Intel or AMD build for moderate gaming (details inside)?

Is that because of the APU saving money on getting a discrete GPU, JackNaylorPE?

My budget is roughly $200US for the cpu/mobo/RAM. So I guess I should've said budget gaming instead of moderate gaming.

Also, I should add that the mobo I choose should be Linux-friendly. I'm still researching which mobo manufacturers don't shove UEFI down your throat & make it easy to switch to legacy BIOS. I'm sure hoping MSI is as I've heard great things about it, Gigabyte & AS Rock.

Yes, SN1992. I have my old, trusty 8800GTX. But I've been told in another thread that it's not that great nowadays so the APU in the A6-6400 is probably similar in performance (read some reviewers on newegg saying it could run SWTOR, Rift, Defiance on low/med setting which I was impressed with). So that's where my question lies, spend on a decent cpu that has a built-in APU for graphics or go with a better cpu that doesnt have an APU, use my 8800GTX for now & invest in something like a GTX 650 Ti Boost down the road. What are your thoughts on this folks? Thanks in advance for your replies & expertise.

In that other thread, I've been informed that it's wiser to avoid a cpu + apu since my 8800GTX is probably comparable to the apu's (i was looking at AMD's A-series as seen above). That makes sense since I can save up for a better discrete GPU like the GTX650 Ti Boost once I get more cash & just go with a cpu/mobo that's a little better. But even then, my budget is really limiting me.

Because of that, I'm really looking at an AM3+ mobo + FX series AMD-based chip combo. I still need to get RAM so it'll be pricier than what I intend to spend ($250US max!) but it'll give me better flexibility down the road. Others have suggested going w/an Intel build but I've been looking at AMD since it's usually more a more budget-friendly build. Any thoughts/suggestions on which way to go there? Including if I should spend a bit more on a mobo that supports 1866 RAM natively (without OC) vs. a cheaper mobo that only supports, say, 1333? Any all help/ideas welcome! Thanks in advance!

This is the build I'm going with: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1lxfo

Any reason to not go w/the Biostar mobo or the Kingston RAM (vs. your suggestions), Sn1992?

Hi Sn1992 & thanks for your answer!

Any particular reason to go w/the MSI mobo over the Biostar? That MSI board is like $25 more than the Biostar I chose. I'm not planning on doing SLI/Crossfire by the time the mobo warranty runs out (usually 3yrs) mostly due cuz my case's psu isn't mounted on the bottom which I'd think best for getting the most efficient airflow (I have a Cooler Master Elite 335 & included the closest model available in the build but I won't be buying a new one atm).

Why the Corsair over the Kingston?
The only thing I wasn't liking about the Kingston HyperX RAM was its 1.65V which they default to set at 1333 @1.5v so you'd have to go into the BIOS to change it to its rated speed (not sure if that's considered OC'ing, which I'm just trying to avoid in general but initially for sure since I won't be getting any after market cpu cooling).
What I WAS liking about the HyperX RAM, besides being $20 cheaper than normal & also being an Iron Egg Guaranteed item, was its low profile. Since I'm thinking of getting an Evo212 cpu cooler later (if its needed) & its kinda bulky & had read lots of reviews that it blocks some of the RAM slots so low-profile RAM like the Kingston HyperX was good while the Corsair looks kinda high-profile.

I'm curious why the MSI board & Corsair ram? Have you had builds successfully use this combo w/the FX-6300?
Since I'm planning on (probably) just running 1 card (the GTX650 Ti Boost once I get more cash) & don't plan on overclocking either the cpu or the ram will I be needing an after market cpu cooler with a good rep like the Evo212? My current case has a slot for a 120mm fan in the front but it didn't come w/it so I never added one. Should I be getting one? Granted, on my old rig which ran for 4 yrs 24/7 would sometimes overheat & while the ambient temps were sometimes hot, I mostly attributed it to the sheer amount of dust since I live in an area that gets LOTS of dust (near a corner, surrounded by parking lots & don't have built-in AC so leave the window open). What are your thoughts on all of this? Thanks in advance!

Oh forgot to mention that all 3 items i chose: cpu/mobo/ram are all Iron Egg Guaranteed items & are all on sale. Budget is a concern after all & w/out the case sits at $235 pre-tax.

Ahh, got it, Sn1992. So you're suggesting I go w/MSI/ASUS, Gigabyte or ASRock over Biostar cuz they're a bit better? I guess a few more bucks investment wouldn't suck. I'd looked at some of those but a few mobos had 1600(OC) which I figured meant that I'd have to OC the ram to get it to that speed even if the RAM was natively 1600?

Also, you're saying Corsair Vengeance LP RAM > Kingston HyperX? One of the main reasons why I picked the Kingston was cuz it was low-profile RAM w/the heat spreaders not sticking up to far in case I got an EVO212 cpu cooler which is pretty bulky & can block RAM slots.

So you're saying my Cooler Master Elite 335 would run my system too hot even though I'm not OC'ing? It currently doesn't have a front-panel 120mm fan installed tho it has the area for it so was thinking of getting one to increase air flow? So should I automatically get the EVO212 cuz of my case?

Ya, my case is pretty well-rated/reviewed on Newegg but will definitely invest in better cooling/air flow later on. Here's what I'm finally pondering. The mobo reflects retail price but I'll be getting the open box deal which is $10 more than what I was going to pay for the Biostar. There's 2 types of RAM in there cuz I'm torn as to which to go with. Any thoughts on all this since I'll probably be purchasing today?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste ($7.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($104.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($77.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport XT 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Cooler Master R4-L2R-20AC-GP 69.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($2.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $363.93
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-29 04:14 EDT-0400)

Bu if the Crucial Sport XT & Corsair Vengeance were only a few bucks difference, would the Corsair be better? I'm thinking of either of these though I'm not still not convinced the heat spreaders & high profile are worth it. Or will they actually help a little bit if my case runs a little warm?

Btw, any thoughts on taking a risk on the 'Open Box' (so, cheaper) ASUS vs. the Biostar 970 I'd initially thought of going with once I decided on FX-6300? The ASUS is $15 more but the Biostar is unopened so less of a risk (though if I read it right on the Newegg site, the real risk is that certain 'bundle items' might not be included like manual, cables, etc. so it's kinda a small-risk crap shoot but a risk nonetheless)?

Thanks in advance. Getting really close to purchasing now.