Low end gaming rig suggestions?

[cheex]

Hi Guys,

I'm looking to build my brother-in-law a low end gaming computer for 720/1080 gaming and to use as a media player. It's a gift to him and i dont want to spend more than like 350-400 on it.

I would like him to play AAA titles at 1080p with medium setting, the goal is beat what a console would offer (xbox one, PS4) 

 

because of the budget i can't do with a core i5 or even i3 so i'm left with a A6-6400k (or 7400k) offering (APU) or a pentium G3258 

here are my questions on the build,

 

PCPartChecker Link = http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/jdwJjX    (i have storage and OS covered)

 

1) do i get a A6 and use on-board graphics or go discrete graphics like and R7 370?

2) if i go discrete graphics should i go intel over AMD? 

3) are there any bottle necks in my build (CPU?) 

4) is the R7 370 too much horsepower and therefore wasting money, is there a cheaper card (APU) better suited? 

 

let me know your thoughts, i know the PSU is not great and will probably swap this out.

[Paralectic]

Go with a FX 6300, 8GB RAM and a second hand GTX 660.

[SirWendall]

4 minutes ago, cheex said:

Hi Guys,

I'm looking to build my brother-in-law a low end gaming computer for 720/1080 gaming and to use as a media player. It's a gift to him and i dont want to spend more than like 350-400 on it.

I would like him to play AAA titles at 1080p with medium setting, the goal is beat what a console would offer (xbox one, PS4) 

 

because of the budget i can't do with a core i5 or even i3 so i'm left with a A6-6400k (or 7400k) offering (APU) or a pentium G3258 

here are my questions on the build,

 

PCPartChecker Link = http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/jdwJjX    (i have storage and OS covered)

 

1) do i get a A6 and use on-board graphics or go discrete graphics like and R7 370?

2) if i go discrete graphics should i go intel over AMD? 

3) are there any bottle necks in my build (CPU?) 

4) is the R7 370 too much horsepower and therefore wasting money, is there a cheaper card (APU) better suited? 

 

let me know your thoughts, i know the PSU is not great and will probably swap this out.

 

2 minutes ago, Paralectic said:

Go with a FX 6300, 8GB RAM and a second hand GTX 660.

I had that same setup awhile back and it served me well except I had 660ti

Edited February 18, 2016 by GamerMan
Cause I can

[TravisTea]

I'm assuming you live in the states? Do you live near a Micro Center by chance? You can save a good amount of cash if you do. Also, I'd look for a good second hand AMD 7950/7970 as they generally go for pretty cheap and can handle 1080p very well.

[SirWendall]

2 minutes ago, LordSlimJimm said:

I'm assuming you live in the states? Do you live near a Micro Center by chance? You can save a good amount of cash if you do. Also, I'd look for a good second hand AMD 7950/7970 as they generally go for pretty cheap and can handle 1080p very well.

Or throw a GTX 960 in it 

[Planet-kuruto]

12 minutes ago, cheex said:

Hi Guys,

I'm looking to build my brother-in-law a low end gaming computer for 720/1080 gaming and to use as a media player. It's a gift to him and i dont want to spend more than like 350-400 on it.

I would like him to play AAA titles at 1080p with medium setting, the goal is beat what a console would offer (xbox one, PS4) 

 

because of the budget i can't do with a core i5 or even i3 so i'm left with a A6-6400k (or 7400k) offering (APU) or a pentium G3258 

here are my questions on the build,

 

PCPartChecker Link = http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/jdwJjX    (i have storage and OS covered)

 

1) do i get a A6 and use on-board graphics or go discrete graphics like and R7 370?

2) if i go discrete graphics should i go intel over AMD? 

3) are there any bottle necks in my build (CPU?) 

4) is the R7 370 too much horsepower and therefore wasting money, is there a cheaper card (APU) better suited? 

 

let me know your thoughts, i know the PSU is not great and will probably swap this out.

Here

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/3cDVhM

[TravisTea]

6 minutes ago, GamerMan said:

Or throw a GTX 960 in it 

Given his budget, I don't think this would be the right way to go. I've seen 7950's going for the $80-$120 USD range. I doubt he'll find a gtx 960 for less than $150. 

[SirWendall]

Just now, LordSlimJimm said:

Given his budget, I don't think this would be the right way to go. I've seen 7950's going for the $80-$120 USD range. I doubt he'll find a gtx 960 for less than $150. 

