Looking for Budget Gaming Build Advice

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kineo

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Apr 9, 2013
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Hello,

I am looking for advice on putting together a inexpensive system to play modern games (i.e. current releases). Without further ado, here is the template.

Approximate Purchase Date: by 10/24/14

Budget Range: ~$400-$450 with some wiggle room (possibly $50 more if it really makes a difference).

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, office tasks (i.e. word processing)

Are you buying a monitor: No, but I will be adding a second monitor at a later date. Currently, I have an ASUS VS247 23.6 and would like to add another. I've also got two old 19" monitors, a triple monitor setup would be cool, but extravagent.

Parts to Upgrade: My old system has little to carry over, but I do have a brand new Western Digital Green 1TB HDD, and a Thermaltake TR2-430NP. I do know that it still works, but I do not know if it is viable with new systems. Advice would be appreciated. I also have a generic ATX mid tower (LITE, I think), and some low end speakers.

Do you need to buy OS: No


Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Amazon for most parts please (I have gift cards, Amazon credit card)

Location: Bangor, ME, US

Parts Preferences: I have used AMD CPU's in the past, but have always wanted Intel, but it is only a weak preference. I would also like a SSD.

Overclocking: no

SLI or Crossfire: no

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920 x 1080

Additional Comments: Can be ugly as sin, but I would like it quiet. Will start out playing (hopefully) League, WoW, Titanfall, Destiny, and Borderlands Pre-Sequel. Maybe DOTA 2

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: I am upgrading for two reasons. First, my older PC system won't run any games without lag/low fps (2006-8 parts). Second, my work machine is a latest version Mac Mini. It is nice for office tasks (16gb memory), but is crap for gaming.

This was my best guess (if my current PSU isn't usable):

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zMDsvK
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zMDsvK/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock H81M-HDS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($56.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($71.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 1.5TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card ($139.90 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $433.85

Thanks in advance for any and all assistance.

 
Solution
RookieOfTheYear
So the complete build would look like this. You could also shave a few bucks by going with this Team Ram from Newegg.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($94.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($67.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 1.5TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R7 260X 2GB Video Card ($113.98 @...
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K

kineo

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Probably should have also asked this, as it is an area where I could use expert help: is it worth trying to build this with an i3 for a few extra bucks? Or would I be better served to save money and upgrade it at a later date?
 
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Rapajez

Rapajez

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You should make sure your current case can fit "Micro-ATX" motherboards.

I'm not familiar with the Kingston SSDNow series, but you can compare it to the popular value Crucial MX100 series.

I'd swap the GPU to a AMD R7 260X 2GB, or the 270, as they both outperform the GTX 750, and the 260X does it for less.

If you have wiggle room, a quad-core i5, like the i5-4440 would be a lot more future proof. The Pentium G3258 WILL let you overclock very far, and most people get to 4GHz with a $20 Hyper 212 EVO cooler.

Everything else looks legit.
 
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Rapajez

Rapajez

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I'd probably buy the Pentium now and overclock it, as the i3 is going to add hyper-threading, and a speed boost you could easily achieve by OC'ing the Pentium. Then upgrade to a nice i7 down the road? If you go with a "H97" motherboard, you can even upgrade to the next generation of "Broadwell" CPUs, probably releasing in 2015.
 
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K

kineo

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Apr 9, 2013
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Is this (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KQJG626/?tag=pcpapi-20) the 270 in question?

Also, for an i5-4440 would I need a different motherboard?

Thanks for the feedback!

 
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Rapajez

Rapajez

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That's a "270X", which is actually a bit faster than a 270. If you can afford it, go for it.

The i5-4440 will work with that same mobo. It's a 4th Generation Core or "Haswell" chip, which is supported by any "80" series chipset, or higher. So anything H81 or higher is fine. The "90" series has native support for the newer Haswell chips (like the i5-4690), and is supposed to support next years "Broadwell" chips as well.
 
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RookieOfTheYear

RookieOfTheYear

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Doesn't he need a Z series motherboard for overclocking?
 
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RookieOfTheYear

RookieOfTheYear

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Here would be my suggestion. It is a little bit over your budget, but you get the Z97 board. So you can overclock nicely on it (including the 4690K and the 4790K), and will support next years Broadwell chips like Rapajez stated. I was also able to squeeze in the R9 270.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($94.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($67.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 1.5TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 270 2GB TurboDuo Video Card ($151.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 400W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($38.25 @ Newegg)
Total: $483.18
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-21 19:30 EDT-0400
 
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Rapajez

Rapajez

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Well, you can technically overclock on the H81. See here: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/build-budget-gaming-pc,3943.html.

I'm not sure if that's where I'd stick the extra $50, but it does help to have a nice platform to upgrade on top of.
 
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Rapajez

Rapajez

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Maybe I'd go this route, if I wanted to squeeze in the Z97 chipset, a CPU cooler, and hang on to the quality PSU, RAM, etc.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($69.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($33.03 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($71.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($72.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 270X 2GB DirectCU II Video Card ($175.74 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $558.72
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-21 18:07 EDT-0400

Otherwise, stick with your original mobo.
 
