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

SpankThru

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SpankThru

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

exactly

Serephucus

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

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

Monotype

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

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

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

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

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

that looks great thanks

LittleMc95

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

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

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

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

What do you mean XFX?

and is that power supply enough?

Monotype

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

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

do prices vary much with the different companies?

Monotype

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

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

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

Monotype

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

Is there much difference in the 6870 and he 6790?

Monotype

Yes, that's a fairly big difference. A big difference in cost too - the 6970 is usually about double the price. Here's a comparison:
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/290?vs=292

There's new cards coming tomorrow, the 7750 and the 7770. There's also the 7850 & 7870 coming in early March.

LittleMc95

No between the 6870 and the 6790 not the 6970.

Serephucus

The 6870 is about 40% more powerful, and better value too.

Monotype

Oh, right. I must be half blind. Or lex-dis-ic.

I don't think that the 6790 is really worth getting. The 6850 is a fair chunk better and if I recall correctly, the power consumption on the 6790 was high for its performance.

Certainly don't buy it tonight anyway. Have a look at how the 7750 & 7770 perform when they're reviewed/released tomorrow.

LittleMc95

have you any idea how much they will be?

Monotype

Monotype wrote: »

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.

I'm not affiliated with any seller or review site; pricing and performance are kept fairly quiet so I can only guess at best.
You'll find out tomorrow, if you can bear the excitement.

SpankThru

Hey , i have another stupid question Do i really need a soundcard? Thanks

Monotype

All, or nearly all motherboards these days come with onboard sound which is good enough for most people.
They come with wired network cards built in too.

SpankThru

Monotype wrote: »

All, or nearly all motherboards these days come with onboard sound which is good enough for most people.
They come with wired network cards built in too.

So ill have to buy a wireless adapter ? (the family computer has the wired connection)

Edit; I was watching a video on YouTube and this guy had like 5 fans in his build ,Is this unnecessary ?

Monotype

Yes, desktop PCs & motherboards rarely come with wireless. If possible, you should try to get a wired connection.

If you can't be running wires around the place, you could consider homeplugs.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-PA211KIT-200Mbps-Powerline-Ethernet/dp/B004INVKP4/
A bit more expensive than wireless, but you will usually get a better quality connection. They've been known to cause some radio interference so that might affect where you'd use them.

SpankThru

What are they for? I've never seen them in my life

Monotype

You plug one into the wall electricity socket and connect it to your router.

Then plug another one in near where you have your PC and bingo - you get internet to your PC through your electricity cable!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HomePlug
No, this isn't a hoax, it's not April yet.

SpankThru

Thanks,
Any info on the new Graphis Cards yet?, cant find much online about them

Monotype

They're a bit crap. The 7750 is an OK budget card but the 7770 is overpriced.
The 7770 is slightly less powerful than the 6850 but priced in the 6870 range.

If you're buying somewhere like hardwareversand, you'd be much better off with a 6870.
http://www2.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=46795

jaykhunter

Monotype wrote: »

If you're buying somewhere like hardwareversand, you'd be much better off with a 6870.
http://www2.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=46795

Seeing this post makes me happy

Those plugged network adapters look really sweet. A bit too expensive for me right now though. But really cool.

Kepti

SpankThru wrote: »

Thanks,
Any info on the new Graphis Cards yet?, cant find much online about them

You can read about them here: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5541/amd-radeon-hd-7750-radeon-hd-7770-ghz-edition-review

SpankThru

jaykhunter wrote: »

Seeing this post makes me happy

Those plugged network adapters look really sweet. A bit too expensive for me right now though. But really cool.

Is there much point getting them if my pc will be a few meters away from the router?

Monotype

If it's just a few metres away from the router, just use an ordinary network cable!

Here's a selection of some 7m Cat 6 cables. Take a pick of a colour that you fancy.
http://www2.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=45368
http://www2.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=45366
http://www2.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=45367

SpankThru

Monotype wrote: »

If it's just a few metres away from the router, just use an ordinary network cable!

Here's a selection of some 7m Cat 6 cables. Take a pick of a colour that you fancy.
http://www2.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=45368
http://www2.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=45366
http://www2.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=45367

I wouldnt be able to use wired , its in an awkward position

Do i need to get extra fans btw?

Monotype

Oh, well in that case, the homeplugs should be suitable.

Is this for the build in post #2? Bitfenix merc? I think there's one fan in there. An i3 wouldn't have much heat so it depends on what graphics card you buy. Two should be enough for most situations in a lighter build like that.