Budget PC build around $600

I need some help putting together a new build:
-Power supply, CPU, motherboard, GPU, RAM, and a case (I really need something spacious—a full tower is fine—with solid airflow and quiet operation)
-I’m planning to scavenge my old hard drives, but I’m not sure if they’ll work with a modern motherboard since they’re SATA II, if I remember correctly)
-It’s crucial that the graphics card has at least two DVI ports.
-I’d prefer a higher-end motherboard.

My budget can flex between $450 and $750. My main goal is getting the best bang for my buck; I don't want to overpay for a tiny upgrade that isn't actually worth the extra cash.

Thanks in advance! 😉

If it’s a SATA hard drive, it should work fine with any newer motherboard 😉 Maybe check back later once the guys have had a chance to weigh in...

The first one is geared more toward gaming. The second option doesn't have quite as much punch in the graphics department, though it does include an SSD if you were looking for one. I suppose all the components are pretty decent quality overall.

1 x AMD FX-Series X8 8320 3.5GHz,16MB,125W,AM3+, FD8320FRHK
1 x ASUS M5A97 R2.0, AM3,AM3+, AMD 970, SB950, BUS 5200 MHz, DDR3
1 x Corsair Vengeance DDR3
1 x XFX TS Series 550W PSU -P1550S-XXB9
1 x ZALMAN CNPS 5X, socket 775/1155/1156/AM2/AM2/AM3
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL9 Ballistix Sport, 1.35V, bl
1 x ASUS R9280-DC2T-3GD5, NVIDIA GeForce, R9280, PCIe 3.0, 3072 MB, DDR5

$1659
Craigslist

1 x AMD FX-Series X8 8320 3.5GHz,16MB,125W,AM3+, FD8320FRHK
1 x ASUS M5A97 R2.0, AM3,AM3+, AMD 970, SB950, BUS 5200 MHz, DDR3
1 x Corsair Vengeance DDR3
1 x XFX TS Series 550W PSU -P1550S-XXB9
1 x ZALMAN CNPS 5X, socket 775/1155/1156/AM2/AM2/AM3
1 x Sapphire R7 265 2GB GDDR5 Dual-X, 2GB GDDR5 256bit, 28nm
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL9 Ballistix Sport, 1.35V, bl
1 x Kingston Fury SSD 120GB, 2.5", SATA 3 6G

$1689

What's this good for? It’s a decent all-rounder:

1 x ASRock H97-PRO4, s1150, Intel ® B85, 4 x DDR3, 1 x PCI Express
1 x Intel Core i5-4570 Processor (3.10GHz, 1MB, 6MB, 84 W, 1150) Box
1 x 8GB DDR3 Crucial Ballistix Sport, 1600MHz CL9, 1.35V, blue
1 x CORSAIR 430W Power Supply, CX430M, EVGA SuperNOVA Series, EPS12V v2.3
1 x Corsair Carbide Series 200R Case, Black, ATX, mATX
1 x Sapphire Radeon RX, R9-270A-CDFC, Double Dissipation Edition 925M Boost

$1535 Local pickup (free shipping)

Mainly gaming, but honestly, I’m constantly juggling a dozen things at once because I run a dual-monitor setup.

I’ve got an SSD and three internal drives (320GB, 500GB, and 1.5TB), plus a 2TB external drive that's basically plugged in 24/7.

I’m looking for something reliable that won't break the bank, but actually keeps up with how I work.

Forgot to mention—I don't really touch the newest AAA titles, and I've never been one to demand top-tier graphics, but if I feel like playing something heavier, I’d love to have some decent headroom.

John Chavez222 said:Mostly gaming, but I’m constantly multitasking since I run dual monitors.

I've got an SSD and three internal drives (320GB, 500GB, and 1.5TB), plus a 2TB external drive plugged in all the time.

I want something reliable and budget-friendly that actually handles my workflow.

Forgot to mention—I don't really touch the newest AAA titles, and high-end graphics aren't a dealbreaker for me, but if I feel like playing something beefy, I'd like to have a decent setup ready.

In that case, I'd stick with the first option Ryan Hayes82 suggested.

Is there actually any meaningful difference between the FX-4300 and the Athlon 760K? I'm trying to figure out which one would be the better pick if I want to get some gaming in! 😉

Raymond Torres80 said:Is there any real difference between an Intel Core i5-3570K and a Ryzen 760k? Which one is better for gaming? 😉

They're somewhat similar, though if I recall correctly, the Intel chip features L3 cache which should give it a slight edge. But honestly, that doesn't matter much because the price gap between an Intel Core i5-3570K and a 4300 is so tiny that you might as well just grab the stronger one; the 4300 isn't really worth it. If you're strictly choosing between those two, I'd personally lean toward the Ryzen since you save some cash and can still get some decent Overclocking out of it. 😉

I'm trying to figure out if the difference between the MSI MAG B550 and the MSI MAG B550 is just about having more USB ports and better audio, or if there's actually more to it than that?
Also, what's the actual deal with AMD's vs. Intel's processors these days? And why was a CPU cooler even included in the build list? Is it because AMD's processors don't come with one, or is the stock cooler just garbage?

Oh, and I totally forgot to ask—is it actually worth spending the extra cash on a high tower case just to have more breathing room inside?

John Chavez222 said:I'm wondering if the difference between an MSI MAG B550 and an MSI MAG B550 is just the number of USB ports and audio quality, or is there more to it?
Also, what's the deal with the current gap between AMD's and Intel's processors? And why is a CPU cooler included in this build? Is it because the AMD one doesn't come with one, or is it just garbage?

Oh, forgot to ask—is it actually worth getting a full tower case just to have extra room inside?

The second board is better for Overclocking, but you don't need to worry about that 🙂 since you clearly don't have the budget for a premium board anyway.

Intel usually wins on raw power, but in this specific bracket, that Intel Core i5-3570K is the absolute best value.
AMD usually ships with cheap coolers, so having an aftermarket one in the build makes sense.

A full tower isn't worth it at this price point. Stick with a mid tower... it's the way to go.

A full tower only makes sense if you're running three or more GPUs in a setup like Crossfire, or if you're planning on packing in liquid cooling and a mountain of hard drives.

I’ll definitely keep that in mind, but honestly? I think it’s finally time to just give in to what I really want and go with a full-sized tower. 😁 I mean, come on, you can't fight desire, and hopefully, I can stretch my budget just enough to cover a few extra details.
Once again, you guys have been a massive help. Thanks, everyone.

John Chavez222 said:I’ll definitely think about it, but I think I’m finally going to go for it and grab a big tower. 😁 I mean, if you're gonna do it, do it right—hopefully I can stretch my budget just enough to make those small upgrades happen.
Thanks again, everyone. You guys were a huge help.

A decent full tower costs about a third of your entire build, $333+ so honestly, with the budget you've got, it's just not worth it.

It’s just not worth it—completely unnecessary, and frankly, the offer is enough to drive anyone crazy.