PC build for $900

I picked up my last rig over six years ago, and I just realized the other day that it’s finally time to drop some cash on a brand-new build with all-new parts. Honestly, I’m pretty out of the loop when it comes to tech specs and hardware these days, so I’m coming to you guys for help. What’s the best possible setup I can snag for $2000? Even just some basic guidance would be huge—should I go with Intel or AMD? Nvidia or ATI? DDR3 or DDR4? My main goal is smooth, headache-free gaming. I need a machine that can handle stuff like GTA 5 🙂
without breaking a sweat.
Thanks in advance for the help.

1 x Intel Core i5-4460 (3.2GHz, 6MB, LGA1150) box
1 x ASRock H81M-HDS R2.0, (s1150, DDR3, USB 3.0, SATA III, DVI/VGA/HDMI) mATX, USB 3.0 header
1 x GIGABYTE R9 380X G1 GAMING GDDR5 4GB, 256bit
1 x Fortron Hyper 500W, 80+ - 60mj.
1 x SanDisk X400 256GB SSD, 2.5” 7mm, SATA 6 Gbit/s, 60mj.
1 x Zalman mid Tower case Black, USB 3.0, 3x120mm
1 x Kingston DDR3 1600MHz, C11, 8GB
1 x Seagate Barracuda 1 TB, 64MB, 7200rpm, High-Performance

Total: $2015
futura-it

A bit over budget, featuring Skylake/DDR4/R9 390:

Seagate Barracuda 1 TB, 64MB, 7200rpm HDWD110UZSVA
Zalman mid Tower case Black, Zalman Z3
Sapphire Radeon nitro R9 390
ASRock B150M-HDS
Intel Core i5-6402
XFX 600W XT Series 80+ Bronze, XFX-P1-600B-XTFR
Kingmax 1x8GB DDR4 2133 GLJG, KIN-8GB DDR4 2133

Total: $2035 Centro

Honestly? I’d just go with the AMD FX-8300 and the Nvidia GTX 970, then try to squeeze in an SSD if there's any room left. I think we could actually make that work within this budget.

In my opinion, an SSD is a complete necessity for any build in the $800 to $900 range, even if you're putting together a gaming rig. It’s really not a luxury anymore; the speed difference is just too immediate and noticeable for anyone making the jump from an old HDD.

@Chris Robinson25 That's definitely possible 😬

Seagate Barracuda 1 TB, 64MB, 7200rpm
Zalman mid Tower case Black, Zalman Z3
Sapphire Radeon nitro R9 390
XFX 600W XT Series 80 Bronze, XFX-P1-600B-XTFR
Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P
AMD FX-8300
Kingston DDR3 1600MHz, C11, 8GB, KVR16N11/8
Patriot SSD Blast R560/W425, 120GB, 7mm, 2.5" PBT120GS25SSDR
LC Power CPU Cooler LC-CC-95 - 90mm

Total: $2008 Centro

crimsonstag84 said:@Chris Robinson25 That’s definitely a possibility 😬

Seagate BarraCuda 1TB, 64MB, 7200rpm
NZXT H510, Cooler Master Silencio
EVGA GeForce RTX Series
XFX 600W XT Series 80 Bronze, XFX-P1-600B-XTFR
ASUS Prime Motherboard
Intel Core i7-4770K
Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600MHz, C11, 8GB, KVR16N11/8
Samsung 870 EVO 120GB, 7mm, 2.5" PBT120GS25SSDR
LC Power CPU Cooler LC-CC-95 - 90mm

Total Build: $2008 Centro

I was really hoping I could fit a better cooler in there and get some decent Overclocking going, but looking at this, it just won't fit. Such a bummer. In that case, I'll probably just go with the Intel option.

Check this out - TechCrunch.com

And if I grab another $333, does that mean $2333? Would that actually make a difference?
Reading through all your suggestions, I realized I’m seriously behind the times, so I've got a few questions. Is 8GB of RAM considered low-end or is that the sweet spot? And is an SSD basically just the modern version of an HDD? If so, is 120GB cutting it too close?

Thanks a ton for the advice, everyone! You guys are fast.

Alright, let me see if I can pull this together for $6,500. 🙂

Case - Fractal Design case - $105.
HDD - Western Digital Blue 1TB - $133.
SSD - Samsung 870 EVO - $157.
CPU - Intel Core i7-4770K - $350.
GPU - MSI GeForce GTX Series or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 - approx $967.
Mobo A - ASUS Prime Motherboard - $183.
Mobo B - MSI MAG Motherboard - $233.
PSU - EVGA 600W Power Supply - $167.
RAM - Corsair Vengeance 8 GB - $107.
CPU cooler - Corsair CC 95 - $60.

