Everything sounds good enough on paper. You've got a Phenom (65W) and an R7 260x (115W)—everything else in the build pulls way less than that—and honestly, since you aren't maxing out both the CPU and GPU at the exact same second during basic tasks or even while gaming, your actual power draw is going to be even lower than the math suggests.
I've actually swapped in stuff like the X4 740 and 750K paired with a GTX 750 Ti, R7 265, or an R7 260x before, so I wouldn't call this setup risky or anything crazy. 😉
Or maybe try this if $33 above doesn't work for you. This is a beefier AM3+ setup—you get way more room to grow later when you decide to upgrade processors compared to those FM2+ options:
X4 945 BE RAIJINTEK AIDOS GIGABYTE 970A-DS3P KINGSTON 6GB 1600 MHZ TOSHIBA 3,5 1TB SATA 3 SAPP. R7 265 2GB DUAL-X BOOST LITE ON DVD-RW SATA SILVERSTONE STRIDER 500W 80+ MS PHOENIX MIDI ATX
I don't think there's any point in being that pushy about it—it's pretty obvious he isn't looking for some insane high-end rig, just something with a solid value proposition.
mellowtiger83
Man, you seriously fascinate me, post after post: - you're trying to sell this guy a semi-new build where the most critical parts barely even have a warranty left. - it's a dead-end platform with zero room for future upgrades. - the price tag is way too high for what it is. - I'd love to actually see those 3.5 GHz speeds in action and watch how all the games run on Ultra settings like you're so confidently claiming. 🤣 - plus, it’s honestly weaker than a few of the newer builds they've got sitting at Best Buy right now.
Honestly, just skip those pre-built setups—especially the ones from Best Buy. They’re all about flashy lights and zero actual performance.
If you've got that kind of cash, this build is your best bet, and honestly? Both of those other rigs you're looking at are way weaker than this:
X4 945 BLACK ED. SPIRE KEPLER R2.0 GIGABYTE 970A-DS3P KINGSTON 6GB 1600 MHZ TOSHIBA 3,5 1TB SATA 3 SAPPHIRE R7 265 2GB DUAL-X BOOST LITE ON DVD-RW SATA SILVERSTONE STRIDER 500W 80+ MS PHEONIX MIDI ATX + 90 + 120 MM FAN
= $1283 This includes assembly and shipping via Amazon.
- I made sure you have a solid enough quad-core CPU. - You're getting a proven, high-quality AM3+ motherboard with some decent future-proofing—stuff like USB 3.0 and SATA 3. Plus, you can easily swap in a much beefier FX 6300/8320/8350 processor later on. That means you can upgrade your GPU down the road too, basically extending the life of this PC without breaking the bank. - Enough RAM to handle heavy multitasking and those newer, more demanding games. - A big HDD—don't bother trying to save money with a 500GB model. The price difference is tiny, but games are huge nowadays, and you'll always need extra space for files. - A reliable, strong enough power supply to handle the current setup and any upgrades we talked about. - Good airflow is sorted, plus a CPU cooler to keep things quiet, cool, and ready for a little light overclocking. - There's a reason I didn't go with Nvidia here—in this specific price range, AMD is still the better/stronger play. Specifically, I went with the R7 265 over the GTX 750 Ti. - Down the line, try to scrape together maybe $40-$$200 for a 120GB SSD. It'll be a total game-changer—basically, your whole system will feel way snappier compared to just running on a standard HDD.
Intel Core i3 AS ROCK 960GM-VGS3 FX CRUCIAL 4GB 1600 MHZ TOSHIBA 3,5 500 GB SATA 3 Sapphire R7 260x BOOST MS GRIFFIN MIDI ATX + FSP 300W + 90 MM FAN
= $847 including assembly and shipping.
