Desktop PC build around $900?

Good evening.
I’ve been tinkering around on my own, trying to put together a build specifically for some gaming—though I suppose a second opinion wouldn't hurt regarding the configuration and the monitor choice... Here is what I have in mind so far. 🕺

1 x Corsair Series 200R Case, Black
1 x Corsair VS450 PSU, 450 Watt, ATX, ATX12V v2.31
1 x Intel Core i3-4130, 3.40GHz, s1150
1 x Asrock Z87 EXTREME3 Motherboard
2 x Corsair Vengeance 4GB, 1x4GB, DDR3, 1600MHz 4GB 1x240 Dimm
1 x Sapphire AMD Radeon R7 265 2G GDDR5/256-bit, PCI-E DVI-I/DVI-D/HDMI/DP DUAL-X, 900MHz (925MHz)/1400MHz
1 x Seagate Barracuda 2TB Hard Drive, ST2000DM001
1 x Asus DRW-24F1ST/BLK/B/AS Optical Drive

Case: $1.75

Samsung 24" LT24D390EW Monitor, VGA, 2xHDMI, HDTV - $0.49

Everything would be assembled and purchased via Instagram. Also, if anyone has recommendations for a decent laptop under $1.75, I’d appreciate it. Thanks. 🙂

If you ask me, this build is pretty poorly put together—you might want to wait until the guys can assemble it properly for you. Why am I saying that? Well, it's because you paired a Z87 motherboard with an i3 processor that doesn't even support overclocking, which—let's be honest—isn't the best combo given the power supply model you chose.

Daniel Stewart3 said:Good evening.
I've been looking around and putting together a PC build strictly for gaming, so I'd love to get some second opinions on this configuration and the monitor. Here is what I have in mind. 🕺

1 x Corsair Series 200R Case, Black
1 x Corsair VS450 PSU, 450 Watt, ATX, ATX12V v2.31
1 x Intel Core i3-4130, 3.40GHz, s1150
1 x Asrock Z87 EXTREME3 Motherboard
2 x Corsair Vengeance 4GB, 1x4GB, DDR3, 1600MHz 4GB 1x240 Dimm
1 x Sapphire AMD Radeon R7 265 2G GDDR5/256-bit, PCI-E DVI-I/DVI-D/HDMI/DP DUAL-X, 900MHz (925MHz)/1400MHz
1 x Seagate Barracuda 2TB Hard Drive, ST2000DM001
1 x Asus DRW-24F1ST/BLK/B/AS Optical Drive

Case: $1.75

Samsung 24" LT24D390EW Monitor, VGA, 2xHDMI, HDTV - $0.49

Everything would be assembled and purchased through Instagram. Also, if anyone could recommend a laptop for under $1.75, that would be great. Thanks. 🙂

This is a total disaster; I have no idea what you were thinking here. 😵 Using an Sroteks power supply, a case from $150, and pairing an i3 with a Z87 motherboard... 😬 One of the guys here will definitely do a much better job building this for you. 😉

Like I said before, I was just bluffing—honestly, I'm only here to pay my dues and actually get some use out of this... 😬 🤣

Go ahead, make your bets. 🙂

Before you start putting everything together, do you actually need a 2TB hard drive? Or was that just something you tossed in there without really thinking about it?

1 x ASUS M5A97 R2
1 x XFX R9-280A-TDFD, Double Dissipation Edition Radeon R9 280 933M
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x Fortron 550W Raider, RA550, 12cm fan
1 x LG GH24NS, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R
1 x Toshiba DT01ACA100, 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. Standard MB size
1 x Acer V236HLBd 23", IPS panel, 1920x1080 resolution
1 x AMD FX-Series X6 6300 Processor, 3.5GHz, 14MB, 95W, AM3+
1 x ZALMAN CNPS 5X Performa, compatible with 775/1155/1156/AM2/AM2/AM3

$1999

Larry Ortiz5 said:Before you actually start putting this thing together... do you really need a 2TB hard drive? Or was that just another unnecessary addition to the list...

Just a bit above... $33 It’s more expensive than the 1 TB option—so I just went ahead and threw it in there, purely to hit the target number... 😬 ...but if I actually need anything else? Not really. A 1 TB drive is more than enough for my needs...

Around $600? That i5 might struggle a bit under that price point.

1 x Acer V236HLBd 23", IPS panel, Resolution: 1920x1080, Diagonal
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 Processor (3.20GHz, 1MB, 6MB, 84 W, 1150) Box
1 x Asrock H81M-HDS, s1150, Intel H81, M-ATX, dual Channel 2
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x Seagate Barracuda 2 1TB HDD, Serial ATA III, 7200 rpm, ST1000DM003
1 x XFX R9-280A-TDFD, Double Dissipation Edition Radeon R9 280 933M
1 x Fortron 500W Power Supply, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x Zalman ZM-T2 PLUS micro tower case. 189(W) x 427.5(H) x 364(D)mm
1 x LG GH24NS DVD Burner, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R, 8x DL, 40x CD-R

$2031

The Intel Core i5-4460 processor... quite a solid choice.
The MSI H81M-P33 motherboard... solid choice...
Crucial module 8GB, DDR3...
DDR3 Zalman micro Tower ZAL-ZM-T1 plus Fortron...
The Fortron Hexa plus 500... solid choice for a reliable power supply.
Toshiba DT01ACA100 1TB 3.5''...
The XFX R9-280A-TDFD... such a solid performer...
The Acer V236HLBd 23 monitor... It’s a solid little display!

