Looking for a PC build that can handle some gaming

Hey everyone, I could use some advice. I’m not exactly a computer expert, but I just put together a build. It isn't anything fancy, but my budget wasn't exactly unlimited either... I'll list out the parts below—could you guys let me know if everything works well together or if there's a better way to go?

audio: PCI-E CREATIVE LABS X-Fi xtreme audio.retail
RAM: 8gb corsair cmv8gx3m1a1333c9 value series.ddr3 1333mhz
Graphics card😛ci-e gainward NVIDIA GeForce gtx650.1gb ddr5 dvi mini hdmi d-sub hdtv
Hard drive: 1000gb Western Digital Blue Hard Drive. Wd10ezex.sata3.64mb cache. 7200 okr./min. For desktop
Cooler artic cooling alpine 64plus. Socket 939/am2/am3/fm1/fm2
Processor: AMD A8-5500 Processor box. S.fm2. 3.2ghz 4 mb cache.gpu 7560d. Quad core
Motherboard: gigabyte g1. Sniper a88x ddr3 zvuk s-ata.raid.g-lan.pci-e 3.0. Crossfirex.hdmi.sata.usb 3.0. Atx.s.fm2+
Power supply: 620w. Antec high current gamer hcg-620 ec. Atx v2.3. 135mm vent
Case: antec gx500.midi.usb 3.0.black.without ps (also, what does ps mean??))

It doesn't really matter, just let me know what kind of budget we're working with and you'll get much better suggestions.

I mean, what do I know? I'm looking at a budget of maybe $500 to $600 max. I realize it’s not exactly a fortune, but I still want to see if I can put together something decent to try out :

Zachary Wood13 said:Look, I don't know. $500 to $580 max. I know it's nothing special, but I want to see if I can put something together. :

AMD
1 x ASUS M5A97 EVO R2.0, AM3+, AMD 970/SB950, DDR3, 4 Slots
1 x AMD FX-Series X8 8320 3.5GHz, 16MB, 125W, AM3+, FD8320FRHK
1 x ASUS R9280-DC2T-3GD5, NVIDIA GeForce, R9280, PCIe 3.0, 3072 MB, DDR5
1 x Western Digital Blue Hard Drive 1TB, Caviar Blue 10EZEX, 1000 GB, SATA3, 64 MB, 3.5", 24mo warranty
1 x FORTRON 550W Raider, RA550, 12cm fan
1 x Samsung Monitor DVD writer, SATA Bulk Black, SATA
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x Thermaltake Contac 30, 775, AM2, AM2+, AM3, FM1, 1155, 1156, 1366, 2011
1 x Zalman Z9 PLUS mid tower case. 207(W) x 464(H) x 504(D)mm.

$1914
Intel
1 x Western Digital Blue Hard Drive 1TB, Caviar Blue 10EZEX, 1000 GB, SATA3, 64 MB, 3.5", 24mo warranty
1 x FORTRON 550W Raider, RA550, 12cm fan
1 x Samsung Monitor DVD writer, SATA Bulk Black, SATA
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H, Socket : 1150, Intel B85 Chipset, 4xDDR3 1600
1 x Intel Core i5-4440 (3.10GHz, 1MB, 6MB, 84 W, 1150) Box
1 x Sapphire R9 280X 3GB OC, 3GB GDDR5 384bit, 28nm, 2xDVI + HDMI
1 x Spire Sonex 6010, ATX/micro ATX case

$1934

admin.us

Tell me which one is better because, like I said, I’m definitely no expert here. Also, what exactly is wrong with my current setup?

Here’s a similar build to Flatron's first one, but featuring an SSHD and a case with USB 3.0.

