Cheap gaming pc

[ZacDaMan72]

I have modified the options to what is avaliable in sweden. Now i have these main options:

ASUS H97M-E mATX 

1TB Seagate Desktop SSHD 8GB 7200rpm 64MB

ADATA 8GB (2x4GB) CL9 1600MHz XPG

Intel Core i5 4460 3,2 GHz, 6MB

Cooler Master TX3 EVO

XFX Radeon R9 270X 2GB (Curacao XT) / R9 280 3GB 

AMD Never Settle Forever - SILVER

Fractal Design Core 1100, USB 3.0, Black 

Fractal Design Integra R2 500W 80+ Bronze

Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OEM

and

Gigabyte GA-Z97M-D3H

1TB Seagate Desktop SSHD 8GB 7200rpm 64MB

ADATA 8GB (2x4GB) CL9 1600MHz XPG

Intel Pentium Anniversary Edition G3258 3,2 GHz, 3MB

Cooler Master TX3 EVO

XFX  Radeon R9 270X 2GB (Curacao XT)

AMD Never Settle Forever - SILVER

Fractal Design Core 1100, USB 3.0

Fractal Design Integra R2 500W 80+ Bronze

Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Svensk OEM, SP1

 

Wich one would be best and should I change something?

The graphic card may be switched for a R9 280 from an other store.

ZacDaMan72 Why should I switch out the SSHD?

If you can get a better part with swapping out the SSHD, do it.

[Flinken123]

the Z97 cost more because it have overclocking ready features, wich you don't need unless you plan to go with an unlocked intel CPU...wich cost more money. And you also need a proper CPU cooling solution to do that. About broadwell i can't tell you the future will it be the same socket i think so and if it is both the H97 and the Z97 should support it, both the H97 and Z97 are the latest intel chipsets.

 

 

If you can get a better part with swapping out the SSHD, do it.

Ok, I think that I will keep it as it is.

[dragoon20005]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor  (£47.99 @ Aria PC) 

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  (£24.25 @ Scan.co.uk) 

Motherboard: MSI Z97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  (£68.36 @ Scan.co.uk) 

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  (£56.98 @ Amazon UK) 

Storage: Seagate  1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive  (£54.99 @ Ebuyer) 

Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card  (£122.72 @ Scan.co.uk) 

Case: Cooler Master N600 Windowed ATX Mid Tower Case  (£71.36 @ Amazon UK) 

Power Supply: Corsair CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  (£45.57 @ Amazon UK) 

Total: £492.22

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

 

 

use this as reference for the Pentium build prices in UK pounds but conversion is around 5666 Kr excluding shipping

 

I still feel many are underestimating the power of the Pentium 

 

the price point makes low budget quad cores feel under powered as this small guy can be OC and still keep up with high end CPU like the 4790K in many games

[Flinken123]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor (£47.99 @ Aria PC)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£24.25 @ Scan.co.uk)

Motherboard: MSI Z97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£68.36 @ Scan.co.uk)

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£56.98 @ Amazon UK)

Storage: Seagate 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive (£54.99 @ Ebuyer)

Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card (£122.72 @ Scan.co.uk)

Case: Cooler Master N600 Windowed ATX Mid Tower Case (£71.36 @ Amazon UK)

Power Supply: Corsair CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£45.57 @ Amazon UK)

Total: £492.22

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

use this as reference for the Pentium build prices in UK pounds but conversion is around 5666 Kr excluding shipping

I still feel many are underestimating the power of the Pentium

the price point makes low budget quad cores feel under powered as this small guy can be OC and still keep up with high end CPU like the 4790K in many games

I would really like a that cheap PC, the problem is that it will be used for more than games and i want it to "last" a few years without doing to much upgrades. I would also want it to be mATX.

[dragoon20005]

I would really like a that cheap PC, the problem is that it will be used for more than games and i want it to "last" a few years without doing to much upgrades. I would also want it to be mATX.

The Pentium can be a good based PC to start with and you can just drop in a more powerful quad core later when Broadwell CPU arrives next year.

