$750 Budget Gaming PC

[JanusBananus]

I'm building a PC for my older brother that will pretty much only be used as a gaming PC and maybe as a media PC. However he wants to use it like a console of some sorts (still using mouse and keyboard though) since his apartment is quite small and there wont be any room for a desk with a monitor. He plans on using his wall-mounted TV as a monitor and a wireless mouse and keyboard on the kitchen table (it's a 25 square metre apartment).

 

His budget is 6 000 SEK (swedish crowns) which is about 720 USD and I plan on building the PC for him this summer. The budget is only for the PC components and the OS. We live in Sweden and for finding the cheapest prices I will be using prisjakt.se (almost like a swedish version of PC part picker). I have no personal experience overclocking but I consider it a possibility, especially if the system allows for it but that seems unlikely since it's on a tight budget. From personal experience I can say that an SSD is a must, there is no way in hell I can go back to only having an HDD. It doesn't have to be that large but at least room for the OS and a couple of programs. In the future he plans on buying a NAS so a very large HDD won't be necessary either.

 

The theme of this build is "the best bang for your buck". A smaller form factor is definitely a plus but not a deal-breaker.

 

Sorry for the wall of text but hope it gave valuable information at least.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Nena Trinity]

 

I'm building a PC for my older brother that will pretty much only be used as a gaming PC and maybe as a media PC. However he wants to use it like a console of some sorts (still using mouse and keyboard though) since his apartment is quite small and there wont be any room for a desk with a monitor. He plans on using his wall-mounted TV as a monitor and a wireless mouse and keyboard on the kitchen table (it's a 25 square metre apartment).

 

His budget is 6 000 SEK (swedish crowns) which is about 720 USD and I plan on building the PC for him this summer. The budget is only for the PC components and the OS. We live in Sweden and for finding the cheapest prices I will be using prisjakt.se (almost like a swedish version of PC part picker). I have no personal experience overclocking but I consider it a possibility, especially if the system allows for it but that seems unlikely since it's on a tight budget. From personal experience I can say that an SSD is a must, there is no way in hell I can go back to only having an HDD. It doesn't have to be that large but at least room for the OS and a couple of programs. In the future he plans on buying a NAS so a very large HDD won't be necessary either.

 

The theme of this build is "the best bang for your buck". A smaller form factor is definitely a plus but not a deal-breaker.

 

Sorry for the wall of text but hope it gave valuable information at least.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Try komplett but do not buy their prebuilt PCs they are all shit all of em!

[stconquest]

i5 4440 + H81/B85 mobo.  Get decent parts that are inexpensive and put the remainder in the GPU...

 

Want an example?

[stconquest]

So, do you mean an ATX then?

 

Full sized, mid tower or bigger.

 

@JanusBananus

 

This leaves $240 for the GPU:

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($178.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H81M-S2H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($49.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Memory: PNY XLR8 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($43.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($46.99 @ NCIX US)

Case: Thermaltake Versa H22 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($33.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Power Supply: SeaSonic 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($54.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit)  ($86.98 @ OutletPC)

Case Fan: Kingwin CF-012LB 40.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($3.98 @ OutletPC)

Case Fan: Kingwin CF-012LB 40.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($3.98 @ OutletPC)

Total: $503.88

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-28 13:11 EDT-0400

[stconquest]

OP is in Sweden.

 

I know, but the parts are the same.  I trust him/her to use the build as a sort of guide.

[Nena Trinity]

OP is in Sweden.

That is why I sent link to komplett cause it is a scandinavian PC part seller!

[stconquest]

It is faster if he finds the parts and comes back.  I am lazy and can't read all that. :lol:

[Nena Trinity]

Oh, https://www.komplett.se/k/k.aspx is Scandinavia's shop.  So, they might have to go down to a pentium or i3.

Yeah everything is costly in europe...

[Nena Trinity]

I can read it, but I'm not good with their currency.   Which is sad since I'm Norwegian by blood.

LoL I see. (sweden uses KR to but they have other KR same for Denmark.)

[JanusBananus]

Try komplett but do not buy their prebuilt PCs they are all shit all of em!

I'm looking for parts that I myself can put together. It's been a while since I've looked at the latest hardware, so I just don't want to get something outdated. 

[JanusBananus]

i5 4440 + H81/B85 mobo.  Get decent parts that are inexpensive and put the remainder in the GPU...

 

Want an example?

sure I need all the help I can get

[Caloon]

Made this for my friend. Hope it helps.

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/JR8WTW

[JanusBananus]

Full sized, mid tower or bigger.

 

@JanusBananus

 

This leaves $240 for the GPU:

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($178.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H81M-S2H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($49.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Memory: PNY XLR8 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($43.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($46.99 @ NCIX US)

Case: Thermaltake Versa H22 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($33.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Power Supply: SeaSonic 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($54.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit)  ($86.98 @ OutletPC)

Case Fan: Kingwin CF-012LB 40.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($3.98 @ OutletPC)

Case Fan: Kingwin CF-012LB 40.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($3.98 @ OutletPC)

Total: $503.88

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-28 13:11 EDT-0400

Thank you. I put the parts together and it came out to about 5 140 SEK (619 USD) excluding the case fans and using a corsair cx500 PSU instead of the Seasonic.

