Gaming PC build under $750

Hey everyone!

I'm looking to put together a gaming rig that can really push those high Max FPS levels, especially for some newer titles like Call of Duty: Battlefield and the upcoming Star Wars Battlefront... 😁.
About a year ago, someone actually suggested this specific setup to me:
1 x AMD FX X6 6300 3.5Ghz (4.1GHz) box
1 x LC POWER LC-CC-95, socket 775/1155/1156/AMD
1 x Gigabyte 970A DS3P, AM3+
1 x Crucial Module 8GB, 240-pin DIMM, DDR3 PC3-12800
1 x Seagate ST1000DM010 1TB 3.5"
1 x XFX ATI R9 280 3 GB DDR5 Black edition 1 x
1 x LG GH24NS sat Bulk
1 x Zalman Z1, USB3.0 black
1 x Fortron Hyper 600W, 80+

The thing is, when I finally went to pull the trigger and order it, I was told that several of these parts are basically impossible to find now because they've been replaced by newer generations 🤔
On top of that, I was told the motherboard doesn't even match the processor socket (honestly, I'm still wrapping my head around what all those technical terms mean... I'm definitely not an expert at building PCs myself 😛).
Could anyone suggest a similar or even slightly better build for roughly the same price point (around $1667)?
Thanks so much for the help! 😁

Anyone telling you that motherboard isn't compatible is a total amateur. For the most part, all those components are still readily available on Newegg

Personally, I’d go this route and skip the burner



center

1 x Intel Core i5-4460 Processor (3.20GHz,1MB,6MB,84 W,1150) Box
1 x Asrock H81M-HDS, s1150, Intel H81, M-ATX, dual Channel 2xDDR3
1 x Gigabyte GTX 960 IX OC, 2GB GDDR5, DVI, HDMI
1 x 8GB DDR3 (1x8GB) Corsair, 1600MHz, CL11, Value, CMV8GX3M1A160C11
1 x Seagate ST1000DM010 1TB HDD, Serial ATA III, 7200 rpm
1 x FORTRON 400W Power Supply, HEXA plus 400, 12cm fan
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. Standard ATX motherboard support

$1679
newegg.com

Kimberly Gomez34 said:Anyone telling you that motherboard isn't compatible is a total amateur. For the most part, all those components are still readily available on Newegg

Personally, I’d go this route and skip the burner



center

Thanks so much for the help! Could you do me a huge favor and explain the actual difference between this recommended build and the one Amy Vaughn12 suggested down below? 🤔

If you ask me, Amy Vaughn12 is definitely 👍

^ Absolutely. If an i5 can handle it without any compromises, then just go for the i5 👍

Adam Moore3 said:^ Absolutely. If an i5 can handle it without any compromises, then just go for the i5 👍

there isn't any
Hexa isn't some cheap power supply you'd throw into a budget rig built for pennies.
Kimberly Gomez34 put together a balanced build where nothing was compromised.

1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. MB standard
1 x HDD Seagate ST1000DM010, Serial ATA III, 7200 rpm, ST1000DM003
1 x AMD FX-Series X8 8300 3.3GHz,16MB,125W,AM3+, FD8300WMHK
1 x LC Power Cosmo Cool, 92 mm, Hydraulic bearing, 800-2200 rpm,
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Corsair, 1600MHz, CL11,Value, CMV8GX3M1A160C11
1 x XFX ATI R9 280 3 GB DDR5 Black edition 1 x
1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x Fortron 600W Hyper Power, PPA6003302, 12cm fan

$1721 AMD

It’s probably a bit too 😬

Robert Rodriguez2 said:there isn't any
Hexa isn't some cheap power supply you'd throw into a budget rig built for pennies.
Kimberly Gomez34 put together a balanced build where nothing was compromised.

Why wouldn't it work? It's just a solid budget power supply. It probably won't even break a sweat paired with an Intel Core i5-4460 and a GTX 960. Besides, the i5 is generally a better gaming processor anyway

Yeah, the Hexa is a perfectly decent power supply for that build. If you were running some heavy-duty components, sure, it might be an issue, but since you're just rocking a GTX 960 and an Intel Core i5-4460, you'll be fine...

