Budget builds spec :)

Iron-man

Iron-man

Iron-man

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I am after some advice on a budget build for my son please, he is wanting to move into PC games and is after his first computer.
He is currently saving up which is great however his eyes for what he wants are bigger than what he can afford lol.

I am thinking somewhere in the region of £3/400 by the time has saved.

He will not need windows, monitor, keyboard, mouse or a case as I have those for him.

Unfortunately not able to access members market just yet otherwise I would have taken a little look for second hand in there

any help or advice appreciated

Thanks
 
That's not a lot of money. It's not going to go that far. Something should be doable as he only needs CPU, GPU, motherboard, RAM and storage, but whether it will be any good will depend on what he wants to play.

I think for the money, the best I can do is this:
My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £385.00 (includes shipping: £11.10)
​


It's pretty basic, but my son plays Fortnite and Minecraft on a similar system at decent frame-rates (though he has to drop the settings on Fortnite quite a bit).

It would let you drop in a GTX1050 or 1050Ti or something later on perhaps when he's saved up more and then it should be a decent enough 1080p gaming PC - but you'd need another £150 or whatever for the card. Up until then it should be okay as long as he's prepared to use low settings on anything remotely demanding.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The board will not support that CPU by default. You need BIOS version F10 before it will POST with this CPU in it. If you buy from OcUK you can order it and then phone up with your order number prior to dispatch they will flash the BIOS for the latest version for you. If you go for this option, make sure you do this or it will be a frustrating experience! :)
 
Something like this?
This should allow him to play at 1080p@60fps
Would also allow you to drop in another 8gb or ram at a later date if needed and possibly upgrade cpu to an i3/i5

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £433.04 (includes shipping: £11.10)​
​
 
NovaKill4 said:
Something like this?
This should allow him to play at 1080p@60fps
Would also allow you to drop in another 8gb or ram at a later date if needed and possibly upgrade cpu to an i3/i5

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £433.04 (includes shipping: £11.10)
​
Click to expand...

Oooh, that's a good shout, actually! I was thinking trying to spec about a Pentium G5400 system with a dGPU but I didn't think it would be possible to bring it in for £400, but that's not too far over.

One thing I'd say, though, is to switch the mechanical drive for the SSD I linked. It's easy enough to add mechanical storage if needed, and having OS and games on an SSD makes a big difference to how fast the system will feel. Also you don't want the hassle of reinstalling Windows onto an SSD if you decide to add one in the future.

This build (with an SSD :) ) would be better out of the box than the one I specced by quite some margin.

I think the Ryzen system gives you a more convenient upgrade route as you've got a system that should last a while okay with a graphics card, whereas the two cores on the Pentium might start to feel the pinch and leave you wanting to upgrade the CPU a bit sooner (though it's still a decent enough budget gaming chip). Probably not much in it though.

I'd go for @NovaKill4's system, actually, with an SSD in place of the HDD, if you can stretch to a smidge above £400.
 
Oopps! I just noticed I put two memory kits in my basket!! :o

If you remove one, it makes the system I specced come out at £310, not £380!!

It means you could up the CPU to a 2400G for total cost of £350.

This system still wouldn't have the graphics processing power of a 1050Ti system, but will do better in games than the 2200G. It has the advantage of being a four core-eight thread chip as well, meaning it should last you as a gaming CPU a lot longer if you add a graphics card. If you can't go over £400 I'd go with this option. If you can the G5400 with 1050Ti option would still give you considerably more performance out of the box (though the 2400G system would be faster once you add a graphics card).

(No wonder I didn't think I could spec a G5400/dGPU system when I had already put £150 worth of RAM in the basket by mistake!)
 
@strumpusplunket i was thinking of putting in a SSD but thought larger HDD would be better to start with. But as you said putting in a mech drive would be easier than upgrading to a SSD so yeah i would swap that out.
With regards to CPU/GPU, my thinking behind this was the g5400 and a 1050ti would be fine to play 1080p med-high settings at 60fps out of the box and once it starts to struggle the CPU can be upgraded to an i5 8400 which would beat a 2400G. It just offers a different upgrade path, either way the system will need to be upgraded down the line, I just think starting with the G5400/1050ti will enable the faster system after a £150 upgrade.
 
