Budget System

[Blondie_10]

Hi guys, I am looking to build my first ever system. Now I dont know much about pc internals outside of numbers for cpu speeds and power supplies

Can anyone point me in the direction I need to go, budget of 500, I have a monitor already. I play games like WoW and other MMO's, and I watch movies etc. Oh and maybe some expandability in the future.

I guess my main issue is im not sure how to match a motherboard to a cpu to a case etc..and a decent video card. Or are the newer cpu/gpu cards better? I was looking at sites like tiger direct to order from. I have always had AMD in the past with ati, never had an intel or nvidia.

 

[MrCasual]

You could try reading the stickied FAQ thread in this forum that includes a buyer's guide. It shows you how to match different parts to make sure that they are compatible. So if you read that you could make a quick mock up to get a general idea then bring it here to ask for suggestions as to how to change it.

Also, read the System Builder Marathon June $500 computer build on this website, it gives a great general idea as to what you will end up with performance wise. Here's the link http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/diy-gaming-pc,2970.html
They use the i3-2100 which will be plenty powerful to play MMO's along with the Radeon 6850.

 

[Blondie_10]

Ok thanks, I will check that out. about the power supply, isnt 450 watts a little low for gaming? Should I get a 600 or higher?


edit..I am also wondering if intel is that much better than AMD or will I barely notice a dif in a budget rig?

 

[MrCasual]

PSU will depend on what GPU you get really in my opinion. 450W should be fine for anything up to a Radeon 6870, but a 6850 is all you really need and it can still play newer games with ease.

As for CPU, at this price range people say you get more bang for your buck with AMD. It's all really personal opinion. The march $500 build was with an AMD CPU and put out about the same performance as the June build.

I'm not super experienced with stuff like this so don't take my word for it, this is just everything I have learned from reading this site and others. Just including my two cents, I'm sure others will pop in and give other advice/comments.