Cheapest cpu + gpu combo to play Dota 2 or LOL

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plaintuts

plaintuts

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I need help,

Im planning to give my girlfriend's little brother a computer for Christmas, kinda hoping for some suggestions for a Dota 2 and LOL build.

Can handle 720p mid to high settings with a decent 40+ fps

Cant do laptop, he might bring it to school

Sorry for asking help for something silly, but please help me... The horror of seeing my g502 and k70 being mashed to oblivion is haunting.
 
Solution
Eximo
Cheapest possible would be a low end laptop at around $300-400, a complete system capable of playing those games. If he already has peripherals, then a pre-built OEM desktop might still be reasonable. If you want to build it from scratch you are going to pay a little more. At the low end it is hard to beat OEM pricing.

Regardless of whether you upgrade it or decide to replace it in the future, the more you buy now the longer it will last. As the least common denominator of computers increases, developers add more features to games, in general.

To do a cheapest possible build we would really need to know everything that is required. Since you are picking a CPU, then likely a motherboard and memory will be needed. A discrete GPU seems...
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Eximo

Eximo

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Socket 1150 is a lot more upgradeable then an FM2+ or AM3+ socket. Though if you plan to upgrade, then a mid-range LGA1151 board with DDR4 might be best, that way you aren't buying into DDR3.

With an overall budget we could lay down some options.
 
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delaro

delaro

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G3258 "$49" Right Now "Amazon and Microcenter" Don't expect it to drop much more than that. For Gaming it is Excellent in titles like LoL and Dota 2 all other uses they are...usable.

I3-4130 "$99 Now" Expect to see it around $79 and will give you a better overall experience and a better fps average over multiple titles without having to deal with Overclocking that you have to do on a G3258.

Athlon X4 860 "$68 Now" Expect to see $45 to $50. Performance is less than a Overclocked G3258 but they are stable and will run most games in Medium to High settings or better. Expect less Frame Time Variance issues "Studdering, Tearing" in High Res games that want more than 2 cores or Primary Core 3 over a G3258.

FX-6300 "$97 now" Expect to see $65-$75. Overclocked performance sits between a I3 and I5 if you Compare Multiple titles, Very nice for the price.

I5 4460 "$172 Now" Expect to see $130-$150" Microcenter for one last year had them for $150

GPU
...............

R7 260X/ R7 265/ R7 360 Only consider these if you can find them for $70 and under, The perform well in Dota 2 and LOL but at the moment a 750ti is a better value.

750Ti "$90-$140 Now" Expect $75- $125 A Bit Cheaper than a R7 370 and gives the same Performance on a Small Power Supply.

Various 950's "$170 and up" Expect to see price drops around $20-$25 but not much more. "Performance averages about 12 fps better than a R7 370, 750Ti"

Various 960's "$180 and up" Expect to see price drops around $20-$25 but not much more. "Performance averages about 25 fps better than a R7 370, 750Ti"

R9 380 "$170 and up" Expect to see these drop $25-$40. " Performance is slightly better than a 960 "around 5fps across multiple titles.

 
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plaintuts

plaintuts

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@Eximo, I wont upgrade this build, it just needs to play Dota 2 and LOL.. The cheapest build possible for 720p at medium settings 40fps plus.

@delaro, dude thanks for that wall of info.
If I choose the non overclocking method, will the athlon x4 860 be better, or is the i3 4130 my best bet?
Also, im not rich.
What can I expect from something like a gt 730? Or something similar in price range

Thanks for the reply guys.
 
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delaro

delaro

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G3258 @ 4.3ghz "$49 Amazon" + 730 GT "$55 Tiger Direct"

DOTA 2 and LOL
720p Ultra 60fps,
1080p High with 35+ FPS

These are not demanding games but don't expect a 730GT to do real well in Demanding titles. If you consider a 730 GT starts at $55 you will be able to find a R7 260X/ R7 265/ R7 360 for around $15-$20 more when the big sales start.

For a Non Overclocked system a I3 4130 @ under $99 would be a solid option for a Broader system uses and Stability. The Athlon X4 860 and the FX6300 are both good options for you as well, for the Cheap price they do perform great but they are on FM2 and AM3+ which has no big upgrade options.

For those two titles and games like them that only use 2 Cores the G3258 @ under $50 is a home run option, that would give you a little more for a better GPU.
 
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Eximo

Eximo

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Cheapest possible would be a low end laptop at around $300-400, a complete system capable of playing those games. If he already has peripherals, then a pre-built OEM desktop might still be reasonable. If you want to build it from scratch you are going to pay a little more. At the low end it is hard to beat OEM pricing.

Regardless of whether you upgrade it or decide to replace it in the future, the more you buy now the longer it will last. As the least common denominator of computers increases, developers add more features to games, in general.

To do a cheapest possible build we would really need to know everything that is required. Since you are picking a CPU, then likely a motherboard and memory will be needed. A discrete GPU seems to be wanted, but isn't the cheapest way to get a DOTA/LOL build. Then would still need a case, power supply, OS, and storage.

Cheapest I would make an effort on:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD A6-7400K 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor ($57.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A68HM-H Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard ($45.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Hitachi Deskstar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($43.00 @ Amazon)
Case: Apex SK-393-C ATX Mid Tower Case ($25.97 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Antec Basiq 350W ATX Power Supply ($26.88 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $319.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-17 15:07 EST-0500

Or:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883220754

Or:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-pavilion-desktop-amd-a8-series-8gb-memory-1tb-hard-drive-natural-silver/4246800.p?id=1219712308322&skuId=4246800

Or:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834232794
 
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