Build for around EUR 800 (complete N00b)

Lukichu123

Hey guys, first time on this forum so be gentle!

I'm looking to build a gaming PC for myself for roughly 800 quid. It doesn't have to be top of the line, just good enough to do me. I'm sort of floundering a bit however when it comes to the component selection. I've been on hardwareversand.de on I have these so far:

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 €176.59
Motherboard: MSI H81M-P33, mATX, Sockel 1150 €40.94
PSU: Corsair CS450M Modular 450W ATX2.3 €57.58
RAM: 8GB G.Skill RipJaws X PC3-12800U CL9 €75.84
GPU: HIS Radeon R9 280 IceQ x2 3GB €186.97
SSD: Crucial MX100 SSD 128GB €58
HDD:Seagate Barracuda 7200 1TB SATA 6GB/s €49.81
Case: Antec Nine Hundred Two V3, ATX €94.91
Drive: Samsung Sh-224DB €12.83

Total: €752.96

Would these be good components for a gaming pc?
I guess my biggest fear is buying parts that are incompatible but I don't really have a clue which are and which aren't.
Also would I need a better PSU than that? I understand that they're incredibly important (particularly if I'm overclocking).

If you guys have any suggestions, please let me know!
thanks a mill

sw33t_r3v3ng3

This might help you, You can compare different components using the menu on top!

http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/partlist/

Just choose your partslist and compare parts!

Lukichu123

Website seems to be down but cheers!

sw33t_r3v3ng3

Lukichu123 wrote: »

Website seems to be down but cheers!

Working perfect for me, probably on your side?

Lukichu123

sw33t_r3v3ng3 wrote: »

Working perfect for me, probably on your side?

Hey buddy, you're right it's working perfectly! A perfect example of why I need a new pc!!
Swapped out the Motherboard for the MSI 970A-G43, AMD Sockel AM3+, ATX, DDR3
and the CPU for the AMD FX-8320, bringing the total down to €713!

Does anyone know if these are good enough components for a decent gaming pc?
Also do I need a CPU cooler?
Thanks again!

BloodBath

I'd stick with your original build tbh. Intel processors make better gaming cpu's.

Go for a cheaper case if you want to save some money.

You could drop down to the i5 4460 to save a bit more.

The MSI board you chose has no front USB3 headers. Get one that does. The ASrock H81M-HDS is the cheapest one that does. It's matx though, there is an ATX version as well that costs a bit more.

I'd grab the 550w version of that psu as well just to cover you for future upgrades.

You can use geizhals.de to get a discount on those hardwareversand prices.

Seo.OBriain

Do you have more specific details on what you need it for or what you used your old PC for?
(I'm guessing you want to run any of the latest games at HD1080p on high settings at least.)

- Do you already have KVM or do you need to pay for them too?

- What else do you need the PC for (i.e CAD, Editing, Virtualisation, etc..) ?

Fist thing I would start with on a budget is the gpu then mobo and cpu and go for the best VALUE/PERFORMANCE per euro ratio for each part cause you can always swap most of em out easily at anytime.

ALWAYS look for low power options to save a lot on electricity, noise and thermal issues.

- GPU: You need something like a 2GB+ GTX 7xxxti Nvidia or better.

- Mobo: Get a better motherboard than a 50e AMD. New X99 boards are recently being released so you should prob try and get an Intel Z98 chipset OC and good upgrade support for the future. I know a 50 euro board will work but you'll prob be wanting to upgrade that within 12-18 months if you go on the cheap.

- CPU: You only need a "3 Thread" OR a "3 Core" CPU to comfortably run most games, especially with a decent GPU doing most of the work. An Intel i3 is just as good as some 6 Core AMD CPU's in game performance and an i5 maybe more than you need but is a all round good choice if you can afford it.

Get any decent brand PSU as low voltage as possible depending on your parts and just add +50v and enough standard fans to keep it nice and cool.

The rest of the system is easily upgraded / expanded on and not really a huge priority.
128GB SSD is an exp luxury item. 256-500+ minimum would be good but not yet good value either so maybe a hybrid drive is better value. 90+euro for a case is a bit exp. if you're on a really tight budget.

Anyway, all depends on what you have to have as a minimum, how you look at it, your budget and convenience i.e if you want to add more ram or a extra HD/SSD later and upgrade in stages over a couple of months.

