Budget gaming build for $750?

Hey there.
It’s finally time to build a new rig. Since I was stoked with the last setup those guys put together for me, I’m back looking for some advice.
I'll be buying everything at AMD (cash in hand), and my budget is around $1667—though I can stretch it a bit if it actually makes a difference in performance. I don't need any peripherals, and the PC will mostly be for gaming, movies, browsing, and some occasional CAD work. No overclocking planned. I'll likely pair it with a 24" monitor.

1 x Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz (Max Turbo FQ 3.3 GHz), 6MB
1 x MSI R9 270X HAWK 2GB GDDR5 256bit
1 x MSI B75MA-E31, Socket : 1155, microATX, Intel ® B75, 2xDDR3 1066
1 x Seagate 1TB HDD, Serial ATA III, 7200 rpm, ST1000DM003
1 x XFX Core edition 80 450W PSU - EasyRail technology
1 x Zalman ZM-T4 micro tower case. 189(W) x 427,5(H) x 364(D)mm. MB
1 x 8GB DDR3 (1x8GB) Kingston, HyperX Blue, 1600MHz, CL10
1 x Samsung SH-224DB sat Bulk Black, SATA DVD burner

$1668

or you could maybe go with something cheaper on the GPU, and then grab a faster drive instead

Here you go:

Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1
AS ROCK B75 PRO3-M
TRANSCEND 2GB + 4GB 1600 MHZ (6GB)
SEAGATE 3,5 1TB SATA 3 SSHD
SAPPHIRE R9 270 2GB DUAL-X OC + BF4
SAMSUNG DVD-RW SATA
XFX 450W 80+ BRONZE
SHARKOON MA-A1000 MATX USB 3.0

$1693 - Futura IT (includes assembly and shipping)

I hope you don't mind me suggesting a different shop—they offer basically the same level of service, just with slightly better prices and more options.

Since you aren't planning on overclocking anything, I think going with Intel is a smarter move than AMD here. I kept in mind that you want something reliable that won't give you headaches for a long time, so I picked out some slightly higher-quality parts. That R9 270 / x is plenty for playing most modern games smoothly on high/ultra settings—assuming we're talking 1080p, obviously.

The CPU is strong enough that you can easily swap in a beefier graphics card down the road. Plus, the power supply is solid (it’s basically a repackaged Seasonic sII platform)—plenty of juice for this build now, and even enough if you decide to upgrade the GPU later (your power draw will actually drop once you swap that card out anyway).

To make sure apps and games snap open quickly and the whole system feels snappy, I included an SSHD. It’s that hybrid HDD/SSD style, so it’s way faster than a standard old-school hard drive. As for the case, it’s got everything you need—good space, decent cable management, and solid airflow thanks to those two pre-installed 120mm fans.

No offense intended, but Futura doesn't really offer a better selection or any significant price advantages here. Their prices are pretty much identical to what we're seeing elsewhere. I guess you could argue the processor is slightly cheaper at AMD, and the SSHD might be a bit less at Futura, so they basically cancel each other out. Besides, I don't really see the point in settling for 6GB of RAM when 8GB fits in there without any issues at all.

Nobody really said much... just read between the lines here 😉

He’ll only pull off 8GB if he goes super cheap on the motherboard and the case—but cutting corners like that means he's getting lower-tier parts, so he's basically losing out anyway. Honestly, 6GB of RAM is more than enough for everything else on his list, and it actually helps keep the whole build better balanced.

I don't mind looking ahead if it means building something better. I'm wondering what the move would be if I swapped out the smaller drive for a 500GB one—even though it doesn't look like a massive money saver—and just added a separate SSD instead. That 8GB SSD feels way too small if I'm reading this right. From what I've gathered, an SSD makes a huge difference in how the whole rig runs, so I want that. I'm willing to let the price climb up to $1833 if that's what it takes to get it right.