- This old-school Phenom is actually solid—it's a low-power version too. Even with the lower clock speed, the architecture makes it a better pick than an FM2 Athlon any day. - I threw in an R7 260x, which is a massive step up in performance compared to the R7 250. - It’s got a decent case with plenty of room to play with—you can easily add more fans for better airflow and lower temps. Plus, if you put in a little effort, the cable management is pretty clean (basically the same situation as that Logic build we talked about). - The stock Phenom cooler is actually more efficient than the FM2 versions, so it'll totally handle keeping things cool and quiet. Between the 90mm rear fan and the 120mm near the PSU, you've got good airflow pulling heat away from the heatsink. - A 300W unit isn't cutting it close here; it's actually just right since this whole setup is pretty power-efficient. And since it's an actual FSP unit, you know those 300W are legit. It won't hold you back during future upgrades either—I doubt you'd swap the CPU given how much headroom there is for a beefier GPU, and let's face it, GPUs are getting way more efficient every year anyway.
If you're actually looking to upgrade, honestly—you're better off going with an Intel build since they have a way better selection of beefier CPUs to choose from:
i3 4150 AS ROCK H81M VG4 KINGSTON 4GB 1600 MHZ TOSHIBA 3,5 500 GB SATA 3 MSI R7 250X 1GB DDR5 OC LITE ON DVD-RW SATA SILVERSTONE STRIDER 500W MS PHOENIX MIDI ATX
That'll run you about $400, including shipping and all the work to get it put together.
Honestly, your CPU is such a huge bottleneck right now—you should really look into upgrading it by swapping it out or even just selling that Intel Celeron RAM setup to grab an Intel Core 2 Duo or something similar. Once you've got that sorted, then you can actually start looking at a decent GPU. If I were you, I'd hunt down a used Nvidia GeForce GT series—it's a solid move since I'm guessing your power supply isn't exactly top-tier. Let me know the specific brand and model you're running, and I can tell you if it'll actually hold up.
Look, your buddy’s got a solid budget here—he can actually grab some really beefy components right out of the gate—so if I were him, this is exactly what I'd go for:
Intel Core i9 Cooler Master ASUS Prime Motherboard Kingston 8GB 1600 MHZ Western Digital HDD 1TB SATA 3 GTX 1050 Ti LG GH24NS95 SATA FSP RAIDER 550W 80+ SILVER SHARKOON VS3-V USB 3.0 ATX MIDI
Dell Monitor 23" IPS HD
= $1990 including assembly and shipping.
Basically, he’s getting a CPU strong enough to last him a long time—meaning he won't need to swap it out anytime soon—and it gives him room for one or two more upgrades to a better graphics card later on, which really extends the "life" of the whole rig.
The motherboard has everything he needs, plus USB 3.0 and SATA 3, and it's a proven quality board (it doesn't overvolt, the phase regulation is solid, etc.—definitely better than those cheap boards you see sometimes)—with the recommended cooler, he could even try a light overclock up to 4.2 GHz or just stick with turbo boost, but check the specs for the full details.
I included a Hard Drive that’s basically a hybrid between an SSD and a traditional drive, which is perfect since he gets plenty of storage space while still getting a noticeable speed boost over a standard hard drive (faster boots, quicker file transfers, loading times... you know the drill).
Personally, I don't think he should pass on the Dell at this price point, though it might be smarter to look for a slightly larger monitor rather than going small—20" is pretty much the limit, and honestly, the good stuff usually starts around 22" anyway.
Since you didn't mention any super demanding AAA games, I made sure the build includes a high-quality power supply—just in case he decides to aim for a high-end GPU down the road—and it’s a smart choice for this kind of setup given the warranty, features, and efficiency; it'll run smoother without working too hard.
For now, I put in the GTX 1050 Ti, which is totally fine for playing most newer and older games comfortably on high/ultra settings at HD resolution, provided he doesn't go overboard with the extra detail and filtering (maybe 2-4x).
Honestly, just go for a desktop—it's worth it. If you're sticking to 1080p, this setup should hold up for quite a while, even if you decide to crank up those settings later on:
Intel Core i7 desktop processor RAIJINTEK AIDOS GIGABYTE 970A-DS3P KINGSTON 8GB 1600 MHZ SEAGATE 3,5 1TB SATA 3 SSHD MSI Gaming X graphics card Dell optical drive EVGA 550W power supply MS DRAGON MIDI USB 3.0 ATX + 92 MM + 120 MM FAN
Building a totally new rig is definitely your smartest move here—unless you decide to hang onto that HDD or maybe a decent case if you've got one. Everything else? Honestly, it’s ready to be sold to someone who just wants to play older, lighter games, watch movies, or browse the web without needing anything heavy-duty.
