Budget PC build: $500-$600 range

Hey everyone.
I'm looking for a solid build that leans a bit more toward gaming. 🙂

My current setup includes an Intel Core 2 Duo E8400, a Corsair HX 520W, an AMD Radeon HD 6850, an EP45-UD3R motherboard, plus my case, mouse, keyboard, speakers, and a 21" 1080p monitor.

Please give me some recommendations within this budget, and let me know if I can get away with keeping the power supply.

You can definitely hang onto the power supply. What kind of case are we talking about? You can probably keep that too, provided it isn't some ancient relic with a built-in floppy drive 😬 Which Hard Disk Drive are you using? Here is an option that includes the Hard Disk Drive but leaves out the case:

ASRock H110M-HDS, s1151
Intel Core i3-6100
AMD Radeon R9 380X G1 GAMING, 4 GB DDR5
1TB WD Blue Hard Disk Drive, 3.5", 7200RPM
DDR4 8GB (1x8GB) PC3-17000 2133MHz CL15 Crucial,

Total: $3,$308 ebay.com

If you stick with your current Hard Disk Drive, you might be able to squeeze in an i5 if you make a few other compromises.

I'd probably hold off on grabbing that card for another 10 days or so...

It's an NZXT Apollo case. I'll check the Hard Disk Drive once I get back home.

northernsurfer54 said:Hey everyone.
I'm looking for a solid build that leans a bit more toward gaming. 🙂

My current setup includes an Intel Core 2 Duo E8400, a Corsair HX 520W, an AMD Radeon HD 6850, an EP45-UD3R motherboard, plus my case, mouse, keyboard, speakers, and a 21" 1080p monitor.

Please give me some recommendations within this budget, and let me know if I can get away with keeping the power supply.

That power supply is top-tier, and that processor can still pull some weight. Your motherboard is solid too. You could even overclock that CPU if you grabbed the right cooler. Honestly, though, that graphics card is total garbage for that resolution... but seriously, why bother upgrading such a weak link?

People are going to start arguing in the comments, but if I were in your shoes, I’d just grab this from Best Buy:

BEST BUY CART
1 x AMD Athlon II X4 840, 3.1GHz/3.8GHz, FM2+
1 x Gigabyte GA-F2A68HM-DS2 (SFM2+, DDR3, DVI/VGA, USB3.0, SATA III) Micro-ATX
1 x Kingston ValueRAM DDR3 (8GB, 1600MHz(PC3-12800)) CL11, Retail
1 x Gigabyte R9 380X G1 GAMING, 4GB GDDR5, HDMI, DVI
Total: $1047

Keep everything else and just spend a little extra cash.😁

I’ve already overclocked mine; it runs smoothly enough at 4.1 GHz thanks to my Zalman cooler. The only issue might be some stuttering from the graphics card, but I’m not quite sure how to fix that myself.

The CPU and GPU are roughly on par, but they aren't terrible.
Regarding an upgrade, I’d hold off for about a month. Once the market stabilizes with the new cards, you'll be able to snag something much better that pulls less power. For instance, the AMD Radeon RX 470 is going to dominate 1080p. An R9 380(X) would be a decent step up, but just wait—you'll get way more bang for your buck, basically hitting the ceiling for 1080p gaming.

P.S. What cooler are you running?

Regarding the GPU... what you've got isn't actually terrible, but maybe try this instead:

Crucial 8GB DDR4 2133Mhz UDIMM
ASRock H110M HDS
Intel Core i5-6400
WD Blue 1 TB SATA III

TOTAL: $250 $206 Best Buy

You can save the rest and maybe add a bit more for an AMD Radeon RX 470 in a month or two. I guess just switching over to an Intel Core i5-6400 will give you a decent little boost in games anyway.

What are your thoughts on this motherboard? Also, what’s the actual difference between an ATX and a Micro-ATX board?
By the way, I'm currently running a Zalman Performa cooler...

It really comes down to the size factor...

If you're planning on splurging on a higher-end motherboard, I’d suggest going with this one, if only because it actually has an M.2 slot:

I reckon he picked that motherboard just because it has a dragon on it. 🍿

crimsonstag84 said:It really comes down to the size factor...

If you're planning on splurging on a higher-end motherboard, I’d suggest going with this one, if only because it actually has an M.2 slot:

I haven't kept up with the latest tech trends in about five years now, so I'm a bit out of the loop.😵

Robert Rodriguez2 said:I reckon he picked that motherboard just because it has a dragon on it. 🍿

Not quite, I just saw the word GAMING on it and went for it. haha

I'll drop this here instead of starting a whole new thread. I'm curious to get your take on this build. I did bump up the budget a bit, so I could actually go up to $1833 more if needed. I already have the Corsair HX520W power supply, an NZXT case, and all my peripherals ready to go.

MSI Z170-A Pro motherboard, LGA 1151
Intel Core i5-6400 (6MB Cache, up to 3.30GHz), LGA 1151
16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 PC4-17000 2133MHz CL14, Kingston HyperX Fury
MSI GTX 960, 2 GB DDR5, 128-bit, 1253/7010 MHz
(might wait for the next generation for the GPU)
1TB Toshiba Hard Disk Drive, 3.5", 7200RPM, 32MB Cache, SATA III, DT01ACA100
At Micro Center $1667

northernsurfer54 said:I'll drop this here instead of starting a whole new thread. I'm curious to get your take on this build. I did bump up the budget a bit, so I could actually go up to $1833 more if needed. I already have the Corsair HX520W power supply, an NZXT case, and all my peripherals ready to go.

