Gaming builds for all!

[Stardar1]

Having seen multiple recent topics with the "I need a gaming build for $xyz", I've decided to compile a list.

Everything is in USD, and these are what I've determined to be the most balanced, not by any means the best. 

 

 

Starting at $550

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/rkwr4D

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/rkwr4D/by_merchant/

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($174.88 @ OutletPC) 

Motherboard: ASRock H97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($56.98 @ Newegg) 

Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($32.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($45.88 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 380 4GB PCS+ Video Card  ($159.99 @ Newegg) 

Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($36.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($55.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Total: $563.70

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-07 20:11 EST-0500

 

Moving on to $700 we throw a R9 390 in there with a red color scheme.

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/dVD4Hx

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/dVD4Hx/by_merchant/

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($174.88 @ OutletPC) 

Motherboard: MSI B85-G43 GAMING ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($61.98 @ Newegg) 

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($29.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($45.88 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card  ($304.99 @ Micro Center) 

Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($36.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($55.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Total: $710.70

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-07 20:16 EST-0500

 

At $800 we add a SSD and 16GB of RAM.

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/nkj4Hx

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/nkj4Hx/by_merchant/

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($174.88 @ OutletPC) 

Motherboard: MSI B85-G43 GAMING ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($61.98 @ Newegg) 

Memory: Team Dark 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($57.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($77.99 @ Amazon) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($45.88 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card  ($304.99 @ Micro Center) 

Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($36.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($55.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Total: $816.69

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-07 20:18 EST-0500

 

At $1000 we bring in Z97 and an unlocked CPU, as well as beefing up the case, PSU and cooler. 

 

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

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

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($219.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($59.99 @ Amazon) 

Motherboard: MSI Z97-GAMING 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($124.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory: Team Dark 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($57.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($77.99 @ Amazon) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($45.88 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card  ($304.99 @ Micro Center) 

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

Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 

Total: $1001.80

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-07 20:25 EST-0500

 

At $1200 we bump up to a R9 390x and add a H100i GTX, as well as a new case.

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/nddnP6

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/nddnP6/by_merchant/

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($219.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i GTX 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($109.99 @ Amazon) 

Motherboard: MSI Z97-GAMING 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($124.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory: Team Dark 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($57.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($77.99 @ Amazon) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($45.88 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390X 8GB Video Card  ($409.98 @ SuperBiiz) 

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro M ATX Mid Tower Case  ($69.99 @ Amazon) 

Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 

Total: $1176.79

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-07 20:29 EST-0500

 

At $1400 we throw in an I7 and a larger, faster SSD

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/wnyp7P

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/wnyp7P/by_merchant/

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($319.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i GTX 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($109.99 @ Amazon) 

Motherboard: MSI Z97-GAMING 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($124.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory: Team Dark 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($57.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($218.89 @ OutletPC) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($45.88 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390X 8GB Video Card  ($409.98 @ SuperBiiz) 

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro M ATX Mid Tower Case  ($69.99 @ Amazon) 

Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 

Total: $1417.69

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-07 20:31 EST-0500

 

At $1700 we throw in a 980ti, upgrade to a full tower and change to a white color scheme. 

 

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

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

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($319.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i GTX 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($109.99 @ Amazon) 

Motherboard: MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($94.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury White 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($38.49 @ Amazon) 

Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury White 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($38.49 @ Amazon) 

Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($218.89 @ OutletPC) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($45.88 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card  ($619.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case  ($115.98 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 

Total: $1662.68

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-07 20:37 EST-0500

 

 

At $1800 we make the jump to X99

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Z4G3Lk

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Z4G3Lk/by_merchant/

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor  ($372.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i GTX 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($109.99 @ Amazon) 

Motherboard: MSI X99S SLI Krait ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard  ($179.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory: GeIL SUPER LUCE 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($218.89 @ OutletPC) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($45.88 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card  ($619.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case  ($115.98 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 

Total: $1813.69

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-07 21:13 EST-0500

 

At $2000 we upgrade case, fans and PSU

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/qN9TGX

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/qN9TGX/by_merchant/

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor  ($372.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i GTX 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($109.99 @ Amazon) 

Motherboard: MSI X99S SLI Krait ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard  ($179.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory: GeIL SUPER LUCE 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($218.89 @ OutletPC) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($45.88 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card  ($619.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Case: Corsair 780T ATX Full Tower Case  ($189.99 @ B&H) 

Power Supply: SeaSonic X Series 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($134.49 @ SuperBiiz) 

Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition (2-Pack) 39.9 CFM 120mm  Fans  ($24.13 @ OutletPC) 

Total: $1986.33

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-07 21:16 EST-0500

 

 

At $2600 we go SLI

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/tsPx8d

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/tsPx8d/by_merchant/

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor  ($372.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i GTX 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($109.99 @ Amazon) 

Motherboard: MSI X99S SLI Krait ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard  ($179.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory: GeIL SUPER LUCE 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($218.89 @ OutletPC) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($45.88 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card (2-Way SLI)  ($619.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card (2-Way SLI)  ($619.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Case: Corsair 780T ATX Full Tower Case  ($189.99 @ B&H) 

Power Supply: SeaSonic X Series 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($134.49 @ SuperBiiz) 

Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition (2-Pack) 39.9 CFM 120mm  Fans  ($24.13 @ OutletPC) 

Total: $2606.32

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-07 21:16 EST-0500

 

[Jacktastic-Mofo]

You should probably have SLI 980ti's at 2000$- other than that, good list

[The_Stig]

700$ for a i5 and 390?

