On a 100-300$ budget trying to build a PC that I can upgrade later. Any suggestions?

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Kypathos

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I use a crappy school computer (specs here) that gives max 30fps on Portal 2 and lags a bit on most newer Source Engine games such as Garry's Mod. I couldn't modify it because, of course, it's a school PC. I'm finishing school this year, though, so I need a PC, but I want something that I'll be able to upgrade and modify with a better GPU and CPU later when I have the money to. I'm too afraid to buy a refurbished PC from Best Buy or Walmart, because I had one of the Best Buy guys (and some others, too) tell me that if I bought an older cheaper PC, the motherboard probably wouldn't be compatible with say, an AMD FX or an Intel HD. I thought I'd come here for some advice on what to do. Thanks!
 
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BadActor
This system has a lot of upgrade potential. The i3 6100 will run a GTX970 or R9 390 and the PSU will support them as well. You can add an SSD or larger HDD, too. The onboard graphics will play most games with good frame rates, but you may have to lower settings or resolution in some, but good enough until you can afford a better graphics card. Use the Steam OS or another Linux distro if you don't have a retail version of Windows.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($119.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($44.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 8GB (2 x 4GB)...
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rcald2000

rcald2000

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I suggest, and I say this with no sarcasm, you need to invest more.

My recommendation is that you raise more money by selling used items that you no longer use. That's precisely what I did to build a portion of my system. Perhaps someone else will have a suggestion that includes building a system for your budget.
 
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Kypathos

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@iknowhowtofixit

Is that PCPartPicker part list at the bottom part of your reply? If you did get that part list for me, that's amazing. It's around my budget anyways. The only problem is that the case and motherboard on that rig aren't compatible. Otherwise, thanks for getting that together for me. It certainly helps a lot but I'd still like to see what others say.
 
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BadActor

BadActor

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This system has a lot of upgrade potential. The i3 6100 will run a GTX970 or R9 390 and the PSU will support them as well. You can add an SSD or larger HDD, too. The onboard graphics will play most games with good frame rates, but you may have to lower settings or resolution in some, but good enough until you can afford a better graphics card. Use the Steam OS or another Linux distro if you don't have a retail version of Windows.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($119.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($44.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: G.Skill NT Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($33.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 250GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($24.50 @ Amazon)
Case: Xion XON-310_BK MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($22.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($48.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $295.44
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-10 12:30 EST-0500
 
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lodders

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very very good build for the money.
Things you would need to upgrade in future to make it into a fast powerful gaming machine
GPU - $250
SSD - $80
i5 CPU (within the next 2 years) - $200


 
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Kypathos

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Wow you guys have been so helpful. This is my first time using Tom's Hardware and man, I will definitely using it more.
The Quote thingy isn't working for me, so I'm using @.

@BadActor
@iknowhowtofixit
I noticed you both keep posting part lists that don't include CPU coolers, GPUs, or optical drives. Are they necessary, or am I just supposed to add them to the list myself later? Sorry I'm still new to this and I've never even built a PC before. I'm still trying though. :D
 
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BadActor

BadActor

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The CPU will come with the cooler, stock is fine. The i3 6100 uses Intel HD 530 on board graphics which will allow you to play games until you can get a dedicated graphics card. The i3 is pretty stout and you might find you won't ever need to upgrade it before the system becomes obsolete, but you could always add an i5 or i7 later. The PSU and case will accommodate just about any graphics card. Optical drives can be had for less than 15 bucks if you want to add one.
 
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Kypathos

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Thanks for the info, this gave me a MAJOR help in picking parts for my rig. It's totally within my budget, and the CPU comes with a cooler and onboard Intel HD graphics? Awesome. I think this'll be my rig. Thank you all so much for making my job so much easier, and providing a great experience for my first time on the site. Now all I have to do is build it. That shouldn't be hard.

 
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BadActor

BadActor

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I was under the impression that the use of the onboard graphics would be a temporary solution until the OP could add a dedicated GPU. Your suggesting that when he does upgrade he will need to upgrade the CPU as well. The i3 wouldn't need to be and will still be a better gaming CPU than any AMD.

 
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Kypathos

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Whoa, whoa, boys. Break it up.

I didn't know this would cause such a ruckus.

Now I'm all confused and stuff, so I'll ask a few more questions.

@iknowhowtofixit
@BadActor
I see what you're saying about the AMD being a better gaming CPU, and BadActor I also see your point about the i3 being more upgradable and able to stay current for a while. From the information I've seen so far, I'd still go with the i3 since it seems like it'd be compatible with most dedicated Graphics Cards that I might want to buy later. However, I probably won't be getting a GPU anytime soon, so I'll be stuck with integrated graphics for a while. I'm going to check both builds on GameDebate and see which one performs faster. Only problem with iknowhowtofixit's build is that the compatibility notes said that I might have to perform a BIOS update... meaning I'll have to learn how to do that, and also that means more chances to mess things up... For that reason, and that reason alone, I'd probably still go with the i3 build.
 
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ScrewySqrl

ScrewySqrl

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if you're going to use it for at least a year, the the APU will be better for gaming, but you should go with an A10 instead:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD A10-7850K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($114.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock FM2A68M-DG3+ Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard ($44.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($36.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Toshiba P300 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($39.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: Rosewill FBM-01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 350W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($32.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $299.94
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-15 00:38 EDT-0400

this will do 1280x720 or 1600x900 gaming at medium settings
 
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