In this guide we’re going to go over everything you need in order to pick the best components for a solid cheap gaming computer. So, if you’re strapped for cash, but you still want to get a badass gaming PC, keep reading!
|
BUDGET | SPECS | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
VR/1440P
|
$800 Gaming PC |
|
||
MID-RANGE
|
$700 Gaming PC |
|
||
BUDGET VR
|
$600 Gaming PC |
|
||
1080P
|
$500 Gaming PC |
|
||
ENTRY-LEVEL
|
$400 Gaming PC |
|
||
BAREBONES
|
$300 Gaming PC |
|
[expand title=”Check Guide Update History »” trigclass=”noarrow” targclass=”maptastic”]
1/1 Update: Switched up all of the builds to accommodate for fluctuating prices.
11/29 Update: Swapped out the RAM on all of the builds to accommodate for fluctuating prices. Also swapped motherboards on the $500-$800 builds due to a price increase on the previous motherboard.
11/20 Update: Swapped out RAM on the builds as the previous RAM was out of stock. Also finished updating the processor, motherboard, graphics card, case, and power supplies is the extended guide below the builds.
11/17 Update: Swapped out motherboards and RAM on the $600, $700, and $800 builds to accommodate for changing prices. Also swapped out the Zotac GTX 1060 6GB on the $800 build for a more affordable EVGA GTX 1060 6GB.
10/27 Update: Switched out the RAM on the builds for a more affordable version as memory prices are fluctuating like crazy right now. Also made some switched to the MOBO on the $600, $700, and $800 builds.
[/expand]
In this day and age of incredible graphics and extremely demanding video games, you, as a PC gamer, must have a capable gaming computer if you want to play your favorite games in the way they were designed to be played. Unfortunately, though, the price tag that comes with a solid PC may be keeping you from getting the system that you deserve.
However, if you elect to build your own system–rather than buying it pre-built–you can forego the high costs associated with buying an expensive pre-built setup (like one from Alienware or Cyber Power PC) and you can finally get yourself an affordable gaming computer that will play your favorite games at acceptable levels. And, if you’re willing to spend between $700-$800 you can even get a VR-ready 4K gaming PC that is capable of utilizing the Oculus Rift headset.
In this guide, I’m going to cover all of the different components that you can use in your budget build. I’m going to go over and answer every question that a prospective builder could possibly ever have when looking for affordable components that will allow them to build the best cheap gaming PC under $800.
To start, though, I’m going to give you six different builds that you can use as is, or that you can use as a base to put together your own part list. This will allow you to skip the fine details and get straight to building your awesome cheap gaming desktop. These aren’t the best gaming PCs you can build, but for the price their performance is incredible.
In the end, you’ll have a plan of action, as well as a number of different components to choose between, and you’ll be well on your way to building a cheap gaming computer desktop that is capable of delivering excellent levels of performance.
Questions to Ask Before Building Your Own PC
[expand title=”1. Why Should I Build My Own PC for Gaming?” trigclass=”noarrow” targclass=”maptastic”]
There are many reasons why you should build your own PC. I’ve already discussed the main reason why above…
And, that is to save money.
By choosing to build your own PC, rather than purchasing a pre-built computer (like an expensive system from Alienware), you can save a ton of money. This is mainly because pre-built computer companies typically mark up the price of their systems significantly.
Another reason why you should build your own PC is because you can get a much more balanced system. A lot of times you’ll see pre-built PC systems with 16GB of RAM (which is overkill for a lot of purposes) and then pair it with a weak video card.
If you build your computer yourself, you can ensure that you aren’t wasting money on certain components when that money could be better allocated to more important components (like your video card.)
And, finally, building your own computer is just a really good skill to have in this day and age, where everything depends on technology. It’s not a difficult task by any means, but it is rewarding nonetheless, and, in the grand scheme of things, not many people have ever built their own system.
[/expand]
[expand title=”2. Who Can Build a PC?” trigclass=”noarrow” targclass=”maptastic”]
Anyone who knows how to read (or even how to watch a video) and operate a screwdriver can build their own PC.
I should also add, too, that you do need some patience when building your own computer. As I mentioned above, building a PC is not rocket science and is not too difficult of a task.
However, there are moments that can arise during the building process that can be frustrating. The good news, though, is that there are plenty of guides out there (including ours!) that can help walk you through the building process to minimize the chances of you running into these kinds of problems.
Ultimately, most builders won’t face too many issues during their first build and even the most tech-challenged individuals could probably get through their own PC build if they are patient enough.
[/expand]
[expand title=”3. What Do You Need to Build A PC?” trigclass=”noarrow” targclass=”maptastic”]
To build a PC you need a specific set of components, an operating system, and a screwdriver. If you look scroll down in this guide, you’ll see that I’ve put together a number of pre-made part lists that you can either use as is, or as a base for the system you want to build.
However, if you want to have an exact idea of what components you will need in order to build a computer, the list below will take you through each one:
What Parts Are Needed to Build A PC for Gaming?
While you can put in all sorts of different components into your computer, there is a core set of parts you will need in order to build a PC. They are:
CPU: The CPU is the brain of your computer. It handles all of the processes, calculations, and tasks of your computer. More than any other component, it will determine the speed of your computer. However, if you’re building a gaming computer, your CPU will take a backseat to your video card in terms of which component is the most responsible for performance. But either way, you need a solid CPU if you want to build a solid computer.
CPU Cooler/Fan: The CPU fan or cooler dissipates heat from your CPU to help keep it cool. Every CPU comes with a stock fan (unless otherwise noted), but you can always buy a bigger and better air cooler from a third-party manufacturer as well. Liquid cooling is also an option for building a PC, but if you’re working with a tight budget, you’ll want to stick with an air cooler.
Motherboard: The motherboard operates as the main “hub” of the PC. It’s where all of your components connect to so that they can communicate with each other.
Video Card: A video card is similar to a CPU, but its main job is to handle all graphics-related processes. You don’t necessarily need to buy a video card if you just want to build a standard PC. A lot of processors have video processing capabilities built direction into them. However, if you want to game on your PC, the integrated graphics that come on most CPUs aren’t good enough for serious gamers. If that’s the case for you, you need a dedicated graphics card.
Memory: Memory, or RAM, serves as the location where your CPU can carry out tasks. For most purposes, you’ll never need more than 8GB of RAM (at least, at the time of writing this.) However, if you’re doing a lot of CPU-intensive work, video editing, graphic design, etc. you may be able to utilize more than 8GB.
Storage: There are two prominent types of storage: traditional mechanical hard drives (HDD) and solid state drives (SSD). Both offer you a place to store all of your files, documents, and games. HDDs offer much more storage space for the price, but SSDs are much faster and can offer a significant performance increase (outside of gaming, as a solid state drive won’t have a big impact on your in-game experience other than loading times.) Many PC builders pair an SSD with an HDD in their builds so that they can get the best of both worlds.
Case/Chassis: A case is simply the container that you place all of your components inside of. Not all cases are created equal. Some are smaller and have less space, while others are huge and allow for all sorts of crazy configurations. And, not all components will fit inside of all cases. So, it’s important to check and see if the components you are going to purchase are compatible with the case you want to choose before you buy all of your parts.
Power Supply: A power supply, or PSU, is the component that delivers electricity to your system. It takes the power from a wall socket in your home and converts it to power your PC can use and then delivers it to your system. Not all PSUs are created equally and it’s important that you don’t choose a cheap unit that could give you problems down the road. You also need to make sure that the power supply you choose is big enough to power all of the other components that will go into your build. You can do that with a calculator like Extreme Outervision.
Optical Drive: An optical drive is either a CD/DVD drive or a Bluray drive. Honestly, optical drives are slowly becoming obsolete as games and software are primarily downloaded online. You can even install your operating system through a USB drive nowadays. Still, though, a traditional optical drive is only about $20 so if you have a big budget it doesn’t hurt to throw one in if you still have some games or software on a disc.
Operating System: Obviously an operating system isn’t a physical component. However, you need an OS if you want to game. Ultimately, there are two viable OS options: Windows and Linux. Of the two Windows is the best option as it can accommodate any PC game. However, it will cost you an additional ~$90. Linux is free, but doesn’t support as many games as Windows. Still, though, if you only care about playing certain Linux-friendly games and you don’t mind being limited to only Linux-friendly games, it might be worth considering.
What Cables Are Needed to Build A PC?
There are a ton of cables that are needed to build a computer. Fortunately, though, you don’t really have to worry about them because A) they are all clearly marked on where they go and B) all of the cables you need come with the components you will buy.
In the worst case scenario, you might be short a couple of SATA cables. So, if you want to order a few extra just in case you can do so. (They’re only a couple bucks each.) Other than that, all of the cables you need will come with your motherboard, case, and power supply.
What Tools Are Needed to Build A PC?
The only tool you really need in order to build a computer is a screwdriver. And, really, you’ll only need the screwdriver to screw the motherboard into its stand offs and to secure your power supply. (And, with some cases, to take off/put on the side panel.)
Zip ties are also good to have, as well, to help you secure excess wires out of sight. And, of course, if you want to get really fancy, there are a few other tools that can make building a PC a little easier.
It’s also a good idea to have a laptop, computer, smartphone, or tablet that is connected to the internet on hand. Often times new builders get hung up on a common issue during the building process, that, because they have never built a computer before, isn’t something they know how to solve.
Fortunately, though, there are a lot of forums out there where these types of issues get posted and solved every day. So, having access to the internet during your build could be the difference between a smooth build process, and a problem-laden build process.
[/expand]
[expand title=”4. Where Do You Get PC Parts for Your Gaming PC?” trigclass=”noarrow” targclass=”maptastic”]
There are many places to get PC parts, including:
Amazon.com (Online)
Newegg.com (Online)
TigerDirect.com (Online)
NCIX.com (Online)
BHPhotoVideo.com (Online)
Microcenter (In store or Online)
BestBuy (In store or Online)
For me, personally, I stick to Amazon.com simply because I already have a Prime membership and so I can get most items within a couple of days. And, let me tell you, when you hit the submit button on your order, the last thing you’re going to want to do is sit around for a week waiting to build your PC.
Also, Amazon typically has the lowest prices, and if not, they aren’t too far off the nearest price. And, in the instances where they don’t have the lowest price, I’m willing to pay a little more to guarantee that I get my parts (and, thus, my system) quickly.
However, there is some sense in using the other stores mentioned above. If you are fortunate enough to live near a Microcenter, they often have insanely good deals that you won’t find online.
And, another option is to mix and match where you get your parts from. This makes sense if you want to maximize your budget to its fullest as you can buy different components at different stores depending on where they are the cheapest.
[/expand]
[expand title=”5. How Do You Build A PC?” trigclass=”noarrow” targclass=”maptastic”]
It would take its own post entirely to walk you through how to build your own PC. Fortunately, you can check out our step-by-step computer building guide to walk you through the process.
Also, you can check out the following computer-building tutorial video if you are more of a visual person:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIF43-0mDk4
[/expand]
[expand title=”6. Should You Build A Gaming PC or Get a Laptop?” trigclass=”noarrow” targclass=”maptastic”]
If your main goal is to get the most performance possible for the least amount of money spent, you need to build your own computer. However, a desktop computer isn’t an ideal option for many gamers.
Some gamers need a more portable option, whether they are in college, or they don’t have the space for a desktop, or they’re always gaming at their buddies house and don’t want to lug around a mini-ITX LAN system.
If that’s the case for you, then you should definitely look into a laptop. (Check out our laptop guide here.) Just know that you are going to spend quite a bit more and you likely won’t get anywhere near the performance of a fairly affordable desktop PC (unless you are willing to spend a few grand.)
Ultimately, while performance is always the best metric to determine what kind of system you should get, the best PC for gaming for you will come down to your own specific needs. So, if you need mobility, go with a laptop. If you don’t, then build a good gaming desktop.
[/expand]
[expand title=”7. Should You Build A Gaming PC or Get a Console?” trigclass=”noarrow” targclass=”maptastic”]
No… just no. Do not get a console. Are you kidding me? This EliteGamingComputers.com, not EliteGamingConsoles.com.
I’m offended…
Joking aside, there are two sides to this question as well. Yes, I am a diehard PC fan. But one of my favorite video games happens to be Madden. And, unfortunately, Madden isn’t available on PC. So, I also have an XBox One. (Yes, that’s right, I have a console…)
So, before you go out and build a new gaming computer, you need to make sure that you understand that certain games aren’t available on PC.
But, at the same time, what you lose on a console, you gain on a PC. There are also plenty of games that are exclusive to PC, like, for instance, League of Legends (also one of my favorite games.)
And, overall, the in-game experience on a PC is better than it is on a console. That’s simply because on the PC you can play with better visuals, more detailed graphics, and smoother gameplay.
And, of course, on average, PC games tend to be cheaper (Steam) and there are a lot more of them.
So, while a console will cost you less upfront (unless you go with a really cheap PC), if you buy a lot of games, in the long run, a PC will win out.
Ultimately, though, if you’re like me, you just get both and enjoy the best of both worlds. Problem solved.
[/expand]
PRE-MADE GAMING PC BUILDS
Don’t Want to Waste Time? START HERE.
In this section, I’ve taken six different price points ($300, $400, $500, $600, $700, & $800) and I’ve put together custom gaming computer builds for each budget. These builds can either be used as is, or they can serve as a base that you can customize to your liking.
Each build has a link at the bottom of the list that says “GET THIS GAMING PC” and if you click on it it will lead you to a pre-made list on Amazon where you can purchase all of the parts all at once.
There are also links next to the individual parts so that you can check the prices of each component included in the build.
I update these builds about once every week and if the total price of the build is over the price range I have set ($30 threshold) then it’s likely that one of the components included in the build saw a major price increase in the since I had last updated the build. No worries, though! If you browse for similar components you will likely find something comparable performance-wise that will be more affordable and will bring the price back down.
Of course, you could also wait until I update the builds again. However, just know that prices can change hourly and so it’s possible that I could update the builds and then a few hours later they are outside of the $30 threshold I have set.
Ultimately, these aren’t the best gaming desktops you can build, (see our high-end builds guide), but if you’re working with a budget, these are good gaming computers that will serve as very capable machines. If you’re looking for a gaming PC under $100, you are probably out of luck (unless you can use a lot of parts from an older system). However, if you have ~$300-$400 to spend, you can land a fairly good gaming computer for the money.
And, if you combined these budget builds with a solid monitor, gaming keyboard, and gaming mouse, you’d have a gaming rig that would be more than enough to suit most gamer’s needs.
In any case, if you have any questions about these builds, please post them below in the comments section!
CHOOSE YOUR BUDGET
$800 GAMING PC (VR-READY)
Overview
What if I told you that for ~$800 you could build a computer that could serve as a solid 1080P or 1440P gaming machine? Or, that could support the Oculus Rift?
That’s what this desktop build brings to the table. With a GTX 1060 6GB GPU, this budget PC build is capable of playing most games on a 1440P monitor at medium-to-higher settings with acceptable frame rates. And, if you want to jump into the world of Virtual-Reality gaming, this build meets the requirements to run an Oculus Rift as well.
And, of course, if you just want to play on a 1920×1080, this budget build will easily be able to handle that as benchmarks for the GTX 1060 show that it can handle 1080P gaming incredibly well. In fact, pairing this build with a 1080p/144Hz monitor would make for a nice little PC gaming and light workstation setup.
The build also includes a 256GB NVME SSD, which will offer superior read/write speeds over traditional mechanical hard drives and standard SSDs. It’s not a huge amount of storage, but it should give you enough to hold you over until you can add a larger mechanical hard drive to your build.
Ultimately, this part list will allow you to build one of the best gaming desktops under $1,000 possible.
Part List for $800 PC Build
CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 1500X |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B06XKVNRSM” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
MOBO | ASRock AB350M PRO4 |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B06X9LN3QK” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
GPU | ASUS GTX 1060 6GB |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01JHQT1SE” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
RAM | Patriot Signature 8GB |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B016A29HKA” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
SSD | Crucial MX300 256GB |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01IAGSD5O” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
CASE | VIVO CASE-V06 |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01GSQ2I22″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
PSU | Corsair CX 550M |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01B72W0A2″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
ODD | Install O.S. from USB drive | |
OS | Windows 10 |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01019T6O0″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″ ] [/easyazon_link] |
Grand Total: $770-$830
*Component prices fluctuate daily. Click here for current pricing.
**Price includes the components that make up the tower only. Windows 10 is included in the list, but will cost extra—and you will definitely need an operating system one way or another.
$700 GAMING PC (VR-READY)
Overview
A lot of people love to brag about their $3,000 water-cooled systems and the ridiculous frame rates they get while playing their favorite games. If you have the money to go all out on a high-end gaming rig, then, by all means, do so. (I personally love seeing how far a system can be pushed!)
However, if you’re looking to get a new cheap PC that is capable of giving you a really high-end experience, you could easily achieve that with $700 of quality computer components.
With a Ryzen 5 1500x and a GTX 1060 this is a budget PC that is, believe it or not, capable of functioning as an entry-level 4K gaming PC. It will even meet the required specifications for running the Oculus Rift.
It also comes with an insanely fast 128GB NVME SSD. And, while that isn’t really a ton of storage to start with, the 128GB will give you enough space to install your operating system and some of your favorite games and should hold you over until you can grab a larger hard drive.
Ultimately, this budget build will offer ideal performance in 1080p gaming and solid performance in 1440P gaming, and it is one of the best cheap computers for gaming you can build for $700.
Here’s the part list:
Part List for $700 PC Build
CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 1500X |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B06XKVNRSM” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
MOBO | ASRock AB350M PRO4 |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B06X9LN3QK” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
GPU | PNY GTX 1060 3GB |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01KKJAJM4″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
RAM | Patriot Signature 8GB |
[easyazon_link asin=”B016A29HKA” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”gcgctest-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default”] [/easyazon_link] |
HDD | Seagate 1 TB |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01LNJBA2I” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
CASE | VIVO CASE-V06 |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01GSQ2I22″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
PSU | Corsair CX 550M |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01B72W0A2″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
ODD | Install O.S. from USB drive | |
OS | Windows 10 |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B00ZSI7Y3U” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″ ] [/easyazon_link] |
Grand Total: $670-$730
*Component prices fluctuate daily. Click here for current pricing.
**Price includes the components that make up the tower only. Optional items are included in the list, but will cost extra—and you will definitely need an operating system one way or another.
$600 GAMING PC
Overview
The great thing about building your own gaming computer is that for a fraction of the cost of a pre-built machine, you can achieve some pretty incredible results.
In fact, for right around $600, you can throw together a solid gaming desktop that will max out any game on the market on a 1080p monitor as well as a system that will even be able to handle most games on a 1440p monitor (more demanding games at 1440p on this setup will require lowering graphics settings, though) as well.
And, with a Ryzen 5 1400 and a GTX 1050 Ti, your system is actually capable of running an Oculus Rift!
That’s pretty incredible considering if you want the same performance from a pre-built machine, you’d probably have to pay well over $1,000.
Ultimately, though, this system is a really good gaming computer for the money and it is probably one of the best budget desktops you can build for ~$600.
Part List for $600 PC Build
CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 1400 |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B06XKWT8J4″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
MOBO | ASRock AB350M PRO4 |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B06X9LN3QK” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
GPU | MSI GTX 1050 Ti 4GB |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01MG3IX4F” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
RAM | Patriot Signature 8GB |
[easyazon_link asin=”B016A29HKA” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”gcgctest-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default”] [/easyazon_link] |
HDD | Seagate 1 TB |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01LNJBA2I” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
CASE | VIVO CASE-V06 |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01GSQ2I22″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
PSU | Corsair CX550M |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01B72W0A2″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
ODD | Install O.S. from USB drive | |
OS | Windows 10 |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01019T6O0″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″ ] [/easyazon_link] |
Grand Total: $570-$630
*Component prices fluctuate daily. Click here for current pricing.
**Price includes the components that make up the tower only. Windows 10 is included in the list, but will cost extra—and you will definitely need an operating system one way or another.
$500 GAMING PC
Overview
For those of you looking to spend a little bit more money, you can come away with a truly powerful gaming computer at a very affordable price.
At $500 this next cheap computer build will present you with unbelievable performance. These parts are literally capable of producing an experience on par with some of the big manufacturers’ $1,000+ gaming computers.
For the $500 gaming PC build listed below, you can expect to max out pretty much any game on a 1080p monitor, as well as play most games at 1440p on medium-to-high settings.
Here’s the parts you’ll need to build a gaming PC under $500 worth bragging about:
Part List for $500 PC Build
CPU | Intel Pentium G4560 |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01NCE8T92″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
MOBO | MSI B250M |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01N9OZI64″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
GPU | MSI GTX 1050 Ti 4GB |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01MG3IX4F” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
RAM | Patriot Signature 8GB |
[easyazon_link asin=”B016A29HKA” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”gcgctest-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default”] [/easyazon_link] |
HDD | Seagate 1 TB |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01LNJBA2I” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
CASE | VIVO CASE-V06 |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01GSQ2I22″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
PSU | Corsair CX550M |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01B72W0A2″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
ODD | Install O.S. from USB drive | |
OS | Windows 10 |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01019T6O0″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″ ] [/easyazon_link] |
Grand Total: $470-$530
*Component prices fluctuate daily. Click here for current pricing)
**Price includes the components that make up the tower only. Windows 10 is included in the list, but will cost extra—and you will definitely need an operating system one way or another.
$400 GAMING PC
Overview
If you were looking to buy a decent system from the big computer assemblers, you would expect to pay at least $700. However, you don’t need to spend $700 in order to get a gaming computer that will deliver a good experience.
In fact, for right around $400, you can build a system that will allow you to play your favorite games on moderate settings (and some of them on the highest settings) on a 1920×1080 monitor.
And, by building it yourself, you can avoid having to deal with the low-quality power supplies and motherboards that the big computer companies like to throw in their builds, or getting stuck with a cheap gaming laptop.
The cheap gaming PC under $400 listed below is based off of my research of the best parts available for a $400 gaming computer. The build includes the following parts:
Part List for $400 PC Build
CPU | Intel Pentium G4560 |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01NCE8T92″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
MOBO | MSI B250M |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01N9OZI64″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
GPU | MSI RX 560 4GB |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B0773ZMVRH” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
RAM | Patriot Signature 8GB |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B016A29HKA” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
HDD | Seagate 250 GB |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B009XIJ0GK” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
CASE | Rosewill Dual Fans |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B005LIDU5S” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
PSU | Corsair CX550M |
[easyazon_link asin=”B01B72W0A2″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” tag=”gcgctest-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” nofollow=”default”] [/easyazon_link] |
ODD | Install O.S. from USB drive | |
OS | Windows 10 |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01019T6O0″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″ ] [/easyazon_link] |
Grand Total: $370-$430
*Component prices fluctuate daily. Click here for current pricing.
**Price includes the components that make up the tower only. Windows 10 is included in the list, but will cost extra—and you will definitely need an operating system one way or another.
$300 GAMING PC
Overview
For gamers working with an extremely tight budget, it is possible to throw together a gaming computer under $300.
The downside of putting together such a low-end system is that you’ll be stuck with a very low-end graphics card. However, the upside of this build is that with just an upgrade to the CPU and an upgrade to the video card (which may also require an upgrade to the power supply) you will have a very solid cheap gaming PC under $300.
So, if you are severely strapped for cash now, but you want something that will let you play your favorite games on low-to-medium settings and will also let you upgrade to a high-end system later on down the road, then this is probably one of the best cheap PCs for gaming you can build for the price.
Part List for $300 PC Build
CPU | Intel Pentium G4560 |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01NCE8T92″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
MOBO | MSI B250M |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01N9OZI64″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
GPU | MSI GT 1030 |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B071L4VKF6″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
RAM | Patriot Viper 4GB |
[easyazon_link asin=”B074Q1YX92″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”gcgctest-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default”] [/easyazon_link] |
HDD | Seagate 250 GB |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B009XIJ0GK” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
CASE | Rosewill Dual Fans |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B005LIDU5S” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″] [/easyazon_link] |
PSU | Antec VP-450 |
[easyazon_link asin=”B004IZN3K2″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” tag=”gcgctest-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” nofollow=”default”] [/easyazon_link] |
ODD | Install O.S. from USB drive | |
OS | Windows 10 |
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01019T6O0″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″ ] [/easyazon_link] |
Grand Total: $270-$330
*Component prices fluctuate daily. Click here for current pricing.
**Price includes the components that make up the tower only. Windows 10 is included in the list, but will cost extra—and you will definitely need an operating system one way or another.
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE
For the More Thorough Guide, Start Here.
This guide has literally everything you need to pick a part list for a solid cheap gaming computer. With so much information, you might get lost. So, it’s important that you know how to navigate and use this guide.
For starters, below you’ll find a Table of Contents. You can use this to easily navigate to the part of the guide you want to read.
The guide is broken down into sections. In the first couple of sections, the guide goes over some important concepts, including knowing your budget and whether or not you should buy now, or save until you can afford a better system. Then, the guide will go all of the components you’ll need in order to build an affordable computer.
Each component section will give you multiple suggestions. And, each component section is broken down to make it easier to navigate through.
For instance, the processor and motherboard sections are broken down by the socket type. And, the video card, chasis, and power supply sections are broken down by price range (i.e. Best Video Cards under $100.)
Finally, at the top of this guide, I have put together six different builds, ranging from $300 on the low-end to $800 on the high-end. These builds can either be used as is, or they can be customized to your liking.
KNOWING YOUR BUDGET
The budget that you set for your gaming computer is going to determine the kind of performance you get out of it. The more you spend, the more games you’ll be able to play on higher settings and the higher the frame rates you’ll get.
Setting your budget will give you a price to work with when selecting your components and it will make it easier to make decisions on each part. So, set a budget and stick to it. For this guide, we’ll be looking at systems that come in under $800.
Should You Buy Now, Or Save Up Until You Can Get Better Components?
There are advantages and disadvantages that come with either buying your components now or saving up until you can get better-performing parts. It really all depends on your personal preferences as well as the kind of games you play.
If you don’t want to wait to be able to have to play your favorite games and you don’t mind playing on lower settings, or the games you play aren’t too demanding, then building now is definitely a good option. However, if you’re playing demanding games that are best experienced in full detail on the highest graphics settings, then it is probably a good idea to save up some more money so that you can get the best gaming PC for 2018 as possible.
If you want the best of both worlds, you can always build for now and the future. In order to build for now and the future, you must choose components that will give you decent performance now and that will allow you to upgrade in the future. Since this guide is directed towards those gamers who are building on a budget, I have tried to make it as future friendly as possible without sacrificing too much performance now.
Either way you choose, the components listed in this guide will at least allow you to start playing your favorite games. And, the top component options in each category will even allow you to play most games on the highest settings.
Let’s Get Started Choosing Components
In the rest of this guide, we’ll take an individual look at each component category and go over the different options you have if you’re building a powerful cheap custom built gaming PC. Each component is going to be broken down into sections.
I’ve left out peripherals like gaming chairs and gaming desks, but the core components you’ll need to build your PC are all listed below.
First up, we’ll look at the best budget gaming processors and then we’ll proceed to look at all of the other components you’ll need with a focus on parts that make sense to be used in cheap computers.
THE BEST BUDGET PROCESSORS
In this part of our Good Cheap Gaming Computers guide, we’re going to take a look at all of the different CPU options you have for your budget gaming PC build.
PROCESSOR OVERVIEW
(Jump to a Processor) |
The CPU you choose for your gaming PC is going to play a pivotal role in how well your system performs.
A faster processor is going to be able to handle more games better. A slower processor will give you trouble running more demanding games.
Fortunately, even if you’re building on a budget there are a number of CPU options available on the market that will allow you to play your games at acceptable levels.
In fact, for just under $100 you can get a CPU that is capable of running your gaming computer.
In this guide I will take a look at all of the CPU options you have for your budget gaming PC for 2018.
Any of the CPUs listed in this article will at least get your foot in the door.
And, some of the processors—like the Intel Core i3-8100—are not only budget-friendly, but they are also good enough for a gaming computer that can max out most games.
AMD AM4 Processors
While AMD’s socket AM3+ processors held out for quite a while (perhaps longer than they should have), they have finally been replaced with AMD’s new AM4 Ryzen CPUs.
Like AMD’s AM3+ CPUs, AMD’s Ryzen processors provide high core counts, which make them excellent performers in multi-threaded applications.
And, while AMD’s Ryzen processors still don’t quite match Intel in terms of single-core performance, they are vastly improved in that area over AM3+ CPUs.
And, with Intel’s new Coffee Lake chips not having any affordable motherboard options currently available, at this point in time, Ryzen’s budget-to-mid-range processors still hold really good value.
This is because you can pair them with an affordable motherboard and still have the ability to overclock. Not to mention, the stock coolers AMD provides with their budget AM4 processors is on par with some budget-friendly third party heatsinks and, therefore, you won’t need to spend extra to get a cooler that will allow you to overclock.
Ultimately, AMD’s new Ryzen CPUs offer excellent performance for their price and are even a better value if you plan on using your gaming PC for other multi-threaded applications, like video editing, streaming, or graphics design work.
AMD Ryzen 5 1600 |
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Recommendation
The Ryzen 5-1600 is the most powerful CPU on the market for it’s price, it’s capable of 4k rendering and gaming at the highest settings with a decent GPU. If you are an aspiring streamer, gamer, or video editor on a budget, this chip will suit you perfectly.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B06XNRQHG4″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Learn More[/easyazon_link]
TECH SPECS
FREQUENCY | 3.2 GHz |
CORES | 6(12) |
TDP | 65W |
PROCESS (DIE) | 14nm |
SOCKET | AM4 |
AMD Ryzen 5 1600
The Ryzen 5 1600 is part of AMD’s new line of chips that are meant to compete with Intel’s Kaby Lake line of processors.
With 6 cores and 12 threads running at 3.2ghz, the 1600 is a very powerful CPU meant for content creation and highly tasking processes.
Coming in 40% faster than the i5-7600 and 30% faster than the fx-9590 at 5.0ghz this chip is no joke for the content creators on a budget nor is it for gamers.
For just under $200 this CPU can be paired with any GPU on the market and you will not see a bottleneck of any sort. The 1600 is currently one of the most reccomended CPU’s on the market for gaming and content creation.
For gaming the 1600 is a good CPU but the best results come with an overclock of 4.0ghz which is easily achievable on the stock cooler.
When buying, make sure that you buy faster RAM as you may see worse frames than benchmarks report.
For budgets around $800 this is the best value CPU currently on the market and when matched with a mid to high-end GPU you can expect to see extremely high frames in all games and great performance everywhere else.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B06XNRQHG4″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Get This CPU[/easyazon_link]
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AMD Ryzen 5 1500X |
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Recommendation
The Ryzen 5 1500X is priced well and is an excellent option for anyone who wants a solid processor for gaming, but who also wants to build a budget system that will handle multi-threaded applications well, too.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B06XKVNRSM” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Learn More[/easyazon_link]
TECH SPECS
FREQUENCY | 3.5 GHz |
CORES | 4(8) |
TDP | 65W |
PROCESS (DIE) | 14nm |
SOCKET | AM4 |
AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
AMD processors have typically been more affordable alternatives to Intel processors, and that’s no different with AMD’s Ryzen chips.
The Ryzen 5 series is designed as a head-to-head competitor to the Intel Core i5, taking a slightly different approach in technology. The Ryzen 5 1500x uses four full cores with 8 threads. The 1500x competes with Intel’s Core i5-8400, so comparing the two will be unavoidable.
First, the Ryzen 5 1500x is slightly more affordable, and offers a base clock of 3.5 GHz and boosted clock of up to 3.9 GHz. The i5-8400, on the other hand, only offers a 2.8 GHz base but it does have a boost clock of 4.0GHz. Both require 65W of power.
The biggest plus of the 1500X is its ability to overclock, though. Because the 8400 is a locked processor and, therefore, cannot be overclocked.
The i5-8400 also doesn’t have any affordable motherboards available for it and so if you are building a new PC and you are working with a tight budget, you probably won’t be able to go with a new Coffee Lake CPU.
Ultimately, the AMD Ryzen 5 1500x offers well-rounded performance in video encoding, content creation processes, streaming, and data encryption, but it will trail behind Intel’s new Coffee Lake chips in gaming.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B06XKVNRSM” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Get This CPU[/easyazon_link]
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AMD Ryzen 5 1400 |
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Recommendation
The Ryzen 5 1400 is an incredibly priced chip. And, even if you pair it with an affordable motherboard you will still have the ability to overclock. That, combined with the fact that it comes with a capable stock cooler, make it a solid option for anyone who is working with a really tight budget.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B06XKWT8J4″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Learn More[/easyazon_link]
TECH SPECS
FREQUENCY | 3.2 GHz |
CORES | 4(8) |
TDP | 65W |
PROCESS (DIE) | 14nm |
SOCKET | AM4 |
AMD Ryzen 5 1400
[easyazon_link identifier=”B06XKWT8J4″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Get This CPU[/easyazon_link]
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AMD Ryzen 3 1300X |
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Recommendation
While the market is moving away from quad-core processors into higher core CPUs, the fact is that, for most scenarios, quad-core processors are still more than acceptable. And, the Ryzen 5 1300X is one of the budget-friendly quad-core processors that offers incredible value for the price. If you’re building a new PC on a tight budget, you might want to consider the 1300X.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B0741DLVL7″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Learn More[/easyazon_link]
TECH SPECS
FREQUENCY3 | 3.5 GHz |
CORES | 4(4) |
TDP | 65W |
PROCESS (DIE) | 14nm |
SOCKET | AM4 |
AMD Ryzen 3 1300X
The Ryzen 1300x is a 4-core/4-thread budget-friendly gaming and content-creation friendly CPU. At 3.5ghz stock and 3.7 turbo, the 1300x is essentially a slightly more expensive 1200 with much better overclockability.
For a sub-$150 chip, the 1300x brings a new concept to the budget building community: extreme overclocking. At 4.0ghz you can expect to see a near 10% increase in performance compared to stock speeds.
The 1300x is approximately 60% faster the fx-6300 by approximately 60% even with 2 less cores and threads. The 1300x is not much more different than the r5-1600 respectively.
The 1600 does have 50% more cores and twice the threads so obviously it will beat out the 1300x in rendering but that’s due to the extra cores and threads. Whereas in gaming, they have nearly the same exact results.
The only drawback of the 1300x is how close it is to the 1600 in price, most people could just save a little longer and justify the extra money but for overclockers on a budget, this chip really cannot be beat.
At the end of the day, if you are even familiar with the term ‘overclock’ and need an amazing gaming or rendering PC for a dcent price, you cannot beat the 1300x.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B0741DLVL7″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Get This CPU[/easyazon_link]
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AMD Ryzen 3 1200 |
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Recommendation
The Ryzen 3 1200 is one of the best budget chips on the market. With a price tag of just under $100, it provides budget builders with an incredible option to go with as it will allow them to spend more money on their GPU. So, if you have a tight budget and are looking to build an entry-level gaming PC, pairing the Ryzen 3 1200 with a mid-range GPU will suit you very well.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B0741DN383″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Learn More[/easyazon_link]
TECH SPECS
FREQUENCY | 4.0 GHz |
CORES | 8(8) |
TDP | 125W |
PROCESS (DIE) | 32nm |
SOCKET | AM3+ |
AMD Ryzen 3 1200
The Ryzen 3 1200 is part of AMD’s newest generation of CPU’s and with 4 cores and 4 threads, you’d be hard pressed to find a better value budget chip for gaming or video editing.
One of the best things that the 1200 brings with it is amazing featured motherboards for an outstanding price, for a measly $70 you can get a full feature mATX budget motherboard to pair with your 1200.
The R3-1200 was not released to compete with a high-end gaming chip like an i7-7700k which was made specifically for gaming, but it surely beats it out with its sheer performance for $110 (MSRP) compared to the $300 of the 7700k.
The 1200’s main competitors are the i3-7100 and the i3-8100 who are priced within $20 of the suggested MSRP of the 1200. With an overclock of 4.0 ghz, you’ll average 10% increases in FPS. This chip is currently one of the best options for a budget builder with it’s sheer power, overclockability, and the ability to pair any mid-ranged GPU without having to worry about bottlenecking.
The r3-1200 can compete with even the top of the line AMD CPU’s in single core performance. With a $15 4-year protection plan, you can build an amazing mid-range PC that can handle nearly anything for a mere $500 with the 1200. Overall, if you are looking to build a cheap gaming PC or just a ‘daily driver’ you can’t go wrong with the Ryzen 3 1200.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B0741DN383″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Get This CPU[/easyazon_link]
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Intel LGA 1151 Processors
There is no doubt that Intel is the king of gaming processors. And, there isn’t a question that they produce the fastest CPUs on the market.
However, for extreme budget gaming PCs, your Intel options are either a Pentium CPU or an Intel Core i3.
And, while these CPUs have great single-threaded performance, the fact that they are only dual core processors means that they are a little more limited in multi-threaded applications.
If your budget creeps closer to the $600-$800 range, choosing an Intel Core i5 CPU becomes more and more plausible.
Unfortunately, though, as Intel has yet to release any budget-friendly motherboard chipsets, it is hard to fit a new Coffee Lake i3 or i5 into a budget build, because you have to spend ~$100 or more on a motherboard. It’s doable if you’re buillding with an $800+ budget, but in most cases you’ll have to sacrifice on other components in order to get a Coffee Lake chip in.
Once the new budget-friendly chipset boards come out, though, I expect Intel’s chips to regain control of the mid-range market.
Intel Core i5-8400 |
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Recommendation
Intel’s Core i5-8400 is a really powerful chip for its MSRP, but limited availability and no budget-friendly motherboard options have made it a tough sell to anyone who is working with a tight-to-moderate budget. Once those two issues get hased out, the 8400 will likely be the most popular $200 processor that gamers build their systems with.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B0759FGJ3Q” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Learn More[/easyazon_link]
TECH SPECS
FREQUENCY | 2.8 GHz |
CORES | 6(6) |
TDP | 65W |
PROCESS (DIE) | 14nm |
SOCKET | LGA 1151 |
Intel Core i5-8400
Intel’s Core i5-8400 is probably one of the best budget friendly processors on the market, but it has two factors that are holding it back.
First, the i5-8400 is currently hard to find as Intel released their new Coffee Lake chips in limited quantities and so you either won’t be able to find one, or you’ll have to pay extra for one.
And, second, Intel only released Z370 chipset motherboards alongside their new Coffee Lake processors, which means that if you want a motherboard for the i5-8400, you’re going to have to spend at least $100 to get one.
The other downside is that the i5-8400 cannot be overclocked, while its main competitors can. However, all those things aside, the i5-8400 is an extremely powerful sub-$200 chip (when you can find it at MSRP.)
It’s boasts the strong single-core performance that has always kept Intel ahead of AMD and it brings six cores to the table, which before Coffee Lake, you had to pay a ton of money to get a six-core Intel processor.
Ultimately, when the i5-8400s become more readily available and there are some budget-friendly chipset boards out for it, it will be the go-to choice for budget builders (at least, until we can see what the Ryzen refresh has to offer.)
[easyazon_link identifier=”B0759FGJ3Q” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Get This CPU[/easyazon_link]
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Intel Core i3-8350K |
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Recommendation
Dollar for dollar, the i3-8350K is a solid processor that is packed with 4 cores and 4 threads and has the ability to be overclocked. At it’s MSRP, it is a great option for budget gamers. However, due to limited quantities available, the prices are currently well over MSRP and, as such, it isn’t quite as good of a deal at the moment.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B0759FWJDK” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Learn More[/easyazon_link]
TECH SPECS
FREQUENCY | 4.0 GHz |
CORES | 4(4) |
TDP | 91W |
PROCESS (DIE) | 14nm |
SOCKET | LGA 1151 |
Intel Core i3-8350K
The i3-8350k is one of the better budget chips to be released in 2017, with 4 cores running at 4.0GHz stock, and being able to achieve a smooth 4.5GHz through overclocking.
With an MSRP of $170, the 8350K can keep up with it’s much more expensive counterparts (in gaming) like the i5-8400 and the i5-8600k. If you are looking for price-to-performance in gaming, the 8350K is a worthy option.
The 8350K does lack in a few areas… namely that it doesn’t come with hyperthreading technology, so it doesn’t have any extra threads to help out in multi-threaded applications.
It’s also had to find at the moment due to Intel only releasing a limited supply of Coffee Lake chips. So, you’ll definitely want to check the price before purchasing as it may cost quite a bit more than it is worth.
Ultimately, it’s a solid price when it is at or below its MSRP and it is a good processor to build your budget gaming rig with if you’re just looking to put together a machine for 1080P gaming.
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Intel Core i3-8100 |
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Recommendation
The 8100 has good performance for a sub-$150 chip. It can be paired with any mid-range GPU and you will not have to worry about screen tearing nor frame drops on medium settings at 1080p. If you are looking for a sub-$500 build, check out this chip, it’s more powerful than you’d think.
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TECH SPECS
FREQUENCY | 3.6 GHz |
CORES | 4(4) |
TDP | 65W |
PROCESS (DIE) | 14nm |
SOCKET | LGA 1151 |
Intel Core i3-8100
The Core i3-8100 is Intel’s response to the Ryzen 3 1200 and 1300x CPU’s. Coming in at <$150 this chip is hard to beat.
With 4 physical cores– unlike the i3-7100 which was 2 cores with hyperthreading- the 8100 is an amazing chip for a mid-range budget gaming build.
Ryzen’s closest priced chip, the 1300x is by no means a weak chip but the 8100 is a showstopper for the budget chips that both AMD and Intel offer.
Running at a base frequency of 3.6ghz, the 8100 has more than enough power to beat out any last-gen processor respectively.
In comparing the 8100 and 1300x, the 8100 saw much better frame rates in most games (8% avg.), few were a mere 3-5% but others were seeing major differences in FPS (+15%).
The only drawbacks of the 8100 are the motherboard prices which are currently +$100 and the lack of boost clock but then again, if that were included, nobody would bother buying the 8350k.
Coming in around $75 cheaper than the 8350k, you will save a bit of money on the 8100 but there will be a slight performance difference due to the 8350k’s overclockability; but the biggest drawback of the 8350k currently is limited supply and price gouging.
At the end of the day, if you are looking for a solid locked processor for mild gaming, the 8100 may be the chip for you.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B0759FTRZL” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Get This CPU[/easyazon_link]
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Intel Pentium G4560 |
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Recommendation
When building with the G4560, be sure to remember that when playing a CPU bound game, you may have to drop the settings. The G4560 is nothing short of an amazing chip as a whole, you couldn’t find a better chip for sub-$75 new.
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TECH SPECS
FREQUENCY | 3.5 GHz |
CORES | 2(4) |
TDP | 54W |
PROCESS (DIE) | 14nm |
SOCKET | LGA 1151 |
Intel Pentium G4560
The Pentium G4560 is part of Intel’s Kaby Lake, Pentium series processors. The entire Pentium chipset is for the most extreme budget builders, with suprisingly decent performance for a sub-$100 chip.
The G4560 stands out from the rest of the Pentium series due to how widely it’s recommended by professional builders for those on the most extreme of budgets.
With 2 cores and 4 threads –due to hyperthreading– the G4560 is such a powerful chip that even at 3.5ghz, it won’t bottleneck a mid-range GPU such as the 1060 6gb except in CPU dependent games like GTA5.
Comparing the G4560 and it’s big brother, the G4600, it comes in around $20 more than the G4560 with only a 100mhz boost on all cores. When it comes to price to performance, the G4560 is the obvious winner here.
The G4560 was so popular with budget builders that nearly the entire 3 series kaby lake chips were overlooked by most due to their lack of cores and gaming performance-per-dollar.
When building a sub-$500 build, price to performance is going to be a huge deal to anyone because they are trying to get the best bang for buck. Pair this tiny monster with a mid-tier GPU and be ready to see some very impressive FPS.
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THE BEST BUDGET MOTHERBOARDS
In this section of the Good Cheap Gaming PCs guide I’m going to list all of the viable motherboard options you have if you’re building on a budget. These motherboards are good enough to get your budget gaming PC up, running, and performing well.
MOTHERBOARD OVERVIEW
(Jump to a Motherboard) |
Your gaming computer will not work without a motherboard.
And, one mistake that first-time builders and those working with a tight budget make is to choose a cheap low-quality motherboard.
However, choosing a cheap motherboard can cause a lot of problems for you and your system down the road.
Therefore, you need to make sure you get a decent motherboard for your money.
Since you’re working with a tight budget, getting a high-end motherboard is out of the question….
…but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a capable motherboard to go with your gaming PC.
There are plenty of solid motherboards under $100 that are perfect for budget gaming computers.
In this section of the guide, I will cover the different motherboard options you have for your build.
AM4 Motherboards
If you’re going with an AMD Ryzen CPU, you’ll need an AM4 motherboard to pair it with. Fortunately, there are a number of affordable AM4 motherboards available that will offer you a solid base for your build.
And, unlike previous generation AM3+ motherboards, the budget-friendly AM4 boards for Ryzen processors are actually able to overclock. (The budget chipsets for AM3+ motherboards were not good for overclocking.)
This makes building a budget-friendly gaming PC with and AMD Ryzen CPU even more enticing as the ability to overclock your CPU to moderate levels will help give you a decent performance boost despite not having a ton to spend on your system.
Below we’ve listed some of the best AM4 motherboards for budget-minded builders.
ASUS B350M-PLUS GAMING |
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Recommendation
The ASUS TUF B350M-Plus is built to last. Being a B350M, the board supports overclocking and a maximum of 64GB of DDR4 memory. Overall, the ASUS TUF B350M-Plus is a bit more expensive as far as budget motherboards go, but it is better-built, has more features, and looks nicer than most of ther other options on this list.
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TECH SPECS
USB 3.0 | Yes |
MEMORY | Max 64GB DDR4 |
CHIPSET | AMD B350 |
FORM-FACTOR | micro-ATX |
SOCKET | AM4 |
ASUS TUF B350M-PLUS GAMING
Compatible with AMD’s top-of-the-line Ryzen processors, the ASUS TUF B350M-Plus is a great choice for gamers. Setting itself apart from the ASUS Prime B350M, the ASUS TUF B350M-Plus comes with “military grade” components that enhances its durability.
For example, it’s fitted with TUF capacitors that can tolerate a temperature range of -70 C to 125 C as opposed to the normal range of -55 C to 55 C. Earning its TUF badge, the board also comes with certified military grade chokes and MOSFETs. It also has a stainless steel I/O panel and it comes enhanced protection against electrostatic discharge. The TUF protection also includes an enhanced PCI Express port that’s reinforced with metal, which boosts its durability and provides better anchorage.
The ASUS TUF B350M-Plus is also compatible with all 7th generation Athlon CPUs. It comes with four DIMM RAM slots that can support a total of 64 GBs of memory. Being a B350M chipset, you can overclock the board and fit 4133 MHz memory. The board comes with a PCI Express 3.0 slot that supports the AMD CrossFireX GPU and a single PCI Express X16 slot.
The ASUS TUF B350M-Plus motherboard comes with four Gen-1 USB 3.1 ports, two Gen-2 USB 3.1 ports, and two USB 2.0 slots. Apart from the standard VGA slot, it also has a single HDMI port and a DVI-D port. ASUS backs up the board with an impressive 5-Year warranty, which shows they are truly confident about their ‘TUF’ manufacturing standard.
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MSI B350 TOMAHAWK |
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Recommendation
This rugged motherboard was built to impress and to a large extent, it succeeds. Some of the features the manufacturer has taken into consideration when designing the gaming board include proper cooling, DDR4 memory boost, Audio Boost and other great features. So, this motherboard is a good bet if you want to build a budget-friendly system, but you want a little extra from your motherboard.
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TECH SPECS
USB 3.0 | Yes |
MEMORY | Max 64GB DDR4 |
CHIPSET | AMD B350 |
FORM-FACTOR | Standard ATX |
SOCKET | AM4 |
MSI B350 TOMAHAWK
The MSI B350 Tomahawk motherboard is reinforced with steel armor slots. As a result, the board will be more firmly soldered into place during installation; which will ensure that it remains stable even when it is fitted with heavy graphics cards.
The steel armor feature serves one other role – it prevents electromagnetic interference so that you can game more smoothly and enjoy overclocking benefits more conveniently.
The motherboard supports AMD Ryzen series processors and 7th generation A-series/athlon processors. In addition to providing the capacity for multiple GPUs, the processor also comes with 4 DDR4 memory slots of up to 64GB.
The support for such a large amount of memory is clearly a plus for gamers who want a board that can easily provide greater gaming performance when necessary. CPU performance and cooling go hand in hand. So, it is a good thing this gaming motherboard also comes with plenty of fan headers for efficient and adequate cooling to your gaming system during demanding gaming sessions.
TheMSI B350 Tomahawk has a total of 6 fan headers. The board also comes with Audio Boost, a feature that appreciates the need for high quality sound during immersive gaming sessions. The feature ensures that you get quality Hi-Fi sound as you play your favorite games; a privilege you don’t always get when using other motherboard brands.
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ASRock AB350M PRO4 |
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The ASRock AB350M is an affordable micro-ATX motherboard designed for AMD processors (A-series and Ryzen series). Yet, it offers several nice extras not offered by its competitors, such as four DIMM slots and two M.2 slots. If you are looking to build a budget-friendly Ryzen build, the ASRock AB350M is definitely worth considering.
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TECH SPECS
USB 3.0 | Yes |
MEMORY | Max 64GB DDR4 |
CHIPSET | AMD B350 |
FORM-FACTOR | Micro-ATX |
SOCKET | AM4 |
ASRock AB350M PRO4
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ASUS Prime B350M-A |
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Recommendation
ASUS already enjoys the reputation of being a leading motherboard brand. And the Prime B350M-A clearly honors this proud legacy through offering a quality motherboard at an affordable price. The board probably isn’t going to win any awards, but if you’re looking to build a budget-friendly AM4 build, the Prime B350M-A is worth considering.
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TECH SPECS
USB 3.0 | Yes |
MEMORY | Max 64GB DDR4 |
CHIPSET | AMD B350 |
FORM-FACTOR | micro-ATX |
SOCKET | AM4 |
ASUS Prime B350M-A
The ASUS Prime B350M-A runs AMD Ryzen AM4 and 7th generation Athlon Processors. Right off the bat, this motherboard should ensure that you get superior connection speeds when using NVMe M.2, USB 3.1, DDR4 and Gigabit LAN.
ASUS has even thrown in PS2 ports for legacy’s sake. Because of its 5X Protection III feature, this motherboard is built to last. The standard means that the components used to put together this board are of premium quality. This translates into lower risk of failure because the components are more durable.
Motherboards need good cooling, and the Prime B350M has this covered with its aptly-named Fan Xpert. In addition to keeping the component cool during operation, the fan will also do its thing noiselessly.
The board also features LED lighting. The light options can even be customized with the help of AMD RGB Fan.
Overall, if you’re looking to build a budget-friendly AM4 gaming PC, the ASUS Prime B350M-A is a worthy option that won’t break the bank.
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MSI B350M PRO-VH |
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Recommendation
This is a perfect choice for people who don’t want to shed the extra dollars to get an X370 board but still want the convenience of overclocking. All in all, the MSI B350M PRO-VH PLUS creates the perfect balance between price and performance making it an ideal choice for both amateur and veteran PC gamers.
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TECH SPECS
USB 3.0 | Yes |
MEMORY | Max 64GB DDR4 |
CHIPSET | AMD B350 |
FORM-FACTOR | micro-ATX |
SOCKET | AM4 |
MSI B350M PRO-VH
The MSI B350M PRO-VH Plus is a budget-friendly motherboard that delivers the winning blend of affordability and solid performance. Armed with an AM4 socket, it supports AMD Ryzen series CPU’s and the latest 7th generation Athlon processors.
The board comes with two DDR4 RAM slots which support a maximum of 32GB of memory. The slots can support 2133, 2400, and 2667 MHz memory cards without overclocking. If you are a performance junkie, you would be happy to know that you can overclock your RAM to as high as 3200 MHz memory chips.
If that was not enough, MSI adds a special technology called the DDR4 Boost. If their claims are to be believed, this special tech boosts the performance of the fitted DDR4 memory to deliver a fluid gaming experience.
The MSI B350M PRO-VH PLUS comes with a single PCI Express 16 slot, which pretty much supports all modern graphics cards. When it comes to the display capabilities this MSI board does not disappoint. It has a 4K-Ready HDMI port along with the traditional VGA slot.
This MSI board ditches the conventional red and black color scheme and instead adopts a much more tamed chocolate and gray combo. The MSI B350M PRO-VH PLUS comes with MSI’s Audio Boost technology, which the company claims delivers “Professional Sound Quality”. The board also comes with MSI’s Military Class 4 and Guard Pro technologies. These are just fancy tech names to describe this board’s enhanced durability. MSI uses high-quality components to ensure peak performance even in the most testing conditions. If something does go wrong, the EZ Debug LEDs make it easy to diagnose problems with the graphics card, CPU, and RAM.
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LGA 1151 Coffee Lake Motherboards
Intel’s new Coffee Lake processors dropped a couple of months ago and they are some of the most powerful chips we have seen as they have combined Intel’s strong single core performance with more cores than Intel typically offers across their different series of chips.
Their Core i3 processors, which were typically dual-core chips, are now quad-core chips. Their Core i5 processors, which were typically quad-core chips, are now six-core chips. And, their Core i7-processors, which were typically quad-core chips with Hyperthreading (bumping them up to eight threads), are now six-core chips with 12-threads.
So, needless to say, whether you’re building a PC specifically for gaming, or for multi-threaded applications (or a mix of both), Intel’s new processor have you covered.
There is one downfall to Intel’s new Cofee Lake chips, though, and that is the fact that they have not released with any budget friendly motherboard options.
In the past, Intel released more affordable H- or B-series motherboards that could be paired with their locked processors. However, for Coffee Lake, Intel only released Z-series motherboards, which are more expensive and are designed for overclocking.
Intel is planning on releasing their budget-friendly Coffee Lake motherboards at the beginning of 2018, but for now, if you want to build a new Cofee Lake system, you’ll be stuck overpaying for a Z370 motherboard. But, if that is the route you choose to go, below are the two most affordable Z370 motherboards currently available.
ASUS PRIME Z370-P |
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TECH SPECS
USB 3.0 | Yes |
MEMORY | Max 64GB DDR4 |
CHIPSET | Intel Z370 |
FORM-FACTOR | Standard ATX |
SOCKET | LGA 1151 |
ASUS PRIME Z370-P
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MSI Z370-A PRO |
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Recommendation
As a full-ATX motherboard supporting the newest 8th gen Intel processor, the MSI Z370-A PRO is surprisingly affordable. If you are planning to upgrade to the 8th-gen Intel CPUs, the Z370-A Pro is definitely worth considering, especially if you are looking to build a budget-friendly Coffee lake build.
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TECH SPECS
USB 3.0 | Yes |
MEMORY | Max 64GB DDR4 |
CHIPSET | Intel Z370 |
FORM-FACTOR | Micro-ATX |
SOCKET | LGA 1151 |
MSI Z370-A PRO
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THE BEST BUDGET VIDEO CARDS
Next up in the Good Cheap Gaming Computers guide is video cards. In today’s article I’m going to take a look at all of the budget video card options that you have for your budget gaming PC.
VIDEO CARD OVERVIEW
(Jump to a Video Card) |
There is no component that dictates your overall in-game performance like your video card does.
The video card you choose is incredibly important and it’s essential that you take your time to ensure that you get the best one possible for your budget.
Fortunately, there are a ton of different affordable video card options you have. And, each one brings its own benefits.
One graphics card related question that most first-time builders will ask is whether they should go with an AMD or NVIDIA.
For a detailed answer on that question, check out this post.
Ultimately, though, for cards under $200, the two manufacturers are so close on performance that it doesn’t make sense to say that one company is better than the other.
However, NVIDIA GeForce cards and AMD cards perform differently in different games. So, before you choose your video card, you should check relative benchmarks and make sure that the card you choose is the better option.
Video Cards Under $100
Gigabyte GT 1030 |
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Recommendation
The GT1030, while not a powerhouse by any means, is a decent option for anyone looking to build an ultra budget build. However, it is perhaps best suited for people who have a very limited budget, but who want to upgrade an aging system that isn’t quite cutting it in modern games.
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TECH SPECS
BASE CLOCK | 1265 MHz |
VRAM | 2GB |
MEMORY TYPE | GDDR5 |
PORTS | HDMI/DVI |
LENGTH | 6.6″ |
Gigabyte GT 1030
The Gigabyte GeForce GT 1030 is an entry level graphics card that is designed for gaming. Coming in at just under $100, it is one of the more affordable graphics cards currently on the market.
While it isn’t an option you want to rely on for the future, if you are looking to build a new system, or upgrade an old system, and you just need a cheap option to hold you over until you can buy a bigger graphics cards, the GT 1030 will serve that purpose well.
The card is only 6.6″ long and it won’t take a large power supply to handle it, so most people who are looking to upgrade an older system shouldn’t have to worry too much about compatibility. Although, you should check your system first to make sure the card will work for you.
Ultimately, there’s nothing over-the-top about the GT 1030 and it isn’t meant for high-end gaming. However, if you just want to be able to play your games on lower resolutions, or if you are playing non-demanding games, the GT 1030 is an affordable option that will work well until you can afford something more powerful.
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MSI RX 550 |
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Another sub-$100 video card that will serve to hold you over until you can afford something more powerful is the RX 550. This card is meant to play games on lower settings on a 1080P monitor and, as such, should only be used for non-demanding games or as a cheap upgrade to a system that will no longer handle your favorite games.
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TECH SPECS
BASE CLOCK | 1203 MHz |
VRAM | 2GB |
MEMORY TYPE | GDDR5 |
PORTS | HDMI/DVI/DP |
LENGTH | 6.7″ |
MSI RX 550
In the world of GPUs, there’s always the never-ending battle between NVIDIA and AMD, much like the CPU competition between Intel and AMD processors.
The AMD Radeon RX 5-series is designed as the direct competition to the GeForce GTX 10-series. And, the MSI Radeon RX 550 specifically competes with both the GTX 1050 and GT 1030.
In terms of value, though, the RX 550 has a little bit of an edge on the GTX 1050 as it performs similarly in most games, but it also comes in at ~$20 or so.
And, the RX 550 also outperforms the GT 1030 in most games, but the GT 1030 is typically a bit more inexpensive.
So, the RX 550 is probably the best sub-$100 card currently available, but if you want to save a little bit more, the GT 1030 is a worthy option as well.
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Video Cards Between $100-$150
EVGA GeForce GTX 1050 |
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The EVGA GeForce GTX 1050 is a powerful graphic card that is suitable for intense user, including hardcore gamers. The card offers an automatic overclocking feature and supports a full HD resolution. It is equipped with 2GB of GDDR5 memory and had a compact size of only 5.7 inches.
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TECH SPECS
BASE CLOCK | 1354 MHz |
VRAM | 2GB |
MEMORY TYPE | GDDR5 |
PORTS | HDMI/DVI/DP |
LENGTH | 5.7″ |
EVGA GeForce GTX 1050
The EVGA GeForce GTX 1050 SC is a gaming graphic card that can be used by the classic and hardcore gamer. The card supports full 1080p HD resolution and runs at 60 FPS. It is equipped with the latest NVIDIA Pascal architecture, which offers the user better power efficiency combined with better performance, even when playing modern games.
The NVIDIA Pascal technology also offers an automatic overclocking feature that pushes the power of the graphic card to its limit whenever it detects the user needs better performance while playing a game, editing a video or performing other tasks that requires a lot of graphic processing power.
A base clock speed of 1417MHz offers a smooth gaming performance and, when the core clock speed isn’t enough, an overclock option allows the user to push the clock speed to 1531MHz.
An auto option also allows the card to overclock automatically when the base clock speed is not enough for the task that is being performed. The EVGA GeForce GTX 1050 SC features a total of 2GB GDDR5 graphics memory, which is an adequate memory for some of the latest releases for the PC platform.
Built on the GeForce platform, this card offers a smooth, powerful and visually-appealing experience for any person that needs a graphics card that can even handle the more complex task – it even supports the latest next-gen gaming titles.
A single fan fitted on top of the EVGA GeForce GTX 1050 SC also ensures the card stays cool when demanding tasks are executed and the 5.7 inch compact size of the card ensures it fits even into the more compact computer towers.
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MSI RX 560 |
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TECH SPECS
BASE CLOCK | 1226 MHz |
VRAM | 4GB |
MEMORY TYPE | GDDR5 |
PORTS | HDMI/DVI/DP |
LENGTH | 6.1″ |
MSI RX 560
The MSI RX 560 Aero ITX GPU is an MSI-manufactured GPU based on AMD Radeon RX 560 and is specifically designed for overclocking usage. So, this GPU will cater to gamers looking for more performance.
You might have guessed from the name that the Radeon RX 560 and its variant is a direct competitor to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060. However, the performance (and price tag) is much closer to the GTX 1050, so we will compare the two instead.
Regarding price, the Radeon RX 560 variants are generally a little bit higher than the GTX 1050, so affordability is definitely its key value.
The RX 560 boasts a base core speed of 1226 MHz and it offers 4GB of GDDR5 VRAM. In general, the performance between the RX 560 and GTX 1050 is quite similar to each other and in terms of gaming, they both trade blows in various games.
Ultimately, though, the biggest determiner on whether or not you should get an RX 560 or GTX 1050 will come down to the price of both at the time of purchase. In my opinion, your best bet is to go with whichever cards costs less.
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Gigabyte GTX 1050 Ti |
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Recommendation
The GTX 1050 Ti offers a pretty decent performance-to-value ratio, but ultimately it boils down to what type of gamer you are. If you’re looking for something for higher resolution gaming then the 1050 Ti probably isn’t going to keep pace with you. If you instead just want a reasonably-priced card that will still deliver solid frame rates on a 1080p monitor then the 1050 Ti will work for you.
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TECH SPECS
BASE CLOCK | 1430 MHz |
VRAM | 4GB |
MEMORY TYPE | GDDR5 |
PORTS | HDMI/DVI/DP |
LENGTH | 6.8″ |
Gigabyte GTX 1050 Ti
One of NVIDIA’s entries in to the mid-tier graphics card market is the GTX 1050 Ti. First, let’s get the specs out of the way: the 1050 Ti is packing 768 CUDA cores screaming along at very nearly 1.3Ghz.
It’s backed by 4GB of GDDR5 memory clocked at a speed of about 7Ghz. For ports you’ll have DisplayPort, HDMI, and DVI to choose from, although you get only one of each so multi-monitor setups might be a little frustrating.
As far as power goes, NVIDIA reports that the card could draw up to 75 watts when it’s under a full load.
It should be noted that the 1050 Ti is a different animal from the stock 1050, which comes in at a slightly lower price but features a hobbled processor as a result.
For full performance you’ll want to look at the Ti. How does that performance stack up? Fairly well, as it turns out. For all but the most demanding games it’s usually able push past the 60 FPS threshold at 1080 resolution, on medium-to-high settings.
However, if you’re hoping for a card that will stand up to newer games coming down the pipeline, or you want to game at glorious 4K resolutions, then it’s possible you may find this one lacking.
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Video Cards Over $150
XFX RX 570 |
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The XFX RX 570 is an excellent choice if you want a high-performance GPU that is on par with the GeForce GTX 1060 3GB with a more affordable price tag. The XFX RX 570 is optimized for overclocking, ensuring a high-performance GPU especially for gaming-oriented usage.
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TECH SPECS
BASE CLOCK | 1264 MHz |
VRAM | 4GB |
MEMORY TYPE | GDDR5 |
PORTS | HDMI/DVI/DP |
LENGTH | 9.6″ |
XFX RX 570
XFX is a company specializing in producing gaming-oriented AMD Radeon GPUs, as well as high-quality power supplies. The XFX RX 570 XXX Edition, as the name suggests, is based on AMD Radeon RX 570 4GB with a few tweaks.
First, when the standard AMD Radeon RX 570 4GB only offers 1168 MHz of base clock, the XFX RX 570 offers 1264 MHz. Of course, the overclocked speed is also higher. Where the standard RX 570 only offers 1244 MHz, the XFX RX570 offers 1284 MHz of overclocked speed.
The AMD Radeon 570 is a head-to-head competitor to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB. Even the optimized XFX RX 570 XXX edition is slightly more affordable than the GTX 1060, and the affordability is definitely its key value.
The GTX 1060 3GB indeed has a higher core speed of 1506 MHz. However, the RX 570 offers a higher Texture Mapping Units and Texture Fill Rate. So, the performance between the two is quite similar to each other. Due to the optimized nature, the XFX RX 570 offers a much better performance compared to the standard version and can outperform the GTX 1060 in several categories.
There are several features unique to the XFX RX 570, such as True Clock technology for a BIOS-controlled overclocking, optimised overclocking features, and better heatsink with XFX’s double dissipation cooling technology to enhance thermal efficiency by 40%. The aluminum backplate is also specially designed by XFX for better protection and support.
Keep in mind, however, that you will need a dual GPU slot to install the XFX RX 570 XXX Edition.
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EVGA GTX 1060 |
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The EVGA GTX 1060 is a solid budget-friendly card that will allow you to play your favorite games at 1080P resolution (or higher) with a fairly high framerate. If you’re looking to build a good gaming computer for ~$800 or less, then the GTX 1060 should be considered.
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TECH SPECS
BASE CLOCK | 1506 MHz |
VRAM | 6GB |
MEMORY TYPE | GDDR5 |
PORTS | HDMI/DVI/DP |
LENGTH | 6.8″ |
EVGA GTX 1060
The EVGA GTX 1060 graphic card is equipped with innovative gaming technologies in order to appeal to players who prefer high-definition games. The graphic card is powered by NVIDIA Pascal, which is at this point, the most advanced GPU architecture available.
As a result, EVGA GTX 1060 provides a brilliant gaming experience that every player seeks, especially if you bear in mind you can experience virtual reality in all its glory.
This graphic card also comes with engine clock base 1506 MHz and boost 1708 MHz. Moreover, ZOTAC GTX 1060 has dual slot size. Card length is 174mm x 111.15mm. Supported OS is Windows (10, 8, and 7).
Ultimately, the GTX 1060 6GB version will work well in ~$700-$800 builds, whereas the 3GB version will work well in a $600 gaming PC build.
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XFX RX 580 |
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Recommendation
Due to its great overclocking performance and remarkable cooling technology, the XFX RX 580 graphics card is a solid option at this price point. The card is more than capable of handling VR gaming. Ultimatley, though, for quite a bit less you can land the similarly performing GTX 1060. So, unless you’re an AMD diehard, you might want to look at the NVIDIA alternative.
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TECH SPECS
BASE CLOCK | 1366 MHz |
VRAM | 8GB |
MEMORY TYPE | GDDR5 |
PORTS | HDMI/DVI/DP |
LENGTH | 10.6″ |
XFX RX 580
The XFX RX 580 runs on an AMD Radeon chipset and features 8GBs of DDR5 SDRAM video memory. The card is constructed around a custom XFX back plate.
Overall, this gaming card is designed to ensure a rewarding gaming experience characterized by low latency performance. It measures 10.6 by 1.6 by 4.9 inches.
Overclocking is pretty much a given among gaming graphics cards users; and the XFX RX 580 certainly honors this expectation. For added convenience, the card allows you to overclock it from the BIOS. This is advantageous in that the graphics card’s performance will not suffer due to a dip in overall computer performance as is typically the case with software-based overclocking.
The manufacturer has put quite a bit of effort into ensuring that this graphics card offers a special overclocking experience through the OC+ feature. For this reason, gamers can expect more speed without noticing any strain on the graphics card. The overclocking control works this well partly because it is provided at the hardware level; and not through a software. Gaming rigs need lots of cooling to maintain their performance; and the XFX RX 580 certainly has this issue addressed.
The graphics card features both VRM and memory cooling for a more consistent gaming performance . The enhanced cooling innovation also ensures that you don’t have to deal with as much noise as you usually could without the enhanced cooling.
This card is especially suited to VR gaming, primarily due to the innovative effort that has gone into its cooling system and the overclocking experience. Nevertheless, the card will also serve you well when playing other games, or running any graphically demanding applications.
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THE BEST BUDGET MEMORY
In this section we’re going to talk about the options you have for choosing memory if you’re working with a tight budget. The budget gaming memory options in this article are all capable of doing their part to help you secure an ideal in-game experience.
Memory, or RAM, is an important part of your computer. It gives the processor a place to carry out calculations and it helps it grab information and data quickly.
In modern gaming, there aren’t a whole lot of games that fully utilize more than 4GB of RAM. So, if you’re working with a tight budget, 4GB is a good place to start.
However, due to the fact that RAM is the one of the most affordable components out there, and because the next generation of games are right around the corner, it’s not a bad idea to start off with 8GB of memory. (Although, you could always add more later…)
Of course, whether you do go with 4GB or 8GB is all going to depend on your budget. For bigger budgets, 8GB is easy to fit in. For extremely tight budgets, 4GB is the better option.
In this section I’m going to take a look at the different budget gaming memory options you have. Unlike the other posts in this series, I’m going to break down memory by the manufacturer, rather than the model.
Crucial Ballistix Sport |
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Recommendation
It’s true that in a video game context most graphics cards carry their own dedicated memory, but that doesn’t mean you should skimp on your main system RAM. Crucial brings their trademark high-quality to their Ballistix Sport brand without breaking the bank, allowing you to take advantage of pretty decent performance at a fair price.
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TECH SPECS
BRAND | Crucial |
KIT SIZES | 4-64GB |
SPEED | 2400 MHz |
LATENCY | CL16 |
COLORS | Red/White/Gray |
Crucial Ballistix Sport
Crucial has been a big name in the world of RAM for quite a while now, and for good reason. With their Ballistix Sport brand they continue to deliver.
Based on the newest DDR4 standard, these sticks are designed to deliver top performance for gamers and other consumers who demand high speeds for memory-intensive applications.
The Ballistix Sport DDR4’s can be found in capacities from 4 to 8 GB per stick (of course, like with most RAM you can buy kits consisting of multiple sticks for higher capacities).
Each stick clocks in at a blazing 2.4Ghz, ensuring that your processor is supplied with data as fast as possible. Each stick also features an effective yet minimalist heat spreader to help mitigate any potential thermal issues.
All of this couple with a relatively mid-tier price range makes the Ballistix Sport DDR4 memory an attractive proposition for gamers or others who are looking for performance at a good value.
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Corsair Vengeance |
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Recommendation
If you’re looking for a low-profile option for your gaming PC and you’re going with a DDR4 build, then you’ll want to consider Corsair’s Vengeance LPX RAM. It’s affordable and is good enough to get the job done.
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TECH SPECS
BRAND | Corsair |
KIT SIZES | 4-64GB |
SPEED | 2400 MHz |
LATENCY | CL16 |
COLORS | Black |
Corsair Vengeance
One of the ways to get the most out of your computer system is by overclocking it. To do this, you need to have high processing and memory capacity. The CORSAIR Vengeance LPX DDR4 is a DRAM memory kit that is designed for exactly this.
This DRAM chip from Corsair has a capacity of 8GB. It has 288 pins which fit into your motherboard. Moreover, it has a frequency of 2400MHz.
The Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 memory kit is ideal for desktop computer systems running Intel X99 motherboards. It assists gamers to perform high-level overclocking. This is made possible by features that maintain stability in the overclocked system.
One of the features of the Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 is a heat spreader. It is made of pure aluminum and works by absorbing heat from the ICs in the memory chip and directing it into the cooling path of your gaming system. In this way, you can push your system harder and it will remain stable.
This memory chip also has a PCB with 8 layers. These ones manage the heat which is produced and allows the system to have enough capacity for overclocking. In addition to that, these layers are made with a collection of ICs.
This memory chip has a form factor which is compatible with the Intel X99 motherboards. Thanks to this design, the chip is capable of high frequencies, more bandwidth and lower amounts of power consumption than DDR3 memory chips. Prior to distribution, each Corsair DRAM chip is tested for compatibility with this type of motherboard.
By using third party software, gamers can perform automatic overclocking. To ensure that the process is successful, this memory chip comes with XMP 2.0 support. Also, the Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 memory chips come in various colors to suit your personal taste.
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Kingston HyperX FURY |
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Recommendation
I recommend going with the Kingston HyperX FURY if you’re building an AMD APU-based system, as the faster memory frequency will come into play, or if you just want a little bit faster memory in general. At 1866 MHz, you won’t see a huge difference over 1600 MHz, but hey… every little bit counts, right?
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TECH SPECS
BRAND | Kingston |
KIT SIZES | 4-16GB |
SPEED | 1866 MHz |
LATENCY | CL9 |
COLORS | Red/White/Blue/Black |
Kingston HyperX FURY
One of the main benefits of the Crucial Ballistix Sport XT DDR3 1866MHz memory over the others listed in this article, is that for AMD APU builds, the higher frequency actually comes into play.
In non-APU builds, going with faster memory doesn’t yield a significant increase in performance and it’s not really necessary.
However, going with faster memory in an AMD APU-based build does provide a decent performance boost and it’s actually recommended.
So, if you’re planning on going with an AMD APU for your budget gaming computer, it’s definitely a good idea to get faster memory to get the most out of your system. And, the Kingston HyperX FURY 8GB kit will definitely allow you to do so.
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THE BEST BUDGET HARD DRIVES
Next up in our Cheap Gaming PCs for 2018 guide we’re going to discuss the hard drive. For really tight budgets it’s best to stick with a 250GB or 500 GB hard drive in order to allocate more of your funds to more important components. And, there are really only a couple of options (based on manufacturer) of budget gaming hard drives that make sense in an economical build.
The hard drive in your computer is important because it will give you a place to store your games, files, programs, and operating system.
However, your hard drive will not have a significant impact on your in-game experience. It will not affect the quality of your picture, what settings you run your games on, or your framerate.
About the only thing in gaming that a hard drive will have an effect on is load times. And, once you’re in-game those don’t usually matter anyways.
With that being said, you still need a hard drive in order to store everything.
So, it’s important that you choose one that is big enough to hold all of your games and that doesn’t cost a fortune. Luckily, traditional hard drives are pretty affordable these days and whether you are working with a really tight budget or a more moderate budget there is an option for you.
In this section I will go over the two options that you have for budget gaming hard drives.
Budget Hard Drive Options
Seagate Barracuda |
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Recommendation
Choose your hard drive based on current prices or on the manufacturer you feel most comfortable with based on previous experiences. So, go with the Seagate HDD if it’s cheaper than the Western Digital drive, or if you’ve had a good history with Seagate.
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TECH SPECS
BRAND | Seagate |
CAPACITY | 500GB-10TB |
SPEED | 7200 RPM |
CACHE | 64MB |
SATA | 6 GB/s |
Seagate Barracuda
Seagate has been making hard drives since 1979. That’s a long history of producing PC storage devices. And, with that history comes dependability.
The bottom line, though, when choosing between Seagate and Western Digital is price. You really can’t go wrong with either manufacturer.
So, the best way to make your decision on your hard drive is just to choose which one is cheaper at the time of purchase.
I personally use Seagate hard drives (and, I typicall go with the 1TB HDD) because they have never failed me. However, there are just as many people who say the same thing about Western Digital.
If you have a preference between the two manufacturers, then stick with it. If not, choose the one that is more cost effective.
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Western Digital Blue |
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Recommendation
Choose whichever budget hard drive is the least expensive at the time, or choose from the manufacturer that you feel most comfortable with. Also take into consideration how much storage space you’ll need and whether or not you’ll eventually want to add an SSD.
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TECH SPECS
BRAND | Western Digital |
CAPACITY | 500GB-6TB |
SPEED | 7200 RPM |
CACHE | 64MB |
SATA | 6 GB/s |
Western Digital Blue
Western Digital has been around even longer than Seagate. However, despite the fact that they were founded in 1970, they didn’t start making storage devices until 1980.
Still, though, that’s a long time in the game.
Basically, you’re going to get the same performance out of a Western Digital drive as you will out of a Seagate drive.
So, as mentioned above, the real determining factor is going to be price and possibly your previous experience with either of the companies.
If you’re just looking for a 1TB hard drive to get the job done, then go with the cheaper option between the two. Although, if you prefer Western Digital over Seagate, there’s definitely nothing wrong with choosing the WD drive.
Anyway you choose you will be fine.
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THE BEST BUDGET GAMING CASES
Your case is an incredibly important part of your gaming computer as it houses your components and plays a big role in the cooling process. So, today we’re going to look at all of the budget gaming case options you have. That way you can come away with a solid computer case for your new gaming PC.
CASE OVERVIEW
(Jump to a Case) |
As mentioned above, not only does a case protect your components, but it also plays a huge role in the cooling process of your components.
Air flow is crucial to keeping your components at an appropriate temperature level and therefore it’s vital that you choose a case that offers good air flow.
Also, for some gamers, the style of a case is very important. I often recommend going with the Rosewill Dual Fans micro-ATX case due to its ability to house larger graphics card despite its low price.
However, many prospective builders have written me to ask about alternatives because they don’t like the Dual Fans’ design. And, that’s completely understandable.
So, in this list I have tried to incorporate many different budget gaming case options, including stylish cases, and cases that provide good air flow.
Ultimately, you should pick a case that you like, as it is the one component that will be visible at all times.
Budget Gaming Cases Under $30
Xion Performance |
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Recommendation
If you’re working with an extremely tight budget, the Xion Performance ATX case is the most affordable case available. And, at this price, with a USB 3.0 on the front panel and the ability to hold a fairly large video card, you really can’t ask for much more.
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TECH SPECS
FORM | Mid Tower |
USB 3.0 | Yes |
VGA LENGTH | 13″ Max |
HEATSINK | 6.5″ Max |
PSU POSITION | Top-Mounted |
Xion Performance
The Xion Performance case isn’t the greatest case on the market by any means. However, what it does offer is a very affordable entry-level case that will allow you to build a decent gaming rig for 2018 on a tight budget.
At under $25, the Xion Performance ATX case surprisingly has enough room to hold a video card that is up to 13″ in length.That’s really incredible for a case in this price range and it will enable you to upgrade your video card to a high-end option later down the road.
That’s really incredible for a case in this price range and it will enable you to upgrade your video card to a high-end option later down the road.
Ultimately, it’s not every day that you’ll find a case capable of holding the components that can max out most games for under $25. But, that’s exactly what the Xion Performance does.
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VIVO V00 |
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Recommendation
Budget builders should be pleased with what this computer case has in store for them. The case is incredibly inexpensive and it has enough room to fit most mid-range graphics cards. So, if you’re building with a tight budget and you want to save some money, this case is an option you might want to consider.
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TECH SPECS
FORM | micro-ATX |
USB 3.0 | Yes |
VGA LENGTH | 11.4″ Max |
HEATSINK | 5.7″ Max |
PSU POSITION | Top-Mounted |
VIVO V00
The VIVO V00 is a unique steel-plastic Mini-Tower PC case designed for MicroATX motherboard of up to 9.6” by 9.6”. MiniATX motherboards are supported as well, as long as they are within these physical limits.
The case itself weighs 5.51 pounds (2.5kgs). Despite this being a budget case intended for general use and light gaming, it comes with the ability to house three fans, which, while not ideal, for the price it’s not too bad.
In particular, the case features one 120mm front fan port, an additional 120mm fan port on the side, and a 80mm rear fan port. The rear fan is preinstalled, but the other two are optional. There are vents on the front, back, and side panels as well also ensure that the case provides premium quality airflow.
The V00 can support graphics cards of up to 11.4″ long, and CPU coolers of up to 5.7″ tall. The case is also designed to go well with power supply units (PSU) of up to 5.7″.
There are plenty of expansion ports on this computer case as well. The tower offers support for one 5.25” external drive, 2 3.5” internal HDD drives, 3 2.5” internal SDD drives, and 4 expansion slots. The front panel also comes with 2 USB 2.0 ports, a single USB 3.0 slot, and HD audio connections (mic and headphones).
The Mini-Tower features an understated, albeit premium matte black appearance. The side panels are also easy to access as they are held in place by thumb screws. So, little expertise is required to find your way around this case, which makes it suitable for novice users as well.
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Rosewill Dual Fans |
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Recommendation
The Rosewill Dual Fans case is a good option for gamers who are working with an extremely tight budget. Since it’s often priced under $30 it’s incredibly affordable. It’s definitely not the most well-built case on the market, but it is good enough for entry-level systems.
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TECH SPECS
FORM | micro-ATX |
USB 3.0 | Yes |
VGA LENGTH | 12″ Max |
HEATSINK | 6″ Max |
PSU POSITION | Top-Mounted |
Rosewill Dual Fans
Another case sitting under $30 is the Rosewill Dual Fans Micro-ATX Mini Tower Computer case.
It’s not the best case on the market, but since its price often drops to below $30, it is definitely budget friendly. And, since micro-ATX motherboards are your only option with a budget of under $400, this case will work perfectly.
So, if you need a really affordable budget gaming case, then the Rosewill Dual Fans is definitely a case that you should consider.
It’s not the prettiest case or the best built tower, but it will be good enough to hold the components of your budget system.
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Budget Gaming Cases Under $50
Enermax Ostrog Lite |
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Recommendation
The Enermax Ostrog Lite is a nice looking case that won’t break the bank. With its see-through side panel, PSU shroud, and polished front panel, the case looks is a good option for anyone who wants to build a sleek looking system.
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TECH SPECS
FORM | Mid Tower |
USB 3.0 | Yes |
VGA LENGTH | 15.3″ Max |
HEATSINK | 5.9″ Max |
PSU POSITION | Bottom-Mounted |
Enermax Ostrog Lite
One of the signature features about the Enermax Ostrog Lite Mid Tower Computer case is that it comes with a PSU-Tunnel design. The case measures 44.4 by 20.3 by 47 cm.
Because this case can accommodate top-of-the-line power supplies of up to 180mm in length, and VGA cards of up to 390mm, and a cooler installation of up to 152mm, it is great for those who need something they can use to build a nice-looking system.
The case is designed to impress, all thanks to the hairline surface front panel, which may look understated, but its premium appearance and quality is unmistakable. The side panel, for a more thrilling appearance, features tinted acrylic so that you can have a captivating look into the components fitted therein.
Convenience when trying to access the I/O panel is also provided. This is because the case is designed to offer superior support for peripheral components, a need which is sometimes not addressed with some computer case models. In particular, the case has a single USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports and HD audio support. These features are fitted on the top of the case for greater use convenience.
Comprehensive support for hard drives, both SSD and HDD is also something you can look forward to when using this computer case. In particular, you can fit 3 3.5″ HDD drives into this computer case. The case is also designed to take on 4 2.5″ SDD drives. You will even get a 5.25” to 3.5” converter in case you end up working with this breed of hard drives.
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MasterBox Lite 3.1 |
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Recommendation
The CoolerMaster Masterbox Lite 3.1 is a very stylish and well-built computer case designed to fit a mini-ATX or micro-ATX motherboard. It is fairly affordable and has all the core features of a premium computer case.
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TECH SPECS
FORM | micro-ATX |
USB 3.0 | Yes |
VGA LENGTH | 13.5″ Max |
HEATSINK | 6.2″ Max |
PSU POSITION | Bot. Mounted |
Cooler Master Lite 3.1
CoolerMaster is definitely one of the most renowned and reputable computer case manufacturers in the world. So, we can expect a premium-quality case that is reliable, well-designed, and durable from the CoolerMaster MasterBox Lite 3.1
First things first, the MasterBox Lite 3.1 is designed to fit either mini-ATX or micro-ATX motherboards. So, keep in mind that you cannot fit a full-sized ATX motherboard within.
The MasterBox Lite 3.1 is very well-designed, if not astonishing, with a very stylish DarkMirror see-through front panel and three trim and lighting color selection (all 3 included in the box). The side panels are also see-through with edge-to-edge acrylic materials. So, for those looking for a stylish case where you can show-off your internal components, the CoolerMaster MasterBox Lite 3.1 is definitely worth considering.
The MasterBox Lite 3.1, however, isn’t all looks and no substance. It can support up to 3 cooling fans and a water-cooling system. So, for those overclocking enthusiasts, the Lite 3.1 is also a decent choice. It can fit large CPU cooler of up to 6.2″ tall, and graphics cards as long as 13.5″.
There are two 3.5″ HDD bays and another one for 2.5″ SSD, and can also fit a 160mm power supply unit (not included). The power supply is bottom-mounted, which can be a plus or minus, depending on your preference.
Regarding ports, the CoolerMaster MasterBox Lite 3.1 offers one for USB 3.0, one for USB 2.0, and Audio in/out at the front panel. It is reasonably light at 8.7 lbs and has a dimension of 7.5 x 17.62 x 15 in.
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VIVO CASE-V02 |
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Recommendation
The VIVO V-02 is currently one of the only mid-tower cases under $40 (on Amazon) that can house 13” long video cards. That is pretty impressive considering most cases in this price range are a micro-ATX form factor (which is a small form factor) and are limited to budget and mid-range video cards.
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TECH SPECS
FORM | Mid Tower |
USB 3.0 | Yes |
VGA LENGTH | 13.6″ Max |
HEATSINK | 6.3″ Max |
PSU POSITION | Top-Mounted |
VIVO CASE-V02
I typically feature the VIVO V-02 in the large budget builds on the list at the top of this post. The reason why is that, for starters, it is an affordable case that is big enough to house video cards up 345mm in length.
So, essentially, there really aren’t too many video cards that won’t fit inside of this case. This means that even if you start off with a budget-friendly build, you can always upgrade it to a high-end video card down the road and not have to worry about getting a new case.
Aside from the ability to house large video cards, the V-02 also comes with a couple of USB 3.0 headers on the front panel, as well as seven different expansion slots to house your drives.
And, with a 160mm (~6’3″) height limitation for CPU coolers, you can even install a taller heatsink.
Ultimately, the VIVO CASE V-02 is the ultimate budget case and as long as it stays under $40 on Amazon, it is a steal of a price.
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Thermaltake Versa H22 |
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Recommendation
If the price between the Thermaltake Versa H22 and the VIVO CASE V02 are the same, I’m probably going to choose the VIVO V02 simply because it supports longer video cards and taller heatsinks. The H22 is still viable, though, and as long as you don’t need a video card longer than 12.4″ or a CPU cooler taller than 6.1″ it will serve you just fine.
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TECH SPECS
FORM | Mid Tower |
USB 3.0 | Yes |
VGA LENGTH | 12.4″ Max |
HEATSINK | 6.1″ Max |
PSU POSITION | Bot. Mounted |
Thermaltake Versa H22
Typically, it’s either the Thermaltake Versa H22 or the VIVO CASE V02 that I choose for my $600, $700, and $800 part lists listed in the first section of this page.
The Versa H22 is often listed under $40 (although it is not at the time of writing this) and has similar specs to the VIVO V02.
However, there are a couple of differences…
First, the H22 has the option to come with a side window and it allows you to mount your PSU on the bottom of the case, whereas the VIVO V02 forces you to mount your PSU on the top of your case. A top-mounted PSU isn’t ideal because it exhausts heat right onto the CPU/CPU cooler. It’s not the worst thing, but definitely not ideal.
On the other hand, the Versa H22 can only hold a video card up to 12.4″ long and a CPU cooler up to 6.1″ long, whereas the V02 can hold video cards that are an inch longer and a little bit CPU coolers as well.
So, in my opinion, if your ultimate goal is to upgrade your system to a really high end video card, the VIVO V02 is the better bet. If you’re content with mid-range to higher-end (but not extreme) video cards, then the H22 is a decent option assuming the two are priced the same.
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Corsair Carbide SPEC-01 |
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Recommendation
The Corsair Carbide SPEC-01 is one of the better-built cases under $50 (when its price drops below $50, of course). It will fit any video card on the market and has a sturdy steel design. And, of course, Corsair is one of the premium case manufacturers in the world and so you can expect better support.
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TECH SPECS
FORM | Mid Tower |
USB 3.0 | Yes |
VGA LENGTH | 16.5″ Max |
HEATSINK | 5.9″ Max |
PSU POSITION | Bot. Mounted |
Corsair Carbide SPEC-01
For just a little bit more than the Thermaltake Versa H22 you can get the Corsair Carbide SPEC-01. The SPEC-01 is Corsair’s entry-level mid tower case. It has a sturdy steel frame and it can house any video card on the market (VGA clearance max is 16’5″).
It also allows you to mount your power supply on the bottom of the case, instead of the top of the case for better ventilation.
And, speaking of ventilation, the SPEC-01 gives you the option to add up to five case fans (2 on the top, 2 on the front, and 1 on the back) for superior air flow and cooling.
The only downside of the SPEC-01 is that it restricts you to using heatsinks that are under 6″ tall. While there are plenty of solid heatsinks out there that come under that height requirement, that does disqualify this case from being compatible with the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO.
Ultimately, though, when the SPEC-01 drops under $50 it is easily one of the better cases in that price range. And, while the VIVO V02 will accomplish the same thing for less, the SPEC-01 is better built and more durable.
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Budget Gaming Cases Under $70
NZXT S340 |
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Recommendation
If you are on the lookout for a Mid Tower that is designed to provide a little more space, the NZXT S340 should be worth a serious consideration. In addition to offering support for numerous components, this computer case is also sturdily constructed using cold-rolled steel to provide a lasting and premium use experience. Building a rig with this computer case should be a rewarding experience, whether you are a pro or a novice, thanks to a simplified design for easy setup.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B00NGMIBXC” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Learn More[/easyazon_link]
TECH SPECS
FORM | Mid Tower |
USB 3.0 | Yes |
VGA LENGTH | 14.3″ Max |
HEATSINK | 6.3″ Max |
PSU POSITION | Bottom-Mounted |
NZXT S340
The NZXT S340 is a Mid Tower computer case made using SECC steel and ABS plastic. For an enhanced quality construction, the S340 is mostly steel (90%).
The case has been designed to work with ATX, Mini-ITX, and MicroATX motherboard form factors. The design, though compact, is also quite functional as it offers compatibility options for liquid coolers such as the manufacturer’s own Kraken X31 and X62.
On the inside, the case’s design has been optimized for better space economy through features such as the steel cable management bar. For this reason, despite a deceptively compact look, it can accommodate GPUs of up to 14.3″ (without radiator).
The case also has enough space for a CPU cooler measuring 6.3″. As for memory installations, the case has slots for 3×3.5” and 2×2.5” hard drives. Also, the front input/output panel has 2 USB 3.0 ports and a single Audio/Mic port. Users can expect a long life of service from this computer case, simply because it is made of strong steel that should handle even the harshest usage conditions with no signs of strain.
The manufacturer has also put some thought into the case’s use convenience by making it easy to put together, even for novices. The case should also appeal to anyone looking to build a nice-looking system with many high-end components because its design lends it to easy installation experiences with such components.
Additionally, the case offers support for plenty of cooling options. For instance, at the front, you can use 2 140mm/120mm cooling systems. The top and the rear can take one of such cooling systems as well.
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Masterbox Lite 5 |
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Recommendation
The MasterBox Lite 5 is a great entry level PC gaming case. Its design has been configured to provide an easy use experience so that novice users can have an easier time setting up a gaming system on their own; thanks to features like preinstalled fans. The gaming case is also quite affordable.
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TECH SPECS
FORM | Mid Tower |
USB 3.0 | Yes |
VGA LENGTH | 16.1″ Max |
HEATSINK | 6.3″ Max |
PSU POSITION | Bot. Mounted |
Cooler Master Masterbox Lite 5
This is a sleekly designed mid tower computer case for ATX motherboards. To its credit, Cool Master has done plenty to impress budget-oriented system builders, including those who are just starting out, with the MasterBox Lite 5.
The side panel and external cases are made of tempered glass, and the case also comes with 3 120mm RGB fans which add to its great aesthetic appeal. The front panel is made of dark mirror glass.
Also, MasterBox weighs in at 14.53 pounds, and it measures 7.87 by 18.45 by 17.89 inches. Although designed to impress, the case is also quite functional.
It can support a radiator of up to 360mm at the front, and it can also handle graphics cards of up to 16.1″ and CPU coolers as tall as 6.3″.
A clean setup is also possible as the case features a cable management system. The interior is specially designed to take on all the standard motherboards with ease. In addition to the three fans installed on the front of the case, the Lite 5 also has a Dual Chamber feature that helps keep the PSU heat away. Therefore, any gaming setup you build around this case should help you enjoy great gaming performance due to the enhanced cooling.
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Corsair Carbide SPEC-02 |
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Recommendation
If you like the idea of having a windowed side panel and the ability to mount a fan on the bottom of your case, then the SPEC-02 is a better option than the SPEC-01. However, if you don’t need those features, you can save some money and just stick with the SPEC-01.
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TECH SPECS
FORM | Mid Tower |
USB 3.0 | Yes |
VGA LENGTH | 16.5″ Max |
HEATSINK | 6.2″ Max |
PSU POSITION | Bot. Mounted |
Corsair Carbide SPEC-02
Corsair has a few different versions of their “SPEC” line of cases. The SPEC-02 is fairly similar to the SPEC-01, except it comes with the option to add more fans and it comes with a windowed side panel.
In total the SPEC-02 can house six different fans including one on the back, two up top, two in front, and one on the bottom.
It also has two USB 3.0 ports on the front panel and will hold any video card on the market. While it is just a little bit too shallow to hold the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO, it can hold most other CPU coolers on the market.
Ultimately, the SPEC-02 has a little bit more to offer over the SPEC-01, but if you don’t want the windowed side panel or the option to put a fan on the bottom of the case, then there’s not point in spending the extra money.
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Corsair Carbide 200R |
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Recommendation
The Corsair Carbide 200R is a well-built case that can fit any video card, can house the popular Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO, and can hold up to eight different fans. At this price point, it’s a better value than the SPEC-02 and has better aesthetics… but aesthetics will vary from person-to-person, so if you prefer another case to the 200R, then go for it!
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TECH SPECS
FORM | Mid Tower |
USB 3.0 | Yes |
VGA LENGTH | 16.5″ Max |
HEATSINK | 6.5″ Max |
PSU POSITION | Bot. Mounted |
Corsair Carbide 200R
While the 200R has a different name than the SPEC brand of Carbide cases, it definitely feels very similar. Although, in my opinion, it has a cleaner looking design and is better overall than the SPEC-02 by a slight margin.
For starters, whereas the SPEC-02 can only house 6 case fans, the 200R can hold up to 8 case fans.
And, where the SPEC-02 is not deep enough to fit a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO, the 200R can fit it.
The 200R, just like the SPEC-01 and SPEC-02 can hold any video card on the market.
In the end, at the same price as the SPEC-02, the 200R is a little bit better… but if your choice comes down to these two cases, don’t be afraid to go with the one that you think looks better as they are so similar that you won’t be missing out on much if you chose one over the other.
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Thermaltake Versa H34 |
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Recommendation
The Thermaltake H34 is an excellent mid tower case. It is basically identical to the 200R in terms of specifications, with the only difference being that the 200R can house a little bit bigger CPU cooler. In the end, though, they are so close that in my opinion, you should choose whichever design you like better.
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TECH SPECS
FORM | Mid Tower |
USB 3.0 | Yes |
VGA LENGTH | 16.5″ Max |
HEATSINK | 6.1″ Max |
PSU POSITION | Bot. Mounted |
Thermaltake Versa H34
Another option in this price range is the Thermaltake Versa H34. The Versa H34 has similar specs to the Corsair Carbide 200R. Both will fit any video card currently on the market and both have the option to add up to eight different fans.
The only difference (specification-wise) is that the Versa H34 can only accommodate a CPU cooler that is 6.1″ tall or less, whereas the 200R can house a 6.5″ tall CPU cooler.
This means that while the 200R can fit a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO inside of it, the Versa H34 cannot.
Still, though, there are plenty of other solid heatsinks out there that will fit inside of the H34, but it’s just that the Hyper 212 EVO is one of the most popular, well-performing, and affordable CPU coolers on the market.
Ultimately, though, whether you choose the Versa H34 or the 200R you will end up with a very solid case. So, I’d say choose whichever one is more aesthetically pleasing to you.
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THE BEST BUDGET POWER SUPPLIES
In this section of EGC’s Affordable Gaming Computers guide, we will take a look at the different options you have for your power supply. There are really only four budget gaming power supplies that I recommend, as I believe they are the four that offer the most value relative to their price.
Most first-time builders mess up when choosing a power supply. They think that a higher wattage rating means quality.
However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Quality power supplies are not determined by their wattage rating (which may or may not be misleading). They are determined by their build quality, their efficiency, and their ability to provide stable power for your system.
In fact, label wattage is not the number you want to look at when choosing your PSU. Instead, you should be looking at the amps available on the +12V rail(s). That is a much better indicator of what a power supply is capable of handling.
Listed below are four power supplies that will handle any combination of components that have been listed throughout this series. They are my choices for the best performance/price power supplies for system’s that cost under $800.
So, if you’re looking for a solid budget gaming power supply, these PSU options are your best bet.
Budget Power Supply Options
Corsair CX450M |
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Recommendation
The Corsair CX450M is definitely one of the best choices if you are looking for a high-end—but affordable—450W power supply unit. For its quality, the price tag is fairly reasonable, as you get a reliable power supply that is also good looking. The modular cabling system is a nice touch, so you can use only the cables you need for your exact configuration.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01B72VXE6″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Learn More[/easyazon_link]
TECH SPECS
BRAND | Corsair |
WATTAGE | 450W |
+12V Rating | 37.4A |
80 PLUS | Bronze |
MODULAR | Semi-Modular |
Corsair CX450M
Corsair is a brand known for many things: high-quality power supplies, high-performance memory modules, sleek tower cases, and various other excellent products in their rich repertoire.
