first build First time build/ First post

[zantian]

I am looking into buying some parts to build my girlfriend a new gaming rig, we both currently use our old laptops to do some gaming together, but I wanted to get her something better.

 

I was thinking of getting her a ps4, but I believe I can get better performance out of a pc for a similar price. For the rig, aesthetics and noise are not really a factor, it would be nice to improve on both, but performance per dollar is the most important thing about this build, and second most is the ability to do some upgrading in the future, hopefully ill be able to upgrade by adding parts without removing old parts, just to keep the price low on future upgrade-ability, but this is not terribly important

 

This build will most likely need to be up and running a touch before Christmas.  I plan to do no overclocking, though I may overclock some parts slightly, this is more for the longevity of the pc than anything else. as time passes, and game requirements spike, I may overclock parts in the future, so it is a plus if I can, but if it is something that will make the build suffer in other areas, I would rather spend the money on better equipment at stock clock speeds.

 

the aesthetics are of little to no concern, mainly due to the cost, I want to put all the money I can into the performance.

 

my os will be windows 8 or 10, depending on price, and Is budgeted seperately.

 

I live in the us, and I have a budget of somewhere between 400 - 500 dollars, though I can stretch it slightly, if the performance per dollar will increase by doing so. I am looking primarily into more affordable parts that will out perform a ps4.

 

I have a few things I have found on new egg that fit the general price point of the overall build, however, I am very new to this, and most of my experience with computers has been on the software side, so I am completely open to suggestions

 

for video cards I have looked at two, I have heard I should look into the r9 280 and r9 290, but both where out of stock when I did most of my research

PNY GeForc GTX 960 DirectX 12 VCGGTX9602XPB-XE-OC 2GB 128-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0x16 SLI Support XLR8 Elite OC Video Card
core clock 1304 mhz
boost clock 1367 mhz
1024 cuda cores
pci express 3.0x 16

price point: 180$

 

EVGA GeForce GTX 960 DirectX 12 02G-P4-2968-RX 2GB 128-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support FTW ACX 2.0+ Video Card - Certified Refurbished
core clock 1304 mhz
boost clock 1367 mhz
1024 cuda cores
pci express 3.0x 16
price point: 150$

 

for a processor, I found one of the most powerful I could at a 100 dollar price point, if there are any suggestions, I am looking for something with 4 or more cores, since games requireing a higher core count are becoming more common.

 

AMD FX-6300 Vishera 6-Core 3.5 GHz (4.1 GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 95W FD6300WMHKBOX Desktop Processor

price point: 100$

 

for the mother board, to be completely honest, I was a little baffled by this, mainly due to the number of options, and compatibility issues. I have no idea what is a good value. for this part, I am hoping to have some upgrade-ability, I want two or more slots for ram, and I would prefer two gpu slots with 24 - 32 pci or pcie lanes, though this is more of a desire than a necessity, and if the price would suffer then 16 pci lanes on a single slot will do fine. I also wanted some general ability to upgrade in the future, without throwing the current parts out of the build, being able to set up the old card and a new one using crossfire or sli, would be nice, and being able to put ram in without taking old ram out would be wonderful, but if the build has to be more static to save money that is also acceptable. 

 

the other parts are rather generic.

any appropriate power supply, a bit of overhead is good, noise is not much of an issue

8-16 gb of ram in a single stick to open up room to upgrade in the future.

an ssd isn't necessary and would be expensive, so I would opt for the much cheaper 1tb hdd by seagate for 20 dollars

the case would be anything that fits the parts, again, the performance per dollar is much more important than appearance, though if i can make it look good on a budget that wouldn't be so bad.

in terms of cooling, I am going with a set of three fans, noise is not an issue, as the rig will be used with noise cancelling headphones, though I am willing to pay extra to keep the heat down, so cooling is extremely important, noise, not so much.

if there is anything I am missing, or a better way to put this build together, any input would be great, thank you for taking the time to read this, I am sure that what I am looking at is somehow woefully inadequate, and I apologize, but again, this is my first build.

[nsinnott]

In terms of GPU, at that budget I would personally go with either the 1060 or the RX480. In terms of CPU, you would be better off going with a quad core hyper threaded Intel processor, or wait for Zen to be launched. I have had bad experiences with my 6300, so I would not recommend it. If that helps, or if you have more questions, just let me know.

 

 

[zMeul]

a complete system build, from components to case, OS and peripherals in 500$ ... U'r better off with a PS4

[bgibbz]

1 minute ago, zMeul said:

a complete system build, from components to case, OS and peripherals in 500$ ... U'r better off with a PS4

Not necasarily. You can buy some solid CPUs and boards on the used market, get a rx470, a cheap Logitech keyboard mouse combo(these aren't bad, I used a 20$ combo kit for years) and a used monitor. Shouldn't cost more than 350$. 

