Need help with budget gaming build under 600

Gkschick

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Hi all. This is my first attempt at my budget gaming PC. I am unsure of the best OS to use and I am not up on current hardware other than my reading the last few days on this site. I would like to get this in the 550 to 600 range if possible. I also would like to get any feedback on what I should change/keep since this is only my first try at this.

Thanks.

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Gkschick/saved/9Z4BD3
 
Solution
Here's another build to consider that will allow you to overclock the CPU and leaves the option open for an i5 or i7 chip in the future.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($74.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97-HD3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($98.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($76.50 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($57.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R7 260X 2GB Core...

Gkschick

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Mostly current gen stuff. Mine current PC is an acer all-in-one from best buy I bought like 6 years ago and added a GeForce gt430 card to it about 3 years ago. I got it when my overly old PC died and i needed something quick and cheap for college purposes. It barely can do anything current let alone anything new coming out this year. I would like to comfortably play on settings decently high for current gen but also decently for new stuff such as dragon age inquisition.

Thanks.
 

Gkschick

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Not opposed to upgrading later if needed. But I would like something with at least a decent lifespan as is. I don't need super high settings or anything but something decent in video/speed quality would be good. I use my MacBook Air for most general purpose use but will use this for pretty much gaming only.
 

dav_jw

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I'd recommend to go with Intel then, as you can upgrade from the low-end pentium to the high-end i7 on the same board. And for gaming, their CPUs usually outdo the ones from AMD.

This build is slightly over your budget, but I included some much higher end parts to allow upgrading in the future. Notably a 550W PSU and a Z97 motherboard. This should be able to run most recent games @ Medium/High (1080p). The CPU and R7 270 (video card) are the same price as the parts you picked originally.

If the price is too high, you could always downgrade the MB and PSU, which would put it closer to 600$. I wouldn't recommend it, however, as you would lose a good bit of upgradability for a few $$ only.

Concerning the OS, I personally see no reason to use anything other than Windows 8.1 on a new system. It was heavily criticized for the changes in the UI, which take some time to get used to, but they made most of those components optional in the 8.1 update.

Not much changed in terms of core features, but it is generally more responsive than Windows 7 and include additional security features.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4150 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor ($117.00 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G41 PC Mate ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital RE3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $639.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-04 01:49 EDT-0400
 
Here's another build to consider that will allow you to overclock the CPU and leaves the option open for an i5 or i7 chip in the future.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($74.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97-HD3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($98.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($76.50 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($57.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R7 260X 2GB Core Edition Video Card ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($14.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $628.38
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-04 02:09 EDT-0400
 
Solution

Gkschick

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2 questions I have. What is the performance difference on the r7 260x vs the r9 270 from the other build? Also does it matter which case I use or is it totally preference and price when picking one?

Thanks
 

dav_jw

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The 270 is quite a bit faster (about 35%). Here are a few benchmarks/reviews to give you an idea:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AMD/R7_260X/26.html
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1034?vs=1035
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7754/the-amd-radeon-r7-265-r7-260-review-feat-sapphire-asus/5

(Note: the R9 270 is similar to the 7870 with slightly lower clock speeds, and the R7 260x is similar to the 7790 with slightly higher clock speeds)

As for the case, with those components, it mostly is a matter of preference. A few things to note however, especially if you plan to upgrade later: maximum number of drives, maximum video card length and maximum CPU cooler height. And make sure it supports your motherboard form factor.
 

Gkschick

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I am leaning toward the 2nd build but with the r9 270. I read some great reviews on the g3258 especially if i venture into over clocking.

Sorry, but a few more questions.
Is any optical drive good to use? I have this one i can use out of my 6 yr old computer:
http://www.serversupply.com/MULTIMEDIA/DVD-RW/SATA-INTERNAL/LG%20Electronics/GH15F.htm

also i noticed both of you guys chose different power supplies that are way different in price. Would the cheaper one work with either build? they are both 550W.

Do i need more than the stock heatsink/fan for the g3258 if i plan on over clocking it?

Thanks for all the help.
 
That optical drive should work just fine since it's SATA.

Either PSU will work. They are both $69.99 before promo codes and MIR.

Yes, you will need an aftermarket CPU cooler if you plan on overclocking. The stock cooler works just fine at stock speeds, but won't allow much of an overclock.
 

jerryvaberry

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This is pretty much my build and I went with it because it allows for that later upgrade. But if you dont live near a microcenter to take advantage of the deal (z97 pc mate + g3258 for $100) then it is not worth it.
 
You click on the "Export/Markup" button and select the radio button for BBCode format. Here's your build in that format:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($74.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97-HD3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($98.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($76.50 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($57.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cougar Solution (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($39.50 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $607.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-04 23:31 EDT-0400

The build looks good.
 

dav_jw

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Very nice. If you don't mind overclocking, the G3258 is probably a better choice than the i3. The heatsink you can (must =D) add to the build with the money you saved will be useful if you ever upgrade the CPU.

Concerning the PSU, the XFX is quite a bit better than the Rosewill I suggested (which is far from a bad unit either). The XFX, which is made by Seasonic IIRC, also comes with a 5 year warranty vs the 3 year of the Rosewill. All in all, either are worth their price tag.

Since are already stretching your budget, you might want to keep the Rosewill, but since your are building with the long(-ish) term in mind, I'd recommend the XFX if the extra 20$ isn't too much a concern.
 

dav_jw

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Shouldn't be a problem. Just make sure you boot on the new OS/drive. As a precaution, you might want to wait until you have fully installed your new OS on the new HDD before connecting the old drive.