First Gaming Rig Questions

[Quello93]

Hello, I've been doing research for a while and I came up with this build. My original goal was $500-$600 or slightly over..

My Build

Now here are my questions:
1.) How can I make this cheaper yet still get med to high settings in 1080p?
2.) What is a good SSD to install Windows 8.1 64-Bit on that doesn't break the bank?
3.) Any other recommendations on better parts you can think of, yet not expensive?

I know an OS isn't listed but I've accounted for that. I'm solely focusing on the build itself for now. Any help is greatly appreciated! I plan on building this PC soon, but want to get the most bang for buck performance.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Bossyfins]

1. You could go with a cheaper case.
2. I know Adata had a 256 gig ssd for 92$... Thats a steal.
3/ I would look into an i3, or an 8320. But your fine for now.

 

[Quello93]

1. You could go with a cheaper case.
2. I know Adata had a 256 gig ssd for 92$... Thats a steal.
3/ I would look into an i3, or an 8320. But your fine for now.

Thanks for the quick response. What mid tower case that isn't garbage would you recommend? Also would an i3 or 8320 be better?

 

[Bossyfins]

n400 is nice, also the enermax ostrog if you want a window. Those are my 2 go to.

 

[Math Geek]

this will do 1080p at high settings no problem. with the z97 mobo, you can add an unlocked i5/i7 later on if you wish. no ssd but at such a low budget, you should not expect one. can always add it later on. or you can add it now and lower the gpu some. i'd stick with a mechanical hdd for now and add a nice ssd later on.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4160 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor ($114.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($76.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($66.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 960 2GB Superclocked Video Card ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($42.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($48.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($14.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $617.78
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-27 21:56 EST-0500

by the time you added cooling for the 6300 it cost more than this i3 and the i3 is a better way to go. so changing to the i3 actually saved a few bucks since the stock cooler is all you need.

 

[Quello93]

this will do 1080p at high settings no problem. with the z97 mobo, you can add an unlocked i5/i7 later on if you wish. no ssd but at such a low budget, you should not expect one. can always add it later on. or you can add it now and lower the gpu some. i'd stick with a mechanical hdd for now and add a nice ssd later on.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4160 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor ($114.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($76.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($66.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 960 2GB Superclocked Video Card ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($42.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($48.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($14.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $617.78
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-27 21:56 EST-0500

by the time you added cooling for the 6300 it cost more than this i3 and the i3 is a better way to go. so changing to the i3 actually saved a few bucks since the stock cooler is all you need.

That looks like a good build for sure, and your right about the CPU thing will the dual core hinder anything? Anyways is the GPU better then the MSI Radeon 280? Also I considered the CM 912, but is there any cheaper case that provides the same cooling potential and features that does? It doesn't have to be fancy at all or even have LED's or Windows. Just something the looks sleek.

 

[Math Geek]

the i3 is a dual core but with the hyperthreading it has 4 threads so it will be fine for gaming as it acts as a quad core. and the 960 is roughly the same performance as the 280 so they can be considered equal. the 960 uses less power and the 280 has an extra gb of vram. benchmarks have been pretty even with one being better in one game and the other being better in a different game.

as for the case, i am not very well versed in what is good at what budget. i tend to go for crazy cases myself and like the odd ball ones. but the cm 912, corsair 200r and nzxt source 210/220 are what i see a lot from others for budget and quality cases that offer good airflow. which one i add usually depends on price that day since they are all the same to me

 

[Quello93]

the i3 is a dual core but with the hyperthreading it has 4 threads so it will be fine for gaming as it acts as a quad core. and the 960 is roughly the same performance as the 280 so they can be considered equal. the 960 uses less power and the 280 has an extra gb of vram. benchmarks have been pretty even with one being better in one game and the other being better in a different game.

as for the case, i am not very well versed in what is good at what budget. i tend to go for crazy cases myself and like the odd ball ones. but the cm 912, corsair 200r and nzxt source 210/220 are what i see a lot from others for budget and quality cases that offer good airflow. which one i add usually depends on price that day since they are all the same to me

Do you recommend the EVGA GPU you listed over the MSI? I'll only be playing on one moniter.

 

[Math Geek]

honestly, i don't prefer one over the other. price is the main consideration and generally the 280 is cheaper. the one you chose is the same price as the one i picked so they are a coin toss in my opinion. they are both quality cards.

you can get a 280 for less and still get quality. i see 280's on partpicker at ~$175 which would be a great buy. here are 3 solid 280's http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/compare/sapphire-video-card-1003732l%2Cxfx-video-card-r9280atdbd%2Cxfx-video-card-r9280atdfd/ with the xfx black edition being a super overclocked one at less than the evga superclocked 960.

 

[Quello93]

honestly, i don't prefer one over the other. price is the main consideration and generally the 280 is cheaper. the one you chose is the same price as the one i picked so they are a coin toss in my opinion. they are both quality cards.

you can get a 280 for less and still get quality. i see 280's on partpicker at ~$175 which would be a great buy. here are 3 solid 280's http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/compare/sapphire-video-card-1003732l%2Cxfx-video-card-r9280atdbd%2Cxfx-video-card-r9280atdfd/ with the xfx black edition being a super overclocked one at less than the evga superclocked 960.

I really appreciate your help Math Geek, GPU's kinda confuse me a bit lol. for the Chipset on the GPU. it doesn't matter if the CPU matches?
Also would the PSU need changing since the GPU is changed?

 

[Bossyfins]

IT doesnt matter if it matches or not

No, you should be fine

 

[Math Geek]

no you don't have to match brands. they all play nice together. think of it like a car, you can have a ford engine, chevy seats and toyota mirrors and it'll still be good to go. might look a bit funny but it will work fine.

and the psu is enough power for either card. no need to change that. a 280 is still well within what the psu can handle. and it is a good quality psu so it should outlast the rest of the system.

 

[Quello93]

I appreciate both of your help! Thank you