$1965 CNN

Stane and the FX8320... 😁

Crucial module 8GB, DDR3...
DDR3 MS PHOENIX case, no power supply included...
The Fortron Hexa plus 500... such a solid power supply choice...
Toshiba DT01ACA100 1TB 3.5''...
The XFX R9-280A-TDFD... a solid choice for anyone looking to upgrade their setup. Really holds its own...
The Acer V236HLBd 23 monitor... It’s a solid choice for a daily driver. Truly reliable...
The Spire Kepler Rev...
The Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P motherboard... quite a reliable choice.
Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P AMD CPU desktop FX-Series X8 8320...

$1988

Daniel Stewart3

FX 8320
LC CC 97
GIGABYTE 970A-DS3P
CRUCIAL 8GB 1600 MHZ
SEAGATE 3.5 BARR. 1TB SATA 3
GIGABYTE R9 280 3GB WF 3X OC
LG GH24NS95 SATA
FORTRON HYPER 500W 80+
ZALMAN Z1 MIDI ATX USB 3.0

BENQ 22" VW2245Z VA 1080p

= $2020 including assembly and delivery.

So, what kind of stuff are you planning to use a laptop for?

graniteharbor85 said:What kind of stuff are you planning to do with a laptop?

Just some light gaming—nothing too intense—but mostly for running AutoCAD, Photoshop, and similar professional software.

So, how am I supposed to make a choice now? 😬

graniteharbor85 said:Daniel Stewart3

Is there anything quite as iconic as the FX 8320? It truly remains a fascinating piece of hardware to look back on.
Daniel Stewart3 FX 8320 LC CC
Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P AMD CPU desktop FX-Series X8 8320
Crucial 8GB 1600 MHz
Is anyone else looking into the Seagate Barracuda 2? Specifically, I'm eyeing the 1TB SATA 3 model. It’s a standard 3.5-inch drive, but for my current storage needs, it seems like a solid contender. Does anyone have hands-on experience with its reliability or speed in a typical US-based build?
GIGABYTE Radeon R9 280 3GB WF 3X OC
Does anyone have experience with the LG GH24NS95 SATA? I'm looking into its compatibility and general performance for my current setup.
Is the Fortron Hyper 500W 80+ actually up to the task? When you're looking at power supplies, stability is everything. Does this unit provide the reliable headroom needed for a modern build, or is it just cutting it close? It’s worth taking a closer look at the efficiency ratings and how it handles real-world loads.
The ZALMAN Z1 MIDI ATX USB 3.0 case is an interesting option for those looking to build a compact yet functional system. It offers a straightforward design that fits most standard ATX builds without taking up too much desk real estate. Given its layout, it provides a decent balance between airflow and space management for mid-range setups. Is it the ultimate choice for high-end enthusiasts? Perhaps not, but for a reliable everyday workstation or a budget gaming rig, it serves its purpose quite well.

The BENQ 22" VW2245Z VA featuring 1080p resolution.

= $2020 Including shipping and handling.

What kind of tasks are you planning to tackle with it? It really all depends on what you need it for.

This is the best approach for now. 👍

I had very similar requirements when I was shopping recently. I needed something for CAD—specifically Creo Parametric for my college courses—and, of course, for whatever Games I wanted to play (my "Games" folder is sitting at 😬 300 GB right now). In the end, I went with the HP ProBook 450 G1. It’s got an i5 4200M, AMD 8750M, 4 GB of RAM, and a 750 GB HDD. Honestly, this laptop has been great for me. It doesn't overheat, it stays relatively quiet, and if you pop off the bottom cover, you have access to almost every component. That makes it pretty convenient for cleaning out dust or doing a quick upgrade. If I had to nitpick, the 15.6" screen is a bit small and it could definitely use more RAM; it would breathe a lot easier with 8 GB, but hey, you get what you pay for. As far as gaming goes, I haven't found anything yet that I couldn't run. Far Cry 3 ran smoothly on Medium, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor worked on Medium too, and the new Wolfenstein did as well. Generally, you can run most things if you tinker with the settings a little—just drop them down a notch and you'll be fine at the native 1366x768 resolution. If a smaller screen isn't a dealbreaker for you, I'd definitely recommend this little beast. It's absolutely worth it 👍 CLICK Oh, and it's also available under $1667 at 😉

Daniel Stewart3 said:So, how should I choose? 😬

Hold on, are you looking at both a PC and a laptop, or just a PC or a laptop?

You have to realize that a desktop PC is significantly more powerful than a laptop when they're in the same price bracket.

So, check out the Lenovo Z series: 1, 2.

If you're sitting there torn between a laptop and a desktop—and honestly, if portability isn't your main thing anyway—just go with a PC. There are way more perks on that side of the fence—everything from raw performance and easy upgrades to simpler troubleshooting if something breaks, plus you usually get better warranties...

Timothy Kim60 said:Wait, are we talking about both a desktop and a laptop, or just a desktop or a laptop?
I assume you realize how much more powerful a desktop is compared to a laptop in the same price bracket...

Both. I get it. 🙂
I should have been clearer in my first post—the desktop is for my gaming sessions, while the laptop belongs to my girlfriend for work... maybe some light gaming on the side. 😬