The Corsair CX Series CX450M is Corsair’s answer for the demands for performance-oriented modular power supply at an affordable price. As the name ‘450M’ suggests, the CX450 M is a 450W power supply unit for ATX motherboards.
With a modular cabling system, installing the Corsair CX450M is very easy, you can choose to use the cables you need, saving more space and avoid clutters we all hate. The peripheral cables are not hard-wired to the power supply, and so you can connect only the cables your configurations require. The rest of the cables can stay in the box.
The build quality of the Corsair CX450M is excellent, and although looks might not be an important feature of a power supply unit, it has the very nice matte black finish combined with all-black cables and connectors.
The unit offers 37.4A on the +12V rail and earns an 80Plus Bronze rating for efficiency, which, while not perfect, is good enough to power most ultra budget builds.
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Corsair CX550M |
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Recommendation
This Corsair CX550M is the sweet spot for budget-builders who are looking to build a mid-range system. The CX550M is powerful enough to handle almost any single GPU setup out there (with regards to GPUs like the GTX 1080 Ti).
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01B72W0A2″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Learn More[/easyazon_link]
TECH SPECS
BRAND | Corsair |
WATTAGE | 550W |
+12V Rating | 45.8A |
80 PLUS | Bronze |
MODULAR | Semi-Modular |
Corsair CX550M
This Corsair power supply from the respected CX series can provide 550 watts of power. Like other siblings in the lineup, the device can provide highly efficient performance at a reduced cost. Therefore, it is a suitable solution to anyone who needs a power supply that can provide a premium performance without many maintenance demands.
Due to the modular cabling system, those who want to build systems using this power supply can expect clean results. There will be no cables left lying around in your PC case since you can connect only the cables you need to configure your system.
With non-modular power supply options, the cables are hard-wired and you have no option but to leave them cluttered in your PC case. The CX550M is also designed to provide better compatibility, and not only when it comes to power connections, but also with regard to design. The component is designed to fit well into many custom computer systems. And by supporting ATX12V 2.4/2.3/2.2/2.01 and EPS 12 2.92 standards, most typical computer systems are also going to work well with this power supply unit.
Superior engineering has gone into making this power supply unit. The power supplies have also been rigorously tested for quality so that users get everything the manufacturer promises.
And, with 45.8A on the +12V rail, this unit can easily handle all but the biggest graphics cards on the market, making it a perfeect option for gamers who are looking to build a mid-range PC.
The power supply also comes with a 5-year warranty.
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Corsair CX650M |
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Recommendation
The Corsair CX650 delivers 650W and has a +12V rail rating of 54A, which is more than enough to power even the largest graphics cards currently on the market. So, needless to say, this unit is capable of handling a high-end single GPU setup.
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TECH SPECS
BRAND | Corsair |
WATTAGE | 650W |
+12V Rating | 54A Rail |
80 PLUS | Bronze |
MODULAR | Semi-Modular |
Corsair CX650M
The Corsair CX650M power supply promises to offer a superior use operation with its 80 Plus Bronze certification. Because it meets this revered standard, you should expect reduced incidences of excess heat and lower operation costs.
With a power rating of 650 watts, this product is clearly intended for people building serious setups. And because of its auto-switching circuitry, it can handle AC power inputs of between 100V and 240V.
Support for ATX12V 2.4/2.3/2.2/2.01 and EPS12V 2.92 standards is also provided. You can expect this power supply to remain quite during most operation states, thanks to its silent and thermally controlled fan. The only time you will hear a sound is when the power supply capacity is stretched beyond low and medium power demands.
The amply sized fan is able to keep the PSU silent and cool during most usage scenarios. For gamers working with a tight budget who are looking to build a new system, this power supply is also an excellent choice as it comes with a semi-modular design. This physical configuration gives you an opportunity for easier and better-looking builds and upgrades. Even novices will have an easy time using this power supply to upgrade their systems due to its enhanced compatibility.
This Corsair power supply is also quite durable, as evidenced by the generous 5-year warranty the manufacturer is offering buyers. This, in addition to its reliability, will make this power supply a preferable choice for people who want a power supply system that offers excellent and noiseless performance. The understated black matte finish is also a nice touch.
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SeaSonic G 550 |
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Recommendation
If you want an affordable power supply that can deliver premium performance then the SeaSonic G 550 is a good bet. This power supply has all the makings of a premium product with its active PFC feature, high power output, silent operation, and a broad range of safety and protection standards. Though moderately priced, this power supply can easily stand up to the performance of more pricier alternatives.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B00918MEZG” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Learn More[/easyazon_link]
TECH SPECS
BRAND | SeaSonic |
WATTAGE | 550W |
+12V Rating | 45A Rail |
80 PLUS | Gold |
MODULAR | Semi-Modular |
SeaSonic G 550
This SeaSonic power supply can deliver 550W in total power. Its input voltage is between 100V and 240V. Output voltages and current supported through this product include a 3.3V, 5V, and 12V.
Physically, it measures 5.9 x 5.5 x 3.4 inches. The SeaSonic S12G-550 power supply comes with many compelling features. They include a full range universal AC input, active PFC (power factor correction), a noiseless operation experience due to the use of a silent smart fan, and high current gold-plated terminals.
The quietness and the high quality conductors are features are only found in high-end products. With its solid and dependable polymer aluminum electrolytic capacitors, this power supply is able to offer 12V in output power. Part of the reason this power supply can afford this high performance is its ultra ventilation feature which keeps the power component cool even during the most demanding of usage conditions. The presence of a double ball bearing cooling fan is also a huge plus.
This also happens to be a smart fan, which means it will intelligently adapt itself to the power supplier’s cooling needs. Mounting convenience is also within reach when using this power supply as it features soft-rubber mounting cushions. The product also meets a dozen safety standards, including CB, CUL, FIMKO, SEMKO, FCC and numerous others.
The SeaSonic S12G-550 is also fitted with various protections, including OCP, OTP, OVP, and others. The power supply provides quality at a more affordable price, and because of this it offers a great value for money proposition.
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THE BEST OPTICAL DRIVES
Optical drives are slowly becoming more and more obsolete. In fact, with the rise of digital downloads, an optical drive isn’t even necessary. It is entirely possible to build your system without one.
With that being said, I still include an optical drive in the majority of my builds, simply because it makes installing your operating system much easier. If you don’t choose an optical drive for your build, you’ll have to install your operating system from a USB drive. This actually isn’t that difficult of a process and you can read a guide on how to do it here.
The good thing about foregoing an optical drive if you’re building a budget gaming computer, is that it will give you an extra $20 to put to better components. Though if you have a lot of older games on discs that you want to put onto your computer, you’ll want to get an optical drive. And, if you want to use your computer as a home theater as well, you’ll probably be interested in a Blu-ray player.
If you want an optical drive for your new build, here are some options to consider:
DVD/RW
Lite-On Super AllWrite 24X SATA DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive
LG Electronics 24X SATA Super-Multi DVD Internal Rewriter
Samsung Optical Drive SH-224DB/BEBE
BD-ROM (Blu-ray)
ASUS Black 12X SATA Internal Blu-ray Drive
LG Electronics 14X SATA Blu-ray Internal Rewriter
There’s really nothing fancy you need to look for when choosing an optical drive. The only thing you might want to consider is the color of the front plate of the optical drive. If you’re going for style points, you’ll want to match the optical drive to your case.
If you’re choosing a Blu-ray drive just remember that you’ll need software to go along with it. In some cases the BD-ROM will come with the necessary software. However, in other scenarios (like with both of the BD-ROMs above) the software is not included. You can always download and install VLC for free. Or, if you don’t get the software with the BD-ROM you buy software like Cyberlink PowerDVD.
THE BEST OPERATING SYSTEMS
You have to have an operating system if you want to actually use your gaming computer. Currently there are really only a couple of viable options for operating systems if you’re building a gaming computer: [easyazon_link asin=”B00H09BB16″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”gcgctest-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” ]Windows 7[/easyazon_link] and [easyazon_link asin=”B00ZSI7Y3U” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”gcgctest-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” ]Windows 10[/easyazon_link].
Both options are suitable for gaming, but both also have a couple of aspects that you might want to consider before buying…
[easyazon_image align=”right” height=”330″ identifier=”B00ZSI7Y3U” locale=”US” src=”https://elitegamingcomputers.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/41us3IirKL.jpg” tag=”gcgctest-20″ width=”330″][easyazon_link identifier=”B00ZSI7Y3U” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Windows 10[/easyazon_link]
Microsoft has not made very many people happy with their last two releases of Windows. Windows 8 released to harsh criticism and multiple errors and while Windows 10 didn’t get attacked nearly as much, it still wasn’t viewed in a positive light.
But Windows 10 did bring a few changes for gamers…
For starters, Windows 10 will come with DirectX 12, which will be the first version of DirectX to truly take advantage of multi-core CPUs. And, while there aren’t very many games that are designed for DirectX 12 yet, in the future this will be an important factor.
Another big point for anyone considering choosing between Windows 10 and Windows 7, is that the boot times on Windows 10 are significantly higher than they are on Windows 7.
Ultimately, it’s just a matter of time before Microsoft stops updating Windows 7, just like they stopped updating Vista and, as such, it’s not a bad idea to embrace the future now, rather than being forced to adapt later.
HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
LEAVE THEM BELOW
Boli Atepa says
I got the $500 set. However, it does not work and I am thinking of returning the components now. I have replaced the motherboard once. The system does not power on. I have tested the CX550m PSU on another PC and it works. The MB just does not respond, regardless of what combination I try to add the components. Any tips?
Brent Hale says
Hey Boli, were you every able to figure out the issue?
If you’re still having problems, email me at bhale@elitegamingcomputers.com and I’ll see if I can help you troubleshoot the problem.
All the Best,
Brent
Joe says
I’m interested in building a new computer and I have most of the accessories to a computer already but just wondering about the internet. Do the motherboards already come with a WiFi adapter? Or would I need to buy one separately or use an Ethernet cable?
Brent Hale says
Hey Joe, thanks for reading and commenting.
Some motherboards do come with WiFi adapters, so you’d just have to check and make sure. But my experience with onboard WiFi has always been that it is pretty poor. Although, that would just all depend on your computer’s relation to your router. The closer you are, the more likely the onboard WiFi will work.
If you can go with an ethernet connection, that is always the best route to go. But if not, a USB wireless adapter should be good enough to get the job.
Something like this would work:
http://amzn.to/2Cy5UE0
You could also go with a PCI-e wireless adapter as well if you have room on your motherboard for it.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Ben Barton says
Looking to do my very first PC build and quite happy I stumbled across this guide. Admittedly I’m more of a Mac guy, but I like to have a simple dedicated rig for gaming on the side. I think I’m going to go with the $600 build; obviously all the major components are listed here, but I’m just wondering if there’s anything else I’m going to need that isn’t mentioned (extra cables, screws, etc), or any advice in general? Cheers.
Brent Hale says
Hey Ben, thanks for reading!
Everything that you will need to build the system will come with the components. It’s not a bad idea to have some zip ties on hand, though, for cable management.
And, if you need the system to connect to Wi-Fi, getting a USB Wi-Fi adapter would be a good idea as well.
As for advice, I’d say when you go to build the system, just have an internet connected device on hand so you can follow a step-by-step build guide, as well as to be able to access Google in case you run into a problem and need to search for the answer.
You can also check out this guide we put up:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/pc-building-mistakes
The second section will give you a list of common mistakes people make when building a PC. Just being aware of those should help the process go smoothly.
In any case, you should be good to go! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
rudolph says
Hello is it ok for me to upgrade the ram from 8 gigabyte dr to a 16 gigabyte dr in the $500 list please reply soon
AKingg1 says
Yes, but you will get better gaming performance with the $600 instead, a G4600 cant make use of 16 gb ram
Federico says
Hi,
Wondering if there is a graphics/performance difference when using OS Windows vs Linux for the same build? I know there are benchmarking articles, but they are quite technical. I just want to know if i will be able to see the difference. I would prefer to avoid getting windows for $120. If the only difference between windows and linux is that linux takes a bit more setup, that is not a problem for me :)
Joseph H. says
So I am looking at the $800 build because I’m trying to get a good setup for under $1k, and I figured it’s under that, but I have a few questions.
1.) What monitor would you recommend me buying for my setup? One than can do 4k and a good fps
2.) What would be the highest resolution and fps this computer would be able to handle?
3.) Would this computer be outdated in the near future or no? Want to stay on top of things to be able to run games properly
Tyler says
I dont know about 1 or 2, but NOTHING is future proof. The best things that money can buy will stay more relevant longer, but will NOT be future proof. The better your components, the MORE LIKELY they will be compatible longer, but it isn’t a guarantee, as we can’t guarantee what game developers or PC hardware developers will come up with next.
the GOOD thing about building yourself is the ability to UPGRADE later. As said, the 800 build will get you the best footing. Then you can upgrade your MOBO and Processor at the same time, later upgrade ram, later upgrade the GPU, and then cycle back to the MOBO and Processor. that lets you get plenty of use out of each component, and keep you updated as needed to play the games you want to.
peven says
your $300 build is now $510, thats not cheep at all, i can get a pre build pc better then this
james stevenson says
on any of your builds, can you leave the graphics card out and put one in later ?
AKing1 says
not in the ryzen ones, intel cpus have an integrated gpu, AMD ones do not
rudolf says
hello i am about to order the things for the $500 build like very soon and i was wondering if i could use an hdmi monitor or not, and are there any videos on builds that are similar to this one on youtube if so please tell me as this is my first build .
Jacob says
Um I was working on the $600 build and it seems it has been changed since I saved it to my amazon? I was wondering if the old build will still work as is, its mother board was the MSI ProSeries AMD Ryzen B350 DDR4 VR Ready HDMI USB 3 micro-ATX Motherboard (B350M PRO-VDH) and its ram was the Kingston HyperX FURY Black 8GB Kit (2x4GB) 2133MHz DDR4 Non-ECC CL14 DIMM Desktop Memory (HX421C14FBK2/8). There is not much of a price difference between the changes honestly id rather go for the asus because its a brand I trust and like. I think id rather stick to the asus mother board as currently suggested and stick the ram I listed because id rather have 2×4 than a single 8. Will this work? This is my first build.
Link says
Im planning on getting the 700$ build however the OS is a bit more pricy than other ones ive seen will windows 10 64 bit work the same or is that something completely different
Link says
And is there a specific version besides that that i should get
Rick says
This sounds great! Now my question is, can the system be hooked to a 60 inch 4k television instead of a monitor? That would free up some space. Also how about sound? Can it push to a surround sound system or am I just dreaming?
This is what has kept me rooted to a console and yes I’m a complete noob to pc gaming
Dave says
Thanks for the great info. I am helping a friend of mine decide on parts for a gaming build. When it comes to processors there are so many to understand what works with what. He is planning so far to use the ASUS PRIME Z370-P LGA1151 DDR4 HDMI CVI M.2 Z370 ATX Motherboard with USB 3.1 for 8th Generation Intel Core Processors. Does this board work with the 7th generation processors or do you have to install the 8th generation? Specifically speaking the Intel® Core™ i7-7700K Processor 8M Cache, up to 4.50 Ghz….
Thanks in advance
Ted Wheatley says
I so want one of these, after hearing how great they all run!
Noah says
The 400$ build is coming to around 560$ for me did something drastically change or did i do something wrong
akazfu says
Great build
Kamal C. Upreti says
Wow great info. thanks .
bill williams says
what would the parts list be for the VERY best Desktop gaming computer and what would the cost be? What would the cost be if was prebuilt? I am in Canada. Thank You
Rudolf says
Bill most of the extremely good desktops can cost 2000-3000 while some ranging up to 30,000 usd id say its more of the capabilities you should research to try and find the very best for you not overall
but i am no expert or something hope this helps
Rudolf says
and 2000 to 3000 is for parts alone for a very professional one of the best money can buy setups i don’t even want to think how much it would cost prebuilt
Rudolf says
thanks so much i would just like to lastly know whether i could get other sizes of the case like mid-tower not mini-tower or should it just stay mini-tower for this build
Brent Hale says
No problem!
Yeah, typically bigger cases will hold smaller motherboards (but smaller form-factor cases can’t hold bigger motherboards). So, most mid tower and full tower cases will be able to hold a micro-ATX or mini-ITX motherboard. If you’re trying to make your system look nice, though, putting a smaller form-factor motherboard in a larger case might look a bit funny.
But, for the most part a micro-ATX motherboard in a mid tower case will look fine (and work fine, too.) If there’s a specific case you’re looking at and you want to know if it is compatible with the build you are doing, just let me know what it is and I can double-check it for you.
All the Best,
Brent
Vincent Heule says
Yo!
The “Microsoft Windows 10 Home USB Flash Drive” and the “EGC High-Performance Thermal Paste Compound for CPU Heatsinks – 4 Grams” can’t be shipped to Sweden. :(
Is there any way you can help? Any recommendations? pls…
Vincent Heule says
Hi!
Could you please change the 800$ price build for a little bit suitible prices.
For me it’s 1,394$ for what’s supposed to be budget…
Can it be because I’m from Sweden where all taxes are higher? pls help
P.s Great build btw…
Vincent Heule says
Nvm had to computers in cart…
Rudolf says
i am about to try to get the $500 kit but i don’t see any fans on the list. i am wondering wether this build will need a fan because of the case or is there a fan i should get that would be compatible
Brent Hale says
Hi Rudolf, the case will come pre-installed with one fan, but you can add two more to it. And, the CPU comes with a stock fan as well.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
All the Best,
Brent
John says
Amazing article lots of information but i wonder if you could give me some specific advice please. I need to replace my old pc which had GTX 960, I5-4570 3.2. I want to go with AMD this time as ive heard good things but i know nothing of AMD. I was happy with the performance of my old machine so looking for somthing thats the equivelant (at a minimum) but at a budget. Would you advise me on the best combination of Processor and graphics card to get to achieve this?
Thankyou.
Brent Hale says
Hi John, thanks for stopping by and commenting.
It really just depends on what your specific budget is and what you plan on doing with your computer. An i5-4570 and a GTX 960 is a still a solid combination for a mid-range gaming rig. In fact, you could just put money into a new graphics card if you want to jump up to playing games on a higher resolution monitor, as the i5-4570 is still a very solid CPU.
Ultimately, I think that if you aren’t looking to drop a ton of money on a new build and gaming performance is your main goal, I think you’d be better off keeping your 4570 and upgrading your GPU.
But, let me know what your total budget is, what the current parts in your system are, and the goals you have with the system and I’ll be able to give you some more specific ideas for a new build or upgrade.
All the Best,
Brent
John says
Thanks for the reply.
It is going to be a new build. As for budget i don’t have one as such, more a case of best price/performance option. I want to swap over to AMD from Intel completely. Looking for somthing that was similar to how my previous machine was when i bought it (3 years ago) but i have no idea what AMD parts i should be looking at (not the most tech educated guy period.)
Brent Hale says
Hey John,
You’re probably looking at a Ryzen 5 1600 then, although, again, that’s not a significant upgrade over the 4570 in terms of real world gaming performance. But if you’re deadset on going AMD, the 1600 would be the price-to-performance processor to get. And, for a graphics card, your options are (ranked highest to lowest):
GTX 1070 (~$400) – http://amzn.to/2zWGuOs
GTX 1060 6GB (~$240) – http://amzn.to/2zZiMPB
RX 580 (~$280) – http://amzn.to/2B9XKhD
RX 570 (~$240) – http://amzn.to/2jbmI89
GTX 1060 3GB (~$190) – http://amzn.to/2z92Nx4
The price next to each card is the lowest price available on Amazon for one of those GPUs.
The GTX 1060 6GB and 580 are pretty similar performance-wise, but you can find a 1060 6GB for a lot cheaper. Those are probably your best options if you’re sticking with a 1080P monitor. If you want to bump up your resolution to 1440P, you’ll probably want to go with a 1070.
The RX 570 4GB and GTX 1060 3GB are good budget options, with the 1060 3GB being a lot more affordable and the RX 570 4GB having more VRAM (which will help in certain games.)
If it were me, I’d probably go with the 1070 if I could fit it in my budget, especially since the other cards won’t offer an enormouse performance increase over the GTX 960 (whereas, the 1070 will be a good jump.)
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
John says
Thank you my friend, that helps a great deal.
Much appreciated, especially the extra information about ‘why’ behind the parts.
John says
I have decided to go with the Ryzen 1600 ad the 570 but i forgot to ask what would be the best motherboard for those specific components, again cheapest option but without sacrificing too much perfrmance for a mid level gaming rig.
Rondold says
Hello i am thinking about very soon getting the $500 pc kit thing. but i don’t think it includes a fan on the list unless I’m mistaken. is their built in fans so should i not need any or is their i fan i should get that would be suitable for the build?
i am planning on getting this around christmas time so it would be awesome if you could respond quickly
With much love, a random person on the internet
Brent Hale says
I Rondold, I hope you’re doing well.
The processor will come with a stock cooler and cases typically come with a couple (or more) fans pre-installed. You can always add more fans to your case as well (just make sure you check what size fans it will take) and you can upgrade your CPU cooler, too. But, if you aren’t planning on doing serious overclocking, the stock CPU cooler and the pre-installed case fans should be adequate enough.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Jasmine says
Hi there :)
I live in Australia and was going to try building a new gaming rig centred around the Intel i5 8400 as my cpu. But my budget is $600-700 (ideally, though I could push it a bit) and while picking parts I realised I’d go over budget.
Do you think the i5 8400 is too ambitious a cpu for my price range? Could you please recommend one for me if so? I did notice you didn’t have a whole lot of intel cpus listed but I was going for Intel!
I play Overwatch mainly and was looking for a build which would give me a higher fps than 60 (I think…?).
Thanks so much :)
AKing1 says
The i5-8400 would be completely overkill for overwatch. The main problem with coffee Lake right now is the lack of cheap motherboards if you wait a couple months you they will be available,
Jasmine says
Okay thank you so much for your help :)
Garrett Linnemann says
Hey I just checked the 500 prices and they are currently around 628 bucks, any chance you can update me on a more recent 500 build
Brent Hale says
Hi Garrett, the prices look the same to me.
But, I don’t include the cost of the O.S. in the listed price, because some people find other means to get an operating system. For instance, buying Windows keys from third parties (although, that is a bit of a gray area), or by using Linux.
Hope this helps!
All the Best,
Brent
Garrett Linnemann says
Ah i see that now, lol. Thank you for the commitment to the site. I’ve been looking to build a computer for some time now and this guide has definitely helped. 5* for sure.
Austin says
Do you think the AMD – Ryzen 3 1300X 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor would be ok in the $600 build? Also, the Viper Elite Series DDR4 8GB (2 x 4GB) 3000MHz Kit (Red) PVE48G300C6KRD is out of stock on Amazon. Do you think I should just wait till it’s back in stock, or do you have another recommendation? Thanks.
Brent Hale says
Hey Austin, thanks for reading and commenting.
Yep, the Ryzen 3 1300x is a solid option. And, for the RAM, that’s up to you if you’re willing to wait for it to come back in stock.
The market for memory right now is terrible. This is probably the next most affordable option on Amazon at the moment:
http://amzn.to/2zDX7Px
It’s about $20 more, but it will be there quicker. Personally, I’d probably bite the bullet and go for that kit because I’m impatient, but when I do the builds I try and accommodate people who have a strict budget.
So, whatever you’d prefer to do. There’s also the big sales days coming up (like Thanksgiving week, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday) and there will be some better deals to be had then as well.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Austin says
Awesome! Thanks for the help. What do you think of this? The PC Part Picker website says it is all compatible. This is my first build so I’m not sure how accurate the website is. It seems legit. Thanks.
AMD – Ryzen 3 1300X 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
Asus – PRIME B350M-A/CSM Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard
Kingston – HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory
Kingston – SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5″ Solid State Drive
Western Digital – Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5″ 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Gigabyte – GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB Video Card
Corsair – 100R ATX Mid Tower Case
Corsair – CXM 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply
Asus – DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer
Brent Hale says
Hey Austin! That looks like a solid well-rounded budget build.
I would say that if you could sacrifice either the hard drive or SSD now (and just go with one of them) you could bump up to a GTX 1060. And, then when you have ~$50 or so, you could add the hard drive or SSD later.
But, that just really depends on what kinds of games you want to play and at what settings you want to play them at.
In any case, that’s a great a build as is!
All the Best,
Brent
dave says
How can my dell 745 with win7 64bit be upgraded? What parts would suit it best?
Wayne Wofford says
this is nice
Chris says
Good info here for starting
charlie says
this is so cool
Cynthia Knisely says
I would like to build my own gaming PC. My son did and saved a lot of money. He is in college getting BA in Computer Networking. He could help me.
Jarrod poppleton says
Hey,
I have been following the Instagram page for a while. I really like the builds and just came across this site. I was wondering if you could help me? I have some parts for a pc already I just need help finding the right finishing parts. Parts are as listed.
Case: corsair 100R
Motherboard: gigabyte h170m-ds3h
Ram: 16gb ddr4 2400mhz corsair vengeance lpx
Power sup.: evga 600B
Memory: crucial 240gb SSD
I was curious if you had any good recommendations for these combination of parts?
Cameron W says
Hey if I wanted to change the case on any of these builds it wont effect the pc will it?
Iñigo says
Hey Brent! I have been loooking at the 800$ build, and after a small investigation, i noticed that too many people are having problems with compatibility between Ryzen 5 and MSI B350M motherboards family. Apparently, the BIOS is not updated and you cannot update it without booting first. Can you suggest another motherboard with better compatibility with ryzen 5?
Thanks!
Brent Hale says
Hi Iñigo, I hope you’re doing well.
I’ve read that there have been issues as well, however, I have not had anyone complain about the combination I have on any of the Ryzen 5 builds listed above. But I am actually putting the $800 build together as it is listed right now in the coming week. So, I’m not sure what your timetable is, but I will be able to tell you whether or not the Ryzen 5 1600 and MSI B350M motherboard work together out of the box.
And, if you can’t wait, you could always go for a higher-end X370 board. They’re a bit more expensive, but this one is decent and won’t break the bank:
http://amzn.to/2yjDmeB
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Iñigo says
I guess i can wait for it :P I will ask to the providers anyway about the BIOS updates and try to solve it this way, the X370 board is a bit expensive for me :/ Thanks mate!
William Howard says
I definitely want to have more storage SSD
Brent Hale says
Hey William, you can just swap the SSD out for a 1TB HDD.
If you’re looking at the $800 build, you could drop to a 128GB SSD to put your OS on, and then get a 1TB HDD and that shouldn’t raise the price too much.
I used to have the builds come with a 1TB HDD rather than the SSD, but I think with the huge performance increase that an SSD offers I figured that it would be better to start with that. Especially considering how easy and inexpensive it is to add a bigger HDD down the road.
Again, though, if you need more storage now, just swap the SSD for a traditional mechanical hard drive.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Irvine P Williams says
thank you for the info.Every little bit helps
Alex says
I just completed the $600 build, but I’m not sure what monitor I should get.
It’s stated that the 1050ti can run any game at max settings on a 1080p monitor, but I’m not sure if that’s at 144hz or at somewhere around 60hz.
Can the 1050ti do all of that at 144hz, or will I have to get a monitor on the lower end of the spectrum?
Brent Hale says
Hey Alex, I hope you’re doing well.
It really just depends on what games you’re playing. The 1050 Ti can handle games like CSGO and League of Legends fine on a 1080P/144Hz monitor. You may see a bit of an issue on more demanding games, though, and in those cases, you may not be able to fully utilize a 144Hz monitor with the 1050 Ti.
So, again, it really just depends on what games you’ll want to play at 144Hz.
Hope this helps!
All the Best,
Brent
Alex says
Thanks!
Coincidentally, I am playing League with my pc. Glad to know I’ll be able to take advantage of 144hz.
Jason says
Hi, on the $700 build I see that we only have a 128g SSD; SO it looks like we’ll need to purchase an addition HDD OR SSD?
Brent Hale says
Hey Jason, yes, if you need more storage to start out you will either need to swap out the SSD for a traditional mechanical hard drive or add one to the build.
My thinking behind starting off with the SSD is that it’s better to focus on the performance aspect first because adding a traditional mechanical hard drive in the future is cheap and easy-to-install.
So, I figure, let’s get a super fast SSD to being with that the builder can put their OS on and a few of their favorite games. And, in a month or two’s time, when they have ~$40-$50 to spare, they can get add a traditional mechanical hard drive to the mix.
Of course, you could do it the other way around, but then you’d have to switch the drive that your OS is installed on.
Hope this makes sense! Let me know if you have any other questions!
All the Best,
Brent
Andrewgcx71111 says
MY $163.58 budge build
XFX R7360 ($39.99 after $30 .00 rebate) newegg.com deal
AMD FX 8320E ($49.99 after $30.00 rebate) microcenter.com cpu+mb combo deal
Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3HP FM2+ mATX AMD Motherboard (-$9.99 after $20.00 rebate, yes I pay $9.99 and get $20.00 rebate) microcenter.com cpu+mb combo deal
Gigabyte GA-AM1M-S2H AM1 mATX AMD Motherboard (-$9.99 after $10.00 rebate, yes I pay $0.01and get $10.00 rebate) microcenter.com cpu+mb combo deal
ROSEWILL Micro ATX Mini Tower Computer Case ($20.29) Amazon.com deal
EVGA 450W B1 80 PLUS Bronze ($9.89 after $20.00 rebate) bhphotovideo.com deal
Western Digital (WD) Caviar Blue 320 GB (320gb) SATA II 7200 RPM 8 MB Cache Bulk ($19.70) amaom.com deal
Avexir Core Series 8GB Kit Dual Channel 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 PC3 12800 Desktop Memory Module ($43.70) amaom.com deal
Operation System: window 10 (I GOT IT FOR FREE)
Total: $39.99 +$49.99+$9.89-$9.99-$9.99+$20.29+$19.70+$43.70=163.58 (If you should notice that I have two Motherboard on this build, so I’m going to sell one to ebay for at least $20 to 30 buck so eventfully I’m only paying $130 to $140 to this gaming pc build. Every thing I buy is bran new, I don’t use used/open box parts, I hate something that someone already use it, this build was just for fun.
Ryan says
On the budget builds I think it would be better to spend an extra like 40-60 dollars and get a quad core processor. It seems like more and more games now a days are requiring quad core. I say this from experience cause I built a computer for myself a year ago and I wish I would of spend the extra money then cause there are a few games that wont run for me that I really want to play and the only thing Im lacking on in the processor.
Ryan says
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0741DLVL7/ref=psdc_229189_t2_B06XKVNRSM
I think this would be a good option its not to expensive.
Irvine P Williams says
Good idea
Jesse says
Hi Brent,
I have a MSI Geforce GTX 950 graphics card right now but plan to build a new computer with it if I can so I can save a little bit of money. What builds out of these can I substitute my GPU for? I was looking at the higher price ones.
Also, because of the price fluctuations some of the higher priced builds are above your threshold. Will you update those soon?
Thanks for the guide!
Brent Hale says
Hi Jesse, how’s it going?
You could put the 950 in any of the builds listed above and I think that’s a really good strategy if you’re looking to upgrade in the future.
It looks like the RAM in the $500 builds and up has jumped ~$25-$30 in price. I’ll change that in just a moment.
Thanks for stopping by! If you have any other questions, let me know!
All the Best,
Brent
Ashley says
Hey Brent,
Thanks for the fantastic guide! Getting ready to start on the $600 build to get back into streaming. Had a pre-built before but I’ve always wanted to try my hand at building.
That being said, the act of building is a bit intimidating. Will you be coming out with videos about the physical act of building? Or do you have any suggestions for a video series that might help a novice.
Thanks in advance!
– Ashley
Brent Hale says
Hi Ashley, thanks for reading and commenting.
I do have plans to put out videos on the step-by-step process of building a computer in the future. But if you’re building now, you might want to follow Newegg’s guide:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIF43-0mDk4
That’s one of the more thorough PC building guides currently on YouTube and should help you through your build.
You can also join our newsletter and get our free step-by-step written guide here:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/how-to-build-a-gaming-computer/
And, we’ve also put together a resource on the most common mistakes people make when building a computer:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/pc-building-mistakes/
Hopefully, this helps! let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Michael says
Hello, my first time PC gaming I want to get into stream as well which one would be capable of doing both, on games like Ark Survival evolved and such.
Brent Hale says
Hey Michael, I hope you’re doing well.
If your goal is to stream, for games like Ark Survival Evolved I would think you would be good to go with the $400 build or higher. Obviously, the more you spend, the better the performance you will get… but the $400 build is completely capable of running and streaming those types of games.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
noob says
Hey there, built the $800 computer and my first time building a computer. Had a lot of fun, would highly recommend these guides for anyone building a pc for the first time!
ps get a wifi usb to connect to the internet :)
cheers,
Brent Hale says
Hey noob (although, you’re no longer a noob now!)
I’m glad to hear the guide was able to help you out! And, thank you for coming back by and leaving your feedback, I really appreciate it.
Enjoy the new system!
All the Best,
Brent
Tim says
Hi. I wanna ask if they ship the parts to Australia?
Thx
RiccyD says
Eh Brent;
Firstly, want to say a huge THANK YOU for your site & what a relief to have found a resource to help sort out all the tech choices that are currently on the market. Things have come a long way since I started gaming with King’s Quest 1…. (yeah).
One of my questions is regarding one of your “budget” builds. I have chosen the ASRock 110HDS mobo, with the new I3 7100 Kaby Lake processor & I am told the 110 chip is not compatible with 7th gen processors. In your article you mentioned that this mobo works with both 6th & 7th generation CPU’s, could you please confirm (or deny)?
Another question I have is regarding using an existing full size ATX case (18″d X 7.5″w X 17″h) with existing power supply for a Micro ATX board (mainly to save some bucks). Are there any possible issues/problems for this that I don’t see? Thanks in advance for any reply.
Cheers
Ric
Thanks a
Brent Hale says
Hi Riccy, thanks for reading and commenting.
Yes, the ASRock H110M motherboard will work with a newer Kaby Lake processor as long as it has the newer BIOS (which it appears to have.)
However, the section below the part-lists does need to be updated and while the H110 motherboards will work fine as long as they have the updated BIOS, it would make more sense to go with an affordable B250 motherboard instead (like the one in the $300-$500 builds).
Nope, most standard ATX cases (mid towers) will fit micro-ATX motherboards just fine. So, you’re good to go there.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Jarrod Naumovski says
Hi Hale
I was just wondering what games the $500 gaming computer can run and at what setting. Because i live in australia and i don’t wanna get pc parts that won’t let me run games like rainbow six siege. Thanks so much! I was looking at running games like PUBG, R6S, and new games like such.
Brent Hale says
Hi Jarrod, thanks for reading and commenting.
Yes, the $500 build should run those games fine as long as you’re playing on a 1080P monitor. It may not run the more demanding games at max settings, but it should get at least medium-ish settings with the GTX 1050 Ti on 1080P on pretty much any game out there.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
John says
I have a question for you guys. I was wondering if these builds could handle DAWs like Ableton and Photoshop or perhaps you might have some ideas. It would seem reasonalbe but please excuse my ignorance not really too computer savy. Thanks.
saad says
Hey Hale, I was doing some research regarding your $400 build and other compatible products and I found the Intel Pentium 3.3ghz was almost half the price of the Intel Pentium 3.6ghz. Do you think there are any major performance disparities between these two (for gaming)? Regarding the OS, if people are on a really tight budget they could get an older OS, (XP or even 98) only to connect to the internet. From there, Microsoft is still offering windows 10 for free for people who use assistive technologies. However, even if you don’t use such tech, there are no limitations. I also found that the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1050 Ti [DirectX 12 ZT-P10510B-10L 4GB 128-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready Video Card] was a little pricier than the graphics card you have in your build but also had better performance.
Alan says
You mention that your 6 and 700$ PC can run Oculus VR. Would they also be able to run HTC VIVE or is there a big difference in specs between the 2?
Thanks in advance
Karina says
Hi!
I just recently got into gaming but played only on my laptop which is rather weak.
Can you suggest which budget option would be good for playing mostly Witcher 3 and Wow Legion (for now)? I don’t care much for the highest settings and frame rates. I do however want to be able to check out some other games, if I wanted to without much trouble (maybe GTA5, Planet Coaster, Battlegrounds…) do I have to look at higher priced PCs if I want for my PC to be somewhat relevant several years into future, without needing to replace it soon for newer games, if you know what I mean?
Any suggestions would be highly appreciated!
Brent Hale says
Hi Karina, thanks for reading and commenting.
Depending on your budget, the $700 and $800 builds are probably your best bet for what you want to do, assuming you’ll be sticking to playing on a 1080P monitor for the foreseeable future. The $600 build will get the job done, too.
Those builds will probably be relevant for 1080P gaming for at least five years or so without absolutely needing an upgrade. And, you could extend its life as a gaming PC by upgrading the graphics card when it starts to slow down in games in the future.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Karina says
Hi Brent,
Thanks for replying, your suggestion helps. Only I don’t know enough about these things to try building my own PC, I don’t know anyone who could help as well.
I’ll probably look through some online shops in my country both that sell already made PCs and can build them for me. Can you suggest any forums etc. where I could ask for advice about specific devices, prices and so on?
Carter says
If you really want a budget computer you should know that on kinguin.net you can get a windows 10 key for $30 and that includes a buyer protection in case the key doesn’t work. It it way cheaper than the $100 windows thing you can get on amazon. I am planning to get the $400 build and use the $30 kinguin key to save a lot of money
Edvinas says
Do your searching again and tell me when you will find it for 10$. :)
saad says
or you could look up window 10 accessibility and get the latest windows for free. just get any old windows that can connect to the internet to start it up and then download the latest one. then you’re golden.
Mallory says
Building for my son. Would rather speak in person. Already have case and parts in my cart, but have a couple questions before purchase. Would you be willing to contact me personally?
Alan says
Not very familiar with computer build or specs but how will these systems run FPS on a 50 in. tv. What should you look for if you want to run your games on a TV like a console instead of on a monitor?
THANKS!
Travis says
Would I be able to upgrade any of the cheap gaming laptop builds if for some reason in the future I want a better processor or something like that?
Jordan says
3 questions
1. What’s the biggest difference(s) between the $700 and $800 cheap gaming desktops?
2. My laptop has trouble connecting to wifi at times. I have an Inspiron 14 5000 series laptop. Our wifi is pretty old so it does work at times, but sometimes you can’t use it at all. However, my phone could be perfectly working with the wifi, but my computer will keep disconnecting from it. Would you know how to fix this or would it just be getting better wifi? (Also before I bought it some reviews said it had trouble connecting to wifi.)
3. Finally, I would like to play games on my laptop but I’m not sure if it can run it. I want to play Overwatch which requires an intel i5 and 6gb of ram, and my laptop has i5 and 8gb of ram so it should be able to run it. But when I play simple games such as minecraft it sometimes has trouble with frame rate.
Thanks for the help.
Jure says
Hi
Is there any other PC cases under 30$, becouse both of those two have either very expensive shipping or they cannot be shipped to my country… :(
Ps: i am from Slovenia
Edvinas Juozaitis says
Case is up to your choice, just make sure all components fits in. :) If your motherboard mATX, or ATX look cases for those ATX’s, also if you will choose mATX you probably will be unable to put graphic card with 3 air coolers. ;) With provided builds that has mini cards with 1 air cooler will be fine.
Kevin says
Which build would lead to a satisfying experience for my 11 year old on minecraft? He sees all these mods and he’ll probably want quite a few. I’m sure it will lead to more gaming as well. Just want to make sure he doesn’t get frustrated. Thanks for any advice.
Kevin
The guy says
Anything can run minecraft…but if you want to play with shaders and mods than the $400 build will be enough.
No says
What would you recommend for a budget of $450?
Brent Hale says
Hi, thanks for reading and commenting.
If you a copy of Windows you’ll probably want to look at the $300 build. After adding Windows to it, it’s about $440.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
No says
I already have windows
Mike says
Great guide Brent.
Sorry if this is a noob question – but do these configurations include Wi-Fi for internet connectivity, or does a separate card need to be bought and added? If a separate card, can you recommend one?
Brent Hale says
Hey Mike, glad the guide could be of assistance to you.
Not a noob question at all! No, these builds do not come with Wi-Fi capabilities straight out of the box (well, some of the motherboards might have built-in Wi-Fi, but it’s usually subpar.)
Your best bet, though, would be to get something like this:
http://amzn.to/2uKuiNJ
Or this:
http://amzn.to/2uOvwWU
The first option (the USB) will be more convenient, while the second option (PCI) will be a little more stable. If you’re not too far away from the router, though, either one will work just fine.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Henry says
Hi can i ask if they charge in aus or usd ? Please help me
Brent Hale says
Hi Henry, thanks for reading and commenting.
I base all of the builds off of USD and I choose parts from Amazon for convenience. In AUD, the prices won’t come out to the same, even after conversion. But it’s not too far off.
You can use the part lists I have provided and shop around at mwave.com, pccasegear.com, and local computer shops in Australia to try and lower the cost a bit.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
D0ubl3dged says
Would the current $800 dollar computer be able to run with the previous gtx 1070 armor instead of the 1060?
Brent Hale says
Hey D0ubl3dged, thanks for reading and commenting.
Yes, the $800 build will still run with a GTX 1070. The prices on them are just so high now that I had to drop the GPU in the build down to a 1060 to keep it within budget.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Jack says
Hey brent, im wanting to run a budget build to stream league of legends and maybe miecraft. I was thinking around the 600$ budget area but wasnt sure it would handle streaming the games.
Second question is about the storage device. My buddy has a computer running a 1tb hdd and a 150gb ssd, i was wondering why this would be helpful and if the 600$ build would work with this type of setup because i have a 1tb hdd in my current computer i could use for the new setup and buy a low storage ssd.
Thanks for the informative article!
Brent Hale says
Hi Jack, thanks for reading and commenting.
Yes, the $600 build will be able to handle streaming LOL and Minecraft fairly easily.
The main reason why people get a low capacity SSD and pair it with a large HDD is to maximize the performance they get out of their system without spending a ton of money.
Typically, people will install their operating system on their SSD. Since SSDs are significantly faster than traditional HDDs, you’ll get a big performance increase with your SSD when booting your computer up, launching apps or programs, and transferring files.
SSDs give virtually no performance boost while gaming (although, load screens will go faster if your game is installed on an SSD). However, outside of gaming, your system will feel much faster on an SSD than it would on a traditional HDD.
The problem with SSDs, though, is that they are still way more expensive on a per GB basis than traditional HDDs. So, the strategy is to use a larger capacity traditional hard drive for bulk file storage and the SSD to install your operating system on (and some of your favorite games/applications) for the performance increase.
Hope this makes sense! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Carter says
… waiting for the $400 build to update…
Brent Hale says
Just updated it! Note, though, that due to the shortage of GPUs currently on the market, I had to drop the $400 build down to a GTX 1050 rather than a GTX 1050 Ti.
Kanaria says
None of these builds even mention fans cush as the CPU Fan which in my book are just as important as the rest since they are what is cooling the computer to keep it from melting down.
Brent Hale says
Hi Kanaria, I hope you’re doing well.
All of the processors that are listed in the builds come with a stock fan. And, since these are all budget builds that aren’t built for extreme overclocking, the stock fan will get the job done.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Dummy says
Looking at 700 build. Hoping it will run PUBG smooth as butter. Also the GPU EVGA GTX 1060 6GB, seems almost impossible to find at a reasonable price. Any suggestions?
Also thanks for all the info man. Great site
Brent Hale says
Thanks for reading and commenting!
The $700 build should run PUBG on medium to max settings on a 1080p monitor with no problems. The 6GB version of the cards are out there (see the one linked to in the $800 build), but they are just a lot more expensive than they should be thanks to crypto miners buying them all up.
It’s tough to say, really, when GPU prices will come back down. This has happened a couple of times in the past with BitCoin, but GPU prices have typically stabilized much more quickly than they have this time around.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Dummy says
Thanks man I actually was lucky enough to get a 1070 graphic card for my build. Got lucky on amazon. Which adds to the price of course of the build but I think should help overall a lot! Still doing the 700 build other than that. Will my power supply be ok and do I need to change anything else with that card?
Brent Hale says
Nice, good work! They are hard to come by!
And, yep, the 550W power supply will still run the 1070 just fine.
Carter Mann says
Hey in the $400 build on amazon the total is $460. Are the prices just high right now for some of the components? I was want to order the parts but i only have $400 I was wondering if I changed the 4GB GeForce video card with the 2GB GeForce video card listed in the “Budget Video Cards Between $100-$150 section” would it still be compatible?
Edvinas says
Yes it’s compatible, but I do not recommend you doing so, because GPU is one of the main parts you want to have better.
Brent Hale says
Hi Carter, thanks for reading.
Yeah, prices are all over the place right now as there is a shortage of mid-range GPUs due to crypto currency miners. I’ve updated the $400 build and have dropped the GPU down to a GTX 1050 2GB, but if you main budget includes the cost of Windows as well, you might want to look at the $300 build (because an OS will cost you about ~$100 extra.)
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Busne says
Does the 500$ pc run smoothly when playing arma3 or csgo and maybe dayz?
Edvinas says
100%
Brent Hale says
Hi Busne, thanks for reading and commenting.
Yes, it can handle those games on a 1080p monitor fine. You might not be able to run Arma 3 and DayZ at max settings, but you should be able to manage with medium-to-high settings with no problems.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
David says
For the $500 build, do you recommend any good monitors?
Brent Hale says
Hi David, I hope you’re doing well.
You can check out this post for some general recommendations:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/best-gaming-monitors/
It really all depends on what your budget is, though. With the $500 build, you’ll be limited to a 1080p monitor (which is fine) and there are options right around $130 that will work well for that build. (Like this one: http://amzn.to/2w4c8nU)
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Gavin says
I was looking at the $800 build, would the 1TB SSHD (Solid-State Hybrid Drive) be a better option as it is only $20 more?
Brent Hale says
Hi Gavin,
Yes, the 1TB SSHD will perform better than the standard HDD. If you don’t mind sacrificing storage space for the time being, you could also go with an ~120GB SSD for that price as well.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
The_Nick says
Hey, so i am a really new gamer and i dont know much about pc parts and that kind of stuff. I have about 800$ to spend. So i dont really want to play on VR because of the cost, but i want to be shure that the pc i am going to buy can play any game at 4k ultra settings for a least 3-4 years. Don’t really think about games like call of duty but open world kick-ass games that really sucks out every single thing of my pc. I dont want to buy a pc that can play only 2017 or lower games but even newer games! Please help me and please dont use too hard words of pc parts or of other stuff cause im italian and i dont understand good english. Thanks man you are really helping me out!!!
Tim says
Do you happen to know when the GTX 1060s usually get in stock?
josh says
Ive been a console gamer , but lookin to make the switch to include pc gaming . will the 400 build be a good starter build to play most of the more popular games and get me goin for a while then I can later upgrade parts to get to the 4k and VR if desired. please excuse my ignorance as im completely clueless when it comes to this area.
WaitWhat4355 says
Do you happen to know when the GTX 1060s usually get in stock, before the miners snag them up?
noob says
hey man, would like to know which bundle could play fallout 4 , gta IV and such on ultra quality.
cheers
Niko says
What is the best replacement for 500$ case.
doesn’t shop to Finland
Niko says
* Ship
Daniel says
Would the $400 computer be able to play CS:GO (even during the game’s “high-demand” moments–e.g., when there’re smoke grenades) smoothly? Has EGC developed an economical build specifically for smooth playing of CS:GO? Starcraft 2?
Edvina says
Too easy task bro.
Gloin says
Hello, is it possible to change the MSI B350M pro VDH for a MSI B350M Gaming Pro in the 700$ build? Will everything work and be compatible?
Edvinas says
Yes.
Prounce says
So I have a part time job for the summer and at the end of summer I’ll have 600$ (if I’m being paid 10$ and hour every day which so far that’s how it’s been). My mom’s friend had a some parts lying around he didn’t use. He had a big motherboard, a core-i7, gigabytes of ram, and Windows 8 or 10. I was originally going to stick with the 600$ computer but now I’ve decided that I will spend more money on the GPU and the PSU, because of the money that’s already saved. The 800$’s GPU is too expensive but the 700$’s one is affordable, the PSU is the 700$’s PSU, and the ODD is the Samsung 24x SATA. The problem I have right now is I want use the big motherboard, but I’m not sure if the parts will fit. The motherboard size I have is an ATX. Will I be able to put everything on there or will I need to get a bigger size?
Alan says
Hi,
On the $800 computer build could i replace the AMD Ryzen 5 1500X with an Intel I5 7th gen
Edvinas says
You will need different motherboard too
Jake says
Hey Brent!
This is my first PC build. I was wondering, for the $800 build, (as the 1070 is out of stock), would the 1050 also be compatible?
Cheers,
Jake
Edvinas says
Yes it iš.
John says
I would like to know what would be a best built gaming desktop to be able to run overwatch, WOW, CS and League of Legends and maybe other high end games out there that won’t have any issues what so over for the price of $600 and it would still have enough room for upgrades in a long run.
OMAMTOM says
Using this as a guide, I built one with the MSI B250, a Gigabyte GTX 1050ti, Kaby Lake G4600, the cheap Xion case, and I upgraded the RAM to 16gb, and used a 500gb SSD. The total was a little over $700. It’s fast and quiet, plays Elite Dangerous beautifully.
Jack says
Im doing the $600 build and want to add an SSD instead of the HDD. I was thinking like a 250gb SSD or maybe smaller. How do I know what is compatible or not.
James N says
You should be pretty free and clear w/ compatibility, just look for an internal SSD. Most popular from what I can tell is a Samsung Evo 850, but there are cheaper alternatives. From the research I’ve done for these budget builds the best way to go is get a small SSD to store your OS, then one of the 1TB HDD to store your games, media (music movies etc). If you can budget it though, getting a 500GB SSD should leave you set for a while to just store everything there and use only one drive.
Ideal:
Samsung Evo 850 500GB is on Newegg at the moment for $165, on Amazon for $169.
Budget:
“off brand” SSD, like SK Hynix 120GB (or larger if you’d like), paired with a 1TB+ HDD
(take everything I say with a grain of salt and do your own research as well, I’m still pretty new to this, but have noticed there isn’t much activity on this forum and wanted to give you a reply with my input)
:)
Jack says
I have a 1tb hdd in my current computer. Can the motherboard hold a hdd and a small SSD like a 150gb SSD? Cause than i could use the HDD in my current computer instead of buying one
James N. says
Hello! I recently completed the $400 build, with some minor tweaks based of off either personal preference or spare parts I already had.
Question… what would you (whoever is reading this) recommend I upgrade first? For that matter, if you have a path of progression from here, feel free. The more ideas I can bounce around the better I’ll feel about it.
CPU Intel Pentium G4560
MOBO MSI B250M
GPU EVGA GTX 1050 Ti SC
RAM Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 8GB (x2)
HDD WD Blue 1 TB
CASE Rosewill Gaming ATX Mid Tower – Nautilus
PSU Antec VP-450W
ODD ASUS DRW-24F1ST
OS Windows 10
Thanks folks, happy building and GLTA!
Chris Cook-Sussan says
Thanks for the great info. I am building my first PC (First time building I mean) I am using your $500 build, but I do have one question. I overlooked having a CD/DVD-Rom drive. This build does not seem to have that (is that correct?) Will the case/build support a DVD-Rom drive if I want to add it? Please let me know the answer to this before I start to assemble it all (I have already ordered the parts, just looking for this last piece of info.) Thanks again for the great site and help.
James N. says
Chris,
Assuming the tower has a spot for the drive, it will be fine. I just finished the 400 budget build, basically same scenario, first time builder, tweaked a couple of things on it but this build was my framework. Same for me though, I went ahead and added one as well.
For these builds they are very cost oriented though so the lower end just don’t include them so that the money can be budgeted elsewhere.
Steven says
Hi, I built the $800 PC build and nothing displays on my computer monitor.
Jason says
do you have a video tutorial for any of these specific gaming builds?
Hugh says
Great article! I couldn’t have asked for more. Exactly the information guide I was looking for…so helpful. It’s like having a professional workout trainer
Samuel says
The EVGA GTX 1060 3GB in the 600$ build is only for prime members and sadly i am not one </3, what kind of of graphics card should i replace it with?
Sorry for bad english
Sheldon says
Wow. This article is so in-depth….. Good job man!!
Roderic John Sisk says
The motherboard in the $600 and up builds is out of stock at this time. In general, as a complete noob, what are the specs on the mother board I’d need to look at if I wanted to replace it with something else in order to make sure the rest of the components will still work?
There are so many different facets of these things in their Amazon title i’s hard to pick out the bling from the function. I don’t want to spend an extra$20 on a mother board just to find out now my GPU and hardrive aren’t compatible, that sort of thing.
Thanks!
Danny says
Check out pcpartpicker.com it will show you comparability. Plus cheapest pricing.
Michael says
Using this as a guide, I built one with the MSI B250, a Gigabyte GTX 1050ti, Kaby Lake G4600, the cheap Xion case, and I upgraded the RAM to 16gb, and used a 500gb SSD. The total was a little over $700. It’s fast and quiet, plays Elite Dangerous beautifully.
Edster says
Is there a site I can go to, to get info on how to connect everything ?
Taylor Woolard says
Hey I am just looking for a cheap gaming computer for myself because I really enjoy the games on PC. I am now just starting in college and looking into graphic design and wondering if the $400 build PC is able to run things like Adobe photoshop, illustrator, and so on? Also the case for the $400 build is for Amazon prime members only and I have already used my free trial and so is there another cheap case I could use that will also work?
Thank you!
Levitan says
What is a good gpu to go with a AMD A10 7860K APU, and have room for a future cpu and motherboard upgrade? My budget is $100-$200
jr says
we have exact spec try gtx 970 i got it for 249 brandnew
Kajson says
Hello, just wanted to point out some things for followers of this guide,
The G4560 is by far the best budget choice for a dualcore right now, you only loose slight performance over I3 but an I3 costs over 110$ where the G4560 costs 60-70$, the big difference between former G4xxx and this new gen one is that they now support hyper threading which takes out the biggest negative.
In my eyes the choice is between the G4560 and an I5, do not consider any other dualcore. You do probably need a newer mobo with this cpu. I’d advice a cheap premium brand B250 to avoid issues. These can also be had for 60-80 bucks, Asrock and MSI still good choices.
Furthermore I would never buy a system without an SSD these days anymore, if you do gaming, get something like a Crucial mx300 256GB so you have a bit of space to put your favorite games on em besides your operating system. An SSD is the best performance upgrade for any system $ wise.
https://www.amazon.de/Crucial-Interne-Festplatte-5mm-Adapter-5-Zoll/dp/B01IAGSD5O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1492522266&sr=8-2&keywords=mx300+crucial
Brent Hale says
Good advice and just before I updated the builds today. Thanks man!
Steven says
Hi Brent, I was just wondering if you need to buy a cooler for the processor for any of these setups?
Brent Hale says
Hey Steve, all of the processors come with stock coolers. Stock coolers aren’t always the best options, but if you go with a locked processor, they’ll get the job done.
I did add AMD’s Ryzen 5 CPUs to some of the builds today, though, and those actually come with semi-decent coolers that will allow for some mild overclocking.
But ultimately, no, you don’t need to pickup a cooler for these buildsites as they do come with them.
Nick says
Starting to accumulate the parts for the $700 build and kind of concerned about the gpu. Have seen a good bit of reviews stating how that card causes computers to crash coming out of sleep mode. Or am i taking a few peoples bad experiences too seriously.
Brent Hale says
Hey Nick, it’s probably just a rare case, but if it worries you, you can try one of the options from a different manufacturer. (MSI, Gigabyte, Zotac, etc.)
The RX 580 just came out as well and that might be worth looking into (although they still aren’t listed on Amazon). You’d probably need to swap the power supply, though, for something a little bigger.
Henry Adams says
Hey, I noticed that the CPU purchased in the $600 (and I’m assuming $800) does NOT come with a CPU cooling fan/heatsink (you can see this for yourself if you follow the CPU link to the amazon page). It was my understanding that in this day and age, a dedicated CPU fan/heatsink is almost mandatory.
Please consider adding this into your builds.
Brent Hale says
Hey Henry, I did switch CPUs in those builds to the new Ryzen 5 processors in today’s update, however I think there was some confusion on the listing you’re talking about.
The processor does come with a stock cooler, but for whatever reason they decided to label their listing as one that didn’t come bundled with an aftermarket cooler.
Kind of strange that they would list it that way, but you can see in the questions section on the listing that others have gotten the stock cooler despite it saying processor only.
sajad says
i am thinking about getting the 600$ build (it will be my first gaming pc) how much will it cost total if i add windows 10 and a wifi adapter and opical drive and moniter?
Bright Joe says
These are some great starter builds. Thanks for listing them out, mate! :D
ELGuapo says
Sorry, I have a couple more questions for the 800.00 build. Someone mentioned a better quality computer case. What do you recommend that will fit the 800.00 build? Another question, Amazon is sold out of the 800.00 build motherboard. Can you recommend a better quality or equal item. I was looking at the MSI Pro Series Intel B250 LGA 1151 DDR4 HDMI USB 3.1 micro-ATX Motherboard (B250M PRO-VDH) or open to something else. Thank you again and appreciate all your knowledge and help.
ELGuapo says
Hi, I was looking at the 800.00 build. Any recommendation for a sound card please?
Thanks and great site! PS: The link to the free build guide above doesn’t work. This would be an awesome resource for someone like myself who has never built a computer.
Jake says
I ordered the 700 dollar build with the GA-H110-A motherboard, My friend told me that I need a wifi reciver, please tell me if I do or not and what I should buy.
Brent Hale says
Hey Jake, how’s it going?
Yes, if you aren’t able to run a hard-wire connection directly to your router, you will need a wi-fi adapter. Either of these should work:
http://amzn.to/2oFRs6k
http://amzn.to/2oFOizt
Just note that those are 300Mbps adapters and will only reach their full potential if your router is 300Mbps as well. But, they should get the job done as long as you aren’t putting your PC too far away from the router, or there aren’t any obstructions between your PC and your router.
Hope this helps!
All the Best,
Brent
AJ says
What kind of games will I be able to play with the $400 build? Can I play Dota with it?
Brent Hale says
Hey AJ, hope you’re doing well.
Yes, the $400 build will be able to handle Dota 2 just fine. And, as long as you are playing on a 1080p monitor, you should be able to run most modern games on lower-to-medium settings if they are demanding games, and higher settings if they are non-demanding games.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
kayle says
Hi, I noticed that there aren’t AMD CPUs listed on some of the builds anymore. I was going to do the FX-6300 since it’s so cheap, but now I see the i3-7100 in the $500 build. Is the i3-7100 better?
Ricky says
I mostly play League of Legends but sometimes play TF2 and Skyrim. Which one of these builds would work the best? My budget is about $600 but could go up to $700 if I have to.
Brent Hale says
Hey Ricky, how’s it going?
My recommendation would be to go with the $500 build. After adding a copy of Window you will be looking at a little over $600 total. The $500 build will be more than enough to play those games on moderate-to-high settings.
If you do want to stretch your budget, the $600 build would help with Skyrim, but since LOL and TF2 aren’t too demanding, you’ll just be adding on frames to an already high framerate. Though, if you were to venture out to playing some other more demanding games in the future, the $600 build would be better suited for that.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
James Park says
I went with your $800 build. I ran into the problem of the Gigabyte GA-H110M-A motherboard not being compatible out of the box with the 7th generation i5 CPU. I had to call Gigabyte and talk with them and the only way to get it to work was to install a 6th generation CPU and then flash the BIOS. I didn’t have a 6th generation CPU so I returned the motherboard and got ASUS PRIME B250M-C/CSM instead for $30 more. I think this is something that most newer builders aren’t going to have any idea about, so I wouldn’t recommend the Gigabyte motherboard on this site any longer.
Brent Hale says
Hey James, that’s terrible and I’m sorry. I had seen that there were a few people who had success with that (and other) H110 motherboards with newer Kaby Lake CPUs, as they are starting to ship with an updated BIOS. And, they were listing support for 7th generation CPUs right in the Amazon listing. But I was wrong in assuming that they were all coming with the updated BIOS.
I’ve switched everything to a B250 motherboard to ensure that doesn’t happen again.
Also, is the email you used to comment a good email to get ahold of you? I’d like to send you something to make up for the difference you ended up paying for the more expensive board.
Thanks,
Brent
James Park says
Hey Brent! It wasn’t a huge deal except it took me a couple extra days to get a new motherboard. I’m currently in the process of installing it into my chassis and I’ll let you know how it goes.
Yes, this is a good email to get ahold of me. Other than the motherboard, this has been a great resource to gain information on what components to buy for a decent computer.
Thanks!
James
Brent Hale says
Still a major pain to have to switch the motherboard out! Hope the process goes smoothly from here on out, though!
I just sent a Steam card over to you. It might take a few hours to show up, but it should be there by the end of the day. If not, shoot me an email (bhale@elitegamingcomputers.com)
All the Best,
Brent
James Park says
Brent! WOW! Thanks man! I’ll definitely point people at your website! That’s amazing!
I’ve got everything up and running now. Except for the Windows 10 updates. Those take longer than putting the computer together and loading Windows! It’s been running a couple of hours!
Everything is nice and quite and the computer is definitely very fast! Loads very quickly from the POST as well. Your website is great for people that don’t want to have to track down all the pieces that work well together. Nicely done!
James
Dani Isaacs says
This was awesome; inspiring and very informative. I’m looking forward to giving it a shot in the summer, when I have more time (I’m a teacher.)
Quick request: is there any way of being able to tell whether some OTHER part will work interchangeably with your recommended systems? Meaning: if I go to MicroCenter and the guy says, “This videocard (or motherboard, or whatever) is just as good, but it’s on sale and $xxx cheaper!” , can I be sure it will work?
Thanks,
Dani Isaacs
rabbi.isaacs@gmail.com
Eddie says
I do not see any optical drives on any of these builds? how do you load system soft ware? I am building the 570 to 630.
Brent Hale says
The $600 build ($570-$630) does have an optical drive on it. It’s the Samsung 24x SATA listed in the part list.
However, if you don’t have an optical drive, you can just download Windows onto a USB flash drive (needs to be at least 4GB) and install it from there. Here’s a tutorial on how to do it:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/install-windows-usb/
Then, as for other software, most games and programs are moving to a digital download, rather than a hard disc. However, if you have old software you want to install and you only have it on a disc, you will need to get an optical drive if you don’t have one. Fortunately, they’re only about $15-$20.
Hope this helps!
Eddie says
this is a awesome site. For a beginner builder.
Jackson haines says
Hey I’m thinking of getting the 600$ setup can someone give me some recognition that it is good cause I don’t wanna buy it and it not work
Wolfgang says
So for the $800 how well would that run Arma 3? Just bought the case and power supply.
Ron Goodrich says
Lol, I literally just bought the components on the $600 rig a week ago, they havn’t even all come in the mail yet, and now the GPU is nowhere on this page anymore.
For those wondering about cooling, the CPU comes with a fan, GPU has one or two on it, PSU will have one built in. Not sure about the cases listed, as I had an old one I’m reusing.
Brent Hale says
Hey Ron,
I update these builds on a weekly basis (give or take a few days). Sometimes I switch out the GPU due to price, or sometimes because there’s a new upgrade. I think the only difference between the GPU from the $600 build last week and the $600 build this week is that the Gigabyte GTX 1060 (I’m assuming that’s the one you got?) went up in price a little bit and so I switched it to the slightly cheaper Zotac GTX 1060.
They are essentially the same card, though, and will deliver nearly identical performance.
In any case, I hope you enjoy the new build!
All the Best,
Brent
Herbie says
I am thinking of a x99 gaming rig i want to isr the Haswell 5820 cpu and gtx 1080 but my question is should i get the top notch board too like the new Anus board help me out need some ideas its a gaming rig so i have everything elsr just need some ideas what board be best for the cpu i am useing and Gpu i am useing
Brent Hale says
Hey Herbie, how’s it going?
It really depends on your budget and what you want to use your computer for, but there really aren’t any cheap (and, in that case, low-quality) X99 motherboards out there. I would say, though, unless you’re planning on running three or more video cards in the future, or you’re doing some really CPU-intensive tasks, you might just be better off with an LGA 1151-based build and saving some money.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Eddie says
Dose the cooling fans come with the systems ? I am thinking about building one for my grandson.
Brent Hale says
Hi Eddie, yes the CPU comes with a stock cooler and the case should come with at least one fan, depending on which build (and case) you’re looking at.
Of course, you can always add a better cooler and more fans as long as your case is compatible.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
A Levitan says
I have a Hp pavilion hp 510-a010 and my budget is around 300 what is the best I can do with cannibalizing parts?
Brent Hale says
Hey, hope you’re doing well!
You could take the hard drive out for sure. Possibly the RAM, but then you wouldn’t be able to use a DDR4 CPU/motherboard combination.
Unfortunately, since the DVD drive is a slimline version, you’d need an adapter to make it fit in a standard 5.25″ bay, and those can cost even more than a brand new DVD drive.
So, really, of physical components, your only option is the 1TB hard drive. And, you can reuse the RAM if you build an AMD-based budget build (maybe with an FX-4300, FX-6300, or one of the Athlon X4 chips.)
However, you should be able to transfer your Windows license from your old system to your new build and that will allow you to build the $300 build listed above without having to pay ~$90 extra for a new copy of Windows.
This guide can walk you through how to transfer your Windows license:
https://www.groovypost.com/howto/transfer-windows-10-license-new-pc/
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Stan O says
So, I went with the $600 build. Seemed great and easy.
Ran into an issue, maybe someone out here can help.
I have all the parts as described in the build, they are all attached, and when I try to start up, I’m greeted by 5 long beeps . Computer then restarts and repeats.
I have checked the CPU pins (they all seem aligned), and it seems to be seated correctly.
I have unplugged everything but the cpu, ram and motherboard, it still had the same issue.
I have checked the RAM to make sure it was seated correctly. Also seems to be the case(clicked on both sides).
I have also removed and replaced both the CPU (and cooling unit) and RAM to no avail.
My best guess right now is either the motherboard, Ram or CPU are Dead on Arrival.
Though I did look up the specific RAM chip on the list, and it doesnt seem to be in the supported list of RAM chips for this Motherboard (close but not quite)
http://download.gigabyte.us/FileList/Memory/mb_memory_ga-h110m-a.pdf
Anyone have any other ideas of what could be going wrong?
Eddie says
did you get it fixed. I am thinking on building one. And getting my stuff form this site.
Stan Otok says
Actually yes. Just forgot to update!. Turns out the motherboard was dead on arrival. I did return it (full refund) and got a new one and its all working great now!
Chuck says
Hey Stan
I’m also thinking of going with the 600 setup. My son plays minecraft and other games online with the rest of the world. will he have any problems with lagging or downloads with the 600 setup.
Stan Otok says
I’ve been running her through the hoops and ive not run into any issues playing anything in ultra quality. Minecraft should be great. Overwatch runs like a dream, League of Legends the same. The one thing i would recommend, is a wireless card if you are not running off of ethernet. ( got caught up there for a moment!)
Brent Hale says
Glad to hear your build is running well, Stan!
Eddie says
This will be my first build. My grandson is a gamer and we are building a gaming PC. I have received parts for the 570 to 630 build. How do I know what plugs into the motherboard? when I received the motherboard will it have info on what plugs where? help!!!!!!
Brent Hale says
Hi Eddie, hope you’re doing well?
Have you signed up for the free computer-building guide we have?
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/how-to-build-a-gaming-computer/
That will take you step-by-step through the building process.
Here’s another good resource if you’d rather follow along with a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIF43-0mDk4
And, be sure to read through the manuals that come with your components… especially your motherboard’s manual.
Eddie says
Thanks, I think this will be very helpful.
sounak adhikari says
I need a desktop and the configuration is Intel core i7 ,7th gen processor with 16 GB ddr4 ram and nvdia GE force 4gb graphic card and 1 TB harddisk. And so can you tell what will be its price
Cody says
What about cooling? With gaming PC’s, isn’t that something to be concerned about? Especially if you are running games at the highest level you can on your system. And the first few systems are built with mini atx cases- aren’t they more likely to overheat? What do you recommend for budget cooling? Better fans? Liquid?
Reese says
Is there any difference between the ASAP 970M pro3 motherboard and the Gigabyte GA-H110M-A mobo?
The later is on the more expensive computers however at the moment it’s cheaper. Can this be used with the 400 set up instead? First time building comp, so buying the better parts that I can afford, but don’t know what can be put together.
Nathan Hennen says
Hello I invested about 600 to 650 dallors on the 600$ build. All the pieces are great and work fine except the POWER SUPPLY. I hooked it all up and I was missing one cord that was basically the most important. The one that powers the motherboard. Fortunately I was able to return the power supply back to Amazon. I am now being sent a EVEA 500 Watt. One other thing. The case is very cheap and hard to put together, so invest in a better case.
Chuck says
hey Nathan
will these components fit in any case.
jesse cozart says
Looking at the 400$ build does that have everything i need to be up and running or is there other stuff to buy?
Don says
Curious, I have the older spec 6300 with the ASUS Micro ATX DDR3 2000 AMD AM3+ Motherboard M5A78L-M/USB3; and Gigabyte AMD R9 380 256 Bit GDDR5 4GB 2xDVI/HDMI/DP G1 Gaming Graphics Card GV-R938G1 GAMING-4GD video
What would be a good solid upgrade path to take if I wanted to get VR ready? Would I just change CPU, Mobo, and graphics?
Rusty says
I came across a Dell xps 8700 i7-4790 @ 3.60GHz at a local pawn shop that I could buy for 400. Already has updated bios and win 10 + monitor,keyboard and mouse. Graphics card is Geforce gt 720. I would want a better graphics card but my budget is about 600. Wondering if I should build your 600 build or get the xps and up-grade graphics card? If upgrade what would you suggest? This is my first dip into PC gaming. Any help is GREATLY appreciated.
James says
I am really interested in buying a computer with the advice from this amazing site, however, I live in Australia and some of the products don’t get delivered here, like the casing and the operating system. Do you have any tips on what to do?
I’m also a little nervous about doing the computer building aspect of this.
Thanks.
Christian A says
I am looking at the $400 build. If I buy the parts listed, will all the components to get it started and working come? I’ve read I need thermal paste and screws which I am not sure come with the builds.
Don says
Christian,
Check the processor but if the box comes with a fan (I think it does) then tou would get everything you need including heat pad in the box. I used that on mine when the same processor was in the $600-700 build and it worked out fine.
For the case you shouldn’t need any extra screws, most cases do come with everything you need there BUT you may need to buy an extra sata cable
Lance says
For the $300 build, is that also set up to where I can upgrade it to better performance easily later on? I’m quite new to building PC’s, as I’ve mostly played console. Sorry if it’s a noob question.
Cedrick Andrade says
In the 800$ computer is it better if be buy another heat sync other than the included default heat sync in the processor pack? Or is it not needed to buy another heat sync and the default heat sync is sufficient?
Fionn says
hey I am not from America and live in Europe and it seems the price can drastically change as in the $800 build goes over 1000 even without the monitor. the question is why is this? and how can I change it to make it less expensive?
lelev says
what about the cpu cooler in the 300$-400$ builds?
James says
What if I’m trying to build in AUD… like I currently am.
James says
This would mean that the $500 build I want to do is actually $900 AUD
Edvinas says
900 AUD = 680 USD
Alex hales says
i am in interested of getting $600k and what is the best brand in that price range
josh says
Hey , so if i bought one of the builds , does it come with everything to build it like hardware cables , etc ..? or are they included with each part seperatley ?
Dimitrios says
So which budget would be good for heavily modded Minecraft? I’m talking like Ftb modpack and such.
Cedrick Andrade says
I play Minecraft with a stupid comp the 500-700 is good enough
Ben says
How come you are recommending HDD instead of SSD? The performance difference is immense.
EJ says
Just a heads up: In your $700 build you are recommending the GeForce 1060 with a power supply that doesn’t have the 8-pin power adapter it requires.
Zed says
The 1060 does come with the pigtail for it, but the Mem on that setup will be slowed down to the MB speed. Could go for cheaper Mem.
xDeuiii says
There have been multiple opinions/reviews that the FX-6300 is pretty bad, not overly bad but an i3 is probably much better, is that the case?
nick says
So I saw where intel has released their new series of processors with just slightly different specs. Are the new kabylake worth getting over the skylake? Or would they even be compatible with let’s say the $600 build.
Tom says
I looked over the 600 or 700 dollar builds. I noticed they both used the I5-6400. But, wouldn’t they both be better served to use the i5-6500 (due to it only being 10 dollars more in some cases?)
Gab says
Does the 600$ build comes with a wi-fi card or will I need to buy separatly? Thanks in advance.
Kevin H says
I noticed the same thing. Any recommendations? I was looking st the $500 to $600 range for our build.
Robert says
I am interested in the 700$ build. I have a question for you ¿Can i change the i5 6400 for a i5 6600k? Would it be compatible with the motherboard?
Edvinas says
Yes. :)
Leroy says
Hey i want to stream with my ps4 with a elgato capture card on twitch.
What do i need?
Deland chen says
Hi I was wondering, will the amd rx 6300 in the 500$ build bottleneck the FTC 1060? It was a little risky so I decided to upgrade to the amd rx 8350 just in case. Some people said that this will still bottleneck it. Is this true?
David says
I like the looks of the 600-700 dollar build. But, is it really a good idea to use the 6400 since it seems to bottleneck the 1060 pretty heavily?
MUSHFIQ says
zotac gtx 1050 ti or msi 1050 ti 4g oc which will be best at same price
Twin Turbo says
Both work amazingly well, u might not find a lot of difference but i would suggest the msg one cause i also use it. :)
Twin Turbo says
msi*…sorry dumb me
MUSHFIQ says
AMD FX 8320 , GIGABYTE GA78LMTS2P , A NON BRANDED 400W PSU ….WILL THIS CONFIGURATION WILL ABLE TO RUN MSI GTX 1050TI OC OR ZOTAC GTX 1050 TI MINI GPU
steve says
1 rule around building a custom pc is you do not under any circumstances use a non branded psu. you will be wanting to look at recommended brands like corsair. nzxt etc quality psu is a must when building pcs.
Wafflism says
Can I swap the case for a Rosewill Dual Fans MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case with USB 2.0 Cases RANGER-M Black?
Thanks.
Tyler Gidley says
Hey guys I was thinking about buying a 500 dollar PC build but I had a question to ask do all of the parts listed come with their appropriate cables,attachments,etc. in order for the PC to work properly and if not where could I go to find them thanks for replying by the way:).
Hiza_Chan says
Hi! I want to start by saying that this is really helpful!
I’m looking to start a gaming channel and I was wondering if you could suggest what capture card would be best. (I’m looking at the $600 budget)
Yona Millner says
hey im thinking of getting the 500 dollar build but would like to swap the gtx 1060 for a rx 480 4gb is this possible with its current mother board?
thanks in advance
yona
Edvinas says
Yes. :)
MrWhale says
in the 600 dollar build can you substitute the 1060 3gb for a rx 480 4gb?
Luis Enrique says
Actually, the prices are around $100 higher than the estimation. It’s that because we are near from christmas?
Jamie says
I think it’s because the link for pricing each system includes Windows 10 ($100), which the site says is not included in the price quote, but is included in the shopping cart.
Jamie says
Thanks for this great site!
On your $700 build, if I upgrade the 3.2GHz i5 processor to a 3.5GHz processor (because it’s only $30), and the RAM from 2133 to 2400speed (because it’s only $1), do I now need to add a fan? I notice separate fans with your 3.5GHz and higher High End configurations, but not with these budget shopping lists. Thanks!
Edvinas says
First of all you may need compatible motherboard, just because of 2400 ram mhz. If you are not going to overclock, stock fan should be fine if its included if not, then you would need to improve your cooling system.
Dustin says
I’m willing to build a pc up to the 700$ build but I will mainly be playing games like Fallout and Elder Scrolls. I don’t really plan on playing VR games or games like Battlefield, so what build would be best to just satisfy me playing those game with mods
Angel says
Oh I forgot to add a very important question. Will this build run the latest total war game? This is pretty much the only reason why I’m getting a gaming pc. Same with a DS…just to play Pokémon.
Angel says
Hey Brent,
I’m going for the $500 build. is it possible to get a wireless motherboard?if so which one?(around the same price) Since this one doesn’t have wireless. Or should i buy a wireless network adapter?
Heather Ayala says
Just want to say thank you. My 7 year old daughter is obsessed with Minecraft, and YouTubers who talk about PC Minecraft have given her the PC bug (we have it on Playstation 3). We used your guide for the $300 build to order her all the parts so that she can get experience building her own computer and we can’t wait to see her face on Christmas morning. I had no idea how much more affordable it is to build your own computer. I just assumed that we would never be able to get her on a PC for gaming. I just have a couple of questions, though, in order to make sure she is ready to on Christmas Day. We bought everything that was on the list except for the optional item, as it was out of stock. We have a monitor, but it’s probably about 10 years old at this point, although it was top of the line when we got it. Will that still work? And which Windows version do you recommend for that particular setup?
Thank you again!
Jamie says
Hi Heather,
As a Minecraft parent who is familiar with hardware, I thought I’d just chime in to say that I think a 10 year old monitor will work fine for Minecraft. Minecraft is actually very low resolution and low speed compared to the instant motion of some rapid movement games these days. You could also plug it into your TV if that is significantly newer, as it might give a better overall experience.
Have fun!
Jamie
Heather says
Yeah, we’ve decided to have her play via the TV. We don’t have room for a desk in her room anyways. Thanks for the your comment! And we ended up settling on Windows 10 because Windows 7 comes on a disc (as opposed to a flash drive) and we would have to buy additional hardware for the setup. The $300 build appears to far exceed the requirements for the OS, so hopefully we’ll be fine. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Matthew says
Hi Brent –
GREAT work and thanks for all your effort. I’m looking to get a gaming system for my son. Maybe the $400 to $500 build. My question is this: How difficult is it to put all the components together? I have zero experience building a PC. How will I know what to do with all these parts? Sorry if the question seems silly. Again, ZERO experience with this.
Jackson says
I have the same question, and I’m kinda worried about it as well.
mushfiq says
hey brent . i have a pc with amd fx 8320 with gigabyte ga78lmts2p and a non brand power supply which comes with the gigabyte Gz-ze2 casing and also a 1tb hdd and dual channel 4+4 =8gb memeory and sapphire r7 240 ddr3 . i want to upgrde it to zotac gtx 1050 ti mini version.is it compatible with this pc?
Anonymous says
What are some thoughts on the asrock 970A-G/3.1, and it’s potential replacement of the motherboard in the $500 build?
Miguel says
Would replacing the PSU from the $500 build with the EVGA 500W 80 PLUS be a good idea or not?
Edvinas says
Doesn’t really matter, but you can.
bill williams says
what is the best desktop gaming computer I can get for about $2000.00?
Edvinas says
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/gaming-computers/
Should be 2000$ build too.
Rlopez says
Is there another case that is compatible with the 700$ build that you can recomend me
Edvinas says
You can buy any case that supports micro atx (m-atx).
Edvinas says
ATX also can be compatible with matx.
Jack says
Hi,
I was looking at your $400 Build and I noticed that the Graphics Card is quite pricey, and I don’t really need to play Top of the Line games at max settings. Is there a cheaper graphics card that is compatible with the rest of the build? It’s my first time building a computer and I’m unsure about it. I’m going to be playing mainly League of Legends, The Culling and Garry’s Mod.
Thank you in advance.
Edvinas says
RX 460
Tarah says
Got all the parts and put it together, hooked it to my HD TV and turned it on, it powers up but no pic on my TV. Great.
Brent Hale says
Hi Tarah, please take pictures of the inside of your computer (with all of the connections) as well as a picture of the back of the computer (and all of the connections back there) and send it to bhale@elitegamingcomputers.com.
We’ll start there and troubleshoot until we find the problem.
Tarah says
So I have decided to go with your $300 build with a few modifications. First I want to go with 8gigs of RAM instead of 4gigs, that’s not a problem I know its compatible, but the problem comes with video cards, I do want to try to go a bit better for the video card and I know that NVIDIA beats out AMD, I instead of spending the $99 on the video care you have listed I can spend up to $150 on the video card, I would like an NVIDIA but will go with something else if necessary, I looked through your list of video cards and I have to say I am at a loss of how to find one that is a step or more up from what you have in your $300 build but will also work with the motherboard and possessor in said build. I am also going with Windows 7, it will only be supported for about the next four years but maybe by then Microsoft will come out with something better than the crap they call Win 10, if not I will probably switch to a Mac. Not meaning to rush but I would like to order this on 11/25/16, I know with the holiday you might not be able to answer ( or even see this) by then, if not that’s ok waiting is not going to kill me lol.
Edvinas says
Hi. Writing from mobile so it will be short.
Just take a GTX 1050 Ti.
Btw Windows 10 is way better than 7.
Zedman says
I noticed you don’t list a CPU cooler now.
Edvinas says
Have you checked the package? It may include it with processor.
Rikhil says
hey i was wondering if you could make me a list to buy from amazon for the UK site please something in the price range of 600-800 pounds, or if you could recommend an alternative for the motherboard because the Gigabyte LGA1151 Intel H110 Micro ATX seems to cost alot more over here than it is in the UK, i looked at all the products and tried to find the exact same ones on the uk amazon but could’nt find them all, i know your most likely really busy but it would be really helpful if you could help me out buy emailing me a list of products like you have done above
Rikki says
Hey this will be my first time building a computer and the first thing id like to say is this page is very helpful, ive read a few before finding this one and they didnt help me as much as yours has. I was also wondering if i went with either of the 600, 700, or 800 builds you have above does it matter if i go with the nzxt phantom 240, like i said first time building a tower and i didnt know if i would have ristrictions on cases also if i were to buy either of those pack how different would it be for a first timer to put it together without messing any components up
Wilner says
Hello,
Can you suggets a Gaming Rig Build for Leageu of Legends my budget is 500$ and also a good monitor for this build.
Tnx a lot.
Ryan says
What is the cheapest build that can handle Skyrim, Dishonored, or call of duty (these are the 3 games I mostly play). I’m new to PC gaming so I’m not too familiar with the requirements
Nathan Paytas says
Hello there!
Thanks for the excellent guide, I really appreciate it!
I am now in a position where I can spend a decent amount of money on a Gaming PC. Could you possibly help recommend a setup with a larger budget, somewhere between $1,500 – $2,000? I imagine the PC would be amazing based on the value you can get on a much lower budget.
I have been viewing some PCs from Digital Storm and other websites… which route would you go?
By the way, I will be sure to share your website and promote it as much as I can!!!
Thank you,
Nathan
newbi says
Thx 4 the suggestions. I have few GPU question.
1. I was wondering about the idea of having 2 low end GPUs like say; GTX 750TI for example. While i understand having 2 of them would more or less cost me the same as getting a 1060, my question here is, would it perform better than a 1060. Why or Why not. M new to this, so if my question seems obvious or dumb, I apologize.
2. How about getting a 1050 Ti instead of 1060, if you are not interested in max graphics settings n all that. Would a 1050Ti work for a casual gamer, who also happens to play high end games like Witcher 3 or the upcoming game Zero Horizon. games along that line.
Thank You
Edvinas says
Hi, answer for question number 1 is a NO and NO.
Normally GTX 750TI is not meant to be a SLI at all, but if you are a crazy guy who can play with cables and get away without burning your PC you can try. But the answer is SLI is not compatible with GTX 750TI.
I take a look at random benchmarks and I wouldn’t recommend even if they could go SLI, because in my opinion one GTX 1060 6 GB would outperform that lazy SLI of GTX 750TI. :3
About GTX 1050 Ti and GTX 1060 I can show you an video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGGe3K-Qd2E
take a look at these real time frame rates and make a decision.
(I think it’s worth here an investment for a GTX 1060, you can see that 1050Ti had several fps drops, wouldn’t you love to have a smooth game play :3)
Edvinas says
By the way on the Witcher 3 if you play on 1920×1080 you should get around 40 fps with 1050Ti and 58 fps with 1060.
You can also take a look at this video as it shows that https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqeWzPcfuCU
Jason says
Hi thanks for posting the builds. I want to buy the $800.00 build. I just have a few questions. I’m just wondering if the I5 processor can later be upgraded to a I7 without changing the mother board and what is the maximum amount of ram I can install? I want at least 16 gb to 32 gb of ram later on. Also just to make sure can I pick another case on your list. I wanted to make sure if I do all the parts will fit in it correctly. Thanks again. The search for a budget gaming computer has become a real headache after looking them over on certain major retailer websites and reading all the negative reviews and forums on the internet.
Edvinas says
Hello Jason.
CPU:
This motherboard has support for Intel® Core™ i7 processors/Intel® Core™ i5 processors/Intel® Core™ i3 processors/Intel® Pentium® processors/Intel® Celeron® processors in the LGA1151 package. So you won’t have any troubles by upgrading it, but have in mind that it supports 6th Generation Intel® Core™ Processor. It means that CPU like i5-7500 will not be supported in the future, because it will probably have different package, as for now it only accepts LGA1151.
MEMORY:
This motherboard has 2 x DDR4 DIMM sockets supporting up to 32 GB of system memory. So if you want 32 GB of ram, then you have to buy 2 x 16 GB RAM modules.
PC CASE:
You can pick any case that support M-ATX, just because this MOBO is Micro ATX Form Factor; 22.6cm x 17.4cm. All you have to do is to check your hardware dimensions especially for a graphic card will it fit in your case and that’s it, but 95% it will fit if you pick from ATX and even M-ATX cases.
Jason St. Mars says
Hi Edvinas,
Thank you for the information.
Rory says
I have a question, while I am interested in the 700 or 800 dollar builds, i was wondering if I could use the Intel Core i5 6500 3.20 GHz Quad Core Skylake CPU instead of the I5-6400 FC-LGA14C 2.70 Ghz 6 M. It seems to be over all better and more well liked, and only slightly more expensive. I’m sorry if my question sounds dumb, as im not exactly tech savvy, but I would like to know if its compatible.
Edvinas says
Its compatible. Just before few weeks it was the recommended part of this setup. I’m don’t know why Brent changed it to 6400.
brian says
bro can tell me how to build a desktop 1200 that can support battelfeid4 of high end game i newbie wanna build my own desktop
Tarah says
Few questions, first if I was looking at the $500 option, seems like the best performance, I would love to be able to play EverQuest 2 again because not two weeks after getting an expansion my laptop stopped being able to play the game, sorry back to my questions. I been hearing some rather disturbing things about AMD, the need to overclock in order for it to really be of use in gaming, and overheating being the ones that really catch my attention, over clocking looks intimidating to me, its been a while since I have had anything but a lower HP laptop, and I would like my PC to now burn out due to overheating. Back before I had to limit myself to a laptop AMD beat out Intel no problem but now it seems like Intel is the way to go, do you have a suggestion for a $500 option that is Intel based that would be as good as the one listed above in order to avoid the need to overclock and the over heating problem?
My second question is about the OP, I am not a fan of WIn 10 and I have as of yet to use it, from your point of view is it worth having to deal with the crap of not being able to turn off windows updates, I have seen people kicked from their games and other things because Windows insists on updating, being stuck with OneDrive and I have even heard that they can put adds on your taskbar, and there is talk about charging people yearly to use Windows 10.
Bob says
Can the $800 build handle the HTC Vive and the Wireless Adapter? https://www.engadget.com/2016/11/10/220-htc-vive-wireless-add-on/
Mark says
Will the $500 computer run Overwatch on high settings?
Zoe says
Hi! Do you still update this?
Edvinas says
Hello.
Last time updated NOVEMBER 7, 2016 BY BRENT HALE. Usually he updates it once in a week.
Help says
Will the 300 build be able to run Civ 5 and CSGO?
Edvinas says
CSGO for sure, but I do not know about CIV5 requirements, but I’m pretty sure it would.
Chetamir says
Just wondering, what would be the average fps for the $600 build running a game like Overwatch.
Edvinas says
100 fps on epic x16 and full hd.
Tom says
Thank you so much for this nice guide. For the $700 budget one, it says it lacks a SSD compared to $800 version. I don’t see your suggest on a SSD. I am thinking about getting a small SSD just for OS. What’s your suggestion on the brand/size of such SSD?
Joseph says
Hey I’m super new to the pc realm however I’m looking to build a pc that can stream at high quality as well as game i.e H1Z1, Rust, Dayz etc. But As far as streaming it would mainly be from OBS through console I have an elgato HD60 Pro I’m just curious as to if the $600 pc could handle that or if I should shoot for the $700-800 Like I said i’m very new to pc’s so any input would be much appreciated, Thanks!
cindy says
I am looking to do a build for my 11 yo who wants to play Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. Which one would you recommend?
Edvinas says
800$ obviously.
hi says
What is the difference between 600 $ and the Jackal can they both run games like uncharted and mirrors edge? And another thing, can u give me any suggestions for a monitor and a keyboard ?Please reply. Thanks !
al says
Gigabyte GA-H110M-A this mobo has a lot of complaints on newegg and elsewhere.
Why the recommendation?
Mick says
Hi I have built the 500, problems with video card and motherboard compatibility, Zouave GeForce gtx 1060 + gigabyte 78LMT-USB3, black screen while booting and no bios screen, I have changed unit bios settings to output pcix16 slot, I have found one other person having the same problems with this mother board combo, any advise would be welcome to resolve this problem
lee says
Hi there.
Looking for some advise on the best gpu I can run with my psu
Recently I started to build my first pc and was going to use a gtx 750 ti so I brought a xfx 500w 80 plus bronze
But coming to the end of my build I have a little more budget left over and was thinking of getting a better gpu maybe a r9 280X?
Would this be ok with my power supply?
Thanks lee.
Homles says
you can run basically most gpus,
like 1060, but irecommend you get a better power supply as i heard that xfx is really good but this psu is not good. I recommend a seasonic 520w PSU which is a teir 2 or teir 1 PSU that only costs $54
Christopther says
Just a question, but how complete is the budget computer? I don’t want to purchase an incomplete computer that I thought would only cost me a small amount.
Jordan says
All you would possibly need is a monitor and a keyboard which I guess the author assumed you would have. Also a phillips screw driver which you again should already have.
anthony says
https://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-Radeon-Windforce-Graphics-GV-RX460WF2OC-2GD/dp/B01K1JV83C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1477810856&sr=8-1&keywords=rx+460+2gb
The link above shows pics of the GPU it is the 2gb without any power plugs, i tried it in another pc and got nothing.Will request a refund or exchange, from the vendor. After reading about this GPU I hope i can get a refund and make a different choice on GPU, thanks for the response though
anthony ingram says
I built the 300 build. the pc works fine. But the device manager does not recognize the radion rx 460 GPU. The fans do come on on the GPU but the display does not work when plugged into the GPU. any advice is welcome
Edvinas says
Have you connected this:
https://s15.postimg.org/8rei979yj/did_u.png
?
anthony ingram says
i put the 300 build together and the radion 460 powers up but does not work. the device manager does not recognize the card as being in the pc either? I tried installing drivers from radion and amd with no luck?
does anyone have any suggestions or is the card bad?
Bianca says
Do you know if the tower cases are universal or would certain parts not fit in some models. Cause if I’m gonna put effort into building this myself i want it to look hella awesome spending a little extra an a nice case wouldn’t make much difference to me. for example would the components for the all of these build fit into these:
NZXT S340 Mid Tower Case CA-S340MB-GB Matte Black/Blue
Thermaltake Versa N21 Translucent Panel ATX Mid Tower Window Gaming Computer Case Cases CA-1D9-00M1WN-00
Zalman Z9 Neo Performance Gaming Mid Tower Case
ROSEWILL ATX Case , Mid Tower Case with Blue LED Fan / Gaming Case for PC with Side Window Panel & 3 Fans Pre-Installed , Computer Case 2 x USB3.0 Port – NAUTILUS
Jordan says
Really all you need to look for when decided the size of the case is if the case your looking at supports the form factor of the motherboard your gonna use which is easy to determine with a quick google search and if your gonna have a big graphics card, that the case has enough room for the graphics card which the case page should specify a max video card length or a quick google search.
John says
Looking forward to the updates on this guide as we approach Black Friday / Cyber Monday. Lots of pricing fluctuation and competition that time of year, especially from Newegg.
David says
I bought civ 6 but my computer can’t run it. I is buy new parts to make new computer, but I have no money. Will the 300 dollar one run civ 6?
Jordan says
Everything but the cpu would be within minimum specs for civ 6
Ben says
I am looking to build my first pc. I am looking at the $600 build, with windows 10 operating system. How would I installs that on a new computer with no disc drive, or does that build come with one?
anthony says
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/install-windows-usb/ this is the link from above, this is how i did it and it worked fine no problems
Logan says
I’ve studied the 600 build a bunch as its going to be my first build also and it has a disc drive on the parts list
Meme says
Can i switch the case from the 500$ out with this? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006BCK7RM/ref=ox_sc_act_image_9?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Eldin says
Hello i’ve never built a pic before I was thinking of buying the 500 dollar build, can someone tell me if this case would work Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-02 Mid Tower Gaming Case. Answer please
Jordan says
Considering the form factor for the case you suggested is bigger than the case that is in the build everything will fit and just to be sure i checked that the motherboard form factor is supported for the case you suggested.
anthony says
I just ordered the parts for the 300 build i will do for a friend, looks like it should be smoking fast for web surfing and free gaming is what he does.
Ben says
I am looking into buying a new pc, but have no idea where to start. If i would to buy the $600 dollar build, would it be able to run games like overwatch or H1Z1 king of the kills at medium to high graphics with decent frame rate? I am looking to get a computer that can handle the newer types of games, but don’t want to spend a ton of money. Any help is appreciated.
Jordan says
The $600 build meets the recommended specs for H1Z1: King of the kill and Overwatch so you should be able to play them smoothly, but I cannot give you exact performance measurements far as fps at different settings go.
anthony says
this is the PC buyild i did brent, even though the intel is cheeper now i got no complaints. I did go with a 550 wat power supy though, just to be sure we were going to be ok in the long haul. I dont do VR games but steams VR test says im between good and very good. anyway i like to come back here and see whats going on. wish ida waited a few months for the intel drop in price but like i said no complaintd on this build Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64-bit
CPU
AMD FX-8320E 27 °C
Vishera 32nm Technology
RAM
8.00GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 803MHz (9-9-9-24)
Motherboard
Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd. 970A-DS3P (CPU 1) 29 °C
Graphics
2460 (1920×1080@60Hz)
4095MB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 (ASUStek Computer Inc) 33 °C
Storage
931GB Seagate ST1000DM003-1ER162 ATA Device (SATA) 28 °C
Optical Drives
No optical disk drives detected.
id post a pic if i could, and i might build another just for the fun of it thanks for the insight Brent
anthony says
ps and it runs with no after market cooling even with GPU tweek
Ryan Kennedy says
Your $300 build’s motherboard can’t accept DDR3 RAM.
Clayton says
I got all of the parts and i didnt seem to have gotten a disc drive and I’m just confused
Help says
I am new to pc gaming and usually play console, but i want to try pc gaming. If i get the $500 build, how would you build it if i got all the recomended parts i don’t know how to build. Can you give me any links to any videos to help me build it?
also what are some well known mainstream games this build can play well? Skyrim? civ 6? gta?
Edvinas says
With that build you can play all games that are created so far.
You can easily find videos on youtube how to build a pc.
help says
The case you recommended for that build was the Rosewill Dual Fans MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case FBM-01 . It has dimensions of 6.89 x 13.78 x 13.86 in.
I was wondering if i could get a different case i found called Rosewill Dual Fans MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case with USB 2.0 Cases RANGER-M Black. It has the item dimensions of 6.89 x 15.26 x 13.86 in.
Can i change to this case and it will still support the build? Also can i change 8gb ram to 12 gb ram? Will it have to DDR3?
Thx.
help says
also does this computer (500 $) build support wifi ?
Edvinas says
You can choose any case from category of MicroATX for this build.
This motherboard supports 32 GB of ram, so yes you can change, and yes it have to be DDR3.
Mostly all computers supports wifi, all you need is an adapter which is cheap. If you do not want an adapter, you must find a new motherboard which supports wifi and has antenna or similar receivers.
help says
the graphics card is recommended was a ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1060 Mini 3GB GDDR5 Super Compact Graphics Card (ZT-P10610A-10L).
This is compatible with ddr3 right and will work? This guide recomended this one but it says GDDR5. will Gddr5 work with ddr3
thx. again.
Edvinas says
GDDR and DDR are two different things:
GDDR goes for your video card.
DDR goes for your ram.
Simple as that.
In this case your graphic card hardware connectivity is PCIE x 16, which is compatible with your motherboard.
Help says
Bro thx for all your help and enduring my dumb questions. But i have one more question for you.
The power supply recommended was the XFX 500W XT Series Full Wired 80+ Bronze ATX 500 Power Supply P1500BXTFR .
I was wondering if instead i could get the EVGA 500 W1, 80+ WHITE 500W, 3 Year Warranty, Power Supply 100-W1-0500-KR.
It is because of the warranty, but anyways can i get the EVGA 500 W1, 80+ WHITE 500W, 3 Year Warranty, Power Supply 100-W1-0500-KR instead?
THX for all your help, Edvinas.
Help says
The recomended power supply is XFX 500W XT Series Full Wired 80+ Bronze ATX 500 Power Supply P1500BXTFR.
I meant to replace with EVGA 500 B1, 80+ BRONZE 500W Power Supply, 3 Year Warranty, Includes FREE Power On Self Tester (100-B1-0500-KR).