[Herman Mcpootis]

What i'd recommend:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($110.99 @ SuperBiiz) performs better than the fx 6300, and you can upgrade to an i5/i7 while you're stuck on the 6300.
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($53.88 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($32.98 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Hitachi 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($39.50 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon RX 470 4GB Red Dragon Video Card  ($194.98 @ Newegg) great 1080p card, should be able to play everything on ultra.
Case: Rosewill SRM-01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($24.99 @ Newegg) not the best but it'll do.
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($43.30 @ OutletPC) decent enough that it should last you a few upgrades.
Total: $500.62
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-08-30 18:55 EDT-0400

[antisleep]

$500 with monitor & peripherals

Parts from Newegg & Amazon

PCPartPicker part list

CPU: Intel Pentium G4400 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($56.99 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($55.38 @ Newegg) 
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($32.98 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon RX 460 2GB Red Dragon Video Card  ($109.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Rosewill SRM-01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($24.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: Corsair CXM 450W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($44.99 @ Amazon) 

^Amazon URL
Monitor: AOC i2267Fw 22.0" 60Hz Monitor  ($99.99 @ Amazon) 
Keyboard: Cooler Master Devastator II Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse  ($29.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $498.91

 

Cheap OS: Windows 10 Pro OEM ($28 @ Kinguin.net) - Link / https://youtu.be/yXTqz3Fd28M

[zantian]

thanks for the quick help, 

20 minutes ago, herman mcpootis said:

What i'd recommend:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($110.99 @ SuperBiiz) performs better than the fx 6300, and you can upgrade to an i5/i7 while you're stuck on the 6300.
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($53.88 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($32.98 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Hitachi 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($39.50 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon RX 470 4GB Red Dragon Video Card  ($194.98 @ Newegg) great 1080p card, should be able to play everything on ultra.
Case: Rosewill SRM-01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($24.99 @ Newegg) not the best but it'll do.
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($43.30 @ OutletPC) decent enough that it should last you a few upgrades.
Total: $500.62
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-08-30 18:55 EDT-0400

I have heard that running a dual core like this would be more powerful, but I was concerned with the trend of games not running unless you have a quad core, though I will probably go with this suggestion since I have only heard of one or two games limiting the hardware like that.

 

50 minutes ago, zMeul said:

a complete system build, from components to case, OS and peripherals in 500$ ... U'r better off with a PS4

as for this, the peripherals and os are budgeted separately, she already owns many of the peripherals, and she is opening a business with her mother, and they bought a copy of windows that says it will install on a few devices, and we will upgrade those as we go.

[zantian]

thanks for the quick help, 

20 minutes ago, herman mcpootis said:

What i'd recommend:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($110.99 @ SuperBiiz) performs better than the fx 6300, and you can upgrade to an i5/i7 while you're stuck on the 6300.
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($53.88 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($32.98 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Hitachi 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($39.50 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon RX 470 4GB Red Dragon Video Card  ($194.98 @ Newegg) great 1080p card, should be able to play everything on ultra.
Case: Rosewill SRM-01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($24.99 @ Newegg) not the best but it'll do.
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($43.30 @ OutletPC) decent enough that it should last you a few upgrades.
Total: $500.62
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-08-30 18:55 EDT-0400

I have heard that running a dual core like this would be more powerful, but I was concerned with the trend of games not running unless you have a quad core, though I will probably go with this suggestion since I have only heard of one or two games limiting the hardware like that.

 

50 minutes ago, zMeul said:

a complete system build, from components to case, OS and peripherals in 500$ ... U'r better off with a PS4

as for this, the peripherals and os are budgeted separately, she already owns many of the peripherals, and she is opening a business with her mother, and they bought a copy of windows that says it will install on a few devices, and we will upgrade those as we go.

[antisleep]

Similar to build you're eyeing but with better 6GB/s Hard Drive that's not outdated + a more reliable psu with semi modular cables.

Merchants are fixed to just Newegg & Amazon for easier shipping.

PCPartPicker part list

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($118.69 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($32.98 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon RX 470 4GB Red Dragon Video Card  ($194.98 @ Newegg) 
Case: Rosewill SRM-01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($24.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: Corsair CXM 450W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($49.99 @ Amazon)

^even if you upgrade to 16gb ram, an SSD, i7 cpu and gtx 1070 this 450w will still be enough(tho with those expensive parts id be looking for at least 550W gold tier 1 psu)

^actually $44.99 on their site atm so that brings the total lower
Total: $515.63

[Killpocalips]

I personal have an FX6300 and it works great for me. I don't know why people ditch on it so hard. I haven't had any issues with it at all. 

