Budget PC build under $500

I'm looking to pick up a desktop tower without a monitor, and since I don't exactly have an expert's grasp on hardware specs, I was hoping to lean on your collective wisdom here.🙂 I’m currently based in Cleveland and would ideally love to find a pre-built system at a local big-box retailer where I can just walk in, pay, and head home. My goal is to have something reliable enough to last me a few years without constant headaches. Ideally, it needs enough muscle to handle software like AutoCAD, be reasonably snappy during daily tasks, and—if possible—be somewhat quiet. 🙂 I suppose there might be something decent out there for around $600, though that’s really my limit right now. 🙂 ... This particular setup caught my eye, but I'd truly appreciate some professional insight before I pull the trigger:

http://www.bestbuy.com/example-link-placeholder

Thanks!

What’s the deal with payment methods? Are we looking at using AutoCAD or maybe some 3D modeling software? And I guess you might want to know if there's going to be any gaming involved?

It’s finished. If it were rendered in 3D, I suppose it would look much better. 🙂 As far as gaming goes, I realize this isn't exactly a high-end rig built for heavy lifting, so I'm certainly not expecting miracles... My main priority is just having something relatively snappy that can handle my work software without choking; games are really just a little bonus, so...

1 x Intel Core i3 (3.7GHz, 3MB, LGA1150) box
1 x GIGABYTE Main Board Desktop iH81 (S1150, DDR3, VGA, USB3.0/USB2.0, LAN, SATAIII/SATAII) mATX Retail
1 x Desktop Memory Device KINGSTON ValueRAM DDR3 SDRAM Non-ECC (8GB, 1600MHz(PC3-12800), Unbuffered) CL11, Retail
1 x Antec VP400PC 400W, 80+, 120mm Power Supply
1 x SEAGATE DESKTOP SSHD 3.5" / 1TB / 64m / SATA3 / 7200rpm
1 x Zalman T2 PLUS, USB3.0 black
1 x Inno3D Geforce GT 740 2GB GDDR5

Total: $1174
futura-it (includes free assembly and delivery)

1 x HDD Seagate 1TB, SATA III, 7200 rpm, ST1000DM003
1 x MSI GTX 750 Ti 2GB GDDR5, N750Ti-2GD5/OCV1, Dual-link DVI-D x 1
1 x Hexa Plus 400W power supply, 12cm fan
1 x MS PHOENIX case without PSU, Midi tower MBO: ATX, mATX
1 x 8GB (1x8GB) Kingston HyperX Fury DDR3, 1866MHz, CL10
1 x LC Power Cosmo Cool, 92 mm, Hydraulic bearing, 800-2200 rpm,
1 x AMD Athlon II x4 860K 3.70GHz 4 cores, cache: 4MB
1 x ASUS A88XM-E, FM2+, AMD A88X (Bolton D4), DDR3, 2 slots
$1195
www.newegg.com

It’s plenty for AutoCAD 2D and 3D work. Plus, you get a decent GPU for gaming.😁

1 x HDD Seagate 1TB, SATA III, 7200 rpm, ST1000DM003
1 x Hexa Plus 400W power supply, 12cm fan
1 x MS PHOENIX case without PSU, Midi tower MBO: ATX, mATX
1 x 8GB (1x8GB) Kingston HyperX Fury DDR3, 1866MHz, CL10
1 x LC Power Cosmo Cool, 92 mm, Hydraulic bearing, 800-2200 rpm,
1 x AMD FX-Series X4 4300 3.8GHz, 4MB/8MB, 95W, Socket AM3+
1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x ASUS GTX750-PHOC-2GD5, Nvidia GeForce, PCIe 3.0, 2048 MB, DDR5
$1198
Or go this way. You have an open upgrade path for things like an 8-core processor if needed later. The GPU is slightly weaker than the first option, but still a solid pick.🙂

Thanks for the info, everyone. I suppose if I take this list over to them, they'll just go ahead and put the whole rig together based on these specs?

Thomas Taylor92 said:Thanks for the info, guys. So I just take this list to them and they build the whole rig for me?

Exactly. Like I said above, $667 places like Micro Center or Best Buy will handle the assembly and shipping for free.

Hey everyone! I'll just drop this here instead of starting a whole new thread.
I'm really torn between building a PC or grabbing a laptop. I need something for gaming ASAP (hoping to buy next week!), but since I'll be heading off to college in about two years, I won't be able to lug a desktop around with me. That said, a PC is definitely going to pack more punch than any laptop...

Here’s the build I put together for a desktop. If you guys know of anything better for the same price, please let me know!
1 x Gigabyte GA-F2A68HM-DS2, AMD A68H, 2 x 1.5V DDR3 DIMM
1 x LC Power Cosmo Cool, 92 mm, Hydraulic bearing, 800-2200 rpm,
1 x Hexa Plus 400W, 12cm fan
1 x Toshiba DT01ACA050, 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB
1 x Gigabyte GTX 750 OC 2048 GDDR5 128bit, GV-N750OC-2GL, OC Edition
1 x 4GB DDR3 Kingston, 1600MHz, CL10, HyperX Fury
1 x MS Knight midi tower case (no PSU included)
1 x AMD Athlon II x4 840 3.10GHz processor

Price: $1017 cash.

On the other hand, if I go the laptop route, I'd probably look at a 15.6'' model like this (again, let me know if there's a better deal out there!)

https://www.modulosam.com/acer-aspir...X.052/product/

Price: $1159 cash.

