My Build in Progress, Please Advise

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dragonborn123

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Nov 19, 2013
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I want to start by saying I know nothing about pc gaming, and anything I do know is only what I've learned via google and this board over the past two weeks. So please be patient with me, and correct me wherever it seems I've made a wrong conclusion.

After looking at all sorts of guides over the past couple weeks, I finally attempted a build.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($334.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $549.97
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-19 20:13 EST-0500)


Now this build is obviously very incomplete, but that's because I don't know what specs to look for in terms of memory, storage, PSU, etc. Honestly I don't even know if the parts I've already got in my build are any good either, I've put them on the list based on their affordability and reviews from several different sites.

So I'm just putting this out there, looking for some help finishing my build. I'm really trying to keep the cost down as low as possible (think ~$800, but higher if absolutely necessary). I think I want 8 GBs of memory, and at least half a TB of storage. I would like a (small) SSD too, if budget allows.

I would also like a decent quality PSU (I don't want any kind of damage to my PC from faulty PSU). Not too expensive, but middle of the line. As for the case, I want the cheapest, ugliest thing that gets the job done. I don't care much about appearances, hardly anyone will ever see it.

Thanks to anyone who can offer some assistance.
 
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manofchalk

manofchalk

Glorious
May 11, 2012
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What you have got so far is fairly good, nothing to really change.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.94 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($334.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($55.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $775.87
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-19 20:53 EST-0500)
 
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Hazle

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Oct 28, 2011
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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport XT 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.94 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card ($298.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($71.30 @ Newegg)
Total: $760.19
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-19 20:36 EST-0500)

considering the tight budget, no harm going for a 280x. trades enough blows with the 770 to consider it's equal, the only pro being it's cheaper price. alternatively there's the 7950 Boost for ~$20-30 less, and a Gtx 760 for ~$40-50 less, if you can take some compromises with graphics quality. they'll at least still look & run better than consoles.

unless you're fine with a sole 120GB SSD as both a boot drive + games, or make some sacrifices on the other parts, fitting in an HDD+SSD for under $800 takes patience in waiting for the right deal. not hard with Black Friday around the corner i guess. and dropping a 1tb HDD to, say, 320GB only saves you about $15 or so. to summarize; don't have a lot of stuff to store > SSD, loads of pics/music/movies > HDD, willing to pay a bit more (sans deals) > SSD+HDD.

i'm assuming you don't need an OS/Monitor/Keyboard/Mice, but if you do need those, expect to make some compromises.
 
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DecapitatedApple

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Nov 6, 2013
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I like Hazle's build, but instead if the 6300 go with a Fx8320 for only like $30 more, which should bring you up to $800. Since you are a beginner I recommend going with a cheaper motherboard and cheaper power supply. Good luck!
 
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godfish

godfish

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Nov 5, 2013
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I agree with this, also maybe think about getting an aftermarket CPU cooler, but only if you will overclock. But since it sounds like you don't know a whole lot about computers, you most likely won't be doing any overclocking.

 
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dragonborn123

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Nov 19, 2013
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If I should go cheaper, any advice on which mobo or PSU I should get? As for coolers, I'll worry about that in the future, but I'll certainly keep that in mind.

EDIT: Also, something I notice is that the manufacturer of the 280X in Hazle's build is XFX. I've never heard of them, are they reputable? Wouldn't it be better to get this one, considering it's from Sapphire and the same price?
 
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godfish

godfish

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I would personally prefer sapphire over XFX, but both are good.
 
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dragonborn123

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Nov 19, 2013
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Thanks, I would tend to agree. But is it a major concern that I can't seem to find the core clock speed for the Sapphire card? I've done a bit of searching, but I haven't been able to turn it up.
 
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dragonborn123

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Nov 19, 2013
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Didn't notice this until just now, but isn't the 6300 better than the 8320 when overclocked? While I don't necessarily plan on overclocking in the near future, I'll want it when performance begins to fall off. Is there a specific reason why the 8320 would be a better option?
 
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DecapitatedApple

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Nov 6, 2013
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Well the 8320 is newer than the 6300 and has 2 more cores. You can overclock the 8320 too and get faster speeds. Both are great choices but the 8320 is better overall
 
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