Need parts advice for new build,

[omer94]

hey guys , this needs to be a really cheap build :/, i want to be able to game on it sooner or later but a basic rig would do for now.

Approximate Purchase Date: the next month

Budget Range: 250 GBP

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Surfing the net, Gaming (fifa 12, shogun 2), Basic use

Parts Not Required: keyboard, mouse, screen, speakers, graphics card(for the time being)

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: ebay, amazon and pretty much anything that delivers to mainland UK

Country of Origin: England

Parts Preferences: Intel i3 (cheap with scope for upgrades)
and the motherboard must have space for future graphics cards and must have USB 3.0

Overclocking: Maybe future

SLI or Crossfire: not really, dont think ill ever need that much gaming power


Monitor Resolution: 1024x768

Additional Comments: the most important thing about this build is it is cheap second is performance and it needs scope for upgrading later. quiet would be good though isnt as important as price

things i have in mind already:

for processor: i3-2100
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/INTEL-CO [...] 1566wt_950

no mobo chosen yet, was hoping you'd help with this (does the micro atx factor make a difference)

for memory: 4gb corsair
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-TW [...] 630&sr=1-3
and with the memory is it better to have 4gb in 2x2gb format or 1x4gb?

and that's all i've got so far, hope you can help i just need cheap parts that will do the job for now. comment if you want any more info thanks guys

 

[Outlander_04]

At that resolution AMD'd Fusion APU's game spectacularly well . They're true quad cores manufactured at 32 nanometer and are often the best call fora machine like yours . The graphics built in to the processor is really capable , and if you add some AMD graphics cards it crossfires the two graphics systems

I havent priced them but

AMD A8 3850
FM1 motherboard with an A75 chipset
1600 Mhz or 1866 MHz RAM running at 1.5 volt

http://www.techspot.com/review/418-amd-a8-3850-apu/
And if you ever add a top end graphics card they work surprisingly well too

 

[omer94]

so an ati card will crossfire automatically with the built in graphics?

and do you tihnk this option is better than the intel, as i wanted to upgrade oneday, this processor is ok for upgrading?

sorry that is written so badly, im in a bit of a rush

 

[ScrewySqrl]

on Llano, it will crossfire with 6450, 6570, and 6670

 

[Outlander_04]

so an ati card will crossfire automatically with the built in graphics?

and do you tihnk this option is better than the intel, as i wanted to upgrade oneday, this processor is ok for upgrading?

sorry that is written so badly, im in a bit of a rush

The good news is that you wont need a graphics card to play games at your resolution , but if you do add one of the models Squirrel mentioned then it will crossfire

 

[omer94]

even games like fifa 12, shogun 2, modernwarfare 2.
will it play these at high settings?

and what are the downsides to the a8 processors?

 

[ScrewySqrl]

the A8 will play any modern game at medium settings at 1680x1050, for 1024x768, it'll do them at high.

there isn't much downside at your screen resolution. Its not as powerful as a Sandybridge, but its plenty adequate for most use -- that's why it's the sweet spot for htpc/basic computer systems, and can handle low end gaming

 

[omer94]

ok , this sounds very interesting indeed.

what would be more powerful when it comes to gaming,
the AMD A8 3850 with its built in graphics

or an i3-2100 with a separate nVidia 9600gt (i have one lying around)

 

[ScrewySqrl]

the i3-2100 and 9600 would actually be a little bit weaker than the a8's built in gpu, but it would be pretty close. The A8 is a true quad core, the i3 is a hyperthreading dual core.