My total budget is $1150. I need to make sure the PC stays under $400 because I still need to pick up a used monitor for about $133.

I'd love to hear what you all think! Based on your experience, how much of a performance hit am I taking by choosing a laptop over a PC? How much will it affect my gameplay in titles like GTA V, Call of Duty: Ghosts, or Battlefield 4? Is it even worth getting a laptop like this for gaming, or would you do things differently if you were in my shoes? Also, if anyone knows, what kind of resolution, settings, and FPS can I expect from both setups?

🤔>

MS Knight case without power supply
Fortron Hexa Plus 400W
AMD Athlon x4 840 (3.1GHz, 4MB, 65W, FM2+) box
Gigabyte GA-F2A68HM-DS2
Crucial Module 8GB, 240-pin DIMM, DDR3 PC3-12800, CL11
Toshiba DT01ACA100 1TB 3.5''
Inno3D Geforce GTX 750 Ti 2GB GDDR5, INO-N75T-1DDV-E5CW

Total:$1018 downtown

Maybe sell the PC if you end up needing a laptop for college...

http://www.techspot.com/review/991-g...rks/page2.html
http://gamegpu.ru/images/remote/http...ghost_1920.jpg
http://www.techspot.com/review/734-b...rks/page3.html

The 750 Ti is a bit weaker than the GTX 660 or HD 7850. Just keep in mind that those reviews probably used a stronger processor.

I’ll most likely just go with the PC then. Thanks, crimsonstag84. 👍

I do have one question, though. I noticed there isn't an aftermarket cooler listed, which implies it isn't necessary here? I've seen most AMD builds you guys post include extra coolers.

You might not even need the Athlon x4 840, you'll see—it’s only a 65W TDP.

Alright, thanks. 😁

P.S. I’m replying from my brother's computer because he was already logged into the forum...

I am looking for a computer primarily for multitasking, with some light gaming on the side. It doesn't need to be top-of-the-line, but I want something that won't become obsolete in a couple of years.

Is this setup adequate? I have a little extra wiggle room in my budget $100, so perhaps I should consider a more powerful processor or something else entirely?

http://s13.postimg.org/6itpapsiv/KONFA_KONA_NA.jpg

It ends up being a bit pricier this way, but if you go with the Nvidia GTX 950:

Gigabyte AMD GA-F2A68HM-S1
AMD Athlon x4 840
Kingston DDR3 1600MHz, C11, 8GB, KVR16N11/8
Toshiba DT01ACA050 HDD (3.5", 500GB, 32MB, SATA III-600)
MS Voyager case, no PSU included
Patriot SSD Blaze R545, 120GB, 7mm, 2.5" PB120GS25SSDR
Fortron Hexa Plus 400W
Samsung SH-224FB optical drive
MSI Nvidia GTX 950 GDDR5 2GB/128bit video card

Total: $1252 Best Buy

crimsonstag84 said:The price bumps up slightly here, but with the Nvidia GTX 950:

Total cost: $1252 Center

That is precisely how it will be.😁 Thanks.😁

crimsonstag84 said:It ends up being slightly more expensive, but with the Nvidia GTX 950:

Gigabyte AMD Build with AMD GA-F2A68HM
AMD Athlon x4 840
Kingston DDR3 1600MHz, C11, 8GB, KVR16N11/8
Toshiba DT01ACA050 HDD (3.5", 500GB, 32MB, SATA III-600)
MS VOYAGER case without power supply
Patriot SSD Blaze R545, 120GB, 7mm, 2.5" PB120GS25SSDR
Fortron Hexa Plus 400W power supply
Samsung SH-224FB SATA Bulk Black optical drive
MSI Nvidia GTX 950 GDDR5 2GB/128bit,

Total: $1252 Centro

Gigabyte AMD Build with AMD GA-F2A68HM
AMD FX-6300 processor
Kingston DDR3 1600MHz, C11, 8GB, KVR16N11/8
Toshiba DT01ACA050 HDD (3.5", 500GB, 32MB, SATA III-600)
MS VOYAGER case without power supply
Fortron Hexa Plus 400W power supply
Samsung SH-224FB SATA Bulk Black optical drive
MSI Nvidia GTX 950 GDDR5 2GB/128bit

Could I go this route instead? I dropped the SSD and swapped in an x6 CPU... Will the power supply and everything else handle that load properly?

Douglas Thomas19 said:Gigabyte AMD Build
AMD FX-6300
Kingston DDR3 1600MHz, C11, 8GB, KVR16N11/8
Toshiba DT01ACA050 (3.5", 500GB, 32MB, SATA III-600)
MS VOYAGER case without PSU
Fortron Hexa Plus 400W
Samsung SH-224FB
Nvidia GTX 950

Would this work? I ditched the SSD and swapped in an x6 CPU... Will the power supply and everything else handle it okay?

It won't work because your motherboard is an FM2+/FM2 socket, but that processor uses an AM3+ socket.☕

Basically, you need a different, more expensive motherboard for the FX-6300... if you're dead set on that CPU, you'll need this board, or if you need to keep costs down, just grab one 4GB stick of RAM now and add another 4GB later once you save up about $40.

It’s a significant step up from the standard cooler $30 (take the LC-CC-95, for instance). Sure, you can run it with the stock setup, but you won't get the same results—it ends up being loud and runs hot