Gaming PC under $1300 AU

[Haigz]

Hi guys, I am currently building my first gaming PC which I would like to keep under $1300 AU. As I live in Australia prices are abnormally high and the only decent PC shop near my area is Umart. As this is my first PC build, I am struggling to find the best parts for my money, so I would appreciate any full build recommendations. I would like the PC to last a few years and I want it to play the latest games at 1080p at respectable frames and detail levels (60 fps would be ideal at high settings). I don't have a preference over amd, nividia or Intel, I just what the best for my money.
If possible, I would like the PC to be able to handle CAD programs reasonably well, such as Autodesk Inventor. I'm not too worried about about super fast boot times and such, so an ssd is not necessary (unless it easily fits in the budget).
I also need an OS which I would like to be included in the $1300 budget as well as a monitor, keyboard and mouse which dont have to be included in the budget (however, I want them to be cheap). Any answers are greatly appreciated ,
Thanks.

 

[sheag123]

this xeon has similar gaming performance to the 4770 in case you are wondering.

PCPartPicker part list: http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/1Zagm
Price breakdown by merchant: http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/1Zagm/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/1Zagm/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1225 V3 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($265.00 @ CPL Online)
Motherboard: Asus H81M-E Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($65.00 @ PLE Computers)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($99.00 @ CPL Online)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($109.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($92.00 @ PLE Computers)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card ($499.00 @ Scorptec)
Case: BitFenix Merc Alpha (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($55.00 @ CPL Online)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($99.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($22.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Total: $1305.00
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-08 23:48 EST+1100)

 

[Haigz]

this xeon has similar gaming performance to the 4770 in case you are wondering.

PCPartPicker part list: http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/1Zagm
Price breakdown by merchant: http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/1Zagm/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/1Zagm/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1225 V3 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($265.00 @ CPL Online)
Motherboard: Asus H81M-E Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($65.00 @ PLE Computers)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($99.00 @ CPL Online)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($109.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($92.00 @ PLE Computers)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card ($499.00 @ Scorptec)
Case: BitFenix Merc Alpha (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($55.00 @ CPL Online)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($99.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($22.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Total: $1305.00
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-08 23:48 EST+1100)

Hey thanks for the quick response, I was able to generate the same PC at Umart including OS and internet security for $1436. I was wondering how much of a performance difference it would make if I went with the slightly cheaper 3570 or 4670. Also, how does the fx 8350 compare to the Xeon. Iv'e heard that it commonly outperforms i7's generally speaking, but I am of the understanding that the AMD motherboards do not have Pci-e 3.0 slots so I don't know if this would effect the performance of my graphics card. Thanks again for the quick response, you've put together parts I hadn't thought of before and it seems to have made a really good system .

 

[sheag123]

the 8350 is generally on par with the i5 3570k when they both are overclocked and the 8350 is 300-400mhz faster than the 3570k.

if the 3570k or the 4670k fit in your budget theres nothing wrong with that route, you will be perfectly fine with one of those processors.

8350 is good as well and can sometimes be better price/performance than intel, although i would lean towards intel myself.

with the above build if you choose the 3570k/4670k/8350 you will have a great computer and there wont be much noticeable difference.

 

[Haigz]

the 8350 is generally on par with the i5 3570k when they both are overclocked and the 8350 is 300-400mhz faster than the 3570k.

if the 3570k or the 4670k fit in your budget theres nothing wrong with that route, you will be perfectly fine with one of those processors.

8350 is good as well and can sometimes be better price/performance than intel, although i would lean towards intel myself.

with the above build if you choose the 3570k/4670k/8350 you will have a great computer and there wont be much noticeable difference.

Ok, I just have a couple more questions. In regards to OS, is there any benefit in getting windows 8.1 or should I just get windows 7. Also, how much better is the caviar black compared to the caviar blue. Its just that the more I save on things like hdd, the more I can spend on monitors, mouse etc. And finally, apparently the R9 290 is really loud. I'm not saying I need a silent system, but from what Iv'e seen on YouTube it seem ridiculously noisy. This may not be true for when it is actually in a case but would it be better to wait for quieter non reference coolers to hit the market? Also the gigabyte website for the GPU recommends a 600 watt power supply, is that really necessary?

 

[tfhummel]

I would go with the i5 4670k processor. You will future proof yourself. If you ever want to OC in the future you will be able to. The other processors you won't.

 

[tfhummel]

I would get a 700-800 watt power supply also. Don't skimp on that, you will burn out parts if you're not drawing enough power. Whatever the Great card says I always doing plus 100W to be safe.

 

[Haigz]

I would get a 700-800 watt power supply also. Don't skimp on that, you will burn out parts if you're not drawing enough power. Whatever the Great card says I always doing plus 100W to be safe.

Thanks for your reply. What power supply would you recommend? I'm on a bit of a budget so if it can stay under $130 than that would be great. Also will the Bitfenic Merc have good enough airflow to accommodate the high temperatures of the R9 290 and should I invest in more fans for it.

 

[sheag123]

i thought it was the 620 i put in there but heres another one, its good to have a psu that is either seasonic or has seasonic parts at least.

heres one

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

Power Supply: XFX 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($129.00 @ PLE Computers)
Total: $129.00
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-09 01:35 EST+1100)

 

[tfhummel]

I would get a 700-800 watt power supply also. Don't skimp on that, you will burn out parts if you're not drawing enough power. Whatever the Great card says I always doing plus 100W to be safe.

Thanks for your reply. What power supply would you recommend? I'm on a bit of a budget so if it can stay under $130 than that would be great. Also will the Bitfenic Merc have good enough airflow to accommodate the high temperatures of the R9 290 and should I invest in more fans for it.

I personally have a thermal take 850w. I don't buy junk, if it's going in my PC it's going to be good you can pick up the tt PSU for about 130. I also have a thermaltake case (overseer) 4 200mm fans etc. Imo more fans the better as long as you have the intakes and exhausts properly selected. You should be good with that case, if you are concerned, go with the Coolermaster cases, one of the low end ones. I used one of them for a while with SLI 760s and it was cool until it got to crammed.