June's Monthly LAN Party System Build: Budget Edition

Hello all PC gamers, and welcome to the Monthly LAN Party System Build for the month of June! I apologize for the lack of issues for the previous two months, but we can assure you the monthly article is here to stay. In this month's issue, we are going to take a look at a recommended rig that will be play most games "up to" medium settings. Lately, games such as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and the DOOM reboot require more power and thus higher specifications, so we want to help you build a budget rig that will play them without the backlash of poor framerates and overheating. Odds are you are the kind of gamer that isn't too concerned with the most fancy of graphics, so this setup should suit you fine. With that said, we welcome you to the BUDGET EDITION of the LAN Party System Build. Here are the specs, links and discount codes to get you started:

June's Recommended Build
$606.91 after discounts! (Shipping Included)

The Processor:

Intel Core i3-4160 Haswell Dual-core 3.6 GHz LGA 1150
At $119.99, this processor is high-end for budgets, capable of running powerful games with ease. In fact, it can run The Witcher 3 just fine. The benchmarking for the processor is quite powerful for the budget, which can be seen at www.cpubenchmark.com.

The Motherboard:

ASRock H97 Pro4
Only $83.99, the ASRock's H97 Pro4 is a moderate speed motherboard that supports a maximum of 16GB, dual channels, and DDR3 1600 RAM. It can also support triple monitors, six SATA3 Ports, six USB 3.0, and six USB 2.0. Easy to install and efficient, this motherboard is a great fit for your gaming needs.

The Memory (RAM):

Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB Single DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) CL9 @1.5V UDIMM 240-Pin Memory
When it comes to gaming, winning is everything. The Crucial Ballistix Sport is cheap, being only $55.97 but carries the air of gaming quality. Designed for enthusiasts and mainstream users, this RAM provides the speed you're looking for. Its aluminum heat spreaders will provide the shield needed to protect this beast, so you can enjoy longer gaming sessions.

The Video Card:

Sapphire Dual-X 100373L Radeon R9 280 3GB 384-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 CrossFireX Support
Boasting a sleek display, 3GB of the latest GDDR5 memory, 1792 stream processors, and support for DirectX 11.2 and the latest 4K displays, it's no surprise this card is a fan favorite at a budget-friendly price of $169.99. A solid video card from a solid brand, you can guarantee smooth play in online mode in DOOM.

The Hard Drive:

Seagate 1TB Desktop HDD SATA 6GB/s 64MB 3.5 inch
Bearing more than enough space to support space-hogs like The Witcher 3 and Grand Theft Auto V, this $44.99 HDD provides dependable performance with AcuTrac servo technology, boosts overall performance by as much as 45% over the previous generation, and delivers a simple, transparent migration to Advanced Format 4K sectors with Seagate Smart Align.

The Power Supply:

Antec High Current Gamer HCG-620M, 80 PLUS BRONZE, 620 Watt Modular Power Supply
Even stating in the title, the power supply is built for the modern gamer, guaranteeing 620W of continuous, brutal power. To complement the wattage, the supply contains a thermal manager and a circuit shield to protect the power supply from any unfortunate happenstances. Equipped with 10-pin sockets and all high-performance Japanese capacitors, this power supply is mean and perfect for power-hungry games.

The System Case:

Cooler Master HAF 912
For the small price of $59.99, this case can be considered a god. The HAF 912 is optimized for water cooling outlets, providing high airflow. It also supports two 120mm radiator fans, and includes a top platform for storing personal belongings. It can also hold up to two 3.5" or 2.5"/1.8" HDD/SSDs and has removable dust filters.

Hopefully this bit of information has helped guide you in deciding your next build. For further tips or if you have any questions, feel free to comment!