Ultra-low Budget Gaming PC

partyatmygaff

Ok so i've been meaning to build a second gaming pc (As a backup ) for a while now.

I have a case, a psu, a monitor and of course a kb/mouse aswell as a HDD and DVD writer so in essence all I need is a new Mobo/CPU/GPU/RAM.

The monitor runs at 1280x1024 so I can get away with a fairly mid end graphics card.

I want something similiar in power to my current gaming computer ...

2.66GHz Pentium Dual Core (Basically a Core 2 Duo running at 2.66GHz) E2180.

3GB DDR2

9600GT 512MB


As for the most important part. My 2nd computer (The one whose case/psu I'll be using) is currently running this spec

Athlon 64 3200+
1GB DDR
7900GTX 512MB
Gigabyte Socket 939 Motherboard PCI Express

Now at a guess if I sold all those parts I would get something around €35 for the CPU, €10 for the ram, maybe €50 for the GFX card and €30 for the motherboard.

So that's €125 and I would be willing to spend another €100 on top of that.

So in short, I want to get a CPU/Mobo/RAM/GPU for around €225 that can game reasonably well at 1280x1024. I will of course be self building.

Thanks and sorry for the long winded post

Solitaire

What are the case and PSU like?

Off the top of my head I'd look at a cheapie AM2/3 mobo (at least 740G), either an Athlon X2 or a a cheap X3-425 if you see one around for under €70 and/or think some extra CPU power will come in handy. GPU should be a HD5670 or an old, cheap HD4770 if you can find one.

Do you need a new HDD? In any case I assume you'll be going for just 2GB RAM in this build. Otherwise it'll be the most expensive piece of kit going into this build by a long margin!! :eek:

witnessmenow

I think some of your prices for your old stuff is a bit high, would be really really suprised if you get €30 for the mobo ( i bought a socket 939 board on adverts a while back for €10, now yours might be a bit better all the same) or €50 for the GFX (here is a 8800 with modified cooler that is for sale at €50 and hasnt sold yet)

partyatmygaff

Solitaire wrote: »

What are the case and PSU like?

Off the top of my head I'd look at a cheapie AM2/3 mobo (at least 740G), either an Athlon X2 or a a cheap X3-425 if you see one around for under €70 and/or think some extra CPU power will come in handy. GPU should be a HD5670 or an old, cheap HD4770 if you can find one.

Do you need a new HDD? In any case I assume you'll be going for just 2GB RAM in this build. Otherwise it'll be the most expensive piece of kit going into this build by a long margin!! :eek:

Yeah 2GB ram should be ok for the time being I think. I was thinking of getting an AMD Athlon X2 or maybe a Phenom X3 that can be unlocked to a X4 but I haven't done much research in to it. The case is a bit scratched e.t.c. but besides that it's a fairly large sized tower case with a LOT of fans. The PSU is 650W if I remember correctly.


Still undecided if I should go Intel/AMD? What's the best value for money these days? I know ATI are top dog now in the graphics department although I wouldn't mind something like a 9600GT/8800GTS.

Solitaire

I think you're thinking of a Phenom X2 or Athlon X3 An A2X2 is cheap alright but a bit weak compared to the aforementioned. A P2X3 can be unlocked but they're so powerful you'd barely be bothered! And they're well out of your price range Best bet is to get a cheap X3-425 and OC it a bit (even take a stab at unlocking the fourth core although its not the end of the world if its truly dead) or, if you're a gambling man, get the cheapest fully-fledged Phenom2 X2 and gamble on unlocking the other two cores.

Downside with unlocking is that the really cheap mobos will have old chipsets and you need ACC (even cheap-ass ACC) to have a shot at unlocking the dormant cores. And you never said if you needed a HDD :P

Not bothered about the case being scratched, its form factor and cooling I'm interested in! :P I am interested in the PSU. Whose 650W? Makes a lot of difference! Especially seeing as if you want a mid-range GPU given the EoL of the HD4770 you're going to be buying a slightly more power-hungry card (e.g. <=HD4850) second-hand!

As for AMD/Intel? AMD have near-total control down here. If you're desperate you can still find the odd E5300/6300 going cheap but nowadays 3+ heads are better than two and at this price range that means AMD!

As for GPU?? HD5670 is nearly as good as a 9600GT and very cheap on electricity but a bit overpriced right now IMHO. HD4850 needs about three times the juice to operate but if you can pick one up cheap second-hand they're a star bargain; a terror at 720p, knocks the 8800GTS into next week and the absolute most you'll need. A HD4770 is effectively the best of both worlds; economical with energy but powerful enough to make even Crysis think twice about playing silly-******s at 720p+. The kicker is that the HD5750 release signalled their EoL so its now very hard to pick them up in the shops for a reasonable price. The GTS250 is an alternative but a bit hefty for your needs, the 9800GT falls in the same boat, both are rather power-hungry compared to a HD4770 (the latter is also a fair bit weaker than a HD4770 but still perfect for your purposes!). GTS240 is also an option but again, very overpriced. If you run into big trouble with money you can always drop down to a HD4670 (or better yet a HD5570 if they end up cheaper for some reason)...