Budget gaming build for $500?

Hey everyone, I was hoping you could help me put together a gaming build for $1167 max (just the tower, no peripherals needed). I'm looking for something that can handle newer titles like GTA V, Battlefield 4, and stuff like that. I know my budget is pretty tight, but I figured I'd see what's possible. If we could stick to parts available at Micro Center, that would be great. Thanks in advance!

Option featuring a more robust platform:

1 x Intel Core i7-2600K Processor 3.3GHz, 14MB, 95W, LGA 1156
1 x Spire Kepler Rev.2 Cooler, fits 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm, 92mm
1 x Seagate BarraCuda 1TB HDD, SATA III, 7200 rpm, ST1000DM003
1 x CORSAIR 430W Power Supply, CX Series 80+ Bronze, EPS12V v2.3, 80+
1 x MS GRIFFIN Case (no PSU included), Midi Tower, ATX Motherboard support
1 x Asrock Motherboard, supports LGA 1156 processors, 8-Core CPU compatible
1 x Kingston 4GB DDR3 RAM, 1600MHz, CL11, Value series
1 x MSI NVIDIA GTX 750 Ti 1GB DDR5, N750-1GD5

$1158 adm

Option upgraded to 8GB RAM and a better graphics card:



centro

Note that neither option includes an optical drive.

Hmm, I’m leaning more toward that second option, but honestly, I was thinking about picking up an Intel Core i7-2600K instead. If I managed to snag a used NVIDIA GTX 750 Ti for $300, do you think that combo would actually work together?

Personally, I wouldn't touch used Radeon cards with a ten-foot pole. Who actually owned them? How hard were they pushed? People lie in listings all the time; you think you're getting a deal and end up with a paperweight...
Radeons used to be, and still are, massive targets for crypto mining, running at 100% load constantly.

Here’s the absolute most you can squeeze out of $1167:
1 x Asrock 980DE3 U3S3, ATA133 IDE, AM3+
1 x Intel Core i7-2600K (3.3/3.9GHz,14MB,95W,AM3+) box
1 x XFX NVIDIA GTX 750 Ti 2GB DDR5
1 x Napajanje Antec VP400PC 400W, 80+, 120mm
1 x MS CARBON black case, no PSU
1 x Seagate BarraCuda HDD Desktop (3.5", 500GB, 32MB, SATA III-600)
1 x Crucial 4GB DDR3 1600 Mhz (PC3-12800) CL11
1 x CPU Cooler LC-CC-95, Intel/AMD, 90mm 4-pin
Total: $1190

Rebecca Gray3 said:Hmm, I’m actually leaning toward that second option. Honestly, I’d much rather grab an Intel Core i7-2600K and pick up a used NVIDIA GTX 750 Ti for $300. Think that’s doable?

It could work. You should scout out various marketplaces and forums; finding an ideal HD7870 or R9 290 for $267
would be the sweet spot.

If you're local, it's always best to check things out in person.

Tron
For mining, people mostly stuck to the NVIDIA GTX 780 or anything higher. Maybe an NVIDIA GTX 680 if you were lucky (the NVIDIA GTX 770 series came out a bit later), but those weaker cards aren't really worth it. As for the high-end stuff that actually worked well, I'm pretty sure most of those have been snapped up by now.