NovaKill4 said:
@strumpusplunket i was thinking of putting in a SSD but thought larger HDD would be better to start with. But as you said putting in a mech drive would be easier than upgrading to a SSD so yeah i would swap that out.
With regards to CPU/GPU, my thinking behind this was the g5400 and a 1050ti would be fine to play 1080p med-high settings at 60fps out of the box and once it starts to struggle the CPU can be upgraded to an i5 8400 which would beat a 2400G. It just offers a different upgrade path, either way the system will need to be upgraded down the line, I just think starting with the G5400/1050ti will enable the faster system after a £150 upgrade.
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Oh yeah, over all the upgrades I've ever made to my PC, the most noticeable by far was when I moved from a mechanical drive to an SSD! Well worth the extra £6 here imho.

I think it's good there are some options on the table here so the OP can decide priorities.

The Pentium system is going to be good enough out of the box for 1080p60fps as you say, and at decent settings in most titles as well. It's really an amazing option for the money. It is over £400, but not by much.

The 2400G system is £80 cheaper (which is more than halfway to the cost of a 1050Ti...), but will not do 1080p60fps unless you lower the settings in most games. And even then you'll be below 60fps in the more demanding ones. It will play most titles for sure, but the experience won't be nearly as good.

I'd agree with your assessment of the systems to be honest (though I have to say that in 20 years of owning gaming systems I have never once actually got around to upgrading my CPU! Often thought I would, never done it... :D).

I guess it comes down to how tight the budget is and how much OP's lad is going to feel that £80 difference in cost.

If going over £400 is too much right now, the 2400G system is a great option - reasonable enough gaming performance right now (it's amazing for an iGPU, really), and a great system once you've saved up for a graphics card.

If OP can manage the extra £80 to stretch to £430-440ish, then I'd imagine the lad would much prefer having the performance of the 1050Ti right away so the Pentium system is the better bet.
 
NovaKill4 said:
@strumpusplunket i was thinking of putting in a SSD but thought larger HDD would be better to start with. But as you said putting in a mech drive would be easier than upgrading to a SSD so yeah i would swap that out.
With regards to CPU/GPU, my thinking behind this was the g5400 and a 1050ti would be fine to play 1080p med-high settings at 60fps out of the box and once it starts to struggle the CPU can be upgraded to an i5 8400 which would beat a 2400G. It just offers a different upgrade path, either way the system will need to be upgraded down the line, I just think starting with the G5400/1050ti will enable the faster system after a £150 upgrade.
Click to expand...

Or you could just get a Ryzen 3 2200G and a GTX1050TI together for not much more and for £20 to £25 at most retailers you have a 4C/4T CPU which will last longer.

Remember,if you are using a dGPU you can get away with using cheaper RAM too.

You also have to realise AMD has said they will support AM4 for a few more years,so you need to ask yourself a question say two to three years time,will you be able to get a new CPU at a reasonable price for the Intel system??

Look at the prices of the Core i7 6700/7700 series even now - they are not that cheap,and it makes more sense to buy a CFL Core i5.

Also,look at how the 2200G beats the G5400 by a decent amount in a number of games:

https://www.techspot.com/review/1619-pentium-gold-g5400-vs-ryzen-2200g/page3.html

Of course, if you factor in the cost of a graphics card such as the GTX 1050, then that margin comes down to just over 20%. You can also get away with slower memory when using the 2200G with a graphics card and that'll help reduce the overall cost.

In any case, without a graphics card, the 2200G as I said earlier is without question worth the premium. A 40% increase from $190 to $270 is well worth the 250% increase in iGPU performance for gamers, not to mention you can actually play all the latest games.

If you're not interested in 3D performance and just want a PC for general usage than the Pentium G5400 is tough to beat. That said, if you're not interested in 3D performance but want to tackle heavy tasks like rendering, encoding and so on then again the extra investment is still well worth it as the 2200G was often up to 40% faster. And don't try to tell me no one does these tasks on quad-core CPUs, because I know they do.

