PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
| Type | Item | Price |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i3-4150 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor | $105.99 @ SuperBiiz |
| Motherboard | ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $79.89 @ OutletPC |
| Memory | Crucial Ballistix Sport 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $28.99 @ Amazon |
| Memory | Crucial Ballistix Sport 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $28.99 @ Amazon |
| Storage | Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $47.99 @ NCIX US |
| Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card | $209.99 @ Amazon |
| Case | Corsair Air 240 MicroATX Mid Tower Case | $0.00 |
| Power Supply | Corsair CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply | $59.99 @ Amazon |
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts | ||
| Total | $561.83 | |
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-25 07:33 EST-0500 |
This should serve you nicely.
CPU: One of the best budget gaming chips. Mobo: Spent a bit more for an H97 so your friend can upgrade to Broadwell when it comes out. RAM: Standard dual-channel Storage: Also standard GPU: Should get slightly better performance than an R9 280, which will max out most if not all 1080p games. Power: Also spent more here so your friend could use it for awhile if he chooses to upgrade the graphics card or decides he wants watercooling. Semi-Modular will make cable management a breeze and will make the case through the window look fantastic.