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I have been building PC's for about 2 years now and I have been looking into building REALLY cheap gaming pc's for friends who want to play games at good settings without hitting above $350. If anyone has any questions or are looking to build one cheaper let me know and I will MOST DEFINITELY help you out. You can build one even cheaper and possibly better if you dont mind doing a little Craigslist &/Or Ebay Hunting. Build is as follows:
AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition Callisto 3.2GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 80W Dual-Core Desktop Processor - C3 Revision HDZ555WFGMBOX http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103846 $87.99 + Free Shipping
BIOSTAR N68S3+ AM3 NVIDIA MCP68S Micro ATX AMD Motherboard http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138293R $34.99 + Free Shipping
G.SKILL Value Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9S-4GBNT http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231423 $22.99 + Free Shipping
SAPPHIRE 100289VGAL Radeon HD 5670 1GB DDR3 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102930 $69.99 - Mail-In Rebate ($12.00)= $54.99
Western Digital Caviar Blue WD3200AAKX 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136770 $39.99 + $1.99 Shipping
ePOWER EP-500LS-1 500W ATX12V Power Supply - OEM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817101053 $19.45 + $3.99 shipping
APEX PC-389-C Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811154095 $19.99 + $9.99 shipping
Total Cost (w/o tax) = $321.35 !!
EDIT: Removed the DVD drive AND ADDED IN POWER SUPPLY W/ DUAL 20A 12V RAILS along with a case
This is a really good PC for the cost. Like I said though, if you dont mind using used products (I usually get my parts used to save $) then this is a really decent pc. I have a somewhat similar pc I built using an old case and hard drive that I had for less than $175 buying used parts. If you dont mind going a few bucks over $350, then you could even go with a Quad Core Phenom II Processor or even possibly get a motherboard that supports core unloocking and attempt to unlock the Dual Core Processor I posted above. I will edit and update this thread and even add more (and possibly cheaper!) builds for low budget gamers like me!
EDIT: If you want to go the Intel Route, I put the motherboard and cpu below. The cost will only be about $30-$40 more.
Intel Core i3-2100 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz 2 x 256KB L2 Cache 3MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I32100 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115078 $124.99 + Free Shipping
BIOSTAR H61MU3 LGA 1155 Intel H61 HDMI USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138311R $49.99 + Free Shipping
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How reliable is that power supply? It looks like that's where the biggest savings come in.
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The power supply holds up to its weight in watts. lol. The only reason I didnt recommend that you get a separate name brand psu is because the video card isn't a power monster at all and the cpu isn't power hungry either.
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Yea I was looking at both of those and actually, the RAM that you linked was the original RAM that I was going to put up in the OP but the only reason I didnt use either the RAM or the PSU is because its a limited time deal. The main reason for me using the Phenom II CPU instead of the Sandy Bridge CPU's is because it is alot cheaper to upgrade (or downgrade, depends on how you look at it) to a Triple Core/Quad Core Athlon II or Phenom II for less (alot less depending on how you shop) than the i3, i5 or i7. I should make a low cost Intel build though and just edit in to the OP.
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On August 18 2011 17:23 AeroEffect wrote:Yea I was looking at both of those and actually, the RAM that you linked was the original RAM that I was going to put up in the OP but the only reason I didnt use either the RAM or the PSU is because its a limited time deal. The main reason for me using the Phenom II CPU instead of the Sandy Bridge CPU's is because it is alot cheaper to upgrade (or downgrade, depends on how you look at it) to a Triple Core/Quad Core Athlon II or Phenom II for less (alot less depending on how you shop) than the i3, i5 or i7. I should make a low cost Intel build though and just edit in to the OP. i would snatch the psu right now anyway and wait for other parts if you have to. that's one hell of a deal.
also, i don't think upgrading would be a problem with an intel setup considering am3 is going to be dead soon (as well as 1155) but 1155 has far better processors.
oh, this is a guide. :S
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On August 18 2011 17:42 mahnini wrote:Show nested quote +On August 18 2011 17:23 AeroEffect wrote:Yea I was looking at both of those and actually, the RAM that you linked was the original RAM that I was going to put up in the OP but the only reason I didnt use either the RAM or the PSU is because its a limited time deal. The main reason for me using the Phenom II CPU instead of the Sandy Bridge CPU's is because it is alot cheaper to upgrade (or downgrade, depends on how you look at it) to a Triple Core/Quad Core Athlon II or Phenom II for less (alot less depending on how you shop) than the i3, i5 or i7. I should make a low cost Intel build though and just edit in to the OP. i would snatch the psu right now anyway and wait for other parts if you have to. that's one hell of a deal. also, i don't think upgrading would be a problem with an intel setup considering am3 is going to be dead soon (as well as 1155) but 1155 has far better processors. oh, this is a guide. :S
Oh yea both sockets will be dead soon, but this is for people who just want a cheap pc quick and aren't to worried about upgrading their MB and CPU. I believe AM3+ is backwards compatible though. I think that the AM3+ Cpu's work in the AM3 Socket as well as AM3 processors working in the AM3+ socket.
