Gaming Build Advice Needed

Hey everyone! So, I'm looking to pick up a new gaming rig—and I've actually decided to build it myself! Since I've never put a PC together before, I wanted to run this by you guys to see if it's solid or if there's anything I should swap out to make it better.

Here’s what I'm thinking:

1x Motherboard ASUS M5A99X evo R2, AMD 990X/SB950, DDR3, SOUND, G-LAN, PCI-E, CROSSFIRE, SLI, ESATA, USB 3.0, ATX, AM3 / AM3+
1x Processor AMD FX 8370 BOX, S. AM3+, 4.0GHZ, 16MB CACHE, EIGHT CORE
1x COOLER ARCTIC COOLING FREEZER A30, S. AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/FM1
1x Memory PC-12800, 16 GB, Kingston DDR3 HyperX, KHX16C9K2/16X, DDR3 1600MHZ, KIT 2X8GB
1x Graphics Card PCI-E XFX AMD RADEON R9 290 DD EDITION, 4GB DDR5, DUALDVI, HDMI, DP
1x SSD 240.0 GB KINGSTON HYPERX 3K, LIMITED Black WHITE SERIES, KE-S32240-W, SATA3, 2.5", MLC-CHIP, MAX 555/510 MB/S
1x Case ANTEC NINE HUNDRED TWO V3, MIDI, PLEXI, Black, NO PSU
1x Power Supply 750W, XFX CORE EDITION P1-750S-NLB9, ATX, 135MM VENT, PFC

So... will this thing actually work? 😁 And any tips on how to level it up a bit?
Thanks in advance! 🙂

It would work without any issues, but honestly, there are quite a few parts here that just aren't worth the money. What kind of budget are we looking at? Are you paying cash or putting it on a credit card? Also, do you plan on overclocking?

I've got a budget of up to $15k—paying cash, too—and I'm definitely not looking to overclock anything.
Could you be a little more specific about what wouldn't be worth the money?

The FX 8370 isn't worth the jump from an 8320
If you aren't planning on overclocking, there’s really no point in splurging on such an expensive motherboard; besides, the M5A97 EVO R2.0 is more than enough for decent OC performance anyway.
Buying 16GB of RAM specifically for gaming is just throwing money down the drain right now.
In my opinion, that case is overpriced—but hey, aesthetics are subjective.

And honestly, the biggest mistake you could make is walking into Links with cash in hand. They are way too pricey. Check out prices on sites like Newegg instead—most major retailers will assemble everything for free and offer COD options anyway.

I think $1,500 is way too much to spend on a gaming rig. You could easily find a much more powerful machine at a different retailer for about $100 less.
If I were in your shoes, I’d hold off for a few days until the NVIDIA GTX 970 stock stabilizes—it should be a solid choice very soon.

Haha, well, I've never actually built one before—so I guess my logic is just "expensive equals better," right? xD
I wasn't talking about buying from Best Buy specifically, just browsing various online shops. I was digging through some price comparison sites and ended up landing on a local retailer's page.
And I'm thinking 16GB of RAM just so I don't have to stress about whether it'll be enough down the road.

I didn't mean I was ready to pull the trigger immediately—I was more thinking about picking things up after I get my new place.

Just reach out later; there’s really no point in putting a build together right now when we're expecting a totally different lineup, shifting prices, and a handful of new components hitting the market.

2 x EVGA GeForce ® GTX 970
1 x Intel Core i7 4790 3.6GHz, 8MB, LGA 1150
1 x Asrock s1150 Z97 PRO3
1 x Deepcool Gammaxx 200 Cooler
1 x Seasonic SS-750G, 750W Power Supply
2 x Kingston DDR3 HyperX Fury, 1866MHz, 8GB Black
1 x Samsung 250GB 840 EVO SSD
1 x Seagate 2TB HDD, 7200rpm, SATA-6, 64M
1 x LG GH24NS
1 x Corsair Graphite Series 760 t full Tower Case, Black, Windowed version

Total: $4977 futur IT—includes free assembly and shipping!

Signature for Kimberly Gomez34.

Dennis Carter3

You're talking nonsense again—that MBO doesn't even have a second PCI-e slot.

graniteharbor85 said:Signature for Kimberly Gomez34.

Dennis Carter3

You're talking nonsense again—that MBO doesn't even have a second PCI-e slot.

I accidentally left this motherboard in the list from a build I was working on earlier—completely forgot to clear it out and swap in the right one. I actually intended to use instead.

Since I was in third grade, 🤣

Thanks so much! I'll definitely reach out once the new one drops—would love to pick 🙂
's brain about it.