Need help with a $500 (under) build for first time gamer.

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usmdesigner

usmdesigner

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I have an Aztec PC Tower and a:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371035&RandomID=823071087613021020140929175426 already.

This is for a step son that is 15. This will be his first gaming PC. I have a 19" monitor (will upgrade maybe next year) and keyboard/mouse.

I'm not sure what avenue he'll get into for gaming, but it will be online. Most likely Steam games at first and then eventually online gaming like BF4 and maybe eventually WoW (going to try to keep him away from that as long as possible)

I'm looking for a solid mobo, RAM, CPU with cooler, and vid card. DVD player/HD is whatever. If you feel the power supply is no good, please let me know as well. Just short of the connections being outdated, I don't see anything wrong with the 500w for him as a first timer.

Also suggestions on Win 7 vs Win 8 would be good as well, as my cousin was saying Win 8 is the better route, but I'm not totally sure, as I have no experience with 8 at all.
 
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Skylyne
The AMD chips are genuinely a nice bargain for what you pay, but they are more-so designed for multi-threading processes (like audio/video/photo production and editing). Yes, some there are more titles coming out that support multi-threading, but most of the currently popular titles (like BF4) don't seem to really benefit from it; at least, not from what I've been reading (no personal experience). The FX-6300 is basically a triple core CPU with multi-threading, so it would excel primarily in places where two extra logical cores are useful (not necessarily useful with all games, from what I've read/heard).

So, I'll compare the FX-6300 to the i3-4150 (a fair comparison): If what I've been reading is fairly accurate, and BF4 does...
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Shane501

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Try pcpartpicker.com they'll be able to give you prices on every part from all the major sellers and show you discounts and coupons (when applicable.) A 500w power supply should be fine depending on how old it is.

Windows 7 vs Windows 8 is a little bit harder but you'll probably want to go with 8 (if you want to use something from 7 you can always run it in compatibility mode) and 8 will definitely last you longer.


CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core $99.99
Thermal Compound: Arctic Cooling MX4 4g $6.98
Motherboard: MSI 760GMA-P34(FX) Micro ATX AM3+ $60.66
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 $49.99
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB 3.5" 5400RPM $54.98
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R7 260X 1GB $99.99
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer $15.98
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit) $90.26

Total: $513.82
 
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Shane501

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I forgot to check that, but yeah it does.
 
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CAaronD

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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($118.93 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G41 PC Mate ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: HIS Radeon R9 270 2GB IceQ X² Video Card ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-14 DVD/CD Writer ($12.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $515.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-29 22:19 EDT-0400

The mobo is a really great deal as it comes with a free 8GB stick of RAM. Plus you get an AMD Radeon Gold reward with this GPU. Just a suggestion :)
 
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Karsten75

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The Antec Earthwatts 500W is a tier 3 PSU (http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1804779/power-supply-unit-tier-list.html). that makes its age relevant to any discussion. It may not really be capable of delivering rated power. I personally, years ago before I stopped using Antec, lost two Antec Power supplies, one an Earthwatts in a very low-powered PC where I thought it'd be "Safe" to gift a build to someone with it in. All it accomplished was that they incurred costs to have it repaired. The other failure was more catastrophic in that I lost the motherboard as well. That meant a complete rebuild.

If I have to build low-end, then this is what I'd choose. You already have a case, so you can forego the case in my build. Check that you can use a micro-ATX motherbaord in your case, if not, swap the motherboard for the full-size ATX version.

The motherboard is fully compatible with a large number of more powerful Intel processors. You may want to take a flutter on your Antec Earthwatts - I wouldn't , but your call.

You could usefully invest in a little more powerful video card, since the the CPU can easily drive a stronger video card.

DOn't be fooled by the slightly higher rating of the AMD FX card, look at the single-core performance - many games today only can use a single core in a processor. Some games don't, but they are the exception.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4370 3.8GHz Dual-Core Processor ($159.98 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M Anniversary Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($68.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill NS 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($42.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R7 250X 1GB Video Card ($92.66 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.92 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-14 DVD/CD Writer ($12.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit) ($90.26 @ OutletPC)
Total: $596.76
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-29 22:28 EDT-0400
 
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Delroy Monjo

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I wouldn't be using that Antec EA-500D Green PSU for a doorstop just yet. If it's reasonably new it should still be serviceable for any of the items listed in the above parts lists. After 25 years of building computers, I have yet to see a failed PSU 'blow up' any other components in a build.
 
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usmdesigner

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Thanks for the suggestions so far. As this will be a Christmas gift, we have a bit of a decision to make. Should we buy parts now to help ease the Christmas relay of money spending? I know things go down over time, but I'm not sure throwing down the money all at once would be smart.

