Budget PC build under $800?

Hey,

So, here's the deal:

A buddy of mine is looking to buy a PC tower—just the tower, mind you—for up to $1833 in cash. He’s based out of Washington, D.C.
He hasn't decided between Intel or AMD yet, so I probably need to put together two separate builds so he can actually make a choice.
He isn't planning on overclocking anything, but he definitely wants an SSD paired with a 1 TB HDD in the setup.
Right now he's rocking a 19'' monitor, but he plans to upgrade to a 24'' by the end of the year.
He wants to run Windows, though he's worried that if he goes with an SSD, he might have to compromise too much on the other components.
He also wants 8 GB of RAM and, honestly, whatever the best graphics card we can find is.
Oh, and he needs someone to actually assemble the damn thing for him.

THANKS

Seagate BarraCuda 1TB SATA 3
Kingston DDR3 8GB 1333MHz, KVR1333D3N9/4G
Intel Core i5-4570 (3.20GHz, 1MB, 6MB, 84 W, 1150) Box, Intel HD Graphics 4600
Sapphire R9 280 3GB, EVGA GeForce RTX
XFX Pro Series CoreEdition 80 450W PSU, XFX-P1-450S-X2B9
Samsung DVD±RW 24x black, bulk
MSI gaming case without PSU
ASRock B85-PRO4 motherboard
Kingmax 120GB SME SATA3, KIN-SME32-120GB

Total: $1839 PCPartPicker (free build tool)

Here’s an AMD build option without a disc burner

1 x AMD FX Series X8 8320 3.5GHz, 16MB, 125W, AM3+, FD8320FRHK
1 x ASUS M5A97 R2.0, AM3, AM3+, AMD 970, SB950, BUS 5200 MHz, DDR3
2 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL11, Value
1 x Seagate BarraCuda 1TB HDD, 1000 GB, SATA3, 64 MB, 3.5", 24mj
1 x Samsung 840 EVO, SSD disk, Capacity 120 GB, 2.5"
1 x Thermaltake Contac 21, 775, AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+, FM1, 1155, 1156
1 x XFX Pro Series 550W PSU -P1550S-XXB9 - it's likely just a standard XFX Pro, since the TS line is usually $83 pricier
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. MB standard
1 x Sapphire R9 270X 2GB, OC Boost, 2GB GDDR5 256bit, 28nm, 2xDVI

$1830admin.com

INTEL
1 x ASUS B75M, Socket : 1155, Intel B75, 4xDDR3 1066/1333/
1 x Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz (Max Turbo FQ 3.3 GHz) ,6MB
2 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL11, Value
1 x Samsung 840 EVO, SSD disk, Capacity 120 GB, 2,5"
1 x Seagate BarraCuda 1TB, 1000 GB, SATA3,64 MB, 3,5", 24mj
1 x XFX TS Series 550W PSU -P1550S-XXB9
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. MB standard
1 x MSI R9 270X GAMING 2GB GDDR5 256bit

$1800

AMD
2 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL11, Value
1 x Samsung 840 EVO, SSD disk, Capacity 120 GB, 2,5"
1 x Seagate BarraCuda 1TB, 1000 GB, SATA3,64 MB, 3,5", 24mj
1 x XFX TS Series 550W PSU -P1550S-XXB9
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. MB standard
1 x MSI R9 270X GAMING 2GB GDDR5 256bit
1 x ASUS M5A97 R2.0, AM3,AM3+, AMD 970, SB950, BUS 5200 MHz, DDR3
1 x AMD FX Series X8 8320 3.5GHz,16MB,125W,AM3+, FD8320FRHK
1 x ZALMAN CNPS 5X, socket 775/1155/1156/AM2/AM2/AM3

$1852

www.newegg.com

Here is an option with a slightly lower processing power but a much stronger graphics card. Having 6GB of RAM should be plenty for whatever you need to get done:
1 x AMD FX Series X8 6300 (3.5GHz,14MB,95W,AM3+) box
1 x CPU Cooler Raijintek Aidos, 92mm, PWM
1 x Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P,AM3,A970,D3,S3,U3,A
1 x 6GB Memory Kit (2+4GB) Kingston DDR3 1600MHz
1 x Toshiba HDD 1TB,7200rpm, 32MB
1 x Samsung 840 EVO
1 x Sapphire R9 280 Dual-X OC, 3GB GDDR5
1 x LG GH24NS SATA Bulk Black 24x
1 x Fortron RaiderS 550W, 80+ SILVER
1 x MSI DRAGON gaming case without PSU

Total: $1869 Best Buy, includes free assembly and shipping

Thanks for this. I'm going to pass this info along to a buddy of mine so he can make his pick.

MSI gaming case
Patriot Sig. 1333MHz, 1x 8GB
Intel Core i5-4570
Fractal Integra R2 500W, 80PLUS BRONZE
Kingmax SSD, 120GB, SME32
MSI H81M-P33, 1150
Toshiba HDD 1TB 3.5"
Sapphire R9 280 Dual-X OC, 3GB

$1777
Discount24
Free assembly included

MSI gaming case
Patriot Sig. 1333MHz, 1x 8GB
AMD FX Series X8 8320
Fractal Integra R2 500W, 80PLUS BRONZE
Kingmax SSD, 120GB, SME32
ASUS M5A97 R2.0 motherboard
Toshiba HDD 1TB 3.5"
Sapphire R9 280 Dual-X OC, 3GB
Thermaltake Contac 21 CPU cooler

$1833 Discount24

Hey, we could definitely save some cash on the roaster. $40. I mean, sure, let’s aim for a budget around $2,000 to $2,500, but spending $5,500 just doesn't seem to make any sense to me.

Maybe you don't see it that way, but I do. That extra cash could go toward something actually useful. If she really wants it, let her get it... I'm personally passing on this one.

Sent from my MI 3W using Twitter