Welcome to the late but not forgotten July 2013 Gaming PC Builds of the Month. I do apologize for anyone who has been waiting for July’s post, however I have been busy with a few happenings and time has run short.
‘With out further adieu, let me introduce you to some of the highlights to this months builds. In the $600 gaming pc build this month we have boosted up the processor a tad to the six core AMD FX 6300 as its prices aligns quite nicely with the previous AMD FX 4300. Do you need all six cores for gaming, probably not; however, I say why not.
This month in the $1000 build we have finally jumped into adding the new Intel Haswell line of processors with the addition of the Intel 4670K processor. Along with this we have the addition of a newer MSI Gaming series GD-45 motherboard.
The July 2013 $1500 Build also includes the Intel Haswell 4670K processor along with the MSI GD-45 gaming series motherboard, however we also include the newer GTX 770 graphics card. Keep reading below and take in all of the gaming hardware goodness.
Monthly Gaming PC Build ( $612 ): July 2013
(Game at Smoothly with Medium – High settings at 1920X1080 resolutions)
Welcome to the $600 Gaming PC Build for July 2013. A few minor changes to the build this month, including a slightly better choice in processor and a slight change in graphics card. This brings the price down a tad to a mor substantial $612 price mark instead of pushing around $630 last month.
I have went with the Six Core AMD FX-6300 processor over the AMD FX 4300 this month. You can over clock this processor easily to 4.5Ghz from its stock 3.5GHz. For the exact same price as last month for the FX 4300, you can now get an FX 6300. So even if you will not always utilize all cores on this CPU gaming, I say why not.
The motherboard stays the same as we don’t need anything more then this budget friendlyGigabyte board and same goes for the Samsung optical drive, Western Digital 500GB hard drive and the 500 Watt Corsair Builder series PSU.
The other minor change this month was the change of the Graphics Card to a GeForce GTX 650Ti Boost 2GB card. This card performs very similarly to the Radeon HD 7850 and is priced much less at the moment making it a great choice. If you do have a few more dollars to spend though, my second recommendation lies within the previous GTX 660 for about $200.
Upgrades / Alternatives for the $600 Gaming PC Build:
Here you will find some hardware alternatives to the hardware already included in the build above. Keep in mind that these are alternatives and are all compatible with the current build. If you want some more suggestions for alternatives or additions to the current build, you just leave a comment below and I will respond back as soon as I can.
Very similar to last months alternatives. We have an upgrade in processor for about $150 to an AMD FX 8320 Eight Core processor. I have also included the EVGA GeForce GTX 660 Superclocked graphics card for those that might have a little more then the quoted $600 gaming pc budget. If I were in the situation where I had a little more then $600 and I was looking for what to put in this build, I would first look at the graphics cards, then the processor before going for the hard drive or case upgrade.
*none – as it pushes this build over budget, however I would recommend the Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler – especially before you start overclocking the Intel 4670K processor.
A pretty exciting switch over with the $1000 build this month as I have made it into a Haswell build, based on Intel’s new line of processors. This includes the Intel 4670K processor, which can also be easily overclocked as with all of Intel’s previous ‘K’ processors. ( Learn more about the Intel 4670K processor on Intel’s Website )
Along with that change comes the need for a new choice of motherboards with the 1150 socket size and a Z87 Chipset. I have chosen to go with the very attractive MSI Gaming series GD-45 Z87 Motherboard as they have come out with this line of motherboards preceding the previous Z77 gaming series. These boards are very spiffy and affordable. They have features that match that of higher end boards that cost more and have a great look. To read more please visit the MSI Z87 Gaming Page.
The graphics card featured is also a Radeon HD 7950 overclocked edition card, although I went with the Sapphire version due to some price changes. The RAM is a corsair vengeance blue package of 8GB ram, again changed from the previous kit due to a slight decrease in price of this kit. The power supply unit used is a Corsair Enthusiast Series 650-M PSU. This is a great PSU, especially for the price and is really reliable. 650 watts is definitely enough to power this build as the graphics card requires a minimum of 500 watts and taking into account some upgrades or the other hardware, we have plenty of power here.
Finally, the case chosen is a relatively newer case featured previously in the March 2013’s Builds around when it was released. This is a fantastic looking case for under $100 and will fit everything in the build quite nicely. A short description quoted from Toms Hardware on their page In Pictures: The Last Three Sub-$100 Gaming Cases, Previewed where you can also view some pictures of said case.
The Scout Advanced features a side window and twin-fan side vent, adding visibility and ventilation options to a case that already includes a pair of fans behind its mesh front panel. Designed for portability, a heavy-duty handle on top completes its LAN party theme
$1000 Gaming PC Build Additions / Alternatives
The following are additions and or alternatives to pair with the $1000 PC build above; each of the hardware are compatible with the $1000 build. If you have any questions for further additions / hardware alternatives, please feel free to leave a comment below and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Akin to the $1000 build this month, I have included the new Haswell Intel 4670K processor in the $1500 build. With this change comes the need to switch up to a compatible motherboard. To this I have chosen the same version of the MSI Gaming Series board used in the $1000 build, the MSI Gaming Series GD-45. I chose the same motherboard, because I didn’t feel there was a need to bump it up as it does include a ton of features.