Can i use EVGA instead thx. the other comment had wrong model of EVGA.
Help says
also can i install 16 gb ram on this motherboard for 500 build
Edvinas says
As I have mentioned before you can upgrade up to 32 GB of RAM on that motherboard.
It should work just fine with both of those power supplies, but I do not recommend you to buy that B1 model, because of useless old MOLEX connectors, suggested power supply has SATA connectors, much better. I don’t recommend to switch to that power supply that you want, until you decide to buy supported hardware for it.
:)
help says
Yo edvinas, again with another question regarding wifi adapters this time.
Can i use Rosewill RNX-N150PCe – Wireless N150 Wi-Fi Adapter – IEEE 802.11b/11g/11n, (1T1R), Up to 150 Mbps Data Rates, PCIe 2.0 Interface, WPS Supported as a wifi adapter.
Does this go directly on the mother board and is this compatible with my motherboard?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833166047&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker,%20LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
help says
Can i also change my mother board to ASUS M5A78L-M/USB3 AM3+ AMD 760G + SB710 USB 3.0 HDMI uATX AMD Motherboard.
Edvinas says
Your motherboard has these slots: 1x PCI-Express 2.0 x16 Slot, 1x PCI-Express 2.0 x1 Slot, 1x PCI Slot.
Your adapter use PCIe 2.0 Interface, according to this – it is supported. I also have checked the motherboard and I can confirm that it does have this slot. Yes it will go directly in to the motherboard.
About changing motherboard, here is a compare:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?CompareItemList=-1%7C13-131-942%5E13-131-942%2C13-128-565R%5E13-128-565R
You should be fine with it.
Help says
is that Asus motherboard a mini atx motherboard? on tha amazon page it says micro atx but on newegg it says uATX.
If it is ATX i have to change cases right? Can you suggest some ATX cases if the motherboard is ATX. Thx
anthony says
I watched these two vids and built my PC and it works fine with Brents recomended parts_ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mnye8_H2yTE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2dJvqU2_x4
Jason says
I built the $500 build. GPU is running kind of hot. 80-90c. The motherboard only has room for one case fan. Any suggestions on cooling the card down or somehow hooking up the front case fan to improve cooling?
Help says
use a 3 pin to 4 pin connector
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812201036&ignorebbr=1
Ciara says
Is this in USD ?
Edvinas says
Yes.
Lincoln Trujillo says
Hello, i am new to computer gaming and I am looking into your 500 dollar build. My biggest question is how hard is it to actual install all the parts properly. I am completely new to this and have never messed with PC’s before, would someone like me be able to successfully put together this build as long as i buy all the recommended parts?
Edvinas says
To put all these parts together is the easiest thing in computer building. What is hard is to choose proper hardware (in this case all is ready for you), next thing is to connect all wires correctly, because if you will put at least one cable in a wrong place – your cables can burn. That’s why you have to read manual and view few youtube videos and I’m pretty sure you will succeed. :)
Logan says
I’m interested in using the $600 build but was wondering if upgrading to two 8gb sticks of ram instead of the two 4gb he suggested for the extra $35 bucks would be worth it.
Side note – I was also wondering what rendering speed would likely be with that build. Thanks for the help.
Edvinas says
Personally I would never go on 8 GB at this time. Games will start to crash if you run out of memory. Just a few bucks and you guarantee yourself a safer gaming. :3 This is especially actual if you are multitasking a lot. For example my old PC wouldn’t handle a chrome open and Rust – few minutes and it crashes cus of lack of memory.
Alan says
I just watched a video on youtube of how to build a PC/Desktop from scratch. My question is, when I was watching the video, while putting together the PC, they had Small Screws to assemble the Computer together, but I do not see any of these listed on Amazon. In what Item that I buy in Amazon (I am getting the $700 build) will contain all the small screws?
anthony says
the case
lee says
Hi there, firstly thank you for some great build options very helpfull.
Just looking to buy the xfx 500w as im aiming for around your 600 dollar build but going to use a gigabyte 990x mobo.
Now if I want to upgrade in the future will the xfx 500w be up for it or should I get the 600w not much price between?
Thanks lee.
Emili says
For the 300$ build for the case could I use the deepcool tx mid tower tesserect sw?
mark says
yeah, the case supports micro atx mobos.
Danny says
I built your $400 system using the mSATA cut out of my Surface tablet. It works great but the motherboard has four pin fan connectors and the case you recommended has three pin fan connectors. I’m sure I’ll figure out what to do. Just wanted to let you know.
Alex says
Is this still an Issue? Was planning on building the 400 build as well.
John says
I built the four hundred dollar build but, it is very slow and I don’t know what I did wrong
Edvinas says
Write down your components or even better what have you bought exactly.
Sondre says
Do i need a cooling system for any of this builds?
Edvinas says
100% no. :)
Edvinas says
Except if your cpu is without a fan, then buy it as a seperate.
help says
would amd-fx 6300 need a cpu fan
Edvinas says
So far I have seen all of it was with fans and w/ applied thermal paste to it. But always before a purchase check description, should be written if it’s included or not. Second thing is that stock fans are loud most of the time.
cody says
hey whats up dudes, my name is cody and im not great at determining with setup is best for me. My wife and i want to actively play minecraft and make youtube videos togather but we arent sure which rig is best i want to have smooth frames and zero lag while recording. please let me know.
mark says
i’d say the $800 would best suit you.
the pc is strong enough to render videos at a respectable speed and can play and record at well over 100fps.
Austin says
Hi I’m a huge wow buff and I was wonder how the 300 build would hold up against wow I have a Alienware I paid 1600 for and its amazing but it’s a lab top and it burnt up and will cost me 786 to repairs and I’d reather buy a desk top
mark says
specs on laptop?
you could always savenge the usable parts to make the PC cheaper.
Coty says
With the $700 build the motherboard is a ddr3 and RAM is ddr4. Not sure if the other builds are the same but I don’t think they will work together.
TippierPrawn says
Hi there. I just wanted to know if 800$ pc will still be good in 2017?
Edvinas says
Yes it will be.
WyrtWicce says
Okay, so on the $400 build, what if I wanted a hard disk drive with more space? Would a Seagate 1TB Desktop HDD SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive (sorry; c/p the name from Amazon) be supported by the power supply included in the original build? Is there a better 500GB – 2TB SATA HDD that you would recommend instead for this build? Thanks a bunch, and thanks also for taking the hard work out of this. I’m just getting my feet wet with the tech stuff.
wyatt says
yes all hdd’s have the same connects
Giovanni Pecorella says
Hello Brent I’m wondering if you have a tutorial of how to put together the 400$ build
Joey says
Hey Giovanni if you just go onto you tube and search up how to build a desktop you will get a well explained video. If the build is less than $5,000, it usually doesn’t require any water cooling so the video shows you what you have to do.
Larry says
Brent,
I just have a quick question on the $700 build. Why are you recommending 2133MHz DDR4 when the motherboard only supports DDR3 up to 2000MHz? I’m pretty new to building and I was confused by this. Thanks for your help.
massector says
hello brent is the 800$ pc able to rec high games on atleast medium quality with about 50-60 frames. also is the list full I don’t see any fans. and if they don’t have fans I live in an area with 140 degrees fahrenheit will I need one. thx so much hope u reply.
Eric says
Hi Brent
First of all thank you for this list. It is amazing and easy to follow. All the other guides i have read are so filled with techy language it is a bit overwhelming. My question is which of your budget builds would you recomend if i want to play games like Overwatch,Fallout,Heroes of the storm, rocket league and mmos like Guild wars 2. I prefere to play on high graphics settings and still have a good framerate. Also not sure if this is relavent but I like to play music and/or run voice chat programs while playing. So which build would you recommend. I am thinking the 600 build would be about right but I would appriciate your imput.
Brent Hale says
Hey Eric, how’s it going?
None of those games are too demanding, (except for maybe Fallout) and even the $300 build should be able to run them with decent settings. Although I know that in MMOs, sometimes in big raids even the biggest and baddest builds can struggle and a lot of that lands on the CPU. So, with $600 build you do get a little bit upgraded CPU over the $300, $400, and $500 builds.
If you have the budget, the $600 build is a really good option for the games you want to play. Although, if you want to spend less, you can definitely do so. For instance, with the same GPU, the $500 build will perform fairly similarly to the $600 build in most scenarios.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Hunter R. says
Hi so I’m new to the pc gaming world and I was just wondering if you could play games like dayz standalone and ark with the $500 setup and still get decent frame rate?
Brent Hale says
Hi Hunter, how’s it going?
The $500 build can handle most games on a 1080p monitor fairly easily. As for what you can expect from games like DayZ Standalone and Ark, you should be able to max them out with 40-50 FPS or more.
This guy benchmarked his FX-6300/GTX 1060 build on DayZ and averaged between 40-50 FPS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZYnWcZ1gGo
And, since the $500 build listed above has the same CPU/GPU, you should expect similar results.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
anthony ingram says
HERE IS AN UPDATE EVERYTHING RUNS GREAT i FIND NO REASON TO OVERCLOCK ALL THE GAMES I PLAY RUN SMOOTH, I GET 12-18 SECOND BOOT UP TIMES, and runs cool and quiet, just a low hum, so i am very happy, final cost was 820 for me
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64-bit
CPU
AMD FX-8320E 19 °C
Vishera 32nm Technology
RAM
8.00GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 803MHz (9-9-9-24)
Motherboard
Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd. 970A-DS3P (CPU 1) 34 °C
Graphics
2460 (1920×1080@60Hz)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 (ASUStek Computer Inc) 36 °C
Storage
931GB Seagate ST1000DM003-1ER162 ATA Device (SATA) 32 °C
Brent Hale says
Hi Anthony, thanks for taking the time to update us on your system! Glad it’s running everything well!
All the Best,
Brent
Jiahao says
Can i buy all the parts on Malaysia (the $600)
Kris K. says
I am putting together the $700 build and honestly it’s just a tiny bit confusing. If anyone knows about a guide or anything to help me put it together it’d be totally great if you told me about it. (Thanks in advance)
anthony ingram says
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2dJvqU2_x4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mnye8_H2yTE i watched these vids and built mine, but did a lot more research too. read all the different things on the components
sebastian says
i just wonder if i can put this gpu in the 800$ build: MSI GAMING GeForce GTX 1060 6GB GDDR5 DirectX 12 VR Ready (GeForce GTX 1060 ARMOR 6G OC)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IEKYD3C/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1TSN35NIS24VZ
sorry for my english
xMano says
hello, are you sure that a fx 6300 at 3.5 wont bottleneck an rx470? thx
Zach says
I just finished building the $500 build and it’s running really slow for me. Not sure if I messed something up or what… Downloaded rocket league to play and it’s incredibly glitchy/unplayable. What is a good first place to check for issues? Thanks
Alex says
I’m new to building and play casually so I’m attempting the $400 build.
Do you recommend a wireless card for this build?
I would like to be wired in for internet access if possible, but may not always have a choice.
Thanks.
Paul Moore says
Hi Brent! I’m looking to get my first gaming PC in a few months and I’ve also heard that building your own PC is a lot better than buying one pre built. Do you know of any guides or anything like that on how to build your own PC?
anthony ingram says
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2dJvqU2_x4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mnye8_H2yTE i watched these vids and built mine, but did a lot more research too. read all the different things on the components
Chris says
Hey Brent, I’ve been looking at you’re $800 build. I mostly play total war games and was wondering if you think the $800 is a good choice. I’ve also never built a PC and was wondering if you have any guides or know of any I’d use.
Kevin says
yea like chris’s comment said im also building my first pc (the 700 dollar one if it make’s a difference) i would also appreciate it if you could point me in the direction of a guide or some sort of tutorial either way thanks for this guide before this i had no idea were to start with building a gaming pc
benny says
is this in usd or aud?
cheers
Giovanni Pecorella says
Hey Brett it’s me again and I’m just wondering if I can use any computer case or do I need a specific one
Yaxya says
Hello
Not really good with computer things. Just want to know if the PC on 800$ can run League of Legends or CS:GO more than 60fps ingame? And also if it is possible to livestream on Twitch at the same time?
Brent Hale says
Hey Yaxya, how’s it going?
Yes, you can definitely run LoL and CS:GO (and stream) on the $800 build. In fact, it’s probably even a bit overkill. The $400, $500, or $600 builds would be able to handle those games and streaming as well.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Yaxya says
Hey Brent
I am a very dedicated gamer and have been playing PC games for 5-6 years. I have been limited those years because I have been playing on a laptop with around 40-60 fps therefore I don’t feel like I can take the chances building a cheaper Pc. Because there is no videos where the budgets is in a game and showing the performance in multiple games. I hope you can understand me. I don’t want to be limited to play some other games too. I want to play every possible game out there without worrying as I have been doing – growing up with a Fujitsu Siemens computer and then an HP Laptop. I want to perform my 100%. And I don’t know who to ask for help because there is so many websites and you look as the most trustworthy. But I have no idea whether you are a gamer or just guessing that those specs will be able to handle these games. I do not want to take any chances with cheap pc builds.
To make it short; all i ask for is to get a great PC which can handle every game possible out there. For an instance : H1Z1, Overwatch, Arma, League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. I want to play games on a high quality/performance (+having several programs open, without worrying to have to close them for example Skype/other communications applications and at the same time livestreaming!)
Sorry if I am sounding rude. But I hope you can understand me. I do not want to take chances with a PC that can only run certain games. This is probably my last chance to invest into a good PC. And I am currently saving my money for these specs. Very expensive and my friends keep telling me it is overkill and asking an employee is just asking them to rip off your money. But I hope you can get into my shoes – and understand my frustations.
Here is the specs an employee told me to buy for a great performance.
Money cost: $2353,16
Case: Corsair Obsidian 450D Midi Tower Black [$151,32]
MOBO: MSI LGA1151 Z170A-G45 GAMING [$193,92]
PSU: Corsair CX750M, 750W [$113,41]
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 2133MHz 16GB [$95,37]
HDD: 2x [Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5″] [$175,58]
Graphics Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1070 Gaming [$635,29]
SSD: 2x [Samsung 750 EVO 250GB 2.5″ SSD Bulk] [$178,91]
CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 Skylake Processor [$245,47]
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-14 – Black [$16,68]
Monitor: BenQ ZOWIE 24″ LED XL2411 [$347,21]
The prices is from this website; komplett.dk
I want your best advice whether I should go for this PC and maybe explain why cheaper pcs can be as good as expensive pcs.
I hope you can take your time and help me out! I would really appreciate it – sorry for making this so long. Just wanted it to get out of my chest.
I apologize if I am sounding rude in anyway – It is not my intention!
Thank you, Yaxya
Yaxya says
Games like these ;
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Just Cause 3
Crysis 3
Ryse: Son of Rome
Grand Theft Auto V
Project CARS
Metro Redux games
Arma 3
Battlefield 4
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
Assassin’s Creed Unity
Bartman: Arkham Knight
Call of Duty: Advanced Warcare
Bunch of games I have been hungering for to play!
Vincent says
Hey Brent! I don’t know much about computers but was wanting to know if this is a good build? lol to be honest, not sure what I am going for, I just want your feed back to see if this would be a good build. Would this be considered a mid grade?? Will this build run a moderate to excellent graphics for games such as FPS games, Starcraft 2, and Skyrim?? Thank you so much for your time!
i7 950 @3.2gHZ
Asus x58 Sabertooth
12gb DDR3 G.skill memory
Ultra 120MM cpu cooler
AMD Radeon 6850 2gb vram
Crucial 120GB m500 SSD
Apeviz X trooper mid tower
Ultra LSP 550 WATT
Brent Hale says
Hi Vincent, how’s it going?
Not sure if you’re looking to build a new system or if you’re looking at a used system, but those specs are pretty dated. Still, though, if you’re playing on a 1080p monitor, that system should play them on higher settings.
I’m assuming those are the specs of a used system and, if so, my recommendation would really hinge on how much they’re asking…
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
James says
Hey Brent, I’ve never built a computer before and I don’t really know all that much about computer technology. However, being the person I am, I wanted to try to come up with my own build for a potential computer after looking through many budget builds. So I’d like your opinion on my build.
CPU: Intel i3-6320
MOBO: Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI (rev. 1.0)
GPU: GeForce GTX 960 (Whatever brand is cheaper at the time)
RAM: Skill Ripjaws V Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory
HDD: Western Digital or Seagate (Whichever is cheaper at the time)
Case: DIYPC Skyline‑06‑WR Black/Red SECC ATX Full Tower (2nd Option – Zalman ATX Mid Tower PC Case Z3 Plus-W)
PSU: Antec HCG 520M
The first thing I am concerned about is whether all of the components will fit in either case. I wasn’t sure how to go about checking that. Also, I am fairly certain that the MOBO is overkill for the CPU if it is compatible. The reason for this is because I was curious whether in the future I could potentially upgrade the CPU to an i5-6600K for the option to overclock. I also wanted to make sure I avoided having to switch out the MOBO along with the CPU for overclocking capabilities. If I was able to make that upgrade, I wanted to know if a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO would fit in either case to allow for overclocking. I wasn’t certain about whether the GPU I chose was a good fit or not. I wanted to have a fairly good GPU now and leave myself room to upgrade in the future if I wished to. This is the more expensive option of the build ideas I have, but I am not planning on building it immediately. I need to save up some more money, and was also thinking I could possibly find some of these things on sale throughout November and around Cyber Monday. Thanks for looking at my ideas and providing your opinion.
Brent Hale says
Hey James, how’s it going?
With what you have planned with the upgrades in the future, this build will work fine. I’d normally say switch to an H170 motherboard and use that saved money to upgrade the GPU a little bit (I think the R9 380X would be the only upgrade option with the saved money.)
But since you may want to upgrade to an unlocked Intel CPU in the future, the Z170 is fine.
And, yes, the Hyper 212 EVO will fit in the DIYPC case. However, I can’t seem to find a definitive answer on whether or not it will fit in the Zalman case. The heatsink is one of the taller ones and it doesn’t fit in a lot of budget-friendly mid tower cases, so it might not. But the DIYPC case will hold it.
If you can wait for Black Friday/Cyber Monday, you’ll definitely save some serious money. I’m guessing that some of the newly released video cards (GTX 1060, RX 480) will be available for around $200 by then and that will completely change what kind of a build you can do. And if you find deals on all of the other components as well, you could probably build a VR-friendly gaming PC for the same price you’re planning on spending now.
However, that’s still a few months away and so it really all comes down to how patient you want to be.
All-in-all, though, with your plans for upgrading in the future, your build looks great.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
James says
Thanks for the input Brent. I’m glad this build works out. Especially since it only really took me the majority of a day researching to come up with it. I’m definitely going to be waiting for a while before buying anything, because I don’t want to blow all of my money. I just graduated high school and started saving money from my job, and I don’t have a huge amount saved up. I’ll need those couple of months before Black Friday/Cyber Monday to save up to leave me with something after buying the parts. I’ll definitely be using that time to keep researching and looking at better parts I could buy based on the deals I can find. I would mainly be looking into a better GPU, possibly a better MOBO, and I might be able to just skip up to the i5-6600K depending on the deals. Are there any other parts that I may want to look at improving?
Daan says
BTW: Great site and a lot of useful information, i like it.
I am going to start with a medium gaming pc. For the cpu i am starting with a intel pentium or a intel I3. That dependence on my spare money for my budget. I wil be using my modified hp elite 8100 desktop tower. (I think a ATX motherboard will fit inside of it.) For the storage i have two Seagate 500gb drives, but i only have to use one. As for the Ram i have 4 cards with 4g, more than enough. But i have a problem with choosing the Motherboard.
I cant make my mind up between the following motherboards: Gigabyte GA-Z97P-D3, for 80 euro. Gigabyte GA-H97-HD3…Gigabyte GA-Z97-HD3…Gigabyte GA-H97-D3H…Gigabyte GA-Z97-D3H, all 4 of these are 100 euro. Or the last one (two) ASRock Fatal1ty H97 Killer…ASRock Fatal1ty Z97 Killer both 115 euro.
All these motherboard are according to my research the best gaming Motherboards for less than 125 euro, AND please correct me if i am wrong. any thoughts or suggestions are also welcome
Background information:
The games i want it to play at normal to high settings are: Skyrim, Terraria, ARK survival evolved..those kind of games and in the end No Man’s sky. Most on steam.
I want to make a only gaming pc that can be upgraded in the future for more and better games.
My complete game computer budget is at its max 450 euro’s.
I have never messed with overclocking but it could be usefull.
Brent Hale says
Hey Daan, how’s it going?
The only difference between the HD3 boards and the D3H boards are that the D3H boards have an eSATA port and an M.2 slot. So, if you want to install an M.2 SSD, you’ll want to get the D3H version.
If they’re all the same price, I’d say go with the Z97-D3H because that will give you the option to upgrade to an unlocked Intel CPU down the road (like the i5-6600k or i7-6700k) and it will give you the option to install an M.2 SSD as well.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Daan says
Alright, thanks for the info and advice. I have been thinking about it and i wil buy the z97 d3h like you said.
I do have one more question and a problem.
I have a GA G4MT S2PT motherboard. It has 2x 500gb hard drives (seagate) and a 600w xtech power supply. It has a pentium dual core E5700 3.00GHZ 3.00GHZ CPU. It had 2x 1g ram sticks one from samsung and the other from kingston.
I wanted to upgrade the ram so i bought the Corsair vengeance 2x4GB 2133MHZ pro series DDR3 (50€). Someone told me that it would work.
It should work (i think) because it hase the right 1,5v the clockspeed is higher but thats should not be a problem and its the max gb ram that the motherboard can hold.
Here comes the problem. My pc does not want to start, it does start all the hardware but nothing shows on the monitor. Then its starting to beeb, a lot and fast. After 3 min of that beebing it shuts off.
Do you know why this is happening? Is there somethig wrong with the motherboard or did i buy the wrong ramm. If its the wrong ramm then i could send it back.(6 days remaining for that)
i wanted to make a little smal game/play pc for my little sister (9).
Kaleb says
First try removing the RAM and then putting t back in, make sure the clips are fastened securely too. Usually the problem you’re having means the RAM isn’t seated right. Also listen to your beeps this article should help identify the error code that they’re sounding off. http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/38515/beep-codes
If you have a different code than one listed just reply back and someone here will help you.
Hope that helps
Daan says
Thanks for your reply kaleb,
(this is how i ((installed)) placed the new RAm card.)
I removed the old junk ram card, pressed the power button for 10 sec and placed the new one inside. I pressed both side down until it said *CLICK* and both sides where down inside the slots. I pressed the power button and Al the fans and hardware came to live but then it started to beep continuously for 6 seconds. Then almost 2 second of nothing and then the beeps came back. I left the room thinking that i broke my pc and if i could send the ram back(if its still alive). After 15 min i came back and it was still beeping.
I think that the error has the be number 12* Continuous Beeps – Memory or Video Failure
Troubleshoot memory, display adapter, motherboard.
Continuous Beeps – Memory or Video Failure
Troubleshoot memory, display adapter, motherboard.
Daan says
its The GA-G41MT-S2PT and not the GA G4MT S2PT
Kaleb says
If you’re using the corsair memory you probably want to check this link. I didn’t see your RAM listed as compatible with your motherboard but you may be able to identify it better than me.
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3960#memory%20support%20list
Try reverting to your old RAM and see if that fixes it just to make sure everything is fine if you’re worried.
Also I’m not associated with Brent or his website, I’m just a lurker who tries to help when I can.
You can also try posting here too https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/ they’ve helped me with advice in the past.
I hope this helps more than my previous post.
Kaleb says
ts The GA-G41MT-S2PT. I should work. You will need to Underclock your new ram manualy. Then it should work
Kaleb says
You will need to Underclock your new ram manualy. Then it should work
SMUWillD says
I have never built a PC before. So this may be a stupid question:
I have an external bluray/dvd drive I use with my mac. When I build my computer, I am going to leave off the dvd drive. So, my question is installing the operating system. If I buy a Windows 10 disk from amazon, can I use the external drive to boot up and install the OS? Or will I have to go the thumbdrive route for the initial install?
Brent Hale says
Hi SMUWillD! Yes, you should be able to use the bluray/DVD drive you have.
iSentrie says
Or just use and USB flash drive, ez mate.
Mitch says
Just finished building two $400 gaming rigs for both my kids. The only thing I added was the SSD that you had listed in the higher end systems. Great running rigs that run ARK / Diablo 3 great. Both kids are happy plus they got to build their computers with Dad!!!
Brent Hale says
Hey Mitch, that’s awesome! I’m glad the guide could be of use and I’m stoked that you got to build the computers with them! #DadOfTheYear
Hope they have fun gaming on the new systems!
All the Best,
Brent
Ivan says
Hi Ive been on console for a very long time but I have decided to finally build a PC as many of my friends have started to build their own. I was hoping I could build a PC powerful enough for Rainbow six siege as thats the game I currently play most on console. But I also want something cheap My max budget is 600 but I would really like to spend 300 to 400. I do not really care about the graphics I just want to be able to run this game and other things like CSGO which I assume a potato can handle CS. Can You please suggest the cheapest build on this list that can handle the game? Thank you
Brent Hale says
Hey Ivan, how’s it going?
The $300 build (which will end up being closer to $400 after you add a copy of Windows) will handle both of those games, but I’m not sure that it would max out Rainbow Six Siege. I’ve never played the game but looking at the requirements, it looks like you’d probably be able to play it on mediumish settings (or even higher.)
The $400 build (~$500 after OS) will max both of those games out no problems.
So, if you want to keep the budget tight, the $300 build will at least allow you to play the game… and you’d probably be able to do so on medium settings or higher. If you want to spend a little bit more and leave no doubt about it, the $400 build will be the way to go.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Ivan says
So what games could I expect to play on the 300 or 400 build? Assuming im on very low settings
Brent Hale says
Hi Ivan,
The $300 build can play most current games on medium to high settings on a 1080p monitor. For really demanding games, you might have to turn the $300 build down to low, but you should be able to handle anything with it. The $400 build can max most games out on a 1080p monitor. For more demanding games, you’d probably have to go down to medium settings… but for the most part the GTX 950 in the $400 build can handle just about anything on a 1080p monitor.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
anthony ingram says
found my problem, somehow i did not have the cpu all the way into the socket, it all works fine now
Brent Hale says
Hey Anthony, glad you were able to figure the problem out! Hope the new system is running well!
All the Best,
Brent
anthony ingram says
I built this syste mentioned below, and it wont go to a post system boot, i get nothing on the monitor. I am wondering are there any compatability issues or did i fry my motherboard?
ASUS Graphics Cards TURBO-GTX970-OC-4GD5
Gigabyte AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gbps USB 3.0 ATX AM3+ Socket DDR3 1600 Motherboards (GA-970A-DS3P)
AMD FD832EWMHKBOX FX-8320E FX-Series 8-Core Black Edition
Ballistix Sport 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) CL9 @1.5V UDIMM 240-Pin Memory BLS2KIT4G3D1609DS1S00
Rosewill 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Power Supply ATX12V / EPS12V 550 Power Supply Hive-550
VIVO ATX Mid Tower Computer Gaming PC Case / Black Desktop Shell / 3 Fan Mounts, Dual USB 3.0 (CASE-V02)
Ken says
Thank you so much for this!!! Very detailed, up-to-date, and informative!! This helped me out TONS. I was skeptical on building a PC and did not know what to buy and what would pair well, while also trying to maintain a budget. Your guide addressed all of my concerns and also allowed me to be flexible to my own customization. I took some things from the more expensive builds (like the case) and some cheaper items (gtx 750ti) and made a custom built machine. Now, hopefully I can put it all together correctly :)
The only thing you can add is wifi connectors on the optional page, I forget to get one ;) But, that’s my fault! Thanks again.
Brent Hale says
Hey Ken, glad to hear the guide helped you build a new PC! And, I’ll definitely look into adding a section on wireless adapters. I probably should have done it long ago, because people ask about it a lot in the comments.
So, thanks for the heads up!
In any case, have fun with the new PC!
All the Best,
Brent
Dave says
Brent,
Thanks so much. I just finished my 3rd build for my 3rd son and the info here was tremendous. I have a question: For my most recent PC, I don’t have a close enough connection to the router. Until I can solve that problem, would a USB wireless adapter provide decent enough internet for gaming? If so, is there one or two that you could recommend?
Brent Hale says
Hey Dave, glad the guide helped you out!
It really all depends on what’s in between your son’s computer and the router and how far of a distance it is. But, I’m guessing that a USB adapter will work fine.
Something like this should do the trick:
http://amzn.to/2byBPqG
There’s also ones that have antennas on them that might be better if the distance from the router is somewhat significant.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Noob new to PC gaming says
Just found this article. Great post and super insightful. Thanks for the info.
Now I am brand new to gaming. I currently have a Mac OSX and I try to play the occasional game or two and it never fairs well. Therefore I want to build a low end PC for the occasional gaming thats not super spendy. Seriously, maybe playing a few times a week but with the possibility of upgrading if I wanted to. I was looking into your 400-500 builds and I would assume this would be more than enough for some Albion or similar online games?
Brent Hale says
Hi, thanks for reading and commenting!
Yes, the $400 and $500 builds are actually fairly powerful if you’re just gaming on a 1080p monitor. Both of those builds will max out most modern games at that resolution.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Carter Simpson says
Any ideas on the minimum wattage required for the $300 build? Thanks in advance for feedback.
Brent Hale says
Hey Carter, how’s it going?
The build really won’t take that much power at all and you could probably get away with a quality 300W power supply at the very minimum. But I’m not even sure if you can find a ‘quality’ 300W power supply as most of the best manufacturer’s don’t really produce anything under 400W. (I think SilverStone has one.)
But, the 450W power supply that is provided will allow room for upgrades in the future.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Carter says
Thanks!
Giovanni says
Hey Brent it’s me again I’m just wondering do I have to get the Seagate hardrive or can I use one from a different company
Brent Hale says
Hey Giovanni, how’s it going?
No, you don’t have to use the Seagate drive. You can use any brand you want.
All the Best,
Brent
Carter says
Any ideas on the minimum power supply I could use to power the $300 build?
Brendan Corrigan says
hey Brent for the $350 build what kind of PC tower case should i buy ? its not in the list
Brent Hale says
Hey Brendan, how’s it going?
The case in the $300 build is the Rosewill Dual Fans MicroATX case. It’s not the best case by any means, but it is affordable and it will house all of the components in the $300 build (as well as all the way up to the $600 build, too.) If you want something a little more roomy, the Vivo Mid Tower is another affordable option.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
intel fan says
can you make a build that is 60-700 dollar range and then make it so it is upgradable so you don’t have to buy a new motherboard or power supply and stuff like that and can it be intel
Brent Hale says
Hi intel fan, thanks for reading and commenting!
Your best bet would be to take the $800 build, then swap out the GTX 1060 for a GTX 950, GTX 960, or R9 380 or 380X (depending on price). Then take the 500W power supply and go up to a 600W power supply. (Something like this would work.)
Ultimately, the 600W PSU would allow you to jump up to the GTX 1080 later down the road (or whatever GPU is the best mainstream option at the moment) and while the H110 motherboard isn’t the best, it won’t prevent you from jumping up to an Intel Core i7.
If you do want a better motherboard, you could always jump up to an H170 chipset.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
A Dude Needs To Know says
Curious, the older version of the $700 build used an AMD 6300 instead of an 8320E. Looking at the specs, the only thing that seems better is the extra 2 cores, which I’m not sure if there are games out there that take advantage of to make it worth the extra $35 or so.
Would it make more sense to put the extra 35 or so into more memory, better cooling, etc; then go to the 6300 CPU? Just curious as to whether that may make more bang for the buck.
Brent Hale says
Hmmm, I feel like I’ve either only had the 8320, 8320e, or an i5 in the $700 build, but you may be right on the FX-6300 being in there at some point.
There are a few games that can utilize the extra cores of the 8320E (BF, Crysis, Metro, etc.) and more are starting to do so. But you’re right, though, in that most games the FX-6300 won’t be too far behind it.
However, if you’re doing anything else that can utilize the extra cores, the 8320e would definitely help. And, since the 8320e has the same TDP as the FX-6300, it can actually be pushed to ~4.4GHz as long as you add a decent air cooler to the build.
Ultimately, for the $700 build, with the 8320e and the GTX 1060, there really isn’t any scenario at all where you can get bottlenecked, whereas with the 6300, there are a few scenarios where it could hurt you. If you’re mainly playing games that won’t tax your CPU, though, then there is nothing wrong with saving the extra money and going with the FX-6300.
If you do go with the FX-6300, your best bet would be to put that extra money into an aftermarket cooler. OC’ing the FX-6300 will help close the gap in those few situations where it drags behind the 8320e.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
A Dude Needs To Know says
Perfect, thanks for the response and the thoughts.
Giovanni Pecorella says
Hey Brett for the 400 pc build which gpu do I pick the gtx 950 oc or the windforce
Brent Hale says
Hey Giovanni, how’s it going?
I would get whichever option is more affordable at the time you go to purchase it. The in-game performance difference between the two won’t be too significant in the grand scheme of things.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
anthony ingram says
thanks for the update, i will be able to get back into gaming for a little less than i had planned on spending
Michael Gunther says
It looks like there might be some problems with the GET THIS PC link or the subsequent Amazon pages. For the $800 build, the list of components on the Amazon page is missing the GPU and includes 2 power supplies. For the link for the $600 build, the list of components on the Amazon page totals to $802.84, which makes me think something is wrong since it is way off the $600 price point.
Brent Hale says
Hey Michael, thanks for pointing this out. I update the builds once per week and in between updates prices can change pretty significantly, especially with all of the new GPUs being in high demand.
The problem with the $600 build was that the GPU jumped in price by ~$50. And, the total price I list includes the components to build the tower. It doesn’t include the optional items listed below. Of those optional items, the one you will probably need is an operating system. Windows is recommended as it has the most support for games. It costs and additional ~$90.
You could always go with Linux if you are mainly playing games on Steam that can be played on Linux-based systems as well. However, Linux doesn’t have as wide of support for games and so it isn’t the best option. It is free, though, if you do want to go that route.
As for the double PSU’s on the $800 build, that was definitely a mistake. I will correct that right now and I will do an update to all of the builds. And, the GTX 1060 I had selected went out of stock on the $800 build, too. So that’s why there is no GPU when you click on the GET THIS PC LINK.
As a general rule of thumb, if I have a GPU listed in one of these builds, and you click the link and it is listed under the items that are out of stock, you can always search for GTX 1060 on Amazon (or any other online retailer) to find one made by a different manufacturer.
In any case, though, I appreciate your comment and thanks for bringing this to my attention. I will start doing an updated version right now.
All the Best,
Brent
Aj says
hey brent i have built the older model of the $800 pc but the only diffrence would be the mother board and the gpu for the gpu i have the sapphire radion rx480 adn the mobo i have the gigabyte..something i dont quite remember and note i have a better power supply its a EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G2 80+ GOLD, 850W istead of 500 one will this slightly older build run games at 4k? thanks a ton for responding :)
BIll stone says
i guess if you ask more than 2 questions the author immedatly ignores
Brent Hale says
Hey AJ, hope you’re doing well!
With an RX 480 that build is about as new as it gets! And, while you probably won’t be maxing games out on 4K with that build, the RX 480 will serve as a serviceable entry-level 4K GPU. Or, in other words, you probably won’t be able to max out the more demanding games at 4K, while other you should be able to run the more moderately demanding games on higher settings with decent FPS.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
anthony ingram says
Here is my take on something i might build, any thoughts or suggestions welcome
Kingwin 140 MM Advance Series Long Life Bearing Fan Case CF-014LB
EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC Gaming ACX 2.0+ Cooling Graphics Card (04G-P4-3975-KR)
Rosewill ATX 12V 650-Watt 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Power Supply Hive-650
VIVO ATX Mid Tower Computer Gaming PC Case / Black Desktop Shell / 3 Fan Mounts, Dual USB 3.0 (CASE-V02)
Ballistix Sport 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) CL9 @1.5V UDIMM 240-Pin Memory BLS2KIT4G3D1609DS1S00
EGC High-Performance Thermal Paste Compound for CPU Heatsinks – 4 Grams
SportsBot SS301 Blue LED Gaming Over-Ear Headset Headphone, Keyboard & Mouse Combo Set w/ 40mm Speaker Driver, High-Quality Microphone, Multimedia Keys & Window Key Lock, 4 DPI Levels (BLU)
Gigabyte AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gbps USB 3.0 ATX AM3+ Socket DDR3 1600 Motherboards (GA-970A-DS3P)
AMD FD832EWMHKBOX FX-8320E FX-Series 8-Core Black Edition
Seagate 1TB Desktop HDD SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive (ST1000DM003)
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit System Builder OEM | PC Disc
anthony ingram says
is anybody out there?
Brent Hale says
Hey Anthony! Looks good to me!
I’d say if you could stretch to the GTX 1060, that would make it even better (the MSI GTX 1060 I have listed as of 8/8 is ~$300). You could probably come down to a ~550W PSU and save some money there as well.
In any case, it will handle anything on a 1080p/1440p monitor no problems!
Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
MechTasker says
Hi Brent, I was wondering if my Seasonic S12 BRONZE PSU could provide adequate power for the rest of the 600$ build at the time of this post, as I noticed that last month you changed the power supply for the 600$ build and moved it up to the 700 and 800 Dollar builds
Brent Hale says
Hey MechTasker, how’s it going?
Yes, the SeaSonic PSU is good enough to run just about any single-GPU setup imaginable. I think it jumped up in price, though, and so I swapped it out with a PSU that performed similarly, but didn’t cost as much.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Isaac says
Hi i would like to know if the $400 PC could Run Arma 2/ DayZ at Max settings. Could it keep good FPS
anthony ingram says
can i use the VO2 case with the $600 build?
anthony ingram says
im going with the vo2 on the 600 build will be about 820
with a disk drive
MechTasker says
Hi Brent, I was wondering if my Seasonic S12 BRONZE PSU could provide adequate power for the rest of the 600$ build at the time of this post, as I noticed that last month you changed the power supply for the 600$ build and moved it up to the 700 and 800 Dollar builds.
Daniel says
Guys, I made a huge mistake and got the 600$ case for the 500$ build what can I do?
Brent Hale says
Hi Daniel, the case from the $600 build will house the parts from the $500 build even better, as it’s bigger and has more room. So, no worries!
Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
KJ says
Hey Brent,
Your $800 build is up over $1,000. Without sacrificing too much performance, is there a way to make this a bit cheaper.
I would like to avoid spending this much, as $900 is pretty much the top of my price range.
KJ says
Sorry, I derped out.
I didn’t realize that the os wasn’t included. Anyway, nice list!
Jeremiah says
I’ve been out of the PC game for 7-8 years now. Started by building my own way back when. I’m not looking to play every game I find, but am looking to build something to run World of Warships at max settings and handle anything else I throw at it. I’m considering biting the bullet and digging into an Intel i7-6700k and an MSi GeForce 960 4gb GPU. Just to get it over with. But those combined already meet or exceed the $600 mark. Any suggestions or ideas of looking elsewhere to still get what I want, with a happy price medium? I’ve considered AMD but they have been on the same platform for 5 or so years. But the CPU’s sure are monetarily pretty and with some having 8 cores it is hard to pass up. I’m aiming at 8-16gb RAM just to have it and not worry about it, and skipping water cooling for more/cheaper fans in a full size Corsair 760T case. Any help is greatly appreciated!
Jeremiah says
P.S. It will have Windows 10 as the OS. Not that I believe it will sway the response, just giving more insight to the build in mind.
Ben says
Hello. This build list is very helpful and the best source I’ve found yet—thanks for putting it together.
I’m building a PC as a project to get my pre-teen sons excited about computer hardware. They want the PC to play Star Wars Battlefront. I want the PC to move my family mini-DV movies from tapes to DVD’s, but will not do much video editing.
I’m considering doing your $800 build with the Intel 6500 CPU, but skipping out on the GPU. Basically I’m hoping to save a little money now, but be able to upgrade in the future if I need to. The thinking is the Intel 6500 has integrated graphics that I think can handle that game and transferring mini-DV’s .
Will the integrated graphics on the Intel 6500 handle what I need it to do? If so, does that sound like a good strategy? If not, what would you recommend?
Thanks,
Ben
Josh says
Hey Brent,
I am wanting to build a gaming pc that can be plugged up to my TV and act as a console that will run hyperspin. I want to be able emulate upto dream cast, neo go, and arcade games like the tekken series,KOF 13, nfl blitz and similar games. What would you recommend. I know I would need a 64 bit system. What kind of wireless controllers would you recommend. Thanks Josh
John says
Hey Brent:
Not sure if my last comment posted. I’m trying to build a PC that will work for rendering architectural designs as well as gaming for my son. The rendering world I’ve looked into seems to say the more cores the better & NVIDIA QUATRO 5000 seems to be the BEST of the graphics card. However, I’m looking to do something for around the $800 range (like the one you posted).
Can you help me out? Much appreciated – great job on the blog. Very informative & organized.
Thank you,
John
PSs: Here is the basic requirement for the 3D end of the software I use:
Hardware for ARCHICAD 20
Recommended hardware
• Processor: 64-bit processor with four or more cores
• RAM: For complex, detailed models 16 GB or more may be required
• Hard disk: installing ARCHICAD on a SSD (or Fusion) drive is recommended; 5 GB free disk space is required for the installation, 10 GB or more is required per active project
• Graphics card: Dedicated OpenGL 2.0 compatible graphics card with on board memory of 1024 MB or more is recommended to fully exploit hardware acceleration capabilities. You can find a list of recommended graphics cards at: http://www.graphisoft.com/videocards
• Display: A resolution of 1440 x 900 or higher is recommended
Operating Systems for ARCHICAD 20
Recommended Operating Systems
• Windows 10 (64-bit version)
• Windows 8.1 (64-bit version)
• Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan
• Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite
John says
Hey Brent,
I’d like to build something that I can use for rendering (architectural & modelling) & also allow my son to use it for gaming. I’ve read everything on your page & previous pages – but I’m not sure on the rendering.
Looks like a lot of people agree that for rendering the more cores the better. As well, NVIDIA seems to be the popular bran among graphics card with the primo being the NVIDIA QUADRO 5000 (but these range in price from 350$ to $1800 – no idea the difference). Steep numbers. I’d like to be in the total cost of $800 range – like the one you put together. I don’t need high end rendering, just something that will do the job.
Here is an example of my basic need for the 3D (not sure how the rendering part plays in)
ArchiCAD (very basic rendering, but 3D design) requires:
Recommended hardware
• Processor: 64-bit processor with four or more cores
• RAM: For complex, detailed models 16 GB or more may be required
• Hard disk: installing ARCHICAD on a SSD (or Fusion) drive is recommended; 5 GB free disk space is required for the installation, 10 GB or more is required per active project
• Graphics card: Dedicated OpenGL 2.0 compatible graphics card with on board memory of 1024 MB or more is recommended to fully exploit hardware acceleration capabilities. You can find a list of recommended graphics cards at: http://www.graphisoft.com/videocards
• Display: A resolution of 1440 x 900 or higher is recommended
Can you help me out?
In any case,you put together an excellent site with great information and very well organized!!
Thanks,
John
Diana says
Hi Brent,
I found your site during my research and wanted to compliment you on how well written and informative it is.
My question: I want to surprise my boyfriend with a system and some other equipment for an anniversary present. My boyfriend is definitely NOT a regular/normal gamer and I can guarantee that he will only use the setup for sim racing and flying. While I’d like the most reasonable costing option, I want him to be able to upgrade anything needed to build a full simulator in the future. I am absolutely new to building PCs but I everything I read says it’s not extremely difficult and that you get a better bang for your buck by doing so. Can you recommend the best setup for use with only this one game?
Cyrus says
Hey I was wondering about the 800$ build if i have the money should i buy the sapphire rx480 as the gpu?
Trenten says
The 500$ computer is costing me about 600$ right now
Brent Hale says
Hi Trenten, sorry for the confusion.
The $470-$530 range only considers the components that makeup the tower.
You will also need an operating system, which I recommend getting Windows 10 (which is an additional ~$90), but you can also go the free route and use Linux… however, not all games run on Linux, so you’d want to do some research before choosing that over Windows.
The other items (thermal paste and mouse) are optional.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
jess says
does the builds come with the required cords like the hdmi rgb and dp cords??
jess says
hey its me i forgot too add this in the comment. or does the cords come with the monitor im thinking about getting the Samsung 27-Inch Curved Screen LED-Lit Monitor or 24 in since its cheaper and here is the product link if you want to look at it “”https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-27-Inch-LED-Lit-Monitor-S27E591C/dp/B00TR056SU/ref=sr_1_10?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1468888061&sr=1-10&keywords=curved+monitor+27%22″” but like many im new to pc builds i’ve always just used what i got and what i have is pretty much crap so i’m just looking for a new gaming setup but yeah if some one could comment back it be nice
Brent Hale says
Hi Jess, how’s it going?
No, the builds do not come with the cable to hook up your monitor.
And, as for the cables that come with the monitor, it depends on the monitor. It seems like the last few monitors I have purchased have only come with VGA cables… which you don’t want.
So, whatever build you get, check the GPU included and see what connection ports it has. Then check your monitor and see what connection ports it has and get either a DVI-D cable or an HDMI cable (or even a DisplayPort cable if your monitor and video card support it.)
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
brian says
that 730-800$ pc build is down to 629.84 $ as of 7/18/16 7:00 PM and that’s for everything on that list
Brent Hale says
Hey Brian, how’s it going?
Thanks for the heads up. I just updated the builds. The video card that was included in the $800 build had gone out of stock and so it wasn’t available, thus pushing the price down.
However, I’ve included a new RX 480 so the price should be right around ~$800-$820 (unless some prices have jumped or dipped in the time since I updated the builds—which is definitely possible.)
And, just as a note, the listed prices on this page reflect only the components that makeup the computer tower. You will also definitely need an operating system, and if you go with Windows (which is recommended) that will be another ~$90. When you click the “Buy This PC” button, the list will also include an optional mouse and stick of thermal paste.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Matthew says
Does the 700$ build come with all the cables and everything except monitor and keyboard? I’m new to the PC world and I don’t really know how to build them either, I just don’t want to be half way through and be missing parts.
Brent Hale says
Hi Matthew, how’s it going?
All of the part lists come with everything you need to build the tower. After that you will definitely need an operating system. I recommend Windows 10, which will be an additional ~$90. However, you can go with Linux, which is free, but which doesn’t support all games.
After that, you will also need to get a cable to connect your monitor to your computer. (Either HDMI, DVI-D, or DisplayPort, depending on what hookups the video card and monitor you choose have.)
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Austin says
can i play bulletstorm maxed out on highest res with the $400 build
Austin says
could i fit a water cooler inside the $400 build?
Brent Hale says
Hi Austin, how’s it going? It would probably be a tight fit as the case is pretty small, and I would recommend getting a bigger case if you really want to put in a water cooler.
However, I would advise against putting in a water cooler, simply because that money could be spent better on other components—which will ultimately have a bigger impact on your in-game experience.
Also, yes, the $400 build should be able to max out Bulletstorm with ease.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
carlos says
Hello brent, i am totally new to pc building, and i am going to go with the 700 pc build and i wanted a case that will have enough space for later upgrading and that has enough fans for it to cool, and for it to look a bit futuristic. (like with some lights) Do you have any sugestions?
Brent Hale says
Hey Carlos, how’s it going?
You can check out my post on the top cases for some more suggestions:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/the-best-gaming-cases/
But really it will all come down to how much you want to spend on a case, as well as your personal preferences in design.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Shawn says
The Sapphire Radeon RX 480 is marked up way past the msrp at 350+ when msrp is 200 on Amazon. Do you know why?
Brent Hale says
Hi Shawn, how’s it going?
Unfortunately, as the RX 480 only recently hit the market, it is in high demand. And, since the only option available right now is the reference card (and not the third party manufacturer’s cards), the supply is very limited.
So, that is what is driving up the prices. And, it might take a month or so for everything to normalize and the third party companies to start selling their versions of the card. We saw the same thing with the GTX 1080 and 1070, which were released a couple of months ago, and it is just now that the GTX 1080 is coming back down to MSRP.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
William says
Hey, I’d like to know if the new RX480 GPU would fit into the 500 dollar build, or would I need a bigger case?
William says
Also i’d like to know if the AMD-FX 6300 would work with the Gigabyte AM3+ AMD DDR3 1333 760G HDMI USB 3.0 Micro ATX Motherboard GA-78LMT-USB3, or would that make my 500 dollar PC build explode?
Brent Hale says
Hi William, how’s it going?
The case in the $500 build is the Rosewill Dual Fans MicroATX case which can support video cards up to 300mm long (~11.8″). And since the reference RX 480 (the only one that is available right now) is only about 9.5″, it will definitely work in the $500 build.
And, yes, you can use the FX-6300 with the GA-78LMT-USB3 motherboard as well without any problems (that’s the one that is included in the $500 build.)
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
William says
Ok, thanks for the reply about the graphics card, and I completely derped up my processor question, what I meant to ask about was the FX-8350 not the 6300, I must have accidentally typed the wrong thing, sorry! So for real here, can the FX-8350 work with the 500 dollar build MoBo?
Brent Hale says
No worries! Yes, the board can support the FX-8350, although the 760G chipsets aren’t as stable with the power hungry FX-8350. So, you might be better off looking for an AMD 970 chipset motherboard (a little more expensive), or a 990FX chipset motherboard (typically over $100, but are much better motherboards.)
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Nick says
Hey Brent,
I just finished your $600 build, but I am wondering if the stock fan for the AMD-FX8320E will be good enough? I do not plan on overclocking, but I heard that AMD processors can cause a lot of heat. Thank you for such an informative guide!
Nick
Brent Hale says
Hi Nick, how’s it going?
Yes, AMD processors definitely give off more heat than Intel CPUs, however, the stock fan should still work just fine. If you want peace of mind, though, you can get an decent aftermarket heatsink to help keep temps down. The Cooler Master Hyper 212 is a good affordable option, but you’ll want to check the CPU cooler clearance on your case, first.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Nikki says
My son is 14 and loves to play minecraft. That is pretty much all he plays. He wants to use his bday money $330 to buy a desktop that has the upgraded graphics. He is currently using an old laptop that has terrible graphics. Is your $300 package something that would suit him?
Nikki says
Do we have to build it? Want to be clear.
Sawyer says
Hi i am new to pc gaming and actually have no experience with computer building. I do consider myself somewhat technologically savy. I am considering the $400 or $500 build but would like to know your suggestion on if this is a good idea or not for me to go through this process as a beginner. Thanks for all of the information!
Anesh says
wow alot expinsive in canadian dollors im building the $800 model for 1432.90 from ncix in vancouver…WOW
Christopher says
Hi Brent, I love this article you have written, I feel like I know much more about what I’m getting into with PC gaming now. I plan to build the 800$ build, though there were a few things about it I wanted to change, but I’m not sure if it will be okay to, the first is switching the case to this one here http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16811353093 though it isn’t on your list for cases so I wasn’t sure if it was acceptable or if it would work with the build. Also I wanted to switch out the ODD, the Samsung SATA with the LG Electronics 14X SATA Blu-ray Internal Rewriter mentioned in your article for the Blu-ray capabilities and want to first make sure that it wont mess anything up to do that. Thank you for the time you took writing this article and thank you for being so active in the comments replying to concerns people have.
Brent Hale says
Hey Christopher, how’s it going?
Yes, you can swap in that case and ODD without any issues!
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
David says
Can you put an SSD into any of these budget builds (that’s not the $800?). I am looking specifically into the $600 or $700 build. What SSD would be appropriate for these builds?
Brent Hale says
Hey David, hope you’re doing well.
Yes, you can essentially put an SSD into any of these builds. All you need is an open SATA 3 port, and an extra SATA power cable on your PSU… which in all of these builds you will have.
So, if you want to add an SSD, you can definitely do so.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Ben says
Will the motherboard and the powersource for the $800 build allow me to overclock?
Brent Hale says
Hey Ben, how’s it going?
Since the CPU in the $800 build is a “locked” CPU, it cannot be overclocked. If you want to be able to overclock with an Intel CPU, you’d need the Intel Core i5-6600K and an LGA 1151 Z170 motherboard… and you should probably throw in an aftermarket heatsink as well—like the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO.
You can also swap in an AMD FX-8320 or 8350 and an AM3+ 990FX motherboard (as well as an upgraded CPU cooler.)
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Travis says
Are all of the components in the $400 build compatible with each other?
Google says
Why would he post them together if they wouldn’t work together?
Brent Hale says
Hi Travis, how’s it going? Yes, the components in the $400 build are compatible.
Ben says
For the $800 build can I use the Intel Core I5-6600k instead of the I5- 6500 for that particular build.
Brent Hale says
Hi Ben, yes you can definitely swap in the i5-6600K, but you will want to change the motherboard to a Z170 chipset motherboard instead of the H110 chipset that is currently listed there.
The reason for this is that the H110 chipset can’t overclock, which would render the switch to the i5-6600K basically useless. So, if you do upgrade, just make sure you also upgrade to a Z170 motherboard as well.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Sandwich says
For the 700$ build is tje crucial 8gb ram better than the new version of it cause when you go on amazon theres a new version
Brent Hale says
Hi Sandwich, how’s it going?
Both will work, but the newer version is a few bucks more affordable, so you might as well go with that one! In fact, I’ll switch them all over on the next update. So, thanks for pointing that out.
All the Best,
Brent
Sandwich says
Do you need a dvd player on your computer or is that optional cause i dont like the way it makes the computer look
Brent Hale says
Hi Sandwich!
DVD players are becoming more and more obsolete as it’s now really easy to install your OS from a USB drive. So, the short answer is that, no, you can easily get by without one.
However, if you have any games on a disc, you will need the optical drive in order to play them. But since most games are all bought and downloaded digitally, it’s really not necessary to have a DVD drive anymore.
Hope this helps!
All the Best,
Brent
Sandwich says
For the 700$ buildis the asus mother board good or should i spend a little more and get a better one
Brent Hale says
Yes, ASUS boards are good. So are Gigabyte, MSI, and ASRock boards as well. If you can find a better deal, then by all means go for it. Just make sure it will house your components before you switch.
All the Best,
Brent
Sandwich says
Hi i also wanted to know is the asus motherboard on the 700$ build good theres like 2 reviews for it on amazon
Sandwich says
Is the700$ pc build good and are the parts good too. I dont really know that much about computers so i wanted to know if the builds good. Cause i went on amazon and some of the reviews for some of these parts are bad.
Anesh says
hi,im new to pc gaming and wanted to get into it.so to start off i have a couple of Questions ,will the $800 build run the most demanding games like Far Cry 4,Crysis 3,and most importantly Arma 3 and if so is switching from console to a pc a good decision PLZ ANSWER,thanks
William says
Hey Anesh, those games can run on the 800 dollar build, no problem. They are a few years old and not so demanding so you could definitely run them on ultra quality. Also, switching from console to PC is one of the best gaming decisions you could make, there is just so much more you can do on a PC than console. I remember my Xbox very fondly, as it is what got me into real gaming, but my gaming PC that I finished building recently has been one of my favorite things ever.
Anesh says
so will i be able to run modern games like gta 5 and are all the other parts in the 800 build compatable with each other PLZ respond,thanks
George Adamakis says
Hey Brent. I have a couple of questions for you since you are the one true guru of gaming builds. The only game i am playing atm is WoW. It is a game that is not as gpu intensive as it is cpu intensive. In the past it was only using 2 cores but atm it is using i think 4 cores. Thing is the new expansion will be coming soon and from what i have read so far the requirements for the game won’t be changed that much. I want to build a pc with which i will be able to able with a minimun of 60fps in 1080p but i also wanna be futureproof and be able to run it in 1.440p in the future. at the moment i got a 60hz monitor but next year i will be upgrading either to a 144hz one or to a 2.5k resolution if the prices have dropped. now my true question is would a 4690k run better than a 6500k because from the benchmarks i have seen so far the 4690k does seem a bit superior.
Note that i am in greece and prices are much higher than in the States and that is in euro. Imagine that the rx480 goes for 330eu here and the 4690k goes for about 260eu… Concerning the gpu i was thinking of waiting for the gtx1060 to see how much better it is from the rx480 and if it is worth the price difference. And one last thing i don’t really intend to oc the pc so would a 4690 be the same as a 4690k for me if i decide to go with that and not the latest intel proccesors?
Ramdy Marte says
Is there anyway you can possibly do speed tests with somewhat demanding games so that I can judge a bit more accurately?
Martin says
Hi I am on very tight buget. Will G3258 be overclockable on H81M-K MoBo?
Brent Hale says
Hi Martin, how’s it going?
Yes, you can OC the G3258 on an H81 motherboard.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
william says
how do you build it tho
Brent Hale says
Hi William, how’s it going?
Check out our computer-building guide to help you through the step-by-step assembly process:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/how-to-build-a-gaming-computer/
Or, you can follow this excellent Newegg tutorial video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIF43-0mDk4
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Daisetsuu says
Minor mistake what I meant to type was that I wanted to upgrade the 600 build GPU 8320E to this https://www.amazon.com/AMD-FD8320FRHKBOX-FX-8320-8-Core-Processor/dp/B009O7YU56 will the motherboard support it?
Daisetsuu says
Hey, this is for the 600 build, is there an alternative for the AMD CPU, I want intel as it is faster, can anyone reccomend a more powerful version alternative?
Brent Hale says
Hi Daisetsuu, how’s it going?
Yes, you can definitely swap out the FX-8320E for the FX-8320.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Nathan says
If I wanted to play Xcom 2, would the $400/$500 setups be able to run it? Graphical quality is not a priority for me, as long as I’m able to get at around 60 fps consistently.
Tyler W says
I want to thank you for your time and effort in making and updating this budget list! I purchased the $600 budget computer in March 2016, and it served me well! But, now I need the money. You say in your listing about this build that although its price is $600, it runs like a $1000-$1200 manufacture built pc. I am selling it, but I am not sure if I should price it higher than what I paid, because it runs like a pc that would cost a lot more. I know that PC parts prices change almost within an instant because of newer and better parts. Please tell me what you think, I am very interested in knowing what you think. Thanks!
-Tyler W
Gabe says
Can someone please tell me if they think the 800 dollar one can run BF1 High Settings or at least close to high?
Gabe says
It would be appreciated thanks in advance
Gabe says
Nvm ahhahaha thought my other comment got deleted so posted another sorry
dave says
why is the $400 pc more then 500 on amazon?
Brent Hale says
Hi Dave, thanks for reading and commenting.
The price I list just includes the parts you need for the components to build the tower.
There are a few optional items that are included when you go to Amazon. Of course, you can remove these optional items. But, you definitely need an operating system for the tower, which will cost an extra ~$90 or so if you’re going with Windows. (Although, there are free alternatives, like Linux, if you plan on playing Linux-friendly Steam games.)
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Zachary Thompson says
The 800 dollar pc is 953 dollars
Brent Hale says
Hi Zachary, thanks for reading and commenting.
The price I list just includes the parts you need for the components to build the tower.
There are a few optional items that are included when you go to Amazon. Of course, you can remove these optional items. But, you definitely need an operating system for the tower, which will cost an extra ~$90 or so if you’re going with Windows. (Although, there are free alternatives, like Linux, if you plan on playing Linux-friendly Steam games.)
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Zachary Thompson says
Hey will you update this guide when the new amd cards come out? Also have you tested these?
Brent Hale says
Hi Zachary, hope you’re doing well.
Yes, I will update this guide when the new AMD cards come out. The RX 480 should be available in a couple of days, but as has happened with the GTX 1070 and 1080, it’s very likely that the demand for the card could drive prices up and the availability could become limited very quickly.
Since I update the builds on a weekly basis it would be pretty much impossible to test every configuration (unless I was a billionaire!), but since in-game performance is mostly determined by the GPU (and the CPU to an extent) I can use up-to-date benchmarks to determine how well a certain set of parts will perform.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Gabe says
Brent do u think the 800 one could run BF1 max or close to max?
Brent Hale says
Hi Gabe, how’s it going?
Yes, the $800 build will easily be able to handle BF1 on max settings.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Gabe says
One more thing do u think the 800 can run bo3 with modded maps?
Daniel says
Hey , first of all I do not speak your lenguage ok ? I don’t speak english, don’t judge me but I still want to ask.I’m thinking in buying the 400$ build , but does it really worth it ? can I run batman arkham origins at max settings (1080p) 50 fps at least ? Or I rather wait and buy 500$ I just don’t want regrets.. If someone can answer my doubts, I would appreciate it.
Gabe says
500 if say but yeah
Brent Hale says
Hi Daniel, how’s it going?
Check out this video benchmark:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgdOSwTi-eM
That’s virtually the same setup as the $400 build and it is getting about ~40-50 FPS while recording.
If you want to ensure 50 FPS or more, the $500 build might be the better option. However, watching that video 40-50 FPS definitely seems playable.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
William says
HELP!!! I have the 500 dollar build with 8 gigabytes of ram installed, but when I go to can you run it, it says I only have 4 gigabytes!
Brent Hale says
Hi William, were you able to figure this issue out?
If not, do you have the two 4GB sticks installed right next to each other? If they are side-by-side, that could be causing the problem because the memory channels are usually offset like this:
http://sahinerbay.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/9yhqk.jpg
If you do have them side by side, try placing them in the same channel by matching the colors of the channel (there will be an open lane between each stick of RAM if done correctly.)
If that isn’t the problem, it’s possible that either the stick of RAM is bad, or the channel on the motherboard is bad.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you were able to find a solution or not.
All the Best,
Brent
Andre says
Hello again, I wanted to find out what the power consumption of the $700/$800 builds would be at idle mode and Max CPU mode. Thanks, whoever replies.
(btw Brent if you read this, I tried signing up to make an account but I didn’t get any confirmation emails. I’m going to try again to see If I can get in.)
Sir Apple says
I want to buy or make a gaming pc(400$). After looking at this site I had some questions such as can this connect with wifi? And this is a dumb one does it come with a monitor?
thanks :)
Andre says
Hey Man, the motherboards doesn’t come with wifi capability so go to this link to get one(http://amzn.to/28JrcAo
http://amzn.to/28Kp0rr)
And No, these builds do not come with monitors xD
Andre says
Thanks a lot Brent! I checked the links you sent and decided with the second one using USB 2.0 at 433MBs. Also I decided to just upgrade my build into the $800 one and wanted to find out from anyone IF THIS MONITOR: V7 L23600WHS-9N 59,9cm (23,6 inch) Monitor (HDMI, VGA, Full-HD, 5ms, Speakers, Energy Label A+) black. and this case: Thermaltake Versa N21 Translucent Panel ATX Mid Tower Window Gaming Computer Case Cases CA-1D9-00M1WN-00, ARE BOTH COMPATIBLE. Again thanks a lot for your help Brent.
Joel says
Does anyone know which one of these options will run Sims and Minecraft?
Andre says
Sims and Minecraft aren’t really demanding games so even the cheapest one should work (P.S Minecraft is kinda RAM dependable so just get like 8 GB of ram and you’re good)
Joel says
Thank you very much!
Andre says
Hello, I was wondering if I would need to buy a wifi card for(if anyone can recommend one, I would be grateful) the $700 build motherboard or if anyone can recommend another motherboard compatible with the $700 build and has wifi capabilities
Brent Hale says
Hey Andre, how’s it going?
If you’re not going to use a hardwired connection, then yes you will need a USB adapter. You can either get a USB adapter, which is very simple to setup, or you can get a PCIe adapter, which will provide a little bit more stable of a connection, but isn’t as easy to setup or as convenient to use (it’s still relatively easy, though)…
Here are two options that should do the trick:
http://amzn.to/28JrcAo
http://amzn.to/28Kp0rr
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
William says
Help! I need to know how to wire my motherboard! All of these pins are confusing!
Brent Hale says
Hi William, sorry for the delayed response.
If you haven’t figured out the wiring yet, your best bet is to check the motherboard’s manual as it will let you know where everything goes.
You can also use our build-guide to help you through the process, which can be found here:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/how-to-build-a-gaming-computer/
And, here is a good step-by-step video tutorial to help you out as well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIF43-0mDk4
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
William says
Is a micro atx cuboid tower compatible with the 500 dollar build? If so, how hard is it to gut a PC and put the parts into a new case?
xDeuiii says
For the $400 build:
1. I’m not sure if all parts will fit in my current case if ever I don’t get the one mentioned and I have no idea how to check which case I have. There’s literally nothing written on it.
2. Can I get more RAM with this build? If yes, should I get 2 of the RAM mentioned(for 8GB) or get another single one?
3. It’s my first time building a PC, so will all the necessary cables, screws, etc available when I purchase the parts?
Other: Can you recommend some good external hard drives please(links if possible).
Thanks in advance.
Brent Hale says
Hey xDeuiii, thanks for reading and commenting. Here are some answers/thoughts on your questions:
1. I’m assuming the case is from an older pre-built computer? If so, is there a model number of the computer? I can try and google that model number and see what form factor the case is.
Still, though, as the $400 build is a micro-ATX form factor, it should fit in most standard computer cases. If you have one of the slim-line computer cases, though, it will be a different story. You can also take a picture of your computer case (as well as the inside) and I should be able to deduct from that whether or not you can fit the $400 build inside of it.
2. Yes, you can definitely add more RAM. I would get the 8GB kit (2x4GB) that is linked to in the $500 builds and higher, as it will come out to less than buying two of the 4GB kits in the $400 build.
3. Everything you need to build the tower will come with the individual components. However, the operating system (Windows) is not included in the price and is needed. Also, cables for your monitor are also not included. So, if you don’t have a DVI or HDMI cable, you will need to get one as well.
Any of these external hard drives should work well: http://amzn.to/237pTxc
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
xDeuiii says
Well thank you. I’m sending you an email concerning the case with pictures, hopefully you can figure out with these.
Another question, if I have to change a part in the build like CPU or PSU for example, what should I take into consideration when making changes for each part? I know it’s a long thing to write but I really need this, I live in Mauritius and PC parts are not easily available here so I have to compromise on some parts. Just send me an email(I will already be sending you one concerning the case) if it’s too long to type in here.
Also, I’m getting problems validating my email address. I’ve not received the confirmation email even after re-sending a few times or changing email.
Steven says
I’m looking at the $800 build and I was wondering if an SSD would be ok to add or if it is even necessary to add to your build. I’m new to building PC’s but I wanted to start since I have a decent budget to spend on a PC. I read some articles on how an SSD helps the PC run/start up a little faster. Please educate me if I’m wrong… I’m a noob to this. Thanks in advance.
yooo says
SSDs doesn’t just help your os startup faster but all the programs/ games you install on the ssd load faster than putting it on the hdd. I mean if you don’t really care how fast it boot up windows or load up application/ games then it isn’t really necessary but if you do then go for it since you aren’t really on a budget. Good Luck on your build!
Brent Hale says
Hi Steven, hope you’re doing well!
Yes, you can definitely add an SSD. If you can do without a ton of storage space, you can even forego the 1TB hard drive completely and just get a ~250GB SSD instead. Then, when you need more storage, you can always add the traditional hard drive later (or another SSD).
As Yooo said, an SSD will help everything load faster. It won’t give you higher FPS, but it does make the system feel much faster than if it were installed on a traditional HDD.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Willy says
I’m looking at the $400 build and I’m wondering If it will be able to play CS:GO on max graphics at 50-60 fps. If not on full max will it run on at least mostly max settings? I don’t really NEED a new PC right now (though my old one is pretty awful) and I can always upgrade to the $500 build, though I’d prefer not too. Thanks for your response in advance.
That Guy says
Lol my shitty laptop can run csgo at 50 fps at medium settings. A 400$ build should defo get you enough fps and highest settings, it is only csgo after all.
Console2PcPLSHALP says
Um heya, looking at 600$ to 700$ but not really sure if i’ll be able to build it, can anyone help me build them? thanks in advance!
ayyy says
It pretty simple to build a pc, it just looks really intimidating because I didn’t really know where to start but i would recommend you to look up a lot of youtube videos, reddit, and google is your best friend lol but trust me you will be able to build it!
Brent Hale says
Hey Console2PcPLSHALP, how’s it going?
As Ayyy said, building a PC is really not as difficult as it seems. And, there are a ton of resources out there that will take you through the building process step-by-step.
You can get our step-by-step guide here:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/how-to-build-a-gaming-computer/
And, if you prefer a video, this is probably the best computer-building tutorial around:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIF43-0mDk4
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Brent Hale says
Hey Willy, hope you’re doing well!
Yes, the $400 build should be able to handle CS:GO fairly easily. Since the $400 build has a GTX 950, the link to the video below will give you an idea of what kind of FPS you’ll be able to get on a 1080p monitor on higher settings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iKCKfosP4w
That build had an i5-6400, which is better than the FX-6300 in the $400 build, but the difference isn’t so much that it will force you to drop your settings or lower your framerate.
So, ultimately, I’d say you can expect to play on max settings on a 1080p monitor with at least 100 FPS at all times.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
xDeuiii says
Will all necessary parts come with the products purchased like screws, wires etc? It’s my first time building my own pc.
Tyler K. says
What is the least expensive computer that you would get to play Arma 3 on medium graphics? What about high or even ultra? Please answer as soon as possible I’m desperate!!
Austin says
So I made the $700 build and all of the lights and fans are running but I have no picture when I use an HDMI cord to my monitor. Could anyone give me any ideas on how to fix this?
Zac says
Did you plug your monitor into the MOBO? You may need to install the drivers before you can use the GPU. Otherwise, I’ve seen other people with this problem on other forums who have either cables that aren’t seated properly, or they bent a pin when installing the CPU.
Daisetsuu says
Hello I’m looking at the 600 build, can I connect to Tv via HDMI with this build? THank yoU!!!
Kevin says
Yes you will be able to plug a hdmi into the gpu(graphics card)
Daisetsuu says
This is really urgent, I’m looking to purchase the $600 build but I want to know if I build this will I be able to connect to an hdmi to my TV?
Please answers and thank you soooo much man, you have no idea what a lifesaver you are!
Anonymous says
I’m not Brent, but I know that the $600 build will be able to connect to a TV, as long as your TV has an HDMI input and the cable is long enough. :)
Musa Kabir says
Can you give me an estimated time that the 800$ build could last, also can you give me a couple of examples of games it would be able to play at top settings. Perhaps like the witcher or arc on a 1,920×1,080 1440p monitor.
Trees says
You need to update the prices, I am going to buy the “$600 build” even though the list is $759 on Amazon now. I also want to know more about how the motherboard affects game performance, because it is never listed in system requirements for games.
Aj Dansie says
I really like your work…I am getting my first build, and I intend to get the 800 dollar set. How can I choose the right case, if I don’t like that one you chose? I would prefer an easily modulated case, with lots of expansion in the future. (I wouldn’t mind SOME eye candy). I will also be moving around sometimes, so having a good grip/handle would be nice. If you know of any good cases that meet this, let me know (I know that YOU of all people can.)
Thanks, Aj D
William says
Help! Is the EVGA Nvidia GEForce GTX 960 2gb GDDR5 compatible with the 500 dollar build? I need to know!
Kaleb says
Yes it’s compatible. But if you get a gtx 960 get the 4gb version if you can. For only $20 more (last time I checked) it’s worth it. I have the Msi gtx 960 4gb oc edition and it pretty well maxes out all modern games (I have to reduce a few things in elite dangerous and Ark: survival evolved). But you’ll be happy with the 960 either way, the 4gb version will just allow you to run more settings. Hope that helps!
DJ says
So I finished the $800 build and it starts tbe fans spin but nothing else happens did I do it wrong or do you think one of my parts was Dead on Arrival
Juan says
Is your $600 PC build capable of playing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt?
If yes, on what settings?
Please and Thank You.
Bridget says
I was looking at the parts list for the $800 build and I just wanted to know if I would need to add a CPU cooler since it is not specified on the list.
Johan Ehrhardt says
No there comes a stock cooler with the CPU :)
Kevin says
You should be good with the stock cooler cause you cant really overclock with that cpu
Jason says
Brent, thank you for this awesome site. My son wanted a decent computer for his graduation, so we went with the $500 build with only one change, I went with an EVGA 500W power supply for only a few bucks more. This was my first build and I made one major oops…..forgot the motherboard standoffs so of course it wouldn’t fire. Tore it apart, installed the standoffs, rebuilt, and this thing is a low budget beast! My son is amazed at the performance compared to our plain Jane home computer. Now he can play LOL and CS:GO with a little more pride. :) Thanks again, you saved me a ton of research and anxiety.
Zac says
Im looking at the $500 build and was wondering something. I live outside the country so i will be having everything shipped to me. for that reason, i was thinking of going caseless. Is there anything i would need to add (fans, etc) to this build to make it work without the case? Also, are these builds able to be upgraded as we decide to buy better components or would the whole thing need to be scrapped to upgrade it?
Question says
In the $700 build who don’t have to buy a cpu cooler?
Question says
We*
Johan Ehrhardt says
No there comes a stock cooler with the CPU :)
William says
Help! I ordered the x2 4gb crucial ballistix ram and they don’t lock into the gigabyte 78lmt-usb3 motherboard perfectly! Is this normal or did I buy the wrong parts? I’m trying to make the 500$ build and these two components are from the same part list for that build!
Brent Hale says
Hi William, sorry you’re having problems.
I’m not too sure why the RAM isn’t fitting into the motherboard, as the RAM/MOBO combo on the $500 are compatible with each other. But if you want to send me pictures of your setup, the RAM, and the motherboard I’ll take a look and see if I can’t figure out what the issue is.
My email is bhale@elitegamingcomputers.com.
Just make sure that you send me clear pictures of the RAM, the motherboard, as well as a closeup of the RAM not fitting properly in the slot.
Hopefully we can get to the bottom of it ASAP!
All the Best,
Brent
Juan says
Quick question. I am connecting the pc to a TV via hdmi. I don’t see hdmi outputs on motherboard or video card on $300 build
Tony says
Id like to get whichever would run mx vs atv reflex the best while also being the cheapest option. Not really a computer guy can anyone recommend which would work? Thanks!
Rambew says
Hello,
I am looking for a build that can max out games such as Fallout 4, The Witcher 3, and Saints Row IV on a 1600×900 monitor at 60 FPS.
Thanks!
Oreo says
Okay so im looking at the 400 build and I’ll probably get a bigger HDD and better Motherboard and RAM but i was wondering if the cass matters. I will probably stick with the one given but just wondering if I change my mind and want to pick a better looking one.
Oreo says
Case*
Johan Ehrhardt says
You use any case as long as it supports a micro atx motherboard
Bigmoco says
I made a computer build you suggested over a year ago and I was wondering how do I go about cleaning it?
Kaleb says
Unplug all your fans so you don’t fry anything and spray it with compressed air. If you use an air compressor don’t use excessive force and if you buy cans of compressed air at a store don’t turn them upside down while you’re spraying. Liquid propellant will shoot out on your computer. If you want to take off your cpu fan to clean it you probably wouldn’t hurt anything but you would also have to clean off thermal paste and reapply because your heatsink would most likely fall off too. Don’t forget any filters built into the case either. Anyway good luck with cleaning.
William says
Does anyone know if there is a 5.25 inch cd/dvd optical disc drive compatible with windows 10? I really want to add a disc drive to the $500 build and i don’t know what drive to buy.
Eric says
I got the gtx 960 and the GA 78LMT. Will I need a 6 pin adapter or anything like it? Some reviewer say that it doesn’t include it.
Jake says
I was wondering if you could update to show some options for the new Skylake LGA1151 Intel proccessors?
Duke says
Built the $600 build above and so far I am happy with the results. I have made minor changes to computers before but never built one from parts. It took about 5 hours and ran with the first try. I had to adjust the cpu fan speed and target temp (because of fan noise) but from there it has just run.
Note: Build price doesn’t include optional items such as Windows 10 (~85 dollars)
Darren Brown says
Hi I was going to buy a pre built PC however this guide looks good my only problem is im UK based what are my options?
ty says
could you pleaseee make me a 750$ build in the Canadian verison off Amazon it needs windows 10 and a keyboard no mouse or mouse pad needed thanks so much :)
Josh says
If the build doesn’t come with a cpu cooler why do you need the thermal paste?
Per says
Seems like Windows 7 or Windows 10 is required to play all these games, yet the price of these systems are not calculated into the budget. What is the best/cheapest way of getting these operating systems?
Currently if you picked a budget of $400, you will have to look at the $300 budget because you need to add the $100 price of windows to your build?
Am i missing something here or is the whole OS/Windows section missing somehow? Also the link in the cheap builds to install from USB doesn’t work
Race says
Kinguin
Jordan says
Do you know where I can get a pc built at after I buy all the parts listed for it
Jerry says
If your in NE, USA I could help.
Jeff says
How do I get the $600 build connected to the Internet? I don’t know much about computers, but I don’t see anything in these parts that suggests these computers can connect to the Internet?
MAK says
The mother board has a port for internet connection or you can buy a usb wireless adapter.
Jeff says
Thank you for the help! Does anyone have a recommendation for a wireless adapter? I bought one a while back for my previous desktop and it was total crap :(
Bob says
Does the $800 computer have an internet port?
DJ says
Ethernet only
Race says
What is used for cooling for these computers thx
MAK says
Most CPUs ship with a fan as well as the case.
Race says
Is changing cases in the 800$ to the nxt case i problem i just like it better thx and awesome guide life saver
VRP says
Thanks so much for your work, I started with the $600 build but modified it a bit, added a monitor and ended up with a little over $600 somewhat lower video card but definately an upgrade from where I’ve been and since I’m no hard core gamer, I think the GTX 950 will do nicely, also added a larger 2TB hd for my wife’s pictures storage.
sean says
is this site real or scam
vrp says
Real, It gives recommendations for purchases available mostly if not exclusively from Amazon.com
Snapperz says
It is real, the idea is awesome, only ish I’m having is that it seems all prices are $60-$100 more than what the author states. Still a great guideline though…..might be useful in conjunction with other similar sites.
MAK says
Computer parts prices change on a daily basis.
stori says
hey do you guys have a satisfaction garunteed system aswell do you have a payment plan option
Alejandro says
Hello i got a question.. i want to get to the 500$ computer… But i want to upgrade the ram from 8gb to 16gb(2x8gb) it is possible ?
Thanks! :)
Jason says
on the $300 build on amazon it says it will cost me around $400 dollars :(
Pcmr says
Pirating an os is always an option. I was tempted to when microsoft support told me my hard drive was broken.(I was building my computer and using my old hard drive)….he should have known the key is stored in the cpu.
Jamie O says
Hi, I just clicked on the install OS from USB in the $300 list, and it gave me a 404 error. You might want to check the link.
Dakota P. says
Hello i have a quick question on the 470-530 build. i have all the parts however I’m stuck as to how the power supply connects to everything else i have the 2×4 power connector and the 2×12 connector on as well as the cpu and sys fans connected however I’m stuck at the IDE connector and SATA connectors part i’m not sure what to do the SATA connectors don’t seem to be the right size as the ones on the motherboard. any help would be appreciated if you could either email me or skype me it would help.(cloudstrifed@yahoo.com/d.peters1996)
Dana says
Do these builds include all the necessary components, including assorted cables and everything? Or are you assuming some basic level of computer building knowledge where you might leave out some things assuming people will know to get those? The reason I ask is, if I have an assortment of parts in front of me, I’m pretty confident that I could put everything together. But if you left out some things in your lists above, I wouldn’t know what was missing. Thank you for doing this, by the way. It’s very helpful.
idab710 says
As long as u buy everything new and not used parts it will include everything needed. I built the 400$ build last year my mistake was buying a used msi mobo it did not include anything that a brand new mobo included. Eg cover,spare speaker part, etc. So id get everything brand new instead of saving a buck or two on used garbage because it definitely wont include everything needed
Marcelo says
I’m thinking of upgrading my computer. Currently its a cheap build that will upgraded, but what should I improve first?
These are my PC specs:
CPU: Intel Pentium g3258
Motherboard: Gigabyte B85M-D3H
GPU: evga geforce gtx 730
RAM: 4 GB
Power Supply: Antec VP-450w
I was thinking that I should upgrade my GPU to a Nvidia gtx 960 (or 950), and possibly my RAM from 4 to 8 GB. Also will my power supply be able to handle the GPU I mentioned above. Or would other parts be better to upgrade. Thanks!
Chris L says
Also, which of the video cards would be good for those games?
Brent Hale says
Hi Chris, how’s it going? You can get a 1080p monitor for about $90 if you’re working with a tight budget:
http://amzn.to/1pRDGJV
As for the $300 build… you might struggle with Shadow of Mordor and you’d have to play the other two on lower settings. I’d recommend getting at least the $400 build as that will handle those games and let you play on medium to high settings.
A GTX 950 is a good bet for these games if you want a budget friendly video card that will play them on medium to high settings.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Chris L says
Are there any moniters that you would recommend getting? And would the $300 build run with Skyrim, Shadows Of Mordor, and World Of Warcraft?
jaypee says
how come the first 2 build have “install OS from USB” while the others below it require ODD? do they require ODD’s? or can i install the OS from a USB also?
Brent Hale says
Hi Jaypee, how’s it going?
You can install your OS from a USB and so I figured I’d encourage that on the two cheaper builds in order to save some money to put into other parts. However, on the higher budgets, where there is a little more money to spend, the $18 that a DVD drive costs isn’t as significant.
But, yes, if you want to get one of the more expensive builds and save ~$20, you can definitely install your OS with a USB drive using the directions in the link provided.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Chris L. says
Thanks for the help. this clears up a a lot of things
Michael Hendricksen says
Dude! you did not list he Sound Card for the builds, or the CPU cooler! So how do we know what are compatible with these builds
Brent Hale says
Hey Michael, how’s it going?
The sound card is built into the motherboard and, for the most part, is good enough to not require a stand-alone sound card. And, each CPU comes with the stock CPU cooler.
You can definitely add a third party sound card and cooler, though, if you want premium sound and a little bit better thermals on your CPU. But, the stock sound and CPU cooler should get the trick done.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Ryan Jon says
I am thinking about getting the $800 build. Is it good or should i change up a few pieces?
Brent Hale says
Hey Ryan, how’s it going?
The $800 build can pretty much max out any game currently available at 1080p and 1440p and will even serve as an entry-level machine for 4K gaming. And, it meets the requirements for the Oculus Rift as well.
You could always switch it up to get the case you want, or to add more RAM/storage, etc., though. But as far as in-game performance goes, that’s about as good as you can get for $800 (unless, of course, you shop on different sites and get that price even lower.)
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!
Best,
Brent
josh says
i want to do the buikld with the i5 the $800 built.Im looking at cases as the one listed isnt available via amazon. do I need to get a case with the power supply or no? for the Corsair Carbide SPEC-01? thanks
Oscar Flores says
If we buy all these parts to build it. Where do we find HOW to build it. I’m not an expert in this plz help
David says
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIF43-0mDk4
Jacob says
Can you make a budget keyboard and monitor addition to this?
Cody says
Hey Brent! Great article. Two things that I wanted to ask you about are what the specs look like for the completed PC of the $500 and $600 variety, and also where I could find directions on how to actually put the PC together once I bought all your listed components. I’ve never worked on a PC before and as much as I’d love to get the bargain by buying the pieces, I’d be too scared to do that without knowing in advance that I have the dummy-proof plan on how to put it all together and knowing how long it would take. Thanks!
David says
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIF43-0mDk4
Mitchell says
Is the any fire strike score for the PC or some kind of benchmarks.
Brandon says
The prices for these aren’t accurate. The $700 build should be more around $850 to $900. And the $500 should be around $650.
Brandon says
Is building my own PC something that I already have to be knowledgeable about, or is there a guide for putting everything together? This is definitely something I would look more into doing if I knew more about how to do it.
Allan says
There are tons of tutorials on how to build PC’s on YouTube, but building it with a friend or relative who knows more about building PC’s are a great help and can speed up the process.
Dylan says
Elite gaming computers has a guide on this website, and Newegg TV on youtube has a good video
Jake says
Hi Brent and others!
I’m new to PC building and wanted to upgrade from my old laptop because it’s not cutting it for what I need.
I’ll be doing some heavy video editing using Corel VideoStudio X8 Ultimate, live streaming with xSplit and YouTube, and medium to high 1080p gaming. I’m wondering which build would suit my needs on a budget. Any suggestions?
Thank you!
Jake says
So I’ve been eyeing the $770-8$830 build for a while, but the price was closer to $950 at the time. I don’t know if Amazon glitched or what, but it’s listed at $650 right now… That’s a steal.
Jake says
Wait, nevermind. The GPU wasn’t listed because it’s not available anymore. Bummer.
David says
Hi,
Can i use this motherboard instead of the gigabyte one recommended in the $600 build? The reason is because there is a 2 week shipping wait time for the gigabyte whereas I can get this asus one sooner. Will I be losing out on anything?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008V9959O/ref=psdc_1048424_t1_B008RPZ5SC
David says
Also can I use this PSU instead of the 600W
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H33SFJU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00H33SFJU&linkCode=as2&tag=pcbuonabu-20&linkId=HI5XGZ7FNAEU4RQK
David says
Actually that has a wait time as well. Can I use the Antec 450w?
Mark says
I don’t know if this question was already asked, but, are these builds upgrade friendly?
Jesse says
For the $500 build…can I plug in a SSD instead of the 1TB? If so, is it worth it and what would you go with? Thanks!
Brent Hale says
Hey Jesse, how’s it going?
Yes, you can definitely go with an SSD over the 1TB hard drive if you don’t mind spending more for less storage space. Ultimately, an SSD will increase your boot and load times and is a great addition to any system, so if you want to swap the traditional hard drive for an SSD, you can definitely do so.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Jesse says
Brent, it goes well but I’m not sure what to do for gaming systems. I’m considering standing two of the $500 systems up. With cost in mind, what SSD would you plug into the $500 system? I don’t need much more than gaming storage and can always pick up an external.
Thanks!
Caleb says
Hi,
I bought and assembled a version of your 800$ build from a week or two ago.
intel core i5-4590 3.3 ghz
gigabye GA H97M D3H
crucial ballistix sport 8gb
crucial BX200 240GB
gigabyte Gefore GTX 970
Bibo Case V02
antec high current gamer 520 W
samsung Sh-224DB
(I did do some fussing with the components and it is possible that I switched something that I shouldn’t have — I lay no blame here)
The build includes an antec high current gamer 520 W power supply and a gigabye GA H97M D3H graphics card. If I boot the computer without the graphics card all goes well, and I was able to install windows. When I add the graphics card add plug my monitor into that, I get no video signal. There is power going to the card (the fans work). In researching the problem I see that the graphics card needs a 550W power supply. Is this my problem, or should this power supply work and I’ve done something else wrong? Any insight would be appreciated.
Brent Hale says
Hey Caleb, sorry you’re having problems. The Antec 520W is definitely enough to power the GTX 970, so the problem shouldn’t be there. I just sent you an email and I will try to help you get to the bottom of the issue so you can start gaming.
Marissa says
Do you think the $300 build would be good for light video editing? I’m talking about downloading gameplay clips off various websites, compiling them together and editing them with a free video editor like Lightworks and adding music for YouTube. Based on the research I’ve done, it seems like I might need a slightly more powerful processor but I’m not really sure how to compare them.
Ian says
Absolutely….you will need a more powerful CPU for video editing but whether or not you really want one depends on how often you will do light editing. A comprehensive program like Lightworks really needs some horsepower behind it. You might want to check out their forums to get recommendations. One thing you will find in video editing is that the CPU is far more important than a GPU. Gaming is somewhat the reverse. I use a i7-4790k in my multimedia work. But I’m looking for a graphic card now so I don’t have to play War Thunder on minimum settings.
Marissa says
Thank you for the response, I really appreciate it!
Brent Hale says
Hi Marissa, how’s it going?
I tend to agree with what you have read in that you would be better off with a more powerful processor. I’m sure you could do what you want to do with the $300 build, but it likely won’t be as smooth of a process as you’d like it to be.
The good thing about the $300 build though is that it has a good upgrade path and that later down the road you can upgrade to an Intel Core i5 CPU, which will make what you want to do much easier.
Ultimately, while I’d love to say that you’ll be fine, the reality is that you’d be better off saving up a couple of hundred extra dollars or so. If you absolutely can’t wait, though, then I would say you can somewhat make do with the $300 build until you can save up for a better CPU/GPU.
Hope this gives you a better idea of what decision to make. Let me know if you have any other questions!
All the Best,
Brent
Caleb says
Hi,
I’m looking to build the 800$ model you’ve recommended above. You’ve included a 1TB HDD and I’d like to add a ~120 GB SDD for software and the OS. What would an appropriate choice (the mobo you’ve listed is the Gigabyte GA-H97-HD3)? Alternatively, I could add a larger SDD ~256GB and maybe add a larger HDD later for data storage. Do you have a favorite model?
Thank you,
Caleb
Dan A. says
can $400 build run farcry primal wit medium graphics
Brent Hale says
Hey Dan, how’s it going? I haven’t played FC Primal, but from a couple of benchmarks I’ve seen, it looks like the GTX 950 holds up pretty well. It was averaging about ~35 FPS on a 1080p monitor. So, you could probably play Primal on high settings (but probably not max) with the $400 build.
Hopefully this answer isn’t too late, and if it is, I hope you found the answer you were looking for!
All the Best,
Brent
Kolter says
I just made my purchase on amazon! I went with the $600 build and came to a total of $911.42. That’s including a monitor that is pretty expensive, mouse, keyboard and mouse pad. I’m so excited to get on to my journey of computer gaming and I really just wanted to give a big thanks to Brent for helping me out. Without this site helping me figure out what type of computer I wanted and giving me the confidence to actually build my own computer, I don’t know if I ever would have. So just a big thank you!
GLHF
-Kolter
Brent Hale says
Hey Kolter, that’s awesome! Glad to hear! Hopefully the build went smoothly.
If you have pictures and you get a chance, I’d love to see the build!
All the Best,
Brent
Alex says
I see that thermal paste is optional for your 800$ build. What is the thermal paste used for? Where is it applied?
chris says
I would always recommend buying a good quality thermo paste. Some CPUs come with it already on(not usually the case). The CPU will come with some in a tube. This is usually low quality(good enough) paste. You can get much lower temps on your CPU when using a good quality, like 10 degrees celsius idle temp less in some cases. If you plan on overclocking, get it. If not, then don’t worry about it.
You do need to put a half of a pea sized amount of thermo paste on the top center of your cpu before you mount the cooling fan/heatsync. you want to have just enough to create a thin layer of the paste in between the mount’s surface that contacts the CPU. The less the better. It’s actually better to put less, than too much. Too much will spill out onto your motherboard. It’s the part I hate doing the most when building. Watch a youtube video. Again, it’s a half of a green pea sized amount on the center top surface of the CPU(after you’ve mounted the CPU in it’s socket, and locked down the lever. Do not spread it. Just mount the cooler on top using even pressure, and you should be fine. DO NOT use too much. You will be fine if you follow that.
happy building!
Cody says
Is there a reason the link for the motherboard isn’t responding for the 400 and 500 dollar builds?
chris says
bad link
http://www.amazon.com/Asus-Desktop-Motherboard-Chipset-M5A78L-M/dp/B0054U7HIO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1456524593&sr=8-1&keywords=ASUS+M5A78L-M%2FUSB3
Paul says
Total n00b question. Do motherboards have wifi built in these days or do you need to buy a specific wifi card? I bought the $600 build above. Thanks!
chris says
No worries about being a noob question. We all start somewhere, and build from there. That particular motherboard doesn’t come with wifi.
Something like this would be good.
http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WDN4800-Wireless-Express-Low-profile/dp/B007GMPZ0A/ref=sr_1_6?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1456436497&sr=1-6&keywords=wifi+adapter
Paul says
Great! Thanks so much for all of your help. Hopefully I’ll have it all assembled this weekend. I’ll be crossing my fingers when I turn it on. heh.
chris says
Good luck bud. Watch a youtube tutorial while you’re doing it. I find them helpful. The hardest part in my opinion is making sure all the plugged are in that need to be before turning it on. I forget to plug in the power to the motherboard almost every time. It makes my heart skip a beat when the LED light flashes on and off, until I notice the problem, and fix it.
chris says
Keep in mind you can pick out whatever wifi adapter you want, as long as it will fit in a PCI slot, or a PCI express 2.0 x1. The x1 is important, as it’s the tiny slots on the motherboard above your x16 slots that your GPU goes in. A lot of people prefer their wifi cards to be PCI on these boards though, because you have more room on the bottom slots under the GPU. It’s entirely up to you.
Cole says
I would recommend that if you’re on a budget and want the best value to consider eBay. On eBay you can get a GTX 580 for $80 – $90 which has same the processing power (!) as the GTX 950. And then you could buy more RAM because 4gb of ram isn’t really enough for this CPU.
Brandon says
Hi, I’m back for the third time, with one more quick question. What games would my computer be able to handle? Or maybe, what games wouldn’t my computer be able to handle? So far, all of the games I have can be played with about 150 fps on ultra settings, but none of my games are very demanding. Kind of a random question, just want to know the limits of my pc. :)
chris says
For what build?
Brandon says
Sorry, I forgot to leave the build. Here it is:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/T9JD6h
Thanks!
Nathan says
Soooooo, as well as having no experience in pc building, i really want to build a low budget pc that will serve my time while playing games like cs:go. So, what is the best gaming pc i can build out of around $350 including keyboard and monitor? Please help :)
Thanks!
chris says
It depends on what’s more important to you. If you want better graphics, you would want to get a 750ti instead of that 740. I ran all the newer titles with that GPU on reasonable frame rates on High. If you want more speed, you might be able to buy a 125gb ssd to put the OS and games on. Otherwise, you can buy another 4gb of ram, and have a little bit left over for a windows 7 disc. The price of the OS isn’t included with the build price. You can get a copy of win7 for $45 right now, and upgrade to 10 for free later. Otherwise you will need to install something Linux based. Honestly, I like Linux, but the game support lacks for it big time. You will want Windows for sure. Just something to keep in mind.
Paul says
So clearly I have no experience building systems, though I’ve replaced a few components like RAM and video cards over the years. I bought the $600 system items above and as most of them have arrived I notice a lack of cabling to tie it all together. For example, the wire that plugs the drive into the mother board. Is it assumed I’d have all that stuff already? If so, can you recommend the proper items? If it all comes with the case then my question is moot, as I haven’t received that yet.
Thanks!
chris says
It should come with everything you need. Although you may need a left or right angle sata cable. They are only a few bucks on amazon. You may want to have one of each handy in case you need it.
Brandon says
Most cables come w/ the power supply. Check that, but if they aren’t there I don’t know what to tell you.
CASEY says
i checked other websites and they say that all builds need coolers.. i don’t see that on your build guides… what would be a good one for a 500 dollar build
Brandon says
You only need external coolers if you will be doing overclocking, otherwise you won’t need them. The processor comes with it’s own fan, and some cases have built-in fans. :)
Jenni says
Hey Brent it’s Jenni again. I have the $700-800 build. I spent hours putting it together and now I’m having power problems. Nothing is turning on. I plugged in the antec 520, nothing and nothing on mono is working. Any tips?
chris says
I had that same problem. The power led light would flash on and then turn off right away. If that’s happening, there is a power cable that has to hook into your motherboard. Make sure that’s plugged in. It’s a small kind of hard to spot plugin. You will most likely need it well lit to see it.
lemon says
why won’t add gtx 960 4 gb instead of 2 gb version ? I heard that 4gb version won’t last long and has no benefit over 2gb version . is this true?
chris says
The 960 4gb is a waste. It only benchmarks slightly higher that it’s 2gb clone, unless you are playing on higher resolutions. Even then, the 960 doesn’t handle anything much more than 1080p. If you want to play in 1440p, you will need to get a 390 or a 980 if you want to get decent fps.
Brandon says
Hi Brent, I left a comment earlier but forgot to ask one more question. If I add a video card to my build, will I need any additional fans or cables or anything else? The case I have comes with two, but this is the first computer I built so I am kind of new to all of this.
Here is the part list:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/pcGyJx
Thanks again!
Brandon says
Nevermind, I figured it out. :)
Tanner Ness says
Just purchesed the 700 dollar build. I assembled it last night and will be doing drivers, cable management etc today. After doing so i will make a video showcase of the build. This was my first PC build and it wasn’t that hard.
Tips for this build:
-If you have trouble getting all 4 screws in the case for the powersupply, screw in the top left on first. Thats what i did and it worked out fine
-If “Card Reader” front panel connector goes in one of the Usb outlets on the mother board, not with the rest of the front panels
-The GTX 970 uses the 2nd and 3rd back slots, not the 1st.
Overall it wasn’t that hard for a first time build. Id Recommend it
chris says
Congrats man!
Max says
Hello Brent I have two questions. One I am thinking about getting the 700$ build. Would this build be able to have all current games on ultra settings. And two since I have a wireless router could i add in this internal router to the build GIGABYTE 802.11AC Wi-Fi . Thnx
Dexter says
Built my first PC from this site and I am very thankful and happy with the layout and simplicity this site makes it to build one within a specific budget. I went for the $600 build but I changed some stuff for my liking.
Specs:
CPU – AMD FX-8320 8-Core Black Edition ($139.99)
GPU – EVGA GeForce GTX 960 SSC ACX 2.0 4GB ($229.99)
MOBO – ASUS M5A97 LE R2.0 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard ($61.90)
RAM – Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR3 1600 (PC3-12800) ($37.99)
HDD – Segate 1TB Desktop HDD SATA 6Gb/s ($50.44)
PSU – Cosair CX600 600W ($64.99)
Optical Drive – Samsung SATA 1.5 Gb-s ($18.99)
Case – Thermaltake Versa H22 ($44.99)
TOTAL w/o TAX = $649.28
Extremely happy with the build. Performs extremely well at 1080p at max setting on most games. I get around 150-300 FPS on League of Legends, 60 FPS on Blade and Soul, 120-150 FPS on CS:GO, etc.