True  it'd be hard to find a used 960 for that low

[TravisTea]

18 minutes ago, cheex said:

Hi Guys,

I'm looking to build my brother-in-law a low end gaming computer for 720/1080 gaming and to use as a media player. It's a gift to him and i dont want to spend more than like 350-400 on it.

I would like him to play AAA titles at 1080p with medium setting, the goal is beat what a console would offer (xbox one, PS4) 

 

because of the budget i can't do with a core i5 or even i3 so i'm left with a A6-6400k (or 7400k) offering (APU) or a pentium G3258 

here are my questions on the build,

 

PCPartChecker Link = http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/jdwJjX    (i have storage and OS covered)

 

1) do i get a A6 and use on-board graphics or go discrete graphics like and R7 370?

2) if i go discrete graphics should i go intel over AMD? 

3) are there any bottle necks in my build (CPU?) 

4) is the R7 370 too much horsepower and therefore wasting money, is there a cheaper card (APU) better suited? 

 

let me know your thoughts, i know the PSU is not great and will probably swap this out.

If you live near a Micro Center, you can snag an Intel cpu/motherboard combo for a pretty good price. Especially since most Micro Centers will most likely have sale prices on their Haswell inventory to clear it out. Also, do you think he'll/you'll upgrade this unit within a year of building it? If so, the Pentium might not be a bad choice in the beginning, then you'll at least be able to slap a better cpu down the road. You can also get a good cpu cooler, like the Coolermaster 212+ and overclock the Pentium to increase your performance in gaming. All food for thought. 

[Ivam50]

19 minutes ago, cheex said:

Hi Guys,

I'm looking to build my brother-in-law a low end gaming computer for 720/1080 gaming and to use as a media player. It's a gift to him and i dont want to spend more than like 350-400 on it.

I would like him to play AAA titles at 1080p with medium setting, the goal is beat what a console would offer (xbox one, PS4) 

 

because of the budget i can't do with a core i5 or even i3 so i'm left with a A6-6400k (or 7400k) offering (APU) or a pentium G3258 

here are my questions on the build,

 

PCPartChecker Link = http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/jdwJjX    (i have storage and OS covered)

 

1) do i get a A6 and use on-board graphics or go discrete graphics like and R7 370?

2) if i go discrete graphics should i go intel over AMD? 

3) are there any bottle necks in my build (CPU?) 

4) is the R7 370 too much horsepower and therefore wasting money, is there a cheaper card (APU) better suited? 

 

let me know your thoughts, i know the PSU is not great and will probably swap this out.

You probably don't know that A-6 APUs are dual cores. Here is a build I made that is under $400

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/wx3nZL

It has an I3 (dual core BUT with hyperthreating) and a GTX 950 which will be able to run all AAA Medium Setting 40-50 FPS

Why not dual cores? Well Far Cry 4 natively does not run on dual cores. If this trend catches on with developers any dual core with become useless  (A PC sees an I3 as a QUAD-core)

[cheex]

wow guys i was not expecting such a response to fast. thanks... first... i live in Canada (the blue jays jersey didn't give it away? lol joking) 

 

second, i would rather avoid as many used parts as possible, nothing worse than giving a gift only to have something fail because it was on it's last legs to start. that said i do see huge savings with used video cards so i might go that route. 

 

[cheex]

32 minutes ago, Ivam50 said:

You probably don't know that A-6 APUs are dual cores. Here is a build I made that is under $400

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/wx3nZL

It has an I3 (dual core BUT with hyperthreating) and a GTX 950 which will be able to run all AAA Medium Setting 40-50 FPS

Why not dual cores? Well Far Cry 4 natively does not run on dual cores. If this trend catches on with developers any dual core with become useless  (A PC sees an I3 as a QUAD-core)

those are USD... convert to CAD and it's $600   (I said brother-in-law i dont love him THAT much jk)

[cheex]

As for dual core, i understand a hyper threaded i3 would be better but it's not in the budget if i want to stay new parts as much as possible. I dont see quad-core being a requirement for all AAA titles in the next 12-18 months which is really all i could hope to get out this rig. He can always buy an i3/i5 and mother board in time.

[Ivam50]

29 minutes ago, cheex said:

52 minutes ago, cheex said:

As for dual core, i understand a hyper threaded i3 would be better but it's not in the budget if i want to stay new parts as much as possible. I dont see quad-core being a requirement for all AAA titles in the next 12-18 months which is really all i could hope to get out this rig. He can always buy an i3/i5 and mother board in time.