 

Do you have any good suggestions on a GPU?

[JanusBananus]

Made this for my friend. Hope it helps.

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/JR8WTW

 

Thank you very much

[JanusBananus]

Made this for my friend. Hope it helps.

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/JR8WTW

After looking the parts up it came to about 8000 SEK (960 USD) without the OS, which is way over budget. But thanks nonetheless.

[Nena Trinity]

I figured, see I live in the US, so for us it would be like $8.40=eight dollar and forty cents.  What is this?  "8.495:-"

8kr in norway = 1 dollar / 10kr in swedish I think? I know the Swedish money needs more than what Norwegian kroner is.

 

I'm looking for parts that I myself can put together. It's been a while since I've looked at the latest hardware, so I just don't want to get something outdated. 

i5-4460 & i5-4690 are solid choices also the GPU should be a 380, 390, GTX 970 or higher. (300 series and 900 series GPU is newest)

 

There are also the FX-8370 which came last year but it needs a decent mobo like "MSI 970 Gaming" or better. Anything cheaper is kinda risky.

 

i3 and FX-6000 series of CPU is a bit weak in my opinion but if you do not afford i5 they are both usable options.

 

And well if you cant get a 380 then there is 370 but its a bit weak still usable also, you may have to reduce settings in some games but ya know.

[JanusBananus]

8kr in norway = 1 dollar / 10kr in swedish I think? I know the Swedish money needs more than what Norwegian kroner is.

 

i5-4460 & i5-4690 are solid choices also the GPU should be a 380, 390, GTX 970 or higher. (300 series and 900 series GPU is newest)

 

There are also the FX-8370 which came last year but it needs a decent mobo like "MSI 970 Gaming" or better. Anything cheaper is kinda risky.

 

i3 and FX-6000 series of CPU is a bit weak in my opinion but if you do not afford i5 they are both usable options.

 

And well if you cant get a 380 then there is 370 but its a bit weak still usable also, you may have to reduce settings in some games but ya know.

Would you recommend the i5-4460, i5-4440, the FX-8370 or even the 8350? I'm a bit conflicted as to which CPU to chose...

[JanusBananus]

Price to performance=AMD, i5 if you can afford it.  Though you can still go i3 or pentium to get full GPU use and stay in budget.  i3 = stronger than pentium.

So the FX-8350 and the i5-4440 are very similar in price (about 1700 SEK) but the i5-4460 is just 85 SEK more while the FX-8370 is 1900 SEK which I think is a bit much, what is the difference between the three?

 

And should I consider downgrading to the FX-6300 or the i3? 

[JanusBananus]

Honestly, go with FX if price is an issue.  But, here's the thing.  With DX11, aka the API, FX chips get horrible utilization.  So, you would get better GPU use if you went with the i3.  However, the i5 will do better.  So, I'd say i5 or i3 if just gaming.

Ok so I'll try to fit the i5-4440 into my budget. 

 

Do you have any good GPU recommendations? 

 

Also which chipset will be best for the i5-4440?

[Nena Trinity]

Would you recommend the i5-4460, i5-4440, the FX-8370 or even the 8350? I'm a bit conflicted as to which CPU to chose...

i5 is best for gaming but dont get me wrong I love my FX-8370!

[JanusBananus]

i5 is best for gaming but dont get me wrong I love my FX-8370!

Haha

[Nena Trinity]

Haha

Its a good CPU and well some games could be liking the i5 better but so far I have seen few that does that and most of them are so old they can run on a toaster(macbook) and the only things I do not get 60 FPS in is poorly made and would struggle even on Intel CPU.

[JanusBananus]

Thank you so much for the help everyone, you've been really helpful!

 

This is what I've come up with so far:

 

CPU: Intel Core i5 4440

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H

RAM: Kingston HyperX Fury Black DDR3 PC12800/1600MHz CL10 4GB

GPU: Asus GeForce GTX 960 Strix DirectCU II OC

Case: Cooler Master Elite 342

HDD: Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002 16MB 500GB

PSU: Corsair CX500M 500W

OS: Win 8.1

 

For a grand total of 7 000 SEK (850 USD). It's 1000 over budget but I don't really feel like downgrading the CPU...

 

Any suggestions or improvements I can make?

[stconquest]

Thank you so much for the help everyone, you've been really helpful!

 

This is what I've come up with so far:

 

CPU: Intel Core i5 4440

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H

RAM: Kingston HyperX Fury Black DDR3 PC12800/1600MHz CL10 4GB

GPU: Asus GeForce GTX 960 Strix DirectCU II OC

Case: Cooler Master Elite 342

HDD: Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002 16MB 500GB

PSU: Corsair CX500M 500W

OS: Win 8.1

 

For a grand total of 7 000 SEK (850 USD). It's 1000 over budget but I don't really feel like downgrading the CPU...