1 x AMD FX-Series X8 8320 3.5GHz, 16MB, 125W, AM3+, FD8320FRHK Processor
1 x ASUS M5A97 EVO R2.0, AM3+, AMD 970/SB950, DDR3, 4 Slots
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo, 2011, 1366/1156/775/AM3, 626g, 13-32dB
1 x 8GB DDR3 Crucial, 1600MHz CL11 (1x8GB)
1 x Sapphire R9 280 3GB OC Dual-X, 3GB GDDR5 384bit, 28nm
1 x Seagate 1TB HDD, Serial ATA III, 7200 rpm, DESKTOP SSHD, 8GB SSD
1 x FORTRON 550W Raider Power Supply, RA550, 12cm fan
1 x LG GH24NS DVD Writer, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R, 8x DL, 40x CD-R
1 x Zalman Z9 U3 Mid Tower Case, 207(W) x 464(H) x 504(D)mm

$1907

Zachary Wood13 - both setups are decent, though you'd get better gaming performance from Flatron's second build because of the stronger graphics card...
your current configuration is, to put it mildly, terrible.😬

Running an APU plus a dedicated GPU makes zero sense here; you've picked a motherboard that's way too expensive for a budget FM2 platform, a graphics card that's far too weak for a dedicated gaming PC at this price point, a separate sound card that isn't necessary unless you're a pro musician, and a power supply that's complete overkill for these components. It's just poorly balanced and frankly, a lot of wasted money.

Zachary Wood13 said:Just tell me which one is better. Like I said, I'm not exactly an expert or anything, so what's wrong with my current setup??

Honestly, your graphics card is just too weak. You could definitely find something way more powerful for the budget you're working with.
Also, you don't really need a motherboard that supports dual GPUs (Crossfire) if you aren't planning on running two cards. It’s basically just extra money spent on a feature you won't even use.

1 x Intel Core i5-4440 Processor (3.10GHz, 1MB, 6MB, 84 W, 1150) Box
1 x ASRock H97-PRO4, s1150, Intel ® H97, 4 x DDR3, 1 x PCI Express
1 x Kingston SSD 120GB HyperX, 2.5", SATA 3 6G, R/W:555/510 MB/s
1 x Toshiba 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
1 x Sapphire R9 280 3GB OC Dual-X, 3GB GDDR5 384bit, 28nm
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x XFX Core edition 80 450W PSU - EasyRail technology
1 x LG GH24NS DVD burner, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R
1 x COOLERMASTER N400, NSE-400-KKN1, MIDI, USB 3.0, Black, no PSU

$1924
Craigslist

I suppose you could throw an SSD in there too, and I guess the 280 is more than enough for 1080p.

And honestly, that’s probably the smartest move for him. I highly doubt he's some kind of cheater anyway.

Ryan Hayes82 said:1 x Sapphire R9 280 3GB OC Dual-X, 3GB GDDR5 384bit, 28nm
1 x XFX Core edition 80 450W PSU - EasyRail technology

Do you think that power supply can actually handle that GPU? Honestly, seeing "80+ Edition" makes me a little skeptical.

Honestly, even under a full gaming load, you wouldn't see this thing pulling 300W

~170W GPU + ~80W CPU 😛

Thanks so much for all the help! I think I'm going to pull the trigger on this setup from Timothy Kim60. Thanks again... by the way, could you guys let me know which one of yours is the absolute best? Since they're all pretty affordable for me, I want to grab the top-tier option 😁 while I have the 🙂

You also have this alternative option, which features a higher-quality chassis and a more powerful graphics card, while everything else remains largely the same:
1 x AMD FX-Series X8 8320 AM3 Box
1 x Patriot Sig.,D3, 1600Mhz, 8GB (1x 8GB)
1 x Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P, AM3
1 x Toshiba 1TB,7200rpm, 32MB HDD
1 x LITE ON IHAS122 DVD-RW 22x Super Multi, SATA, Black, Bulk
1 x Zalman Z3+, USB3.0 black
1 x Fortron Raider S 550W, 80+ SILVER
1 x Sapphire R9 280X Dual-X OC, 3GB GDDR5, bulk
1 x Zalman CNPS10X OPTIMA, AMD/Intel

Total: $1906 free assembly and shipping

Robert Ortiz58, this one looks absolutely killer to me, don't you think?? 😁

There isn't an SSD or even an SSHD available here. The 280x is only maybe 10% faster than the standard 280, so I guess it makes more sense to just grab a faster drive instead. And if you aren't planning on overclocking, you might as well just go with Intel

I’m honestly not quite sure what you’re getting at here???

An SSD isn't even strictly necessary for gaming. If you're looking for a slightly faster drive, you could always go with a 1TB SSHD, which would only run you about an extra $15. This build is more powerful than anything I've put together so far, yet somehow it ends up being cheaper than some of those 🙂
setups.

Yeah, thanks everyone! 🙂