[antisleep]

2 hours ago, Killpocalips said:

I personal have an FX6300 and it works great for me. I don't know why people ditch on it so hard. I haven't had any issues with it at all. 

>aging architecture, higher temps+typically needs aftermarket cooler, higher power draw, loses in performance vs same budget skylake build in most cases, no ddr4

>bad time to build with an amd rn, zen comes out later this year

[Killpocalips]

3 minutes ago, antisleep said:

>aging architecture, higher temps+typically needs aftermarket cooler, higher power draw, loses in performance vs same budget skylake build in most cases, no ddr4

>bad time to build with an amd rn, zen comes out later this year

While I can agree it would be dumb to wait because zen is coming out soon, he seems to be in a hurry and doesn't want to wait for zen. Also, it doesn't "need" an aftermarket cooler. I used mine oc'd for about a year and mine never went over 60c even under high load. High power draw; yeah, I'm not going to argue you the high power draw is higher than it should be. And nah dude. Team red. Screw skylake. 8-16gbs of ddr4 is gonna jack his rig past his budget because he's gonna need a more expensive mobo for more expensive ram. I'm not arguing that ddr3 is better than ddr4 but you have to understand that he has a budget. I also don't know what games they play but if they're playing them on older laptops chances are he's not looking for a huge behemoth build. 

 

If he had a higher budget, yeah I could agree wit you.

If he had more time, yeah, wait for zen.

But with his time frame and budget he's much better going with a ddr3 6300 build. 

[zantian]

7 hours ago, herman mcpootis said:

What i'd recommend:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($110.99 @ SuperBiiz) performs better than the fx 6300, and you can upgrade to an i5/i7 while you're stuck on the 6300.
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($53.88 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($32.98 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Hitachi 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($39.50 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon RX 470 4GB Red Dragon Video Card  ($194.98 @ Newegg) great 1080p card, should be able to play everything on ultra.
Case: Rosewill SRM-01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($24.99 @ Newegg) not the best but it'll do.
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($43.30 @ OutletPC) decent enough that it should last you a few upgrades.
Total: $500.62
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-08-30 18:55 EDT-0400

after doing some research, this build fits my budget and my plan almost perfectly. I will probably check back in a month or two, seeing as im going to be getting the parts closer to Christmas time, but this is actually a nearly perfect build. my only real nitpick would be the 62 cents, ruining the perfect 500 dollar price point... other than my obsession with round numbers this build was extremely helpful, and much more powerfull than my original thoughts.

Thank you very much

[antisleep]

11 hours ago, Killpocalips said:

While I can agree it would be dumb to wait because zen is coming out soon, he seems to be in a hurry and doesn't want to wait for zen. Also, it doesn't "need" an aftermarket cooler. I used mine oc'd for about a year and mine never went over 60c even under high load. High power draw; yeah, I'm not going to argue you the high power draw is higher than it should be. And nah dude. Team red. Screw skylake. 8-16gbs of ddr4 is gonna jack his rig past his budget because he's gonna need a more expensive mobo for more expensive ram. I'm not arguing that ddr3 is better than ddr4 but you have to understand that he has a budget. I also don't know what games they play but if they're playing them on older laptops chances are he's not looking for a huge behemoth build. 

 

If he had a higher budget, yeah I could agree wit you.

If he had more time, yeah, wait for zen.

But with his time frame and budget he's much better going with a ddr3 6300 build. 

 

 

Lowest FX6300 build vs lowest i3-6100 build. For a gaming rig, why should I recommend the FX6300 over the 6100?

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor  ($98.44 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($60.89 @ OutletPC) 

^If went with a 990FX mobo w/c is the recommended chipset for FX cpu's I'd have to add $20-30 to the budget.
Memory: Mushkin Silverline 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($29.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $189.32

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($110.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: ASRock H110M-HDS Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($51.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($32.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $195.96

 

11 hours ago, antisleep said:

loses in performance vs same budget skylake build in most cases

 

The notion that AMD is the go to for budget builds doesn't apply anymore.

[antisleep]

11 hours ago, zantian said:

after doing some research, this build fits my budget and my plan almost perfectly. I will probably check back in a month or two, seeing as im going to be getting the parts closer to Christmas time, but this is actually a nearly perfect build. my only real nitpick would be the 62 cents, ruining the perfect 500 dollar price point... other than my obsession with round numbers this build was extremely helpful, and much more powerfull than my original thoughts.

Thank you very much

Change the HDD to a SATA 3 like a Western Digital Blue or Seagate Barracuda and you're set.