Please evaluate my budget gaming PC

[aa8y]

Hello everyone. This is my first post in the AnandTech forums. I am trying to build a budget gaming PC and would like your opinions on that. Here's the configuration.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.77 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI Z97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($67.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: *XFX Radeon R9 280 3GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Case: *Antec Three Hundred Two ATX Mid Tower Case ($57.00 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $683.73
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-19 12:30 EST-0500

Just FYI, I did not include the OS in the build as Microsoft provides the students at our university with the OS and Office suite 🙂

 

[ElFenix]

that power supply is vast overkill

other than maybe tossing in an inexpensive tower cooler (more quiet than the stock intel HSF), it's fine.

 

[aa8y]

I agree, for now. But I kept it just in case I have to add another GPU in CrossFire. Also, I'll be adding another HDD, an SSD, an optical drive and more RAM in the future. Would you still call it an overkill?

 

[ElFenix]

I agree, for now. But I kept it just in case I have to add another GPU in CrossFire. Also, I'll be adding another HDD, an SSD, an optical drive and more RAM in the future. Would you still call it an overkill?

it'd be ok in xfire. if you're not building it as a xfire system off the bat you probably won't do it though. new GPUs in a couple years will offer new features and take 1/3 the power with no xfire hassle (same goes for SLI), so people almost always just go new GPU rather than xfire or SLI.

 

[aa8y]

it'd be ok in xfire. if you're not building it as a xfire system off the bat you probably won't do it though. new GPUs in a couple years will offer new features and take 1/3 the power with no xfire hassle (same goes for SLI), so people almost always just go new GPU rather than xfire or SLI.

I do agree to that. Would you say EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply is a better choice then?

 

[mfenn]

I do agree to that. Would you say EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply is a better choice then?

Yes, it would.

Other comments:

- Mobo: The PC Mate is a pretty cut down Z97 board, making a lot of sacrifices to get that chipset. Since you can't overclock anyway, I would grab a nicer H97 board like the ASRock H97M Pro4.
- RAM: A single DIMM will work, but for best performance you should get a dual channel kit like this G.Skill.

 

[ElFenix]

- RAM: A single DIMM will work, but for best performance you should get a dual channel kit like this G.Skill.

the very few tests i've seen where the reviewers bothered, dual channel hasn't made an impact.

and frankly, as far as upgrade-ability goes i'd rather just try to get 2 sticks total to play nice (easily done) than 4 (always a tad more difficult, in my experience).