beginner build 450$ budget

Bert Dintson · Apr 3, 2013

hello I want to build a pc. I will be using it for realtime strategy games as well as rpgs and shooters. I want to be able to run the max settings on napoleon total war and I want my build to exceed the current estimated price of ps4(300 british ounds or 452 us dollars) any help would be greatly appreciated

Approximate Purchase Date: when prices are cheapest

Budget Range: 300-450$

System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming napoleon total war on highest settings

Are you buying a monitor: No

Do you need to buy OS: Yes preferably windows 7 premium home

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: any would be great

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080 or lower

Additional Comments: cheapest possible : motherboard, cpu,graphics card, hd, psu, dvd/cd drive, audio card, computer case that can run napoleon total war on highest settings. I would prefer a 7200 rpm hd drive, capable motherboard that can hold up to 16 gb of ram, graphics card below 140$, cpu in the 50-150 $ range

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading:tired of consoles wants gaming console that will surpass ps4/ xbox 720 while remaining the same price or lower.

UPDATE: I will be willing to consider an APU to save the 140 on a graphics card even if it means slightly lower graphics settings to save money. also what time of year is best to buy these parts. also im in the USA east coast

JD88 · Apr 3, 2013

I'm not certain what you are asking for is possible. After you buy an OS, you are going to be left with around $360 for parts and nothing in that price range is going to surpass the next generation consoles.

You are probably going to have to increase your budget to at least $600 to even come close.

If you really want a PC at that budget, here is what I came up with from U.K. stores. If you can buy from U.S. stores then we might be able to do slightly better.

PCPartPicker part list: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/OhGW
Price breakdown by merchant: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/OhGW/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/OhGW/benchmarks/

CPU: AMD A10-5800K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor (£92.34 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: ASRock FM2A75M-DGS Micro ATX FM2 Motherboard (£49.85 @ Dabs)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£24.13 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 250GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£31.15 @ Amazon UK)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case (£31.18 @ Scan.co.uk)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply (£32.39 @ Aria PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) (£68.39 @ Aria PC)
Total: £329.43
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-04 02:14 BST+0100)

JD88 · Apr 3, 2013

The best time I would say would be towards the end of the year when the next generation products are coming out. September or October maybe. I edited my first post to include an APU build.

JD88 · Apr 3, 2013

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/OhPk
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/OhPk/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/OhPk/benchmarks/

CPU: AMD A10-5800K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock FM2A75M-DGS Micro ATX FM2 Motherboard ($58.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 335 Upgraded ATX Mid Tower Case ($36.85 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($30.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $450.74
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-03 21:22 EDT-0400)

stickmansam · Apr 3, 2013

Save up more money on the build before you get it, the best price/perf for gaming is $600-800

Great benefit from running faster and more ram
USB3 case

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD A10-5800K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($126.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock FM2A75M-DGS Micro ATX FM2 Motherboard ($58.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($47.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 431 Plus (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($30.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $470.86
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-03 21:38 EDT-0400)

Bert Dintson · Apr 3, 2013

thanks for the great advice what do you think of this setup:

[PCPartPicker part list](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Oi2n) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Oi2n/by_merchant/) / [Benchmarks](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Oi2n/benchmarks/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [AMD A10-5800K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/amd-cpu-ad580kwohjbox) | $99.99 @ Microcenter
**Motherboard** | [ASRock FM2A75M-DGS Micro ATX FM2 Motherboard](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-fm2a75mdgs) | $58.98 @ Newegg
**Memory** | [Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cmz8gx3m2a1600c9) | $46.99 @ Newegg
**Storage** | [Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st500dm002) | $56.98 @ Outlet PC
**Case** | [Rosewill R218-P-BK-450W ATX Mid Tower Case w/450W Power Supply](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/rosewill-case-r218pbk450w) | $34.99 @ Newegg
**Optical Drive** | [Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/lite-on-optical-drive-ihas124-04) | $15.98 @ Outlet PC
**Operating System** | [Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit)](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/microsoft-os-gfc02050) | $89.98 @ Outlet PC
| | **Total**
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available. | $403.89
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-03 21:37 EDT-0400 |

do you think this build would be good ro should I spend the extra 47 and go with your setup?

JD88 · Apr 3, 2013

Well that CPU price is for in store pickup only so if you have a Microcenter nearby, that's fine. Also, I would never recommend getting a power supply that comes with a case. They more often than not are junk.

