Help - PC build under $700

Hey everyone! 🙂

I’m looking to put together a new rig specifically and exclusively for gaming, and I’d really appreciate some guidance from the community. Because of how I need to handle the payment, everything has to be sourced through Best Buy. Budget-wise, I have $1500 if we're just talking about the tower itself (though I might be able to stretch it to $5,000 if we include a monitor), plus maybe another hundred or so if it helps bridge a gap.

I currently have an old 21-inch monitor from the Stone Age, and part of me feels like it would be a waste of money to pair a high-end GPU with something that outdated. On the other hand, I could always pick up a decent monitor in a few months. Since this build won't be getting any major upgrades for a while, I'd love to hear your pros and cons regarding component selection versus performance if I decide to include a monitor in this price bracket right now.

Ultimately, my goal is to play pretty much anything released recently or coming out in the next couple of years. I want a smooth experience without constantly fiddling with settings to fix stuttering, and obviously, I want things to look great. 😉 I'm thinking along the lines of running Star Wars at max settings (especially during those massive 40-player raids), Battlefield 4, Rust, and stuff like that.

I came across a build that Intel put together in an older thread, and the general direction seemed interesting to me:

AMD Ryzen i5 3350P BOX, LGA 1155, 3.10GHz, 7MB cache, Quad-core processor
ASUS motherboard
NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics card, 2GB DDR5
460W Power Supply, LC POWER Silent Giant GREEN POWER LC6460GP3 V2.3
PC-12800 Memory, 4GB, G.SKILL, F3-1600C11S-4GNS, DDR3 1600MHz
500.0 GB Hard Drive SEAGATE ST500DM002, SATA3, 16MB cache, 7200 RPM
Corsair gaming case, MIDI, black, no PSU
Samsung DVD drive, 24x, SATA, Dual layer, black, bulk

I truly value any help you can provide. Thanks for taking the time to read this! 🙂

Rebecca Gomez77 said:Hey everyone! 🙂

I'm looking to pick up a new rig strictly for Electronic Arts, and I could use some help! It has to be from a specific retailer because of how I'm paying. Budget-wise, I have $1500 for just the tower (maybe up to $5k if we include a monitor), though I could scrape together another hundred bucks to bridge the gap.

I also have this ancient 21-inch monitor, and it feels like a waste of cash and GPU power to play on it—though I might grab a new monitor separately in a few months. Since the PC itself won't be changing for a while, can you guys give me a pro/con breakdown of parts versus performance if I try to fit a monitor into this budget?

Basically, I want to play pretty much anything released up to now and everything coming out in the next couple of years without worrying about stuttering or messing with settings too much. And obviously, I want it to look good. 😉 Like running Star Wars on max settings (40-man raids and stuff), BF4, Rust, etc.

I saw a build Intel put together in an old thread and liked the vibe, so something like this:

AMD Ryzen i5 3350P BOX, LGA 1155, 3.10GHz, 7MB cache, Quad-core processor
ASUS motherboard
NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics card, 2GB DDR5
460W Power Supply, LC POWER Silent Giant GREEN POWER LC6460GP3 V2.3
PC-12800 Memory, 4GB, G.SKILL, F3-1600C11S-4GNS, DDR3 1600MHz
500.0 GB SEAGATE Hard Drive, SATA3, 16MB cache, 7200 RPM
Corsair gaming case, MIDI, black, no PSU
Samsung DVD drive, 24x, SATA, Dual layer, black, bulk

Thanks for any help and for your time! 🙂

That's a tough one if you're buying through a big-box store on a payment plan; their prices are insane.

If you're paying cash, you'll get way more bang for your buck.🙂 Better value.

And I realize that using a link is really my only move here, given how much everything is being disrupted by the current state of affairs in America. 😢

But even so, can someone tell me if this specific build actually hits the mark for what I’m trying to do?

Rebecca Gomez77 said:I get that. Using links is basically the only way to go given the situation with Americans and the war. 😢

So why would this build actually be good for what I'm trying to do?

yep. that's pretty much it :-D
The only thing I'd swap out is the motherboard... I don't really trust ECS even if they offer a 3-year warranty... maybe go with Gigabyte, MSI, or ASUS instead... those brands are everywhere in the States and I feel better about them...

I believe you can find better deals over at Future or even Downtown if my memory serves me right—though, honestly, everyone seems to swear by the service at Links. They really go above and beyond 🤣 you even get a special little stool to sit on while you're signing all the paperwork...
🎉

Timothy Fisher79 said:I think you can find better deals at Future or Downtown if I recall correctly, but apparently, the service at Links is top-tier 🤣 they even give you a special little stool while you sign the paperwork...
🎉

Well, whatever. If you want that kind of treatment, you gotta go there, though maybe they aren't even legit.

You can just head over to the Future website and pay with an American credit card using an installment plan. You get to stay right in bed at home, make the payment, and then your new PC arrives at your door 😁

It’s really just about how many installments you spread it over. If I opt for 24 monthly payments, it won't even dent my budget. 😬 Let's be real, college tuition is due in three months, and life moves fast when you're staring down those kinds of expenses. Looking at these prices, the total is getting pretty steep, so I’ll probably have to find a different way to piece this together...