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bliq

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I think if you your budget allows for an extra $40 or so, an upgrade to an i3 would be well worth it. it'll run cooler and quieter than an overclocked G3258 and to get performance similar to a stock i3, you'll need aftermarket cooling for the G3258 which shrinks its value proposition to just $10 or $15.

 
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K

kineo

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Apr 9, 2013
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Iterating on everyone's feedback, and supposing I can return enough empties to find the extra dough...

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/CctFYJ
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/CctFYJ/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI H97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($71.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 1.5TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R7 260X 2GB Video Card ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA 430W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($36.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $498.94


Thoughts?
 
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B

bliq

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would a downgrade to h81 be enough to go up to a R7 270 or 270x? if you're not overclocking the i3, a big reason to go z/h97 goes away. if gaming is your goal, you want the most powerful video card you can get.
 
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K

kineo

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Apr 9, 2013
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How future proof is the H81? I'd like to put a better cpu in it down the road, but it doesn't necessarily have to be state of the art.
 
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RookieOfTheYear

RookieOfTheYear

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That looks pretty good man. I would suggest these changes.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($94.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R7 260X 2GB Video Card ($113.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 400W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($38.25 @ Newegg)
Total: $247.21
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-21 19:47 EDT-0400

For $5 more, you get the Z97 board. Which is well worth it, in case you get an overclockable CPU in the future.

This Asus 260x is only $113 from Newegg.

And for $1.25 more, you can get a Seasonic PSU with 400 watts. Seasonic is arguably the best manufacturer of PSU's.
 
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RookieOfTheYear

RookieOfTheYear

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So the complete build would look like this. You could also shave a few bucks by going with this Team Ram from Newegg.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($94.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($67.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 1.5TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R7 260X 2GB Video Card ($113.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 400W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($38.25 @ Newegg)
Total: $485.18
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-21 19:46 EDT-0400
 
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Solution
Rapajez

Rapajez

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Agreed with Rookie's comments.

I will stress that for the latest games at 1080p (titanfall, borderlands), you'll have to turn down some settings. I'd start with Anti-Aliasing (AA), as that can stress the card out the most (AA smooths some of the jagged edges between pixels). I usually start with it disabled, and then turn it up until I start to dip below 30 FPS. Shadow and lighting detail are usually the next to go. View distance, and texture detail can be tuned down as well, but I'd rather loose the other stuff first.

Finally, you can research overclocking your GPU. It's fairly straightforward, if you find a decent guide.

Any extra $$$ you can afford should go toward that GPU. You may even want to ditch the SSD for now, even though it's fantastic for loading games quickly, especially WoW. You would have to bump up the PSU along with a higher-end GPU though.
 
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bliq

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h81 will most likely work fine with all future 1150 CPUs but my guess is 1150 will live another cycle or two before intel changes the socket again.

z97 has some other features that might make it worthwhile but I don't think any of them benefit gaming. that's why i suggest dropping down to h81 and using the savings to step up a level or two of video card for better visuals.

i3 is multiplier locked so it's not like you're going to be doing much overclocking anyways.
 
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RookieOfTheYear

RookieOfTheYear

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I think Rapajez is spot on. Let's see what we can get if we drop the SSD, and try to bump the PSU and GPU with $60.

Here's what I came up with. It is about $10 more than the budget with the SSD, but I was able to squeeze in a 280!

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($114.29 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($94.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($67.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 1.5TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
Video Card: Club 3D Radeon R9 280 3GB royalKing Video Card ($179.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($38.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $496.24
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-22 20:10 EDT-0400

Here would be a build that is at the same $486 with a 270x. But I really think you should try to scrounge up another $10 to get the 280.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($114.29 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($94.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($67.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 1.5TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270X 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($38.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $486.24
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-22 20:13 EDT-0400
 
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bliq

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I respectfully disagree with dropping the SSD- having it will make a huge difference in the perception of performance- the PC will boot up quicker, logging in will get you to a working desktop quicker, launching apps will be faster. It's not a small difference either. I'd rather drop down to H81 before giving up the SSD.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($114.29 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI H81M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($48.38 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($67.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 1.5TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
Video Card: HIS Radeon R9 280 3GB IceQ OC Video Card ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($28.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $489.63
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-22 20:38 EDT-0400

plus this motherboard could overclock if ever an unlocked i5 or i7 were dropped in. Is there anything specific with Z97 that makes it a better choice than H81 in this case?
 
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Rapajez

Rapajez

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I would always try to squeeze in an SSD, for the reasons stated, but not if it prevented me from hitting 30FPS at medium settings in the games I wanted. (aka, most sub $600 builds).

You can always add a larger, faster SSD in down the road, without having to ditch any of your current parts.

That said, I too may drop to a H81 as bliq suggested, as I don't ever upgrade my CPUs until the mobo is way out of date anyway.

What you'll miss from Z97 is compatibility with Broadwell (possibly), M2 and Sata Express connection, for future, faster SSDs, and a few ports and expansion slots.
 
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