A very nice an cheap quad core is an Athlon X4 860K.

(http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/4Gfg8d) It is $440 though, but it is your cheapest option for 1080p gaming above 30fps medium settings.

 

 

[cheex]

1 minute ago, Ivam50 said:

 

hmmm interesting build, i removed the WD HDD and got it to a respectable price. do you think the 750 TI is too much card for the X4 860K?

[Ivam50]

7 hours ago, cheex said:

hmmm interesting build, i removed the WD HDD and got it to a respectable price. do you think the 750 TI is too much card for the X4 860K?

Not at all. I don't think it will be able to handle (not bottleneck) anything beyond a gtx 950, but for a gtx 750 ti it will do.

[cheex]

ok hear me out.... what about something like this? i put it in an iTX/mini-ATX case that looks console-like for him. upgradability is basically zero but he can use his TV like a console and controller and game on AAA titles at 1080/720P especially if i overclock the CPU and GPU and give it some 2400 GHz RAM. thoughts?

 

LINK: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/nPDvgs

 

 

   

[Ivam50]

2 hours ago, cheex said:

ok hear me out.... what about something like this? i put it in an iTX/mini-ATX case that looks console-like for him. upgradability is basically zero but he can use his TV like a console and controller and game on AAA titles at 1080/720P especially if i overclock the CPU and GPU and give it some 2400 GHz RAM. thoughts?

 

LINK: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/nPDvgs

 

 

   

The power supply with the case is too weak.  Usually PSUs bundled with cases have a "max" wattage rating (they can draw it only in short bursts of time). If you overclock it, you  can simply kill the power supply and it might take the whole system with it. This is the reason I chose  case with a "480W" PSU. Will it draw that much power: no, but by not pushing the PSU it will just be safer. 

P.S It is ALWAYS better to pick up a separate PSU from a reliable brand like: Corsair or EVGA. Also the cooler you picked is probably the same if not weaker than the included cooler. (

it is in Chinese, but gives you a look at the cooler.)

[cheex]

yeah i had my concerns about that also. just trying to keep the cost down. i will have to rethink the case/power options. i really want a media player/console experience because he's in collage and no room for a desk/monitor keyboard type thing. but he has a TV and stand. thought for your feedback Ivam50 muchly appreciated 

[cheex]

3 hours ago, Ivam50 said:

 

it is in Chinese, but gives you a look at the cooler.)

whats your take on the cooler? i am assuming it's like other stock coolers and not up to the task of cooler the CPU/APU when overclocked.

 

[cheex]

what about switching to an mITX mobo and going with this. i love the look and it's a SFF.

 

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811156329

 

 

[ShaunC]

Here's my effort in a cheap gaming pc

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($66.88 @ OutletPC) 
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Alpine 11 Pro Rev. 2 36.7 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler  ($11.88 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($80.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($34.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($46.89 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Superclocked Video Card  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Raidmax Vortex ATX Mid Tower Case  ($19.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: Corsair CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($43.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $405.58
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-19 13:54 EST-0500

[Trey222]

11 minutes ago, cheex said:

what about switching to an mITX mobo and going with this. i love the look and it's a SFF.

 

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811156329

 

 

This case looks pretty nice. Also for power as long as you don't upgrade to much it should be fine for a low end build. 

[cheex]

1 minute ago, ShaunC said:

Here's my effort in a cheap gaming pc

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($66.88 @ OutletPC) 
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Alpine 11 Pro Rev. 2 36.7 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler  ($11.88 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($80.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($34.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($46.89 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Superclocked Video Card  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Raidmax Vortex ATX Mid Tower Case  ($19.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: Corsair CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($43.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $405.58
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-19 13:54 EST-0500

Thanks Shaun,

I started off that way, cheap dual core CPU and a 750 IT card. problem is the price inflates to much when you convert that to Canadian ($670 before shipping)

i think i need to stick to an A10 APU overclocked with high speed RAM may 2400mghz 

[cheex]

1 minute ago, Trey222 said:

This case looks pretty nice. Also for power as long as you don't upgrade to much it should be fine for a low end build. 

thanks Trey, i was hoping it work work... only problem mITX mobo are all in the $125+ range GRRR i swear i cant win.