First Time Gaming PC Build $650

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tdickson22

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Jul 17, 2014
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This is my first time building a PC and I'm having a little trouble picking parts, mainly CPU and GPU. I'm looking to play recent games at max settings at 1920x1080 with a few graphic mods. I've been basing my selection off of Skyrim at ultra, because there is a lot of information on that topic.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($118.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master RR-HT2-28PK-R1 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($16.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus M5A78L-M/USB3 Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($46.79 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($71.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 320GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($33.49 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 270 2GB Core Edition Video Card ($139.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Rosewill Galaxy-03 ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 430W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Cisco AM10 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($9.99 @ Micro Center)
Keyboard: Logitech K360 Wireless Mini Keyboard ($19.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $597.19
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

I like the FX-2300 because it is pretty cheap, but is 6 cores overkill? Is there a better CPU at around that price?

The R9-270 showed good FPS in the benchmarks I've seen. With so many cards to choose from, is there a better option?

Is the CPU cooler necessary?

Lastly, I'm a bit under budget. Would spending an additional $50 give me any significant improvements? (I already have a monitor, mouse, and USB disk drive.)

Thanks!!
 
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Onus

Onus

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Jan 27, 2006
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With Skyrim the goal, I'd switch that to an Intel i3 build.
If you keep the FX-6300 though, get a true 900-series motherboard, not an ancient 700-series with a modern socket glued onto it. You'll get native interfaces for USB3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s, better chipset performance, and the potential for better overclocking. Check the spreadsheet at https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AgN1D79Joo7tdE9xMUFlMEVWeFhuckJEVF9aMmtpUFE&gid=3 for a board not listed for VRM issues (like the cheap MSI 970A-G4x boards).
Wireless keyboards (and mice) are generally not preferred for gaming because they can introduce lag and/or misclicks easily. I'd look into something wired.
USB wireless adapters have a tendency to suck, if only due to sub-par antennas. If you need a wireless LAN adapter, a dual-band PCIe x1 card will perform MUCH better. I didn't realize how big the difference was until I bought one, and it is huge.
That looks like a refurbished HDD. I'd get a new 500GB at minimum, if only for the better warranty, but a single 320GB drive seems a little small.
 
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Rapajez

Rapajez

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If you really want to max out 1080p, and be able to do so for more than a few months, I'd put some of that $50 toward a better R9 270X for only a few more bucks, or GTX 760. A GTX 770 or R9 280 would probably keep you future-proof for a few years, but that's stretching your budget.

Either way, good luck!
 
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Onus

Onus

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"Max" settings is, IMHO, very misleading. I often cynically refer to "UltraMaxOhWOW!" for everything turned up as high as possible, often merely for the sake of doing so. It is amazing how much better most games will run if only a few settings aren't pegged at the highest they will go, yet how little it affects image quality. When you consider how good even "Medium" looks in many modern games, a card that should easily manage "High" settings (like the HD7870 / R9 270X) should have a lot of life left in it.
 
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Rapajez

Rapajez

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Agreed. It's too bad the industry sucks at explaining that to most PC gamers. I usually start with turning AA down, as I'd rather lose that then effects, view distance, lighting, etc...

Anyway, if there's $50 to burn, I'd still say put it toward the GPU. In addition to your original comments of course.

 
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ps3hacker12

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I would reccommend spending that little bit more for getting a lot more:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($118.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master RR-HT2-28PK-R1 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($16.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 Pro3 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($71.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Momentus 7200.4 500GB 2.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($39.95 @ Mwave)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 270 2GB Core Edition Video Card ($139.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Rosewill Galaxy-03 ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-G300LX 802.11b/g PCI Wi-Fi Adapter ($8.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Logitech MK120 Wired Slim Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($14.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $615.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
 
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tdickson22

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Jul 17, 2014
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Thanks for all the information. I wanted to clarify that I was using skyrim as a mark for what "tier" components to purchase. Besides the fact that skyrim likes Intel chips, what are the advantages of an i3 over the FX?
 
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tdickson22

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Jul 17, 2014
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I updated my list:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($118.00 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 Pro3 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($71.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Momentus 7200.4 500GB 2.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($39.95 @ Mwave)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 280 3GB TurboDuo Video Card ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Rosewill Galaxy-03 ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 430W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-G300LX 802.11b/g PCI Wi-Fi Adapter ($8.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: V7 CK0A1-4N6P Wired Standard Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($11.24 @ Mwave)
Total: $630.11
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Onus do you have a PSU recommendation? Thanks!
 
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tdickson22

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Jul 17, 2014
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Ok another update:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($118.00 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 Pro3 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($71.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 280 3GB TurboDuo Video Card ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Azza CSAZ-206 ATX Mid Tower Case ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 430W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-G300LX 802.11b/g PCI Wi-Fi Adapter ($8.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: V7 CK0A1-4N6P Wired Standard Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($11.24 @ Mwave)
Total: $635.15
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
 
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ps3hacker12

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The CX430 V2 is a great PSU, rated 9/10 by Jonny Guru
 
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Onus

Onus

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Also, the R9 280 needs more than a 430W PSU, especially with a 95W CPU that will likely be overclocked.

The CX line used to be made by Seasonic, and was good. The current crop is made by CWT. They still review well when new, but because of the Samxon capacitors, have been cited for early failures because they can't take heat. You'll find references to these at badcaps.org, at HardwareInsights, and I believe also at HardwareSecrets (which references the other two, including Aussie reviewer c.hegge at HardwareInsights).
 
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