ Newegg)

Case: BitFenix Prodigy (Black) Mini ITX Tower Case  ($80.54 @ SuperBiiz)

Power Supply: Corsair CSM 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($77.36 @ Amazon)

Total: $868.93

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-14 13:26 EDT-0400

 

EDIT: I've actually decided to go with the GTX 960 STRIX from ASUS