My very first build to be. Feedback is welcome!

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codetrasher

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Jun 17, 2014
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Hello all!

In near future I'm going to build my very first PC. I'm on a quite tight budget since I've just recently got a new job and I'm currently the only one working in the family (I have a wife and a little boy). So, I believe you understand there's a limited amount of money to put aside for my build.

This build will serve as a mid-range gaming PC (Skyrim, Minecraft, BF 3 or 4...) and as a workstation for my game and other programming needs. I'm not looking for the most fancy graphics when it comes to gaming. If the game runs smoothly and has a decent level of detail, I'm satisfied. I'm planning to OC the FX-6300 a little higher and can't really decide between CM Hyper Evo 212 and a water cooling system. I've read good reviews about Evo 212 so that's why I picked it to my build.

Here's a link to my build in PCPartPicker:
http://de.pcpartpicker.com/user/Codetrasher/saved/tXrmP6

Part list in detail:
CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3
Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600
Storage: PNY XLR8 120GB 2.5" SSD
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB
Case: BitFenix Comrade ATX
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer
PSU: SeaSonic S12II 520W

Any feedback is welcome and much appreciated! Many thanks!
 
Solution
Ninjamilez
If you don't want to overclock then an i5-4690 would be a good option, if you can find somewhere that ships to where you live. If not then an i5-4670 would be better. Bear in mind that if you want to overclock then you need a K series CPU like the i5-4690K or the i5-4670K. The i5-4670 or i5-4690 are probably the best CPUs for gaming, without going for something super expensive. The i5-4690 is better, though. It has better heat dissipation and slightly higher clock speed.

On Amazon DE, the i5-4690 is €206.66.

If you're gaming, the GPU is the last thing you want to downgrade and I'd definitely NOT recommend giving up the SSD. Keep it and leave the GPU as it is.

Also, a 450W PSU is enough for that build but, if you want to upgrade...
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Ninjamilez

Ninjamilez

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Apr 30, 2014
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If you're on a tight budget then a water cooling system will push up your budget a lot. If you go custom water cooling then you're looking at a few hundred pounds/dollars/euros on top of an expensive system. You could go with an all in one cooler like the Corsair H110 for H80i. The H110 will be about four times more than the 212 EVO and the H80i will be over double.

Apart from that, your proposed build looks fine, although, just because I prefer the brand, I'd go for an Intel over an AMD. You should just stick with the FX-6300 if you can't afford to spend the extra for Intel.
 
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codetrasher

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Jun 17, 2014
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Thank you Ninjamilez for your answer. I thought a long bit which way to go, AMD or Intel, and I chose AMD due to its price against performance. I'm aware of the fact that Intel has overall better performing CPUs in every category but I had to make the decision based on my budget, and I if I had chosen to go the Intel way I would've had to give up the SSD or change the GTX 750 Ti to less powerful GPU.

But let's assume I could put, let's say, $100 - $200 more to my budget and I choose the Intel way, what would you recommend? If I get AMD, I am most likely to OC it to get more boost out of it, but I can't see that necessary if I get Intel. i7s are a way out of my budget but some of the i5 could do. Would i5-4440 or i5-4460 be a good choice?
 
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Ninjamilez

Ninjamilez

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Apr 30, 2014
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If you don't want to overclock then an i5-4690 would be a good option, if you can find somewhere that ships to where you live. If not then an i5-4670 would be better. Bear in mind that if you want to overclock then you need a K series CPU like the i5-4690K or the i5-4670K. The i5-4670 or i5-4690 are probably the best CPUs for gaming, without going for something super expensive. The i5-4690 is better, though. It has better heat dissipation and slightly higher clock speed.

On Amazon DE, the i5-4690 is €206.66.

If you're gaming, the GPU is the last thing you want to downgrade and I'd definitely NOT recommend giving up the SSD. Keep it and leave the GPU as it is.

Also, a 450W PSU is enough for that build but, if you want to upgrade later on, keep the 550W PSU. Downgrading can save you some money, though.
 
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RCguitarist

RCguitarist

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Personally, I'd rather have an i3 4130 CPU than the FX-6300. Not only is the i3 just as fast as the 6300, it runs cooler, uses less voltage and gives you a much better upgrade path for the future. The i3 and a 1150 socket H series motherboard should run you about the same cost as the 6300 setup.

For your storage, 120GB will not be enough if you plan on gaming beyond maybe 3 games. You will want a good 1 or 2 TB HDD. If you are on a budget, I would skip on getting an SSD for now and get a 1TB Western Digital Black HDD. They perform great (I have one so I know first hand). I have used pcs with SSDs in them and it is neat how fast they load windows and can open photoshop, spotify, etc., but honestly it's a novelty over a good 7200 RPM HDD. My pc boots up very fast and opens photoshop within 4 seconds. So really the 2 extra seconds of my life that I lose by not having an SSD are not really an inconvenience. That said, if I ever have need to reinstall windows in the future, i'll probably pick up a 120GB Samsung EVO for the heck of it.

Lastly, for the graphics card, if you can swing it money-wise, i'd suggest you get a 760 or at least a 660. They will keep you from having to upgrade longer than the 750Ti will.
 
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codetrasher

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You both have good point... I didn't think through the upgrade path here. I read that AMD won't be upgrading its FX-series further so the AM3+ socket will be a dead end. So, future-proof way seems to be Intel, then. Thanks for your help guys. I think I'll get an Intel CPU and try to build PC best for my budget.
 
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RCguitarist

RCguitarist

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An i3 4130 +750Ti PC is a good solid medium to high setting rig. I doubt you would be disappointed. Look up some of the benchmark tests here on Tom's to get an idea of what you can expect in some games as far as framerates.
 
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