Basically, there's zero point in throwing money at an old s775 platform. Since the rest of your parts are pretty weak, it wouldn't even make sense to just swap out the CPU or GPU—your power supply and that tiny amount of RAM are just going to hold you back regardless.
Do you have the power supply, case, and the DVD/CD drive and HDD ready to go? If so, let me know the brand, model, and wattage of that PSU—also, what specific case are you rocking, and are the hard drive and optical drive SATA or PATA?
Brian Clark4 said:I already mentioned I don't touch Photoshop😁
My bad, totally misread that.
If you're looking to upgrade your GPU, you should probably aim for an R9 280/280 x or maybe an Nvidia GTX 770.
But before you go doing that, you really need to let us know the brand, model, and wattage of your power supply.
Also, if you're eyeing those specific cards, you're definitely gonna need to overclock your CPU—so if you're running a basic stock cooler, you'll need to budget for a new one too.
If you ask me, I’d go with the MSI GTX 750 Ti 2GB TF IV—it’s a solid choice if you want something reasonably priced that actually does more than just handle the bare essentials. What kind of work are you actually doing in Photoshop?
An MSI motherboard makes sense, sure, but if you’re looking to step up and get a better power supply, you really can't pass up that EVGA deal on sale with the 5-year warranty. Also—just a heads up—that Hex unit comes with super short cables, so everything feels kind of cramped. If you ever decide to upgrade to a nicer case down the road, you'll probably end up having to buy extension cables just to make it work.
Regarding the EVGA GeForce GTX 770, it's also worth stretching your budget a bit since you get an extra year of warranty out of it.
Honestly? I'd rather just spend a little more upfront and go with what was suggested—trying to save pennies when you're working with a tight budget usually ends up costing you way more in the long run.
AMD Athlon II x4 740 ASUS FM2+ A55BM-E KINGSTON 4GB 1600 MHZ SEAGATE 3.5" BARR. 500 GB SAPPHIRE R7 250 1GB DDR5 BOOST LG GH24NS95 SATA Chicony HPA 350W ACTIVE MS PHOENIX MIDI USB 2.0 ATX
= $840 including shipping and assembly.
If you don't really need a DVD/CD drive, I'd suggest swapping in a beefier ASUS HD 7770 GHz ED. or maybe an even stronger XFX 450W power supply.
Actually, that recommended Chicony unit should be plenty for now—it'll even handle future upgrades since CPU/GPU power draw just keeps dropping year after year.
From what I can see, you're going for a multimedia build with a decent emphasis on the graphics card—so if you're planning on gaming, a quad-core is definitely the way to go, especially given how demanding games are getting lately.
The rest fits right into your budget and honestly, I don't think you're making any bad calls here—the motherboard supports newer FM2+ Kaveri processors, and even though it's low-end, it's an ASUS, so you won't deal with the headaches you might get with something like MSI or ASROCK... plus, it gives you everything else you need.
The case isn't cheap junk either—I actually built a rig in one recently and can vouch that the build quality is pretty solid for the price. It's got room for an SSD, two 3.5" bays, three 5.25" bays, and support for 120/90mm fans that you can add later to help with airflow and keep temps down.
It's really up to you at this point—you've already been told it's basically the same thing, and honestly, there’s zero noticeable difference when you're actually gaming. They perform pretty much identically.
Like, if you overclocked a 3570K to 4.2 GHz, and then took a 4670K to 4 GHz, you'd end up right back where you started because those tiny performance bumps in Haswell just don't move the needle much.
As long as you've got the bracket for Intel socket 1155, your CM should fit just fine.
You're totally right—I mixed up the dimensions in my head. I thought it was 180 mm wide (it's actually +200 mm), which would've meant dealing with coolers over 155 mm tall. But honestly, the Z3 plus is just a better case overall, so if he wants to go with that, more power to him.
Honestly, whether you go with Ivy or Haswell doesn't really matter since Haswell prices have dropped quite a bit lately. Sure, it runs a little hotter, but it's beefier too, so you kind of win either way—it's a toss-up. As long as there's a decent aftermarket cooler available, temperature worries and overclocking headaches shouldn't be an issue.