In summary, the new Pentium G5400 only makes sense if you want a dirt cheap PC for web browsing, consuming media content and firing off the odd email. Anything more than that and investing the extra $80 in the Ryzen 3 2200G platform is going to net you significantly more performance and a much better upgrade path in the future.
Click to expand...

Also,OcUK is £10 to £20 more expensive than other retailers for the 2200G for some weird reason. The main problem is that the 2C/4T CPU can have greater issues with stuttering and lower minimums in some newer games.
 
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I'd agree about providing the SSD where possible.

As CAT-THE-FIFTH just said, AM4 would be the much better option for upgradability in future.
I'm sure if you were to be very polite about it and ask the CS here in the forums, privately, they might even price match it for you.
 
sideways14a said:
There is not a chance i would be putting a pentium cpu in a build these days.
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Then please enlighten us with your build suggestion...simply stating you wouldn't do something does not help the OP in any way.

Honestly i would suggest the 2200G + 1050ti that @CAT-THE-FIFTH suggested if OP can stretch to it, would offer good starting performance and a good platform to upgrade on.
 
skylineboy said:
OP said the son didn’t need it because OP can provide it.
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Oops!
NovaKill4 said:
Then please enlighten us with your build suggestion...simply stating you wouldn't do something does not help the OP in any way.

Honestly i would suggest the 2200G + 1050ti that @CAT-THE-FIFTH suggested if OP can stretch to it, would offer good starting performance and a good platform to upgrade on.
Click to expand...

Well the issue is OcUK is too expensive for the 2200G(which seems to have gone up for some reason) and some of the budget motherboards they don't sell,and its artificially making the budget Ryzen builds more expensive than they need to be. For instance you can get the Gigabyte AX370M-DS3H mATX X370 motherboard(which OcUK don't sell) with loads of free stuff(including a £20 pizza voucher and a mouse) for well under £70. A 2200G shouldn't be more than £80 to £90. The Gigabyte motherboard also works out of the box with the 2200G too.

Edit!!

Here is the board:

https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GA-AX370M-DS3H-rev-1x#kf

OcUK is one of the few DIY computer retailers not to sell it for some reason!! For a cheapo board it does not look too bad,especially if you sell the mouse and voucher.
 
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OK,a rough outline of what I would aim for is a Ryzen 2200G,8GB of dual channel 2666MHZ to 3000MHZ DDR4,Gigabyte AX370M-DS3H and a GTX1050TI of some sort(as long as you pay a maximum of £145 to £150). That can be had for £370ish to £380ish easily,and a reasonable PSU can be had for £30 to £40. So £400 to £420,plus an HDD or SSD of some sort.

Edit!!

Having said that the Core i3 8100 is another alternative too,but usually tends to be £10 to £15 more expensive than a normal priced 2200G,and the same caveats with the platform still remain(but its a bit faster as a CPU AFAIK).
 
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CAT-THE-FIFTH said:
OK,a rough outline of what I would aim for is a Ryzen 2200G,8GB of dual channel 2666MHZ to 3000MHZ DDR4,Gigabyte AX370M-DS3H and a GTX1050TI of some sort(as long as you pay a maximum of £145 to £150). That can be had for £370ish to £380ish easily,and a reasonable PSU can be had for £30 to £40. So £400 to £420,plus an HDD or SSD of some sort.
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Yeah, it's true if you shop around you can find some better deals, but of course we can't link to them here :)

The thing is - that is still over the stated budget. If the OP's lad really can only spend somewhere between £300 and £400 then what would you say is the best option? I'd think about the 2400G and use the iGPU until he can save for a 1050Ti. That would come in nicely under £400 if he shops around, so he would be starting with some money towards the card and would at least be able to play most games even if at lower settings initially. Any thoughts on that?

If the budget can stretch (or dad can lend the extra to be paid back over time... ;)), I think it's clear that the 2200G and 1050Ti would be a great choice. I was a bit wary of recommending the G5400, but it seemed like the cheapest option to get 1080p60 straight away. 2C/4T is a bit past its time now, though, I guess - as you've said.

