Cheap - Effective Gaming PC Rig? Need Advice!

TheDeLuca · Mar 2, 2014

Okay so I'm looking at refurbished PCs and I know that this is a low amount but I'm not too worried about it as I mainly wanna run GTA IV (with light mods), Arma II (DayZ), and some games around 3-4 years old.

I've been looking at this HP Desktop with a A4-3420 APU (CPU-GPU), with Radeon HD 6410D graphics. Link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883280113

I already have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse so that's not an issue. Is this a good buy for what I'm wanting to game with it? Or is the Intel Core 2 Duo 3.15GHz a better buy even though it's 3 years older then the APU A-series?

Any advice or suggestions is appreciated. And remember I don't need a state-of-the-art gaming PC, just mainly GTA IV level gaming. Also does anyone know if this has WiFi on it? I've tried looking it up but didn't find anything. Thanks in advance!

IDontUnderstand · Mar 2, 2014

I think it's better to estimate a budget and we'll try to find something that fits your need.

That PC does not have Wi-Fi capability.

Trave · Mar 2, 2014

If I were you,I'll save more money and build my own pc,GTA IV is cpu intensive even my core2duo 3ghz stutters that game and because gta iv isnt optimized well.Just look at this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdJmIOgFA8E almost identical to your specs.

Even on high end rig GTA IV sometimes stutters rockstar games like LA NOIR,MAX PAYNE ,GTA IV is cpu intensive and isn't optimized well.

TheDeLuca · Mar 2, 2014

Hmm, I see. Well my budget is $250-$350. I don't mind buying refurbished though, and I could buy a PC and purhaps a card to go with it if needed.

I've seen a LOT of those Optiplex Core 2 Duao 3GHz PCs for the same price range also. Saving up really isn't an option, and like I said I don't need the most top of the line graphics. Just able to run IV with some car mods on about 25-30 FPS would work for me. The more the better though of course.

Trave · Mar 2, 2014

CPU: Intel Pentium G620 2.6GHz Dual-Core Processor ($63.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H61M-DGS Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($44.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($32.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($57.72 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 6670 1GB Video Card ($54.99 @ Microcenter)
Case: Apex PC-389-C ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($34.99 @ Microcenter)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)

or

CPU: Intel Pentium G2020 2.9GHz Dual-Core Processor ($63.26 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Biostar B75MU3B Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($30.83 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.50 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7790 1GB Video Card ($113.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Gigabyte GZ-X8BPDX-400 ATX Mid Tower Case ($22.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $355.53

Or get the hp(difficult to OC though like dell etc) and get a better gpu and other parts later.

TheDeLuca · Mar 2, 2014

I'd prefer to buy an already assembled PC and add parts down the road as I needed to. Mainly as I may not be able to put it together correctly plus I don't quite understand what components are compatible with what.

What about this HP Elite 8000? http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7977083&CatId=2628

Would it perform any better then the A4-series? Also, could I get a processor with faster speeds to compensate for the lack of gfx power?

On another note I also found this Dell Optiplex 745 with Intel Quad Core Q6600 2.4GHZ which can be seen here: http://www.amazon.com/Dell-Optiplex-Desktop-processor-Professional/dp/B00B3AN4PO/ref=sr_1_12?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1393750014&sr=1-12

Any remarks on those two or anything else?

Trave · Mar 2, 2014

Don't ever buy an optiplex,I have that system right now optiplex 780 MT with core 2 duo e7600 3ghz and your option for gpu is very limited best is gtx750,but hey if you just want to play gta iv which is very cpu intensive a quadcore will really help but not so sure cause its only 2.4ghz,and that optiplex does not have a gpu included so you need a "low profile" gpu I recomend 7750 http://www.sapphiretech.com/presentation/product/product_index.aspx?pid=1658&lid=1 or else you cant play gta iv without a gpu.

Trave · Mar 2, 2014

So for summary if your getting the optiplex just make sure to get a decent low profile gpu,and for HP a low profile gpu also but i prefer the Dell cause its quad and quad is good for cpu instensive games.

TheDeLuca · Mar 2, 2014

Hmm, I'll have to keep looking. I'm still trying to find a desktop for around $300 tops, refurbished. So far I've found some with some serious power, just lacking the gfx to handle it it seems.

