Budget system with an APU. Is this okay?

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Potato13

Potato13

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May 30, 2012
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Hey guys, I'm building a computer soon and wondering if my planned build is okay, whether I can get more graphics power at my price range, if I should consider spending a little more for better specs or if I should get different parts.

Here is what I put together, I think it's enough for my needs, however I would like as much power as possible.

http://secure.newegg.ca/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=22559006

I know the subtotal is $411.93 but after shipping and taxes, its $501.39.



Approximate Purchase Date: e.g.: As soon as possible.

Budget Range: Looking to spend $500 with all taxes and shipping.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: MMORPG's like Guild Wars 2 and TERA and maybe GTA 5, and Call Of Duty Black Ops.

Are you buying a monitor: No

Do you need to buy OS: No

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.ca or Canada Computers

Location: Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Not sure about any good stores here other than Canada Computers.

Parts Preferences: No preference. Would like a quad core processor though.

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe in the future.

Your Monitor Resolution: 1680x1050, 1920x1080. I am willing to drop the resolution when required.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: My current computer is barely capable to running any games and I have been thinking of getting a new one for a while.


Additional Comments:

I'm mainly upgrading just to play MMORPG's with my friends and to get school work done more efficiently.


I just want to know if an APU is the best way to go in my price range or whether I should drop to something that is cheaper and get a discrete gpu with it.


 
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Robert Pankiw

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Mar 26, 2012
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As I'm sure you're aware, your build has 2 sets of RAM.
Get rid of the cheap 1333MHz ram. Either stick with the 1600MHz or get an 1866MHz set. Consider going 2x2GB RAM instead of 2x4GB, for cost reasons only, I prefer having 8GB.

You should be able to play all of those games, though you'll be on very low settings. I don't think the A55 chipset will support Richland when it is released (Could be wrong). If you wanted to upgrade later on, then getting an A75/85 chipset is needed, though if you don't, A55 should be fine.

IGPUs aren't very powerful. If you are okay with using the lowest settings, then it should suit you well, however, most people want a little more for their money. $500 shipped isn't quite the sweet spot, though you could later on add a discrete GPU. The CPU on the A10-5800k performs approx. like the intel i3s, much better than a dual core pentium, but not the ideal product for price.

Because you are on such a tight budget, and you want a quad-core (I don't blame you), I think you'll be fine with that build (if you address the RAM issue). You can add a dGPU later.

Important: If you go with 2x2GB sticks like I said, you'll be stuck there unless you buy all new RAM because that motherboard only has 2 RAM slots. If you know you want 8GB, stay with 2x4GB sticks.
 
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Potato13

Potato13

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May 30, 2012
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Hmmm, I think I will drop the APU then and try to fit something better like a 7850 in here. FM2 motherboards that are good are expensive and so is the the 1866 ram, I'd rather save there. Do you think I should look into a Pentium or any of the old Athlons?

 
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Potato13

Potato13

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May 30, 2012
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Intel Core i5-2450P Quad-Core (BX80623I52450P)
$150

ASUS (DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B) Internal 24x DVD Writer, OEM - Black, SATA
$20

Antec Three Hundred Gaming Case ATX 3/0/(6) 2xUSB Audio
$50

Crucial 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz SODIMMs (CT2KIT51264BC160B)
45

Seagate Barracuda (ST31000524AS) SATA3 6.0Gb/s 1TB 32MB Cache (OEM)
$70

Gigabyte GA-Z77M-D3H
$80

I have found the following at canada computers. Now I will add a 7850 for $165 for a final price of $655ish. Is this a good build?
 
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Robert Pankiw

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Mar 26, 2012
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That build looks very good. Is the increase in price acceptable? There isn't something wrong with a budget system, but I think the higher budget is better.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/the-sandy-bridge-review-intel-core-i7-2600k-i5-2500k-core-i3-2100-tested/20

That doesn't show the 2450P, but the 2500k at stock should be similar in performance. They are both quad core SB chips within 100MHz of each other. The 2450P does not have integrated graphics, unlike the 2500K, and it won't overclock (Unlike the 2500K).

A 1GB 7850 is a potent card. Able to run many things at high, maybe Ultra.
http://gamegpu.ru/images/stories/Test_GPU/MMO/Guild%20Wars%202/gw%202%201920.png
The chart shows that the card (probably the 2GB version) can play very high quality, what ever that means, at 1920x1080.

Keep in mind that the better RAM is 1600MHz, and the CPU officially only supports 1333MHz. There should not be an issue using 1600MHz with a SB, even though it isn't supported. It might default to a lower setting, but the quality is worth it, in my (non-expert) opinion.
 
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Potato13

Potato13

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May 30, 2012
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I think the increase in price should be okay. I'm just trying to keep it low as possible but if an extra bit can get me much better performance, its worth it. I will get the parts as soon as I can. Thanks for your help!
 
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