New PC build: $500 budget?

Hey everyone, I was flipping through a magazine here in town and stumbled upon this pre-built PC configuration, but now I’m sitting here wondering if I should actually pull the trigger on it. Honestly, what am I even doing? I need something that can handle gaming at Full HD without breaking a sweat, and ideally, I want to be able to just sit back and not worry about upgrading anything for the next six or seven years. Does anyone think this is worth the cash, or am I just throwing money away? Here is what the listing says:
CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K
Cooler: Corsair CC Series
Motherboard: 970 Socket AM3
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970
Memory: 8GB DDRIII
Hard Drive: 1TB HDD
Case: Zalman Z3 PLUS WHITE
Optical Drive: DVD-RW Dual Layer, SATA
Power Supply: EVGA 750 W
Audio: 7.1 channel audio
Extras: PCI-express, SATAIII, USB3.0, LAN 10/100/1000MB
Operating System: FREE DOS

That power supply is bottom-of-the-barrel quality; it isn't even hitting 750W. Honestly, I’d bet anything they paired it with a low-end motherboard like an ASUS Prime or maybe a budget ASRock model. My advice? Steer clear of those pre-built configurations... Here is a revised suggestion instead:

1 x Intel Core i7 Series 8300 3.3GHz, 16MB, 125W, LGA1155, FD8300WMHK
1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x Corsair CC Series, 92 mm, Hydraulic bearing, 800-2200 rpm,
1 x HDD Seagate 1TB, Serial ATA III, 7200 rpm, ST1000DM003
1 x DDR3 8GB (2x4GB) Kingston, 1866MHz, CL10, Kingston Fury
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. MB standard
1 x Thermaltake 600 W, Hyper, PPA6003302, 12cm ventilator
1 x Samsung DVD Writer, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R
1 x Gigabyte GTX960 OC, 4GB GDDR5 128bit, GV-N960OC-4GD

$1719 adm

You could still tweak this further (drop the burner, grab a better 500W unit, etc.).

1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x Intel Core i7 Series 8300 3.3GHz,16MB,125W,AM3+, FD8300WMHK
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Kingston, Kingston Fury, 1866MHz, CL10
1 x HDD Seagate 1TB, Serial ATA III, 7200 rpm, ST1000DM003
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. MB standard
1 x Thermaltake 600 W, Hyper, PPA6003302, 12cm ventilator
1 x CoolerMaster Hyper TX3
1 x XFX R9-280X-TDFD, DD Radeon R9 280X 1000M Boost 3GB DDR5
$1753
www.newegg.com

Aha, so which one of these two setups is actually the better way to go? Honestly, I could probably stretch my budget up to $5,500 if it means getting something that isn't total junk.

Personally, I’d probably lean toward an Intel + Nvidia setup. While the GTX 970 might pull ahead by maybe 10-15% in certain specific titles, I suspect having a longer warranty period is actually more important than such a minor bump in performance—especially since MSI offers a 3-year warranty compared to what you'd get from EVGA 2.

1 x Intel Core i5-4460 Processor (3.20GHz, 1MB, 6MB, 84 W, 1150) Box
1 x Asrock H81M-HDS, s1150, Intel H81, M-ATX, dual Channel 2 xDDR3
1 x MSI GTX 960 Gaming, 2GB GDDR5, Twin Frozr V, GTX 960 GAMING 2G
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Kingston, Value, 1600MHz, CL11, KVR16N11/8
1 x Seagate 1TB HDD, Serial ATA III, 7200 rpm, DESKTOP SSHD, 8GB SSD
1 x Fortron 500W Power Supply, Hyper, PPA5005003, 12cm fan
1 x Zalman T5 mini tower case. 170(W) x 427(H) x 348(D)mm.
1 x LG GH24NS DVD Burner, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R
$1832

Look, my bad for not being clear earlier, but if I’m picking sides, I’m going with AMD—or honestly, just straight up Nvidia at this point, no questions asked.

If I had $550, I’d probably just grab an ASUS 280 and an Intel Core i5-4460. I guess I could even squeeze in an SSD too... assuming that 280 is still sitting there for $567.

When it comes to gaming, the GPU is really the most critical component. There isn't much left for a GTX 960 to offer in terms of modern titles, especially since better drivers for the GTX 970 will likely help close that performance gap.

We have right here one of the beefiest GTX 960 Gigabyte G1 models featuring 4GB of VRAM, alongside an EVGA SSC and just a standard Sapphire GTX 970. Based on the video, I’m assuming some newer drivers were being used at the time; the GTX 960 performs about 25% better in titles like Battlefield 4, Crysis 3, and Far Cry 4, and roughly 17% better in Metro and Tomb Raider. The real kicker for the GTX 960, though, is the 3-year warranty and much lower power draw—we're looking at roughly 120W compared to the 200-210W range during heavy gaming sessions.

Timothy Kim60 said:I'm here. Here. You've got some heavy hitters here: the beefy Gigabyte G1 GTX 960 with 4GB of VRAM, the EVGA SSC, and even just a standard Sapphire GTX 970. Based on the video, I'm assuming they were running newer drivers at the time. The GTX 960 pulls ahead by about 25% in titles like Battlefield 4, Crysis 3, and Far Cry 4, and it's roughly 17% faster in Metro and Tomb Raider. The real win for the GTX 960, though, is the three-year warranty and much lower power draw—it's pulling around 120W compared to that 200-210W range during gaming.