I keep finding a lot of PCs with the Athlon II X2 processor, 4GB RAM, and I found one with a Geforce gfx but I'm not sure that'll do. What would be recommended to run something like IV, which kinds of CPU and GPUs?

kamilstoch · Mar 2, 2014

There are different games out there. Nowadays most games are entirely GPU dependent, like BF4 and Metro LL but there are CPU intensive games like Minecraft and Skyrim. I'd rather get a powerful CPU (with integrated graphics like Intel's) or a mid-range CPU (AMD) but with a graphics card. Since the game you're going to be playing is CPU-dependent (mostly), just get a powerful CPU and tone down the graphics settings to low-medium. Sorry I can't help much my expertise lies in the $1000 area. Good luck!

TheDeLuca · Mar 2, 2014

Okay so I've been looking around and doing some research and I believe I'm down to 7 options. Essentially, my main goal is being able to run IV without too much hassle. It seems all of these should run Arma II (DayZ mod) on High settings so that's good. Now, I'm kind of looking at the PCs with the graphics included and then buying an upgraded card to get it where it needs to go. If I could find a solid, decent graphics card for around $50, then I mainly just need high-end RAM and processing power. Which of the below do you guys believe would be the best choice to just get by with medium gaming until I get a higher-end graphics card? Any remarks, or comments are appreciated. Thanks in advance again!

Lenovo M58P Desktop PC
Price: $229
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 3.0 GHz [Game-Debate 6 Stars - Benchmark 2162 Score]
GPU: Needs a GPU ($70 limit on a GPU)
4 GB Ram, 1TB HDD, Windows 7 Pro
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883265821

HP 6005 Pro Desktop PC
Price: $259
CPU: AMD Athlon II X2 3.0 GHz [Game-Debate 5 Stars - Benchmark 1750 Score]
GPU: Needs a GPU ($40-$60 limit on a GPU)
8 GB RAM, 750 GB HDD, Windows 7 Pro
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883250750

Heavy Metal P7-1436S Desktop PC
Price: $249
CPU: AMD A6-5400K 3.6 GHz [Game-Debate 6 Stars - Benchmark 2156 score]
GPU: AMD Radeon HD 7540D ($50 limit to improve GPU) [Game-Debate 4 Stars]
4 GB RAM, 1 TB HDD, Windows 8
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883250736

HP TS-4221-7P-W8EN Desktop PC
Price: $249
CPU: A4-3420 2.8 GHz [Game-Debate 5 Stars - Benchmark 1738 Score]
GPU: Radeon HD 6410D ($50 limit to improve GPU) [Game-Debate 3 Stars]
4 GB RAM, 1 TB HDD, Windows 8
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883280113

8000 Elite Minitower
Price: $260
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 3.33 GHz [Game-Debate 6 Stars - Benchmark 2406 Score]
GPU: Needs a GPU ($40-$60 limit for GPU)
4 GB RAM, 180 GB HDD, Windows 7 Home
http://www.amazon.com/8000-Elite-Minitower-processor-3-33GHz/dp/B00BPBB9DA/ref=sr_1_242?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1393811581&sr=1-242

Gateway DX Series Desktop PC
Price: $254
CPU: AMD A6-5200M Quad-Core 2.0 GHz [Game-Debate 6 Stars - Benchmark 2440 Score]
GPU: AMD Radeon HD 8400 ($50 limit to improve GPU) [Game-Debate - 3 Stars]
6 GB RAM, 500 HDD, Windows 8
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883113273

HP Compaq 6005 Pro
Price: $260
CPU: Athlon X2 3.4 GHz (Two Core) [Game-Debate 5 Stars - Benchmark 1988 Score]
GPU: Needs a GPU ($40-$60 limit to improve GPU)
8 GB Ram, 1 TB HDD, Windows 7 Pro
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883250139

CPU Rankings according to Game-Debate:
1. Intel Core 2 Duo 3.33 GHz
2. AMD A6-5200M Quad-Core 2.0 GHz
3. Intel Core 2 Duo 3.0 GHz
4. AMD A6-5400K 3.6 GHz
5. Athlon II X2 270 3.4 GHz
6. Athlon II X2 250 3.0 GHz
7. A4-3420 2.8 GHz

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Cheap - Effective Gaming PC Rig? Need Advice!

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