$125ish Mobo/CPU Combo for Light Gaming?

rlzaleski

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Feb 16, 2011
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I'm building my brother in-law a lower end gaming machine for his wedding present :D.. Anyways, I'm trying to find a $50 Motherboard to go with a lower end processor that's at least 2.9 Ghz. I have to go Intel for the PCIE 3.x Nvidia 650 TI I just snagged on sale right? Newegg didn't list PCIE 3 in their power search for AMDs...

We're talking mainly DOTA 2 and CS:GO, so I won't be lighting anything on fire. But I'd like it to have the option of playing a bit more when he wants too.

I was thinking

ASRock
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157315
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157362

MSI
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130656

ASUS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131967

I'd also like suggestions on some 1600 cas 9 or lower ram for them.... Usually I can feel these out for myself, but I tend to build better boxes for myself :D.
 

rlzaleski

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Feb 16, 2011
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I just got the video card since a 650 ti for the price of a 7770 or a 550 ti was too much to pass up. It's a PCI E 3.0 card which you linked a PCI E 2 MOBO. I don't know how much of a deal it is, but it seems to me the busses always make half of the performance.

Any reason not to go for any of the $50 boards I mentioned?
 
The bottom line is that for now PCI-Express 3 support is irrelevant to system performance. To consider it in your purchasing decisions shouldn't be a high priority. PCI Express 1.x, 2.x and 3.x are designed to be both upwards and downwards compatible.

MSI 970A-G43 AM3+ is on sale today for $54.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130679

AM3+ processor minimum is about $100. AM3 would be less.


 
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