January 2014 Gaming PC Builds

January & February 2014 Budget Gaming PC Builds ( $600 – $1000 & $1500 )

Gaming PC Builds – Jan. & Feb. 2014

Choose your budget –

January 2014 Gaming PC BuildsIntroduction:

Happy new year and welcome to the first Gaming PC builds for the year of 2014 here at Newb Computer Build. Over the last little while not much has happened except for some major price changes in hardware such as RAM and some major Graphics Cards. This month I have included both the months of January and February since I was quite late getting January’s builds going, so here they both.

A great mention this month is the exciting Consumer Electronics (CES 2014) show that went on earlier in the month that always includes a bunch of cool pc hardware and building gear. For a small example you may see maximumpc’s 10 Coolest Things We Saw at CES 2014.

This month the $600 gaming pc build of the month boasts very much the same power, however we have changed the RAM due to some crazy price fluctuations. As well, we have changed out the previous motherboard that shot up in price as well for an MSI 970-G46.

The $1000 build for January 2014 once again includes the MSI G43 Z87 Gaming Series motherboard as it has previously before and it still includes the primary graphics card as being the GTX 760 since the newer R9 280X graphics card is at some crazy price. As the same goes for every build this month, the $1000 build was also affected by higher RAM prices, although it does use the same 8GB kit as the $600 build. For a case, the $1000 build uses the Gunmetal Phantom 410 mid tower PC.

This month, for the $1500 I have changed things up slightly. I have been able to bump the graphics power up quite significantly by going with an EVGA NVIDIA GTX 780 graphics card. I was able to do this by bumping back the solid state drive capacity, but increasing its quality and speed to a Samsung  EVO 120GB. So we get more speed although a little bit less capacity in our start-up drive. We also have the Raidmax AGUSTA as the pc case of choice this month for the $1500 build.

$600 Gaming PC Build of the Month

Monthly Gaming PC Build ( $605 ): January & February 2014

(Game at Smoothly with Medium – High settings at 1920X1080 resolutions)

Gaming PC Build Recipe:

 
Hardware Link
Estimated Price: $ 605
Processor 

 

AMD FX-6300 FX-Series Six-Core Processor Edition, Black AM3 FD6300WMHKBOX 

 

(*Lowered Price)Price: $114.29

Motherboard 

 

MSI Computer Corp. Motherboard North Bridge AMD 970 & South Bridge AMD SB950 Chipset ATX DDR3 800 AMD AM3+ Motherboards (970A-G46)
 
 
 
Price: $79.99
Graphics Card 

 

Gigabyte R9 270 GDDR5-2GB 2xDVI/HDMI/DP OC Graphics Card (GV-R927OC-2GD)
 
 
 
 
Price: $179.99
RAM 

 

 

Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) CL9 @1.5V UDIMM 240-Pin Memory BLS2CP4G3D1609DS1S00 

 

Price: $79.32

Hard Drive 

WD Blue 1 TB Desktop Hard Drive: 3.5 Inch, 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64 MB Cache – WD10EZEX 

Price: $59.99

Power Supply 

 

Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus 500w Power Supply (RS500-PCARD3-US) 

 

Price: $44.99

Computer Case 

 

Rosewill Dual Fans ATX Mid Tower Computer Case FB-03 

 

Price: $29.99

Optical Drive 

 

Samsung Optical Drive SH-224DB/BEBE 

 

Price: $20.99

Overview: $600 Gaming PC Build

This month we have changed out the previous motherboard that shot up in price as well for an MSI 970-G46.The RAM brand was changed to a Crucial Ballistix due to some price fluctuations as all RAM has inherently wen up in price.

The power supply was power supply was changed to a Cooler Master eXtreme 500W PSU that includes the perfect amount of juice we need for this build.

Overall the $600 is a great starting build for any gamer who wants to game on a budget – especially with a Radon R9 270 graphics card that is capable of an average frame rate around 70FPS at resolutions of 1920×1080.

