Budget PC build under $600

I'm looking to pick up a new rig, maybe around $600 including a monitor, so I could use some pointers... mostly gonna be playing newer titles like BF3, BF4, Far Cry 3, World of Warcraft, and Tribes Ascend.
I want something that won't die on me immediately—you know, something with decent upgrade potential down the road. Is Intel or AMD the better move here? Which one actually gives you more bang for your buck?

Here’s the build I put together, but if there's a way to make this better, please let me know! Thanks.
Asus H81M-A
Intel Pentium G3420
Asus GeForce 650Ti
4GB 1600MHz CL11 RAM
CoolerMaster N200
Corsair CX430W

1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingmax, 1600MHz, FLGF
1 x CORSAIR 430W Power Supply, CX Series 80+ Bronze, EPS12V v2.3, 80+
1 x Samsung DVD Writer, SATA Bulk Black, SATA
1 x AOC E2250SWDNK, 21.5", 16:9, 1920x1080, 200 cd/m2, 20,000,000:1
1 x Zalman ZM-T4 micro tower case. 189(W) x 427.5(H) x 364(D)mm. MB
1 x Asrock LGA 1150, Intel B85 Chipset, DDR3
1 x Intel Core i3 Processor, 3.40GHz 4cores
1 x Sapphire R7 260X 1GB GDDR5 OC, 1GB GDDR5 128bit, 28nm
1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050

$1351 ADM (includes free assembly and shipping)

crimsonstag84 said:1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingmax, 1600MHz, FLGF
1 x CORSAIR 430W Power Supply, CX Series 80+ Bronze, EPS12V v2.3, 80+
1 x SanDisk SD Card SATA Bulk Black, SATA
1 x AOC E2250SWDNK, 21.5", 16:9, 1920x1080, 200 cd/m2, 20,000,000:1
1 x Zalman ZM-T4 micro tower case. 189(W) x 427.5(H) x 364(D)mm. MB
1 x Asrock LGA 1150, LGA 1150, Intel B85 Chipset, DDR3
1 x Intel Core i3 Processor 3.40GHz 4cores
1 x Sapphire R7 260X 1GB GDDR5 OC, 1GB GDDR5 128bit, 28nm
1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050

$1351 Local shop (free assembly and shipping)

So, is Intel actually better here?
And wouldn't it be smarter to just grab some older AM3 motherboard and CPU combo instead?

granitemoose16 said:So Intel is better?
Shouldn't I just grab an AM3 motherboard and processor instead?

An AM3+ board and CPU won't fit in your budget.
Here's what I'd pick:
1 x Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-HD3, S.LGA 1150, Intel B85 Chipset, DDR3/2133, PCIe
1 x Intel Core i3 Processor 3.40GHz 4cores
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingmax, 1600MHz, FLGF
1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
1 x CORSAIR 430W Power Supply, CX Series 80+ Bronze, EPS12V v2.3, 80+
1 x Zalman ZM-T4 micro tower case. 189(W) x 427,5(H) x 364(D)mm. MB
1 x SanDisk SD Card DVD burner, SATA Bulk Black, SATA
1 x Sapphire R7 260X 1GB GDDR5 OC, 1GB GDDR5 128bit, 28nm
1 x AOC E2250SWDNK, 21,5", 16:9, 1920x1080, 200 cd/m2, 20.000.000:1

$1346

Robert Rodriguez2, you basically built the same rig, except $5.00 you went with a cheaper motherboard that probably has slightly weaker power delivery 😬

Alright, so I could probably throw down another couple hundred bucks and put together something beefier that actually gives me room to upgrade later. What do you guys think of this build?
i.imgur.com/l205J76.png

The Intel Core i5 is slightly better than the Intel Core i3, so you aren't really gaining much there. That power supply is junk, too...

Besides that, you've got an LGA 1150 motherboard, which means you can actually upgrade with newer processors through 2015.

With AM3+, there isn't anything new coming out until at least 2015.

First off, an Intel Core i5 costs nearly as much as an Intel Core i7, so picking that would be pure madness. Secondly, you just don't have the budget to build a high-quality LGA 1150 platform properly.

alright thanks. one more thing though—which CPU is actually better for overclocking, the x4 750k or the x4 760k?

Or what if I just went with Intel instead? What do you guys think about this?
i.imgur.com/2zpdOsW.png

granitemoose16 said:What would you guys think if I followed Intel's direction instead?
i.imgur.com/2zpdOsW.png

The layout is fine, but you're looking at nearly four sockets here—where does the monitor fit into this equation?
Also, given your budget, I wouldn't sink that much cash into a high-end case. Stick to something like a Zalman ZM-T3 or T4 if you want micro, or maybe a Z3+

Those two Athlon chips are essentially identical; you won't notice a real difference, except the 760k comes with a higher factory clock speed.

So, check out this AMD build paired with a 21-inch AOC monitor.

granitemoose16 said:so this AMD build paired with a 21-inch AOC monitor

It's fine, but just know you'll probably need an aftermarket cooler down the road.