Help with a $600 PC build configuration

Can someone take a look at this build and tell me if it actually makes sense for gaming?
I found this list online, but is there any way to get better performance for $1333 than what's listed here?

CORSAIR 550W VS550 - CP-9020050-EU power supply $120

Kingston Fury Red Series 499.00 USD Western Digital 500 memory $166

Western Digital 500GB/64MB SATA3 Caviar Green - WD5000AZRX $116

Gigabyte F2A78M-DS2 socket FM2+ motherboard $110

AMD Athlon II x4 760k processor (3800Mhz 4MB 32nm 100W FM2 Richland) BOX $183

MSI PCI-E AMD R7 260X OC (2048MB DDR5, 128bit, 1175/6500MHz, 2xDVI, HDMI, DP, dual slot cooler) graphics card $320

Arctic Freezer 7 Pro Rev 2 (Intel & AMD) $53

LG 20 M35A-B monitor $190

Logic A10 - PC Case (ATX, mATX; 2xUSB, I/O; black) $33

Total price:$1317

Thanks.😉

1 x ASRock FM2A78M HD + motherboard, FM2, FM2+, AMD A88X chipset, DDR3
1 x AMD Trinity Athlon II x4 750 processor, 3.40GHz, 4 cores
1 x Crucial 8GB DDR3 RAM, 1600MHz CL11
1 x Toshiba 500GB HDD, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB
1 x Corsair CX430 430W PSU, 80+ Bronze, EPS12V v2.3
1 x Sapphire R7 260X 1GB GDDR5 OC graphics card, 128bit, 28nm
1 x Genius KM110X keyboard and mouse combo, USB
1 x AOC E2250SWDAK monitor, 21.5", 16:9, 1920x1080, built-in speakers
1 x MSI Gemini Midi Tower case, ATX/mATX, no PSU included
1 x Thermaltake Contac 16 cooler, compatible with 775, AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+, FM1, 1155, 1156

$1356
admin.com

What are we talking about?

Basically, here is a breakdown for four components:

AMD FX-6300 box 95W
XFX Pro 450W
Asrock 970 EXTREME3 R2.0
Crucial 8GB, 1333 MHz, CL9
LC-Power PRO-923B - Red Captor
Sapphire AMD R9 270 Dual-X OC
WD Blue 1 TB SATA
Cosmo Cool LC-CC-95 - CPU cooler

Total items (including tax): 4$7.25

Available via local retailers with free shipping and assembly.

EDIT

That includes the monitor.
First off, I would steer clear of that specific shop—just do a quick search for their customer reviews online first.

Instead, try this setup—it features a much better monitor (22", FHD, VA panel):

Acer V226HQLAbd 21.5" LED Monitor UM.WV6EE.A01
AMD CPU desktop Athlon II x4 750k (3.4GHz, 4MB, 100W, FM2) box, Black Edition
ASRock FM2A78M HD + motherboard, FM2
Spire Kepler Rev
WD Blue 500GB SATA 3
XFX AMD Radeon R7 260 x Graphic card 2
Kingston Fury Red Series 499.00 USD Western Digital 500 (Note: Using Kingston RAM description provided)
Fortron power supply Hexa plus 400 w, 80+, active, 12 cm
MS PHOENIX case without power supply

Grand total: $3,987.25 — check with major US electronics retailers for free assembly + $27 shipping if needed.

Or maybe go this route if you want a platform that actually lets you upgrade things down the road:

X4 925
SPIRE KEPLER R2.0
GIGABYTE 970A-DS3P
KINGSTON 6GB 1600 MHZ
TOSHIBA 3,5 1TB SATA 3
SAPP. R7 260X DDR5 BOOST
SILVERSTONE STRIDER 500W
MS PHOENIX MIDI ATX

ACER 22" VA LED FHD

= $1357 total price including assembly and shipping from Best Buy.

Intel Core i3 4150
Gigabyte GA-H81M-DS2V motherboard, 1150, iH81, D3, S3, U3, DVI, mA
Patriot Signature, 1333Mhz, 8GB (1x8GB)
Toshiba DT01ACA100 1 TB 3.5
Spire Maverick 6009 gaming case,
Zalman 500w GS Series Retail
SAPPHIRE AMD Radeon R7 260 x OC, PCI-e, 1Gb GDDR5/128bit, 1050MHz / 1500MHz,
LG 22 M35A-B 21.5" Wide LED Monitor

Here is one option for $1373, maybe check Best Buy.
I chose an Intel build because I think it offers the best upgrade path right from the beginning.

Man, that LG 22 M35A-B 21.5 monitor just isn't worth it for this kind of budget—especially since it doesn't even have a DVI port. You really need at least a VA or IPS panel for this setup.

graniteharbor85 said:Honestly, I don't think a TN panel is appropriate for this budget, especially considering it lacks a DVI port. In my opinion, you should be looking for at least a VA or IPS panel.

It might push me over my budget, though I suspect there isn't much of a noticeable difference in actual quality.

This monitor is a workhorse.🙂

As you can see, it fits perfectly into the configuration above (VA). It isn't significantly more expensive than a TN panel either—so it's a solid investment. After all, the monitor is the one thing you're staring at constantly anyway.

Everything was fine; that was just my suggestion. I am relatively new to this, and I reached out for help because I assume you all have much more expertise than I do.

I have spent some time catching up on the material lately, reading through half the forums and doing some research—mostly because I had some downtime, too.🙂.

On another note, I run driving simulations using a dual-monitor setup. One is a newer AOC IPS panel and the other is an old Asus LCD from about three or four years ago. They are positioned almost side-by-side, but honestly, I can't seem to notice much of a difference in the image quality.

Take a look at it from an angle—it really ought to have less color washout and fringing.
If you're looking for something to do, do a quick search on TN versus IPS panels; check out some YouTube reviews or whatever else is out there.

Besides, that VA panel is priced almost identically to the one you suggested, and it includes DVI.

Timothy Kim60 said:Check it from an angle—it should have less color washout and dispersion.
If you’re bored, just Google "TN vs IPS" or check out some YouTube reviews to learn more.

Besides, that VA panel costs him almost the same as the one you suggested, plus the DVI connection.

Since you brought up DVI being an advantage... what's the actual difference? My monitor has both DVI and VGA ports, but it didn't come with a DVI cable (I think those only come with Dell monitors), so I just used the VGA cable instead. I didn't feel like dropping $5 on something that's supposedly "better"... and honestly, I don't even know why. ☕

I suspect the difference might only be discernible through specialized software. Visually, it's quite difficult; I suppose the human eye is somewhat insensitive to these specific changes unless one looks very closely.

Supposedly the DVI image looks sharper, though I haven't really had a chance to see if there's actually a difference.

Anyway, VGA is an analog signal while DVI is digital. Analog works fine for old CRT monitors, but LCDs prefer digital. It avoids signal conversion, so every pixel just lands exactly where it's supposed to.

I actually had the chance to test both DVI and VGA cables while playing a game recently. With the VGA setup, you can see the image flickering slightly whenever you get close to things. On the DVI connection, though, the picture is crystal clear with absolutely zero flickering. I’d definitely recommend picking up a DVI cable; for just another 30-$13 bucks, the jump in quality is well worth it.