Possible to build good Gaming PC for €550-ish?

SpankThru · 11-02-2012 3:38pm #1

Hi
Ive been looking at parts on sites like dabs , but cant help to think that im being screwed over.
1. What is your budget? €550ish

2. What will be the main purpose of the computer? Gaming mainly, New and Old

3. Do you need a copy of Windows? Yep

4. Can you use any parts from an old computer? Nope

5. Do you need a monitor? Yeah, but it can wait for now

6. Do you need any of these peripherals? nope

7. Are you willing to try overclocking? Probably

8. How can you pay? Credit card , paypal?

9. When are you purchasing? Within next few months

If anyone could help me at all that would be great. Thanks.

Serephucus · 11-02-2012 3:58pm

Something like this, maybe?

Item|Price
Total build cost: €345.17 + €30 shipping
Intel Core i3-2120 Box, LGA1155|€105.99
ASRock H61M-S (B3), Sockel 1155, mATX|€43.85
Super-Flower Amazon 80Plus 450W|€40.11
BitFenix Merc Alpha|€31.61
Samsung SpinPoint F3 500GB, SATA II (HD502HJ)|€75.00
8GB-Kit A-Data Value PC3-1333 CL9|€33.20
Samsung SH-222AB bare schwarz SATA|€15.41

And Win7 from Software4Students for €45.50, brings the total to €420, leaving you €130 for a graphics card.

I'd wait for a week or two though. There's a new series rolling out, and it'll make the current series drop a bit, and possibly open up a few other options.

Just saw when you're going to be buying it. If we're talking that long, come back when you're a week or two from ordering. No point speccing something out now for you, things will have changed a lot by then.

deconduo · 11-02-2012 4:02pm

Yeah, because things can change a lot in a couple of months, its always better to ask 2-3 days before you plan to order.

SpankThru · 11-02-2012 5:05pm

Thanks for the replies , I've heard that i3 isn't that good for newer games ? or is that just marketing ?
And BTW i said few months because im not sure what to get , ill order whenever im sure of what i'm getting. Thanks.

Monotype · 11-02-2012 7:01pm

The i3, i5 and i7 are just marketing labels and don't directly correspond to performance. Although just a dual core it's pretty good and has hyperthreading for those tasks which make use of it. The socket 1155 has good upgrade options so you can easily upgrade to a nice quad core down the road. To really maximise your options, you could get a higher quality motherboard which would support bigger upgrades like overclockable CPUs and would be more suitable for SSDs. However, this would drastically eat into your budget essentially doubling the motherboard cost.

The main concern for a quality gaming machine is the graphics card. There's new cards due on the 15th and you'll have even more options in a few months if that's when you're buying.

SpankThru · 11-02-2012 7:19pm

Is it possible to get a Gaming PC that can run games in this quality(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uCN63sLKAA&feature=related) for 550 or less?
New and Old?

Jonny7 · 11-02-2012 8:05pm

Assuming you get an i3 processor, coupled with a 140 euro graphics card and perhaps a 22 inch monitor - you'll be able to run most games on high or highest and still be as smooth as the video.

However, running every game on ultra highest settings on a very high res monitor usually involves more cash. You'll still be blown away by the graphics on a 550 machine, but obviously you can always go better.

SpankThru · 11-02-2012 10:01pm

So What Graphics card would ye recommend?
Is this any good? (fits my budget) http://www1.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=41314&agid=1004

Serephucus · 11-02-2012 10:35pm

Wait for the new series of cards, they're out next week.

SpankThru · 12-02-2012 12:58am

So i should wait for the new ones because the price of older models will drop or because the new models are way better?

IrishMetalhead · 12-02-2012 1:06am

exactly

Serephucus · 12-02-2012 1:48am

SpankThru wrote: »

So i should wait for the new ones because the price of older models will drop or because the new models are way better?

Both.

SpankThru · 12-02-2012 9:50pm

Random Question , should i get a better power supply , Like 550w instead of 450w?

Monotype · 12-02-2012 9:59pm

450W for that system is enough with a midrange graphics card. You could get a 550W if you were going for a high end card or wanted more room for expansion. The quality of the PSU is very important and some 550W PSUs are much worse than that 450W so choose carefully.

SpankThru · 12-02-2012 10:12pm

Would this be a midrange card? Thanks http://www1.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=39504&agid=1004
Oh and what monitor would you recommend for this setup?

Monotype · 12-02-2012 10:16pm

Yes, that would be well covered by 450W. The 7750 and 7770 are being released in three days so they could be a worthwhile alternative.

What's the budget for the monitor?