I always go for the best quality minimum parts and add to it/upgrade the rest as necessary for less hassle and better quality, value and future-proofing over 3-5 years.

Hope that helps...

GL&HF

Seo.OBriain

BloodBath wrote: »

I'd stick with your original build tbh. Intel processors make better gaming cpu's.

Go for a cheaper case if you want to save some money.

You could drop down to the i5 4460 to save a bit more.

The MSI board you chose has no front USB3 headers. Get one that does. The ASrock H81M-HDS is the cheapest one that does. It's matx though, there is an ATX version as well that costs a bit more.

I'd grab the 550w version of that psu as well just to cover you for future upgrades.

You can use geizhals.de to get a discount on those hardwareversand prices.

+1

Also, Check all the websites you can for special offers & seriously think about 2nd hand parts that you can upgrade later to the new, permanent ones you want.
Well, worth it as you might find that an i3, 250GB HDD or 4GB ram is all you needed and save a nice chunk of change for when you really need an upgrade later too.

GL

Lukichu123

BloodBath wrote: »

You can use geizhals.de to get a discount on those hardwareversand prices.

How exactly do I use it to get a discount?
Sorry if I'm being extraordinarily thick, just off a long flight and I'm still loopy!

Really appreciate the help guys, thanks!

BloodBath

Search for the parts 1 by 1, Select hardwareversand from the list of sellers, add to cart. Repeat.

hearny

As Suggested above use https://geizhals.de/ to save a few euro.

Go to the link, search for the product name e.g. Intel Core i5-4590 click on the result, scroll down to find hardwareversand.de, click on the logo and you will be brought to the product page with a slightly cheaper price. I have gone through it and a similar spec to the one you have listed above is coming in at €686, I did substitute your case with the much cheaper http://www.hardwareversand.de/en/Midi/71312/Corsair+Carbide+Series+200R%2C+ATX%2C+ohne+Netzteil.article
I have also replaced the SSD with the samsung Evo 840

I would look to put the i5-4670k in instead of the processor you have so you can overclock further down the road (after a cooler upgrade).

Motherboard I would look at something better such as:
http://www.hardwareversand.de/en/DDR3/165982/ASUS+H97-PRO%2C+Sockel+1150%2C+ATX.article

Using gezhals.de with the 200R case, H97 Pro, i5-4670k and 840 EVO the build is coming in at €774.

hearny

Took me so long to write the post someone bet me to the explanation.

Lukichu123

Holy crap thanks so much guys!
Really really helping me out here thanks.

And, from your experience, are custom pc's difficult to build? I know there's guides online and stuff but you'd swear I was a gorilla with parkinsons disease trying to put things together in the past.

Thanks again

hearny

If you are worried about it they can build it for 20 / 30 Euro but its very easy, especially with a decent case like the 200R.

It takes me roughly 20 minutes with a 200R, cheap cases can take a lot longer.

If you are around Waterford I can help you out if you get stuck. If you are not I can still help you out just not in person.

Lukichu123

Wow really?!
Fairplay!
Haha nah I wouldn't be doing that to you now! I should be fine so long as I follow guides and actually focus on what I'm doing.
Listen, what GPU would you recommend? Seo.obriain up there recommended an Nvidia one but I'm not sure which!

BloodBath

With your budget just stick with the i5 4460 imo. If you're going to spend more money somewhere then spend it on the gpu, not cpu.

Assuming it's main purpose is gaming of course.

That cpu will last you 4-5 years and will perform identically to an overclocked 4670k in the majority of games.

At a push you could squeeze an R9 290 into your budget. It's the best value high end card. If you want to spend less stick with the 280. It's the best value mid range card by a long shot.

I'd go for the MSI gaming version.

What monitor are you using with this? Resolution?

hearny

Agree with the R9 280 being the best value for money, The 290 would blow the budget but would be big upgrade.

Reason I went with the unlocked i5-4670k was it still came in under budget while giving you extra processing power if ever required can be pushed out to 4GHz according to reviews (Not necessarily for gaming but it may be required). This may be worth the €30 in the difference, its your call but certainly not the making or breaking of the system.

The CS550M although showing as not in stock is actually cheaper than the CS450M

I would try for the 550W incase you need to add components going forward.

http://www.hardwareversand.de/en/500+-+600+Watts/141147/Corsair+CS+Series+Modular+CS550M+550W+ATX+2.3.article

BloodBath

It wouldn't blow it. That's a good high end PC for €800.

hearny

You did well to squeeze it in under 800. No DVD drive but sure thats not a big deal these days.

