Looking for a $500-$550 Intel gaming build

xiCritical · May 25, 2015

Hello! I'm looking for a Intel gaming build that could run most modern games a decent frames from med-high setting at anywhere from 40-60 frames. I'd love more performance but that's around the minimum I require. I've been told that an I5 processor is better than an AMD f6000 series so even if the price is a little higher then I'm going to go with Intel. I plan to play games such as: World of Warcraft, Planetside 2,CS:GO, Pay Day 2, Killing Floor 1-2 as well as a few other Steam games. If you could please tell me how whatever build you post will handle Planetside since that is the most graphically demanding game on this list. Also please only include parts that have good reviews and trusted brands.

Thanks in advance, Crit

Edit-If you absolutely have an amazingly solid and lasting AMD build and feel like you could change my opinion then im also willing to look at it

ATMINSIDE · May 25, 2015

You won't get an I5 build for gaming at a $500-550 budget.

bob4933 · May 25, 2015

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ZwK3nQ

Bout as cheap as it goes...

- - - Updated - - -

Cheap
Powerful
Reliable

Pick 2.

NiHaoMike · May 26, 2015

I actually recently did a machine in that price range that also needed to be compact. Catch is that in order to stay in budget, you'll have to do some DIY work and be really good at finding deals.

i5-4590 (including cooler) - $160 (Microcenter)
H81H3-I - $45
2x4GB DDR3 - $52
GTX 960 - $195
1TB HDD - $45 (Best Buy)
450W 1U PSU - $15 (surplus Dell server PSU)
Case - free (recycled DVD player case) or a few dollars worth of material if you DIY one out of stuff available at Home Depot

That's $512 so far and enough to make a working machine. Those not skilled at case modding can get a premade case and still stay within budget.

Since I (actually my friend who requested the build) wanted a compact machine, I needed a few other parts.
PCIe right angle adapter - $7
1U CPU cooler - $2 (surplus)

Grand total is $521 and totally beats the Dell Alpha, the original inspiration for the build.

ATMINSIDE · May 26, 2015

NiHaoMike said:
I actually recently did a machine in that price range that also needed to be compact. Catch is that in order to stay in budget, you'll have to do some DIY work and be really good at finding deals.

i5-4590 (including cooler) - $160 (Microcenter)
H81H3-I - $45
2x4GB DDR3 - $52
GTX 960 - $195
1TB HDD - $45 (Best Buy)
450W 1U PSU - $15 (surplus Dell server PSU)
Case - free (recycled DVD player case) or a few dollars worth of material if you DIY one out of stuff available at Home Depot

That's $512 so far and enough to make a working machine. Those not skilled at case modding can get a premade case and still stay within budget.

Since I (actually my friend who requested the build) wanted a compact machine, I needed a few other parts.
PCIe right angle adapter - $7
1U CPU cooler - $2 (surplus)

Grand total is $521 and totally beats the Dell Alpha, the original inspiration for the build.

And add $50 for a decent case and $50 for a non-surplus PSU and you're back up at the $600+ range.

NiHaoMike · May 26, 2015

What's wrong with using a surplus server PSU? They're very well built and the machine will likely be obsolete long before it breaks down. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find a "consumer" PSU with that level of quality, certainly not for a low price. (My main reason to use a server PSU, of course, is for its compact size.)

As for the case, that's one good reason to learn how to case mod. Another option is to recycle an old PC for its case, as it's not particularly difficult to find a discarded PC that is long obsolete but still in good physical shape.

Looking for a $500-$550 Intel gaming build

xiCritical

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ATMINSIDE

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bob4933

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NiHaoMike

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