PC build under $750 (no peripherals)

So, a few years back, some buddies from this forum helped me put together what I thought was a pretty killer setup, but man, time flies and it’s finally reached that point where an upgrade is calling my name! The whole idea behind this rig was to have this ultimate family workstation where my wife and I could jump in to crunch through some photo and video editing every now and then, the kids could tinker around with streaming or recording and editing audio, and we could all pile in together to play stuff like The Witcher series and whatnot. It’s basically our home hub!

Now, look, I’m not exactly terrified of picking up a few used parts here and there—like grabbing a GPU from a couple of generations ago (for instance, I spotted this for about $220)—but when it comes to the core stuff like the motherboard or the power supply, I really want to stick with a reputable brand that actually gives a damn about quality control, even if that means I end up blowing past my budget a little bit. As far as storage goes, I’ve already got a 120 GB SSD and a couple of those big 3-4 TB hard drives lying around, so I’ll probably just scrape by with those unless it makes total sense to go big on a serious storage upgrade.

I’m planning on ordering the shiny new components through Amazon in the United States, but for everything else, I’ll be hunting around on eBay or checking out local classifieds. So yeah, that’s the situation...

You can grab everything you need right here without any hassle, especially since your drives are fine and don't need swapping.

Prices aren't even that different from what you'd see elsewhere, and the real perk is the warranty. If something breaks, you deal with the local shop instead of fighting some massive corporation overseas. My advice? Just buy it in the US. 🙂
1 x ASUS Prime B150M (S1151, 4xDDR4, DVI/HDMI/VGA, USB3.0, M.2, LAN)
1 x Crucial DRAM 8GB DDR4 2133 MT/s (PC4-17000) CL15 SR
1 x Intel Core i5 6402P
1 x Zalman Z1, USB3.0 black, 2x120mm
1 x Sapphire rx480 4GB, 256bit GDDR5
1 x Fortron Hyper 500W, 80+ - 60mj.

Total: $1685

bestbuy.com

I haven't spent much time looking at overseas shops in the United States, but honestly, it never seemed worth the hassle—it always ended up costing more than just buying locally. If you're looking at Germany, though, some high-end builds can actually be a great deal, provided you aren't too worried about handling a warranty claim abroad.

What Robert Rodriguez2 put together here is actually solid. It’s such a good build that I wouldn't even bother looking at used parts. My only tweak would be swapping in a Fractal Design case, assuming that's an option, just to get better airflow and a sturdier GPU bracket, and maybe grabbing this CPU to save a little cash—that should easily offset the extra cost of the case.

The thing is, since I’m living overseas, it’s just way easier for me to grab everything through Amazon in the United States. But hey, thanks so much for looking out for me! 🙂

I did a little digging myself and stumbled upon this bundle:

INTEL Core i5 6600K 3.5Ghz CPU - Socket 1151 - 4 Cores
ASUS Z170 Pro gaming Motherboard
CORSAIR Vengeance LPX 16GB 3200Mhz RAM
CPU Standard Clock Speed 3.5Ghz & Turbo Clock Speed 3.9Ghz

It sits right around $500, which is perfect because that leaves me with about another $200 or so to spend on a case (those Zalman ones are awesome, though I'm still weighing my options there), a power supply, and a graphics card... maybe $250 if my wife is feeling extra generous, or $300 if I decide to skip a few meals for a bit! 😬

That bundle seems a bit off to me, maybe around $1267 if I recall correctly. I actually put together a similar build for $1300 using 3000MHz memory. It probably should be a little cheaper than that...

Are you based in the United States? There are definitely shops out there with better deals than Amazon if you want to try building something a bit more high-end.

