Help with 1st pc build. Want it to be less than $500 USD

Claymoresama · Jan 11, 2015

Hello everyone. I would like to build my first gaming pc/ 1st pc ever. I've been parts hunting for some time now and I think I've narrowed it down to some decent stuff. My goal its to achieve a subtotal of no more than $470-480 US dollars. Reason being is that I would like to spend no more than $530 and I figure that taxes will set me back at least 30 bucks. I have been looking at Newegg DIY combos, but I don't know if I should trust them. I just want to play games as best as I can for the price. I do have preferences for which sites I use. I would like to only order from Amazon.com and Newegg.com. I know there are other retailers out there, but I don't trust them. Here is the combo that I found on Newegg:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1870764

Here is a list of what I'd like in a computer if that helps:

A quad core processor minimum
8gb of ddr3 1600mhz ram (or faster speed if applicable)
No preference on mobo as long as it works and is reliable
At least a 1gb GDDR5 graphics card (Either Nvidia or AMD)
A 1TB hard drive (Western Digital preferred, but others are fine too)
A dvd drive (Cheap as possible)
Whatever sized PSU you'd think is enough to power the rig, I'm thinking about 500w probably, but I'm not sure.
A cheap, but decent computer case. I couldn't care less about USB 3.0 if that could save me a few bucks. I'd like USB 3.0 on the mobo for my external, but if you find something cheaper then I'm game.

To reiterate I would like help with a list of parts that are from the 2 sites listed above and for no more than $470-480 US dollars as the subtotal.
I live in California if that helps with anything.

Brillis Wuce · Jan 11, 2015

I would NOT recommend that 4300 for gaming.

There is nothing wrong with that list, but I would modify it. Find a cheaper case, and put in the money you save from it to buy a FX6300 or above (it's only $10 more).

Also, do some research on entry-level video cards. If you have a 630 watt PSU, you should be able to run AMD cards, which usually have more bang for your buck. Pains me to say that...since I'm an Nvidia person

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202081
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0ITy_G3hVk

The 260x can match a GTX 750ti, in most cases.

GorfTheFrog · Jan 11, 2015

Hi -
Lots of good options, and you'll get good advice. Do review the Toms Hardware System Builder Marathon articles. Specifically, take a look at the "Budget Gaming PC" which has a target of $500. These article have some good overall advice on selection and price/performance tradeoff.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/q4-2014-system-builder-marathon-conclusion,4024.html

Are you *ever* planning to overclock this machine, or is that just not in the cards? It makes a difference on the CPU and MOBO recommendations. Asked another way, how much "future-proofing" do you want to put into this build?

There are a few essentials that you didn't list: OS, monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers. Can you let us know if you already have these or if they need to fit into the $500 price?

Lastly, if you're very price sensitive and can wait for a couple of months, you'll probably be able to take advantage of sale prices. I've found this to be the case for myself in the past. I'll take about 2 to 3 months to gather my parts once I decide I'm going to build or upgrade. It's amazing what you can save if you're just a bit patient.

Hope this helps, and let us know on the items above.

###

Claymoresama · Jan 11, 2015

Brillis Wuce :

I was looking at the 260 and the 260x before I looked at Newegg's combos. So you think I need at least a 630 watt? I'm not sure if I'm going to overclock, but I did notice the price difference for the 6300. As for cheaper cases the one I found was this: http://www.amazon.com/Rosewill-MicroATX-Tower-Computer-FBM-01/dp/B005LIDU5S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421023516&sr=8-1&keywords=rosewill+case

It's not a good looking case, but if it functions I'm ok with that. For the 260x does it matter which brand I go with? I was looking at the MSI version.

Claymoresama · Jan 11, 2015

GorfTheFrog :

I'm good on everything, but the computer. I have a legit copy of Windows I got through a discount program at my college. I have a 23.6 inch asus 2ms monitor I just bought a few weeks ago. I have plenty of mice and keyboards. For me I just need something to game on, besides my cruddy laptop. As for overclocking I've never done it before and I'm not entirely sure if I want to. I'm not sure how safe it is. I know the machine won't be the most future proofed but right now I just want something to play most game that I can't play on my xbox one (yes I'm a heretic

) I would like to play games on 1080p at medium settings hopefully. Future proofing isn't easy at that budget I'm aware of that. This is my first build so it's ok if it's not the best in terms of longevity. When I can scrape more cash in the future maybe I'll build an i5 based rig, but for now cheap is my only option.I am willing to have overclockable parts and just use the stock heatsink for a while. I can always buy a better heat sink and overclock then right?

Sig2525 · Jan 11, 2015

is it for gaming? the fx 6300 suggested above will do but a if you can grab a r7 265 or an hd 7850 that will be better than the gtx 750 ti but will cost almost the same.

may i suggest that if its for gaming you can grab a g3258 and a h81/b85 mobo even with the cheap mobo it has been proven that you can overclock the g3258 at 4.3 ghz stable with them or just get a core i3/h81 combo.

either way the processors and gpus that were suggest will do the job even at 1080p
by the way if you go with the g3258 or core i3 select the lga 1150 models this way you can upgrade later to an i5 or i7 4th gen.

rockie_ · Jan 11, 2015

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4160 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor ($110.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($75.97 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.26 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 270X 2GB Vapor-X Video Card ($154.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Deepcool TESSERACT BF ATX Mid Tower Case ($35.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($29.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $495.06
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-11 19:54 EST-0500

Claymoresama · Jan 11, 2015

Sig2525 :

As someone mentioned above they showed a listing that Toms Hardware did for a budget pc using that processor. I like the idea of using that processor but I have a few concerns.

