PC build: $500 - $600 budget

Hey everyone, I’m on the same page as my buddy here, and we're looking at a budget of roughly $650.
I’m trying to piece together the best possible "entry-level gamer" build without breaking the bank. We already have a case and an HDD sitting around, so those are off the table. For the rest, I want to squeeze every bit of performance out of this cash—prioritizing a solid CPU, a decent GPU, a motherboard, RAM, and a reliable power supply. My thought is to cut corners on the less critical components where it makes sense, just so we can dump more money into the parts that actually drive frame rates. If you have any clever ideas on how to maximize this budget, I'm all ears. Thanks.

Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 XFX 3GB DDR5, XFX-Nvidia GeForce GTX 960
Crucial 8GB Module, 240-pin DIMM, DDR3 PC3-12800, CL=11, Buffered, NON-ECC
Intel Core i7 Desktop PC
GIGABYTE Main Board Desktop AMD 970A(970A-DS3P)
LC Power CPU Cooler LC-CC-95 - 90mm
EVGA 550W PSU - 80 Plus Bronze power supply

Total: $1369 Hub

Ideally, it would look like this... though if that's over budget, maybe sticking with an Intel Core i5-4460 is the way to go ($42 saves some cash)

Ryan Gonzalez4 said:Hey everyone, I'm building a rig for a buddy with about $300 to work with.
I need the best possible entry-level gaming setup for that budget. We already have a case and an HDD. I need to squeeze the most out of the CPU, GPU, motherboard, RAM, and PSU. Basically, cut costs where we can to beef up the core components. Any ideas? Thanks.

What kind of case and HDD are we talking about? If the case is junk...
and is the drive SATA?

So, why on earth isn't the Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 actually an upgrade over the Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 Ti?

Robert Rodriguez2 said:What kind of case and HDD are we talking about here? If the case is just some cheap junk...
And is the drive SATA?

I’ll probably just hand him my old setup, which is anything but junk—it’s an NZXT Lexa.🎉
As for the drive, it's a standard 1TB Seagate 7200 RPM HDD, not an SSD.

With an i5 processor...

Intel Core i5-4460
MSI H81M-E33 Crucial RAM
Crucial Module 8GB
XFX PSU TS 430W, XFX-P1-430S-XXB9
MSI Video Card Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 GDDR5 2GB/256bit

$4,118.07
Hub

Ryan Gonzalez4 said:I'll just give him my old setup, nothing fancy—an NZXT Lexa 🎉
with a standard 1TB Seagate 7200 RPM HDD, not an SSD.

Might as well put a build together then. 😍
Here you go:
1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x Nvidia GeForce GTX 960
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 3.5GHz,14MB,95W,AM3+, FD6300WMHK
1 x Fortron 500W, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x Spire Kepler Rev.2 cooler, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm, 92mm
1 x DDR3 2048MB (2GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, Value
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL11, Value

$1348
Newegg offers free shipping and assembly.

The Hub charges $27 for shipping.
Since you guys are in Chicago, picking it up should be easy enough.

Hub - Config

1 x Intel Core i5-4460 (3.5GHz, 14MB, 95W, LGA 1150) box
1 x Kingston 8GB 1866MHz DDR3 Non-ECC CL10 DIMM HyperX Corsair Vengeance White Series, EAN: 740617230666
1 x Asrock 980DE3 U3S3 (ATA133, Sata3, USB3.0) LGA 1150, 95W CPU
1 x CPU Cooler LC-CC-95, Intel/AMD, 90mm 4-pin
1 x SILVERSTONE Strider ST50F-ESB 500W, 80+ Bronze
1 x Nvidia GeForce GTX 960, 2GB 128 bit DDR5

Total: $1361
Just bring them your case and your hard drive, and they will assemble everything for you at no extra charge.

Look, Ryan Gonzalez4, I’ll take care of everything—I'll get Windows installed, sort out all the drivers, set up the software, and make sure the whole system is ready to go.

