Building rig without GPU

TrueSpin · 5 Jul 2012 at 21:13

I had planned on building a PC with an i5-2500K 3.30GHz and a Sapphire HD 7850. However, due to budget issues, I might not be able to actually buy the GPU right away.

Is the integrated graphic chip on the CPU okay to do basic things like browsing the internet, watching youtube etc. Basically so my girlfriend can use it... I'm assuming it is, but having never built a computer before I just wanted to check. Can I still output to high resolutions?

I appreciate that gaming on it will be impossible.

UnworthyBean · 5 Jul 2012 at 21:16

Will be plenty for just basic web browsing, Thats what they're designed for

Don't expect it to do any 3D work, Games etc, though.

Orcvader · 5 Jul 2012 at 21:19

If you buy the i5-3570K instead you can do some light gaming. The onboard HD 4000 is actually pretty good when you set the game settings to low.

jeff6475 · 5 Jul 2012 at 21:33

Orcvader said:
If you buy the i5-3570K instead you can do some light gaming. The onboard HD 4000 is actually pretty good when you set the game settings to low.

+1

TrueSpin · 5 Jul 2012 at 21:34

I might have to do this... if I wanted to buy a cheap GPU for, say, 40-50 quid as an interim - to at least play some basic games (source) plus I really want to play Amnesia: The Dark Descent - are there any recommendations? Or would you say just wait?

jeff6475 · 5 Jul 2012 at 21:35

just wait the onboard can be just as good or even better than some of the cheap 1s

Orcvader · 5 Jul 2012 at 21:57

TrueSpin said:
I might have to do this... if I wanted to buy a cheap GPU for, say, 40-50 quid as an interim - to at least play some basic games (source) plus I really want to play Amnesia: The Dark Descent - are there any recommendations? Or would you say just wait?

Honestly the lowest card I would suggest is the 5770/6770. Anything lower and the price seems a bit too high for what it's worth.

The HD 4000 on the 3570K does a very good job, have a look at this: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5771/the-intel-ivy-bridge-core-i7-3770k-review/8

Save that £40-50 for the beefier discrete.

olivier renault · 6 Jul 2012 at 00:14

You can try source games on the IGP.

IMO buying a placeholder GPU would be a waste of money. Get the good stuff when you can.

Minimum would be a second hand GTX470 / GTX480 / 560ti / 6950 2GB. They will loose virtually no value, if you decide to resell and get a new shiny GPU in six months. And that's a 'if' as these are pretty powerful in their own right. You will need a decent PSU (£50-£65) from the word go, as the older generation are less efficient.

But if you can get away with the IGP and you know you will have enough for a decent GPU (7850 or above), then do that.