pc on a budget

[Bootaka]

Before I go on and on about this vs that and what vs why, I has questions!

 

Do you have a computer now that you can scavenge stuff from? What's in it?

Are you looking to build it now with the budget you have, or can you hold off and buy parts along the way that are worth the $.

 

Buying a decent Motherboard/CPU/RAM combo with future upgrading in mind, runs around $300. Anything less would be a waste of money IMO. As an example, the Athlon 645 is a decent CPU for the price, but in the world of gaming its ranked down there with Dual core CPUs, it is also 3-4 years old. It does have the advantage of using the same AM3 socket as its newer siblings, but do you really want to throw away $75 when you do get the chance to updrade? 

 

I drive a VW bug, we have a saying. Cheap, Fast, Reliable, you can pick 2. Also applies here.

[devilhunter89]

You were right a quick Google search said stay away from coolmax. So I swaped it with a corsair for just a little more money. The ones you linked are more then I wana pay at this point.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1wvbi

Thanks for all the help!

[devilhunter89]

I have nothing now. I want to play asap. Plan is to spend about 400 on another 4gb of ram and a good graphics card in about 6 mo I do want the motherboard and cpu to last

[Bootaka]

if you want a CPU/Mobo that will last http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1392928 This is where you money counts. AMD really doesn't compare to the INTEL market. Sure if you add cost to performance AMD is ever so slightly ahead, slightly ahead in multithreaded tasks as well, but falls short in everywhere else. 4th gen INTELs also run HD video through the CPU and onboard support with a Nvidia 4200 I think, so you can forgo buying a cheap video card til you can get a decent one.

 

With only 4 gigs of ram, you'll be able to use the system to a point, but you'll more than likely be getting a lot of BSOD RAM dumps. I did. But I'm pretty harsh on my systems. 8 gigs is generally a min now a days. 

 

If you're not planning on a SSD, get a WD Black nothing else is in its class for gaming HDDs. If you are planning on a SSD, buy an eco junky storage device. 1tb is a TON of storage. You can easily get away with a 500gb. Really all you need is around 250gb to play games and mess with art stuffs

 

Corsair 600m is a good power supply. And that case seems to have decent reviews and good airflow. 

 

So yeah, if you dump that Mobo/CPU combo and the video card, pick up the ones I linked (or something like it) the cost is around the same, and in 6 months when you get a real video card, you win.

 

[Guest]

Newegg combos can be a major wallet-destroyer, they're just that good. Also since the Haswells are still fairly new you've got a good deal of future-proofing with that setup. 

 

Oh, something else I completely forgot about. You don't really need another optical drive, you can just use the one in your current computer. Unless it's from like 1995 or something.

[Pkatt]

I have a Corsair 520W modular power supply and love it.     The modular cables are really cool, I didn't know how cool it would be to only use the cables you needed until I actually got this one and put it in.  I've always built my own pc's, and this was a definite wow moment.

 

 

I've often heard that if you spend a little extra on something, the power supply is definitely worth spending extra on.   A cheap or unreliable power supply can ruin many other expensive parts.

 

 

 

[none1980]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor  ($117.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard:  Asus M5A97 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($93.98 @ Outlet PC)
Memory:  Corsair XMS3 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory  ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Memory:  Corsair XMS3 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory  ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Storage:  Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card:  Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card  ($175.66 @ Newegg)
Case:  Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($39.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply:  Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply  ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $577.56
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-27 00:30 EDT-0400)

 

Better than anything you've shown thus far. However, if you plan to upgrade later (as in the next few months) then I agree, invest in a quality CPU/mobo combo, PSU (I'm screaming this is important!!! Buy a shitty PSU and your whole system will die a fiery death sooner or later) and just 4GB of RAM, then add an extra 4GB and a better video card later.

[BlueSkyMine]

if you want a CPU/Mobo that will last http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1392928 This is where you money counts. AMD really doesn't compare to the INTEL market. Sure if you add cost to performance AMD is ever so slightly ahead, slightly ahead in multithreaded tasks as well, but falls short in everywhere else. 4th gen INTELs also run HD video through the CPU and onboard support with a Nvidia 4200 I think, so you can forgo buying a cheap video card til you can get a decent one.

