Budget gaming build under $700?

I'm looking to put together a rig that can handle titles like Battlefield on Ultra settings at 60+ FPS—and things in that ballpark. I’ve decided to stick with Intel for this build, mainly because I need it to pull double duty for 3D rendering, video editing, and streaming. I actually stumbled upon this one build online that looks pretty decent:
Do you guys think it's actually worth the money?
Basically, my plan is to go with an Intel CPU—specifically sticking to the 1150 socket—so that I have the option to jump up to an Intel Core i7-4770k in maybe a year or so when I can afford it.

What happened to that thread about staying under $600? Are you still just staring at those pre-built configurations? I mean, this one actually looks pretty solid, so you might as well just grab ☕
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Amy Vaughn12 said:What happened to that thread about staying under $600? Are you still just staring at those pre-built configurations? I mean, this one actually looks pretty solid, so you might as well just grab ☕
.

Man, my budget just took a massive hit.

1 x ASRock H97-PRO4, s1150, Intel H97, 4 x DDR3, 1 x PCI Express
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x HDD Seagate 1TB, Serial ATA III, 7200 rpm, ST1000DM003
1 x Intel Core i5-4440 Processor (3.10GHz,1MB,6MB,84 W,1150) Box
1 x Spire Maverick 6009, ATX/micro ATX case
1 x XFX Core edition 80 450W PSU - EasyRail technology
1 x XFX R9 270 x, R9270X, Black ED, double Dissipation edition 4.707,92 KN ADM

$1569 ADM

I can't get behind that anymore...

Douglas Bennett said:I'm looking to put together a rig that can handle titles like Battlefield on Ultra settings at 60+ FPS—and things in that ballpark. I’ve decided to stick with Intel for this build, mainly because I need it to pull double duty for 3D rendering, video editing, and streaming. I actually stumbled upon this one build online that looks pretty decent:
Do you guys think it's actually worth the money?
Basically, my plan is to go with an Intel CPU—specifically sticking to the 1150 socket—so that I have the option to jump up to an Intel Core i7-4770k in maybe a year or so when I can afford it.

It's pretty obvious what you're getting at. $1500 You think you're actually going to get what you're looking for?
There’s no way you can squeeze in a Z87 or Z97 overclocking motherboard like the one you're hunting for without gutting the budget for everything else. It's like trying to buy a high-end Ford Raptor but then settling for budget tires and cheap gas—the whole thing just won't work.
You’d end up buying a much weaker GPU, less RAM, and a smaller drive, which would actually cost you way more in the long run.

And the logic behind this upper build? They’re pairing an unlocked CPU with an H81 board. Truly brilliant. :/
And that power supply? 600W. What kind of 600W are we even talking about here? It’s probably just a glorified paperweight masquerading as a PSU. 😂
ASUS M5A97 R2.0, AM3, AM3+, AMD 970, SB950, 5200 MHz BUS, DDR3
One AMD FX-Series X8 8320 processor, 3.5GHz, 16MB, 125W, AM3+ socket.
Just one 4GB stick of Crucial DDR3, 1600MHz CL11.
One XFX Core edition 80+ 450W PSU featuring EasyRail technology.
One 1TB Toshiba hard drive, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB cache. Basic stuff.
One Spire Maverick 6009 ATX/micro ATX case.
One Zalman CNPS 5X case, fits 775/1155/1156/AM2/AM2/AM3 sockets.
One ASUS R9270X, powered by an AMD Radeon chip. It's an R9270X on a PCIe 3.0 slot with 2048 MB of memory. Simple as that.

$1556

AMD gives you everything you need. In the long run, it's more than enough. $100 Just slap another 4GB of RAM in there and you're good to go, man.

I’m just wondering, do you even know how to overclock if you were to jump up to an i7k? Honestly, your current budget is a bit too tight to pull off a build like that. Sure, you could slap in a decent Z97 motherboard, but then you’d be looking at needing something like a 260x graphics card to match, which just doesn't make sense. You'd end up having to swap out the GPU right alongside the CPU, and let's face it—that kind of upgrade isn't going to be cheap! My advice? Just stick with your current i3 setup for now. Hang in there until after the New Year when you've saved up a little more cash. Once the holiday sales hit and maybe some new GPU series drop, prices should dip, making it much easier to upgrade properly.

Here’s a solid build right around the $650 mark:

1 x XFX R9-270A, R9-270A-CDFC, double Dissipation edition 925 m boost
1 x Intel Core i5-4440 (3.10GHz,1MB,6MB,84 W,1150) Box
1 x MSI H87M-E33, Socket : 1150, Intel H87, 2xDDR3 1333/1600
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x HDD WD 1TB, Caviar Blue 10EZEX, 1000 GB, SATA3,64 MB, 3,5", 24mj
1 x XFX Core edition 80 450W PSU - EasyRail technology
1 x Zalman ZM-T1 PLUS micro tower case. 189(W) x 427,5(H) x 364(D)mm
1 x LG GH24NS, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R

$1508eBay might eventually list some overpriced junk.
Forget about upgrading to a K-series CPU or overclocking—you're stuck with non-K here. Your first priority down the road should definitely be adding an SSD.

Kimberly Gomez34 said:Here’s a solid build right around the $650 mark:

1 x XFX R9-270A, R9-270A-CDFC, double Dissipation edition 925 m boost
1 x Intel Core i5-4440 (3.10GHz,1MB,6MB,84 W,1150) Box
1 x MSI H87M-E33, Socket : 1150, Intel H87, 2xDDR3 1333/1600
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x HDD WD 1TB, Caviar Blue 10EZEX, 1000 GB, SATA3,64 MB, 3,5", 24mj
1 x XFX Core edition 80 450W PSU - EasyRail technology
1 x Zalman ZM-T1 PLUS micro tower case. 189(W) x 427,5(H) x 364(D)mm
1 x LG GH24NS, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R

$1508eBay might eventually list some overpriced junk.
Forget about upgrading to a K-series CPU or overclocking—you're stuck with non-K here. Your first priority down the road should definitely be adding an SSD.

You could even grab an i3 now to save some cash, then put those savings toward a better Z97 motherboard and dump the rest into a decent graphics card. After all, isn't the processor just going to serve its purpose for about a year anyway?

If you're planning on swapping out your CPU in about a year, why not focus your budget right now on a high-quality motherboard that can handle overclocking? You could just grab an Intel Core i3-4130 for now since you'll be upgrading soon anyway—plus, it's much easier on the wallet than an i5. $167Besides, since you aren't running a powerhouse graphics card yet, an i5 wouldn't make much of a difference. If your end goal is moving up to an i7, save that cash for the i7 and a beefier GPU later. Just sell this i3 and your current card when the time comes, toss that money toward your upgrade, and add whatever you've saved up in the meantime.

1 x Intel Core i3-4130, 3.40GHz
1 x ASRock Z97-KILLER, s1150, Intel® Z97
2 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL11, Value
1 x XFX TS Series 550W PSU -P1550S-XXB9
1 x WD 1TB Caviar Blue 10EZEX, 1000 GB, SATA3, 64 MB, 3.5", 24mo warranty
1 x SILVERSTONE Redline RL04B Midi Tower, 1x ATX, 7 slots
1 x XFX R9-270A, R9-270A-CDFC, Double Dissipation Edition 925M Boost

$1593 And hey, assembly and shipping are included for free!
This setup will be a rock-solid configuration for the next year, capable of handling most things on high settings until you finally pull the trigger on that i7 and a better GPU. Everything else is already taken care of: you've got plenty of power with the PSU, 8GB of RAM, a great motherboard, a 1TB hard drive, and a quality case!