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(Never built a PC before) I am looking into building a gaming PC, are these specs good?

Tags:
  • Tom's Hardware
  • $500
  • $605
  • cheap
  • $600
  • Western Digital Caviar BLue
  • MSI
  • $400
  • never built before
  • Rosewil
  • AMD
  • specs
  • Crucial Ballistix
  • pc
  • Build
  • Gaming
  • $700
  • Radeon
  • thread
  • tomshardware
  • 430w Corsair
  • Games
Last response: in Systems
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May 19, 2014 12:08:59 PM

I have never built a PC before, and I really need a new one. My maximum price is $700, but I would like to stay in the $400-$600 range. I was looking at some videos and doing some research and so far these are the parts I've come up with:
AMD Athlon X4 760k
MSI A78M-E35
Radeon R7 260K
8GB Crucial Ballistix
Western Digital Caviar Blue 500BG HDD
430W Corsair PSU
Rosewill Line-M
TP-Link TL-WDN4800 Dual Band Wireless N900 D4 Adapter
That total is around $605
Is there anyway I can make this build cheaper with around the same performance?
Thanks for your help
- Squishy

More about : built building gaming specs good

a b 4 Gaming
May 19, 2014 12:56:59 PM

What are your needs/wants for your computers use? You have a listed budget but without knowing a little more it may be hard to help you.
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a c 100 À AMD
a c 284 4 Gaming
May 19, 2014 1:11:27 PM

It says for gaming in the title lol

You can get better CPU and GPU power and a better HDD in that budget:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-4300 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($104.97 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper TX3 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($18.16 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($49.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($46.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Rosewill Line-M MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 620W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN881ND 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($18.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $582.07
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-19 16:10 EDT-0400)

Comes in under $600, and will give you High settings at 1080p :) 
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a b 4 Gaming
May 19, 2014 1:15:50 PM

HiTechObsessed said:
It says for gaming in the title lol

You can get better CPU and GPU power and a better HDD in that budget:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-4300 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($104.97 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper TX3 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($18.16 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($49.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($46.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Rosewill Line-M MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 620W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN881ND 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($18.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $582.07
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-19 16:10 EDT-0400)

Comes in under $600, and will give you High settings at 1080p :) 


But what type of gaming are we talking minesweeper are we talking WoW are we talking BF4 specifics are important.
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May 21, 2014 5:43:44 PM

I'm thinking about loading up Arma 3, DayZ, Warthunder, Battlefield 4 all at high or lower settings. I have never built a PC before, so at this point I have considered just buying one.
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Best solution

a b À AMD
a c 280 4 Gaming
May 21, 2014 7:19:17 PM

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($108.96 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H81.Amp-UP ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($74.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Team Xtreem Dark Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($65.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 270 2GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($154.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Window ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN881ND 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($18.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $568.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-21 22:17 EDT-0400)

Can be upgraded later on to an i5 later on and the total is lower than your $600 budget
Share
May 22, 2014 7:03:08 AM

So am I better off keeping the parts I listed before for an extra $40, or will I get more performance from these new parts?
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a c 100 À AMD
a c 284 4 Gaming
May 22, 2014 7:10:16 AM

The build I listed above will give you better overall performance all around. The 760k is pretty poor for the stronger GPUs, and with the tweaks I did to the build, you can get a better CPU and a better GPU in the 270, which will give you High easy at 1080p, maybe even better when overclocked.
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May 22, 2014 7:36:31 AM

This is my first build, so do you have any recommendations about how to go about building this? Also can I upgrade the graphics card for future reference? And what kind of performance will I get out of this on Arma 3, DayZ and Battlefield
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a c 100 À AMD
a c 284 4 Gaming
May 22, 2014 10:34:54 AM

My build above with the 4300+270 would give you High in ARMA 3 and DayZ, and depending on how well your 270 overclocks, with Mantle, you may be able to get Ultra in BF4.

And the 620w PSU I included is more than capable of handling any single graphics card you would want to upgrade to :) 

As for the recommendations on building, check out LinusTechTips and CareyHolzman on YouTube. They have superb build-guides that guide you step-by-step and show/explain everything.