Honestly, if you're going with the GTX 960, I’d definitely aim for the 4GB version—the price difference is so tiny, it's just a no-brainer.

Intel Core i5-4460
GIGABYTE H81M S2V
KINGSTON 8GB 1600 MHZ
Seagate ST1000DM010 3.5 1TB SATA 3
GIGABYTE GTX 960 4GB WF GDDR5
ANTEC VPC 500W 80+
MS VOYAGER MIDI ATX + 120 MM FAN

= $1697 including assembly and shipping.

crimsonstag84 said:1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. MB standard
1 x HDD Seagate ST1000DM010, Serial ATA III, 7200 rpm, ST1000DM003
1 x AMD FX-Series X8 8300 3.3GHz,16MB,125W,AM3+, FD8300WMHK
1 x LC Power Cosmo Cool, 92 mm, Hydraulic bearing, 800-2200 rpm,
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Corsair, 1600MHz, CL11,Value, CMV8GX3M1A160C11
1 x XFX ATI R9 280 3 GB DDR5 Black edition 1 x
1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x Fortron 600W Hyper Power, PPA6003302, 12cm fan

$1721 AMD

It’s probably a bit too 😬

I just checked this setup on GameSpot and it actually pulled some pretty high scores! How does this processor stack up against the Intel I5 that Amy Vaughn12 suggested earlier?
Also, quick question—does crimsonstag84's recommended build seem well-balanced when it comes to the power supply and everything else?
P.S. Thanks so much to everyone for taking a moment out of your day to help me out! 😁

GameSpot 😬

It's the strongest option because it packs the most powerful GPU, making the whole build quite balanced.

Regarding the CPU, the i5 offers noticeably better single-core performance. On the other hand, the FX 83xx handles multi-threaded workloads slightly better when all cores are pushed. That said, the i5 is generally considered the better choice for gaming, though you won't really feel much difference between the two processors since your actual gaming performance will be dictated by your graphics card (in at least 99.9% of scenarios).

Hey. Need some help picking between these two builds. They're pretty close, but if anyone’s got a better idea, let me know. Which one would you grab? Thanks!

Back to school, I guess...

That R7 is practically half as powerful as the R9...

Besides, nobody buys pre-built rigs anymore because they’re usually junk. You're better off just listing what you want to do and your budget; those guys will put together a decent build for you once they show up...

Probably for gaming. An 860K just isn't going to cut it if you want to push an R9 380, but then again, a 260X is way too weak for this kind of budget. You really need to aim for a solid balance—something like this setup here.

AMD FX-Series X8 8300 3.3
LC CC 94
GIGABYTE 970A-DS3P
KINGSTON 8GB 1600 MHZ
Seagate ST1000DM010 3.5" 1TB SATA 3
GIGABYTE GTX 950 2GB WF DDR5
HEXA plus 400W 80+ ACTIVE
MS VOYAGER MIDI ATX + 120 MM FAN

= $1475 including assembly and shipping.

Thinking about grabbing a PC for some gaming, nothing crazy though. Budget's around $4,500.

Here are the results with the R9 380 as well—also without any overclocking applied.



Newegg, even with a 3% discount on the PCE, is still $45cheaper by a bit.

Just threw this build together myself! Will it actually run? Any advice on compatibility or if I need to toss in an extra fan or something? It’s my first time building a PC, so I'm praying I didn't screw anything up. Thanks!

CPU: AMD FX-Series X8 8300 3.3
MB: Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
GPU: Sapphire R9 380 NITRO
HDD: WD 1TB, Caviar blue, SATA3, 64 MB
PSU: FORTRON 500W, HEXA plus 400
DDR3: CORSAIR 4GB, 1600 MHz
Case: MS Raider RED

Just swap out the case. A Zalman Z1 is built from way better materials and already comes with two 120mm fans plus a dust filter over the PSU shroud—something MS doesn't even bother providing...