1 x Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz (Max Turbo FQ 3.3 GHz), 6MB
1 x 500GB Seagate Barracuda HDD, 7200rpm, 16MB cache, SATA II
1 x 120GB Kingston V300 SSD, 2.5", 7mm, SATA 3 6G
1 x Sapphire R9 270 2GB + Battlefield 4, OC Boost, 2GB GDDR5 256bit
1 x XFX Core edition 80 450W PSU - EasyRail technology
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case, 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm, Standard ATX
1 x 8GB (1x8GB) Kingston HyperX Blue DDR3, 1600MHz, CL10
1 x Samsung SH-224DB sat Bulk Black DVD Burner, SATA
1 x MSI B75MA-E33, Socket: 1155, microATX, Intel ® B75, 2xDDR3

$1831

I've got one Asrock B75 Pro3 on hand—it's an Intel B75 board, standard ATX layout, and supports dual Channel 4xDDR3 up to 1600. Just a solid little piece of hardware.
So, I managed to snag one of those Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz chips—you know, the ones that can bump up to a 3.3 GHz Max Turbo FQ—with 6MB of cache. Just a single unit for now.
I've got one stick of 8GB DDR3 here—it's that Kingston HyperX Blue 1600MHz with CL10 timings. Just a single module.
I've got one Corsair 500 w CX Series 80 + Bronze sitting here—it's an ATX12V v2.3 unit. Just a solid, reliable power supply.
I've got one Thermaltake Versa II sitting here. It's a midi tower, fits both ATX and mATX setups, and actually has a 5.25" external bay if you still need those.
I've got one Samsung SH-224DB sat Bulk Black DVD burner on hand—standard SATA connection. Just a quick heads-up if you're looking to grab it!
I've got one Sapphire R9 270 2GB up for grabs, along with Battlefield 4. It’s the OC Boost version with 2GB of GDDR5 and a 256bit bus. Honestly, it's a solid little card. Reminds me of when I first started building PCs back in the day—just simple, reliable gear that gets the job done without any fuss. Let me know if you're interested!
I've got one Western Digital 1TB Caviar Blue hard drive up for grabs. It’s the 10EZEX model, 1000 GB, runs on SATA3, and has 64 MB cache. Standard 3.5" size, and honestly, it's still got plenty of life left in it—it's been a reliable workhorse for me.
So, I picked up a single 60GB Kingston V300 SSD. It’s that standard 2.5" size, about 7mm thick, running on SATA 3 at 6G speeds. I also grabbed the adapter to swap it from 7mm up to 9.5mm. Just a little upgrade for an old machine.

$1833

An SSHD basically works by caching your most-used apps—so the more you run certain programs, the faster they’ll load. It's actually a 1TB HDD paired with an 8GB SSD, so you definitely won't be running out of space.

Honestly, looking at what you're doing, you don't really *need* a dedicated SSD since your tasks are pretty basic. When it comes to gaming, an SSD just speeds up loading screens; it doesn't give you more FPS. We're talking a difference of maybe a few seconds, so you should probably ask yourself if that extra cost is actually worth it for you.

If you're dead set on getting a pure SSD, though, you'd need to swap these out: TOSHIBA 3,5 500 GB SATA 3 plus SAMSUNG EVO 840 120 GB.

Drew Sanchez82

You and Amy Vaughn12 are both nitpicking a bit here. 4GB of RAM is still plenty for almost any game out there—it's mostly just a safety net for the future and for stuff like BF4 MP or COD Ghosts right now.

It doesn't matter how "hardcore" a gamer someone is; all that matters is what the specific game requires and making sure you don't have a bunch of useless junk running in the background.

graniteharbor85 said:Nobody really said much... just read between the lines here 😉

He’ll only pull off 8GB if he goes super cheap on the motherboard and the case—but cutting corners like that means he's getting lower-tier parts, so he's basically losing out anyway. Honestly, 6GB of RAM is more than enough for everything else on his list, and it actually helps keep the whole build better balanced.