You sir, are thrifty

[Stardar1]

700$ for a i5 and 390?

You sir, are thrifty

Indeed

[Stardar1]

You should probably have SLI 980ti's at 2000$- other than that, good list

yeah, going SLI is a large jump. 

 

its by no means impossible, just not easy when you take an I7, X99, 500GB SSD and a nice looking full tower into account

[DeathlessGaming]

I like the progression part of the build and how it changes as the price goes up

But I think that the power supply should be upped to 1K watts after you go SLI.

[dragoon20005]

good effort

 

but i will ditch the water cooler for a CoolerMaster 212 Evo/Plus esp in the i5 4690K and i7 4790K range

[Stardar1]

I like the progression part of the build and how it changes as the price goes up

But I think that the power supply should be upped to 1K watts after you go SLI.

it's really not necessary, especially with that unit. 

[Stardar1]

good effort

 

but i will ditch the water cooler for a CoolerMaster 212 Evo/Plus esp in the i5 4690K and i7 4790K range

in the first 4690k build i considered, but the H55 fit the price, so i figured "why not?"

[Stardar1]

It's also more than possible to fit a 980ti into a 1200 build. 

 

4460 is seriously cheap for what one can do with it, it wont bottleneck a 980ti

[Jacktastic-Mofo]

yeah, going SLI is a large jump. 

 

its by no means impossible, just not easy when you take an I7, X99, 500GB SSD and a nice looking full tower into account

See, I don't think a large SSD is a proper compromise for a much faster gaming system.

[Stardar1]

See, I don't think a large SSD is a proper compromise for a much faster gaming system.

the large SSD only added $100

 

again, balance. 

 

i could have fit a 980ti with a 4460 in the $1200, but i didnt, as i though the other pieces were more important than raw power

[Stardar1]

@mods i dont suppose there is a way to get this pinned,. since it is one of the most common questions here

[Jacktastic-Mofo]

the large SSD only added $100

 

again, balance. 

 

i could have fit a 980ti with a 4460 in the $1200, but i didnt, as i though the other pieces were more important than raw power

Since these are gaming builds, gaming should be your first priority- this rig is very balanced and offers far more power than yours.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/B9v6GX

[Stardar1]

Since these are gaming builds, gaming should be your first priority- this rig is very balanced and offers far more power than yours.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/B9v6GX

while it has more raw power, i believe that the more balanced components with the 390x will do better overall.

 

especially now that games are using more RAM and more of the CPU.

 

it really depends on the game.

[Jacktastic-Mofo]

while it has more raw power, i believe that the more balanced components with the 390x will do better overall.

 

especially now that games are using more RAM and more of the CPU.

 

it really depends on the game.

Games aren't using that much more RAM and 8GB's is still far more than enough, and the i5-4690k and i5-4460 are very similar except the i5-4690k is overclockable meaning you'll see a slight bump in framerates, nothing nearly as close to the difference between a 390x and a 980ti.

[Stardar1]

Games aren't using that much more RAM and 8GB's is still far more than enough, and the i5-4690k and i5-4460 are very similar except the i5-4690k is overclockable meaning you'll see a slight bump in framerates, nothing nearly as close to the difference between a 390x and a 980ti.

i was basing this on balance, this includes considering the upgrade factor and the fact that most games a) dont need a 980ti and b) more games are starting to use more RAM and CPU

 

SW BF has recommended at 16GB

 

both are good builds, its a question of raw power over balance

[Jacktastic-Mofo]

i was basing this on balance, this includes considering the upgrade factor and the fact that most games a) dont need a 980ti and B) more games are starting to use more RAM and CPU

 

SW BF has recommended at 16GB

 

both are good builds, its a question of raw power over balance

What more is their to upgrade on my build? sure you could get a K series CPU but that's not need, and I bet you SW:BF doesn't use nearly 16GB's of RAM- that's absolute bullshit. Also you do need a 980ti, because it's better to have the power and not need it, which will allow it to run cooler, draw less power, and last longer than a significantly less powerful and more power hunger and hot R9 390X.

[Stardar1]

What more is their to upgrade on my build? sure you could get a K series CPU but that's not need, and I bet you SW:BF doesn't use nearly 16GB's of RAM- that's absolute bullshit. Also you do need a 980ti, because it's better to have the power and not need it, which will allow it to run cooler, draw less power, and last longer than a significantly less powerful and more power hunger and hot R9 390X.

then sub a GTX 980 in, they perform roughly the same.

 

and my build allows upgrading not only to a 980ti, but to SLI in the future. 

[Stardar1]

What more is their to upgrade on my build? sure you could get a K series CPU but that's not need, and I bet you SW:BF doesn't use nearly 16GB's of RAM- that's absolute bullshit. Also you do need a 980ti, because it's better to have the power and not need it, which will allow it to run cooler, draw less power, and last longer than a significantly less powerful and more power hunger and hot R9 390X.

also, i have noticed AAA titles becoming more and more RAM hungry. 

[Jacktastic-Mofo]

then sub a GTX 980 in, they perform roughly the same.

 

and my build allows upgrading not only to a 980ti, but to SLI in the future. 

Yeah, that's not the purpose, as this build already has a 980ti so you don't need to sell / re-purpose your old GPU to upgrade to one you should've gotten in the first place.

 

also, i have noticed AAA titles becoming more and more RAM hungry. 

Like? I don't know of any games that have broken the 8GB universally recommended buffer.