Budget PC build under $400

Hey, I need some help putting a build together. Mostly looking to play games—well, whatever this setup can actually handle—but also just for movies and general browsing. 🙂
Budget is capped at $833.

An AM1 Athlon paired with a Radeon R7 260x, an Srotex power supply, and 4GB of RAM. That’s the setup. Tested and verified.

Intel Core i3 quad core 2.05ghz am1
Asrock am1 mbo
4gb ddr3
Sapphire r7 250x
Toshiba 500gb sata3
Spire Maverick case
Spire 420w
Dwd-rw

Price $790 at Best Buy, 🙂

You could skip the AMD route and grab an Intel Celeron that actually performs better, or perhaps even a Pentium G. Still, one must admit the AMD is a quad core🙂 he he

1 x AMD Trinity Athlon ii x4 750 3.40GHz 4 cores
1 x Asrock FM2A78M-DG3+, AMD FM2+ Socket A78 Chipset MB
1 x Sapphire R7 250 1GB GDDR5 Boost, 1GB GDDR5 128bit, 28nm
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
1 x Fosna 400W, HEXA 400, 12cm fan, Active PFC
1 x MS LOGIC A33 without PSU, Midi tower, ATX, 5.25" external bay

$834
adm.hr

I don't think you really need an optical drive, I guess. If there is any way to swing it, maybe grab a separate cooler, though if not, just do it whenever you can scrape some extra cash together, because the stock one that comes with the processor tends to be pretty loud.

That machine from Amy Vaughn12 is quite something🙂,

I didn't honestly expect to see a configuration like this at that price point, lol. You even have a decent power supply included. Just bump $100 up a bit more and you've got yourself a solid gaming rig with an R7 260x

Amy Vaughn12 said:1 x AMD Trinity Athlon ii x4 750 3.40GHz 4 cores
1 x Asrock FM2A78M-DG3+, AMD FM2+ Socket A78 Chipset MB
1 x Sapphire R7 250 1GB GDDR5 Boost, 1GB GDDR5 128bit, 28nm
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
1 x Fosna 400W, HEXA 400, 12cm fan, Active PFC
1 x MS LOGIC A33 without PSU, Midi tower, ATX, 5.25" external bay

$834
adm.hr

I don't think you really need an optical drive, I guess. If there is any way to swing it, maybe grab a separate cooler, though if not, just do it whenever you can scrape some extra cash together, because the stock one that comes with the processor tends to be pretty loud.

1 x Asrock FM2A78M-DG3+, AMD FM2+ Socket A78 Chipset MB
1 x AMD Trinity Athlon ii x4 750 3.40GHz 4cores
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
1 x Fosna 400W, HEXA 400, 12cm ventilator, Active PFC
1 x MS Industrial Sirius midi tower
1 x R7 260 x 1GB GDDR5 OC, 1GB GDDR5 128bit, 28nm

$888
if you can $50 the 👍 above

👍 Thanks for the ideas. I'm actually digging the one from Amy Vaughn12—definitely gonna try to piece something together based on that.

Dennis White29

Check this out:

Intel Core i3
AS ROCK 960GM-VGS3 FX
CRUCIAL 4GB 1600 MHZ
TOSHIBA 3,5 500 GB SATA 3
Sapphire R7 260x BOOST
MS GRIFFIN MIDI ATX + FSP 300W + 90 MM FAN

= $847 including assembly and shipping.

- This old-school Phenom is actually solid—it's a low-power version too. Even with the lower clock speed, the architecture makes it a better pick than an FM2 Athlon any day.
- I threw in an R7 260x, which is a massive step up in performance compared to the R7 250.
- It’s got a decent case with plenty of room to play with—you can easily add more fans for better airflow and lower temps. Plus, if you put in a little effort, the cable management is pretty clean (basically the same situation as that Logic build we talked about).
- The stock Phenom cooler is actually more efficient than the FM2 versions, so it'll totally handle keeping things cool and quiet. Between the 90mm rear fan and the 120mm near the PSU, you've got good airflow pulling heat away from the heatsink.
- A 300W unit isn't cutting it close here; it's actually just right since this whole setup is pretty power-efficient. And since it's an actual FSP unit, you know those 300W are legit. It won't hold you back during future upgrades either—I doubt you'd swap the CPU given how much headroom there is for a beefier GPU, and let's face it, GPUs are getting way more efficient every year anyway.

graniteharbor85 said:Dennis White29

Check this out:

Intel Core i3
AS ROCK 960GM-VGS3 FX
CRUCIAL 4GB 1600 MHZ
TOSHIBA 3,5 500 GB SATA 3
Sapphire R7 260x BOOST
MS GRIFFIN MIDI ATX + FSP 300W + 90 MM FAN

= $847 including assembly and shipping.

- This old-school Phenom is actually solid—it's a low-power version too. Even with the lower clock speed, the architecture makes it a better pick than an FM2 Athlon any day.
- I threw in an R7 260x, which is a massive step up in performance compared to the R7 250.
- It’s got a decent case with plenty of room to play with—you can easily add more fans for better airflow and lower temps. Plus, if you put in a little effort, the cable management is pretty clean (basically the same situation as that Logic build we talked about).
- The stock Phenom cooler is actually more efficient than the FM2 versions, so it'll totally handle keeping things cool and quiet. Between the 90mm rear fan and the 120mm near the PSU, you've got good airflow pulling heat away from the heatsink.
- A 300W unit isn't cutting it close here; it's actually just right since this whole setup is pretty power-efficient. And since it's an actual FSP unit, you know those 300W are legit. It won't hold you back during future upgrades either—I doubt you'd swap the CPU given how much headroom there is for a beefier GPU, and let's face it, GPUs are getting way more efficient every year anyway.

