Best gaming pc build for a $500 budget?

[55cjason]

Hi Tom's Hardware, I'm looking for a gaming pc build for a $500 budget.

Oh, but it has to be able to run high end games like Skyrim and Far Cry 3. I wouldn't mind if I had to throw in another couple hundred, provided it can run the games mentioned smoothly and [hopefully] on the highest settings.

Once again, my budget is $500, but I wouldn't mind topping up another $200 if it meant a jump into the highest graphics/gameplay experience.

Thanks! :]

 

[ingtar33]

Hi Tom's Hardware, I'm looking for a gaming pc build for a $500 budget.

Oh, but it has to be able to run high end games like Skyrim and Far Cry 3. I wouldn't mind if I had to throw in another couple hundred, provided it can run the games mentioned smoothly and [hopefully] on the highest settings.

Once again, my budget is $500, but I wouldn't mind topping up another $200 if it meant a jump into the highest graphics/gameplay experience.

Thanks! :]

you can play skyrim and farcry3 on a low end machine on low settings or small resolutions. hell you can play them both on an APU if the resolutions are low enough. So we can definitely do it for $500, the real question is what resolution and settings do you want to play those games at.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 LE R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($68.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($62.13 @ TigerDirect)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($254.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout 2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $711.03
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-13 16:32 EDT-0400)

 

[jinayhvora]

here http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1giGf

 

[ingtar33]

Sorta like blackbird i think your pricerange really calls for an AMD cpu, though i went with a more overclockable combo, with a far better motherboard, I also grabbed you a better gpu with more vram because if you play skyrim with a lot of mods you'll need more gpu power and more then 1gb of vram.

Overall this should be fine for playing most modern titles at high to ultra settings at 1080p.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: PNY XLR8 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($30.46 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($150.40 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone Redline Series RL04B ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($43.00 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $557.37
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-13 16:38 EDT-0400)


If you need more power, and plan to play everything on ultra at 1080p+ resolutions, here is an alternate build that will do it, inside your $700 limit. Its also AMD, and will curbstomp that intel posted above in farcry3 or crysis3

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: A-Data XPG Gaming Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($254.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone Redline Series RL04B ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($43.00 @ Newegg)
Total: $703.90
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-13 16:52 EDT-0400)

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Like the build minus the CX Series PSU ^

 

[ingtar33]

Like the build minus the CX Series PSU ^

i have a psu from that series, it's the best and most reliable psu i've ever had. never can hear the fan, no electrical noise, stable power... actually it works well above it's specs (which is rare). So generally i have a great deal of trust for the corsair cx builder's line of psus. (combined with their fantastic customer service, and i am pretty comfortable recommending corsair)

 

[leon2006]

Hi Tom's Hardware, I'm looking for a gaming pc build for a $500 budget.

Oh, but it has to be able to run high end games like Skyrim and Far Cry 3. I wouldn't mind if I had to throw in another couple hundred, provided it can run the games mentioned smoothly and [hopefully] on the highest settings.

Once again, my budget is $500, but I wouldn't mind topping up another $200 if it meant a jump into the highest graphics/gameplay experience.

Thanks! :]

Why not just get the new XBOX or PS4? It fits well with your budget

 

[55cjason]

Hi Tom's Hardware, I'm looking for a gaming pc build for a $500 budget.

Oh, but it has to be able to run high end games like Skyrim and Far Cry 3. I wouldn't mind if I had to throw in another couple hundred, provided it can run the games mentioned smoothly and [hopefully] on the highest settings.

Once again, my budget is $500, but I wouldn't mind topping up another $200 if it meant a jump into the highest graphics/gameplay experience.

Thanks! :]

you can play skyrim and farcry3 on a low end machine on low settings or small resolutions. hell you can play them both on an APU if the resolutions are low enough. So we can definitely do it for $500, the real question is what resolution and settings do you want to play those games at.

Hey Tom's Hardware and the active community, thanks for getting back in such a short time!

Oh yes, sorry I wasn't so detailed in my previous post.. I want to play Skyrim, Far Cry 3 and Mount & Blade Warband on the highest/if impossible then second highest graphics setting and also I want to play a lot of heavy mods too, so the build shouldn't crash me the minute I add in the mods.