Also, is there certain things that fluctuate on these list for the better and some that are just going to be the same price no matter what by Christmas?

I'm leaning towards just going with the Antec PSU either way. If worse comes to worst, I'll order something else. I'll probably put it together around the first of December to make sure it all works.
 
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Karsten75

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I sometimes plan a new build this way. I have more or less an idea what I want for every component. A month or two before the build date I start monitoring prices on major online retailers and Micro Center walk-in deals (I'm fortunate that I live about 25 miles from a Micro Center).

The acquisition period is usually set to end right after a major holiday. Micro Center usually have terrific Black Friday Walk in combo deals on processors and motherboards (not that I like many motherboards they offer). Sites like Newegg has terrific deals up to the Monday after Black Friday. So what I can't get on the weekend, I get on Cyber Monday and I will have the new PC ready a week later.

May have a few different components, but it will be more or less the PC I planned for about $80 or more less than my initial plan.
 
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Delroy Monjo

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Sign up for the Newegg newsletter. It's free and you can often find some deals in there. I think with the Black Friday thing coming up, you might get lucky there and save a few bucks. You should be able to build this in a few hours and test it out with plenty of time remaining to make up for any problems.
Good Luck :)
 
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Karsten75

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Personally I'm not too familiar with the AMD side of things. Some Newegg deals are pretty good. Others are mere opportunities for them to shift old or low-quality stock that piles up. I've seen Intel deals with motherboards I would not install in my Mother-in-laws's computer, for instance. :)

Also watch out for the "power supply included with the case" deals. It often means you get a not-so-good, generic PSU that is sub-par.

Having given you all those caveats, wait and see if some AMD-knowledgeable poster comments on the motherboard and then sure, pull the trigger on the deal if you wish. Know that these deals keep coming around and of you miss this one, another one is sure to come by. :)
 
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usmdesigner

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Well, this doesn't look to include on OS and it looks like most are saying intel over the amd CPU. I'm not versed in which is better for gaming right now, but back a year ago I did choose Intel over AMD for my PC.
 
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Karsten75

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No bundle will ever include an OS. So add $90 to the price for a Windows OS. In the low-end (budget) arena, there are still good value in some AMD processors. That CPU is about high-end for AMD and mid-range for Intel. Unless you plan to upgrade the CPU significantly it will be fine.

I usually recommend not upgrading a system, but selling it as a whole, working unit and buying/building a new one. It's also the only way to make a future AMD to Intel transition.
 
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Shane501

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It does look pretty good, but as Karsten75 said watch out out for cases that include a PSU, of course, I've been running a generic PSU for 7-8 years and it's only just now beginning to have problems.
 
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usmdesigner

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Do you guys know of a site where I can put in around 4 of the top choices of components that I could check daily to see if the price has dropped?

Seems like that would be a little work, but it sounds like a better plan than just "going" with a build. I've seen certain items in the past just drop by $40 bucks making them a better deal.

I've also looked at the build's suggested here, and the prices are now completely different, which makes the build a bust as they are way over my price range.

I'm not so sure it would be smart just to focus on 1 part (like 1 vid card from company X) as their are many companies producing the same type of part.

The PC picker looks nice, but I can't find an option for multiple parts in one build (which would make sense on why you can't do it, but it still hurts my ultimate goal of finding the best part for the lowest price)
 
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Shane501

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On pcpartpicker you can save a build and then put together a new one, you could use that to compare prices. Might be kind of a pain to sift through 20 different builds though.
 
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Skylyne

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The AMD chips are genuinely a nice bargain for what you pay, but they are more-so designed for multi-threading processes (like audio/video/photo production and editing). Yes, some there are more titles coming out that support multi-threading, but most of the currently popular titles (like BF4) don't seem to really benefit from it; at least, not from what I've been reading (no personal experience). The FX-6300 is basically a triple core CPU with multi-threading, so it would excel primarily in places where two extra logical cores are useful (not necessarily useful with all games, from what I've read/heard).

So, I'll compare the FX-6300 to the i3-4150 (a fair comparison): If what I've been reading is fairly accurate, and BF4 does not really supporting multi-threading, then the 6300's extra core's single thread processing power will not be noticeable, when compared to the 4150. Even if the multi-threading is supported, the most noticeable difference will come from overclocking the FX chip. At that point, you're no longer saving money, and you're then going to spend a little extra to OC your FX chip. Also, AMD parts run hotter, and consume more power... so there's always a give and take. I've also heard that the stock CPU coolers that come with the FX chips are better off replaced, regardless of OC'ing. If that's the case, you're still spending more. The Intel stock CPU coolers are just fine for your stock clock speeds. With all of this in mind, I would automatically go for the i3-4150.

