I'll always pick Pauter over the Carillo A Beam any day. Pauter rods are functional in that they can cut windage in the crank case. They also have the smallest area on a side profile which limits the amount of windage comes in contact with the rod and sticks to it causing parasitic loss.
As for pistons I would highly suggest CP. If you are looking for super budget I'd pick up a set of Wisecos. They have the tallest ring land out of any piston which is excellent for boosted applications. The CPs weigh more but the machining details and overall quality of piston beyond material is better. Run a quick search and you'll see where I posted side by side comparisons on wiseco/CP and the weights of each.
If you were going to choose a budget rod of course most will tell you Eagle but SCAT is the same rod (forging) and can be had for about $100 less. Comes with ARP hardware just as the Eagles. Quality is the same. If you want a more stout connecting rod outside of the Pauters that I mentioned above I would suggest the Crower variant. Still an exceptional piece, has a much beefier mid section. Big end is VERY robust and I like the machining que they put into the small end around the pin bore. Between the two Pauter is your cheaper rod but just as high in quality. Crower is good as well and while being a little more pricey is much cheaper than the Carillo variant.
