Gaming PC build ideas?

Greetings to all my fellow colleagues out there.

I've officially thrown in the towel on the whole gaming laptop idea. Honestly, after looking at the thermal throttling issues and the sheer lack of upgradeability, I realized I was just setting myself up for frustration. So, I'm pivoting. I’m officially back on the hunt for a proper gaming PC.

Alright, here’s what I’m looking for: I need a full setup. Specifically, I need a desktop PC, a 24" Full HD monitor with an IPS panel, Windows 8.1, and a WLAN card included.

The total budget is hovering around... $5.50.
The payment is being handled via the AMEX 24 installment plan online.

I spotted this over on Newegg.
Check out this listing on Newegg for an Avenue Gepard Pro N desktop. It’s rocking an Intel Core i7-4790K clocked at 4.00GHz, paired with 16GB of RAM, a 240GB SSD, and a 1TB hard drive for extra storage. For graphics, it’s running an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 WF3 OC with 4GB of GDDR5. Just a heads up though—it comes with FreeDOS, so you'll need to sort out your own Windows license if you want to actually use it for anything meaningful.

Is it actually worth it? Honestly, I’ve been sitting here staring at this for a while, trying to run the numbers, and I can't decide if this is a smart move or just throwing money down the drain. It feels like one of those situations where you think you're getting a deal, but once you factor in everything else, the math starts looking pretty shaky. What do you guys think? Is there any actual value here, or am I just overthinking it?

Thanks, everyone.

I don't know how many shops (besides Newegg) actually offer 24 monthly installments on online Amex payments. Most places usually cap it at 6 to 12 months for online orders... so you might honestly be stuck with that one if you want those terms (at least in terms of where you can shop) 🤷

Thanks for getting back to me.
Do you honestly think this build is worth the price tag?

That's a terrible build. The CPU is overpriced, the whole thing is poorly balanced, and way too expensive. Dropping that much cash without even getting peripherals is... well... just stupid.

I mean, WTF, over $1,000 just for the CPU and GPU???? Come on...

Newegg has an exclusive deal with American Express for 24 months, sure, but you could still put together a solid configuration at Newegg that actually matches those components—and if not cheaper, then at least better built. These pre-built rigs usually use whatever parts they need to offload high-margin inventory...

Just hang tight until someone shows up who can actually build a decent rig for you. I’d do it myself, but I don't really know my way around these new GPUs since I don't game, but someone will definitely step up soon...

So, I was browsing through some Instagram feeds, and honestly, even these more expensive options they're showing don't look half bad. But hey, fair enough—I respect the suggestion.

It’s always a losing game if you're looking at this for gaming purposes. They haven't even bothered to list the brands for the SSD, HDD, power supply, or motherboard. Unless you have some incredibly specific requirements, you could easily put together a decent build for under $1,500 without breaking a sweat.

24'' Dell P2414H LED Monitor, 8ms, 250cd/m2, 2000000:1, IPS, D-SUB, DVI, DP, USB hub, pivot, black
SALE!!! USB2.0 WLAN Adapter, DELOCK WLAN_N, 300Mbps, 802.11 b/g/n, for wireless networking
Intel Core i5-4460 processor, LGA 1150, 3.2GHz, 6MB cache, integrated GPU, quad Core
ASROCK Z97 Pro3 Motherboard, Intel Z97, DDR3, audio, G-LAN, RAID, S-ATA, PCI-E 3.0, USB 3.0, D-SUB, DVI, HDMI, ATX, LGA 1150
LC POWER LC-CC-95 Cooler, compatible with socket 775/1155/1156/1150/AM2/AM3
XFX AMD RADEON R9 390 Graphics Card, 8GB DDR5, DP, DVI, HDMI
550W Power Supply, ANTEC True Power Classic TP-550C, ATX, 120mm fan
RAIJINTEK Agos Case, Midi Tower, black, USB 3.0, PSU not included
COOLERMASTER Silencio FP120 PWM 120mm Fan, R4-SFNL-14PK-R1, black (for front panel)
1TB Western Digital Blue Hard Drive, WD10EZEX, SATA3, 3.5'', 64MB cache, 7200rpm
240GB Mushkin Chronos G2 SSD, MKNSSDCR240GB-G2, SATA3, 2.5'', MLC Chip, up to 555/535 MB/s
PC-14900 RAM, 8 GB, G.SKILL RipjawsX series, F3-14900CL9D-8GBXL, DDR3 1866MHz, 2x4GB kit

Total: $3339(12 monthly payments via Amex, Best Buy)

+ http://www.bestbuy.com/microsoft-software-example

Though, I guess you might not need to drop the cash on an official license if it isn't for business use...

