First Build Budget Gaming/Photo Editing rig

[stratocat0]

Hey guys,

I have an old DELL XPS 420 (Q6600, 4gb ram) that I have been using for a looooong time. I do occasional gaming and photo editing on it. I play games like Borderlands and whatnot, nothing too crazy.

I have a list that i put together I am looking for critiques on it.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/LcWQLk

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI 970 GAMING ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($60.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Green 530W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $0.00)
Total: $387.94
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-24 11:54 EDT-0400

I have a Gigabyte Radeon 6850 that I will be using for now, as well as a CD drive from the DELL, and the Rosewill Power Supply. I plan on installing a fresh copy of Windows 7 Home 64 bit.

This will be the first time I build a rig from scratch, and I am not too familiar with BIOS, etc. so that will be interesting. Down the line I will get a better CPU cooler, Data hard drive, and Graphics card. Just looking for something to take me to the next level in my photo editing and limited gaming.

Your thoughts?

Thanks,
Dan

 

[sadams04]

MB - Changed to an ASUS offering. A bit cheaper and same features.
CPU Cooler - Just add one now.
MEM - The AMD platforms benefit from higher frequency modules. The ones you listed are fine, however at the moment the DDR3-1866 CL8 modules below (low latency) will perform better for less cost.
SSD - Eh... The Kingston is ok, but look toward the Crucial MX100 or Samsung EVO.
CASE - The Cougar case below is a great budget minded case and will save some of that budget...

Thoughts?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($96.98 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($89.79 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($73.10 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.93 @ Amazon)
Case: Cougar Solution (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Green 530W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $0.00)
Total: $389.78

 

[stratocat0]

MB - Changed to an ASUS offering. A bit cheaper and same features.
CPU Cooler - Just add one now.
MEM - The AMD platforms benefit from higher frequency modules. The ones you listed are fine, however at the moment the DDR3-1866 CL8 modules below (low latency) will perform better for less cost.
SSD - Eh... The Kingston is ok, but look toward the Crucial MX100 or Samsung EVO.
CASE - The Cougar case below is a great budget minded case and will save some of that budget...

Thoughts?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($96.98 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($89.79 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($73.10 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.93 @ Amazon)
Case: Cougar Solution (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Green 530W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $0.00)
Total: $389.78

I think your adjustments are well defined.

Part of the draw on this build is the looks. The case with the window showcasing that gorgeous MOBO and the black and red theme.

That said, I should just get the cooler now. Adjusting the memory to the faster speed. The SSD is on sale now, and is there really much of a difference between the three manufacturers?