Upgrades / Alternatives for the $600 Gaming PC Build:

The upgrades and alternatives this month include an upgraded eight core AMD FX-8320 processor, a better cooler master elite 430 case, better graphics quality with an EVGA GeForce GTX 760 graphics card or some more head room with a Corsair Series CX series 600W PSU.

These are here to act as hardware suggestions for those who has either a little more to spend or those who would like

Processor Alternative: AMD FX-8320 Eight-Core Processor Black Edition AM3+ FD8320FRHKBOX ($154.29)
Alternative PC Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 – Mid Tower Computer Case with All-Black Interior and Windowed Side Panel ($49.99)
Graphics Card Alternative: EVGA GeForce GTX760 w/EVGA ACX Cooler 2GB GDDR5 256bit, Dual-Link DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI,DP, SLI Ready Graphics Card (02G-P4-2763-KR) Graphics Cards 02G-P4-2763-KR ($259.95)
Corsair Builder Series CX 600 Watt ATX/EPS  80 PLUS (CX600)($69.99)

$1000 Gaming PC Build - Newb Computer Build

Monthly Gaming PC Build ( $997 ): January & February 2014

Gaming PC Build Recipe:

Capability: Game with Extreme settings at 1920X1080 resolutions and even High Settings in some games at 2560×1600

Hardware Link
Estimated Price: $ 997
Processor 

 

Intel Core i5-4670K Quad-Core Desktop Processor 3.4 GHZ 6 MB Cache – BX80646I54670K 

 

Price: $235

Cooler

 

 

Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO – CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan (RR-212E-20PK-R2) 

 

Price: $36.00

Motherboard 

 

MSI Computer Corp. ATX DDR3 2000 LGA 1150 Motherboards Z87-G43 GAMING 

 

Price: $144.99

Graphics Card 

 

EVGA GeForce GTX760 w/EVGA ACX Cooler 2GB GDDR5 256bit, Dual-Link DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI,DP, SLI Ready Graphics Card (02G-P4-2763-KR) Graphics Cards 02G-P4-2763-KR 

 

Price: $249.95

RAM 

 

Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) CL9 @1.5V UDIMM 240-Pin Memory BLS2CP4G3D1609DS1S00 

 

Price: $79.32

Hard Drive 

 

WD Blue 1 TB Desktop Hard Drive: 3.5 Inch, 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64 MB Cache – WD10EZEX 

 

Price: $62.00

SSD *none – check the additions / alternatives section below for options!
Power Supply 

 

XFX PRO650W Core Edition 80+ Bronze ATX 650 Energy Star Certified Power Supply 

 

Price: $90.00

Computer Case 

 

NZXT ca-ph410-g1 Phantom 410 Mid Tower USB 3.0 Gaming Case Gunmetal with Black Trim 

 

Price: $93.36

Optical Drive 

 

Samsung Optical Drive SH-224DB/BEBE 

 

Price: $20.99

Overview: Gaming PC Build ( $1000 )

The $1000 build for January 2014 once again includes the MSI G43 Z87 Gaming Series motherboard as it has in a couple of previous months paired with the Intel 4670K processor.  We have the GTX 760 since the newer R9 280X graphics card is at some crazy price, although we can be guarantee you will be able to play games at 1920×1080 at the highest settings pretty dang good.

As the same goes for every build this month, the $1000 build was also affected by higher RAM prices, although it does use the same 8GB kit as the $600 build. For a case, the $1000 build uses the Gunmetal Phantom 410 mid tower PC – we have included the Phantom cases many times before, although not the Gunmetal variety.

$1000 Gaming PC Build Additions / Alternatives

The following hardware are some build alternatives or additions that may be relevant should you have a little more you’d like to spend on your build. For about $129 you could add in an SSD Drive / Boot Drive of 128GB. Or you could increase your graphics power capacity by adding in a stronger single card with an MSI GTX 770. If you find you need more features to your motherboard, either the MSI G65 or G45 could fit the bill (as the MSI G43 for example doesn’t support SLI).  Also you can get a higher efficient CPU cooler with a Noctura CPU cooler.

