This is the build I'd go for with your budget and purpose. Intel CPUs just have better single threaded performance which will show in gaming. Non overclocking CPU and motherboard. Went with the XFX 280 due to their amazing support and lifetime warranty.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
| Type | Item | Price |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i3-4160 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor | $111.99 @ SuperBiiz |
| Motherboard | ASRock H97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $71.99 @ SuperBiiz |
| Memory | G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory | $61.99 @ Newegg |
| Video Card | XFX Radeon R9 280 3GB Double Dissipation Video Card | $159.99 @ Newegg |
| Case | Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case | $43.98 @ Newegg |
| Power Supply | Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply | $59.88 @ OutletPC |
| Other | 1 TB SSD | Purchased |
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts | ||
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $569.82 | |
| Mail-in rebates | -$60.00 | |
| Total | $509.82 | |
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-06 11:53 EST-0500 |
This will give you overkill gaming performance. You'll have to overclock the CPU though.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
| Type | Item | Price |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor | $64.99 @ NCIX US |
| Motherboard | Asus H81M-A Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $57.99 @ SuperBiiz |
| Memory | G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory | $61.99 @ Newegg |
| Video Card | XFX Radeon R9 290 4GB Black Edition Double Dissipation Video Card | $259.99 @ Newegg |
| Case | Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case | $43.98 @ Newegg |
| Power Supply | Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply | $59.88 @ OutletPC |
| Other | 1 TB SSD | Purchased |
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts | ||
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $608.82 | |
| Mail-in rebates | -$60.00 | |
| Total | $548.82 | |
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-06 11:42 EST-0500 |