Need Advice For A New $600 PC Build

Hi Guys and Gals,

I am completely new to building pc's and choosing components. I've been doing as much research as I can but it's all going over my head. I need a build for mostly gaming, streaming (netflix, etc.) and listening to music. I would like it to just be a solid all around PC and I would like it to be AMD based just to get more bang for my buck. My budget is around $600. Could you please help me?

 

Thanks,

 

GoldenGraham86

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zPRN

This one is nice if you need windows 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zPTO

Or this one with out windows

Thanks a lot!! I guess my only question would be what's the performance difference between an SSD and a normal internal hard drive? Also, would I be better served with a 6-core processor like a FX-6100 over the quad-core Phenom? Again, thanks so much for the info. I really appreciate it.

 

-GoldenGraham86

From what I know about SSD's vs HDD's it boils down to this.  

SSD's will give you faster load times i.e. load windows faster, load your games faster, etc.  If you are gaming with this build, an SSD will not increase your framerates and they are more expensive than HDD's.  

HDD's however give you more storage for your money but typically are slower to read and write than an SSD.  

I've been debating for my build for over a month whether to get one or not, and I've come to the conclusion that if you can afford to get one, do so!  Ideally you'll want an SSD that can hold your OS and a few games, and then back that up with a HDD for storage but it depends on your budget.

I'll try to see what I can come up with to help you with your build and let others brainstorm off that.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zQmg - This is modeled after ragingh4vok's build without windows with my own tweaks.

Here are the reasons I picked what I picked.  

First of all you'll notice no ram, the motherboard here comes with free ram right now G.Skill DDR 3 at 1600Mhz so if you order soon, you won't have to buy ram which I put that savings into the graphics card and case.

Secondly, I switched the WD hard drive to a Seagate Barrcuda of the same size (same size slightly less cost)

Thirdly, I upgraded the graphics card to a 7870 which is a killer card for your price point.

Also, the case I've suggested has good reviews at a good price point for what you are trying to do.

You said your budget is around $600 so I'm assuming you might be able to put $20 more than the posted $600?  If not I'm sure you could downgrade the Video Card to a 7850, but a 7870 would take care of most if not all of your gaming needs.

Also, I had to upgrade the power supply slightly to support the 7870, if you can't put the extra $20 into the build just downgrade the Video Card and downgrade the Power Supply as well.  In general you want somewhere in the neighborhood of 100W more than you need just in case of upgrades or the hot days of summer when your Power Supply has to work harder.

This is just my take on it, I'm sure there are better configs out there, good luck with your build!

Thanks a lot for the help you guys!!! So, taking into account everything that you guys have showed me, this is the build that I've come up with so far. 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zQC9

Anything look out of place or am I wasting money anywhere?

Thanks,

GoldenGraham86

Looks like a pretty solid setup to me at the $650ish range.  Good catch on the PSU going up to 500W, I pasted the wrong link and didn't catch it until now, arrgg I should know better than that!  Also upgrading to the 212 EVO is a good move too.

Looks like you've got your bases covered in my humble opinion.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zRlE

or

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zRlf

and find a cheap optical drive.