There is one thing I am struggling to wrap my head around here. At the end of the day, when you are building a gaming rig, the graphics card is arguably the most critical component, yet I see four different recommendations being thrown around. I would genuinely appreciate it if someone could walk me through the logic behind why one specific card is being suggested over the others. To me, it seems like there should be a clear hierarchy of performance versus actual value for the money spent. Based on what I can gather, a more realistic ranking of pure bang-for-your-buck performance would look something like this:

1. Nvidia RTX 3060 series
2. Nvidia GTX 970
3. Nvidia GeForce GTX 960
4. Nvidia RTX 3060 series
5. Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 Ti
6. Nvidia GeForce GTX 980
7. Nvidia GeForce GTX 980
8. Nvidia GeForce GTX 960

Given that list, I was leaning toward something in the ballpark of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 960, mostly because they seem to be incredibly easy to find at decent prices right now. So, I am all ears—please, enlighten me.

Ryan Gonzalez4 said:One thing isn't clicking for me. At the end of the day, the GPU is the heart of any gaming rig, and here I'm seeing four different suggestions. I'd love to know why one over the other. Why specifically recommend this one or that one for my build? From where I'm sitting, if we're talking pure performance per dollar, the ranking should look more like this: (basically, what gets me the most bang for my buck in terms of raw power).

1. Nvidia RTX 3060 series
2. Nvidia GeForce GTX 970
3. Nvidia GeForce GTX 960
4. Nvidia RTX 3060 series
5. Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 Ti
6. Nvidia RTX 3060 series
7. Nvidia RTX 3060 series
8. Nvidia GeForce GTX 960

Based on that, I’d probably aim for something around the Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 because there's plenty of stock at decent prices. So, let's hear it.

Yeah, the GPU is usually the heavy lifter for gaming. Those CPUs you listed can handle any of those cards just fine—an Intel Core i5 won't blink, though an Intel Core might struggle without some serious bottlenecking.

Given your budget, if you make a few compromises, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 is really the only Nvidia option that fits. On the AMD side, you're looking at either a Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 Ti or stepping up to a pricier Nvidia GeForce GTX 960. Anything else is way too expensive for the boost you'd get. If you blow too much on the card, it'll eat up 60-75% of your total budget, which doesn't make sense for you.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:Yeah, generally speaking, the GPU is the heavy lifter when it comes to gaming. Even with those CPUs you're looking at, they should be plenty capable of keeping up with those cards—an Intel Core i5 can handle any of them, though an AMD FX 8300 might struggle without causing a significant bottleneck.

Given your specific budget, if you're willing to make a few compromises, an NVIDIA GTX 960 is really the only option from NVIDIA that fits. On the AMD side, you're looking at either a Radeon R9 280 or stepping up to something like a 380 if you can swing it. Anything beyond that is just going to be overpriced for the marginal gains you'll see; honestly, the graphics card alone would eat up about 60-75% of your total budget, which clearly doesn't align with what you're trying to do here.

Alright, so what’s your take on this particular setup?

http://www.newegg.com/p/example-link-1

And

http://www.newegg.com/p/example-link-2

Hey everyone, sorry if this is a bit off-topic—I didn't want to start a whole new thread just for one quick question. I’ve got a single inquiry: my ISP is offering me this specific hard drive for an extra $33 click
. Is it actually worth pulling the trigger on this, or should I pass? Also, does the fact that it's only 5400rpm actually matter?

Ryan Gonzalez4 said:Alright, what do you think about this setup?

I

If those guys were building rigs with beefier CPUs, I don't see any reason to settle for an Intel Core i3. You won't be able to push much higher with the GPU anyway, since there's a massive performance gap right after the NVIDIA GTX 960, the AMD Radeon R9 280, or the 380. Maybe some leftover 280X stock if you're lucky.

Jamie Lopez19 said:Hey everyone, sorry if this is off-topic—I didn't want to start a whole new thread—but I have one quick question. AT&T is offering me this hard drive for an extra $33 click
Is it actually worth it? Does the fact that it's 5400rpm matter?

I'm assuming they expect you to extend your contract along with it? If the terms look good to you, go for it. Just a heads-up: whenever AT&T hands out drives, they tend to be pretty flimsy. Your best bet is to ask over on the AT&T thread.

