Gaming PC under $550?

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BBeast10

Honorable
Dec 18, 2013
2
0
10,510
I am looking for a good PC build under 550 dollars, no more.
These are my requirements:
-Play modern games at high settings
-Support expansion in the future (SLI, CrossfireX)
-At least 750gb of HDD space
This is kind of a big build for me since I'm coming from an E-350 APU which stinks.....
My current list here: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2mrev
Is there any way I can improve?
Thanks,
BBeast10
 
Solution
todd1780
I must be in the minority here but I think you did pretty well picking your parts. I do have to disagree with a couple of the comments made by others here, I'm sure that will make me very popular!
First off, the difference between 1333 and 1600 RAM is negligible. On paper it will transfer data a bit faster but it won't be anything you can actually "feel" in-game. And RAM is usually very easily over clocked in most cases. I have 8 GB of 1333 memory that I overclocked to 1866. I wont guarantee that you will be able to achieve that speed, but there's a very good chance. To be fair you can find 1600 MHz memory for about the same price as the 1333 you picked.
Second, the motherboard you picked isn't a very good overclocking motherboard so an...
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filippi

filippi

Distinguished
Oct 18, 2012
4,047
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18,960
This is my suggestion for $550:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-4300 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 LE R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($74.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: GeIL EVO Veloce Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($68.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7850 1GB Video Card ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec One ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 520W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Logitech MK520 Wireless Ergonomic Keyboard w/Laser Mouse ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $553.90
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-12-18 18:27 EST-0500)
 
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todd1780

todd1780

Honorable
Dec 29, 2012
212
0
10,860
I must be in the minority here but I think you did pretty well picking your parts. I do have to disagree with a couple of the comments made by others here, I'm sure that will make me very popular!
First off, the difference between 1333 and 1600 RAM is negligible. On paper it will transfer data a bit faster but it won't be anything you can actually "feel" in-game. And RAM is usually very easily over clocked in most cases. I have 8 GB of 1333 memory that I overclocked to 1866. I wont guarantee that you will be able to achieve that speed, but there's a very good chance. To be fair you can find 1600 MHz memory for about the same price as the 1333 you picked.
Second, the motherboard you picked isn't a very good overclocking motherboard so an after market cooler won't be needed. The stock heat sink/fan will be more than enough to keep your CPU cooled very well. MSI has kind of a dodgy rep when it comes to their 970 boards.
I think you did pretty good! That machine will be a beast compared to what your using now.
 
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Solution
photonboy

photonboy

Titan
Jun 20, 2006
21,567
13
85,015


I mostly agree:
- get 1600MHz or better if minimal price difference
- keep the FX-6300 (the extra cores should benefit more in the future and the price isn't a lot different)
- that MSI motherboard isn't great (read about instability issues)

I'll put my own two cents into a build.
 
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photonboy

photonboy

Titan
Jun 20, 2006
21,567
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85,015
I had a NIGHTMARE until I realized your hard drive price wasn't listed so that screwed up everything (someone commented above but I missed that).

My recommendation is a COMBINATION of things then:

1) M5A97 LE R20 motherboard
2) 1600MHz DDR3 memory (2x4GB)
3) FX-6300 (keep that)

It's a really big hassle to try deciding between the FX-6300 or the FX-4300. Sure the 6300 has more cores that will end up being used a lot more in the near future but on the other hand the budget is so small that could be put towards a different component like the graphics.

Since I no longer knew what the exact budget is due to the hard drive price thing I'm just going to leave it there and let you pick and choose based on the advice (including the CPU cooler advice which I agree with, but again slightly more money... sigh.)
 
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