Budget Gaming PC Build Winter 2014

[Tommy Peel]

I'm sure this gets brought up all the time.... Anyway sometime, hopefully before the end of the year, I'm planning to put together a gaming PC to "upgrade" from a now dead(RRoD'd for the 3rd time) Xbox 360.

I'd like to keep it around $500 but could possibly bump the budget to $700 if the performance increase was significant enough. I currently don't have any components other than a 32 inch 1080p TV to use as a monitor and copies of Windows 7 & 8.1 64bit.

Honestly I'm not at all sure what parts would be best for the budget; I'm open to all CPUs and GPUs as long as they perform well. I'd like to be able to run current AAA games at 1080p60 with the graphics reasonably high; the main games I'm interested in at the moment are COD: Advanced Warfare and the new Blizzard FPS Overwatch.

Here's a build that I came up with: PC Build

I've also thought of swapping the i5 for an i3 or the g3258 overclocked. If I go the i5 route I'd definately spring for the unlocked 4690k so it can be overclocked. I've also got an SSD in the build as a system drive; I've got one in my MacBook and definitely think the performance is worth the price. Recommendations on better ones are welcome. Also I need the optical drive as I'll probably try and buy most large games on disc because I've got slowish internet; good enough for online gaming but it would take forever to download a 30gb game.

I'm not sure if I should go for the cheaper CPU and spend the extra $100 on a better GPU; what is better?

Sorry for the rambling post; any help, advise, and suggestions are welcome. Thanks in advance.


Tommy

 

[vampyiere6]

I'm sure this gets brought up all the time.... Anyway sometime, hopefully before the end of the year, I'm planning to put together a gaming PC to "upgrade" from a now dead(RRoD'd for the 3rd time) Xbox 360.

I'd like to keep it around $500 but could possibly bump the budget to $700 if the performance increase was significant enough. I currently don't have any components other than a 32 inch 1080p TV to use as a monitor and copies of Windows 7 & 8.1 64bit.

Honestly I'm not at all sure what parts would be best for the budget; I'm open to all CPUs and GPUs as long as they perform well. I'd like to be able to run current AAA games at 1080p60 with the graphics reasonably high; the main games I'm interested in at the moment are COD: Advanced Warfare and the new Blizzard FPS Overwatch.

Here's a build that I came up with: PC Build

I've also thought of swapping the i5 for an i3 or the g3258 overclocked. If I go the i5 route I'd definately spring for the unlocked 4690k so it can be overclocked. I've also got an SSD in the build as a system drive; I've got one in my MacBook and definitely think the performance is worth the price. Recommendations on better ones are welcome. Also I need the optical drive as I'll probably try and buy most large games on disc because I've got slowish internet; good enough for online gaming but it would take forever to download a 30gb game.

I'm not sure if I should go for the cheaper CPU and spend the extra $100 on a better GPU; what is better?

Sorry for the rambling post; any help, advise, and suggestions are welcome. Thanks in advance.


Tommy

your build looks good, but i would change the ram to dual channel 2 4gb sticks as it would be much better then a single 8gb.

Do you really need a bluray drive? if you want to watch bluray movies etc on the computer then its ok but if not then just go with a normal fvf drive they are about 20$ pick the asus one.

And i would get a better psu, like a 500w or 550w as if you ever change gpu you would need it as this only only have 1 pcie cable. and corsair overall does good psu's but idk about this model but if you overclock etc i would sugest getting atleast a silver 80+ one and preferaby gold.

other then that this build looks good. for the games you play that gpu will be totaly fine but for later AAA titles you would need something like a r-280x or equal nvidia one.

 

[Tommy Peel]

your build looks good, but i would change the ram to dual channel 2 4gb sticks as it would be much better then a single 8gb.

Do you really need a bluray drive? if you want to watch bluray movies etc on the computer then its ok but if not then just go with a normal fvf drive they are about 20$ pick the asus one.

And i would get a better psu, like a 500w or 550w as if you ever change gpu you would need it as this only only have 1 pcie cable. and corsair overall does good psu's but idk about this model but if you overclock etc i would sugest getting atleast a silver 80+ one and preferaby gold.

other then that this build looks good. for the games you play that gpu will be totaly fine but for later AAA titles you would need something like a r-280x or equal nvidia one.

