Cheap gaming build. Budget around $350-$450

[johnpr07]

Ok, I'm trying to build my first PC to be able to run games like Skyrim, Diablo III, and Final Fantasy 14. I'm trying to do it as cheap as possible.

This one was recommended on this forum

CPU: AMD A10-5800K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock FM2A75M-DGS Micro ATX FM2 Motherboard ($55.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Predator Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($57.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.98 @ Outlet PC)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS90 DVD/CD Writer ($23.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $374.90


There is also this:

Motherboard

GIGABYTE GA-970A-DS3 AMD 970/SB950 AM3+ ($65)

CPU

AMD FX-6100 ($120)

RAM

Crucial 4GB (DDR3 1333 Mhz) ($19)

Video Card

EVGA GeForce GTX 550 Ti (2GB) ($110)

Hard Drive

Western Digital Caviar Blue 500 GB ($65)

Optical Drive

Lite-On Internal DVD Writer ($18)

Case

Cooler Master Elite 430 Mid Tower ($50)

Power Supply

Thermaltake PurePower 430 Watt ($30)


Total Cost: $477 (USD)
I know this one is about $20 over budget so I'm wondering if there is anything I could substitute to make it a bit cheaper or would I be better off just spending the little extra.

Which one would you recommend or is there anything better that you know of? If there is anything you would substitute in either build let me know because like I said I'm trying to get it as cheap as possible.

Thanks!

 

[illslick]

I'm in the same boat bro! I need a gaming/movies/music/web browsing set up on a budget. You have to add OS into the list. That would be well over $500. Or I'm going to buy a set up at OfficeMax for $499 with almost the same specs. Tomorrow!

 

[cutebeans]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Pentium G860 3.0GHz Dual-Core Processor ($67.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI H61M-E33/W8 Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: HIS Radeon HD 7750 2GB Video Card ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Gigabyte GZ-F5HEB ATX Mid Tower Case ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $310.91
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-24 04:35 EST-0500)

Better all around for gaming. Never get an APU when you plan to game. If you really want to max your budget then get a 7770. You won't be disappointed.

 

[johnpr07]

Wow, thanks a lot. I'm going to try and start ordering some of these parts as soon as I can. I'm also wondering if I have a little extra to spend do you think I should go with a stronger GPU? I keep hearing it's one of the most important parts for gaming. Also would it be easy to upgrade all of these parts down the road whenever I run into more cash?

 

[cutebeans]

Yeah! If you can spend more money on the GPU, the better!

7770 or even a 7850 if budget permits , although I would get a better case before stretching the budget too much.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Pentium G860 3.0GHz Dual-Core Processor ($67.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI H61M-E33/W8 Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB Video Card ($116.97 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 431 Plus (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $377.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-24 12:31 EST-0500)

I would get this. You won't need to buy a PSU, CASE, and HDD when you plan to make a new one in the next years.

 

[johnpr07]

Awesome! I'm going with this. Thank you so much for you help

 

[johnpr07]

Best answer selected by johnpr07.