Budget PC build for $700

For gaming. Basically, I want to squeeze every bit of performance out of my titles.

Ideally an Intel processor paired with a Radeon card.

Just the tower itself—no peripherals needed.

Edit: I put this together by pulling ideas from other people's requests. Is this decent, or should I swap something out?
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 (3.20GHz,1MB,6MB,84 W,1150) Box
1 x Asrock H81M-HDS, s1150, Intel H81, M-ATX, dual Channel 2 xDDR3
1 x Zalman Z9 PLUS mid tower case. 207(W) x 464(H) x 504(D)mm.
1 x Fortron 500W Hyper Power Supply, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x LG GH24NS DVD burner, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x XFX R7-265A-CNF4, AMD Radeon R7 265 2GB DDR5 Display

1 x GIGABYTE GA-970A-DS3P, AM3+
1 x AMD FX 8300 CPU (3.3GHz, 16MB, 95W, AM3+) box
1 x Toshiba DT01ACA050 HDD (3.5", 500GB, 32MB, SATA III-600)
1 x MS Phoenix case, no PSU
1 x Fortron Hyper 500W, 80+
1 x LC POWER LC-CC-95, socket 775/1155/1156/AMD
1 x Sapphire R9 270 2G GDDR5 PCI-E DVI-I / DVI-D / HDMI / DP DUAL-X
1 x Crucial 4GB DDR3 1600 Mhz (PC3-12800) CL11
1 x LG GH24NS95 DVD±RW 24x SATA black bulk
Total: $1507
futur

ruggedraven10 said:For gaming. Basically, I want to squeeze every bit of performance out of my titles.

Ideally an Intel processor paired with a Radeon card.

Just the tower itself—no peripherals needed.

Edit: I put this together by pulling ideas from other people's requests. Is this decent, or should I swap something out?
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 (3.20GHz,1MB,6MB,84 W,1150) Box
1 x Asrock H81M-HDS, s1150, Intel H81, M-ATX, dual Channel 2 xDDR3
1 x Zalman Z9 PLUS mid tower case. 207(W) x 464(H) x 504(D)mm.
1 x Fortron 500W Hyper Power Supply, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x LG GH24NS DVD burner, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x XFX R7-265A-CNF4, AMD Radeon R7 265 2GB DDR5 Display

It's fine. I just don't like using cheap motherboards.
If you go the AMD route, you'll get better graphics for gaming.

Honestly, just stretch yourself a little and go for a cheaper, comparable AMD build—it’s way more important to you that you can pull a stronger GPU out of the gate:

AMD FX 6300
GIGABYTE 970A-DS3P
CRUCIAL 4GB 1600 MHZ
TOSHIBA 3,5 500GB SATA 3
SAPPHIRE R9 280 3GB DDR5 DUAL-X
FORTRON HYPER 500W 80+
ZALMAN Z3 MIDI ATX USB 3.0

= $1542.

Robert Rodriguez2

That HDS board is light years away from being some "budget motherboard." Seriously, you won't find a better H81 board in the States, and even some of the B85 models can't really compete with it.

graniteharbor85 said:Honestly, just stretch yourself a little and go for a cheaper, comparable AMD build—it’s way more important to you that you can pull a stronger GPU out of the gate:

AMD FX 6300
GIGABYTE 970A-DS3P
CRUCIAL 4GB 1600 MHZ
TOSHIBA 3,5 500GB SATA 3
SAPPHIRE R9 280 3GB DDR5 DUAL-X
FORTRON HYPER 500W 80+
ZALMAN Z3 MIDI ATX USB 3.0

= $1542.

Robert Rodriguez2

That HDS board is light years away from being some "budget motherboard." Seriously, you won't find a better H81 board in the States, and even some of the B85 models can't really compete with it.

And he's gonna try to cool that CPU with a stock cooler.👎

Futur? How does it actually stack up against ADM?

Another name 😁

Maybe check out both stores' websites first (just in case you aren't paying cash or whatever). Honestly, they both seem pretty fair and legit, so just pick whichever one you prefer

The selection is a bit better here—though honestly, when it comes to pricing and service, they're pretty much identical.

Robert Rodriguez2

The FX 6300 holds its own even with stock cooling—I actually mentioned this after testing it in the Z1/Z3. Just a heads up though: you gotta disable the turbo, turn on those safety features, and swap in some high-quality thermal paste. It’s nothing to them, but for the chip, it's a lifesaver. Under full load, it doesn't even cross 65c, and the fan stays under 3500 RPM (anything higher gets annoyingly loud). Since I've already blown my budget, I'll have to save that upgrade for another time. Plus, you might want to consider doing that with your build anyway, because the Phoenix just isn't really meant for an AMD FX 8300 once you factor in the kind of GPUs it can actually handle.

The MS Phoenix case without a power supply mentioned by Robert Rodriguez2... $60, how much does the case actually matter in this whole setup? I see them ranging from $333 up to $180; surely it’s about more than just looks? Of course, if the MS Phoenix really does the job, then there's no issue.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for the quick replies.

ruggedraven10 said:The MS Phoenix case without a power supply mentioned by Robert Rodriguez2... $60, how much does the case actually matter in this whole setup? I see them ranging from $333 up to $180; surely it’s about more than just looks? Of course, if the MS Phoenix really does the job, then there's no issue.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for the quick replies.

I picked it to stay under budget, but yeah, grabbing something better—like a Zalman Z1 or Z3—would've been the move.

Google is a solid entry-level mid-tower case, but honestly, it’s really meant for builds with more modest components. It’s hard to even put it in the same league as the Z4—that thing comes loaded with 3x120mm fans, a built-in potentiometer, dust filters, and just much better overall dimensions. You get way more room for longer GPUs or beefier coolers, plus the cable management is actually decent, the build quality feels higher (sturdier panels, less vibration), and you get USB 3.0...

Basically, here’s a side-by-side comparison (keeping in mind we're using a Mini-ITX case inside the Google one):

If you're leaning more toward Intel:

1 x Sapphire R9 270 2GB, OC Boost, 2GB GDDR5 256bit
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 Processor (3.20GHz,1MB,6MB,84 W,1150) Box
1 x Asrock H81M-DGS - Intel H81, M-ATX, dual Channel 2xDDR3 - 1600
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1866MHz, CL10, HyperX Fury, HX318C10F
1 x FORTRON 500W Power Supply, HEXA Plus 500, 12cm fan
1 x WD 500GB HDD, 5000AAKX, SATA 3, 16MB Buffer, 7,200 rpm, 8.9 ms
1 x Zalman T5 mini tower case. 170(W) x 427(H) x 348(D)mm.

Total:$1505 Newegg, free assembly and shipping included!