I do want to upgrade to a EVGA GTX GeForce 970 ACX 2.0 later on because it does perform way better than the 960 but no need to now.
Dexter says
I didn’t know there was a cap set at 60 on Blade and Soul but I get around 60-100 on it after disabling the cap limit.
chris says
The 960 is a great GPU. I would recommend waiting until Nvidia releases their 1000 series near the 3rd/4th quarter of this year. It should drop the price tag of the 970 by some, or there will be a new card for that $325 price tag that’s better than the 970 by that point.
Seth says
CPU AMD FX-6300
MOBO ASUS M5A78L-M/USB3
GPU Gigabyte GTX 950
RAM Crucial Ballistix Sport 4GB
HDD Seagate 250 GB
CASE Rosewill Dual Fans
PSU Antec VP-450W
Do i have to use the standoffs?
Skye says
Hey since I can’t register to the forum I’ll just ask for help here. So I originally planned to get the $400-500 computer
however some of the parts listed aren’t allowed to be delivered where I lived so I decided to put together one myself.
So far I got:
CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5Ghz 6-Core
MOBO: ASUS M5A97-R2 970 AM3 DDR3 Motherboard
RAM: Kingston HyperX FURY Blue HX318C10FK2/8 8G Kit (4Gx2) DDR3 1866MHz Desktop Ram
and I don’t know what to get for the graphics card, The website I’m buying my parts in is msy.com.au
Jenni says
Intel Core i7
Gigabyte H97 Extreme
EVGA GTX 970
Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB
Seagate 1 TB
VIVO Mid Tower
Antec HCG 520W
Do you have a walk through build guide for the $800 build, i managed to get most of the connectors on but i’m confused with the Geforce connections. This is only my second computer build, but I’d prefer some better instructions on the connections. I cant figure out where to plug the Geforce connectors on the Antec supply,
Brent Hale says
Hi Jenni, sorry you’re having trouble.
On the Antec HCG 520W, there are four red ports that say PCI-E/HDD. Take the two PCIe 8(6+2)-pin PCIe connectors and plug one end into the red ports on the power supply and both of the PCIe connectors into the video card.
So, plug the 10-pin side of the PCIe connectors into the red slots on this picture:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71MHgHCYiKL._SL1280_.jpg
And, then plug the two PCIe 8(6+2)-pin connectors into the video card’s PCIe connection ports here:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/PCIePort.png
You’ll either have two 6-pin ports on your video card or an 8-pin port and a 6-pin port. In any case, the extra two pins on the PCIe connector don’t have to be plugged in if there are only 6-pins on the port. For instance, if it’s two 6-pin ports, you’d plug both PCIe connectors in and the extra two pins would hang freely.
If it is an 8-pin and 6-pin port, then you’ll plug in all 8-pins of one of the 8(6+2)-pin and the other one you’ll just plug in the 6-pins and the other two will hang freely.
Hopefully this makes sense! If it does not, you can email me at bhale@elitegamingcomputers.com and I will help walk you through it!
All the Best,
Brent
Cameron says
Could you also suggest a similar mobo for the $800 build that includes USB 3.0 ports
Brent Hale says
Hey Cameron, how’s it going?
The motherboard in the $800 build does have USB 3.0 ports on the back and a USB 3.0 header on the board. But if you’re just looking for alternatives, here are a couple:
ASRock H97M PRO4 (http://amzn.to/1QhCtHU)
Gigabyte GA-H97-HD3 (http://amzn.to/1XtRo18)
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Cameron says
Just wondering if the Intel i5 CPU for the $800 build comes with a cooling fan. The only reason I ask is I see the item list includes thermal paste, and from watching the video above I assumed the paste would only be required for aftermarket coolers as the fans included with the CPUs had the paste already applied. This may be a stupid question sorry, this will be my first build. Awesome article btw.
Brent Hale says
Hey Cameron!
The i5 CPU on the $800 build comes with the stock cooling fan that is included with the processor. The thermal paste is optional and you can definitely use the pre-applied thermal pad on the heatsink. However, if you want to get better conductivity the third party thermal paste will help you do so. It’s not absolutely necessary, but some builders like to remove the pad and go with paste instead.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!
All the Best,
Brent
mushfiq says
I just wonderring which aftermarket graphics card will last long . which has the best build quality among asus msi or gigabyte gtx 950 ?
Brent Hale says
Hey mushfiq, how’s it going?
Any of those three will get the job done. There’s nothing really definitive out there that suggests any of those three brands will last longer than the others. The ASUS Direct CU II cooler is often regarded as one of the better coolers, but then again, MSIs Twin Frozr is no slouch either.
I would go with whichever one is more affordable, because you will likely need to upgrade your GPU long before you run them to their grave (assuming they aren’t faulty).
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Kolter says
Hi! Newcomer to PC gaming and looking to do my first PC build. Big fan of CS:GO and have been playing on my laptop that I use for college. As I’m sure you can guess I don’t get the best experience from doing so. I’m looking at doing the $600 build and was wondering if you had any tips for new PC gamer’s (best place to start, what accessories to buy, ect.) and if the $600 build would be right for someone who is just getting into PC gaming. I’ve always been a gamer, just not on PC and would like a solid platform to start on. This site has already helped me out a lot and I’d also like to thank you for that. Cheers!
-Kolter
Brent Hale says
Hey Kolter, thanks for reading and commenting! The $600 PC will be a great entry-level gaming PC. You could even drop down to the $500 PC and get similar performance.
The first thing you’ll want to do is to get an idea of the building process (if you haven’t already.) You can read through our guide, which can be downloaded here:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/how-to-build-a-gaming-computer/
And you can watch many of the free building tutorials on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIF43-0mDk4
That will give you a solid idea of the building process before you ever even start.
As far as accessories, the one thing that these builds don’t have listed (but are included when you click the “GET THIS PC”), but that are absolutely necessary is an Operating System. The GET THIS PC link will include a copy of Windows 10 (which costs about ~$90 extra). You could always go the free route and use Linux as your OS, but you will be a little bit more limited in what games you play. (I think you can play CS:GO on Linux.)
Then you’ll need a monitor, mouse, and keyboard. If you’re going with the $600 build, you’ll definitely want to go with a 1080p monitor. This one is affordable and decent-sized:
http://amzn.to/1Tgoouj
As for keyboard and mouse, that’s really all based on preference and how much you want to spend. Razer, Corsair, and Logitech all make great keyboards and mice. I personally use my EGC StealthOne gaming mouse and a Tesoro Lobera Extreme keyboard. And I also have a Razer Black Widow Ultimate keyboard and a Genius GX-Gaming Maurus X mouse that I use on my living room PC that are also great.
But again, there are so many keyboard/mouse options out there, that it’s tough to just recommend one, especially not knowing how much you want to spend.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Kolter says
Thanks for the reply Brent! Great information. I found a keyboard, mouse and monitor on amazon and was wondering if you had any opinions on what I have chosen. I went with a keyboard and mouse combo.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P04ARC2?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_3&smid=A1XBP962TML3AH
However, my concern is I may be skimping in this area seeing as how I am trying to keep my budget around $800 to $900 (not including OP which I already have). My monitor is something I am very much questioning. I am used to playing on large screens so I thought I should go with a large monitor.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00V8FAWC2?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
My question is if this monitor will be suitable for PC gaming. I like the split screen feature seeing as how I am only buying one monitor, but not sure if ultra wide screens are efficient for gaming. I know you can game on them, but is it preferred.
I also have a question relating to what you stated about dropping to the $500 build. By similar performance do you mean same or less? I don’t plan on doing overclocking unless I have a friends help, but I do want a PC that can run all games on ultra high settings at 1080p. I also would like enough power to multi task on a fairly high level.
Lastly would like to just ask of opinion of overall build with what I have here. Would this be a decent setup?
Thank you so much for your input,
Kolter
Kolter says
In my budget I meant to say not including OS. My bad. Haha
-Kolter
Brent Hale says
Hey Kolter, in my experience having a high-end mouse/keyboard combo isn’t necessary unless you’re a hardcore competitive gamer, or unless you do a lot of typing and, as such, need a specific kind of keyboard.
So, that combo should be plenty good enough.
As for the monitor, I do not have any experience with the ultra wide screens, but you can game on them and from what I’ve read, most people who do game on them end up loving them. So, I’m sure you’re good there as well.
The $500 and $600 builds have the same GPU, which is the biggest determining factor in in-game performance. The difference between the two builds is in motherboard and CPU. The $600 build has an eight core CPU and the $500 build has a 6-core CPU. In most games the two builds will perform similarly, but in situations where you need more threads (or cores) the eight cores on the CPU in the $600 build will come in handy.
The FX-8320 will handle multitasking a little better as well.
And yes, your setup will be better than decent. You’ll be able to play most games on high settings, if not max settings.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
All the Best,
Brent
Kolter says
Back again with another question. Hopefully I’m not bothering you at this point lol. I did some research into my monitor and it seemed as though most people very much enjoy it. Apart from some small issues occurring with the ultra wide display in game, it seems to work fine. The one concern that most people brought up however is that this monitor runs 60hz. Within gaming it seems that 60hz is what is most commonly used. Once I looked into the difference between 60hz and 120/144hz I found that people say 60hz is fine because most people can’t run the full 120/144hz on their PC’s. So my question is would my PC ($600 build) be able to run these higher frame rate monitors to their full potentials? Second is it worth it to invest in these faster refresh rate monitors? I really only play FPS games like CS:GO (don’t know if this changes anything).
Thank you so much for your help so far. I really am glad I found this site and have been recommending all my friends to check it out!
-Kolter
Extra comment – You should do a page like this where you review or recommend monitors, keyboard, and mice for your different builds. You might already have that and I just haven’t found it. If you do have something like this already a link would be much appreciated.
Brent Hale says
Hey Kolter!
I don’t play CSGO but I know how competitive it is and, as such, a monitor with a faster refresh rate may give you a slight edge. And, CSGO isn’t too demanding, so even the $600 build should be able to push a monitor with a higher refresh rate with no problems.
Depending on how competitive you are, a higher refresh rate might help you move your crosshair more smoothly. And, from what I’ve been reading, it looks like a lot of CSGO players are happy they moved to a higher refresh rate monitor and cringe whenever they have to go back to 60Hz. So, I’d definitely consider a higher refresh in your situation.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Luan says
Hi, this is my first time building a pc so please excuse any stupid questions.
I’ve decided to go with the $800 build:
1. I’ve heard Seagate HDDs have a lot of reliability issues. Is that true? If it is then which other HDD do you recommend for this build?
2. Please recommend me a wifi card , a keyboard and a monitor (preferably under $200 and I don’t have a lot of desk space).
Thank you.
Brent Hale says
Hi Luan, how’s it going?
1. I have never had any problems with my Seagate HDDs but I am aware that, in comparison to Western Digital drives, Seagate drives seem to get a little more flack. Not really sure if there is any statistics to back this up, but if you would feel more comfortable going with a Western Digital drive, the Caviar Blue’s are pretty similar in price to the Seagate Barracuda’s.
Wi-Fi Card
USB card: http://amzn.to/1o6OgvB
USB card w/antenna: http://amzn.to/1QwBkq2
PCI adapter: http://amzn.to/1o6Oq6o
The PCI adapter will give you the strongest signal, but if your case is pushed up against a wall, it might actually be worse off than if you were to put a card on one of your cases front USB ports. It really all depends on what kind of router you have. For instance, if you have a 450 Mbps router, you’ll want a 450 Mbps WiFi card.
Keyboards
Logitech G105: http://amzn.to/1o6OLWH
Razer DeathStalker: http://amzn.to/20sFepe
Logitech G170: http://amzn.to/1QwBEFg
Monitors
Dell D2015HM 19.5″: http://amzn.to/1TX4HXY
Acer G226HQL 21.5″: http://amzn.to/1o6P5Vj
Acer G236HL 23″: http://amzn.to/1o6Ph73
Acer R240HY 23.8″: http://amzn.to/1o6PmYi
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!
All the Best,
Brent
Luan says
Hi Brent, thanks for replying !
I’ve decided on my build so far:
CPU: Intel Core i5-4590
MOBO: Gigabyte H97 Extreme
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 970
RAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB
HDD: Seagate 1TB
PSU: Antec High Current Gamer HCG-520W
ODD: Samsung 24x SATA
Case: VIVO ATX Mid Tower
Monitor: Acer R240HY bidx 23.8-Inch IPS HDMI DVI VGA (1920 x 1080) Widescreen Display
Keyboard & Mouse: CM Storm Devastator – LED Gaming Keyboard and Mouse Combo Bundle (Red Edition) – $28.45
OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Wifi card: Panda 300Mbps Wireless N USB Adapter
My router is quite old (Netgear WGR614v10 ) , do you know if it’s going to be compatible with the Panda adapter?
Also, can you please recommend me some compact, affordable speakers ?
Thank you !
Brent Hale says
Hey Luan! Looks great!
The card will work with your router because it is backwards compatible with it, but your router is 54 Mbps and so you could get a 150 Mbps adapter and be fine. What I should have said in the last comment is that it really depends on your internet connection. You can have the fastest router in the world, but if your internet connection is slow, your fast router won’t really be able to help.
But the 54 Mbps router will be fine assuming you don’t have higher than a 27 Mbps connection.
Here’s a link to a bunch of options for speakers:
http://amzn.to/1U4kdBg
Not sure how much you want to spend, but I know the Logitech Z130s and Altec Lansing BXR1220s are solid options.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Luan says
Hey thanks Brent, I’ve decided to go with the Panda mid-range 150Mbps with an antenna (since there are some walls between the router and the computer).
So far I’ve decided to go with the $800 build. The only thing I’m concerned about is the PSU.
Newegg’s calculator recommends 681 W , so would the Antec HCG 520W really be okay ?
I think the Antec HCG-M 750 is too big for the case though. What do you think about the Antec EDGE 750 ?
Luan says
After reading some more, I realized that the amps on the +12V is also important, so maybe I don’t need the EDGE 750 ( although I may go with the Antec HCG-620M just to be safe) What do you think ?
sakline says
I just wanderring which gtx 950 will be best . in here msi asus gigabyte are available . I don’t want to oc it . temperature is a fact. noise is not a fact to me . mobo ga78 lmt usb3 . pro fx 8320 . ram 8 gb . 900p monitor. case gigabyte gz ze2. hope every gtx 950 will fit to it
Brent Hale says
Hey Sakline, thanks for reading and commenting!
If it were me, I’d choose whichever GTX 950 is the most affordable at the moment. Yes, some of the coolers on the cards will be a few degrees cooler, and some cards will run more quiet. But the in-game difference between the different manufacturers cards will be minimal and the temperature difference will have little to no impact over the long run as all of the big manufacturers put adequate coolers on their cards.
So, I’d get whichever GTX 950 is more affordable between EVGA, MSI, Gigabyte, ASUS, or Zotac. If you have personal preference in design/style, you can go that route as well.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Skye says
hey I was just wondering why I can’t register to the forum.
After I register it says that they will send me an email to the email I provided, but it never does no matter of much
I wait it never sends anything
Brent Hale says
Hey Skye, I’ll look into it and push your registration through if it’s still pending.
Brent Hale says
Hmmm, I don’t see your email address (maybe you used a different one to register than you did to respond here) or your username. Email me at bhale@elitegamingcomputers.com with the email you used to signup and then I’ll be able to push it through.
Matthew Connell says
Hi,
I know this is a little off topic but I’m a little concerned…
I just recently experienced a blackout in my apartment, and before the interruption I was play xcom 2. Anyways the system kept turning off and on and off and on during the power outage…
I haven’t experienced this type of on and off thing before so it’s really freaking out.
I know that in some cases computers can be really harmed during these types of blackouts and I don’t know of the system is ok cause the power is still dead!?….
Brent Hale says
Hey Matthew, it’s tough to say as it is possible for the PC to get damaged in a blackout. Hopefully, by now the system is working, but if not I would try a different outlet if you haven’t already. If that doesn’t work, you may have to take it into a tech.
CASEY says
hi
i was wondering what the best motherboard would be for my amd proccesor
JackV says
Hey mate, we need to know what processor you’re using in order to give you any advice!
CASEY says
AMD FD6300WMHKBOX FX-6300 6-Core Processor Black Edition
Brent Hale says
My apologies, you already told us what CPU you have!
It depends on if you want to overclock or not. If so, a good AMD 990FX motherboard would be best, like these two boards:
Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 R5: http://amzn.to/241gNno
ASUS M5A99FX PRO R2.0: http://amzn.to/20sKZDp
If you don’t plan on overclocking, or you won’t be overclocking very much, just go with an AMD 970 motherboard. Here are a couple of options:
Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P: http://amzn.to/20sLa1q
ASUS M5A97 LE R2.0: http://amzn.to/1Tguk6B
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Brent Hale says
Hey Casey, it depends on what processor you have.
If you have an AMD FX eight core CPU, like the 8320, 8350, 9370 or 9590, the best option is an AMD 990FX chipset motherboard. (Although, a quality AMD 970 chipset will work if you don’t plan on overclocking.)
If you have an FX-6300 or 4300, then an AMD 970 or 760G will work, although the 970 will be the better option.
It’s an entirely different story, though, if you have an AMD APU. In that case, you’d need an FM2+ motherboard.
Hope this helps! If you let us know what exact AMD CPU you have, I can give you more specific recommendations.
All the Best,
Brent
Anthony says
Hey, so Im thinking about getting into pc gaming. Im looking at your rigs here and im not aure i understand. If say i purchase the 400 dollar one. I pay it, parts all get to my home, is there anyway you could help me assmble it. Ive seen videos and all but like. What exactly should i expect from these. Would all of these rigs come with an ethernet port, an hdmi port, how many usb ports etc… Lastly if i do get one of these builds, are the parts listed absolutely all the parts needed to make the pc functional? Apart from the os which written is needed to be installed from a flash drive. Im sorry for writing this all but I really want to know apart from a display mouse keyboard and other accesories . Is all i really need are those eight parts to get a good running pc?
JackV says
Hey mate,
Glad to hear you’re getting into PC gaming,
Building a PC can be pretty intimidating, especially if you’re not too sure what you’re doing or looking for. The actual process of building a PC is fairly simple, everything has a place that goes into, and as long as you use some good judgment and watch a few tutorials, you’ll be fine. It can be nerve-wracking, but honestly, the analogy that it’s just like “adult legos” isn’t too far off.
When it comes to your question(s) about the ports, that’s something you will need to look into a little bit yourself. (Virtually) all motherboards come with Ethernet ports, otherwise there’s be no way to connect to the internet. But when it comes to different display outputs (such as DVI, VGA, HDMI, etc.) your mobo will have a few basics (depending on your CPU and it’s integrated graphics or “iGPU”) to get you going, but these are really only used in the most basic of builds that don’t have a graphics card, or GPU. This is the main item in a computer that powers the games, (or really what is most important in a ‘gaming’ build). If you want to use/take advantage of your GPU, you will have to use the ports that are on it, and not on the Mobo.
And as far as I can tell, these lists put everything you need for your TOWER, (as you seemed to be aware of, no keybaord, OS or anything else). I don’t work for this website, but I do have past experience building PCs.
Hope I was of some help mate :)
CASEY says
i have a question. is EVERYTHING i need in the parts list or is there something else i need.
Thx
Justin says
Hi
Kinda new to all this but for the $800 build, is the psu alittle low at 520w? Also would you recommend 16g of ram instead of 8g ,or doesn’t really matter?
JackV says
With the CPU being used in the $800 build, and it being non-overclockable (a non “k” series chip from Intel) you wont have to worry about high power draw, and also with the very power-efficient cards from NVidia, the 970 is a very solid choice for this price, with good performance especially with it’s power draw. Unless you plan on doing an SLI (a setup with more than one of the same GPU running in-tandem) config, which aren’t generally recommended in “budget’ builds anyways, 500W is MORE than enough.
Seamus says
Hi! Newbie to the PC Gaming here, I’ve decided on taking the jump to PC for the nice stuff you can do to games. (and mods for Fallout)
thank you so much for the awesome part list and the ability to just add it to a cart on amazon, it’s awesome. But I do have one problem-
How the would I put it together?
I have all the parts, but being a newbie to PC, and not wanting to buy a gaming PC for overblown prices, I want to build one.
Is it simple? Difficult? Do I need instructions? A soldering skill? Is it just plugs?
Any response is welcome, I just need help.
Thanks!
Kaleb says
Hi Seamus
PC building is pretty easy. The only tool you really need is a Philips head screw driver. There’s no soldering and it’s pretty much just plugging stuff in. You’ll have instructions with all your manuals and if something else confuses you (eg. Lack of +\- labeling on the reset button and stuff) just do a few Google searches. Be sure to touch the case fairly often during the build to not build up static or if you have an anti static bracelet just wear it. If you have amd parts you’ll probably have to tinker with the settings but if you have Intel and nvidia my experience has just been plug&play.
Hope that helps!
-Kaleb
Brandon says
Hey Brent, I was wondering what video card you would reccomend for my build, it is about $850. Here is the link to the part list:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/pcGyJx
P.S. Thanks for the guide, it inspired me to make my own part list. :)
P.P.S. I already bought the parts seen on the part list, just need a video card.
Brent Hale says
Hey Brandon, thanks for reading and commenting!
It really all depends on how much you want to spend. But, since you have a 1080p monitor, something like a GTX 960 4GB, R9 380 4G or R9 380X will allow you to max any game out with good frames.
Hope this help! Let me know if you have any other questions! (And nice build!)
All the Best,
Brent
SAD says
This build of 300$ acutally costs 460$, wtf
Brent Hale says
Hey Sad, thanks for reading and commenting!
All of the builds have just been updated. The prices on Amazon change daily (if not hourly) and so even after the updates it’s very possible that the prices will change within the hour.
Also, if you click on the GET THIS PC link, it will take you to a list that includes the optional components, which you do not have to purchase.
But just note that the price includes the cost of the tower and you will need an operating system to run the computer. A copy of Windows typically costs about ~$90 unless you can get a student discount, so all of these builds should consider adding an extra $90 for a copy of Windows.
Linux is a free OS option, but it doesn’t have as wide range of support for gaming and not all games are Linux-compatible.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
North says
Thanks for this great site! I plan to take your advice, build a $400 machine for 3D modeling, not gaming.
2 requests:
1) would it be possible to re-jigger one or two of these great builds to fit into a SLIM micro ATX case? I would be happy to skip CD drive, but cant figure out how to squeeze a decent video card in… (do they make a 90-degree adapter?)
2) Could you do this whole thing for Fly Fishing rod/reel combos?
Brent Hale says
Hi North, how’s it going?
1. Yes, it would be possible. Just get the low-profile version of the card you want (I don’t think there are any low-profile versions of the GTX 950 yet) and a MicroATX slim case like the SilverStone Milo Micro-ATX Media Center. And, make sure the case you choose will house the power supply.
2. That would be a great idea, but unfortunately, I don’t know anything about fly fishing!
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Aaron says
Hello, I am going to purchase the $600 build, but I have a few questions to ask first.
1. Does this come with a Ethernet port, I know asking this is probably dumb of me, but I want to know if I would need to purchase this part.
2. Can you link me to a compatible motherboard with USB 3.0 connectors?
3. Will I need to buy any screwdrivers, such as a Torx screwdriver?
Brent Hale says
Hey Aaron, how’s it going?
1. Definitely not a dumb question. It’s important to know what does and doesn’t come with the parts. But, yes, there is an Ethernet port on the motherboard, which will stick out the back of the case on the I/O panel.
2. This Gigabyte board has a USB 3.0 header (and it’s cheaper, so I’ll just add it to the builds): http://amzn.to/1KvoNX6
3. You just need a standard Phillip’s screwdriver.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Mike says
I’m doing my first computer build and i just purchased most of the $600 build parts. I didn’t realize the ASUS M5A97 LE R2.0 motherboard doesn’t come with any 3.0 USB connectors while the tower have 2 3.0 front side ports. I know there are adapters you purchase to be able to use them. I was wondering if there was a way to hook them up and keep the 3.0 speed instead of the adapter and them being regular 2.0 USB ports.
Brent Hale says
Hey Mike,
This adapter will work:
http://amzn.to/20xGDA0
Unfortunately, you will only get USB 2.0 speeds. So, my recommendation would be that, if you need the USB 3.0 ports on the front panel, exchange it and get something like the Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P. Or, just use the built-in USB 3.0 ports on the I/O panel.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Austin says
Hey,
I am planning on building a pc with an Intel i5-6500, and an r9 390 and have a number of questions.
1. Do you have any suggestions on which r9 390 to get, I like the msi, but many people cite the sapphire nitro as being the best one because of its better cooling.
2. I want to play at close to max settings(I don’t mind doing high settings though) with playable fps and am not sure if this setup will reasonably handle running on a 1440p monitor or if I should use a 1080. I saw several benchmarks where this gpu handled 1440p very well, but i want to be sure. I want to be sure I maximize the potential of my setup so any advise will be greatly appreciated.
Zach says
I was interested in building the 800 dollar build but was confused by a couple details:
1) in the description you describe the build having an r9 390x but in the components you have a gtx 970. Which one is best for this build? Does one have stronger 4k implications? could I just use all the components listed and swap out the nvidia for the amd?
2) The amazon link links to i mini sized graphics card. Is that intentional? should we order the full sized?
3) I’ve never built a PC so I don’t know, but I’d like to use a cube case, specifically: http://amzn.com/B00LA6Y5XQ
would that fit the components?
Thanks for your time in answering these questions.
Kaleb says
Hi Zach,
I’m not Brent but I can answer your questions. Personally I prefer Intel and nvidia, they just work smoother together but amd cards do usually have more bang for the buck.
If you want a gtx 970 check on other websites too like ncix.us or newegg.com. I like to use PC part picker too, you can put all the parts in to a build sheet and it will show you the best price for each part from multiple retailers. If you do use PC part picker check reviews on the websites though, the cheapest sites aren’t always the best. I’ve personally had good experiences with ncix.us newegg.com and b&h photo and video.
Your case should fit everything except the optical disk drive but you may be able to get by without it. If you will primarily will use the computer for games that you can download you’ll probably be fine. You’ll need a USB copy of Windows 10 or to follow a guide to install your operating system too if you don’t use an ODD, a USB install is harder to do too because if you don’t get Windows 10 with a USB key you’ll still need another computer with a disk drive and also a flash drive… Not to mention some basic computer skills.
Best, Kaleb
Chris says
hey i need help i bought the ga-h97m-hd3 and its only reading one of my 2 8gb ram and not sure how to fix it. thanks in advance
Shad says
Maybe it’s just misplaced. Double check if it’s in the good socket and locked.
Skye says
I was just wondering if we needed to buy the thermal paste cause I don’t really wanna buy it
Dave says
Here’s a somewhat funny answer to that question
https://youtu.be/D-pr4cf70qY
But basically, you should probably shell out the few dollars for the paste, if you don’t, then at least find something to use. Don’t do straight metal on metal.
Skye says
hey so I have read this guide and it was really helpful but some of the parts aren’t available in the website I am buying at (http://www.msy.com.au/). I was wondering if you could help me make a $600 computer with the parts from msy
Thank you
Bret says
I loved that I came across this page and all the information about what parts will help you build a budget pc. I have just one question about all this. I have never assembled my own PC before, as such, could you direct me to a guide on a “How To” so that myself, and others, don’t mess up the process of assembling the machines you recommend. Being on a budget, even if it was $200, can be a lot of money for someone and wouldn’t want to just throw it out the window on an over sight.
Thanks for the time you have put into this.
Dave says
Here’s one of the better guides that I’ve watched, I’m still waiting for my parts to come in so I haven’t done it yet but I’m pretty confident after watching this. I’ve also watched the same guy put together pc’s from used parts that he got online.
https://youtu.be/N4gU8BdloDE
Dean Owsley says
How well will the $500 build run games like Fallout 4, Rust, Battlefield 4, and Black Ops 3?
Isaac says
Hello i’m considering building the 600 dollar pc but i have one question is there no cooling fan for the cpu included in this build? or sound card. First time builder here
Tyler says
first timer here as well, just got the 600 build components in the mail today. can confirm the cpu comes with heatsink and fan. I’m pretty sure the mobo has sound card built in.
Isaac says
Thank you
Dan Allen says
Hello,
Thank you for this awesome page, it has really helped me. just one question if you could help me with it would be massively appreciated. Would the $600 model be able to run xcom 2 on highest settings, i only ask as the game has a lot of loading screens so didn’t know if this may change the model I would need?
Many thanks,
Dan.
Dave says
This is an awesome page, thanks!
It seems like a few things are still in the process of being updated though. I’ve noticed the current $500 build has components that you don’t list in the individual breakdowns, assuming these are basically just due to being newer items?
It’s given me much to think on, I’m not in a huge rush for a new PC but I’ve used mediocre laptops for the last 6 yrs and I’m excited to get a machine that is actually made for gaming.
I’m in Canada and trying to determine if these parts are going to be better to get from amazon.com and eat the exchange rate or from amazon.ca but the prices are all higher (seemingly higher than the exchange rate would put it at). Might require quite a bit of extra shopping around.
One question, if you’re a person who hasn’t built a computer before, how easy to grasp would you say the process is? I know you can basically google/youtube anything these days, but it is a concern that I could spend a good chunk of money and then have no idea what I’m doing with these parts…. Do you have any tips or recommended websites or videos for a good how to throw these pieces together?
Thanks again,
Dave
Dave says
After looking into things a little bit more, I have a couple more questions. (I’m specifically looking at the build that you currently have listed as $500)
Based on this video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sHAYoBDS24 ) The case you have on that build comes with a pre-installed power supply, is it necessary to get a separate one? CAN you even remove the pre-installed one? I have no clue about this stuff, so I’m assuming the fact that you suggest a power supply means that the one that is included is no good for a gaming PC?
Also, I can’t seem to find out if the HDD comes with a SATA cable, or does that come with one of the other parts? Or do you need to buy one separately?
Mads Aagurd says
Hi, I was wondering why the $300 and $400 are more than that, when I put it in my basket on Amazon. Also what would you recommend if I am on tight budget, but I wanna be able to play CS:GO with 150 fps on low-med settings.
Kind regards,
Mads
john says
Because its has windows ten and the mouse, mouse pad, and key board also in the basket and thats wasnt included in the build price. That stuff is about and extra 200$
H1Z1 Lover says
What build would be able to play H1Z1 on medium settings with about 60fps? I would like the build that is able to do this, not one that is able to be better.
Thanks!
Daniel Al-Zgul says
Can I buy a prebuilt computer or is the one that I build might be better?
Shad says
Building your own stuff is more valuable for your wallet. You can choose what you really need. A same prebuild pc is good, but will be always much more expensive.
M-Brother says
Is the 500 build capable of running high demand game on high setting or do I need to the 600 build?
james says
I was wondering what bigger hard drive would work for this with around the same price
THANK
Tiller says
how do you know how to put them together tho
Shad says
Just wondering, what if I want to run MKX max out. And also the Witcher III that I know is demanding graphically. Do I really need 4go of Gddr. My laptop is getting obsolete in running last released game. Also interested in Just Cause 3. Right now I have a Radeon HD5730 in my laptop (1go Gddr)
Brent Hale says
Hey Shad, how’s it going?
Looking at the requirements for MKX, it looks like they’re fairly high. I’ve never played it so all I can really do is take the requirements as they stand, but they do seem a bit high…
In any case, the $600, $700, and $800 builds should be able to handle it on high-to-max settings on a 1080p monitor.
Yes, the Witcher 3 is pretty demanding, but the $600-$800 builds should be able to run it on higher settings on a 1080p monitor as well.
If you have the budget I would definitely recommend getting a 4GB video card because it seems more and more games are starting to utilize the extra VRAM.
Just Cause 3 should run fine on the $500 build an up, too.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
lotusmaglite says
So… no details on the Zotac GTX 950 and the EVGA GTX 960? I mean, clearly, the extra 2 gigs with the 960 = better, but is it roughly $55 better? How do the two compare with demanding games on various settings, etc? How do they compare to the ones described in greater detail, like the GTX 650 Ti?
Thanks for the guides, BTW. Good stuff.
Juan says
Hello, great information! I was wondering if the $600 dollar build would be able to run League of Legends and H1Z1 on medium to high settings.
Also is the $600 build good for streaming (with music playing in the background for the stream)?
Thanks in advance!
Brent says
With a 600 build you should be able to play LoL Maxed out. It’s not a very demanding game.
Brent Hale says
Yep, what Brent said!
Cody says
On the $600 pc would u be able to play WoW and CSGO on ultra settings too ?
H1Z1 Lover says
Yeah I would also like to know this!!!
owen says
Hello, very useful website, for the $500 build would the NZXT GAMMA Classic Series case be better match for the size needed? as according to these comments the one above is to small
also would it be able to run games like gta and skyrim on medium to high settings?
thanks in advance
Brent Hale says
Hey Owen, how’s it going?
The builds were updated to correct the problem with the case being too small. And, I’m going to be doing an update in just a moment to accommodate for price changes.
The GAMMA Classic would be a decent replacement if you do want a bigger case with more room, but I think it has been discontinued and as such is a little more difficult to find. However, the VIVO Mid Tower is currently about $38 and that case will give you a little more room without costing you too much more than the Rosewill Dual Fans case included in the $500 build.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Nikki says
do I need to install a cpu cooler for the $800 gaming computer?
Brent Hale says
Hey Nikki, how’s it going?
Since the $800 build doesn’t come with an unlocked CPU (an overclockable CPU), it is not necessary to use an aftermarket CPU cooler. The CPU that the build comes with will have a stock CPU fan included and you will need to install that, though.
And, if you do want a better cooling option for your CPU, then you can definitely add a better cooler (like the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO). But ultimately, it’s not necessary.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Bobby Joe says
I previously built the 2015 edition of the $400 gaming PC and I am currently having problems installing windows 10, I try all I can to get to the boot menu, but it just keeps going to the BIOS setup, and ssometimes when I can get to the windows 10 install, it says “there are no drivers, click load drivers” and after trying some online troubleshooting tips it says the error code 0x0000098, and when I am in the BIOS setup, it says SATA3G_6 Hard Disk Error, and when I press F1, I just go to where I don’t need to. PLEASE HELP!
Parts”
Western DIgital SATA3 250 GB hard drive
ASUS GeForce GTX 750Ti GDDR5 2GB Graphics Card
ASUS Micro ATX Motherboard M5A78L-M/USB3
Rosewill Dual Fans MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case FBM-01
crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB Single 240-Pin Memory RAM
AMD FD6300WMHKBOX FX-6300 6-Core Processor Black Edition
Antec VP-450 Power Supply
ASUS(PCE-N15) maximum performance Wireless-N Network Adapter
Brent Hale says
Hey Bobby Joe, sorry you’re having trouble.
Did you originally have a different OS installed (like Windows 7 or 8), or are you trying to build it clean with Windows 10?
You may need to update the BIOS for your motherboard before you can proceed with the upgrade.
If you’re still having problems, email me at bhale@elitegamingcomputers.com and I’ll try and help you sort it out.
Best,
Brent
Bobby Joe says
This is a newly built computer without a operating system, and how do I update my bios?
Bobby Joe says
I was reading up after I tried to install windows 7, I believe that I have a corrupted hard drive, but does anyone know how I can get some money for the build? I want to sell my current build and maybe get a different one, that is if its possible. Also I was planning to run BO3 on this PC, so can I A. get a new larger hard drive with more storage B. Decent FPS on BO3 and Dayz .
Brent Hale says
Hey Bobby Joe,
How long ago did you purchase the components for the build? You said it’s a new build so I’m assuming pretty recently. If you got the parts through Amazon, you could always try and return them.
Best,
Brent
Ryan says
hi I’m trying to run diablo 3 ROS which build should i aim for? thanks!
Brent Hale says
Hey Ryan, how’s it going?
Since Diablo 3 ROS isn’t too demanding of a game, you could easily get away with the $400 or $500 builds and be able to max it out fairly easily.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Brayden says
Hey this may be a rather stupid question to ask, but I am wondering if it is all that hard to actually build the desktop, I know you would need to buy a monitor on top of the cost, but is it all that hard too build the desktop. (I am 15 year old avid gamer)
Brent Hale says
Hey Brayden, how’s it going?
It’s really not too difficult of a process and there is a ton of guides available to help you do so.
You can use our step-by-step guide (here) or you can follow along with one of the many computer-building tutorial videos on YouTube (this one is probably the best.)
And, yes, you will need to add a monitor on top of the cost. This one is a good 1920×1080 monitor that won’t be too expensive:
http://amzn.to/1mb4p2Z
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!
Best,
Brent
Joey says
The $500 list doesn’t work! The motherboard doesn’t fit for the case. Now I must return the case…
Brent Hale says
Hi Joey, sorry you had problems with the list.
Email me at bhale@elitegamingcomputers.com with the exact part list you purchased and I will help you get to the bottom of this and I will make it up to you if I did have the wrong motherboard listed.
Best,
Brent
Stacy says
We have the same problem, I will email you. Thanks.
Brent Hale says
Hi Stacy, sorry you’re having problems. I responded to your email but it got sent back and said the email couldn’t be delivered. I sent the email again, but I’d you didn’t get it let me know.
Best,
Brent
Joshua says
Also have this problem. Case is too small for the motherboard.
CASE Rosewill Dual Fans
MOBO Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3
What case or what kind of case should I get instead? Or is it the motherboard that is incorrect?
This is for the 500$ build also.
Brent Hale says
Hey Joshua, sorry for the trouble. Please email me at bhale@elitegamingcomputers.com so I can help you sort this out.
Best,
Brent
Andrew says
Hey Brent,
Was curious, decided to go with the Sapphire Nitro 380 gpu, but had already purchases the EVGA 500w PSU (went from $500 build to $600 build), will this power supply be sufficient enough, or should i get the upgrade? Thanks in advance, and love the site.
Brent Hale says
Hey Andrew, how’s it going? Hope this isn’t too late…
Yes, that 500W PSU will get the job done. It’s not the greatest power supply in the world, but it will give you enough power to run your system without any problems.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Santa says
Your links are in Deutsch, and often point to something different than the product itself…
Brent Hale says
Hey Santa, how’s it going?
I use a WordPress plugin that tries to find you the appropriate link based off of your IP address. Unfortunately, since the different Amazons (US, Deutschland, France, UK, Italy, etc.) have different systems and don’t use the same product listings.
All of my links are geared towards Amazon US and unfortunately, sometimes they don’t find the appropriate product in the foreign Amazon stores.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
Best,
Brent
Jason says
Hi Brent,
Great website, very detailed and informative, and I appreciate it. All I really want to do is to be able to stream Netflix/Kissanime/Amazonprime while playing a game on mid to high graphics. One on a 1080p tv, and one on a monitor. What would be the least expensive, best build to shoot for? Thanks for your time, and look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Jason
Jzy says
Hey there, could you please help me..
i would like to start on below list…
-SPEC 03 CASE
-asus z97-p
-core i5 4690
-8GB HYPERX FURY
-suggest cheap PSU (i’ll upgrade 1 by 1) every salary ☺
-suggest cheap HDD
-suggest cheap GPU
-CPU COOLER (I WILL USE STOCK for a mean time)
-what do you call those pad under the keyboard??? i saw it on youtube
-suggest me 1080p monitor 23″
appreciate your feedback
Steven A says
What’s your budget and what are you trying to achieve? 1080p60 gaming?
John Matos says
Hey, I want to become a live-streamer and do Youtube but the PC i currently have is really bad. I’m wondering which one of these builds would be best to stream and edit videos with? The cheapest build out of them all that would be able to do this would be ideal. I would be streaming games off my PS4 also. Any help is much appreciated!
Steven A says
The $700 build should suit your needs, in my personal opinion.d
Jason says
Another question on the 500$ build. Will the dual fan GPU fit in this build, or does it have to be the single fan? I’m talking about the other ones listed on the Amazon listing. Thanks!
Sean says
Hi Brent,
I would like to run X Plane 10. My Asus Q550l can run it, but I think it’s being pushed really hard. The core temp is 172F and I am concerned that I will shorten the life of the laptop if I continue to run this program. Would the $700 machine run this sim with ease?
Thank you for all the work you put into helping us have decent machines at a great price, it really is a breath of fresh air!
Sean
Tyler says
Hi, I had just recently ordered (Black Friday) the $600 build, and the motherboard has since changed. I mistakenly did not order the motherboard with that particular build, and I want to make sure all my equipment I have already received is compatible. What was the motherboard in the previous $600 build? Thanks.
Connor says
Hey Brent
what build should I usually play fps games (cs go, mw3, waw)
thanks
Steven A says
I’m not Brent, but here’s my response: CS:GO and WaW aren’t too hard to drive, but MW3 is a little up there. Base your build on the hardest program you’re planning on driving. If you’re trying to achieve 1080p60 with at least high settings, the $600 build should be fine, but the $800 build is your safest bet. You could also use the $600 build, but upgrade the GPU to a GTX 970.
Connor says
Thx man
Mike says
Just for reference for you – I based my build off his 500$ build from much earlier this year, AMD FX 6300 CPU, MSI R9 270x 2GB GPU, 8GB Ram, bumped the PSU to a 750 so i can use it in the future on a bigger tower.
Mine runs CS:GO on max graphics at around 110+ FPS(In a fire fight, nades going off, multiple shooters etc) I also run it on a 1920×1200 screen, if you have seen it – Tera Rising i can run at about 40-50 FPS on max, The only thing i would advise with the Micro towers if you go that way, the wireless card will not fit in with a big card like the one i mentioned above as it covers the second slot on the MOBO.
Hope this might give you and some other folks a helping hand :)
Phillip h says
I have just placed an amazon order for the parts to build the $500 computer. Only buying the tower build parts, (no added mouse, pad, keyboard, windows, and so on) just buying enturnel parts and a new case my total was $386 after a bit of looking around. ($408 adding tax)
Will add that I will be using my windows 8 off a busted up lap top I have with oem keys. So that is around $100 savings.
I will post up my findings on the build. Including ease of the build, installing of hard and software, graphics and fps will be tested on a live wow server. Normal game play and max 25-30 man raids.
Fred says
I don’t think you can transfer OEM keys for Windows 8
Bob says
Hey Brent,
i was wondering for the $500 build if you could use a Kingston HyperX Fury Black DDR3 PC15000/1866MHz CL10 2x8GB instead of the Crucial Ballistix 8GB
As i want to keep up with my friend who has 16gb of ram.
If that solution doesn’t work with the other parts could you please suggest one that would work.
Thanks,
Bob
Jay says
Hey Bob!
I’m not Brent obviously, but I do know a thing or two about computers and here’s my take on your situation. It is possible for you to run those sticks of RAM in place of the listed Crucial sticks. However, in my opinion it would be better for you to invest the extra money towards a better CPU, GPU, or an addition of a Solid-State Drive (SSD). Personally, I would stick with 2x4GB sticks of RAM of your choice (just make sure they are compatible with the motherboard) maybe go up a tier on the aforementioned parts as they are more beneficial to your build in a straight up money:speed/power ratio. But of course, if you really do want to best your buddy, sticking with 2x8GB of RAM is also never bad. Hope this was helpful.
– Jay
Britton says
Hey Brent!
This is a great article. I’m looking to get started on my first build, and I had a question about the $500 build:
The link for the MOBO you recommended has it listed as an ATX sized model, whereas that link for the case you recommended is for a Micro ATX model.
I could be off base, but it was my understanding that if a case is rated for Micro ATX, then there’s no way I’m going to be able to get in a standard ATX MOBO…
I’m sure there’s something I’m missing. Your advice would be very helpful
THX
Steven A. says
I’m not Brent, but I do know that an ATX motherboard will not fit in a Micro ATX case. Two alternatives that are currently under $40 are:
Thermaltake Versa H22 @ $34.98: http://www.directron.com/ca1b300m1nn00.html
VIVO Case-V02 @ $37.99: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011ALFZZM
Jason says
Thanks, I was about to ask the same question as Britton. Glad I can get that VIVO case instead while still on Amazon, much appreciated.
devin says
hello all question on 500$ build
can i upgrade graphics card in future without buying any other parts?
how much ram does this build support up to?
can this run battlefront ? if so how good ?
please let me knowlooking to buy this build!!
Cameron says
hi,
i was wondering what a good pc build would be for me, i plan to be playing starcraft2, league of legends, dota, dayz standalone and hopefully blade and soul (at some point) while also talking to my friends via skype or something similar, so what would i need to be able to run these on med-high settings?
Thanks.
Christopher says
ok as fast as possible im about to buy the parts for my gaming pc but im a noob and saw the sale where i could get the Gigabyte GAMING-8GD G1 R9 390 8GB for 279.99 so should i get that are stay with the EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC Gaming ACX 2.0+ Cooling Graphics Card (04G-P4-3975-KR) and if i do get the r9 390 will it work for the 800$ build? thanks in advance
mark says
is it possible to run linux on the $500 gaming pc?
MANUEL says
Why not mark search ubuntu is free and is been optimized
Jake White says
I was looking at your $400 PC build and I was wondering if all the cables and such came with it?
Michel says
Hey, Brent.
I need your help! I’ve recently started searching for a new build and came up with a list I was fairly satisfied with until I came across this post (which is a good thing!). Could you kindly help me choose a cpu/motherboard combination that would nicely fit the rest of my build? This pc will mostly mostly be used for gaming, by the way. The current items on my list are:
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB DDR3 16k MHz
GPU: AMD Sapphire R7 260x
Power Supply: Corsair CX750m
Case: Corsair Carbide Series 100r
SSD: Kingston 120gb SATA III (SV300S37A)
HDD: 1TB Seagate SATA III(ST1000DM003)
The motherboard and CPU I had previously chosen were respectively M5A78L/USB3 and AMD FX-6300, but since I run fairly demanding games it was recommended I switched to a more “powerful” combination. What are your thoughts on this? Thank you so much for the guide and also for any advice you can provide regarding this matter.
Michel says
By the way, I’m currently looking at the Gigabyte 990FXA-UD3 motherboard as well as the FX-8350 CPU! Would these be notable replacements or is the extra money not that worth it? Thanks!
Don says
Brent,
I primarily play Americas Army/Proving Grounds. Which build would you suggest to be able to play it at high settings?
Travis says
Hi everyone,
If I’m using a 1080p monitor how much difference woudl there be between the R7 370 and R9 380?
Thinking of building a PC rather than buying a new console but would like to be able to run upcoming games like the new Mass Effect and Rise of the Tomb Raider on decent settings. Would the upgraded card make a difference? I dont want to spend the extra money if both cards would run most games on the same settings at 1080p.
Thanks!
The_Y0unger says
You can save $30 on the $500-build by going with MSi for your R7 370 4GB GPU, instead of ASUS. Their Amazon page currently has a sale’s price of $165 compared to its equivalent $185. Factoring in the $10 rebate, you have yourself a $30 savings.
Let’s keep the comments page updated with Black Friday/Black November sales prices.
Happy Hunting!
Brent Hale says
Hey The_Y0unger, thanks for pointing out the price difference for the MSI card!
I just updated the builds last night and swapped in the MSI card for the ASUS card. Much better price!
Thanks again!
All the Best,
Brent
The_Y0unger says
Least I can do for this great article. This has been my go-to reference as I consider my PC build for Black November.
Question: Do you know if can fit inside the Rosewill case?
Alex says
Hello, I know that the CPU comes with a heatsink and buying an aftermarket heatsink is only necessary if you force the CPU, my question is: How much is too much? If I’m getting the 600 build and I’m thinking on playing some of the latest games (even if it’s on medium settings) is that too much for my CPU? do I need a better heatsink?
Brent Hale says
Hey Alex, how’s it going?
You could get an aftermarket heatsink on the $600 build but it isn’t necessary. The only time I would recommend getting an aftermarket heatsink is if you’re planning on overclocking your CPU. And, for the $600 overclocking isn’t very plausible as you need a better motherboard to get the most out of your OCing.
So, if you’re playing the latest games on the $600 build, you will be fine without an aftermarket heatsink.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Nikita says
would the 400$ build support and run gta5 lspdfr thanks
Brent Hale says
Hi Nikita, I have not played the LSPDFR mod for GTA V and so I’m not too sure on how much more taxing it is on a system than the normal game.
Ultimately, the $400 build isn’t going to be able to max out GTA V, and may even struggle at medium settings (depending on monitor resolution). But you should be able to play the game with the mod on lower settings with the $400 build.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Scott says
First of all, thank you so much for this guide!
I have quite a few questions in regards to the $500 system:
1. What monitor do you recommend for it? I would prefer just an average monitor, nothing special. (Not super expensive, quality, not huge in size).
2. Is this headset compatible with the build? http://www.turtlebeach.com/product-detail/ps3-headsets/ear-force-p11/46
3. Will I be able to run games like ARK: Survival Evolved, Minecraft, and GTA V on medium settings?
4. I have used both Windows 7 and 10, I prefer 7, but am willing to use 10 if that is recommended. Which O.S. should I use?
Thank you so much!
Brent Hale says
Hey Scott, thanks for reading and commenting!
Here’s the answers to your questions:
1. I would definitely get a 1080p monitor. Something like this is affordable.
2. Yes, those headphones say they are compatible with PC (according to that page.)
3. Yes, the $500 build will be able to play those games. It will run ARK and Minecraft on max settings easily and you’ll be able to play GTA V on medium-to-higher settings.
4. I’m still running 7 on my main computer as well, but we’re now 2 generations of Windows past 7 and so I’m worried 7 will be forgotten about when Microsoft releases newer DirectX updates. I’d recommend 10, but 7 will still work for now…
Hope this helps! let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Jim says
Hello, I’m looking a your $500 build but I need the computer to run four monitors at the same time. Will the Asus R7 370 4GB run 4 monitors and if not can you please inform me on a card that will. This computer is for stock trading . Thanks
Anthony says
Can anyone tell me how well CS:GO runs with the $300 PC? FPS please?
Sean says
I want to buy the $500 bundle but I need an optical drive. What are my options that will work with all these parts?
liam says
right now i have an xbox one should i switch to pc if i do would the $500 gaming pc would it run beamng drive at mid settings.
Brian Markus says
I am looking to buy the 800$ build soon but want to play fallout 4 and other high end titles, is there any upgrades to the build that you could recommend to insure these can run on the highest settings? I am okay with going a bit over budget btw
Lachlan says
Hi brent
I am looking for a PC that can handle CS:GO, H1Z1, DayZ and much more games but not lag a bit. Which one would best suit me. I play a lot of games everyday for about 4-10 hours and what is a good monitor for a gamer like me.
thanks, Lachlan
Bob says
Hey brent i was wondering if for the $600,$700 & $800 build u could use the Thermaltake Versa H23 case?
as i am thinking about getting one of these
Christopher says
hey brent im going to buy the 800$ build and i have never built a computer before so i was wondering if you know of a video build tutorial on that build cause im nervous about building one and dont want to mess up
Toby says
Hi Brent,
I built the 600$ dollar computer and I am having trouble with using the graphic card. Right now it is using the graphics card off of the motherboard but its not nearly as good. When I try to download the software for the graphics card It gives me an error. I tried to check for windows seven updates and it just kept on loading without giving me any new updates. I have tried to install a bunch of different drives none of which have worked. I reactivated windows and that did nothing. In order to get the full potential of this genius build I need to install the driver for the graphics card so please help.
Sincerely,
Toby
Brent Hale says
Hey Toby, sorry you’re having problems.
It’s tough to say exactly what is causing the problem and whether or not it’s an easy fix or if one of the components was faulty when it was shipped to you (if that’s the case you’ll have to return it… fortunately Amazon will swap the components out at no charge.)
I just sent you an email and I will help you work through this so that we can get your video card working properly and you can enjoy your build as it is supposed to be working.
All the Best,
Brent
Luke Pauwels says
Hey im thinking of building the $500 PC build and just want to know some stuff about it…
For a game like CS:GO (Call of duty if you dont know) will i be able to get over 100fps on good settings or max? i want to know because this is the main type of compute i need and im a serious noob when it comes to pc building.
Steven A says
I’m pretty sure CS:GO is Counter Strike: Global Offensive, not Call of Duty.
Brent Hale says
Hey Luke, how’s it going?
Yes, the $500 build should be able to handle CS:GO fairly easily. I’m not sure if you can get over 100 FPS on high settings, but I would think that you would be able to easily get over 60 FPS.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Hohua says
Hey Brent
I don’t usually comment on websites and what not i usually find out through other internet searches and there lie my answer but i am needing to turn to you for help now.
I need to know if Fallout 4 could be run on the $600 build you have so graciously bestowed upon us, i am just starting to get into high end pc gaming cause i’ve mostly been playing low end games or highish end games on low settings and it is so awful the performance i get. so again im wondering if i could run fallout 4 on the $600 build on a 1080p monitor cheers lads.
Brent Hale says
Hey Hohua, how’s it going?
Fallout 4 is definitely going to be one of the more demanding games on the market when it comes out. And, as such, the $600 build probably won’t be able to run the game on max settings.
However, the $600 build should be able to run it on medium-to-high settings on a 1080p monitor with good FPS. So, if you don’t mind not being able to turn on the ultra settings, then you should be fine with the $600 build.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Tristan says
First of, I love the site. It is amazingly helpful.
I am new to building my own computers (yes even in this day and age), even though I am a CS degree student :p . I am looking at getting into a few computer games to compliment my Xbox One. I like the looks of the $500 build. I am thinking about using Ubuntu as an OS until I decide when I need to upgrade to windows. I have already made sure that the games I want to play are compatible with linux. I assume the linux choice does not affect the build? Also, is an aftermarket CPU cooler needed for the $500 build? I am planning on spending much of my time on the game Rust.
Thanks for any help!
Steven A says
Anything Brent says supercedes what I say, but assuming the games you want are compatible with the Linux version you get, there should be no issues with using Linux. To answer your second question, as long as you don’t plan on overclocking, there’s no need for an aftermarket cooler (assuming the processor you buy comes with one).
Brent Hale says
Hey Tristan, how’s it going?
As Steven said (thanks Steven!) you will be fine with Ubuntu and the aftermarket cooler is only necessary if you are looking to overclock your CPU. However, I wouldn’t recommend overclocking the FX-6300 on the motherboard provided in the $500 build anyways.
If you do want to overclock, you would need to get a better motherboard, an aftermarket CPU cooler, and if you’re going to spend that much, an FX-8320 or FX-8350.
Also, you said you’re a CS degree student… if you are still in school you might want to check with your school to see if you can get a discount on Windows. Sometimes you can get a copy of Windows for a lot less if you have a .edu email.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Nikki says
Hi there! I am looking at building a computer since the prebuilts seem so expensive for what you are getting. I am wondering though, what budget bracket I really need to be in. I was hoping to stay in the $500 range. The main game I would be playing is Sims 4, and I would like the seetings fairly high as I would like to make lets play videos. Would the $500 range computer you suggested work? Or what ultimately would I need to go with? Thanks!!
Brent Hale says
Hi Nikki, thanks for reading and commenting.
Yes, the $500 build should easily max out the Sims 4 as the game isn’t too demanding. Looking at the recommended requirements, you would probably be able to get away with the $400 build if you really wanted to spend as little as possible.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Lewis says
I’ve scrolled thru this article a few times and have my heart set on the $600 build, but noticed no cooler is mentioned. I’m new to the whole PC building aspect but figured a CPU cooler would be mandatory. Does the case provide enough ventilation to cool the PC or am I missing something else.
Brent Hale says
Hey Lewis, how’s it going?
The processor will come with it’s own stock CPU fan. An aftermarket cooler is necessary if you want to overclock, but the $600 build isn’t ideal for overclocking and therefore the stock CPU fan will get the job done fine.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Benjie says
Hey, Brent!
I’m new to gaming computers and I had a couple of questions. I’m thinking about building a computer for running Skyrim and some lighter games, like Lego LOTR and Minecraft.
Would the 500 dollar build work for that? The video card that you recommended doesn’t have a lot of reviews, so I didn’t get a good idea of how powerful it is. The video card that I had looked at before I found your article was the EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti FTW (link at the end of my comment.) Is the R7 370 an upgrade on that? If it’s not, is the GTX 750 Ti FTW compatible with the motherboard in the build?
Thank you so much for your help, and great article.
Video card link:
http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Display-Graphics-02G-P4-3757-KR/dp/B00J0ISHMQ/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8
Brent Hale says
Hey Benjie, how’s it going?
I would stick with the R7 370 if it is in your price range as it is a pretty good upgrade over the 750 Ti. However, the 750 Ti will work the with motherboard in the $500 build. It just won’t perform as well as the R7 370.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
DKL says
Hey Brent,
I notice you recommending CX Power Supplies and older graphics cards in your guides.
I would like to bring your attention to some of the links in the pcpartpicker profile linked below that show why CX isn’t a great idea for a Power Supply.
Also, the Geforce GTX 950 should be listed in the above $150 list. It’s too good of a value not to!
https://pcpartpicker.com/user/vagabond139/
ian villanueva says
so i have the parts i want already but i will need help building them can you help me or is there a reliable guide for me to use
Mark Fijn says
Hey!
I was looking at your 600€ budget PC and buying the different parts, but why is there a Micro ATX motherboard in it?
Aren’t Micro ATX motherboards more expensive then regular ATX ones?
-Mark
Brent Hale says
Hey Mark, how’s it going?
Micro-ATX motherboards actually cost less than standard ATX motherboards. Mini-ITX motherboards, however, can be just as expensive, if not more expensive than standard ATX motherboards.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Dylan says
Can you recommend another case? Considering the $600 version and that particular case isn’t available for Amazon Prime.
Also, can you explain in general what kind of limitations the $600 version would have? Right now I’m pretty casual, playing mostly Diablo 3, WoW and some other ARPGs. I’m guessing this setup would be able to easily handle those games on high settings. What about if I ventured into some higher-end gaming? Just curious about what to expect. Thanks for your help.
Tim says
I’m curious about this as well.. seems a shame to get all of your parts in 2 days and then have to wait up to 2 – 2.5 weeks for the case to put them in.
Any thoughts for a solid alternative?
Brent Hale says
Hey Dylan, thanks for reading and commenting!
Sorry for that, I usually make sure that all items are Prime-eligible. Unfortunately as stock changes on Amazon, certain items go out of stock, and then the listing switches. So, in this case, the VIVO case changed from being a Prime item to a seller-shipped item and no longer offered prime.
However, I will be doing an update in just a little bit and will be swapping out the VIVO case for a Prime case. In the meantime, here are some alternatives:
1. http://amzn.to/1Pp74S6 (The case I’ll probably use when doing the update)
2. http://amzn.to/1QEbIcg (Affordable but doesn’t have USB 3.0 front panel)
3. http://amzn.to/1Pp6K5S (Same case as above… more expensive but has USB 3.0)
As for what to expect from the $600 build, the build can run pretty much any modern games on higher settings. The FX-6300 might restrict you a little in some scenarios, but ultimately there won’t be a game you can’t run, and most games you’ll be able to run on at least medium settings—if not higher settings.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Matthew says
Hey Brent I need some help ASAP please I am so worried. I built the 500 Dollar build you have and everything went well but the computer keeps turning off for no reason even on idle. The computer does not try to restart and sometimes I have to click the power button a few times to get the computer to turn on. I rechecked all the cables to make sure nothing is loose. I also tried removing one ram than I tried with the other one but no improvement. I notice that the cpu gettings pretty warm on idle before it shuts off and people have been saying it could be the PSU. So I order a new PSU Corsiar 750 and a Cooler master CPU cooler. If you have any tips to help me with this computer please let me know quickly anyone! :( :( So I’m thinking its either OverHeating or PSU Failing. :( oh man this sucks. I tried downloading software to measure the temperature but the pc turns off to quick.
Brent Hale says
Hey Matthew, sorry you’re having trouble.
If you’re still having the problem, you can email me directly at bhale@elitegamingcomputers.com and I will walk you through some troubleshooting steps.
It definitely sounds like there is a problem with one of your components (if it’s not the PSU, then maybe the motherboard or CPU) but it is possible that the problem could be an easy fix.
So, shoot me an email and we’ll get to the bottom of your problem!
Best,
Brent
Luke says
Just wanted to ask for the $500 build, is there an modular power supply I can use instead?
Brent Hale says
Hey Luke, how’s it going?
A fully modular 500W power supply is going to drive your costs up pretty high. There’s this one from SilverStone:
http://amzn.to/1NEBj7f
You could save some money and get a semi-modular PSU, like this one:
http://amzn.to/1R9andr
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
nick says
Hey i’ve never build a pc before. So this is my first pc build here are the specs :
Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
Cooler Master Hyper TX3 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5″ 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
MSI GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card
Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case
EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply
Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer
Asus Xonar DG 24-bit 96 KHz Sound Card
TP-Link TG-3468 10/100/1000 Mbps PCI-Express x1 Network Adapter
Corsair Air Series AF120 Red 52.2 CFM 120mm Fan
so i was wondering if you can help me pls reply and ill join the pc master race :)
Steven A says
I’m not the most knowledgeable or experienced with computers, so definitely get a second opinion on everything I say. Here’s a few things, though. First, you seem to be spending too much on certain areas, too little on others, and adding components you don’t need. For example, unless you’re into audio editing and/or you want the maximum possible audio quality on video games, you don’t need a sound card (See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFBvvlebSmw). Another thing is the network adapter. The one built into your motherboard should be enough.
Next, I’ll address things you’re spending too much on. If you don’t plan on overclocking, you don’t need the 4690K and the aftermarket cooler you’re buying with it. Alternatively, if you DO plan on overclocking, you’re motherboard can’t handle that. You’d need a Z87 or Z97 chipset motherboard. In terms of RAM, 16GB is good, but unnecessary. Games are only beginning to recommend 4GB of RAM, so I recommend getting 8GB. Also, when choosing RAM, the performance boost you get from getting a higher MHz RAM is minimal, so I recommend getting 1600 MHz. Finally, in this section, there are cheaper options for cases that will still give you the same features, such as the NZXT Source 210 Elite and the VIVO Case-V02.
On to the things you’re not spending enough on. Actually, there’s only one thing that files into this section, and that’s the GPU. The GTX 960 is good, but considering you’re pairing it up with a 4690K, it’s kinda weak. I recommend going one tier higher and going with either the R9 390 or a GTX 980. Both those cards should be more than enough for 1080p gaming. If you do this, you’d also have to upgrade your PSU, probably to a 600W or higher.
Motherboards generally don’t bottleneck a system, so all you’d need there is one that has all the features you want. For example, overclock capabilities, amount of SATA ports, amount of RAM slots, USB 3.0 Headers (which, considering your case, you’d probably want), size, SLI/CrossFire capability, etc.
For optical drives, it really doesn’t matter what you get. Blu-ray capabilities are pretty overkill unless you’re building an HTPC, so the most you’d need is DVDRW. Any would work, go for the cheapest one from a reputable manufacturer such as Samsung, LG, or ASUS
Final note: 2TB is a little much, even in today’s age. Unless you NEED the space, go for a 1TB HDD.
Here’s an example build w/o overclocking:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/kkXnD3
Here’s an example build w/ overclocking:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/qwc4bv
If you have any further questions about what parts to pick, go on YouTube and check out Techquickie, LinusTechTips, and JayzTwoCents. Also check out CPUBoss.com, GPUBoss.com, and Tom’s Hardware, for hardware comparisons.
Steven A says
Forgot the aftermarket cooler for the overclock build: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/vtndRB
Brent Hale says
Hey Nick, how’s it going?
I would drop the sound card (the built-in sound on the motherboard will work good enough for now) and the RAM from 16GB to 8GB (you can always add more later).
Then I would upgrade to an R9 380 or GTX 960 4GB card (the extra VRAM is becoming more important), or, if possible, a GTX 970 (about $100 more than the GTX 960.) I would also upgrade the PSU to a decent 600W unit just to be on the safe side. Something like the CX-600 will work great.
Hope this helps! And we welcome you with open arms into all of the glory that the PC Master Race has to offer!
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Steven A says
Also, can you consider making a budget build using the AMD Athlon X4 860K? According to Tom’s Hardware and CPUBoss, it’s competitive against the FX-6300. I know people don’t like the FM2 socket, but it isn’t bad, and if you can save on the CPU+Mobo now, you can get a better GPU and PSU. This means that, if/when upgrading later, all you’d need to replace is the CPU+Mobo.
Steven A says
Or possibly an FX-4350 if you want to stick with the AM3+ socket
Brent Hale says
Hey Steven, how’s it going?
The Athlon X4 860K is definitely a decent processor, but for me, the upgrade process is kind of tricky.
If you were to upgrade from an Athlon X4 860K to an Intel-based rig, or an AMD AM3+ build, you would, like you said, have to upgrade both the CPU and MOBO.
This means you would have to completely take your rig apart and reassemble it and then call Microsoft to get your OS license switched because a copy of Windows pairs to your motherboard.
So, in my opinion, it’s just easier for everyone if you start off with either an Intel-based rig, or an AMD AM3+ based rig, because then upgrading the CPU is as simple as putting a new processor in the slot and reinstalling the heat sink.
Hope this makes sense! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Steven A says
Hey Brent,
Great guide as usual. I was wondering, if it were available/restocked, would you replace most of the cases in this guide with the VIVO Case V-02?
Brent Hale says
Hey Steven, thanks for reading and commenting!
When I’m looking at cases for these budget builds I’m looking for a case that will fit the video cards and is priced well.
There’s usually one case manufacturer who will price their mid tower case at ~$35-$40 on Amazon. But for whatever reason, after they run out of stock and then restock it, they always price it higher. So, I keep having to switch them out.
Here are some cases I’ve listed for months at a time in the past couple of years, that I have stopped listing because the price has jumped way to high on them:
Cooler Master Elite 430
Thermaltake V3 Black Edition
Thermaltake Versa H21 & H22
Rosewill ATX Mid Tower
Sentey G-??? (they seem to have disappeared from Amazon)
VIVO Mid Tower
So, to answer you question, I go with whichever case from the above list (or a new one with similar specs) is priced the best as long as it can fit the video cards in the build
I see now that the VIVO V03 is currently available and is the least expensive option, so when I update these (hopefully later today) that is the case I will switch to.
Ultimately, it would be nice if one of these case manufacturers stopped playing around with their prices and stuck to the ~$35 price. But I think they start it off low to get a bunch of positive reviews and then they jack the price up because they know they’ll get more sales.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!
Best,
Brent
John says
i was wondering if the 700$ built could play space engineers and arma 2 with the dayz mod really well cause its those types of games i want to play pus arma 3 and if it can play them how well and on what settings?
Josh says
Quick question (which probably will sound stupid since I am a first time PC builder). Do these builds include a CPU cooler?, or do I need to buy a separate one and if so what should I buy?
Thanks
Jason Basnett says
Almost every CPU buy comes with a heat-sink and fan however the aftermarket coolers are a lot better, depending on how you use the computer you may need an aftermarket one.
Chris says
hey brent i was wondering if the 600$ can play games like dayz arma 2 arma 3 skyrim and space engineers with mods easy or do i need to go with the 700$ build?
Forrest says
I have the exact build and I play arma 3 in medium high graphics. And o play space engineers with mods. Big ships get kinda laggy but I think that’s more of the game.
Matt P says
I recently bought the $500.00 build with the fx-6300 processor but I changed the motherboard to the Gigabyte 78lmt-usb3. I’m trying to put the stock cooling block onto the processor but the second latch on the stock cpu cooler won’t latch onto the motherboard. Should I just use a little pressure on the processor or did I screw up motherboard?
Jake Driscoll says
Hi I am building my first Pc and I got my basic starting block for items here with the 600$ build. I have been upgrading parts ever since and I was wondering If all the parts would work together.
MSI ATX DDR3 2600 LGA 1150 Motherboards Z97-G45 GAMING
Intel Core BX80646I74790K i7-4790K Processor (8M Cache, up to 4.40 GHz)
Gigabyte AMD R9 380 256 Bit GDDR5 4GB 2xDVI/HDMI/DP G1 Gaming Graphics Card GV-R938G1 GAMING-4GD
Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR3 1600 (PC3-12800) 240-Pin UDIMM Memory
Samsung SATA 1.5 Gb-s Optical Drive, Black (x2)
Sentey® Power Supply 750w 80 Plus Bronze – Mbp750-hs Metal Blade Power 750 Watts / 120mm Sleeve Bearing Fan / Autoswitching 100-240 Voltage / Active PFC / Single +12v Rail / Certified Power Cord
Cooler Master SickleFlow 120 – Sleeve Bearing 120mm Blue LED Silent Fan for Computer Cases, CPU Coolers, and Radiators
WD Blue 1TB Desktop 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 7200rpm Internal Hard Drive
Along with a monitor with 240hz 1920×1080 and a mouse, a keyboard, and my tower which i know will fit everything in.
Steven A says
All those parts would work together, but I recommend either upgrading your GPU or downgrading your CPU+mobo combo. The R9 380 is a little weak to be pairing with a CPU like that.
Also, I think you have a little too much wattage on your PSU, which isn’t necessarily bad, but you may be spending money on things that you don’t need. I recommend making this entire build on PCPartpicker.com and checking the power requirements. Generally, if you add 50-100W to that power requirement, you’re set. Making this build on PCPartpicker also ensures that all your components work together.
Mike says
Great article Brent! I currently have a Phenom II X4 925 CPU. I am debating on a full system upgrade vs just a Graphics card update with new power source. In your opinion, can my current processor handle the latest games or am I capped out?
Thanks!
Jon S says
Hi, I was wondering if anyone could send me a complete parts list to build a gaming PC in the 500.00 price range. I already have the motherboard its a Gigabyte GA-Z97X-GAMING 3 LGA 1150. Thanks
EJ says
I was wondering if the Nvidia gtx 750ti would be a viable replacement for the graphics cards in the $120-130 price range. I would agree on the choice of the 7790, but it seems the availability of it is low and the 750ti does have some appealing power-saving aspects to it.
Jason Basnett says
Hey Brent, (or anyone else who can help me)
My name is Jason I am a senior in high school and this past summer I had saved up the money for a computer. Originally I was going to buy a pre-built computer but did some (A TON) research and decided to build my own, furthermore I even decided to make the endeavor my senior project (a project that makes up a significant portion of my senior grade). Anyway I want to change a couple things in the $700 build featured on the elite gaming computers website. For one I’m changing the CPU to the I5-4590; Id like to have a little bit different motherboard, just to have a verity of options because this being my first build I would assume I’d still be adding little things along the way, Expansion cards and stuff, so my question is: is there a larger motherboard (A full size ATX would be alright) that is not much more costly than the recommended (or if you think that is the BEST board for this build ill stick with it). I am a bit interested in over-clocking; I already plan to get the I5-4590 but for thirty more dollars I can get a I5-4690K however I believe if I was going to overclock Id need a different motherboard and significant cooling capabilities, so would you recommend this change if so what would I need to change, or would I have to change around basically everything and pay out much more money. Ohh and the last thing; I plan to incorporate a SSD. Can I do that with this build and if so what should I put on it? I was led to believe the best thing to put on it would be the operating system and my favorite games. The last-last thing is what OS do you recommend and why and which OS should I stay away from and why.
Thank you so much in advance,
Jason.
Jacob Morales says
Hey Brent,
I was wondering if I could replace the MSI R7 370 4GB graphics card in the $500 build with a
Sapphire Radeon NITRO R9 380 4GB GDDR5 graphics card and have it still work fine? This is my first build and I’m not sure if the motherboard or CPU would be able to fully utilize this graphics card, but if so I would pay the extra price. Thanks.
doritosjunkie says
Hello brent , i need some help i was just wondering what motherboard can i use for this build proccesor:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JIJUBAS/ref=ox_sc_act_title_7?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER GPU:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013LDXPFO/ref=ox_sc_act_title_7?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AHG2MI785YUY7 RAM:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006WAGGUK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER HDD:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0088PUEPK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER PSU:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H33SFJU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER ..that doesn’t pass the 70 dollar price range the cheaper the better :P and am also having second thoughts on my psu should i get a better one? and i wouldnt mind you passing me a link to a tower thats perfect for this build cuz am a bit worried i get a bad one you never know hehe. please help me am a bit of a noob still lol .
MANUEL says
HI, I have an I5-2400 3.10 proceesor could you recomend me a good motherboard and video graphic card for a 600$ PC.
Thanks
Nick says
Hi,
can i replace grapichs card to Gigabyte AMD R9 380 4gb, on 700$ built instead of nitro. Or would i need to purchase a new case, also if so, whic do you recommend? ( realy need an answer fas!) ty.
Jorge says
Brett I had to come back and comment again man. This $700 build keeps impressing me everyday. I have Arma Running on one monitor and Netflix on the second… And still it runs at about 50 frames on Ultra. This has been the best way i have spent my money in a long time. I still love my console gaming but this complements it so well. Thanks again. Of course I know I can get a better performance (in the FPS area) if I don’t netflix at the same time.. but c’mon, whats the fun in that haha.
Pang says
Hey Brent,
I would ike to buy built for 700$
But can i swap grapichs to r9 380 gigabyte version instead of nitro, and still have the same case.
Also, i have a ESL 600W power supply, will it be good enough for the built?
Kaleb says
Hi Brent
I was wondering if this build looked pretty solid https://pcpartpicker.com/parts/partlist/ and was also wondering what graphics card you would advise in the $150-$200 range.
Thanks Brent
Samson0722 says
Hey Brent. Amazon says that the case for the Grizzly build is not available, so I was wondering if this would work.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I6BJATW/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1W7VJMCZRZBUQ
Brent Hale says
Hey Samson, how’s it going?
Yes, that case will work. However, if you want to save some money I’ve updated the builds and found the original case was relisted on Amazon, so I switched to that one. So, either way you decide to go you’ll be fine.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Greg says
HI Brent, so much great info on your build site. I play Modern Warfare 2 with some friends in a garage LAN party once a month… we stopped for a few years, but back again last month. My wife’s laptop didn’t do the job, and I’d like to build a system to support this game, with a focus on portability (I like the smaller Cooler Master Elite 130 – Mini-ITX case).
Would like a compatible suggestion for the motherboard, CPU, do I really need water cooling?, a video card that can do the job well, and hopefully less than 500 for the system. Being able to handle newer games would be nice as well, in the event the party matures over the years. Really appreciate your help!! Greg.
Brent Hale says
Hey Greg, how’s it going?
I would look at something like this:
http://amzn.to/1McnbRW
You’d still need a copy of Windows (~$90) and you’d have to install it from a USB drive, but this would give you enough power to play MW2 easily and it would definitely be portable with the CM Elite 131.
The 750 Ti is enough to play most newer games on around medium settings so you should be good in most cases.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Greg says
Thank you for the responseBrent! I have an external USB DVD drive, could I use that to load the OS and use Windows 8.1?, and where do I buy it?
About the case, are the 2 fans enough, is liquid-cooling needed?
Thank you again for all the direction, for everyone!
Greg.
Fm09013 says
Brent,
Awesome article! Below is the build that I would like to put together. I’m brand new to all of this so I had a few questions. Are all of these parts compatible? If so, would it make for a decent build? How hard would it be for a novice to set up? Appreciate your help!
CPU: AMD FD6300
(http://www.amazon.com/AMD-FD6300WMHKBOX-FX-6300-Processor-Edition/dp/B009O7YORK/ref=zg_bs_229189_2)
MOBO: Gigabyte AM3+ GA-78LMT-USB3
(http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-DDR3-Micro-Motherboard-GA-78LMT-USB3/dp/B009FC3YJ8/ref=zg_bs_1048424_2)
GPU: GeForce GTX 970
(http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Super-Clocked-Graphics/dp/B00NVODXR4/ref=zg_bs_284822_1)
RAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB
(http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-Ballistix-PC3-12800-BLS2KIT4G3D1609DS1S00-BLS2CP4G3D1609DS1S00/dp/B006WAGGUK/ref=pd_bxgy_147_img_y)
HDD: WD Blue 1TB
(http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0088PUEPK/ref=psdc_1254762011_t1_B00461G3MS)
CASE: Silencio 352
(http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Silencio-352-SIL-352M-KKN1/dp/B00OWAZUB8/ref=pd_sim_sbs_147_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1CFT7R47KD21PVZTKQ0Y&dpSrc=sims&dpST=_AC_UL160_SR133%2C160_)
PSU: EVGA 500W
(http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-Continuous-Warranty-Supply-100-W1-0500-KR/dp/B00H33SFJU/ref=zg_bs_1161760_1)
Brent Hale says
Hey, how’s it going?
Yes, that build will work as is and it will definitely give you good performance. However, if it were me I would drop from a GTX 970 to an R9 380 4GB card and then upgrade your CPU/motherboard to either an i5-4460 and a matching H97 motherboard, or go with an FX-8320 and a better AM3+ motherboard (preferably a 990FX motherboard).
That will give you a build that is a little more balanced and the R9 380 will be able to handle anything you throw at it as well.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
chris says
hello, i was thinking of either buying the 600$ build or 500$ build but am not sure what monitor i should buy cuz am real noob when it comes to computer gaming . could you tell me the best monitor for either build? thank you.
Brent Hale says
Hey Chris, how’s it going?
For both of those builds I would recommend getting a 1920×1080 monitor. If you’re looking to save some money, this one would be a good choice:
http://amzn.to/1FytPKy
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Rick says
Hey man just want to say thanks for sharing all this info for free to the public greatly appreciated by me and many others I’m sure. I have not built a PC since 1999 ha ha with the help of a friend. So this was also very good for catching me up to date and refreshing my memory. I am making a build off the $600 suggested with a few tweaks like a SSD for my windows and 1866 ram and probably an upgraded CPU in the future. I am basically not looking for ultra graphics In Games considering I’m used to my ps4 graphics but just getting back into gaming on games like the new UT with some old friends from my 15 y/o gaming days. Again a Huge thank you.
Brent Hale says
Hey Rick, glad to be of some help! Post a picture of your build in the forums if you haven’t done so already. We’d love to see it.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
Best,
Brent
Arie says
Hey I used your guide to begin with but was led astray. Built off the $500 build, swapped your suggestions for an MSI GTX 960 2GB OC for $185 ($165 with rebate) and the Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3 motherboard. Came out to around $550 minus shipping and taxes, so it right on the nose with my budget. Thanks for giving me a starting point!
Brent Hale says
Hey Arie, glad this guide was able to point you in the right direction! Thanks for stopping by and commenting. If you get a chance be sure to post a picture of your build in the forums!
Best,
Brent
Bart says
Dear Brent,
I know very little about building pc’s so i’m hoping you could help me out.
I’m on quite the tight budget. Is it possible for me to use parts from my by now ancient computer (7 yo), e.g. the power supply and harddisk etc?
If possible I would only want to update the motherboard, processor, videocard and memory using the ones mentioned in the $500 setup.
Which would make for my mixed build:
CPU: AMD FX-6300 (new)
MOBO: ASUS M5A78L-M/USB3 (new)
GPU: Sapphire R7 370 4GB (new)
RAM Crucial Ballistix 8GB (new)
HDD: Samsung spinpoint F1 640 GB, 7200 rpm, 16 MB, S-ATA II/300 (old)
CASE: Antec Gamersgear Nine Hundred (old)
PSU: Corsair TX650 650 Watt, 24pins (old)
ODD: Install O.S. from USB drive
Removing my old gear:
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 2.66 GHz, 1333 Mhz, 12 MB boxed
MOBO: Asus Maximus Formula (gen1)
GPU: Asus Radeon HD 4870 512 MB, PCI-e 16x (2 in crossfire)
RAM: Corsair TWIN2X4096-6400C5DHX 4096 MB, PC6400, 80 MHz, 5, Kit of 2
(extra): Artic Freezer 7 Pro Aluminium, Copper
(extra): Samsung SH-S223F S-ATA
Maybe even keeping my old RAM?
I would like to know if it would be compatible, giving my pc it’s needed upgrade.
Cheers,
Bart
Him says
You should definitely throw in a SSD. Even as small as 30GB will be sufficient for the OS. It will change things drastically.
Tim says
Hi, I’m about to buy the one for 700 dollars. I have 2 questions:
1st: Will it support 144hz monitor on games like dirty bomb and CS:GO.
2t: Cases are out of stock is there any cheap and good, that i could buy for it
Ty,
much love from Slovenia.
Matt says
Hi,
I’m looking at building the $500 build in the near future. I’m looking at bigger cases than what was recommended, just because I don’t want to run into any issues with stuff being crammed in there.
Will this case: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AAJ0ZGK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER be compatible with all the other parts?
Thanks,
Matt
Kevin says
So I got the $600 PC build, I haven’t made any modifications to it, but for some reason I can’t seem to get any video output on a monitor. I have an HDMI cable and a VGA cable with a VGA to DVI-I adapter, all monitors and TVs that I have use either VGI or HDMI, no matter what I try, I can’t seem to get any output. Could there have been an issue that occurred while I was assembling the PC? Or do I need different cables? What are all the specific things that could be causing this that I can check? Help me please. Thanks.
Joe says
Hello Brent, Thanks so much for the guide! It is absolutely amazing! I just have a few questions. I am going to build the 400 dollar build, but I was wondering if I could use the nzxt source 210 case instead of the recommended rosewell one?
Also, in the 400 dollar build you recommend the asus GeForce gtx 750ti, but then later on in the Gpu section, you do not mention that graphics card. Am I just being stupid or have you not written a review yet? Anyway, what is your opinion on that graphics card? Also, I am looking to be able to run Star Wars battlefront 3 on at least medium settings. Do you think I should upgrade from the asus m5a78l-m/usb3 mother board to the msi 970a-g46 mother board to do this? How big of a differance do mother boards really make?
Thanks! Joe
Brandon says
Hi Brent, I posted a comment earlier but no one replied, so I’m going to ask it again. How much would the price change on the $600 dollar build during Black Friday or Cyber Monday? I don’t need these immediately and my biggest concern is the price, so would this affect the price enough to wait to buy it? Also, would I have to buy any extra parts for this to work, like extra cables? I am thinking about getting dual monitors so would I need extra parts for that? Finally, would I have to buy speakers or do they come with one of the parts? Thanks again!
Bigmoco says
Built the 500 dollar build in the beginning of the year and its still running strong. So just wanted to say thanks for this helpful guide.
Rick says
on the $600 build i found some 1866mhz ram instead of the 1600 for like 5 dollars more. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J8E8YSY?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00 Would this help out a little more with it running full speed and if there is a chance say one decided to upgrade cpu.
Jgood says
I am doing the 800$ build and I am making a couple of changes. Will the Intel I-5 4590 work with that motherboard? Also I was thinking of doing Corsaire Vengence Ram. Would both of those be compatible with the rest of the system?
Abe says
Hey I am following the $800 dollar build my budget is $1000ish I was planning on switching cases to the Enthoo Luxe and investing in a water cooling system later on what would you recommend? Should I change any parts on my list?
CPU: Intel Core i5-4460
MoBo: Gigabyte GA-H97M-HD3
GPU: EVGA GTX 970
RAM: Crucial Ballistix 8GB
HDD: Seagate 1 TB
Case: Enthoo Luxe
PSU : Corsair CX600
ODD Samsung 24x SATA
Duartico says
I’m indecise between the 800$ plan and the 1000$. Can the 800$ overclock at all? And if it can’t, what does the plan got that must be changed for it to can do medium overclocking?
Brent Hale says
Hi Duartico, how’s it going?
The $800 build cannot be overclocked as it is a locked processor. In order to overclock it, you would need to upgrade the CPU and motherboard to an unlocked CPU and a motherboard that has a chipset that will accommodate overclocking.
So, right now I’d look at an i5-6600K and a Z197 chipset motherboard as they are the newest CPU/chipset from Intel. Basically, you could just swap the CPU and motherboard in the $800 build for the CPU and motherboard (and I would also add the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO as well) from the $1,000 build.
Alternatively, if you want to save a little bit of money you could get an i5-4690K and a Z97 chipset motherboard.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Duartico says
And also, does this specific CPU fan come with the thermal paste already applied? That is my final doubt.
Jorge says
Yes
Brent Hale says
Hi Duartico, yes, all CPUs come with a heatsink that has a thermal “pad” pre-applied to it.
If you want to use thermal paste for better conductivity instead, you can try our thermal compound:
EGC High-Performance Thermal Compound 4 Grams
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Duartico says
Never mind guys, but does the processor used in this build come with a fan if bought in Amazon? That’s what confuses me.
Jorge says
Yes
Brent Hale says
Hi Duartico, yes all CPUs come with a stock fan unless otherwise noted. But the CPUs I choose for these builds do have fans that come with them.
Hope this helps!
Best,
Brent
Duartico says
The 800$ build doesn’t specify a heat sink/CPU fan, i want to do some decent overclocking, so is there any specific fan i should use.
Duartico says
When i said cooler, i meat CPU heatsink.
Forrest says
I assume you are talking about the fan that goes on top of the processer, and it comes with the fan. It already has that putty stuff applied to the fan. If you bought a different heat sink you may need to buy the putty stuff.
Arnau says
Hi!
I got a question; I’ve seen that in all the builds there are not any heatsink for the Processor, my question is: Have we to buy it apart?
Thank u
Brent Hale says
Hi Arnau, how’s it going?
All CPUs come with a stock CPU fan unless otherwise noted. You can definitely get an aftermarket heatsink for better cooling, but if you’re not doing any overclocking, then the stock fan will work just fine.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Duartico says
Hey! I’ve noticed that the 800$ build doesn’t have a CPU cooler. I plan to do some overclocking decent, so what do you recomend?
Danny says
400$ setup costs nearly 700$ here in Canada. this country blows
Brent Hale says
Hey Danny, maybe look for different part combinations and prices on Amazon Canada, Newegg Canada and NCIX Canada. You might be able to get that price down a little bit more.
Evan says
Hi Brent,
I plan on doing the $700 build with the addition of a SSD. I was given a case from a friend for the build and I am concerned the GPU and MOBO may not fit. Here is a link to the case I was given: https://www.asus.com/Tower-PCs/Essentio_CM6830/overview/ . I’ve found a MOBO that I believe will work with the case, but I’m not sure – here is a link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K7807IK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER . My main concern is fitting the GPU suggested for the build. What do you think? Sorry for the over-specific question.
Best regards,
Evan
Brent Hale says
Hi Evan, how’s it going?
It’s tough to say for sure whether or not those parts will work in that case, as that case doesn’t list any specs since it comes as a part of that pre-built system.
My guess, though, is that both the GPU and the motherboard from the $700 build will work. The GPU is only a little bit over 9″ long and that should fit in most mid tower cases. But, I would measure the inside of your case in the location your video card will go first just to make sure.
The motherboard should be good to go, but again, it’s tough to say without being able to see the inside of the case.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Dan says
DId you ever order? Was fitment a issue, I also came across this issue….
Evan says
Hey Dan,
Everything is on order. I expect to have all the parts by 9/1.
Best,
Evan
Evan says
Dan and Brent,
The build is done. Everything fit perfectly. It takes about 6 seconds to boot. The PC runs flawlessly on the highest settings on MGS5. It’s better than I hoped. Thanks, Brent.
Best regards,
Evan
Con6612 says
Why does the English version of the GPU cost a ton more than the American one???
Oh well
I priced it up in English money, and everything adds up to the equivalent of £950, which is like $1000.
Brent Hale says
Hey Con6612, how’s it going?
Unfortunately, the prices don’t always equal out to the same values from one country to another. It could be that the import costs drive the total cost up, or that the supply and demand is just different for that particular component in your country.
Tough to say. I recommend looking at other similar components and other online retailers if you’re in another country to see if you can find better deals.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Rasmus says
Hello there!
I’m a first time builder and I was thinking about trying my luck with the $800 build. I will mostly use it for MMORPG’s and therefore I was wondering if I should upgrade my CPU from a Tier 2 to a Tier 1 to accomodate and downgrade my PSU from a 600W to something like a 450W-550W to keep the cost down.
Looking forward to hearing your opinion.
Many thanks!
Rasmus
Brent Hale says
Hey Rasmus, how’s it going?
MMORPGs can be kind of difficult to peg as far as what kind of system you need to get. On one hand, most MMORPGs aren’t very demanding graphics-wise and so even cheaper builds (like the $400) one will be able to handle them fine.
On the other hand, if you’re doing big raids, or playing in any scenario where you are in a highly crowded area where a lot is going on, even the best of computers can have problems.
So, while the $700 or $800 builds will be more than enough to play MMORPGs, there are a few in-game scenarios (specifically in games like WOW and GW2) where even they will struggle.
So, yes, you could drop the GPU on the $800 build to an R9 380 or GTX 970 4GB and upgrade to an i7 to try and accommodate those situations. I wouldn’t go any lower than a quality 500W PSU, though.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Danny says
hey I’m completely new to gaming on a PC
i was wondering for the 400$ build if i could use my t.v as a monitor?
would building this be hard to do? does everything go together like a puzzle or should i seek help?
if i upgraded the RAM to 6GB would i have to improve anything else?
could it smoothly run skyrim with a few mods?
would any case fit or does it have to be specific?
like i said I’m new but this would help me so much!
im upgrading from an xbox 360 so wish me luck!
Brent Hale says
Hey Danny, how’s it going?
Yes, you could use a TV monitor for the $400 build as long as the TV monitor has either an HDMI or DVI connection… which it most likely does.
Just remember, though, if you use a DVI connection, it won’t play sound through the speakers and you will need computer speakers (a headset, of course, will work.)
Building is not too difficult if you have some free time and some patience. There are a ton of guides out there to help you through the process.
You can get our free step-by-step guide here:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/how-to-build-a-gaming-computer/
And, this is a great video tutorial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIF43-0mDk4
Yes, you can upgrade the RAM without having to change anything.
Yes, this build can run Skyrim on medium to higher settings with a few mods. Depending on the mods, though, you may have to lower the settings a bit.
Most cases will fit the components in this build, but you do need to double check whether or not the motherboard and GPU will fit. The case currently included in the $400 build is pretty small, so most bigger cases ($30+) will work with this build. If you find a case you like and you’re not sure whether it will work, just post the case in the comments and I’ll take a look for you.
Hope this helps! Good luck with your build and let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Dan says
I have an i5 2500k is it worth upgrading to a 15 4460?
Brent Hale says
Hey Dan, how’s it going?
I wouldn’t do that upgrade. The i5-2500K is still very solid. If you were going to upgrade, I would go with the new i5-6600K or the new i7-6700K.
The performance difference for gaming would still be negligible, though.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Cory says
Hey Brent,
Just purchased all the parts for your $400 dollar build. With tax it came to 404.70 which is awesome considering most builds I looked into were usually 50+ dollars over projected cost. I’m super excited as this is my first computer build (My brother is going to help me put it together). Only thing I’m nervous about is installing OS through USB drive. Seems really confusing. If I did decide to get a disc drive is there a certain kind you recommend?
Thanks in advance,
Cory
Brent Hale says
Hey Cory, sorry for the delayed response!
Hopefully you got the computer setup and got through the OS install with no problems.
If not, you can always pick up an Optical Drive for about $18 and that will allow you to install the OS in a much easier fashion.
Just take a look at the “ODDs” recommended in the $600 builds and above. That one will work fine.
Hope this helps and hope everything went well with the build!
Best,
Brent
Cory says
Thank you. Unfortunately I’m still waiting for the case because amazon sent the first one smashed ????. It should be arriving today though lol
Ryan says
Hey Brent, i’m wondering what other towers i could replace with your $800 build that has at least 2 USB 3.0 and at least 2 USB 2.0 that are around the same price and also wondering if I could replace the i5 for another cpu that’s faster and isn’t too expensive
Brett says
Hi there! Wondering what people are doing for WLAN cards? In particular for the $300-$400 build, which I’m planning to put together for my son as an intro to gaming with me.
(I may have posted this twice, I can’t tell. If so – sincere apologies for the spammage.)
Brett says
I’m looking at getting the $300-$400 build for my son as his first computer. He’s hitting the age where he and I can do a little gaming together. He can live with low-quality graphics (…. if he wants to upgrade, he can save money mowing lawns in a few years).
What are people doing for wireless connectivity? I won’t be able to run a cable to his computer. Any recommendations on a good WLAN card?
Mr. Vengy says
AMD FX-6300 Processor & MSI 970A-G43 Combo
For about 130$ I’m not sure how good of a deal that is since I have no idea if that G43 is any good or not :|
Brandon says
Hi Brent, I posted a comment earlier but I’m not sure it posted, so I’m going to ask it again. How much would the price change on the $600 dollar build during Black Friday or Cyber Monday? I don’t need these immediately and my biggest concern is the price, so would this affect the price enough to wait to buy it? Also, would I have to buy any extra parts for this to work, like extra cables? Finally, would I have to buy speakers or do they come with one of the parts? Thanks again!
Scott says
Hey Brent, really helpful guide! I was wondering if it is easy to set up dual monitors on the $600 build, or if you needed any extra components. Also, would it be a good idea to wait until Black Friday or Cyber Monday to get it cheeper? I’m not in a rush to get it and I want it as cheap as possible. Thanks!
Megan says
I’m currently doing the $400 build and I can’t get the GPU to fit. Am I doing something wrong or is it because the case is too small? I know very little about computers so I most likely am doing something wrong.
Zach says
Hey, just another PC building noob with a few quick questions. I started with the $600 build, but I made a few modifications, and was wondering if you had any critiques/recommendations. First off, instead of using the AMD FX-6300, I upgraded to an Intel Core i5-4460. I also noticed that your build doesn’t include a cpu cooling fan, so I added the Cooler Master Hyper TX3. I don’t plan to do any overclocking, but I’ve heard that a cpu cooling fan is important, correct me if I’m wrong. I also switched out your thermal paste for the Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver Thermal Compound, 3.5 Grams. Not really sure if that was a good move, but its currently on sale with $22 off on Amazon. Other than that I made no changes to the main components, but I guess the main thing I am worried about is if the power supply you have will still be able to sustain the build? The other thing I was curious about is that I have heard of people using a hard drive and a solid state drive. Would you recommend an SSD over a HD, or would getting both be a good idea? Once again sorry if some of these questions are dumb, but I hope to buy my first PC within the next week or two, and I just want to be sure that I’m all set with no problems. Thanks a bunch!
Steven A says
I’m not the most knowledgeable, so get a second opinion on everything I’m about to say:
If you don’t plan on OCing, then you don’t need the CPU cooling fan. That’s because a stock fan comes with most processors (make sure that it does). Also, stock fans come with pre-applied thermal paste, so you wouldn’t need the extra thermal paste.
If you’re worried about power requirements, make the entire build on PCPartpicker.com (or a PSU calculator site), and check what it says on the power requirements. Generally, if you add 50-100W to that requirement, you’re set.
Since you’re on this page, I assume you’re on a budget. In that case, I don’t recommend going with an SSD+HDD combo. Generally, people only get an SSD to install their OS and have certain programs on it because it loads faster. If you DO decide to go with an SSD+HDD combo to get faster boot times, then I assume you plan on only installing your OS and maybe one or two programs on the SSD, in which case I recommend getting a low capacity SSD to save money.
Once again, get a second opinion, but I hope this helps!
Frankie says
how is the i7 of the 700$ build better than the 600$ builds cpu
Nick says
Hey! Sorry Im back with another quick question!
I was wondering if the Sentey GS 6011 blade could hold all of the components of the 700$ computer with the 800$ computers Graphics card. Thanks so much for responding (I dont expect you too :P). A link to amazon on the case is here: http://www.amazon.com/Transparent-Removable-Management-Motherboards-Watercooling/dp/B00MNSDBVW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438984619&sr=8-1&keywords=sentey+gs+6011. Again Thanks for listening!
Ron says
Hey, I was wondering if I could put the 800 dollar computer Graphics card into the 700 dollar computer. Thanks!
Brandon says
hi, i was wondering if you have personaly had any of these computer builds listed here im looking into the $500 or $600 option would like to know if you have had any of the builds on this list before thank you
Nick says
Hey, which case would work better, the new one you just added or the sentey gs 6007? Because if I go to the Sentey gs 6007 website they say they provide two fan coolers and ssd support.
Nick says
Hey, I was wondering why the cases changed on the 700. I am wondering if the sentey gs 6007 will still work.
Brent Hale says
Hi Nick, how’s it going?
The Sentey case was out of stock on Amazon. Yes it will definitely still work if it comes back in stock.
Hope this helps!
Best,
Brent
Nick says
Thanks accidently asked another question up top sorry :P
Nick says
But it would be good to know which one has better features :P
Lowie says
Hello Brent,
Thanks for the great and informative article, it’s certainly taken me a step closer to building a great gaming PC. I am looking at putting together my first PC and want to go for the 600 option.
I live in Finland however and its not possible for me to get my hands on a Sentey case (they seem quite hard to come by in general). Since its my first computer I am a little worried about making an alternative choice, fitting and cooling wise. Could you offer me a good alternative.
Thanks in advance.
Brent Hale says
Hey Lowie, how’s it going?
Where would you be getting your parts from? Amazon Deutschland?
Maybe look at the Corsair Carbide Series or Corsair SPEC series and see if they’re available. You just need to make sure that the case will fit the video card will fit, as the stock CPU cooler should fit just fine.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
frankie says
the case for the 600$ build is out of stock on amazon and i was wondering if any other case would work for that build
Brent Hale says
Hey Frankie, how’s it going?
