Budget gaming - 400 GBP - Shogun 2 and similar

gingko · Sep 15, 2014

Hi everyone, first post here.
I'm working to a tight budget partly for the challenge. I'd like a system capable of running Shogun 2 on highish settnigs. Will this do the trick?

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/hXnjvK

This would be my first PC build so apologies in advance for any beginner mistakes.

Is it worth upgrading the CPU to the i3 4150?

smorizio · Sep 15, 2014

on your build save your money for an i5 if needed. the i3 give you hypertheading (2 fake cores) with your low funding your better off spending more money on a larger and better power supply. if you change gpu your going to need a larger power supply because the 430w wont have the amps rating for a larger gpu. on your case pick look at cosair r300 case or ones like it. the case you have picked has a fixed drive bays so your limited on gpu lenth from the rear of the case to the hard drive bays. cases like the r300 dont have any drive bays where a sli or crossfire cards would go.

geofelt · Sep 15, 2014

I really like your approach.
The key to your question is BUDGET.
On a budget, you want to provide for future upgrades at minimal cost.
The G3258 is a surprisingly competent gamer when overclocked.

You should include an aftermarket cooler like a cm hyper212 to permit decent overclocks.

The cpu is not likely to be a limitation compared to the graphics cards for most games.
But, it is so cheap that you could throw it away and replace with anything up to a i7-4790K.

Most likely, it will be the graphics card that needs upgrading in the future. To provide for that, spend a bit more up front on a quality 600-650w psu. It will run any strong graphics card out there.
Pick a tier 2 unit from this list:
https://community.newegg.com/eggxpert/computer_hardware/f/135081/t/45344.aspx?Redirected=true

I will never again build without using a SSD for the OS.
It just makes everything you do so much quicker.
A one hour widows update will take 15 minutes.
Files open instantly.
A 120gb ssd will hold the OS and a half dozen games.
Consider deferring on the hard drive, you can always add one later.
With a 240gb ssd, you may never need a hard drive.
I like Samsung EVO for the ssd.

gingko · Sep 16, 2014

Thanks Smorizio and Geofelt, I'll look into a bigger and better PSU. What I wanted was a system that I can upgrade as I go along so that makes good sense.

I hadn't planned on overclocking the CPU and planned to use it mainly because i heard it's effective but easily replaceable somewhere down the line. Will the games I mentioned run well without overclocking? How hard is it to overclock the chip? i planned on using a z97 mobo just because I heard I wouldn't have to update the bios before being able to use it.

I had considered adding an SSD later but will try and fit one into the initial budget instead of a hdd.

geofelt · Sep 16, 2014

The Z97 motherboard allows you to overclock.
It is simple, you just raise the multiplier in the bios from the default of 32 to a higher number.
How high is determined by the quality of your particular sample.
It would be unusual if 40 was your limit. More likely, 43-45 with a decent cooler.
That is a considerable increase in cpu power. At 43, each core is perhaps twice the capability of a amd core. In effect, this duo is as effective as many quads, and even more so if the game or app is not quad core enabled. The key when overclocking is to not go crazy and let the Vcore go above 1.25 or so.
You can test with OCCT which will show you the vcore and if the temp goes over 85 it will shut down.

gingko · Sep 16, 2014

If I did not want to overclock to begin with would the processor work fine running shogun and other fairly high-spec games?

I'm a bit wary of planning to overclock the processor before I've built my first system and, also, wouldn't it be a better/easier idea to take the cash for a better CPU cooler and buy a more effective processor?

I've updated the build based of your comments - http://pcpartpicker.com/p/tB3dMp

geofelt · Sep 16, 2014

You do not need to overclock.
If you think after a time that more cpu power would help, it is easy enough to do.
I suspect you will do well enough without it.
Most likely your graphics card will be the limiting factor.

Even without overclocking, I would buy a $30 cm hyper212 cooler.
The 120mm fan will be quieter under load.
A plus is that it will give you sufficient cooling for conservative overclocking.
Much is made of cpu cooling.
I think they have it wrong.
Overclocking forces higher cpu vcore voltages.
As vcore goes up, heat is generated that needs to be extracted.
Once you get to a vcore of 1.25-1.30 two things happen.
1. Temperatures rise rapidly that need to be cooled.
A top cooler will do that.
2. The real problem is that such high vcores are not good for 24/7 operation and the longevity of your cpu chip.

I know that H97 motherboards may have overclocking potential unlocked by motherboard vendors. Even if intel does not support it.
But, a Z97 motherboard will be about $20 more and I recommend that to insure that you will not have any issues in the future. I think $20 is a good insurance payment.
Here is one for $99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157521
The anniversary edition is a stripped down version which sells for $75 after rebate, but I wonder if too many corners have been cut. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157529

gingko · Sep 17, 2014

Geofelt, thanks for patiently explaining that all to me.

I'll go with a z97 when getting the parts which will be in about a week in case I want to overclock in the future.

For a third-party cooler what should I look for? There isn't the hyper 212 you recommended but this one is available in my local shop (as it's made in Poland) is about the same price and gets pretty good reviews from end-users:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/SilentiumPC/Fera_2_HE1224/

geofelt · Sep 17, 2014

That cooler should be fine. The key is a 120mm fan or larger.

gingko · Sep 17, 2014

Thanks man, your answer(s) picked as best.

Search

Budget gaming - 400 GBP - Shogun 2 and similar

gingko

Reputable

geofelt

smorizio

Titan

geofelt

Titan

gingko

Reputable

geofelt

Titan

gingko

Reputable

geofelt

Titan

gingko

Reputable

geofelt

Titan

gingko

Reputable

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page