 

I using a dual core but it gets most of my job done be it a bit slow. But the latest Pentium is way more powerful than the previous generation of dual core CPU 

 

You can check out the many review of the Pentium G3258 

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor  (£47.99 @ Aria PC) 

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  (£24.25 @ Scan.co.uk) 

Motherboard: MSI Z97M-G43 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  (£75.56 @ Scan.co.uk) 

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  (£56.98 @ Amazon UK) 

Storage: Seagate  1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive  (£54.99 @ Ebuyer) 

Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card  (£122.72 @ Scan.co.uk) 

Case: Corsair 350D MicroATX Mid Tower Case  (£69.00 @ Amazon UK) 

Power Supply: Corsair CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  (£45.57 @ Amazon UK) 

Total: £497.06

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

 

edited the build to mATX

 

I will say this build will last you until the Broadwell CPU arrives next year

 

you will have enough budget to buy and drop a i5 Core and a SSD to this system and it will last much longer.

[Flinken123]

The Pentium can be a good based PC to start with and you can just drop in a more powerful quad core later when Broadwell CPU arrives next year.

I using a dual core but it gets most of my job done be it a bit slow. But the latest Pentium is way more powerful than the previous generation of dual core CPU

You can check out the many review of the Pentium G3258

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor (£47.99 @ Aria PC)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£24.25 @ Scan.co.uk)

Motherboard: MSI Z97M-G43 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£75.56 @ Scan.co.uk)

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£56.98 @ Amazon UK)

Storage: Seagate 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive (£54.99 @ Ebuyer)

Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card (£122.72 @ Scan.co.uk)

Case: Corsair 350D MicroATX Mid Tower Case (£69.00 @ Amazon UK)

Power Supply: Corsair CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£45.57 @ Amazon UK)

Total: £497.06

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

edited the build to mATX

I will say this build will last you until the Broadwell CPU arrives next year

you will have enough budget to buy and drop a i5 Core and a SSD to this system and it will last much longer.

OK, I will think about it. If I am willing to upgrade when Broadwell comes out I will take the Pentium,otherwise I will buy the i5 4460.

[i_build_nanosuits]

OK, I will think about it. If I am willing to upgrade when Broadwell comes out I will take the Pentium,otherwise I will buy the i5 4460.

the i5-4460 run's watch dogs much better than a pentium dual core even highly overclocked. tested this myself. On maximum settings the pentium had a hard time keeping 30FPS with a GTX 780 overclocked, while the i5 was able to pull in the 50 to 60FPS constantly. The pentium was also making the game stutter a ton to the point where it was not even playable.

If you play a lot of old school games based on old game engine technology (MMO's RTS, RPG, some indies..) then you are likely to like the pentium as most of these games require only a couple main threads to be processed for the game to run great. If you're more into modern games (BF4 (5!!), CRYSIS3, FAR CRY3 (4!!), GTA IV (V !!!), Tomb Raiders, Hitmans, Watch dogs...most great games plug here in fact) then you need a strong quad core CPU that can process at least 4 sets of instructions at once...

 

NOW, if you intend to go with a sloppy low end GPU to go along, then this is likely to be your weakest link anyway all the time so no point in spending more on a CPU...but in your case the R9 280 and even the 270X i should say are no sloutch and deserves to be paired with a good CPU.

[Flinken123]

the i5-4460 run's watch dogs much better than a pentium dual core even highly overclocked. tested this myself. On maximum settings the pentium had a hard time keeping 30FPS with a GTX 780 overclocked, while the i5 was able to pull in the 50 to 60FPS constantly. The pentium was also making the game stutter a ton to the point where it was not even playable.

If you play a lot of old school games based on old game engine technology (MMO's RTS, RPG, some indies..) then you are likely to like the pentium as most of these games require only a couple main threads to be processed for the game to run great. If you're more into modern games (BF4 (5!!), CRYSIS3, FAR CRY3 (4!!), GTA IV (V !!!), Tomb Raiders, Hitmans, Watch dogs...most great games plug here in fact) then you need a strong quad core CPU that can process at least 4 sets of instructions at once...