I have included the new GTX 770 Graphics Card this month, which has been getting a good wrap lately. Not only that, I have chosen the MSI version to match nicely with the MSI Gaming series motherboard. Also, the reason I have chosen the Thermaltake Chaser Full Tower PC case, is that not only does it look great, have great cooling capabilities, an HD dock etc., but it has a nice side viewing window. With the side window you will be able to view the plethora of amazing looking & performing hardware.
$1500 Gaming PC Build Additions / Alternatives
The following are additions and or alternatives to pair with the $1500 PC build above; each of the hardware are compatible with the $1500 build. If you have any questions for further additions / hardware alternatives, please feel free to leave a comment below and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Included is a new Haswell i7 4770K for anyone that wants that extra CPU boost. We also have a new GTX 780 for about $650 that can be used to substitute the included GTX 770. Also, we have a liquid CPU cooler for anyone that may prefer this (it is compatible with the Haswell socket size) and a larger Samsung PRO SSD for anyone that wants more dedicated solid state drive space.
A pretty exciting month with out first inclusion of the new Haswell processors in the gaming pc builds of the month over here at Newb Computer Build. Not only that, but I have been able to fit in the new 700 series of GeForce graphics cards into the $1500 and it’s alternatives.
I hope you have enjoyed another round of Gaming PC Builds and if you have any questions in regards to the builds, additions or anything else you can think of please do not hesitate to leave a comment.
I realize you are probably (hopefully) pretty far into the August builds right now but I found a more serious typo, when browsing for mobos, I realized that you have the MSI Z87-GD45 GAMING motherboard but what the big mistakes is that the Z87-GD45 GAMING doesn’t exist… The Motherboard is correctly named Z87-G45 GAMING with no ‘D’. However, the Z87-GD65 GAMING motherboard exists and is pretty good. Maybe you meant to include that with the $1500 build.
Good eye and you are right the GD65 does exist. I forget what my initial thinking was, but you may be right in the inclusion of the GD65…however I think I did decide to just include the G45 due to pricing at the time. Honestly, good eye though!
Well, thanks to you guys I decided to build my first PC! I’m using the $600 build but instead of the NZXT case, I’m going with the alternative Cooler Master Elite 430 case (which ended up being $25 after rebates and promo codes on NewEgg) and the WD Blue 1TB drive. I also added an ASUS DVD burner and an Encore Wireless Network card. All of this after rebates ended up being around $625. Totally worth the price, judging by the specs, but I’m still waiting till the middle of next week for my parts to arrive. Thanks guys!
Hey no worries we all love the AMD users. One individual you might want to contact is Obit, who writes an AMD article once and a while here. IUf you send him a note I bet he’d be more then willing to write an up to date high end AMD builds article. Just send a note to https://newbcomputerbuild.com/contact/
I can support Joe with his response. He is correct, LoL doesn’t require to much graphical power so the $600 build will be able to support ultra just fine.
Just got a quick question for you, i realize the risks of raid 0 and the speed deficits that raid 1 can cause. So, is it possible to run to samsung 120gb pro series SSDs in raid 0 and then select one drive to run RAID 1 with my WD Black Caviar 1 tb hdd. all the speed of raid 0 none of the deficits of raid 1.
If I understand correctly, I don’t think I would include the Western Digital Caviar Black in the RAID array at all, since the speed of the drives may be hindered to that of the Western Digital and the rest of the Western Digital space would not be useable. At least thats what my understanding would be (never done it this way). I would also assume the performance increase of two SSD’s in RAID might not be super noticeable either – again I may be wrong. This may be a worthwhile question to post over at the Toms Hardware forums for clarification.
Some beautiful builds this month. I have been waiting for these builds, and the addition of Haswell and GTX 700 series has definitely made the wait worth it.
PS: Noticed a slight typo.
When you’re describing the case in the $1000 build, you exclaim that the case is good for its sub $1000 price tag.
Processor Alternative: AMD FX-8320 Eight-Core Processor Black Edition AM3+ FD8320FRHKBOX ($149.99) – Price reduced from last month
Alternative PC Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 – Mid Tower Computer Case with All-Black Interior (RC-430-KWN1) ($45.81)
Graphics Card Alternative: EVGA GeForce GTX 660 SUPERCLOCKED 2048MB GDDR5 DVI HDMI DP Graphics Card 02G-P4-2662-KR ($202.99)
WD Blue 1 TB Desktop Hard Drive: 3.5 Inch, 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64 MB Cache – WD10EZEX ($67.63)
Add a SSD Boot Drive: Crucial m4 128GB 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive SATA 6Gb/s CT128M4SSD2= (+ $104.46) – Significant Price drop!