It really just comes down to how much of a hardcore gamer he is.
If he’s looking to tackle those newer titles from 2013 onwards and wants to crank the video settings all the way up, then 8GB is pretty much the sweet spot.

I think it’s right on the edge 😬... the most demanding titles seem to peak around 4.5GB to 5GB. Using 4GB might cause a slight bottleneck (though probably not in 99% of games), while 8GB feels like total overkill. Personally, I’ve never really liked the 6GB middle ground 🤣

I'll probably just grab another 4GB stick once my next paycheck hits 🙂

EDIT: @Drew Sanchez82

Motherboard and case 😬
I suspect that i5 might be a bit of a bottleneck for the R9 280 x

This build doesn't include an SSD.

1 x Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz (Max Turbo FQ 3.3 GHz) ,6MB
1 x 8GB DDR3 (1x8GB) Kingston, HyperX Blue, 1600MHz, CL10
1 x Corsair 500 w CX Series 80 + Bronze, ATX12V v2.3
1 x Samsung SH-224DB sat Bulk Black, SATA
1 x 1TB WD Caviar Blue 10EZEX, 1000 GB, SATA3,64 MB, 3.5", 24mo warranty
1 x ASUS H61M-E, 1155, Intel ® H61, DDR3, 2 slots, 1333,1600
1 x Sapphire R9 280 x 3GB OC, 3GB GDDR5 384bit, 28nm, 2xDVI + HDMI
1 x Zalman ZM-T3 micro tower case. 189(W) x 427.5(H) x 364(D)mm. MB

$1888

It's about $30 over my budget, but honestly, looking at that GPU, I think it's worth it.

crimsonstag84 said:I think it’s right on the edge 😬... the most demanding titles seem to peak around 4.5GB to 5GB. Using 4GB might cause a slight bottleneck (though probably not in 99% of games), while 8GB feels like total overkill. Personally, I’ve never really liked the 6GB middle ground 🤣

I'll probably just grab another 4GB stick once my next paycheck hits 🙂

EDIT: @Drew Sanchez82

Motherboard and case 😬
I suspect that i5 might be a bit of a bottleneck for the R9 280 x

You think?
Hard to say, I just checked this build online and it says there's no issue: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1Sn8Y ''Parts Are Compatible: No issues/incompatibilities found.'' It's the exact same CPU and GPU.

As for the RAM, if he's planning on playing stuff like BF4, AC4, COD Ghosts, or newer titles, I wouldn't suggest sticking with just 4GB.

I was thinking you might try to shove a GPU in there that's actually bigger than the case and the motherboard combined 🤣

crimsonstag84 said:I was thinking you might try to shove a GPU in there that's actually bigger than the case and the motherboard combined 🤣

It still looks smaller than mine to me. 😁

If his main goal is just gaming, I figured I'd just focus on a clean, high-power setup.

Elizabeth Diaz5 said:Hey there.
It’s finally time to build a new rig. Since I was stoked with the last setup those guys put together for me, I’m back looking for some advice.
I'll be buying everything at AMD (cash in hand), and my budget is around $1667—though I can stretch it a bit if it actually makes a difference in performance. I don't need any peripherals, and the PC will mostly be for gaming, movies, browsing, and some occasional CAD work. No overclocking planned. I'll likely pair it with a 24" monitor.

1 x MSI H77MA-G43, Socket : 1155,CPU : Sandy Bridge, Intel ® H77
1 x Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz (Max Turbo FQ 3.3 GHz) ,6MB
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Kingston, HyperX Blue, 1600MHz, CL10
1 x SILVERSTONE Strider 500W, Essential ST50F-ES AC 90-264V, 47/63Hz
1 x Zalman ZM-T4 micro tower case. 189(W) x 427,5(H) x 364(D)mm. MB
1 x ASUS DRW-24F1ST/BLK/B/AS SATA, DVD-R 24x, DVD-RW 6x, DVD+R 24x
1 x Sapphire R9 270X 2GB, OC Boost, 2GB GDDR5 256bit, 28nm, 2xDVI
1 x HDD WD 1TB, Caviar Blue 10EZEX, 1000 GB, SATA3,64 MB, 3,5", 24mj

$1684

For $550, you can have everything right now if you want—8GB of RAM, an SSD, and a solid graphics card.

