need a gaming pc...

  • Thread starter Thread starter hazellnut134
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Don't bother with the rescue disc. Wipe the whole thing and install Windows 7.

Find out the specs and post them here before you go ahead though.
 
DQuaN
Don't bother with the rescue disc. Wipe the whole thing and install Windows 7.

Find out the specs and post them here before you go ahead though.
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It had intel core 2 duo... Not worth it, only 80gb hard drive that might not have had windows on it.
 
hazellnut134
It had intel core 2 duo... Not worth it, only 80gb hard drive that might not have had windows on it.
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Core 2 Duo is a bit outdated and may not be good enough for modern gaming, so that doesn't seem like a good deal.

Something with at least a Pentium G, an i3 or possibly an i5 should do well with a proper GPU and preferably 6 or 8GB of RAM. Just keep looking for good deals. 👍
 
My advice to you is to start learning about PC's, read articles and reviews. Every time I'm in the market for a new PC I start to do research on what is current and usually that leads me here http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/.

Spending £400 including operating system is not going to get you a decent PC for gaming and when buying you should take into account that you might want this PC to last you a few years, if you save a little more you will get something that will run future games better and last you a bit longer.

If you look closer to the £600 margin then you're starting to get into something decent. Parts wise start to look at what is available on some internet stores (Ebuyer and Overclockers UK are the ones I've used most) and see what you can get for your price.

If you do the research then by time you have the money you should have a clue what you're looking at and then will be in a much better position. Try to avoid second hand systems, especially if you don't know what you're buying.
 
Bigbazz
My advice to you is to start learning about PC's, read articles and reviews. Every time I'm in the market for a new PC I start to do research on what is current and usually that leads me here http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/.

Spending £400 including operating system is not going to get you a decent PC for gaming and when buying you should take into account that you might want this PC to last you a few years, if you save a little more you will get something that will run future games better and last you a bit longer.

If you look closer to the £600 margin then you're starting to get into something decent. Parts wise start to look at what is available on some internet stores (Ebuyer and Overclockers UK are the ones I've used most) and see what you can get for your price.

If you do the research then by time you have the money you should have a clue what you're looking at and then will be in a much better position. Try to avoid second hand systems, especially if you don't know what you're buying.
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This is between 400 and 500 pounds, and has mostly great reviews except for manufacturing problems. How would it fare if I built it myself?
 
hazellnut134
This is between 400 and 500 pounds, and has mostly great reviews except for manufacturing problems. How would it fare if I built it myself?
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What are you talking about?
Other than that everything what bigbazz said. 400 or 500 Pounds just ins't enough money for a good performing PC.

If you really don't want to spend anymore, than this is the last call really



But it's only good for 720p on Medium Settings really.
 
20832
What are you talking about?
Other than that everything what bigbazz said. 400 or 500 Pounds just ins't enough money for a good performing PC.

If you really don't want to spend anymore, than this is the last call really

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh455l3348s">YouTube Link</a>

But it's only good for 720p on Medium Settings really.
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I meant that there were some problems such as it turning off a lot.

Just wanted to say that what you guys consider a bad PC might be good in my eyes. I'm used to 30fps on battlefield, so 60 is a massive upgrade to me. Anything better than console is fine. I doubt that this will run planet side 2 well, but I can wait. I'm its better than my craptop with i3 and Intel HD graphics... 2fps on planet side 2 anyone?! Also, would this be better than the pavilion I posted a few pages back that my friend has?


Thanks so much for posting that video- I might actually be able to get that! I'm thinking about getting a better processor than that and more ram, but would that involve changing other parts in the process?

This has also made me think about using my TV as the monitor. I already have a Microsoft USB keyboard and red Logitech wireless mouse to use which should be perfect. I'm hoping I can scavenge any parts off a guy at school who builds PCs, and maybe he can help with building it.

I'm willing to upgrade parts soon after purchase if it doesn't involve changing too much stuff. I think I'll be fine with a dual core for a while- it seems to work better than consoles, and maybe I could ask for an i5 core for Christmas. I'm actually hoping gt6 will be delayed so I have more money saved!

All I really want is a decent starting point so I can some games with my friends, then upgrade as I go along. I'm not looking to save money for two years- I want to get away from consoles as soon as possible!
 
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Here's a few builds I came up with that are within 450 - 600. The 500 price is hard for a gaming pc, but around 600 you can start getting the better stuff.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-4100 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor (£73.69 @ Scan.co.uk)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 Extreme3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard (£66.92 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: GeIL Enhance CORSA 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£40.99 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£38.39 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7770 1GB Video Card (£81.40 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Zalman Z9 ATX Mid Tower Case (£32.10 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply (£49.98 @ Ebuyer)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer (£13.15 @ Amazon UK)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) (£68.39 @ Aria PC)
Total: £465.01
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-11 08:00 BST+0100)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD A10-6800K 4.1GHz Quad-Core Processor (£107.88 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: Asus F2A85-M PRO Micro ATX FM2 Motherboard (£91.97 @ Dabs)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (£52.99 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£38.39 @ Aria PC)
Case: Zalman Z9 ATX Mid Tower Case (£32.10 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply (£49.98 @ Ebuyer)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer (£13.15 @ Amazon UK)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) (£68.39 @ Aria PC)
Total: £454.85
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-11 08:04 BST+0100)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£69.99 @ Maplin Electronics)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard (£47.30 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: GeIL Enhance CORSA 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£40.99 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£38.39 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card (£188.30 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Zalman Z9 ATX Mid Tower Case (£32.10 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply (£55.90 @ Amazon UK)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer (£13.15 @ Amazon UK)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) (£68.39 @ Aria PC)
Total: £554.51
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-11 08:21 BST+0100)
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6100 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor (£112.08 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard (£47.30 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: GeIL Enhance CORSA 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£40.99 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£38.39 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card (£188.30 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Zalman Z9 ATX Mid Tower Case (£32.10 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply (£55.90 @ Amazon UK)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer (£13.15 @ Amazon UK)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) (£68.39 @ Aria PC)
Total: £596.60
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-11 08:18 BST+0100)
 
The first one you posted looks like great value- about 40 quid more than the 'steam box' but you get a quad core and 8gb. I guess that will help a lot with playing the better games, as BF3 needs 4 cores apparently.
 
