Help my friend build a gaming PC

[Teeteegone]

Hey all, I've got a friend who's looking to get a new PC around christmas, but he's confused on what parts to get it.
His budget is at least $900, but he might be able to go a little higher if he needs to. He already has a keyboard and mouse, but doesn't have anything else for a PC.
I'll direct any questions to him.

[Knight Vista]

What games does he plan on playing?

Does he do any video editing, 3d modeling, photoshopping?

Does he plan on overclocking?

[Teeteegone]

[QUOTE=KnightVista;46278486]What games does he plan on playing?

Does he do any video editing, 3d modeling, photoshopping?

Does he plan on overclocking?[/QUOTE]

He plays a wide variety of games, so it's hard to say. When I asked him, he did mention he wants to able able to run MGSV well.
He doesn't do any editing or stuff like that.
He said he doesn't plan on it, but he said he's open to it if it's necessary.

[editline]19th October 2014[/editline]

I should also point out he's looking for a site that he can get this assembled from, as he's too worried about fucking up the building process.

[Knight Vista]

Eh there's not much I can help you with there, if he does plan on buying a prebuilt from a site like cyberpowerpc he's gonna end up paying a lot of markup and shipping.

[Teeteegone]

[QUOTE=KnightVista;46278906]Eh there's not much I can help you with there, if he does plan on buying a prebuilt from a site like cyberpowerpc he's gonna end up paying a lot of markup and shipping.[/QUOTE]

He's choosing the parts himself, rather than getting a prebuilt.

[RandomGamer342]

Where does your friend live? Parts cost different things in different countries, even disregarding sales, so we'd need country and budget in respective $/£/€

[Teeteegone]

He's somewhere in Michigan. His budget's about $900, but he's able to go a little higher should he need to.

[Triot]

[QUOTE=Gen. Crumpets;46278723]He plays a wide variety of games, so it's hard to say. When I asked him, he did mention he wants to able able to run MGSV well.
He doesn't do any editing or stuff like that.
He said he doesn't plan on it, but he said he's open to it if it's necessary.

[editline]19th October 2014[/editline]

I should also point out he's looking for a site that he can get this assembled from, as he's too worried about fucking up the building process.[/QUOTE]

He can save a fair bit of extra cash by deciding to not overclock. It's a fun luxury that isn't really necessary in a lot of situations for gaming. It can help extend the product performance in the future though whenever it starts to become dated.

PC stores like Micro Center or a local one can build your PC from your own parts for a modest fee. Be aware though that they can try to push you into buying different parts from sales pressure.
For a web shop you can get NCIXUS to do it for you for a modest fee.

[QUOTE=Gen. Crumpets;46279143]He's choosing the parts himself, rather than getting a prebuilt.[/QUOTE]

Has he already chosen what parts wants? If so you can post us his current list and we can help make adjustments if needed.

[Teeteegone]

[QUOTE=Triot;46286645]He can save a fair bit of extra cash by deciding to not overclock. It's a fun luxury that isn't really necessary in a lot of situations for gaming. It can help extend the product performance in the future though whenever it starts to become dated.

PC stores like Micro Center or a local one can build your PC from your own parts for a modest fee. Be aware though that they can try to push you into buying different parts from sales pressure.
For a web shop you can get NCIXUS to do it for you for a modest fee.

Has he already chosen what parts wants? If so you can post us his current list and we can help make adjustments if needed.[/QUOTE]

He hasn't chosen the parts, because he doesn't know too much about PCs and doesn't want to fuck it up. I'll let him know about MicroCenter and NCIXUS.

[kuzimoto]

I'm no professional PC builder, but I just put together a fairly decent system for what you're asking.

