First PC build in years....

Slowdive

New member
Hello Forum, I think last time I looked at building a pc was like 2000 or something. Been consoling, OSX and laptops since then. So its not that I do not have some concept, I just have very little clue.
I am trying to get a decent to high end gaming build together at some place after 10k very doable it seems. However there are as many suggested builds as there are forums. So after a bit of research, I have two seemingly viable builds...
If anyone could suggest a suitable case, anything else required or you know if they are just awful, would be appreciated.

AMD machine:
AMD Vishera FX-6350, 3.90GHz, Hex Core, AM3+, Black Edition
2000
Gigabyte GV-R928WF3OC-3GD AMD Radeon R9 280 OC 3GB GDDR5 PCI-E 3.0 Desktop Graphics Card
3771 (so if there is anything cheaper and near as good around, love to hear about it)
G.Skill F3-2400C10D-8GTX Trident X 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3-2400MHz 1.65V CL10 Dual Channel Desktop Memory
1100
Western-Digital WD10EZEX Caviar Blue 1TB
750
Coolermaster RS500-ACAAB1 G500 80 Plus Bronze Certified 500W Desktop Power Supply
Seemed viable at 775
MSI A88XM GAMING AMD Socket FM2+ M-ATX Desktop Motherboard
1360 (Again no idea if this a good or even logical choice)
Grand total 9006

Then as an option 2 I found this build on a different forum:
MB - R637 - MSI Intel H81M-P33 H81
CPU - R2889 - Intel Core I5 4690 Processor 3.50Ghz
RAM - R976 - 2x Corsair Value Select A - 4GB DDR3 DRAM Desktop Memory - 1600Mhz
GPU - R2999 - Galax 96NPH8DVD9XX GeForce GTX 960 EXOC 2048MB GDDR5 128-bit
HDD - R758 - WD Blue 1TB 3.5 inch SATAIII
PSU - R599 - Super Flower SF-450P14XE(HX)
TOTAL: R8957
Largely from wootware and takealot.

I know this forum, gets a lot of these posts so I am grateful for any input people have time to share.
 
Thanks a lot, thats at least reassuring. Way to many options out there, how does the world need so many different same speced GPUS?
Obliged for the case suggestion, looks fit the task, something else that is hard to gauge if your clueless.
 
I hope you haven't bought it yet, I would suggest getting a slightly better PSU than that. Otherwise let's say in a couple of years you want to upgrade now you need to upgrade that as well...

Always buy a CX Coolermaster PSU
I recommend the CX 600 for you :)

Always buy corsair RAM ( you got it there)
Can you try and push for Vengeance gaming ram perhaps? It will boost your performance slightly and it's the cheapest boost you can get.

The rest of the build looks solid enough.

BUT in my honest opinion do what I did - rather spend more on the PC ( without a GPU ) and buy the GPU later.

If you buy a solid motherboard, PSU, RAM, CPU ( you don't need an SSD just use an old HDD for now) you can build a much better system for relatively the same price range you are in now just without a GPU.

Guess what most games can run on low - medium without a gpu thanks to top of the range CPU graphics technology.

Now you can play MMO's, Counterstrike, Dota, World of Tanks, and hundreds of other games without an issue.

Sign up for as many compitions to win a GPU as you can, there is on on this site right now.

Then also save. In about a year's time you will have saved around R1000-3000 give or take. Then just buy a previous gen GPU ( like you are doing now) the only difference is your GPU then will be even better than the one you are buying now and your pc will probably last you twice as long.

Please keep this in mind, I can help you try and go for a better spec but you look like you know a thing or 2 about pc's so pcik & choose on your own :) ( if you chose different brands I might have given you a full list of specs to choose instead :P)
 
Sorry I got lost for a little, I have not committed to anything yet. My other down side is I am out in Namibia,so where as ordering from SA or even Amazon is not out of the question. Locally sourced and supported products just appeal to the laziness in me. Also I am not dead set on maxing every title, more along lines of if I can get similar gaming experience to a new console for under 10k and enjoy the perks I feel a pc brings. With that said thanks for the input Duiwel, I could certainly stretch to an extra 500 for better PSU.

So its not so much about cash, I game some and would like to play most games on a decent setting. I dont need to max everything long as new stuff will run decently, I am likely to be pleased. As such I don't want to spend 25k on a rig, I likely use to play a few hours a week on. So thats why I set my goal at under 10k....

To this end I also stumbled upon this right in the same price bracket, locally: However I simply have no idea, slightly slower processor, decent GPU at my level?

Case Bitfenix Merc Alpha
Power Supply Corsair VS450
CPU Intel Haswell Core i5-4460 (3.2GHz Quad Core)
RAM Patriot Viper 8GB DDR3-1600 Kit (2x4GB)
Motherboard Gigabyte H81M (LGA1150)
Graphics Card Gigabyte GeForce GT740 OC Edition - 2GB DDR5
Hard Drive Western Digital Caviar GP 1TB
 
Sorry for late reply my pc is broken so I have not gotten around to things yet, just hopped on with my phone real quick. So with what you said in mind I would say that PATRIOT ram is good but keep an eye out for Crucial ballistix the RAM will be better and still much cheaper than corsair RAM.

Given what you have told me now I will make a couple of adjustments:

Mobo: the one you picked is fine, MSI might be cheaper but it will be miniscule so stick with it.
CPU: Perfect.
CPU cooler: Coolermaster Hyper 212 EVO
PSU: EVGA 110-B2-0750-VR (750W for really good price), EVGA 100-B1-0500-KR , Thermaltake SP-550PCBUS
RAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport 2x 4GB
GPU: The one you picked is fine for a budget build, though I would go as far as recommending buying no GPU instead and playing games like World of Tanks, DOTA2, League of Legends or whatever ( non FPS games since they usually require GPU's) for a year or so or when you get cash and rather investing in a proper GPU. Buying such old tech and spending 1,5k on it only to HAVE to upgrade next year and spend another 1,5k on it minimum ( again buying old tech) so it's an endless cycle. You should instead buy a mid range card (for Nvidia the GT x60 range where as the "x" symbolises the numeral of that year. For example if you don't buy one this year or right now, by December you can get a GT960 for cheap, which is a great card the Radeon equivalent might even be cheaper which will be the : Radeon R9 290. (again if you save a bit more and go for the R9 290x you spend less money in the future since you will take longer to upgrade.
WD 1TB Blue is fine but a Seagate Barracuda might be a tad cheaper and just as fast.

I bought my 660TI PE in 2012 (it's 2015 now, it was already pretty much old tech when I got it since the 7 series was released just a couple of month later) guess what? I still run games on ultra :)

Goes without saying had I not gone that route I would have had to buy a GPU for GTA V which would have cost me more than the 3k I put down for the GPU by just not buying a GPU and running on intel integrated graphics for a couple of months.

Nice case :) I like simplistic, reminds me of those old corsair ones like the obsidian. ( never buy a Corsair chassis, rather buy a car or a house ;) )
 
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