$800 Budget Gaming Build

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copakicker

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May 25, 2014
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I have done a ton of research over the last few weeks and I'm close to pulling the trigger on this build. I'm going AMD (great deal on a FX8320) and have most things in place with the exception being my GPU choice. I'm torn between either the Sapphire Dual-X R9 280x ($245) or the Tri-X R9 290 ($345). Here is my specs so far. To lock these prices I have to buy this tomorrow. I thought about throwing in an 240GB PNY SSD for about $100 (buy a storage hdd later) but I don't know if it is worth the extra $50 up front. Figured for gaming I want to put the most investment in the GPU. I know that the CPU is a decent overclocker but ill wait to get a Cooler Master 212 Evo before I start to push it.

I am brand new to all of this and would really appreciate some help before making this investment. Tom's Hardware has been huge on educating myself up to this point. Thanks in Advance!


PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3QYbv
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3QYbv/benchmarks/

Prices w/ Sales and Rebates
CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($105)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($75)
Memory: A-Data XPG V2 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($55)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($55)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280X 3GB Dual-X Video Card ($245)
OR: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X Video Card ($345)
Case: Rosewill Challenger-U3 ATX Mid Tower Case ($50)
Power Supply: Rosewill Green 630W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($50)
Optical Drive: Sony 5280S-CB-PLUS DVD/CD Writer (Have Already)

Total: $635 w/ the R9 280x or $735 w/ the R9 290.
 
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The R9-290 is definitely a strong card and the Tri-X cooler is great. It's up to you if you want to spend the extra $100 for it or not. For the price, both of them are extremely good. They're both about $50 under MSRP.
Spend an extra $10 for the Asus M5A97 R2.0 motherboard. It's much better suited for overclocking.
I would definitely say to get a better case. I have the Rosewill Challenger - not that great. The cable management is bad and it's not really suited to hold components like the R9-290 or R9-280X that exhausts a lot of heat into the case. I would say to go for the NZXT Phantom 410.
The psu isn't very good, especially with components like the FX-8320 and R9 gpus that consume a lot of wattage. Go for a higher quality unit like...
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CTurbo

CTurbo

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The Sapphire Tri-X 290 is an awesome card so I say go with that one if you can! That's not a terrible psu, but I would go with a XFX, Antec, or Seasonic 80+ Bronze instead. Other than that, it looks like a good build. Ssds are great, but not necessary. You could always add one later. If you do get one, I recommend a Crucial or Samsung. I don't think I would get a PNY unless it was WAY cheaper. Make sure to pick up a good after market cooler before you overclock.
 
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realchaos

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The R9-290 is definitely a strong card and the Tri-X cooler is great. It's up to you if you want to spend the extra $100 for it or not. For the price, both of them are extremely good. They're both about $50 under MSRP.
Spend an extra $10 for the Asus M5A97 R2.0 motherboard. It's much better suited for overclocking.
I would definitely say to get a better case. I have the Rosewill Challenger - not that great. The cable management is bad and it's not really suited to hold components like the R9-290 or R9-280X that exhausts a lot of heat into the case. I would say to go for the NZXT Phantom 410.
The psu isn't very good, especially with components like the FX-8320 and R9 gpus that consume a lot of wattage. Go for a higher quality unit like the XFX 650w or a Seasonic 600w+ psu.
 
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copakicker

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Yeah this build is purely to get the most bang for my buck in terms of gaming. I have heard good things about the corsair 300r but ill definitely look into the Phantom 410. Are the Rosewill/Corsair PSU's really that much of a step down from the XFX, Seasonic, Cooler Masters? I've read a bad PSU can nuke everything with it if it goes down.
 
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CTurbo

CTurbo

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SeaSonic, Antec, and XFX make the most consistent best psus. I would say Corsair, EVGA, Rosewill, and Cooler Master would be in the next group. Of course there are other brands that make good stuff, but it's hit or miss with most or others are not so readily available in the US so I tend to stick with what I'm most familiar which is the brands listed above.
 
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