Help - PC build in Seattle under $500

Hey everyone—it's finally happening. Time for a new rig. My first setup was basically just the cheapest parts I could find for everything except actually playing games, so now I’ve decided it’s time to build a real gaming machine.

Is it possible to pick up a solid gaming build in Seattle? Like, where can I go to buy or put together a decent configuration for around $500... maybe a little more if needed...

edit: excluding the monitor

ps if I can't hit the $1167 mark, then just show me the cheapest thing possible within that range that still offers decent bang for my buck.

Thanks in advance to all the experts out there!

Ronald Bishop58 said:Hey everyone, it's finally time for a new PC. My first build was just a bunch of cheap parts used for everything except actual gaming, but now I'm looking for a real setup.

Can I find a solid gaming rig in Seattle? Looking to buy or build one for around $500—maybe a little more if needed.

edit: excluding the monitor

also, if $$1167 isn't doable, what's the best bang-for-your-buck option around that price point?

Thanks in advance to the experts!

If you pay cash, you can get way more value than using a card. In Seattle, your best bet is probably AT&T.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:If you're paying cash, you can score way better deals than using a card—though in Seattle, your only real option is LinkedIn.

Unfortunately, they’re strictly card-only over there, so thanks for the tip!

So, I guess those guys will just point me toward whatever works best for what I need?

Everything feels pretty well balanced here; I guess you could probably skip $43 if you decide against getting the air fryer.

crimsonstag84 said:Everything looks pretty well balanced here—you could probably ditch the $43 if you aren't grabbing the roaster.

👍 Thanks a million!

Wait, if I don't get the roaster, how am I supposed to install the software????

Don't laugh at me, my brain just works that way—(I'm a total newbie here) 😵

Seriously, THANKS AGAIN!

You can fix just about everything using USB sticks, even if you need to reinstall a Windows Edition 😁

EDIT: I tweaked the build slightly. All these parts are available locally in Seattle, so you won't have to deal with shipping delays:

http://zaslike.com/files/aowej4jctwhhx9fswvn.jpg

Ronald Bishop58

So, what card are you using, and how many installments can you stretch it over? I'm just asking because—honestly—Dell shouldn't be your only option just because of the financing.

crimsonstag84 said:

Everything feels pretty well balanced here—you could probably ditch the $43 if you aren't grabbing the roaster too.

Just one thing though... how would this 8 GB memory stick up against yours?

graniteharbor85 said:Ronald Bishop58

So, which card are you using and how many installments? Just asking because Dell shouldn't be your only option just because of the financing.

Visa—let's say over a year

You could grab some extra memory here too, just to be safe for the future, I guess.

fadedorca66 said:You can fix just about anything with a USB drive—even reinstalling Windows 😁

EDIT: I tweaked the build a bit—all these parts should be easy to find at a local Best Buy or Micro Center, so you won't have to deal with any shipping delays:

http://zaslike.com/files/aowej4jctwhhx9fswvn.jpg

I'm kind of torn between your hard drive suggestion and the one @crimsonstag84/">@@crimsonstag84 posted. There's a bit of a gap in price, maybe around $17, but isn't it basically the same thing? Correct me if I'm being dense,

but what's actually the difference between the motherboard you're recommending and the one @crimsonstag84/">@@crimsonstag84 suggested?

Those HDDs are pretty much the same thing. I just suggested this one since it's actually in stock over at Best Buy right now, so you won't be stuck waiting if you need it today.

The difference is... well, they're basically identical. You can check out the full specs here if you really want to dive into it:
http://www.ecs.com.tw/ECSWebSite/Pro...nuID=1&LanID=0

Maybe there's an extra port or something, and I guess ASUS is a slightly more "well-known" brand.

fadedorca66 said:Those HDDs are basically twins—I just suggested this one since it’s actually in stock over at the Best Buy in Seattle, so you won't be stuck waiting if you want to grab it today.

The difference is... well, there barely is one. You can dig into the nitty-gritty specs here if you really want to:
http://www.hp.com/products/details/1&LanID=0
http://www.asus.com/products/details/px?pid=4876#sp

Maybe an extra port or two here and there, plus ASUS is slightly more of a household name.

Thanks!

The main difference is that the HP motherboard doesn't support FM2+ processors, whereas the ASUS one does. Since another series of FM2+ chips is expected early in 2015, you might have some room for an upgrade later—though I guess it really depends on how much better those new CPUs actually turn out to be compared to that 750K. 😉

What even is 750k?

more than a Dell

the processor (AMD - FM2+ socket) - just like it says right here

crimsonstag84 said:

Everything feels pretty well balanced here—you could probably ditch the $43 if you decide against grabbing a dedicated GPU.

I'm planning to pull the trigger on this build in September... will these parts still be relevant then? That's only about two months away.

Man, I don't know... nobody can really predict that. You probably should have checked in about a week before you actually pulled the trigger on the purchase. Between shifting prices, stock availability, or just new components hitting the market, things change constantly.

It probably will, but just reach out to me later. There's no point in stressing over it right now—who knows what kind of deals they'll be throwing out there then?

Alright, I'll hit you up then! 🙂