Can I overclock effectively with the stock cooler.
How big of a power supply would I need? For overclocking.
Would a r9 270x be better than the gpus you listed?
Will the dual core be a hindrance in games in the near future?

Sig2525 · Jan 11, 2015

rockie_ :

+1 to this. you can upgrade to core i5 later on then add some more ram then crossfire r9 270x (xfire 270x = 290x)

Claymoresama · Jan 11, 2015

Sig2525 :

rockie_ :

+1 to this. you can upgrade to core i5 later on then add some more ram then crossfire r9 270x (xfire 270x = 290x)

Are those retailers reliable and do you know if they have a good return policy if I have duds?

rockie_ · Jan 11, 2015

Click on Price breakdown by merchant

Claymoresama · Jan 11, 2015

Sig2525 :

Due to the merchants that I would prefer buying from and the restrictive budget. Do you think it'd be ok to swap the i3 w/ the pentium g3258 and the r9 with the r7 260x? Just to lower my cost into my range. I've heard great things about that pentium and I like the idea of buying an i5 later after some time. What do you think?

Sig2525 · Jan 11, 2015

Claymoresama :

overclocked g3258 on stock cooler was done and temps were good even at 4.2ghz
a 500 watts psu with good a good quality will be pretty much sufficient
r9 270x is the fastest among the suggested r9 270x > r7 265 hd 7850 > gtx 750ti > r7 260x
in the near future you can upgrade to core i3/i5/i7 the dual core g3258 performance is better than any overclocked amd quadcore in terms of gaming.

Skieah · Jan 11, 2015

Consider this:
AMD FX 6350 has a clock of 3.9ghz.
AMD FX 6300 has a clock of 3.5ghz. They both have the same stock cooler.

By the way the g3258 has really good single core performance but anything that uses multiple cores the FX 6300 will destroy. I personally bought the fx over the g3258. Depending on the games you play you may want the fx 6300 over the g3258.

rockie_ · Jan 11, 2015

i would keep the rig as it is but Newegg sell i3 4150 for less , so it could do.

Claymoresama · Jan 11, 2015

rockie_ :

If I for some reason can't get the i3 for the desirable price. Would it be ok to swap it w/ the pentium and then pair it w/ the xfx r7 265
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150719&cm_re=r7_265-_-14-150-719-_-Product
Or would that not be a good choice

Claymoresama · Jan 11, 2015

rockie_ :

Sig2525 · Jan 11, 2015

Claymoresama :

rockie_ :

you are going 16gb already?.. you dont need that amount of ram. 8gb will be the sweet spot.

the r7 265 will be very close to the r9 270x - if you overclock it a little you won't notice the difference maybe 5 frames average.

the main purpose for why we pick the g3258 is upgrade ability because the i3/i5/i7 will use the lga 1150 slot. well for the fx 6350 you can still upgrade to 8350 or the 9 series.

Claymoresama · Jan 11, 2015

Sig2525 :

Claymoresama :

you are going 16gb already?.. you dont need that amount of ram. 8gb will be the sweet spot.

the r7 265 will be very close to the r9 270x - if you overclock it a little you won't notice the difference maybe 5 frames average.

the main purpose for why we pick the g3258 is upgrade ability because the i3/i5/i7 will use the lga 1150 slot. well for the fx 6350 you can still upgrade to 8350 or the 9 series.

I think my links are messed up because I thought I shared a link for a G Skill Single 8gb card. I don't intend on going to 16. Would it be better to use two cards? I like the concept of upgrading the pentium to an i5 in the future. I really love the r7 265 for it's price. The r9 would take me out of my budget and I'm not too worried if I can overclock the card.

Will the 500w psu be enough to overclock both the CPU and GPU?

Sig2525 · Jan 11, 2015

Claymoresama :

Sig2525 :

I think my links are messed up because I thought I shared a link for a G Skill Single 8gb card. I don't intend on going to 16. Would it be better to use two cards? I like the concept of upgrading the pentium to an i5 in the future. I really love the r7 265 for it's price. The r9 would take me out of my budget and I'm not too worried if I can overclock the card.

Will the 500w psu be enough to overclock both the CPU and GPU?

yup the evga is a good brand. and 500w is more than enough even on an i5 and r9 280x
you could use this http://coolermaster.outervision.com/ to calculate your needed watts

Claymoresama · Jan 11, 2015

Sig2525 :

Claymoresama :

Sig2525 :

I think my links are messed up because I thought I shared a link for a G Skill Single 8gb card. I don't intend on going to 16. Would it be better to use two cards? I like the concept of upgrading the pentium to an i5 in the future. I really love the r7 265 for it's price. The r9 would take me out of my budget and I'm not too worried if I can overclock the card.

Will the 500w psu be enough to overclock both the CPU and GPU?

yup the evga is a good brand. and 500w is more than enough even on an i5 and r9 280x
you could use this http://coolermaster.outervision.com/ to calculate your needed watts

After looking at reviews on the case I would like to get I found out that it's very recommended to have a modular power supply. Staying in the same price range (40-60) for the PSU do you have any modular PSU recommendations from newegg?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182298

Sig2525 · Jan 11, 2015

modular and semi modular cost more than non modular.

there is no much difference between the 3 except for the cable management.

just get a good quality power supply modular or not won't make a difference.

Help with 1st pc build. Want it to be less than $500 USD

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