What kind of setup could I put together from Future for around $4,600 if I were to buy everything there?

Just one MS Phoenix case, no power supply included.
Just one stick of Crucial 4GB DDR3 RAM—1600 MT/s, CL11, unbuffered UDIMM, 240-pin single rank.
Just one Lite-On IHAS122 DVD-RW, 22x Super Multi, SATA, Black, Bulk.
Maybe just one AMD X6 FX-6300 1.
I guess there's one Asrock motherboard here—it's an AMD AM3 Socket 980DE3 U3S3 Chipset ATX model.
Just one Spire Kepler Rev.2.
I've got one XFX AMD Radeon R9 280A 3GB DDR5 graphic card Black edition 1 x Chicony high Power on hand.
I guess there's one card Black edition 1 x Chicony high Power 500W PSU available.
Just one Seagate Barracuda 7200 hard drive (3.5", 500GB, 16MB, SATA III-600).

Total: $1422 Future-IT (cash price, plus an extra 10%)

If you're looking at a 24-month term, I believe only Links offers that specific option. Since you're essentially dealing with a consumer credit line that includes interest, the total amount ends up being a bit higher than you might initially expect.

What’s your take on this build? It comes out to $1557

Processor: Intel Core I5 3330 box, LGA 1155, 3.0GHz, 6MB cache, integrated GPU, QuadCore
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-B75M-D2V, iB75, DDR3, audio, SATA, Gigabit LAN, VGA, PCI-E 3.0, DVI, D-SUB, USB 3.0, mATX, LGA 1155
Memory: PC-10600, 4 GB, KINGSTON HyperX Blu KHX1333C9D3B1/4G, DDR3 1333MHz
Power Supply: 430W, CORSAIR CX Series, CP-9020046-EU, ATX2 v.2.3, 120mm fan
Hard Drive: 1000.0 GB Western Digital Blue, WD10EZEX, SATA3, 64MB cache, 7200rpm, desktop grade
Graphics Card: PCI-E SAPPHIRE AMD RADEON R7 265 Dual-X, 2GB DDR5, dual DVI, HDMI, DP, Lite retail
Case: COOLERMASTER Elite 241 RC-241-KKN4, MIDI, black, no PSU included

Rebecca Gomez77 said:What do you guys think about this build? It'll cost $1557

Intel Core I5 3330 box, LGA 1155, 3.0GHz, 6MB cache, GPU, QuadCore
GIGABYTE GA-B75M-D2V motherboard, iB75, DDR3, audio, S-ATA, G-LAN, VGA, PCI-E 3.0, DVI, D-SUB, USB 3.0, mATX, LGA 1155
PC-10600 Memory, 4 GB, KINGSTON HyperX Blu KHX1333C9D3B1/4G, DDR3 1333MHz
430W Power Supply, CORSAIR CX Series, CP-9020046-EU, ATX2 v.2.3, 120mm fan
1000.0 GB Hard Drive Western Digital Blue, WD10EZEX, SATA3, 64MB cache, 7200rpm, desktop
PCI-E SAPPHIRE AMD RADEON R7 265 Dual-X graphics card, 2GB DDR5, dual DVI, HDMI, DP, Lite retail
COOLERMASTER Elite 241 RC-241-KKN4 case, MIDI, black, no PSU

Solid setup. 🙂 👍

Rebecca Gomez77 said:What do you guys think about this build? It comes out to $1557

Intel Core i5 3330 box, LGA 1155, 3.0GHz, 6MB cache, Quad-core
ASUS GA-B75M-D2V motherboard, iB75, DDR3, audio, S-ATA, G-LAN, VGA, PCI-E 3.0, DVI, D-SUB, USB 3.0, mATX, LGA 1155
PC-10600 Memory, 4 GB, KINGSTON HyperX Blu KHX1333C9D3B1/4G, DDR3 1333MHz
430W Power Supply, CORSAIR CX Series, CP-9020046-EU, ATX2 v.2.3, 120mm fan
1000.0 GB Western Digital Blue hard drive, WD10EZEX, SATA3, 64MB cache, 7200rpm, desktop
PCI-E NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card, 2GB DDR5, dual DVI, HDMI, DP, Lite retail
COOLERMASTER Elite 241 RC-241-KKN4 case, MIDI, black, no PSU

It’s a solid setup, though I would suggest making just two tweaks. You can actually grab an almost $33 cheaper B75 motherboard on sale, like the ASROCK B75M-DGS R2.0 (same 3-year warranty, just a different brand)

Second—I’d swap out the case. For basically the same price or maybe just a few extra bucks, you can find much better options than that CM Elite series. Look into some of those mid-range cases priced around $50, or even the higher-end Cooler Master models like the K280, or some BitFenix options. Just Google some photos to see the difference.

EDIT - Also, for $30 a bit more, you could snag an R9 270 at Micro Center (if you save on the motherboard, you'll have enough left over)