Anyone playing for six hours straight every single day is going to end up burning through their budget pretty fast. $2.75 A bit more electricity on the bill this month? Honestly, if you ask me, it's pretty much negligible.

I'm all for it, provided raw performance is the top priority—which, let's be honest, it almost always is.

His other move would be to just hold out for the 380X. If he bumps up his budget like he mentioned, he'll likely land one, even if it starts off feeling a bit overpriced at launch.

Alright, look, can someone please just tell me what I should actually buy?

jadefalcon16 said:Look, someone just tell me what I should buy.

If you want my kind of performance... if you're dead set on Nvidia, there's plenty of options over there.😁

jadefalcon16 said:Alright, so can someone tell me what I should buy?

Yeah, Robert Rodriguez2 already gave you his take. The GTX 970 is definitely the powerhouse here, so if you go with that, you'll get the best gaming performance out of this build. If you're looking to $17 save a bit on your annual electric bill, then stick with Nvidia 🙂. Personally, if it were my money, I'd pick the i5 over the Ryzen.

1 x Asrock H81M-HDS, s1150, Intel H81, M-ATX, dual Channel 2 xDDR3
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 (3.20GHz,1MB,6MB,84 W,1150) Box
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Kingston, Corsair Vengeance, 1866MHz, CL10
1 x XFX EVGA 2, DD Radeon GTX 970 1000M Boost 3GB DDR5
1 x Power Supply Fortron 600W, Hyper, PPA6003302, 12cm fan
1 x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. MB standard
1 x HDD Seagate 1TB, Serial ATA III, 7200 rpm, ST1000DM003

$1795 admin.com

Guess it's just me, then. 🎉

jadefalcon16 said:Alright, look, can someone just tell me what I should be buying?

1x ASUS 280, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1x AMD Ryzen X8 8300 3.3GHz, 16MB, 125W, AM3+, FD8300WMHK
1x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Kingston, Corsair Vengeance, 1866MHz, CL10
1x XFX GTX 970, DD Radeon GTX 970 1000M Boost 3GB DDR5
1x HDD Seagate 1TB, Serial ATA III, 7200 rpm, ST1000DM003
1x Kingston SSD 120GB V300, 2.5" 7mm, SATA 3 6G, 7mm to 9.5mm
1x Fortron 600W Power Supply, Hyper, PPA6003302, 12cm fan
1x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. Standard ATX

Location: US Metro Area
PRICE: $1825

Free assembly and shipping included.

V300? No way.

swiftfalcon89 said:1x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, Intel 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1x Intel Core i7 Processor 3.3GHz, 16MB, 125W, AM3+, FD8300WMHK
1x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Kingston, Kingston Fury, 1866MHz, CL10
1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX R9-280X-TDFD, DD Radeon R9 280X 1000M Boost 3GB DDR5
1x HDD Western Digital 1TB, Serial ATA III, 7200 rpm, ST1000DM003
1x Kingston SSD 120GB V300, 2.5" 7mm, SATA 3 6G, 7mm to 9.5mm
1x Power Supply Fortron 600W, Hyper, PPA6003302, 12cm fan
1x Zalman Z1 mid tower case. 199(W)x432(H)x457(D)mm. MB standard

LOCATION: US Local Area
PRICE: $1825

Free assembly and shipping

It would be better to prioritize a CPU cooler over cheap SSDs.

Hey guys, can I get some advice too?

I’m looking at picking up a rig with these kinds of specs, though I’d honestly rather go with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX if it’s more powerful and has better longevity—plus, I don't really need an SSD right now.

The main issue is that I’m planning to finance the whole thing through Chase on a six-month installment plan.

I also want to make sure there's room for future upgrades.

It doesn't have to be strictly Intel parts; I'm totally open to other brands.

@swiftstag2

SALE!!! Corsair MIDI Case, black, no PSU
COOLERMASTER Hyper TX3 EVO Cooler, compatible with various sockets
SALE!!! NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics card, 2GB DDR5, DP, DVI, HDMI
560W Power Supply, LC POWER Silent Giant GREEN POWER LC6560GP3 V2.3, 140mm fan
1000.0 GB Western Digital hard drive, SATA3, 64MB cache, 7200 rpm, 3.5''
BIOSTAR TA970 Plus Motherboard, AMD 970/SB950, DDR3, audio, S-ATA, RAID, G-LAN, USB 3.0, ATX, socket AM3 / AM3+
PC-14900 RAM, 8 GB, MUSHKIN Essentials, 992132, DDR3 1866Mhz
Intel Core i7 processor, socket AM3+, 3.3GHz, 16MB cache, Octa-core

Total ~ $1767 available on installments - Best Buy

+

Thanks, swiftstag2

So I ended up grabbing this mini PC, but I had to swap out the case because I really needed those ports and buttons on the front instead of tucked away on top. Makes life way easier, you know?