I updated all of the builds today and replaced the Sentey case with the VIVO case. Similar specs and a little bit cheaper. Ultimately, it will get the job done.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
frankie says
I was also wondering how the intel i5 in the 700$ build is better than the amd fx 6300
Nate says
What do you suggest if the Sentey Gaming Computer Case Gs-6070 is unavailable for the $600 build? And also are there any other cases I could buy for the $500 build which could include an optical drive and potential upgrades for longer video cards?
Brent Hale says
Hey Nate, how’s it going?
I just updated the builds today and swapped out the Sentey case for the VIVO case.
You can either look at the VIVO case, which can support a ~13.5″ video card, or the Corsair Carbide Spec series, or Corsair Carbide 200R. Really, there are a ton of cases out there that will fit your needs, but the VIVO and Corsair Carbides are some of the more affordable and roomy budget cases.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Gabriel says
Hi, this site is amazing and id like to ask you something as im trying to build the $700 one but i have insufficient founds for the moment. I understand the the cpu comes with an integrated graphic card, so maybe i could get the dedicated card later even though i wont be able to play high end games at the moment, what about the psu? would a 300w one work w/o the dedicated gpu?
Thanks,
Brent Hale says
Hey Gabriel, how’s it going?
Yes, you could definitely go without a video card at first, but you will have to play games on lower settings (or not at all, depending on the game.)
I wouldn’t go with a 300W power supply, because when you do go to add a video card you’ll have to buy a new power supply as well. In my opinion, you’d be better off looking at the $400 build (or $300 build if you want an Intel-based build), as that will allow you to play any game on medium settings.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
James says
Hi brent first of all thank you for all the dedication and information, i would like to know what would be the best option to get for playing dota 2 and league of legends on the highest quality? I was thinking of getting the 700$ one, is it ok or i rather get the 600?
Thanks
karl says
u can play lol even with 300 build :)
Brent Hale says
Hey James, how’s it going?
League of Legends and Dota 2 aren’t very demanding so yes, either the $600 or $700 builds would be good options. However, as Karl said, even the $300 build will play League on higher settings with good FPS. So, it really depends on what you want to spend and whether or not you want to be able to play other games.
In my opinion, I’d go with at least the $400 build if you’re just playing League and Dota 2, or the $500, $600, or $700 builds if you want to play some newer games as well.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Antonio says
Can an Athlon 5350 run League of Legends at 1024×768 medium no aa no shadow ?
Rémi says
Hello Bret,
I was very pleased by your article since i am currently looking to build my own computer. I was just wondering if with the 700$ build i could still play big games on high settings (The witcher 3, Skyrim, Fallout 4, etc…) Should i build the 800$ one or is this enought?
Thank you for your time
Rémi
Brent Hale says
Hey Remi, how’s it going?
Yes, the $700 build will handle those games just fine on a 1920×1080 monitor. The $800 will give you a little more FPS and would let you play them a little better on a new higher resolution monitor (like 2K or 4K), but the improvement isn’t absolutely necessary if you’re playing on a 1080p monitor.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Kyle says
What’s your opinion on this build?
CPU: Intel Core i3-4160 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor ($102.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H81M-S2H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($49.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: OCZ ARC 100 120GB 2.5″ Solid State Drive ($54.01 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5″ 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($46.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 290 4GB PCS+ Video Card ($242.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake Versa H22 ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($41.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSC0B DVD/CD Writer ($12.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $619.31
Brent Hale says
Hey Kyle, how’s it going?
It’s pretty good, especially since it has options to upgrade the CPU to an Intel i5 or i7. Though, I’d drop the SSD and put it into your CPU now and add the SSD later.
The reason being is that if you buy a $100 CPU now and then upgrade to a $180-$200 CPU later, you’ve just spent $280-$300 total on your CPU, whereas if you get the $180-$200 CPU now, and forego the SSD (which can easily be added later) you don’t waste money needing to upgrade.
And, with Black Friday a few months away, you’ll find some insane deals on SSDs.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Brandon says
With the $600 build, could you do dual monitors? If so, what settings in-game could you get using two 1080p monitors or two 900p monitors? I hope you understand this. Reply with any questions or possibly answers. Thanks!
–Brandon
P.S. Very helpful guide! :)
Brandon says
Also, as a follow-up question, do you recommend I get Windows 7 or Windows 10? Thanks Brent!
-Brandon
Brent Hale says
Hey Brandon, how’s it going? It really depends…
If you want to wait for all of the bugs to get worked out of Windows 10 first, then get Windows 7 or 8.1 to start, and then upgrade to Windows 10 for free when you’re ready. I believe as long as you have a copy of Windows 7 or 8/8.1 you have until next year at this time to upgrade for free.
Or, you could just always jump into Windows 10 now…
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Brent Hale says
Hey Brandon, how’s it going?
Yes, you can definitely run dual monitors with that setup. (You could even run three if you really wanted to.) Are you looking to stretch the screen across both monitors? Or, use one of the monitors as a utility monitor? Because playing certain games (like first-person shooters) can be awkward on a dual monitor setup.
Ultimately, though, you can run dual monitors on the $600 build with no problems and on higher settings for most games.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Tim the K00K says
Hi Brent,
For the $400 build, is it a concern that the Rosewill case does not have USB3 ports while the ASUS MOBO has USB3 header connectors? Would connecting the header ports together cause a problem with the comp or would the USB port run as a USB2.
Thanks
PS. I ran the build through pcpartpicker.com and thats why I’m asking
Brent Hale says
Hey Tim, how’s it going?
I think PCPartPicker messed up on the ASUS MOBO. It does come with two USB 3.0 ports on the rear I/O panel, but it doesn’t come with an internal USB 3.0 header. The internal headers are USB 2.0. So, you will be fine there.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Tim the K00K says
Thank for the reply Brett.
I double checked the info on the ASUS site and everything seems to checkout.
Thanks for the help!
John says
These builds look amazing although im having an issue regarding when i should buy the parts.
Do you think its a better idea to wait for the GTX950/950Ti? or should I just get a 750Ti right now and have it settled to get rid of my 6 year old toaster.
Brent Hale says
Hey John, how’s it going?
That really depends on you. The 950 Ti looks like it’s going to be out soon, but there is no official timeframe for its release, so it comes down to whether or not you want to wait an indefinite amount of time for it to come out.
My guess is that it comes out within the next month or two… but that’s not really based off of anything concrete.
If it was me, I’d get an R7 370 2GB card for about the same price. But then that may also require a PSU upgrade depending on what you have. So, really, the choice is up to you.
Best,
Brent
ryan says
How well does anyone think the $400 build would run Diablo 3?
Kyle says
Hey I need help, which of these pre-built builds would let me run GTA V, Skyrim, DOTA 2, and Dying light on Medium to High settings? I would think the $700 or $800, correct?
jacob says
Skyrim could be played on max on any of these guaranteed. The 300$ one is massively better than what I am running on (A pre-built Dell from 2009) and I run at high with 40-60 FPS in Skyrim with mods.
My computer is a pre-built DX4300 you could look up the parts in that and compare them to what you’re seeing on this site.
Ben Reynolds says
Hi Brent I haven’t bought anything yet but I plan for the 300 dollar build, I fiddled around with it a little, will it still work?
Brent Hale says
Hey Ben, how’s it going?
It really depends on what you have changed to tell you whether or not it will still work.
So, if you let me know what components you swapped I’ll be able to give you a better idea of whether or not it will work.
Best,
Brent
Jett says
Hey Brent, I’m not positive if I posted my last comment but if so, sorry for filling up the page.
I was wondering whether or not I should go for the 700 build over the 600 because of the intel processor. Im fearful the amd processor wont be sufficient enough for future games and programs I wish to play. I want games to run at top condition so I’m not sure. This will be my first real gaming computer build so I want it to run great for at least 5-7 years (till I get through college). I was wondering what you think about this.
Also, I was wondering If there was an easy, cheap way to upgrade my ram from 8gb to 16gb, I really want an advanced computer for what I need for not an expensive price. I’d appreciate your advice on this (possibly a link if needed). Thank you Brent, this has really encouraged me to build a computer that runs amazing.
Sincerely,
Jett
Denis says
Hi, i have question – can i use this PSU in the 600$ build? ty
Fortron RAIDER 650 BRONZE 80 Plus,active PFC – 650W
Brent Hale says
Hey Denis, how’s it going?
I don’t know much about the Fortron RAIDER series of PSUS, but reading reviews it looks like there is some mixed reviews of it. The 650W unit has gotten some decent-to-good reviews, and the 750W version has gotten an okay review from Jonny Guru.
Ultimately, you’ll probably be fine with it and if you can get it for a significantly better price than the Corsair CX600 then go for it. However, if it were me I’d stick with the Corsair CX600 or another decent quality 600-700W PSU from a reputable manufacturer.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Denis says
Ok ty im getting the cx 600 and i want to know if i can oc the cpu whithout problems in the 600$ build
Brent Hale says
Hey Denis, you can OC the CPU in the $600 build, but I wouldn’t recommend pushing it too far unless you get a better motherboard and CPU cooler.
Jacob says
Hello, I was looking to get the $600 build. However, the Gigabyte AMD R9 380 4GB video card has risen in price by $40 on Amazon and there is a $12 shipping fee on it since Amazon.com ran out of stock and another seller is selling them. If I were to change the video to the MSI R7 370 4G from the $500 build, would this card work for the $600 build. I just wanted to know before I buy the parts? Or should I wait for Amazon to restock, it was said to take 2 to 3 weeks to restock from Amazon but I don’t know if I can wait that long?
Jacob says
To further extend this question, if the GPU from the $500 build is compatible with the $600 build, would this affect performance? Sorry if this is a dumb question
Brent Hale says
Hey Jacob, how’s it going?
I just updated all of the builds and I changed the GPU on the $600 build to a Sapphire R9 380 and that should get the price back under ~$620 for all of the desktop components.
Of course, you could use the R7 370 in the $600 build, but you won’t get as much performance.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Jacob says
Hello, Brent. I had another question. I don’t know if I will do this but instead of the motherboard that is recommended for the $600 build, because I might want to increase my maximum RAM size on the board from 16 to 32GB. What if I changed the motherboard to the Gigabyte AM3+ AMD DDR3 1333 760G HDMI USB 3.0 Micro ATX Motherboard GA-78LMT-USB3. Would this be compatible with the $600 build components?
Jacob says
Also what would be the best wireless network card to get for this build?
Rambew says
Hello, I would like advice on what build I should get if I wanted to run the Resident Evil HD Remaster and Ori and the Blind Forrest on max setting. I was thinking that it would be something like the $500 build, but I’m having doubts about my judgement. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
Brent Hale says
Hey Rambew, how’s it going?
Neither of those games are too demanding and even the $400 build would likely max them out. So, yes, the $500 build will be more than enough and it will also allow you to play most other games on high settings on a 1080p monitor.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Rambew says
Thank you Brent, I will be sure to get the $500 build. Your help is really appreciated, thank you for helping me get just what I need rather than a computer that I don’t really need.
Avram says
Glad to have found this site. Can you tell me which system would be best for someone who’s only looking to play Sims 4 on it? EA suggests an i5 processor, but would the builds under $700 work well?
Brent Hale says
Hey Avram, how’s it going?
I think EA is a little lazy with those requirements because they also recommend an Athlon X4… which is weird because the Athlon X4 is quite a bit lower than a modern i5 in terms of performance.
But, since they’re saying that an Athlon X4 is a recommended CPU, then pretty much any build on this list including and over the $400 build will be able to play the Sims 4 on higher settings.
So, if you do want to save some money, you definitely can.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Forrest says
What is the main difference between the 500$ build and the 600$?
Jeremy says
If i wanted to plug in a Sapphire r9 290 tri-x oc 4gb with a nzxt s340 case onto the 700$ build would I have to significantly (if at all) change any of the other pieces?
Sam says
nah just go onto currnent prices and take it out, get the price then look up that thing u want a add the two prices togeather m8
Brent Hale says
Hey Jeremy, how’s it going?
It looks like the Sapphire R9 290 Tri-X OC is about 10mm to long for the NZXT S340 according to both of their specifications. The card is huge, but it will fit in something like the Corsair Carbide 200R.
But, as long as you can find a case that it will fit in, you won’t need to change anything else.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Eric says
Hi, I’m looking for a budget pc build that would be able run online mmos like EQ and Lotr online and also to do a lot of multimedia content with an emphasis on photography. Would appreciate some insight since I am quite a novice with regards to building a pc. Thank you in advance with any advice.
Brent Hale says
Hey Eric, how’s it going?
I’m assuming you mean the upcoming EverQuest Next? If so, it’s tough to say what the minimum requirements will be, so it’s kind of hard to recommend what to get for it, but I should think that the $700 build would be able to easily handle it.
As for LOTR Online, that game isn’t too demanding and so really any of the builds on this list will be able to handle it just fine.
Ultimately, it really depends on how much you want to spend. I don’t know if you’re planning on doing any heavy image editing, but honestly, even the $500 build would probably be enough to suit your needs. But I would up the storage to a 1TB HDD instead of a 500GB HDD if you need the room for your photos.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Connor says
Hello Brent, I hope your day has been good, I was wondering if the $300 or $400 could be able to run Garry’s Mod, thank you
Jeremy says
Hey I was just wondering if you could suggest a similarly sized case, as well as a similar GPU for the 700$ build? I’m in Canada and those two things aren’t available through Amazon Canada. Thank!
Brent Hale says
Hey Jeremy, how’s it going?
The prices are quite a bit different than Amazon US, but there’s a few cases from this search that will work:
http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2/175-8353150-4748608?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=mid+tower+case
I would just make sure that the video card length will fit inside whatever case you choose. You can do that by going to the case manufacturers page and checking the maximum VGA length and then going to the video card manufacturers page and checking the card’s length.
You might also be able to buy some of those cases through Amazon US, as sometimes they will ship to Canada.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Brent Hale says
Hey Connor, how’s it going? My day has been good, thanks for asking! Hope yours has been good as well.
Yes, either of those builds will be able to run Garry’s Mod, as it isn’t a particularly demanding game.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Ryan says
This is my first time building a computer, and I know this may be a dumb question but just being sure. For each set-up are all the parts recommended compatible with each other?
Brent Hale says
Hey Ryan, how’s it going?
If by “are all the parts recommended compatible with each other” you mean all the parts listed in each list (i.e. all the parts in the $700 list, or all of the parts in the $400 list) then, yes, they are compatible with each other. However, the parts from the $400 list aren’t necessarily compatible with the parts from the $700 build.
Hope that makes sense! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Philippe says
Hey!
I just wanted to be sure that the 800$ build is fine.I mean this will be my first gaming computer and I plan to build it by myself.Although I earned this money and I don’t want to waist it.I have another question is it normal that in the 800$ build the power supplies fits in the top of the case and not in the bottom?
Thanks a lot for this instructive guide.
Brent Hale says
Hey Philippe, how’s it going?
Yes, the $800 build is a very solid setup that will allow you to max out any game on a 1920×1080 monitor. It will even play games on 2K resolution pretty well and it can be used as an entry-point to 4K gaming as well.
As for the power supply placement in the case…
Typically, bottom-mounted power supplies are better, but the price of the Sentey case makes it worth it. If you can find a similarly-priced case that will fit your video card and has a bottom-mounted power supply, then definitely go for it.
But the top-mounted PSU will work just fine.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Samuel says
I want to buy the 600 dollar setup that you have recommended, but I am stressing out super hard that it will now work or ill be missing something or it wont play the games I want at a high or medium framerate.(ex. Killing Floor 2, Battle Field 4, GTA V etc.) This is my first gaming PC EVER, and although this all looks very good and reliable, I am stuck behind whether to get the $600 build here, or the Digital Storm Vanquish lvl 1. Please help. Will I need a dongle? Are there plenty of USB ports for everything? These are probably all dumb questions but aaah help me.
Brent Hale says
Hey Samuel, how’s it going?
The $600 build will work just fine for the games you want to play. And, all of the parts listed are everything you will need to build the computer minus the operating system. You will need an operating system to install on the computer after you are finished (a copy of Windows 7 or 8.1 is about ~$90… Windows 10 is also coming out soon, but if you buy Windows 7 or 8.1 before then you can upgrade to Windows 10 for free.)
The $600 build will play those games on at least medium settings, but more than likely on higher settings.
Yes, if you want to connect the computer up to Wi-Fi, then you will need a wireless adapter. You can either get a USB Wi-Fi adapter or a PCI Wi-Fi adapter. Just make sure you match the Wi-Fi adapter speed with your router speed.
And yes there will be plenty of USB ports for everything.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Samuel says
Thanks so much for replying, I will be purchasing the $600 build soon and I will give feedback asap.
Sam
Brent Hale says
Awesome, sounds good! Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Sam says
I want to buy the $700 setup, but just before I do, does it have absolutely everything needed to get playing right out of the box? It doesn’t look like it comes with a OS, but I know what I want. Also I assume I will need to get a wireless internet dongle too.
Thanks!
Doug says
Hi,
I’m looking for a computer that will be able to handle playing “next gen” games that are out right now and that will be coming out this year or the next like The Witcher 3, For Honor, Dishonored 2, etc. Which build would be the best to run those kinds of games at high settings (with good fps as well)?
Brent Hale says
Hey Doug, how’s it going?
I would look at getting at least the $700 build, but the $800 build would be better. Those games are pretty demanding and so the better the system the better able you will be able to handle them.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Ashraf says
Hello there, I was just thinking can Antec VP-450 handle OC AMD FX 6300 ? Any stability issue ?
Brent Hale says
Hey Ashraf, how’s it going?
None of the builds in this article are suitable for overclocking (the Intel-based builds can’t be overclocked). You might be able to push it a little bit, but ultimately, you’ll want a better motherboard and power supply to really push the FX-6300.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Dave says
Let me first say that this web site is great. I did the $500 build for 2014 (my first PC build with no previous build experience) and it worked out great. It included an R9 270x video card and an AMD FX6300. The most difficult part by far was the cable management as the case was small and there were alot of cables that had to be connected or stashed. My teenager was in heaven when that PC was built as he could now play Counter Strike Global Offensive, League of Legends, and Tomb Raider with no lag on high settings.
I am now doing the $500 build for 2015. The general process has been the same. This build has the same size case as compared to the 2014 build, but has a larger motherboard, larger video card, and larger hard drive. There is very little space to maneuver. Once the MOBO is installed with CPU and heatsink/fan, I couldn’t fit the hard drive in the bottom bay of the case without bending the metal tabs on the bay that separate the slots (middle bay slot was manageable, but I wanted the drive in the bottom one). It worked, but it was much harder than just sliding the drive in because the heatsink fan was blocking the ability to just slide the drive in. The video card fits, but all the wires that need to go under it (for the system connectors) barely fit around/under the video card and are right next to the fan. I’m going to get it all to work, but I think if I was doing this build all over with these larger parts, I would want a larger case.
Just my 2 cents. Still love this site as I would never have been able to build a PC without this guidance,
Brent Hale says
Hey Dave, how’s it going? Awesome to hear your feedback on the $500 build and your experience with it. And, thanks for the compliments, glad the site could be of some help!
Would you mind sending me some pictures of the inside of the build so I can get a better grasp of the problems you’re having with the cable management? I have a pretty good idea, but just wanted to see so that if I keep the same parts in the future I can note the cable management issues. My email is bhale@elitegamingcomputers.com.
Thanks again for posting and enjoy your new system!
Best,
Brent
Dawson says
Hi I was looking at purchasing the 400$ build but dont really like the case. Will this build fit into almost any other case?
Brent Hale says
Hey Dawson, how’s it going?
The $400 build will fit into most cases. I would look for a mid-tower case if you want to be safe, but most micro-ATX cases (which is what the case in the $400 build) will work too.
Just make sure it will fit the motherboard and the video card.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Ryan says
Good afternoon,
I am interested in buying the $500 build but I am kinda computer dumb and was wondering if this would be a good build for Microsoft Flight Simulator X? This is the only game i currently play and my current laptop cannot handle the game. Thank you!
Brent Hale says
Hey Ryan, how’s it going?
Yes, the $500 build will easily be able to handle Microsoft Flight Simulator X. In fact, the $500 build will be able to any of today’s top games without any problems.
So, you’re definitely good to go there!
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
phillip h says
i like what im seeing here however i don’t know witch one would be best for me. i play yes you guessed it WOW (world of warcraft) if you play the game you know its play changes from being all alone in one area and not much going on to having 100 other people around you moving every were. and in raids you have 25 and there people and there pets all casting and running around attacking with a lot of movement every every were. and the game has a few settings (4-5) for graphics and such ranging from low to ultra. i want to be able to run this game on a mid range setting and have around 30-60fps while in a raid witch is where most of the pull is that bogs a computer down.
this is what i got from the wow site as for minimum requirements to run wow on a lowest setting.
PC:
Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows7/Windows8 (latest Service Pack)
Intel Core2 Duo E6600 or AMD Phenom X3 8750
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT, ATI Radeon HD 4850 or Intel HD Graphics 3000
PC/Mac:
35 GB available HD space
2 GB RAM
Broadband Internet connection
Keyboard/mouse
DVD-ROM drive
1024×768 minimum display resolution
Recommended Specifications
PC/Mac:
4 GB RAM
Multi-button mouse with scroll wheel
PC:
Windows 7/Windows 8 64-bit (latest Service Pack)
Intel Core i5 2400 or AMD FX-4100 or better
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470, ATI Radeon HD 5870 or better
again this is the lowest recommended to play the game. so i don’t want to spend $1k if i can do it with half the money. was looking at the 600 set up with out the case as i already have a nice case that will house everything listed.
thanks for your time in doing this post on what to get as i know many have no idea what prices computers can be build for vs just buying one.
Brent Hale says
Hey Phillip, how’s it going?
I know that WoW isn’t really too demanding as long as you’re not in big raids. But once you get into those big raids, even the most expensive of computers will run into lag.
With that being said, even the $500 build listed here will run WoW at Ultra settings while not raiding. But, when you raid you would have to turn down the settings.
So, I’d say look at either the $500 or $600 builds.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Phillip h says
Thanks for your reply. I know in big raids I would have to drop down the graphics a bit. I don’t mind running raids on the lowest setting as I don’t raid a huge amount. But more for general over all game play. And I know the WOW guesting comes up quite a bit in other forums to do with the game. I will be building the $600 build as I have done some shopping around and can do that build for about $400 using the case and power supply I already have. However with that said once the build is done I will return and comment with my findings on this build. And if it all works out the way I think it will I will be happy to send others this way for good cheaper gaming builds. Thanks for your time.
Brent Hale says
Hey Phillip, sounds great! Good luck with the build and hope all goes well!
Best,
Brent
john says
Hey
I really like the $800 build but i was wondering if you could give some of the most popular benchmarks so i can see if it’s the right one for me, thanks in advance.
john
Brent Hale says
Hey John, thanks for reading and commenting!
For the $800 the only benchmarks you really need to look at are benchmarks for the video card. The reason is that the CPU and RAM are both sufficient enough to max out any game on the market. So, then in all falls on the GPU as to what kind of FPS you will get in any given game.
Here is a benchmark for the GTX 970:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8568/the-geforce-gtx-970-review-feat-evga/4
You can scroll through the different games to see how it does. If you’re playing on a 1920×1080 monitor, the GTX 970 (and subsequently the $800 build) will be able to max any game out with at least 60 FPS.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Martin Kiryakov says
I’m wondering if anyone got the $500 build? Is it good? Does everything fit right and work?
Peter says
So, for the $500 build at the moment, it costs $220 for the GPU, and I assume it’s so high because right now on amazon there is only 3 left in stock. Will this change, or will the build itself need to change? I’m looking to use the $500 build of course, but will I be able to use the current one listed?
Brent Hale says
Hi Peter, how’s it going?
I update the builds about once a week and go by the best prices available at that time. On the last update the prices of the R9 280 had jumped and the R9 270X was the best video card I could fit under the budget.
However, I just updated the builds again today and the XFX R9 280 is at the same price as the R9 270X, so I added that to the builds.
There are quite a few reasons why the item will jump in price and, yes, the item running low in stock is one of them. It looks like the price for that R9 270X has gone back down. But again, the R9 280 is the same price and is the better card.
Everything in the list is current, so you should be good to go.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Wcf941019 says
Did all the radeon r9 280x just change to r9 380?(for 600 n 700 build)
What is the reason for doing so?
Is it becos some r9 280x having artifact issues or simply becos r9 380 is better?
Brent Hale says
Hey Wcf941019, how’s it going?
The R9 380 is the newer card. In all honesty the R9 380 and R9 280x deliver very similar performance at 1920×1080 resolution and the R9 380 4GB version narrowly edges out the R9 280X in higher res like 2k and 4k.
The only difference is that the R9 380 is currently priced better and therefore is the better deal. And, ultimately, that’s why I switched them.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
ExfinityBeyond says
hey can you help me i want to get a pc with these settings so i can play world at war
here are the settings:
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 /AMD 64 3200+
CPU Speed: 3.0Ghz or better
RAM: 512MB RAM (XP)/1GB RAM (vista)
OS: Windows XP / Windows Vista
Video Card: Shader 3.0 or better, 256MB Nvidia GeForce 6600GT / ATI
Radeon 1600XT or better
Sound Card: Yes
Free Disk Space: 8GB
If anyone can help me out showing a computer/ laptop that meets the requirements. Sorry if i sound needy its just i always wanted a pc but I’m on a budget the highest i can go is $500 So please if anyone can answer this it will be very well appreciated.
Brent Hale says
Hey ExfinityBeyond, how’s it going?
I’m assuming you pasted the minimum requirements for playing World at War?
I would look at the $400 build from above and then account for $90-$100 on an operating system. As long as you don’t need a monitor, keyboard, and mouse that should fit under your budget. The $400 setup will easily be able to handle those requirements.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Jorge says
Brent I cannot thank you enough for this awesome site! My brother and I threw together the $700 build this last Thursday and man I am excited. Everything worked great and the New Egg video is a gem. I Showed off the build in the forum. The title of the post is The Grizzly ($700) Build and my username is GUnitColima on there. Anyway I usually do not take the time to comment on stuff like this but your site and guide has been such a valuable asset during this Journey to build our first decent PC! THANK YOU so much man.
Brent Hale says
Hey Jorge, how’s it going?
I saw your build in the forums and it looks great! Glad we were able to help and that the building process went smoothly!
Have fun with the new build and thanks again for posting!
Best,
Brent
Dan says
Do you have a link to the build?
Dave says
Hi. I posted a question a few weeks ago, asking about whether the R9 280 video card would fit into the Rosewill FBM-01 case (that was part of the $500 build), because partpicker’s web site said this:
2) Unable to verify the Rosewill FBM-01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case has sufficient space to fit the Sapphire Radeon R9 280 3GB Dual-X Video Card.
I see today that the video card for the $500 build has been changed from the R9 280 to the R9 270X, which is a smaller card (by about 50 mm). So, was this change made because the R9 280 won’t fit (or is too big to be able to maneuver in the case).
Please reply as I need to now figure out if I need to replace the R9 280 video card that I bought.
Thanks.
Brent Hale says
Hi Dave, how’s it going?
The Rosewill Dual Fans is actually kind of deceiving. It’s a small case, but since there is no bottom HDD cage, it can actually fit a pretty lengthy video card.
I’m not sure why they don’t list the maximum video card you can use in the case, but the R9 280 and R9 270X will definitely fit in there.
Here’s a build from PC World using an 11.61″ video card in the build:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2068281/build-this-killer-amd-based-windows-8-1-pc-for-less-than-1000.html
The reason why I switched to the R9 270x on the last update was due to pricing. However, I just updated the builds again and switched to an XFX R9 280. That video card is also 11.61″ and so it should fit in just fine.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Martijn says
Hey everyone,
I’m going to build the 700 dollar build.
This is my first build ever. So there are a couple of things i don’t understand:
Are all cases capable of having a SSD drive and a DVR?
and do you always get a CPU-Cooler with the CPU when you buy the CPU, or do you need to buy one yourself? Because a CPU cooler isn’t integrated into the build-list…
Thanks in advance :)
Jorge says
The case in the $700 build has the ability to house an SSD and DVR. (I just built it)
The CPU comes with the heat sink and fan included.
Cheers!
Brent Hale says
Hey Martijn, how’s it going?
Exactly what Jorge said.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
SJG says
What after market CPU cooler on the AMD 6300 & Rosewill Dual Fans case would you recommend? I’m somewhat new to all this but at some point would like to overclock the processor.
Brent Hale says
Hi SJG, how’s it going?
If you want to forego the stock cooler for the FX-6300 then I would look at the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO. Just make sure that if you choose the 212 EVO that it will fit in your case.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Kievan says
Do these come with monitors
Carlll says
No you must buy your own
Brent Hale says
Hey Kievan, how’s it going?
As Carlll said, they do not come with monitors. For an affordable 1920×1080 monitor you could look at something like this:
http://amzn.to/1RmmN68
That’s not too expensive and will allow you to game at 1080p.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Zoltan says
Hi, I was wondering if the prebuilt list (namely the 600$ comp) posted above will come with an operating system installed, or will I have to procure my own OS?
Also, will the computer come prebuilt or will all the parts arrive separate, awaiting assembly. I know its done through amazon but I have no idea whether that’s a thing that happens or not. And if its not, is there any guide that you could link me to that would help build it? Thanks!!
Peter says
No, amazon will not build your computer. That’s illegal and it isn’t in their best interests, as they would be going out of their way to build you your computer for no payment.
Also yes, you’ll need to acquire the OS yourself and he linked a video above via USB method.
And search “how to build a computer” on YouTube. I know that is a thing anyone can say “I don’t need you to tell me that” but the video by newegg is pretty good in explaining how to build it, as well as the video that appears above it. Hope I helped. Good Luck
Kylek says
I don’t presume to speak for the author, but this seems to be a do it yourself guide. You order the parts individually, and you build a system. That includes installing the operating system. Do not worry, that is probably the easiest part of the process.
Corginado says
THANKS SO MUCH for making this guide! I’ve never had a legit gaming computer in my life, was a bit puzzled about what parts to buy for my first build and your guide comes as a real lifesaver! Thank you for putting so much work into this, listing estimated prices and the overviews on what settings to expect blew me away!! Planning on going for the 400 dollar build. :D
No worries if you’re not answering any more question, but I do have one concern! I plan to stream League of Legends, Final Fantasy 14, and Smash Bros Wii U onto Twitch using Obs software. Would the 400 dollar build be able to perform smoothly live streaming games like League and FF14? I don’t need really high graphics, but the ability to stream smoothly is huge for me.
– Thanks again :)
Chris says
Yes, that will all work together. Looks good. Although I would personally drop the RAM down to 8gb, and pick up a 125gb ssd drive for your OS and a few games to put on it. It will decrease loading times to about 10-20% of what they are with a normal hard drive. My pc boots up after bios in 7.5 seconds and it browser ready on the google search page in 10 seconds. Some games like Final Fantasy have crazy long loading times and there are many. An SSD will decrease the headache of waiting. The only game I’ve found that it didn’t make a difference on was games made by Valve, like Half Life 2, and Portal. They are poorly optimized and long loading times are because of the games code and not the bottleneck of the hard drive.
Jared says
Off of your posted builds I decided to make my own, but was wondering if it would all work together and especially if it would fit into the case I am looking at putting it all in…
Part List
CPU Intel Core i5-4460
MOBO MSI H97 PC MATE
GPU PowerColor R9 280x
RAM Crucial Ballistix 16GB (8GBx2)
HDD Western Digital Blue 1 TB
CASE NZXT S340
PSU Corsair CX600
ODD Samsung 24x SATA
Like I said my biggest concern is if it will all work in the end and if it will all fit in my case. Any help is greatly appreciated!!!
Yusuf Ghanem says
Hi, those parts will work together, but i would drop from 16gb ram to 8gb as its not needed for gaming. I would go from the i5 4460 to the 4690k as there is a gap between them in performance that is not matched by price. I would also change the graphics card to a sapphire r9 280x vapour x.
All these parts should fit in the case, except for the ODD. But that really is not a problem as most do not use it, but you can buy an external ODD to install windows. If you plan on using it you should buy another case.
Dave says
I want the $500 build. I got this info from part picker:
(1) Asus M5A78L-M/USB3 Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard has an onboard USB 3.0 header, but the Rosewill FBM-01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case does not have front panel USB 3.0 ports.
(2) Unable to verify the Rosewill FBM-01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case has sufficient space to fit the Sapphire Radeon R9 280 3GB Dual-X Video Card.
Will the video card actually fit in the Rosewill FBM-01 case?
And, what does the info about the USB 3.0 ports mean?
I was about to purchase today, but want to make sure these 2 things are not going to be a problem.
Thanks in advance.
Felix says
Regarding the front panel 3.0 usb ports. This just means that the case does not have usb 3.0 ports in the front (they are actually 2.0 ports that are built into the case), although the motherboard has two 3.0 usb ports in the back. So in order to take advantage of the 3.0 usb panels, you will have to use 3.0 usb panels in the back of the case after installing the motherboard. (3.0 usb ports are blue, you can’t miss it)
Andrew says
Now will any other power supply work for the 380-420 build? or would that be a bad idea. (first computer build)
Luke says
Hey! Awesome post. I’m kinda on a strict budget and i was wondering if the 400$ one could play most of the games made after 2013 and World At War custom maps on atleast 50fps and 720p?
Thanks!
Chris says
2 4gb sticks is slightly better than 1 single 8gb stick due to dual channel technology on the motherboard. It gives around a 5% performance increase compared to 1 single stick.
joel says
Does anyone have feedback on the 600$ build I am thinking of getting it, also does anyone have benchmarks?
Jason says
How current is this info? I’m about to spend $700-800 and saw that comments go back a bit in time. If I followed this guilde on building a new pc am I still getting the most bang for my bucks? Thanks for doing this and the reply!
KyleK says
The advice in this article is solid. This is certainly a good place to start. No reason to be unhappy with a build exactly as they describe. Try looking at these part on PCPartPicker.com.
Shane says
What tools and cabling will i need to complete this build? assuming i buy compatible parts what else would i need to make it functional?
Chris says
All cables should come included except for sata cables for the hard drive and the optical drive. It’s better to buy sata cables that can be moved to an angle where they plug in. Some cases have really tight areas where the cables plug in. For optical you will need a right angle. For the hard drive most likely a left angle sata cable. just buy one of each in case you need them. they are only a few bucks on amazon.
KyleK says
Why are none of the R7 or R9 series on the list. Am I mistaken, or do these cards have comparable, if not better, price/performance ratio?
Chris says
The Kingston HyperX FURY 8GB Kit (2x4GB) 1600MHz DDR3 are slightly less better, but not enough to notice. The latency clock number is CL10, compared to the sport’s CL9. A lower latency is better when comparing it against a RAM stick with the same Mhz amount.
Dave says
Hi. In a previous build I did from this site last year (thanks so much), I used HyperX FURY 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866. Would that work in the $500 build instead of the Crucial Ballistix 8GB. If so, is one of the two any better?
KyleK says
It’ll work just fine. Unless you’re getting a better deal, the higher speed of the 1866 is unnecessary, and therefor a waste of money.
If your intention is to overclock to that RAM speed, then you open up a can of worms that most budget gamers need not worry about UNTIL they’re looking to expand the life of their current system, not to mention the added risk of instability. Does this help?
Dave says
Thanks. Not planning to overclock. For a previous PC build, I used the Hyper X (1 8 GB stick). The $500 build here links to 2x4GB. I thought 1 8GB stick would be better so that I don’t have to throw away the 2x4GB if I ever decide to upgrade to memory more than 8 GB. Can I go with 1 8GB stick instead of 2x4GB?
KyleK says
You certainly can. But, if you’re not planning on upgrading in the next few months, IMO you should go ahead and get the 2×4, as the performance is much better. You’re spreading out the same memory over more lanes, therefor it’s faster and better performing, especially for office programs and multitasking. But it’s up to you.
Dave says
I am planning to go with the $500 build. Can I use a single 8GB stick of the RAM you’ve recommended (Crucial Ballistix 8GB) as opposed to two 4GB sticks. I figure if I do that, I’d be able to upgrade with another 8GB RAM in the future (as opposed to having to throw away the two 4GB sticks). If the single stick will work, are the specs of the single stick any different when I try to find it for purchase?
terry lund says
Brent,
Just wanted to let you know what a great informative piece this is concerning budget PC’s. I’ve built several of my own in the past and am now helping my son spec together his first gaming rig and your write up has really helped alot in the process. Thanks again for the convenient and well thought out information.
Marcelo says
Since I am new to building computers, what monitor, keyboard, and mouse do you recommend for the $300 build?
matt m says
Hey so i had the 600 dollar setup with the HIS Radeon R9 280 that died after about 3-4 months.. I got the company to replace it after 6 weeks of them holding onto my card for testing… I got it back and it lasted 6 minutes before it burnt out even worse than the last time. The first time the card would work it would just get to hot after gaming for 20 minutes and this new one lasted 6 minutes on the desktop, i didnt even get to game at all and now it wont turn on.. So needless to say im done with HIS. Im gonna get them to replace it again and then sell it, but i still have a computer with no video card so can you recommend a card that isnt based around price that will work with this setup.
matt m says
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202108
im thinking this one.
Everyone seems to love the radeon r9 280 but claim the HIS version is cheaply made and prone to failure
João Ferreira says
Hey there,
Would I be able the msi gtx960 armor 2gb oc work in the 600$ build? The r9 280x is too damn expensive here in portugal unfortunately :(
Thanks in advance!
mason says
i have the same problem its to expensive
John says
Hi Brent,
Thanks for putting this together! Quick question…
I am addicted to dual monitor set ups, asI use them almost exclusively at work. Would I be able to do this with the $500 build or would I need a different video card (or other set of components)?
John
nw says
what fps would i get with cs source on the $300 build, 1440×900 resolution, max settings?
T says
I know this is build for gaming but would this be good for photo editing? Using photoshop cs6. Looking to use the 500-800 build.
Thanks.
Nw says
Yeah the 400 dollar build is also good for that purpose
Nathan says
Hey Brent,
I am in the middle of buying parts for a new PC build and I was wondering what your advice would be regarding graphics cards. I have already purchased an AMD FX-8350 and a Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard, but I’m not sure what I should do now in terms of the GPU. I had originally planned on buying a GTX 960 but I’ve had people tell me AMD Radeon cards are better for my situation. What Graphics card would you choose to pair with the CPU and mobo? I am okay with anything under or around $250.
Links: CPU- https://pcpartpicker.com/part/amd-cpu-fd8350frhkbox
Mobo- https://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-ga990fxaud3
Thanks,
Nathan
Brandon says
Hey! Thanks for all the information, I haven’t built a computer in a long time and am trying to decide what I want. I am currently looking at the $700 build and had a couple of questions. I was thinking of using this case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146077&ignorebbr=1 what do you think?
Also I was pondering using a SSD for booting up Win 8.1 since I’ve seen it boots a lot faster, any suggestions on an affordable one that would work for that?
Thanks again and have a great day!
Stu says
Thanks for the nice build lists. I haven’t put a box together in about 15 years, but this page is a great resource, I think I will start off with the $400 or $500 build.
One question — would it be advisable to include an aftermarket CPU cooler? Or does the FX-6300 come with an adequate heat sink / fan. If needed, is there an aftermarket cooler you’d recommend?
Thanks!
Carlll says
Will the motherboards in the higher budget builds ($500 and up) be able to adjust fan speeds automatically based on temperature, of will I need to buy a fan controller?
Chris says
fans are automatic, but most motherboards give you the ability to adjust the speeds via the bios or some other diagnostic tool on your OS.
Carlll says
Where would you recommend plugging the case fans into, the motherboard or PSU? If I plug the fan into the PSU, the fans will be on all the time right?
cole says
all modern boards can do that. whats more important is making sure the case & psu are good quality
Kai says
Hey, I’m kinda new to the whole “Custom build computers!” thing, and I was wondering, what kind of cooling system do the 600 and 700 systems have, and would I need to get additional fans? I ask this because I don’t really trust liquid cooling.
cole says
they just have the basic cooling methods that are common with computers. just keep it dust free and clean the vents at least weekly with rubbing alcohol & it should last for years.
Austin says
Will I need to buy additional fans for these builds? The $500 and $700 ones in particular.
cole says
no it comes with everything needed
nescafe says
Hey! Thank you so much Brent for the awesome work! This guide really helped me out a lot! keep up the good work :)
Brent Hale says
Hey Nescafe, no problem! Thanks for reading and commenting.
Best,
Brent
Cool dude says
For the 700 and 800 dollar gaming pc the graphics card for the nvidea side are fine. The equivalent for the 700 would be a gtx 960 and the r9 280 and the gtx 960 are pretty similiar in performance. The 800 equivalent would be a gtx 970 for a lot better performance. But you are paying a decent sum more but there is nothing really equivalent in price. AMD is just fine. People say AMD is bad but it’s really good it’s just now they are going up in price because these guys which I can’t remember the name you should look there name up have bought a lot of AMD cards and AMD could not keep up so they had to increase price. Also nvidea is known for it’s cooling so that’s why you pay a little but extra Nvidea cards are more known for overclocking. AMD cards run a bit hotter than nvidea. Either way it really doesn’t matter what brand u get. Just look for the best bang for your buck or best prices card.
Jeremy says
Hey I was wondering if you had a build/guide that would cost me $1000-1200 or so. Maybe even $1500.
Regards,
JS
Matthew says
Here is a list of the builds he has made ranging from $400-$2000.
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/gaming-computers/
Brent Hale says
Hey Jeremy, how’s it going?
Just follow the link Matthew provided! (Thanks Matthew!)
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Samson0722 says
What is better quality wise? Amd or Nvidia? I really would prefer Nvidia, and I have heard that Amd is worse from some people. Is it? I’m not sure if there is a difference. And what graphics card would you recommend? $700 to $800. What is the Nvidia’s equivalence for the two Amd graphics cards in the $700 and $800 dollar builds?
Brent Hale says
Hey Samson, how’s it going?
I personally have no preference between AMD and NVIDIA and typically just choose based on current price-to-performance ratios.
For instance, NVIDIA currently has the most powerful single-GPU video cards (the GTX 980 and GTX TITAN X)… so if you’re looking to spend over $500 you would go with an NVIDIA card. However, if you’re looking to spend about ~$220, AMD’s R9 280X is the best card is this range by far.
So, ultimately, it comes down to the current lineup of cards and the current pricing of those cards.
For a $700 or $800 build I would currently recommend the (in ac sending order in price) R9 280, R9 280X, R9 290, or if you can squeeze it in somehow a GTX 970.
The GTX 960 is similar in performance to the R9 280 but it costs more and so I would either choose the R9 280 over it, or the R9 280X and get more performance.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Matthew says
Hello I was looking into your $600 build and I really didn’t like the case provided. Would this case work?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PWM49G2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A20O7ZIM03RW46
I like this case because it has more fans and looks cooler :)
Matthew says
Actually Brent I changed my mind again will this one still work with the $600 build?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I6BJATW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Brent Hale says
Hey Matthew, how’s it going?
Yep! Either of those cases will work for the $600 build.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
cole says
yea & if u ever have questions about compatibility pcpartpicker.com will help you, it has a compatibility filter.
Joon says
I was just wondering for the 600 or 700 dollar build ive got 2 pretty old 2gb sticks of ram and a crucial balistix 4gb stick does it matter if i put it in one of those builds instead of buying new ram. And how much will it effect the performance having some older ram.
Brent Hale says
Hey Joon, how’s it going?
It really depends on what kind of RAM it is. My guess is that if they’re pretty old that they’re not worth using, unfortunately, and they may not even work together properly.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Joon says
Hey Brent,
oh well about the ram but i was just wondering what type of frame rates i could expect on things like bf hardline, league of legends and CS GO.
Regards Joon
Joon says
Oh and also im doing fine and how about you?
Joon says
Sorry to be such a bother but i was wondering if i could use a 500 watt instead of a 550 watt power supply this is cause i had lying around that no one has used and is in perfect condition and isnt an old model and also cause i want to see where i can save some money.
Kind regards joon
Brian says
I am completely new to these gaming computer I have found an interest since seeing the new PC mods in gta 5 I am fairly clueless when it comes to this does anyone suggest a cheap PC for that and with these bundles do they not include monitors how much is a good one and would It be a good idea to get a man in a PC shop to build your PC please reply guys I’m completely stuck
Brent Hale says
Hey Brian, how’s it going?
The idea behind these bundles is to give you all the parts you need to build the computer tower. Aside from these parts you will still need a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and an operating system (copy of Windows).
I would advise against taking the parts to a PC shop to build the system for you unless you absolutely refuse to build it yourself. Building a computer isn’t as hard as you would think and there are tons of guides and resources to help you with your build (including this site).
From my experience with GTA V, you will probably want to look at the ~$600 PC to play it on higher settings. I haven’t played with any of the mods, but mods typically add more demand on your system and so if you’re on a budget I wouldn’t expect being able to play with mods on the highest settings.
But then again, I haven’t played with the mods. Now that I see them, though, I want to try some out!
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Aaron S. says
I would just like it noted… less than one day and already has more that 1,000 comments. I didn’t know people went on websites other than social media that much.
Brent Hale says
Hey Aaron, I update the builds on a weekly basis and I change the date each time so that everyone who reads knows that the builds have been updated to reflect the newest hardware and latest prices.
In reality, this post has existed for 2-3 years. I lost about 500 other comments when I switched servers a year ago and accidentally deleted the original post (I had a copy).
But anyways, thanks for reading and commenting!
Best,
Brent
Aaron says
Does anyone have a good video or something on actually building it. I’ve never put one together, so I do t know what goes where an I’d probably end up breaking all my stuff if I went at it on my own.
Brent Hale says
Hey Aaron, how’s it going?
This is probably the best step-by-step video tutorial for building a PC:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIF43-0mDk4
We also have a free step-by-step guide available here:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/how-to-build-a-gaming-computer/
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
relive010 says
Hi I have a few questions.
Do I have to buy fans for the 800 dollar build?
Also, is the 800 dollar system worth the price vs performance in comparison to the 600 dollar build?
These builds will be for 1080p gaming.
Brent Hale says
Hey Relive, how’s it going?
The $800 build will come with a couple of fans for the case and a stock CPU cooler for the CPU. You can always add more/better fans and a better CPU cooler if you want, but the build will work as is.
Both the $800 and $600 builds can max out pretty much any game on a 1080p monitor. The $800 build has the better CPU and video card, though, and therefore will give you better framerates and an overall better experience.
Though, it really depends on what games you are playing. In most scenarios the FX-6300 will be enough processing power to have you maxing out your games. There are some newer games, though, where the FX-6300 does hinder performance a little bit.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
relive010 says
Can I use the SAPPHIRE r9 290 in the 800 dollar build?
relive010 says
By the way, it is the r9 290 tri x
Alex says
Thanks a lot, I hope all this info will help me make a nice upgrade on my pc.
Brent Hale says
Hey Alex, no problem! Thanks for reading and commenting.
Best,
Brent
GC says
would your 400 budget gaming rig play WOW? I know this might be a dumb question, but I just need it to play WOW now and for the foreseeable future. Any advice would be great…thanks!
Brent Hale says
Hey GC how’s it going?
Yes, the $400 build should handle WoW without any problems. I haven’t played any of the newer expansions and you might have to turn down the settings a little bit during large raids, but the build will handle it fine otherwise.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Andrew says
Hey Brent I’m completely new to this whole building PC’s thing and I was just wondering if there’s a step by step guide on exactly how to put these machines together? I was thinking of building the $500 PC but I haven’t a clue as to where even to start! Thanks a mil,
Andrew.
David says
Hey Andrew,
I’m new too whole building PC’s thing..
If you search around on the internet you can find a lot of video’s and blogs how to really build the PC step by step..
The link below is a video from Newegg, a site where you can buy a lot of components too..
I think this is very helpfull and i hope it helps you too ;)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIF43-0mDk4
Brent Hale says
Hey Andrew, how’s it going?
The video that David posted is great and it’s always the video tutorial I recommend. We also have a free step-by-step guide available here:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/how-to-build-a-gaming-computer/
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Brad says
Hi Brent!
Thank you for all of the incredible information and a fantastic read! I am attempting to build my own computer for the first time and have only been doing small amounts of research up to this point. I’m still confused with a lot of the components compatibility and I am having some difficulty figuring out if I could sub in this RAIDMAX Viper GX II case ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811156321&ignorebbr=1&cm_re=PPSSBGDRYLXVJN-_-11-156-321-_-Product ) for either the $600 or $700 build? I am leaning towards the $700 because of the Intel i5 processor.
I am trying to use this computer so that I can have two monitors at my desk to be able to comfortably stream on Twitch playing League of Legends and I assume that the $700 build fits my needs a bit better than the $600. Please let me know what you think would be best for my situation when you get the chance, thank you so much!
Sincerely,
Brad
Brent Hale says
Hey Brad, how’s it going?
The main thing to look for on a case is whether or not it will fit your motherboard and how long of a video card it will take.
In this case, the Viper GX II will fit either the $600 or $700 builds with no problem. In fact, with 415mm of clearance, it will fit pretty much any video card on the market.
And, yes, if you’re going to be streaming League of Legends I would go with the i5 CPU. However, if you want to save money you can go with the video card from the $500 or even $400 builds and it they will max out League with no problems. Not saying that you have to, especially if you want to be able to max out more demanding games, but it is an option if you’re looking to save money.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Brad says
Awesome! Thank you, this is great!
I do have another question, are there any monitors that you would suggest for a dual monitor setup with the $700 build and graphics card in that build, which would work easily with streaming League?
John Baltisberger says
Just wanted to let you know that I put together the $600 build as it, and it runs Witcher 3 at ultra. Dang.
Matthew says
Have you played MC on it? If you did, how much fps did you get on servers?
Brent Hale says
Hey John, that’s awesome! Glad the guide was able to help you out!
Best,
Brent
Matthew says
Hello I was wondering for the $600 build, could I swap out the AMD FD6300WMHKBOX FX-6300 6-Core Processor Black Edition with the AMD FD8320FRHKBOX FX-8320 FX-Series 8-Core Black Edition without changing any other things in the build? Also would upgrading to the AMD FD8350FRHKBOX FX-8350 FX-Series 8-Core Black Edition Processor make a big difference from the 8320 (if the 8320 can be swapped out with the 6300)?
Brent Hale says
Hey Matthew, how’s it going?
Yes, you can definitely upgrade to the FX-8320 or 8350 with that build. However, just note that if you want to overclock the 8320 or 8350 (or 6300 for that matter) you will need a 990FX chipset motherboard and an aftermarket CPU cooler.
But if you plan on running the CPU at stock speeds then, yes, you can upgrade to either of those CPUs.
The 8350 is little faster than the 8320 but if you have the right motherboard/CPU cooler you can overclock the 8320 to match the 8350 in speed. Even with the motherboard and stock cooler you can probably get the 8320 close to the 8350 in terms of performance with a little overclocking.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
John A. says
Hi, Brent.
This may seem like a dumb question, but I have never built a computer before, and I’m wondering, what does one need to do for audio? Is there some form built into the components in your builds, or do other components need to be installed? If so, what components would you recommend without breaking the bank?
Chris says
It varies from board to board but there should be an outlet on the motherboard for both audio and a microphone, If you pull up the motherboard you are looking at on Amazon and look through the pics posted for it they will usually show it.
Brent Hale says
Hey John, how’s it going?
Pretty much all modern motherboards have sound integrated directly into them. And, for the most part, it’s good enough sound quality for most people.
If you’re an audiophile, then you’ll definitely want to look into getting a sound card to go along with your build.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Phillip D says
Would this mobo be good for overclocking the fx 8350?http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0091RA8U0/ref=aw_wl_ov_dp_1_1?colid=LBA7DZDI0PA9&coliid=I1LGI5X1O55
Brent Hale says
Hey Phillip, yes that motherboard will work well for OCing the 8350.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Best,
Brent
Daquan says
Hi I look thought the builds and their great but I have a desktop already and was wondering if u could use part from it it’s a compaq cq5205y with a AMD Sempron LE-1300 processor and has a
Storage
SATA 2 -3Gb/s
External drive bay: 2x 5.25″ internal drive bay: 1 x 3.5
Chipset
nVidia GeForce 6150SE
Video Card
Graphics card : PCI Express x16
External connector : 15-hole connector
Is their anything good to use or should I get a new pc
Brent Hale says
Hey Daquan, how’s it going? You could always add a cheap power-efficient GPU like a GTX 750 Ti and see if that helps.
However, with an older chipset motherboard you’re pretty limited with what you can upgrade on that build. About the only thing that would make sense to keep is the optical drive (DVD/CD drive).
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Seth says
I’m a total dimwit when it comes to knowing what I need to put a computer together. ( But I can put the parts together if I have them. ) I was curious, if I went with one of these builds, what else would I need to buy to have everything I need to set it up and use it? ( Besides a monitor and keyboard/mouse. )
Alex says
you will need a operating system.
Brent Hale says
Hey Seth, how’s it going?
As Alex said, the only other thing you’ll need (aside from the monitor, keyboard, and mouse) is an operating system.
A copy of Windows 8.1 is about $90 right now and Windows 10 will be out earlier this summer and will be a free upgrade.
It doesn’t hurt to get some extra SATA cables just in case and if you want to apply your own thermal paste, you will want some of that as well. However, the motherboard you get should come with a few SATA cables (which should be all you need) and the CPU fan will have a pre-applied thermal sticky-pad as well. So the extra cables and the thermal paste are optional.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Seth says
Thank you very much for the info! Hopefully I won’t be back later asking how to keep my house from catching on fire once I put the whole thing together.
David Harrington says
Hey Brent,
What monitor(s) do you recommend to go with the $400 build? I’d like to buy cheap as possible while getting enough performance to play games low-medium quality; my budget goes up to $100 for one.
Thanks,
David
Phillip D says
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005LJWJSG/ref=ox_sc_act_image_10?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Hope this helps!
David Harrington says
Thanks Phillip, that’s one of the ones I considered. Also for anyone wondering there’s a post for best monitors here – https://elitegamingcomputers.com/the-best-monitors-for-gaming/
Brent Hale says
Hey David, how’s it going?
The monitor that Phillip recommended is typically the “budget” monitor I always recommend. It’s 1920×1080 and under $100. (Thanks Phillip!)
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Phillip D says
If i purchased the PCI express wifi adapter where would i plug that in to the build?
Brent Hale says
Hey Phillip,
You’d plug the PCI WiFi adapter into one of the smaller PCI slots if it’s a regular PCI adapter or one of the longer PCI slots if it’s a PCI express adapter.
So, for instance, on this motherboard you’d plug a regular PCI adapter into one of the smaller PCI ports and a PCI express adapter (have the longer connections) into one of the longer PCI slots:
http://cdn4.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/ASUS-Z97-Deluxe-Render1.jpg
Hopefully that makes sense. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Jones says
Looking at the $500 Build, should i replace the 500w PSU with a 600w PSU instead?
Brent Hale says
Hey Jones, how’s it going?
You definitely can swap it out for a 600W PSU as long as it’s a quality unit. However, not all 600W PSUs are better than all 500W PSUs. A cheap built 600W PSU won’t be as good as a 500W PSU.
So, I guess it all depends on what 600W unit you were looking at.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Cool dude says
Hey Phillip D about your r9 280x question. What I would is stick with the r9 280 and go for the Intel core i5 4460 or the 4590 and a motherboard that goes with it. The 4590 costs a little over 15 dollars more than the 4460 and it’s worth it. If you can go about 50 dollar over 600 then the get a intel core i5 because it’s a lot better than the fx 6300. And a lot of games are recommending getting a quad core processor so this will be great. Hope this will help.
Bunseth says
Hey man! About your 600$ rig, I check on PCpartpicker and it cost only 537.38$ – 551.39$.
here is the link: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/L9KT7P
Brent Hale says
Hey Bunseth, how’s it going?
On the link you provided you didn’t include a motherboard or a case and you included the R9 280x instead of the R9 280.
The PC Part Picker total price for the $600 build (with motherboard, case, and correct video card) comes out to $570 while the price from Amazon comes out to $591.
Just a note, though… if you look at the Thermaltake Versa H21 case on PC Part Picker it says that the lowest cost is $32.99 from SuperBiiz with no shipping. However, if you go to their site, you can see that there is an extra $20 in shipping for that case.
Same goes for the items that are coming up from OutletPC. They charge an additional $8 in shipping for the cheapest shipping option for those four items (unless you live in Vegas).
I know a lot of people love PC Part Picker and it definitely is a very useful tool, but, personally, I’d rather order everything from one place so that everything arrives at the same time and if anything goes wrong, it all goes back to the same place (not having to send a bunch of different items back to different stores if there is a DOA part and you can’t figure out which one, i.e. motherboard, psu, CPU, or video card).
Not to mention, if you have an Amazon Prime account, you can get everything in 2 days from Amazon at no extra charge.
In any case, the price difference is about $5 total after you add the shipping costs from OutletPC and switch to the Versa H21 from Amazon (because if you kept the Versa H21 from SuperBiiz you would be charged an additional $22 in shipping).
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Cool dude says
Is it fine for the 600 dollar build if I change the gpu and motherbomotherboard to a Intel core i5 4460 and a ASUS Micro Atx DDR3 LGA 1150 motherboard B85M-G R2.0 or will I need a better power supply
Brent Hale says
Hey Cool Dude,
Yes, that will work just fine. Intel CPUs are actually more efficient than AMD CPUs so you would actually be using less power with that combo.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Phillip D says
With the $700 build, would it work if i replaced the graphics card with the Gigabyte r9 280x windforce?
Brent Hale says
Hey Phillip, how’s it going?
Yes, you can absolutely swap the R9 280 out for an R9 280X and be fine.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Chris says
Do i need a pci wifi card, and if so, can you link me to one that i can use(I really dont know to much about computers)
Brent Hale says
Hey Chris, how’s it going?
I think something like this is what you’re looking for:
TP-LINK TL-WN881ND Wireless N300 PCI Express Adapter
You can also go with a USB wireless adapter like this one as well:
Panda 300Mbps Wireless-N USB Adapter
Either will work as long as you’re not hundreds of feet from the router. The PCI adapter will be better if you’re further away from the router.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
David says
Wondering about your thoughts on the GeForce GTX 960. Its pretty affordable and I’ve read good things about it. I’m contemplating getting it for your $600 or $700 build (can’t make up my mind). Is it worth the little extra? Thanks in advance, your articles have been super helpful in choosing the parts for a new pc!
Chris says
Hi David. Hope you’re having a good day. You will be able to put games on higher settings with the 280, I wouldn’t reccamend the 960. The 960 was the king, but then the 280 went down in price. So the 280 is the best bang for your dollar at this time.
http://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-Radeon-PCI-Express-Graphics-11230-00-20G/dp/B00IZXOW80/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1431454606&sr=1-1&keywords=280
That card is better than the 960 in every way performance-wise, and is about $50 less than the 960 after rebate. The 280 uses more power, that’s all that’s better about the 960.
Brent Hale says
Hey David, how’s it going?
I’m with Chris on this. For the price, right now I’d go with the Sapphire R9 280 listed in the build. The two cards perform similarly, the R9 280 has more VRAM (which helps in modern games), and the R9 280 is significantly cheaper.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Glen S. says
This is a stupid question, I’m sure, but does the $700 build come with the Windows 8.1 OS included in the price, or is it another cost to add on?
Brent Hale says
Hey Glen, how’s it going?
No, none of the builds include a copy of Windows. You can add one (make sure it’s the System-Builder version) for about $90. Sometimes you can find them cheaper and if you’re a student you can get a discount as well. But ~$90 is typically what you pay.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Chris says
Saw the post, and just wanted to advise that Windows 7 is $68 right now. I bought the same thing when building my pc a few months back, so I can personally attest to it being a legit copy.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LG0K4MM/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Have a good day gentlemen!
RyanK says
Corsair CX Series 500 Watt ATX/EPS Modular 80 PLUS Bronze ATX12V/EPS12V 456 Power Supply CX500M
Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR3 1600 (PC3-12800) 240-Pin UDIMM Memory BLS2KIT4G3D1609DS1S00/BLS2CP4G3D1609DS1S00
Rosewill Dual Fans MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case FBM-01
ASUS GeForce GTX 750Ti GDDR5 2GB Graphics Card GTX750TI-OC-2GD5
MSI Socket AM3+/AMD 760G/DDR3/CrossFireX/SATA3 and USB 3.0/A&GbE/MicroATX Motherboard 760GMA-P34 (FX)
AMD FD6300WMHKBOX FX-6300 6-Core Processor Black Edition
After I saw your post,
Those things are my wishlist.
And I am considering about what kind of SSD works best for this PC.
Could you recommend something?
Brent Hale says
Hey Ryan, how’s it going?
In my opinion, if you want to add an SSD, I would wait to do that. There’s a few more important parts that you could upgrade now and get better in-game performance.
For example, a 128GB SSD is about ~$60-$70, and in my opinion it would be better to take that money and upgrade your video card (and PSU depending on what video card you upgrade to.)
But, if you must add an SSD to that build, I’d look at either the Samsun 850 EVO 120GB, the Crucial MX100 128GB, the Kingston V300 120GB, or the SanDisk 128GB.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Phillip D says
Hey brent,
I got another question for ya; do you know of any cheaper alternative for this mobohttp://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005LANUH4/ref=ox_sc_act_image_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A21C4U5X700J66
That is the one you suggested to me for the fx 8350 i was gonna get with the $700 pc. It would be much appreciated. (Im planning on overclocking)
Brent Hale says
Hey Phillip,
This one is the cheapest 990FX motherboard currently on Amazon:
ASUS M5A99FX PRO R2.0 AM3+ Motherboard
It’s $118 ($103 after $15 mail-in-rebate). You really want the 990FX chipset if you plan on doing any kind of serious overclocking on the FX-8350. If that’s too expensive you might shop around and see if you can get anything lower on Newegg, or one of the other online retailers.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Glen S. says
Hey there, Brent.
I’ve been gaming on pc for a long time, but I’ve never actually tried to learn anything more about them other than how to install and launch games, and general Internet use.. I’m looking at your $700 build and I was wondering if it would be worth it to invest in a better CPU and GPU, and if necessary, whatever else would need upgraded to support that.
My question is not based off of any knowledge I have, rather of a different budget build I read sevreal hours ago. I would like to stay within $800, if upgraded those will take the build that much higher.
The only games I really play at the moment are: World of Warcraft, Tera, DayZ, and Path of Exile. My pc gaming experiences have been lack luster in the 13ish years I’ve been gaming on pc (I’m 24) mainly because I have always used $400-$500 Walmart specials.
Anyway, I apologize for the wall of text. I appreciate any assistance you can give.
Phillip D says
Hi there,
I was also looking into the $700 build and i researched a lot about the cpu and gpu. I would recommend, if those are the main games you would play, to stay with that build. The components can play almost all games on high settings and you can even game it up on crysis 3 high settings. For you, i dont think the extra $100 would be worth it. If you go on game-debate.com you can search games, enter in your cpu, gpu, and ram, anf it will give you an estimate on what settings you can run the game.
Glen S. says
Thank you very much for replying to my question. As I said, I have little to know knowledge on the subject of pc gaming components. I’ll follow your advice and stick with this build as it is. I’ve never played any games on pc at a higher setting than low, so I can’t wait until I get to look at a clear, detailed, screen.
Brent Hale says
Hey Glen, how’s it going?
As Cool Dude said, you should be fine with the $700 build. Also, you will need a copy of Windows in order to complete the build and that costs about $100 as well. So, in total the $700 build will come out to around $800 with the copy of Windows.
If you already have the copy of Windows or were counting that in, then an upgrade to an R9 280x or an R9 290 would give you pretty good performance boost (more FPS on high settings), but the R9 280 will get the job done as well.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Phillip D says
Brent,
I was looking at the $700 build but i want to replace with the cpu and motherboard with these;
Phillip D says
Mobo -http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00CX4MUCC/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1K7SDZJU2TS8N
Cpu-http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B009O7YUF6/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Would these be compatible with the other parts?
Brent Hale says
Hey Phillip, how’s it going?
Yes, those will work as replacements for the i5 and H97 motherboards. However, if you want to overclock the FX-8350, you might want to consider getting an AM3+ 990FX chipset motherboard and an aftermarket cooler.
If you’re not planning on overclocking, then that combo will work fine.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Phillip D says
Thank you very much.
Cool dude says
So what is better for the 600 dollar build the gtx 960 or the r9 280x
Chris says
I believe the extra gb of vram would help a bit with games. I think as far as textures go and such the 280x is just an overclocked 280. An overclocked 960 would be pretty equal in performance. Some game would play better with the 280x, some play better with 960. The extra ram in the 280x make it slightly better performance-wise, but the 960 beats the card in power consumption. I would go with the 280x because I believe that the sapphire model has a $20 rebate at this time making it only $158, which is cheaper than the 960.
http://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-Radeon-PCI-Express-Graphics-11230-00-20G/dp/B00IZXOW80/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1431145181&sr=1-3&keywords=280x
I recently bought a 750ti OC 2 motnhs ago… which was around $145. Had I know this card was gonna be on sale, I would have bought this instead. I’m saving up for a 970 now though so I can futureproof my rig a little bit better. The 750ti is a great card, runs Final Fantasy 14 at max settings while keeping above 45+ average framerates. I get the VERY occasional dip to 35 fps, but it’s usually right around 45-55 fps. I can’t tell the difference between that and a solid 60 fps. Maybe on a shooter…rpg games are fine to have a little bit lower frame rates though.
Chris says
When I say “this card” on the second paragraph. I meant the 280x. I wold have bought the 280x instead of the 750ti. 280x blows the 750ti oc out of the water. Will be able to play every game on max settings with 1080p resolution with a few exceptions if you are a stickler for 60 fps. Me? I’m ok with getting anything above solid 45+ fps which the 280x will do easily on any game.
Chris says
Hey Cool Dude. I did some more research, and it turns out that the 280x is definitely better than the 960. So i was flat out wrong, and will admit to it. :)
This is a good site to reference gpu’s…
http://www.hwcompare.com/18417/geforce-gtx-960-vs-radeon-r9-280x/
Cool dude says
Thanks Brent for the help. I am just going to go with the r9 280x. But I have a question for everyone. What kind of pc gagameare good on the pc. Like what titles do you play. I like first person shooters games with a good story. I like games with good parlour and good fighting like assassins creed. I know for sure in going to get insurgency but what other games do you think is fun.
Chris says
No problem Cool Dude. By the way, I’m not Brent. He probably would have given you the correct info the first time. :)
Brent Hale says
Hey Cool Dude, how’s it going?
I’ve just updated the builds today and since the R9 280X jumped back up in price significantly, I’ve included the R9 280 in the $600 and $700 builds.
As Chris pointed out, the Sapphire R9 280 is sitting at $180 ($160 after rebate), and that is about $20 cheaper ($40 cheaper after rebate) than the cheapest GTX 960 on Amazon.
Since the two cards perform similarly, and since the R9 280 has an extra GB of VRAM (something that is becoming more and more important), and since the R9 280 is significantly cheaper, it makes sense to go with the R9 280 over the GTX 960.
Now, if you can find a GTX 960 for a similar price, it would make the decision a little more difficult, but for now the R9 280 is the much better value.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
(And thanks again for providing help Chris!)
Best,
Brent
Bradley says
Hey Brent,
I am probably going too try the $400 build, and I was wondering if upgrading to 8GB of RAM would be worth it?
Bradley says
Also I found The Sapphire Radeon R7 260X for $120 (http://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-Version-PCI-Express-Graphics-11222-22-20G/dp/B00U8IS47A%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAIW75JH3RVMIR6UAA%26tag%3Dhwcompare-20%26linkCode%3Dsp1%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB00U8IS47A) and I was wondering if it would be a better choice.
Chris says
The 260x and the 750ti OC are pretty similar in performance. Personally for this build I would go with the 750ti. If you go with the 260x you will probably need to go with a 500-550 watt power supply instead. Radeon cards use more power than nvidia cards currently.
Bradley says
Thanks for your help Chris!
Brent Hale says
Hey Bradely, how’s it going?
In my opinion, if you have the money to upgrade to 8GB of RAM, you might as well instead put that money towards upgrading your video card.
You can always just buy another 4GB stick of RAM, but if you upgrade your video card in the future, you will lose the money you spent on the original card. So, I’d say upgrade the $400 build’s video card to an R9 270X and then add the second stick of 4GB of RAM when you save up another $20-$30.
If your choice is between the 750 Ti or the R7 260X, go with the 750 Ti, as the 750 Ti outperforms it in pretty much every game. I also updated the builds to the ASUS 750 Ti and as it currently sits on Amazon it is ~$120 with a $20 mail-in-rebate. So, that’s a pretty good deal you might want to jump on.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Ryan says
I was wondering if it would be ok if i changed the 750 Ti to a 960 2GB on the $400 build, or would that cause problems?
Brent Hale says
Hey Ryan, how’s it going?
Yes, you could make that change as the GTX 960 is pretty power-efficient. However, if you’re willing to upgrade to a GTX 960, I would also recommend that you look at the current deal on the Sapphire R9 280 listed in the $600 and $700 builds and then upgrade your PSU to a quality 500-550W PSU like the XFX 550W in the $600 and $700 builds.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Denis says
Why in Europe this builds cost alot more? the 600$ build cost like 865$ wtf and i was thinking i can get a good cheap gamer pc -.-
Brent Hale says
Hi Denis, thanks for reading and commenting.
Prices don’t always correlate to countries outside of the US. I think that’s because a lot of these component manufacturers are based in the United States, and therefore have to send their components overseas, which adds cost to the component.
Also, the builds I do here are optimized for US prices. It may be that there are better deals on other components in your country. So, definitely look at some other similar products and see if you can get the price lower.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
sree says
Hi,
Awesome guide! Based on it i have configured this, can u tell me if these are good for recent games at mid-high
settings
1. Asus M5A78L-USB3
2. AMD FX 8320
3. Sapphire R9 270x 2G
4. Corsair VS 550W
5. Crucial Ballistix 8G (2*4G)
6. Circle CC 830 (or Roswill Dual)
7. Sharkoon Skiller kb – 00SKSK ( mainly for fifa)
8. LG MP77 (24″ IPS Display)
is there an alternative for amd 8320 in intel. these are not for a hardcore gamer but a mid-level gamer, mainly for fifa,
cod, elder scrolls.
Brent Hale says
Hey Sree, how’s it going?
Yes, that setup is solid and should allow you to play most games on high settings.
Price-wise, the 8320 and i3-4170 are similar (both about $130). However, I’d prefer the FX-8320 in that scenario.
If you can stretch your budget and get the i5-4460, that would be a better option than going with the i3 in my opinion. However, the 8320 is a good option as well.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
sree says
Hi,
Tx a lot for replying. Does 4460 offer better performance. I thought if I go with Intel there will be a little less heating.
Also the cabinet, is the circle better than rose will (not by looks) or is der any other alternative.
Brent Hale says
Hey Sree,
Yes, the i5-4460 would offer you better performance. And, yes, it would run a lot cooler than the AMD options. However, if you don’t have much room to extend your budget, then the FX-8320 will work fine.
I don’t have any experience with the Circle case, but it should get the job done. So, either that one or the Rosewill will meet your needs.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
sree says
Hi,
Awesome guide ! Based on iit have configured this, can u tell me if it will be able to play the recent games at a mid-high settings.
1. Asus M5A78L-USB3
2. AMD FX 8320
3. Sapphire R9 270X 2G
4. Corsair VS 550W
5. Crucial Ballistix 8G (2 * 4G)
6. Circle CC 830 or Rosewill Dual Fans
7. Sharkoon Skiller 00SKSK (mainly for FIFA)
8. LG MP77 (IPS 24″) monitor
is there an alternative for AMD FX 8320, if i go with Intel. Also the build is not for a hardcore gamer, just mid-level gamer, mainly fifa, call of duty, elder scrolls etc.
Christian S. says
Hello! I’m 17 and looking to build the $500 gaming rig. However, I know very little about the guts of computers, never mind building one. I would very much like to build that rig, but I have no idea where to start. I don’t want to buy all the parts only to spend a month trying to figure out how to put everything together. Can I just follow the various Youtube guides? I’m metaphorically toeing the water here, unsure whether to jump right in or to take baby steps. Any help would be appreciated! Thank you.
Brent Hale says
Hey Christian, how’s it going?
Building a computer isn’t as difficult as you would think.
I would watch a bunch of YouTube videos of people building their computers first and read a few guides as well.
We have a free step-by-step guide you can use to help you through the building process, which can be found here:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/how-to-build-a-gaming-computer/
And, this building tutorial video here is probably the best and most thorough you’ll find:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIF43-0mDk4
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
John Baltisberger says
Hi!
So I’m looking at the 500 and the 600 dollar builds. I want to play Witcher 3 when it comes out and I’m wondering if the 500$ build can handle it. Also a few people told me that I would want a 650w power source and to get an aftermarket cooler for the CPU. Is any of that true or can I disregard that advice?
John
Brent Hale says
Hey John, how’s it going?
The Witcher games have always been notorious for being incredibly demanding on your system. So, while the $500 and $600 builds will be able to play The Witcher 3, I doubt you will be able to play the game maxed out with them. Still, mediumish settings should be playable and at the very least you’ll be able to play on lower settings.
There’s nothing wrong with getting a 650W PSU and an aftermarket cooler, but they aren’t absolutely necessary. A quality 500W-600W PSU will handle just about any video card on the market right now and an aftermarket cooler can always be added later. So, in my opinion, if you have a budget under $700-$800, it would be better spent focusing on a better video card/CPU/motherboard combo, but mainly focusing on the video card.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
John Baltisberger says
Hey Brent,
Thanks for replying. How much better is the 700 dollar build than the 600 dollar build, If I stretch I can reach the 700 build, I just want to really make sure it’s worth it! Especially if it’s going to mean the difference between low setting and high settings on my games :D
John
Brent Hale says
No problem!
The $700 and $600 builds will perform similarly since they have the same GPUs, but the $700 build has the better CPU and will help you out in more demanding games.
Here are the minimum and recommended specs for the Witcher 3:
http://www.pcgamer.com/the-witcher-3-system-requirements-announced/
So, basically, both the $600 and $700 builds will sit somewhere in the middle. The recommended video card (the R9 290) is only one step ahead of the video card in the $600 and $700 builds (the R9 280X), but the recommended CPUs seem to point to the Witcher 3 being able to utilize multiple cores… which could mean that the FX-8350 would be a better option than the i5-4460 if you’re mainly looking to play The Witcher 3.
So, you could always swap out the i5-4460 and the H97 motherboard for an FX-8350 and a good 990FX AM3+ motherboard.
Of course, this is all speculation, and the reality of it is that the game may require more or less than what is listed to run the game at max settings.
I would say go with the $700 build and if you want to try and match the requirements, switch to the FX-8350. However, I still think the i5-4460 is a better overall option, especially since it can easily be upgraded to an i7 CPU down the road.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
John Baltisberger says
So. . I bought the 600 dollar build, followed the manuals and the EGC guide, flipped the power on, and. . .didn’t post to the monitor. . . so after all my labour and money I still get to take it to a professional. So much for pride >.<. (on the upside, they said everything looked like it was put together the right way.)
John Baltisberger says
Hey Brent,
So I bought the 600 dollar built, I wanted to go with the 700 or the 700 with the AMD swap, but I just couldn’t justify spending that much money right now. (especially since I still have to buy the game itself) But I poked around and it looks like even a motherboard is upgradable in the future?
So hopefully I can always come back when I’m more secure and Frankenstein this little beast into a monster!
Thank so much!
Brent Hale says
Hey John,
Yes you can definitely upgrade the motherboard and CPU in the future. The only issue with upgrading a motherboard is that your copy of Windows is tied to the motherboard it was originally installed on.
However, I have heard of people calling Microsoft and getting them to switch the license to their new motherboard. If that doesn’t work then you need a new copy of Windows.
Best,
Brent
Bob Insky says
This guide was very useful, all i need now is a case. With the following prioritized with the first being most important.
-under $100CAD, ~$80US
-decent amount of usb slots (is there a difference between usb3 and usb2?)
-looks good, either colorful or glowing
-easy to put parts together
Ive looked at your list and decided they just arent good enough with the generic bland black color. The thermaltake commander had some bad reviews about its usb port, i dont know to trust it or not though. The rosewill challender looks good but no usb3 ports, again i dont know if theres a difference between 2.0 and 3.0, im using a “usb3 motherboard” if that matters. Do you have any suggestions that meet the criteria? Thanks alot!
Bob Insky says
Just did a quick google search about thedifferences between 2.0 and 3.0 but it was pretty much in German, all i could get out of it id that usb3 is generally better. But will i be needing the extra power of usb3? Also found out the challenger only has 2 ports, was hoping for at least 3. For mouse, keyboard and occasional transfer of data.
Brent Hale says
Hey Bob, what about the Rosewill Challenger S?
That has one USB 3.0 port and two USB 2.0 ports on the front.
In my opinion, you should be looking at the number of USB ports on the back of the motherboard, rather than the front of the case you’re choosing. You’ll probably want to plug your keyboard and mouse (unless they’re wireless) into the back of the motherboard, to keep them out of the way.
You could also install something like this if you really need a bunch of front-panel USB ports:
Tendak USB 3.0 4-Ports 3.5 inch Metal Front Panel USB Hub
You’ll just need to make sure that if your case has a front panel USB 3.0 port, that there are TWO USB 3.0 headers on your motherboard.
A lot of devices don’t take advantage of USB 3.0 at the moment, but the cool thing about USB 3.0 is that you can charge devices with it even if the computer is off.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
taylor says
hey, i was wondering if these builds would be good for multimedia use as well as gaming
specifically the $500 one
i use photoshop and a lot of art programs on my current pc so if one of these builds could handle things like that it’d be great
Bob Insky says
The $500 build i consider top tier xD. It should definitily do the job for photoshop, video editing and gaming. Espeicially with the 6 core cpu.
Brent Hale says
Hey Taylor, how’s it going?
If my understanding is correct, Photoshop is more CPU dependent than GPU dependent. So, I would maybe look at swapping out the FX-6300 on the $500 build for an FX-8350 or an FX-8320 and then downgrading the video card to a GTX 750 or a GTX 750 Ti.
That should give you a decent balance between gaming and doing some of your graphics-design work.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Bradley says
First, thank you so much Brent (and others) for replying to my previous question. I have one more question that is related. I found the Syber Vapor A (http://www.sybergaming.com/products/vapor-one-a.aspx) which has the Radeon R9 270 GPU for $500 and I know the $400 can be upgraded easier, but the Syber Vapor would be better for an LAN party , and I could plug it into my TV; so I’m just wondering if the $400 would be able to out perform it, and if so by how much?
Brent Hale says
Hey Bradely,
The Syber Vapor A looks like it costs $600 instead of $500. If you absolutely need something that form factor, then it’s definitely worth considering.
However, the Athlon X4 840 CPU it comes with is somewhat lacking compared to what you could get if you built your own system.
You could always build in something like this:
Thermaltake Armor Series Computer Case
It’s a little expensive, but you could put the $400-$500 build inside of that, plus an OS, and come out to about the same cost of the Syber Vapor A after shipping.
As it stands, the $400 build would perform similarly to it. The $400 build has a little less graphics processing power than the Syber Vapor A (very similar overall, though), but a much better CPU.
I always recommend building before buying a pre-built machine and in this case you can make a smaller form-factor build work inside of the case I linked to. But if you don’t want to go that route, you can settle for the Syber Vapor A and get good performance.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Bradley says
Thank you very much! I was actually referring to buying it from newegg ,however, it is now out of stock. Also I found windows 8.1 for $70 (with a student discount) so I could get 8gb or RAM. Thank you for this website and the guide! They both have helped me very much on my first build.
Chris says
Hey I just wanted to start off by saying thank you for all the work you’ve put into this guide, it’s helped me tremendously. This would actually be the first time I’ve tried to build a computer from the ground up like this so I’m kinda excited but I did have a few questions. I’m going with the $500 build and just opting in with the ODD from th$600 build as a lot of my old favorites I still own on disk only. So my first question is will that ODD work with that build? My second question is as far as an Internet connection goes, we run all our cables under the house so it would be possible but costly for an actual wired connection so what wireless options would you recommend? And then my 3rd question is just like general info but from start to finish about how long do you think the assembly time for a new guy like me would take to actually have it up and running? I’m not new to computers but I’ve never really delt to much with the hardware aspect, just software.
Chris says
Oh and I actually forgot to ask about an SSD, I plan on playing some older games but there will be newer ones as well like Skyrim and Minecraft. Would you recommend one for them or no?
Brent Hale says
Hey Chris, how’s it going? Here are the answers to your questions:
1. Yes, that ODD will definitely work in the $500 build.
2. If you can go wired, that would be ideal. If not, as long as where you are going to put your computer is fairly close to the router, then a wireless USB adapter (like this one) should do the trick.
3. If everything goes smoothly and you don’t run into any problems, the build from start to finish would take a new builder about 1-2 hours including installation of Windows. It will take a little longer depending on how much attention you give to cable management.
4. An SSD is great, but with your budget I would look to put that money into a video card upgrade since it will have a much bigger impact on in-game performance. And, an SSD can always be added later down the road.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Jake says
Hello,
Was just curious as to whether or not you could list all of the parts which would be able to run gta V on high settings, along with the price. It’s for a friend and he’s just curious so he’s sent me on a mission to find him a computer haha.
Brent Hale says
Hey Jake, how’s it going?
I would look at the $700 build on this list. That should allow you to play GTA V on higher settings.
Or, if you want to be a little more on the safe side, this $800 build should easily get you there:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/gaming-computers/#3
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
rohit says
Can you have more than one ssd in a pc. Because I was thinking of getting a 128 gb ssd but people are saying I’m going to need more in the future so I think i will get the 128 SanDisk ssd now and get another one later. If you can have more than one how many ssd slots are there on the 600 dollar build case the Thermaltake Versa H21. I also have another question. Is the SanDisk 128gb ssd a good ssd. I can’t really go over 850. And right now everything I need on amazon is 850 dollars. Also what do I need for building a gaming pc. I know I need an anti wrist strap but do I need like a certain screw dridrivor anything else I need.
Brent Hale says
Hey rohit, how’s it going? Yes, you can have more than one SSD in a PC.
Are you getting a 1TB mechanical hard drive to go with it? If so, you can always just store the games and programs you want to load faster on the SSD and store all your downloads and files on your mechanical hard drive.
But, if you need more SSD storage later down the road, then yes, you can definitely add another SSD.
The Versa H21 has three 2.5/3.5″ bays and three 2.5″ bays so you could have up to six SSDs. You could also use the 5.25″ bays if you really wanted to and if you wanted to get real crazy you could fit multiple SSDs in the bays. But I’m guessing that the potential to hold six SSDs will be more than you will ever need.
The SanDisk is decent and will likely treat you fine. I’m pretty sure I put a SanDisk SSD in a computer I built for my mother last year (because it was cheaper than the others) and she has never complained about it.
However, if possible I prefer to go with either Samsung or Crucial. If you can squeeze in the Crucial MX100 128GB, then go that route. If not, the SanDisk will be fine.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Bob Insky says
Hey Brent,
Thanks so much for the in depth guide. But I tried to formulate a build from the parts you listed.
http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/H6D3XL
I tried the NZXT source case but a compatibility issue about the case not having front USB3 ports came up. In your description it says it does but Ive come to trust pcpartpicker. Could you confirm for me if the NZXT case would be compatible? Also, do you have any suggestions for any parts I could change to make my build cheaper with basically the same performance (While keeping 8GB RAM)? Thanks
moe says
i was also thinking of buying the 600$ but ran into a similar issue with the case nzxt. “The NZXT Phantom 410 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case supports video cards up to 305mm long, but video cards over 230mm may block drive bays. Since the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card is 300mm long, some drive bays may not be usable.” also would there be a big difference with choosing Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard rather than the Gigabyte GA-970A-D3P? thank you in advance!
Brent Hale says
Hey Bob and Moe,
I don’t think I have the Phantom 410 listed anywhere on this page but I do have the Thermaltake Versa H21, which will hold that video card fine.
However, this is a picture of what the Phantom 410 will look like with the HDD cage removed:
http://www.custompcreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/nzxt-phantom-410-review-026.jpg
So, you lose a few bays, but you still have plenty of room for an SSD and a mechanical hard drive, which is all you really need.
As for finding cheaper parts, Bob, you could always drop the CPU cooler for now, and the motherboard to something more affordable. If you really wanted to overclock the FX-6300 to significant levels you would need a better motherboard anyways. Then put that extra money into a better video card… maybe a GTX 750. I’m not really up-to-date on Canadian prices unfortunately, so those might not even be options.
Moe, the two boards are basically the same, but the UD3P has a better power phase design for the CPU. It’s not something that will make a huge difference unless you’re planning on overclocking and even then I would recommend getting a 990FX chipset motherboard. So, unless you can find them for similar costs, I’d go with the D3P.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you guys have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Moe says
Hello Brent!
Thank you for replying. I have one final question for you what do you think of this build?
CPU : FX 6300
MOBO : MSI 970
GPU : evga gtx 960
Brent Hale says
As prices currently stand, I would look at a Sapphire R9 280 over any of the GTX 960s. You can get the R9 280 for $20 cheaper ($40 cheaper with the $20 rebate) and they perform similarly in most games.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Bradley says
Hey Brent I was wondering If the $300 or $400 gaming pc builds would out perform the Alienware alpha i3 8gb version. I ask this because I would have to spend another $100 for an OS to get either of these builds to work, and I found the Alienware alpha on amazon for $480. Thanks!
Bob Insky says
Well as far as im aware alienware alpha is a laptop but now you know here are comparisons. I will look at the given $400 build. Keep in mind Im no expert so you should wait for more responses :P.
The processor definitely trumps the i3 processor no question. You would easily upgrade the RAM for little extra cost. The alphas GPU is top tier as far as im aware, beating out the $400 build in that department. I dont know enough to compare the other parts. IMO the $400 build is definitely a contender for it, and probably better. Keep in mind the builds here are COMPUTERS and are not portable. Thats whats makes them cheaper. It will also look no where near as fancy with the custom casing but thats not a problem for some people. I know it isnt for me. If you ask my opinion, go for the computer because the processor just beats it out by so much.
Cool dude says
So I found a r9 280x that was cheaper than the gtx 960 should I get the r9280x or what. I’m going to build it in July. Thanks for the help.
Chris says
Hi Brad – I saw your post, and I understand your dillema. I believe that the alienware may outperform the $300 PC at face value, but the alienware is not an investment. It will not out perform it by much either. The cool thing about the $300 build that Mr. Hale has put together is that the motherboard gives you a lot of room to upgrade. It supports 1150 intel processors which can get you a i-5 4690k down the road. They are getting cheaper, and will probably be under $200 in the next 6 months. I have that processor in my rig and it’s complete overkill for games. It goes past 75% usage, and consistently only uses 25% of it’s power while maxxing out games like Final Fantasy 14(a CPU intensive game). The G3258 is a good processor though. Honestly, if you can spend a little bit more and throw a GTX 750ti…
http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-750Ti-GDDR5-Graphics/dp/B00IDG3IDO/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1430625169&sr=1-2&keywords=750ti
…you will be very happy with this card. I believe it will outperform that alienware system with that card installed as well. The card is a beast for that price. It will play just about any game on high/max settings, and the AAA titles at medium/high.
Remember, the initial cost of building a PC can be high, but it’s an investment, and you won’t have to buy a whole new system everytime you need to upgrade your processor which keeps costs down in the future, plus savings up for 1 part replacement at a time is easier, and you can ensure you will have high quality parts that will fit your needs. Just my 2 cents..I started building my own PCs a few years back and I will NEVER go back to buying the prebuilts. By the way, you can pick up windows 7 for about $75. Get the cheaper of the the 2 win 7/8. microsoft has announced that anybody with 7/8 will get a free upgrade to win 10 for the first year it is released.
Bradley says
Thanks a lot! I also was thinking about the Syber Vapor A because it looks like it has a nice
GPU, and I could take it to an LAN party easily. Also where do you think I could get windows 7 for $75?
Bob Insky says
If your a college/university student you can get windows 8 for cheap at the microsoft store. Otherwise you can try buying it off a third party website.
Chris says
It’s actually $68 right now. I’ve never seen it that cheap, so I would buy it right now. This is just the disc. It’s the same one that I just bought for my new pc a month ago, so it does work. you don’t have to call Microsoft either. The serial key is on the disc sleeve, and is good to go after you enter it after the install.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LG0K4MM/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Brent Hale says
Hey Bradley how’s it going?
Is this the Alienware Alpha you were referring to:
http://www.amazon.com/Alienware-ASM100-2980-Console-i3-4130T-Processor/dp/B00MA7AF74
If so, that is using the integrated graphics on the i3 in the build. This means that even the $300 build would be able to outperform it in most scenarios.
And, as Chris pointed out (thanks Chris!), the $300 build has the potential to turn into a high-end gaming PC with just a few upgrades. You can easily jump up to a locked i5 (or even an i7) processor and a high-end video card. For the video card, though, you may need to upgrade to a better power supply. So for your upgrade path I would probably go a new processor first (just because if you jumped up to a high-end video card first you might get bottlenecked by the Pentium) then a bigger power supply, and then the video card. And, of course, you could always get them all at the same time.
The $400 build will definitely outperform the Alpha, assuming it’s the one I linked to above, as it has a much more powerful video card.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Bradley says
Thanks a lot!
Carter says
Just a question- on the $400 build, the “ASUS M5A78L-M/USB3” is replaced on the provided Amazon list by the “MSI Socket AM3(etc.)” and I was just wondering if that changed anything.
Also, how well will games like GTA 5 play on the $400 build?
Brent Hale says
Hey Carter, how’s it going?
I made the changed to the MSI motherboard a couple of updates ago and I guess I forgot to change it on this page. The MSI motherboard will work fine with the parts.
Depending on your monitor’s resolution you’re probably looking at playing GTA V on medium settings with some settings on high. This guy is running an FX-6300 and a GTX 750 and he is running GTA V on medium-to-high settings and getting good results:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk8gNO7vG1U
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Ryan says
With no CPU cooler in the $600 build, wouldent the CPU melt in a matter of seconds within first boot?
Brent Hale says
Hey Ryan, how’s it going?
The FX-6300 comes with a stock cooler (as most CPUs do). It’s not the greatest cooler in the world, but as long as you’re not planning on doing any kind of serious overclocking (or really any overclocking for that matter), then the stock cooler will run just fine.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Ryan says
Ok, thank you for your reply. Also, if i bought the $600 build i would need a WiFi adapter, do you have any suggestions for a certain one or maybe a good brand to buy one from?
Aydan says
Although I’m not really qualified to recommend stuff about computers, I would suggest you stick to a wired internet connection as it tends to run faster and yield a more stable, constant, and higher bit-rate than a WiFi connection. If you’re using this computer for gaming, which would make sense given the site you’re looking at, a higher bit rate will be of great use to you in online and multiplayer gaming.
Chris says
Aydan is correct, but if you don’t have the ability to run the ethernet cord to your computer you will want to make sure that you get a wireless N adapter card. The “N” is important as that will get you good speeds. You can buy a dual band adapter, but it’s only if you want. Teh 2.4 band connection that N gives is enough to run games. I stream from Netflix just fine with it.
you can get a decent wireless card for about $20, but I would spend about $10 more and get something that supports bluetooth, and covers the 300mbps speed on the N. I highly recommend this card…
http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-Bluetooth-Expansion-Components-GC-WB867D-I/dp/B00HF8K0O6/ref=zg_bs_13983711_6
With bluetooth you can hook up an xbox controller to some of the games that are bad ports over to the PC, like Assassin’s Creed, Dragon Age:Inquisition. Having a controller for those games makes the experience a lot more fun. The extra $10 is well worth it.
This is a high quality well rated card as well. It also supports AC, which is the newest/fastest wireless technology out right now. You can later upgrade your home router to AC and experience speeds about the same as you would get with ethernet, and the range is crazy on it. You can’t go wrong! :)
Ryan says
Ok, good to know, thank you both for your reply’s. Unfortunately I am too far away from
my router to use Ethernet, so, I decided to go with the Gigabyte Bluetooth 4.0/WiFi Expansion Card.
Brad Dunn says
I was looking at the jackal build and was wondering if it would be worth it to upgrade the GPU to the 4gb GTX 960? And if you were to do that would it still fit in the case and work with all the same motherboard, etc.
Brad Dunn says
After reading up on these components a bit more it seems like the 2 bottlenecks might be the processor and the hard drive. I will probably upgrade to an SSD later on but I was wondering if it would be worth it to purchase the FX 8320 processor rather than the 6300?
Brent Hale says
Hey Brad, how’s it going?
If you were considering the GTX 960 4GB, I would just upgrade to an R9 280x or an R9 290 (if you can find a good deal on one) instead. They’ll give a bigger performance boost and won’t cost you much more than the GTX 960 4GB.
None of those cards will require an upgrade to the $600 build to work either, so you’re good there.
And, as for the bottlenecking, there aren’t a whole lot of games where the FX-6300 will cause a bottleneck with your video card. However, they do exist… especially modern games that are demanding and have large multiplayer gameplay.
But, yes, if you want to spend a little more and get the 8320, it definitely wouldn’t be a bad decision.
The hard drive won’t bottleneck you as it won’t really affect your in-game performance. It will just impact your load times. SSDs are always nice, though, as they can decrease your boot time and make your operating system run faster and all programs/games/files that are installed on it load and open faster.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Brad Dunn says
Hey Brent,
Thanks for the quick response, I think I will just stick with the cheaper 960 to stay on my budget but will go with the 8320.
I also just found out my brother has a brand new motherboard it is this one
http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-GA-78LMT-USB3-SB710-MAX-32GB-PCIE16/dp/B00C7LDVU6/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1430521974&sr=1-2&keywords=gigabyte+lmt-usb3
And I was wondering if that would handle all the parts in the $600 bundle.
Thanks again,
Brad
Brad Dunn says
Hey Brent,
Thanks for the quick response, it is greatly appreciated. I think I am going to stay with the 960 2GB but am going to upgrade to the 8320. And I found out my brother has a brand new motherboard at his house.
http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-GA-78LMT-USB3-SB710-MAX-32GB-PCIE16/dp/B00C7LDVU6/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1430521974&sr=1-2&keywords=gigabyte+lmt-usb3
I was wondering if this would be able to handle all the components of the $600 bundle
Thanks again,
Brad
Brent Hale says
Hey Brad, yeah that motherboard will work fine. It wouldn’t be the best motherboard for overclocking but you could still do some mild overclocking with it.
gman says
When I put this on pcpartpicker it says that some vishera cpus need a bios upgrade prior to using it. Should I be worried about that or no or should I get a new one. Please help thanks.
Brent Hale says
Hey gman, how’s it going?
Which motherboard are you talking about? I just checked the AM3+ motherboards on PCP and none of them gave that error.
Still, though, as long as you’re buying a new motherboard and not a used one, you shouldn’t have to flash the BIOS. If somehow you do get the motherboard and it needs to be flashed you can either A) send it back and get a motherboard that doesn’t need to be flashed, or B) flash it with a USB (if the motherboard permits it).
I haven’t had anyone tell me that they had to flash the BIOS with these motherboards, though, so you should be fine.
Hope this helps! And let me know which motherboard it is so I can look further into it.
Best,
Brent
Jay says
Hey guys. looking to build a PC as a summer project. I’m going to build something very similar to the 500 dollar build, just with a few different options due to brand loyalty and available discounts i know of. What is the 500 build area capable of running? For example, GTA 5: low quality, mid, high, or custom (aka super high). I also plan to use it for streaming (i stream on xbox but its not nearly as good) and want to switch over.
Thanks for the help.
Brent Hale says
Hey Jay, how’s it going?
The $500 build will be able to run GTA V on medium-to-high settings (mostly high) with good frame rates.
These benchmarks show the R9 270X getting about 40-50 FPS on a 1920×1200 and 1920×1080 monitor on higher settings:
http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/gta_v_pc_graphics_performance_review,5.html
http://www.techspot.com/review/991-gta-5-pc-benchmarks/page2.html
So, something around there (give or take) would be what you could get.
If you plan on streaming through Twitch you may want to consider reaching up to get ther GTX 960 and utilizing ShadowPlay to stream. Just something to consider.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
matt m says
Sadly i have the 600 dollar setup from here and gta v is tearing and its on the lower setting and wow is tearing when on the higher settings. monitor is a 32inch lcd at 1920×1080 :(
Chris says
Keep in mind that the benchmarks that are ran with the video cards are usually on high end systems with one of the newer i-7 processors, 16gb of ram, etc. On normal systems the settings should probably set at low-medium for GTA5. Download Fraps to see what your frame rates are like while playing the game. The screen tearing is usually caused by NOT having V-sync turned on, which is supposed to sync your gpu with the refresh rate of your monitor… It could be the monitor as well. Try on a different monitor and see if the issue is resolved. Try on a lower end game. Try enabling/disabling windows transparency. Good luck!
http://i.imgur.com/6P6bdFq.jpgg
Chris says
Also, if you haven’t already. Try using the gforce experience software to set optimum graphic settings for your games. It’s free. And make sure you have the newest drivers for your card. gforce experience will check for updates everyday for you. gforce exp sets it for optimum at 60fps. I use that and then play games with msi afterburner configured to clock my fps, and cpu/gpu temps while playing games under load and adjust settings from there until I’m at optimum settings and still get 40-50fps.
If you get MSI afterburner you wont need fraps. Afterburner is a little more tricky to setup though. If you want something easy just to track fps then get fraps.
matt m says
so i got fraps and it starts out at 55-60 mostly 60 at first.. 10-15 minutes in its down to like 45-55 and then 25-30 its down to 15-25 while in a vehicle 20-35 while walking and thats with the amd gaming evolved thing that is suppose to set the graphics to work.. The sync was and is turned on, wish and hope its that easy of a fix.