If OP does shop around, he could always check in on this thread to see that his choices are sound (so long as there are mentions of competitors).
 
strumpusplunket said:
Yeah, it's true if you shop around you can find some better deals, but of course we can't link to them here :)

The thing is - that is still over the stated budget. If the OP's lad really can only spend somewhere between £300 and £400 then what would you say is the best option? I'd think about the 2400G and use the iGPU until he can save for a 1050Ti. That would come in nicely under £400 if he shops around, so he would be starting with some money towards the card and would at least be able to play most games even if at lower settings initially. Any thoughts on that?

If the budget can stretch (or dad can lend the extra to be paid back over time... ;)), I think it's clear that the 2200G and 1050Ti would be a great choice. I was a bit wary of recommending the G5400, but it seemed like the cheapest option to get 1080p60 straight away. 2C/4T is a bit past its time now, though, I guess - as you've said.

If OP does shop around, he could always check in on this thread to see that his choices are sound (so long as there are mentions of competitors).
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TBH,even the Pentium G5400 build is over £400 too and the GTX1050,GTX1050TI and RX560 prices have not recovered yet,especially when the GTX1060 3GB and RX580 4GB can be had on offer for £30 to £40 more than a GTX1050TI and are massively faster too.

Personally I would be inclined to get a solid 2200G or 2400G build first,and use the IGP,especially since its seems you can get 3000MHZ kits for not much more than 2400MHZ ones(like the one linked in the builds here). It should be possible I suspect to include an SSD and an HDD into it and be under £400. Then at a later date when the prices have dropped or there is a later generation card available at £100 to £150,to buy a dGPU then. To be totally honest,the GTX1050TI 4GB at £150 is not that great - its not really massively faster than the GTX960 4GB(most reviews compared it to reference GTX960 2GB cards),and that could be had for similar money years ago. I remember getting a decent RX470 4GB for around £160 in late 2016 too!
 
CAT-THE-FIFTH said:
TBH,even the Pentium G5400 build is over £400 too and the GTX1050,GTX1050TI and RX560 prices have not recovered yet,especially when the GTX1060 3GB and RX580 4GB can be had on offer for £30 to £40 more than a GTX1050TI and are massively faster too.

Personally I would be inclined to get a solid 2200G or 2400G build first,and use the IGP,especially since its seems you can get 3000MHZ kits for not much more than 2400MHZ ones(like the one linked in the builds here). It should be possible I suspect to include an SSD and an HDD into it and be under £400. Then at a later date when the prices have dropped or there is a later generation card available at £100 to £150,to buy a dGPU then. To be totally honest,the GTX1050TI 4GB at £150 is not that great - its not really massively faster than the GTX960 4GB(most reviews compared it to reference GTX960 2GB cards),and that could be had for similar money years ago. I remember getting a decent RX470 4GB for around £160 in late 2016 too!
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Yeah, I know! I always had a maximum spend on GPUs of £200 and up until recently that let me consistently get one of the high-end cards from the generation we just moved on from. It went out the window when I spent £250 on this 980Ti (second-hand), but prices now are ludicrous!

I was thinking it could be a good option to do 2400G and use the iGPU for now. It's not terrible if you're prepared to lower some settings, and offers a really solid build when paired with a dGPU.

This, then, is solidly under £400:

My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £351.01 (includes shipping: £11.10)
​

So hopefully OP's son will have some cash left to start a fund towards a graphics card. I guess then what he saves for will depend on what he wants and how satisfied he is with the iGPU performance (my lads are both happy with 2200G iGPU and GT1030 performance for now so it might be fine for a while!).

Of course, the caveat I posted above about making sure the BIOS is flashed on the board still stands, but OcUK make that easy if you buy from here. Everything else can be shopped around for I guess.
 
Thanks for all replies, Appreciate it is not a lot of budget but my lad is doing fence painting/gardening etc for family and friends and trying to save up to get himself something that he can say he bought kind of thing so just trying to help him along in a way where he still feels he achieved it :)

I will check out the baskets above and let him take a look at the suggestions
 
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