NOW, if you intend to go with a sloppy low end GPU to go along, then this is likely to be your weakest link anyway all the time so no point in spending more on a CPU...but in your case the R9 280 and even the 270X i should say are no sloutch and deserves to be paired with a good CPU.

Thank you! I think I will go for the 4460. If I want to upgrade to Broadwell I can just sell it anyway.

[i_build_nanosuits]

Thank you! I think I will go for the 4460. If I want to upgrade to Broadwell I can just sell it anyway.

indeed, but chances are this CPU will last a good 3 years of gaming provided you always pair it with a good GPU...but yes you could upgrade to an i7 broadwell if you find you need more power later on and sell the i5, locked CPU's are easy sell. Keep all your boxes.

[MEC-777]

Just look @ a few benchmarks, most games don't give a shit about the numbers of cores, the G3258 OC is easily competing with a 4670K OC.

Can't emphasize this statement enough. Wish more people could understand this. 

 

The G3258, is not easily competing with the 4670K. Not with higher-end GPUs anyways. It does, however trade blows with i3's.

 

I would go with an Intel Pentium 3258 (65€) and a cheap Z87 Chipset mobo (~130€) and a Thermalright Macho (35€), would be less money for a better system, also you can overclock the CPU and get better performance.

You need Z97 for the G3258 (I believe).

 

Get the R9 280, and let go the TX3 cpu cooler you wont need it with a locked i5 like that...

get the H97 board and i5-4460

i'd also pick windows 8.1 instead...everything else is perfect.

This. 

 

At this price point it doesn't make sense to go with the G3258, even OC'd to the max. You're better off going with an entry level i5

 

@Flinkin123 - You're current build looks great, but you don't need that CPU cooler. Just save that money or put it towards a better GPU. 

[TheTiger]

You need Z97 for the G3258 (I believe).

 

No you don't.

[MEC-777]

No you don't.

I stand corrected. 

 

However, since Z97 boards are no more expensive than Z87, it makes more sense to buy into the newest platform instead of the previous.

[i_build_nanosuits]

I stand corrected. 

 

However, since Z97 boards are no more expensive than Z87, it makes more sense to buy into the newest platform instead of the previous.

i think he refers to the very recent and unverified info's that ASUS came out with an actual H97 board that you can overclock pentiums on it...not sure but to me that is how it sounded like...

anyways a locked core i3-4130 with an h81 motherboard will beat the pentium at any clockspeed in anything that run's more than 3 threads hence why i wouldnt even consider a pentium.

[TheTiger]

I stand corrected. 

 

However, since Z97 boards are no more expensive than Z87, it makes more sense to buy into the newest platform instead of the previous.

 

On a price point it won't make sence @ all, on the Chip-side it also won't. The only thing @ which it could make sence is, that it may will be longer supported.

 

Btw Tomshardware did their overclock on a Z87 board.

 

 

i think he refers to the very recent and unverified info's that ASUS came out with an actual H97 board that you can overclock pentiums on it...not sure but to me that is how it sounded like...
anyways a locked core i3-4130 with an h81 motherboard will beat the pentium at any clockspeed in anything that run's more than 3 threads hence why i wouldnt even consider a pentium.

 

I wanna see your i3-4130 holding up with an overclocked G3258 when even a i3-4330 / i5-4690k can just barely or not even hold up with it's performance in some games.


 

[i_build_nanosuits]

I wanna see your i3-4130 holding up with an overclocked G3258 when even a i3-4330 / i5-4790k can just barely or not hold up with it's performance in some games.

in SOME games as you mentionned, wich are old tech MMO's and RTS that run's only a couple threads...take that into a modern gaming scenario with a demanding multiplayer game that require 4 main threads processing or more and check the results?

and no the pentium is absolutely no match for an i7-4790K in ANYTHING...they have the same cores, but the pentium only has 2 and no hyperthreading, the pentium G3258 is exactly half a core i5-4690K...nothing more, nothing less.

