Look, if you're dead set on going the APU route, stick to the build I laid out for you—there’s a reason I put it together that way. If you aren't careful, it's way too easy to overspend on an all-in-one setup and end up with something that's actually more expensive AND weaker than just grabbing a dedicated GPU instead. For example:
Intel Core i3 MSI A78M E35 KINGSTON 8GB 1600 MHZ INTEL 520 120 GB SSD SATA 3 TOSHIBA 3,5 1TB SATA 3 SAPPHIRE R7 250X 1GB DDR5 FORTRON HEXA+ 400W 80+ ACTIVE Cooler Master Hyper 212 MIDI USB 3.0 ATX
Maybe try a different version of Windows first—and definitely make sure you set your BIOS to AHCI mode for the hard drive before you start the installation.
Based on all those tasks you mentioned, an APU is definitely your best bet—specifically the latest AMD Kaveri since that boosted integrated graphics will help you out big time, both for gaming and when you're running stuff from the Adobe suite thanks to the OpenCL support.
You've got plenty of RAM headroom here, so you can easily toss 1-2 GB over to the graphics, and hitting speeds above 2133 MHz will give that integrated chip a nice little performance boost too.
The processor itself is a decent quad-core that sits right in the same ballpark as an i3-ice, and honestly, I don't think you'll need anything beefier than that—plus, you've got an SSD included, which is going to be a lifesaver for your workflow, so definitely don't skip it. If you find yourself wanting to play more demanding games down the road, you can always just pop in a dedicated GPU later. Just let me know what resolution you're aiming for and I can give you a better idea of how things will run.
A8 X4 7600 LC CC 95 GIGABYTE FM2+ A78M DS2 KINGMAX 8GB 2133 MHZ INTEL 520 120 GB SSD SATA 3 TOSHIBA 3,5 1TB SATA 3 LG GH24NS95 SATA FORTRON HEXA+ 400W 80+ ACTIVE ZALMAN T2+ USB 3.0 MATX
Honestly, you won't even notice the power draw—it’s really not worth worrying about. As for those higher CPU temps with AMD, that’s really just a downside of using the stock cooler—but if you look at the suggestions, you'll see a much better aftermarket cooler was recommended.
When it comes to gaming, the performance gap isn't massive, and honestly, it just depends on which game you're playing. That suggested AMD FX-6300 is basically a rival to the non-K i5 series, and since it's so budget-friendly, it actually lets you build a more "complete" rig—meaning you can put more money into beefier, higher-quality components elsewhere. Overall, though, an i5 is a stronger processor whether we're talking single or multi-thread tasks, mostly because the architecture is just more advanced than the AMD FX-6300.
Intel gives you a pretty wide range of options if you want to upgrade later, but there's a catch—that H81 chipset limits you to existing Haswell / Devil's Canyon models and non-K chips. If you want any real jump in performance, you’d have to go for an i7—I usually think an i5 is a waste of extra cash; you always want the cheapest one available because the difference between models is often just a few hundred MHz, which you won't even feel, but your wallet definitely will. Even though an i7 only adds Hyper-Threading—which doesn't do all that much for gaming right now—it does give you enough breathing room to pair it with a beefier GPU down the road.
On the flip side, with AMD, you also have the option to upgrade to those beefier FX 83xx models. They compete with the i5s in gaming too, but because they have those extra cores, they let you step up to much stronger GPUs, putting them in the same league as the i5 and i7 non-K/K models. Just keep in mind that upgrading later on the AMD side is going to be way cheaper—Intel CPUs tend to be pricier upfront, and even on the used market, they don't drop in price nearly as much.
Bottom line? Whichever route you pick, you really can't go wrong.
FX 6300 LC CC 95 ASUS M5A97 R2.0 KINGSTON 8GB 1600 MHZ TOSHIBA 3,5 1TB SATA 3 GIGABYTE R9 280 3GB WF 3X OC LG GH24NS95 SATA FORTRON RAIDER 550W 80+ SILVER ZALMAN Z1 MIDI ATX USB 3.0
= $1680 price includes shipping and setup.
Honestly, I wouldn't recommend running Windows right out of the box—you'll definitely feel a hit in performance and just overall quality for this specific build.
