Sub 500e Gamping PC - Add GPU Later

TheTubes

I've built a couple of home PCs over the years but my 14 year old son is hoping to build a Gaming PC before christmas.
The budget is under 500e ideally.
I've been keeping an eye on some of the build threads here and trying to read up on some of the tech so I can advise him best.
I'd like to make him something as future proof as possible without him having to save until he has the money for a higher spec build.
I'd like some advice on the idea of putting extra money into the CPU and Motherboard at the expense of a GPU.
Could I do an i5 build and rely on the integrated 4600 graphics for a while?
I understand it won't play any new games but some older or less graphic intensive games should work ok?
Games like Fallout4 seem to have i5 as the minum spec so eventually I'd like him to be able to play these.
His birthday is in January so we may be able to add a GPU for 150-200e after a few months.

1. What is your budget? Sub 500 initially and will add GPU in a couple of months
2. What will be the main purpose of the computer? Gaming, hopefully some basic/older games on the integrated graphics and new games with GPU
3. Do you need a copy of Windows? Yes, will look on reddit market place
4. Can you use any parts from an old computer? Probably have a dvd drive lying around.
5. Do you need a monitor? No, have a 22" widescreen for now, it's not 1080p but can be next upgrade after GPU
5b. If no, what resolution is your current monitor and do you plan to upgrade in the near future? Above
6. Do you need any of these peripherals? No
7. Are you willing to try overclocking? No
8. How can you pay? Any
9. When are you purchasing? Before xmas
10. If you need help building it, where are you based? Nope

I've butchered one of the 600e+ specs for this:
i5 4460 €175
Gigabyte GA-Z87-DS3H board €100
1tb HDD €50
Case €30
500w PSU €60
8gb RAM €40

Total €455 + cost of Windows, cables etc.

Is this a silly idea or should I just go with one of the 500e i3 build specs from one of the other threads?

Xenoronin

That looks very solid to be honest. No need for the Z87 board due to the lack of overclocking. H87/H97 will be what you need.

Terror can confirm that integrated graphics are just not there yet but if you know that in advance, you can still get some playable frames out of the older games. A quick google shows that this is the max level you will get
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: 1366×768 DirectX 11 medium detail preset
Battlefield 3: 1366×768 DirectX 11 medium detail preset
Deus Ex Human Revolution: 1366×768 DirectX 11 normal detail MSAA on

That is being optimistic too though. Real frames would probably drop those games down to low detail presets. Anything newer will just keel over and die in all likelihood.

An option to tide you over would be to keep an eye out for second hand 750TI on adverts. Would run you about 100€ but will play pretty much everything with the bells and whistles turned down/off at 1080p.

Digital Solitude

I'd drop the board to a cheap B85 for about €50-60 and get a 250gb SSD for €90 this time round.

On Intel 4600, Indies and older games are all he can play but it's not a bad idea imo. You could get a €100 GPU now without the SSD and then upgrade come January

TerrorFirmer

If you want to pinch pennies to get much better rounded performance, a cheap H81M can be had for €40 if you don't mind sacrificing USB3, i3-4160 is about €120, and you can easily drop to a €40 450w PSU.

That will free up enough to get a GTX750Ti with the same money and performance will be decent.

Pretty much 98% of games that 'require' an i5 run the exact same on the i3...or else the bottleneck only occurs with an absolutely monster graphics card.

It's only speculation given it's not out yet but I would expect Fallout 4 to run at 1080p high settings on such a setup, it's not going to be very hardware intensive.

Integrated graphics are hopeless for new releases in the vein of what you're describing, even those figures someone else posted seem suspiciously decent to me! I remember trying BF4 on my i7-4790's IGP and it was completely unplayable at the lowest settings online (20-25fps and the game looked like digital puke).

Xenoronin

Those were single player only frames (the fact that they had to state that says a lot) and average 30fps. No minimum frames shown.