Just go with what crimsonstag84 put together for you—honestly, it's solid. As for Windows, just hang tight and grab Windows 10 once it's available.

I’d appreciate some feedback on this build I put together by myself.
I haven't even accounted for the Wi-Fi card yet, and I managed to squeeze the total price down to $17,100. Honestly, at this point, who cares? It's all just a big mess anyway LOL

First off, I can't see a thing. Shrink the image before you crop it next time. Second, you just threw those parts together like you're digging a ditch—and to be blunt: those components aren't exactly top-tier. Stop asking if things are "good enough" instead of just building it... we aren't going to get anywhere that way. You've already got a solid build sitting there, so don't overcomplicate things or blow through cash like it grows on trees (trust me, it doesn't). If you keep this up, people are going to start calling you a troll and kick you out of here... 😬 Show some respect for the time and expertise people put into their replies...

You can find that same GPU for $267 less at other retailers. And why on earth would you even need Windows 8.1? You're in America, for heaven's sake.
Honestly, if I were looking for a logical path forward, I’d aim for a more future-proof setup—something with a 2011-era socket motherboard, a compatible processor, and a graphics card that actually supports DX12. But then again, it isn't as if this current configuration won't keep chugging along for countless years to come. That is, unless you decide to actually buy a CPU cooler, which I don't see anywhere in this build.

Heh... My bad. I'll take the hit on this one.

The point isn't just about throwing whatever's most expensive into your cart. 😬

$1267 for the GTX 970! 🙂

Look, this (Best Buy currently has the 970). Sure, an ASUS Strix might be worth a little extra, but you get what I'm saying. Change up how you're paying for this; even if you go with a drastically cheaper configuration, it makes more sense. Otherwise, they're going to bleed you dry.

Second point—why bother sucking up money for a Maximus ROG? Are you even planning to overclock? I'm assuming not, since you didn't include an aftermarket cooler in such a massive budget (plus, an i7 is a hot CPU under load even without overclocking). The CPU itself is built for OC. If you happen to be planning on it—are you aware that the cheapest and most expensive Z-series boards yield almost identical OC results, especially during heavy overclocking? That’s because the FIVR is located in the processor, not on the motherboard (though that will change with Skylake). For anyone with the cash who actually wants a top-tier board, spending max 1000-$400 makes sense; anything above that is just throwing money down the drain. Your limiting factor is going to be cooling, specifically the processor itself.

Also, $400 regarding the power supply for a build that would pull under 300W at full load...

@Kimberly Gomez34
Thanks for getting back to me.
Honestly, I can only handle paying this off over 24 monthly installments... anything less than that is just way too much of a hit to my monthly budget.
If you know of a cheaper motherboard, please feel free to suggest one.
I might even stick with just a single 1TB HDD, swap out the RAM, and grab a 500GB SSD from Apple instead.
Let's say if the price gap between this board and a cheaper option is around $800-$333 then maybe I should put that extra cash toward liquid cooling for the CPU.

I realized I forgot to mention that I definitely want an i7 processor and Nvidia graphics.
The build is mainly for gaming, working with Photoshop RAW files, and doing some light video editing every now and then.

I mean, you could always just use the link to grab some consumer credit—like, maybe up to 60 monthly installments on an Amex—and it’ll still end up being cheaper than those pathetic Micronis types

Liquid cooling is a total waste of money if you aren't overclocking. Getting an SSD is definitely the smart move for what you're planning, but you should pair it with at least a terabyte HDD—just stay far away from those slow "green" drives you mentioned... And honestly, if you’ve got the budget, just bite the bullet and go for a full 32GB of RAM. It'll make life so much easier when you're dealing with video editing and photoshop RAW files.

I already told you in your DMs—if you want to build a rig that actually handles high settings, half that budget you're looking at is plenty. Anything more is just throwing money away.
Aim for $700-$800 for the setup, grab a decent monitor, and call it a day.

It really depends on what he actually means by "occasional video editing." If he’s just uploading clips to YouTube every once in a while, an i5 paired with 8GB of RAM should do the trick fine enough...

$5500 at 24 installments ~ $227 per month
$3333 at 12 installments ~ $278 per month

It’s not a huge gap... I guess if you take that first one I got from Best Buy and just swap in an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, it's basically the same thing.