Brent Hale says
Hey Matt, it sounds like something else is wrong, especially since you’re having problems with WoW, which should run maxed out easily.
Since I change the builds on a weekly basis can you post exactly what parts you have? And, what is the refresh rate of your monitor?
Hopefully we can get to the bottom of your problem.
Best,
Brent
matt m says
ASUS M5A78L-M LX PLUS AM3+ AMD 760G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
WD Blue Desktop Hard Drive 1TB, 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/sec
HIS R9 280 IceQ OC 3GB Graphics Cards H280QC3G2M
XFX TS 550w Full Wired 80+ Bronze Power Supply – P1550SXXB9
AMD FD6300WMHKBOX FX-6300 6-Core Processor Black Edition
Kingston HyperX FURY 8GB 1600MHz DDR3 CL10 DIMM – Blue (HX316C10F/8)
This is the monitor im using.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2148024
I’m thinking its getting to hot and i am going to buy a few fans to fill the extra fan slots. It plays wow fine on most high / ultra but after a while tearing begins in the center of the screen. The fans also start screaming around that same point. The computer is sitting on a table so its not like its sitting in a desk cooking.
Thanks for the help! and i will download the fps meter later and see whats going on in gta
Brent Hale says
Hey Matt, that’s strange. Your system should be able to handle GTA V without any problems.
In fact, since so many people have been asking about playing GTA V with these builds, I bought it and downloaded it on my HTPC which runs an i5-4460 and an R9 270.
The game runs fine on medium-to-high settings. However, as I was reading more into it, it looks like GTA V has had some problems with AMD processors. This could just be something that Rockstar needs to fix as a lot of times new games require patches and updates until they are working properly with different hardware.
Also, have you been monitoring the temperatures when you’re playing? And, if so, what are they?
Best,
Brent
matt m says
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v690/ssdelsolsi/cmpgta_zpsxckhjhw9.jpg
When i took that screen shot, i was being chased by the cops in gta so alot was happening and it hit an all time new low of 15-19 dips from like 25.
video card temp was to low on the screen to see but it was 179*F
what Intel chip would you suggest getting then to see if that remedies the problem, im always up for an upgrade and how many fans does this one have ports for?
Brent Hale says
Hey Matt,
179F is too high for an R9 280. What software are you using to track your temps?
You may want to contact the manufacturer and look into getting a replacement card. The high temperature could be a big factor in what is causing your problems.
Again, the FX-6300 should be fine as I have seen a number of people running GTA V with it with no problems. If you want to upgrade to Intel, though, any of the i5s and a decent motherboard will get the job done.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Michael says
Hey i bought the $600 build. I finished building the computer, made sure the powersupply switch is on in the back, when that switch is turned on the red light pulsates in the front, where the power button is, to turn on the actual computer. I press the power button in the front and nothing happens just the red pulsating light. Not one fan comes on from any of the other componets.
Now did i possibly connect the on/off activation wire in the wrong place? Or is my powersupply broken? All brand new peices from the 600 build. Very frustrated help ploxx :*(
Brandon says
I’m sorry tell tell you the bad news but I have to be dead serious. You most likely bought a bad power supply because I had he same issue, bought a new power supply and it worked. I worked off the $700 build though so I don’t know for sure which one you have. I know your pain and it sucks but i think you need a new power supply
Michael says
did you end up returning it and getting your money back or what?
Brent Hale says
Hey Michael, sorry you’re having trouble.
It could very well be that the power supply is bad. However, before coming to that conclusion, I would go back through and reseat all of the cables going to the motherboard, especially the 24-pin power supply connector. I’d also reseat the RAM.
If you can, take a bunch of pictures of the inside of your case and post them here or email them to me at bhale@elitegamingcomputers.com and I’ll check and see if I can see anything that looks off.
Best,
Brent
Nick Adell says
Hello I am looking to be able to play CS:GO with my friends and was wondering if the $300 build is good enough to do this or if i should be looking more at the $400-500 builds? I currently own a “hp pavilion slimline s5710f” and was wondering if i could use any of the parts in it for these builds so i don’t have to buy every part (i’m new to PC building and don’t know very much) Thanks for the help! (sorry if this is a repost not sure if it worked the last time)
P:S If i decided to try streaming my games on twitch would that require an even better PC?
Brent Hale says
Hey Nick, how’s it going?
CS:GO isn’t very demanding so even the $300 build will be able to play it on medium-higher settings. So, if all you’re planning on doing is playing CS:GO then it will definitely get the job done.
You could always take the hard drive and optical drive out of your old case (assuming that’s a standard size optical drive in the slimline). Everything else, though, would need to be bought.
And, yes, if you want to stream on Twitch I would recommend at least the $400 build. And, then I would try using the ShadowPlay feature on the GTX 750 Ti in the $400 build to stream to Twitch to help produce a better stream. It has been buggy in the past, but I believe the kinks have been worked out to the point to where it really takes the load off of your system while streaming.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
rohit says
Hey so for the 600 build people say that the gtx 960 is not that good compared to the r9 280 and that it’s cheaper. Is this true or should I stick to the gtx 960. Also should I get an ssd and if so how many gbs should I get in the ssd.
Brent Hale says
Hey Rohit, how’s it going?
The two cards are very similar, but most benchmarks show the GTX 960 slightly ahead of the R9 280. Here’s one:
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/graphics/2015/01/22/nvidia-geforce-gtx-960-review-feat-asus/1
The 960 beats the R9 280 in all of the games in that benchmark. However, the difference is never more than 5-6 FPS, so there’s definitely wrong with going with the GTX 960 over the R9 280 since it’s a little bit more affordable.
An SSD is always nice to have to help you boost system performance, but it doesn’t really have an affect on in-game performance. Still, though, the boot-time reduction and the speed with which your operating system will run is definitely worth it. If you want to get an SSD I would recommend at least 128GB.
You could also always put that money to a better GPU, and then add the SSD later down the road.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
rohit says
So right now with the build on Amazon with the monitor,keyboard mouse combo, and headset( this is going to be my first gaming pc and i ‘ve been thinking about it for awhile) Its around 780 so like I don’t want o go over 850. But when I look at pcppartpicker it’s so much cheaper so should I order it from different sites or same site. Also what ssd would you recommend and how many gbs would you recommend on the ssd. Thanks for the help.
rohit says
For the monitor mouse and keyboard and stuff like that I chose those but us the question is still the same should I order parts from different sites or the same site. Thanks for the help
Brent Hale says
Hey Rohit, you can definitely go the PC Part Picker route if it will save you a significant amount of money. The only two downsides of getting all your parts from different sites is that A) they won’t all be shipped at the same time and some of those sites don’t have as good of free shipping as Amazon and B) if you get a bad part and you can’t diagnose exactly which one is giving you the problem you’ll have to send the parts back to multiple sites.
I always buy from Amazon. But that’s mostly because I have a Prime account and I get everything in 2-days (or overnighted for a few extra bucks). But if you don’t mind waiting for all of your parts to get there and you want to save as much money as possible, then buying from different sites is definitely a good idea.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Chris says
Hey Rohit – a Samsung EVO 250 GB SSD is plenty of room to hold a few large games a lot of smaller ones. You will still have a lot of room on your storage drive as well for games. Not all games take a long time to load. Games like Final Fantasy 14 need to be placed on an SSD though as the loading times for that game are crazy. I’m playing Bioshock right now though and that game loads super fast straight from the storage drive. If you don’t plan on having more then like 10-15 games on there at a time the SSD is plenty. Games these days take up anywhere from 1GB-50GB depending on the game. Most are around 5-20GB though.
Moe says
What do you think of this pre built computer? I’m debating whether to buy iBUYPOWER – Desktop – AMD FX-Series – 8GB Memory – 1TB Hard Drive or the 700$ built in your site. Reply would be great!
Brent Hale says
Hey Moe, how’s it going?
It really depends on what video card comes in the build as that will be the biggest determining factor in the in-game performance you get.
Let me know what video card it has and I’ll be able to help you out better.
Best,
Brent
Moe says
I’m doing well how about yourself? It has a AMD 6-Core FX-6300 Processor with NVIDIA GTX 750Ti graphics. I can link you the prebuilt and its specs if you don’t mind and thank you so much for replying! Great post!
Brent Hale says
I’m doing great, thanks for asking!
That’s a decent deal if you really don’t want to build the system yourself. However, if you feel up to the challenge of building it yourself, you would get more power out of the $700 build I have listed.
One thing to note, though, is that you will need to add an operating system to the build, so that puts the $700 build closer to $800. The $600 would end up being about $700 with an operating system and that, too, would give you more power than the iBuyPower PC you linked to simply because it has a better video card.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Moe says
Hi Brent! Thanks so much for the replies so far. I’ve decided to go with the 600$ build but I have some questions. Should I go for the ballistix 16gb instead of the 8gb or will the 8gb be enough? I will mainly play GTA V, CS Go, Dota 2, skyrim, H1Z1. Also should I change the mobo to a ASUS M5A97 R2.0 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD? I was just thinking that the current mobo on the 600$ will over clock the graphics card. Thank you in advance! Hope you’re doing well.
Brent Hale says
Hey Moe, no problem!
I would stick with 8GB as there isn’t a game on the market today that will utilize more than 8GB of RAM. Most games don’t even utilize 4GB.
Then you can either save that extra money or put it towards a bigger video card, which will have a bigger impact on your in-game performance than the RAM upgrade would have.
Neither the ASUS M5A97 or the Gigabyte motherboard I have listed on the $600 are great overclocking boards. However, both should allow you to OC your video card some if you want to do so.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Phillip D says
I noticed that you changed the gpu on the $500 model. The previous gpu was more powerful than the one you changed it to. I would like to know your reasoning. (changed from Radeon R9 270x Sapphire 2g to the Gigabyte R9 270)
Brent Hale says
Hi Phillip thanks for responding.
I updated the builds yesterday and at the time of the update, the prices had jumped and the build went over the maximum $520 budget I allot myself when choosing parts.
However, the Sapphire R9 270x went back down to $159.99 in price (with a $20 mail-in-rebate) sometime between yesterday’s update and now. It still puts the build over the $520 max budget, but for only $5 more it’s worth it.
So, I will update it again in a few minutes to put the Sapphire R9 270x back in there.
Thanks for the heads up.
Best,
Brent
Brent Hale says
Just updated back to the R9 270x. Goes a little over $520, but there’s $35 of mail-in-rebates. So, not too bad.
Phillip D says
That makes sense. yeah, its definitely worth the $10 or so more. Thanks for responding.
MorfarZ says
Hey, I wanted to buy the $600 build but the motherboard can only be shipped within the U.S.
Are there any other links to the same motherboard or better? If there is then, please, send it straight to me, k? Thanks in advance.
Brent Hale says
Hey MorfarZ, how’s it going?
It depends on what country you’re in, then. You can check this search results page on Amazon to see what your other options are:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_7?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=am3%2B+motherboard&sprefix=am3%2B+mo%2Caps%2C199
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Isaac says
I just have a quick question, do you think that the 400 dollar build would be able to play No Man’s Sky? I don’t mind playing on low settings as long as i’m able to run it smoothly at 60 fps. Also if I were to get the 400 dollar one, how would i go about upgrading it once i have the funds?
Any help would be appreciated, thank you!
Mike says
It could but one thing you would have to do (definitely) is upgrade your ram from, maybe 4gb to 8gb.
Brent Hale says
Hey Isaac, how’s it going?
I can’t really find anything concrete from Hello Games on what their minimum and recommended system requirements will be, but Game-Debate doesn’t seem to think the game will be very demanding:
http://www.game-debate.com/games/index.php?g_id=9193&game=No%20Mans%20Sky
If those recommended requirements are accurate, then you will be able to max out No Man’s Sky. However, the requirements aren’t always accurate…
Still, though, you should be able to easily be able to play it on low settings and hit ~60 FPS and more than likely the $400 build will allow you to play on medium-to-high settings.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Isaac says
Thank you very much for the help, if I were to go with the 400 dollar option, how would i go about upgrading it once i have the funds for it?
Isaac says
Also i have another question, using the $400 dollar build as a base i eventually got this build:
Sapphire Radeon R9 270X
Crucial Ballistix 8GB kit (4GBx2)
ASUS Micro ATX DDR3 2000 AMD AM3+ Motherboard M5A78L-M/USB3
AMD FD6300WMHKBOX FX-6300 6-Core Processor Black Edition
WD Blue 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 7200rpm Internal Hard Drive
Rosewill Dual Fans MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case FBM-01
XFX TS 550w Full Wired 80+ Bronze Power Supply – P1550SXXB9
I want to know if this build would work out well while also keeping this price around $500 what are your thoughts on this?
Brent Hale says
Hey Isaac, that’s a solid build as well.
If you want to upgrade, you’ll first want to look at upgrading the GPU and then after that the CPU. Going with the XFX 550 now is a great idea, as it can handle a GPU as high as the GTX 980.
You would also want to upgrade the case and motherboard and then add a CPU cooler if you are going to upgrade the CPU, so you can overclock.
But, for now, the R9 270x and the FX-6300 will allow you to play most games on higher settings on a 1920×1080 monitor.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Matthew says
Hello I was wondering if I can get some help with the 700 dollar Build, I need to hook on Wifi since that’s the most reliable connection. I am wondering if u could pick a good Wifi adapter that is compatible with this build. I’m pretty new to PC Building and also how concern should I be of static discharge. I’ve heard stories of just a wrong touch with the CPU or GPU and you could fry it. Please if you could provide a link of a wifi adapter that is being sold on amazon Please. Since my friend will be ordering all of the parts. Thank you for you’re help.
Brent Hale says
Hey Matthew, how’s it going?
For a USB adapter, I would look at something like this:
Panda 300Mbps Wireless-N USB Adapter
As long as you are fairly close to the router, then that should give you a good connection.
I’ve never had any problems with static electricity and I’ve never used a wrist-strap. And, I live in a really dry climate, which creates a ton of static electricity.
However, I also never do my builds in rooms where there are carpeted floors, so that helps. If you’re worried about static electricity affecting your build, then you can always just get an anti-static wrist-wrap and ground yourself. This one should do the trick:
Rosewill RTK-002 Anti-Static Wrist Strap
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Jonathan says
First I would like to say thank you Brent for such an in depth guide for pc builds. This will be the first pc my girlfriend and I build and we did not know much going into this. We seem to be set on the $600 build so we can game at high quality as well as stream. Okay so my question, as far as cases go we were wanting Sentey® Bx1-4284 Plus Gaming Computer Case the link to amazon is http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MNSFBQU/ref=psdc_572238_t3_B005HJMQIS. It seems to have the cooling requirements but we were concerned if the size would be an issue since the gtx 960 seems to be a bigger card than most. So if you could let us know if you would recommend it and if it would properly house all the components in your 600 dollar build it would mean a lot! Thanks!!! :)
Brent Hale says
Hey Jonathan, how’s it going?
The actual length of the Gigabyte GTX 960 is 295mm and the Sentey case can fit a video card as long as 350mm, so you’ll be fine there.
You could also look at the ASUS Strix GTX 960 as I see there’s a really good price on it right now on Amazon:
ASUS Graphics Cards STRIX GTX960
Either of those will fit in the Sentey case.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Jonathan says
Got the $600 build and was blown away it was easy to put together and has ran some pretty heavy games on ultra. Thanks for the awesome builds and for making it easy!! I will for sure recommend for any pc builder!!!!
Brent Hale says
Hey Jonathan, glad you’re digging your new system and happy the site could be of some help!
If you get a chance post a picture of the build in the forums. We’d love to see it!
Best,
Brent
Michael N. says
Hey, was looking to put together the $300 set-up. And I had a small question. Do I need to separately buy the power and monitor cables?
Thanks for any Help
Brent Hale says
Hey Michael, how’s it going?
The power cable for the power supply will come with the power supply. However, I don’t believe the video card will come with a cable to hook it up to your monitor. For that you’ll need either a DVI, HDMI, or VGA cable.
Those are pretty cheap if you’re ordering on Amazon, or they can be picked up at pretty much any computer/electronics store.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
G Blatch says
I think i am going to build the jackal, just wondering about the graphics card, you recommend the MSI GTX but i keep seeing good reviews on the EVGA GeForce GTX 960 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SC6HAS4/?tag=bom_tomshardware-20&ascsubtag=%5Bsite|thaus[cat|[art|[pid|B00SC6HAS4[tid|14301506471013039[bbc|LEPRIX)
Is there a reason you think the MSI is the better option?
Thank you
gBlatch says
i have 2 more questions, would it be worth upgrading to the ballistix sport XT as it is only 5 more dollars, also i think i want the corsair 300r case, will everything fit?
thank you
Brent Hale says
Hey gBlatch, how’s it going?
I usually have the EVGA GTX 960 included in the $600 build, but on the last update the MSI GTX 960 was priced significantly lower (was on sale) so I added that.
In all honesty, as long as you’re getting your video card from EVGA, Gigabyte, MSI, XFX, Sapphire, etc. and as long as the model and VRAM is the same, then there won’t be a big performance difference. So, I typically include whichever one is more affordable at the time of updating the builds.
And, when I updated the builds yesterday, the MSI GTX 960 had gone back up in price and the EVGA GTX 960 had gone down a bit, so now it’s included in the $600 and $700 builds.
You can upgrade the RAM if you want but you probably won’t notice any kind of performance difference. And, yes the Corsair 300R Case will fit the parts in the $600 build just fine.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Dash says
Hey, thanks for the guide. It’s very helpful especially for a total newbie like me. I’m looking for a decent setup to play GTA V. Would the $500 build run the game smoothly with decent graphic? Thanks in advance.
Dash
Brent Hale says
Hey Dash, how’s it going?
GTA V is pretty demanding, but the $500 build should allow you to play it on medium-to-high settings with good framerates.
Here’s a benchmark that shows GTA V running on high settings with normal textures on a 1920×1080 monitor:
http://www.techspot.com/review/991-gta-5-pc-benchmarks/page2.html
The R9 270x (which is in the $500 build) hit an average of 52 FPS over the course of playing. That’s pretty good. Though, they likely used a better CPU in their benchmarks. Still, though, the FX-6300 and R9 270X combo should at least allow you to play on medium settings, if not higher settings with the textures turned down.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Muhammad says
I want to play first person shooters such as battlefield and black ops 2, would that be possible with a $400 pc?
Brent Hale says
Hey Muhammad, how’s it going?
Yes, it would be possible to play those games on the $400 build, but you will probably be playing on medium settings rather than higher settings.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Jonathan says
Hello, I am going to build a computer for the first time so everything is new to me. I am on a $1,000 budget (including mouse, monitor, keyboard) and I would like to use all of it to get the best gaming computer possible. What parts should I use?
Thanks in advance
Brent Hale says
Hey Jonathan, how’s it going?
With a $1,000 budget, I would look at the $700 build.
Then you would add:
1.~$90 for Windows 7 or 8.1.
2. $100 for a 1920×1080 monitor
3. $50 on your keyboard
4. $50 on your mouse
Or something similar to that above. You could also go with the $600 build and get a better monitor/keyboard/mouse.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
gamernoob says
Hey this is an awesome list!
No once i got that out of the way im not surr wich one to get since i want to play skyrim battlefield gta V etc.. on about 45-60fps and atleast 720p.
So could you help me out? Thanks
Brent Hale says
Hey gamernoob, thanks for reading and commenting.
What’s your total budget?
I would recommend at least the $500 build to play those games on higher settings on a 720p monitor with good framerates.
I would go with the $600 or $700 builds if you want to play on 1080p.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
gamernoob says
Ok thanks :)i totally forgot to say my whole budget is 700 $
SimpleMan says
Im building my first gaming pc with a budget of 1500€ (1600$). Does this look like a good setup for consolekiller?
-Asus Z97-PRO GAMER Intel Z97 LGA 1150 ATX – MOBO
-Intel Core i7 4770K 3.5 GHz LGA1150 -CPU
-MSI GeForce GTX 960 GAMING 2G 2048 Mt -GPU
-Seagate Barracuda 1 TB 64 MB 7200 RPM 3.5″ SATA III (6 Gb/s) -HDD
-Kingston HyperX Savage 8 Gt KIT (2 x 4 Gt) 1600 MHz DDR3 CL9 XMP -RAM
-Corsair CX750M V2 CX-sarjan 750 W ATX -Powersource
-Corsair Carbide Spec-03 ATX -Case
-Acer Predator GN246HL 24″ 144 Hz LED -screen
Brent Hale says
Hey SimpleMan, how’s it going?
That looks great, but I’d recommend dropping from the i7-4770K to the i5-4690K and then upgrading from the GTX 960 to a GTX 970, or R9 290x
AMD’s R9 300 series will also be out soon, so that’s something to consider.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Kevin says
Hey Brent,
I am curious what price range you would suggest for playing Flight Simulator X on? I know the highest range would be the best so maybe I should say what range do you thing would be the lowest possible one that could handle FSX on? I know that no matter which one it would be a optical drive would have to be installed so whatever range it is the cost will be higher but I am curious if, with all that goes into that game if really anything but a top end range will cut it. I tried this game out on a old non-gaming pc and well, it did not end well and that was on not even the highest settings the game has. I miss it and think building my own rig would be the way to go so any guidance ya have would be great.
Brent Hale says
Hey Kevin, how’s it going?
I actually own Flight Simulator X Gold Edition, but I’ve never played it!
But looking at the minimum system requirements it doesn’t look very demanding. And, the game is nearly 9 years old, so any of the build’s listed above should run it fine.
If you want to venture off and play other games, the $500 or $600 builds will allow you to max out most games on a 1920×1080 monitor.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Kevin says
Thanks Brent! It is nice to hear I would not have to break the bank to finally fly through the skyies again. =)
Matthew Rush says
Hwy Brent,
I was wondering on the $500 build if I could upgrade from the AMD FX-6300 6-Core to the AMD-8230E 8-Core without changing anything else?
Brent Hale says
Hey Matthew, how’s it going?
Yep! You can definitely insert the FX 8320E in there. Although, just note that the motherboard in the $500 build isn’t an overclocking motherboard, so don’t try and push it too far.
If you’re not planning on overclocking, or just mildly overclocking, then it will work fine.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Matthew Rush says
What do you mean by overclocking? Would playing like Minecraft a CSGO be considered overclocking? And also would opening multiple Minecrafts at the same time do that?
Chris says
Overclocking is the process of forcing a computer or component to operate faster than the manufactured clock frequency.
Bob Insky says
No overcloking is, in simpler terms tinkering with the parts to make them run faster. If you dont know the definition Im assuming your not looking to overclock. Basically the answer to your question is yes, your fine with switching out the processor.
Michael says
So what exactly is ODD? in the cheaper builds it says Install O.S. from USB drive,
but in the upper builds it says Samsung 24x SATA. Is it an operating system or is it whatever the Samsung 24x SATA is?
And then I have no experience building computers, but would this set up work? http://pastebin.com/k22EQayC anything else I’m missing? How would I install Windows 8?
Brent Hale says
Hey Michael, an ODD is an optical drive. It plays CDs and DVDs and can be used to install software you have on a disc.
Since Windows comes on a disc, it’s typically easier to install it by inserting it from your optical drive. However, most games and software are now digitally downloaded, so you’re basically paying $15-$20 for an optical drive only to use it to install your operating system.
So, in the cheaper builds I omit the optical drive and point you towards an article that shows you how to install Windows 7 from a USB flash drive. That way you can put the extra $15-$20 towards a better GPU, which is going to give you better performance.
If you don’t feel comfortable going the USB route, then definitely get an optical drive.
Your build looks great, except you’ll want to get the NZXT Source case and not the Rosewill Dual Fans, because you have selected a standard ATX motherboard and the Dual Fans will only fit a Micro-ATX motherboard.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Adam says
Hi Brent,
So I have been searching a lot, and I calculated like all the parts for the 600$ build and it gave me 834.74$ that it would cost, I did it manually so I did not use like the amazon Cart, so I would like to play GTA 5 at the best graphics I can so thanks. Also I will play MineCraft and I would like high frames.
Could you please reccomend me a build?
Thanks,
Adam P.
Brent Hale says
Hi Adam, how’s it going?
Did you add additional items to the cart? Because when I add them I get around ~$620.
GTA 5 is fairly demanding, but the $600 build should definitely allow you to play it on higher settings.
Minecraft, on the other hand, isn’t very demanding at all, and so the $600 build will have no problems running it with a high frame rate.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Adam P says
Howdy Brent!
Thanks for your response!
I think what makes it go so high is that I’m in Canada. So let’s say I click on the link to the list of parts on Amazon and then when I’m there I change the URL to “.ca” and it works, so I’m not too sure what it’s doing wrong… ( I change the URL to Canada to have less shipping costs ) Also, if you have spare time could you test it please? Thanks so much for the help.
-Adam P
Brent Hale says
Hmmm… it’s probably the conversion rate and shipping to Canada kicking in then. And, I know prices are quite a bit different on Amazon.ca as opposed to regular Amazon. So, I’m assuming that’s the issue you’re running into.
Eryn says
Hey,
the $700 build, is it possible to use an Intel i7? With everything that I am running on my pc, it was suggested I get an i7 and I’m okay with spending the extra money. Which would you suggest, if I could use an i7 and is there anything I’d have to change in the build?
Mindstab_Thrull says
Quite likely, at least at current pricing. As of this writing, you can get an i7-4790 for about $250 from MicroCenter ( http://www.microcenter.com/product/432163/Core_i7-4790_36_GHz_1150_Boxed_Processor ; pickup only), which leaves about $450 for the rest of the unit. An ATX motherboard and 8 GB RAM can be picked up for around $110, so there’s 340 left for the case, PSU, hard drive, and video card. The first three can come in around $140 combined, leaving you with about $200 for the video card – Tom’s Hardware suggests a GTX 960 at that price range (see http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-4.html ), and with a bit of luck you can fit a DVD drive in there too. Keep in mind though that you’re usually looking closer to $300 for an i7, so that forces your video card to something closer to a Radeon R9 270 instead. But it’s certainly possible!
Brent Hale says
Hey Eyrn, how’s it going?
What are you doing that you were recommended to get an i7 over an i5? Unless you’re doing some heavy CAD design, graphics design, 3D rendering, or video editing, etc. the i5 will likely be more than enough processing power (especially if you’re just gaming.)
If you’re building your computer mainly for gaming, it would be better to put extra money into your video card as there is no in-game performance difference between the i5 and i7 in pretty much any game or scenario.
But, as Mindstab said, yes you can put an i7 in that build. And, no you won’t have to change anything.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!
Best,
Brent
Eryn says
Yeah, I figured it would be fine for just gaming, but I’m a streamer, so I have multiple things open at once as well as work on a lot of graphic designs. Speaking with other casters, they recommended an i7 instead of an i5 because we tend to really strain our PCs.
Brent Hale says
I haven’t tried the Shadowplay streaming feature from NVIDIA, but that’s supposed to take a big load off of the CPU.
It really depends on what games you’re playing, though. If you’re playing League of Legends, an i5 will be more than enough to allow you to stream and play at the highest settings. If you’re playing more demanding games the i7 might be more beneficial.
But if you’re doing some heavy graphics design, then the i7 is probably your best bet.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Jonathan says
Hi Brent,
So im kinda new to computergaming and i never had a pc (only a laptop). I dont want to spend to much on my first gaming pc. Thats why im thinking to build the $500 Pc. I want to play games like Arma 3, DayZ Standalone, Battlefield….
Is the $500 build enought or do i have to get an better one. I dont want to play th egames on low setting and i want defenetly to have 60+ frames.
Would be nice of you if you reply.
Have a nice day. (sorry for my english)
Brent Hale says
Hey Jonathan, how’s it going?
The $500 build will definitely serve as a better-than-average entry-level system. And, yes you will easily be able to play Arma 3, DayZ, and Battlefield on at least medium-to-high settings with ~60 FPS.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!
Best,
Brent
Jonathan says
Thanks for your reply,
now i actually have some question. I asked online what the think about this Pc build. And i got a tons of diffrent answers. Someone sad i would only be able to play DayZ in 15fps. Anotherone build me a completly difftent pc with (this one)
Crucial Ballistix 8GB 1600
Raijintek Arcadia
be quiet! System Power 7 450W
Seagate Barracuda 1TB
Samsung SH-224DB black , SATA, bulk
Sapphire Radeon R9 270 Dual-X
now I dont know what I should think about this build, but i think ill take yours.
Do you think i can add another Crucial Ballistix 8GB to make it 16BG Ram ?
What do you think about this case for the build Sharkoon VG4-W black?
Also, what do you think about getting the parts for the build used? Are there some parts that I should buy new and some I can buy used? Or do you think I should buy all the parts new.
Have a nice day,
Jonathan
Brent Hale says
Hey Jonathan,
I doubt you’ll only get 15 FPS with the FX-6300 and R9 270X on DayZ unless you’re in a heavily populated area and you have every setting maxed out.
Here’s a video of a guy running an FX-6300 with an R9 270X just fine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_eovf9gB_4
The build they sent you is good, but the R9 270X is better than the R9 270 and your in-game performance is going to rely more on your video card than anything else. So, I would stick with the R9 270x.
Also, adding more RAM isn’t going to have a noticeable impact on your performance as most games don’t use more than 4GB of RAM (let alone 8GB).
And, yes, that case will work just fine.
I, personally, wouldn’t buy anything used unless it’s refurbished, from a site like Newegg or Amazon, and has some kind of warranty. Always better to buy electronic components new.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Donao Cousar says
and what type of monitor should I buy for it.
and why isn’t the ODD for the 500$ a Samsung 24x SATA?
and any tutorials on how to build a PC please link me if you know, I never had a gaming PC, I’ve played from a laptop all my life, so I have no experience building a PC but I know its easy
Also what tools should I use when building the , screw drivers etc, what size and sutff
Brent Hale says
Hi Donao, how’s it going?
For your monitor I would look at a 1920×1080. There’s a couple of 1920×1080 monitors for about $100 on Amazon right now.
The optical drive is omitted because they are slowly becoming obsolete (thanks to digital downloads) and it keeps the build under budget and allows me to put a better video card in there. However, you can still get one for convenience and you can pick one up for about ~$15.
You can use our step-by-step building guide found here:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/how-to-build-a-gaming-computer/
And, I also recommend Newegg’s video tutorial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIF43-0mDk4
All you really need as far as tools go is a standard Phillip’s Screwdriver.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
rjamaral says
Hey brent
Im looking for a budget comp that will run league 60 fps while fraps is running can you recommend one of your builds that would work i would also like to play css and the divsion when it comes out
Brent Hale says
Hey RJ, thanks for reading and commenting!
I would say look at either the $500 or $600 builds if you can afford them. Both will easily handle League and Fraps and both should let you play The Division on higher settings when it comes out.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Kaleb says
Hi Brent.
I’m wondering if I can use this case http://www.bestbuy.com/site/zalman-high-performance-mid-tower-case-black-black/1305447675.p?id=mp1305447675&skuId=1305447675 on the $700 build. (I’m assuming that as long as the case and mobo are both atx it’ll be fine but I’m not sure if things like graphics cards and stuff will match up right) Also I’m wondering how well it would play “Elite: Dangerous”. Thanks!
Brent Hale says
Hey Kaleb, how’s it going?
Yes, that case will fit the parts of the $700 build just fine.
You mostly want to look at the motherboard size and video card size it will fit and in this case, it will take a standard ATX motherboard and a video card 290mm long or less.
For the $700 build, the motherboard is an ATX motherboard, and the video card is about 274mm long. So, you’re good there.
And, yes, it will run Elite: Dangerous with no problems.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Kaleb says
Thanks a lot Brent!
Brent Hale says
No problem! Glad to help!
Christopher says
hi i have never had a gaming pc but i want to build one that can play games like dayz space engineers and arma 2&3 and other mmorpg games and was wondering if the 500$ or the 600$ could handle those types of games the best?
Brent Hale says
Hey Christopher, thanks for reading and commenting!
Both of those builds will be able to handle those games. DayZ and the Arma games are pretty demanding, so you may not be able to play on maxed out settings, but you should be able to play on higher settings with no problems.
The $600 build is going to give a little more performance than the $500 build, since it has the better video card, but the performance difference isn’t huge if you want to save some money.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!
Best,
Brent
Christopher says
ok awesome and i think for my first gaming pc i’ll go with the 600$ or do you think the 700$ would be better cause i also want to play games like star citizen and archeage and games like those that are really demanding and i’d like to play them on like high settings if those builds can handle that so should i go with the 700$ or stay on the 600$ thanks in advance.
Brent Hale says
Hey Christopher,
Not even the $700 will play Star Citizen on ultra settings. That game looks like it’s going to be ridiculously demanding.
You can see the recommended specs here:
https://forums.robertsspaceindustries.com/discussion/22025/guide-to-can-my-pc-laptop-run-star-citizen-performance-questions
So, the $600 and $700 builds are sitting somewhere near the recommended system requirements and will probably let you play somewhere at medium settings.
However, the game won’t be released until sometime next year so the newer video cards might handle it better.
Archeage, on the other hand, isn’t too demanding and either of those builds will max it out with no problems.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Christopher says
ok then would the 800$ grizzly build be better then the 700$ or 600$ and sorry for all the questions its just that this is my first gaming computer and i dont want there to be any problems cause i really want to play games like arma 2 with the dayz mod and space engineers and since i dont know much about pc builds i want to make sure i buy the best pc build for games like those.
Brent Hale says
Hey Christopher,
The $800 build would be a little better because it has the better video card. I think I saw a video where the creator of Star Citizen recommended the R9 290 and the R9 280x is just a step down. So, that might be your best bet if you’re on a tight budget.
Still, though, as I said, that game is going to be tough for even the biggest and baddest systems to run on ultra settings. I would think that the $700 build will allow you to play on higher settings, just not on max.
Both the $700 and $800 builds should handle Arma 2 and DayZ fine as well.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Christopher says
ok thanks. then if the games that demanding i”ll just pass on it for now until i can afford the high end gaming pc. so my final question is can the 700$ one handle all the games like arma 2 with the dayz mod and arma 3 plus space engineers or if i feel like it dayz standalone and archeage cause those are the types of games im planing on playing and like i said this is my fist gaming pc and i dont know much so i want to get the right one. thanks in advance and sorry for all the questions
Christopher says
sorry last thing can the 700$ play elite dangerous
Brent Hale says
Hey Christopher, no need to apologize!
Yep, the $700 will run Elite Dangerous with no problems on higher settings.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Best,
Brent
Christopher says
awesome and i’m definitely going for the 700$ build cause i think that will be a good first gaming pc so i just want to say thanks cause im so excited about this and i wouldn’t have done it without this awesome guide and your personal help.
Brent Hale says
No problem Christopher! Glad to have helped you out.
If you have any other questions along the way, please let me know!
Best,
Brent
Isaac says
Hey Brent Can the 500$ build run Grand theft auto V decently and killing floor 2?
I’m new to building computers so any tips would also be great
Brent Hale says
Hey Isaac, how’s it going?
GTA V is pretty demanding, but the $500 build will be able to run it on medium-to-high settings. But you probably won’t be able to run with the antialiasing and anisotropic filtering turned all the way up.
As for building tips, just make sure you have a large surface to work with, a screwdriver, and access to the internet so you can pull up forums in case you run into a problem.
I’d also recommend getting our step-by-step building guide:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/how-to-build-a-gaming-computer/
And, this is a good video to watch from start to finish to give you a good idea of what the building process is like:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIF43-0mDk4
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Samson0722 says
Hey Brent. Just wanted to give you a heads up and tell you that this article is going to get very very popular. Just look at how many people have already read it! Your article i’m pretty sure is one of the most, if not the best article on this topic. I really enjoyed reading, and I love the dedication. Good job, good luck, and have fun m8.
chris says
I built the 500 dollar set up and the mobile won’t post at all, I got a 8 gb stick of the same brand of ram, would that cause it?
Cristian says
Hi brent,
As a beginner to the building a pc world I would like to thank you for creating a easy step by step guide to build a powerful and budget friendly pc. My current interest is in the $700 build. I’m guessing this would be the correct choice for playing which ever game I want to play at high settings. I plan on streaming on twitch and playing h1z1 and shooters like battlefield4 and sandbox games like gt5. will this build be enough, and what is the life expectancy for one of these builds, and assuming the pc fries what normally needs to be replaced. Thanks in advance for your time
Mathias Hansen says
Hi mate, im a teenager of 16 looking for a pc around the 650-750$ price range, so i was obviously looking at the 700$ build. I am not that familiar with building a pc from scrap and was wondering if u had any tips and tricks to avoid small accidents like static, etc. ?
Also would the build be able to run most new games on ultra/max without fps problems?
Lately I’ve been playing alot of League, but i have also looked into to upcoming Rainbow Six for pc and wondered if that wouldn’t be a problem?
Regards,
Mathias
Mathias Hansen says
Edit: misstyped age, im 17 :P
Kyle says
Building a PC is actually very easy, think of it as “adult lego” . To avoid static, DO NOT stand on a carpet while building, and make sure you wear an anti-static wrist strap. You can either ground yourself, bond yourself or wireless. Grounding – the most popular version of anti-static, and arguably the most effective. You attach the clip on the strap on to something that goes into the ground, such as a radiator. Bonding – less effective but much more practical. Attach the clip to a metal part of the case. Wireless – the least effective but the most practical, also more expensive, although it is my personal favourite. You need a special wireless strap for this. Just wear the strap.
For the $700 build, it should run every game on ultra at 1080p60, and MAYBE medium/low settings on 1440p60.
Long answer, but hope it helped.
Mathias Hansen says
Thanks for the reply, really appreciated. Just talked with my dad about this but he insist that i wait and see if i shall need a laptop for educational purposes before spending my money.. :/
So, does anybody know a good laptop that would be able to handle League of Legends at max for a fair price aswell able to edit stuff ? Like Photoshop etc.
Thanks again for the reply on my 1st question.
Regards,
Mathias Hansen
Cool dude says
So for building the gaming pc what tools do you need. Also do all the cables you need come with the parts. Also what do u do after you build the pc. And how do you install an os if you dont have an os installed already because like for Linux you have to install the os online so how do you do that. Also I want to go for Linux because I don’t want to spend that much money on Windows but is Linux good and will I be fine with just Linux. I’m mostly going to use Linux for gaming. Also is there a good site to get applications like cchrome and stuff like that. Thanks for the help.
John says
Hi. I’m looking into either a $400 or $500 pc. I was just wondering which would run games like Minecraft, H1Z1, and GTA 5 at max or near max settings better?
Taha says
Hey Brent,
I decided to go with the 1000$ build, however I switched some of the parts up due to their unavailability where I live and wanted to ask you if everything seems compatible or not since this is my first time ever trying to build a desktop computer.
So the list of parts is as follows:
CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 Haswell Quad-Core 3.3GHz
Motherboard: ASUS H87M-E LGA 1150 Intel H87 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s
Video (GPU): EVGA 02G-P4-2966-KR GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 2GB 128-Bit GDDR5
Memory (RAM): G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB)
HDD: Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB
Case: Rosewill CHALLENGER – Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case – Three Included Fans – 1 x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1 x Top 140mm Fan, 1 x Rear 120mm Fan – Two More Optional Side 120mm Fans Supported
Power Supply : Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power
Optical Drive: LG Black 14X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 5X DVD-RAM 12X BD-ROM 4MB Cache SATA BDXL Blu-ray Burner, Bare Drive, 3D Play Back
I was also wondering if you would recommend any video tutorials on youtube or any other website that could help me out with building the desktop as I will have no idea what to start with after getting the parts.
Thanks in advance for your help,
Taha
CJ says
I built the $500 build, and it keeps randomly turning off. I don’t know if it’s overheating or what. Please help.
Brent Hale says
Hey CJ, sorry you’re having problems.
Does it turn off while you are in the middle of doing something? Does it turn off in the middle of gaming?
Did you apply thermal paste to the CPU cooler? Have you checked your temperatures with a temperature monitoring software?
What OS do you have? Windows 8.1? Is the computer shutting off or just going to sleep?
Answering these questions will help me narrow down the cause of the problem.
It very well could be that the power supply is bad. If you’ve purchased the parts in the last month you should be able to return the PSU and get a replacement. If not, you’ll have to RMA it through your warranty to the manufacturer.
CJ says
I figured it out. I hadn’t put the CPU fan on well enough. Thanks for the help.
Gage Lawrence says
Hello Mr. Hale!
I am building my PC and was running in to the error of Disk Boot Failure. After reading around, I may have found a fix, but if you have any input I would glady like to know.
Anyhow, my actual question was do you know if the WD Bare Drives WD5000LPVX need some sort of power source? It is a 2.5″ HDD and I really would like to know. Thank you in advance!
Gage Lawrence
Brent Hale says
Hey Gage, how’s it going?
Have you set your HDD as the primary boot drive in your BIOS?
All components need some kind of power source. You need to plug two cables into a SATA hard drive in order for it to work. First, it needs the SATA cable connecting it to the SATA ports on the motherboard, and then it needs to be connected to the power supply as well so that it has power.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Mike says
Do any of these builds include the wires, or is it strictly just a build
Brent Hale says
Hey Mike, how’s it going?
Yes, all the builds come with the wires necessary to build the system.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Bobby says
I’m new to the PC world. Looking at getting the $400 set up and want to know if it will run the game Arma 3 with everything that is in the list?
Brent Hale says
Hey Bobby, how’s it going?
Arma 3 is a fairly demanding game so the $400 build won’t be able to max it out on a 1920×1080 monitor. However, you should be able to play on at least low settings, and more likely medium settings.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
MtheW says
Hi, I just had a question about using the hard drive from my old laptop (750 gb, from an hp envy m6) and the old ram too. Is this an ok thing to do? I was looking to save a little money, so that I could get a better (read: cooler) case using the parts from the $500 dollar build. I was looking some Corsair’s and a Cooler Master case, all around 50-80 dollars. Thanks in advance for any help!
And thank you so much for the article, it’s been a big help. This will be the first computer that I’m building for myself so I hope I don’t screw anything up. I’ll have to check and see if you have a guide for that (actually building the computer.)
Have a great Easter!
Brent Hale says
Hey MtheW, how’s it going?
The old hard drive should work as long as it’s a SATA hard drive. The RAM, unfortunately, won’t work as laptop RAM and desktop RAM are different sizes.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
MtheW says
It’s going great!
Thanks for the heads up on the ram, good to know. I’ve actually decided to build a much more powerful pc than the 500 dollar version, but I am still looking to use my old hard drive. Not sure how to check and see if it’s sata, but I can figure it out. I’ve taken apart my laptop a couple times already (to see what was the problem with my screen :/ had to take out the keyboard and a bunch of screws on the bottom as well. Will be buying an R9 280x for the gpu (sapphire model) and I might upgrade the cpu to an i5, but I’d rather stick with the fx6300. The i5 doesn’t seem necessary, but my budget is around 850 at max, so definitely possible. Currently bidding on an i5 4690k, will buy if it doesn’t go over $225. Is the 280x an ok card to pair with it? That’s the card I’m getting regardless, (unless it goes poorly with the i5 and I end up getting that) I’d rather have a good gpu than a good cpu. I have, however, read about “bottlenecking” on the 280x with an fx6300.
Thanks so much for the reply!
~MtheW
fred says
hi, ive been trying to play smite on an old dell laptop, but i can only get about 10-20 fps at the lowest possible settings.
I’m in my teenage years so ive taken up some neighborhood jobs to make some money.
Right now I can afford 600 dollar parts and I wanted to ask if these parts are enough to play Smite at medium with high fps (40-60)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/cart/view.html/ref=lh_di_cart_dup_mi
thanks for the answer
Chris says
Absolutely. I’m pretty sure you will be able to play that on high settings and still get that fps. Even the $400 might do that. Smite isn’t very graphic intense. The $600 build will demolish that game.
Recommended system requirements (For max settings)
OS:64-bit: Vista, Win 7, Win 8
Processor:Intel Core i5-750, 2.67 GHz / AMD Phenom II X4 965, 3.4 GHz
Memory:4 GB RAM
Graphics:NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 / AMD Radeon HD 6950 or better with 768 MB+ of VRAM (DirectX 11 Compatible)
Hard Drive Space:10 GB
Other Requirements:Broadband Internet connection
Hope that helps.
Brent Hale says
Hey Fred, how’s it going?
As Chris said, the $600 build will easily handle Smite and pretty much any other game on a 1920×1080 monitor.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Chris says
Hi Brent,
Love this site. I actually used your Lion build as a guideline for my build I ordered this week. One thing that I think is worth mentioning is that the hard drive that is listed doesn’t come with any sata cable. Do the pc cases come with one, or 2? I ordered one for the SSD, and one for the hard drive. I also ordered a quality thermal paste. I’m sure that the Hyper Evo comes with some though, right?
Here’s what I ordered:
Thermal paste – Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OGX5AM/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=APUR2MHW28P9F
Motherboard – MSI Computer ATX DDR3 2600 LGA 1150 Motherboards Z97S SLI KRAIT EDITION
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OJZTSR8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Sata cable for the HD – Monoprice 18-Inch SATA III 6.0 Gbps Cable with Locking Latch and 1 x 90-Degree Plug
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009GUXU52/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Case – Corsair Carbide Series Black 300R Mid-Tower Computer Case
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006I2H0YS/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
PSU – EVGA 600B 80PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V/EPS12V Active PFC 600W
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EON40CS/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Storage HD – WD Black 1TB Performance Desktop Hard Drive: 3.5-inch, SATA 6 Gb/s, 7200 RPM, 64MB Cache
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FJRS6FU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Dvd drive – LG Electronics Internal Super Multi Drive Optical Drives GH24NSC0B-KIT + Nero 12 Essentials Burning Software + Sata Cable Kit
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N02BAV8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_7?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1H9NMCPZH97BO
Memory – Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR3 1600 (PC3-12800) 240-Pin UDIMM
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006WAGGUK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_8?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
CPU cooler – Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO – CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005O65JXI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_9?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
CPU – Intel Core i5-4690K Processor 3.5 GHz LGA 1150
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KPRWB9G/ref=ox_sc_act_title_10?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
OS – Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit, System Builder OEM DVD 1 Pack (For Refurbished PC Installation)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LG0K4MM/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1RK1WFGORIAJ2
SSD – Samsung 850 EVO 250GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OAJ412U/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Left angle SATA cable – Link Depot 0.5-Meter SATA 6Gbps Cable, Straight to Left Angle
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0040NGWOQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
I through in a left angle sata cable since the harddrive bays for the SSD look wicked close to the case’s side wall.
I have a 750ti to throw in there for now, but will be upgrading to a GTX980 or 970 once I save up some more money.
I liked this case more as it seems to be constructed a bit better, and this one was sold at amazon for the same price as the other one, but with free 2 day shipping so I can get to building this next week! :)
I bought a 750watt power supply. Same brand that you reccamended, but higher watts since there is a $25 rebate and ends up being the same price as the 550watt.
Cheers
Chris says
This would be more of a $1200-1500 build once I’ve added the 970-980 GPU, but so far I’ve spent $893 for these parts.
Brent Hale says
Hey Chris, thanks for reading and commenting!
Everything looks great! Typically, the motherboard will come with a few SATA cables, but it doesn’t hurt to order more (especially since sometimes the cables that come with the motherboard are somewhat short).
And, if I remember correctly, the Hyper EVO won’t come with a stick of thermal paste, but rather with a pre-applied thermal “pad”. Applying your own thermal paste definitely won’t hurt, though, and is usually preferred over the thermal pad.
Hope this helps! Enjoy your new build!
Best,
Brent
Nicholas Dreesen says
Hi Brent! I’m looking at the 500$ build and I have a question: since I’m planning on making mimecraft mods/gameplay videos, would that build be okay; (no lag, good graphics), or should I change any of the components?
Chris says
Yes, that will play Minecraft on fancy graphics, on 1080p reolution just fine. You should be getting 100+ frames per second. That game isn’t demanding at all. :)
Brent Hale says
Hey Nicholas, how’s it going?
It’s tough to say exactly without knowing what mods you’re running and exactly how many you’re running. In any case, though, the $500 build should run Minecraft with all of your mods just fine.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Samson0722 says
Hey Brent. Just wanted to tell you that the 700 dollar grizzly is now down to 650. If you want to update the price on the article, or upgrade the software, the price has gone down.
Brent Hale says
Thanks for pointing that out Samson. When I updated the builds the price was at about ~$675, and since there wasn’t any kind of significant upgrade to be made without going over ~$720, I just left it.
Frankie H. says
Hi Brent, im just a teen who wants to overpower his selfish uncles Ps4 that he never let me use so i was wondering if the 700$ build would be able to destroy his Ps4?How future proof is the 700$ build? and would i be able to later add an ssd drive in the future?
Frankie H. says
Cant believe i forgot. Thanks a lot for posting this page its really helpful for new computer builders like me.
Brent Hale says
Hey Frankie, how’s it going?
Yes, the $700 build is quite a bit more powerful than a PS4. So, you’re uncle is in for a rude awakening when he sees how much better graphics you’ll be playing at on your PC!
As long as you’re running your games on a 1920×1080 monitor, the $700 build should hold up for 4-5 years no problem… likely more.
And, yes, you can add an SSD later down the road. You would just have to move Windows over to the SSD once you’ve installed it in the computer, though.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Cody Davidson says
Hey Brent! Thanks for all the help!! The purchase was very easy, and I am very happy with my build! It’s running great, but I do have 2 questions for you..
1.) I can’t get the USB 3.0 drives (Challenger Case) (msi 760GMA $600.00 build mobo) aren’t working properly. Whenever I plug them in, I’m getting an error message about a power surge on the usb and it doesn’t have enough power to supply to the device. Anything I have done wrong? The rest of the usb drives are working perfectly fine.
2.) My EVGA GTX 960 runs a very low temperature (all temps are monitored through Speccy), but when I run Battlefield Hardline, I’m actually getting temperatures between 67 degrees Celsius, and 70 degrees celsius. The fans will kick in at a higher speed and will cool it to around 63 degrees, but then they start to rise back up to that point. I’m getting no graphics lag what so ever, and when I play other titles (FTB server Minecraft), I’m running a consistent 38 to 42 degrees. Should I be concerned? Or is this temperature range still o.k. to operate from.
Please let me know! And, thanks again for all your help!!!
Brent Hale says
Hey Cody, glad your build is up and running!
1. Might need to dig a little deeper on this one to find the answer. What power supply do you have? I change the parts on the builds once a week and so it may have been a different PSU than I currently have listed. Have you tried different devices in the 3.0 slots? Or just the same one in all of them? What kind of devices are you trying to plug in? I did stumble on this answer on microsoft.com (second answer down), though it didn’t seem to work for a lot of people who tried it.
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-hardware/error-power-surge-on-hub-port-a-usb-device-has/b69f9315-a54a-4757-8cba-c0e724e83e04?page=2
This thread may be useful as well:
http://www.makeuseof.com/answers/why-is-there-a-power-surge-on-hub-port-when-i-connect-my-2-tb-external-hard-drive-via-usb/
2. As for the temperatures, they do seem a little bit high. I would try a different temp software like Hardware Monitor (http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html), or GPU Temp (http://www.gputemp.com/) just to be sure. I’ve had problems with Speccy in the past where it has shown a much higher temperature than it actually is. So, it’s a good idea to double check with another program.
Hopefully these point you in the right direction and we can get to the bottom of your problems.
Best,
Brent
Cody Davidson says
The PSU that I am running is the Corsair CX430 if I’m not mistaken. In the items that I plug in is my headset and then my usb connector for my cellphone.
Everything else you have listed as really helped me out a lot! Thanks so much
Cody Davidson says
Is there anything I can do for the temps on the graphics card if it doesn’t change with the new program?
Jeff says
Hi, first of all thanks for all this greatly useful data.
Now I was just thinking, especially now with DX12 coming promising to be great for dual GPU, regarding the $600 computer, what upgrade should I perform on the PSU if I want to go dual GTX 960?
Brent Hale says
Hey Jeff, how’s it going?
The GTX 960 is so efficient you could probably get away with a quality 600W PSU to run dual GTX 960s. However, I’d go with a quality 700W+ just to be on the safe side.
For something relatively affordable, maybe look at the Corsair CX 750.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Adam says
Hello,
I would like to know, who builds this computer, do I have to build it? Also I’m looking at buying the 600$ “model”.
Thanks,
Adam P.
Cody Davidson says
Through everything I have seen, and even on my own, you will build these machines yourself. Very easy task with time and effort, but the biggest thing to be aware of is, static is your worst enemy, so invest in a static strap. I bought an entire kit from Radioshack for 20 bucks that came with all sorts of gadgets lol. Good luck!
Brent Hale says
Hey Adam, how’s it going?
Yes, you will have to build it yourself. The alternative is that you can go to a site like CyberPower PC or iBuyPower, or Digital Storm and pick the parts you want. However, you will pay more for one of their systems.
If you’re not comfortable building a computer, my advice would be to watch a couple of computer-building tutorials on YouTube and read some guides. You might be surprised at how easy it is.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Aidan Bennett says
Hey, so I did the $600 build, but when I plugged the system into the monitor I got a little screen saying no signal and the little piezo speaker started beeping. Any idea how to fix this?
Chris says
Which video output did you use, HDMI, or DVI? If one wasn’t working, then I would try the other. Sometime the video outputs are set to one output or the other. My last video card only worked with DVI, and not with HDMI until I set it up to output from HDMI by going into it’s settings. As far as the beeping goes, I dunno. Good luck!
Chris says
Does the monitor work when you have it plugged in to the motherboard’s video output? Also check your BIOS to see if your motherboard is detecting your video card. You should be able to see what it’s currently using for the video output, and select the video card for video output instead. Then just update the video card drivers, and you should be set.
Cody Davidson says
I know personally on my $600 build, I had the same issue, but it was due to both monitors being plugged into the motherboard. I made a wrong decision and didn’t plug them into the graphics card. I may be completely wrong, but hope this helps.
Brent Hale says
Hey Aidan, sorry you’re having problems.
The beeping will give you an idea of what is wrong. If you look through your motherboard’s manual there should be a section that tells you what all of the different beeps mean. For instance, if it beeps twice then the RAM is bad. If it beeps three times, it’s the video input… These are just examples, but your motherboard’s manual will tell you what they mean.
Chris offers some good suggestions of things to try and Cody’s suggestion is a common reason why you wouldn’t be getting any video.
So, check the beeps and check the monitor-to-video-card connection and if that doesn’t fix it or doesn’t lead you to the answer, then post back here with the results and we’ll go from there.
Best,
Brent
Samson0722 says
Hey Brent here are some fun questions!!! You are doing so great with this comment section so I decided to ask you some questions to get to know you better and for fun.
How did you get introduced to gaming, when did you get into PC gaming?
What games do you play?
What is your gaming rig?
When’s your birthday and how old are you? (you’re pretty legit man)
Your articles are awesome, you write them wholeheartedly without bias. You also keep up with the comment section which is awesome. How did you decide to write articles for elitegamingcomputers?
I’m pretty sure everyone who’s seen this comment section and how much you keep up with it, think you are a pretty awesome, and cool dude. I hope you have a great day man.
Thanks for everything Brent.
-Samson0722
P.S: Are you related to Saxton Hale? I bet you are because you are such a boss.
P.S.S: I appreciate the help on my questions on the 700 dollar build. I think i’ll get it. I’m not sure how to get the money but i’ll get it somewhere. Thanks for the support…
Brent Hale says
Hey Samson, thanks for the questions. I’ll gladly answer them!
How did you get introduced to gaming, when did you get into PC gaming?
My older brothers played regular Nintendo, so that was how I first started playing video games. The first game I ever beat was Duck Tales.
I actually first got started in PC gaming when I was about 12 years old (1998-99) by watching my friend play the original Diablo, and then Ultima Online. Ultima Online was so addicting, but I always had to watch my friend play because my parents computer wasn’t good enough to run it. They finally caved and got a better computer with Windows 98 and I got to play Ultima Online… all the time.
What games do you play?
Believe it or not, I still jump onto a free Ultima Online server that has the same rule-set as when the game started for the nostalgic effect. However, my wife just had our first child a few months ago and so I don’t really get to play as many games as I used to.
Other games I play are NBA 2K15 (on PC of course), the Telltale Game of Thrones series, League of Legends, DayZ, and BF4.
When’s your birthday and how old are you?
I’m 29!
How did you decide to write articles for elitegamingcomputers?
After a few failed attempts at making a website, my friend convinced me to try again in 2012 and I decided to make it about something I loved, which was PC gaming and computers.
Are you related to Saxton Hale? I bet you are because you are such a boss.
Uncle Saxton? Yeah, but we only met him once. My parents didn’t like the fact that he ran around in nothing but a hat and some jorts.
I appreciate the help on my questions on the 700 dollar build. I think i’ll get it. I’m not sure how to get the money but i’ll get it somewhere. Thanks for the support…
No problem!
Samson0722 says
Thanks for answering the questions. I’m glad this article came out or I know I would’ve been lost. Thanks for all the help, i’m set. Keep it up Brent!.
-Samson0722
Samson0722 says
Hey brent just one more thing. Can you explain overclocking to me. I’m pretty sure it just makes it so that your cpu pumps out more frames or your graphics card. I’m not sure. All I know is that I can’t do it with the i5 core. That should be all I need to know to start buying and building. I know a few videos that show how to put it together. Thanks man for all the help and your dedication to this comment section. Love ya man.
Brent Hale says
Hey Samson,
To understand overclocking, you need to understand a little bit of the basics of how a micro-processor works. The two most important terms for a CPU is clock rate (frequency) and instructions per clock (ICP).
Think about running around a track. The clock rate/frequency would be how fast you are running around the track. Now imagine you had to perform different tasks while you were running around the track. The number of tasks you can perform while running around the track would be the instructions per clock. The faster you run, the more tasks you can do in a given amount of time.
So, overclocking then, is forcing your CPU/GPU to run around the track faster.
On a side note, this explains why a CPU with a higher frequency doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the better processor. For example, AMD CPUs typically have higher frequencies than their Intel counterparts. However, Intel CPUs have higher instructions per clock, which means they can perform more tasks in a single lap around the track and therefore don’t have to go as fast.
But ultimately, the faster the CPU goes, the more instructions it can complete, and that’s virtually what is happening when you overclock.
Hope this clears that up!
Best,
Brent
David says
Hey Brent,
How are you??
This is my first computer that i’m going to build, but I don’t know which parts are the best for a real cheap gaming PC. I have max 400 euro to spend, and i play games like League Of Legends and hearthstone. Should i just go with the 300 pre-build, or with some little more expensive components in the list? I just want a PC that can handle league of legends :)
ps: This site is awesome! it really helps me as a starter :)
ps: Does it really matter that i live in the Netherlands? Are the components the same price? or do i need to order components from the USA?
Brent Hale says
Hey David, how’s it going?
I’m not too familiar with computer component prices in the Netherlands and I’m not sure what Amazon you would buy from (amazon.de maybe?). Also, foreign Amazon sites don’t always have the same components as Amazon US, so you may not be able to get these builds exactly as they are.
I would probably look and see if you can find the parts from the $400 build as that will allow you to max out LoL with no problems at all.
Hopefully this helps you out! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
David says
Thanks Brent :)
I could find almost every component, but not the Rosewill Dual Fan?
Is did find another good case with build in ventilators.
They only think I really want to know is: Do i need to buy a CPU cooler, because there isn’t one in the 400 dollar build list. Or does the case all te cooling?
Samson0722 says
Hey Brent I have another question about the specs of the $700 build. There is a build on this website similar to yours and i’m wondering if it is better than the one you listed. Here’s the specs.
CPU Intel Core i5-4590
MOBO ASUS H87M-E
GPU XFX Radeon R9 280X
RAM Crucial Ballistix 8GB
HDD Western Digital Blue 1 TB
CASE Corsair Carbide Series 200R
PSU XFX Core Edition PRO550W
ODD Samsung 24x SATA
The things i’m curious about is the graphics card and the Power source. Thanks man for the support.
Brent Hale says
Hey Samson, how’s it going?
If you have the extra money to go up to the $800 build on the “All Builds” page, then definitely do so.
The R9 280x is going to offer a little more performance than the GTX 960 and the reason why the power supplies are different is because the R9 280X needs more power than the more efficient GTX 960.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Samson0722 says
Thanks brent I think i’ll stick with your build. I like Gtx and intel better than AMD. Thanks for the support Brent.
KrossT says
This page is awesome! Everything is laid out professionally in a concise format. This saves me hours on end researching. Big Thanks!
Brent Hale says
Hey KrossT! Thanks for reading and commenting. Glad the page could be of some help. If you have any questions let me know.
Best,
Brent
Nathan says
Hey Brent,
I am planning on doing a build this summer on a $600 budget.(just for the computer, no peripherals)
I was wondering if there was any other GPU’s you’d recommend other than the EVGA GTX 960. I’ve read there could possibly be bottlenecking with the FX 6300 CPU. Is that true? If not I would most likely stick to the EVGA GTX 960 but would still like to know of any GPU’s you’d recommend with the FX 6300. I am using the ASUS M5A97 LE R2.0 motherboard.
Thanks!
Chris says
It won’t bottleneck it at all. So whoever said that is wrong. Check out this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLDJDquxxn4
Nathan says
Thanks Chris,
Would you recommend the EVGA GTX 960 with the ASUS M5A97 LE R2.0 motherboard and FX 6300 cpu? or is there another GPU that would perform better? This is my first build so i’m not completely sure on what my best options are.
Thanks for your help!
Chris says
Not within that price range, and not with that PSU. The GTX 960 is a solid card. You should grab that build. It doesn’t get much better in that price range. I would put in a little more and get a 128gb SSD card for faster loading times. There are well reviewed ones on amazon. Like the crucial brand is well priced and good ratings.
Nathan says
Awesome! I was looking into those for the future. Thanks for the advice Chris, it’s much appreciated.
Brent Hale says
Hey Nathan, thanks for reading and commenting. Chris has given you great advice, but I through I’d throw in something else…
If you’re building your system this summer, then AMD will likely have released their R9 300 series of video cards by then. So, when it comes time for you to build, the market for video cards will likely look a little different.
Just something to keep in mind!
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Nathan says
I’ll definitely look into that, thanks Brent.
Nate says
I have a question, I want to have a gaming pc that will be able to run all the new games coming out for the next couple years at a solid playable fps. I have never built a computer before and have zero experience buying parts and I do not know what’s good. Could you suggest a build that I shouldn’t have difficulties putting together and refer me to a guide for putting the parts together?
Chris says
Nate – The $1000 build or higher should be sufficient to run any game now or for the next few years at good frame rates at 1080p graphics or better. The more you spend, the better gear you will get, and the longer it will last. The Dire Wolf build which runs around $1250 would easily last you 5 years for any game you throw at it, and give high frame rates with the newest games. It’s completely overkill for 1080p resolution right now. I’m actually thinking about building that one myself, as the i5 4690k is the highest rated gaming processor right now. You can get an i7, and experience faster processing, but pc games don’t take advantage of the hyper threading yet, so i7 processors give very little gains compared to the 4690k for how expensive they are. The GTX 980 is the best processor you can get for high end cards. There are a few that are slightly better, but are 2 or 3 times the price(sometimes more). The $1250 build doesn’t do SLI (meaning 2 of the same graphics cards on the motherboard) so you won’t need any special cooling or fans, etc. If you want an easy straight forward pc build, the best dollar/performance high end pc that will handle pretty much anything, you will want to go with the $1250 build. Plus, it has an SSD card where you will load up Windows, and you install you games, and that will give you lightening fast loading times. Your pc will boot up in like 7 seconds and be ready to go to play games. Game loading times will drop significantly too. Anyway, here’s the page to the other builds on this site. Only hardcore gamer/pc builders would need anything past the $1250 build. Good luck!
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/gaming-computers/
Brent Hale says
Hey Nate, thanks for reading and commenting. Chris has already given you great advice but I’ll throw in my two cents as well.
Building a computer isn’t as hard as you would think and there are plenty of guides out there to help you through the process.
For starters, you can download our free building guide by signing up for our newsletter here:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/how-to-build-a-gaming-computer/
Additionally, if you’re more of a visual learner, this step-by-step video guide is probably the best one out there:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIF43-0mDk4
As for the parts you should choose, it really depends on what your maximum budget is. On this list, the $700 build would be your best bet for future-proofing, but there are more expensive builds here and here that may be a better option depending on what your budget is.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Chris says
hi brent or who ever can help. I am building the $600 system on here and I found a different case was just wondering if this case will still be able to work with this build, here is the info for the new one(Sentey® Gs-6050 Halcon II Gaming Computer Case / Black Secc ATX Mid Tower Computer Case with Removable Aluminum 3.5″ Drive Tray / Transparent Side Window / 1 X USB 3.0 / 3 X USB 2.0 / Hd Audio / Extreme Division / Computer Case – Best Pc Gaming and Desktop Mid Tower – Support Cheap and Expensive Video Cards AMD and Nvidia Ultra Pro Systems) any word would be appreciated thanks..
Brent Hale says
Hey Chris, how’s it going?
Yep, that case will work fine in the $600 build!
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Samson0722 says
Hey will that case work for the 700 dollar build. It might be a little too sexy but who cares…thanks Brent.
Bill says
Hey Brent
I was just wondering what monitor would you recommend for the $500 build. I am looking to spend under $100. Thanks
Bill says
A small follow up to my question
I am also looking for a keyboard, and I want to keep the budget under $600-$700 (with the $500 build included and windows 8 and all that jazz.)
Thanks Again
Samson0722 says
If you want to go all out I’d recommend the razer blackwidow chroma. This keyboard has programmable color keys and cool lighting, but if you don’t care about any lighting at all, go with the regular. I have a link here http://www.razerzone.com/store/gaming-keyboards-keypads with all of the prices. With lighting is like 60 bucks more and regular is just 100 dollars. If you like the feel of mechanical nice and clicky keys then get the regular. If you don’t like the sound at all, get stealth. If you don’t like razer check out these sites.
http://steelseries.com/products/keyboards
http://gaming.logitech.com/en-us/gaming-keyboards
There ya go bill. If you have any questions…just hit me up and reply.
Brent Hale says
Hey Bill how’s it going? Thanks for reading and commenting!
For under $100, I would get this 1920×1080 monitor:
Acer S220HQL Abd 21.5-Inch Widescreen LCD Monitor
As for a keyboard, with the monitor and copy of Windows, you don’t have much room left over. However, the first handful of keyboards on this list are under $30 each. They’re not the greatest gaming keyboards, but they should be able to hold you over until you can save up for a better one.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Prithvi says
Hello Brent. I am going to build my first computer so I was wondering what model suits me.
What Games would run a little bit below or higher than 60 FPS on the computer:
Cites Skyline
Starcraft Games
Counterstrike: Global Offense
Dragon Ball Xenoverse
GMOD
The Sims 4
Various RPGS
Ryan says
Looking for a build I will be able to live stream from xbox one on and do some editing.
I have $630
As of now here is what I have planned.
$90 Windows 8
$99 Monitor
$400 build
$70 Capture card
I am a little over budget and was wondering if I went down to the $300 build would I be able to upgrade?
Also, Unfortunately I will not have wired connection. Will I have to buy something to connect wirelessly? If so can you leave a link of what you would reccomend.
If I buy the $300 build will I be able to upgrade the Ram?
Would you reccomend going up to 8gb of ram in the $300 build?
This is my first PC build please help!
Brent Hale says
Hey Ryan, how’s it going?
How are you planning on setting this up? Are you trying to stream through Twitch? If so, I don’t think you need a computer, as there is a Twitch app for Xbox One:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UULDTZWfdGngq6On2eVUSuiA&t=24&v=D0EF1YlDK2U
Let me know if the twitch app won’t work for what you’re trying to do.
Best,
Brent
Brent Hale says
Hey Prithvi, thanks for reading and commenting!
Fortunately, those games aren’t very demanding. So, if you wanted to save some money you could get away with using the $400 or $500 builds. Of course, you’re not limited to those, but they will both be able to get you the FPS you want in those games.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Wcallum says
Hello, i was wondering if someone could tell me is there is a sertan case for the 700 dollar computer or if all of them would fit it. this would be my first built computer and i was wondering about it, and if any one has any spare time could they reply with some of these parts from the UK.
I was also wondering if the 700 doller computer could run ARMA on high (ish) graphics, thanks for the help.
thanks.
Brent Hale says
Hey Wcallum, for the case you just need to make sure it will fit the motherboard you choose. Most mid tower and full tower cases will fit the components from the $700 build.
And, yes, the $700 build should run Arma on higher settings with a good frame rate.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
wcallum says
thanks so much Brent i just wanted to be sure.
thanks
Wcallum
Kay says
Hi Brent,
I did your 600 dollar build and I’m having this issue when I play graphically demanding games where the computer does a hard shut down, as if I just pulled the power plug, right in the middle of game play. That’s the only time it happens, and there’s no warning, no hitches in the graphics beforehand, and I’ve done careful monitoring of my temps for the entire system (cpu, gpu, mobo) before and after a shut down and they’ve never gone higher than what is recommended for idle or load, so I’m assuming it’s not a thermal issue. I’ve reseated all the components and carefully checked all the cables. After one of the shut downs, the power button no longer works, and I always have to reset the power switch on the psu before I can turn the pc back on, so I guess my question is if you think there is a problem with the psu? Thanks so much for any help!
Brent Hale says
Hey Kay, sorry you’re having problems. What was your exact part list (these change on a weekly basis)? What PSU do you have?
More than likely it sounds like the PSU is bad. How long ago did you get the parts and build the system? If you purchased it from Amazon within the past 30 days you can return it and get a new one.
Best,
Brent
Kay says
Thanks so much for the reply! I got the AMD FX-6300, Asus M5A97 LE R2.0, Evga GTX 960, Crucial Ballistix 8 gig, with the WD HDD, and I picked up a Corsair builder series 600 watt psu so that I could expand in the future if I wanted to. I got the parts Wednesday and finished the build the same day, and I did buy from Amazon, so luckily I can get the psu replaced pretty quickly. Hopefully that will resolve the issue! Thanks again for the reply!
Brent Hale says
No problem! I feel bad it’s not working as it should. As a last-ditch effort you can try to reseat and reconnect everything, and also make sure you have all the latest drivers (and have deleted the old ones). Maybe it will work… however it really sounds like you got a faulty PSU.
Fortunately, Amazon is really good with letting you return stuff so you should come out good either way. Just sucks you have to wait.
Best,
Brent
Berdo77 says
hi brent, been looking around and this has helped me so much. You are an awesome person.
Brent Hale says
Thanks for reading and commenting Berdo! Glad to have you on the site and I really appreciate the compliment.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Best,
Brent
Samson0722 says
You’re awesomer
Dracias says
Hello and thanks for great guide ! I have been reading through all of it and seems like the 700$ build is great for me but I did a bit of different research lately too. I heard that AMD is going to put up their r9 3xx series very soon so it it worth to wait for it and change the gtx 960 for it ? I believe they will offer more since there wasnt much difference between 760 and 960. Also other thing what about the 4gb 960 ? is it possible to put it inside the 700$ build when it comes out without changing anything else ? Thanks again!
Brent Hale says
Hey Dracias, how’s it going?
AMD’s CEO confirmed a Q2 release. So, that could be anytime between April and June. If you can hold out that long it may be worth it, but if you can’t wait then the GTX 960 is definitely powerful enough to play any game on max settings on a 1920×1080 monitor.
And, yes, you’ll be able to put the GTX 960 4GB version in the $700 build without any upgrades.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have other questions.
Best,
Brent
Chris says
I have a few ?.. my limit is about 5-7 hundred $ And i would like to play with decent fps for games such as Day Z, Arma Most of the popular Games as well basicly anygame that has come out before 2015.. would really appreciate it if someone could help me decide what to do. i can build pc’s but i am a little unknowledgeable when it comes to buying the right hardware.. So Any help would be very appreciated! also like the lights in base. thanks
Brent Hale says
Hey Chris, how’s it going?
If you want to play Day Z and Arma on max settings (or at least higher settings) then I would say go with no lower than the $500 build (or some alternate form of it) on this list, and it would be better if you went with the $600 or $700 build. However, if you need an OS and a monitor to go along with it, you’ll need to go with the $500 build to stay under budget.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Trevor says
Will any of these builds require soldering? Or will they just snap into place? I’m considering the 500$ or 600$ build for streaming and if it requires soldering I might just buy the 500$ and have someone build it for me (or maybe 600$ if my neighbor can).
Brent Hale says
Hey Trevor, how’s it going?
Nope, no soldering necessary. Every component/cable has it’s own specific port it needs to go into and it’s just a matter of plugging it in.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
CJ says
If I plan on purchasing an optical drive for the $500 build, should i purchase a higher wattage power supply? And if yes, what kind.
Brent Hale says
Hey CJ, thanks for reading and commenting.
Nope, an optical drive won’t consume very much power, so you’ll still be fine with the 500W PSU.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
CJ says
Thanks a lot!
Samson0722 says
Any idea what the fps is for CS:GO and BF4 on the $700 build. And possibly dayz. All maxed out at 1080p or higher. Thanks.
Brent Hale says
Hey Samson, how’s it going? Thanks for reading and commenting.
The $700 build will be able to max out CS:GO easily, and you should get anywhere from 40-60 FPS in BF4 with it.
You should be able to max out DayZ as well, but DayZ can be hard on any system when in populated areas. Still, though, higher to max settings would be reasonable the majority of the time.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Bryan says
I’m putting together the $600 build and when given power, the fans on the graphics card run for a second, turn off, and then start to “jiggle” every few seconds. Any clue why it would be doing this?
Brent Hale says
Hey Bryan, how’s it going? Sorry you’re having problems. More than likely one of the cables in your build is loose.
I’d go through and reconnect everything. Re-seat your RAM and video card, and reconnect your CPU, power to the motherboard, etc. Make sure everything is connected.
Let me know if that fixes the problem and if not we can go from there.
Best,
Brent
Bryan says
I tried all this and no fix. I have tested the graphics card in another set-up just to be sure there was no issue with it and it worked fine.
Brent Hale says
Unfortunately, then, it sounds like one of the components you received is bad. If you can, try testing the power supply out in another setup to see if that’s the culprit. If it’s not the PSU, then it’s either the motherboard or CPU.
If you purchased everything through Amazon they have 30-day return policies.
Sorry again for your troubles. Components can get damaged in shipping or can just be bad from the get-go. Fortunately, you should be protected by a return policy.
Best,
Brent
Daniel says
Is there any chance you would consider doing some rigs in English currency? I looked at the $700 rig you have and converted all the parts on amazon to the UK version, and it comes to just shy of £1000. (compared to the £500 it would be if i could buy straight from the american amazon) alot of the parts suggested seem to be a little dearer here so i was wondering if you would be doing any. thanks.
Brent Hale says
Hey Daniel, how’s it going? I’ve considered doing that in the past, but it would take some time learning the UK market, as the prices and products on Amazon UK don’t correlate to the products and prices on Amazon US.
I also can’t access Amazon UK’s listmania to group all of the parts together unless I buy something from them.
Ultimately, I just need to find some spare time to sit down and set it all up.
Thanks for the suggestion and I will definitely look into it more in the near future.
Best,
Brent
William Barth says
Hey Brent, I was going to build the 400 build but I was just wondering can i max out the settings on games like TF2 and DotA and still get like 40 and above fps with that system? or can I even go lower to the 300 build and get that performance? I think i’d like to keep my budget for everything(monitor, headset, keyboard, and computer parts)(I have a razor mouse) a max of 600.
P.S. can you suggest a good monitor for 80-120 range? size doesn’t have to be massive, thanks man!
Chris says
Sorry I recieved an email alert. I’m not Brent will I will do my best to answer our question. :)
With the $400 system you will definitely be able to run those games at 40 fps or higher on max settings, 1080p resolution. That 750ti is a great card. It runs SWTOR at Ultra settings 1080p, and my processor is only a 3rd gen intel 2.6ghz.
You should also be pretty safe buying the $300 system, but you will probably need to turn the graphics down a bit, and most likely will need to play on a lower resolution to get 40-60fps. I would definitely recommend getting the $400 system as the 750ti will let you play all games that have been released up to this point, even games like Farcry 4 will play on medium settings with a playable amount of fps.
As far as a cheap monitor. Try second hand… Go to craigslist. Call around your local thrifts stores. Post on your Facebook that you need one and see if somebody you know might have an extra one in their closet. For new monitors, Amazon, TigerDirect for online shopping. Best Buy, and Walmart are the cheapest where I live locally.
You can get a keyboard for less than $20 on amazon. There are headsets you can buy too. You will want something with a mic. You don’t have to buy a “gamin” headset. Just search for PC headsets and you will find plantronics headsets for cheap. I get all my pc stuff from amazon. The best thing to do is to only buy stuff that has a high start rating (4 or more stars).
Like I have this one, it was only $10. It’s cheap, but it works, and it’s worked for 2 years.
http://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-Audio-326-Stereo-Headset/dp/B001S2RCXW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1426488653&sr=8-3&keywords=pc+headset
Or you can get something like this, that looks a little bit cooler, but still on a budget:
http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-G230-Stereo-Gaming-Headset/dp/B00BFOEY4I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1426488653&sr=8-2&keywords=pc+headset
Anyway, I’m not affiliated with Brent in any way. Just a random stranger trying to be helpful, so I hope that helps! :)
William Barth says
It’s no problem! I just thought Brent ran the site and such :) But thank you a lot, this is great and just what I needed to know :) I think i’ll go for the logitech headphones,look a little more comfy. And about the monitor I have and old one but reading through all these fourms I thought it was really important to have a really nice one. I am wondering if i can just use the 16 inch on my g7 Pavilion i’m on right now? As for the build I want to try new games for sure, my laptop now just limits me to less intense games so I rather go for the 400 so I have the option. And finally the keyboard i’m always picky about, I like keyboards like macs have with really small, short keys. You know of any gaming keyboards that have that? Thank you again:)
Brent Hale says
Hey William, how’s it going? Chris gave you good advice. The $400 build will definitely be able to handle TF2 and Dota2.
As for a monitor, I’d recommend going with something like this:
Acer S220HQL Abd 21.5-Inch Widescreen LCD Monitor
It’s a 21.5″ 1080p monitor and it’s just under $100 so it should fit into your budget nicely.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
William Barth says
Yes sorry Brent one more question, I looked around more for $400 builds and found another that was looking good, I posted your build and the other build on steam and got a response from this guy. After looking at one of his links it does seem like Msi is a bad choice :/ can you tell me if his build for me is better?(other than i’d change the hard drive because it’s unnecessarily big for my needs)
http://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/11/618456760261218166/?tscn=1426737401
Ty Brent :)
Austin says
This is very urgent, Can someone tell me if i need to buy a CPU fan cooler for the $700 build?
chris says
The CPU comes with a stock cooling fan. So no, you won’t need one.
Marc Manaois says
Hi Brent,
I was wondering as to why you changed the MoBo on your $600 build from the MSI to Asus. Just curious, was it due to performance or was it just the better bang for your buck? Thanks in advance!
Brent Hale says
Hey Marc, how’s it going? Thanks for reading and commenting.
On the last update I was able to come quite a bit under budget due to some price drops and since the ASUS motherboard is a better overall motherboard I upgraded to it.
The MSI motherboard is still capable, I just had some extra money and used that money to make the build better overall.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Austin says
Hello, I’m going for your amazing looking $700 build. I was wondering, do i need to also purchase a fan for the CPU? Do i need to purchase a Operating system too, like windows 8? I have no idea what i need or what is here, just wondering if i need to buy anything that wasn’t listed here to make it run (I have a monitor/mouse/keyboard and cables)
Austin says
I also play World of Warcraft, what setting do you think i can play on while having like 45+ FPS
chris says
You can play WoW and any other current MMORPG on ultra graphics with that system.
Brent Hale says
Hey Austin, how’s it going?
Yes you will need to purchase a copy of Windows along with the build (the System Builder edition), but the build will come with a CPU fan and all he necessary cables.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Carlos says
Hey brent.
If you still follow this post, (wich is great) id like to know if the 700 build is still up to date 2015/03 and if i should i a solid memory with the HDD.
chris says
You can get an SSD drive for around $60.
http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-Digital-2-5-Inch-SV300S37A-120G/dp/B00A1ZTZOG/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1426312698&sr=1-2&keywords=ssd
You will also need to buy a 2.5 adapter slot for it to fit securely in the regular hard drive bay. They cost about $5-10. Essentially it’s just a plastic piece that you place the SSD into and it slides in the hard drive bay.
http://www.amazon.com/Silverstone-Tek-3-5-Inch-Converter-SDP08/dp/B002BH3Z8E/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1426313003&sr=1-3&keywords=ssd+adaptor
Hope that helps. :)
Brent Hale says
Hey Carlos, how’s it going?
I try to update these builds once a week (need to update it today or tomorrow), so yes they’re all up-to-date.
You can definitely add an SSD to the build if you want better boot times and operating system performance, but an SSD doesn’t really impact in-game performance.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Samson0722 says
Thanks man for the fairly quick reply. Just the info I needed.
Another thing is should I get Windows 8 or 7? I know that 8 runs better for pc games but I know Windows 7 better than 8, so I was wondering if Windows 8 is easy to pick up and learn. I really am familiar with 7 so i’m not sure. What’s your preference?
Btw I prefer Nvidia instead of AMD, and an intel cpu and it’s fantastic that the $700 build has all of that. I really think that’s great.
Also I added up all of the prices for the $700 build and it comes to about $704. How much extra would a monitor, keyboard, and about $60 for the mouse and pad? The monitor should be fairly decent and i’m not worried about the keyboard. Thanks for the quick reply. I appreciate the support Brent.
Have a good day man.
stephenrenzi25@gmail.com
Brent Hale says
Hey Samson, thanks for reading and commenting.
I prefer Windows 7, but Windows 8.1 isn’t too bad. Ultimately, I’d go with the newer operating system, simply because Microsoft has shown reluctance in the past to update their older operating systems with the newest directX updates (which impact gaming performance.)
So, I’d get Windows 8.1 and adapt to the new interface. If you can’t stand Windows 8.1, then Windows 7 is still a viable option. Windows 10 will be out this Summer though, so that’s something to keep in mind.
For a monitor, keyboard, and mouse/mouse pad, you can get a 21.5″ 1080p monitor for $100 and the keyboard and mouse for anywhere from $20-$200 depending on what kind of features you want. So, as little as $120 to as high as $200+ for the peripheral items.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Samson0722 says
Hey Brent how are you?
Anyways I’m new to computer gaming and already own a few games, which I play on a laptop that gets terrible framerates and has a intel pentium.
So I decided to upgrade and try to get some money together to get a gaming PC.
I would really like to build it because it is cheaper and I would enjoy building it.
I would like to know your opinion on which would be a better buy?
The $700 dollar Pc Grizzly build
OR
The $600 dollar Jackal
Games I own or would like to play:
-Rust
-Planetside 2
-Star Citizen
-Bioshock Infinite
-Dayz
-CS:GO
-TF2
-Payday 2
-BF3/4
-Amnesia:The Dark Descent
-Outlast
-Garry’s mod(no problem i assume)
-GTA 4/5
-Arma 2/3
-COD
-Left 4 Dead 2
-H1Z1
Mostly BF4, Rust, CS:GO, Dayz, and Payday 2.
I would like to get at least 50-60 on all of these games. If you could tell me if the 600 dollar one will run these at this or should I get the 700 dollar one. Thanks man.
Have a good day.
stephenrenzi25@gmail.com
Brent Hale says
Hey Stephen, how’s it going?
With that long list of games, there are definitely some demanding titles on there. Because of that, I’d go with the $700 build, as I know DayZ can be pretty taxing on the CPU in populated environments and BF4 as well in big online battles.
Star Citizen is also expected to be incredibly demanding (haven’t played any of the Alpha yet so you may know better than me) and will be tough for a lot of systems to max out.
So, ultimately, I’d go with the $700 build now as that will allow you to max pretty much all of those games out on a 1920×1080 monitor with good FPS.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Chris says
Hi Brent, I am doing the $700 build and would like to know if purchasing extra fans for the case is recommended? I will be doing mostly gaming and am already buying a cpu cooler from Cooler Master.
Brent Hale says
Hey Chris, how’s it going? Thanks for reading and commenting.
Adding extra fans to the case won’t hurt, but the temperature gains will only be marginal. Fans aren’t expensive, though, so if you want to add a little more cooling you can definitely do so.
But, ultimately, it’s not necessary.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Chris says
Thanks for the quick reply
Brent Hale says
No problem!
grant says
Hi Brent I was just wondering if you, your self had any suggestions on and Build that that can max out any game and what kind of monitor I could use for it. My Budget is about in the 800$ range and this is my first build and I don’t want to make a mistake and having to upgrade my card or something because it didn’t have enough Stuff the make the game run MAXED OUT or something like that I bet u know what I mean and hope u can help me out and I see the pre Builds and everything but am just not sure what I should do. p.s something that can overclock to PLEASE and THANKYOU for your time :)
Brent Hale says
Hey Grant, how’s it going?
Does your total budget include the cost of a monitor, too?
If so, go with the $600 build on this page, throw in a $100-$120 1920×1080 monitor and a copy of Windows and you should be good to go.
If not, go with the $700 build, but upgrade the CPU to an i5-4690K and the motherboard to a board with the Z97 chipset so you can overclock.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
nathan says
Hello again brent.
I have decided to get the i5 4590 processor but I don’t notice any recommended motherboards with the lga 1150 socket above. Only recommendations for the lga 1155 socket. What mobo would you recommend around the 50$ price range. And will the corsair cx430 still be good?
Brent Hale says
Hey Nathan, how’s it going?
Some of the material below the recommended builds needs some updating. You’re going to have a tough time finding a decent LGA 1150 motherboard in the $50 range. You’d have to go with the more limited H81 chipset to do so, which would be fine if you don’t have any plans on adding a bunch of hard drives/SSDs, or a second video card in the future.
These motherboards will work:
H81 Motherboards
And, yes, as long as you’re going with a GTX 960, the CX430 will get the job done.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Billy says
Hello Brent (or anyone who can give me an answer :P), i have a question about the 400$ build. I am new at bulding pc’s so i want to ask you one (or two) things :P
1- The 400$ build will be able to run League of Legends at the highest settings? :P
2- Will it be able to stream LoL? (I can even demote the graphics to the lowest if needed)
Thanks in advance and i am really sorry about my english :(
Brent Hale says
Hey Billy thanks for reading and commenting!
Here’s the answer to your questions:
1. Yes, the $400 build will easily be able to max out League. It’s not very demanding and the GTX 750 Ti is more than powerful enough to handle league.
2. You should be good streaming League with that setup as well. At the worst, you’d have to turn down the graphics settings a bit. I know NVIDIA was introducing Shadowplay (a feature to help minimize FPS loss while recording) for Twitch to help with streaming but I don’t have much experience with it. Either way, though, you will be goo to go streaming LOL with the $400 build.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Gage Lawrence says
I was going to build my first PC (probably the $400 one) and was wondering if there was a guide to help me actually build the physical computer when I get the parts? Thank you in advance if you answer
Brent Hale says
Hey Gage, how’s it going?
We have a step-by-step guide that you can get by signing up here:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/how-to-build-a-gaming-computer/
Additionally, if you’re more of a visual learner, Newegg has a great video tutorial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIF43-0mDk4
Hope this points you in the right direction! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Gage Lawrence says
Dear Mr. Hale,
I’m sorry I didn’t respond earlier, I didn’t see the reply. I am doing well thanks for asking, sir! Thank you so much, and I have one more question, is this a good graphics card? And would it work with the Gigabyte GA-78LMT motherboard?
Gigabyte AMD Radeon R7 240 GDDR3-2GB DVI-D/HDMI/D-SUB OC Video Card GV-R724OC-2GI REV2.0
Thank you in advance,
Gage
nathan says
I’m building the 600$ build with a couple changes. Anybody have any reviews on it? I have about 3tb’s I’m going to use. I have a optical drive. I’m using Kingston HyperX FURY 8GB. And I want to know if this case will work? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PJ5QD4I?psc=1
How does the 600$ build perform? Can it play everything like it says?
Brent Hale says
Hey Nathan, thanks for reading and commenting. If you’re looking to get a good idea of how the $600 system will perform, you can check benchmarks of the video card included in the build (since the video card is the biggest determining factor in in-game performance).
Here’s a benchmark on Tom’s Hardware showing a GTX 960’s performance in Battlefield 4:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/nvidia-geforce-gtx-960,4038-4.html
Basically, the GTX 960 gets about 45-55 FPS in BF4 on max settings at 1920×1080 resolution. So, as long as you’re playing on a 1920×1080 monitor you should be able to max any game out you throw at it (with a few exceptions.)
Also, nobody has posted yet about building the $600 build, but if you scroll down to around the February 6th mark in the comments, Dave wrote about his positive experience with the $500 build:
“I can’t thank you enough for the info you provided on this site. I built a PC just after Christmas from your 2014 list of cheap gaming computers that is very similar to your $500 build here. I had no experience with building computers and was able to build it. I did ALOT of reading from both your install guide and other sources on the web (and watched quite a few YouTube videos). By far, the most difficult thing for me was cable management. The case was a mini, and it was difficult to fit all of the unused cables from the power supply into the case. Anyway, once it was built and connected to a nice new monitor, my son couldn’t have been happier. He went from getting 10-20 frames per second on a Dell laptop to 200 frames per second on this new desktop. Pure heaven for him.”
And, yes, that case will work.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
nathan says
Thank you Brent for all the information. This will be my first gaming pc and custom built pc. Everything is upgradeable in the future correct? And you can add a 2nd video card right? Now after some reading I might want to spend more on the processor. Like 200$ what would you go for around the 200$ price range? I have been hearing that intel is much better then and. Thanks for the help and sorry for having so many questions.
KJ says
Brent,
I have an urgent question that needs answering please and thank you, does the motherboard for the $400 build support 8GB 2×4 sticks of ram? instead of just 4gb?
Brent Hale says
Hey KJ, thanks for reading and commenting!
Yes, the motherboard on the $400 build will support 8GB and I believe a total of 16gb max.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Tim says
OK, built the $600 system using the Antec PSU as I read somewhere in comments that the graphics card etc will work fine with that PSU. On first boot get mobo splash screen, a notice saying ‘no detectable devices’ but I can’t access BIOS. Any thoughts on what is wrong? Is the mobo cooked? pulled system apart, resat the CPU, wiped the CMOS. Monitor running through the graphics card, but no BIOS
Brent Hale says
Hey Tim, how’s it going?
Sorry, you’re having trouble. Will you post your full system specs as the builds change on a weekly basis?
Technically there is a number of possibilities for something like this. Have you checked your optical drive/hard drive to make sure they’re plugged in properly?
Tim says
Problems sorted. To everyone out there in the ether, I put my problem up on the forum, Brent and others helped me solve it. It was awesome! Can’t recommend these guys enough. System purring like a kitten.
Shay says
Hi Brent,
I went with the $300 build with the exception of the HD. I had a brand new 2TB Hitachi SATA drive I bought 3 years ago but never used until now. The drive is not detected by bios and I am unable to install windows. I plugged in a DVD drive to test connections and it is detected. The drive sounds like it is constantly cycling, but when I looked that up online people said that’s what the drive sounds like sometimes when it’s idle.
I do not have another computer to plug the HD into to test, or another HD to plug in and test. Any ideas of how I can test if the HD is good or change settings to make it show up?
Thanks
Matthew says
Hey so i’m saving and half way to the 600 dollar pc. I was wondering if I could get some tips on how to build my first pc of this and should I wait for a holiday to get these prices to drop lower???? or just buy it once I can, thank you.
Brent Hale says
Hey Shay, thanks for reading and commenting. Sorry for the delayed response. Hopefully by now you have figured out the problem.
If not, unfortunately, there is no simple way to test whether a hard drive is bad or not unless you have special equipment, take it into a shop who has the equipment, the drive is detectable and therefore can have diagnostics ran on it, or if you have another drive to cross-reference it with.
Sorry that isn’t much more helpful. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Nick says
Brent,
If I changed my APU on the $300 build to an a10-7800k APU, would I need to change or swap anything?
Please reply, thanks :)
Nick says
a10-7850k *
Steven says
So i decided to see if I could just upgrade my current pc. http://h20564.www2.hp.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=emr_na-c02628205-25
Is it possible to get this to play battlefield 4? If so what would I need?
Shea says
Hey Brent, I’m going to get the $700 build so I checked the prices. I found out that there’s only a dollar difference between the Kingston HyperX FURY 8GB 1600MHz DDR3 CL10 DIMM and 1866MHz. Which is better for the $700 build? Thanks :)
Lane says
Hi Brent, I was wondering if i could swap the ram on the 500$ build with the Corsair Vengeance 8GB (1x8GB) DDR3 1600 MHz. Its on a great sale on Amazon (77%, $60 – Original price $270). Thanks Brent. :)
Lane says
Hi Brent, its Lane again, i was wondering if i could swap the ram on the 500$ with the Corsair Vengeance 8GB (1x8GB) DDR3 1600 MHz. I
Jason says
If I purchased all the things you have listed, for any of the systems, do they come with cables, screws, and everything needed to put together a fully functioning tower?
Jason says
Oh hey,
I was also wondering how I would know if the chip set can run a 64 bit system. Google searches have turned up nothing.
Cody Davidson says
Hello Brent! Thanks again for your responses to my last 2 questions!!
I did go ahead and purchase the $600 build and I do have a couple questions to ask to see if you or anyone else on here can help me out on.
1.) I added an extra 4gb stick of ram for the MOBO. So now I am running a 8gb stick and a 4gb stick for the MSI MOBO that’s listed in the $600.00 build. Is that ok?
2.) I’m also thinking about going through and upgrading the heat sink fan on the AMD processor and moving up to this setup. Would this be ok for the processor fan?
http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-212-RR-212E-20PK-R2/dp/B005O65JXI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424967308&sr=8-1&keywords=hyper+212+evo
3.) Lastly, I’m looking for a good affordable gaming keyboard and mouse. Could anyone help me out on a good system.
With everything that I did, does this sound like a good setup with the extra additions for the $600 build?
I understand that Brent is a busy man, so if anyone could go through and help me out on this as well it would be greatly appreciated!!
SwaggyNinja says
A few questions:
1. Which computer would be best for youtubers on a tight budget?
2. Is it ok to go with the $300 build, then upgrade to 22 gigs of ram (2 4g sticks and 2 8g sticks),
then also get a decent graphics card?
3. Which has the most usbs, because i need at leat 4?
4. Do they all have a mic and headphone jack?
5. What is a cheap hard drive with lots of memory?
Thanks for the article Brent! :D
Jesus Ponte says
I am really interested on the 300$ budget pc, but i want to know what is the difference between the processor of the 300$ and the 400$? Because now i found the processor of the 400$ is cheaper in amazon, can i get all of the 300$ pc but change the processor? And can i add a gpu later for the 300$ pc? Thanks for your help.
Jalal Zakaria says
The reason why the 300$ computer’s processor is more expensive is because it has an integrated video card
Nick says
Hey Brent
I was wondering what games could the beginning PC build ” $300, ” run. For instance, I am not looking to run at the highest graphic settings, just at low settings.
If you can let me know some games that will at least run at about 30 FPS and that are pretty demanding at low settings that would be great Brent.
Chrisitan says
Hello Brent, I just recently built one of your builds :p.. Works great! But i want to change the mobo.. I plan on doing it in a week or so but from what i have been seeing I would need to do some re-install of windows completely! I have came to you with this problem because you have not failed me yet with any pc related problems. If you could explain what i need to do or send me a link in the right direction it would be much appreciated.
-Christian
Chrisitan says
Oh forgot to mention the mobo i currently have is a ASUS M5A78L-M LX PLUS AM3+ and the one i want to upgrade to is a MSI ATX DDR3 2133 Motherboard 970 GAMING
Eddie C. says
Hi Brent. I want to build your $700 Grizzly. But I kind of wanted to switch out the currently recommended antec one case with the Cooler Master Elite 430 cause it looks cooler IMO. I don’t mind spending a few extra bucks. My question is will switching the case affect your currently recommended set up? If so what parts would you recommend for the $700 build using the Cooler Master Elite 430 case? Also do I need to purchase extra fans?
Lane says
Yes that case will work with the parts in the build. The case is a Micro Atx and so is the MOBO. Hope this helped you out. :)
Allen A says
Hi Brent,
I love this guide, it’s everything I could ever want! I also love how you reply to so many comments. But how long do you think you will be do so? I really want to build the $500-$600 computer. I just don’t have the money yet. It might take me like another month. I am also a student so I wouldn’t be able to use it too much until July. So would you think it would be best just to wait until July to build it? Or get it as soon as I can (my perferd option) ? My only fear is that if I get it now I could miss out on better parts for cheaper that I could have used. (like if they become cheaper in July)
Thanks
Trae says
Hello,
My house doesn’t have Ethernet, and me computer is far away from my router, so I need wifi. How do I get one of these computers compatible with wifi
Aigars says
Hi,
I got one Q.
Does my build will work, its mainly 500$ build but not all components are from that build?!
Build:
1) AMD FX-Series FX-6300 SAM3+ BOX FD6300WMHKBOX (CPU) = 105.90 €
2) Asus M5A78L-M LX3 (MOBO) = 44.21 €
3) Deepcool XDC-SMARTER Black (Case) = 19.25 €
4) Gembird ATX/BTX 2.2 POWER Series CE 500W CCC-PSU6X-12-B (PSU) = 30.82 €
5) Kingston 8GB DDR3 PC14900 CL10 DIMM HyperX Fury Red Series HX318C10FR/8 (RAM) = 65.64 €
6) Seagate BARRACUDA 7200 1TB SATA 64MB ST1000DM003 (HDD) = 55.90 €
Can you advise some good gpu for me?
