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£700 Gaming/Light Editing PC

Dru Tauva
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Hi!


I'm part of a group of gaming YouTubers, who we are is irrelevant really but all that is needed to know is that I'm using one of the most underpowered PC's in the group (and one of us still uses Vista so that's saying something). I'm working on (hopefully) getting another PC so that I can do more gaming with fraps running in the background (although I may look at bandicam or something) and so I can edit my videos semi-fast. That being said, the editing isn't that important as I can just render the files on another computer through my network. I'd like to know if the specs are alright for gaming and stuff like that.


Anyway, enough of my blabbering on, here are the potential specs:

  • CPU = AMD Athlon X4 760 Black Edition 3.8GHz 4MB Cache
  • RAM = 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz XMS3 Memory
  • Mobo = Asrock FM2A75 Pro4+ Socket FM2+ 7.1 Channel HD Audio ATX Motherboard
  • GPU = Gigabyte GTX 760 OC Windforce 2GB VRAM
  • SSD = Kingston SSDNow S200 30GB SATA3 2.5 Inch SSD
  • HDD = Toshiba 2TB Internal SATA 7200RPM HDD
  • PSU = Corsair CXM 500W Semi Modular 80+ Bronze Power Supply
  • Case = Aerocool GT Advance Mid Tower Black Interior USB3 12cm Red LED Fan Screwless Case
  • VDU = AOC E2250SWDNK 21.5″ LED DVI Monitor
  • OS = Windows 8.1 64-Bit

And because I'm nice I'll add the mouse/keyboard too

  • Mouse = Trust GXT 25 Gaming Mouse
  • Keyboard = CM Storm Trigger Mechanical Gaming Keyboard – Cherry MX Black

EDIT


 
**CPU** | [AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/amd-cpu-fd8320frhkbox) | £102.45 @ Amazon UK 
 
**CPU Cooler** | [Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr212e20pkr2) | Friend had one lying around
 
**Motherboard** | [ASRock 980DE3/U3S3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-980de3u3s3) | £45.58 @ More Computers 
 
**Memory** | [Kingston Fury Black Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/kingston-memory-hx318c10fb8) | £59.94 @ Amazon UK 
 
**Storage** | [sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/sandisk-internal-hard-drive-sdssdhp128gg25) | £47.99 @ Ebuyer 
 
**Storage** | [seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st2000dm001) | £53.94 @ Aria PC 
 
**Video Card** | [Gigabyte Radeon R9 285 2GB WINDFORCE 2X Video Card](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-video-card-gvr9285wf2oc2gd) | £175.19 @ Aria PC 
 
**Case** | [Cooler Master Silencio 650 ATX Mid Tower Case](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-case-rc650lkkn1) | £66.24 @ More Computers 
 
**Power Supply** | [Cooler Master Thunder  600W ATX Power Supply](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-power-supply-rs600acabd3) | £29.99 @ Amazon UK 
 
**Optical Drive** | [samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-optical-drive-sh224dbbebe) | £9.98 @ Scan.co.uk 
 
**Operating System** | [Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/microsoft-os-wn700615) | £72.35 @ Aria PC 
 
**Monitor** | [Hannspree HE247DPB 23.6" Monitor](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/hannspree-monitor-he247dpb) | £94.99 @ Ebuyer 
 
**Case Fan** | [Arctic Cooling Arctic F12 PWM CO 74.0 CFM 120mm  Fan](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/arctic-cooling-case-fan-afaco120pcgba01) | £5.46 @ Aria PC 
 
**Case Fan** | [Arctic Cooling Arctic F12 PWM CO 74.0 CFM 120mm  Fan](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/arctic-cooling-case-fan-afaco120pcgba01) | £5.46 @ Aria PC 
 
**Case Fan** | [Thermalright TY-147 73.6 CFM 140mm  Fan](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/thermalright-case-fan-ty147) | £6.59 @ Scan.co.uk 
 
**Case Fan** | [Thermalright TY-147 73.6 CFM 140mm  Fan](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/thermalright-case-fan-ty147) | £6.59 @ Scan.co.uk 
 
 | | **Total**
 | Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | £782.74
 

 

I'm just going to use some random mouse/keyboard until I save up for a better set from GAMDIAS/Razer/CM Storm or something...

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Posted

Get at least 120gb ssd.

I'd also get a better CPU before I spend over 100$ on a keyboard.

Also, an r9 270/280 would be better--if up don't need the cuda cores.

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FreeNAS 9.3 - Stable || Xeon E3 1230v2 || Supermicro X9SCM-F || 32GB Crucial ECC DDR3 || 3x4TB WD Red (JBOD) || SYBA SI-PEX40064 sata controller || Corsair CX500m || NZXT Source 210.

