Best all around gaming pc build for around $600?

[svrandom56]

I'm building a pc for the first time and I have no idea what kind of components to consider, specifically CPU and GPU (most likely motherboard, too). I hear too many conflicting things about different brands and I don't know what to pick.

It's going to be used primarily for gaming, ranging from Dolphin emulator at very high settings 1080p to games like Crysis 3 at medium-high 1080p.

Is a build like that possible for a budget around $600? (As high as $650 if need be.)

I already have a case, a DVD drive, a 1080p monitor, keyboard and mouse, and Windows 7 Ultimate x64.

 

[AMDRadeonHD]

$650: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3acZA
$600: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3ad2c
I would personally go with the $600 one, as it has a much better cooling than your stock one (I'm assuming you have a stock one).

 

[svrandom56]

Will it be decent for Dolphin? I've heard Intel is a lot better for running it at higher framerates.

 

[woltej1]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3ad95
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3ad95/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3ad95/benchmarks/

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock 990FX Extreme3 ATX AM3+/AM3 Motherboard ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($57.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: VisionTek Radeon R9 270X 2GB Video Card ($202.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ TigerDirect)
Total: $602.93

Here's a build actually within your budget. I based it off the above members. I changed the CPU to a 6300 and the mobo up to a better model. I did this because if you get AMD you need to OC it, that's the only point. The mobo he had cannot OC the 8320, while the board I picked fully supports all FX cpus.

Then changed the GPU to a 270x, similar performance to the 760, single digit fps difference between the 2, but it is $50 less.

You will need to grab a cpu cooler though as soon as you have 30-40 bucks. I recommend the xigmatek gaia for around $36. AMD puts out a little too much heat for the CM hyper212.

 

[AMDRadeonHD]

Will it be decent for Dolphin? I've heard Intel is a lot better for running it at higher framerates.

That is complete nonsense, those are fanboys, AMD is just as great as Intel and it has more cores. For $600 and $650, if you went with Intel, you would get a alot worse graphics card, because Intel is expensive and it isn't much better than AMD.