Gaming PC build under $750 (Denny's)

I know there are probably already a hundred threads floating around about this, but they all seem to veer off into different directions, so I figured I’d just start a quick, fresh one here..
So, what I'm really looking for is just a case—I've already got my peripherals sorted—and I'm aiming for around $5,000 (though I might stretch it to $5,500 if there's something truly worth the extra splurge) using Denny's 12-month financing.
I'm based right here in Washington, D.C., and since I want to make sure everything stays valid for the warranty, I won't need delivery or any pre-built assembly services.
As for the CPU, whether it's Intel or AMD doesn't matter much to me; I just want something that'll last a long time, especially since I'm planning on overclocking it down the road. For the GPU, I'm leaning toward AMD since you generally get more bang for your buck.
I definitely don't need a DVD drive, but if you think an SSD is actually worth the investment, let me know!

If you're planning on overclocking later on, honestly just go with AMD—an SSD isn't even going to cut it at the start, so you're better off grabbing something beefier with more space down the road, like a Samsung evo 850 250 GB.

FX 8320
RAIJINTEK THEMIS
GIGABYTE 970A-DS3P
CRUCIAL 8GB 1600 MHZ
SEAGATE 3,5 1TB SATA 3
GIGABYTE R9 270 2GB DDR5 WF
FORTRON RAIDER 550W 80+ SILVER
ZALMAN Z3 MIDI ATX USB 3.0, 3X120 MM

= $1842 for Denny's including delivery and setup.

graniteharbor85 said:If you're planning to upgrade later, just go with AMD. A small SSD won't cut it from the jump, so you're better off grabbing something beefier down the road, like a Samsung evo 850 250 GB.

The FX 8320. Old news, but still around.
Raijintek Themis.
Gigabyte 970A-DS3P. Old school hardware. Still gets the job done if you aren't looking for miracles.
Need an 8GB 1600 MHz stick. Crucial.
Seagate 1TB SATA 3 hard drive.
Gigabyte R9 270 2GB DDR5 WF.
Fortron Raider 550W 80+ Silver.
Zalman Z3 MIDI ATX USB 3.0, equipped with three 120mm fans.

= $1842 Denny's with delivery included? That's just asking for a mess to clean up later.

Looks solid. Nice work. 👍

Or just go ahead and grab an SSD right away; you’re definitely going to notice the speed boost compared to a standard hard drive. You can just install macOS and all your programs immediately without any headaches. I guess the CPU and GPU are still pretty decent enough for 1080p gaming

1 x Intel Core i7-2600K 3.5Ghz (4.1GHz) box
1 x GIGABYTE GA-970A-DS3P, AM3+
1 x Memory 6GB (2+4GB) DDR3 1600MHz
1 x HDD General Electric DT01ACA100 (3.5", 1TB, 32MB, SATA III)
1 x SanDisk Ultra II 120GB SSD, 2.5” 7mm, SATA 6 Gbit/s, Read/Write: 550 MB/s / 500 MB/s, Random Read/Write IOPS 81K/80K, retail
1 x XFX R9 270A 2GB DDR5
1 x XFX TS 450W, 80+ Bronze
1 x Corsair Z2, USB3.0 black, 2x120mm
1 x Corsair Themis Black CPU Cooler, 120mm, PWM

$1831
Future-IT

That’s a solid way to look at it, though I’m not sure if it’s worth obsessing over every single detail if we're talking about a gaming build—especially since an SSD isn't a massive dealbreaker right away and it’s super easy to swap in later. Plus, let's be real, a Seagate drive isn't exactly crawling.

He’ll definitely need to swap out the case for a Z4, because that Z2 is totally closed off at the top. Also, if he sticks with Intel, that Corsair cooler is oriented upwards, which is going to be a nightmare for temps since there's nowhere for the hot air to actually escape.

Thanks to both of you! I think I’ve decided to follow the configuration suggested by graniteharbor85; they made a really great point about going with an SSD, so I'll aim to squeeze that into the budget once I've saved up a little more cash. Everything else in the build seems pretty solid for now. Just one last thing—do you think it's worth dropping an extra $67 to get the 270X instead? I don't mind splitting the cost over 12 months, and since the GPU is arguably the most critical part of this whole setup, I want to make sure I'm making the right call.

It’s honestly not worth it—you’re basically just looking at an R9 270 with a slight overclock. That’s why I suggested the EVGA card instead; it’s got a much better cooler, so you can actually push the OC without worrying about everything melting.

Not really, honestly. They're basically the same cards; the X version just comes slightly more overclocked out of the box. If you actually want a noticeable, worthwhile upgrade, you should look at the R9 280. Back when they launched on Newegg, they were sitting around $500, which was an absolute steal since plenty of the 270X models were priced higher than the 280 despite it being the stronger card. 🙂 So, if you ask me, no—there's no real need. If you're dying to have that extra $67 in your pocket, go for it; you won't lose anything and you'll pick up a few extra FPS. 😉

Alright, thanks so much! I think I'll go ahead and grab yours so I can finally upgrade this old bucket after nine years 👍

1 x Corsair Z2, USB3.0 black, 2x120mm
1 x Crucial 8GB DDR3 1600 Mhz (PC3-12800) CL11
1 x GIGABYTE GA-970A-DS3P, AM3+
1 x Intel Core i7-2600K 3.5Ghz (4.1GHz) box
1 x LC POWER LC-CC-95, socket 775/1155/1156/AMD
1 x HDD Seagate (3.5",1TB,64MB,SATA III)
1 x Sapphire R9 285 Dual-X OC, 2GB GDDR5
1 x Fortron Hyper 500W, 80+

Total: $1834(cards) Future-IT

A fairly well-put-together gaming rig. The i5 outpaces the Intel chips here, and it features an R9 280. It includes a reliable power supply and a decent case. Comes with a 2-year warranty. Financing is available through Denny's—interest-free for 2-12 months, or 12-36 months with interest applied.

mellowtiger83 said:Decent gaming build. The i5 beats out the Intel chip, plus there's an R9 280, decent power supply, and a good case. Comes with a 2-year warranty and financing through Denny's—interest-free for 2-12 months, or 12-36 with interest.

Stop talking nonsense. We don't know the motherboard, the PSU, the RAM, or the drive. Nothing. It's useless.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:Don't talk nonsense. There's zero info here—no motherboard, no power supply, no RAM, no drive... absolutely nothing. It's pointless.

The PSU is an EVGA 600W, the board is a Gigabyte H81, and the drive is General Electric.🙂 Luigi knows.

I didn't get around to assembling it yet. I will put the configuration together for him tomorrow morning.

I put this together myself, and it actually turns out to be $33 more expensive than buying it at Future.

crimsonstag84 said:1 x Zalman Z1, USB3.0 black, 2x120mm
1 x Crucial 8GB DDR3 1600 Mhz (PC3-12800) CL11
1 x GIGABYTE GA-970A-DS3P, AM3+
1 x AMD FX X6 6300 3.5Ghz (4.1GHz) box processor
1 x LC POWER LC-CC-95, socket 775/1155/1156/AMD
1 x Seagate Barracuda HDD (3.5",1TB,64MB,SATA III)
1 x Sapphire R9 285 Dual-X OC, 2GB GDDR5
1 x Fortron Hyper 500W, 80+

Total: $1834(retailers) Best Buy

If you're looking strictly at gaming performance—this thing is a beast.