Gaming PC build ideas?

So, I'm trying to put together a gaming rig with a budget somewhere between $600 and $2667 using an Intel/NVIDIA combo. Here’s what I’ve picked out so far:

1 x ASRock B85 Pro4, s1150, Haswell
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 (3.20GHz, 1MB, 6MB, 84 W, 1150) Box
1 x 8GB DDR3 (1x8GB) Kingston, HyperX Fury, 1866MHz, CL10
1 x Gigabyte GTX 960 WF2 Overclocked, 2GB GDDR5, DVI-I / DVI-D / HDMI
1 x 1TB WD Caviar Blue HDD, 1000 GB, SATA3, 64 MB, 3.5", 7200 RPM
1 x XFX P1-550S-XXB9 Pro Series Core edition 80 550W PSU
1 x Samsung SH-224DB sat Bulk Black DVD Writer, SATA
1 x Zalman Z3 mid tower case. 192(W)x465(H)x430(D)mm. MB standard
$2009

Now, this is basically my baseline. I'm torn on whether I should stick with those $667 specs or if it's smarter to push for a better CPU or GPU. If I were to upgrade, I'd look at the i5-4690K, an ASRock Z97 Anniversary motherboard, and a GTX 970 WF3. I'm thinking I might need a beefier power supply for that setup too, maybe something like the XFX 650 w xxx edition. All those upgrades would bump the price up by more than $200, but assuming I can make that happen, is it actually worth the extra cash?

If I wanted a higher-end case, like a Define R4, I'd definitely be blowing past my budget, and honestly, I don't see the point unless it's necessary—especially since I think the Z3 looks way cooler anyway.

Before I even think about overclocking the processor, I'd grab a decent cooler, but for now, I'll just stick with the stock one.

darkangler24 said:So, I'm trying to put together a gaming rig with a budget somewhere between $600 and $2667 using an Intel/NVIDIA combo. Here’s what I’ve picked out so far:

1 x ASRock B85 Pro4, s1150, Haswell
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 (3.20GHz, 1MB, 6MB, 84 W, 1150) Box
1 x 8GB DDR3 (1x8GB) Kingston, HyperX Fury, 1866MHz, CL10
1 x Gigabyte GTX 960 WF2 Overclocked, 2GB GDDR5, DVI-I / DVI-D / HDMI
1 x 1TB WD Caviar Blue HDD, 1000 GB, SATA3, 64 MB, 3.5", 7200 RPM
1 x XFX P1-550S-XXB9 Pro Series Core edition 80 550W PSU
1 x Samsung SH-224DB sat Bulk Black DVD Writer, SATA
1 x Zalman Z3 mid tower case. 192(W)x465(H)x430(D)mm. MB standard
$2009

Now, this is basically my baseline. I'm torn on whether I should stick with those $667 specs or if it's smarter to push for a better CPU or GPU. If I were to upgrade, I'd look at the i5-4690K, an ASRock Z97 Anniversary motherboard, and a GTX 970 WF3. I'm thinking I might need a beefier power supply for that setup too, maybe something like the XFX 650 w xxx edition. All those upgrades would bump the price up by more than $200, but assuming I can make that happen, is it actually worth the extra cash?

If I wanted a higher-end case, like a Define R4, I'd definitely be blowing past my budget, and honestly, I don't see the point unless it's necessary—especially since I think the Z3 looks way cooler anyway.

Before I even think about overclocking the processor, I'd grab a decent cooler, but for now, I'll just stick with the stock one.

first, tell us exactly how much you're planning to spend. jumping from $900 to $1200 opens up way more options for combining parts.

The GTX 970 pulls about 40W more than the GTX 960, meaning even that XFX 450 w would likely hold up just fine. Also, if you're looking at those pricier GTX 970 models—the ones pushing over $300—you might want to consider an R9 290 starting around $867, though keep in mind they'll draw roughly 80-90W more power

darkangler24 said:So, I'm trying to put together a gaming rig with a budget somewhere between $600 and $2667 using an Intel/NVIDIA combo. Here’s what I’ve picked out so far:

1 x ASRock B85 Pro4, s1150, Haswell
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 (3.20GHz, 1MB, 6MB, 84 W, 1150) Box
1 x 8GB DDR3 (1x8GB) Kingston, HyperX Fury, 1866MHz, CL10
1 x Gigabyte GTX 960 WF2 Overclocked, 2GB GDDR5, DVI-I / DVI-D / HDMI
1 x 1TB WD Caviar Blue HDD, 1000 GB, SATA3, 64 MB, 3.5", 7200 RPM
1 x XFX P1-550S-XXB9 Pro Series Core edition 80 550W PSU
1 x Samsung SH-224DB sat Bulk Black DVD Writer, SATA
1 x Zalman Z3 mid tower case. 192(W)x465(H)x430(D)mm. MB standard
$2009

Now, this is basically my baseline. I'm torn on whether I should stick with those $667 specs or if it's smarter to push for a better CPU or GPU. If I were to upgrade, I'd look at the i5-4690K, an ASRock Z97 Anniversary motherboard, and a GTX 970 WF3. I'm thinking I might need a beefier power supply for that setup too, maybe something like the XFX 650 w xxx edition. All those upgrades would bump the price up by more than $200, but assuming I can make that happen, is it actually worth the extra cash?