This seems somewhat relevant to the discussion, obviously I don't mean to imply that a £400-500 PC can't play BF3 or similar at a good enough standard to enjoy, but these are worth looking in to:

http://www.usgamer.net/articles/great-pc-games-to-play-on-low-spec-systems

I'd swap Retro City Rampage for Anodyne, though.

Also yeah, I'm admittedly ignoring the actual topic in this post because I have nothing to add to the advice given.
 
nick09
Actually the fourth one is an even better value! 6 core CPU, 8GB ram, and a HD 7950. I would recommend saving up for that. You should see the performance in BF3.
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That looks great but I think that the first one would be a pretty decent starting point. Apparently its card can run bf3 ultra multiplayer at around 30fps, so medium should be fine.
 
Not sure about the UK but Windows is around 95&#8364; over here, so maybe £70? Not too much either way. :)
 
Mr. S
Not sure about the UK but Windows is around 95€ over here, so maybe £70? Not too much either way. :)
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3 months of pocket money for that...

images


I could help my Mum out at the pub she works in with her boyfriend, don't know how much I would get and how often.
 
djinline
How about this one for only £400? [GTX 660 BF3 test] [GTX 660 Skyrim test]

Any thoughts? £440 if you want a Core i3-3220.
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I know you're meant to get a really good GPU and an ok CPU, but isn't an i3 unsuitable for bigger games?

Just saying I will have around £350 soon, and no news on GT6 release date, so I could ask my dad to give me pocket money early to get one. Thinking about the £450 one someone posted earlier, but still open to suggestions.
 
One option would be to get a PC without a graphics card. The current i5 and i7s have good on-board graphics processors that would allow you to play most games, albeit at not very high settings.

You could then save separately and buy a dedicated GPU in the future.
 
^ Sounds familiar. :p
TB
Edit: One of these might do he trick. Just stick with an i5 processor and if you're not sure about the video card, it can always be left out and added for Christmas/birthday.
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TB
^ Sounds familiar. :p
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I heard that integrated graphics don't work too well. I have intel HD graphics on my laptop, that can run planetside 2 at 2fps :P Are intel APUs the same size as CPUs? If I want to add a dedicated GPU, do I just put
it in the normal place and tweak some settings somewhere?
 
hazellnut134
I heard that integrated graphics don't work too well. I have intel HD graphics on my laptop, that can run planetside 2 at 2fps :P Are intel APUs the same size as CPUs? If I want to add a dedicated GPU, do I just put
it in the normal place and tweak some settings somewhere?
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HD 4000 integrated graphics on the newer CPU's isn't all that bad. You won't be playing Crysis but you can probably play Planetside 2 at low settings (don't quote me on that, look around at some benchmarks). The HD 4000 graphics are on the chip itself, you don't have to buy a specific APU and it's the same size.

When you add a GPU, you just have to install it in the PCI-E slot, and then download and install drivers. I can't remember if I had to tweak any settings, probably have to set your GPU as the primary video card/device in the device manager/disable HD 4000 graphics.
 
hazellnut134
I know you're meant to get a really good GPU and an ok CPU, but isn't an i3 unsuitable for bigger games?
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It's surprisingly good for gaming despite being a dual-core, it has a hyper-threading feature which virtually doubles the amount of cores with logical cores, spreading the CPU usage more evenly under heavy tasks (if I recall correctly).
Pentium G doesn't have this but it still packs quite a punch, it's basically like an i3 without the hyper-threading feature. But I'm a bit afraid it might not deliver good enough performance when playing massive multiplayer games and so on.

So if you could stretch your budget, I would definitely recommend getting a Core i5 so you can future-proof your rig with four true cores, doing so should keep you at less than £500 without the OS.
So a Core i3 is a very good budget choice for gaming, but a Core i5 is a gamer's choice.

Also, I kinda agree with you guys on getting an i5 to ensure better gaming performance and playing around with the IGP until there's enough cash for a superb GPU, sounds like a smart plan if you don't mind waiting. Decisions, decisions... :)
 
I'll have £350 soon... Gonna get £50 ish from cex tommorow, then hopefully help my mum out for £5 an hour. Ask dad for early pocket money, then I should be very close to getting that build!!!
 
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While I'll be the first to admit that I haven't stayed on top of either AMD's or Radeon's lines, personally I wouldn't be looking for anything less than an X8 (especially as it appears that the processor you've chosen is discontinued...?) or, based on the hierarchy chart I linked you to, the HD 7850.
 
TB
the processor you've chosen is discontunued
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Thanks for telling me! Amazon said the 'newer version' is the FX-4130, which is a little better. I don't think I want to spend much more than this. Also, isn't an X8 an 8 core? (I had to google it, it wasn't a compatible part). Isn't that kind of overkill?

DQuaN
Also that PSU is cutting it a bit fine on the power.
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What would be a good wattage to go for? Don't make it too more expensive... Is there any way I could cut down on prices a little without reducing the PC's performance? For example, could I swap out the fan for another fan?
 
You could just skip the fan, the cpu will come with one that works fine if you're not overclocking.
 

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