Build a Better $69 PC

[Beeeyeee]

I've had this idea for a while. Every component has to be (about) $69. I'm going to build this on my channel. Anybody got a better build?

 

Go!

 

my build: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/YsxrGf

[rcarteraz]

Didn't get this from the at least  2 times LTT said they are going to do this? 

[Beeeyeee]

1 minute ago, rcarteraz said:

Didn't get this from the at least  2 times LTT said they are going to do this? 

No actually I got this idea a couple years ago. Long before they said it.  but now my goal is to do it before them!;)

 

i mean, they could have had this idea before mentioning on the wan show. But I thought of it before I was even subscribed to LinusTechTips.

[TheRandomness]

But then you get a horrifically bad build like that...

[EPPHO]

iGPU might be better than that 

[Zyndo]

11 minutes ago, Beeeyeee said:

I've had this idea for a while. Every component has to be (about) $69. I'm going to build this on my channel. Anybody got a better build?

 

Go!

 

my build: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/YsxrGf

Should figure out a loophole for your CPU/GPU.... like buying $690 components or seeing what you can get used for 69 bucks or something like that because that computer is gonna be awful. it wouldn't even be a half decent budget gaming rig.

 

but if yer doing it for shits and giggles then its fine.

[Beeeyeee]

7 hours ago, TheRandomness said:

But then you get a horrifically bad build like that...

I mean... with a $69 budget per component, how much better could I do??

[Zyndo]

1 hour ago, Beeeyeee said:

I mean... with a $69 budget per component, how much better could I do??

You kind of can't.... again, unless you go for used components. but you're spending a lot of money on something that is going to be a lot of meh. a lot of the computer is actually pretty solid. great CPU cooler (although you may want to just eliminate it and run with whatever stock fan you get since you likely aren't going to need any more cooling than that)

 

Realistically the CPU is okay-ish for gaming. 2 cores/2 threads may really throw a wrench in your ability to run some games, so you may want to check AMD's offerings for a quad core in the same price area (or explore for maybe a used/refurbished/open box i3). but if you don't intend on doing some of the AAA games that require a 4thread CPU, then the G4500 isn't a terrible idea. The real kicker in your build is the GPU. that GPU and all 69 dollar GPUs are garbage. to put it in perspecticve, that GT 730 is weaker than the iGPU inside your selected G4500 (as well as other skylake skews rocking the HD530 GPU). You may as well not get one at all to save costs. You might also consider going AMD and getting one of their APU's, as I hear they are supposedly much better when it comes to their integrated graphics. No idea how true this is or if they're now outdated, but that is what I've heard.

 

(HD530 vs GT 730: http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/compare.php?cmp[]=2906&cmp[]=3281)

 

That being said most of your other selections are actually pretty good for a 69 dollar PC. but the two core components that drive your rig are seriously lacking (especially the GPU). You're going to have to figure something out to make that purchase relevant (such as buying a used GPU like a 750ti or a 950 or something similar from the AMD side of things).

[Beeeyeee]

2 minutes ago, Zyndo said:

You kind of can't.... again, unless you go for used components. but you're spending a lot of money on something that is going to be a lot of meh. a lot of the computer is actually pretty solid. great CPU cooler (although you may want to just eliminate it and run with whatever stock fan you get since you likely aren't going to need any more cooling than that)

 

Realistically the CPU is okay-ish for gaming. 2 cores/2 threads may really throw a wrench in your ability to run some games, so you may want to check AMD's offerings for a quad core in the same price area (or explore for maybe a used/refurbished/open box i3). but if you don't intend on doing some of the AAA games that require a 4thread CPU, then the G4500 isn't a terrible idea. The real kicker in your build is the GPU. that GPU and all 69 dollar GPUs are garbage. to put it in perspecticve, that GT 730 is weaker than the iGPU inside your selected G4500 (as well as other skylake skews rocking the HD530 GPU). You may as well not get one at all to save costs. You might also consider going AMD and getting one of their APU's, as I hear they are supposedly much better when it comes to their integrated graphics. No idea how true this is or if they're now outdated, but that is what I've heard.

 

(HD530 vs GT 730: http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/compare.php?cmp[]=2906&cmp[]=3281)

 

That being said most of your other selections are actually pretty good for a 69 dollar PC. but the two core components that drive your rig are seriously lacking (especially the GPU). You're going to have to figure something out to make that purchase relevant (such as buying a used GPU like a 750ti or a 950 or something similar from the AMD side of things).

totally agree and those are my concerns. after whipping up that quick partslist I slapped it here to see some feedback. I knew that everything was doable... but I also knew the CPU, and especially the GPU would take the biggest hit. Maybe i'll cheat and do a $169 budget for them or something. because you're right. Its fun, but it just doesn't make sense! 
That said, its really intresting to see how each part is affected, we get EPIC peripherals, a terrible monitor, great budget for RAM, CPU cooler, etc. mobo suffers a bit... and CPU and GPU are getting choked to death. haha really interesting to see that.

[Zyndo]

1 minute ago, Beeeyeee said:

totally agree and those are my concerns. after whipping up that quick partslist I slapped it here to see some feedback. I knew that everything was doable... but I also knew the CPU, and especially the GPU would take the biggest hit. Maybe i'll cheat and do a $169 budget for them or something. because you're right. Its fun, but it just doesn't make sense! 
That said, its really intresting to see how each part is affected, we get EPIC peripherals, a terrible monitor, great budget for RAM, CPU cooler, etc. mobo suffers a bit... and CPU and GPU are getting choked to death. haha really interesting to see that.

well to be fair, some games actually run quite well on a Pentium. I was able to play Tomb Raider (2013) i was benchmarking performances to see how my 6700k would do, so i turned it into a Pentium G4400 and it was able to actually run smooth framerates no problem. slightly older game, but the same held true for a lot of the titles I currently play. But i also don't play many of the the current AAA games on PC. I don't think a Pentium would do a good job of Wither 3, Battlefield 1, Far Cry 4, and so on, but its great for MOBA gaming, light shooters like CS:GO, and other things like that. so if you end up doing this video and if that is all you can make work in your budget, perhaps focus more on that target audience.

 

GL!

[Beeeyeee]

8 minutes ago, Zyndo said:

well to be fair, some games actually run quite well on a Pentium. I was able to play Tomb Raider (2013) i was benchmarking performances to see how my 6700k would do, so i turned it into a Pentium G4400 and it was able to actually run smooth framerates no problem. slightly older game, but the same held true for a lot of the titles I currently play. But i also don't play many of the the current AAA games on PC. I don't think a Pentium would do a good job of Wither 3, Battlefield 1, Far Cry 4, and so on, but its great for MOBA gaming, light shooters like CS:GO, and other things like that. so if you end up doing this video and if that is all you can make work in your budget, perhaps focus more on that target audience.

 

GL!

Oh yeah. Those overclockable penguins are pretty beast. Especially if you plan to upgrade later. It usually sits at 100% load in games but it provides really nice outputs. Really underestimated for a budget build. Especially for the upgrade path. 

[Space Reptile]

i gave it a shot , its bad , but that is what your get 

 

i kept as close as 69 as i could 

http://pcpartpicker.com/list/Jp6Xf8

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3460 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($69.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: Corsair H60 74.4 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($69.98 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: Asus H81M-PLUS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($69.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($69.89 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($69.00 @ B&H) 
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R7 240 2GB Video Card  ($67.98 @ Newegg) 
Case: Fractal Design Define S w/Window ATX Mid Tower Case  ($69.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($69.99 @ B&H) 
Total: $556.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-10-08 01:54 EDT-0400