i3 System for sub €500

check_six

1. What is your budget? €500

2. What will be the main purpose of the computer? Games (Total War Series), light video editing.

3. Do you need a copy of Windows? Yes

4. Can you use any parts from an old computer? DVD Drive, SATA HDD, PCI Wireless Network Card, PCI TV Tuner/Video Capture Card

5. Do you need a monitor? No

5a. If yes, what size do you need. [19'/20'/22'/24'/etc.]

5b. If no, what resolution is your current monitor and do you plan to upgrade in the near future? Monitor is 22", resolution around 1920x1080, not upgrading

6. Do you need any of these peripherals? No extra peripherals required

7. Are you willing to try overclocking? Yes

8. How can you pay? [Bank Transfer/Credit Card/Laser] Any method suits

9. When are you purchasing? no time limit, might be after crimbo


I'd like a system based around an i3 CPU (maybe an i3 2100). I was also thinking of using an SSD (120GB would be my preference).

Big question is the operating system. If I choose a 64bit OS will it prevent me from playing my old games? Do I need to look at virtualisation to get the old games to work when I switch to 64bit?

Any pointers will be much appreciated.

Monotype

64-bit has reasonably good compatibility with things - however, it doesn't run 16-bit programs. There's XP mode though... and gog.com might help you out with revisions on games which work on newer Operating Systems.

What about an AMD system with a chip like the 5800K? It's about the same price as an i3 - graphics are much more powerful. In terms of raw power, the i3 will beat it in single threads. However, the 5800K is a quad core so it can win out if they're used well, although the i3 does have hyperthreading which can ocassionally help..

check_six

Monotype wrote: »

What about an AMD system with a chip like the 5800K? It's about the same price as an i3 - graphics are much more powerful. In terms of raw power, the i3 will beat it in single threads. However, the 5800K is a quad core so it can win out if they're used well, although the i3 does have hyperthreading which can ocassionally help..

The AMD chip sounds good. I mentioned the i3 as I had read some positive things about it but I'm not tied to it. Are the motherboards similar for the different cpus?

Monotype

You just need an FM2 motherboard instead.

Let's see...
This one looks pretty good for the money
http://lb.hardwareversand.de/DDR3/67922/ASRock+FM2A75+Pro4-M%2C+FM2%2C+mATX.article
USB 3, eSATA, SATA 6Gbps and I think that even looks like a USB 3 header, which is very handy - and the 5800K:
http://lb.hardwareversand.de/Socket+FM2/66795/AMD+A10+5800K+Black+Edition+mit+AMD+Radeon+HD+7660D+Grafikeinheit%2C+Box%2C+FM2.article

You wouldn't need a graphics card on top of that so it leaves just over €300 for the rest.

For SSDs, check out the Samsung 830 and the Crucial M4. They would be my top preferences.

PSU - Superflower amazon 450W is around the €42 mark. That's if you're buying from hardwareversand. Other places have different selections.

check_six

How does the integrated graphics chip work on the cpu? Just stick it in the right board and it works?

tuxy

check_six wrote: »

How does the integrated graphics chip work on the cpu? Just stick it in the right board and it works?

Yeah that's it
check out this pic
http://lb.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?adp=0&aid=67922&agid=2009&apop=2
That board has hdmi,dvi and vga

It should be good for most things but you will defiantly want a separate graphics card for games

tuxy

Personally I think a i3 will be a stronger cpu for gaming
Here is a build I put together, 22 over budget

Item|Price
Intel Core i3-3220 Box, LGA1155|€108.14
HIS HD 7850 GDDR5 1024MB DVI/HDMI/2xMini DP|€157.48
ASRock B75 Pro3, Sockel 1155, ATX|€69.29
Super-Flower Amazon 80Plus 450W|€42.28
BitFenix Merc Alpha|€34.00
8GB-Kit G.Skill PC3-10667U CL9|€28.33
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit (SB-Version)|€82.94
Total|€522.46

You would have to reuse your old hard drive. I could not fit a ssd into the budget. A 64GB ssd will cost €60 but a 128gb is better value at €80.

Since you mentioned games I recommend you get a good graphics card. The HD 7850 is a fairly powerful card.
With that system you would be able to run all new games smooth at fairly high settings. Rome Total War 2 which is out next year should run well on it.

You will need a 64bit verion of windows or you will be limited to 3GB of ram, which isn't good when you can have loads of ram in a new pc because of its low price. You can search google and see if the games that are important for you will work in win7 64.
You could also setup a dual boot system where you select either windows 7 or another version of windows at boot up if you have the install disk for the older version of windows.

check_six

Some good suggestions here.