Ok, I'll go for getting 2x4gb sticks instead of 1x8gb. I guess with 4 slots I can still upgrade to 16gb later by adding 2 more 4gb sticks. The blueray drive is for ripping my movies for easier watching; if it wasn't for that I'd go for a normal DVD drive. Would I better off spending less on the CPU(say getting an i3) and spending more on the graphics card or would the CPU then be the bottleneck? Also What about getting say a GTX 660 with the intention of adding a second one SLI'd down the road(this would require a different motherboard and possibly case/PSU).

Making those changes got the price up to almost $800... Maybe with some smart shopping over the holiday season I can find deals on some of it. Here's the updated build: Altered Build

 

[Tommy Peel]

Here's another build I did around the g3258 and the R9 270x that has the potential to add a second card for crossfire; I like the price on it better but I'm worried that the CPU will be limiting even with a decent overclock. Some of what I've read indicates that the 270x is faster than the gtx 660 for around the same price hence including it instead.

 

[vampyiere6]

I know this is over your budget but this would be a good pick.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/GHfCgs

If you want to play AAA titles on 1080p 60+ fps you would need a better gpu so the 280 is a good choise the 280x would be better but its more expensive.

you should not go down on the cpu keep it at i5 since games getting more and more cpu demanding and bad optimized games wich needs a good cpu.

i could put together a budget one for you too but i dont think its worth it, better save some more.

 

[Tommy Peel]

I know this is over your budget but this would be a good pick.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/GHfCgs

If you want to play AAA titles on 1080p 60+ fps you would need a better gpu so the 280 is a good choise the 280x would be better but its more expensive.

you should not go down on the cpu keep it at i5 since games getting more and more cpu demanding and bad optimized games wich needs a good cpu.

i could put together a budget one for you too but i dont think its worth it, better save some more.

Thanks for being honest. I'd much rather do it right the first time; as someone in another forum I read always says "buy once, cry once". I'd rather build something that will last a few years. Hopefully I can find some good deals on Black Friday/Cyber Monday to get started on the build.

 

[vampyiere6]

I know this is over your budget but this would be a good pick.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/GHfCgs

If you want to play AAA titles on 1080p 60+ fps you would need a better gpu so the 280 is a good choise the 280x would be better but its more expensive.

you should not go down on the cpu keep it at i5 since games getting more and more cpu demanding and bad optimized games wich needs a good cpu.

i could put together a budget one for you too but i dont think its worth it, better save some more.

Thanks for being honest. I'd much rather do it right the first time; as someone in another forum I read always says "buy once, cry once". I'd rather build something that will last a few years. Hopefully I can find some good deals on Black Friday/Cyber Monday to get started on the build.

I hope you get some sweet deals and can soon join the pc master race : )

Just ask here on this forum if there is anything you would like to know : )

 

[Tommy Peel]

I've been doing a lot of research since I was last on here; here is my current build list:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($208.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS9500 AT Ball Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.85 @ Mwave)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($88.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Gaming Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($121.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($98.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card ($314.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($39.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $993.75
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-26 23:10 EST-0500

I've made some upgrades over what I originally proposed and the price has therefore increased; it'll take me longer to get the funds together to build it but I think it will be worth it. I've decided to skip the 1TB drive for now in favor of a larger SSD as I've got some laptop hard drives laying around I can use for mass storage. I also, after reading/watching some reviews, decided that a GTX970(with the option to add a second in the future) will give me a more future proof build. Initially I'll probably get everything but the graphics card(unless I find an awesome deal on one) as the rig will run with integrated graphics w/out it. I can then save up for the GPU.

Thoughts? The brands/exact parts listed are subject to change based on any deals I find this weekend; I've got $300-400 to spend right now. Barring any really good deals should I start buyings pieces slowly or keep saving till I can get it all at once?

 

[vampyiere6]

I've been doing a lot of research since I was last on here; here is my current build list:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($208.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS9500 AT Ball Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.85 @ Mwave)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($88.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Gaming Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($121.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($98.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card ($314.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($39.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $993.75
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-26 23:10 EST-0500

I've made some upgrades over what I originally proposed and the price has therefore increased; it'll take me longer to get the funds together to build it but I think it will be worth it. I've decided to skip the 1TB drive for now in favor of a larger SSD as I've got some laptop hard drives laying around I can use for mass storage. I also, after reading/watching some reviews, decided that a GTX970(with the option to add a second in the future) will give me a more future proof build. Initially I'll probably get everything but the graphics card(unless I find an awesome deal on one) as the rig will run with integrated graphics w/out it. I can then save up for the GPU.

