General

Tech

How much does it cost to build a good gaming pc?

Could I make a decent one with 700$, or would I need more?

February 21, 2015

13 Comments • Newest first

hyperfire7

[quote=GreatRomantic]Do you want to play Crysis 3/BF4/other graphics-intensive games @ 60+ FPS at Ultra/Max settings? Then nope. For that, you would need a $2000-2500 budget minimum (trust me ---- parts are expensive at that level).[/quote]
It's not 2008 anymore.
If you were playing those triple A titles at 1600p then yes, you would need around a $2k budget.
However 1080p is still the default standard for most gamers, and for 1080p a $900~1000 build will easily max out triple A titles at 60+ FPS.
[quote=GreatRomantic]Otherwise, games like Maplestory and League of Legends can do 60+ fps with like $600-1000+ budget.[/quote]
Again, if you were playing less-intensive games like Maple and LoL at 4K, you would need a budget closer to $1k.
But for 1080p even a $400 budget will max them out (but I don't recommend building a gaming rig with just $400 because you're actually getting less for your money).

So stop exaggerating please.

@Pirate4Eva: It's basil. It has and will be always filled with uninformed people trying to give advice on things they barely know about.

@Rollsback:
Anyways back on topic.
YES, a $700 gaming rig will be able to play even triple A titles at high settings with reasonable FPS.
[url=http://pcpartpicker.com/guide/hNPxFT/modest-gaming-build]Here is a $800 build courtesy of pcpartpicker.com[/url]
I really recommend going with that build, but if you MUST stick with a $700 budget, you have 3 options to cut back the price:

1) Skip getting an SSD and save $60. While SSDs do not impact the performance of games, it loads all programs (not just games) multiple times faster than any traditional HDD can. Personally, I don't recommend going this route; an SSD is a must for me. If you do plan on getting an SSD, get the [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148819]Crucial MX 100[/url].
2) Cut back on the GPU. While playing triple A titles like Crysis 3 and Shadow of Mordor at ultra settings is great, if they are not the focus of your gaming, you can cut back down to a GTX 750Ti and save $100.. The 750Ti is still a great card that will easily max out casual games like Maple and LoL; it can also play triple A titles at 1080p at high settings.
3) Cut back on the CPU. If you solely plan on gaming with that rig, skip the Core i5-4460 and get a Core i3-4130 and save $60.

Reply February 21, 2015 - edited
123abt

@iDrinkOJ: My friends have all done it themselves soooo. They dropped 500 dollars and made a comp valued to about 1k. My cousin owns his own computer company and he even tells me that what you pay for a comp is twice the price that it should have been. You literally just explained to me what a custom pc is. Obviously if youre gonna build your own setup you get the parts you want and not put complete garbage. My cousin has offered me a comp with similar specs in your other post for less than a grand.

Reply February 21, 2015 - edited
Pirate4Eva

[quote=GreatRomantic]Do you want to play Crysis 3/BF4/other graphics-intensive games @ 60+ FPS at Ultra/Max settings? Then nope. For that, you would need a $2000-2500 budget minimum (trust me ---- parts are expensive at that level).

Otherwise, games like Maplestory and League of Legends can do 60+ fps with like $600-1000+ budget.[/quote]

B4 doesn't require a 2k computer.......

I swear some of the replies in this thread make me laugh. 650-850 builds can run almost anything @1080p maxed out.... Specially with the GTX 970 being so affordable.

Reply February 21, 2015 - edited
iDrinkOJ

[quote=123abt]The cost of building a desktop is roughly about half the cost of buying one. So what you build with 500 bucks is like a 1k comp. Obviously it may or may not be entirely accurate but all of my friends have done it. Just do your research before anything. Understand why you need X part over Y part. Some pieces arent as important as you think it is.[/quote]

You don't know what you are talking about. You don't really save tons of money. Definite not half off. What you get is specific parts that you want. If you buy a generic PC what you get is low end integrated stuff with no room for expansion and junk programs installed; but you do get the warranty on the pc.
Source: I built 5 computers (exaggerated)

Reply February 21, 2015 - edited
123abt

The cost of building a desktop is roughly about half the cost of buying one. So what you build with 500 bucks is like a 1k comp. Obviously it may or may not be entirely accurate but all of my friends have done it. Just do your research before anything. Understand why you need X part over Y part. Some pieces arent as important as you think it is.

Reply February 21, 2015 - edited
iDrinkOJ

You can build one for like 2k.

I7-4790k - 320
16GB DDR3 ram - 120
250gb ssd - 100
1TB HDD - 60
Mobo - 120
Case - 80
600w PSU - 70
GTX 970 video card - 330
24" ips LCD - 200
Mechanical keyboard - 80
Gaming Mouse - 60
CPU cooler - 30
Speakers/gaming headset - 80
Total: 1650

Reply February 21, 2015 - edited
GreatRomantic

Do you want to play Crysis 3/BF4/other graphics-intensive games @ 60+ FPS at Ultra/Max settings? Then nope. For that, you would need a $2000-2500 budget minimum (trust me ---- parts are expensive at that level).

Otherwise, games like Maplestory and League of Legends can do 60+ fps with like $600-1000+ budget.

Reply February 21, 2015 - edited
GHSNinja

$700 will get you a decent PC, enough to rival Xbone and PS4 and then some

Reply February 21, 2015 - edited
Raginroxas

Oh yea 700 dollars should be wayyyy more then enough. I spent 850 on mine and its a beast!

Reply February 21, 2015 - edited
Dragonyx

Oh hell yeah, 700 dollars easy. Just build it and you'd end up saving like 100 bucks.

Reply February 21, 2015 - edited
Anthorix

yup, just search for latest budget builds with criticism posts and you can create an idea of what to buy

i think its cpu+mobo compatibility

Operating system+ssd or hdd

graphics card

psu

Reply February 21, 2015 - edited
Chema

$700 is more than enough
Unless you plan to play crisis on a 4K monitor at 120 FPS

Reply February 21, 2015 - edited
ClawAssassin1

i think a bit less for a decent gaming pc? o.o

Reply February 21, 2015 - edited