Out of the loop. Budget Audio/Gaming Build

kamalama · 12 Apr 2013 at 00:29

Hey.

I have been out of the pc building loop for a long time now, new chipsets and gpu numbering have created a grey cloud of confusion.

So if any one has the time to give me a hand for a bit I have tried to include as much information and requirements as possible.

Needs and Budget

The heart of my build needs to be an audio workstation and a mid level gaming rig (monitor resolution of 1680x1050).
Most of the audio hardware is external and Ableton doesn't appear to struggle currently.. but it will soon.

I know I am looking at least a quadcore and 8gb+ of memory and possible SSD.
Money is tight as I am also on the hunt for an engagement ring for my girlfriend (shss).

I will either buy the parts separatly or everything but GPU etc. So we're talking a max budget for all of £400.. maybe a stretch more.

Current

CPU - AMD Athlon 7750 Black Edition
Motherboard - XFX MI-A78U-8309
Ram - 4GB DDR2
GPU - GTS 250 (512GB)

I already have, Monitor, Windows 8 64BIT (Unopened) Sata Drives, Audio Interface.
The case is an old Coolmaster Elite and PSU is.. something I need to replace.

So..

I know this is a tight budget and I have read a number of threads to try and play catch up...I am lost sadly.

If you need anymore information let me know.

dacads · 12 Apr 2013 at 00:43

Option One:

YOUR BASKET
1 x Samsung 250GB SSD 840 SATA 6Gb/s Basic - (MZ-7TD250BW) ** Cash Back Promo ** £139.99
1 x AMD A10-5800K Black Edition 3.80GHz (Socket FM2) APU Trinity Quad Core Processor (AD580KWOHJBOX) £99.95
1 x Gigabyte F2A85X-D3H AMD A85X Chipset (Socket FM2) DDR3 ATX Motherboard £64.99
1 x BeQuiet Efficient Power F1 400W '80 Plus Gold' Power Supply £54.98
1 x Avexir Core Blue Series 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Memory Kit (AVD3U16000904G-2CW) - Blue Light £40.00
Total : £411.31 (includes shipping : £9.50).

Option Two:

YOUR BASKET
1 x HIS HD 7850 IceQ X 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card (H785QN2G2M) with Tomb Raider & Bioshock PC Games £155.99
1 x Intel Core i3-3220 3.30GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - Retail £92.99
1 x BeQuiet Efficient Power F1 400W '80 Plus Gold' Power Supply £54.98
1 x MSI B75MA-P45 Intel B75 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Micro ATX Motherboard £53.99
1 x Avexir Core Blue Series 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Memory Kit (AVD3U16000904G-2CW) - Blue Light £40.00
Total : £409.94 (includes shipping : £10.00).

Incrauze · 12 Apr 2013 at 07:35

Go for a GTX 460 graphics card or HD 7850 if you can stretch your budget abit more,

YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel Core i3-3220 3.30GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - Retail £92.99
1 x Intel 330 Series 60GB 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Hard Drive - Retail £64.99
1 x Corsair Builder Series CX 500w Modular '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply (CP-9020059-UK) £54.98
1 x Gigabyte H61MA-D3V Intel H61 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £47.99
1 x Corsair Vengeance Low Profile 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C11 1600MHz Dual Channel Memory Kit (CML8GX3M2B1600C11) £43.99
Total : £316.94 (includes shipping : £10.00).

kamalama · 12 Apr 2013 at 09:23

Brillant. Many thanks for the linked builds. I will be ordering on monday hopfully.

I think I will go for the i3-3200 and I will probaly get the SSD at another time making room for a GTX 460 or HD 7850.

I was slightly worried my options would be limited due to the budget but I have been proved wrong!