Dillon says
Hey Brent, First off thank you for the help youv given me.
Secondly, my previous build seemed like it was overkill for what I planned on using it for. So I came up with this build. Its very similar to the 500$ build but with a different Motherboard an case. What I wanna know is if this build can run games like WOW:Warlords of Draenor,Runescape 3,Minecraft,Hearthstone on their max settings?
An also what kind of settings would this build be able to play games like Battlefield HardLine,Dragon Age inquisition, an other triple A games?
Also note that I chose that specific Motherboard because I plan on using my HDTV for a monitor. The PC should function properly with my HDTV.
If there’s anything in here that you think would be a better piece for what I’m asking to do with this PC. Please let me know, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading & replying.
CPU: AMD FX-6300
MOBO: Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 Motherboard
GPU: EVGA GTX 750 Ti
RAM: Kingston HyperX Fury 8GB
HDD: Western Digital Blue 1 TB
PSU: Antec VP-450
Case: Sentey GS-6008
This is the case
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PWM49G2/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=WKN5845NPGOZ&coliid=I18VSUPIIEAEDL&psc=1
Matt says
Hi Brent,
I bought the $700 build about a week ago. I have it fully assembled with the wires managed very well and everything works perfectly. But there is one problem: I have 2 fan ports on the MOBO and I have 3 fans. I’ve never done this before but I assume I can somehow run 2 fans from one port by messing with the wires a little bit. Have you ever worked around this issue before? If so will you tell me what you did?
Thanks,
Matt
Taylor says
On my build, I had to connect one of my fans to the power supply. Most power supplies will come with extra cables for extra fans.
Brent Hale says
Hey Matt, how’s it going?
Taylor is right. Use one of the 4-pin molex connectors on the PSU to hook up the third fan.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Dillon says
Hey Brent, I love the guide an am gathering all the parts into my shopping cart but I’m having an issue with finding the right Mono. The build I’m going for is as followed
GPU: Evga gtx 750ti
Ram: Kingston HyperX Fury 8gb
HDD: Western Digital Blue 1TB
CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 LGA 1150
ODD: Samsung 24x Sata
Psu: Corsair CX 430
Case: it’ll be suited to all the items listed above. Haven’t picked it just yet. I have it narrowed down to 3 have yet to pick a winner but they’ll work for Atx & M-Atx Mobo.
So can you help find a good mobo that will match this build an give great performance? Iv heard an looked around a bit an it seems Asus motherboards are top notch an are easier on install process with their Q design? But if there are others out there with same quality an little bit cheaper then I’m good with that. Also will the Pcu for this build work correctly? It seems that some people have been having issues with the pcu in some of the builds an I wanna make sure I’m getting the correct one.
Thank you for reading an I await your response eagerly.
Brent Hale says
Hey Dillon, how’s it going?
For your motherboard, the MSI H97M-E35 is a good choice.
I typically go for ASUS motherboards out of loyalty, but I have also used MSI motherboards, Gigabyte boards, and ASRock boards. If you feel more comfortable getting an ASUS board, definitely do so. The reason why I recommend the MSI motherboard is simply due to cost. Gigabyte and ASRock also have ~$80 H97 motherboards on the market as well.
In most builds, the Corsair CX430 wouldn’t provide enough power. However, the GTX 750 Ti is so energy efficient that it doesn’t even need to be connected to the PSU, but rather draws its power solely from the motherboard. This means that you don’t need a high-end power supply at all making the Corsair CX430 is an excellent low-budget unit for your setup.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Steve says
Hey, I’m ordering the $600 build but my dad is going to help me put it together (he knows how to build one). Okay so I know I have to add an OS to the build (I chose 8.1) but are there any cables or wires that I need as well? Also do I need that thermal compound as well? I’ll admit I’m a little embarrassed to ask my dad these questions.
~Thanks for your time.
Brent Hale says
Hey Steve, how’s it going?
Other than the OS, the components that come with the build will have everything you need. You can even skip the thermal paste if you want, as the stock cooler comes with a thermal “pad” pre-attached to it.
Still always a good idea to do the thermal paste yourself, though.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions. And, if not, good luck with the build and have fun!
Best,
Brent
Steve says
Hey, thanks for the help. It’s much appreciated. :-)
Cody Davidson says
I think I have wore out my welcome lol….
I have actually answered all of my questions, and you have been a great help! However, I do have a couple technical questions that I would like to ask you..
1.) In the $600.00 build, it list’s standard a (MSI 760GMA-P34 AM3+) mobo.
Can I upgrade to a ASUS H87M-E (the $700 build) without having to change anything??
2.) Instead of the regular case, I wanted to upgrade to this one… Would this be an issue at all??
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FL2WQRM/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A20O7ZIM03RW46
Any and all help would be much appreciated! I posted this morning, so disregard those questions. I have got it all figured out now except for those two things. Looking forward to your response! Keep up the good work!!!!
firerat says
Good looking tower!!!
Brent, if you could help me out, would this one work for the $600.00 build?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PJ5QD4I?psc=1
Brent Hale says
Hey firerat, thanks for reading and commenting!
Yes, that case will definitely work in the $600 build.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Best,
Brent
Taylor says
I am not brent but I will help you. The ASUS M87 will not work with the processor in the $600 build as it uses the intel based processor socket (LGA 1150). The $600 build uses one of the AMD based processor (AM3+) socket. You would have to switch the processor in the $600 dollar build to the recommended Intel processor in the $700 build too.
The case should also fit your build. Make sure you look at the clearance for gpu or graphics card when searching for a case :).
Cody Davidson says
Thank you so much! I ended up just sticking with the MSI Mobo, and going with the challenger case since it seems to be quite the popular build on the $600 line-up! Thanks for all the help!
Brent Hale says
Hey Cody, as Taylor said (thanks Taylor!), the H87M-E board won’t work with your build because it is an Intel-based motherboard and the $600 build is an AMD-based build.
And, yes, that case will work as well. It was actually the case I had for the $500, $600, and $700 builds before the last update, but it went out of stock. Now that it’s back in stock (although it is a bit more expensive now) it’s a good choice.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Sean says
i have been looking at the $400 version and i hate the case will this case work with the components listed? http://www.directron.com/atx312ws.html
Brent Hale says
Hey Sean, how’s it going?
Yep, that case will definitely work with the $400 build.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Best,
Brent
Cody Davidson says
Hello Brent!
Looking into purchasing my first gaming computer. I was really looking into the $600.00 build, and I have had a couple people say that will be plenty sufficient for what I’m looking into doing. I do have a few questions though…
1.) Other than the items listed on the build, is there anything else that I will be needing?
2.) Is this pretty much a plug and play system? Or is there extensive fabrication needed?
3.) Is there any games that is going to not work with this system? i.e. (minecraft, battlefield, call of duty, grand theft auto, etc.)?
I am trying to be open about this, and can go up to the $700 build, but with this being my first gaming computer, I really don’t want to take a plunge and be investing a lot of money other than what is listed. I am seeing comments that I will have to buy a interne
Cody says
For some reason, my last post cut off. What type of direct Ethernet port will I need? I know that I will have to run Window’s 7 or 8, but is there anything else?
Brent Hale says
Hey Cody, how’s it going? Thanks for reading and commenting!
Here are the answers to your questions:
1. The only other thing you’ll need aside from the components in the build is an Operating System (preferably Windows) and a screwdriver (and a WiFi adapter if you want it to connect wireless). All of the cables and screws and everything else necessary come with the components.
2. It’s a fairly plug-n-play experience once you have it running. You do need to install all of the drivers for the GPU and motherboard, though, once it is setup, though, (which can either be done through the discs that will be provided with most of the components, or manually through the component’s website.)
3. The $600 build can handle any game out there if you’re using a 1920×1080 monitor. It will even hang with a 2560×1440 monitor as well. You may not max out every game you throw at it, but expect to play most games on higher settings.
4. The motherboard will have an Ethernet port on it. If you want to make your computer wireless, you’ll need a WiFi adapter. To make things easy, a USB WiFi adapter, like this one, is a quick and simple solution.
Hope this helps! I’ll also get to your questions above as well.
Best,
Brent
Berndan says
Brent, amazing information. I have had great anxiety in building my first gaming computer to make sure I did it right the first time and your post has made everything much easier!
For a wireless internet connection on the 500 and 600 builds, will I need to purchase an additional piece of equipment? Do the cases included in those builds have room for a wifi part? Thank you!
Brendan
Brent Hale says
Hey Berndan (or Brendan?), how’s it going?
I’m glad this post has helped you out. The first build is always a little nerve racking but in most cases, once people get through it, they realize how easy it actually is.
To make the build wireless you have two options. You can either A) get a PCI WiFi adapter that plugs into your motherboard, or B) use a USB WiFi adapter.
Going with a PCI adapter will give you a little bit stronger and more reliable signal, but using a USB adapter is much more quick and convenient. I would say just go for the USB adapter. Here are two good choices for either way you choose:
Panda 300Mbps Wireless-N USB Adapter
TP-LINK TL-WN881ND Wireless N300 PCI Express Adapter
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Dominique says
Hi Brent,
first of all, thank you very much for this wonderful guide. I wanted to ask if the 400 dollar build was powerful enough to stream games on twitch in good quality? It’s one of the reasons I was looking to get a new computer in the first place. I wouldn’t be streaming any FPS games, mostly just 2D platformers or other not very graphically demanding games, Dota at most.
Brent Hale says
Hey Dominique, how’s it going?
If you’re just streaming non-demanding games then the $400 build will be suitable for your needs. NVIDIA’s ShadowPlay has support for streaming to Twitch as well and that should help take even more of the load off of your system. So, you should be good to go.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Dominique says
It certainly does, thank you very much for the reply!
Robert says
If I were to buy the $400 build, could buy more ram instead of just the 4gb?
Brent Hale says
Hey Robert, how’s it going?
Yes, you could absolutely buy more RAM. The maximum amount of RAM that the motherboard in the $400 build can hold is 16GB.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Jim says
Quick question. Will this motherboard work with the 600$ parts?
MSI ATX DDR3 2133 Motherboard 970 GAMING
http://www.amazon.com/MSI-DDR3-Motherboard-970-GAMING/dp/B00LUY72F6
Brent Hale says
Hey Jim, how’s it going?
Unfortunately, that motherboard will not work with the $600 build without upgrading the case to a standard ATX mid tower case.
However, if you upgrade to a mid tower case then you can definitely fit it. Something like the Antec One, Rosewill Galaxy-02, Corsair Carbide 200R, Raidmax ATX-402WB, are all semi-affordable mid tower options that will work with the $600 build and that motherboard. There are plenty of others out there as well.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
John says
Hello I’m thinking about buying the hornet build because i’m on a strict budget and I was just wondering is it good for editing and streaming?
Brent Hale says
Hey John, how’s it going?
It really depends on what kind of games you’re playing and what kind of settings you want to stream at. If you’re planning on streaming more demanding games, realistically, it wouldn’t be a great option.
If you’re playing non-demanding games (like Minecraft or League of Legends), then it would definitely be doable.
As for recorded videos, it’s going to lack a little there, but if you’re just doing light editing, you could probably get by with it.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Mike says
Hey Brent
I was just wondering if there is a way to incorporate liquid cooling into the 500$ build? I only ask because its crazy stupid hot where im living right now and my old laptop used to hit 97+ C* on its gpu(i understand that towers run cooler but i still want it to last for as long as possible, so spending a bit more on added cooling is a good investment in my mind). Im looking mostly to play League, World of tanks, Planetside, and the like.
Thank you in advance.
Regards,
Mike
Mike says
Also i was wondering if the 500$ build has capability for two screens.
Thanks again
Brent Hale says
Hey Mike, how’s it going?
I wouldn’t recommend putting liquid cooling in the $500 build. With a micro ATX case, you’ll be limited on space.
You should be fine on temperatures even with stock cooling and living in a warm climate, however if you want to add something to keep the CPU temperatures down, you could always upgrade the case and get an aftermarket air cooler.
Some air coolers, like the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO (good) or the Noctua NH-D14 (better) will give you similar cooling to the available closed-loop coolers on the market.
And, yes, the $500 build will allow you to run dual monitors. You’ll just need to hook one monitor up with either HDMI/DVI/DisplayPort and the other monitor with with one of the other ports you didn’t use on the first monitor (if that makes sense).
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Mike says
Hey Brent thank you for the quick response. I will have a look into that extra cooling you suggested. I was only looking at liquid cooling due to the air temp and the dust in my current location. Im contemplating using your 500$ build as a base point, maybe change out the micro ATX for a full size mobo and go for a mid tower or something of the like.
P.s. the bit about the screens makes perfect sense thank you.
Regards
Mike
Nate says
Hi Brent,
I was curious if I could replace the case on the $700 build with this.
http://www.amazon.com/Transparent-Max-length-Max-height-Removable-Management/dp/B00FL2CK78/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t/175-6336780-9609350
Brent Hale says
Hey Nate, thanks for reading and commenting!
Yep, you can definitely use that case with the $700 build.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Shay says
Hi Brent,
I am interested in doing the A10-6800k PCU, but I was wanting a motherboard with a DVI connector. It looks like every FM2 MB listed here is no longer in stock on Amazon and the few that are are being sold at double the list price. Do you have any other recommendations on good FM2 motherboards?
Brent Hale says
Hi Shay, how’s it going?
This motherboard here has a DVI connection:
MSI A78M-E35 FM2+
The motherboard section below is a bit outdated and needs to be updated. However, that MSI motherboard as a DVI port and should suit your needs. There are more expensive FM2+ motherboards as well if that is what you’re looking for.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Brittany says
Hey Brent, I just have a small question. On the $400 build, is it possible to swap out the GTX 750 for a AMD Radeon HD 7750 or any one from the 77xx series?
Brent Hale says
Hey Brittany thanks for reading and commenting!
Yes, you definitely can swap the 750 out for any of AMD’s 77XX cards.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Matt says
Hi Brent!
Q: What are the differences between the GForce GTX 760 to that of the GForce GTX 960?
Brent Hale says
Hey Matt, how’s it going?
The GTX 960 is the newer “version” of the GTX 760. It doesn’t take as much power to run as the 760 and performs slightly better in games as well.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Lane says
Hello Brent, I was wondering if i could you the EVGA GeForce GTX 960 with the 500$ build. Of not What other Graphics cards could i use that is an upgrade from the R9270. Thankyou, Lane
Lane says
Use*
Lane says
This is the graphics card i had in mind. http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Dual-Link-Graphics-02G-P4-2966-KR/dp/B00SC6HAS4/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1423723831&sr=1-1&keywords=evga+gtx+960
Brent Hale says
Hey Lane, how’s it going?
Yes, you can use the GTX 960 in the $500 build. However, the PSU currently listed in the $500 build only has a 6-pin PCIe connector and the GTX 960 needs an 8-pin. You can combat this by upgrading the PSU in the $500 build to the Corsair CX 430 found in the $600 and $700 builds.
Other than that, you’ll be good to go! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Patrick Shefchuk says
love the article, helps a lot. I’m just starting to mess with computers and had a question or two. I’m thinking go going with the 700 build is there any operating systems, monitors, or security protection etc. that won’t work on those builds? any info will help thanks
Brent Hale says
Hey Patrick, how’s it going?
The $700 build will be compatible with any software/monitor you want to put on it, though I would recommend getting either Windows 7 or 8 (or some form of Linux if you mostly want to play Steam games), for your operating system, a 1920×1080 (or 2560×1440) monitor, and whatever antivirus/security software you use. I personally use Webroot because it has moved to the cloud and it takes up little to no system resources.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Michael says
Hi Brent,
Great guide man! I just have one question. Instead of buying a whole new computer I decided to use my old one and start replacing the parts when I have the money for it. I figured the first 3 things I’m going to change are the motherboard ( into a Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P AM3+), the processor (into a AMD fx-6300) and the video card( into a GeForce 750 ti).
Now I have checked their compatibility and these are fine. The only worry I have is if the motherboard is going to fit in my computer case which is an old HP compaq dc7700p Convertible Minitower, and if the power supply and its pins are compatible. My power supply has 4 pins and an ‘hp part no.’: 416224-001. (Sorry, this is the best I could do to figuring out what power supply I have since I don’t have the boxing of it any longer :(. )
Thanks for helping me build my pc :)
Kind regards,
Michael
Brent Hale says
Hey Michael, thanks for reading and commenting!
I’m assuming that you’ll be fine. The GTX 750Ti doesn’t even need direct power from the PSU as it is so energy-efficient that it can run off of the power that goes to the PCIe port alone.
So, that was actually a great video card choice on your part for a project like this.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!
Best,
Brent
Michael says
Hi Brent,
Thanks for the answer, it really helps me out a lot.
So now that the PSU problem is out of the way, I have a final question.
Let’s say I buy the motherboard and find out it the screw holes in the computer case aren’t alligned with the motherboard screw holes. Do you think it would severely damage my pc as a whole, if I would drill holes in it to help secure the motherboard?
Thanks again man, you are a life saver!
Michael
Brent Hale says
Hey Michael, you can definitely screw new holes into the old case and you’ll be fine.
Max Colt says
Brent,
My 13 year old son and I have already built one budget gaming machine from an old Dell Inspiron 530 with a quad core Q6600 2.4Ghz. CPU upgraded memory 6Gb, OS to 64-bit Windows 7, and put in a new NVidia graphics card. The case is big and easy to work with so cable management wasn’t any issues. He has used it for about 2 yrs and has two monitors hooked up and works pretty good but he is looking to upgrade and build a new one that is how I came across your site.
Great information and I know just enough to be dangerous but I still need to read up on how to make sure everything will work the way we want it too. One thing I’m not sure about is how to get more then 2 monitors to work with a system. When we build a new gaming machine, do I have to find a motherboard that will handle more then one graphics card (additional PCI express slots) and see both at the same time, or is this something the graphics card itself will have additional inputs for monitors. My son would like the ability to have 3-4 monitors hooked up at the same time…need some advice.
Thanks again for all your information I have already absorbed,
Max Colt
Brent Hale says
Hey Max, how’s it going?
Awesome to hear yet another parent helping their child build their own computer!
Actually, getting dual monitors to work is as simple as plugging them in and detecting them through he Screen Resolution on your desktop.
Three or more monitors is a little bit more tricky, but still not that hard to setup. First, if you’re going with an AMD video card, for three or more monitors, you need to make sure the card you choose has a DisplayPort port on it. And, for every additional monitor you want to add after the third monitor, you’ll need an additional DisplayPort port.
In the past AMD definitely has better support for three or more monitors and I believe they still do (unless NVIDIA made some changes in the past year or so that I wasn’t aware of.)
But I’m pretty sure NVIDIA’s requirements are similar. There’s this article on NVIDIA’s website, but that may be outdated since they’re talking about the launch of the GTX 680:
http://www.geforce.com/whats-new/guides/how-to-correctly-configure-geforce-gtx-680-surround#1
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
suraj says
Hello,
I am thinking of buying 600$ computers. Do they include screws to connect the parts too?
Brent Hale says
Hey Suraj, thanks for reading and commenting.
Yep, all of the screws will come with the components.
Let me know if you need anything else!
Best,
Brent
Tanner says
Can I substitute the MOBO in the 600 $(MSI) with the $700 (ASUS)?
Brent Hale says
Hey Tanner, how’s it going?
Unfortunately, you cannot swap those two motherboards. The $700 build is an Intel-based build and the $600 build is an AMD-based build and as such the motherboards are not compatible with the other processors.
If you want an ASUS motherboard to go with the $600 build you can look at this one:
ASUS Micro ATX AMD AM3+ Motherboard M5A78L-M/USB3
That’s similarly priced to the $700 motherboard as well.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Dave says
Brent,
I can’t thank you enough for the info you provided on this site. I built a PC just after Christmas from your 2014 list of cheap gaming computers that is very similar to your $500 build here. I had no experience with building computers and was able to build it. I did ALOT of reading from both your install guide and other sources on the web (and watched quite a few YouTube videos). By far, the most difficult thing for me was cable management. The case was a mini, and it was difficult to fit all of the unused cables from the power supply into the case. Anyway, once it was built and connected to a nice new monitor, my son couldn’t have been happier. He went from getting 10-20 frames per second on a Dell laptop to 200 frames per second on this new desktop. Pure heaven for him.
Thank you very, very much.
Dave
Brent Hale says
Hey Dave, thanks for telling us about your build for your son and I’m glad this guide could be of some assistance!
Cable management is an art and I must admit that it’s not my strongest ability. Sometimes I’m baffled at how well people can make the inside of their cases look. I would say the majority of first-time builders find cable management as the most frustrating part, so you’re definitely not alone on that.
Again, glad to hear that your son is enjoying his new setup! If you have any pictures, be sure to post them in the forums. We’d love to see the rig.
Best,
Brent
dyer001 says
Hello Brent,
Really loved your guide on cheap gaming builds. It was exactly what my son and I were looking for. We used your $700 gaming build a gamer for my son and ran into some issues I thought I would share. We ordered the kit through Amazon. The memory, hard drive and motherboard did not work for us. In fairness, a bad memory stick could have been the motherboard issue. ASUS support said it speculated the motherboard issue was because my processor was a newer one and the motherboard need to flash the BIOS to read it, which we could not do without an older processor. Fry’s offered to flash the motherboard for $30 and to do a diagnostic and report back for $70. Their diagnostic caught the bad memory. With a new memory stick and updated BIOS we achieved POST. Next we found the hard drive issue. We could partition but could not format it with the OS tools or ultimate boot disk linux tools. I bought the exact same hard drive at Fry’s and it formatted in minutes after days of attempting on the Amazon shipped drive. I think your build list was great. Just wanted to share the experience in hopes someone having similar issues could get fixed faster.
Brent Hale says
Hey Dyer, thanks for commenting. I’m sorry you had trouble with your parts.
The unfortunate part about buying individual components is that, on average, the dead-on-arrival rate is about 0.5% (varies from component to component). Still, seems odd that all of all three of those components were bad. I wonder if they were damaged during shipping.
Hopefully you were able to return them to Amazon and get your full refund and I’m glad you were able to get it all sorted out.
Best,
Brent
Michael says
Brent,
Thanks for the reply, all ended well. Amazon stood behind their return policy. I too think shipping the most likely issue. The parts list was extremely helpful! Appreciate you work and sharing there. My son ended up happier anyway as I upgraded his memory. With your build list, upgraded to 16 GB of RAM, he is thrilled at the performance. Was a great experience for him.
Keep up the great site!
Brent Hale says
Hey Michael, I’m glad to hear Amazon backed their return policy and that your son now has an awesome rig! If you guys get a chance, we’d love to see some pictures on the Show Off Your Build section in the forums!
Best,
Brent
Jim says
Hey Brent, I like the builds you have here. I am new to building computers, and would like to ask someone with more experience before I purchase something. Will the GPU from the 600$ build work with the 500$ or 400$ build? Will It make any substantial difference, or will it be held back by other components being too slow?
Brent Hale says
Hey Jim, how’s it going?
The video card in the $600 build WILL work in the $500 and $400 builds.
However, in past editions of the builds that wasn’t so, because I was recommending an R9 280 and that required a bigger power supply than the $400 build could handle. But the new GTX 960 is extremely energy-efficient and so you can actually use a 400W power supply to power it.
So, yes, you can use the GTX 960 in the $400 (and $500) builds.
As far as performance goes, the GTX 960 is going to give a huge boost in performance over the GTX 750 and a moderate boost over the R9 270.
It won’t be held back by your other components in most cases, but ultimately it really all depends on what games you plan on playing. The R9 270 can handle most games on max settings on a 1920×1080 monitor.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Donovan says
Hey Brent, I was curious about the $700 PC build.
1.When I click “Yes I want this PC”, at Amazon it shows me a different graphics card then the one on the list.
2.Any wireless adapters you recommend?
3.What tools are needed to build the PC?
4.Finally,will this rig be able to play Rust, CS:GO, DayZ(standalone), PAYDAY 2, and Space Engineers with smooth FPS on the higher side of the graphic option?(and maybe GTA V on decent settings?) The reason I ask is because I don’t really know what is better than what when it say’s “recommended” on Steam.
Thank you for your time,
Donovan.
Dave says
I’ll let Brent give you the final answer, but I can tell you that my son plays CS:GO on something very similar to the $500 build and has no complaints. My son’s PC has the AMD FX6300 and the R9 270 X video card (the $500 build above has the AMD FX6300 and the R9 270 without the X).
Donovan says
Thank you, I’ve been checking back constantly for a answer because my dad is leaving to work in Africa and I wanted to build it with him before he left(He leaves on the 16th). So thank you so much Dave,as that is the one of the main games I play.
Thank you!!!!
Donovan.
Brent Hale says
Hey Donovan, sorry for the delayed response. Here’s the answers to your questions:
1. I update this list on a weekly basis and I think I accidentally forgot to update the parts on Amazon. It should all be up-to-date now, though.
2. For a wireless adapter, it would depend on where you computer is in relation to the router. Are there a bunch of walls in between? In most cases a USB wireless stick will be good enough to get the job done. If you need something more powerful you could get a PCI wireless adapter. Something like this would work good in most scenarios: Panda 300Mbps Wireless-N USB Adapter
3. To build a PC, all you really need is a Phillips Screwdriver.
4. Yes, the $700 build will be able to handle all of those games fairly well. As Dave said (thanks for helping Dave!) CS:GO will run with no problems. The only game that might give you a little bit of trouble is DayZ Standalone when you’re in a highly populated area… but then again, a lot of machines struggle to run that game in that situation. You should still be able to run DayZ on high settings, though.
Hope this helps! If you have any other questions, let me know!
Best,
Brent
Donovan says
Thank you soo much, I am really excited to build it, and as you said the only game I may worry about is DayZ,GTA V is ok?
THANK YOU!!!
Donovan
Brent Hale says
Hey Donovan, like I said, DayZ is pretty demanding when you’re in a highly populated area.
However, the $700 build should still handle it on higher settings just fine.
As for GTA V, the $700 build definitely meets the recommended system specifications put forth by Rockstar games, so my guess would be that you can run it fine. It does appear to be a pretty demanding game, though, but overall you should be good on higher settings there as well.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Donovan says
Due to some complications,can the $600 do all the same, what are the main differences between the two and is the $700 worth it in the long run,I need this info asap so the quicker the better.
Thank you,
Donovan
Donovan says
Also is Intel and ASUS considerably better than msi and AMD,and i’m unsure if I was clear about will $600 do the same as the $700,I mean the games i listed>
Thank you again!
Donovan.
Brent Hale says
The $600 build will get you similar performance in most scenarios. However, as I mentioned that DayZ will take a hit in populated areas, it would likely do so even more with the FX-6300.
I still think you should be able to play on higher settings, but the more powerful Intel Core CPU would be better at handling the more demanding nature of a populated DayZ area.
Over the long run, the $700 build is definitely better. It has more upgrade potential at the CPU and it has the better motherboard. However, in both cases you would need to upgrade to a bigger power supply and case to upgrade your video card.
I, personally, prefer Intel CPUs over AMD CPUs if I have the money to do so, but I’ve built budget computers with AMD. I’d also choose ASUS over MSI, but a lot of times MSI has better prices on Amazon. I’ve built with both motherboards and had no problems with either, but I believe that MSI does have a slightly higher Dead-On-Arrival rate than ASUS.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Ivanglez says
Hey Brent. Thank you so much for making this. I had been wondering for a long time what kind of parts to dive into and what I should buy. With income check coming in I want to put some money towards a good gaming PC. I have a budget of 700$ but as I am a college student I am willing to go down in price as well. I am a computer science major and work on making games on C++ and also play lots of video games daily. My main focus for getting a PC is to play League of Legends and stream as well. Will the 600-700$ PC’s be able to run League and stream at the same time with solid frames and high settings? And how would the PC handle against other current games while streaming as well? You’re reply would greatly help me on my decision and thank you again for this amazing website.
Brent Hale says
Hey Ivanglez, thanks for reading and commenting! Sorry for the delayed response, hopefully this still finds you in time.
The $700 PC will easily be able to handle streaming League of Legends as that’s not too demanding of a task.
In fact, the $700 PC is powerful enough to stream most games at higher settings on a 1920×1080 monitor, so if you ever wanted to stream other games you could definitely do so.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Thomas says
Hi, First of all I want to say that this page is absolutely amazing for beginners like myself, thanks so much for making this. I was looking to buy the 500$ build and I was wondering if it was still possible to add an optical drive to it since I plan on installing many older games on my computer. If so, could you please link me an ideal cheap optical drive that would fit in well with the 500$ build so I can install my old games. Thank you
Brent Hale says
Hey Thomas, how’s it going?
Yes, it is definitely possible to still add an optical drive. This one right here will suit you just fine:
Samsung 24X SATA ODD
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Quilcerin says
Hey so I see you stop at 700, What about a 800-900$ budget? Also I love gaming and probably play at least 8 hours a day and this old 2003 isn’t getting much value for me now with a lot of the new games coming out so i need to upgrade but at the same time I’m not “tech savvy” so my idea was just to go on new egg and buy a pre-built but even than i don’t know what I’m looking at, any suggestions?
Brent Hale says
Hey Quilcerin, how’s it going?
There is an $800 build here:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/gaming-computers/#3
And then some more expensive builds either on that page (below the Grizzly), or on this page:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/top-gaming-computers/
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Frank says
Hey Brent,
I just wanted to know what is the main difference between the $600 and $500 build? I noticed that they only have different graphics cards, as far as performance goes, how does the $500 build compare to the $600.
Thanks
Brent Hale says
Hey Frank, thanks for reading and commenting!
You’re right, the main difference is the video card. In this case, the R9 280 ($600 build) will get you about a 5-10 FPS difference over the R9 270 ($500 build).
However, the $600 build also comes with a better case and an optical drive (which you may or may not need depending how comfortable you are installing your OS from a USB drive.)
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Frank says
Just a small follow up question,
Say if I were to buy the $500 build, later on could I just buy the 280 graphics card, or will I experience problems?
Thanks again.
Brent Hale says
Hey Frank, how’s it going?
Yes, you definitely could. However, it’s such a small upgrade I would wait a little bit until a better upgrade became available.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Frank says
Thanks for the response!
How would the $500 build be able to run newer games like Assassin’s Creed Unity, GTA 5 and NBA 2k15? And also could I get the $500 build, and later down the line upgrade to the $700 build and not have to worry about getting a new case and the basic things, (so just basically swapping a few of the parts)
Thanks
Frank
Sang says
Hey Brent,
Thanks for all the useful information. I was looking at the $700 build and hoping this would take care of all my gaming needs for a few years. This would be my first PC that I build myself. I was told to make a few changes and was hoping to get your input on these. I’d really prefer to stick towards your set up because it’s right around my budget cap. The games I’d like to max graphic settings are Skyrim and Fallout New Vegas, but the biggest game demands will come from Witcher 3 coming out in May.
The RAM suggested is Crucial Ballstix Tactical Low Profile 8GB kit. (4GBx2) DDR3-1600 1.35VCC8 ($79.99)
The Case suggestions were Nanoxia Deep Silence 4 ($79.99), Cooler Master Silencio 352 ($82.99) and Micro ATX Silent PC ($104.99)
The GPU suggested looks almost exactly like yours, R9 280xOC Windforce 3x ($269.99)
The CPU suggested was the Intel Xeon E3 ($249.99)
If I made these changes my budget of $700 ($720 on Amazon currently) would turn into $850 pretty much. Are these changes needed in order to run these games on max settings and hopefully get a hand full of years out of my PC?
Brent Hale says
Hey Sang, how’s it going?
The RAM and case suggestions aren’t necessary.
However, if you want to play The Witcher 3 on higher settings, you’ll definitely want to look at the R9 280X or the R9 290, as the game recommends having an R9 290.
If you do go to the R9 280X, the XFX one I have listed above is $10 cheaper and comes with a $30 mail-in-rebate. And, whether you upgrade to the 280x or a 290, the Cooler Master Elite 431 Plus listed in the $700 build will fit either of those cards.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Oliver says
The video card from the $500 dollar set is about the same price as the one from the $400 dollar set, so why buy the one from the lesser set? IS it because it is not compatible with the rest of the $400 set? How can you tell which parts will fit together? Thanks
Brent Hale says
Hey Oliver, how’s it going?
At the time of the last update, the video card from the $400 setup came with a $20 mail-in-rebate and it didn’t require as big of a power supply as the video card from the $500 build.
So, while they’re similar in price, the $20 mail-in-rebate helps and the fact that you can save about $20-$30 on the PSU as well.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Jorge says
Hello Brent i hope you still read the comments on this post. I am very interested in building the $700 set up and was wondering if with the components included in the set up i would be able to use dual monitors. I would be using one monitor to play and the other to keep up with my twitch stream and streaming software etc… Would I need more than 8 gigs of ram for that?
Right now i do wonders with an I5 LAPTOP, haha. So this ‘grizzly’ set up seems like it would handle it just fine.
Brent Hale says
Hey Jorge, how’s it going?
The $700 will easily handle dual monitors and setting it up doesn’t require adding anymore RAM. So, you’re good there.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
peter costello says
We just built the Jackal. It is working great. However, the Antec case has USB 3.0 in front and I cannot find a USB 3.0 slot on the ASUS mother board. Also, the case has two fans and the motherboard only has one fan plug in. I assume we plug the second fan into the psu, but what do we plug the USB 3.0 into. Thanks.
Brent Hale says
Hey Peter, how’s it going?
Unfortunately, the ASUS M5A78L-M LX PLUS does not have USB 3.0. Which Antec case are you using?
Peter costello says
We bought the 320. Is there a way to convert the ubs3.0 to usb slots
Brent Hale says
Yeah, you’ll need to get an adapter like this:
Silverstone Tek Internal 19-Pin USB3.0 to USB2.0 Adapter Cable
That will make the 3.0 port on the front work as a 2.0 port, though, so you don’t get the added speed.
Matt says
Brent,
Thank you so much for putting all of this together. Right now I am looking to build a PC that will run The Elder Scrolls Online on the highest possible quality settings. Will this be possible with your $700 version? Also, is there anything not listed that I will need to buy? Besides keyboard/mouse/moniter/speakers of course.
Thanks in advance,
Matt
James says
Operating system
Brent Hale says
Hey Matt, how’s it going? Thanks for reading and commenting.
Yes, the $700 will be able to handle ESO fairly easily. And, like James said, you will need some kind of operating system, preferably Windows.
So, either Windows 7 or Windows 8.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
brian says
im thinking between 500 and 600. on top of that i need to get a software like windows 7 right?
Brent Hale says
Hey Brian, how’s it going?
Yes, you will need either a copy of Windows 7 or 8, or if you’re just playing Steam games you could always go with a free option like Linux… but ultimately Windows will be your best bet.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Austin says
Hi Brent. I thought your article was very helpful but I have a few questions. I was wondering if you have built any of these pc for a 100% answer of what the pc can do. I am looking more into the 400 dollar range because i am in my early teens and have no real source of income. I would like to build a pc capable of playing games like rust,dayz, and other modern games proficiently. I under stand that a pc 400$ is not going to play these games at the highest setting but will it play it at medium quality settings smoothly. Thank you for your time.
Brent Hale says
Hey Austin, how’s it going?
I have not build all of these computers as I change the parts on a weekly basis and rebuilding them every week, while it would be fun, it would be extremely expensive.
However, the GPU is going to be the biggest determining factor on how well a certain build is going to be able to run a certain game. So, since I have a good idea of how current video cards benchmark, I can pretty safely determine how well each of the builds will perform on any given game.
As for your questions, DayZ is a pretty demanding game so the $400 build might struggle with it even on medium settings, especially when you enter highly populated areas. However, on low-to-mid settings it should be fine. And, Rust is not too demanding so you will be able to run that as well.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Catishcat says
Hi Brent! Can $700 build max out GTA V on FullHD monitor with 60FPS? If it will, then I should not worry about other games, that I will play.
chris says
again i cant find the comment button anyways does the 500$ build have wifi capabilities?
Kyle says
Hey Brent. Great article. I was wondering if you could substitute the AMD FX-8310 into one of the higher priced builds and get nearly the same performance as the FX-8320. Thanks!
Calvin says
Hey
I was just wondering if the $500 build would be able to run some of the next gen games like GTA 5, NBA 2k15, and Assassins Creed Unity.
I heard there has been a lot of issues with Unity even though people have good computers, so that would be my main concern.
Thanks.
Kyle Kissel says
Hello if I were to get the 700 dollar build could I replace the GPU with the one in the 500 dollar build. If I can how much of a difference would it make?
Justin says
Hey, sorry for pressing reply but i simply cant find the comment button, would the $500 build be able to run gta 4 on full graphics and everything without any lags? Also possibly the next-gen gta 5 coming out for pc?
Thanks
Justin says
Ok forget about gta 5 now that i’ve seen the now released requirements.
is it possible to run dual processors, and how to?
Kyle kissel says
Hello I am planning on building the 600 dollar pc will I be able to run arms 3, DayZ, or advanced warfare on this computer? If so what fps do you think I will be getting. Also can I run the 600 dollar computer into my tv instead of a monitor?
adam says
First time building a computer, was wondering on thoughts of my setup and if it will all run well together, trying to keep it as close to $600 as i can, i already have an optical drive and a hardrive i am using from old comp.
i took inspiration from the 600 dollar list on here and built from it, any help would be great
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty 990FX Killer AM3+ AMD 990FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD
graphics:Sapphire Radeon R9 280 3GB Dual-X Video Card
cpu:AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor
memory:Kingston Fury Red Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600
case:Cooler Master HAF 922 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case
power:XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply
storage: i think its a seagate or western digital 1tb
optical drive: no idea, rarely use it…
OS: probably windows 7 since i dislike 8, whatever i can get from my friend…
bascially a budget gaming rig for around 600
any help is appreciated! thanks
Amanda says
Hey there just have a quick question i am looking at either the 500 or 600 build. I am just curious which one will be the best to run World of Warcraft on ultra settings and have no lag, good fps, etc. I want the best performance i can get out of Wow as this build will be the one i use for a long time thanks any help is greatly appreciated! :)
Donovan says
Hey, I have been saving up for the $500 computer for a while,I was curious if it would run DayZ standalone, Counter Strike:Global Offensive, Insurgency, and maybe some Arma 3 or Payday 2, all at good fps,doenst have to be on max or “ultra” setting, though it would be very nice. I’m new to PC so I don’t know how to compare the specs to what I need.
Thank you in advance,
Donovan
Donovan says
Will the $700 and $600 run all that fine?
Buddy says
Hey! Since I don’t live in the US I switched out the motherboard since it wasn’t available in my store.
ASUS M5A78L-M LX PLUS was switched into an ASUS H81M-E – mATX / H8.
I’m a beginner when it comes to building your own PC so I am wondering if this switch is okay?
Brent Hale says
Hey Buddy, how’s it going?
Unfortunately, that switch won’t work unless you switch to an Intel Core CPU. The ASUS M5A78L-M LX PLUS is an AMD specific motherboard and the ASUS H81M-E – mATX / H8 is an Intel specific motherboard.
What country are you located in? I’ll try and help you find a similar motherboard.
Best,
Brent
Pappah says
Thank you for the reply Brent. After some research and your suggestion. I came across this: Sapphire Sapphire Radeon R7 265 2GB GDDR5 DVI-I. Would this fit well for the 500 dollar budget as a computer graphic card?
Pappah says
Hello Brent,
I’m currently building the 500 dollar build, is there any other graphic cards that you may recommend beside the XFX R9, that work just as well? If not, its okay. Thanks for the guide. It’s helping me tremendously. :)!
Brent Hale says
Hey Pappah, how’s it going?
You can use any of the other R9 270s, so, either the ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, Sapphire, etc. will do.
The comparable NVIDIA GPU to the R9 270 is the GTX 750 Ti. You can use that as well.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
chris says
(sorry if this isn’t a comment just a reply can’t find the right button) can the $500 set run games like gta 4 and kerbal space program?
Brent Hale says
Hey Chris, how’s it going?
Yes, the $500 build can easily run those games as they aren’t too demanding.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Chris says
Thank you for your fast answer, but I have a few more questions,
a: is there a tutorial on how to build the models
B: are all the parts neccicary to build it on that Amazon list?
Jeremy says
will this tower work with the $500 build NZXT PHANTOM ATX Full Tower Case, Red PHAN-001RD
Brent Hale says
Hey Jeremy, how’s it going?
That case will work, but it’s a little overkill for the $500 build, as the money you spend on the Phantom case would be better spend on more important components, like your GPU, CPU, motherboard, etc.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
zivan says
how was the FPS on battlefield 4, COD advance WF, and Dota 2 in the 500$ build??
Brent Hale says
Hi Zivan, how’s it going?
The $500 build will max any of those games out on a 1920×1080 monitor with a minimum of ~40ish FPS in BF4 and COD. And Dota 2 isn’t too demanding so you’ll be fine there as well.
So, you shouldn’t have to worry about it handling your games.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Lane says
Could i use a different case, not a fan of the one shown.
Lane says
For the 500$ PC.
Taylor says
Just make sure the motherboard fits right. The case is more of a personal preference. The author fails to mention that some of the cases would not fit some of the motherboards he recommends.
Taylor says
The ASUS M5A78L-M LX is a micro-atx motherboard. Just make sure you use a case that shows it is compatible with micro-atx.
Brent Hale says
Yes, as Taylor says, you can change the case as long as it supports a micro-ATX motherboard. Fortunately, the majority of cases (minus HTPC cases and mini-ITX cases) support micro-ATX motherboards.
Lane says
Antec One Computer Case
Taylor says
I am curious to what you think about my current proposed build.
http://amzn.com/w/3H9121OQBEW97
Brent Hale says
Hey Taylor, how’s it going?
The build looks good, but your motherboard won’t fit in that case and I believe you can make the build better with these changes:
1. Drop from 16GB to 8GB. This will allow you to put about ~$70 into different components and most games barely utilize 4GB of RAM nowadays anyways.
2. With the extra $70 upgrade your video card to an R9 270X and change your PSU to an XFX Core Edition PRO550W and your case to a Corsair Carbide Spec-02. Then you can keep the same motherboard you originally added.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Taylor says
Thank you for your reply. I ended up going with a different Case. I found the motherboard and a few other of the parts cheaper on newegg too. Would you recommend me buying one stick of 8gb or two sticks of 4gb each? I have read that the two sticks will work better due to dual channel.
Taylor says
Ok one last question. The R9 requires at least 500w of power. Will 550w PSU be enough for the system? Or should I go for a more power? How much power will the graphic card actually use is I guess the question I am asking. Thanks again
Skyler says
Hi Brent, I’ve just got one quick question about the case of the $700 Grizzly build. I was wondering if the case on this link will work with and hold all of the components.
http://www.nzxt.com/product/detail/109-guardian-921-rb-case.html
If it does not work, could you please leave a link of another case from NZXT that isn’t outrageously expensive, if that’s not too much trouble.
Brent Hale says
Hey Skyler, how’s it going?
According to NZXT that case will fit a video card that is 10.43 inches long. The video card itself is 10.315 inches. So, it would be a pretty tight fit unless you remove the drive bays…
You could always go with an NZXT H230 for the same price. It will hold a video card as long as 11.4″ with the HDD cages still in place.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Skyler says
Hi Brent,
Thanks for letting me know about the H230! I will probably end up getting it. I do have one more question, though. A friend told me to get either a motherboard or graphics card with NVIDIA to increase performance. Is this necessary, and if so, what should I get? I don’t want to be spending a whole lot of money on something I don’t need. I don’t know if this is necessary, because I have seen many builds without one. Also, if they are way more expensive than one without NVIDIA, would I be able to put one in later? This is my first build, so I don’t know a whole lot about the different components, so you giving me advice really helps!
Thanks for all the help,
Skyler
Luis Martin says
Hey!
I need to know if this would be a possible build
Case: Aerocool EN52216
PSU: Corsair CX500M
HDD: WD 1TB
RAM: Kingston HyperX Fury 8GB
CPU: I3-4160
MOBO: Asus B85M-G
GPU: Sapphire DUAL-X R9 270X OC
And I’d like to know if i can cut back on RAM without losing performance
Thank you,
Luis Martin
Brent Hale says
Hey Luis, how’s it going?
Yes that build is compatible. You could cut back on RAM and you probably wouldn’t notice a performance drop in most games.
Notice, though, that I said most games. There are some more demanding multiplayer games out there that will use over 4GB of RAM in certain situations.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Phil says
Hi Brent,
I am looking into investing in the jackal build and I was just wondering if the pc came pre-built or in all its separate parts.
Thank you.
Brent Hale says
Hey Phil, how’s it going?
The build would come in separate parts as I always recommend building your own system before buying one pre-built.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Best,
Brent
Christian says
Hello Bret. I have a some questions for your 500$ build. 1. Does the AMD FD6300WMHKBOX FX-6300 6-Core Processor Black Edition come with thermal paste or will i have to get some? 2. Any good videos you recommend for a first pc build? And what upgrades do you recommend for this build for the future? Thanks.
Brent Hale says
Hey Christian, how’s it going?
1. It will not come with thermal paste, but if you use the stock cooler, that will have a thermal “sticky” pad on it and you can use that.
2. Newegg just updated their “How to Build a PC” series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIF43-0mDk4
As for future upgrades, you can go up to an FX-8320 or -8350, but you’d probably want to get a better motherboard to support those CPUs and you can also upgrade the video card as well.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Christian says
Hey Brent, I’m doing well.
Thank you for the fast reply i just have a few more questions :) 1. Will you be updating the 400$ build anytime soon in the next two months or so? I say this because i dont have the money at this moment and I am buying the parts one by one over the course of two months. I have just recently bought the case. 2. What recommended graphics cards do you recommend for a upgrade in the future? 3. Is 4gb of RAM good enough for the 400$ build i don’t want to be browsing the net and it’s slow. 4. I have a steam library of 100+ games and my current laptop only has 450gb of storage should i switch to the 1TB for more storage? Thanks.
Bigmoco says
This my first time building a pc and was wondering if this is a good build
http://www.amazon.com/lm/R3996KHOPNSD8K/ref=cm_lm_pthnk_view?ie=UTF8&lm_bb=
Brent Hale says
Hey Bigmoco, how’s it going?
Everything looks good, except I would change out the EVGA PSU for the Antec VP-450 as it costs less and is a better quality unit.
Other than that though, the parts look good for your budget.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Jack says
Go to my website/twitter account to see my PC finished!!! It works like a charm and is probably one of the best PC’s I have ever used. THANK YOU SOOO MUCH BRENT!!!!
Jack says
https://twitter.com/xXAsxsaxssxinX
Brent Hale says
Awesome, Jack! Sorry for the delayed response. It was a busy holiday season for me.
The new PC looks awesome, though! Good work and happy gaming!
Best,
Brent
Jack says
Hey Brent,
I have finally finished building my computer.. $700 build…. I have been trying to install windows 7 on my computer but it’s not working properly. It will install but then it won’t load when it’s at the starting windows screen… Any ideas?? Thanks.
Corbin says
I’m thinking of getting the 400$ setup but with the Kingston HyperX FURY 8GB instead of the Crucial Ballistix Sport 4GB. Do I really need the extra 4GB to play modern games at medium-high (mostly medium) settings? Can I run a game like Dayz or Arma 3 on medium to high settings with a solid 30+ on the 4GB card or do I need the 8GB? First time building a computer. Thanks.
Marcus says
Hey Brent,
I was looking at the motherboard in the 500$ build and decided to switch it to theGigabyte AM3+ AMD DDR3 1333 760G HDMI USB 3.0 Micro ATX Motherboard would that still be compatible with the Rosewill case?
Brent this is a concidience says
Good afternoon,
I am hoping to get a computer for minecraft that would haveabsolutely no lag. Should i get the 700 dollar computer and if not what computer should i get?
Thank you for your time and help!
Eric says
Hey! How’s it going? :D I just started building the 700$ build and I was just wondering… the video card on that build requires 600W power supply, and the power supply on the build says 550w, what’s up with that?
Allen says
Has anyone actually used all the components listed on any of the builds to make their computer? (more specifically $500-$600 range). If so what games do you usually use? Anyone use BeamNG or any of the Amras ? BTW I really like this guide, it is the best one if have found yet. Sorry if this question was already asked in another comment, I didn’t see it. Thanks.
Clay says
Hey just want to say thanks for taking your time to post all this. I haven’t built a computer since the Doom 3 craze. Back then i had a pentium d and a nvidia 7600gt!!
Anyways i chose the “the hornet” build, i kinda tweaked it. I added 8gb of ram and im putting a Sapphire r7 265 gpu in it. Im mainly wanting to play Dayz, maybe a few other games.
With monitor, keyboard, and OS. It came out to $700. Thats a deal in my book, cant wait to start the build. Thanks again!!!
Penny says
I know this sounds silly but do you have to buy the power cord to plug into the wall seperate?
Clay says
No comes with psu.
Jake says
Hello Brent . Well I was going to save up the ash for a build around $500 but I ended up getting laid off. so now I only have a budget of 200$ to do something with. I have this older Hp Pavilion p6000 series desktop that I was wondering if I could do anything with so I can mess around on games like Rift without my frame rates being horrid for around my budget.
Jack says
Hey Brent,
Its me again, I have successfully installed my CPU onto my motherboard. Now, I didn’t realize until now that I didn’t have to apply thermal paste onto the CPU before I installed the fan, because apparently the fan has thermal paste pre applied to it. Will it matter that I applied extra thermal paste onto the Possessor or is this perfectly fine?
Thanks a lot!
– Jack
James says
Hello Brent on the $500 dollar gaming PC would it be ok to get the ASUS R9270X instead of the ASUS R9270 because at the moment it’s only $10 more for it and as for the power supply it just went from $59.99 to $80 is there another power supply I could get?
Curtis says
Hello All! I finally completed the 700$ build and i was fun! It took me about 5 hours but the PC is amazing
I posted the link here with some pictures!!! Thank you Brent!!! Your awesome!!!
http://imgur.com/JjMXVNp&F9hiE2k&iXpHOlP&pRo61qz#3
Curtis says
Click on the first second and third image for the other pictures!!!
Curtis says
Yo can lick on the first second and third image for the other pictures!!!
Kobe Surplado says
Can you recommend cheap 120mm and 140mm fans for the 600$ build and case
Dylan says
Can I use a 2006 phillips disk drive with the $500 setup?
(first time building a computer)
Kenneth Hart says
also does the 600$ pc have a hdmi cable port?
Kenneth Hart says
Is there a way to have wireless network to the 600$ computer also the RAM, do I need to buy two sticks?
JackieM says
Hi Brent,
I am in the process of ordering the pieces for the $700 build. Prices have gone up a bit over the past few weeks on Amazon (as I twiddled my thumbs) so I am trying to order some parts at my local Microcenter. Questions so far:
Can I replace the Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-01 RED LED Black ATX Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case with the SPEC-02 which I found cheaper? And if so, would anything need to change in the rest of the list?
Also can I replace the Intel Core i5-4460 LGA 1150 CPU – BX80646I54460 with the Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz LGA 1150 Boxed Processor 6MB level 3 cache, integrated Intel HD Graphics 4600, which I found cheaper, and again, would anything need to change in the rest of the list?
Thank you!! You’ve given me the courage to try to build for the first time!
Ramon corona says
Hey Brent,
I am going to buy the 700 dollar set up and I was wondering if it will play new games.
Jay says
Hey I bought the $600 build and I’m having some issues. One of the things on there was the Seagate Barracuda 500 GB HDD SATA 6 Gb/s NCQ 16MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive ST500DM002. When I put everything together I tried to install Windows 8 on it but I got this message, “Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk has an MBR partition table. On EFI systems, Windows can only be installed to GPT disks.”
Does this mean I have to buy a new drive, if so which one will work?
Brent Hale says
Hey Jay, sorry you’re having problems.
I’ve never encountered that problem, but I came up with this from a Google search:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_8-windows_install/windows-cannot-be-installed-to-this-disk-the/741969ff-95e0-4d00-b55d-db3a75831cb8
Sounds like it’s something to do with the Boot settings in BIOS. Try that solution and see if it works.
Jay says
Thank you for the link, but it seems I am receiving a different error now. I try to install Windows and it says that “Windows could not format a partition on disk 0. The error occurred while preparing the partition selected for installation. Error code 0x80070057”.
I have tried looking online for a solution to this and Windows said to format the partition. However, when I try to format it, it says it cannot be formatted.
I have restarted the process so many times, I’ve almost memorize the product key…
Max says
Hey Brent!
I just put together my first custom desktop, and found this guide really helpful. I’m using the panda wireless USB thing you recommended in one of these other comments, but I’m finding that though it recognizes and connects to my wireless network, the internet connection itself is sporadic at best. Chrome often shows a: “the website cannot be displayed” page and if it does succeed in loading, it’s often after long delay. I think I’ve updated the drivers properly– used the disk the USB came with & then checked their website for an update. Not sure what to do!! Any ideas?
Troubled,
Max
Brent Hale says
Hey Max, how close is the computer to the router? And, how many bars does it say you’re getting?
Networking issues can be caused by a variety of things, so it could be that the wireless adapter isn’t powerful enough, or a number of other factors could be causing you problems.
Jack says
Yeah, I would also go to this website http://www.speedtest.net
Check how fast of an internet speed you are actually getting and either move you pc and router closer together or upgrade your wifi speed. These are the best ways to get the fastest speeds. Hope this helps
– Jack
Kyle H says
Hi Brent,
My PC just died today, I have an older PC with a pretty old card (NVidia 9800GTX) and I know my Gateway GT5200 that it’s in had a inboard card which was awful, but I got the PC back in 2006.
Just curious, for the $300 build, would I be able to add a graphics card if I wanted or would I be stuck with the inboard graphics?
Thanks!
Brent Hale says
Hey Kyle, how’s it going? Sorry to hear about your PC dying.
Yes, if you go with the $300 build you can add a video card to it down the road. The integrated graphics on the A10-7850K should be good enough to get you by on most games (on medium/low settings) for now.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Chris Schwinn says
The mobo has 1 PCI-Express 3.0 x16 Slot, so you could put a really good video card in there, like the GTX960 and be able to play any game that is out right now on max graphics. Games like Farcry 4 may have some frame rate drops, but other then that the 960 is only about $200 on amazon so it’s by far the best card for your money right now. This is all assuming you play at 1080p resolution or lower. I usually dont assume people are playing 4k as it’s kind of a huge luxury still at this point. Give 4k another 5 years and it might become the norm because there will be something even better. 4k will be much cheaper when that happens. :P
KOSTAS says
Hi Brent ,
I am a fan of the game Company of heroes 2006 , my motherboard crashed so i am thinking to build a new pc .
i am thinking to buy a 4k tv , so i would like to build a pc to play 4k & 23 inch monitor tv .
i like nvidia graphic cards .
Appreciate your reply and your suggestion .
Brent Hale says
Hey Kostas, how’s it going?
It really depends on what your total budget is and what games you play. You need a pretty high-end machine in order to max games out the more demanding games at 4K resolutions.
Company of Heroes isn’t too demanding, though, so you may be able to get by (assuming the game supports 4K).
As for AMD versus NVIDIA, there isn’t a huge performance difference at most price ranges, so I typically make my choices by price. So if you want to go with an NVIDIA card, there’s definitely nothing wrong with that.
Let me know what your budget is and I’ll be able to help you a little better.
Natalie says
Hey Brent!
Since Christmas is coming around, I was thinking of purchasing the $500 build. I have two main things I would use it for: Photoshop and Minecraft! I was wondering if it would be able to run Minecraft on high settings, and run Photoshop smoothly.
Also, are there any monitors you recommend for this build? I’m trying to keep the budget under 700!
Thanks!
Brent Hale says
Hey Natalie, how’s it going?
Yes, the $500 build will be able to handle Minecraft and Photoshop easily. As for a monitor, this is a solid option for a good price:
BenQ VA LED GW2255 21.5-Inch Screen LED-lit Monitor
This is a more affordable option:
Dell 8KVY2 19.5-Inch Screen LED-Lit Monitor (D2015H)
Both of those are 1920×1080 and should allow you to stay under budget.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Henry Clark says
Brent et al,
Thanks so much for all the information thus far, you all have been a wealth of information leading up to this, my first crack at a system build from the “ground up” so to speak.
Well, my progress so far (purchase-wise anyway) and of course from links on your website are:
CPU — AMD FD8320FRHKBOX FX-8320 FX-Series 8-Core Black Edition
GPU — Sapphire Radeon R9 270X 2GB GDDR5 DVI-I/DVI-D/HDMI/DP Dual-X with Boost and OC Version PCI-Express Graphics Card 11217-01-20G
RAM — Kingston HyperX FURY 8GB 1866MHz DDR3 CL10 DIMM – Black (HX318C10FB/8)
PSU — XFX TS 550w Full Wired 80+ Bronze Power Supply – P1550SXXB9
CASE — CASE FRACTAL DESIGN|FD-CA-DEF-R4-BL (Fractal Design Define R4)
Initially, and as we’ve been communicating periodically back-and-forth my only goal for this systems has been to play World of Warcraft Warlords of Dreanor at high to Ultra quality with good frame rates allowing me to raid without the machine holding back my performance or personal pleasure. I think with the list of component I may have gone a bit more than initially intended (bit more than just a bare bones budget job). With this in mind, my question now would be what would you consider to be an ideal mother board to fit this system and would i benefit from not only having a hard disk drive but possibly a 120GB SSD. I did save a considerable amount of money on these pieces this past week with discounts and rebates, enough to purchase a mother board that will be reasonably future proof and maybe allow me to tinker with OC’ing this PSU (I read that it is relatively easy to do with this one and is advisable since WoW is more CPU dependent than it is GPU.) Also, with your indepth knowledge of gaming and building systems, what do you think the best OS will be for me to go with — WIN 7, 8, 8.1 etc.? And lastly, do you think I made a wise choice with my purchasing desisions so far?
Thanks again for your much needed and appreciated assistance.
Brent Hale says
Hey Henry, how’s it going?
Everything looks great so far! As for a motherboard, if you want to OC in the future, I’d look at one of the 990FX AM3+ motherboards. This one is not bad after the $20 MIR:
ASUS M5A99X EVO R2.0 AM3+
If you don’t want to spend that much you could go with one of the better 970 boards, like this one:
Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P
That board will allow you to mildly overclock your FX-8320.
If you can afford to put an SSD in your build, definitely do so. It won’t give you an in-game performance boost, but you’ll load instances faster and your system will run faster.
As for Windows, I’d say just go with Windows 8.1. It’s newer and there’s been too many instances where Microsoft has hinted at not supporting DirectX updates for Windows 7. Fortunately they haven’t yet, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they do in the future.
If you can’t stand Windows 8, though, 7 will still be fine.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Marcus Good says
Hi Brent,
Just wondering on the 500$ build are their any monitors in particular that do good with that computer? Also could you include any of the monitors that have good prices?
Thanks,
Marcus
Brent Hale says
Hey Marcus, how’s it going? Sorry for the delayed response. Hopefully this still is relevant.
Here’s a couple of monitor options for you:
BenQ VA LED GW2255 21.5-Inch Screen LED-lit Monitor
This is a more affordable option:
Dell 8KVY2 19.5-Inch Screen LED-Lit Monitor (D2015H)
Let me know if this is what you were looking for or if you have any other questions.
Marcus says
Hey Brent,
For the OS on the 500$ build could I just use a optical drive? If so list a few optical drives that would work. Thanks,
Marcus
Michael says
Hey Brent,
I am trying to buy computer parts that I can combine together for a decent amount of money now but I can upgrade and make it excellent later. What computer parts would you recommend to start with then upgrade to later. My budget right now is 250 to 420 dollars.
Brent Hale says
Hey Michael, how’s it going?
It really depends on how much performance you want to get right now and if you can live with playing on lower settings for awhile.
If you can’t live with playing on lower settings, I’d say look at the $400 build (it would stretch to about $490 when you add an Operating System).
That build will give you medium to high settings on most games at 1920×1080 resolution and the video card can be upgraded in the future if you wanted more performance.
If you can live with playing on lower settings, I would go with an Intel-based build and forego the video card for now.
So, something like the $400 or $500 build, but get rid of the CPU and motherboard and replace them with an Intel Core i3 (or i5 if you can afford it) and a solid H97 motherboard.
That route will allow you to easily add a high-end video card down the road and if you start with an i3 CPU you can always upgrade to an i5/i7 later.
Going with the $400 build above, in my opinion, is the better option as you’ll be able to play on higher settings now and still be able to upgrade a little later.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Dave says
Brent,
Hi. Great information. I just want to verify a few things:
(1) For the Kingston HyperX Fury 8GB, is that supposed to be one 8GB stick or two 4GB sticks?
(2) For the ASRock H97M PRO4, that’s a micro ATX, so do we want that one or the H97 PRO4 (without the M)?
(3) In general, will things still be compatible if I bump a component up 1 level (for example, using a Radeon R9 290 instead of a Radeon R9 280).
Thanks.
Brent Hale says
Hey Dave, how’s it going?
1. It’s supposed to be one stick. One stick typically costs less than a 2X4GB kit and there isn’t too much of a difference performance-wise.
2. Even though it’s an H97M it is in fact a regular ATX motherboard. But if you want to save some money and get a micro-ATX board you can. You’ll just have less PCIe slots.
3. Yes, that build can handle an R9 290, so if you want to jump up you definitely can.
Marien says
Could I replace the Sapphire Radeon R9 270X with the XFX Radeon R9 280 in the $500 build? Would it still be compatible with the motherboard?
Thanks in advance
Tom says
Hey just wondering how easy it is to actually assemble the $700 computer as this will be my first build. Cheers-tom
Nicholas D. says
Would the 700$ build be able to run games like Arma 3, FarCry 4, Battlefield 4, and The Dayz mod (Not stand alone), on max settings? Thanks for your time.
Ben Spaulding says
Hello Brent,
I’m an almost exclusively single player gamer, primarily strategy and rpg titles, and I’ve been looking to get something that could run the recent Total War titles (Rome II, Shogun II, maybe Attilla) and also Skyrim. How would the $500 dollar build perform for these games? Also could you suggest any improvements that might boost the performance without blowing the price up?
Sean says
I am thinking of building your $700 dollar computer and while looking through your other builds I noticed the graphics card on the $500 computer is cheaper and is better. Should I get that graphics card instead? Also with black friday and cyber monday coming up will it be better to buy on black friday or cyber monday. Also will you update the site for black friday and cyber monday?
Anthony says
Hi!
First I’d like to thank you for this article, it was incredibly useful. Basically, I’m running on a really tight budget. I enjoy playing games such as league of legends and TF2, and I enjoy recording videos of those games. Would the $400 computer be able to handle those things? It’s really my only option at this point considering I would still need the monitor, keyboard, wireless adaptor, and operating system.
Sam says
Hey Brent,
Will the $700 build be able able to run games like Arma III, Dayz, Farcry 4 and games like that at High settings? i am going to build pc over time as i get the money for different parts, so may have a few extra bucks lying around, would you reccomend any extras or slightly higher grade components to improve performance and such?
Thanks, Sam
Nicholas D. says
I’ve got the same exact question. Would love to know if I could run those games on max settings.
Dylan says
Hi Brent,
I’d just like to say that the 500 dollar package motherboard does not come with a heatsink or fan so that needs to get added to the list of parts on Amazon. I’m learning this now as all my parts arrive and I am unable to start my build! Please spread the word or add to the parts list! Thanks.
Dylan
Brent Hale says
Hey Dylan, how’s it going?
Have you got your CPU yet? The heatsink will come with that.
Rodrigo Amaral says
Hi Brent,
I just want to ask if the 700 computer will handle recording and streaming most of the games. If not, what should I change?
Sorry for my bad english im portuguese.
Brent Hale says
Hey Rodrigo, how’s it going?
Yes, the $700 build will handle recording/streaming most games on a 1920×1080 monitor. Though, you might want to look into getting a GTX 760 instead of the R9 280, as the GTX 760 comes with Shadowplay and will help take the load off of your system when recording.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Sean says
Hi i am just a beginner and I was looking at your $700 dollar build computer and I was wondering when building it do I have to get an extra Cpu cooler, wireless network adapter and sound card. Also with the sound card what does it actually do? Would there be no sound at all from the computer or anything like that?
Thanks
Brent Hale says
Hey Sean, how’s it going?
You won’t need to get an extra CPU cooler as that will come with the processor. And, most motherboards have good enough onboard sound, so you don’t really need an aftermarket sound card either.
As for the wireless network adapter, yes, you will need one. Something like this will be easy to use and it will get the job done:
Panda 300Mbps Wireless-N USB Adapter
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Casey says
Hey I was wondering, since I’m getting the $400 com., will i be able to run games like Arkham Origins or Skyrim? And if not, what can I change in the com. to play games like those? Are parts interchangeable? Thank you!
Brent Hale says
Hey Casey, how’s it going?
Yes, you should be able to play both of those games on higher (though probably not max) settings with that setup as long as you’re playing on a 1920×1080 monitor, or a lower resolution monitor.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Wesley Joubert says
Hey Brent! I’m new to the whole gaming computer scene. I’ve been a big gamer, and I’ve been thinking about moving from consoles to pc. However, I would like to play modern games, as well as ones coming out in the future with $400. Will you update the list for Black Friday/Cyber Monday? I know it’d be a huge job, but if you do, I’d love to see the post! Thanks for all your help!
Brent Hale says
Hey Wesley, how’s it going?
Right now I have a Deal Tracker page up that is tracking all the top deals through Black Friday and Cyber Monday:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/deal-tracker/
I’ll probably look to update the builds on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but it will be tough, since a lot of those deals go quickly due to people buying them up fast.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Jack says
Hey Brent! Its me again! I have all my parts now for the $700 build. I’m going to start building soon. I have a problem/question though. I want to be able to play my PC wireless. I was just wondering if you know how what the best part to buy for this.
Brent Hale says
Hey Jack, you’ll need some kind of wireless adapter…
Either a PCIe card or a USB wireles adapter. I would say just make it easy on yourself and go the USB route. Something like this will work:
Panda 300Mbps Wireless-N USB Adapter
Hope this helps! Good luck with your build and let me know if you have any other questions!
Jack says
Thanks Brent! This website has helped so much! Thanks to you I will have an awesome new PC this Christmas to enjoy!
Barry says
Hi Brent,
Great article you have there! I was a technician for quite sometime and currently working in IT industry for the last 5 years, however, I think I still need some expert advise in building a new gaming PC at the same time my wife’s working station since she has decided to work at home, at a very low cost possible that matches my gaming needs(I play a lot of heavy games and am a heavy player too).
Here’s my Build similar to your $700 build but I’ve changed some parts.
Raidmax Viper GX (Optional-I can get any for a lower price as long as it has good air flow)
HEC 550W 80+
Asus B85 pro gamer
intel i5 – 4460
Adata 4GB 1600 (for now, will upgrade by adding 3 more in the future).
1TB WD
Powercolor R7 260x 2GB D5 (for now, I’m planning to do crossfire in the future, which is the part i’m not sure. Been doing a lot of research but just got info overload with millions of options available.) Will get my build in 2 weeks from now.
Thanks.
Brent Hale says
Hey Barry, how’s it going?
I would stay away from the HEC power supply as HEC units can be pretty hit or miss on quality.
Other than that, if you’re set on the Intel CPU, it looks good. However, the FX-6300 is a good option that will allow you to get a better video card. But that depends on what kind of games you’re playing and how demanding they are.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Dylan says
Hello,
I’m looking to buy the $500 package but had a few questions real fast. I have an NVIDIA GTX 650 card in the box that I got a while back. Will all the parts in the package work fine with this card until I get a newer better card in the future? Thanks!
Henry says
Brent,
Thanks so much for taking the time and effort to post the ever changing components available at discount as we approach Black Friday and Cyber Monday. When I asked for it I was in hopes you would actually “build” a system with the discounted parts to see if your readers could save some money on your say 500 dollar build. Now, that I think more about it, the task would be rather daunting with the constantly fluxuating sales. Something that may be much easier would be possibly to add in the verabage what part in which budget build that particualar component could be substituted for. For example, could the XFX Core Edition 550W PSU be a suitable substitute for the Corsair CX series in the $500 build. I know that would help me out tremendously as I’m buying components for the build in the next week or so. I hope that it would help many other readers as well. Thanks again for all your valuable knowledge and I’m going to definitely buy the components though this website to support your company any way I can. Have the happiest of holidays.
Ralph Gordon says
Hello Brent!
I stumbled onto your site by accident, it was the best accident I’ve ever had! You provide the best do-it yourself PC advice available! Thank You!
I am looking to build my own PC. I do not want to compromise with a ready made Tower. I want to build good, powerful PC as I do a lot of photo editing, some video editing and want to get back into some gaming for fun. (Haven’t done any gaming other than flight simulator since the original HALO! My current tower is an old Vista OS box! I am a user of Windows 8.1 64 bit on my laptops however.
I have some parts on hand and would like to utilize them in my build. I have the following on hand: Rosewill Patriot Full Tower, Rosewill Photon 550 watt power supply, Kingston Hyper X Genesis RAM 8GB X2 – 1600. LG DVD multi-drive. Various keyboards and mice. and a great sounding Boston Acoustics sub-woofer/satellite speaker system.
I plan on using a Crucial 240GB SDD and a Seagate 3TB HDD. I am considering AMD FX-6300 or 8350 as my starting CPU, and either an ASUS Sabretooth or Crossblade MoBO and I am not sure what GPU to use as I’ve always had on-board GPU’s before. Any advice?
Thanks again!
Logan says
Hey Brent awesome web page for cheap computer builds!
I also had a question. I already have a list on the computer i want to build, but the price for it is very steep and I believe that its not the computer i want. Yet straight to the question. I was thinking that the 500 – 600 $ build would be great for me, and i don’t play to many graphically demanding games, but in the future i might play some high graphic and fps shooting games like battle field. Would this be a good build range for me? Also the only thing I’m looking in a computer build is being able to play most games on high graphic settings without fps dropping like crazy and just wondering if the 500 – 600$ is good because it will literally cut my price for the previous computer build in half.
Thanks again !
Brent Hale says
Hey Logan, how’s it going?
The $500-$600 builds will definitely play non-demanding games on max settings. The only problem you may run into with those setups is on games that are demanding on the CPU, typically in situations where there are a lot of online players in one area.
However, for the most part, both of those builds will max out games like BF4 fairly easily. If you do play graphics-intensive online games where there are a lot of online players in the same area (like DayZ in populated areas, or large BF4 matches) you might want to consider the $700 build to get the stronger Intel CPU.
If you don’t mind turning down the settings a bit in those situations, then either of those builds will be fine.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Logan says
Thanks Brent!
One more question if you don’t mind. Are the prices for the parts of these pc builds are gonna be on cyber Monday? Because if most parts will be on cyber Monday I would be able to get the 700 or 600$ cheaper which would be great and easy to fit in for my parent’s christmas budget and allow me to fit in the screen, keyboard, etc
Thanks Again!
Samuel says
Hello,
Had some questions about the 400 dollar budget game pc. If I put a 8 gb single ddr3 1600 instead of the 4 gb version, and a Seagate Barracuda 7200 500 gb harddrive instead a 250 gb version, do I need to change the other parts too? Or could I just use the same motherboard, power supply and mini tower?
Look forward to the answer!
Thanks in advance.
Samuel
Brent Hale says
Hey Samuel, how’s it going?
You will be fine if you want to make those changes, as they won’t require you to upgrade any other parts in the build.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Samuel says
Thanks for the reply! As for now, all my questions are answered!
oscar says
great artical by the way,but i have a couple of questions .
1 Does the $400 build cpu come with a heat sink and if not is one needed?
2 Is the $400 build compatible with the SilverStone Tek PS08B case?
3 I was looking at the $400 builds gpu on you tube which could play battle field 4 on ultra settings but would the rest of the computer be able to ?
4 What good wifi card could you recommend thats compatible with the $400 build
Thanks in advance.
Brent Hale says
Hey Oscar, how’s it going?
1. All CPUs will come with a stock CPU cooler. You can add an aftermarket heatsink/CPU cooler if you want, but it’s not necessary unless you’re planning on overclocking. But since the $400 build doesn’t come with an overclocking-friendly motherboard, I’d say you’re fine without an aftermarket heatsink.
2. Yes, you can put the $400 build in the Tek PS08B case.
3. The $400 build could probably run BF4 on high in certain situations, but my guess is that medium settings would be the more stable settings to run that game at. It also depends on your monitor resolution. The $500-$700 builds would be the better bet if you’re looking to run BF4 on Ultra on a 1920×1080 monitor.
4. I would go with something simple like this:
Panda 300Mbps Wireless-N USB Adapter
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Richard says
Say i wanted to be able to run World of Warcraft. I use my computer on a daily basis and use about 5-6 programs downloaded. How can i build a computer that will maximize the smoothness in game with out Internet windows like youtube suffering ? (etc. wow head)
Brent Hale says
Hey Richard, how’s it going?
It depends on what your budget for a new computer is. World of Warcraft isn’t super demanding as long as you’re not running in a big raid.
However, anytime you’re running a bunch of programs at once, you’re going to see a loss in performance. Typically the stronger your CPU is, the better able it will be to handle multiple programs at once (depending on those programs.)
My suggestion would be to look at the $700 build listed above as it has the stronger and more efficient Intel CPU.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Shannon VanWagner says
I was concerned about getting a CPU Fan(not case) + Heatsink with the AMD CPU. No worries though, It comes with the CPU package that Brent links to.
Also, Mr. Hale.. I notice you have a list of operating systems for gaming on this great article. Something I don’t see though is GNU/Linux (e.g., Ubuntu) – which is absolutely free to download/use/redistribute/game with.
And since Gabe Newell (co-founder of Valve software – bringing us such great titles as Half Life, Left for Dead, Portal, Team Fortress, DOTA, and many more) has personally endorsed using Linux for gaming, and are using Debian GNU/Linux (what Ubuntu is based on) for SteamOS.. Do you think you could add Ubuntu to the section for OS on the article to spread the word please Sir?
Also, Gabe and his team have been to Linuxcon and other Open Source conventions to give speeches on how they’ve actually contributed Linux graphics driver tests and actually submitted fixes to improve Intel/AMD/NVIDIA graphics drivers, and how they’ve created some serious development tools to build games for Linux and OpenGL.
Plus, Steam library of games available for Linux recently topped 700 (I absolutely believe Half Life 3 will be released on Linux on release day) , Humble Bundle has ported over 100 games to Linux, Sid Meyer’s Civilization V (and future releases) are on Linux, Epic Games Reveals Release of Demos For Unreal Engine 4’s WebGL, The Witcher 2, and so many more both available and on the way!!
I just wanted to mention it since GNU/Linux has been reported by Valve to actually have better performance than Windows for L4D.. See http://blogs.valvesoftware.com/linux/faster-zombies/ and the most awesome thing about Linux is that it’s so customizable.
What do you think? Either way, if anybody wants to learn more.. checkout Google+ with the terms: #Linux #Gaming
Thanks again for this awesome article!
Race Haas says
hey what kind of games would I be able to play with the 300$ build on low settings
Brent Hale says
Hey Race, how’s it going?
With the $300 build you’ll be able to play most games on lower settings. It doesn’t come with a stand-alone video card, so you will struggle to run the more demanding games on a 1920×1080 monitor, but if you have a lower monitor resolution it will be a good fit.
Games like BF4 will see around 20 FPS on low settings on a 1920×1080 monitor with the 6800K. If you’re looking to play games like League of Legends, World of Warcraft, or other similar games, then the $300 build will allow you to play on low settings without any problems.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Shannon VanWagner says
Wow – with these great prices, and no OS.. These computers are perfect for building your first SteamOS – Debian GNU/Linux compatible PC!! I’m going to get one of these and load up Ubuntu GNU/Linux 14/10 on it, after that – I’ll load up Steam for Linux. Read more about Steam for Linux on Valve’s website (h/t Gabe Newell for loving Linux!):
http://store.steampowered.com/about/
Shannon VanWagner says
Nice post! The only think that could make it better for me, would be to have a Linux compatibility rating for the said PC builds. This gets me wondering how easy it would be to check this kind of thing. None the less, thanks for the great article! Posting on G+
John says
Thank you for the great guide! I am looking at the $700 and this will be my first self-built project. I was hoping you could incorporate the sales this month (Black Friday, Cyber Monday) into the 700 cost tier. To make it easier, is it possible to list the next step upgrades per part? If there are deals on these upgrades it could bring it into the 700 cost window. Thanks so much!
Brent Hale says
Hey John, how’s it going?
I’m working on a Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals page that will list some of the best deals for system-builders.
Look for that to be posted tomorrow or Thursday.
john says
Thanks so much Brent! I really appreciate the help.
Curtis says
Hello again Brent I have the 700 dollar build in my wish list and i had this graphics card in my list:
HIS R9 280 IceQ OC 3GB Graphics Cards H280QC3G2M
I am not sure what happened, but was there a switch in cards on the 700 dollar build because i am confused how I got that card and not the one i see now which is this:
XFX Double D R9 280 933MHz 3GB DDR5 2XmDP HDMI 2XDVI Graphics Card R9280ATDFD
Should I replace the first one I showed you and get the one that is in the build? I want everything running good and compatible!!!
Curtis says
Its weird because I know I clicked i want this build and i have been buying my parts and i seen that the piece had a sale so i went back to the build you had posted and I seen a different graphics card!
Brent Hale says
Hey Curtis, how’s it going?
I update the builds on a weekly basis, so the reason the switch to the XFX card was made from the HIS card was because it jumped up a bunch in price. Both cards will perform similarly, though, so either one you get you will be fine.
However, I recommend going with whichever one is more affordable.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Benben says
Hi Brent!
Could you please give me some advice about a computer build below for a mild gaming pc ?
Mobo : Gigabyte 85M -D3H
CPU : Pentium Dual G3258 (3.2GHz) or AMD Fx 6300
Memory : G.Skill 2×4 Gb (1600)
HDD : 1TB WD ( Balck)
GPU : VGA Asus 2Gb Strix Gtx 750Ti-OC-2Gb D5 – or anything else ?
Corsair Cx 500 Power supply
Thank you!
Marlon says
Hey there
Those specs are fine, but I would prefer to get the FX-6300 then pair it with a decent AM3+ motherboard because your motherboard has an LGA 1150 socket.
Brent Hale says
Hey Benben, how’s it going?
It really depends on what you want to do and what games you’re planning on playing. If you’re playing games like League of Legends, Team Fortress 2, or other non-demanding games, then you could get by with that system.
If you are playing more demanding games, you’ll want to up your budget.
As the build sits right now, I’d probably go with an FX-4300 or 6300, an ASUS M5A78L-M LX PLUS, an Antec VP-450 and this GTX 750Ti:
EVGA GeForce GTX 750Ti
That 750Ti is $119 after a $10 mail-in rebate. So, that will save you some money as well.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Henry says
Hi Brent,
I had asked a question before concerning World of Warcraft and what build you would recommend. Thank you for your reply. Now that I have the extra money to do either the $400 or $500 build, it’s coinciding with Black Friday and Cyber Monday time of year. So, my follow-up question, may be a simple one for you or maybe quite in-depth. With either of the two builds, what should I look for in motherboards, graphic cards, ram etc. since what may be killer deals may well not be the exact items you have laid out for us. For example, since I know so little about components, I’ll use the case — what size case would I be looking for, how should I go about finding if it has good air flow, how many fans does it need, should it be plastic, metal or aluminum, how will I know if the motherboard and/or graphic card will even fit? I don’t think the case you have chosen would be in question mind you, but was just using it as an example to help guide as to what “specs” I’m seeking for all the other components. Any information you could provide would be very appreciated for me and hopefully many of your other readers. This way if, say, a graphics card is on super sale we could hypothetically build a system similar to your $500 build for $400 or less. Some of the deals on these two upcoming days are often ridiculously low priced.
Brent Hale says
Hey Henry, how’s it going?
Yes, you can definitely find good deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. You can also find good deals leading up to Black Friday (starting now, even.) If you’re looking to build your system based on these deals, you should be looking for savings anywhere you can find it and you should put those savings in either your video card, CPU, RAM, or motherboard (in that order) and then modify the power supply to fit your system.
I will be be putting up a Black Friday/Cyber Monday “Deal Tracker” page hopefully by the end of this week. And, on it, I’ll track most (if not all) of the good BF and CM deals.
As for the case, as long as it has a couple of fans in it and it fits your video card and other components, it’s pretty much just personal preference. So, it depends on if you like a smaller form factor or a bigger form factor. With your budget you’re looking at standard ATX size build or a micro-ATX size build.
Some people like aluminum cases because they’re light, but those cases can get dinted a lot easier. Most cases in your budget range are going to be a mix of metal and plastic, with the frame being metal and the front panel/trim being plastic. And, that’s good enough to get the job done.
Hope this helps get you started in the right direction! Let us know if you have any other questions!
Natalie says
Hey Brent, I was wondering what the best monitors are for the Jackal build would be! I’m trying to keep the budget under 800 dollars. Also, is the Jackal good for running games like Minecraft on high settings? (sorry if that’s a noobish question!) Thanks, any input is much appreciated!
Peter says
I’m planning to buy the 400$ gaming pc and since its my first time building one is there anything i need to know about the build? Any help is appreciated.
Brent Hale says
Hey Peter, thanks for reading and commenting!
Make sure you signup and get our free step-by-step guide as that will take you through the building process:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/how-to-build-a-gaming-computer/
And, also make sure you have a copy of Windows as the builds listed above do not include them. Your computer won’t work without some kind of operating system.
You can also post questions in our forums if you get stuck somewhere:
http://forums.elitegamingcomputers.com/
Hope this helps get you going in the right directions! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Erich says
Just wanted to say thank you for this great and informative list ! Was juggling lots of pre-made computer options before, but was disenchanted with how expensive they are. I will definitely be building either a $400 or $500 machine according to your guide. Thank you so much !
Brent Hale says
Hey Erich, no problem! Good luck with the build and be sure to post pictures of it in the forums when you’re done!
http://forums.elitegamingcomputers.com/
Denise says
Hello, I’m considering purchasing the $700 build. I want to upgrade the video card because my son plays games like call of duty and battle field. What would you suggest? Or would I be better off purchasing the grizzly build?
Brent Hale says
Hi Denise, how’s it going?
The R9 2870 in the $700 build will be able to handle Battlefield and Call of Duty just fine on a 1920×1080 monitor (and even on a 2560×1440 monitor as well.)
So, I would say that you’d be fine sticking with the $700 build.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Rook says
Hi Brent, So I’ve been researching a good PC build for some upcoming games such as “Elite Dangerous”. I was pretty much on track with your $600 build. How do you feel about about that system holding up for the 2015 titles coming up? Is the AMD 6300 cpu going to be able to deal with the next generation gpu if I want to upgrade in a couple years? And I’m seeing a lot of bitcoin miners dumping their Radeon R9 series Graphic cards on Ebay , How do you feel about buying one of these used cards if your really tight on money? Thanks, Rook
Brent Hale says
Hey Rook, how’s it going?
The $600 build should hold up well for the next couple of years. And, if the FX-6300 starts slacking, it will be an easy upgrade to an FX-8350 or 8370..
As for buying a video card on eBay, I’m not really sure how eBay handles seller guarantees, but I’d be a little wary. If you feel comfortable, though, with a particular seller, then by all means jump on it. Just know that you may not have the same protection and 30-day guarantee that most online retailers provide (as well as the manufacturer’s warranty.)
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Matt says
Hello I recently built your $600 build and I’m having an issue where the graphics card won’t show a display when in the first PCI-E slot. I switched the card to the second slot and it worked. I was just curious is there anything I can do to make the first slot work? If not is it going to really effect my performance with using the 2nd PCI-e slot? Thank you for your guide!
Brent Hale says
Hey Matt, sorry for the trouble you’re having.
First off, just to be clear, are your components the same that are listed in the current $600 build? Or was it from a different set of components from a past update? If so, list those components here so I can see what you’re working with.
Matt says
Thank you for your response, the build was the same other then the video card, when I had ordered the card that was listed was the MSI AMD Radeon R9 270X Gaming 2GB GDDR5 2DVI/HDMI/DisplayPort PCI-Express Video Card.
Brent Hale says
It’s tough to say what the problem is without being able to play with the computer. It works when you plug it into the black PCIe port, right?
My initial feeling is that there’s some setting in your BIOS that needs to be changed. The other possibility could be your RAM. If you haven’t already, try reseating your RAM. It’s possible that you have a defective motherboard, or memory, as well.
This thread on Tom’s Hardware shows other people are having similar issues:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/320888-30-asus-m5a97-boot
My best advice would be to call ASUS support and see if they have an easy solution since it seems to be a common problem.
Matt says
Yes it works in the black port, but wont in the other. Do you have any idea what I can check in the Bios to see if there is a way to switch? Also how much will my performance suffer by leaving it plugged into the other slot? I tried out a game called space engineers which I can’t imagine is to demanding on the system, but it seemed to play perfectly fine. Thanks again for all your help.
Lockharte9 says
Hello, before this site’s last update, I remember there being a section with recommended hardware such as a screen, mouse, headset, keyboard, etc. I was wondering if you could put that back on the page or simply reply to this comment with the items used. Thank you.
Brent Hale says
Hey Lockharte9, how’s it going?
Yes, I did have a section under each build that had some recommended peripherals. I will look to get those added again in the near future. In the meantime, this page still has the recommended peripherals:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/gaming-computers
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Curtis says
Hello I posted comments yesterday, but i still don’t see them! I am new to building PC’s and I took the parts from your list to try and build a good gaming PC that i don’t have to overclock because I am not to sure of the process! I changed the motherboard from my last 2 posts because i seen that you recommended something else for a person who did not want to overclock!
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit, System Builder OEM DVD 1 Pack (New Packaging)
MSI ATX DDR3 2600 LGA 1150 Motherboards H97 GAMING 3
Samsung SATA 1.5 Gb-s Optical Drive, Black SH-224DB/BEBE
Antec VP-450 450 Watt Energy Star Certified Power Supply
Rosewill Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case CHALLENGER
Seagate Barracuda 500 GB HDD SATA 6 Gb/s NCQ 16MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive ST500DM002
Crucial Ballistix Sport XT 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) CL9 at 1.5V UDIMM 240-Pin Memory Modules BLS2C4G3D169DS3
EVGA GeForce GTX 660 SUPERCLOCKED 2048MB GDDR5 DVI HDMI DP Graphics Card 02G-P4-2662-KR
AMD FD6300WMHKBOX FX-6300 6-Core Processor Black Edition
Brent Hale says
Hey Curtis, how’s it going?
Everything looks great, except for your motherboard/CPU combo. You have chosen an Intel motherboard (socket LGA 1150) and an AMD processor (FX-6300).
Unfortunately, Intel motherboards and AMD CPUs aren’t compatible with each other. So, you have two options…
1. Change your motherboard to an AMD AM3+ motferboard.
2. Change your CPU to an Intel Core LGA 1150 CPU
If you don’t mind increasing your budget, your best bet would be to go with option #2 and upgrade the CPU to an Intel Core i5-4590.
If you don’t want to increase your budget, then stick with the FX-6300 and get a motherboard like this:
Gigabyte GA-970A-D3P AM3+ Motherboard
Also, I would say depending on the price that you’re getting the GTX 660 for, maybe look at a GTX 760, R9 280, or R9 270x. If you can get those for a cheaper or comparable price to the GTX 660, I’d get those video cards instead. And, if you do get one of those video cards, you’ll have to upgrade your power supply to something like the XFX Core Edition PRO550W.
Ultimately, though, your build will be fine once you swap either the motherboard or processor out.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Curtis says
Thank you for the reply! since this is my first build I just went with your 700 dollar build! I just really want to play games like Titanfall , elder scrolls online and dc universe!! Thank you again, this website has helped me out a lot and i already signed up for the guide!!!!!
Brent Hale says
No problem Curtis! That build should allow you to max those games out. Good luck with the build and let us know if you need any help! And be sure to post pictures of the final build in the forums!
http://forums.elitegamingcomputers.com/
Best,
Brent
death.feast says
Hey, thanks for the guide. I will be going for the 400-500 price tag. 10 out of 10 for the guide. I will be thanking you when my cpu is done!
Brent Hale says
Hey death.feast! Glad you found the guide useful! Best of luck to you on your build, and if you want, we’d love to see pictures of your finished build on the forums:
http://forums.elitegamingcomputers.com/
All the Best,
Brent
David says
Hi Brent I really enjoyed your guide!
This will be the first time building a PC. I have watched several guides so I don’t think the assembling will be to big of a problem ;) but some advice on the parts would be great.
I live in Sweden so I don’t have access to all of the components in your list so I have made my own list on the uk amazon.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/registry/wishlist/ABW03VISNEIG/ref=cm_sw_r_ip_wl_o_Wsuvub09R5PV5
I have gone for a 500-700 build and I’d like to be able to upgrade it later on.
If you have the time to check it out and give me some advice i’d appreciate it!
Brent Hale says
Hey David, thanks for reading and posting your question!
I’m not sure if it’s a problem on my end, or if you’ve updated it since you’ve posted it, but when I click on that link all I see are two items (Kingstom RAM, and an XFX R9 270).
Those two items look good, of course! If you’ve updated it recently and you still want my opinion, send it back with the full list and I’ll check it out.
Johny says
Hi guys,
I want to buy a gaming PC and i came across this,
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Gamer-PC-AMD-Vishera-FX-6300-6×3-5GHz-Radeon-R9-270X-2GB-8GB-RAM-1TB-HDD-/190931195442?pt=DE_Technik_Computer_Peripherieger%C3%A4te_PC_Systeme&hash=item2c7462d632
I have never bought any gaming pcs or pc components yet so i have no clue if this setup is good or not.
(I apologize for grammar, I am not native anglish speaker)
Brent Hale says
Hey Johnny, how’s it going?
The specs of that computer don’t look bad (would like to see a little bigger power supply, though), but my main concern is buying it through eBay.
It looks like there’s some sort of guarantee they’re giving, but I can’t tell what it is. In my opinion your better bet would be either to build the system yourself, or if you absolutely have to buy it pre-built, get it from a more reputable manufacturer.
Hope this helps! let me know if you have any other questions.
Dave says
So I’m a complete noob at everything that has to do with building a computer. Is there a video or another article that could inform me about how to build a pc?
Rick says
If there aint one here then theres over a million you can find by just typing these keywords in google “building pc guide”. Ohh and BTW dont try to build a pc without looking at one, if your truly new. Chances are you might fry your components with a simple electric shock by handling it lol that would realy suck. So find one of the video guides and follow them step by step and remember to discharge any electricity running through your body by grounding yourself.
(You can ground yourself by touching a metal material ex your computers metal casing should do the trick, also recommend not moving around much so perpare beforehand)
GL mate
Brent Hale says
Hey Dave, how’s it going?
As Rick said there are quite a few guides out there that will take you through the step-by-step process of building your own system.
You can get the EGC guide for free here:
https://elitegamingcomputers.com/how-to-build-a-gaming-computer/
This is also a really good video tutorial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_56kyib-Ls
And, again, there are plenty more free guides out there at your disposal as well.
Another good tip is to make sure you have internet access (preferably with a laptop, but a smartphone will work, too) so that you can get on some help/troubleshooting forums if something goes wrong during your build.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Rick says
Im building a heavy gaming PC, for playing games on high to ultra high graphics and want to know if this build would satisfy my needs?
BTW i emm in france so i cant get some of the stuff you guys got in usa (all being bought from amazon.fr).
CPU: Intel Haswell Processor Core i5-4430 / 3.00 GHz 4 core Socket-LGA1150 6 Mo Cache box version
Graphic card: ASUS GTX760-DC2OC-2GD5 graphic card NVIDIA Active
Hard drive: Western Digital Blue Desktop WD10EZEX – internal hard drive 3.5” SATA III 7200 rev/min Memory cache 64 Mo 1 To
RAM: G.Skill F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL
Motherboard: MSI 970 Gaming Carte mère AMD ATX Socket AM3+
Power supply: Corsair Alimentation PC CX Series CX500 – 80 PLUS Bronze ATX 500W (CP-9020047-EU)
Casing: Advance 8102B0 X11 case PC Gamer in plastic ATX black
Dimensions(LxHxP): 445 x 200 x 473 mm
Price for this Rig is 697 euros with possible shipping and handling fees (they all said free shipping but this is amazon were talking about lol).
Brent Hale says
Hey Rick, how’s it going?
The only problem I see is the motherboard. You have and AMD AM3+ motherboard in your list, but you need an Intel LGA 1150 motherboard.
And, since you’re not overclocking, an H87 or H97 LGA 1150 motherboard would be your best bet. Something like this would work:
MSI H97 Gaming 3 Carte mère Intel ATX Socket LGA1150
And, I’d also recommend upgrading to the newer i5-4460 for only a few bucks more:
Intel i5-4460 Processeur 4 coeurs
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Rick says
Doing pretty good Brent and feel even better now that you’ve saved me 30 euros. That Intel core I5 4460 is actually 5 euros less then the intel I5 4430, if you can believe it lol. Nice save on that mother board BTW i’d be devestated if one of my parts was non compatible with it, plus the one you recommended was 25 euros less!!
So i’d like to say thanks Brent your a “life saver” or money saver which ever you perfer and I like the response time too, unlike some sites where you wait years for a response.
Brent Hale says
No problem, Rick! Glad to help out. Let me know if you need anymore help and best of luck with your build. (And, don’t forget to post pictures of your new setup in the forums once it’s up and running!)
Sam Froggy says
I was wondering if you have made videos or will make videos to demenstrate the performance of these computer parts lists you have compiled.
Marlon says
Hey there,
You can always look for benchmarks for the specific or a combination of the specs.
Brent Hale says
Hey Sam, how’s it going?
Unfortunately, I don’t have benchmark videos for each of the builds. The reason for this is that I update the components on a weekly basis (at least I try to) to accommodate for the constantly changing prices of computer components and therefore it would be impossible to buy all the new components and make a new video every week.
However, as Marlon noted, there are many websites that have benchmarks for the different video cards in a variety of games. Those will give you a good idea of kind of performance you can expect from each build.
If you have a specific game in mind, I can let you know how each of the builds listed above will perform in that game. Just let me know!
And, if you have any other questions, feel free to ask!
Alex says
Would the sentey gs-6090 be fine to use on the $700 build?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00MNS0D5Y?cache=7954bb8e36390d9d8f530d5af63b3224&pi=SY200_QL40&qid=1414372051&sr=8-16#ref=mp_s_a_1_16
Marlon says
Hey there,
I think it’s fine enough. With a variety of features and some built-in fans, it would be a good option.
Brent Hale says
Hey Alex, thanks for reading and commenting!
Yep, the Sentey will fit the $700 build just fine as the case allows for a video card up to 340mm in length, and the R9 280 is about 295mm.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Tony says
Hi, Brent,
Great site. Thanks for all the great info.
I’d like to build a capable system for the X-Plane flight SIM. Starting with one monitor, maybe adding two more at a later date. Any recommendations? Thanks in advance.
Brent Hale says
Hey Tony, how’s it going?
I’m not familiar with X-Plane, but looking at the requirements (found here) I’d say you could run it with most of the builds listed above.
However, the requirements seem kind of vague. Game debates requirements suggest that you don’t need too high-end of a video card… but those requirements aren’t always spot on.
My gut feeling says you’d be fine with the $500, $600, and $700 builds. And, you can definitely add more monitors to those later on.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Katie C. says
Ok so I have followed your choices kinda. Let me see if you agree these pieces would work efficiently. This is my first build and im kind of excited to be trying this.
Rosewill case with 3 fans included its a mid tower with options of micro atx as well as atx
motherboard asus 5m78l-m lx plu
cpu amd fx-6300
gpu GeForce 750 gtx
psu kentek 600w
hdd western digital 1tb picked this one up for $39
odd Samsung 24xsata
ram 2x4gb crucial ballistix sport
Tbh my laptop just isn’t getting the action and fps that I need to play world of warcraft. I have almost rebuilt my son’s computer but I had the old components to kind of show me the map of the way. I plan on building mine from scratch.
Does this build look viable to you?
Thank you very much for putting the help list up on this site.
justin allen says
so you want 39$ for your laptop. do you want money or an xbox 360
Brent Hale says
Hi Katie, how’s it going?
Everything looks good except for the power supply. Kentek is on the bottom of the barrel when it comes to power supplies. That’s while you’ll find that they’re able to sell 600W PSUs for ridiculously low prices.
If you want an affordable quality power supply that will power your setup, go with the Antec VP-450 listed in the $400 build.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Eddy brady says
Hi Brent, great article, I’m going to purchase the 400$ computer which is already built that is near the start of the article, I believe it’s called the hornet. Anyways this is my first gaming of and I want to know will it be hard to build once delivered? And would my local computer shop build it for me if I cant? Thanks, keep up the great work.
Marlon says
Hey there,
As far as I’m concern, as long that you know how to use a screwdriver and know how to ready, you can assemble that build by yourself, seriously. If you’re really are unsure about it, you can use a secondary computer or mobile phone to download a video on how to fully assemble a whole PC setup. As based on my experience, I never trust anyone except those who are honest, that would build MY rig in the first place…
I hope that this would be helpful. Best of luck for you..
Marlon says
ready* = READ..
lol, my typo erros tho..
Eddy says
Thanks a bunch Marlon, do you think the the $400 pc is good? I just want it to play day z on mainly..