Sorry guys, I need your expertise again! Help a truly technologically lost soul!

Once again, the build I want has to be able to play games like [Skyrim, Far Cry 3, Mount & Blade Warband] and all of the 3 games' bountiful mods smoothly on the highest/if not the second highest graphics setting. Do be tolerant with me, CPU and GPU and whatnot are like hieroglyphs to me so it would be great if you guys made it slightly more newbie friendly!

Thank you once more, pros'!

 

[ingtar33]

Hey Tom's Hardware and the active community, thanks for getting back in such a short time!

Oh yes, sorry I wasn't so detailed in my previous post.. I want to play Skyrim, Far Cry 3 and Mount & Blade Warband on the highest/if impossible then second highest graphics setting and also I want to play a lot of heavy mods too, so the build shouldn't crash me the minute I add in the mods.

Sorry guys, I need your expertise again! Help a truly technologically lost soul!

Once again, the build I want has to be able to play games like [Skyrim, Far Cry 3, Mount & Blade Warband] and all of the 3 games' bountiful mods smoothly on the highest/if not the second highest graphics setting. Do be tolerant with me, CPU and GPU and whatnot are like hieroglyphs to me so it would be great if you guys made it slightly more newbie friendly!

Thank you once more, pros'!

here is the build for you then

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: A-Data XPG Gaming Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($254.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone Redline Series RL04B ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($43.00 @ Newegg)
Total: $703.90
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-13 16:52 EDT-0400)

not sure you'll find a system that can play those games on the highest settings for less money then this.

 

[55cjason]

Hey Tom's Hardware and the active community, thanks for getting back in such a short time!

Oh yes, sorry I wasn't so detailed in my previous post.. I want to play Skyrim, Far Cry 3 and Mount & Blade Warband on the highest/if impossible then second highest graphics setting and also I want to play a lot of heavy mods too, so the build shouldn't crash me the minute I add in the mods.

Sorry guys, I need your expertise again! Help a truly technologically lost soul!

Once again, the build I want has to be able to play games like [Skyrim, Far Cry 3, Mount & Blade Warband] and all of the 3 games' bountiful mods smoothly on the highest/if not the second highest graphics setting. Do be tolerant with me, CPU and GPU and whatnot are like hieroglyphs to me so it would be great if you guys made it slightly more newbie friendly!

Thank you once more, pros'!

here is the build for you then

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: A-Data XPG Gaming Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($254.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone Redline Series RL04B ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($43.00 @ Newegg)
Total: $703.90
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-13 16:52 EDT-0400)

not sure you'll find a system that can play those games on the highest settings for less money then this.

Alright! 3.5gHz! That's what hits the sweet spot! Hey thank you ingtar33! Thank you everyone! Thanks for your time good people of Tom's Hardware! I'll be sure to put in words of recommendation to all my friends! [$703's an eye pleasing price too, thank you!]

With Regards,
Jason
🙂

 

[ingtar33]

Alright! 3.5gHz! That's what hits the sweet spot! Hey thank you ingtar33! Thank you everyone! Thanks for your time good people of Tom's Hardware! I'll be sure to put in words of recommendation to all my friends! [$703's an eye pleasing price too, thank you!]

With Regards,
Jason
🙂

the speed of your cpu isn't really applicable. that build has some overclock potential, which, if your bored you might want to play with to get an extra 10%-20% performance out of it. otherwise that's just the base clock for your cpu. The 8 core fx 8320 has a lot of overclock headroom and should hit 4.5-4.9 ghz without a whole lot of effort. If you're lucky and win the cpu lottery you could go even higher (some of the highest and best overclocks for the fx lineup of cpus is on a 8320, they overclock rather well)

If overclocking isn't your thing, that build at stock settings is still rather impressive. So you should still be pretty happy with the results.

 

[eddie1234567]

lol

 

[logainofhades]

Build with MIR's turned off.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B85 Pro4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 270X 2GB Video Card ($215.38 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $710.31
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-15 10:45 EDT-0400)