If I wanted a higher-end case, like a Define R4, I'd definitely be blowing past my budget, and honestly, I don't see the point unless it's necessary—especially since I think the Z3 looks way cooler anyway.

Before I even think about overclocking the processor, I'd grab a decent cooler, but for now, I'll just stick with the stock one.

The **bolded** part is really the only justifiable change in your setup. You don't actually need an i5 K-series model for gaming; the one you've already listed can handle everything you throw at it. The same goes for the Motherboard—if upgrading the CPU doesn't make sense right now, it won't make sense in a few years either, as I expect some newer non-K model will eventually be a better value anyway. You also don't need a stronger power supply for the GTX 970, so really, the only thing worth looking at is $333upgrading the GPU...

Hey, if it’s not too much trouble, I was just wondering if anyone here could help me put together a build that can actually pull 250 FPS in the smoke during Call of Duty 4...

Benjamin Robinson said:Hey, if it’s not too much trouble, I was just wondering if anyone here could help me put together a build that can actually pull 250 FPS in the smoke during Call of Duty 4...

What kind of budget are we talking about here?

darkangler24 said:So, I'm trying to put together a gaming rig with a budget somewhere between $600 and $2667 using an Intel/NVIDIA combo. Here’s what I’ve picked out so far:

1 x ASRock B85 Pro4, s1150, Haswell
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 (3.20GHz, 1MB, 6MB, 84 W, 1150) Box
1 x 8GB DDR3 (1x8GB) Kingston, HyperX Fury, 1866MHz, CL10
1 x Gigabyte GTX 960 WF2 Overclocked, 2GB GDDR5, DVI-I / DVI-D / HDMI
1 x 1TB WD Caviar Blue HDD, 1000 GB, SATA3, 64 MB, 3.5", 7200 RPM
1 x XFX P1-550S-XXB9 Pro Series Core edition 80 550W PSU
1 x Samsung SH-224DB sat Bulk Black DVD Writer, SATA
1 x Zalman Z3 mid tower case. 192(W)x465(H)x430(D)mm. MB standard
$2009

Now, this is basically my baseline. I'm torn on whether I should stick with those $667 specs or if it's smarter to push for a better CPU or GPU. If I were to upgrade, I'd look at the i5-4690K, an ASRock Z97 Anniversary motherboard, and a GTX 970 WF3. I'm thinking I might need a beefier power supply for that setup too, maybe something like the XFX 650 w xxx edition. All those upgrades would bump the price up by more than $200, but assuming I can make that happen, is it actually worth the extra cash?

If I wanted a higher-end case, like a Define R4, I'd definitely be blowing past my budget, and honestly, I don't see the point unless it's necessary—especially since I think the Z3 looks way cooler anyway.

Before I even think about overclocking the processor, I'd grab a decent cooler, but for now, I'll just stick with the stock one.

If you grab an H81 motherboard and a budget power supply, you'll actually have some breathing room left over for an R9 290. Honestly, if I were in your shoes, I’d skip the 4460 and go for the AMD FX 8320 E. It just feels like a smarter move to me—getting those 8 cores gives you a nice little bump over the 4460, and it's usually a bit easier on the wallet too.

i5 < FX 8 < i7

Robert Rodriguez2 said:first, tell us exactly how much you're planning to spend. jumping from $900 to $1200 opens up way more options for combining parts.

Look, I actually broke down exactly what that depends on in the second half of my post. It’s a bit of a balancing act—the less I spend now, the better, obviously. But at the same time, if I go for a beefier processor or a more powerful graphics card, it just means I won't be sweating a new build for a lot longer. If that means dropping more than $6,000, then honestly, it might be worth it.

David Sanders4 said:The **bolded** part is really the only justifiable change in your setup. You don't actually need an i5 K-series model for gaming; the one you've already listed can handle everything you throw at it. The same goes for the Motherboard—if upgrading the CPU doesn't make sense right now, it won't make sense in a few years either, as I expect some newer non-K model will eventually be a better value anyway. You also don't need a stronger power supply for the GTX 970, so really, the only thing worth looking at is $333upgrading the GPU...

