My Best Gaming PC Build for $700?

BeYourself · Dec 7, 2015

All I have to say is .
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/kwpxpg
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/kwpxpg/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($76.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($45.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($152.98 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT S340 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($63.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($65.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $665.79
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-07 07:22 EST-0500
What do you guys think?
Nice white and blue color scheme also!

RazerZ · Dec 7, 2015

Looks good but I would spend less on the CPU (change for a locked i5) and case and upgrade the graphics card. You would need an aftermarket cooler to overclock that i5.

dudeman509 · Dec 7, 2015

Agreed. A 4460 would save you quite a bit of $, have very close to the same gaming performance, and allow you room for a GTX 960/R9 380.

Victorion · Dec 7, 2015

This would be a much better option, capable of running all newer games in high/ultra, where as your own suggestion would struggle on most :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($174.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H81M-H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($32.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive ($66.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($309.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Directron)
Power Supply: Thermaltake SMART 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $684.71
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-07 09:58 EST-0500

BeYourself · Dec 7, 2015

Victorion :

This would be a much better option, capable of running all newer games in high/ultra, where as your own suggestion would struggle on most :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($174.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H81M-H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($32.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive ($66.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($309.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Directron)
Power Supply: Thermaltake SMART 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $684.71
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-07 09:58 EST-0500

I expect that since you have the "Motherboard Expert" tag you know that's a 30$ motherboard?

dudeman509 · Dec 7, 2015

^A 970 would be nice for the price range, but never, ever run a crap PSU with a 970. I would also not recommend that motherboard.

Limetka · Dec 7, 2015

I would get a better GPU since thats the major factor for gaming so something along the lines of:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI H81M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($45.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($42.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card ($304.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($36.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $704.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-07 10:02 EST-0500

blazorthon · Dec 7, 2015

That PSU isn't terrible for the 970, but there are better options. Fractal's 500W Tesla 80+gold goes for $40 and would do nicely.
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/fractal-design-power-supply-fdpsuts2b500w

There are also much cheaper options for hard drives so you can get a better motherboard.

Victorion · Dec 7, 2015

BeYourself :

Yes thank you. A cheap price, doesn´t necessarily mean a bad product.

Gigabyte H81M-S2PV is a budget motherboard, where you don´t pay for SLI, overclocking and tons of other features.
It´s a simple motherboard with sata 3.0 (for ssd and hyperdrives) and has overall very good reviews (including user reviews) that comes with H81 chipset.
So you may not have 4 ram slots, but you don´t need that either for gaming. And it may not support sli, but we´re on a budget, so I am not guessing it will be needed - and same goes for OC.

As for PSU,
The suggested PSU, is not the best, but it does it job. Voltage regulation is within 2% across the motherboard and that is acceptable, so is the ripple supression. For the price, it´s a fine budget PSU.

filippi · Dec 7, 2015

Victorion build will give OP excellent gaming performance @1080p for less than $700. Kudos.
My only suggestion would be the high quality SeaSonic SSR-650RM 650W for just $60 @Newegg. Its worth.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151118&cm_re=SeaSonic_650W-_-17-151-118-_-Product

blazorthon · Dec 7, 2015

Victorion used a decent 650W unit because it happened to be cheap, not because the build needs it

A decent 450W is plenty for a modern i5 with a 970. The $40 PSU I linked would be a better option than the Seasonic since you'd be spending more money for something that won't help at all.

Victorion · Dec 7, 2015

450 watts is too low. GTX 970 minimum requirement is 500 watt.

650 is fine, as you optimally want the PSU to running around 50% load most of the time.
Means longer lifespan for PSU and less noisy fan.

blazorthon · Dec 7, 2015

Minimum recommendations mean little to people who do the math and aren't using Raidmaxx/Logisys power supplies.

The 970 uses typically less than 150W even in intense gaming. Throw in about 80W for the CPU and 50W for the rest of the system and you are only using less than 300W of power. A 450W gives you about 50% headroom and that's excellent. Of course, its really the 12V amperage that matters, but with modern (good quality) power supplies, the two are almost synonymous.