So, what's the final budget looking like—maybe $950? 😬

Honestly, even looking at things from Ireland, that Euro to Pound exchange rate still feels like a pretty sweet deal if you ask me! I'm always on the lookout for something even cheaper that includes shipping via sea freight, so definitely let me know if anything pops up. My rough math is about $520 for the bundle, maybe another $130-$160 for the power supply and a decent Fractal Design case, and then roughly $220 for a solid graphics card. If I really have to limp along for a month or two without a GPU, I guess I'll just manage somehow, right? So yeah, we're probably looking at a total budget somewhere between $650 and $850 😁

You might find it slightly cheaper if you bought all the components individually, but overall this is a solid build since it includes the GTX 1060
http://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/C6N05U1RYJF6
Everything is from Amazon, so shipping shouldn't be an issue

I didn't include a PC case; you can just pick one out yourself

The Witcher is basically a Craftsman Tool kind of game, so Nvidia would be a smart move here

I think 8GB of RAM is enough. It really depends on what kind of video editing you're doing, but you can always just slap in another 8GB later

P.S. If you're worried about needing more processing power, I’d honestly suggest just grabbing an i7 for the same motherboard. An i5 with a decent cooler and a pricier board ends up costing about the same, and for rendering, the i7 is definitely the better way to go

Give me some more info—what resolution are you planning to play at? I’m basing this on the most demanding titles; if a build can handle the heavy hitters, it can handle anything. Regarding video editing, an i5 will get a decent job done; worst-case scenario, you might just wait a few seconds longer for renders.
Same here—even if it feels like VR is a distant prospect, it isn't just some gimmick. In a year or two, it could easily be sitting on everyone's desk as common as headphones or a mouse. Here in the US, we might be a couple of years behind, but over in Ireland, things tend to move even slower when it comes to adaptation. Also, what resolution are we talking about? 1080p, 1440p? And for the monitor refresh rate: 144Hz, 60Hz? Having FreeSync or G-Sync is a pretty cool thing to have.
Keep in mind that most PC releases will likely be ports of the Xbox Scorpio and PS4 Neo builds (which are based on the AMD rx480).
If you've had enough of 1080p at 60fps, then you should be set for quite a while with
an i5 6600k—I think you'll be fine for at least five years. Personally, I went with an i5 2500k
back in 2012, and if I didn't need a laptop, I probably would have kept it indefinitely.
For a cooler, look at the LL-CC-120 (it's almost like the Hyper 212 but nearly twice as cheap); it comes with thermal paste, but you might want to grab some Arctic MX-5.
Asrock h170—there’s really no need for a more expensive motherboard. You could go with that ASUS model only if it isn't significantly pricier. Once you pass a certain price threshold, most motherboards are roughly similar in quality, but ASUS loves to inflate prices for features you, believe me, will never actually use.
DDR4 2 x8—it's affordable right now, and I doubt you'll need more. Don't sweat the manufacturer too much as long as it isn't junk; just Google what the current best buy is. Don't worry too much about the MHz if it makes a massive difference in the price.
For the PSU: Corsair RM550x 550w—it's modular, quiet, runs cool, and stays under $100. You won't find much better than that.
And finally, the most important part: the GPU.
From what I understand, you can manage for a few months without a dedicated graphics card. If I were you, that's exactly what I'd do—just to ensure at least three of the games you actually care about are released using Vulkan or DX12. Eventually, Fallout 4 will get a VR patch; the game itself isn't anything special, but VR could make the whole experience very interesting.
You don't have many options there. If you decide on ATI, then go for a Sapphire rx480 (but avoid the stock cooling; look for one of their custom models).
In about three months, you might even be able to snag a used GTX 1070 (if you find one, it's a win). 1440p monitors and FreeSync/G-Sync will become the standard soon, and honestly, they are better.
Feel free to buy your case and peripherals used. Retail stores love to slap a "fool tax" of $50 to $100 on you. People often pick up great stuff from service centers—like mice, keyboards, or headsets—that are practically brand new because they realized they didn't need them, and you can get them for about 25% less.

What on earth? We’re talking about a $5,000 build here, yet you’re rambling about VR, G-Sync, a GTX 1070, and wasting money on an unlocked CPU paired with a motherboard that isn't even meant for overclocking—not to mention that $267 power supply. Seriously? What? 😲

Adam Moore3 said:WTF? We’re talking about a $5,000 build here and you’re rambling on about VR, FreeSync, an RTX 3070, some overpriced unlocked CPU on a motherboard that can't even handle overclocking, and a $267 power supply. What? 😲

😵😵😵😵 I don't even know why you left all that out

But regarding VR—a Skylake i5 is plenty for VR, so it's not some pipe dream for this setup (or whatever upgrade comes next)