These three components perform at a mid-range level but are priced for a budget PC during these Newegg sales. We rooted-up an ASUS Z87 motherboard – still perfectly good even with Z97 out – alongside an R9 280 and 750W PSU.
ASUS GRYPHON Z87 LGA 1150 Intel Z87 ($75 after $35 MIR): This micro-ATX motherboard provides an ample supply of features for SFF (small form-factor) builds. It's is a good board if you want to fit a lot into a small package. The Gryphon Z87 is SLI and CrossFire capable and carries 6x SATA 6Gb/s ports, also featuring enough ports and headers for a total of 6x USB 3.0 ports and 8x USB 2.0 ports. The Gryphon has a surprising number of fan connectors, with a total of 7 including the CPU fan header, so you won't find yourself wanting for fan connectors in a typical mATX case.
Sapphire Dual-X Radeon R9 280 3GB ($150 after $20 MIR): This is a powerful card for budget builds at $150. The R9 280 will provide mid-range performance at a budget price, and the dual-fan cooler is one you can expect to keep a PC's noise generation down.
Corsair CX750M PSU ($55): This is a reliable PSU for budget builds. It's also modular, which is rare at this price point. Enter coupon code EMCATKN34 at checkout for $5 off, along with a $20 MIR.
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- Alex Sprengle.