Help a newbie (me) to build a budget gaming pc please- SWTOR

[Scott94]

Ok so recently bought SWTOR - Currently playing it on a Bootcamped Mac - with pretty low specs- 4gb ram, intel core 2 duo 2.5ghz, Nvidia 9400 graphics card.

It runs quite bad - in open worlds about 15-29 FPS in Warzones about 9-16 FPS cannot do a thing- all on low settings.

I am looking to build a PC that will run it on low settings (don't care much for graphics) but give me really good FPS (30-40 or higher in warzones) and no lag - I like to fight other players (PvP).

As I have only ever had a Mac before I do not know anything about PC's so dumb it all down for me please. I have a budget of around £300-450.

I do not need a monitor (got an awesome Mac monitor), Windows operating system or a keyboard or mouse.

Thanks in advance for any replies,

Scott

 

[Scott94]

Edit: Sorry just seen this template:

Approximate Purchase Date: The closer the better!

Budget Range: £300-450

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, internet

Parts Not Required: I do not need a monitor (got an awesome Mac monitor), Windows operating system or a keyboard or mouse.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Any!

Country: Scotland

Parts Preferences: Do not mind - Heard a Quad Core processor is good for SWTOR and not just a Duo.

Overclocking: Perhaps.

SLI or Crossfire: Yes / No / Maybe

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1200 - However do not mind playing the game on a smaller resolution as I am just now

Additional Comments: The cheaper the better - want to run the game on low settings (dont mind graphics) but lots of FPS Smoooooth as possible!

Thank you.

 

[Scott94]

Shameless bump!

 

[chulex67]

OK this is hard because you are on scotland, i really dont know a site.

You should go with:

I5 2400
z68 Motherboard with 2 pci express 2.0 , 16x8( this means crossfire or sli in the future)
8 gigs of Ram 1600mhz or 1866.( its a little overkill but someday you will use it.)
6870 or gtx 560 ti.
Psu try to get antec or Corsair, solid Psus.

 

[Scott94]

Hey thanks for the reply!! And UK supplier ships to Scotland I you know any? Also would I be able to buy tha rig for under 450 pounds? Cheers

 

[fleshy bits]

While I won't commit the blasphemy of telling you not to upgrade, is it possible that your internet speed may be the culprit on some points? I've heard many "high end" rig owners note this problem.

 

[Scott94]

I don't have a high end rig-> I just found out my current is actually an intel core 2 duo 2.0 ghz not 2.5! ... But yeah as inet connections go mines is pretty good! Three people playing wow at the same time and no lag!

 

[fatfatr]

You will want a quad core, or a dual core with hyperthreading. The i3 2100 comes to mind, another good option is the Phenom II x4 955. The i3 generally performs better in games, but you might benefit a little bit more from the Phenom II x4 in that MMO.
Although the Phenom IIs upgrade path doesn't look so great at the moment. It comes down to whether your going to multi task alot really.
I might as well show you the right direction:
CPU- i3 2100/Phenom II x4
Motherboard - find one that suits your needs, at your budget you shouldn't be looking at the more expensive ones. If you want a Phenom go with an AM3+ mobo, otherwise it's LGA 1555 for the i3.
GPU - Here's a link http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/star-wars-gaming-tests-review,3087-5.html
at your budget a 6870 should be no problem, a 6950 would be ideal too depending on the prices in the UK.
PSU - preferably 500W or 600W if you want to do a moderate OC. The 6870 will use a bit less juice. Corsair, Seasonic, OCZ, Antec earthwatts series are recommended the most often.
RAM - 4GB/8GB 1333MHz/1600MHz (doesn't really matter, look at the latency timings)

 

[fleshy bits]

Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty 990FX Professional

Processor: AMD FX-4100 Zambezi 3.6GHz

Video Card: XFX HD-675X-ZMFR Radeon HD 6750 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3

Power Supply: Thermaltake TR2 TRX-650M 650W ATX 12V v2.3

Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Blue WD3200AAKX 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb

And whatever case you want to put it in. All on Newegg for aprox. (excluding case) 688.94 USD/ 444.495 GBP

I think I covered all the required parts yeah? That ought to do what you want it to.

