Need advice building amd gaming computer for under $400

mh321

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Jun 11, 2013
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Hello, I want to build the best gaming computer possible for under $400. I've already picked out most of the parts I might buy, but I need help in determining if all the parts are compatible with each other, and if it is the best I can get for the money. They can be new or used, but I'd prefer new.

CPU: AMD FX-4130 $85
MB: ASRock 970 PRO3 R2.0 $83
RAM: Kingston KTH9600B/4G Kingston 4GB DDR3 1333Mhz PC3-10600 ram module $35
GPU: HD7770 about $100 (I am unsure about what GPU to choose, would prefer amd)
PSU: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply $25
Case: Xigmatek CCM-23ABX-U01 (Aeos) Black SECC $30
HDD: A used sata drive for $15

Current cost is about $373
The computer will be running windows xp x64 (I don't care about updates from microsoft), so hopefully 4GB will be enough RAM.
I already own a large amount of optical drives, lcds, mice, etc.

Will this system run the newest 3D games well? What should I expect? Will all the components be compatible with each other?

Any help is very welcome.
Thanks
 
Solution

JohnPMyers

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Apr 7, 2010
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Since you're building this to play games with, the main thing you may want to check is if the games you like are even compatible with Windows XP.

Another note, using only 1 RAM module will cut your memory bandwidth in half. 2 are strongly recommended, even if you dropped down to 2GB apiece.
 

mh321

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Jun 11, 2013
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My idea behind the 1x 4gb module was that I could eventually add in more 4gb modules later on, maxing out to 16GB if I ever need it. Will the loss in bandwidth be noticeable?
 
the AMD 41xx series is horrid. He's my suggestion instead:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD Athlon II X4 760K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI FM2-A55M-E33 Micro ATX FM2 Motherboard ($49.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: GeIL EVO Leggara Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($68.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 320GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($39.06 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 460 768MB Video Card ($88.78 @ Amazon)
Case: Rosewill RANGER-M MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-118BB DVD/CD Drive ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $412.77
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-19 20:50 EST-0500)

the 460 is an older card, but reasonable for most gaming, and stronger than a similarly priced 7750 or 650
 
Solution

mh321

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Jun 11, 2013
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I think I prefer the am3+ socket since I can upgrade to 8-core cpus later. I want a am3+ motherboard that will have a little more pcie/pci slots than what was suggested, something similar to what I picked.

Can anyone give me a few more suggestions for parts? Thank you very much.