 

Any suggestions or improvements I can make?

 

Okay...

 

CPU/MOBO

 

Instead of the i5 4440 + H81/B85 combo, you can try an i5 4460 + H97 combo to see if you can save a bit.  Prices are different, so it is worth a try.  The 4460 is a Haswell Refresh, that is why I paired it with a 9-Series board instead of the 8-Series board.  It is for 100% compatibility.  I don't like recommending parts that "might not" work together.

 

RAM

 

You can actually go really low end here IF it saves enough money.  1600Mhz - CAS 9 is a sort of standard for memory, but if a 1600Mhz CAS 11 set is $20 cheaper... go for that.  It just has to work.

 

GPU

 

Lowest decent GPUs start at the R9 260X/GTX 750Ti range.  Anything lower is not worth it.  Roughly organized in order of performance (note:  the R9 270 is the same as the 270X):

 

GTX 750Ti < R9 260X < R9 265 < R9 270 < R9 280 < R9 285/GTX 960/R9 380 < R9 280X < R9 290 < R9 290X < GTX 970 ....then price goes way up...

 

CASE

 

Decent internal layout (easy to work in), and good airflow.  You want vents in the front, the top, and even a slot for a bottom fan if possible.  USB 3.0 on the front panel should be available as well.  After that, it is personal taste.

 

HDD

 

Cheapest 7200 RPM you can find.  Alternatively, a 250GB SSD would be even better if you don't need the mass storage.

 

PSU

 

Corsair, EVGA, etc... they do not make their power supplies.  They just supply the warranty on any particular unit.  The CX500 you have, for example, it is made by a company named CWT (Channel Well Technologies).  It has a good amount of "cheap" components in it.  It is not a good PSU, but it is not a total failure.  It can serve you well for many years.

 

With PSUs, you can usually find good deals on high quality units but you have to find reviews and research a bit.  In a tight budget though, those lower Corsair units and the EVGA ones will do.

 

I am confident you can cut your cost down a bit.  Good luck!

 

If you can find a cheaper R9 280 ($40-50) than the GTX 960... definitely go with that.  Don't be afraid of the R9 270, it does it's job well.

[JanusBananus]

Okay...

 

CPU/MOBO

 

Instead of the i5 4440 + H81/B85 combo, you can try an i5 4460 + H97 combo to see if you can save a bit.  Prices are different, so it is worth a try.  The 4460 is a Haswell Refresh, that is why I paired it with a 9-Series board instead of the 8-Series board.  It is for 100% compatibility.  I don't like recommending parts that "might not" work together.

 

RAM

 

You can actually go really low end here IF it saves enough money.  1600Mhz - CAS 9 is a sort of standard for memory, but if a 1600Mhz CAS 11 set is $20 cheaper... go for that.  It just has to work.

 

GPU

 

Lowest decent GPUs start at the R9 260X/GTX 750Ti range.  Anything lower is not worth it.  Roughly organized in order of performance (note:  the R9 270 is the same as the 270X):

 

GTX 750Ti < R9 260X < R9 265 < R9 270 < R9 280 < R9 285/GTX 960/R9 380 < R9 280X < R9 290 < R9 290X < GTX 970 ....then price goes way up...

 

CASE

 

Decent internal layout (easy to work in), and good airflow.  You want vents in the front, the top, and even a slot for a bottom fan if possible.  USB 3.0 on the front panel should be available as well.  After that, it is personal taste.

 

HDD

 

Cheapest 7200 RPM you can find.  Alternatively, a 250GB SSD would be even better if you don't need the mass storage.

 

PSU

 

Corsair, EVGA, etc... they do not make their power supplies.  They just supply the warranty on any particular unit.  The CX500 you have, for example, it is made by a company named CWT (Channel Well Technologies).  It has a good amount of "cheap" components in it.  It is not a good PSU, but it is not a total failure.  It can serve you well for many years.

 

With PSUs, you can usually find good deals on high quality units but you have to find reviews and research a bit.  In a tight budget though, those lower Corsair units and the EVGA ones will do.

 

I am confident you can cut your cost down a bit.  Good luck!

 

If you can find a cheaper R9 280 ($40-50) than the GTX 960... definitely go with that.  Don't be afraid of the R9 270, it does it's job well.

Ok so after talking with my brother I've narrowed it down to  this:

 

CPU: Intel Core i3 4130 3,4GHz Socket

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H

RAM: Kingston HyperX Fury Black DDR3 PC12800/1600MHz CL10 4GB

GPU: MSI Radeon R9 285 Gaming OC HDMI DP 2xDVI 2GB

Case: Cooler Master Elite 342

HDD: Kingston SSDNow V300 SV300S37A 120GB

PSU: Corsair CX500M 500W

OS: Win 8.1

 

This is a bit of a downgrade but I think it will suit him well as a gaming PC.

 

Also just want to say thank you for the help, I appreciate it!