LinusTechTips: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8mG-RkN2uTwlcLU...
CareyHolzman: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlgrBv7zqfLSv30O...
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a b À AMD
a c 280 4 Gaming
May 22, 2014 1:29:20 PM

SquishytheSquid said:
So am I better off keeping the parts I listed before for an extra $40, or will I get more performance from these new parts?


Yes for $40 more you are getting a better performance. The core i3 performs similar to the fx 6300 if you're comparing it to an AMD build. With the 760k you are limited in upgrading, where as with an intel build you can upgrade later on to an i5.
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a c 100 À AMD
a c 284 4 Gaming
May 22, 2014 2:04:43 PM

The i3 will see some slow downs in games like BF4 and ARMA3, due to only having 2 physical cores. Hyperthreading helps, but CPU-intensive situations will hurt it more than the 6300.
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a b À AMD
a c 280 4 Gaming
May 22, 2014 2:22:57 PM

HiTechObsessed said:
The i3 will see some slow downs in games like BF4 and ARMA3, due to only having 2 physical cores. Hyperthreading helps, but CPU-intensive situations will hurt it more than the 6300.


Well actually for arma 3 it's right on par with the 6300 and it's true it will have lower fps in bf4, but not by that much.
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a c 100 À AMD
a c 284 4 Gaming
May 22, 2014 2:26:03 PM

I'm not talking about average FPS, I'm talking about frame drops you'll see during CPU-intensive sequences. Average FPS will most likely win with the i3, but I would rather have slightly lower FPS with less frame drops than higher averages with frame dips.
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May 22, 2014 3:22:09 PM

So is it a win win situation if I go with HiTechObsessed's build? And where do you reccomend I get the parts shipped from ie Newegg, Amazon, PcPartPicker etc?

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a b À AMD
a c 280 4 Gaming
May 22, 2014 5:25:18 PM

Well I'd honestly get this build instead if you choose to go the AMD route:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($109.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Xtreem Dark Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($65.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.43 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 270 2GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($154.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Window ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN881ND 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($18.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $569.35
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-22 20:20 EDT-0400)

Better CPU and case, cheaper price. I'd get it on the websites that are listed because that is where the part is the cheapest.
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May 22, 2014 6:22:53 PM

SquishytheSquid said:
So is it a win win situation if I go with HiTechObsessed's build? And where do you reccomend I get the parts shipped from ie Newegg, Amazon, PcPartPicker etc?


PCParPicker is an aggregator for sites to buy parts, showing where to find the lowest prices of all the tech vendors. Depending on where you live, Newegg might impose a tax so then Amazon is your best bet but either retailer are excellent choices. Also HiTechObsessed build has a A78 board with a Vishera CPU which is far better suited with an A970 or A990 board. RazerZ build is the best out of all them, in my opinion
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May 22, 2014 8:08:01 PM

AMD route? Is there something I'm missing out on? Are only some PC parts compatible? Or could I combine both Razor and TechObsessed builds? Also, I saw another one of your builds TechObsessed, would this be better than your previous one?
CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($109.99 @ TigerDirect)
Motherboard: MSI 970A-G46 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($79.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: GeIL EVO Veloce Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($62.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital RE3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($50.44 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 270 2GB Video Card ($194.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Sentey CS1-1398 PLUS ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $608.35
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a b 4 Gaming
May 24, 2014 11:35:14 AM

SquishytheSquid said:
AMD route? Is there something I'm missing out on? Are only some PC parts compatible? Or could I combine both Razor and TechObsessed builds? Also, I saw another one of your builds TechObsessed, would this be better than your previous one?
CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($109.99 @ TigerDirect)
Motherboard: MSI 970A-G46 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($79.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: GeIL EVO Veloce Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($62.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital RE3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($50.44 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 270 2GB Video Card ($194.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Sentey CS1-1398 PLUS ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $608.35


You could absolutely you could. Add the two. And they are quite compatible.
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May 25, 2014 2:59:54 PM

Add which ones?

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