something along the lines of this build... is going to get you
close to running at playable on bf4 at ultra (45-54fps). you still might get a few frame dropouts here or there but some minor setting tweaks like reducing aa is going to get you pretty solid 50-55)
computer parts can change in price daily at times so i'm not showing all of the cheapest components with deals, rebates, specials. that can knock $50++ off these prices. likely with some tweaking you can knock $50-60 off the top.
i did not include the OS in the price
PCPartPicker part list /
Price breakdown by merchant /
Benchmarks
CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($139.99 @ Newegg)
better choice than the 6300 for a modest increase of $30
Motherboard: Asus M5A78L-M/USB3 Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($54.99 @ Microcenter)
its mATX but it works and has usb3. there are other choices but this is pretty cheap.
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($73.98 @ OutletPC)
this was on sale the other day but its not now. any 1600mhz 2x4gb sticks from a major brand will work.
Storage: Western Digital RE3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($55.94 @ Amazon)
not much to say about this.. except 5 year warranty.
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card ($319.99 @ B&H)
280x just touches the border of playable bf4 at 1080p ultra settings. if you knock aa down a notch you may even get a stable 50-55fps.
Case: Cougar Spike MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($40.98 @ Newegg)
nothing fancy about this case but its cheap, small form factor, can fit a decent size gpu and normal psu and it has decent airflow for such a small case.
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($85.99 @ Amazon)
seasonic can do no wrong pretty much when it comes to psus. its also semi modular which is a plus.
Total: $771.86 (if you shop around a bit on ram, perhaps look for some combo deals you should be able to chop $50 off easy.
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-12-18 01:25 EST-0500)