[url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gCngCJ]PCPartPicker part list[/url] / [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gCngCJ/by_merchant/]Price breakdown by merchant[/url]

[b]CPU:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i54590s]Intel Core i5-4590S 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor[/url] ($169.99 @ Micro Center)
[b]Motherboard:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-motherboard-z97g45gaming]MSI Z97-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard[/url] ($127.98 @ SuperBiiz)
[b]Memory:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f312800cl9d8gbsr]G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory[/url] ($69.99 @ Newegg)
[b]Storage:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd10ezex]Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive[/url] ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
[b]Video Card:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-video-card-n770tf2gd5oc]MSI GeForce GTX 770 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card[/url] ($235.66 @ Newegg)
[b]Power Supply:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-s12ii620bronze]SeaSonic S12II 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply[/url] ($68.98 @ Newegg)
[b]Total:[/b] $727.58
[i]Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available[/i]
[i]Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-23 15:19 EDT-0400[/i]

So the only thing I left out is the case, Operating system, and optical drive. The case is pretty subjective, try to just find one that's $50-$100. Doesn't need to look fancy, but try to find one with openings and space behind the motherboard for cable management. I don't know if you already have a copy of windows, but you can get one for ~$100 at [url=http://www.outletpc.com/c5740.html?utm_source=c5740&utm_medium=shopping%2Bengine&utm_campaign=pcpartpicker&utm_content=Microsoft%2B-%2BSoftware%20%2F%20OS%20%3E%20Microsoft%20Windows%207]outletpc.com[/url]. As for optical drive, you can steal one from another computer, or buy a cheap one for $15-$20.

I guess you could also throw in an SSD if he is so inclined. They are getting cheaper, so it might be worth it to buy a 120 gig for windows and programs, then throw games on the 1 TB.

Anyone want to double check the build? I tried to go for the cheapest, but still reliable and good rated parts.

[Teeteegone]

Bumping this with an update, the absolute max price is now $900, but might have to be cut down to $800, including monitor, case, and OS. There's a possibility he can get Windows from his cousin with no cost, but I can't confirm that.
What kuzimoto suggested was pretty good, though we could maybe cut down the RAM to 6GB and a GPU to a GTX760.

Can anyone else help me out?

[Yeskey]

if he doesn't mind AMD and needs to cut costs, he can pick up the

[b]AMD FX-6300[/b] $97.29 [url]http://pcpartpicker.com/part/amd-cpu-fd6300wmhkbox[/url]
or the factory OC'd [b]AMD FX-6350[/b] $129.49 [url]http://pcpartpicker.com/part/amd-cpu-fd6350frhkbox[/url]

They both multitask really well, a little less oomph on single thread activities than intel, but when you can utilize all the cores (like streaming or recording while playing games) it's great.
If you do get these processors, I'd highly recommend investing in an aftermarket cooler like the CM 212 EVO, great air cooling for about 30$

Personally, I have an AMD FX-6350 with the [b]Asrock 970 Extreme4[/b] mobo, fair price at 94$, but it supports dual channel ram support and is not suitable for 8 core processors.
If he wants to upgrade to an AMD FX-8000+ series later down the line, best to do a little research and pick up an asrock 990 or comparable mobo.

[Teeteegone]

[QUOTE=KangarooSteak;46429836]if he doesn't mind AMD and needs to cut costs, he can pick up the

[b]AMD FX-6300[/b] $97.29 [url]http://pcpartpicker.com/part/amd-cpu-fd6300wmhkbox[/url]
or the factory OC'd [b]AMD FX-6350[/b] $129.49 [url]http://pcpartpicker.com/part/amd-cpu-fd6350frhkbox[/url]

They both multitask really well, a little less oomph on single thread activities than intel, but when you can utilize all the cores (like streaming or recording while playing games) it's great.
If you do get these processors, I'd highly recommend investing in an aftermarket cooler like the CM 212 EVO, great air cooling for about 30$

Personally, I have an AMD FX-6350 with the [b]Asrock 970 Extreme4[/b] mobo, fair price at 94$, but it supports dual channel ram support and is not suitable for 8 core processors.
If he wants to upgrade to an AMD FX-8000+ series later down the line, best to do a little research and pick up an asrock 990 or comparable mobo.[/QUOTE]

I'd rather avoid an AMD CPU for him, I had one in the past and didn't have an amazing experience with it, and there's always the Intel G3248 if we need to cut down on CPU costs.

[Levelog]

Alright, I'd recommend this. It's an excellent system from a price/performance ratio. It'll be able to play newer games on high with some AA stuff on medium, and leaves a great platform to build up from in the future if he chooses. If it's alright with him, mind telling me what part of Michigan? I'm right on the border, and I can look for some local deals if he's around me.

[url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/s9K7yc]PCPartPicker part list[/url] / [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/s9K7yc/by_merchant/]Price breakdown by merchant[/url]

[b]CPU:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i34150]Intel Core i3-4150 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor[/url] ($114.99 @ NCIX US)
[b]Motherboard:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gah97md3h]Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard[/url] ($86.98 @ OutletPC)
[b]Memory:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/team-memory-tzyd38g1600hc9dc01]Team Zeus Yellow 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory[/url] ($67.99 @ Newegg)
[b]Storage:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st1000dm003]Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive[/url] ($53.99 @ Amazon)
[b]Video Card:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-02gp42763kr]EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB ACX Video Card[/url] ($179.99 @ NCIX US)
[b]Case:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-case-nse200kkn1]Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case[/url] ($39.99 @ NCIX US)
[b]Power Supply:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-power-supply-p1550sxxb9]XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply[/url] ($50.99 @ Amazon)
[b]Operating System:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/microsoft-os-885370635690]Microsoft Windows 8.1 - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit)[/url] ($90.26 @ OutletPC)
[b]Monitor:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/aoc-monitor-i2269vw]AOC I2269VW 60Hz 21.5" Monitor[/url] ($119.99 @ Best Buy)
[b]Total:[/b] $805.17
[i]Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available[/i]
[i]Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-07 03:00 EST-0500[/i]

[Teeteegone]

[QUOTE=Levelog;46429884]Alright, I'd recommend this. It's an excellent system from a price/performance ratio. It'll be able to play newer games on high with some AA stuff on medium, and leaves a great platform to build up from in the future if he chooses. If it's alright with him, mind telling me what part of Michigan? I'm right on the border, and I can look for some local deals if he's around me.

[url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/s9K7yc]PCPartPicker part list[/url] / [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/s9K7yc/by_merchant/]Price breakdown by merchant[/url]

[b]CPU:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i34150]Intel Core i3-4150 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor[/url] ($114.99 @ NCIX US)
[b]Motherboard:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gah97md3h]Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard[/url] ($86.98 @ OutletPC)
[b]Memory:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/team-memory-tzyd38g1600hc9dc01]Team Zeus Yellow 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory[/url] ($67.99 @ Newegg)
[b]Storage:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st1000dm003]Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive[/url] ($53.99 @ Amazon)
[b]Video Card:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-02gp42763kr]EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB ACX Video Card[/url] ($179.99 @ NCIX US)
[b]Case:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-case-nse200kkn1]Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case[/url] ($39.99 @ NCIX US)
[b]Power Supply:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-power-supply-p1550sxxb9]XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply[/url] ($50.99 @ Amazon)
[b]Operating System:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/microsoft-os-885370635690]Microsoft Windows 8.1 - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit)[/url] ($90.26 @ OutletPC)
[b]Monitor:[/b] [url=http://pcpartpicker.com/part/aoc-monitor-i2269vw]AOC I2269VW 60Hz 21.5" Monitor[/url] ($119.99 @ Best Buy)
[b]Total:[/b] $805.17
[i]Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available[/i]
[i]Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-07 03:00 EST-0500[/i][/QUOTE]

This is awesome, I'll let him know about it and ask whereabouts he is when I get a chance.

[Levelog]

Minus the RAM and PSU (Different brands), I've built that exact system about a dozen or so times. It runs nice and quiet.

[Teeteegone]

Also, I've been looking into replacing my R9 280X in my own PC, which has had faults and runs quite warm even when on idle. I've been considering a GTX770, but I'm not entirely sure. NVIDIA is my preference.

Edit: Spoke with my friend, he says he's in the Grand Rapids area. Not sure which border you're on, but there you go.
Also, I'm stuck on what CPU cooler he should get. There's a lot of choices, with a lot of different prices.