HELP!!! Noob's first gaming PC build, need Approval

BrainyMax · Jun 16, 2014

Hello, I am building my very first PC(intended for gaming) and after a few hours of researching parts I finally decided on the ones I want, but before I spend any money I want to get the approval of an experienced PC builder to tell me if I should switch out any parts to make it better. Please tell me if I can make my computer better (for gaming) and stay between or a little over $500-$600. And please tell me what the best specs are for a gaming rig with this price.

NOTE: I am brand new to computer building so that means I am also new to computer slang, so if you can, please use simple words to explain things. Thanks.

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Amazon)

Motherboard: MSI H81M-P33 V2 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($54.49 @ Amazon)

Memory: PNY Optima 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($59.50 @ Amazon)

Storage: Toshiba 500GB 2.5" 5400RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive ($74.29 @ Amazon)

Video Card: MSI Radeon R7 260X 2GB Video Card ($119.99 @ Newegg)

Case: Don't need one

Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (19.99 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($17.12 @ NCIX US)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($98.88 @ NCIX US)

Monitor: Don't need one

Total: $564.25

envy14tpe · Jun 16, 2014

Looks pretty good. However, your HDD is too expensive and not very good. Also, the RAM. These are the changes I propose:
Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)

You might not need 1TB but it is almost same price as the 500GB ones. Also, faster RAM for barely more.

Rationale · Jun 16, 2014

I, personally, would not go with the hybrid drive. I'd get a cheaper 500GB or 1TB HDD now, and add an SSD later (while keeping the HDD).

Additionally, if you can find an Asus or ASrock motherboard for that price, it would have a lower chance of failing, though it's not a big concern.

Minor quibbles aside, that's a good build for the price.

The R7 260X is arguably the best budget card. EVGA makes a superclocked GTX 750 for the same price and about the same speed as that R7 260X, so that might be worth a look for the Nvidia specific effects. But it's really a matter of preference at that point, because the cost is the same and the performance goes back and forth from game to game.

The i3-4130 really is the best budget CPU. The FX-6300 beats it in a few games, but in the majority, the i3 will be ahead.

The PSU is generally considered reliable. Might not age the best, but it's unbeatable for the price, especially since it's on sale.

The 1333mhz RAM is likely to draw criticism, but it won't noticeably affect performance in a mid-range PC or lower. So it's really not a concern unless you can find 1600mhz for the same price.

IrnMan · Jun 16, 2014

Definitely make the changes suggested by envy14tpe. Do as Rationale says and just go for the HDD and if you feel the need for faster disk speeds then add in an SDD later.

Rationale :

Also i'd like to reiterate this. I've seen quite a few people reporting some instability with MSI boards, I don't know if this is a few isolated issues relating to specific boards or a blanket issue. Just do some research into your board and make sure this doesn't have these problems. Otherwise play it safe and go for an asus.

wickreD · Jun 16, 2014

for that price range , i would go with an amd build.
get a cheaper hdd, and put the money you saved to get a better graphics card [270], also buying an os is a waste of money imo .

Rationale · Jun 16, 2014

wickreD :

He can't not buy an OS unless he pirates it, and that's illegal and not supported on this forum, to the best of my knowledge. The other option is an open source OS like Linux, but that's pretty useless for gaming considering 95% of games are only on Windows.

Additionally, the i3-4130 performs at least as well as any competing AMD CPU for the price. The competitor at the price point is the FX-6300, and it performs no better than the i3 on average. A bit better in some games, worse in others. It also consumes more power, so if he went with an R9 270 and FX-6300, there's a strong chance he'd have to replace his PSU with a more expensive one.

wickreD · Jun 17, 2014

Rationale :

i'm just saying that he will get better fps in games with an 750k + r9 270.
and now i said anything about pirating anything . but paying 100$ for an os is too much, you can get keys for much cheaper or you can use linux\steamos which does have a fair share of games and more are to come.

Rationale · Jun 17, 2014

wickreD :

That depends on the game. Some are CPU bound enough that the 750K would be a bottleneck. The old Phenom II 955 I just replaced scores a bit better than a 750K in benchmarks, and I got rid of it because it was holding my framerate down in games like Skyrim and Dragon Age. I have a GTX 660, so my card is comparable to an R9 270 (non-X). If my 660 was bottlenecked in some games by a Phenom II, the R9 270 would certainly be bottlenecked by the 750K.

wickreD · Jun 17, 2014

Rationale :

wickreD :

That depends on the game. Some are CPU bound enough that the 750K would be a bottleneck. The old Phenom II 955 I just replaced scores a bit better than a 750K in benchmarks, and I got rid of it because it was holding my framerate down in games like Skyrim and Dragon Age. I have a GTX 660, so my card is comparable to an R9 270 (non-X). If my 660 was bottlenecked in some games by a Phenom II, the R9 270 would certainly be bottlenecked by the 750K.

in games like skyrim you are right, since they utilize only one core , but in newer games with better optimization like battlefield 4, the cpu won't bottleneck you unless you get a 280x or higher.

Rationale · Jun 17, 2014

wickreD :

Skyrim actually mostly uses 2 cores. It was Oblivion that used 1 core. But yeah, the problem is the same either way.

The thing is, the old games didn't suddenly disappear. There are still a lot of people who play them, and even some new games (mostly MMOs) use 2 cores. Others, like Dragon Age Origins or Miasmata, use multiple cores but rely on the CPU so heavily that an Athlon 750K won't be enough, but an i3-4130 would be.

In some games, certainly, an Athlon + R9 270 would get better graphics and performance than an i3 + 750 TI. But in other games, the i3 + 750 TI will get better graphics and performance.

This is why I normally ask what games a person wants to play most before I recommend parts. It makes it much more straightforward.

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HELP!!! Noob's first gaming PC build, need Approval

BrainyMax

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envy14tpe

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IrnMan

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wickreD

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wickreD

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wickreD

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Rationale

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