I have to be skeptical about pairing a Phenom and a 260X with a built-in 300W PSU. 🙂 If I'm looking at the right specs, it provides 22A on the 12V rail, which feels a bit tight to me... What's the TDP on that Phenom?

Everything sounds good enough on paper. You've got a Phenom (65W) and an R7 260x (115W)—everything else in the build pulls way less than that—and honestly, since you aren't maxing out both the CPU and GPU at the exact same second during basic tasks or even while gaming, your actual power draw is going to be even lower than the math suggests.

I've actually swapped in stuff like the X4 740 and 750K paired with a GTX 750 Ti, R7 265, or an R7 260x before, so I wouldn't call this setup risky or anything crazy. 😉

graniteharbor85 said:Everything sounds good enough on paper. You've got a Phenom (65W) and an R7 260x (115W)—everything else in the build pulls way less than that—and honestly, since you aren't maxing out both the CPU and GPU at the exact same second during basic tasks or even while gaming, your actual power draw is going to be even lower than the math suggests.

I've actually swapped in stuff like the X4 740 and 750K paired with a GTX 750 Ti, R7 265, or an R7 260x before, so I wouldn't call this setup risky or anything crazy. 😉

Hmm, yeah, true. I like 👍 😬

Adam Moore3 said:Hmm, yeah, true. I like 👍 😬

It's a Fortron, though. They aren't some cheap junk 😁

I've been messing with PCs forever and I've used Fortron power supplies plenty of times. Knock on wood, but I haven't seen a single one die on me yet. 😁

@graniteharbor85,

Stop suggesting processors to people that aren't actually available on the market. Just because some random site lists it in their online shop doesn't mean you can actually buy it right now.

This is already the second thread where this has happened.

Back again to lecture us, are we?

Look, why don't you just send an actual inquiry to the shop and drop a screenshot? Honestly, if you actually knew how Futurica operates, you’d realize they don't keep everything on their site like other places—they're constantly refreshing the inventory and pulling stuff off the web the second it's gone. Plus, it literally says right there on the site under all the Phenom gear **bolded** that they've got them in stock at the store.

Hey Fosna, seriously, give the kids a break. This constant trolling and jumping from thread to thread is getting way out of hand.

First off, I’m not some kid. Second, I’m not trying to lecture you on anything. Third, I have zero interest in complaining to the moderators. And fourth, I actually know my way around the US tech sector far better than you do.

Futurica doesn't even have those processors in stock anymore; they pulled them from Esysa, their distributor, and whatever scraps are left are already spoken for.

By all means, try to find some if you can. Good luck with that.

Fifthly, lest I forget, my own rig—which isn't even brand new—runs everything on high settings without breaking a sweat.

If you’ve got more grievances against the moderator, perhaps take it up with him via PM.

Man, you're such a 😂

Seriously, dude, get it together—you’re just jumping from thread to thread making random claims, and you keep insisting things are true when they're straight-up wrong.

You clearly don't have a clue how the IT industry actually works here in the States, especially since those processors are coming from Asbis and Futurica has them sitting in stock. If you still don't get it, I'll say it one more time: go ahead, ask around, grab a screenshot, and prove me wrong instead of just spinning tall tales.

And regarding that build? Honestly, I could laugh at that too. I looked over all those parts for a reason when I wrote that out for you—I mean, you pick up components one day, start a whole new thread asking if they're good, and then the very next day you're trying to push them onto someone else like it's some brand-new setup. Realize that you're doing way more harm than good, and trust me, I'm not the only one getting fed up with you acting like a know-it-all and pushing this nonsense.

Fosna will see this soon enough, so there's no point in me bothering them in a DM—they've already noticed what you're up to.

End of discussion from my side. Since you're so damn confident, post a screenshot of the actual inquiry and the answer!

Heh... so I picked up four Phenom processors at Micro Center yesterday. They still have at least 30 more sitting in stock, and I actually went ahead and reserved another five for myself next week. 😁

Seriously though, don't sweat it—Micro Center has plenty. It looks like everyone else grabbed theirs too, so feel free to build those rigs with them while they’re still listed on the site. 😉

Phenom FTW!

Oh, and just so you know, Asbis is the importer; at least that's what it says on my packaging. 😉

Check this out, I just finished putting one together. 😁

mellowtiger83, you can't just hawk your custom builds like this—there are rules in place. Anyone who tried posting similar setups or individual parts before was told to head over to the Marketplace instead. Posting like this gives you an unfair advantage over everyone else. If every single person with an account started spamming their own gear here, this place would turn into a total circus.
On top of that, if these items are brand new from a retailer, you need to list the exact components or provide direct links, including the store name and the price. Right now, it’s too vague; nobody knows what they're actually looking at or what the deal is.

I’m honestly just curious—how on earth is an AM1 Athlon managing to push a R7 260x? Meanwhile, my little Phenom can barely keep up with basic tasks. :#

Patrick Diaz49 said:Heh... so I picked up four Phenom processors at Micro Center yesterday. They still have at least 30 more sitting in stock, and I actually went ahead and reserved another five for myself next week. 😁

Seriously though, don't sweat it—Micro Center has plenty. It looks like everyone else grabbed theirs too, so feel free to build those rigs with them while they’re still listed on the site. 😉

Phenom FTW!

Oh, and just so you know, Asbis is the importer; at least that's what it says on my packaging. 😉

Check this out, I just finished putting one together. 😁

Are the 945s rated at 125w or 95w?