Best budget build!

Hey everyone!

I'm quoting my question from an old thread just to kick off a fresh discussion here:

"Hey guys!
I'm building a PC—just the tower itself, I don't need any peripherals.
I'm looking for recommendations for all the other components. I want to keep things as budget-friendly as possible... like, absolute bare minimum pricing, but it still needs to play nice with the parts I've already picked out:
The core setup I'm planning includes a processor (Core i5 6400) and a graphics card (Radeon RX 470), plus about 8GB of RAM, maybe a 2x4GB kit for dual channel. Now, give me your suggestions for everything else. Thanks! "

1.) Intel Core i5 6400 2.70GHz 1151 BOX - $482
2.) XFX R9-380X-4DF5 R9 380X 4GB GDDR5 DD XXX OC PCIE - $592
3.) 8GB RAM, likely 2x4GB for dual channel

CPU + GPU = $1074

Please suggest the rest!

NOTE: My final budget will depend on the outcome, provided that the price for the remaining components stays at the absolute MINIMUM while still reliably supporting the CPU and GPU. Whatever the total ends up being, it is what it is. Thanks!

Back when the 14nm chips first launched, picking up an R9 380X wasn't a smart move since the Radeon RX 470 was about 25% better across the board. Just hang tight for a bit; the Radeon RX 470 should be hitting shelves here in the States in just a few days...

- You could easily get away with the cheapest LGA 1151 motherboard available—just make sure it supports DDR4 RAM. If you pick a board with only two slots, grab a single 8GB DDR4 stick for about $450-$167
- Cooler Master Z3 case—roughly $100. This isn't a strict requirement, but it's an absolute steal. It makes zero sense to cram an i5 and a GPU worth nearly two hundred bucks into some junk case from $67
- 1TB Seagate Barracuda HDD (around $133), or perhaps a Toshiba P300 or WD Blue (just ensure it's 7200 RPM)
- EVGA SuperFlower Gold 450W power supply. It’s worth spending slightly more than a basic 500W unit since you get a 5-year warranty

That covers everything. A soldering iron is optional hardware, meaning it's definitely not essential

Intel Core i5 6402p Kingmax
Kingmax 1x8GB DDR4 2133 GLJG, KIN-8GB DDR4 2133
MSI H110M PRO-VD PLUS Desktop Motherboard (LGA1151, DDR4, USB3.1, USB2.0, SATA III, DVI, VGA, Audio, LAN)
Seagate Barracuda 1TB, 64MB, 7200rpm HDWD110UZSVA
EVGA SuperFlower Gold 450W
Cooler Master Z3 black mid tower case
+ maybe a GTX 1060 graphics card

Total:$1147 (without the GPU)

Thanks!

So, having one stick of RAM is fine if I want to look into a dual-channel upgrade down the road.
As for the graphics card, that was actually my initial plan (GTX 1060), but since those custom builds won't be hitting the local shops here in the States for another month and will probably run me upwards of $300... well, this R9 isn't half bad either, right?

It’ll be around 1600$567. Those custom GTX 1070 cards are popping up for just a bit over $667
.
The 380X isn't actually bad, honestly. But if you can manage to get by on your CPU's integrated graphics for a month, you might come out ahead. Maybe you'll even be able to scrape together enough for a custom GTX 1070 in the meantime 😉
.

Is it really that much of an upgrade over the R9 series? Like, is it actually worth just sitting around and waiting for it?

At worst, you’re looking at a custom GTX 1050 Ti that hits the same price point as a 380x, but offers better performance, lower power draw, and those modern features we all expect. That said, there's a chance current GPUs might see a price drop in the coming weeks or months; even the GTX 1060 is already