I'm curious about the power supply, will 450W be enough if I shove in my old hdd, a new ssd, a discrete video card, the wireless card, and the video capture card? The newer CPUs seem to be a bit more power efficient, as far as I can tell.

tuxy

Yeah 450watt will be fine. Newer cpu and gpu use less power than the ones that came before them. The other parts you listed use very little power so you will still have room to add more hard drive if you need them.

I would only recommend a more powerful psu if you planned on overclocking. But then you would need a more expensive cpu to make it worth while. The i3 does not overclock good but the k model i5s do.

check_six

Ok, I think I've got the information I need. Thank you for your assistance.

This is a superb forum. Good work all the contributors!

Monotype

I'd go for a 7850 if you wanted to run all games at maximum settings with 1920x1080.

For running most games well, the 5800K is powerful enough- maybe turn down the details in top resource consuming games like BF3, so you might run that at 720P. All games should run and most games will run well. If it not high detail in everything that you're after, you can divert funds to get the SSD.

tuxy

Go for an i3 if you are getting a dedicated graphics card
The 5800K is only better if you plan on using integrated graphics.

Genghiz Cohen

Plus the i3 opens a very nice upgrade path. If you trip over €200 sometime you can buy a nice i5 and be King of the Framerates.

tuxy

Genghiz Cohen wrote: »

Plus the i3 opens a very nice upgrade path. If you trip over €200 sometime you can buy a nice i5 and be King of the Framerates.

Yeah or even in a few years when i5s are selling for peanuts it would make a nice upgrade.

U_Fig

tuxy wrote: »

Yeah or even in a few years when i5s are selling for peanuts it would make a nice upgrade.

i this is the case splash out on a z77 board now that way you'll have the ability to overclock a 3570k if you chosse to buy one..

tuxy

U_Fig wrote: »

i this is the case splash out on a z77 board now that way you'll have the ability to overclock a 3570k if you chosse to buy one..

Might be worth considering but just because someone gets a i5 does not mean they will defiantly want to overclock.

U_Fig

tuxy wrote: »

Might be worth considering but just because someone gets a i5 does not mean they will defiantly want to overclock.

Ya I know but in the context getting an i5 wouldn't give much of a performance boost overer the i3 so only real Benifit would be to get an overclockable one to increase performance significantly..

enfant terrible

U_Fig wrote: »

Ya I know but in the context getting an i5 wouldn't give much of a performance boost overer the i3 so only real Benifit would be to get an overclockable one to increase performance significantly..

Is this the board your on about?
http://lb.hardwareversand.de/DDR3/59322/ASRock+Z77+Pro3%2C+Sockel+1155%2C+ATX.article

tuxy

U_Fig wrote: »

Ya I know but in the context getting an i5 wouldn't give much of a performance boost overer the i3 so only real Benifit would be to get an overclockable one to increase performance significantly..

The possibility of upgrading to an i5 was just an added bonus for going for the i3 which is the best performing cpu in this price range. A stock i5 is still a nice upgrade from a i3 in applications that make use of the extra cores.
This is a budget build so while a z77 should be considered it's difficult to recommend anything that increases the cost unless it will definitely be worth it.

tuxy

enfant terrible wrote: »

Is this the board your on about?
http://lb.hardwareversand.de/DDR3/59322/ASRock+Z77+Pro3%2C+Sockel+1155%2C+ATX.article

That's one of the z77 boards yes, there are others if you search 1155 z77. Asrock do make some great value boards, that's why you see them recommend a lot on here. But it's worth checking out other makes too.

enfant terrible

tuxy wrote: »

That's one of the z77 boards yes, there are others if you search 1155 z77. Asrock do make some great value boards, that's why you see them recommend a lot on here. But it's worth checking out other makes too.

Cheers when ordering from hardwareversand.de do you just place the order, then they send you the bank details which you bring to the bank with you?

tuxy

enfant terrible wrote: »

Cheers when ordering from hardwareversand.de do you just place the order, then they send you the bank details which you bring to the bank with you?

Yeah that's exactly what you do

enfant terrible

tuxy wrote: »

Yeah that's exactly what you do

Cheers tuxy,

Gonna order now any opinion on this before I do?
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=81867945&postcount=17

U_Fig

tuxy wrote: »

The possibility of upgrading to an i5 was just an added bonus for going for the i3 which is the best performing cpu in this price range. A stock i5 is still a nice upgrade from a i3 in applications that make use of the extra cores.
This is a budget build so while a z77 should be considered it's difficult to recommend anything that increases the cost unless it will definitely be worth it.

i agree with this but i'm saying for an extra €30 now you open yourself to the ability to per long the life of the system.. it's up to the OP really i was just mentioning it might be something to consider