The only way I would go with that board is if I was planning to upgrade it in a few months though.

I have had more bad experiences with ASRock Entry level boards than most other brands.

I haven't used the MX100 but I havent been a fan of some of the SSD's by crucial I find the Samsungs more reliable and faster.

BloodBath

hearny wrote: »

You did well to squeeze it in under 800. No DVD drive but sure thats not a big deal these days.

The only way I would go with that board is if I was planning to upgrade it in a few months though.

I have had more bad experiences with ASRock Entry level boards than most other brands.

I haven't used the MX100 but I haven't been a fan of some of the SSD's by crucial I find the Samsungs more reliable and faster.

What ASrock boards? AMD or Intel?

That 4460 processor uses so little power I wouldn't worry about it. The board has a 4 phase power delivery which is more than enough and wouldn't require much cooling.

I've used that particular board in about 6 builds for people already. No DOA's, no failures. The Asrock B85M pro4 is only €15 more though if you want better quality.

The Samsung drive is a little faster but it wouldn't be noticeable tbh. The gains got from the 290 far exceed the gains from upgrading any of the other parts. (for gaming)

hearny

Mostly AMD but a couple of Intel.

The 290 will definitely give the best boost but if it was my system I would either

a) Stretch the budget to get the better board.
or
b) If I could not stretch the budget I would drop the 1TB HDD and get one when I could afford it (This is assuming you can get by with only the 120GB Storage until you upgrade).

Seo.OBriain

Hi,

What games do you want to be able to play?
What resolution and settings does your display allow?
Do you need a gaming pc and basic internet office or a workstation for A/V Editing CAD too?

IMHO 800 Euro is overspend for a mid level gaming PC but about right for a workstation.

If you want HD1080p High/Ultra settings for most games on a budget you can start out with a G3258 Dual Core 3.2/4.5-5.xxGhz OC and a Radeon R9 280 Overclock and then upgrade the CPU later to i5.

280X not great value.
290(afaik right now) is a lot more expensive and not as good value.

Radeon cards are better value at the moment but the NVidia 750 "Ti" is a low power option which helps save money on electricity, heat and noise etc.

Get a good Z97 (or the new Z99 if you're flush) motherboard that can overclock and has an M.2 connector for new devices.

It would be very tough to beat this combination for quality, price, value for money and the chance to experiment with over clocking with stock air cooling, easily at a very low cost and risk because the CPU is only 70 euro-ish if you fry it by mistake.

You will save almost 200Euro doing this and get 80-90% of the same performance in most games.

If you buy 2 x 4GB of high speed RAM most CPU's will work better for gaming.

256GB SSD M.2 or SATA(crucual are good value) or the cheapest WD or HITACHI 1TB and always 7,200RPM 64mb+ cache minimum.
SATA SSD's are still not good value over HD 1TB 7,200rpm but maybe M.2 SSD's for 10Gb/s IMHO.

Bronze 80+ PSU or better with 50-75w extra above your build's estimated TDP.

I can make this build for under 500 and maybe 650 with an i5 and 800 with a 250GB SSD + 1TB HD.

Build it yourself, it's easier than ever before and you will get a lot more satisfaction after finishing your first one and knowing you can do it in the future.

Apart from cable ties and a tube of thermal paste(optional) you usually only need a screwdriver.

See my ad in adverts.ie for more info 2015 Gaming PC

GL & HF :P

Seo.

Seo.OBriain

Seo.OBriain wrote: »

Hi,
Get a good Z97 (or the new Z99 if you're flush) motherboard that can overclock and has an M.2 connector for new devices.

I meant to say X99 not Z99 but can't seem to edit my post at the mo.

Also,
You don't need to overclock my build above.
It's overclock ready if you want an extra boost later.

& The best value/performance CPU upgrade path is :

1. Intel Pentium G3258 --> Intel Core i5-4430 / Intel Core i5-4690K
(i5 4430 and 4690 have almost the same performance without overclocking)

or

2. Intel Core i3-4130 --> Intel Core i5-4430 / Intel Core i5-4690K
(i3 4130 is a solid all round budget CPU but no overclocking)

i7 is overkill unless you're going very high end 4K multiple screens etc. or you need a Pro Workstation.

GL&HF : P