$800 - $900 System comments and Advice

[ceKing]

Hi all

I'm building my first desktop and would like comment or advice on my part picks, along with choosing AMD or Intel.
The main use is gaming, alongside some light image and vector editing for work.

The mid tower ATX isn't out of the question, but i do frequently stay nights at friends' houses and would much prefer a Micro ATX build that i can move around more easily, hence the handled Prodigy M.

Please let me know if you've had any trouble with anything listed, if you think I'm skimping somewhere I shouldn't, or if you have any favorite or reliable parts that are cheaper than what I have listed.

My specific questions are below the two Micro ATX builds I'm looking at.

PCpartpicker link to the builds:
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/kuroshimo/saved/

Preferred vendor is Newegg, but i'm not really opposed to somewhere else.
(disregard shipping cost within US)
All links are to Newegg pages

Intel Micro ATX
CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 @3.4GHz
<link>
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150
<link>
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600
<link>
GPU: Sapphire Radeon R9 270 2GB Dual-X
<link>
PSU: Corsair 550W ATX12V / EPS12V
<link>
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer
<link>
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM
<link>
Case: BitFenix Prodigy M Midnight MicroATX Mini Tower
<link>
OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit)
<link>
Aftermarket Heatsink: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing
<link>
^do i even need this on locked i3?


AMD Micro ATX
CPU: AMD FX-6300 @3.5GHz
<link>
Motherboard: ASRock 880GM-LE FX Micro ATX AM3+
<link>
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333
<link>
GPU: Sapphire Radeon R9 270 2GB Dual-X
<link>
PSU: Corsair 450W ATX12V / EPS12V
<link>
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer
<link>
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM
<link>
Case: BitFenix Prodigy M Midnight MicroATX Mini Tower
<link>
OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit)
<link>
Aftermarket Heatsink: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing
<link>


My Questions:

Are there any announcements for planned 900 series AMD chipsets on Micro ATX?
As it is, I have to choose between USB 3 on an 4 year old chipset,
or USB 2 on an 880g.

Are the differences between AMD's 700, 800, and 900 series chipsets big enough to avoid a Micro AMD build if i can't get a 900?

Is the Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 capable of mounting 2 GPUs?
It says Crossfire capable and looks like it has a second 16pin expansion slot,
but it's specs say only 1 16pin slot.

In your opinion, is the FX 6300's overclocked performance so significantly better than the i3 in gaming that it's worth slower RAM, an older chipset, and the lack of room for a second GPU?
(I am interested in eventually trying out Crossfire)



Thanks for any input. If i don't respond, I'm probably at work and will be back at night.

Edit: Fixed Typo

 

[woltej1]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3MWXY
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3MWXY/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3MWXY/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper TX3 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($18.16 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-D2V Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($59.79 @ Newegg)
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 270X 2GB PCS+ Video Card ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Case: BitFenix Prodigy M Arctic White MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-N250PCe 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($18.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $814.84

Here's my input.

 

[ceKing]

Here's my input.

Thanks a ton for your recommendations!

I had no idea the white Prodigy M was on sale, and the upgrade to an i5 is awesome.

Do you think it's worth an extra $40 to get the i5-4670k @3.4?
I've never overclocked anything, so I don't really know what kind of boost I could get from the 4670, but other posts make it seem worth the price.

So would you recommend overclocking to a pc building newbie, as long as I stick to the guides here on the forums?

 

[woltej1]

As long as you don't take away from other areas of the build, but if you get a 4670k, you're also looking at a minimum $100 mobo plus another $40-50 for a decent cooler, the CM hyper212 is good at $30 but it won't handle a large OC. The GPU makes much more of a difference for gaming. If you want to throw another $50 at your build get a 760 as it will give you more FPS than a 4670k upgrade.

I wouldn't bother with the 4670k on a budget build, at this price range any i5 will do so you could upgrade to an i5 further up the line, but not the 4670k.