Advice on Gaming PC

emoore1223

Hi, I'm looking for some advice, I'm interested in buying a gaming pc off ebay, I've short listed two different builds and I want to get a balanced machine as I'm weary of the "bottleneck effect". Thanks for all your opinions in advance,

heres the links

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/141126122617?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/FX-4100-Quad-Core-PC-4-0GHz-8GB-1TB-HD-6670-2GB-Gaming-Computer-Dual-Screen-/270965101020?pt=UK_Computing_DesktopPCs&hash=item3f16c751dc

I want to be able to play games like the sims 4, euro truck simulator and skyrim.
Just wondering if either of the machines above would be capable of doing this, also I plan on using my 42" tv as my display, will this affect the quality?

thanks for all the help

emoore1223

and also this computer

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/190919478131?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

lego101

nearly all of these ebay computers are bad ideas. The shown models all have bad graphics cards, but they pick ones with high memory to make it look as it is better then it is, but you can see from the pictures that there quite small cards ( beefier the better usually) . Also the motherboards are usually the main point where they cheap out, and i saw that the last one has only 2 RAM slots, very underpowered for these days. Last of all they have cheap PSU's as well which can be awful for blowing and running the risk of frying your components too! Have you looked at making your own?

emoore1223

lego101 wrote: »

nearly all of these ebay computers are bad ideas. The shown models all have bad graphics cards, but they pick ones with high memory to make it look as it is better then it is, but you can see from the pictures that there quite small cards ( beefier the better usually) . Also the motherboards are usually the main point where they cheap out, and i saw that the last one has only 2 RAM slots, very underpowered for these days. Last of all they have cheap PSU's as well which can be awful for blowing and running the risk of frying your components too! Have you looked at making your own?

Hi, I have to be honest I was contemplating building my own, as I love that kind of thing, but it was working out quite a bit more expensive than the computers above. If you had to pick one, which one would you choose? And what would you suggest as components for a build, my budget is €400 without the os, just as another option, thanks

lego101

the second one seems to be the same as the first , but with a FX range CPU ! A bit newer as far as i know and the graphics card on the first two is better then the third one! Do you need wifi connectivity or a dvd drive ?

GarIT

emoore1223 wrote: »

Hi, I have to be honest I was contemplating building my own, as I love that kind of thing, but it was working out quite a bit more expensive than the computers above. If you had to pick one, which one would you choose? And what would you suggest as components for a build, my budget is €400 without the os, just as another option, thanks

I can't see any way possible that you could order the same parts and pay the price of those computers. Build it yourself is your best option.

yawhat!

Go to the pc building and upgrading forum. Everyone uses a site called hardwareversand. They will build the pc for 20. You will get a pc much much better than what eBay are offering for 400.

lego101

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/registry/wishlist/3QXL1KPF19R65/ref=topnav_lists_2

I made a list on amazon of a nice build, it is 399 pounds, 60/70 over your budget unfortunately but it includes shipping too, only about 3 days before it arrives too the ones on ebay had about another 20 going for shipping too so not much difference in price but a massive difference in speed and quality could move it to a cheaper case and save 20 quid but thats personal preference !

emoore1223

Hi , would anyone be able to suggest a good priced motherboard and graphics card, which would have HDMI output as I want to connect it to a tv through the HDMI. Also if I'm connecting it to my tv, do I connect it to the motherboard HDMI output or the graphics card HDMI output, thanks

lego101

the graphics card on the list I sent to you has a HDMI out!

emoore1223

yeah just seen that now, thanks. Would I connect the TV to the graphics card output or the motherboard output? sorry if its a noob question

lego101

everybody learns someway it would plug into the graphics card , I have mine on HDMI too!

emoore1223

Hi, just wondering about the processor you have the AMD FX6300 6 core 3.5GHz
on your list, I've been looking at the AMD FX-4350 4 core 4.2GHZ, its slightly more expensive but I'm wondering would it be better to go with more cores or more speed? thanks

lego101

The FX6300, it goes to 4.1 Ghz turbo when its under heavy load ! its on a good sale at the moment, typically it would be more expensive then the 4350! no problem!

emoore1223

yeah I'm just wondering if I should go for something with more cores or more speed? also, what are the pros/cons of overclocking, and is overclocking the same as "turbo", thanks again

connorfleming

The FX 6 series is the next step up from the 4 series, then after that is the 8 series. The FX6### tend to be a bit better than the 4###. When it comes to picking a processor there is a lot more to it than more cores or higher clock speed, you should search google and see what real world tests have been performed on the processors. Hope I helped, even if it was just a little

lego101

as above said the FX6 range is generally better , especially if its cheaper then the FX4's !