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Get at least 120gb ssd. I'd also get a better CPU before I spend over 100$ on a keyboard. Also, an r9 270/280 would be better--if up don't need the cuda cores.

 

Wow that was fast!

 

I have thought about a bigger SSD but it'd really just be used as a boot drive and I's have like 10GB uber-fast storage to play with.

 

And the R9 270? What sorts of improvements would I expect with that GPU?

 

Although a slightly bigger SSD would be cool as I could tell Fraps to save the files to the SSD (I'm going to presume that'll help a bit), but 120GB SSD's are a bit pricey for me when I'd only use a bit of the storage knowing me

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Posted

Get at least 120gb ssd. I'd also get a better CPU before I spend over 100$ on a keyboard. Also, an r9 270/280 would be better--if up don't need the cuda cores.

 

 

Wow that was fast!

 

I have thought about a bigger SSd but it'd really just be used as a boot drive and I's have like 10GB uber-fast storage to play with.

 

And the R9 270? What sorts of improvements would I expect with that GPU?

Before we jump on the AMD train, I'd just like to point out that NVidia cards have shadow play functionality. Basically @Dru Tauva ShadowPlay works like Fraps but it uses a special chip (or something) on the NVidia card and makes very little difference to system performance. It can also be used for stream. Basically, ShadowPlay is great for what you have in mind.

AMD does have a similar feature coming called 'Game DVR' (now in Beta) but it is yet to be proven and probably has bugs so ShadowPlay is the one you'd want to go with right now.

Like your proposed build, I have a GTX 760 in my rig and have tried ShadowPlay and found it makes very little difference to performance, even when playing and recording at 1080p.

Back to AMD, the R9 270 is still a good card but I think the GTX 760 is better (although the 270 is much cheaper). A 280 is more similarly priced to a 760 and generally performs a little better, but again, you get ShadowPlay with an NVidia Card which you don't get with AMD right now.

EDIT: also you'll probably regret not getting a bigger SSD down the line, just saying...

EDIT 2: Also forgot to mention that you'll probably want an aftermarket CPU cooler. From what I've heard, AMD's stock coolers are pretty loud, plus you won't get any overclocking if you decide you need it with the stock cooler. An inexpensive cooler like the Cooler Master Hyper 212 is a good choice if you don't want to fork out too much cash.

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Wow that was fast!

 

I have thought about a bigger SSD but it'd really just be used as a boot drive and I's have like 10GB uber-fast storage to play with.

 

And the R9 270? What sorts of improvements would I expect with that GPU?

 

Although a slightly bigger SSD would be cool as I could tell Fraps to save the files to the SSD (I'm going to presume that'll help a bit), but 120GB SSD's are a bit pricey for me when I'd only use a bit of the storage knowing me

 

 

 

Na you use the SSD for boot and programs like Vegas or Premier Pro, so you run everything fast and then use a storage HDD for fraps because you'll fill your SSD in minutes otherwise (I've recorded several 100 GB clips in fraps before from timelapsing). Writing your fraps to a HDD will be absolutely fine. And realistically, 120GB SSD's aren't a whole lot more expensive. As for your GPU, if your going with Nvidia, I'd recommend using ShadowPlay over Fraps too. As Dru said, go for cheaper mouse and keyboard and use those savings on your parts.

 

EDIT: As Vmax said, you'll probarly regret not getting a bigger SSD, honestly, go for that 120GB. I run 2 120's ones my boot and programs drive (Great for Photoshop, premier and after effects) and another for my commonly played games. Also have a look at AMD's FX CPU's, 8350 (Which I have or the 8320 which is one down) is a great lower cost option for rendering and video work while still a lot cheaper than say 4770K

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MX Blacks? They are a heavier MX Red aren't they?

Our Grace. The Feathered One. He shows us the way. His bob is majestic and shows us the path. Follow unto his guidance and His example. He knows the one true path. Our Saviour. Our Grace. Our Father Birb has taught us with His humble heart and gentle wing the way of the bob. Let us show Him our reverence and follow in His example. The True Path of the Feathered One. ~ Dimboble-dubabob III

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MX Blacks? They are a heavier MX Red aren't they?

yes

PSU Tier List | CoC

Gaming Build | FreeNAS Server

Spoiler

i5-4690k || Seidon 240m || GTX780 ACX || MSI Z97s SLI Plus || 8GB 2400mhz || 250GB 840 Evo || 1TB WD Blue || H440 (Black/Blue) || Windows 10 Pro || Dell P2414H & BenQ XL2411Z || Ducky Shine Mini || Logitech G502 Proteus Core

Spoiler

FreeNAS 9.3 - Stable || Xeon E3 1230v2 || Supermicro X9SCM-F || 32GB Crucial ECC DDR3 || 3x4TB WD Red (JBOD) || SYBA SI-PEX40064 sata controller || Corsair CX500m || NZXT Source 210.

