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Gaming PC build - first shot at my own system ~$800-1000

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  • Gaming
  • Build
  • Systems
Last response: in Systems
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August 10, 2014 8:11:33 AM

I'm looking to build my own PC system and have received some good advice from users on the forum. But I'm interested in trying my own hand at a build or two and was wondering if what I've assembled is at all reasonable for gaming and light photo editing in Lightroom.

I play mostly strategy games (think Crusader Kings II), but I'm also interested in Skyrim, The Witcher, and Dragon Age. I don't play many first person shooters, though I suppose that could change. In any case, I'm interested in medium-high settings at 60 FPS where possible. I don't need maximum settings by any means.

I also like to watch Netflix, Hulu, HBOGO, etc. My primary concern is keeping this within the $800 to $1000 range and keeping the system cool. The lower the price the better, honestly, but I'd like to see what's possible. I need OS, monitor, wireless, and keyboard/mouse included in the price.

Here's what I've managed to put together (comes out to $958.86):

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gjwcgs

If you think I can get by with a cheaper machine, awesome. If not, let me know what needs improving/changing. Thanks for your help!

More about : gaming build shot system 800 1000

a b 4 Gaming
August 10, 2014 8:12:51 AM

looks fine, the card should give you medium no probs
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August 10, 2014 8:16:25 AM

that's great news. I think that's the cheapest I've managed to assemble with all the peripherals. other than upgrading the graphics card and RAM, will I have a CPU upgrade path available to me with that mobo?
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a b 4 Gaming
August 10, 2014 8:17:36 AM

lcaldwell04 said:
that's great news. I think that's the cheapest I've managed to assemble with all the peripherals. other than upgrading the graphics card and RAM, will I have a CPU upgrade path available to me with that mobo?


I would say so, I'm not a expert on amd chipsets but I think it should be fine, at the very worst you do a BIOS update
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August 10, 2014 11:19:01 AM

If I toss out the SSD, I can get a great system under $1000, with a slightly better graphics card. Seems like the 270x might be worth it. I can always pick up the SSD later.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/FxGP8d
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/FxGP8d/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($109.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 LE R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($88.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 270X 2GB Dual-X Video Card ($178.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($57.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer H226HQLbid 60Hz 21.5" Monitor ($137.00 @ Amazon)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Keyboard: Logitech MK550 Wireless Ergonomic Keyboard w/Laser Mouse ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $934.86

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-10 14:18 EDT-0400
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a b 4 Gaming
August 10, 2014 11:19:42 AM

bad psu choice, and spend the 60 dollars more on a r9 280
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August 10, 2014 11:23:37 AM

this look better?

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/dsZJpg
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/dsZJpg/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($109.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 LE R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($88.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280 3GB Dual-X Video Card ($205.66 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($57.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer H226HQLbid 60Hz 21.5" Monitor ($137.00 @ Amazon)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Keyboard: Logitech MK550 Wireless Ergonomic Keyboard w/Laser Mouse ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $991.53
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-10 14:22 EDT-0400
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a b 4 Gaming
August 10, 2014 11:28:20 AM

yep, not too bad, i'd say high on stable fps, just make sure the psu can handle the card
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August 10, 2014 12:11:19 PM

the estimated wattage is 394W - do I need to watch out for anything else to make sure the PSU is sufficient?
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a b 4 Gaming
August 10, 2014 12:17:50 PM

lcaldwell04 said:
the estimated wattage is 394W - do I need to watch out for anything else to make sure the PSU is sufficient?


nah not really, plenty of headroom so it's fine
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!