This build sheet is my personal recommendation, based on prices reported today. Some parts, like RAM, GPU, and MoBo could be switched out for cost reasons when the time comes to buy. At that point, I'm sure we'd all be happy to help if you have questions. For CPU, HDD, PSU, and case, I would definitely recommend sticking with the listed parts:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i3-4150 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor ($98.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G41 PC Mate ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($82.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($72.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card ($139.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($54.99 @ TigerDirect)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $552.94
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-01 18:42 EDT-0400

Now, keep in mind that the 750 Ti is likely to drop in price soon (NVIDIA is supposed to launch some new cards in the very near future), so keep an eye on the 750 Ti; that will be your best bet for an NVIDIA card for cost/performance ratio. If it doesn't drop to a price that's within budget, I would get the standard 750, which should be suitable enough; and it already comes within budget (give or take $5). If you go the AMD route for video cards, do note that the drivers are not designed to work with Intel chips equally, so you're likely going to see less stable performance. If you had a more expensive build, you might not care as much about this; but with your restrictive budget, you want as much stability as you can get.

It's worth noting that this build has an estimated power consumption of around 215w, so don't be tempted to get a 500w PSU for the sake of overpowering. Larger power supplies are designed to be efficient with heavier current draws, so you will see less efficiency from a stronger PSU than you would with one that's rated in the 350-450w range. Try to size the power supply to the build, and it will keep you from potentially overspending, as well as being less efficient. If you find a 500+w PSU that's significantly cheaper ($10+ less) than a quality 350-450w, then go for it; otherwise, the minor savings won't ever benefit you outside of the upfront cost. This especially goes for 80+ Bronze rated PSUs.
 
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Skylyne

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The only downside to that build is it has integrated R7 graphics. I haven't found a genuine benchmark on that for comparisons, but it definitely won't perform very well with 1080p resolutions spanning a wide selection of games (especially BF4 multi-player). With this low of a budget, sacrificing graphics performance is only okay if you're playing older games, or running them at very low settings. Since it's going to be playing some of the more modern titles, it's a pretty decent give and take that will be noticed; not necessarily a huge difference, but noticeable.

Fortunately, it won't suffer as bad when playing WoW; so I guess it comes down to what the end result needs to do. You could probably squeeze a decent GPU in that tower, but that beats the purpose of buying a pre-built tower to save money. It's just a very difficult price point to work with for maximum performance/dollar spent, and have pretty equal options to look at.
 
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Skylyne

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usmdesigner- Here's the best AMD build sheet I came up with. For the most part, this is on par with the Intel build I posted previously.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($73.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($72.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R7 260X 2GB Video Card ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($54.99 @ TigerDirect)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $519.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-01 20:59 EDT-0400

There are a few things worth pointing out in this build sheet. I don't know if you will be able to upgrade to the next-gen CPU that AMD plans on releasing, so that's a toss up. The CPU socket is an AM3+, and I do not believe that is usable with anything outside of their current FX series (which is currently 2 years old). In contrast, the Z87 board in the Intel build will likely support the new-gen Broadwell chips, depending on if the manufacturer releases a new BIOS to support Broadwell (Z97 boards are confirmed, though). On the lighter side, the Z87 boards will support all the current Haswell chips, and will also let you overclock compatible CPUs; so that does leave you an upgrade path if you want it there. You have the i5, and the i7, CPUs to consider for future upgrades. AMD 's most economical choices (cost/overall performance) are probably their APU processors, which cost more than the FX line, so getting an decent APU build will likely cost more than an equivalent Intel build. And finally... while this AMD MoBo only has PCI 2 slots, opposed to PCI 3, the performance difference is so minimal, there will be no practical difference. I thought I'd get that out of the way, in case you noticed/asked that question.

If someone else can give you a better AMD/Intel build, orcorrect me on where I'm wrong, then I welcome it. Hopefully this will give you a decent idea of equal performers on both sides of the Intel and AMD spectrum.
 
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usmdesigner

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usmdesigner

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I like a lot of these picks. I went with the EVGA gtx 750 TI yesterday due to it being on sale for 106 at newegg yesterday. I currently have a watch on the storage, and CPU and will wait to see if I get get lucky on them. I think i'm going to try to snipe a deal on some DDR3 memory, as it seems there are plenty of deals going around for those.

The motherboard is my last little issue. I see you linked a MSI 787 LGA 1150, but see for around 15$ more I could go with the 2400. Would this be a good idea or would it really matter.
 
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