 

Depends on how long he's willing to put up with onboard graphics, it could be worth his while to get a budget card then sell it later.. But yeah, putting money towards a better CPU/mobo combo is the better choice in the long run. There's only a handful of games which benefit from more cores while most require good single thread performance. Which AMD suck at.

 

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/singleThread.html

[Rayblue]

Which AMD suck at.

 

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/singleThread.html

 

 

Ahem. Never liked the idea of starting a CPU (or a GPU) fanwar. I've been using both Intels and AMDs for years, and they have their powers and pitfalls.

[BlueSkyMine]

 

Ahem. Never liked the idea of starting a CPU (or a GPU) fanwar. I've been using both Intels and AMDs for years, and they have their powers and pitfalls.

 

 

Current GPUs from both sides are currently competitive and we're spoiled for choice for both budget and performance. And in the past, AMD have been very, very good for CPUs. I myself have a 965 Phenom II in my current rig which is trucking along with Skyrim, Warframe and BF3. But right now, AMD just doesn't have anything that is competitive with the I5 or better for raw performance for single thread gaming. Multi-threaded programs, sure, but they're few and far between and it's highly unlikely for the future for there to be significantly more due to the complexity of programing for multiple cores. Intel's chips right now have better single core performance and do more operations per cycle than AMD's.

 

If you're on a tight budget and need something for gaming straight away, AMD gives you good value. But if you're looking for anything higher end, then you're better off saving that $100 more for an Intel setup or waiting for AMD to release Steamroller.

 

Edit: It all comes down to what the OP wants and what's the hard budget for it.

[devilhunter89]

Hmm bootaka would you be willing to link 500$ build using the combo you linked? You seem to be on key with what I want id like to see what ypu can come up with. How bad would tje onboard graphics be? Bottom line will it hamdle slyrim

[BlueSkyMine]

Hmm bootaka would you be willing to link 500$ build using the combo you linked? You seem to be on key with what I want id like to see what ypu can come up with. How bad would tje onboard graphics be? Bottom line will it hamdle slyrim

 

You won't be playing at 1920x1080 and getting decent frames per sec but it apparently plays quite well at 1280x720.

 

Actually, that brings up another point. What's your monitor resolution and what are you planning to use in the future?

[devilhunter89]

Don't have one yet starting from scratch

[devilhunter89]

Ok I think this'll do er http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1xa4w

[Bootaka]

My only concern is the RAM. I'm pretty sure that is Dual Channel RAM, I can't really tell, it should be, you want it to be. Running only 1 stick doesn't work so well, cuts you in half infact. 1600mhz in a single channel is 800mhz Also the timing on the Viper 3 is high IMO. Which "doesn't really" mean a whole lot..

 

However, you do want Dual Channel RAM, which means you need 2x sticks for it to work correctly, so you have another choice to make. This is another one of those trick questions! 

 

Do you get something like http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104387 2x 4gb that leaves you with 2 open DIMM slots, meaning you have a total of 8gb of RAM with the ability to add another 2x sticks later, totaling a max of 16gig of RAM. Giving you plenty of RAM now to do what you want, and enough room for more.

 

Or do you get something like http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231193 giving you 2x 2gb sticks with 2x open slots for a total of 4gb and a max of 8gb of RAM. Giving you enough RAM to do what you need, but upgrading beyond 8gb means removing these.

 

The first one costs more now, gives you what you "want" so you don't "need" to buy more later unless you "want" to, and you can.

The second one gives you what you "need" now, you can get what you "want" out of it, but if you want more then 8gb in the end, you "need" something else.

 

 

 

 

[slamdunk]

You can't mod Skyrim on a console.   I would take a $500 pc any day over a console.

 

 

 

 

I like using Tom's hardware, they usually have great suggestions and recommendations for building gaming pc's, for all types of budgets.

 

yes I should have noted that. But for 500$ if gaming is all you need console is the best way to go. I use PC as well because of other benefits like typing a forum post like this on a mechanical keyboard

[devilhunter89]

I actually meant to put sticks on the to male 8 gb but I went to addd. It the site was crapping out and it was late so i said too hell with iit lol.

I did not kmow itt was important to have 2 sticks tho thx

[reae]

Instead of shelling 95$ for gf 640 look for some used older card. GF 580 will eat it without much problem for 30$ more. And those super fast and expensive ram makes around 1-2 fps difference in game, compared to standard 1333 sticks.