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budget gaming PC build

Seems like a decent build. Using that guide as a template, just shop the specials to find cheaper prices on some of the components, like RAM, HDD, and case, maybe enough to bump up to an i5. The biggest question on the mobo and case is do you need USB3.0 ports up front? If so, make sure you get a mobo with a USB3.0 header and a case with 3.0 ports... not all H81 mobos have the header.
 
It's okay, but ideally I don't think you'd want to get an i3 nowadays. It's only a dual-core and all software is moving now more towards multi-threading, including gaming.

I would suggest you change the CPU for a Core i5. That would make for a more balanced system overall.

I would suggest:

Intel Core i5-4570: $190
BIOSTAR B85S3+ Motherboard: $60
Kingston 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3-1600: $65
XFX Radeon R9 280X 3GB DD: $310
Seagate Barracuda 7200.14 1TB: $55
Rosewill Redbone U3 Case: $50
Rosewill RG630-S12 80 Plus Power Supply: $60

Total: $735, including shipping.

This is a much, much better build all around. The Core i5 is the best gaming processor you can buy for the money, and a much smarter choice than the i3 given it's a quad-core. The motherboard costs the same, but has a lot more features including back and front panel USB 3.0, SATA 6Gbps, 4x DIMM slots, and 7-channel audio. RAM has the same specs, but from my experience Kingston is the most reliable RAM manufacturer.

The 280X is a smarter choice than the GTX 770. It has a 384-bit bus compared to 256-bit, and 1GB additional VRAM. Both of those come into play in newer games that use higher resolution textures and when you apply anti-aliasing; many games are getting close to hitting a VRAM limit with the 770 when running at the highest settings. The Barracuda makes the most sense because it's cheaper than the WD Blue and as of now the 7200.14 is the fastest 7200RPM consumer HDD around. Finally, that power supply makes a lot more sense for the money given the 280X does consume a decent amount of power and that 630W version is only $5 more than the 530W. It also comes with the required 1x8-pin and 1x6-pin PCIe configuration to run the graphics card. The need for an optical drive is questionable now-a-days given you can just install Windows from a flash drive, but if you need it, you can grab one for $20 bringing the cost only $5 over budget to $755. Still a bit cheaper, and this will be a decent amount faster.
 
or you could get a PNY XLR8 120gb SSD for $59, and buy a HDD later on.
(also, some would say the 770 is the better card, but whatever)
 
Tom's Hardware Guide is a nice outline as a starting point. You can go to www.pcpartpicker.com to find the latest prices of various computer components and who has the lowest price. And there are reviews of people's builds. It will list some site's combo deals too.
If your friend is not o/c'ing then he can save money by getting either a H81 or H85 or B85 motherboard depending upon which features are important for him to have.
 
Alright, there is going to be some serious bottlenecking with that GPU and CPU. I would even it out to a Core i5 and a GTX 750 Ti, GTX 760, or AMD R9 270X.
 
Your power supply is the heart of your system and the last thing you want is for it to take out the rest of your system when it decides to hiccup. Don't cheap out on the PSU, get a well known reliable brand even if it costs $10-20 more.
 
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