Budget $600 build. Need help

This build is leaps and bounds faster than the one you made.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 975 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor ($82.18 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Arctic Cooling ACALP64-GT 25.6 CFM CPU Cooler ($7.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 LE R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($50.39 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($234.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Zalman Z9 ATX Mid Tower Case ($40.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Green 530W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($57.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($18.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $638.47
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-02 12:51 EST-0500)

For that price it doesn't really get any better.
And yes the CPU IS in fact a lot faster than the FX 6100.

This does look like a better build than the one I gave. I saw that the Sapphire video card is out of stock. Is there something that is the same, but in stock?

There are only 2 cards for the 7870 LE, PowerColor and Sapphier, and both are out of stock everywhere online.
You could opt for a regular 7870 like: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

If you want to save more, you could go for the 7850. It depends on what is your fps and graphics quality target. A 7850 with 1GB VRAM could be sufficient as well. I got a XFX 7850 1GB for $149 after MIR with Fary Cry 3, Tomb Raider, and Bishock.. Practically, it's like as if I got the video card for free since I will play all of those games xD

Does efficiency matter to you?

I think the recent $600 build would suit you..
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/pc-gaming-overclock...

I like this build, but I don't want to spend so much on the cpu.

What I think I want is more like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($94.98 @ Outlet PC)
CPU Cooler: Arctic Cooling ACALP64-GT 25.6 CFM CPU Cooler ($7.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 LE R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($55.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($209.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Zalman Z9 ATX Mid Tower Case ($40.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Green 530W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($57.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($18.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $631.87
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-02 16:43 EST-0500)


Tell me if you guys see where I can improve.

Drop the CPU cooler. Its crap anyway.

Your right. Do you think I need a cpu cooler? It would seem I don't.

Any other ideas?

If you don't plan to overclock, no aftermarket CPU cooler is needed.

I am still not sure if I should go for the Radeon HD 7870 2GB or the Galaxy GeForce GTX 660 2GB. They both cost the same on Newegg.

The 7870 comes with BioShock Infinite and Tomb Raider.

The 660 comes with $50 for each game: Hawken, World of Tanks, and PlanetSide 2.

The 7870 will perform slightly better, but not by alot.

Also, with this build will I be able to play gta 4, and gta 5 when and if it comes out.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($94.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 LE R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($55.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($209.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Zalman Z9 ATX Mid Tower Case ($40.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Green 530W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($57.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($18.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $623.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-02 21:14 EST-0500)

Yes. you can max way more demanding games than GTA. You will be good.

I have made some changes. Tell me if they were for the best.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($98.24 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 LE R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($55.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.14 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($209.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($55.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Green 530W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($54.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($18.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $723.29
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-03 21:35 EST-0500)

I thought that a ssd might make my build faster.

It will only make a difference with boot times and load times. It won't change FPS at all.

If you can spare the extra money, then you should get the fx 6300.

I wanted a ssd because this computer is not only for gaming, it is also for school.

It will make things load fast as long as they are installed on the SSD.

I want to, but is it worth the ~$20?

Yes.

So does this look look like a good build for my money:

[PCPartPicker part list](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Hyzn) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Hyzn/by_merchant/) / [Benchmarks](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Hyzn/benchmarks/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/amd-cpu-fd6300wmhkbox) | $119.99 @ Microcenter
**Motherboard** | [Asus M5A97 LE R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-m5a97ler2...) | $74.99 @ Newegg
**Memory** | [G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f312800cl9d8...) | $55.99 @ Newegg
**Storage** | [Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-h...) | $59.14 @ Amazon
**Storage** | [Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-driv...) | $94.99 @ Amazon
**Video Card** | [XFX Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-video-card-fx787acdfc) | $232.98 @ Newegg
**Case** | [Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-case-rc912kk...) | $49.99 @ Newegg
**Power Supply** | [Rosewill Green 530W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/rosewill-power-supply-rg53...) | $54.99 @ Amazon
**Optical Drive** | [Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/lite-on-optical-drive-ihas...) | $18.98 @ Outlet PC
| | **Total**
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available. | $749.04
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-04 19:25 EST-0500 |

Sorry, I mean:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 LE R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($55.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.14 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($232.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Green 530W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($54.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($18.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $749.04
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-04 19:25 EST-0500)

He recommended the XT version of the 7870, not the LE. Powercolor makes a 7870XT that seems to be available here: http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=PC-787_2V3&c=C...

The XT version is better than the 7870 and 660 and around the same price.

Looks good. Happy building.

NO.

The PSU is too weak
The fx-6200 is crap. The fx-6300 is much better
That case is total crap.

I had updated the PSU already and if I had a budget, the one thing I would save money on is the case... How is the 6300 MUCH better? It has less power consumption but isn't as powerful. You could get the 6300 if you want. Again, I'm trying to stay within the budget range.

The 6300 is the obvious choice. The architecture is much better.

The corsair cx500 isn't the best PSU. Its the worst of the Corsair's. Made with inferior capacitors and has a higher fail rate. Still not bad, but not as good as a normal Corsair.

Also, that GPU is sold out EVERYWHERE. OP would have to wait for it to be in stock. Could take a week. Could take a month.

It is currently sold out everywhere but Bonestoo was planning to do this within a month. I'd imagine it would be back in stock within that time frame. If you were impatient and decided to get something now then you could just grab the 7870 GHz Edition which is a bit less anyway. Not as good of a card but still a good value. $239.99 - $15 Rebate = $224.99 @Amazon http://amzn.to/YaSrlG

I can wait for the 7870XT to come back in stock if it is better.

I think that I will drop the ssd from my build.

I wanted a 60gb ssd for the OS, and saw this 120gb for less money than for a 60gb one. Not sure if it is worth the $90. I can always upgrade in the future, right? Is it possable to move windows 8 pro from a HDD to a SSD?

Here is the build I think I want:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($137.28 @ TigerDirect)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 LE R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($49.30 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.13 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($234.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Green 530W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($54.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($18.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $679.65
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-05 20:22 EST-0500)


Also, how much better is the 7870xt vs the 7870?


Also

I am right in going with an AMD cpu right? It seems the best way for how much I want to spend, but I see so many people go with intel. Intel seems to cost more than AMD for the same performance. I know for lots of people it is just personal preference.

I've always gone with Intel so I can't say from experience but I've never heard anything that would cause me to advise against AMD. They are great budget processors from what I have heard and don't see a problem with them.

The 7870 XT just came in on Newegg for $235. How much time do you think I have until it goes back to being out of stock?

I desided to keep the SSD.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 LE R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($49.30 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.46 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($234.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Green 530W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($47.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($18.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $760.67
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-06 18:20 EST-0500)

I may try to buy the 7870 XT tonight. Just to make sure; you guys do think it is work the money?

Totally, go here and get it! http://amzn.to/11R8RrF

Don't forget to get the $15 rebate forms.

Why get it from Amazon? It is cheaper at Newegg.

Well, with Newegg you have to pay tax and sometimes shipping so keep that in mind...

It's worth it.