RazerZ · Dec 7, 2015

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($174.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($76.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($45.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 390 8GB PCS+ Video Card ($269.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Window ATX Mid Tower Case ($31.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($56.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $686.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-07 10:56 EST-0500

All quality parts and will play any game ultra at 1080p.

Victorion · Dec 7, 2015

blazorthon :

While you´re right, that almost all GPUs will run fine with lesser watts than the official requirements, and that the 12 rail is more important. It´s still a good thing to meet the official requirements.
That doesn´t mean its a bad thing to have a bigger PSU, and certainly not one that meets the minimum official requirements. I know for a fact, that alot of places you try to rma an faulthy videocard, they will ask you for your specs, and tell you "well since your psu isn´t powerful enough, we cant rma it till you have tried it with a better psu"

However, I am all for going with a good quality PSU. In fact I for one, love the Corsair AX760watt which is quite pricy - but still worth every penny imo.

So bottomline, we could easily switch the psu - also within budget.

dudeman509 · Dec 7, 2015

Go with something in Tier 2/3 as the least of this list as a general guideline. There are plenty of good options out there in the $50 range.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html

Archaic59 · Dec 7, 2015

Too many people around here using cheap parts to fit in a big video card. This is not a good way to build a computer. How about a balanced build guys. Maybe the budget doesn't have room for a GTX 970 and you need to get something lower to keep the quality of the rest of the parts good. RazerZ came closer to a good build than any of the others I saw.

BeYourself · Dec 7, 2015

RazerZ :

I'm looking to be able to record, so I want to use Shadowplay. What if instead of that gpu I go with a SLI GTX 760?

Victorion · Dec 7, 2015

BeYourself :

You can use shadowplay with a single GTX 970.

SLI 760 would give you slightly more performance, but not recommended.

You´d be looking at more expensive motherboard, need more cooling, bigger cabinet, and bigger psu.
After that comes driver issues, scaling problems etc.
It´s always better to get a strong single card than 2 weaker cards.

blazorthon · Dec 7, 2015

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($174.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H-A Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($45.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card ($308.99 @ B&H)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($43.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Fractal Design Tesla R2 500W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $693.71
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-07 12:12 EST-0500

That's plenty balanced. i5, GTX 970, 8GB of good RAM (note it will downclock to DDR3-1600, I chose it for price, not performance), a very well-reviewed motherboard, a decent hard drive, a decent case, and a good-quality PSU that has plenty of headroom for the build. I agree with Victorion; the 970 is accessible in this budget and if OP wants shadowplay, then its the only practical option in the budget because the 960 is too much weaker to make sense.

Gigante888 · Dec 7, 2015

blazorthon :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($174.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H-A Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($45.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card ($308.99 @ B&H)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($43.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Fractal Design Tesla R2 500W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $693.71
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-07 12:12 EST-0500

That's plenty balanced. i5, GTX 970, 8GB of good RAM (note it will downclock to DDR3-1600, I chose it for price, not performance), a very well-reviewed motherboard, a decent hard drive, a decent case, and a good-quality PSU that has plenty of headroom for the build. I agree with Victorion; the 970 is accessible in this budget and if OP wants shadowplay, then its the only practical option in the budget because the 960 is too much weaker to make sense.

I am looking for same thing and this looks like a great build! I may go ahead with this and add in an SSD.

logainofhades · Dec 7, 2015

Archaic59 :

Nothing wrong with using budget components, to fit in a better GPU, which is what matters most, for a gaming rig, after a quality PSU. You are not going to have much, if any, performance difference using an H81 board, vs using an H97/Z97 board. You just have fewer bells and whistles that are not required, for gaming.

blazorthon · Dec 7, 2015

I've been biased towards the B85 (and all the B series before it) over the bottom of the barrel H series chipsets. The boards based on them tend to be built a little more reliable and you get most of H97's features at a price often closer to H81.

Still, I agree. If you really need to stretch the budget, then finding a well-reviewed H81 board isn't a bad idea when overclocking was a non-option to begin with.

BeYourself · Dec 7, 2015

How good is the Xion XON-560 MicroATX Mini Tower Case?
Just found it and it looks quite good. :/

blazorthon · Dec 7, 2015

I've looked at it before. I like it too.

My Best Gaming PC Build for $700?

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