These are here to act as hardware suggestions for those who has either a little more to spend or those who would like

Add a SSD Boot Drive: Samsung Electronics MZ-7PD128BW 840 Pro Series 2.5-Inch 128GB SATA 6Gbps Solid State Drive= (+ $129.99) –
Upgrade your graphics card: EVGA GeForce GTX770 SuperClocked with EVGA ACX Cooler, 2GB GDDR5 256bit, DL DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI, DP, SLI Ready Graphics Cards (02G-P4-2774-KR) ($344)
Better Motherboard – MSI G65 (Or MSI G45)  – MSI Computer Corp. Motherboard ATX DDR3 1333 LGA 1150 Motherboards Z87-GD65 GAMING Price:$189.99 Add a more efficient air CPU Cooler: Noctua 6 Dual Heatpipe with 140mm/120mm Dual SSO Bearing Fans CPU Cooler NH-D14 – Retail (Price: $74) – $10 cheaper

$1500 Gaming PC Build - Newb Computer BuildMonthly Gaming PC Build ( $1542 ): January & February 2014

Gaming PC Build Recipe:

Game with Extreme settings at resolutions of 2560×1600

Hardware Link
Estimated Price: $ 1542
Processor 

 

Intel Core i5-4670K Quad-Core Desktop Processor 3.4 GHZ 6 MB Cache – BX80646I54670K 

 

Price: $235.00

Cooler 

 

Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO – CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan (RR-212E-20PK-R2) 

 

Price: $38.99

Motherboard 

 

ASUS MAXIMUS VI HERO DDR3 2800 LGA 1150 Motherboard socket for 4th Generation Intel Core i7/ i5/ i3/ Pentium / Celeron Processors 

 

Price: $199

Graphics Card 

 

EVGA GeForce GTX780 3GB GDDR5 384bit, Dual-Link DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI,DP, SLI Ready Graphics Card (03G-P4-2781-KR) 

 

Price: $499

RAM 

 

Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB Kit (8GBx2) DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) CL9 @1.5V UDIMM 240-Pin Memory BLS2KIT8G3D1609DS1S00 

 

Price: $134.95

Hard Drive 

 

WD Blue 1 TB Desktop Hard Drive: 3.5 Inch, 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64 MB Cache – WD10EZEX 

 

Price: $62.00

SSD 

 

Samsung Electronics 840 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Single Unit Version Internal Solid State Drive MZ-7TE120BW 

 

Price: $88.99

Power Supply 

 

Corsair RM Series 750 Watt ATX/EPS 80PLUS Gold-Certified Power Supply – CP-9020055-NA RM750 

 

Price: $138.99

Computer Case 

 

Raidmax AGUSTA No Power Supply ATX Mid Tower Case (Black/White) ATX-605BWPrice: $109.99
Optical Drive 

 

Samsung Optical Drive SH-224DB/BEBE 

 

Price: $20.99

Overview: Gaming PC Build ( $1500 )

This month, for the $1500 I have changed things up slightly. I have been able to bump the graphics power up quite significantly by going with an EVGA NVIDIA GTX 780 graphics card, which I was able to do this by bumping back the solid state drive capacity – while increasing the SSD’s quality and speed to a Samsung  EVO 120GB. So we get more speed although a little bit less capacity in our start-up drive. We also have the Raidmax AGUSTA as the pc case of choice this month for the $1500 build, which has a unique hard drive storage design to go with its really unique design – it has an almost armour type look. 

Furthermore, the $1500 still has 16GB of DDR3 RAM and still includes the Asus Maximus Vi Hero Motherboard at a cheaper price and the Intel 4670K processor.