1 x Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz (Max Turbo FQ 3.3 GHz) ,6MB
1 x MSI B75MA-E31, Socket : 1155, mATX, Intel B75, 2xDDR3 1066
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Kingston, HyperX Blue, 1600MHz, CL10
1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
1 x Kingston SSD 120GB V300, 2.5" 7mm, SATA 3 6G, 7mm to 9.5mm
1 x XFX Core Edition 80+ 450W PSU - EasyRail technology
1 x Samsung SH-224DB sat Bulk Black, SATA
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. MB standard
1 x Sapphire R9 270 2GB + Battlefield 4, OC Boost, 2GB GDDR5 256bit

$1827If you aren't interested in BF4 (by the way, you could always sell it), a 270X would fit just fine too, though there isn't a massive difference in performance.click

You could also lower the price by using one of Zalman's mATX T4 cases, but the Z1 fits everything and gives you an ATX case if you want to upgrade to an ATX platform later. Plus, the Z1 is better equipped—it has decent cable management and two 12cm fans.click
With the SSD, you should install your OS and all your main programs, and maybe even one or two games you're currently playing (depending on how much space is left) just to ensure faster loading times.

Alternatively, you could hold off on the SSD if $550 feels too steep, or start with just 1x4GB of RAM and easily add another stick later. If you go that route, you could also opt for motherboards with four RAM slots, like the pro3 mATX or the pro3 ATX

If you aren't really into "high-end" titles and mostly play things like FIFA, PES, WoW, LoL, or World of Tanks, you could go with a cheaper graphics card instead.for example—those games would fly on this setup (though the high-end ones would run well too). Doing that would also drop the total price by quite a bit, maybe under $500 if you want to save more.

So yeah, there are a million different combinations...

So, I took advice from everyone here and finally put this rig together. I went over my initial budget for $333, but honestly, I don't care if the 😁 ends up being solid. Now I just need to know if everything fits in this case, if the power supply can handle it, and stuff like that.

Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz (Max Turbo FQ 3.3 GHz), 6MB
Corsair 500W CX Series 80+ Bronze, ATX12V v2.3
Kingston HyperX Blue DDR3 8GB (1x8GB), 1600MHz, CL10
Seagate 1TB HDD, Serial ATA III, 7200 rpm, DESKTOP SSHD, 8GB SSD
Samsung SH-224DB sat Bulk Black DVD burner, SATA
Sapphire R9 280X 3GB OC, 3GB GDDR5 384bit, 28nm, 2xDVI + HDMI
Asrock B75 Pro3 - Intel B75, ATX, dual Channel 4 xDDR3 - 1600
Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. MB standard

EDIT: Looking back, the GPU might be overkill for what I actually need. Might end up just going with Kimberly Gomez34's build instead.

You might run into a bit of a bottleneck—meaning your GPU won't be working at its full potential—in certain CPU-heavy titles like Battlefield 4 multiplayer, ARMA 3 multiplayer, or Far Cry 3. And let's face it, more demanding games are only going to hit the market moving forward. If you're looking for something stronger than a 270X, I’d suggest checking out a GTX 760. However, in my opinion, the R9 270 and 270X are absolute steals if you can find them at a decent price, say around $30 or $467. Everything else looks solid to me.

Also, there's no real need to go for a motherboard with four RAM slots if you're just planning on a single 8GB stick. You're definitely not going to need 32GB of RAM on a build like this anytime soon 😬. That said, if you do decide to grab a board with four slots, you might as well pick up this dual-channel kit since it's priced the same as a single 8GB module click

So, I finally pulled the trigger on the new guy’s build. Thanks for all the input 😁