Lowest Budget Semi Gaming PC

[justmatel]

Hey guys, Im looking to build a computer for my little brother his turning 9 and he loves the xbox and he always watches me play dota and some other games so i thought why not get him a PC he can play Ages of empires 1 on and start from the bottom and work his way up!

So I think these are the specs i wanna go with but a tower somewhat Under the 400$ mark, DW about OS as i can always give him Win7(i have a spare copy) or win XP.

here are the specs:

Case : CoolerMaster Elite 334U Case
Motherboard : ASRock FM2A55M-DGS Motherboard
Processor : AMD A4 5300 2-Core Processor
Storage : Seagate Barracuda 500GB ST500DM002 ( i went with a higher Storage HDD because Id Like to install a few games but generally have a bunch of movies on there for him to watch
PSU : Thermaltake 500W OEM Power Supply W0394O Short from going to a 350W I thought this was an average priced unit but i may downgrade anyway.
DvD Drive : Samsung SH-224BB/BEBS SATA DVDRW Drive OEM
GPU : ASUS Radeon HD5450 Silent 1GB Low Profile

This PC Comes to a whopping $352.00.

His birthday is in 2 weeks and I'd love to surprise him, Ill also probs buy a few neon lights and hook them up so it can shine when he uses it.

Thanks,

Justin

 

[ARICH5]

that is very cool....my son is 7 and he plays on my computer AOE2...loves building walls and uses the car cheat..i tought him how to create 200 riflemen. he has a blast...lately hes been playing stalker....

everything looks good but the psu..get a better 80+ one from antec or corsair.

 

[justmatel]

hahahah yeah Thats exactly what id love for him to do!

something like this ?

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_226&products_id=22634

I mean, This system should run off 300W anyway so im assuming that PSU Would be enough

 

[mikerockett]

A bit more expensive than what you picked but within budget.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Pentium G860 3.0GHz Dual-Core Processor ($68.76 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock H61M-DGS Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($44.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($58.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7770 1GB Video Card ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX12V Power Supply ($39.99 @ Mac Mall)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($21.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $394.67
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-13 04:27 EST-0500)

 

[ARICH5]

ya thats a great psu...i had a thermaltake in some old computers and they kept fdailing after a year. also the non 80+ thermaltakes dont put out the claimed wattage...i steer away from them.


ya know...the little *** can go into a cs:s noob server and go 3-10 sometimes...amazing

 

[justmatel]

The only problem with that is, Shipping out to aus would be more than id like to spend, But its a good build so ill look up the aussie counter parts.

Yeah I had a 450W PSU from thermaltake didnt really take to it much, Im currently using a 520W 80+ ANTEC which is working well.

hahahaha They can only get better! My two little brothers are going 1:1 on Xbox and their 7 & 8 years old, The *** they can pull off AMAZES me

 

[ARICH5]

try this place

http://www.techbuy.com.au/

 

[mikerockett]

Repriced for down under, does push the cost up somewhat unfortunately. May be cheaper than shipping it from elsewhere though. Due to availability though you do end up with better parts.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Pentium G2120 3.1GHz Dual-Core Processor ($75.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Motherboard: ASRock B75M-DGS Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($59.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Memory: Corsair 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($26.00 @ Foxcomp)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB Video Card ($109.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($89.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($22.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Total: $488.00
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-13 20:59 EST+1100)

 

[justmatel]

Thanks for ur reply mate, I modifed it a little and i was wondering what you thought?

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=wish_lists&wlcId=136727&action=wish_lists

I changed the Power supply down mainly because That Antec PSU is pretty good , Too good for a system like this anyway, When i could save a few bucks that it. Also changed the Memory to one from PC case gear.

So all these parts should work together right?

 

[Thrallsman]

Thanks for ur reply mate, I modifed it a little and i was wondering what you thought?

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=wish_lists&wlcId=136727&action=wish_lists

I changed the Power supply down mainly because That Antec PSU is pretty good , Too good for a system like this anyway, When i could save a few bucks that it. Also changed the Memory to one from PC case gear.

So all these parts should work together right?

They seem fine, and the 7770 is a good, current gpu that should run most of today's games at medium-high at 1080p I wish you the best with bringing another PC gamer into the world!

 

[joafu]

If you're going for completely as low budget as you can, you should reconsider something more along the lines of your main build. Yes, the current revised build is better for a pure gaming platform, but if you're talking AoE and the like, you're way overkill.

