Build ideas under $2500 (excluding PSU and HDD)

Hey,
looking for some build advice regarding $667. I'm wondering if it's even possible to put together something decent for gaming on this budget—it doesn't need to crush the latest AAA titles or anything, since I know that's unrealistic at this price point 😁.

Here's what I've got so far:
a 1TB HDD
a 650W power supply, an LC POWER LC8650II Metatron OZEANOS, ATX2 v2.3, 140mm fan, PFC, modular

Any suggestions on what else I should grab?🙂

1 x Intel Core i3 (3.2GHz, 4MB, 65W, LGA 1150) box
1 x Micro Center case, no PSU
1 x MSI A68HM-P33 (LGA 1150, DDR3, SATA III, USB3.0/USB2.0, GLAN, VGA, DVI) mATX Retail
1 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260X OC, 1GB GDDR5, DVI, DP, HDMI
1 x Crucial 4GB DDR3 1600 MHz (PC3-12800) CL11
Total: $782

Best Buy

Thanks.. I guess what kind of games could this actually run?

1 x ASUS, Intel chipset, 2 x 1.5V DDR3 DIMM
1 x Intel Core i3 3.20GHz 4cores
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Corsair, 1600MHz, CL11,Value, CMV4GX3M1A160C11
1 x MS GRIFFIN case without PSU, Midi tower MBO: ATX
1 x Sapphire NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1GB GDDR5 OC, 1GB GDDR5 128bit, 28nm

$819
techcrunch.com

How about this:

1 x Intel Core i5 3.70GHz 4cores,cache : 4MB
1 x ASUS, LGA 1150, Intel chipset (DDR3), 2 slots
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Corsair, 1600MHz, CL11, Value, CMV4GX3M1A160C11
1 x MS PHOENIX case without PSU, Midi tower ATX, mATX
1 x XFX NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1075M Boost 1GB DDR5

$835admin.com

So, you're looking at an LGA 1150 platform here. You won't have much room to upgrade later, but you do get a decent dedicated GPU. Pairing that with the i5 means you can actually play some games quite well. That said, the case isn't the best choice, and you don't have an aftermarket cooler either. It'll work for now since these CPUs don't run too hot, but I'd recommend picking up a better cooler once you have the cash—the stock one is pretty loud...

Or maybe this:
1 x Intel Core i3 3.8GHz, 4MB, 65W, LGA 1150 box
2 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1866MHz, CL10, Kingston Fury, HX318C10F
1 x Spire Kepler Rev.2, heatsink, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm, 92mm
1 x ASUS, LGA 1150, Intel chipset (DDR3), 4 slots
1 x Zalman Z3 mid tower case. 192(W)x465(H)x430(D)mm. MB standard

$791admin.com

This second option gives you a much better foundation. You get 8 GB of RAM right out of the gate, a better case, and an aftermarket cooler. However, you're relying on the CPU's integrated graphics, so gaming won't be as smooth as the first option. On the plus side, you have way more room to grow because all you'll eventually need is a dedicated card. Once you save up enough, just drop in something like an NVIDIA GeForce GTX and you've got a great gaming rig. With the first option, you're stuck because the platform limits you, and jumping from a 260X to a 270 isn't even worth the effort.🙂🙂

EDIT: Looks like those forum trolls beat me to it...😬 Regardless, the APU route is still on the table.😉

thanks guys, the more suggestions the better 🙂
thanks everyone

Sam Robinson3 said:Thanks.. I guess what kind of games could this actually run?

It’d probably run anything, really. Just depends on the resolution and settings you're aiming for, I suppose.

Aha, gotcha 🙂
Any other ideas?

You don't really have many realistic paths left here. You're either going with a CPU combo or sticking to an LGA 1150 setup with a dedicated graphics card. For about $2,700, you might be able to squeeze in an LGA 1150 platform with an Intel Core i5, but you'd likely have to settle for a cheaper motherboard and a basic case—plus, there's no guarantee an aftermarket cooler would even fit. So, basically, you're just choosing between the options already on the table.

There’s an Intel option at a similar price point where you get a dual-core processor, but you'll have way more room to upgrade later on. The catch is that some games don't even support dual-cores anymore, and most of the newer stuff just runs better on modern hardware.

Sam Robinson3 said:Aha, gotcha 🙂
Any other ideas?

Sure. You could go with a beefier processor, but you'd have to settle for a weaker GPU (though it'll still handle most modern titles on medium settings).

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K (3.3/3.9GHz,14MB,95W,LGA1156)
Cooler: LC-CC-95 / Spire Kepler
Motherboard: ASUS Prime B450M-A, AM4
Memory: 4GB DDR3 1600MHz
GPU: MSI R7 250X DDR5 1GB/128bit / Sapphire R7 250X 1Gb
Case: Naviatec NVT-601 / MS Aries

= $800 Free shipping or local pickup available / Free assembly / Cash on delivery
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