How did things even start going downhill with these sockets? I just figured that by the time I actually wanted to swap out my processor, a new one would be out anyway. At that point, I’d have to ditch the motherboard too, so honestly, this board is really only there as a backup in case the CPU dies.

So, is the Intel Core i5-4460 beefy enough to avoid being a bottleneck when paired with a GTX 970? I play pretty much everything—including those notoriously poorly optimized titles and various MMOs (which usually end up being the same kind of mess, if you know what I mean).

Chris Robinson25 said:If you grab an H81 motherboard and a budget power supply, you'll actually have some breathing room left over for an R9 290. Honestly, if I were in your shoes, I’d skip the 4460 and go for the AMD FX 8320 E. It just feels like a smarter move to me—getting those 8 cores gives you a nice little bump over the 4460, and it's usually a bit easier on the wallet too.

i5 < FX 8 < i7

It’s been a minute since I messed around with AMD or ATI parts. Honestly, I’m sure they’re still solid and haven't lost their edge, but I’ve just gotten way too used to the Intel and NVIDIA ecosystem. At this point, I’m probably going to stick with them even if it means paying a bit of a premium. Plus, those Intel cores just feel a little more robust—which is a massive win when you're dealing with those stubborn games that still lean heavily on just one or two cores.

Maybe I should clear things up a bit. I’ve put together a rough build that I think should be pretty solid and shouldn't give anyone any headaches. I could probably shave off a few bucks by swapping out the motherboard for an m-ATX one or dropping down to an XFX 450 w power supply, but there's a catch. If I decide to go with a case that has a window—which I'm still on the fence about—an m-ATX motherboard is just going to look kind of pathetic in there.

What I’m really sweating over here is the actual quality of these parts. I want to know if everything is properly balanced and which specific combinations actually make sense together. To be more specific, I've got a few questions:

So, looking at the performance jump between an i5-4460 and an i5-4690K paired with that GTX 970—is it actually worth dropping the extra cash depending on what you're doing? And more importantly, will this setup keep you out of the upgrade cycle for a bit longer? Honestly, it really comes down to your specific goals. If you're just browsing the web or doing light office work, you're basically throwing money away; you won't feel the difference. But if you're trying to squeeze every last drop of juice out of games like Call of Duty 4 or StarCraft II, that extra headroom matters. The i5-4690K gives you that overclocking potential, which can definitely help extend the lifespan of the build. It’s like buying a slightly better engine for your car—it might not make you a race car driver overnight, but it'll handle the highway much smoother for a few more years before you start feeling the need to swap it out. If you've got the budget and you want to delay that inevitable "my PC is too slow" feeling, then yeah, it makes sense. Otherwise, you might be better off saving those bucks for a future overhaul.

So, about motherboards... I've been seeing some people swear by ASUS like it's the only way to go, but honestly, if you're looking at an ASRock to save some cash, should you actually be worried?

3) I've been seeing reviews saying XFX power supplies are top-tier quality. Do you think they're solid enough to handle a rig that's gonna be running non-stop for days at a time?

4) About the Zalman Z3—at first glance, it actually looks pretty slick. I realize that for this price point, it’s probably not built like a tank, but if I'm willing to put in the work with cable management and just make sure I don't snap anything, I figure it should be fine. I'm not planning on throwing a liquid cooling setup in there, nor am I running dual GPUs. The reviews out there are all over the place, though, and the biggest headache is that nobody seems to compare its temps against a "standard" case. It makes it tough to judge if things are going to get way too hot inside, especially if I end up going with an Intel Core i5-4460.

1. There’s really no excuse there, because prices have spiked and now those processors are sitting north of $2,000. $700 On top of that, you'd need a high-end Motherboard that's just as pricey, and if you're building for overclocking, you're looking at an extra cooler and more gear. Honestly, the worst-case scenario is spending all that premium just to never actually overclock. You get much better value out of an AMD FX 8300 or an AMD FX 8320 E. If you're leaning toward Intel because you need that single-threaded performance for games like World of Tanks or StarCraft II, then your best bet is the most budget-friendly i5 available—something like a 4440 or 4460.

2. No.

3. They are, but depending on how much cash you want to drop, an XFX power supply might not actually be your best bang for the buck.

4. With that kind of money on the table, don't even hesitate; a Z3 or Z3+ is easily your best buy.

To be honest, trying to give advice with such a massive budget range is tough. You could build a hundred different setups this way or that. It’s much easier to make recommendations when the budget is tight; then, the "best value" becomes obvious and almost everyone agrees. When you're comparing components from completely different tiers, it's a different story. For example, take a Z3 case versus a Fractal R4. One person might think paying double for a case is a waste, while someone else thinks it's the way to go because of the superior build quality. It's all about personal preference. The same goes for GPUs; it depends entirely on what games you play and how you view value. Some people see spending over $300 on a card as throwing money away if a cheaper one runs everything fine, while others who crave maxed-out details and high FPS won't dream of anything less.

