Gaming PC build for complete n00b.

Toots

Hi guys, I'm hoping to build my own pc for gaming (not super hardcore, just a few things I like) and honestly I've not got much of a clue what I'm doing. I've got a very low end PC that's donkeys years old and I'm using it to play Skyrim but it can barely handle it - I've got to play the game in windowed mode and even then there's massive lag even with the image quality at the minimum. The PC I have is an old HP Pavillion Slimline one, it's on a 32bit windows operating system (whatever that means )

Basically as far as putting it together, I'm grand. My husband is in IT so he will do it with me. It's more that I need to know what bits I need and where I should get them from. Here's roughly the details of what I need, I apologise in advance if I'm making no sense at all.


1. What is your budget? would prefer to stay under €600 but could push it a bit if absolutely necessary

2. What will be the main purpose of the computer? General use (internet, youtube, email etc) also may use it for office duties like book keeping. Gaming - Skyrim (system requirements), The Sims 4 (system requirements), Elder Scrolls Online (system requirements)

3. Do you need a copy of Windows? Yes

4. Can you use any parts from an old computer? I have a 1tb hard drive, it used to be an external hard drive, but I put it into my pc instead of the CD/DVD drive.

5. Do you need a monitor? no


5b. If no, what resolution is your current monitor and do you plan to upgrade in the near future? I've currently got my PC hooked up to my TV and use it as a monitor. The TV is 42" Samsung LED HD

6. Do you need any of these peripherals? [Keyboard/Mouse/Wireless Card/Card Reader/Speakers/etc.] At the minute I use an xbox controller for games. It's wired, which is a pain in the arse. Can I get something in the PC so that I can use a wireless controller?

7. Are you willing to try overclocking? I would prefer not to

8. How can you pay? Credit or Debit Card

9. When are you purchasing? before christmas

The only thing I'd prefer is to use an NVIDIA card instead of ATI, other than that I'm pretty clueless.

Any help is very very much appreciated!

SterlingArcher

Most on here shop at hardwareversand.de , using the discount site Geizhals.de . Cheapest I have found.

Get yourself familiar with using Geizhals.de

Going to look at some parts now.

Robert ninja

Toots wrote: »

At the minute I use an xbox controller for games. It's wired, which is a pain in the arse. Can I get something in the PC so that I can use a wireless controller?

There's something my sis uses called "Xbox 360 Wireless Controller for Windows", it's by Microsoft themselves I believe. Here are the drivers
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/en-us/d/xbox-360-wireless-controller-for-windows

Will work with any generic 360 pad I think. Dunno how it behaves with charging since my sis uses a battery pack.

Kimbot

Here you go:

Case: (You can really choose any case at all) €21.17
http://www.hardwareversand.de/en/Midi/102358/Aerocool+V3X+Evil+Blue+Edition+Midi-Tower+-+schwarz+blau%2C+ohne+Netzteil.article

PSU: €49.90
http://www.hardwareversand.de/en/600+-+700+Watts/150977/Corsair+VS+Serie+V650%2C+Non-Modular%2C+80%2B.article

Mainboard: €56.69
http://www.hardwareversand.de/en/DDR3/189247/Sale%3A+ASRock+970+Pro3+R2.0%2C+AM3%2B%2C+ATX.article

CPU: €72.89
http://www.hardwareversand.de/en/Sockel+AM3/68996/AMD+FX-4300+Prozessor%2C+Boxed%2C+Sockel+AM3%2B.article

DVD Drive: €12.24
http://www.hardwareversand.de/en/S-ATA/101094/Samsung+SH-224DB+schwarz.article

RAM 8GB: €69.87
http://www.hardwareversand.de/en/1333+Low+Voltage/58869/8GB+Corsair+ValueSelect+PC3-10667U+CL9-9-9-24.article

GPU: €103.99
http://www.hardwareversand.de/en/2048+MB/179072/KFA%C2%B2+GeForce+GTX+750+EX+OC%2C+2GB+GDDR5%2C+2x+DVI%2C+HDMI%2C+DisplayPort.article

Thats keeping you well under budget at less than €400 (You can get a copy of windows for less than €20 on reddit)
The 200 left over can be spent any which way as in you can upgrade the case, the PSU is really strong so no need to up that one. The CPU can be upgraded if you like.

SterlingArcher

CPU. 157,86 €
Intel Core i5-4440 Box, LGA1150

motherboard 75,59 €
Gigabyte GA-H97M-HD3, Sockel 1150,

RAM 63,10 €
8GB-Kit Crucial Ballistix Sport Series DD
1600, CL9

CASE 30,55 €
Antec ASK-4000B-U3 Midi-Tower -

PSU 53,10 €
be quiet! SYSTEM POWER 7 500W - bulk -

Gpu. 188,46 €
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 760 OC Windforce

2X, 2GB GDDR5, 2x DVI, HDMI, Displayport


568,66 € ,

575,65 Including delivery.

