Budget gaming PC

ziggynerja

ziggynerja

ziggynerja

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Joined
5 Dec 2008
Posts
128
Location
Buckinghamshire, Marlow
Hello all,

I'm looking to build my wife a gaming PC which can be plugged in beside our living room television. I convinced her to go this route rather than buying a new console, mainly because I think you'll save money in the long run, with the price of console games being generally a lot higher.

Now, my budget is around £300. Is this possible with such a budget?
I understand that with this budget, we won't be hitting max settings.

We don't require peripherals, DVD drive, additional cables, or a monitor. I do have a spare PC case (BitFenix Neos), however we would prefer something smaller, and black, as the Neos is white and looks a little out of place next to the TV. I must say though, if we are able to perhaps upgrade on a graphics card, by saving money and using our spare case, we would do so.

Any spec suggestions/help would be massively appreciated!

Thanks!:)
 
My basket at Overclockers UK:

Total: £287.96
(includes shipping: £11.10)
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more faster ram, no hdd if not need, better APU.

My basket at Overclockers UK:

Total: £304.97
(includes shipping: £11.10)
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My basket at Overclockers UK:

Total: £312.64
(includes shipping: £11.70)
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• More powerful APU with stronger integrated GFX.

• Fast RAM which is important for an APUs performance as the integrated GFX relies solely on it not like the 1600Mhz above;)

Then later on for more GFX performance you can add a R7 240/250 and Crossfire it with the APU.
 
stulid said:
My basket at Overclockers UK:

Total: £312.64
(includes shipping: £11.70)
​


​

• More powerful APU with stronger integrated GFX.

• Fast RAM which is important for an APUs performance as the integrated GFX relies solely on it not like the 1600Mhz above;)

Then later on for more GFX performance you can add a R7 240/250 and Crossfire it with the APU.
Click to expand...

i changed the ram to 2133mhz in the 2nd mock up and changed the APU
 
Thank you both for the builds, quite interesting, I've never seen the Kaveri A10-7870K. Love both the case choices.

How does this compare to a dedicated GPU setup?

You can be blunt about what is and isn't possible. I'd like for games such as Witcher 3 and Fallout 4, to be playable on at least medium settings, if possible. I'd also like the option, in the future, to be able to upgrade my GPU, in order to keep up with new game requirements.

If its definitely worth it in the long run, I'm willing to up the budget.

Thanks again guys!
 
G3258 or i3 with a dedicated GPU could be a possible option instead of the AMD route?

The G3258 would be the cheaper option paired with a 750ti but would require overclocking, updated motherboard BIOS usually, and a better cooler which actually brings it up into i3 territory in my opinion.

The best budget card though is the AMD 380, at around £150+. Some stuff you can upgrade later, maybe things like a case and SSD for example can be put on hold, but there does not look like much in the way of future upgrade options with AMD, crossfire is competely dependant on the games and not worth consideration for a budget system.

My basket at Overclockers UK:

Total: £366.45
(includes shipping: £11.10)
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The problem is, when you start looking at budget components, you usually look at compromises, and if detrimental to the gaming enjoyment, will either lead to the system being used less or upgraded sooner. There are some lovely cases out there too, but it is worth considering location and case size, it may well be worth spending more on a MiniITX motherboard so you can get that smaller build, but Mini ITX cases and motherboards cost more than Micro ATX. Better quality Kingston 2400Mhz DDR3 is only £5 more!, You can save £10 on a lesser PSU, will you need an optic bay?

How happy is your wife really when you talk about a PC next to a TV, my own experience is that this is generally not the case regardless of what men may talk partners into, so maybe a media style case such as the Silverstone GD09 and wireless keyboard and mouse may be required? I also find gaming on TV's is rather appalling, much prefering a monitor, my last HTPC style gaming build rarely got used as it looked awfull on a 50" plasma and the kids found an Xbox simpler and quicker.

As for the cost of games, well if you run an Xbox live account there is a free game every month, and in general most sales see PC and console games similar in price.
 
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My basket at Overclockers UK:

Total: £290.86
(includes shipping: £11.70)
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[/INDENT

My basket at Overclockers UK:
  • 1 x Kolink Klick VA-1 AMD FM2+ Configurable Gaming PC = £299.95
    • Processor:AMD A4-4000 3.00GHz (Socket FM2) APU Richland Dual Core Processor (AD4000OKHLBOX)
    • Memory:Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (BLS2CP4G3D1609DS1S00C
    • Hard Drive 1:Seagate Barracuda 500GB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s 16MB Cache - OEM (ST500DM002) HDD
    • Hard Drive 2:Unwanted
    • Graphics Card:MSI Radeon R7 360 Gaming 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card
    • Operating System:Unwanted

Total: £314.05
(includes shipping: £14.10)
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Thanks guys! Appreciate the advice. It really helps.

I've put together a few parts, let me know what you think:

My basket at Overclockers UK:

Total: £267.45
(includes shipping: £11.10)
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As you can see I've missed off a GPU in that list, because a store near me is selling VTX3D Radeon R9 380 2GB GDDR5 for £120. Is this a decent price? Or am I better going for something else?

This would bring total cost to £387. A little more than I was hoping for, but I think it's worth getting a decent card.

I've also decided I'll hold off with a case for now, and I'll use my backup.

What is this Asus mobo like? I must say, I've had good experience with Gigabyte and MSI, and I'm a little hesitant. Could also you suggest me a Mini ATX board to go with this? As I'd just like to get an idea of price difference.

sastusbulbas said:
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Click to expand...
Well, she got into gaming last year, after playing Skyrim on my PC and being totally amazed by it :p She only has an iMac at the moment, so she's been playing what she can on there, as well as on our Xbox 360. However she wants to play some of the newer games out, those which aren't available on the 360. Which is why were looking at getting her a new system.

I do agree with you in regards to gaming on a large TV. We have a 55" 4K tv, and it really doesn't look near as good as on my monitor IMO. However, she likes being able to just relax on the sofa with a controller, rather than on a desk. Which I can understand.

In regards to cost of games, I tend to purchase CD keys. Which are often quite a bit cheaper. For example I pre-ordered Fallout 4 for around £25 on PC, when at the time, for console it was around £45 I believe. I find this often the case.

Thanks again!:):)
 
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An AMD 380 at £120 is a no brainer, so would recommend that, nice find!

The rest of it looks like simple plug and play, but check the CPU compatability list on the Asus website in case of any BIOS update requirement, as some CPU's like the G3258 required such on some motherboards.

Here is the mini ITX variant.

My basket at Overclockers UK:

Total: £67.69
(includes shipping: £8.70)
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