Honestly, these guys don't know what they're talking about—his SSD is fine, and he's running an R9 285, which is basically just a more efficient version of the 280 anyway. Plus, he's got a solid combo with the Raider, Seasonic, and that repackaged Seasonic 😁
crimsonstag84, honestly, pairing a board like that with Aidos is a bad move, especially inside a Z1 with an FX 8320. He’s going to run into some serious heat issues since Aidos is facing upward, and let's face it—the Z1 doesn't have the mesh airflow that the Z3 has.
It’s probably because you’re running integrated graphics—those usually hog a chunk of your RAM for themselves. If that isn't the case, then you're just stuck with the limits of a 32-bit version of Windows, but honestly, it's 99% likely the first thing. You really should have mentioned which laptop model you're working with, though.
It’s honestly smarter if he just moves up to a Phenom—it's basically in the same league as those FM2 Athlonciks—and grabs more RAM along with a better version of the 260x. If he gets the itch to upgrade again later, he can always drop an FX 6300 onto that board. Plus, with FM2+, he's pretty much set—that setup will easily outpace USB 3.0/SATA 3 once his gaming rig is dialed in.
If you're really just trying to squeeze every bit of value out of your budget—basically wanting to set this thing up and forget about it so it can handle upcoming games without needing an immediate upgrade—this is how I’d play it:
X4 910E ASUS M5A78L-M LX3 KINGSTON 8GB 1600 MHZ TOSHIBA 3.5" 500 GB SATA 3 MSI R7 260X 2GB OC DDR5 FORTRON HEXA+ 400W 80+ MS PHOENIX + 80 MM FAN
= $1033 - Micro Center (includes assembly/shipping).
Look, that GPU boost is basically just icing on the cake—she won't even really feel the need for it until she moves on to something way more demanding, like actual 3D work, which might be a year or two down the road. Plus, integrated graphics don't have their own dedicated RAM; they just siphon off about 512MB to 1GB from the system depending on how you set it up. That can actually drag down performance if she's used to heavy multitasking where having extra RAM is a lifesaver. Personally, I’d say wait on the monitor. It’s much more important to build a solid foundation now so she doesn't run into upgrade headaches later. For her needs, the priority list should be: CPU — RAM — SSD — GPU.
edit: actually, here's a solid used option for a monitor if she wants to grab one now — click.
My bad, I totally misremembered it having HDMI just like the MSI H81 P33, so I didn't even bother checking—maybe just swap it out for an ASRock H81M HDS, an Asus H81M k, or a Gigabyte H81M S2V instead.
You both set her up with a budget build, yet she's already hunting for graphics cards 😉
Kimberly Richardson2
Intel Core i5 4460 box ASRock H81M HDS KINGSTON 8GB 1600 MHZ Intel SSD 520 120 GB SATA 3 Toshiba DT01ACA050 3,5 500 GB SATA 3 LG GH24NS95 SATA FORTRON HEXA+ 400W 80+ ACTIVE MS PHOENIX MIDI ATX
= $1345 for the GPU.
She should definitely just grab a dedicated card once she saves up a little cash—something like an AMD R7 250 DDR5 or a GTX 740 DDR5. And tell her to hang tight on the monitor situation; once she's got maybe $100-$$400 ready, she can pick up a decent Dell, AOC, LG, or Samsung with an IPS/PLS panel.
The Windforce setup is solid—it really just comes down to what kind of case you're rocking and if it actually fits, plus whether you've got decent airflow in there. It’s about 29cm, so it's not exactly tiny, and I'd definitely suggest manually setting a more aggressive fan profile—especially if you're planning on overclocking, since it helps drop those temps quite a bit during full load.
Anyway, which CPU and PSU were you thinking of pairing this with exactly?
Exactly—a decent LCD Panel Technology setup will fit perfectly fine with an AMD FX-6300, just like I mentioned before. You won't even notice the power draw, and honestly, if he decides to pivot to a Core i3 & H97 build instead, he’ll still have a massive selection of beefier CPUs to choose from later if he wants to upgrade. Plus, the performance stays totally competitive.
Robert Rodriguez2
Comparing LCD Panel Technology types is always tricky because it really comes down to personal preference. It's not like IPS is objectively "better"—it just has more vibrant colors, and since it doesn't rely on PWM, the monitor is flicker-free. Also, that AOC model tends to have a slightly slower response time.
The only real downside he might run into is that annoying glossy screen on the Samsung😁