SpankThru · 12-02-2012 10:26pm

Im not sure, I guess i want a bare minimum decent one , doesn't need to be HD or anything maybe 100€ or less? as long as it gives a good picture

Would the 450w be able for the new cards + wont the new cards be really expensive?
Thanks

Monotype · 12-02-2012 11:18pm

The new cards being released on the 15th are the 7750 and 7770. They won't be too expensive because they're just midrange cards.
The rest of the 7000 series - the 7850 and 7870 are due to be released in early March and will certainly be more expensive.

The estimate in price for the 7750 & 7770 is $99-$159. You can't convert that directly to euro as hardware is a bit more expensive here. That's about the range of the 6750, 6770 and 6850 at the moment on US site newegg, the range of these in euro shops are €80-€140 or so. You could probably add a bit more for it being a new product and the shop getting a cut but I think that €90-150 is a credible range for these cards at a competitive online seller.

Monitor... how about:
http://www2.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=51957

SpankThru · 13-02-2012 12:50am

that looks great thanks

LittleMc95 · 14-02-2012 3:11pm

Hi, dont mean to butt in here,
just see your talking about graphics cards and I was looking at them
and I really have no clue. what would you recommend for games like Skyrim
and Deus ex? some around the100-150 mark?

deconduo · 14-02-2012 3:27pm

LittleMc95 wrote: »

Hi, dont mean to butt in here,
just see your talking about graphics cards and I was looking at them
and I really have no clue. what would you recommend for games like Skyrim
and Deus ex? some around the100-150 mark?

If you can find a 6870 for around €140-150 that would be ideal. However you'd want to make sure your PSU is enough to handle it as well.

LittleMc95 · 14-02-2012 3:39pm

i have this one http://www1.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=30074&agid=1627
that ok?

and is this the G/C you were on about? http://www2.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?adp=0&aid=46795&agid=1004&apop=4

aperture_nuig · 14-02-2012 3:42pm

LittleMc95 wrote: »

i have this one http://www1.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=30074&agid=1627
that ok?

and is this the G/C you were on about? http://www2.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?adp=0&aid=46795&agid=1004&apop=4

Yep that's the one he was talking about. I have an XFX 6870 and it's loads for Deus Ex, Skyrim, and battlefield. Gorgeous graphics for the price

LittleMc95 · 14-02-2012 3:45pm

What do you mean XFX?

and is that power supply enough?

Monotype · 14-02-2012 3:49pm

XFX is the brand of the card, like the one you linked earlier is Sapphire. The internals are still made by AMD but the companies who brand the cards take care of different cooling fans, warranties, returns, boxing etc.

A good quality 450W like the one above is enough for most systems with a 6870.

LittleMc95 · 14-02-2012 3:58pm

oh right i get you i was wondering why there was so many different ones.

do prices vary much with the different companies?

Monotype · 14-02-2012 4:31pm

Yeah, they do vary a bit. Some companies will have several lines of the same card with different cooling solutions and overclocking or varying RAM amounts. Most of the companies are okay as you're getting nearly the same product. It's no harm to have a quick search for the reputation of any company or any difficulties with a particular version of a card. Be wary of any card that's considerably cheaper than the rest of the bunch.

LittleMc95 · 14-02-2012 4:41pm

so which would be better with say these?
http://www.dabs.ie/products/xfx-ati-radeon-6870-900mhz-1gb-pci-express-hdmi-7QFX.html?q=6870&src=16
http://www.dabs.ie/products/sapphire-technology-ati-radeon-hd-6870-900mhz-1gb-pci-express-dvi-hdmi---2-x-mdp-7G0M.html?q=6870&src=16

LittleMc95 · 14-02-2012 4:42pm

just noticed is there a difference in the radeon 6870 and radeon HD 6870?

Monotype · 14-02-2012 4:49pm

LittleMc95 wrote: »

so which would be better with say these?
http://www.dabs.ie/products/xfx-ati-radeon-6870-900mhz-1gb-pci-express-hdmi-7QFX.html?q=6870&src=16
http://www.dabs.ie/products/sapphire-technology-ati-radeon-hd-6870-900mhz-1gb-pci-express-dvi-hdmi---2-x-mdp-7G0M.html?q=6870&src=16

They're nearly identical. Same speeds. The XFX mentions that it has mini displayport instead of displayport connection, but it's likely that you won't be using these anyway as most monitors use DVI.

LittleMc95 wrote: »

just noticed is there a difference in the radeon 6870 and radeon HD 6870?

No.

LittleMc95 · 14-02-2012 5:19pm

Is there much difference in the 6870 and he 6790?

Possible to build good Gaming PC for €550-ish?

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