$1500 Gaming PC Build Additions / Alternatives

If you have a little extra to spend on the $1500 build, then below are a few suggestions. For those of you who do much more then game, then an Intel core i7-4770K may be a worthy upgrade to ease video or graphics work. Or if you simply want to increase you graphics card potential, then you can SLI another MSI GTX 770 or purchase a single more powerful graphics card such as the GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB card. Or for those of you who want to dedicate more storage space solely to your SSD, then perhaps a larger 512GB Samsung PRO SDD is a worthy upgrade.

Intel Core i7-4770K Quad-Core Desktop Processor 3.5 GHZ 8 MB Cache BX80646I74770K ($337.98) – Ideal for anyone who does video / graphics work etc. on top of gaming
SLI with another –
EVGA GeForce GTX780 3GB GDDR5 384bit, Dual-Link DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI,DP, SLI Ready Graphics Card (03G-P4-2781-KR) (+$519)
Get a better single Graphics Cards: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti, 3GB, 3072MB,GDDR5 384bit, Dual-Link DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI,DP, SLI Ready Graphics Card (03G-P4-2881-KR) Graphics Cards 03G-P4-2881-KR($699.99) –
A Larger SSD: Samsung Electronics 840 Pro Series 2.5-Inch 512 SATA_6_0_gb Solid State Drive MZ-7PD512BW ($419.99)


January & February 2014’s Gaming PC Hardware Overview Video:

Comments 7

  1. ok so i live is jeddah saudi arabia and shipping cost here from amazon is too expensive almost like $400 so the best way is to get the parts from these websites and they are in saudi arabia jeddah so it will be good and i can go pick up the parts from there or i can ship it with like $5 it only ships in saudi arabia and these two shops are in jeddah saudi arabia here are the links to them but continue reading before clicking

    http://www.softland.com.sa/index.php?route=product/category&path=18_46

    http://www.gltsa.com/shop/index.php?route=product/category&path=25_35

    so my only problem is that im going to build the $1000 gaming pc build my budget is 3800 saudi riyal which is $1013. my problem is that im very bad at picking parts and i need someone to pick them for me please and the parts in these two websites are not the same as amazon so check both websites on every part please i have two monitors already i need the pc and a keyboard and mouse included with the budget please this is my first time to build a pc so please also give me tips and stuff thanks if you cant dont include the keyboard and mouse in the budget build ok thanks and please pick the parts from these two websites and check every part on the two websites because sometimes its cheaper on the other and i will buy from both thanks here are the monitors i have are they good for this build. it actually used to be my dads but he gave them to me. sorry for bad english im typing in a hurry

    http://www.cnet.com/products/samsung-s27b750v-led-monitor-27/specs/

    and this one too

    http://www.cnet.com/products/lg-m237wa-lcd-monitor-23/specs/

    please reply

  2. Hello there! I built the $1000 PC Build and have run into a serious issue. I was playing a game and the computer just turned off on me, no sounds or lights or anything, and would not turn back on no matter what I did. It was working a few days before, which is why I’m so confused. Any advice?

    1. Post
      Author

      Hello Rickie,

      So sorry to hear! What I would do is follow this checklist here – http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261145-31-perform-steps-posting-post-boot-video-problems to try and diagnose the problem.

      Some of the first things I would do is make sure all the power connections are secure, make sure your heatsink it attached properly. Does the power supply power on at all or have any indication that it is on? If not, try to get in contact with XFX Support.

      Hope you get it working again!

    1. Post
      Author
  3. Great article! I’m a huge fan of the corsair power supplies and would definitely recommend getting a decent modular corsair power supply even in your lower priced builds due to the fact that these things are quality and will certainly last several years!

    There is a great list of the best gaming mice of 2014 on my personal blog which you can check out if you are interested in completing your newly built gaming beast by adding some excellent gaming peripherals!

    Cheers

    1. Post
      Author

      Hello Elliot,

      Thank you for your comment. Although I don’t generally appreciate unsolicited self promotion, I appreciate the effort. Your article does provide value to anyone searching for gaming mice and I do encourage anyone in the market for a new gaming mouse to check it out 🙂

Leave a Reply