Timothy Kim60 said:I’m assuming there’s a contract extension tied to this? If the terms look good to you, just grab it. Just a heads up: whenever Verizon hands out these drives, they tend to be absolute junk. You’re better off checking the dedicated Verizon thread.

Yeah, I'm planning on renewing my contract, and they're offering this along with a new phone. That's why I wanted to check here and see if this is actually a decent HDD. Does it really matter that it isn't 7200rpm? Thanks for any insight. 😉

Timothy Kim60 said:If those guys were pairing them with more powerful processors, then I don't see any reason why you'd bother with an Intel Core i3, especially since you won't be able to step up to better GPUs anyway—there’s just this massive gap in performance right after the NVIDIA GTX 960, the AMD Radeon R9 280, or even the 380. Maybe a leftover 280X if you're lucky.

I assume there's a contract extension involved here too? If the terms actually look good to you, go for it. Just keep in mind that whenever Verizon handed out hardware in the past, the quality was notoriously hit-or-miss. You're probably better off asking around on the dedicated Verizon thread.

Stronger in what way?
http://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare...300/2816vs1555
Either way, most software still relies heavily on just two cores; rarely do you see more being used effectively. Because of that, I honestly don't see how those two AMD chips manage to pull ahead.

These comparison sites are honestly some of the worst out there—I'm talking about stuff like IGN, CPUBoss, and HardwareZone.

The Intel Core i3 is basically just a dual-core chip with Hyper-Threading, so I guess it's decent enough for basic tasks or single-player games, but it doesn't really make sense to pick it up when you could grab an AMD FX 8300 and a solid AM3+ motherboard for maybe 300-$133 more.

Ryan Gonzalez4 said:In what way is it superior?
If you're trying to decide between these two processors, looking at raw numbers alone can be a bit misleading. It’s like comparing a reliable sedan to a heavy-duty pickup truck; they both get you from A to B, but they handle different loads entirely. One chip might dominate in single-core tasks—think smooth web browsing or light office work—while the other shines when you're pushing multi-threaded workloads like video editing or heavy multitasking. Before you pull the trigger, you really need to look at what you actually do with your PC every day. If you're just gaming and doing everyday tasks, prioritize that single-core speed. If you're a creator, go for the extra cores. Don't just chase the highest benchmark score; chase the performance that fits your specific lifestyle.
Look, at the end of the day, most people are still just running dual-core setups. You rarely see anyone pushing beyond that effectively. Honestly, I don't see how those two AMD chips are actually providing any real advantage.

Don't just take that at face value, especially regarding that 30% figure. It’s a bit more nuanced than that. If you’re going to look at synthetic benchmarks, find a heavy-duty one that actually pushes the CPU to its absolute limit—something like Cinebench R15 multi-threaded, or even better, run a 7-Zip test. That’ll show you exactly where the Intel Core i3 is hitting a wall.

The FX 63xx isn't even worth considering, especially when you look at what else is out there. $50 Investing in the more expensive AMD FX 8300 is the smarter play for long-term stability. To put it simply, think of it like this: klik If you're looking at a setup with two cores plus Hyper-Threading versus an Intel Core i3, here’s my take: if your main focus is strategy games like Total War or StarCraft II, or if you're spending your time in World of Tanks or World of Warplanes, just go with the Intel Core i3 or the G3258. It's the smarter play for those specific titles.

It’s the same story—that i5 ended up costing me an extra $15 or so too. Honestly, if I were doing it again, I’d probably just grab a different power supply.

Jamie Lopez19 said:Does the fact that it isn't 7200 RPM actually matter? I'd love to get some insight on this. Thanks! 😉

That’s not really what it's designed for; it's meant for storage.

Gotta jump in here and grab some advice 🙂

Swapping out my parts. Keeping just the case and the hard drive. I'm aiming for an AMD processor and a Radeon card, budget is around $350-$$1333.

Joseph Cook6 said:I really need to jump in here and ask you guys for some advice 🙂

I'm looking to swap out most of my parts—just keeping the case and the hard drive for now. I'm leaning towards an AMD processor and a Radeon graphics card, with a budget of around $350-$$1333.

Is that hard drive an old IDE one or SATA?