Gaming/Work PC build under $700

Hey everyone,

My apologies upfront if there’s already a dedicated thread for this kind of stuff. If not, feel free to move my topic wherever it belongs, mods.

Lately, I’ve been stuck using a Mac for work, and honestly, it’s made me completely lose my edge when it comes to keeping up with hardware specs. I feel totally out of the loop.
I'm looking to pick up a new gaming PC. While my main focus is definitely on getting high-end performance for gaming, I’ll also be using this machine heavily for work—specifically for software development and design projects.
When it comes to gaming, I’m not looking for some overkill, ultra-spec enthusiast setup. I don't need every single technical detail laid out for me. My requirements are straightforward: I just want my games to run at a decent frame rate with respectable settings. That’s it. I'll be playing COD online, maybe some Battlefield, and whatever other big titles drop in the meantime. As long as it handles those smoothly, I'm satisfied.

I’m going to lay out exactly what I need and what I don't need, so please, just jump in with your advice. Regarding where to buy, I usually stick to Micro Center, but I’m open to whatever else you guys suggest—I’ll be paying in cash.

I don't need it.
Monitor.
peripherals
HDD-a.

I NEED:
Intel and NVIDIA. That’s the combination.

Budget:
Ideally, we’re looking at something in the ballpark of... $1333 Look, I wouldn't go beyond $4,500. But if there’s a massive, undeniable leap in performance that actually justifies the cost, then fine—maybe it's worth stretching the budget that far.

Well, that’s it. It's done. 🙂
Thanks in advance!

UPDATE: 🤦 😁

Intel Core i5-4460 processor
ASRock H81M-DGS R2 motherboard, 1150 socket
8GB Kingston DDR3 1600MHz, C11, KVR16N11/8
XFX TS 430W PSU, XFX-P1-430S-XXB9
MS Knight case (no PSU included)
Gigabyte GF GTX960 IX OC, 2GB GDDR5, DVI, HDMI

Total: $452.56 from Best Buy (plus $27 shipping)

It’s a bit over my budget, but I guess it makes a massive difference, IMO.

He mentioned he doesn't actually need the HDD—so, in my opinion, that opens up enough room to squeeze in a much beefier graphics card.

Thanks, guys.

Regarding the warranty when buying online from a big retailer or somewhere else... am I going to lose my coverage if I open up the case after they've already built it and shipped it out?
I'm going to have to crack it open to swap in an HDD...

One more thing—looking at the specs listed above... what exactly did I just buy here?🙂 Can I actually expect two years of peace and quiet without needing any upgrades?

You end up losing the warranty on the whole rig, but you still have coverage on the individual components themselves. What that actually means is—if something goes haywire—instead of just dropping off the entire tower and saying, "Hey, fix this," you’ll have to play detective and figure out which specific part is acting up. That said, you could always ask them if you can bring your own HDD over before they put everything together so they can install it for you. That might actually work.
And honestly, I think you'll be totally fine for more than two years—unless, of course, you're the type who absolutely insists on cranking every single game setting to the absolute max.

If they slap a sticker on it, you’re only losing out on the free diagnostics; your warranty remains fully intact.

Listen,

I took my specs, put them together, and sent out requests for quotes to several different vendors. I made sure to tell them they could swap in equivalent components if what I listed wasn't available. Out of these three options, which one stands out to you? Personally, option three is looking like the winner to me...

1.
CPU Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz/1150 Haswell
DDR3 8GB (1x8) Kingston 1866 MHz
ASRock H81M-DGS R2
Gigabyte GTX960 IX OC
Fortron 500 w Hexa80 + MS
MS midi tower Voyager
Free shipping
Free assembly
$1.50

2.
CPU Intel Core i5-4460 3.20GHz Socket 1150 P/N: 0300494
Motherboard ASRock H81M-DGS R2.0 Socket 1150 P/N: 0201702
8GB DDR3 1600MHz PC3-12800 Kingston RAM for PC P/N: KVR16N11/8
Power Supply XFX TS 430W P/N: XFX-P1-430S-XXB9
Case MSI Knight P/N: 0151187 GPU MSI GeForce GTX960 Gaming 2GB GDDR5 DVI HDMI DP P/N: msi-n960-game-2g
$1.50 (+ shipping $27)

3.
Intel Core i5-4460 s1150 36-month warranty.
MSI H81M-P33, S1150 36-month warranty.
Transcend 8GB DDR3L 1600MHz 60-month warranty.
Fortron Hexa+ 400W, 80+ 36-month warranty.
MS Knight black case 12-month warranty.
Gigabyte GV-N960IX0C-2GD, 2Gb 36-month warranty.
$1.50 (my favorite, includes free assembly and shipping)

What’s the verdict?