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On August 18 2011 17:50 AeroEffect wrote:Show nested quote +On August 18 2011 17:42 mahnini wrote:On August 18 2011 17:23 AeroEffect wrote:Yea I was looking at both of those and actually, the RAM that you linked was the original RAM that I was going to put up in the OP but the only reason I didnt use either the RAM or the PSU is because its a limited time deal. The main reason for me using the Phenom II CPU instead of the Sandy Bridge CPU's is because it is alot cheaper to upgrade (or downgrade, depends on how you look at it) to a Triple Core/Quad Core Athlon II or Phenom II for less (alot less depending on how you shop) than the i3, i5 or i7. I should make a low cost Intel build though and just edit in to the OP. i would snatch the psu right now anyway and wait for other parts if you have to. that's one hell of a deal. also, i don't think upgrading would be a problem with an intel setup considering am3 is going to be dead soon (as well as 1155) but 1155 has far better processors. oh, this is a guide. :S Oh yea both sockets will be dead soon, but this is for people who just want a cheap pc quick and aren't to worried about upgrading their MB and CPU. I believe AM3+ is backwards compatible though. I think that the AM3+ Cpu's work in the AM3 Socket as well as AM3 processors working in the AM3+ socket. i don't think am3+ cpus are backward compatible.
ok wait no am3+ cpus isn't backward compatible http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/display/20100826225852_Desktop_Bulldozer_Processors_Will_Require_New_Platforms_AMD.html
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On August 18 2011 17:54 mahnini wrote:Show nested quote +On August 18 2011 17:50 AeroEffect wrote:On August 18 2011 17:42 mahnini wrote:On August 18 2011 17:23 AeroEffect wrote:Yea I was looking at both of those and actually, the RAM that you linked was the original RAM that I was going to put up in the OP but the only reason I didnt use either the RAM or the PSU is because its a limited time deal. The main reason for me using the Phenom II CPU instead of the Sandy Bridge CPU's is because it is alot cheaper to upgrade (or downgrade, depends on how you look at it) to a Triple Core/Quad Core Athlon II or Phenom II for less (alot less depending on how you shop) than the i3, i5 or i7. I should make a low cost Intel build though and just edit in to the OP. i would snatch the psu right now anyway and wait for other parts if you have to. that's one hell of a deal. also, i don't think upgrading would be a problem with an intel setup considering am3 is going to be dead soon (as well as 1155) but 1155 has far better processors. oh, this is a guide. :S Oh yea both sockets will be dead soon, but this is for people who just want a cheap pc quick and aren't to worried about upgrading their MB and CPU. I believe AM3+ is backwards compatible though. I think that the AM3+ Cpu's work in the AM3 Socket as well as AM3 processors working in the AM3+ socket. i don't think am3+ cpus are backward compatible. oh, ok just bulldozer isn't. but bulldozer is like 99% the reason to go am3+
lol yea your right. Only a few AM3 motherboards will support a few AM3+ cpu's via bios update but... It would probably be better to just go ahead and either get a AM3+ motherboard now or just stick with AM3 for a while to the most out of what you paid for.
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I think going for a GTS450 would be better, its like 20-30$ more i think and much betrer then that 5670
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On August 18 2011 18:19 Rachnar wrote: I think going for a GTS450 would be better, its like 20-30$ more i think and much betrer then that 5670 Yea, I was looking at one on newegg for a while but its out of stock right now so I put the 5670 up since im more educated on the video card than any others in the same range (like 3 of my friends have that card in their pc with a cheapo 300 Watt psu and not had an issue)
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My only reason for not using the phenom II x3 is simply because of clock speeds. Im sure if it was really necessary, you could always unlock the 3rd core and attempt to unlock the 4th while already having a clock speed above 3 GHz. Plus, most applications and games only utilize 2 cores anyways so the higher clock speed would be the better option in this case. Other than that though, you are completely right. The Phenom II x3 is better than the x2 version at everything else.
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Well, for right now yeah you are right but my guess is more and more games will use multi threading, if not then it is indeed useless
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On August 18 2011 18:53 Rachnar wrote: Well, for right now yeah you are right but my guess is more and more games will use multi threading, if not then it is indeed useless
Yea I believe now that Quad core processors are more readily available and cheaper, that more and more games and applications will start using all 4 cores to greatly improve performance.
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If you're going for true budget build, you should avoid getting a DVD Drive. Most games can be downloaded these days, and that money can be spent somewhere else. If you really need one, wait for open box deals. Sometimes they are like $10 + free shipping.
The cheapest AM3 motherboard is about the same as the cheapest 1155 motherboard. So you're gonna pay the same amount for either. Pick the one that'll be more relevant longer. And...
