Decent AMD APU Budget Build

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/PvGGnQ

Bored, playing around.. I think this is a pretty decent build though

Your mistake is you are building with an APU and a very expensive one at that. The 6800k Richalnd isn't significantly slower in game and it is much cheaper but what you really should do is ditch the APU all together,

Get an Athlon 760k.

Cheaper motherboard.

Cheaper RAM (The 1866 you have isn't needed for a build without an APU. That being said 1866 isn't that fast. with an APU you really want 2000Mhz+)

That case is meh but that is personal choice.

You may be able to find a cheaper PSU. The CX500s can be had for cheap.

You don't need an ODD.

Lastly is the GPU. An R7 260X, 750 Ti, R7 265, R9 270...

Any of those would be faster than the APU and all except perhaps the 270 would be cheaper too.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/sYGGnQ

Cheaper and will run rings around the APU.

Hmmm I suppose, though a lot of people don't know how to make a bootable thumb drive; but of course the entire thing is optional... Really though I'm just trying to make a cheap gaming pc for the fun of it ;P

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/dktgQ7

Well your build isn't bad but I honestly can't recommend the 260X. It just isn't very powerful. For only a little bit more you could get the 750Ti or the 265 or as I have shown the 270. Which are all much better cards with a much better price to performance ratio.

Yeah, I wouldn't even bother with an A10-6800k. The stock cooler on these high end APUs is shit and their TJMax is really low. Add up the difference between an APU and an Athlon x4 as well as that of 1600 MHz RAM as apposed to 2133 and you get close to having enough for a dedicated GPU. Add in the cost of the heatsink and its pretty much the same price.

HSA or mini-ITX overclocking with AMD is about the only reason to bother with A10s imo. At least I've yet to see any other reason.

That said, some of the lower end APUs make great office or even media systems.