Thoughts? The brands/exact parts listed are subject to change based on any deals I find this weekend; I've got $300-400 to spend right now. Barring any really good deals should I start buyings pieces slowly or keep saving till I can get it all at once?

That build looks really good and will serve you well in gaming with no problems at all.

It all depends if you want to get it all at once or just slowly getting parts, if you find some really good deals now i think you should buy, but if it will take you a long time until you get the rest of the money then wait because in some months or so the prices may have droped even more so then when you buy it all at once it will most likley be cheaper.

 

[Tommy Peel]

That build looks really good and will serve you well in gaming with no problems at all.

It all depends if you want to get it all at once or just slowly getting parts, if you find some really good deals now i think you should buy, but if it will take you a long time until you get the rest of the money then wait because in some months or so the prices may have droped even more so then when you buy it all at once it will most likley be cheaper.

Well ended up buying some stuff today. Newegg was running some good sales on some of the components so I went ahead and bought them. I also picked up a nice backlit mechanical keyboard from Monoprice.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($204.29 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS9500 AT Ball Bearing CPU Cooler (Purchased For $9.99)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (Purchased For $88.99)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($57.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($98.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card ($314.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $29.99)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $59.99)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($39.98 @ OutletPC)
Other: Mechanical Keyboard (Purchased For $66.99)
Total: $972.18
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-27 22:32 EST-0500

Hopefully I can get the rest of it sooner rather than later; at the very least I should be able to get the CPU, RAM, and SSD by the end of the year so I can start using the rig w/out the graphics card.

 

[Tommy Peel]

Thought I'd update the thread; I've bought everything except the GPU and Optical Drive as of today. I should get the RAM sometime next week then I can build the rig! I've got a question on the fans though, the case came with one 120mm fan in the front with room for another under it. It has room for 2x120mm in the top and a single 120mm in the back. I ordered a 4 pack of 120mm fans on Newegg and am thinking I'll use 2 intake fans in the front, 2 intake in the top and one exhaust in the rear mount. I'll also have the power supply mounted with the fan facing up acting as another exhaust fan(so I can put the machine on carpet if needed). I'll also be getting a magnetic fan filter for the top fans. Is the overkill? Would something else be better? From what I've read positive case pressure is prefered to prevent dust build up.

Here's the current parts list:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (Purchased For $220.98)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS9500 AT Ball Bearing CPU Cooler (Purchased For $9.99)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (Purchased For $88.99)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (Purchased For $120.00)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For $80.00)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card ($324.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $29.99)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $59.99)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($39.99 @ Micro Center)
Case Fan: Cougar Turbine 120 (4-Pack) 60.4 CFM 120mm Fan (Purchased For $23.99)
Other: Mechanical Keyboard (Purchased For $66.99)
Total: $1065.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-12 15:50 EST-0500

 

[vampyiere6]

Thought I'd update the thread; I've bought everything except the GPU and Optical Drive as of today. I should get the RAM sometime next week then I can build the rig! I've got a question on the fans though, the case came with one 120mm fan in the front with room for another under it. It has room for 2x120mm in the top and a single 120mm in the back. I ordered a 4 pack of 120mm fans on Newegg and am thinking I'll use 2 intake fans in the front, 2 intake in the top and one exhaust in the rear mount. I'll also have the power supply mounted with the fan facing up acting as another exhaust fan(so I can put the machine on carpet if needed). I'll also be getting a magnetic fan filter for the top fans. Is the overkill? Would something else be better? From what I've read positive case pressure is prefered to prevent dust build up.

Here's the current parts list:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (Purchased For $220.98)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS9500 AT Ball Bearing CPU Cooler (Purchased For $9.99)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (Purchased For $88.99)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (Purchased For $120.00)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For $80.00)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card ($324.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $29.99)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $59.99)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($39.99 @ Micro Center)
Case Fan: Cougar Turbine 120 (4-Pack) 60.4 CFM 120mm Fan (Purchased For $23.99)
Other: Mechanical Keyboard (Purchased For $66.99)
Total: $1065.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-12 15:50 EST-0500

Yea this all looks really good, as for the fans i would have 2 front as intake and the 2 top ones as exhaust as its facing the top more dust will be collected ontop of it as it falls down not that this is a problem but having the top ones as exhaust is much better.

So front ones as intake, top ones as exhaust and back one as exhaust too, thats how i would do it and thats is how i have my own setup and i have a side and bottom one also as i have the side one as intake so it blows directly at my gpu/mobo, and the bottom one i have empthy.