emoore1223

Hi everybody, thanks for the help, I'm beginning to realise that there is a lot more to consider that I first expected , thanks again for all the help

emoore1223

Hi everybody, I've spent the last week or so trying to decide on a parts list, I've come up with this one on amazon,

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/wishlist/27V44QWNMAD1P/ref=reg_hu-rd_add_wl?ie=UTF8&layout=

(hope you can see it)
its very similar to lego101's list, but I've swapped out a few bits, also I don't have the gpu listed as I know someone who has a..
MSI AMD HD7850 OC 900MHz 2GB GPU (D-R7850TF-2GD5/OC)
and a
MSI AMD HD7790 1050MHaz 6000MHz 2048MB (R7790-2GD5/OC)

I haven't yet seen them as he only told me today, what would your opinions about these cards? also am I making any major mistakes with these components, don't be afraid to speak your mind as I would rather be made look like a fool on boards now, rather than look like a complete idiot when the new build blows up infront of me. many thanks yet again

connorfleming

Not able to see that wishlist, are you able to change it to public?

emoore1223

sorry about that, changed it there, should work now

connorfleming

That's a nice build, if you can I would add the HD7850 to it and you should be able to run most of the games on the market at decent FPS and decent settings. Remember with the FX processors a GPU is essential since they do not have any sort of integrated graphics.

Also is the Wifi card 100% needed? If it's not I would invest the money saved from that and get a higher wattage PSU to give yourself a bit of overhead in terms of power.

emoore1223

Hi, yes the wifi card is needed as the pc will be upstairs in my bedroom and the router is in the sitting room. Also what psu wattage would you suggest for a build like this, thanks

connorfleming

I think a 600w would be perfect, I ran a really beefy GPU (GTX780) and an FX8350 for a week with absolutely no issues while I waited on my 750w, so I don't think you would have any problems with a 600w, so long as it's at least 80+ Bronze efficiency.

emoore1223

Hi, just looked into it, and I'll get the 600w psu, its not that much more anyway, an extra €10. Would you suggest getting an after market cpu cooler? and with the case I've chosen, is there any better alternative to this? or is the case I've chosen ok, thanks


Also just as a side question, my dad recommended going for a intel set-up, as he has never worked with amd before (he owns a telecommunications company). Could you suggest a few quick points I could make to convince him. I personally just couldn't afford the intel set-up as it meant paying more for a processor that didnt reflect the price as I wouldnt be using the integrated gpu and having to downgrade the motherboard, something I didnt want to do as I wanted a lot of usb ports, hope you can help, thanks

connorfleming

How much do you care about silence in your build? When under load, the AMD CPU's get quite hot, and the coolers on them are quite loud when the fans are going fast. To solve this, you can get a Hyper 212 EVO, which is really cheap and it's great, really quiet and really cool running. It can be even cooler if you add a second fan to it. It's rather tall though, so you need to make sure there's enough room in the case. I have the Corsair Carbide 300r and it's only a couple of centimetres away from touching the side panel. It can also be quite fidgety to install, because you need to replace the standard AMD backplate and mounting system on the front, but it can be well worth doing.

As for Intel vs AMD, I've had both (though not Intel for a good while) and I can honestly say I've had a good experience with both. Intel's top CPU's beat AMD every day of the week, but the big question is the £-to performance ratio. This is where AMD wins. For the price, the Piledriver series are the best processors around, in my opinion. I personally use the FX8350 with my GTX780 and so far I've not found a game that I can't run on Very High/Ultra settings, and it also runs nice and cool thanks to the Hyper 212 EVO. Intel fan boys will tell you they are better. AMD fanboys will tell you they are. It's mostly a matter of opinion, but for the money, I think it's pretty hard to beat AMD.

Sorry if that's a bit drawn out, it's late and I'm really tired. Hope I've helped you a little with it at least.

emoore1223

Hi, noise isnt a big problem, it will be in my room but I dont mind. Thanks for the tips, I managed to convince my dad about the amd processor, haha

Roguee

http://www.amazon.co.uk/FX-6300-Gaming-OVERCLOCKED-Bulldozer-Operating/dp/B009HSHXGU/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1392064085&sr=8-4&keywords=gaming+pc
Get that, looks kinda ugly but its a beast!

emoore1223

Hi, Roguee, was just wondering if you know if I can contact the seller through amazon, do you have one yourself, if so is it good? do you know if the seller is willing to make changes to the item before sending it out? thanks

yawhat!

That PC is a ripoff. Complete and utter ****e.