That's a solid choice for a favorite—honestly, you can't go wrong there—but just a heads-up, you might want to steer clear of that XFX TS 430 because a ton of those units tend to have some annoying coil whine issues.

The only thing that really gets under my skin is those MS cases. They're a total mess. I don't know where you got this build list, but check if they even offer a decent case with bottom-mounted power supplies and dual fans... These MS ones rattle like crazy because the sheet metal is so thin and the build quality is just garbage. It's honestly terrible.

If you haven't given them a shot yet, honestly, you should—you might actually be surprised. They’ve stepped up their game big time compared to that old Phoenix or carbon etc. line, and they're miles ahead of those ancient MS-ov models like Taurus or whatever—those were a total joke. With the newer stuff like Knight, Voyager, etc., they finally added support for 120mm fans in the front and back, plus there's way more room and much better cable management (especially for those beefier GPUs since they tweaked the HDD cage), along with a few other little perks. The chassis is pretty solid too; it doesn't feel flimsy like paper, and you don't really feel any vibrations—I've built a few rigs using the Phoenix and Carbon, so I know what I'm talking about. Look, I'm not saying they're perfect or anything, but they're definitely worth the price tag. They're a solid buy and definitely not something you need to steer clear of.

I see they've recently released some new "swag" cases (by their standards) $100 MS monster. Honestly, it's basically in the same category as the Zalman Z1/Z3 models, so pass for me, but they actually look pretty sharp in these photos.

MS MONSTER gaming case, no PSU included, featuring a blue LED fan. Motherboard support: ATX, mATX. External bays: 1x 5.25", 1x 3.5"; Internal bays: 2x 3.5", 4x 2.5" (SSD). Ports: 1x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, card reader, dual HD audio, 7x PCI slots. Includes a built-in 12cm blue LED front fan and a side window. Material: 0.5mm SPCC. Dimensions: 47.5 x 19.6 x 42.0 cm. Max GPU length: 400mm. Max CPU cooler height: 160mm. Additional fan options: Side: 2x12cm or 14cm; Rear: 1x8cm or 12cm.

Look, I think they've improved, but honestly, it just comes down to mindset. For a build costing a few hundred bucks (well, starting from $667), I'd personally rather grab a single Zalman Z1 or a TT Versa II—both with two 120mm fans—anything under $100. Or maybe go with a CM Elite, then pair it with an Antec VS4000B for slightly more than $67, or a Chieftek libar LG with two fans for $83.

Now, someone’s going to argue that MS is $60... Sure, but if it only has one fan, what kind of fan is it? And if you want to buy a decent 120mm fan later, how much is that going to cost you? Plus, you're stuck with USB 2.0; there's no USB 3.0 support on the case. No support for multiple audio standards (Intel HD Graphics, AC'97, Azalia), etc... And of course, zero dust filters...

So, do the math: compare that to a Libra or a Z1 that actually includes all those features, and see how small the price gap really is. Like I said, even for a $2,000 rig, that difference is less than 5% of the total build cost...

It's not easy to scrape together cash for any decent PC these days, but just like we obsess over power supplies (rightfully so), you should put some actual thought into cases and check out the options... I'm not about wasting money, and I'm definitely not into those flashy, sci-fi looking cases with Christmas lights and transparent side panels, but I am firmly convinced that those extra $17 (okay, or 100) shouldn't be cut from the case budget, because there are cases that cost a tiny bit more but are significantly better...

