Budget PC build for $500

Lmao, I saw another thread where I was just asking about random parts, but here’s what my new build is actually looking like now

PSU: EVGA 550W, ATX
GPU: MSI Radeon r7 260x 2GB DDR5
CPU: Intel Core i5 ?
Motherboard: MSI Global 970A-G43
RAM: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 with Corsair Vengeance RAM
Case: Zalman Z1, midi, aTX

around: 3500-$1200
I'll just swap over the ODD/HDD from my old rig

Timothy Perez3 said:Lmao, I saw another thread where I was just asking about random parts, but here’s what my new build is actually looking like now

PSU: EVGA 550W, ATX
GPU: MSI Radeon r7 260x 2GB DDR5
CPU: Intel Core i5 ?
Motherboard: MSI Global 970A-G43
RAM: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 with Corsair Vengeance RAM
Case: Zalman Z1, midi, aTX

around: 3500-$1200
I'll just swap over the ODD/HDD from my old rig

you can do better than that:
1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x Processor AMD FX-Series X6 6300 3.5GHz,14MB,95W,AM3+, FD6300WMHK
1 x MS Griffin case without PSU, Midi tower MBO: ATX
1 x Fortron 500W Power Supply, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x Spire Kepler Rev.2 cooler, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm ,92mm
1 x EVGA R9-270A, R9-270A-CDFC, Double Dissipation Edition 925M Boost

$1190
better board, x6 CPU, way better GPU... only 4gb of RAM though... easiest thing to upgrade later... this way you get a stronger foundation right out of the gate...

Robert Rodriguez2 said:you can do better than that:
1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x Processor AMD FX-Series X6 6300 3.5GHz,14MB,95W,AM3+, FD6300WMHK
1 x MS Griffin case without PSU, Midi tower MBO: ATX
1 x Fortron 500W Power Supply, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x Spire Kepler Rev.2 cooler, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm ,92mm
1 x EVGA R9-270A, R9-270A-CDFC, Double Dissipation Edition 925M Boost

$1190
better board, x6 CPU, way better GPU... only 4gb of RAM though... easiest thing to upgrade later... this way you get a stronger foundation right out of the gate...

Is that power supply you listed actually better? I mean, my goal isn't really to run right on the edge of what the GPU needs...

Timothy Perez3 said:Is that power supply you listed actually better? I mean, my goal isn't really to run right on the edge of what the GPU needs...

It's better because the warranty lasts longer. Honestly, it's weaker than the EVGA unit, but it's still plenty for this build since you're peaking at 290W. You've got over 200W of breathing room.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:It's better because the warranty lasts longer. Honestly, it's weaker than the EVGA unit, but it's still plenty for this build since you're peaking at 290W. You've got over 200W of breathing room.

Not sure where you were looking, but from what I saw, Robert Rodriguez2 offers a 2-year warranty while EVGA gives you 5...
Guess I'm sticking with that EVGA then...

Timothy Perez3 said:Not sure where you were looking, but from what I saw, Robert Rodriguez2 offers a 2-year warranty while EVGA gives you 5...
Guess I'm sticking with that EVGA then...

Tron at Best Buy has a 5-year warranty 😁, same thing over at Micro Center.

And honestly, if you can swing the extra cash, I’d go with that EVGA card. Even though the Tron power supply will handle that setup just fine without breaking a sweat.

does that MS Griffin case even have a front fan?

Nope.

So how does it actually pull in air then? Wouldn't that just make things run hotter than usual?...

It’s not a suction issue. A case without any ventilation simply lacks airflow, plain and simple. If you install an aftermarket cooler for that CPU, the PC will run perfectly fine; it shouldn't be hitting overheating territory because of that alone.