PC Build under $800

Hey everyone,

So, here's the deal. I'm looking to put together a build for up to $1767, excluding peripherals. It's for someone studying computer science who also games, but not like a hardcore enthusiast—nothing crazy intensive like high-end shooters, just more chill stuff like strategy games from Electronic Arts, soccer sims, or maybe some RPGs like a Bethesda game. I’ve always stuck with Intel's platforms and Nvidia cards in the past, but honestly, I've been out of the loop for so long that I'm pretty lost on what's current now...
I also want to include a decent little SSD (maybe 120GB) in this package. I used to run a 500GB HDD and never even came close to filling it up, so I don't need terabytes of storage, but a buddy of mine was telling me that SSDs are "absolute beasts"—super fast and perfect for running the OS. He really sold me on the idea, so now I'm thinking... Since I'm based in San Francisco, I can check out Newegg or Amazon/Best Buy, though I could look at anything if they offer shipping to the West Coast. I'm hoping for something that'll last me about 5 or 6 years, and I'm wondering if sticking with a DDR4 motherboard is still realistic given my budget...

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you guys have!

CNET. They'll assemble it for free, though you'll have to cover shipping (roughly $13). It would be a smart move to add some case fans later on
.
It’s a beefier GPU than what you originally had in mind, but honestly, picking something like a 460 or 470 from the previous generation just doesn't make sense anymore
.
Option 2 - You'd swap out the following
:
this card (it's a powerhouse for older or lighter titles, and it'll easily handle newer Bethesda games like Fallout 4)
.
this or this (or whatever fits your taste, but these are definitely the best bang for your buck in this price range alongside the Z3). Plus, you get free fans. Actually, if you aren't aiming for that 470, you don't even need to use this shop
.
This motherboard is a bit more feature-rich,
.
For an SSD, maybe grab this one—it has a slightly larger capacity and comes with a 5-year warranty. You'll actually end up coming in under budget
.

Conference

Just like that CNET build, I went slightly over budget, but this is a hardcore gaming setup featuring a GTX 1060 😬

Kimberly Gomez34 said:

CNET. They'll assemble it for free, though you'll have to cover shipping (roughly $13). It would be a smart move to add some case fans later on
.
It’s a beefier GPU than what you originally had in mind, but honestly, picking something like a 460 or 470 from the previous generation just doesn't make sense anymore
.
Option 2 - You'd swap out the following
:
this card (it's a powerhouse for older or lighter titles, and it'll easily handle newer Bethesda games like Fallout 4)
.
this or this (or whatever fits your taste, but these are definitely the best bang for your buck in this price range alongside the Z3). Plus, you get free fans. Actually, if you aren't aiming for that 470, you don't even need to use this shop
.
This motherboard is a bit more feature-rich,
.
For an SSD, maybe grab this one—it has a slightly larger capacity and comes with a 5-year warranty. You'll actually end up coming in under budget
.

It looks awesome. I've already got three Corsair Red Wing 120mm fans, so I was thinking about adding more like you mentioned. I'd also love for the case to have room for side radiators...
Could I save some cash on the SSD (maybe go with a 120GB one) and put that money toward something else, like a better CPU? And is this motherboard any good for the price? Sorry, I'm totally lost on all this stuff.

Adam Moore3 said:Conference

Just like that CNET build, I went slightly over budget, but this is a hardcore gaming setup featuring a GTX 1060 😬

Alright. I could push it up to $1833 but I'm not sure. $1767 I've already got that ready, so I can count on that.
I'm just a little worried about how everything connects... you know, making sure everything works together properly so I don't end up with a massive amount of wasted memory paired with a crazy powerful graphics card or something like that
...
Regarding both of you: I got hung up on that SSD because a buddy of mine wouldn't stop raving about it, and seeing those read/write speeds really sold me. My main thought was getting it because my brother just started an IT program, and I wanted him to have a drive that handles data transfer and processing fast enough.

I'm not sure how critical an SSD is these days, though. I could probably just scrap it entirely and use that extra $300-$133 to pick up that ASUS motherboard. I think ASUS is better than MSI, at least that's how I remember it...

A 120GB SSD is really just $67 a bit cheaper, so you might as well put that extra cash toward the motherboard (it'll end up costing you $27 more overall). As for those fans, you can definitely use them in this case. You could run one in the front, one in the back, and maybe one on the side. I guess except when dealing with AM3+ motherboards, that whole rule about "manufacturer X being better than manufacturer Y" doesn't really apply 😉

I’d personally go for the top-tier gaming build since it’s realistically the most powerful option when it comes to graphics, and you aren't really losing anything significant on the other components. If an extra 120 GB on your SSD isn't a dealbreaker, then I don't see any reason to settle for anything less than a GTX 1060 if it fits within the budget. 🙂