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Worse keyboard for a larger SSD. 120GB or 250GB. Don't just get one for a boot drive. 

What do they know of England, who only England know?

"Well that's what I always said I wanted to be remembered for, for being honest. Nothing else is worth a damn"
 

 

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AMD do have their own equivalent of shadow play out now, it is still beta, and does still need the occasional patch, but it is something that does work, although BF4 doesn't work very well so far as I know. A 120gb ssd is a must in almost any system now, any less and you will regret it in a few months time. I would recommend the crucial mx100 for one as they are dirt cheap ATM. Also, get a cheap membrane keyboard for now, so you can get a better CPU, mobo or GPU, or even an aftermarket cooler like the 212 evo.

PCs

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Branwen (2015 build) - CPU: i7 4790K GPU:EVGA GTX 1070 SC PSU: XFX XTR 650W RAM: 16GB Kingston HyperX fury Motherboard: MSI Z87 MPower MAX AC SSD: Crucial MX100 256GB + Crucial MX300 1TB  Case: Silverstone RV05 Cooler: Corsair H80i V2 Displays: AOC AGON AG241QG & BenQ BL2420PT Build log: link 

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Netrunner (2020 build) - CPU: AMD R7 3700X GPU: EVGA GTX 1070 (from 2015 build) PSU: Corsair SF600 platinum RAM: 32GB Crucial Ballistix RGB 3600Mhz cl16 Motherboard: Gigabyte Aorus X570i pro wifi SSD: Sabrent Rocket 4.0 1TB Case: Lian Li TU150W black Cooler: Be Quiet! Dark Rock Slim

 

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I'm getting an aftermarket cooler from my friend, it's a Coolermaster Hyper 212 EVO that he has lying around

 

EDIT: I'm also using the 120GB version of the SSDNow I already mentioned

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[PCPartPicker part list](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/sgCddC) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/sgCddC/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/amd-cpu-fd8350frhkbox) | £119.99 @ Amazon UK
**CPU Cooler** | [Cooler Master Hyper TX3 Evo 43.1 CFM CPU Cooler](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rrtx3e22pkr1) | £16.52 @ Amazon UK
**Motherboard** | [MSI 990FXA-GD65 ATX AM3+ Motherboard](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-motherboard-990fxagd65) | £79.19 @ Aria PC
**Memory** | [Patriot Signature 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/patriot-memory-psd38g1600kh) | £52.98 @ Ebuyer
**Storage** | [Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd10ezex) | £38.70 @ Aria PC
**Video Card** | [XFX Radeon R9 280 3GB Double Dissipation Video Card](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-video-card-r9280atdfd) | £153.59 @ Aria PC
**Case** | [bitFenix Comrade ATX Mid Tower Case](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/bitfenix-case-bfccom100wwxs1rp) | £29.99 @ Aria PC
**Power Supply** | [Corsair CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-power-supply-cx500m) | £45.36 @ Amazon UK
**Operating System** | [Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit)](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/microsoft-os-fqc04649) | £47.50 @ Amazon UK
**Monitor** | [Asus VE247H 23.6" Monitor](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-ve247h) | £118.80 @ Aria PC
 | | **Total**
 | Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | £702.62

 

Does not have KB or Mouse though, and no ssd, because well, that is not the most important part in a pc.

My PC:

Spoiler

MOBO: MSI B450 Tomahawk Max, CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600, Cooler: BeQuiet! Dark Rock 3, GPU: Gigabyte GTX 1050ti D5 4G, Ram: 16GB (2x8) HyperX Fury DDR4, Case: NZXT S340, Psu: Be Quiet! Pure Power 11 600W , HDD's: WD 1TB Caviar Blue, WD 256GB Scorpio Blue, WD 2TB Caviar Blue  SSD: Sandisk SSD PLUS 240Gb

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Wow that was fast!

 

I have thought about a bigger SSD but it'd really just be used as a boot drive and I's have like 10GB uber-fast storage to play with.

 

And the R9 270? What sorts of improvements would I expect with that GPU?

 

Although a slightly bigger SSD would be cool as I could tell Fraps to save the files to the SSD (I'm going to presume that'll help a bit), but 120GB SSD's are a bit pricey for me when I'd only use a bit of the storage knowing me

 

Don't tell FRAPS to go to SSD. It will eat up storage in minutes.