No offense intended—and I'll say it again—I believe MS has improved since those old cases where you had to run an external audio cable through the back to the motherboard output, but this is strictly my opinion and not something anyone else has to agree with... 😬

When I see an MS carbon for $55 versus a Zalman Z1 for $100, or a Chieftek Libra for $84, my vote always goes to the Z1 or the Libra...

And that's not even being biased... 😬

Forget those TT Verses and Commander series; if you want actual quality, stick to the CM Elite line—otherwise, you're just throwing money down the drain. The metal on those other cases is thin and cheap, yet some people act like they're having an allergic reaction the second someone mentions TT cases 🤣

From what I can tell, MS doesn't actually manufacture anything themselves. They’re just a logo brand, much like how Corsair handles a lot of their components. If they can negotiate a decent deal for a solid product with another manufacturer, it might be worth looking at. It's like their certain power supplies sourced from FSP (which were basically priced like junk before they sold out instantly)

As far as I know, there’s only one decent FSP power supply out there... Look, I get that CM and TT aren't top-tier cases, but the people complaining about them just complain—yet the second you even mention MS, they lose their minds. 😬

Total tangent here, but the libar LF-01B-OP is a perfect example of a case that actually delivers. It’s got an excellent finish and great specs: 4 fans, 2 fan controllers, dust filters, it's toolless, and it even features a hotswap docking bay for 3.5" and 2.5" drives... No joke, it looks compact on the outside but feels massive inside 😬 because the layout is so efficient. Sure, it's $200, but honestly, I think it beats cases that cost twice as much...

Ultimately, everything boils down to your budget. There’s really no point in obsessing over a $300 or $600 case if you end up having to gut your main components just to afford it. In my opinion, those new MS models priced at $140-$50 are basically luxury jets compared to the EVCs, MS Taurus builds, or whatever other junk was being sold for that kind of money until recently (and even now)

I agree, and I’ve already mentioned that regarding the expensive cases, but seriously, just take a look at their site: http://hr.ms-start.com/proizvodi/ku%...sta_midi-tower . They’re listing midi towers. Out of the 11 cases they have listed, only one even has the power supply mounted at the bottom. Not a single one features USB 3.0. There isn't a single mention of fans anywhere, and no matter how hard I squint, I don't see any room for a fan on the back panel. You can't even get to the front because the entire drive cage is fixed in place...

With "gaming" cases, things are slightly better, but still pretty mediocre...

Ejebiga, why even bother asking about $50 😬

darkowl72 said:I agree, and I’ve already mentioned that regarding the expensive cases, but seriously, just take a look at their site: http://hr.ms-start.com/proizvodi/ku%...sta_midi-tower . They’re listing midi towers. Out of the 11 cases they have listed, only one even has the power supply mounted at the bottom. Not a single one features USB 3.0. There isn't a single mention of fans anywhere, and no matter how hard I squint, I don't see any room for a fan on the back panel. You can't even get to the front because the entire drive cage is fixed in place...

With "gaming" cases, things are slightly better, but still pretty mediocre...

Take the Knight case, for instance:

Max GPU length: 410mm. Max CPU cooler height: 160mm. Fan configurations: front 1x12cm, side 2x12cm or 14cm, rear 1x8cm or 12cm.

I’m actually quite impressed; you won't find this much clearance for GPUs and coolers even in cases that cost twice as much.

Kimberly Gomez34 said:Ejebiga, why even bother asking about $50 😬

Take the Knight case, for instance:

Max GPU length: 410mm. Max CPU cooler height: 160mm. Fan configurations: front 1x12cm, side 2x12cm or 14cm, rear 1x8cm or 12cm.

I’m actually quite impressed; you won't find this much clearance for GPUs and coolers even in cases that cost twice as much.

Surely there has to be some fully modular case available at a more reasonable price point than that Libra mess darkowl72 was talking about, right?🤔

Alright, what are you guys recommending for a case under $250?$117
My main priority is having USB ports and a headphone jack right on the front panel..
From what I've gathered, this recommended MS Taurus has them..but it’s missing a dust filter, which is a huge deal for me. I need that protection.

If you guys are seriously insisting that it's worth splurging on something higher quality, I can stretch my budget by another $20 or so..

300-$117 Your build is basically a Zalman Z1/Z3 plus setup at this point