 

[fatfatr]

Fleshy bits, please tell me you're trolling.

 

[fleshy bits]

Whats wrong? What has been posted to warrant such a grievous accusation?

 

[fatfatr]

Everything really, the hard drive might be a good choice as long as it's sub $50.

 

[4eyed]

The GPU is super-wrong.

 

[fatfatr]

I will point that out too ^^

 

[fleshy bits]

He said he didn't care about pretty graphics so I picked accordingly. I don't quite understand your concern, could you be more specific?

 

[fatfatr]

Maybe he didn't know he could get a great GPU in that price range. A 6870>6750. What made me accuse you of trolling was the $700 price tag and the PSU. Not to mention 16GB of RAM is serious overkill here.

 

[Scott94]

Hey guys thanks for the advice!! ... Will I need a fan- or something other than just paste to cool the processor? I will post my final selections here and you guys can let me know if you think it's good for swtor or not!

 

[fleshy bits]

I can't argue about the RAM, that is a lot more than necessary.

However, as for the rest...

Tack on an extra $50 or more for the 6870. Its better, yes, but more $. Just trying to stay in the range provided. Besides, with that much ram you won't need to upgrade it anytime soon. :lol:

 

[fleshy bits]

Whats wrong with the PSU?

 

[rex000]

+1 to fatfatr's recommended build. I would recommend the same as well.
Here's a link to my budget build from this summer... I suggest you do some thing similar since you are also on a budget.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/321663-31-budget-gaming

I would suggest you go with a AMD Radeon 6850 as a GPU, as it will give you the best bang for buck.
I‘m not sure how much better a 6870 is, but it is more costly maybe not worth the added $ if you don't care too much.

 

[Scott94]

Ok so after some hard Searching all day I think I have my system please let me know what you think: Please let me know if any of these companies are disreputable or any thing

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0054U7HIO/ref=asc_df_B0054U7HIO5985121?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B0054U7HIO - AM3+ motherboard


http://www.hardwareking.net/product_info.php?currency=GBP&info=p87722_AMD-Phenom-II-X4-955-125W--C2--Black-Edition--4x-3-20GHz--boxed.html - Phenom II x 4 3.20 Ghz

http://www.hardwareking.net/product_info.php?currency=GBP&info=p46373_XFX-Radeon-HD-6870-900M--1GB-GDDR5--2x-DVI--HDMI--2x-mini-Displa.html - Graphics card Radeon HD 6870 - The better one is slightly out my price range

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0050AFU46/ref=asc_df_B0050AFU465985121?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B0050AFU46- 600w PSU Corsair


http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004CRSM4I/ref=asc_df_B004CRSM4I5985121?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B004CRSM4I - 8gb RAM

http://www.dabs.com/products/arctic-cooling-freezer-xtreme-rev-2-universal-cpu-cooler-73WJ.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=product+search&utm_content=Q200 Cooler

http://www.dabs.com/products/best-value-ezcool-h620-case-with-window--no-psu--7QZN.html?src=3 - Case


What do you guys think? - Do you think I could find any better for cheaper? or cheaper parts? Will it run SWTOR with good FPS?

Thanks for all your help!!

 

[powsplatboom]

ummm....hard drive? and what about your OS?

 

[powsplatboom]

Also, have you checked around to make sure these are the best prices you can get?

 

[buu11235]

Unless you plan on OCing, I don't think you need a CPU cooler. The stock cooler should do fine.

Also, based on the newegg page for that motherboard, I would look for 1333 RAM, not 1600 RAM, unless you plan on overclocking.

GPU seems fine. I can run LoL at 60+ fps, 1920x1080, high settings. Granted I do have an i5 2400, but i don't think that makes too much of a difference.

PSU seems fine, and I don't know much about that case.

Edit: and a Harddrive would be needed as well.

 

[fatfatr]

Well at a glance, you could get cheaper 1333MHz memory. Heatspreaders aren't needed. You could also look for a cheaper PSU for around 40 pounts.
Aren't there any other sites than amazon? The prices there don't look so great. I'll help you look for something.