Zalman R1 or Z3 are both awesome. A bunch of people actually suggested I go with the R1, even though it costs a few bucks more.

1 x ASRock B85M Pro3, S 1150, Supports 4th Gen Intel Core i7 / i5
2 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingmax, 1600MHz, FLGF
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 (3.20GHz,1MB,6MB,84 W,1150) Box
1 x Zalman Z3 mid tower case. 192(W)x465(H)x430(D)mm. MB standard
1 x HDD WD 1TB, Caviar Blue 10EZEX, 1000 GB, SATA3,64 MB, 3,5", 24mj
1 x Fortron 500W Power Supply, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x LG GH24NS DVD burner, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R
1 x MSI R9 280 3GB GAMING 3GB GDDR5 384bit, R9 280 GAMING, TF4

$1936
or
1 x ASRock B85M Pro3, S 1150, Supports 4th Gen Intel Core i7 / i5
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 (3.20GHz,1MB,6MB,84 W,1150) Box
2 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingmax, 1600MHz, FLGF
1 x TOSHIBA 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
1 x Zalman Z3 mid tower case. 192(W)x465(H)x430(D)mm. MB standard
1 x LG GH24NS DVD burner, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R
1 x Fortron 500W Power Supply, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x Gigabyte GTX 960 G1, 2GB GDDR5, DVI-I / DVI-D / HDMI / 3 X DP

$1975

Here’s one build where I squeezed every single cent out of the budget:

1 x Intel Core i5-4460 socket 1150
1 x ASRock B85 Pro4
2 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingmax, 1600MHz, FLGF
1 x GAINWARD GTX 970 Phantom 4GB, 4096 MB GDDR5/256 bits
1 x HDD Seagate 1TB, Serial ATA III, 7200 rpm, ST1000DM003
1 x Kingston SSD 120GB HyperX Fury, 2.5", SATA 3 6G
1 x Fortron 500W Power Supply, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x LG GH24NS DVD burner, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R, 8x DL, 40x CD-R
1 x Zalman R1 mid tower case. 192(W) x 465(H) x 450(D)mm.

$2622 newegg.com

If he's aiming for the premium version, I think his best bet would be grabbing the GTX 970, especially with that 3-year warranty. From there, he might want to put the rest of the budget toward a higher-end power supply—something like an XFX 550w ts, a CS450M, or maybe a Super Flower 450/550w.

Kimberly Gomez34 said:If he's aiming for the premium version, I think his best bet would be grabbing the GTX 970, especially with that 3-year warranty. From there, he might want to put the rest of the budget toward a higher-end power supply—something like an XFX 550w ts, a CS450M, or maybe a Super Flower 450/550w.

That’ll push him past his max budget. He could potentially swap the Pro4 for a Pro3 and skip the SSD if he plans on upgrading both the PSU and the GPU. But honestly, I don't see why he'd need to—he could just throw a Titanko x in there if he wants.😬

How can you say it won't fit? I'm getting a much more powerful and significantly better power supply, a GPU with a longer warranty and a superior cooler (all while being cheaper), plus a better SSD with a 5-year warranty.

1 x Intel Core i5-4460 socket 1150
1 x ASUS B85M-G 2 Motherboard
2 x Crucial 4GB DDR3 1600 Mhz (PC3-12800) CL11
1 x GIGABYTE Video Card GeForce GTX 970 GDDR5 4GB/256bit, 1114MHz/7000MHz, PCI-E 3.0 x16, HDMI, 2x DVI, 3x DP, WINDFORCE 3X Cooler(Double Slot), Retail
1 x HDD SEAGATE Barracuda (3.5",1TB,64MB,SATA III)
1 x Zalman Z3, USB3.0 black, 3x120mm
1 x LG GH24NSC0 sat Bulk Black 24 x 1 x Super Flower Golden Green 550 w
1 x Super Flower Golden Green 550W, 80+ Gold
1 x Samsung 120 GB 850 EVO Basic

Total: $2663 it futura

With the HyperX SSD, it'll be around $2607

Yeah, I totally miscalculated something, my bad.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:What kind of budget are we talking about here?

Well, if you could just put together something with the bare minimum budget I'd actually need...

We've pretty much covered everything here, though I guess you could probably find a cheaper way to run Call of Duty 4.

So you're telling me it's just sitting there, locked at 250 fps even while I'm staring straight into a smoke grenade...