MSI Z170-A Pro motherboard, LGA 1151
Intel Core i5-6400 (6MB Cache, up to 3.30GHz), LGA 1151
16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 PC4-17000 2133MHz CL14, Kingston HyperX Fury
MSI GTX 960, 2 GB DDR5, 128-bit, 1253/7010 MHz
(might wait for the next generation for the GPU)
1TB Toshiba Hard Disk Drive, 3.5", 7200RPM, 32MB Cache, SATA III, DT01ACA100
At Micro Center $1667

If this is just for gaming, you don't need 16GB of RAM. Plus, since you aren't picking an unlocked CPU, you can save some cash on the motherboard and dump that extra money into a better GPU (just hang tight until the custom AMD Radeon RX 480 drops) or an SSD.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:If this is just for gaming, you don't need 16GB of RAM. Plus, since you aren't picking an unlocked CPU, you can save some cash on the motherboard and dump that extra money into a better GPU (just hang tight until the custom AMD Radeon RX 480 drops) or an SSD.

I'm looking for a gaming rig. I actually enjoy messing around with fan curves and overclocking. I was even thinking about picking up a controller for the fans, maybe around $83😀 So, is 8GB enough? And what did you mean by "not taking an unlocked" processor? Which one would be a good choice?

Processors without the K suffix aren't meant for overclocking, but there’s actually a loophole lately. On certain Intel Z170 boards—mostly the budget-friendly ones like ASRock—you can actually push those locked CPUs using BCLK. It used to be a massive headache even for unlocked chips, so this is a game changer. Just keep a close eye on your BIOS version; there's even a chance Windows updates might tweak the processor microcode.

8GB is plenty for gaming, and honestly, blowing money on extra fan controllers is just a waste of cash.
You could redirect some of that budget toward a better GPU instead (though, looking at your specific situation, a custom AMD Radeon RX 480 with 4GB isn't even available in the US yet).

Greetings, everyone. I am reviving this thread rather than starting a new one, so I look forward to hearing your thoughts. 🙂

After quite some time, I have decided to invest in a new PC. My goal is to be able to run some more demanding games occasionally, though I am not insisting on running everything at "ultra" settings.

I came across the following offer, and since I am far from being an expert when it comes to hardware, I would value your professional opinion. 🙂

Please note that I already own a Hard Disk Drive, and $1167 represents my absolute maximum budget.

Thank you.

Motherboard: ASUS M5A97 R2 - $210
Case: MSCONQUEROR gaming case - $62
Power Supply: Xilenece RedWing R7 edition 500w - $92
RAM: Kingston DDR3 HyperX Fury 1866Mhz 2x4gb - $114
Processor: AMD FX-4300, 3.8Ghz, 95w, 8mb - $200
Cooler: SCYTHE katana 3 SCKTN 3000A - $54
Graphics Card: XFX R7 370 2GB DDR5 - $418

Total: $1150

It’s not exactly a complex build, but here is what you can get for similar money:

1 x Intel Core i3-6098P, 3.6GHz, LGA 1151
1 x MSI H110M PRO-D (LGA 1151, DDR4, USB 3.1, SATA III, DVI, Audio, LAN) Micro-ATX
1 x Kingston 8GB 2133MHz DDR4 Non-ECC CL15 1Rx8
1 x AMD Radeon RX 460 2GB, 128bit GDDR5
1 x Zalman Z3, USB 3.0 black, 3x120mm fans
1 x Fortron Hyper 500W, 80+ rated

Total: $1142

it futura

Think of it this way: the processor has more raw power and the platform is more modern (utilizing the 1151 socket and DDR4 memory). While the graphics card performs similarly, it belongs to a newer generation, meaning it's more efficient and budget-friendly. You also get a superior case equipped with three fans, along with a higher-quality power supply backed by a 5-year warranty.

Back again. 🙂

With a bit of luck and some diligent searching, I managed to scrape together the following components within my specified budget ( $1167 ). Everything is brand new and comes with a full warranty, with the sole exception of the graphics card, which is about 10 months old but still very much covered by its manufacturer's warranty:

AMD FX-8370 (4.0GHz, 16MB, 125W, AM3+) box

Gigabyte Windforce R9 280X 3GB

Gigabyte GA-970-Gaming motherboard, AM3, A970, D3, S3, U3

8GB 1866MHz DDR3 HyperX Fury Black Series, HX318C10FB/8

MS BEAST gaming case without power supply, featuring a green LED fan

Questions: What kind of power supply would you recommend to run this entire setup reliably without breaking the $100 mark?

Is it worth adding an additional cooler?

I trust my component selection is sound. 🙂

Aside from the AMD FX 8300 and the AMD FX-8320E, I guess AMD isn't much of a bargain right now. That board feels a bit overpriced for what you actually get—it’s basically just a 970A-DS3P with some extra USB3.1 and M.2 ports thrown in. For that kind of money, you might be better off grabbing a Gigabyte 990X_Gaming-SLI.

Anywho, this combo still looks like a better deal:

ASRock H110M-HDV motherboard, LGA 1151
Intel Core i5-6402P processor (6MB Cache, up to 3.40 GHz), LGA 1151
Fractal Design Integra M 450W power supply, ATX 2.4, FD-PSU-IN3B-450W
Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. MB standard: Standard ATX / Micro ATX. PSU standard
8GB (1x8GB) DDR4 PC3-17000 2133MHz CL15 Crucial, CT8G4DFS8213

Total: $967 - AMD