[Build Ready] Mid-range Gaming Computer

If I were you...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type Item Price
CPU Intel Core i3-4160 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor $108.99 @ NCIX US
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-H97M-HD3 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard $69.99 @ SuperBiiz
Memory Team Elite Plus 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory $44.99 @ Newegg
Storage Crucial BX100 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive $64.95 @ OutletPC
Video Card Gigabyte Radeon R9 270 2GB WINDFORCE Video Card $129.99 @ Newegg
Case Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case $26.99 @ Newegg
Power Supply SeaSonic S12G 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply $63.98 @ Newegg
Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
Total (before mail-in rebates) $539.88
Mail-in rebates -$30.00
Total $509.88
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-30 16:32 EDT-0400

z97 is unnecessary because you don't have a k series processor. Save some money on an h97.

Get an SSD. Seriously. Just get one. It's 2015 and the difference is night and day. Even if you have to save up and add a storage driver later on, just get an SSD now. It's worth it.

Case is personal preference, but if you're going for value here, this is a fine case at a fine price. No cable management, but there's no need for a value build to be pretty.

Quality PSU. Always a good investment, a Seasonic will last you a lifetime.

/r/buildapc Thread