Opinions on 3 PC builds for light gaming (minecraft) and homework

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
J

JDBlanco

Reputable
Dec 19, 2015
6
0
4,510
I'm planning on building a PC for playing/recording light games (minecraft, CSGO, etc.) and doing homework. Right now I'm torn between 3 builds between my 500-600 dollar price range. I would like some opinions on each PC build, and their parts like the CPU and GPU. Please tell me which one is the best of the 3.

Build #1: http://pcpartpicker.com/guide/KddnTW/updated-for-2016-grand-theft-auto-v-ready-pc

Build #2: http://pcpartpicker.com/guide/3RYcCJ/final-500-beginner-gaming-pc-great-1080p-gaming-december-2015

Build #3: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/GD4ZhM

I appreciate all answers and opinions. Thanks!
 
Solution
logainofhades
Far Cry 4's issue was with Pentiums. The R9 380 is generally faster, than the GTX 960. H110 does not support DDR4 2400. Some low latency 2133 would be a better solution. I would also consider either going 16gb, as you have the budget for it, and that only being a 2 slot board. Even if you went with a 4 slot board, and stuck with 8gb, the price would be about the same. Should you need a ram upgrade, going with that 2 slot board, you would have to buy a full 16gb kit, to go higher.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($129.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($53.99 @ SuperBiiz)...
Sort by date Sort by votes
M

Make a Wish

Reputable
Sep 8, 2015
33
0
4,560


So the issue with your first build is that dual core chips (your i3 counts EVEN THOUGH ITS HYPERTHREADED) will literally NOT run on some games, notably Far Cry 4. Things like Minecraft are fine, but again Far Cry 4 and some other titles will literally NOT work on a dual core machine.

Your second and third builds are functionally very alike. I don't know very much about AMD graphics cards, but going with my gut I'd say the second build is the best one. I use a GTX 950 myself, and it's great, but the fact that the 380 has 2gb more vram than the GTX 950 makes me think it could be better for the money.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
L

lodders

Admirable
Nov 2, 2015
1,888
0
6,460
The first PC is by far the best one because you have the option to upgrade the processor to an intel i5 in a couple of years time, massively extending the life of your PC.
Unless you can afford an i5 now, in which case buy it!!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
logainofhades

logainofhades

Titan
Moderator
Apr 27, 2009
37,582
3,255
143,290
Far Cry 4's issue was with Pentiums. The R9 380 is generally faster, than the GTX 960. H110 does not support DDR4 2400. Some low latency 2133 would be a better solution. I would also consider either going 16gb, as you have the budget for it, and that only being a 2 slot board. Even if you went with a 4 slot board, and stuck with 8gb, the price would be about the same. Should you need a ram upgrade, going with that 2 slot board, you would have to buy a full 16gb kit, to go higher.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($129.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($53.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($45.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 380 4GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake Versa H21 ATX Mid Tower Case ($35.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($55.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $586.72
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-04 13:14 EST-0500
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
Gamer2886

Gamer2886

Reputable
Jul 23, 2014
263
1
4,860
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom