PC build under $450: What should I get?

So, I’m looking to pick up a new rig for $1000 (and honestly, I might even stretch my budget a little further if the parts are right), so I could really use some pointers here. My goal is to find a configuration that’ll basically last me a lifetime—or at least feel like it will. And just to be crystal clear, I am not looking to cut corners; I want this thing built to last, no cheaping out on my end. Any advice at all would be massive, especially from you guys who actually live and breathe these price fluctuations and hardware specs. I definitely want to be able to run high-end games smoothly. I’m the kind of person who treats my tech like gold, so it’s incredibly important to me that I make this investment count (I’m working with scholarship money here, so trust me, I can't exactly go out and buy a new one every other week). I’ve already got my monitor and everything else sorted, and I’m definitely open to upgrading specific components down the road if I need to... Thanks in advance for the help!

1 x Intel Pentium G3220 Processor, 3.00GHz, 512KB, 3MB, Haswell
1 x MSI H87M-E33, Socket: 1150, Intel ® H87, 2xDDR3 1333/1600
1 x Sapphire Radeon R7 260 x OC, 2GB GDDR5, 128bit, 28nm
1 x 4GB DDR3 Corsair, 1600MHz, CL11, Value, CMV4GX3M1A160C11
1 x TOSHIBA 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
1 x CORSAIR 430W Power Supply, CX Series 80+ Bronze, EPS12V v2.3, 80+
1 x Zalman ZM-T2 plus sveukupno micro tower case. 189(W) x 427.5(H) x 364(D)mm
1 x Samsung SH-224DB sat Bulk Black DVD Writer, SATA

$1016
admin.us

Later on, you can just pop in another 4GB of RAM and you'll be all set.

@Timothy Kim60/">@@Timothy Kim60

I put together the exact same build, just used a Phoenix case 😬 I suspect the Zalman Gski 500 w might actually be a slightly better PSU, though. Apparently, it’s basically the same internal design as the CX 430W, just with a bit more headroom and two connectors for the GPU. 🙂

Timothy Kim60 said:

Just slap another 4GB of RAM in there later and you're good to go.

Sign me up for this one.😍

You could go with the Zalman too; honestly, even with just half a screw, the whole thing stays secure. And if they're looking for more headroom, the 2GB version would be a solid choice.
http://www.amazon.com/details/product/260x-cnf4.aspx
http://www.amazon.com/details/product/22-06-20g.aspx

You could also take this route—everything is brand new, fully under warranty, and comes with a solid processor. That way, if you find this graphics card isn't cutting it later on, you can just save up and swap in whatever high-end GPU you want:

-Intel CPU desktop Core i5-4440 (3.1GHz, 6MB,LGA1150) box
-Gigabyte GA-H81M-DS2V motherboard, 1150, iH81, D3, S3, U3, DVI, mA
-Sapphire Radeon R7 260 x OC, 1GB GDDR5, DVI, DP, HDMI 11222-05-20G
-Fortron power supply 400W, Hexa, 80+, active, 12 cm
-Patriot Sig. DDR3 1600Mhz, 4GB PSD34G160081
-Toshiba DT01ACA050 500 GB 3.5
-Zalman micro tower case black, ZAL-ZM-T2 plus sveukupno

Total price:$1148 Best Buy

Keith Wright2 said:You could also go this route—everything brand new with a full warranty and a solid processor. That way, if this card feels underpowered later on, you can just save up and swap in whatever high-end GPU you want:

-Intel CPU desktop Core i5-4440 (3.1GHz, 6MB,LGA1150) box
-Gigabyte GA-H81M-DS2V motherboard, 1150, iH81, D3, S3, U3, DVI, mA
-Sapphire Radeon R7 260 x OC, 1GB GDDR5, DVI, DP, HDMI 11222-05-20G
-Fortron power supply 400W, Hexa, 80+, active, 12 cm
-Patriot Signature DDR3 1600Mhz, 4GB PSD34G160081
-Toshiba DT01ACA050 500 GB 3.5
-Zalman micro tower case black, ZAL-ZM-T2 plus sveukupno

Total cost:$1148 Best Buy

He’d have to use a 24-month financing plan, which makes it way more expensive at Best Buy...

Adam Moore3 said:He’ll have to take out a 24-month financing plan; it’s going to end up being way more expensive if he buys it downtown...

I haven't seen anything mentioned anywhere about him needing 24 monthly installments.🤔

Keith Wright2 said:I haven't seen anything anywhere saying it takes 24 installments🤔

Well, when you don't bother reading but still want to act like an expert, it's clearly stated right there in his opening post...

And honestly, the guy is asking for a build up to $1000, but you're out here acting like a jerk and overshooting the budget by $167...

If you actually have that extra $167 lying around to just hand him, go ahead, I'm sure he won't complain...

Money isn't even the main issue here. If it’s not coming straight out of your own pocket, then I guess 😁

Robert Rodriguez2 said:Look, if you aren't actually reading the post before acting like an expert, the intro clearly states everything right there...

And honestly, the guy is asking for a build priced up to $1000, yet you're out here insulting him by suggesting a budget closer to $167...

If you actually have those $167 available to offer him, then go ahead—I doubt he'd complain...

Personally, I’ve read this entire thing about ten times now, and I still don't see anything mentioning a 24-month payment plan. Am I losing my mind? Because I simply don't see it. Besides, he mentioned he can go up to $3,000, so who knows if he could stretch it by another $150? I gave him a suggestion—if he doesn't want to spend that much, he can just pick one of the many other builds being offered. I'm not obligated to provide his perfect setup!

fadedorca66 said:Money isn't even the main issue here. When it's not coming out of your own pocket, who 😁

Give it five minutes, buddy. 🙂

NESHO95 just missed out 😬 Some other guy is looking to pay in 24 installments, not this one

Timothy Kim60 said:NESHO95 totally missed the mark here 😬 Some other guy is asking about 24 monthly installments, not this one

Does this mean even Tron is having some serious trouble focusing? 😁

Timothy Kim60 said:Adam Moore3 messed up 😬 Some other guy is looking for 24 installments, not this one

Damn, I was looking at two different threads and typed the wrong thing. This guy isn't asking for that. My bad 😬