Entry Level Gaming Rig on the Cheap

eudaim0

Honorable
Jan 17, 2014
6
0
10,510
I'd like to build a gaming rig as cheaply as possible.

I already have:

1. Radeon HD 5870 Graphics Card
2. 1 TB Hard Drive + Windows 7
3. Great 1080p Monitor
4. Speakers, Mouse, keyboard.

So, I think I still need:

1. Case
2. Power Supply
3. Mobo+Processor
4. Memory

This is not for a dedicated gamer--she does not need to max out Battlefield 4. But I want her able to play a typical enough title at a playable frame rate (Say, 30 FPS, maybe even at 1080p?). I'd say that if Tomb Raider is playable, then the box is a success.

And I'd like to be able to do it as cheaply as possible. Given everything I already have, can this be done under $200? Under $250?

I've been looking at grabbing one of these Sub-$200 SuperCombos at NewEgg. (e.g. http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1243247), but I wonder whether it would meet my requirements and whether it isn't a waste to buy an APU when I have a pretty good GPU to give her.

Would appreciate your learned advice.
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More about my circumstances (For those who care): The gf has been getting into gaming on her i7 Macbook Pro (Portal, Limbo, Walking Dead, Gone Home). Her preference are those low-spec games, but she has been lamenting being boxed out by her choice in OS. She at least wants to try out Alan Wake and Tomb Raider, so games on that level should be reasonably playable.

I'd like to build her a PC, but it needs to be pretty cheap, especially because I don't know that the fad will last.
 
Solution
By the skin of your teeth, but you can get a decent entry level rig for that. Let me know what you think:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD Athlon II X4 750K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A55M-HD2 Micro ATX FM2 Motherboard ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($39.98 @ NCIX US)
Case: Rosewill RANGER-M MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Green 530W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $244.94
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)...
By the skin of your teeth, but you can get a decent entry level rig for that. Let me know what you think:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD Athlon II X4 750K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A55M-HD2 Micro ATX FM2 Motherboard ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($39.98 @ NCIX US)
Case: Rosewill RANGER-M MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Green 530W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $244.94
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-17 17:29 EST-0500)
 
Solution

eudaim0

Honorable
Jan 17, 2014
6
0
10,510
Wow, that is great. Thank you! Do I definitely need to keep my processor at that level or above? Both Alan Wake and TR list Athlon 64 X2 as their Min, but I'll go higher if that would provide a decidedly crappy experience for her.
 
This one is right at $275, but the 6300 is noticeably better CPU than the 750k

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($109.99 @ TigerDirect)
Motherboard: Asus M5A78L-M LX PLUS Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($53.11 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($39.98 @ NCIX US)
Case: Rosewill RANGER-M MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Green 530W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $278.06
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-17 17:44 EST-0500)
 

eudaim0

Honorable
Jan 17, 2014
6
0
10,510
Probably won't be looking to increase specs. I doubt she will use this for any purpose but gaming once a week. I guess the remaining question for myself will be whether I should get her the $250 rig you put together or shave off some processor speed. As far as I can tell, I save very little ($20ish) by going with a slower processor, but apparently lose a decent amount in performance.

Last question--how's the wiggle room (price/watts) on the power supply. Why do you recommend that one?

Thanks again.
 
Rosewill's Green series is the best for that price range. And there is plenty there, I have their 550w PSU that pushes an overclocked i5 and GTX 760 and 7 fans lol The others in that price range, or any cheaper are just crap, and will probably die on you pretty quick. We see that a lot here, unfortunately.
 

eudaim0

Honorable
Jan 17, 2014
6
0
10,510
Hi! After some delays, I'm finally ready to purchase. However, I'm needing to bump this thread as product availability has changed somewhat. My main question is with regard to power. As mentioned, I'll be using a Radeon 5870 graphics card, so I want to have plenty of power. It looks like you have suggested a great ATX power supply. However, the case and MoBo suggested are MicroATX. I do not see any MicroATX power supplies with that kind of power. Do I need to respec for MicroATX? Will the recommended power supply fit?

THANKS
 

eudaim0

Honorable
Jan 17, 2014
6
0
10,510


Just wanted to say thanks. Ordered the parts Thursday night, they arrived Monday morning. Assembled in a couple of hours and posted on the first try. Loaded a few games, and they ran like a dream. Couldn't have done it without your help!