My thoughts:

$49 CM Elite 430, comes with front Blue-LED fan.
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=25_547&products_id=14859

$59 WD 500GB
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=210_344&products_id=15934

$22 SH-224BB
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=658_667&products_id=21346

$52 Antec VP-450P; cheaper, still just as good, even though it isn't 'rated' as bronze, it behaves the same and still has that Antec quality. Has six pin for future GPU upgrades.
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_226&products_id=18878

$55-69 G.Skill Ares F3-1866C9D-8GAB 8GB; just to get the best timings and price at 1866MHz speed. Second link is some slower RAM, just to save for cost; APU graphics are tied to the RAM speed, so it's best to go no lower than 1600MHz.
1) http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=186_538_913&products_id=19629
2) http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=186_538_913&products_id=16848


$65-75 Go back to the FM2 setup, I think it's a worthwhile upgrade to get an A75 chipset. Otherwise, to save money, stay with the original board you chose.
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=138_1441&products_id=21749

$119-129 I'll link the A10, but the A8 comes very close to it performance-wise, as it's only a few more dollars for a good amount more performance.
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=187_345&products_id=21598

Total, depending on configuration: $421-455. In terms of where to cut for price- first go with the cheaper motherboard, then the slower RAM, then the slower processor last in terms of where to cut off. So, get the A55 mobo, the 1600MHz RAM, and the A10-5800k for $431, if you were wanting to spend more than $421 but less than $455. I suppose you could also get just 4GB of RAM and limit the iGPU to 256-512MB (I think they might already default to this) if you would like to push the build back under $400 and still have decent performance.

My reasoning:
I think a quad-core would be more fun fit for a new gamer, as it allows them to run their music and skype/chat programs a little easier while they play. Yes, a G2120+HD7770 will bench higher for games, but as an all-around CPU it will start to show its limitations as you try to do more multitasking, like gaming while chatting,itunes,etc. The A10 benches nearly as well as the Phenom 965, so a worthwhile upgrade down the road might be a dedicated GPU, perhaps an HD 10770 or whatever they'll name it when he's ready. Just my thoughts of having built a few starter boxes for my own brothers.

 

[justmatel]

Yeah Idm the 7770 , I use to run the 5770 HD And they benchmark roughly the same so its not a bad GPU. See I dont mind the AMD build Infact i rather perfer it considering im running 8320 but I dont wanna go over 500 tbh But if i do Ill go with AMD Build.

If i do end up running AMD :

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=wish_lists&wlcId=136757&action=wish_lists

thanks with the advice guys , Really appreciate it!

 

[joafu]

Yeah Idm the 7770 , I use to run the 5770 HD And they benchmark roughly the same so its not a bad GPU. See I dont mind the AMD build Infact i rather perfer it considering im running 8320 but I dont wanna go over 500 tbh But if i do Ill go with AMD Build.

If i do end up running AMD :

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=wish_lists&wlcId=136757&action=wish_lists

thanks with the advice guys , Really appreciate it!

In my AMD build, I was actually dropping the dedicated card altogether to save on cost; the A10 has integrated HD7660D and it does behave between a 6570 and a 6670. Not as good as as a full dedicated HD 7770, sure, but it's a cost/performance thing, as you get a little bit more for your money, especially for handling multiple apps and multi-threaded games.

Eventually, you could put in a dedicated card once he grows into more demanding games, but the 7660D can hold its own at 720p- Skyrim, Shogun 2, Company of Heroes, Minecraft (introduce him to this if he hasn't tried yet), WoW and LoL I've personally seen run on the A10 on high (skyrim windowed, but still), and it will tear through older games easily. It doesn't really save money or make sense to get the A10+HD7770 from the start, however.

 

[justmatel]

Oh wow, I didnt even notice the onboard but if thats the case then I might as well just go with that system and if he needs a GPU ill grab one later

 

[joafu]

Oh wow, I didnt even notice the onboard but if thats the case then I might as well just go with that system and if he needs a GPU ill grab one later

Haha, yeah, it's nice for budget systems. Honestly, your original build would be fine too; funny thing is, that CPU also has an integrated GPU, and while it's not as powerful as the A10's, it's still better than the HD5450 that you had added on.

You could just go with the original build- maybe swap in some cheaper supporting parts- and drop the HD 5450 since the A4 has better graphics on its on. But like I said, the quad will have some staying power for a least a few more years, especially at sub 1080 resolutions, and even 1080 with a proper dedicated card.

 

[edtheguy]

That's an awesome birthday present!

I think this is just about a perfect situation for the A-series APU's. I know my son is playing games like Diablo II and Guild Wars 2 on his A10, so if you did start out with an A4 or A6 now you would have a couple of easy upgrades in the future (which would probably keep him pretty excited too).

 

[justmatel]

Yeah more than likely to be getting the AMD System, Should Be pretttyyyy sweeet. I'm excited for him hahaha, My little brother gonna game and be awesome haha.

Yeah I'm hearing all positives so its good.