[TheTiger]

in SOME games as you mentionned, wich are old tech MMO's and RTS that run's only a couple threads...take that into a modern gaming scenario with a demanding multiplayer game that require 4 main threads processing or more and check the results?

and no the pentium is absolutely no match for an i7-4790K in ANYTHING...they have the same cores, but the pentium only has 2 and no hyperthreading, the pentium G3258 is exactly half a core i5-4690K...nothing more, nothing less.

 

I didn't mention the i7-4790k in any way..

 

However, you are calling Battlefield 4, Thief and Tomb Raider(!) old MMO's and RTS? In Tomb Raider the G3258 OC performs even better than the i5-4790k^^

Tomshardware

[i_build_nanosuits]

I didn't mention the i7-4790k in any way..

 

However, you are calling Battlefield 4, Thief and Tomb Raider(!) old MMO's and RTS? In Tomb Raider the G3258 OC performs even better than the i5-4790k^^

Tomshardware

 

it is called the i5-4690K...not 4790K...it's the i7-4790K this is why i mentionned core i7 and BTW this benchmark you showed is badly realised we are CLEARLY in a GPU bound scenario here as all CPU's are within margin or errors from each other even the poor athlon 750K is doing just as good...this is bad CPU benchmarking and should not be considered...and even then in GPU bound scenario the i5 still managed better MINIMUM wich is what is important...MINIMUM.

it's the same throughout the benchmarks...GPU limited...and if you believe that a GTX Titan and core i5-4690K will drop to 43FPS in tomb raider at 1080p you are very naive..

 

This is more what it looks like with a capable GPU:

 

http://www.legitreviews.com/intel-pentium-g3258-processor-review-quest-5ghz_145874/13

 

http://www.legitreviews.com/intel-pentium-g3258-processor-review-quest-5ghz_145874/12

 

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/pentium_20th_anniversary_series_g3258_processor_review,11.html

 

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2014/06/24/intel-pentium-g3258-review/5

[MEC-777]

it is called the i5-4690K...not 4790K...it's the i7-4790K this is why i mentionned core i7 and BTW this benchmark you showed is badly realised we are CLEARLY in a GPU bound scenario here as all CPU's are within margin or errors from each other even the poor athlon 750K is doing just as good...this is bad CPU benchmarking and should not be considered...and even then in GPU bound scenario the i5 still managed better MINIMUM wich is what is important...MINIMUM.

it's the same throughout the benchmarks...GPU limited...and if you believe that a GTX Titan and core i5-4690K will drop to 43FPS in tomb raider at 1080p you are very naive..

 

This is more what it looks like with a capable GPU:

 

http://www.legitreviews.com/intel-pentium-g3258-processor-review-quest-5ghz_145874/13

 

http://www.legitreviews.com/intel-pentium-g3258-processor-review-quest-5ghz_145874/12

 

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/pentium_20th_anniversary_series_g3258_processor_review,11.html

 

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2014/06/24/intel-pentium-g3258-review/5

This is exactly right.

 

I'd just like to add that I commend and prefer the way Tom's carried out their testing in their review of the G3258. Why? Because they used settings that were far more indicative of real world usage scenario. Sure, they could have run the games at 720p and crazy frame rates to really show the difference in CPU muscle, but nobody plays at those settings, therefore it's irrelevant. Run these things with a beefy GPU and high/ultra 1080p and see what the end user will actually experience with these components. That's what I'm interested in and that's what's really important, IMO. 

[i_build_nanosuits]

This is exactly right.

 

I'd just like to add that I commend and prefer the way Tom's carried out their testing in their review of the G3258. Why? Because they used settings that were far more indicative of real world usage scenario. Sure, they could have run the games at 720p and crazy frame rates to really show the difference in CPU muscle, but nobody plays at those settings, therefore it's irrelevant. Run these things with a beefy GPU and high/ultra 1080p and see what the end user will actually experience with these components. That's what I'm interested in and that's what's really important, IMO. 

i agree, kind of what techsyndicate was doing when he tested the AMD FX against intel's CPU, normal GPU (he used GTX 670) at normal resolution and settings...

now, as the new GPU's hit the market and you upgrade to more powerfull GPU this is when you do get interested in CPU muscle and how much is left in the tank! IMHO...