Bert Dintson · Apr 3, 2013

JD88 :

ok im going with your setup you seem to know what you're talking about and 470$ for a pc on par with a ps4 is in my ball park. do you think the setup u recommended meets or exceeds the nextgen console performance?

stickmansam · Apr 3, 2013

The corsiar ram has large heatspreaders which I do not like (they can block coolers sometimes)
As said, the PSU's that come with cases are generally pretty crappy (some are good but usually the exception)
The 1Tb drive is only $5 more, well worth the price

The PS4 si more comparable to an $600 rig, as it has decent hardware and more optimizations

JD88 · Apr 3, 2013

Bert Dintson :

Not really, especially not graphically. The PS4 at least is supposed to have graphics on par with a Radeon 7850 so we are pretty far off there. However, I don't think you can play games like Total war on a console so it's really the best we can do. You can always add a graphics card down the road if you need more power though.

Bert Dintson · Apr 3, 2013

I can buy a graphics card ina setup with an APU? sorry im new to this. I also heard the next gen consoles will be slower ie the 8 cores don't run as fast as a 4 core and the graphics cards are dumbed down versions of the pc counterparts

JD88 · Apr 3, 2013

Yeah you can add any graphics card you want to that build. In that case, the APU will just act like a normal processor. And the APU used in the PS4 has 8 slow cores but it really doesn't need any more than that since games can be optimized for it. The graphics on it are supposed to be the around that of a 7850. The graphics on the A10 APU are about the same as a 6670.

stickmansam · Apr 3, 2013

Yeah the PS4 has a pretty good GPU and the CPU will do fine since developers always optimize a lot for consoles

Using the APU as an normal CPU means you can pair it with an GPU like the 7850 or the 7870ghz or the 7870xt (7950 is a bit too strong IMO to pair with the APU)

Bert Dintson · Apr 3, 2013

I looked up the APU and it says the integrated graphis card is: Radeon HD 7660D

if I were to buy another 7660d will it run like its in sli mode? also would I be limited to the 7660D or can I achieve a synergistic effect with the other cards you mentioned

stickmansam · Apr 3, 2013

You can only pair it/sli/cfx with the 6670.

The 7660D is similar to the 6670 DDR3

You can only pair up cards that are close in performance and are capable of doing so under the bios

Bert Dintson · Apr 3, 2013

stickmansam :

if I can only pair it with the 6770 why does it list the 7660D as the integrated graphis of that APU?

Manufacturer AMD
Model A10-5800K
Part # AD580KWOHJBOX
Data Width 64-bit
Socket FM2
Speed 3.8GHz
Cores 4
L1 Cache 2 x 64KB Instruction, 4 x 16KB Data
L2 Cache 1 x 4MB
L3 Cache None
Integrated Graphics Radeon HD 7660D
Lithography 32 nm
Thermal Design Power 100 Watts

JD88 · Apr 3, 2013

Bert Dintson :

They don't actually make a 7660 card so a 6670 is as close as it gets. It will still work. I actually don't recommend doing that though. For roughly the same money you can get a 7750 which performs the same or better than the 6670 with the APU. If you are just going to add a discrete card anyway, we should just get a regular processor instead of the APU to save some extra money.

JD88 · Apr 3, 2013

I would suggest something like this if you wanted to go into the $500 range.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/OiVn
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/OiVn/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/OiVn/benchmarks/

CPU: AMD Athlon II X4 645 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($74.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock 970DE3/U3S3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7750 1GB Video Card ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 335 Upgraded ATX Mid Tower Case ($36.85 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($30.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $506.73
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-03 22:35 EDT-0400)

Or for $550 we could go up to a Phenom II x4 and a 7770.

Bert Dintson · Apr 3, 2013

thanks for the advice. if I used the two cards like you said what can I expect performace wise? as compared to just the APU by itself

stickmansam · Apr 3, 2013

^ that

The 7750 may be a better choice paired with an cheaper cpu

Bert Dintson · Apr 3, 2013

JD88 :

I would suggest something like this if you wanted to go into the $500 range. Or for $550 we could go up to a Phenom II x4 and a 7770.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/OiVn
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/OiVn/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/OiVn/benchmarks/

CPU: AMD Athlon II X4 645 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($74.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock 970DE3/U3S3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7750 1GB Video Card ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 335 Upgraded ATX Mid Tower Case ($36.85 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($30.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $506.73
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-03 22:35 EDT-0400)

Or for $550 we could go up to a Phenom II x4 and a 7770.

im thinking the phenom 2 and 7770 now lol will that beat a ps4?

JD88 · Apr 3, 2013

Bert Dintson :

About 7750 levels which is why it doesn't make sense in terms of cost.

stickmansam · Apr 3, 2013

The ps4 is about an FX4300/FX6300 with an 7870 IMO after you consider optimizations

JD88 · Apr 3, 2013

Yeah I don't think your goal here should be the to beat the PS4 because truth be told, no one really knows exactly what it can do. Consoles are a good value because the makers either break even or lose money on every one.

I personally think the PC is a better option, even if it is a little slower because it is a lot more flexible in terms of what you can do. Plus you want to play Total War which is not available on a console.

stickmansam · Apr 3, 2013

^
Gotta low rts action

beginner build 450$ budget

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