$500 RTS Gaming PC?

oneilmatt

Reputable
May 26, 2015
28
0
4,530
Hey guys,

I'm looking to build my first PC to bring with me to college this August. Im going to use it for school work and primarily RTS gaming (Total War, Civ, etc.). I don't need ultra settings at 80fps or anything but good performance on med-high would be ideal. I also don't ever plan on using it for FPS or RPG titles as I'll be bringing my Xbox for that.

Purchase Date: Between now and August

Budget: $500 before RIB for the PC itself, no peripherals in this budget.

Processor Preference: AMD

I've done a lot of reading on this and it still seems incredibly overwhelming so your help will be very appreciated.

Thanks so much!
 
Solution
This comes in just over before the rebates, but not by much.
This has a nice and small case that's great for a dorm room.
If you ever plan on overclocking, I recommend getting an aftermarket cooler.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-4300 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($85.84 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($45.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 280 3GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($149.99 @...

zared619

Distinguished
Sep 9, 2012
966
0
19,160
This comes in just over before the rebates, but not by much.
This has a nice and small case that's great for a dorm room.
If you ever plan on overclocking, I recommend getting an aftermarket cooler.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-4300 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($85.84 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($45.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 280 3GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/RSBS DVD/CD Writer ($12.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $477.27
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-04 13:51 EDT-0400

If you have any questions, just ask.
 
Solution