Best gaming PC for $450-$550

RangerRoss · Nov 20, 2014

I need a new computer, and i can scrap about $450-$550 for the new computer. I know my way around computers, but I want the best bang for the buck as we'll, any help?

sadams04 · Nov 20, 2014

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4150 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor ($109.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($67.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 Low Profile Blue 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($67.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 270X 2GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($164.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $564.91

Onus · Nov 20, 2014

If you can scrape up the extra $65, that's a good build from sadams04. Why $65? In addition to being $15 over, there's $50 of mail-in rebates in those prices. Rebates are a game, which you may not win, and still require you to pay up front.

RangerRoss · Nov 20, 2014

Will this system be able to run the following games at least on High settings and 40 FPS. 1080p :
Battlefield 4, Arma 2, Arma 3, Payday 2, Medieval II Total War, Left 4 Dead 2, and Rust

williamcummins · Nov 20, 2014

RangerRoss :

No. Unfortunately, you can't build a system with 550$ that will max out Arma 3 and BF 4...

boosted1g · Nov 20, 2014

Cheapest you are going to get to do high on 1080p:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($124.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($68.99 @ Directron)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($71.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.44 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 280X 3GB DirectCU II Video Card ($229.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Rosewill CHALLENGER ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($13.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $673.34
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-20 11:06 EST-0500

williamcummins · Nov 20, 2014

I've read alot about Kaveri builds lately and you might be interested in that build :
[PCPartPicker part list](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/KHwBxr) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/KHwBxr/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [AMD A10-7850K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/amd-cpu-ad785kxbjabox) | $148.99 @ NCIX US
**CPU Cooler** | [Corsair H80i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-cpu-cooler-h80i) | $64.99 @ NCIX US
**Motherboard** | [Asus A78M-E Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-a78me) | $49.99 @ Newegg
**Memory** | [Patriot Viper 3 Low Profile Blue 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/patriot-memory-pvl38g160c9kb) | $67.99 @ Newegg
**Storage** | [Seagate Barracuda ES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st31000340nsffp) | $46.00 @ Amazon
**Video Card** | [XFX Radeon R7 250 4GB Video Card](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-video-card-r7250aelf4) | $84.50 @ Newegg
**Case** | [NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/nzxt-case-s210001) | $34.99 @ Micro Center
**Power Supply** | [XFX TS 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-power-supply-xfxts550w) | $53.98 @ Newegg
| | **Total**
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | $551.43
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-20 11:20 EST-0500 |

You basically crossfire a discrete card with the integrated graphics inside the GPU. What is nice about that APU is that CPU and GPU will actually work together on many computing tasks. Making this build extremely efficient. Check that video it might convince you aswell : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc72CvqS54o

logainofhades · Nov 20, 2014

Hybrid crossfire doesn't work very well. Also, $50 in mail in rebates, in that build.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($63.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($77.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Zeus Blue 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($67.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Toshiba 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cougar Spike MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($29.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($13.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit) ($90.26 @ OutletPC)
Video Card:Zotac GTX 750ti ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $549.17
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-20 11:09 EST-0500

Onus · Nov 20, 2014

I remain unconvinced that the 3258G is a safe buy for demanding games, until someone has presented a definitive analysis of stuttering issues.
BF4 multiplayer places a lot more demand on the CPU than single player mode. I do not know whether it uses more threads, or just more heavily works one or two threads.
In any case, my i5-3570K is so much smoother than my FX-8320 in poorly threaded games like MMOs that I'd favor an Intel CPU if possible.
The R9 270X is basically a rebranded HD7870, which is able to play most games on "Good" (high or better) settings. I am optimistic that it would do well enough for you that sacrificing CPU power to get a stronger GPU, in this case, might be a poor move.

truegenius · Nov 20, 2014

if you don't need os, monitor etc then I suggest this, good enough for 1080p
case is a bit cheap without any cable management, but we need to cut somewhere

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD A8-6600K 3.9GHz Quad-Core Processor ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A78M-HD2 Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($71.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Constellation ES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($134.77 @ TigerDirect)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 280 3GB TurboDuo Video Card ($141.00 @ Newegg)
Case: Azza SIRIUS ATX Mid Tower Case ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($13.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $553.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-20 13:57 EST-0500

boosted1g · Nov 20, 2014

truegenius :

Why would you buy an A8 and then get a decent dedicated GPU? The only advantage that A8 has over any CPU that is not an fm2 socket is its better then average integrated graphics. Even using a x4 760k or 860k (for cheaper) would be better then that A8. Of course the 860k which is the best of the best for that socket cant even compete with an i3 or a fx-6300.

truegenius · Nov 20, 2014

boosted1g :

fm2 because there was a combo offer ( 18$ discount ) in board and gskill Aries ram due to which i leaned towards fm2
and 6600k was just increase overall performance ( 200MHz extra seems to worth it )
edited my previous build as it also included os ( student version )
though here is another build

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($73.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Zeus Red 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Constellation ES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($134.77 @ TigerDirect)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 280 3GB TurboDuo Video Card ($141.00 @ Newegg)
Case: Azza SIRIUS ATX Mid Tower Case ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($13.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $559.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-20 14:05 EST-0500