Upgrade your graphics card: EVGA GeForce GTX670 2048MB GDDR5 256bit, 2x Dual-Link DVI, HDMI, DP, 4-Way SLI Ready Graphics Card (02G-P4-2670-KR) ($329.99)
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler (RR-212E-20PK-R1) (Price: $33.32)
Intel Core i7-4770K Quad-Core Desktop Processor 3.5 GHZ 8 MB Cache BX80646I74770K ($342)
Bump up that graphics card to a GTX 780 –
EVGA GeForce GTX780 3GB GDDR5 384bit, Dual-Link DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI,DP, SLI Ready Graphics Card (03G-P4-2781-KR ($650)
Get a liquid CPU cooler: Corsair Hydro Series Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler H100i ($103.99)
A Larger SSD: Samsung Electronics 840 Pro Series 2.5-Inch 512 SATA_6_0_gb Solid State Drive MZ-7PD512BW ($475)
Comments 21
Hey Corey, me again,
I realize you are probably (hopefully) pretty far into the August builds right now but I found a more serious typo, when browsing for mobos, I realized that you have the MSI Z87-GD45 GAMING motherboard but what the big mistakes is that the Z87-GD45 GAMING doesn’t exist… The Motherboard is correctly named Z87-G45 GAMING with no ‘D’. However, the Z87-GD65 GAMING motherboard exists and is pretty good. Maybe you meant to include that with the $1500 build.
– Luke
Author
Hey Luke!
Good eye and you are right the GD65 does exist. I forget what my initial thinking was, but you may be right in the inclusion of the GD65…however I think I did decide to just include the G45 due to pricing at the time. Honestly, good eye though!
Well, thanks to you guys I decided to build my first PC! I’m using the $600 build but instead of the NZXT case, I’m going with the alternative Cooler Master Elite 430 case (which ended up being $25 after rebates and promo codes on NewEgg) and the WD Blue 1TB drive. I also added an ASUS DVD burner and an Encore Wireless Network card. All of this after rebates ended up being around $625. Totally worth the price, judging by the specs, but I’m still waiting till the middle of next week for my parts to arrive. Thanks guys!
Hey Guys,
Can anyone recommend a mini wifi card for my mPCIe combo card 2 on my maximus 6 gene mobo, the only ones i can find are for laptops?
Thanks,
Joe
never mind, haha decided to go with the hero.
Author
Hope it works!
Author
Hey Thomas,
Congrats on going with the $600 build and good job on making it your own! I hope it all works out, let me know 🙂
We would like to see high end AMD builds (using if possible the 8350), with price range >$1200
Please dont forget the AMD users.
Thank you.
Author
Hey George,
Hey no worries we all love the AMD users. One individual you might want to contact is Obit, who writes an AMD article once and a while here. IUf you send him a note I bet he’d be more then willing to write an up to date high end AMD builds article. Just send a note to https://newbcomputerbuild.com/contact/
Will the $600 unit run league of legends on max settings?
Most definitely. LOL is not the most graphics intensive game if you know what i mean.
I can support Joe with his response. He is correct, LoL doesn’t require to much graphical power so the $600 build will be able to support ultra just fine.
Author
Thanks you two for the input, and yes they are correct, the $600 build should have no problem achieving max settings.
Hey Corey,
Just got a quick question for you, i realize the risks of raid 0 and the speed deficits that raid 1 can cause. So, is it possible to run to samsung 120gb pro series SSDs in raid 0 and then select one drive to run RAID 1 with my WD Black Caviar 1 tb hdd. all the speed of raid 0 none of the deficits of raid 1.
Thanks again,
Joe.
typo sorry i meant two ssds not to, haha.
Author
Hey Joe great question.
If I understand correctly, I don’t think I would include the Western Digital Caviar Black in the RAID array at all, since the speed of the drives may be hindered to that of the Western Digital and the rest of the Western Digital space would not be useable. At least thats what my understanding would be (never done it this way). I would also assume the performance increase of two SSD’s in RAID might not be super noticeable either – again I may be wrong. This may be a worthwhile question to post over at the Toms Hardware forums for clarification.
I would also be interested in a proper answer
Thanks Corey,
I just might do that.
Just wanted to say I love the monthly builds you write up here. For sure going to use it once I build my computer, hopefully in a couple of months.
Keep up the good work.
Author
Very much appreciated Justin! Pop back at any time when you decide to build or if you have any questions.
Some beautiful builds this month. I have been waiting for these builds, and the addition of Haswell and GTX 700 series has definitely made the wait worth it.
PS: Noticed a slight typo.
When you’re describing the case in the $1000 build, you exclaim that the case is good for its sub $1000 price tag.
Author
Thank you very much Luke. And thanks for the catch on the typo, that would have made it one heck of a case being just below $1000 hey?