Super budget APU build?

 
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What kind of resolution is the APU capable of? (and does it come with a HSF?)

EDIT - sorry, I'm an idiot, I didn't read the list properly.
EDIT - I think I'm going mad :/
 
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adam98150 said:
Surely an APU is going to struggle with Battlefield? I can't see it being playable without a dedicated gpu. I'd honestly buy a cheap, used gpu.
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Low detail, 720p you should be ok but, yeah, get a cheaper CPU such as an athlon 750k, and add a 7770. You can get both for £122 from OCUK, so less than the 7850k on its own, and will be much better for gaming
 
Like has been said, a good APU for gaming isn't really worth it. As you can get a discrete GPU for around the same price, with better performance.


YOUR BASKET
1 x AMD Piledriver FX-6 Six Core 6300 Black Edition 3.50GHz (Socket AM3+) Processor - Retail £83.99
1 x MSI HD 7770 GHz Edition 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £65.99
1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P AMD 970A (Socket AM3+) DDR3 Motherboard £50.99
1 x TeamGroup Elite Black 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C11 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (TED38GM1600HC11DC01) £49.99
1 x EVGA 500W 80 Plus Power Supply (100-W1-0500-KR) £35.99
1 x Toshiba (7K1000.D) 500GB SATA 6GB/s 32MB Cache - OEM (DT01ACA050) HDD £35.99
1 x Aerocool V3X Advance Evil Blue Edition Midi-Tower - Black/Blue £25.99
1 x Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £11.99
Total : £370.51 (includes shipping : £8.00).

 
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Danny75 said:
Like has been said, a good APU for gaming isn't really worth it. As you can get a discrete GPU for around the same price, with better performance.


YOUR BASKET
1 x AMD Piledriver FX-6 Six Core 6300 Black Edition 3.50GHz (Socket AM3+) Processor - Retail £83.99
1 x MSI HD 7770 GHz Edition 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £65.99
1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P AMD 970A (Socket AM3+) DDR3 Motherboard £50.99
1 x TeamGroup Elite Black 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C11 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (TED38GM1600HC11DC01) £49.99
1 x EVGA 500W 80 Plus Power Supply (100-W1-0500-KR) £35.99
1 x Toshiba (7K1000.D) 500GB SATA 6GB/s 32MB Cache - OEM (DT01ACA050) HDD £35.99
1 x Aerocool V3X Advance Evil Blue Edition Midi-Tower - Black/Blue £25.99
1 x Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £11.99
Total : £370.51 (includes shipping : £8.00).

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This would be a solid build but I would change the case to this:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-011-BX

I would also change the PSU to one of these:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-172-AN&groupid=701&catid=123
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-059-CS&groupid=701&catid=123

If the budget allows it I would consider this PSU though:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-143-NX

It is a bit long though.
 
CAT-THE-FIFTH said:
This would be a solid build but I would change the case to this:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-011-BX

I would also change the PSU to one of these:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-172-AN&groupid=701&catid=123
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-059-CS&groupid=701&catid=123

If the budget allows it I would consider this PSU though:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-143-NX

It is a bit long though.
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Fair enough, although I would avoid the Corsair Builder CX 430W V2 as it only outputs 336W on the 12v rail and only has one 6-pin connector, which would severely limit GPU upgrades. The EVGA 500W outputs 480W on the 12v.
 
Ah, I assumed the APU in that article would be suitable for the newer BF games.

Danny75 - that price looks great!

What's the main difference between the HD and R* range of AMD cards? (not up to scratch on my GFX cards)

I'd only want a basic case, with adequate cooling for the rig in question, of course. I'm not a fan of "gaming" cases :)
 
LordPablo said:
What's the main difference between the HD and R* range of AMD cards? (not up to scratch on my GFX cards)
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The "R" is to "HD" what Nvidia's 7XX series is to their 6XX series. i.e. Radeon's newest range. Some of them are pretty much the exact same card as their "HD" equivalent, just with a bit of newer tech like Direct X 11.2 support instead of 11.1 for example.

The build I specced will be better than APU, but I would recommend you beef up GPU-wise even more for better gaming and get 2GB graphics memory or higher. I'd up the budget to £400 and try squeeze in an R7 265 or a GTX 750Ti. Going for an even more powerful B-Grade (opened/used) card is also an option (or second hand from somewhere else). A 270X would capably run BF4 on Ultra @ 1920 x 1080 res.
 
LordPablo said:
Thanks for the explanation!

I assume the set-up you posted, I could easy upgrade the GPU if the time comes?
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You're welcome. It's a budget PSU for a budget build, decent for the price. It should handle up to an R9 270X or GTX 760.

In my opinion:

At least a good 500/550W is best for R9 280/280X and GTX 770/780.

At least a good 600/650W is best for R9 290/290X and GTX 780Ti.

AMD processors will also pull more wattage than Intel equivalents.

The budget Aerocool case in the basket may not allow for very long GPU'S, so that's something to consider as well. EDIT - just checked, and it says 350mm, so that's okay.
 
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I have used the Merc Alpha and Merc Beta and they are well built cases,plus they do have a kind of sleek look to them:

http://content.hwigroup.net/images/products/xl/133287/2/bitfenix_merc_beta.jpg

Regarding the PSU,I am more worried by the fact the EVGA 500B uses HEC as an OEM who are hit and miss.

The NZXT Hale Power 550W is really worth considering at £44 though - its Gold rated which is unheard off at the pricepoint and uses very good capacitors too,and a ball bearing fan too. It is a bit long as a PSU,but will fit in the Merc Alpha and Beta:

http://www.pc-specs.com/case/BitFenix/BitFenix_Merc_Alpha/519/Compatible_PSUs
 
CAT-THE-FIFTH said:
Regarding the PSU,I am more worried by the fact the EVGA 500B uses HEC as an OEM who are hit and miss.
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They are an "in between" reputation OEM, yes. Now, what you should perhaps be more concerned about is that the particular model in question here (EVGA 500 80+) is superior to the Corsair and Antec you suggested to replace it, which only have one six pin PCI-E each, and 336W and 360W max output on the 12v rail/s respectively. They don't even have a chance of running some GPUs that the EVGA can run.

As for the Hale, the OP asked for a £350 budget, which I already exceeded by £20. The Hale adds extra shipping cost too, making it around £15 more expensive in total than the EVGA 500, if you don't have free shipping. The case you've specced is a little more expensive too.

So unless you can recommend a better alternative for the same price, or do a full spec to balance things out elsewhere, then the OP should rest assured the EVGA will work nicely (for running that spec and/or upgrading with a 270X/GTX 760).
 
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