Marlon says
Hmmm, Day Z is a quite demanding game. You can play it though, but on lower settings with reduced resolutions. If you want to enjoy it on ultra settings, better go for the $500 or $600 build; those 2 builds are more than powerful enough to play Day Z
Katie c says
Is there a significant difference between the fx-6300 and the fx-6100. I purchased a “new” opened box cpu and the box says fx-6300 but the product model number is for a fx-6100 yea sad this was.
Im afraid they are going to try and put it back on me so I may be stuck with it.
Also, on my case where u pull the front off to place the dvd-rom and other things there are 2 metal pieces in front of the expansion bays. Am I suppose to pull these off if im putting more into it?
Thank you very much again for your time and patience.
Katie
Brent Hale says
Hi Katie, how’s it going?
Most people probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the 6100 and the 6300. However, the 6300 is built on better architecture and therefore provides better performance per clock cycle.
In my opinion, if you paid for the 6300, you should do everything you can to try and get them to fulfill their end of the deal. If they won’t budge, then the 6100 will be fine.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Jakub says
Hello. Nice guide.
I want to build gaming pc with cca 750 E budget (950$) but unfornatelly not all parts I want are available to be shipped to my country by amazon, so I needed to change them a bit.
Can u please give me an advice, because this is my first time building PC.
Here are parts I am sure that can be good in that range:
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K Processor 3.5 GHz LGA 1150 BX80646I54690K
Motherboard: ASUS Z97-A
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX760 SuperClocked w/EVGA ACX Cooler 2GB GDDR5 256bit, Dual-Link
HDD: WD Blue 1 TB Desktop Hard Drive: 3.5 Inch, 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64 MB Cache – WD10EZEX
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) CL9 @1.5V UDIMM 240-Pin Memory BLS2CP4G3D1609DS1S00
Price: 600 Euro
Here are parts I am not sure and I need to ship them from another store than amazon.
Case and power supply for this setup.
I choose
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 Advanced Black
Power supply : Cooler Master 550W GM
Wanted XFX supply but I cant find it in my country.
Price: 150 E
Overall price is 750 E
Will it work with that case and power supply?
Or are there any better in this range?
Will be happy for answer.
Wish a good day
Jakub
Marlon says
Hey there,
Your whole build is fine. It is powerful enough for demanding games. Although I would like to have some suggestions:
About the CPU, if your not planning to overclock, you can always get the non-K version (i5-4690) for a slightly lower price. And if ever you’re stickin’ with that GPU, you can also step down a bit on your CPU: on the i5-4460, and the having instead of the asus z97-a with a good motherboard with a h97 intel chipset. BUT, if you’re planning to have upgrades in the future, then stick with that build buddy, and probably buy an aftermarket cooler, such as one of the example on the guides.
I think that would be all. I hope this could be helpful. And I’m always open to suggestions.
Marlon says
“demanding games”: not all, but most of them..
Marlon says
And wait, their is one last thing; if you’re gonna overclock, then get at least a 600~800 watt PSU with a 80 PLUS certification, so that you will not encounter problems…
Jakub says
Hi. Thanks for your advice.
I do not plan overclocking.
Main reason I want that PC is for playing and streaming League of Legends on stable high FPS and maximum quality. So streaming is the main reason of buying new PC.
For sure I would like to play new games but dont require ultra max details :)
If u have any suggestions when u know my main goal with this computer I would be happy.
Jakub
Brent Hale says
Hey Jakub, how’s it going?
Yes everything you’ve chosen is compatible and all looks good. Like Marlon said, if you don’t want to overclock, you should drop to an i5-4460 or 4590, and a quality H97 motherboard. That might give you enough to stretch your budget to go up to a GTX 970.
Other than that, though, everything looks great! And, whether you stick with the GTX 760 or try and stretch your budget to get a better video card (like the GTX 970) you’ll be able to max out pretty much any game on a 1920×1080 monitor.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Jakub says
Hello again.
So I decided to go for lower motherboard as H97 as u told me.
Whitch one do you recomend to this computer build?
I also decided to drop CPU as advised
Marlon says
What do you mean? the peripherals?
It’s listed on each build. Try to find one that suites for you
Marlon says
What do you mean? the peripherals?
It’s listed on each build. Try to find one that suites for you.
arnaud says
Hi Brent,
Nice guide!
Just one question.
Shoul i buy one CPU COOLER ? i don’t see it clearly in your component choice.
I have this configuration:
EVGA GeForce GTX 660 Superclocked – 2 Go
AMD FX 6300 – Black Editio
MSI 970A-G46
NZXT Source 210 Elite
THX :)
Arnaud
Brent Hale says
Hey arnaud, thanks for reading and commenting!
The CPU will come with a stock cooler that will work fine as long as you’re not overclocking. If you plan on overclocking then you could get something like this:
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Though, you’d probably want to look at a 990FX AM3+ motherboard if you’re planning on overclocking the FX-6300.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Aaron says
would the AMD FX-6300 work for the 300 dollar pc instead of the AMD A10-6800K APU 3.6GHz?
Brent Hale says
Hey Aaron,
You could put the FX-6300 in the $300 build, but you’d have to switch to an AM3+ motherboard that has onboard integrated graphics.
The downside of doing this, though, is that the integrated graphics are not very good. Ultimately, while the $300 build does serve a purpose, I’d hold off until you can save enough to at least get the $400 build.
If you absolutely can’t spend anymore than $300 on the tower itself, then I’d stay stick with the A10-6800K.
Hope this gives you a better idea of what to do! Let me know if you have any other questions.
JSDarbey says
Hiya Brent,
Thanks so much for posting these builds. My son is about to build his first gaming pc and was every excited when he found your website.
He wants something that will play the upcoming Dragon age release. http://www.game-debate.com/games/index.php?g_id=1883&game=Dragon%20Age%203:%20Inquisition
and I think the $500 system should be fine. However, we’re a bit nervous that he won’t be able to max out the settings.
I think he would really appreciate hearing from you on this.
Thanks again for taking the time to organize all this info!
Cheers
Brent Hale says
Hi JSDarbey, how’s it going?
Sometimes it’s difficult to go off of those pre-released requirements, but in this case I think the $500 build should run it fine on max settings on a 1920×1080 monitor.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
JSDarbey says
Hi again Brent,
We are ready to pull the trigger on the build but have a question about the OS.
If we buy a system builder version of windows 8.1, will we be able to use it to reinstall windows on the same computer should we have to do a wipe? I’m aware that the copy of windows is tied to one computer for all time I just wondered if it was good for one install only on that computer.
Hope that question made sense. Thanks in advance
JS
Richard says
Hi, I have a quick question I’m looking for a good PC to play league of legends on the highest setting with around 80 fps while running smoothly. In addition to having multiple tabs up and possibly stream on twitch tv. Which PC build will be the best for me?
Brent Hale says
Hi Richard, thanks for reading and commenting.
The $700 build would be your best bet as far as maintaining higher FPS when streaming, but you could probably hit your targeted FPS (or close to it) with the $500 and $600 builds as well.
If you have the budget for it, I’d go with the $700 build. However, if you’re working with a tighter budget, even the $500 build should give you good results as LOL isn’t too demanding of a game.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
AceAmir says
I’ve been thinking about building my own gaming pc for a while now. Last week I did some random Googling for “cheap gaming pc” and came across these builds. My budget for the parts, if I were to build one, was about $800, so when I saw the $700 build and its components I said to myself “Hey, that looks like a pretty good build.”
Some Amazon shopping, waiting, and painful assembly of everything later (it was my very first builld, hush) I am now typing this message to you on my brand new pc. And it is AWESOME. If I had a complaint, it’s that the DVD drive does not fit the case properly. Other than that, thus far everything works very well. Thank you for putting this list out there. :)
Brent Hale says
Hey Ace, glad you got your first build up and running and glad we were able to help!
Just out of curiosity and for future updates to this guide, which optical drive and case do you have?
Enjoy your new system!
AceAmir says
Sorry for such a late reply. I followed you build exactly, so I have the Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-01 Mid Tower Gaming and the Samsung SATA 1.5 Gb-s Optical Drive.
Kay says
For the $700 build for cpu, would a i7 quad core work instead?
Brent Hale says
Hey Kay, how’s it going?
Yes, you can definitely put an i7 CPU in the $700 build.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Pat says
Hello there!
I’m looking for a computer that would be able to play league of legends flawlessly (highest settings) while having other programs running in the background such as spotify and multiple tabs of google chrome. Which computer do you recommend for my needs?
Also out of all the computers you have built which do you think generally is the biggest bang for the buck?
thank you
Brent Hale says
Hey Pat, how’s it going?
League isn’t too demanding of a game so you should be able to handle it as well as your other programs pretty easily with the $500 build and up. Even the $400 build should be able to handle that fairly well.
Right now the $500 build is ridiculously good value with the HIS R9 280 only costing $180. The R9 280 can handle any game on a 1920×1080 monitor easily and will even serve you well if you want to go with a 2560×1440 monitor, too.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Brady says
Hey Brent,
I’m looking to play the new World of Warcraft expansion next month and need to build a computer for it, since my laptop is primarily for work and a bit outdated. Will the $700 build run smoothly without lag on ultra settings or would I need to upgrade a few things on it to make that happen?
Appreciate your feedback and great article!
Brent Hale says
Hey Brady, how’s it going? Yes the $700 build will handle WoW fairly easily on ultra settings. The one case, though, where you’ll see a dip in performance is if you do any heavy raiding. Though, big raids on WoW can tax even the most powerful of machines.
Ultimately, though, the $700 build will give you plenty of performance for World of Warcraft.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Zach says
Hi Brent,
I’m looking for a neat budget gaming PC that can play some high quality games such as dayz, GTAV (when it comes out), planetside 2, and more on max settings with fraps recording. I might have a budget from 700 to 900? Please reply I need your help.
Zach says
Do you think this would do the trick for what i described above and if its good enough you could use it in your list
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Snake14777/saved/cjtLrH
Zach says
Sorry that was the wrong thing i meant this
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Snake14777/saved/fTyH99
Brent Hale says
Hey Zach, how’s it going?
It looks good, but I would drop 8GB of memory and upgrade your CPU up to either an FX-8320 or an 8350.
You also need a power supply as well. This one is your best bet if you’re looking for something that is affordable but still maintains good quality:
XFX ATX 550 Power Supply – P1550SXXB9
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Eric says
What would you recommend if I want a SSD for the 400$ build?
Brent Hale says
Hey Eric, it really depends on how much you want to spend. Though, I would say that if you’re willing to spend more, you’d get a better in-game performance boost by putting the extra money into your video card.
If you must have an SSD, I’d say go with an 128GB SSD like this one:
Crucial MX100 128GB SSD
That will give you enough space to hold your operating system and a handful of games as well.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have anymore questions.
Nora says
Hiya, I’m hopefully gonna use the $500 sometime soon but I know next to nothing about computer innards. Besides a monitor, keyboard, mouse and speakers is there any stuff I will need that isn’t on the list? And will I need any extra cooling?
Brent Hale says
Hey Nora, how’s it going?
The only other thing you’ll need is a copy of Windows… either Windows 7 or 8.1 will do. And, you can add extra cooling if you want, but it’s not necessary unless you’re going to be overclocking your CPU.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
HazelNut says
Dear Brent, I’ve posted on this thread a while back, and I accidentally checked
Notify me of follow-up comments by email.
Notify me of new posts by email.
And I just wanna know how to get rid of it, because these new posts are constantly blowing my email, and I would have to manually go back and deleted every notices.
Brent Hale says
Hi HazelNut, when you get a notification email is there not a link at the bottom that will allow you to opt-out of receiving further comment updates?
HazelNut says
Oh wow, Ive never noticed, how embarrassing. Thanks
Aaron Gaeta says
Hello,
I purchased the 500$ build and when installing the last component the HIS graphics card I realized that it requires two 6 pin pci-e connections however the antec vp450p power supply only has one 6 pin.
Is there a workaround ?
Thank you.
-aaron
Brent Hale says
Hey Aaron, how’s it going?
There should have been a molex to PCIe adapter that came with the video card. It will look something like this:
http://www.moddiy.com/product_images/y/002/molex-6pcie__84382_zoom.jpg
Or this:
http://www.systemagnostic.com/wp-uploads/2013/01/molex_pci-e.jpg
That will allow you to connect the second PCIe adapter.
Let me know if you have any other problems!
Exit0010 says
Hello Brent,
Thank you for the reply. Unfortunately the HIS card does not come with the mole PCI-e adapter and they state it is not designed to run with a mole adapter. Is it safe to run with an adapter or should I buy a new power supply?
Thank you,
E
Brent Hale says
Email me at bhale@elitegamingcomputers.com and I’ll help you get sorted out.
Aidan Jaekel says
So with the $600 build will the power supply have the same issue? If so i would like to know as soon as you can tell me this way ill know what to expect.
Brent Hale says
Hey Aidan, no there is no longer an issue as I have updated the builds and have sorted out the problem.
Jack says
Hey Brent,
Im looking at buying the $700 PC build that you have on this amazing website. I do have a question though. The Gigabyte AMD Radeon R9 280 OC 3GB GDDR5 DVI/HDMI/2Mini Display Port PCI-Express Video Card GV-R928WF3OC-3GD that you have listed needs 600W, but the XFX ATX 550 Power Supply – P1550SXXB9 only give 550W. Will this be able to actually power it with only 550W?
Thanks
Brent Hale says
Hi Jack, how’s it going?
The manufacturer overestimates the power supply wattage in order to protect themselves from people who buy cheap power supplies. The XFX 550W unit is a high quality PSU and will easily provide enough power to handle the $700 build.
You can use this power supply calculator to get a good idea of how much power that system will use:
http://www.extreme.outervision.com/secure/psucalculatorpro.jsp
And, if you still don’t feel comfortable you can always go with this unit:
Corsair Builder Series CX 600 Watt
It’s not as highly rated as the XFX unit, but it will do the job as well.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Denise Geoff says
I am wondering on the 700.00 build.. My son wants to stream, make videos and play games like call of duty and battle field. We will b running it on a 1080p monitor. Will this build work for us?
Brent Hale says
Hi Denise, how’s it going?
He”’ probably have to turn down the settings a little bit in order to get a good stream but he should still be able to maintain higher settings on 1080p monitor while doing so.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Denise says
The video card that comes with the $700 build is it enough graphics for my son to play games like call of duty, battlefield and diablo without it lagging? Or should I upgrade the card? Thank u!!
Marlon says
Yes maam, the R9 280 is a powerful card, thus it is capable enough of playing those games fluently, but like sir Brent said, if your son is streaming, better reduce the settings..
Exit0010 says
Hello Brent,
I purchased the $500 system. It seems the antec vp 450 power supply only has one pci-6 pin connector and the HIS iceqx2 Radeon r9 270 requires two 6 pin. Do you have a work around if not what power supply should be used?
Thank you,
e
Shay says
Hi Brent,
Thank you for this guide, I don’t know anything about building my own computer so i was very happy to find this. I don’t really play new PC games, although I may use it to play Skyrim. Mostly I will use it for emulating arcade games and consoles up to PS2 and Gamecube/Wii. Do you know how well the $400 build would be able to run the PCSX2 and Dolphin emulator?
Thank you!
Dahlandre says
i was looking for a rather cheap build that could run lego games minecraft with modsdisney infinity and skylanders both if i can find a way to get the figures cheaply as well as classic 8-Bit emulators on high to medium graphics pre-build if possible and if not just a list of part or you telling me which pc on the list is best for me
Jason says
I just wanted to inform you that your Power Supply link for the $500 build is incorrect..
I check back here every week hoping I have enough money :)
Thanks!
Mikolaj says
What kinds of games will the 700 dollar pc handle?
P.S.
I feel like this is a stupid question with an obvious answer but forgive me, I’m a noob with these kinds of things.
Brandon says
Thanks for doing all the research for us here guys. I’m gonna give you 700 buck build a try around Christmas and hopefully all goes well.
Cameron says
For the $400 build, can I replace the graphics card with the EVGA GeForce GTX 750Ti Superclock ?
Thank you :)
Marlon says
Hey Brent,
I have a question, about the Radeon HD 7850, will it be compatible w/ all the CPUs listed in this guide, coz I’m planning to buy one soon.
I’ll be expecting your reply! Thanks in advance.
Variable.variables says
Here is my current (possible) build.
AMD FX-6350 3.9GHz 6-Core (CPU)
ASRock 980DE3/U3S3 ATX AM3+ (Motherboard)
A-Data 8GB (2*4GB) DDR3-1333 (RAM Sticks)
Hitachi Deskstar 7K2000 2TB 3.5″ 7200RPM (Storage)
Asus GeForce GTX 650 Ti 1GB (Vid. Card)
Cooler Master HAF XM (Black) ATX Mid Tower (Case)
Antec 550W ATX12V (Power Supply)
Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer
Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)
Asus PCE-N10 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 (Wireless Adapter)
Is this a good, compatable, price effective build? (Coming in at around 850 dollars w/rebates and shipping.)
Will it play games such as Skyrim, Planetside 2, and other FPS, MMOs, and RPGs on high-ultra settings?
What is overclocking/is my CPU allowed to overclock?
Do I need an aftermarket heat fan?
Can I install Win. 8 with the Disk drive?
Will I need more RAM or storage?
Sorry for all of the questions… I am actually getting serious about the PC building thing.
Thanks!!
Variables
Marien says
How’s this one in comparison with the 500$ build?
http://austinnotduncan.com/builds/photon/
Lockharte9 says
Hello Brent I was just wondering what settings the 300$ computer could run Minecraft and GTA 5 on (if any one GTA). Thank you for your time.
Allen S. says
Hey Brent!
First I want to say that I am quite pleased that I found your site, you’ve done a great job showing the way for first timers like myself.
I’m looking at the $700 build and want to make it a bit more future proof (as in it will be technologically relevant for longer). I was looking to upgrade to:
Gigabyte H97 SATA Express M.2 SSD UEFI DualBIOS DDR3 1600 LGA 1150 Motherboard GA-H97-D3H
Intel Core i7-2600K Quad-Core Processor 3.4 Ghz 8 MB Cache LGA 1155 – BX80623I72600K
Would the above work well for that build? would I need to upgrade the power supply as well? and of course are there other options you’d recommend more?
I appreciate your expertise and look forward to building my first PC!
Marlon says
Hey there,
Your upgrades are not compatible with each other, as the CPU has a LGA 1155 socket while your given motherboard has a LGA 1150, which aren’t compatible. If I were to get a motherboard for that CPU I would go for motherboards with Intel chipsets such as h77, b75, or z77. Sorry for a late reply. Hope this is helpful and I may not be too late..
Best,
Marlon
zach says
hey Brent I just had a quick question regarding the os recommended for the 500 dollar build. Will I need to download drivers and update the BIOS to run it? IF so could you possibly post where I could find the updates at, thank you
Sam says
Also another question, is there a 1TB HDD alternative to what you have displayed? Either western or seagate is fine with me but I would prefer Western if anything. Thanks in advance.
Sam says
With the 500$ build, can it run SWTOR on max settings? And how big of a difference between the 500$ and 600$ in performance? (I don’t know anything about CPU’s and such.)
Variable.variables says
Which of these builds might be about the same “quality” as one of the the next gen. consoles? Also, what kind of internet speed would be needed to play FPS MMOs?
Jacob Clark says
Hey Brent I have commented before and I did some more research and I have been wondering what kind of fps I would be getting if I played mobas like League of Legends. Another type of game I was wondering what kind of fps I would be getting on a game like Day Z. A reply would be awesome because I’m kinda lost lol, thanks for the info already.
NIRMAL says
I am going to buy 400$ build. How much fps can i get while playing gta4, gta5, call of duty ghost, far cry3, assasin’s creed 4 black flag. Thanks for your article.
Rick says
I have run into a problem with the 400 dollar build and I am hoping you can advise (This is my first build) The Asus motherboard you recommended only has room for two fans, the rear fan and the CPU fan. Every case you have recommended is a dual fan, and I have no idea how to supply power for the front fan. please help.
Brent Hale says
Hey Rick, I’ll be happy to help you out.
You’ll need to connect it via one of the molex connectors on the PSU. They look like this:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Molex_female_connector.jpg/1920px-Molex_female_connector.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1e/Molex_male_connector.jpg/1920px-Molex_male_connector.jpg
Let me know if you’re able to get it going.
Jacob Clark says
Hey I’m looking to build a computer for small less demanding games. This will be my first build so I’m pretty nooby at the whole process. i was just looking for your input on how i should start. Really would love a reply thx man.
Gene Witherup says
Hi Brent. I have posted here before, still cannot resolve the HD to MB problem on the low end system. Has anyone else had this experience with this particular combo?
MB is MSI AM55M-E33. HD is WD 250 GB Caviar Blue. I bought the combo through Amazon, in July. After assembly, the MB BIOS would not recognize the HD. So I sent the HD back direct to supplier, who sent me a new HD. Still the MB would not recognize the HD, I did the usual swap to SATA ports, hooked the HD to my big computer where the BIOS did recognize the HD.
Next I contacted MSI tech support; tech agreed with me that maybe the MB was defective, and they replaced the MB. I just got the new MB installed yesterday, & still have the same problem. The BIOS in the MB does not see a HD attached. The BIOS settings for SATA are only AHCI or IDE. I am about to contact MSI again.
My question to you is has anyone successfully built this combo or had an issue with this combo?
Thanks, Gene
Brent Hale says
Hey Gene, unfortunately there’s no way for me to tell exactly who has purchased that combination to be able to ask them, but I can see that that combination has been purchased multiple times in the passed 4-5 months and, as of yet, you’re the first person who has mentioned having a problem with it.
It’s tough to say what the problem is without looking at the computer itself (if the problem is even capable of being diagnosed.) While unlikely, it’s possible that you’ve gotten back-to-back bad motherboards.
Have you tried flashing the BIOS on the motherboard?
Gene Witherup says
Hi Brent, I’ve tried all the normal stuff plus things that MSI suggested. That included flashing the BIOS, removing the MB battery for a few minutes, etc. Finally they told me to get a different drive. A friend is sending me a Seagate Barracuda 250 GB that he removed from his own computer as he upgraded. When I get that installed I will post the result here.
Gene says
Hi Brent,
As promised I am reporting on the low end system where I could not get the A55M-E33 MB to recognize a new WD 250 GB Caviar Blue hard drive. Today I received a Seagate 250 GB Barracuda from a friend (removed from a RAID system). The BIOS immediately recognized the Seagate & I was able to install Win 7 without any issues. I am truly baffled by this, but anyway I got it running & all appears well. I am also going to report this to MSI.
Quinn Welton says
Hi, I want to build the $600 PC but I was curious how it would perform on games like Battlefield 4 and Arma 2 – 3. Thanks.
Brent Hale says
Hi Quinn, how’s it going?
For the $600 build you’ll be able to play those games on higher settings but with features like AA turned off. I’d expect an average of anywhere from 30-60 FPS depending on the in-game scenario, but probably not much higher than that.
Nick Owens says
Hey man, nice article! I was just curious though, would the $700 gaming PC be able to run Dayz/Arma II and 3 on high settings? If so, would it be running smoothly, with little to no lag?
Brent Hale says
Hey Nick, thanks for reading and commenting.
DayZ and Arma are fairly demanding games, but, yes, the $700 build is powerful enough to play those games at higher settings. Though, as DayZ isn’t fully optimized yet, performance varies and you’ll definitely see some FPS dips more populated areas.
Rupert says
Really helpful article, thank you! Can you suggest a slightly higher end motherboard that would work in this configuration?
Brent Hale says
I’m assuming you’re referring to the ASUS M5A78L-M LX Plus. For a decent–but not too expensive–upgrade, you could go with something like the Gigabyte GA-970A-D3P for about $30 more.
Tybarron says
Can the $400 play games like TF2?
Brent Hale says
Hey Tybarron, thanks for reading and commenting!
Yes, the $400 build will handle TF2 and similar games (graphics-wise) fairly easily.
Variable.variables says
Hello. I am looking to build a fairly cheap gaming PC (maybe around $400 at the max). What components should I use for wireless connection. (I can not connect it to Ethernet). I have also never build a computer before.
Thanks for the guide!
Brent Hale says
Hi Variable, how’s it going?
Your options to make the computer wireless are either to get a wireless PCI adapter (like this one), or a wireless USB adapter (like this one).
There are quite a few step-by-step guides out there that will take you through the building process. You can get my step-by-step guide for free when you signup for the EGC newsletter.
And, there are quite a few YouTube videos out there as well.
Variable.variables says
Are these compatable with almost any build I might choose?
Thanks!
Brent Hale says
Yes, both will work in any of the builds listed above. If you’re putting together you’re own part list and you choose the PCI wireless adapter, you’ll just need to make sure you have a free PCI slot available.
Brennan Sharpe says
Wow, awesome guide. I was just looking for a low cost computer that I wouldn’t use much to sit at the other dest for when a friend came over, and this guide gave me everything I need to build one. Loved how you had the amazon lists pre made, especially because amazon is my shopping website of choice. Thanks a lot.
Flashman says
Have been ugrading and fixing pc & laptops for a few years as a hobby. I want to build an entry level gaming PC with a budget of $650.00. Following are parts I have on hand: 2 Terrabyte Seagate Hybrid drive with 8 GB SSD, Cooler Master Elite 430 Mid Tower, LG Black Blu-Ray Multiburner and Rosewill M650 Modular Power Supply.
Need advice on Processor, Mobo, Ram, & Video Card! Any assistance would be greatly appreciatted.
I have been so busy the last few years the only gaming I’ve done is Microsofts’ Warbirds Flight Simulator.
kevin mccann says
Hey Brent, your a life saver. My 12 year old has been bugging me to build a gaming computer. “Dad can do anything” NOT. I struggled to try and come up with the components and options until I stumbled on your article. My son is primarily an Xbox player but is obsessed with Minecraft. He says make sure the computer can handle Minecraft and possible mods (whatever they are). Can you recommend which system to build and can you recommend a wireless network adapter (I know this is taboo for gamers as a wire connection is best but I have no choice). Thanks in advance for your help, Kevin
Brent Hale says
Hey Kevin, thanks for reading! Glad the site could be of some help to you.
Minecraft isn’t a very demanding game, so if you’re working with a tight budget, you can choose the $300 build (plus ~$90 for a copy of Windows) and he should be able to handle the game just fine.
However, if he wants to play more games, the $500 system through the $700 system will handle pretty much any game out there on max settings on a 1920×1080 monitor.
As for a wireless adapter, you can either go the USB or the PCI route:
Panda 300Mbps Wireless-N USB Adapter
TP-LINK TL-WN881ND Wireless N300 PCI Express Adapter
Either of those will work, but it ultimately depends on what kind of route you have.
The advantage of the USB adapter is convenience, while the PCI adapter will have a little bit more stable connection.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
paul says
hey i wanted to ask if i i build one of the 300 or 400 pc, around how much fps will i get on counter strike cs go
Doug says
Hello Brent,
Thank you for guides. They have been very helpful. I am looking to build a computer to play World of Warcraft expansion coming out in November. Which build would you recommend I purchase to play the game with?
Thanks,
Doug
Josh says
Hi there!
I was looking at the $600 build and I was just wondering if there are some larger sized hard drives that you could get (1 tb?). WD has some good models and I was wondering if any of those would be good for this build.
Help much appreciated!
edwin says
hey Brent the $600 build I want the FX 8320 is that compatible with the mobo you listed and the psu its only 550 watts for the gpu it needs 750 watts….i’m a noob sorry
Brent Hale says
Hey Edwin, how’s it going?
Yes, you’ll be fine with the 8320, but you won’t be able to overclock it with that motherboard. So, as long as you’re okay with that.
And, that power supply will be fine. GPU manufacturers over recommend on PSU wattage in order to accommodate for people who buy cheaply made PSU that put up false wattage numbers. The XFX PSU in the build is a good quality, though, so you’re good to go.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Mrpickle says
Hi Brent,
I really have enjoyed your articles. I just ordered the $600 build and pretty much the only thing I upgraded was the CPU to the FX 8350. I just wanted to double check and make sure that the 8350 CPU will run ok on this set up. I don’t intend to overclock but I may in the future.
Thanks again for your articles and great build ideas.
Brent Hale says
Hey Mrpickle, how’s it going?
Yes, the 8350 will work in the $600 build, but if you want to overclock it you’ll need a 990FX chipset motherboard.
But, if you’re not overclocking you’ll be fine.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Lockharte9 says
Hello Brent, I’ve been watching Youtubers play my favorite games for a while, and I spent so much money on them, yet I’m on a tight budget. I was wondering if the 300$ set could run games such as Rust, Unturned, Dayz, and such smoothly, even if it means minimum settings, thank you for you’re time.
-lockharte9
Aidan Jaekel says
It can should be able to run rust and unturned which are pretty easy games to run although dayz would not be an easy game to run especially with that pc although if the integrated graphics card can pull it off then you should be good to go on dayz with pretty low settings but i would not recommend getting a pc based off of seeing games on youtube you may want to consider looking at games you are interested in on steam and seeing if the pc can handle them generally it should but believe me rust and unturned wont make it worth it and it wont be that cool if you cant play other games you should be able to handle it though but i would recommend checking around on the integrated graphics card if it can pull off more than 512mb of vram your good to go on dayz
Brent Hale says
Hey Lockharte, how’s it going?
The $300 PC is going to struggle with DayZ even on the lowest settings. It just doesn’t have a whole lot of power for today’s more demanding games. It really is only a good option if you play less demanding games.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Valentin says
hey brent im new to the whole computer gaming scene i want a good performing computer but on bugit i dont want to play games like titanfall n such but want to play games like arma 3 dayZ FF:AAR and such any recommendations on want i should get?
Brent Hale says
Hey Valentin, thanks for reading and commenting!
Arma 3 and DayZ are pretty demanding games. You might be able to get by with the $400 system listed above, but you’d have to be on lower settings. In my opinion, if you really want to enjoy those games, you’re best looking at least the $500 build, and probably will want to go for the $600 or $700 build for good performance on a 1920×1080 monitor.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Bluee says
Hey Brent, I was looking at the 700$ build and I was wondering if Intel Core i5-4690S would be a better choice for a higher performance? I’m new to PC building but it has more speed than the one in your build and seems to be just slightly more expensive. Or am I completely wrong on that?
Brent Hale says
Hey Bluee, how’s it going?
There’s nothing wrong with getting the i5-4690s over the 4460 if you don’t mind paying a little more. If you can get it for a similar price then jump on it. Either one is going to give you optimal in-game performance.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
George says
Hi, I am wanting to buy the $600 computer. However I live in the UK , therefore it costs a lot more. I was wondering if there is a big difference in game play between the $500 and $600 ones. Alsoi’m wondering if it’s worth saving for the $600 computer because of games in the future. I play games like League of Legends, Dota 2, World of Warcraft and a few first person shooters such as payday 2.
Valentin says
hey brent im new to the whole computer gaming scene i want a good performing computer but on bugit i dont want to play games like titanfall n such but want to play games like arma 3 dayZ FF:AAR and such any recommendations on want i should get?
Aidan Jaekel says
I would say get the 400$ pc it can run arma 3 for sure and just so you know arma 3 isnt exactly a low end pc game plus if you go the extra mile for a 500$ titanfall is easy to run and titanfall actually requires less to run than it but yes the 400$ build will suit your needs perfectly :)
Arun says
hey Brent can i play Watchdogs on ultra settings with a 1 GB ddr5 graphic card?
Aidan Jaekel says
No unfortunately you can not you had better check the other specs to run watch dogs because that would land you in the minimum :(
wayno says
re: $700. build
the power supply seems a little on the low side – power wise, should we be looking at a higher rated supply?
wouldnt mind a little more for a case, ie, with dual fans
Thanks to any answers!
Brent Hale says
Hey Wayno, how’s it going?
I get asked that a ton about that power supply. However, even that PSU is a little overkill for the $700 system.
Using Outer Vision’s eXtreme PSU Calculator PRO (which you can use here) the $700 build could get by on a good quality 430W PSU that has at least 31.3A on the +12v rail just fine.
So, as you can see, the XFX 550W unit above (which has 45A on the +12v rail) in this build is actually a bit overkill. But, the extra headroom will allow you to upgrade your video card or add to the build later on down the road.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
bleik says
Hey, I was wondering how much fps could I get on a 400$ pc on games like League of Legends? And also, how smooth could it run demanding games such as Assassin’s creed 4, far cry 3, etc.
Thank you for the answer!
Brent Hale says
Hey bleik! How’s it going?
That $400 setup will max out League no problems. However, assuming you’re playing on a 1920×1080 monitor, for AC4 and FC3 you’d have to lower the settings.
The $550 will give you better performance for more demanding games, but if you don’t mind playing on lower settings the $400 build will at least play them on lower settings.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
pilot2fly says
Hey there,
I’m building your $400 system, and I’m wondering about the dual fans in the Rosewill Dual Fans case. There are only 2 fan slots on the ASUS M5A78L-M LX PLUS AM3+ (unless I’m mistaken) and one is going to be for the CPU fan. Is there a way to connect both fans that come with the tower?
Brent Hale says
Hi Pilot, thanks for reading and commenting!
What you’d do is connect the second fan to a molex cable via a molex to 3-pin fan adapter. I’m not one hundred percent sure, but I believe that adapter comes with the case. If you want to play it safe, though, you can get one for cheap:
Zalman ZM-MC1 Multi-connector PS to Add Fan
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Arkimedes says
Hi Brent! I stumbled on your site while Google searching for the minimum components I would need to play League of Legends. Your article was perfect! I loved reading some of the other articles on your site too, especially your discussions about power supplies and the specifics that are really important for building a new system. Keep it up!
Anyway, I’m looking to build a “League Box” for my wife. We’ve been playing together for two years, but her laptop can’t keep up anymore. I’m looking to build the $400 list you recommended, but I’m eyeing a different Apex micro-ATX case with a handle. Could you tell me if the components in the $400 list would fit? Here is the case: APEX TX-381-C Black Steel Micro ATX Tower Computer Case. Thanks for your time!
Brent Hale says
Hey Arkimedes, how’s it going? I’m glad you’ve found the site helpful!
Yep, as the motherboard in the $400 build is micro-ATX, those parts will all fit just fine.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Kevin says
Hello, can you recommend me a wireless adapter that will be able to work for the 500 dollar build? Thank you very much.
Tiago says
Hi , nice builds you did here . I have two questions .
If i buy the 300$ build in the future can i upgrade some components from the other builds?
Can i use the case that shows in the beginning instead of the rosewill ones? If so could you send me the link of it or the name? Thank you for your time and patience :)
Tiago says
Oh and also do you know if the 400$ build would let me play games like cs go , saints row , Cod ghosts at the max?
Aidan Jaekel says
You should be able to run all those games at max although i would not recommend call of duty at all its not worth getting a pc for although if you must waste your time and money it can run it.
Elias says
Hello Brent, I have never built a PC and I know nothing about them. Which one of the desktops that you suggested would be able to handle games like: Minecraft, APB: Reloaded, CS:GO, Unturned, Call of Duty Ghost, and other similar games like that? I want something cheap but that can run well. Please answer me back ASAP. Thank you!
Aidan Jaekel says
Well you could go with the 300$ one although you could go 400$ if you want to play ghosts but its a waste of time and money to get that game when theres plenty others out there
Nicky says
Hi Brent…nice guide…
i have a question…cause i really confuse for my future upgrade…
currently i use :
– AMD FX 4100
– ECS A960M-M2
– Corsair Vengeance 1600
– Corsair VX 550
– WDC Black 1TB
My budget for upgrade $300-$400,…i interest for use Power Color R8 280, and upgrade the procc use FX 6100 ( or FX 8xxx maybe ), and buy a new WDC Green 2TB…the question is..
Can VX 550 will handle it?? its just an 5years old PSU, but i think it should be fine…..
or u can suggest me, what should i do??
my goal is, the game can run well with 1080p, and high setting as posible….
*im sorry if my english really bad,..bcause im indonesia xD…Thx Brent!!
Nicky says
oh…im sorry, the budget is $400-$500…xD
zryus says
will the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO – CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan fit in case.
Nate says
Hi fellow builder – If you’re going for the micro-atx build, and you want one that isn’t too expensive but will be able to fit the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO, I recommend getting this case –
http://www.amazon.com/Rosewill-Micro-ATX-Computer-12-5-Inch-LINE-M/dp/B00AAJ0ZGK/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1407076647&sr=1-1&keywords=rosewill+line-m+case
It’s a bit of a tight fit, but it DOES fit (I did one myself).
A few reasons why I chose that case – the case has dual-mounted 120mm fans already included, one in the front and one in the back for a nice air flow from front to rear.
The front also has a nice mesh for dust-prevention, I installed a 120mm dust cover though just to be extra-cautious on the between the front-mounted fan and the back part of the front mesh cage you can pop off to install your optical drive.
MOST importantly of all – this is about the only micro-atx “mini-tower” you can get that’s wide enough to fit the CM Hyper 212 EVO.
Yes, there’s a blue LED light pre-installed with the front 120mm fan, but if you dont want that, CAREFULLY remove the light or snip the wire (read the manufacturer website first before you cut any wires!) to disable it.
If you’ve already got a different, slightly narrower case, then I recommend this CPU Cooler –
http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-212-RR-212E-20PK-R2/dp/B005O65JXI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407076779&sr=8-1&keywords=cooler+master+hyper+212+evo
Hope this helps, and have fun with your build! :)
Richard says
Hello,
I’ve watched a bit of a Newegg video about building a PC. He did an external build first, but I’m kind of confused by all the wiring, and I’m afraid of me messing up the wiring when I do build a PC. It seems simple, but I got kind of lost when the power supply comes in. What exactly is PCI Express and those two other things that you plug into the motherboard?
I’ve also watched a video about installing an AMD CPU, and their heatsinks have a different design. Is there a right or wrong way to attach the hooks on the sides of the heatsink? It’s kind of hard to explain. Also, should I make a little knot in order to shorten the wiring from the heatsink?
Rhett says
Hey, Brent. I was just looking at the $700 build. I read some specs on the R9 280 and that XFX 550 power supply and it doesn’t seem like the two are compatible. Now, I don’t know a ton about this stuff and this is going to be my first PC build, but when I sent the parts list to a PC gaming friend of mine, he pointed that out.
HIS seems to recommend at least a 750W power supply for that card and my buddy has also questioned if it has the right connectors.
I’ve already ordered that package, so am I going to be good to go?
Brent Hale says
Hi Rhett, how’s it going? Thanks for reading and commenting.
The XFX Core Edition PRO550W is more than capable of powering a system with an R9 280 in it.
The reason why HIS is recommending a 750W PSU is to protect themselves from people who purchase cheap, low-end power supplies from manufacturers who place higher wattage labels on their units than they really should.
Check out this power supply calculator:
http://www.extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine
If you plug-in the specs for the system into that calculator, you’ll see that the $700 build would easily get by on even a quality 450W power supply. However, wattage isn’t the most important factor to look at in a PSU. The most important thing to look at is the amperage rating on the +12v rail.
The XFX Core Edition PRO550W unit has a +12v rail with 45A on it. By using the pro version of the PSU calculator listed above, it determines that the $700 system will require a PSU that has at least 31.2A on the +12v rail. So, ultimately, the XFX power supply will not only handle this build, but it will give you a ton of headroom as well.
To further put your mind at ease, check out this constantly updated Power Supply tier list on TomsHardware.com:
http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1804779/power-supply-unit-tier-list.html
You can see that they rate the XFX Core series PSUs in Tier 2A, which is excellent for a $60 unit.
As for the cables, the HIS R9 280 requires one 8-pin PCIe power connector and one 6-pin PCIe power connector. The XFX unit has two 6+2-pin PCIe power connectors, which can be used as either 6-pin or 8-pin PCIe connectors. So, you’re fine there as well.
Hope this helps clear that up a little bit. If you have any other questions, let me know!
Trey says
For the $400 build, can I replace the graphics card with a 750 ti SC?
zryus says
Is all of this compatible because the mother board can’t fit in the small tower case from what i’ve heard
Brent Hale says
Hi Zyrus, how’s it going?
Yes, all of these builds are compatible. All of the cases listed in the builds above are micro-ATX cases and all of the motherboards listed are micro-ATX motherboards. So, the motherboards will definitely fit.
That’s not to say that you can’t get a bigger case if that’s what you prefer, though.
zryus says
Hi
i just wanted to know if you know what network adapters would work with the $600 build, and if the case is large enough to fit anything that’s not listed in
Brent Hale says
Hey Zyrus, you can either go with a USB wireless adapter, or a PCIe adapter. PCIe adapters are known to be a little more reliable, but USB adapters are much more convenient.
If you want a PCIe adapter, I’d go with something like this:
TP-LINK TL-WN881ND Wireless N300 PCI Express Adapter, 2.4GHz 300Mbps
And, if you want a USB adapter, I’d go with something like this:
Panda 300Mbps Wireless-N USB Adapter
The $600 build has a micro-ATX case which is a little smaller than standard mid tower cases. It really depends on what else you would want to add. If you want to add another hard drive, or optical drive, the Rosewill Dual Fans will allow you to do that.
If, however, you want to add a second video card, a tall CPU cooler, or more fans, you’ll need to upgrade your case (and you motherboard if you want to add another video card.)
So, ultimately, It really depends on what other components you want to add.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Robert S says
Hey again. (Talking about the 500$ build) Can i switch the ASUS M5A78L-M LX PLUS for ASUS M5A78L-M LX3 or ASUS M5A78L-M/USB3 ?
Brent Hale says
Yes, those changes will be fine. Just note that none of these boards, including the LX PLUS are good options if you want to overclock in the future. But, if you want to run at stock settings they will be fine.
Robert S says
Thank you for the answer and which motherboard would you suggest, if i wanted to OC it later?
Joseph says
Hi Brent, I need to know what the cheapest gaming desktop that can run Rome 2 and other total war games on ultra settings.
Brent Hale says
Hi Joseph, how’s it going?
Total War: Rome 2 is actually a pretty demanding game. It depends on your monitor resolution, but if you’re using a 1080p monitor, then I think you’re looking at the $700 build at the very least and even that setup won’t allow you to have AA, 8XAF, and the texture resolution on high. If you want those settings maxed out as well, you’ll probably want to get a big video card like the GTX 780 or R9 290.
So, it really depends on your budget and your monitor resolution.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Robert says
Hey, just wanted to ask, does it make a big difference if i choose Asus Radeon R9 270 or like MSI RADEON R9 270 instead of the HIS Radeon R9 270 if we leave the price aside?
Brent Hale says
Hi Robert, how’s it going?
Typically, there ins’t a significant difference in performance between one brand’s video card and another. Sometimes a video card brand (like ASUS or MSI) will put out a special edition of the card, and that one will offer some more performance over the basic version of the card.
But, for the basic versions of the video cards, the differences between brands are very small.
Ultimately, since I update these builds a few times a month, I try to select the one that is the least expensive of the bunch at the time. However, prices change on a daily basis, so the one in the build now may not reflect the least expensive card at the time.
Either way, any of the R9 270s will be good options.
Hope this helps!
Richard says
Hello, I’m thinking of getting the $500 build in the near future. I am also a complete newbie when it comes to building PCs. WIll I need to buy some cables? Is it possible to overclock it?
Brent Hale says
Hey Richard, how’s it going?
For these builds, they typically come with all of the cables you need. The only thing you may need to get is an extra SATA cable, but usually the motherboard has an extra one.
You can mildly overclock the $500 build, but I wouldn’t push it too far as that motherboard and the stock CPU cooler weren’t designed for overclocking. If you want better overclocking performance, you’d need to spend at least $100 on a motherboard, plus at least $30 or so (for the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO) on a CPU cooler.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
RIchard says
Hello,
Thank you. I’ve watched a bit of a Newegg video about building a PC. He did an external build first, but I’m kind of confused by all the wiring, and I’m afraid of me messing up the wiring when I do build a PC. It seems simple, but I got kind of lost when the power supply comes in. What exactly is PCI Express and those two other things that you plug into the motherboard?
I’ve also watched a video about installing an AMD CPU, and their heatsinks have a different design. Is there a right or wrong way to attach the hooks on the sides of the heatsink? It’s kind of hard to explain. Also, should I make a little knot in order to shorten the wiring from the heatsink?
David says
So, I’m thinking of getting the 700 build, but I really dislike windows 8. Could I get Windows 7 for it instead?
Brent Hale says
Hey David, how’s it going?
Yes you can absolutely use Windows 7 instead of Windows 8. Just know that there are a few benchmarks out there that show that Windows 8 does give a performance boost in some scenarios.
And, Microsoft tried to forego bringing an earlier version of DirectX 11 to Windows 7, when Windows 8 was first released. They ultimately ended up giving in due to pressure from Windows 7 users, but I believe that’s a sign that they’re hoping to cut off important updates to Windows 7 sooner rather than later.
Just something to consider…
Let me know if you have any other questions!
HazelNut says
Hey Brent. I’ve been reading your guide and don’t know if I am sure about the computer that I want. The $500 PC would need all of my savings (windows 8 and what not). Im not an average gamer with all the Planetside 2, Guild wars and stuff like that. I play much simpler things such as league of legends, this FPS called Combat Arms, Minecraft(yes I know), left 4 dead 2, and TF2, games like that. I just want to be 100% sure that I can be satisfied with thr $500 PC’s performance. You know, with good fps on good settings. And will it be hard to assemble?
Sorry if I am asking too much, but I just want to be 100% sure about this purchase..
Thanks
Brent Hale says
Hey HazelNut, thanks for reading and commenting.
Since you’re not playing too demanding of games, the $500 build will definitely allow you to max those games out.
Assembly isn’t as hard as you’d think. Every component has its own place and a lot of it is self explanatory. However, you can download our free step-by-step guide and/or you can watch some building videos on YouTube.
The manuals that come with each component are also very helpful.
Ultimately, if you can operate a screwdriver, I’m pretty confident you can build your own computer.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Carlson says
I just have one question. Does it really matter what case you choose or is it basically the same setup?
Brent Hale says
Hey Carlson, how’s it going?
As long as the case is big enough to house the components (motherboard size, power supply size, CPU cooler height, and video card length will typically determine that) then it will be fine.
For the builds listed in this article, pretty much any mid tower or microATX tower will be fine. Just check to make sure it will fit the components before you get it.
Hope this helps! If there is any specific case you were looking at, let me know what it is and which build you were looking at and I’ll make sure it’s compatible.
Ervim says
Hello guys,
As I live in Portugal, buying my Computer components at Amazon would be really expensive.
So, I decided to buy them at a local shop, but I’m not sure that all them are compatible.
Before I make some mistake, I would apreciate if you could check my list that is similar to the 400$ computer:
•CPU – AMD FX-6300
•Motherboard – ASUS M5A78L-M LX PLUS AM3+ (
•Video Card – ASUS Radeon R7 260X DirectCU II OC 2GB GDDR5
•RAM – Crucial Ballistix Sport 4GB
•HDD – Seagate Barracuda 7200.14 1TB SATA3
•Case – RoAeroCool V3X Advance Black Edition
•Power Supply – Tacens Mars Gaming 500W
Thanks!
Brent Hale says
Hi Ervim, thanks for reading and commenting!
That’s a solid list, but I’m not exactly sure about the power supply, as I’ve never heard of Tacens. I’m sure it will be fine to power that system, but there are some shady power supply manufacturers out there. Since I’m not familiar with European PSUs you might have to search for some reviews online.
Other than that, that setup will give you good performance for a budget system.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Nick says
Hello,
So i made a list i am at 700$ and i think it will have a very good performance.
However i live in belgium and cannot get those parts here it would be too expensive for me.
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/realfree/saved/3qn8TW
It should do good on all modern games?
Brent Hale says
Hey Nick, how’s it going?
Yes that setup is definitely solid and will max out pretty much any game on a 1920×1080 monitor!
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Henry says
I really only play one game but my 7 year old system is suffering from lag from the non-challenging graphics from World of Warcraft.
What I’m asking is that of the systems you have put togetehr for us, which one would be the absolute minimum I should consider to get really good performance when raiding and such online.
Here’s hoping to hear back from you soon.
Henry
Brent Hale says
Hey Henry, how’s it going? I’d probably look at the $400 or $500 builds. The $500 will max WoW out no problems, but if your budget-conscious then you could get by with the $400 build and still get good performance.
Hugo says
Could I add a solid state hard drive to the 600 or 700 hundred dollar pc and what games could the 600 and 700 dollar pc run and on what graphics settings.
SteephenJ says
Hi, I’m not Brent but I did build the $700 one.
I can tell you that most games will run at max settings on that build. The most demanding game I play is SWTOR and it runs at 60 fps at max settings without a problem during PVP which is where the most action takes place.
Lockharte9 says
Hello, I was wondering, Right now I’m using an acer aspire and it’s really crappy, I’m getting sick of all the lag in games and I’m on a tight budget. I was wondering if the 300$ could run games such as Rust, Unturned, and Dayz in minimal graphics settings smoothly? Thank you for this forum, it’s awesome.
-Lockharte9
Vasuki says
Guys can u suggest the recommended config for a pc powering AMD FX 9590
flickers says
is all this build is compatible to be use in all countries?
Steephenj says
Hey Brent,
I just got done putting together my computer.
I had a bit of trouble figuring out how to install the Radeon card but at the end I was able to.
This computer is a beast dude.
Right now I’m running SWTOR and Heroes of Newerth at the same time with high settings and it acts like nothing happened.
I ended up spending a little over $1000. I bought a 22 LED monitor, a gaming mouse and keyboard, windows 8 and a USB Wifi adapter.
I really appreciate your help on this, first time ever building a computer and it went great.
I didn’t use any tutorial or anything. I kinda just figured out which plug fit where and seemed to work just fine.
Again, thanks for your effort in putting this together.
Alexander Lucky says
Goodevening sir brent. Can i have a question. Can i play dota 2 on $300 build up? Its my first time to build a computer. Can u suggest also what build up should i make to play dota 2 on a max settings. Sorry for my bad english. Thank you sir!
Probal malakar says
Hey Brent, I am Probal and I am from India.
I am pretty much impressed with your articles. I started building custom desktops last year. I am an architecture student and all of the computers have been for my batch mates. Took a while to get a hang of it but then it turned out to be a hobby and I pretty much enjoy assembling those gorgeous hand picked parts. Due to low budget I had to stick to consumer grade parts for my builds and they all have performed exceptional.
I would love if u do an article on budget friendly parts for a desktop. Softwares like AutoCAD architecture, Google sketchup, lumion, revit, rhino, 3ds max are of interest. In short the parts who can assist fast drafting and rendering.
Thanks in advance
Shiro Rifqi says
Hello Brent. Thanks for the great article. I have a question. Can the 600$ build play Watch_Dogs in Ultra settings? thanks :D
Kurt says
Hey Brent, I was curious as to which build would be best for Planetside 2 that would run at a decent FPS rate, but not so much graphics wise. Which build would be best?
Thanks.
Darian Gray says
I’ve never built a computer and am a little scared to. Are they rather easy to build? If not are there any pre-built computers (preferably laptops) in the $550-620.00 price range that you would recommend?
Joon says
P.S And also does it matter if i used a intel i7 processor.
Thanks
Brent Hale says
In order to use an i7 CPU in the $600 build you will have to swap out the motherboard for one that supports an Intel CPU.
So, you’d need an LGA 1150 motherboard.
However, if you want to spend the extra money to go all the way up to an i7, I’d recommend instead that you go with an i5 CPU and use the extra $100 to upgrade your video card.
So, instead of adding an i7 CPU to the $600 build, it would be better to add this combination of components:
–Intel Core i5-4460
–Gigabyte H81M-S2PH
–XFX Radeon R9 280X
Hopefully this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Joon says
Hi Brent
I really like the builds you have provided.
I am just curious if I used a different computer case will it matter or not.
This is for the (600 dollar build.)
Regards Joon
Brent Hale says
Hey Joon, thanks for reading and commenting!
As long as the motherboard form-factor fits in the case you want to choose then yes you can definitely swap cases.
SteephenJ says
Hey Brent.
I’ve found your guide extremely helpful and appreciate your help.
I am still undecided on my build. I am leaning towards the $600, except I would like to add the Radeon R9 280 and the 1TB HDD.
Just want to make sure it would be fine.
I mainly play Star Wars TOR and Guild Wars 2. Think that build would hold up?
Brent Hale says
Hey SteephenJ! Thanks for reading and commenting!
Yes, you can add both the R9 280 and a 1TB HDD to that build and be fine. And, yes, it will definitely max out Star Wars and GW2 without any problems.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any more questions.
Best,
Brent
Steephen says
Hey Brent,
Thanks for your reply. I ended up going for the full $700 build. (Blessed Amazon CC)
Parts are already arriving and I wanted to know if there are any additional cables I will need in order to plug everything together. I am not sure if each part comes with all the components necessary such as the cable needed to plug in the optical drive or the HDD, etc.
Thank you again,
Steephen.
Gleb says
I want to do the 700$ build but i don’t like the motherboard.Are there any atx mobo’s you recommend?I want to upgrade in the future.
Gleb says
for the same price.
Brent Hale says
Hey Gleb, how’s it going?
If you’re looking for a better board for the same price you’ll either have to watch for some H87 boards go on sale, or you can spend $30 more and get something like this:
Gigabyte GA-H97-D3H
If you don’t have the extra $30 to spend, you could always drop from the R9 280 to an R9 270X. That will cover the extra cost of the H97 board.
Just note, though, that if you want a regular-sized ATX motherboard, you’ll need to get a bigger case as well.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Taylor Frandsen says
Hello Brent I toook your advice and bought the $600 computer. I have already recieved all the parts and have assembled it. It booted up fine and I have already installed windows 8.1. However I have two questions for you.
1. The sapphire r9 270x graphics accelerator has two 6 pin PCI Express Connectors. The PSu only has one 6 pin PCI connector. I received two 6-4 pin molex adapters with my order. Should I use them (Ie connect them to the peripheral power connector of the PSU? Should I use both the adaptors or a combination of adaptors and the 6 pin PCI Connector? I am currently using just the single 6 pin connector and the computer functions.
2. The Seagate Barracuda 500 GB Hard Drive has been making some grinding/percolating noises every time the computer runs. The sound is very irritating and I can easily hear it over the fans. The sound is not constant like a buzz but instead comes and goes and is usually the loudest when the computer is turning of or installing something (like windows 8.1). Is this noise normal? I have already tried screwing in the hard drive differently and the noise remained constant. Is the drive malfunctioning internally? Should I send it back? What level of noise is normal for this Hard Drive’s operation?
I appreciate your guide. Thanks for your time.
Brent Hale says
Hey Taylor, how’s it going?
1. What PSU are you using? I typically use the XFX Core Edition Pro550W for the $600 build, but have used the Antec VP-450 in the past. I’m assuming you’re using the Antec VP-450. If so, use the one PCIe connector from the PSU and use a molex to PCIe adapter as well and you will be fine.
2. It’s hard to say without hearing the noise, but that doesn’t sound good. If it’s only happening during installs, though, then it could be your optical drive seeking. I’d see if S.M.A.R.T. and/or Chkdsk return any HDD errors or bad sectors. Seagate drives do run louder than WD drives, so if the noise is unbearable you can return it and swap it for a Western Digital. And, if you don’t want to wait until the new drive comes back, you can always go to your local computer store (like Best Buy or Micro Center) and pick a hard drive up.
Let me know if you have any other questions! And, you can also contact me at bhale@elitegamingcomputers.com if you’re still having trouble with this issue and I’ll get back to you right away.
Gyulla says
Hey thank you so much, I’ve been looking for something like this for a long time. I’m following the parts from your $600 build but I’ve changed the HDD to 2TB so its slightly higher price than the usual, just wondering if that would affect anything system wise. Most likely not but i always like to make sure.
Thanks again haha
Brent Hale says
Hi Gyulla! Thanks for reading and commenting!
You are correct. Everything will work fine if you add a 2TB HDD to that build.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Nate L says
Hey Brent, I’m going with the $500 dollar build, and I’m thinking of swapping out the motherboard for this one instead (it has 2 extra PCI-express slots)
http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-DDR3-Micro-Motherboard-GA-78LMT-USB3/dp/B009FC3YJ8/ref=psdc9_t1_B005WUUFBW_B009FC3YJ8
Thoughts?
Brent Hale says
Hi Nate, how’s it going?
Nope, there wouldn’t be anything wrong with switching to that board.
As a side note, though, both of those boards are not made for overclocking. If you’re looking to overclock you’ll want to get at least the 970 chipset. But if you aren’t planning on overclocking either of those boards will be fine.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you need anything else.
Nate says
Hey Brent, so after doing some researching, I found that the 450 watt PSU in the $500 build is a 60+ rating, so I went with a 430 watt PSU that’s 80+ rating instead –
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0092ML1SC/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Only thing that concerns me is that after doing more research on the $500 build’s GPU, the Radeon R9 that I want to get, both newegg and the manufacturer’s sites are saying it’s required, not recommended, that you get a 500 watt PSU. Is that something that they’re simply recommending to have one spend more $$$ on their comp build, or should I return the PSU I just bought and get a 500 watt one?
Brent Hale says
Hi Nate, how’s it going? The Corsair CX430 will be fine for the $500 build.
Just as a side note, though, the reason why the Antec VP-450 doesn’t receive the 80+ rating is because it isn’t designed with a PFC circuit (a PFC circuit is required for a PSU to receive an 80 Plus rating.)
However, despite lacking the PFC circuit, the Antec VP-450 still maintains an efficiency of over 80%. You can read a full review on the VP-450 here:
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Antec-VP450-Power-Supply-Review/1487/1
Ultimately, both PSUs perform about the same. So, whether you choose (or chose) the Corsair CX430 or the Antec VP-450, you will be fine either way!
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Xavier Diaz says
Hey Brent Hale,
What is your opinion on a gaming laptop? Aren’t they cheaper? They can be moved around and played anywhere. I’m sure it’s obvious why gaming laptops are bad, if they are bad, but i wouldn’t know why, if they were bad.
Brent Hale says
Hey Xavier, thanks for reading and commenting!
There’s nothing wrong with a solid gaming laptop. However, laptops cost more than desktops, especially compared to building your own desktop.
For a good gaming laptop that will max out most games on the highest settings on 1080p resolution, you’re looking at spending at least $1,000. However, you can accomplish that with a desktop for about $500-$600 (if you build it yourself).
If you like the mobility of a laptop, there’s nothing wrong with getting one. It’s just that it won’t give you the most performance for the amount you spend.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Koen Gerits says
Hey Brent,
Thanks for the great guide! I’m a complete noob about this stuff but I love gaming on PC and the laptop I have to play on now just can’t run any of them. I’m actually interested in the $300 one! I’m fine with playing on the lowest settings, no problem at all. But I asked a friend about this build and he told me the GPU was missing? Is this correct? If so, which one would you recommend? Also, do you think it’s a good idea for a gamer to buy this build? As I said, I’m fine with low resolutions, as long as I can play them.
Koen.
Brent Hale says
Hi Koen, how’s it going?
The $300 build will play most games on the lowest settings, however it’s not an ideal option. This build doesn’t use a video card, but uses the integrated graphics on the CPU.
Again, this is not an ideal setup, but if you’re looking for something cheap that can play games on low settings, this isn’t a horrible option. And, you can always add a video card in the future to get more performance out of it.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Jeremy says
Hello!
First of all thank you for this wonderful guide, it’s a really big help and I am so appreciative of it. My first question is how do you feel about an SSD running in one of your builds? Would it be compatible?
Frozenfriezzz says
Hi,
I’m planning on buying the 500$ build, but first, I want to say that I’ve no idea what anything means and all that stuff I’m a newbie to this so well it doesn’t say me much.
I’ve some questions before I want to buy it and I would be happy if someone could answer them :)!
1. I heard you could easily run bf4 maxed out with the 500$ build is this true? my friends say so and also some people I wrote comments from on amazon sayd so… and how much FPS do you have?
2. Someone who bought the set, what is your experience with it? is it good? is it save? (500$ build)
3. how future prove is the 500$ set? around 3 years?
4. Does someone know anything crucial I may need?
thanks already!
ps. (sorry for my bad english, it’s not my native language)
Brent Hale says
Hi, Frozen, how’s it going?
Yes, the R9 270 in the $500 build performs well in Battlefield 4 and as long as you’re playing on a 1920×1080 monitor or lower, you should be able to max the game out.
The $500 build will perform moderately well with the top titles of three years from now, though maxing them out might not be in the cards. Of course, you could always upgrade your CPU and video card if that is the case.
Along with the components, you’ll also need a copy of Windows 8 (or 7). Other than that, that list of components contains everything you need for the tower itself.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Frozenfriezzz says
Hi Brent
Thanks a lot this really helped me!
I’m going to buy the set tomorrow but I have some trouble because I live in the Netherland and 2 parts don’t ship to the netherlands so I’m looking how to figure that out :)! Thanks a lot for making this guild I really really REALLY like it!!! you did a great job!
Thanks
Frozenfriezzz
ps. is there a way to donate or something as a ‘thank you’?
Nate L says
I’m building the $500 build myself, with only 3 changes to the build. One is that I’m spending an extra $10 for a very similar case with slightly larger fans, cooler lighting (IMO), and the easier push-tab slots to secure the CD/DVD drive, HDD, etc. The second change is I’m getting the larger Barracuda 1 TB HDD instead of the 500 Gig one, only $4 bucks more. And finally, I’m getting a 450 watt PSU rated 80+ instead of the 60+ rated PSU in the guide. Basically that means that 80% or more of the power drawn from the wall outlet will be transferred to the PC, rather than the energy efficient 60% one. All told, spending about an extra $25 bucks, but not going overboard. Links to the substitutions are below, I’ll let ya know how it performs when all the parts arrive and it’s rockin’ and rollin’. :)
PSU –
http://www.amazon.com/Rosewill-Certified-Power-Supply-CAPSTONE-450/dp/B006BCKDGW/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1403612732&sr=1-2&keywords=450+watt+80+plus
Case –
http://www.amazon.com/Rosewill-Micro-ATX-Computer-12-5-Inch-LINE-M/dp/B00AAJ0ZGK/ref=pd_cp_pc_2
Hard Drive –
http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Barracuda-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST1000DM003/dp/B005T3GRNW/ref=pd_cp_pc_2
Luis says
Hey Brent as many have already said, this guide is awesome and much appreciated! My question is that I would like to build a computer to play wildstar the new mmo that just came out. I was looking at your 500 or 600 dollar build to do so. I have 8 gb of ram already and a 120gb ssd hd I can throw into the build. Do you think I could run wildstar on high or ultra settings with the $500 build? Thanks again for all of your time and dedication to helping everyone out!
– Luis
Brent Hale says
Hey Luis, thanks for stopping by!
I have heard that the game is currently not fully optimized for all hardware quite yet, so it’s kind of up in the air. In theory, the $500 build should run WildStar just fine, but it appears as if the early version is favoring Intel/NVIDIA systems.
So, an alternative would be to go with an i3-4150, an MSI H81M-E33, and a GTX 750Ti.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Juan says
Interesting guide, I do have a question. Are all these build HDMI friendly? Do they have a way to connect hdmi cables?
Brent Hale says
Hey Juan, thanks for commenting! Yes, all builds have HDMI compatibility.
Bob says
I noticed none of the builds have sound cards, are they integrated?
Zander says
Pretty much ever motherboard has integrated sound. It’s decent, and with an add on card, there’s really no improvement.
Nate says
Hey this guide is awesome. I was wondering, would the $600 rig be able to run AC Black Flag at max settings? Thanks
Killian says
For the 700 dollar build can you replace the i5 processor with an i7 one instead?
I do plan on making videos and such for YouTube and stuff but is an i7 worth it?
Isaac Wrathall says
Usually, the processing power for gaming is influenced by the GPU rather than the CPU. If you want great gaming, it is better to spend a little more on a GPU than going all-out with an i7.
Caden says
Hey there! I am going to build the 700$ build with a few upgrades (looking to make a PC around 750-850$) What would you recommend upgrading? A friend said I should upgrade the motherboard? And will the power supply still be fine? Will this gamecase work too? Sorry for so many questions!
Here is my item list :
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=1043943&gclid=CO_hnK_4hb8CFQpefgodObQARg&is=REG&Q=&A=details GPU
XFX Force Radeon R9 280 Double Dissipation Edition Graphics Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=19-116-991 CPU
Intel Core i5-4590 Haswell Quad-Core 3.3GHz
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A3VOA3O/?tag=gcgctest-20 RAM
HyperX 8GB Kit (2x4GB) 1600MHz DDR3
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EORHE1S/?tag=gcgctest-20 Motherboard
Gigabyte LGA 1150 Intel H81 S2PH – Might need an upgrade? Im not looking to really OC, But maybe in the future when I can afford a better cooling system I might want to.
http://www.amazon.com/NZXT-Technologies-SOURCE-CA-SO220-01-Steel/dp/B0066130AO Game Case
NZXT Technologies SOURCE 220 CA-SO220-01 Matt Steel Mesh Front Mid Tower Case with USB 3.0
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004IZN3K2/?tag=gcgctest-20 Power Supply -Same as yours
Drive and HDD are also the same as yours :)
Thank you for your time!
Nate says
Hey Brent, thank you so much for the instructions and breakdowns in plain English what the most cost-effective builds are! I’m a little bit of a noob when it comes to building one myself, but I’m looking over the $500 dollar build *talked to another nerd friend of mine, my boss) and he thinks it looks pretty legit. I’m crossing my fingers it will run WoW without any issues
I’m currently using an 4-year old Acer Aspire X1301 (specs below) –
http://www.cnet.com/products/acer-aspire-x1301-u1302-athlon-ii-x2-215-2-7-ghz/specs/
and the integrated vid card is so out of date, it won’t run WoW at all. The fact that the $500 build is a slim tower makes me a little bit nervous, and I’ve decided not to upgrade my current Acer PC with a cheap $30 or $40 low-profile graphics card, it would be equivalent to “polishing a turd,” excuse my French. Wouldn’t be worth it when I should really just upgrade altogether.
George says
Hi Brent
Thanks so much for posting this guide. I’ve found it really helpful so far.
Just wondering if you could let me know if the build will get me what I am after. I’ve based it on your $600 build and am looking for a build that will run most things on decent settings and not be obsolete by next year.
Motherboard: Asus M5A78L-M LX V2 Micro-ATX Motherboard Socket AM3+ / 760G + SB710
CPU: AMD FX-6300 AM3+ 6 Core CPU – Black Edition, 3.5 GHz, Turbo Core up to 4.1GHz,Total L2 Cache 6MB
Hardrive: Western Digital WD Black WD5003AZEX 500GB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5″ Internal Hard Drive
Graphics: Asus Radeon R9 270 DirectCU II OC 2GB Graphic Card. GD DR5, PCI Express 3.0 x 16, 2 x DVI, 1 x HDMI, 1 x DisplayPo rt, Crossfire Ready, HDCP
Case: Antec VSK4-500 Mid Tower Case with 500W Power Supply. USB 3.0, SGCC steel, 1x 120mm fan, 2yrs Warranty. Affordable Builder-Friendly Case.
Thanks heaps,
George
John Morrissey says
Is there a tutorial on how to set this up? Or is it something thats easy to do and self explanatory, because even if i buy everything but i don’t know how to put it together I am still stuck in the same place
Zander says
Look on YouTube. Linus tech tips has good tutorials, but there are dozens of build videos. Also, consult your manuals. They can be extremely helpful.
Adam says
Dear Brent, Can I replace some parts of the 700 build to be more of a AMD build with the FX 6300 instead of the intel, the asus motherboard on the 600, and the crucial ballistix memory then all o everything else in the 700 build. P.S. Will this play titanfall and battlefield 4 of ultra or high settings? Thanks in advanced. pcpartpicker.com (This is a page that has a cheap good way of making computers too check it out Brent! Thanks!
Anonym says
Awesome guide and cheap builds, even thought I’m afraid I will get it more expensive in Europe.
Best guide I found on the internet.
But I wanted to ask… First about the ASUS motherboard. It doesn’t have VRM cooling / heatsink.
Is it a problem? I heard a lot about people reporting CPU, or generally performance throttling because of VRM temperatures or something… I don’t wanna buy this board and then find out that it’s causing performance throttling.
I’m surprised by the price of XFX R9 280 though… 240USD… I can find only R9 270X for minimum 231USD… Yes, the same one you got here for 205USD. 26 USD difference? Sux to live in Europe… Or I guess in my country.
I’m planning to get PC for a christmas, but maybe there will be new CPUs and GPUs until christmas. I was planning to get FX-8320. Instead of FX-6300. With the PS4 and XboX One now, is it possible games will use 8cores now? Then FX-8320 would be better. Also my minimum choice for a board was M5A97 EVO. But I guess your recommended board will be enough, I’m not the hardware expert here. I think your ASUS recommended board has power phase design of 3+1. People recommend at least 4+2 or 4+1 for a gaming PC. M5A97 EVO has 6+2. Or does it matter only if I’m going to overclock? (I’m not going to). At least not with FX-6300, I would overclock only FX-8320 to FX-8350 frequency.
Guess I will go by your guide, 600$. It has everything I want, (maybe just change CPU to FX-8320, but I would have to change board for that too). FX-6300 should be enough if 8 core games won’t come, I play mainly older games anyway.
How well Rosewill RANGER-M Dual Fans perform in temps? I always wanted mid-tower with at least 3 fans.
Like Corsair Carbide 300R Black.
Also does XFX sell their products in Europe? I can’t find shop with their products.
Thanks for the reply and sorry for my english.
Great website, save a lot of time.
Gavin Ragland says
Thank you so much for this guide Brent. I just got out of high school and I have a summer job to make a little cash for a build, and this has really helped me keep on track. I only have 1 question. I’m going to college soon, and I think I will only have wifi in my dorm room. What wifi chip would you suggest for the $500 build?
gary cooper says
i would like to build the $600 one, will this build be able to hook up to my wireless network or will i need a wireless card? if so what would be a g cheap good one?
Brent Hale says
Hey Gary, how’s it going? Thanks for stopping by and reading.
Yes, you’ll need a wireless adapter if you want to connect wirelessly. Something like this will work fine:
Belkin N600 DB Wireless Dual-Band USB Adapter
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Heinrich says
Hi brent!
im a noob, or if not, i have absolutely no idea what im doing here. i’m about to build my own cheap gaming rig next month and im building based from a lot of reviews and stuff, and so far i like your guide.
here’s what i have in mind:
Antec VP-450p 450w
AMD Vishera FX-6300 3.5 6-core
Asrock 970 Extreme4
EVGA GTX 650 Ti 2GB 128bit ddr5
Gskill Ripjaw 4gb
Seagate Barracuda 1TB
i’m actually just getting this in one store as they will give me a discount, so i get everything for less, is there any more recommendations that you can give me on this?
if its too much for me, i also have another alternative which is a10-7850 Kaveri+MSI A88XM-E45 which is cheaper and i don’t know if its any good, im not really the battle field 4 or gta 5 kind of gamer, but i would really like to play skyrim in a lag and stutter free system and also MMORPG’s like Tera online or WOW.
hope you can help me out :)
Henny
Brent Hale says
Hey Heinrich, thanks for reading and commenting!
I guess it would really depend on how much you were getting it for. It’s a good setup and it will handle MMORPG’s fine and it should run Skyrim on higher settings based off of this benchmark of the 650 Ti:
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/graphics/2012/10/09/nvidia-geforce-gtx-650-ti-review/7
Even though the 650 Ti is older than the newer 750 Ti it’s definitely a good card and overall that setup will do what you want it to do.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
fred says
i would just like to hear some feed back by other customer on the quality of the parts ordered off amazon because i have used that site before and the quality wasn’t the best also if u could tell me how your system is running that would be great all regarding the $600 system thx.
jake says
hey man i built the 600$ setup and i get from 35-60+ framerate on elderscrolls online. lower frame rates are in huge cities filled with players, however in a dungeon its 50 plus :) game is on full ultra settings btw.
also note eso is much more demanding than say wow.
fred says
did u change any of the parts
Brent Hale says
Hey Fred, how’s it going?
I’ve personally never had any problems ordering through Amazon and I’ve had a lot of good feedback for my builds, so maybe you just got unlucky?
In any case, if you feel uncomfortable buying through Amazon, you can always try Newegg, NCIX, and TigerDirect as well.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
benjamin says
Hey Brent.
Unfortunately the $700 build cost me slightly above 1000$ due to amazons handling & shipping, and the import fee as I live in Norway. Amazon couldn’t ship the CPU nor the motherboard to Norway so I had to buy them in Norway instead which is a bit more expensive. Anyway, because I spent that quite an amount more than I expected, I was wondering how good that build actually is for World of Warcraft. It’s pretty much the only game I play, but I have intentions to play Watch Dogs in the foreseeable future aswell. What settings would I be able to play on WoW with the $700 build, and what sort of fps would I play with? Looking forward to hear from you :)
Brent Hale says
Hi, Benjamin! Did you try going through Amazon.de? Might be lower shipping costs from there.
And, that build will easily handle World of Warcraft. You could even come down to the $500 build and max WoW out with 60+ FPS.
According to the minimum requirements for Watch Dogs, the $500 build would be able to handle that on max settings as well.
So, if the shipping costs are too much and you can’t get them lowered by going through Amazon.de or Amazon.co.uk, then you can go with the $500 build to save some money.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Elijah says
Hey sorry for the stupid question but are these computers pre-build or would i have to put it together myself? thanks :D
Brent Hale says
Hey Elijah, how’s it going?
This site is dedicated to helping gamers build their own systems, so all of the builds you see listed above just consist of the components necessary to building the computer. So, yes, you would have to build it yourself.
Fortunately, though, building one yourself isn’t that difficult. If you’re interested in learning how you can download our step-by-step guide, or there are some really good building tutorials on YouTube as well, including this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_56kyib-Ls
Hopefully this helps you out! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Elijah says
Thanks man that video looks really easy to understand :) hopefully I will be purchasing something soon :D i really need a new computer. lol
Brent Hale says
No problem! And best of luck to you. Let us know if you need any other help.
Arv says
Could the $600 run Watch_Dogs, Bioshock Infinite, and Crysis 3 on max settings or should I go with the $700?
Brent Hale says
Since Crysis 3 is such a demanding game, even the $700 build is not going to get over 60 FPS on max settings on a 1080p monitor.
This benchmark shows how the R9 270X and R9 280 perform in Crysis 3:
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/graphics/2014/05/19/amd-radeon-r9-280-review-feat-xfx/6
You’ll be able to run it on high with both setups, but you’re looking at an average of 37 FPS for the 270X ($600 build) and 43 FPS for the R9 280 ($700 build).
That’s still not a bad framerate. And, you’ll be able to handle the other games just fine.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
StrumSuper says
Thanks! That answered my question just great. I have one last question for you.
I just noticed the case in the $500 build, the Rosewill Dual Fans has USB 2.0 as apposed to 3.0.
Is this okay? Or is it important to get a case with 3.0?
Thanks for you time
Brent Hale says
No problem!
It really depends. USB 3.0 isn’t something you absolutely need, but it is a nice technology to have. USB 3.0 charges devices faster and you can use it to charge devices even when the computer is off. USB 3.0 also offers faster transfer speeds between external hard drives as well as some other benefits.
So, it really depends on your needs. There are a couple budget cases that have USB 3.0 like the Cooler Master Elite 431 Plus, the Corsair Carbide 200R, and SilverStone Tek PS08B that come to mind.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Aidan Bennett says
Hi, I’ve decided to purchase the $400 build but I would like to have 1 terabyte in the hard drive instead of 500 gigs. Could you recommend a hard drive that would fit? Also, would there be room for me to add another 4 gb ram card?
Brent Hale says
Hi Aidan, how’s it going?
Either go with a 1TB Seagate Barracuda or a 1TB Western Digital Caviar Blue–whichever one is more affordable at the time of purchase.
And, yes, you can easily add a second 4GB stick of RAM as well.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
fred says
would the $700 setup run arma 3 at highest setting
fred says
sorry i meant the $600
Brent Hale says
Yes, you should be able to run it on the highest settings and get about 40-50 FPS. You can check this benchmarks of the R9 270X for confirmation:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-r9-280x-r9-270x-r7-260x,3635-8.html
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
dale says
Thanks :) yeah the os I know not to be worried about. We all know where to get a free OS… ;) do you suggest getting extra thermal paste or is the amount they have on really enough. Its sad I’ve been studying for a little while to try to get certifications by comptia but this would be my first time I get to do anything like this.
Brent Hale says
The amount they have is typically enough if you’re not going to overclock. Never hurts to get the tube of thermal paste and apply it yourself, though. Either way, you should be fine.
Good luck with the build and the CompTIA! Let me know if there’s anything else I can help you with.
dale says
Hi. I hope your still responding to comments. I want to do this 700 build for a friend. He’s using a really really old computer and doesn’t know much about computers. I figured since I don’t have that much money laying around its awesome I can just buy the parts over time. But Ive never gotten to buy parts before. Does the CPU come with a heatsink and fan or do I have to buy that too. And what about thermal paste? Is that in there with the CPU too. And all the screws needed will come with the chassis right ? I have a good feeling it would but I don’t know. On other hands …what you posted is really enough to have a gull working system? Since my budget is so small I think I’m gonna cut out the graphics card at first cause since his computer is so old , the integrated graphics itself will work more than needed.
Brent Hale says
Hey Dale, how’s it going? Thanks for stopping by!
To answer your questions:
1. CPUs do come with stock heatsinks. They aren’t great but will be fine if you’re not going to overclock. (Which if you’re looking at the $700 build, you won’t be since its a locked CPU.)
2. A thermal paste “pad” comes pre-applied to the stock heatsink. If you want to add an aftermarket heatsink, or apply the thermal past yourself, you’ll need to get a tube (about $5-$10)
3. Yes, all the screws necessary come with the components.
4. The only thing missing from these systems is the operating system and of course, a mouse, keyboard, and monitor. The lists will comprise the complete tower, though.
Hope this helps give you a good idea of what to expect. Let me know if you have anymore questions!
StrumSuper says
First of all, I’m a newb in computer building. Anyway, I’m thinking about going with the $500 build. And I just wanted to make sure that this rig will run FPS games like Insurgency and AA:PG at top settings. I will be happy to upgrade if needed.
Thanks for the help
Brent Hale says
Hey Strum, thanks for reading and commenting!
I’m not very familiar with those games but looking at the recommended requirements, I’m confident you could max both games out fairly easily with the $500 build. The more demanding of the two is AA:PG, which recommends a 560 Ti or higher, and the R9 270 in the $500 build is much more powerful. So, you should be fine with the $500 setup.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Nick says
Hello, I am about to buy components for a gaming pc, What do you guys think about the
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 660 OC 2GB GDDR ? Will I be almost able to max out current games? Thanks.
Brent Hale says
Hey Nick, how’s it going?
It really depends on the price that you can get the 660 for. In my opinion, the better card right now is the newer R9 270X or R9 280.
If you want to go with an NVIDIA card, the GTX 760 is the next step up, but it’s a bit more expensive than the 270x and 280. So, the 660 wouldn’t be a bad choice if you’re looking to stay under $200. And, yes, it will handle most games on max settings at 1080p.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Ali says
I love this page and you so much, i was about to drop 700+ dollars on a crap system then i found the 600$ “Jackal” build, thank you for this awesome guide for a first-time pc builder!
Ali says
Also, would this case work for the 600 build?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147122
Brent Hale says
No problem Ali! Glad the guide could be of assistance!
And, yes, the Ranger-M will work with the $600 build just fine.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Austin Hedrick says
I was wondering how good the $300 build would run and record modded mincraft? If can’t record at the same, how may frames would you get just playing?
Brent Hale says
Hey Austin, thanks for reading and commenting!
You should be able to handle Minecraft fine with the A10-5800K. Not sure how mods will affect the performance. But here’s a video of a guy playing (and recording) Minecraft with a similar setup:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjgQ_IXDyns
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Mark says
Hey brent. Amazing site and thanks, this really helped me. As i have a tight budget this is my build and i wanted to ask if i will be able to stream specifically league of legends at 720p resolution with this build.
CPU: AMD FX-6300 AM3+ 3.5GHz Processor
Motherboard:or ASUS M5A78L-M LX +
Video card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 6670 or Gigabyte Radeon HD 7770 (recommend the best please)
Hard Drive Disk: Seagate Barracuda Hard Drive
Box: Thermaltake Commander
Power Supply: SilverStone Strider 500W ST50F-ES
Thanks in advance :)
Brent Hale says
Hey Mark, thanks for stopping by!
You should be able to handle streaming just fine with that setup as long as you have a good internet connection and strong upload speeds.
Another option would be to go with a GTX 750 and utilize NVIDIAs Shadowplay streaming feature, as it takes quite a bit of the load off of your CPU. If you want to stick with AMD, I’d go with an R7 260X over the 6670 and 7770.
You might have to turn down some graphics settings, but at 720p you should be good-to-go for streaming with that setup.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Josh says
http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/partlist/
Brent Hale says
Hey Josh, unfortunately that link doesn’t go to your part list, but to the component configuration screen on PC Part Picker. If you post the link to your build I’ll be happy to check it out.
El cuco says
Wow…This was the most complete guide I’ve read ever. I am thinking on building my first gaming pc. I do not care about graphics, lighting, shadows, pretty textures and things like that. As long as the game is playable, I’ll be happy. If I go for the lowest build – the $300 – will I be able to play watch dogs or any other game?
Brent Hale says
Hey El cuco, thanks for reading and commenting!
Unfortunately, according to the following minimum specs the $300 build won’t be able to run it properly:
http://www.ign.com/wikis/watch-dogs/PC_System_Requirements
The $400 build will handle it fine on low-to-medium settings, though.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
El cuco says
Interesting, thanks for the quick reply. Let’s say I go for the $400 build, do you think it will handle other games down the road, maybe 4 years from now? Is the $400 build upgradeable?
Brent Hale says
Four years down the road the $400 build will be able to handle games like League of Legends and World of Warcraft. But for the newer releases it will struggle. The build can be upgraded and with an FX-8320/8350 and a better video card (plus a power supply to handle it) you should be good to go.
Alex M says
I wanna start by saying INCREDIBLE POST. Thank you so much for this as it was exactly what I was looking for!
I’m currently debating between the $500 or $600 builds. I plan on using this as more than just a gaming computer as it will be my first build and I want it to be able to upgrade at a later date if I choose.
I was wondering which you thought would be better if I was planning on not just gaming but also programming and creating my own games in different IDE’s. I currently spend a lot of time using Blender, OpenGL, GLSL and Maya and integrating them into Eclipse, Xcode and Visual Studios and was wondering which you thought would be better if I wanted to use it as more than just gaming but as a work computer where I can also create games and test them myself.
I am pretty confident that all the games I will want to play will be able to run nicely and on high or moderate settings as the only games I’m really into are MMORPG (LOL, WOW) and then the old school AOE’s and Civilization. I wanted to ask before I went ahead and ordered all these parts just to find out that I won’t be able to program efficiently or run my favorite IDE’s.
Thank you so much in advance and if you have any recommendations on other builds that would be more suited for my needs that would so incredibly helpful! I’m currently breaking into the video game design industry and have been currently only using my laptop to play and program but I’ve found it’s getting old and I want to create my own box that I can upgrade in the future if needed and also keep doing what I love to do!
Thanks again!
Brent Hale says
Hey Alex, how’s it going?
I think your best bet would be to do either the $500 or $600 build and add an FX-8320 to help with the extra threads. The R9 270 in the $500 is more than enough graphics processing power to max out League and WoW, so that is probably your best bet.
Let me know if you have any more questions!
Josh says
Hey any way I could get you to look at my list of components and let me know what you think and if I should change out any parts. By the way this is going to be my first build.
Gleb says
What other cases do you recommend for the 600$ build?
Gleb says
And will the NZXT Source 210 fit the 600$ build?
Brent Hale says
Hey Gleb, thanks for reading and commenting!
Yep, the NZXT Source 210 will work perfectly in the $600 build.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Aidan says
Hello, I mostly play games on steam, nothing too hardcore. I’m mainly trying to improve game performance as I have been playing on low settings with my crappy laptop for a while. I am trying to get decent performance without spending too much. Which build do you think I should go for?
Travon says
Hey Brent, i’m looking to give pc gaming a try but i also want to know a couple of things:
1) Is building a PC really as difficult as people say it is? I feel like i’m going to do all this work and end up having it not function.
2) Would you say this is a good build? I’m looking to play most games of today and previous years on High/Ultra settings with a $750 dollar build with a max of $1000.
AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz
Asus M5A78L-M LX PLUS Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard
Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5″ 7200RPM
PowerColor Radeon R9 270X 2GB
Raidmax ATX-249B (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case
XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply
TiDi says
Hello. Was thinking to upgrade my PC which is obviously old now with no graphics card. Here’s my current config:
Motherboard: Gigabyte H55M-S2V
Processor: Intel i5 650 @3.2 ghz
RAM: DDR3 4gb (don’t know model)
(Rest of the peripherals i’am fine with it just need to upgrade my PCU)
Other day my friend suggested me to buy:
CPU: AMD FX 8350
Mobo: ASUS M5A97
GPU: GTX 650 or AMD HD 7750 1gb
PSU: Corsair 1200.
Is this config good enough or will it bottleneck? I dont know what will be the cost of this.!
and also can use radeon r9 which you’ve suggested on ASUS m5A78l-m lx plus am3 ???
Your help will be appreciated !! And in between nice post.
Robert says
I’m completely clueless when it comes to building computers but i’m going with the 400$ build and i’m wondering if I need to order some thermal paste aswell or does it come with the paste i hear some do and some don’t so i’m just curious. Thanks for the guide man extremely helpful!
Brent Hale says
Hey Robert, how’s it going?
If you’re just using the stock cooler it will have thermal paste (or more like a thermal pad) already applied. If you end up choosing an aftermarket heatsink, then you will need to get some thermal paste.
Also, you can download our free guide by subscribing to the newsletter and that will give you step-by-step building instructions. Or, if you’re more of a visual person, this building tutorial done by Newegg is very thorough:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_56kyib-Ls&feature=kp
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Robert says
So the one in the 400$ build with EVERYTHING you have listed would come pre-applied? Sorry as I said extremely new to this haha
HardwareClueless says
Brent,
I want to save money by building rather than buying a gaming computer,
but I’ve never built a rig before. I’m totally clueless about hardware. So
my question is this:
How difficult would it be for someone like me to put one of your pre-made
parts computers?
Again, the point is that I have no experience with this whatsoever. Thanks.
Brent Hale says
Hello sir! I’m fairly confident that you can complete a build. Typically, I say that if you can read and operate a screwdriver, you’re more than qualified enough to build your own system.
That’s not to say that it’s the easiest thing in the world. You just have to take your time and be mindful of the somewhat fragile nature of the components.
I recommend downloading our free guide by subscribing to our newsletter and then watching a couple of building tutorials on YouTube. There’s also plenty of other build guides on the web that you can cross-reference.
So, the short answer is that, in my opinion, it wouldn’t be very difficult for you to build your own PC.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
John says
Ey Brent Great Website First Of All… So I’m Thinking Of Going With The 700$ Build , My Goal Is To Be Able To Play Games Like Watch Dogs And Bf4… And Looking In Other Websites I Found These 2 Other Options. If It’s Not Too Much To Ask Could You Tell Me If Theyre Better Than This 700$ One?
CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($177.00 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B85 Pro4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5″ 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 270X 2GB TurboDuo Video Card ($196.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($47.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $688.91
Or
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($89.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 Extreme3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5″ 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($77.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling 600W ATX12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Microcenter)
Total: $667.42
Thanks In Advance!
Matt says
Hi im thinking of doing the $700 build but my budget is around the &1200 mark and im building it for basically WOW on full setting and hoping to get better fps i currently sit around the 44-66 mark but on low settings…Or if you could give me a link to a $1000-1200 build would be great ..
thanks..
Jarred Kuhn says
Hey man im trying to get a good gaming PC that will be able to run League of legends with a steady 60fps and also the new MMO thats coming out called WildStar, also World of Warcraft. oh and also i would love to be able to stream if possible. so i just want to know whats the best PC that would be the best price for these games and live streaming?
Jarred
Edvinas says
500$ build.
markus says
hey :D awesome list you’ve got here. im new to pc building and tought you could answer some of my questions :). is this http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2MdHR a good/better pc build than your 400$ pc build? and wich one of your pc builds will be able to stream LoL at max settings at steady 60Fps :). i have an old Toshiba pc with 8 GB of ram and 740 GB harddrive (Toshiba Satelitte L755D-11J) do you think i can use any of the hardware in this pc in my new pc build ? :D
srry for my english and thanks for all the builds i can consider :)
-Markus
slender_shady says
Hey, just wanted to ask if the $700 build will allow me to play Watch Dogs at max settings. Also, I would like to know what to upgrade in the future (which components), and which SSD would work great with the build. And finally, if a component goes out of stock on Amazon, where should I search next?
Nahkai says
Hey i was thinking about purchasing the $700 build, this would be my first time building a pc, and had a few questions.
Would it be upgradeable in the future? Once i get a better handle on this stuff.
Do you think it would be able to run Star Citizen at least on high setting? Pretty much the whole point of me building a PC is just for this game https://robertsspaceindustries.com/about-the-game
As well as other MMOs such as GW2, Archeage, Black Desert, Day Z standalone
Leandre says
Ok, after a lot of research I figured out what parts I think I want for my first build. The only thing I’m not sure of is the Storage since I keep seeing mixed reviews. Will everything fit together alright so far? Will I need a sound card? I want to play Skyrim with a bunch of mods. Will this work for that? Thanks in advance. This page has been super helpful since I’m a total noob at this.
AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor
Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard
Kingston HyperX Blu 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333
EVGA GeForce GTX 650 Ti 1GB Video Card
Antec One ATX Mid Tower Case
Antec 450W ATX Power Supply
LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM)
(64-bit)
Acer S220HQLAbd 21.5″ Monitor
Damian says
I’m probably going to get the $600 build and I was wondering if the NZXT M59 Classic Series would work and if not how would I know if any other cases work for it since i don’t really want the the case you suggested. Oh and would i be able to get a bigger hard drive and if I could would that be a good option.
Brent Hale says
Hey Damian! Yep, the NZXT M59 Classic Series will work fine in the $600 build. And, yes, you can upgrade the hard drive, as well, with no problems.
Damian says
Thanks!
CallOfAndreJ says
Hello,
I do YouTube and was wondering if the $400 build would be good for rendering videos ? currently it takes me 5hours to render 5minutes in good settings (Witch is killing me)
Also will the $400 build be able to handle windows 8.1 ?
Also able to be on for a long Period of time ?
Brent Hale says
Unfortunately, the $400 isn’t going to be great at rendering, but it should give you a boost over what you’re currently working with. And, yes, that build will handle 8.1.
And, you’ll be fine to keep it on for long periods of time.
Stefan Bostan says
Hey Dude I want to buy the one of 400$ for minecraft, but i live in portugal and 4 of those items cant be sent to there is there any other option i found it a really good price and there is no other like it
Aidan says
also it might be worth mentioning this is my first build and one more question how much better is the 600$ build because im considering getting that instead
Aidan says
i am actually getting the 500$ build i was wondering if the components fit into the Thermaltake Commander
Brent Hale says
Yes, the Thermaltake Commander will fit those components just fine. And, the $600 build has a little more graphics processing power than the $500 build.
Aidan says
im planning on doing the 500$ build what kind of settings will it run watch dogs at or will it run at all? because ive looked at the specs required and im pretty sure that it can run the game
Brent Hale says
You’ll definitely be able to run Watch Dogs with the $500 setup, but you may not be able to hit max settings on a 1920×1080 monitor. Though, you shouldn’t be too far off.
Tristan says
I’m am going with the $700 PC and it will be my first ever build.
Will this PC be able to run Bf4 and DayZ on the highest possible settings.
And also could you please list down some really good but cheap gaming speakers, monitors and mouses.
Thanks
Brent Hale says
Hey Tristan! Thanks for reading and commenting.
It’s tough to say precisely what kind of performance you’ll get on DayZ (assuming you’re playing the stand alone version) because it’s not fully optimized. But you should be able to max those games out with about 40-50 FPS on average.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
dean says
Hi i would like to add on a cheap SSD for the $600 build, is there any u can recommend?
Brent Hale says
Hey Dean! Thanks for reading.
How about a Crucial M500 120GB SSD for about $75?
Best,
Brent
Antonio says
Hi, I am thinking about the Jackal configuration, but I don’t know if choose the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 660 OC or the MSI Radeon R9 270. Price is almost the same.
Thanks!
Brent Hale says
Hey Antonio, thanks for reading and commenting!
Both are solid options and the performance difference between the two are slim. If both are the same price, I’d say it would depend on what games you’re playing.
Some games favor AMD cards and some favor NVIDIA cards. BF4, for example, would favor the R9 270. While games like Borderlands favor NVIDIA cards.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Jonny says
I was thinking to build $600 but u said it can be updated too amd fx 8350 so do I need to update anything else will that mobo able to handle 8 core cpu or psu
It’s my 1st build just thank you
Brent Hale says
Hey Jonny, thanks for reading and commenting.
Yes, the ASUS M5A78L-M LX PLUS will handle the 8320 and 8350:
http://support.asus.com/cpusupport/list.aspx?SLanguage=en&p=1&s=24&m=M5A78L-M%20LX%20PLUS&os=&hashedid=IZxHVUuVo8OWSDbz
However, I wouldn’t try and overclock those CPUs on that board.
Hope this helps!
Best,
Brent
Andy says
Hey!
I wanted to ask for that 700 dollar build, the shop I will buy from hasn’t got that motherboard, any other one you recommand? I buy from http://www.azerty.nl
Also is it ok to switch your video card as again, that shop hasn’t got it, to gigabyte gtx 660 ?
Thanks in advance
Brent Hale says
Any H81 or H87 motherboard will do. The H87 motherboard is the better option, with more features, but if you want to save money the H81 board will be fine.
And, yes, the Gigabyte GTX 660 will work fine.
Hope this helps!
Best,
Brent
nick says
For the $700 build i have some questions. First is there a tower you would recommend using other then the one you have. ( clicked your link and it is currently unavailable ) and was wondering if it would be able to handle low end streaming.
Brent Hale says
Hey Nick, thanks for reading and commenting! Maybe try something like the Rosewill CHALLENGER. And yes, it will handle low streaming. However, if you can stretch your budget up to a GTX 760 (or even drop to a GTX 660) you can utilize NVIDIA’s Shadowplay–which should help you with streaming. Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
roie says
will work with the 700$ / grizzly build about the GPU
what are your thought about GTX 750 TI (2GB GDDR5) ?
Jake says
I am ordering the 500$ rig and was wondering as a new pc builder what else I would need to make this run? ie* cables wires ect… or do these components come with all that stuff?
Brent Hale says
Hey Jake, thanks for commenting!
All of the cables you need will come with the build. Though, if you don’t have an operating system you can use, you will definitely need one as well.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
jake says
ty for the fast response , ill actually be building 2 that’s why I researched cheap :) my wife is planning on joining me in the elder scrolls online but I also want to run BF4 and arma3. if it where just 1 id spend more but I ran these specs on http://www.game-debate.com/games/index.php?g_id=3734&game=The%20Elder%20Scrolls%20Online and it rated in at 10/10 9/10 and 10/10 on your build and recommended high settings. were going to use 8.1 since its the newest and will most likely get the best updates and support. I thought your other readers may like the link, its just added proof of how you don’t need to spend 1k + to enjoy the best games.
Brent Hale says
Hey Jake, no problem! Thanks for reading and using our guide. I’m glad it helped you out! Make sure you post photos of your build in the forums when you’re done so we can check it out!
Best,
Brent
JAKE says
so im ordering my parts now decided on the 600 build, but im waffling on an OS mainly because I have an early windows 8 laptop that has been a disaster from the start, with crashes and bugs doing normal tasks… not to mention I don’t need this stupid touch screen based junk on my laptop. any advise on 8.1? I see that’s whats recommended but all my gamer friends all say to get 7.
jake says
just built the 600$ computerand only thing i did different was i used a roswill challenger case for the extra fans and blue lighting. it performs excellent and i was able to put it together with minimal help from a friend. Excellent guide Brent! Ill post pictures in the forums when i get the time.
Tremor says
Hey man thanks for the link!
Jonathan says
also if so , could you provide me the links for all components :D this would be very nice of you!!!
I wanna make the 600$ build you posted! :D
Thanks !
Brent Hale says
The links are already there. The (View) links take you to the individual component and the “Get My Gaming PC” button at the bottom takes you to a list with all of the components.
Jonathan says
Hello! Very nice and cheap prices for a gaming rig!
I have a question though, do i have to get the drivers for the components manually or are the parts delivered with an install CD?
Thank you very much!
Brent Hale says
Hey Jonathan, thanks for commenting!
In some instances you may need to install certain drivers manually. Though your components will come with the necessary drivers, it’s always a good idea to check for later versions of drivers for each part.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Brent
Kevin says
I usually don’t leave comments but I just wanted to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, and learned quite a lot in an easy way.
The amazon links that have all the components are especially awesome.
Thanks! I’ll be bookmarking this for later (:
Hero887 says
Will the Crucial Ballistix Sport XT 1866MHz DDR3 work with an LGA 1155 Intel build?
Brent Hale says
Hey Hero, thanks for commenting!
Yes, that memory will work fine with an 1155 build.
Best,
Brent
C-Jo says
Will the 600 build play any game on maximum graphics settings? Im new into the gaming PC’s. My uncle is supposed to help me but is gone for a month. Also would it be able to multitask while playing a modern high graphics game on max?