Super cheap gaming build (under $400)

[Trippey]

Looking for a gaming PC build, extremely tight budget of $400. I would like to dedicate it as a gaming pc; I have created a build, but I want to know your opinion or if you have any other builds that would help, thanks!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.956683

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121442

 

[killer4000]

I don't think you can get a gaming PC for under like $1000, at least one that can run any new games lol.

 

[Trippey]

I don't think you can get a gaming PC for under like $1000, at least one that can run any new games lol.

The GPU can run BF3 on mid settings at high res. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC3lpRaQw_M[/ame]

 

[pillar]

No offense bud, but save more $$ if you intend to make the build a gaming machine. NEVER discount your future build. You ALWAYS want quality products. Also a Pentium cpu isnt a gaming cpu, PERIOD! It was back in the early 2000's, but theyre designed for the savings area now.

I want you to ponder on this question (dont want you to answer it). Would you rather eat Ramen noodles everyday or would you rather be able to give your body a variety of food to give it the proper nutrients that it really needs? If you dont understand this, then please feel free to PM me trippey & ill help explain it 2 ya.

 

[Snipeye]

Please say that you have a monitor, OS, keyboard, mouse, and a case available. If not, there goes a quarter of your budget just for the OS. You'll need to buy used parts or hugely discounted models if you want to get anything at that price range.

Actually, taking another look at your link. The case included is a POS in my opinion. NEVER use included PSUs with a case. You're more likely to fry the entire build with a crap PSU you get bundled with a case. The case itself is cheap, but if this isn't your first build, you're gonna have some issues trying build the PC (of course, there's nothing like cutting your teeth on a difficult case to build with to prepare yourself for the future...)

 

[Trippey]

Please say that you have a monitor, OS, keyboard, mouse, and a case available. If not, there goes a quarter of your budget just for the OS. You'll need to buy used parts or hugely discounted models if you want to get anything at that price range.

Actually, taking another look at your link. The case included is a POS in my opinion. NEVER use included PSUs with a case. You're more likely to fry the entire build with a crap PSU you get bundled with a case. The case itself is cheap, but if this isn't your first build, you're gonna have some issues trying build the PC (of course, there's nothing like cutting your teeth on a difficult case to build with to prepare yourself for the future...)

I only need the computer itself, I have everything else.

 

[I'm your huckleberry]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146061
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131461
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139026
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1086950
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1074962

I think this would be a better option with a decent upgrade path in the future. 4 core cpu vs 2 cores which should benefit all around general performance. Better gpu which is about 40% faster:

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/HD_7750/26.html

Better case. Much better power supply which I would actually trust to power the system. And double the ram.

I didn't include a hdd hoping you could possibly reuse the one you have. If not, you can hopefully find a deal for $50 or so on a 500gb one. The $50 extra is worth the premium imo.

 

[Cloakedsphere]

I don't think you can get a gaming PC for under like $1000, at least one that can run any new games lol.

My rig only cost me $800 and I can run BF3 on ultra while recording at 1680x1050 res.

 

[Snipeye]

My rig only cost me $800 and I can run BF3 on ultra while recording at 1680x1050 res.

Yeah, you can build a fine rig for under $1,000 that can play modern games; assuming you don't include the cost of a monitor and OS. Hell, even including it, you can still get away with a decent build. I'm taking away killer4000's right to give tech advice on new builds now....

 

[mobomelter]

I think this would be a better option with a decent upgrade path in the future. 4 core cpu vs 2 cores which should benefit all around general performance. Better gpu which is about 40% faster:

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/102?vs=677

Lets not jump straight to the conclusion that more cores = significantly more performance. Sure the AMD beats out the Core i3 on some tests but it's not by a landslide.

Also with articles like this I'd be wary of buying AMD, as your upgrade path may be very limited in the future.

Personally if I was building something right now (and I lived within 2 hours of a Microcenter) I'd take advantage of their new deal where you get 50 off any compatible motherboard when you buy an Ivy Bridge chip (i3-3225, i5-3570k, i7-3770k). You can get the i3, a Z77 motherboard, 8GB of RAM, and a video card for right around 300 bucks. And with the Z77 board you are set for upgrades for awhile as you can just drop in an i5 or i7 when you feel like it as well as having 2 additional RAM slots should you decide you need more than 8GB.

EDIT: Because I'm bored.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-3225 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($144.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($102.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Blu Red Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($33.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Momentu 500GB 2.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 6670 2GB Video Card ($71.97 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec Three Hundred ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer MK III 400W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($39.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $509.45
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

Subtract 65 (for buying CPU/MOBO at Microcenter) and you'll be just over budget for an awesome cheap gaming rig with room to upgrade.

 

[I'm your huckleberry]

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/102?vs=404

You didn't do the correct comparison. An i3 is a dual core with hyperthreading. It is also 50% more in cost than the phenom ii x4. Compared to the more similarly priced g850, it wins easily.

Additionally, even compared to more expensive i3, it trades blows quite nicely. And consider that the BE has the nice advantage of being overclocked where the i3 is locked.

And that article doesn't mean much for the user with a $400 budget. They are talking about competing with intels $500-$1000 cpus on their x79 platform. That is never where their market was to begin with though. While bulldozer isn't the greatest upgrade at the time, piledriver which will be released soon should hopefully fix many of its problems and be a decent upgrade.

And assuming trippey is one of the lucky few to live near a microcenter, a deal similar to the one above could be found at microcenter on the phenom ii x4. However, I would not rely on that fact either. Finally, 6670 is extremely weak for a "gaming" build if you plan to play at any res above 720p in newer games.

 

[mobomelter]

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/102?vs=404

You didn't do the correct comparison. An i3 is a dual core with hyperthreading. It is also 50% more in cost than the phenom ii x4. Compared to the more similarly priced g850, it wins easily.

Additionally, even compared to more expensive i3, it trades blows quite nicely. And consider that the BE has the nice advantage of being overclocked where the i3 is locked.

And that article doesn't mean much for the user with a $400 budget. They are talking about competing with intels $500-$1000 cpus on their x79 platform. That is never where their market was to begin with though. While bulldozer isn't the greatest upgrade at the time, piledriver which will be released soon should hopefully fix many of its problems and be a decent upgrade.

And assuming trippey is one of the lucky few to live near a microcenter, a deal similar to the one above could be found at microcenter on the phenom ii x4. However, I would not rely on that fact either. Finally, 6670 is extremely weak for a "gaming" build if you plan to play at any res above 720p in newer games.

Ah I missed the bundled part of your newegg links. I'll admit I have a really hard time building computers under the 600 dollar price point. I just can't get in to the cheaper CPU/GPU sector.