Onus · Nov 20, 2014

Other than the Corsair "CX," that last one looks decent enough. Note that there is a $30 rebate on the video card. Just remember that rebates are a game you may not win.
As to the PSU, a good 500W-550W PSU is enough, and should therefor be one made by Seasonic (their own, XFX, some Antec), Delta (some Antec), or Super Flower (Rosewill Capstone, Kingwin Lazer, or EVGA G2).

logainofhades · Nov 20, 2014

Closest I could get, without MIR's and not getting total junk in the process.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($54.98 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Team Zeus Red 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Toshiba 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cougar Spike MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($29.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($13.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit) ($90.26 @ OutletPC)
Total: $549.17
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-20 14:39 EST-0500

truegenius · Nov 20, 2014

^^ whats up with CX ?
it got great rating of 4.6 from 342 ratings, great site reviews and output current values also good, with 3 year warranty
i choose it because it got 600w, 46A on 12v, thus its comparatively cheap capacitors ( people says ) ( that is why 200w extra ) won't be working hard to power this 400w rig thus will be great for this build

btw here is some more refinement to the rig

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($73.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Zeus Red 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Toshiba 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 280 3GB TurboDuo Video Card ($141.00 @ Newegg)
Case: Azza SIRIUS ATX Mid Tower Case ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($13.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $474.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-20 14:49 EST-0500

sadams04 · Nov 20, 2014

truegenius :

Regardless of how much power you plan to consume, the fact is it has poor components inside. If you want to risk it then that is your call. Going with an XFX or Seasonic unit upfront ensures a quality PSU and peace of mind. The XFX Bronze 550w is a steal at the moment...

Onus · Nov 20, 2014

The Corsair "CX" (and "GS") review well when new, but are built with some inferior Samxon capacitors that cannot take heat and have been cited for early failure (<1 year). C. Hegge at HardwareInsights has recapped a number of these, and the problem is also described on the badcaps.org forums.
I'd take truegenius' build with logain's PSU, OR sadams04's Intel parts with some of the lower priced parts that logain and trueg have found (that's a great GPU price, if you play the rebate game and win). If you go AMD, you want a true 900-series chipset board with native controllers for SATA 6Gb/s and USB3.0, and good VRMs like the Gigabyte 970 board.

SuperRafal · Nov 20, 2014

What I did is i chose all the parts from Amazon (except from RAM), so they're a bit pricier. You may get it cheaper somewhere else but I wanted this build to fit in the budget while buying from one vendor. No discounts.

Memory is important in this build - it will work very well with iGPU in CPU. Also APU CPU's can work with your R9 by dual graphics technology. All of this + mantle + 3GB/4GB of GPU memory... this will be powerful for gaming even at high resolutions.

If there is some money left getting a CPU cooler would be a great ugrade since overclocking here will work very nice.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD A8-5600K 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88X-D3H ATX FM2+ Motherboard ($77.49 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($75.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.68 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 280 3GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($189.99 @ Amazon)
--OR--
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270X 4GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($189.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Rosewill Galaxy-02 ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($48.65 @ Amazon)
Total: $550.78

logainofhades · Nov 20, 2014

SuperRafal :

The 270 is really as far as you really want to go with an FM2/FM2+ cpu. Anything faster than a 270 would be a waste, as the CPU would bottleneck, even overclocked to 4.3ghz. Your idea of all from the same place has merit though. The deal on the FX 6300 is a better buy than any FM2/FM2+ chip though.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($79.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper TX3 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($17.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($65.60 @ Amazon)
Memory: AMD Radeon R9 Gamer Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($72.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.68 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 270X 2GB DirectCU II Video Card ($159.79 @ Amazon)
Case: Enermax ECA3253-BL ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $549.03
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-20 16:17 EST-0500

Onus · Nov 20, 2014

^Switch to a true 900-series board with at least six VRM phases, and that would do. You might be able to find some cheaper DDR3-1600 RAM, but that's not a big deal. Make sure it is CAS9 and runs on 1.5V.

logainofhades · Nov 20, 2014

That board isn't the greatest, but sufficient for an FX 6300. I am speaking from experience here. I have an FX 8320 @ FX 8350 speeds, paired with that board. I bought the combo during Microcenter's black friday specials last year. Hasn't given me any issues at all. AMD doesn't need lower voltage ram either. That is just an Intel thing.

Onus · Nov 20, 2014

On the RAM voltage, the AMD system can handle a higher voltage than Intel, but on any BIOS reset, the board will revert to defaults that will likely be somewhat slower (e.g. CAS11) until settings are manually adjusted. This just seems like a pain where I don't need a pain, but...
The FX-6300 does indeed have a lower TDP, so the board probably wouldn't blow up, but it doesn't have SATA 6Gb/s at all, and USB3.0 is provided by slow, add-on controllers. Yes, it will work, but when spending this much money on a new system, I'd prefer to recommend more recent parts.

logainofhades · Nov 20, 2014

Does SATA 6 really matter much for HDD? I own one USB 3.0 compatible device, and that is my phone. :lol: In a perfect world, the 970a-UD3P would be cheaper, but budget dictates much here.

Onus · Nov 20, 2014

For a HDD, no, but he will no doubt (NONE, in my mind) eventually upgrade to a SSD, and there it will matter.

logainofhades · Nov 21, 2014

Maybe, I still haven't bought one. I would like one, for my laptop, but my '79 Bronco > PC related things.

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