Total: $6,900.

My thoughts:

Great case—I actually own one. Stays ice cold.
HDD—I’ve got a budget Western Digital drive that runs super cool too, but apparently, this one is way better.
Samsung SSD—I used to have the 520 model instead of the 870 EVO, but either way, it's a killer SSD. Five years of warranty left.
CPU—In my opinion, this beats Intel if you're into Overclocking. I really wanted to grab this chip, but some real-life stuff popped up. Honestly, AMD just kills it.
GPU—The MSI GeForce GTX Series with Twin Frozr is awesome. Runs incredibly cool, plus it has a 3-year warranty. Phenomenal cards. Just a heads up, the GTX 970 can run some pretty hot VRMs, so watch out for that. Not sure how the PowerColor Radeon holds up.
Motherboard—I was supposed to get this ASUS board; it's a beast. Really solid for decent overclocking too.
PSU—Not really my specialty. I’d probably go with an EVGA 550W, but they're kind of pricey. I've seen plenty of people pairing a Corsair unit with an 8300, so it should be fine.
RAM—Corsair Vengeance. It's great stuff, I use it myself. I've tried Corsair Dominator and other brands before, but the Vengeance is top-tier.
CPU cooler—A buddy of mine used this to overclock a Q8300 up to an Intel Core i7 level. Temps are solid. I personally use a Corsair CC 95 and it's a pretty good cooler too.

Let the rest of you experts weigh in, but I think this build is pretty decent.

Just saying, if you're leaning toward AMD, Overclocking is basically mandatory for that choice to actually make sense. It'd be good if the author clarified whether they plan on Overclocking the CPU or not.
Stock Intel i7 with the Corsair CC 95 isn't bad, but for gaming, a stock i5 is probably the better bet.

Personally, I still think that first option from crimsonstag84 plus the SSD is the way to go.

Just one Intel Core i7-4770K.
Just one Corsair CC 95.
I've got one ASUS Prime Motherboard on hand.
I've got one NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 on hand—the TTOC edition with 4 GB of GDDR5 and a 256-bit bus.
Just one 8GB stick of Corsair Vengeance DDR3 running at 1866MHz.
Just picked up a single 1TB Western Digital Blue 3.5'' drive.
So, I picked up a Patriot SSD Blast R560/W425—it’s a 120GB, 2.5-inch drive in that standard 7mm form factor. Honestly, at this stage, it's really just about getting a basic boot drive under my belt without breaking the bank. It’s nothing fancy, just a straightforward little solid-state drive to get things moving.
One single Corsair 600W unit.
Just one Zalman Z1.

Total: $2030

wiredotter14 said:Just a heads up, if you're leaning toward AMD, Overclocking is basically mandatory to make that choice worth it. The OP should probably clarify if they actually plan on Overclocking the CPU or not.
The Stock Intel i7 with a Corsair CC 95 isn't terrible, but for actual gaming, a stock i5 is honestly better.

Personally, I’m still digging that first combo from crimsonstag84 plus an SSD.

I'm not planning on classic Overclocking—you know, trying to squeeze extra juice out of parts like bumping a CPU from 2.0 GHz to 2.5 GHz or whatever. I just want to crank every single game to max settings and play.

In that case, the Intel Core i5 with EVGA Power Supply and the PowerColor Radeon would be the best way to go.

crimsonstag84 said:A bit over budget, featuring Skylake/DDR4/PowerColor Radeon:

Western Digital Blue 1TB, 64MB, 7200rpm HDWD110UZSVA
NZXT H510, Cooler Master Silencio
EVGA GeForce RTX Series, retail
ASUS B150M
Intel Core i5 with EVGA Power Supply
EVGA 600W XT Series 80+ Bronze, XFX-P1-600B-XTFR
Kingmax 1x8GB DDR4 2133 GLJG, KIN-8GB DDR4 2133

Total cost: $2035 Best Buy

+ http://www.bestbuy.com/sandisk-x400-25...ead-write.aspx

Chris Robinson25 - Honestly, picking up that 120GB Samsung SSD feels like a waste of money. You can usually grab a 240GB or 256GB drive for just a tiny bit more cash, and some of those even come with a 5-year warranty.

Timothy Kim60 said:Chris Robinson25 - honestly, I don't see the point in that Intel Core i5 120GB drive. You can grab a 240-256GB SSD for just a tiny bit more money. Some of those even come with a 5-year warranty.

I just realized that now. I was actually checking prices a little while ago.