Recommended PC builds Summer 2015

This article is a collaboration fromFerran Salguero for Put in your basket.How to collaborate

[Update 2015-09-15]
Last month Intel announced their new processors based on a new socket, making current most used socket obsolete, so now that this processors are getting widely available it is a good time to follow the prices of this setups to wait for good offers. Also our fall roundup to check for our top build with the new processors in our Recommended Skylake builds Christmas 2015 .

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Starting this summer I want to give some PC rig configurations from budget to gamer and, of course, an advanced user. Some components can be used to upgrade your existing computer, like an SSD or a new graphic card. I want to set 3 typical tiers, budget around $500, advanced $800 and top at $1200. We will use The Witcher as a benchmarking tool, as it is the recent game more demanding on your computer resources.

Budget

A good configuration for playing last year games or The Witcher 3 at low/medium quality:

• CPU: Intel Core i3-4150 $120
• Motherboard: ASRock H81M-HDS $50
• Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR3 1600 MHz $50
• Graphics: Asus Radeon R7 260X $127
• CPU Cooler: Intel stock cpu cooler included in CPU package
• Hard drive: Any WD with 7200rpm depending on your budget, from $40
• Power supply: Corsair Builder Series CX 600 $40

Total: $427
Under the initial $500 budget, probably the difference can be used to get an SSD like the 2nd tier build.

Advanced

A mid-tier PC, unlocked, The Witcher 3 at a high quality:

• CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K $230
• Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary $90
• Memory: Kingston HyperX Savage 16GB Kit (2x8GB) 1866MHz DDR3 CL9 $105
• Graphics: Sapphire Radeon R9 380 4GB $250
• CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO $35
• Hard drive: Samsung 850 EVO 250GB $100
• Power supply: Corsair Builder Series CX 600 $40

Total: $850
A little over budget but worth the extra penny, paying a little more for the 4GB video card can extend the life of this build a few years more.

Top

A top-tier PC, unlocked, The Witcher 3 at a ultra quality:

• CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K $325
• Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H-BK $135
• Memory: Kingston HyperX Savage 16GB Kit (2x8GB) 1866MHz DDR3 CL9 $105
• Graphics: Asus GTX 980 Ti 6GB $660
• CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO $35
• Hard drive: Samsung 850 Pro 256GB $140
• Power supply: Corsair Builder Series CX 600 $40

Total: $1440
Also over budget but worth paying a few extra bucks for the best video card in the market.