Forgot the DVD drive. Say 590. Euro. Then windows ugh. I know its closer to your budget.

What you get for the extra money is a more powerful processor.

And the graphics card is another upgrade, the 760 is about 3 times more powerful than the 750.

Here is link to performance of skyrim on a similar (slightly lesser graphics card than one in build above)

http://youtu.be/NsvhA5VZn1s




If you have any questions. They are free.

Toots

Thanks a million guys, I really appreciate it! Now the hard bit will be deciding which one to buy (thank god hardwareversand is also in english!)

TerrorFirmer

SterlingArcher wrote: »

And the graphics card is another upgrade, the 760 is about 3 times more powerful than the 750.

In a lot of games the difference is about 50%, fews game are about 60-70% faster, definitely nowhere near 300% though either way! That would mean if you were getting 30fps with a GTX750 you'd get 90fps with a GTX760, the difference is nowhere near that big! It's more like 30fps vs 50fps, or there abouts.

SterlingArcher

Technical specs my dear terror. 3 times more powerful spec wise.

Fps wise you are right depending on the game. But seems about twice as many in the case of skyrim.

Either way I'd personally rather stretch for the 760.

BloodBath

I wouldn't leave out an SSD. I'd go for something like this. An i5 is overkill with a budget like that. €100 leftover towards windows or a graphics card upgrade or a wireless controller for the PC. You can use Xbox-one and PS4 controllers with it. It should be easier with the Microsoft ones though.

You can get the 120gb SSD if you want to save a little more but there is a better price ratio on the 256GB.


Total build cost: €487.74 + €11.99 shipping
Intel Core i3-4150 in-a-Box €99.48
ASRock H81M-HDS, Sockel 1150, mATX €41.87
8GB-Kit Crucial Ballistix Sport Series DDR3-1600, CL9 €63.10
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 750 Ti OC Windforce 2x, 2GB GDDR5, 2x DVI, 2x HDMI €126.67
Cooler Master N200, mATX-mini-Tower, schwarz, ohne Netzteil €32.89
Corsair VS Serie VS450, Non-Modular, 80+ €32.52
Crucial MX100 SSD 256GB (2,5", 7mm) €91.21

Toots

This might sound like a stupid question, but I'm on that hardwareversand site and I'm looking at Windows - does it really matter what language I buy it in?The 'english' version is delivery date unknown, but they've got german versions in stock now. I thought it was one of those things that when you put the CD in, you select the language.....or am I completely wrong?

SterlingArcher

You may be able to select on install. But Can Download language pack from Microsoft if it runs in German..

Toots

Thank you muchly!!

SterlingArcher

Toots wrote: »

Thank you muchly!!

No worries , enjoy your gaming. Which one you go for?

Toots

I'm still deciding I think the hubby will get the final say cos he's the one who'll be building it etc also cos I've got absolutely no restraint when it comes to spending so I could easily get carried away!

SterlingArcher

Toots wrote: »

I'm still deciding I think the hubby will get the final say cos he's the one who'll be building it etc also cos I've got absolutely no restraint when it comes to spending so I could easily get carried away!

Bahaha me either as you can see from my build that I done up. Always wanting that bit more.

Bloods build is pretty much baby bears porridge. Jussst right. Stupid sensible bloodbath.

Toots

Hey guys, just wondering what are hardwareversand like for customer communications? My hubby put the order in on 24th, but it was automatically cancelled because our paypal address wasn't an exact match to the address on our order (it went Dublin, Dublin 18 instead of just Dublin 18). They emailed me to tell me this, and I thought the paypal would be refunded straight away, but it wasn't. So I emailed back and asked when the refund would be through and they told me 2-3 days so that was grand. My husband saw the cancellation email later on, and re-ordered all the stuff not realising that the refund hadn't gone through yet - he assumed that because the order was cancelled that a payment had never been taken in the first place.

Now the second order is for slightly less because we decided not to bother ordering windows a second time, we found it cheaper to download. I got an email just now saying that my second order is leaving Germany tonight, but my refund has not gone through yet for the first order. I emailed them twice yesterday and today, but haven't heard anything back, so I tried ringing them about an hour ago. I don't speak German, but with the help of Google translate, I was able to say 'Hello I'm calling from Ireland, do you speak english because I don't speak german.' The lady evidently didn't and couldn't seem to find someone who did. At least that's what I think she was saying! so.... has anyone else experienced something like this? How did ye get it sorted?