4 build comparison... which is best.

[QuadRings]

Hello! Recently me and my brother put together 4 steam boxes, each different from the last. Can anyone tell me which is best? And no Intel is better, this is a budget build.

STEAM BOX MK. 1:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD A10-7850K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($118.78 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Seidon 120M 86.2 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI A88XM GAMING Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard ($92.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston Savage 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($51.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.49 @ OutletPC)
Case: Thermaltake VL800P1W2N (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case ($47.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Case Fan: Rosewill RFA-80-WL 33.2 CFM 80mm Fan
Case Fan: Rosewill RFA-80-WL 33.2 CFM 80mm Fan
Case Fan: Corsair SP140 49.5 CFM 140mm Fan ($15.99 @ Amazon)
Fan Controller: NZXT SENTRY 3 Fan Controller ($29.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $515.05

Steam Box Mk. 2
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD Athlon X4 860K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($64.05 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88XN-WIFI Mini ITX FM2+ Motherboard ($89.24 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($48.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280 3GB Dual-X Video Card ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 250D Mini ITX Tower Case ($76.38 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Case Fan: BitFenix Spectre Pro LED 148.7 CFM 200mm Fan ($18.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case Fan: Antec 761345-75020-2 34.0 CFM 80mm Fan ($6.89 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Antec 761345-75020-2 34.0 CFM 80mm Fan ($6.89 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-F12 industrialPPC-3000 PWM 109.9 CFM 120mm Fan ($23.98 @ OutletPC)
Fan Controller: NZXT SENTRY 3 Fan Controller ($29.88 @ OutletPC)
Other: SteamOS installed by flash drive ($0.00)
Total: $697.75

Steam Box Mk. 3
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD Athlon X4 860K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($64.05 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88XN-WIFI Mini ITX FM2+ Motherboard ($89.24 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($48.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 960 4GB AMP! Edition Video Card ($229.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 250D Mini ITX Tower Case ($76.38 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Case Fan: BitFenix Spectre Pro LED 148.7 CFM 200mm Fan ($18.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case Fan: Antec 761345-75020-2 34.0 CFM 80mm Fan ($6.89 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Antec 761345-75020-2 34.0 CFM 80mm Fan ($6.89 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-F12 industrialPPC-3000 PWM 109.9 CFM 120mm Fan ($23.98 @ OutletPC)
Fan Controller: NZXT SENTRY 3 Fan Controller ($29.88 @ OutletPC)
Other: SteamOS installed by flash drive ($0.00)
Total: $777.75

And Finally, the Steam Box Mk. 4
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD Athlon X4 860K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.50 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus A88XM-PLUS/CSM Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard ($92.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($51.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card ($191.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec ISK 600M MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($51.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Samsung SN-208FB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Amazon)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($28.98 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Cooler Master Blade Master 76.8 CFM 120mm Fan ($7.95 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Xigmatek CLF-F8254 32.6 CFM 80mm Fan ($8.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-F12 industrialPPC-3000 PWM 109.9 CFM 120mm Fan ($23.98 @ OutletPC)
Keyboard: Logitech Wireless Combo MK270 Wireless Standard Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($19.99 @ Amazon)
Other: SteamOS installed by flash drive ($0.00)
Other: Slim SATA to SATA Adapter ($13.30)
Total: $731.09


I thank anyone for any assistance they can give me. I'm going to mildly oc the build to about 4.0 GHz, and noise is not an issue. Recommendations will help as well!

 

[theonerm2]

None of them are really all that great but the 4th one is the best of those builds.

 

[madchemist83]

Your prices vary from 500 to almost 800. So which one is it ?
Also it seems like u r splurging too much on case fans.
Here you go http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gV2M7P

 

[QuadRings]

The case fans are to make sure it stays cool, because the ambient temp here is like 80F. And the CPU you recommended is less powerful, as is the GPU. The prices vary because the Mk.1 was built a while ago, and I've gotten better at understanding computers.

 

[madchemist83]

Cpu is not less powerful. http://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i5-4460-vs-AMD-Athlon-II-X4-860K/2310vs3265
And gpu I picked based on ur average price. Plus at this price it's a steal. Get better gpu if u can spend more. Extra case fans will have little impact on the temps.
If with better understandunderstanding comes higher price then go for Gtx 970

 

[theonerm2]

You're probably looking at the GHz and saying the Athlon is better because it's a 3.7GHz CPU whereas the Core i5 is only a 3.2GHz CPU. That's not the way things work these days. You can't just compare clock speeds and say the bigger number is better unless both CPU's are both of the exact same architecture. The Core i5 can do a lot more per clock than the Athlon. The specs on paper mean very little these days. You have to do your research and look at benchmarks in order to tell which CPU is the better one.

 

[QuadRings]

All right, I've redone some stuff based on your replies, and I've come up with the Mk. 6:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($172.78 @ Micro Center) (Turbo to 3.7 GHz)
CPU Cooler: Arctic Cooling Alpine 11 Plus Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler ($9.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($76.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($48.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Mushkin ECO2 60GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.82 @ Best Buy)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card ($191.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec ISK 600M MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($51.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Samsung SN-208FB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Amazon)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($28.98 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Cooler Master Blade Master 76.8 CFM 120mm Fan ($7.95 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Xigmatek CLF-F8254 32.6 CFM 80mm Fan ($8.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-F12 industrialPPC-3000 PWM 109.9 CFM 120mm Fan ($23.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $791.40