CS:GO on just a CPU - £350

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datFRAGZEE

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- I'm looking for help with building a machine strictly for CS:GO that runs 60fps on low settings with just a CPU.
- I will be getting a Graphics Card at Christmas.
- As my budget is low i'll be looking to save money were possible and will try to find used parts.
- The lower the price the better because i'm student.
- I don't need a lot of storage if it means saving money

I have a mock up of one here, if this can be cheaper but keep the same performance i'll be happy to know. I appreciate any help thank you
 
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madmatt30
You can tie OEM windows to your ms user account now instead of physical components.

On a tight budget I'd just install win 10 unregistered. (It works with very little detriment) & register it as & when you can afford a license.
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harrysmellington

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I don't think it's possible on your budget to expect an igpu that powerful, i would suggest you focus on getting a good cpu gpu combo rather than trying to maximise the igpu in any case as you'll be better off in the long run.

Oh and about the build, you can get OEM versions of windows for £10-15. You can get cases with a PSU preinstalled for about the same price as one without, note that both will be shitty and i would suggest upgrading the PSU asap when you have the money. with these saving i would suggest you invest in dual channel ram, a larger HDD and if there is room, an SSD.
 
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genthug

genthug

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If you're strictly looking for a CPU that will run CS:GO at 60fps, go look at an AMD APU, no need for a GPU at that point. If this machine is truly strictly for CS:GO, you don't need anything better than an AMD APU.

PCPartPicker part list: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/HMmGxY
Price breakdown by merchant: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/HMmGxY/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD A10-7850K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor (£91.56 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: Asus A88XM-A Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard (£63.99 @ Ebuyer)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory (£35.40 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£14.20 @ Amazon UK)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case (£34.98 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Corsair CXM 450W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£49.99 @ Novatech)
Total: £290.12
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-06 03:23 GMT+0000
 
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datFRAGZEE

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What's the difference between OEM and your standard windows? I was thinking of going with linux to save money but if its that cheap I may as well go with soemthing I comfortable with

 
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datFRAGZEE

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Is AMD APU generally better than Intels Integrated Graphics? and thanks for the build i'll look into it
 
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harrysmellington

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I think it would be wiser to prepare for future expansion rather than just buying for his purposes now. That particular APU does play CS:GO ok (~60 fps on high 1080p) but it's not that great (drops below 60), and CS:GO is one of those games where lowering the settings doesn't actually do much in the way of frames (it will help stuttering and spikes though). The i3 in the original build is sufficient for paring with any current GPU and will outperform the amd APU in all regards (except igpu ofc).

 
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TMTOWTSAC

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As others have said, if this is strictly 100% for CS:GO and nothing else, the AMD APU would be the cheapest solution with better graphics performance, and no GPU. If you do intend to buy a dedicated graphics card, I would go with the Intel build. It would give you a system capable of playing the most games with settings and resolution turned down. In the meanwhile, it would still be more than capable of playing CS:GO.

Here's a vid of the i3 6100 playing CS:GO at various presets, although you'd need to go from 1x8GB to 2x4GB RAM to get dual channel memory performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7pSE2fLjsI
 
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harrysmellington

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OEM is hardware restricted, once you install it on a device it only works with that set of hardware. However you can get it installed on new hardware but you need to call in to get it reactivated.

Since you only want to run CS:GO until the GPU arrives you can go ahead and use linux up until then.

Oh and getting an OEM key will not entitle you to an image of the version of windows you intend to install so you will need a way of acquiring a copy. You can do this by asking someone with a full purchased key to retrieve a copy using their key (this will not invalidate their key or remove their entitlement to the download) or finding it somewhere online. Your installation will be perfectly legitimate if you're concerned about that.
 
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datFRAGZEE

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Does that mean just the motherboard or when I get a new graphics card I'll have to reactivate it?
 
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harrysmellington

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think it's only motherboard but this might differ in win 10, for win 7 it is only mobo.

just took a look online, seems only motherboard is important. You can always change mobo though, the call is an automated procedure so no waiting on hold :).
 
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bicycle_repair_man

bicycle_repair_man

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If you're getting a GPU at Christmas then the i3-6100 will be a much better choice. Source-engined games are very light on hardware and a dedicated GPU isn't necessary a lot of the time. If you don't get the frame rate you want, then lower the graphical fidelity. I ran TF2 at 1080p on a Pentium G2030 a few years ago; no trouble whatsoever.

I see no point in buying an APU if you're getting a dedicated GPU, especially considering the FM2+ socket is as good as dead.

An OEM OS is tied to the motherboard, not the entirety of the components. If you swap a component other than the motherboard, you won't have to reactivate the OS at all. This applies to Windows 7 and 10.

If you see a copy of Windows for a tenner, do yourself a favour and consider why it's so cheap.

Your original build is fine for the budget and it gives you a base to work from. The only change I'd recommend is getting an SSD over an HDD. If you can see yourself keeping and upgrading this PC over the years, it won't be easy to migrate the OS if it's on an HDD that's considerably larger than the SSD.
 
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madmatt30

madmatt30

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You can tie OEM windows to your ms user account now instead of physical components.

On a tight budget I'd just install win 10 unregistered. (It works with very little detriment) & register it as & when you can afford a license.
 
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