2nd PC (Budget Gaming)

[addario]

Hi,

I'm looking to build a 2nd pc for around £550. will be using the pc for some gaming but nothing heavy like bf3 etc. I already have a spare msi gtx 460 hawk which I can use but for the rest I was thinking along these lines.

-AMD FX-4 4100 Black Edition 4 Core 3.6Ghz Socket AM3+ 8MB L3 £87.64

-Asus M5A97 PRO 970 Socket AM3+ 8 Channel HD Audio ATX Motherboard £79.02

-Western Digital WD10EARS 1TB Hard Drive SATAII 5400rpm 64MB Cache - OEM Caviar Green £77.99

-Corsair 8GB (2X4GB) DDR3 1600Mhz Vengeance Blue "LOW PROFILE" CL9 1.5V £43.00

-Fractal Design Define R3 Black Pearl Case - USB3.0 (chosen as its a decent case plus quiet) £70.00

-24" BenQ G2420HDBL Widescreen LED Monitor £119.99

-PSU-not sure what psu I would need for a setup like this

any advice on this build would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Mattdiv]

http://www.enermax.outervision.com/

Make sure you don't go overboard on the wattage because you may need less than you think.

I've been looking at a few PSUs for my new build recently and I've come across a few options. If you want to spend under 50 quid then the OCZ MXSP (ModXStream Pro) 500w may be a good choice. It's not the best but it's not bad, according to the reviews I've seen.

http://www.ebuyer.com/152009-ocz-mx...-modular-single-12v-rail-135mm-fan-ocz500mxsp

But I'm by no means an expert. Personally I've decided upon the 650w XFX Core Edition. It's probably more than I need but it's got great reviews, plenty of headroom for future builds, and it's only a tener more. But you do sacrifice the modular cables.

http://www.ebuyer.com/241554-xfx-pro-650w-core-edition-psu-single-rail-9x-sata-4x-p1-650s-ukb9

Good luck with your build.

 

[Gurt11]

You don't need that kind of memory in a budget system ^^ save some and get the cheapest kingston value 4gb 1333 you find.

On the other hand: that hard drive will make the system feel very slow. Get at least a 7200rpm hdd, maybe a little less storage room if that fits the budget better.

 

[Mattdiv]

On the other hand: that hard drive will make the system feel very slow. Get at least a 7200rpm hdd, maybe a little less storage room if that fits the budget better.

[/quote]

Agreed. But I think he's looking for a quiet build, and the Caviar Green is probably a good option for him.

If you don't need a lot of storage, look into getting an SSD. The performance boost is phenomenal (although not in terms of gaming!) and I'd glady sacrifice a lot of storage for it's benefits.

 

[addario]

Thanks for the replies,

this rigs going to be for my

@ Mattdiv, I think your suggestion of a 650w would be a better one as like you said it would give me room to make changes. SSD is prob something I would look at again in a few months when prices are hopefully better. faster windows boot time wont bother me much...i'm patient =P

@ Gurt11, I was looking more for a quiet rig but if going 5400 over 7200 will really reduce performance then I would change to a 7200, either paying more or getting a smaller hdd.

ignoring the quiet aspects and just looking for gaming/multimedia performance what kind of system would you guys build for like a £600 budget.

thanks

 

[daniSAUR]

ignoring the quiet aspects and just looking for gaming/multimedia performance what kind of system would you guys build for like a £600 budget.

Probably something like...

i5-2500 (K edition if you want to OC with a Coolermaster Hyper 212+)

H61 mobo (If going down the K edition route, then a decent z68 board)

560GTX-Ti/HD6950

8GB DDR3 1333/1066

500W (750W if I was going to SLi/XFire in the future)

CM690 ii Advanced case

Any cheap 1TB (I think Hitachi or Seagate are going for cheap)

 

[Mattdiv]

Saving money usually = AMD

The 2500k is a better CPU.

If you're not going to keep the system for long I'd go for the FX-4 as it's a good budget option. Just don't expect it to be up there with the i5. But do you need it to be? The difference is, what? 60/70 quid? Your call.

You've already got a decent graphics card to throw in.

The case can depend on personal taste so it's best you go for whatever you like. The R3 is a good case - not sure when the new Bitfenix Ghost will be around though. May be something to look out for.

 

[daniSAUR]

Although for gaming, you can go for the cheaper intel core: i3-2120.

 

[addario]

thanks for the replies again,

I have a main rig which I use most of the time, an i7 2600k, gtx 580 etc. this 2nd rig will mostly be for when my gf is staying round mine for a while. she gets angry playing on a laptop lol,

I was thinking about going the amd route as it is a better budget option but I think in the long run it would be better to put the extra money in and get an i5. I guess if i'm going i5 then I should really be looking at a z68. possibly this?

 

[Mattdiv]

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/fx-4100-core-i3-2100-gaming-benchmark,3136-9.html

 

[Gurt11]

For a £600 budget and you want an intel i5, this is something along the lines of what I would build: (assembled at aria.co.uk)

CPU: i5 2400 = 142,99 (non-overclocking, but don't expect that in a budget rig for the girlfriend)

Mobo: ASUS P8Z68-V LX Intel Z68 (REV B3) = 67,19 (cheap but still z68)

GPU: MSI AMD Radeon HD 6870 OC 1024MB = 131,99 (best price/performance ratio card when on some sort of a budget, still nice gaming card, or how demanding is your girlfriend?

)

Mem: Mushkin Silverline 2x2gb = 20,99 (cheapest and everything a gaming rig needs)

PSU: 650W Corsair AX Series = 101,99 (because it's important to invest in a good psu and you can keep this forever while upgrading the rest)

HDD: 500GB Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKX = 59,94

Case: Corsair Carbide 400R Black Midi Tower Chassis w/ USB3.0 = 75,59 (this is personal taste ofcourse, get something cheaper and you can get other better components...)

Total: £600,67

 

[mrDMxtreme]

guys, read he has a gpu,

now if your still looking i would say get the cheapest case you can, get an ssd if you don't have a million games, also go with a SB chip. (i'm in canada, so i can't say the prices yet, i'll build one and add an edit in a few min)

Here: (and the 1tb is optional .... but yea)

btw nothing under 600 is gonna beat this, PLUS if you don't get the 1tb hdd (or the sdd, w/e pick one) then u can probably get a second 460 and sli with your and then u'll have a REALLY powerful machine , but might need 650watt or something not sure

 

[Mattdiv]

Budget, short-term AMD option:

- Bitfenix Merc

- FX-4100

- G Skill RipjawsX

- Gigabyte 970A-DS3

- Mushkin Chronos 120gb SSD

- 650w XFX Core (waaaay more than you need, but'll last you a very long time)

- Hyper 212 EVO

(- Your 460 graphics card)

But it'll only be a decent system. Around...400 quid on Aria, about 500 when you throw in your monitor. The i5 would be a beast. If you're not gonna OC, go for the i3 and ditch the cooler.

The Merc only comes with one fan, by the way.