CPU: Intel i5 4570 | Cooler: Cooler Master TPC 812 | Motherboard: ASUS H87M-PRO | RAM: G.Skill 16GB (4x4GB) @ 1600MHZ | Storage: OCZ ARC 100 480GB, WD Caviar Black 2TB, Caviar Blue 1TB | GPU: Gigabyte GTX 970 | ODD: ASUS BC-12D2HT BR Reader | PSU: Cooler Master V650 | Display: LG IPS234 | Keyboard: Logitech G710+ | Mouse: Logitech G602 | Audio: Logitech Z506 & Audio Technica M50X | My machine: https://nz.pcpartpicker.com/b/JoJ

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I've heard(and experienced) bad things with that Kingston SSD. It's very cheap for a reason you know. It's actual (not rated) performance is similar to that of a WD Black Hard Drive. Blacks are still pretty fast, but no SSD should be that slow.

Hi, nice to meet you :>

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I've heard(and experienced) bad things with that Kingston SSD. It's very cheap for a reason you know. It's actual (not rated) performance is similar to that of a WD Black Hard Drive. Blacks are still pretty fast, but no SSD should be that slow.

Ok, thanks for the heads up there. Do you know any better SSDs for this build then?

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This is what I would do with £700, use a £5 keyboard and mouse for now, and buy those when you get the money

 

You can save £20 by dropping the SSD down to 128gb, though I feel 256gb is a WAY better size

 

 

 
CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor  (£81.78 @ Amazon UK) 
Motherboard: MSI B85M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  (£40.01 @ CCL Computers) 
Memory: Patriot Signature 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  (£52.98 @ Ebuyer) 
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (£77.10 @ Scan.co.uk) 
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card  (£164.74 @ Scan.co.uk) 
Case: BitFenix Merc Alpha (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  (£29.99 @ Amazon UK) 
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  (£35.40 @ Scan.co.uk) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit)  (£59.00 @ Amazon UK) 
Monitor: AOC E2460SD 60Hz 24.0" Monitor  (£107.00 @ Ebuyer) 
Total: £707.24
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Desktop - Corsair 300r i7 4770k H100i MSI 780ti 16GB Vengeance Pro 2400mhz Crucial MX100 512gb Samsung Evo 250gb 2 TB WD Green, AOC Q2770PQU 1440p 27" monitor Laptop Clevo W110er - 11.6" 768p, i5 3230m, 650m GT 2gb, OCZ vertex 4 256gb,  4gb ram, Server: Fractal Define Mini, MSI Z78-G43, Intel G3220, 8GB Corsair Vengeance, 4x 3tb WD Reds in Raid 10, Phone Oppo Reno 10x 256gb , Camera Sony A7iii

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Posted

 

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  (£97.00 @ Scan.co.uk) 

Motherboard: Asus M5A97 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  (£59.99 @ Ebuyer) 

Memory: Patriot Signature 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  (£52.98 @ Ebuyer) 

Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB OC Video Card  (£455.74 @ Scan.co.uk) 

Case: BitFenix Comrade ATX Mid Tower Case  (£29.99 @ Aria PC) 

Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply  (£30.70 @ Amazon UK) 

Total: £726.40

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-07-30 22:16 BST+0100

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CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  (£97.00 @ Scan.co.uk) 
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  (£59.99 @ Ebuyer) 
Memory: Patriot Signature 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  (£52.98 @ Ebuyer) 
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB OC Video Card  (£455.74 @ Scan.co.uk) 
Case: BitFenix Comrade ATX Mid Tower Case  (£29.99 @ Aria PC) 
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply  (£30.70 @ Amazon UK) 
Total: £726.40
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-07-30 22:16 BST+0100

 

storage?

My PC:

Spoiler

MOBO: MSI B450 Tomahawk Max, CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600, Cooler: BeQuiet! Dark Rock 3, GPU: Gigabyte GTX 1050ti D5 4G, Ram: 16GB (2x8) HyperX Fury DDR4, Case: NZXT S340, Psu: Be Quiet! Pure Power 11 600W , HDD's: WD 1TB Caviar Blue, WD 256GB Scorpio Blue, WD 2TB Caviar Blue  SSD: Sandisk SSD PLUS 240Gb

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storage?

I assume he has one in his computer right now, he can upgrade it later or buy it with that if he wants

 

Took it out to save some costs

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If you're on a small budget on AMD.. 270x is like £40 cheaper and performs very similarly.

 

That CPU is OK for gaming but I'd try to get a better CPU especially if you're rendering videos a lot.

 

This is also in the wrong section.

Needs more v-core

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At the moment I'm using the family PC, not really allowed to dismantle it I'm afraid, also it's a tiny hard drive anyway

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If you're on a small budget on AMD.. 270x is like £40 cheaper and performs very similarly.

That CPU is OK for gaming but I'd try to get a better CPU especially if you're rendering videos a lot.

This is also in the wrong section.

Oh,what section would you say is more appropriate?

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what form factor would you like because a small case would be gd or lan parties and so one 

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what form factor would you like because a small case would be gd or lan parties and so one 

 

I'm not really a LAN party kinda guy so I think I'm going mid-tower

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