AMD does not have better budget builds. At that price range a G620 performs better than a Phenom II X2 555, and is cheaper. Source. And the fact that you can upgrade to better performing CPUs (2100, 2300, etc.) on the same motherboard, which are also better price/performance than their AMD counterparts is a big plus.
You also want to avoid case/psu bundles if you can and unless you find something really good. A lot of those bundles will provide psu's that won't handle a discreet card. Even if you start out with a card that doesn't need the extra power now, what happens if you want to upgrade in the future?
So what you probably want to get is something like:
Pentium G620 - $78 H61 Mobo - $50 4GB DDR3 RAM - $26 WD Caviar Blue 500GB 7200 RPM - $43 Cheap case of your liking - $30 Antec Earthwatts 380D (or similar) - $40
Total: ~$270 (and these are all regular prices, not taking into account any special deals you may run across)
That gives you about $80 (from $350 budget) for a video card and an actual solid build you can continue using most parts for future upgrades or flat-out new builds.
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On August 18 2011 20:55 jacosajh wrote:If you're going for true budget build, you should avoid getting a DVD Drive. Most games can be downloaded these days, and that money can be spent somewhere else. If you really need one, wait for open box deals. Sometimes they are like $10 + free shipping. The cheapest AM3 motherboard is about the same as the cheapest 1155 motherboard. So you're gonna pay the same amount for either. Pick the one that'll be more relevant longer. And... AMD does not have better budget builds. At that price range a G620 performs better than a Phenom II X2 555, and is cheaper. Source. And the fact that you can upgrade to better performing CPUs (2100, 2300, etc.) on the same motherboard, which are also better price/performance than their AMD counterparts is a big plus. You also want to avoid case/psu bundles if you can and unless you find something really good. A lot of those bundles will provide psu's that won't handle a discreet card. Even if you start out with a card that doesn't need the extra power now, what happens if you want to upgrade in the future? So what you probably want to get is something like: Pentium G620 - $78 H61 Mobo - $50 4GB DDR3 RAM - $26 WD Caviar Blue 500GB 7200 RPM - $43 Cheap case of your liking - $30 Antec Earthwatts 380D (or similar) - $40 Total: ~$270 (and these are all regular prices, not taking into account any special deals you may run across) That gives you about $80 (from $350 budget) for a video card and an actual solid build you can continue using most parts for future upgrades or flat-out new builds.
DVD Drive is needed to install the OS. The reason for me picking the Phenom II x2 555 is (as I stated earlier..) because of its raw power and ability to unlock cores. I know that most not all Phenom II's are able to do it but having the chance to do it is a plus. And im going to be completely honest here... I have no idea why everyone makes such a big deal about the power supply... I have NEVER had a power supply mess up on me or any of that mess that everyone says those "no name" psu's do.. In my last Gaming PC I had bought one of those barebones kits from CompUSA and got a broken "High Quality" psu but I wasnt able to return it as I had to make a modification to one of the cables (had to add some wiring to it because the p4 cable wasnt able to reach the socket). So I ended up using a 230 watt psu (It was an old dell psu from a GX280) for a system that was almost the same as the one im mentioning above except instead of a phenom II x2 it was a phenom II x3 and instead of the 5670, I had a 4850 and I never had any problems with power (plus I overclocked the processor from 2.4 GHz to 2.8 GHz as it was the x3 700e cpu)...
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On August 19 2011 00:31 AeroEffect wrote:+ Show Spoiler +And im going to be completely honest here... I have no idea why everyone makes such a big deal about the power supply... I have NEVER had a power supply mess up on me or any of that mess that everyone says those "no name" psu's do.. In my last Gaming PC I had bought one of those barebones kits from CompUSA and got a broken "High Quality" psu but I wasnt able to return it as I had to make a modification to one of the cables (had to add some wiring to it because the p4 cable wasnt able to reach the socket). So I ended up using a 230 watt psu (It was an old dell psu from a GX280) for a system that was almost the same as the one im mentioning above except instead of a phenom II x2 it was a phenom II x3 and instead of the 5670, I had a 4850 and I never had any problems with power (plus I overclocked the processor from 2.4 GHz to 2.8 GHz as it was the x3 700e cpu)...
Your argument if fallacious; it's based on a few personal experiences - see Anecdotal evidence as well as Availability Heuristic - not on a more scientific and rigorous larger-scale analysis, which is what the respected tech-support posters here rely on for their recommendations of higher-quality units.
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you can do OS installs off a USB drive.
if you have another computer to borrow, you can easily copy the files over and make the USB bootable, plus it's a hell of a lot faster than waiting for the DVD to be read.
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On August 18 2011 18:19 Rachnar wrote: I think going for a GTS450 would be better, its like 20-30$ more i think and much betrer then that 5670
a GTS 450 can be had for $70 at directcanada
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