building a new computer

omar_killer

hey guys
my uncle asked me to build a pc for his kids.
it will be used for games mainly.
but the budget is very low, 400$ max,it won't be a high-end gaming pc
just a pc that can run modern games on medium settings
I was thinking of mixing old-tech hardware with a powerful vga
like a "core 2 duo" cpu,a normal mobo
so give me some ideas,thanks!

AvoK95

Just the case ?

omar_killer

yes,they already have an lcd screen etc.

devilsadvocate

450$ is what i get for the computers i build,i always tend to keep 50 bucks for me though,a good Core 2 duo proccessor,some last gen graphics,like a nvidia 8800 or 8600 in 512 MB,little more u can get a 9300 and that has 1 gig of video ram,4 gigs of ddr2's,or 3 gigs,and you know,normal board i always get for 60 bucks and a normal PSU and case.

omar_killer

and what games could it run?
I mean like AC revelations,mw3..and maybe bf3?
I have the 9500GT,it can run these games except the bf3.
and what about ATi VGA's?

devilsadvocate

runs bf3 on low,MW3 on full,AC revelations on medium

my friend got a quad core 3.2,4 gigs ddr3,9800 and it ran bf3 on High,that system would cost around 650-700 though.

omar_killer

hmm thanks a lot
i'll ask my uncle if he could rise the budget a little bit

yasamoka

omar_killer wrotehmm thanks a lot
i'll ask my uncle if he could rise the budget a little bit

Raise the budget, and you can avoid skimping on the PSU. To me, that's the most important part not to skip on. The others, it depends on the performance you want, no kaboom.

omar_killer

yes,and I already learned that thing the hard way in the past
I'll concentrate on the psu and the VGA.

devilsadvocate

and yes psu,very important if you want the system to last.

Gamer

http://www.ninostore.com/ps3-xbox-games/default.asp?MenuID=7

http://www.pcandparts.com/basesys.htm
Look under economic solutions. You can even custom build it.

AvoK95

OK , this is what I got:
3.1 GHz - i3-2100 3M/LGA1155 $120.00
Kingston DDR3 -1333 4GB $23.00
ECS H61H2-M3 V1.0 B3 $65.00
Foxconn TSAA725 ATX Case 400W $56.00
WD 500GB 7200RPM S-ATA II $88.00
Sony 24X DVDRW - Dual Layer Black SATA $23.00
Gigabyte GV-N550OC-1GI GeForce GTX 550Ti 1GB DDR5 $146.00
All of these stuff come to a total of $521.00
The VAT is the price * 1.1 which will give you $573.10
If you also add 10$ for shipping it will give you exactly $583.10 (874,650 LBP)
If you have any comments please post them and I will modify the specs according to it.
Also these 2 links might be useful to you:
Build the Perfect PC! Step-by-Step Illustrated How-To Guide<---You can skip the intro and read from page 10
How to Set Up a New PC the Right Way

Gamer

This is perfect but you have to reduce power it match the $400 (VAT included Im guessing)
the CPU to 2.6 GHz - G620 3M/LGA1155 $66.00

Also the Graphics have change to Gigabyte GV-N520TC-1GI Geforce GT520 up to 1GB DDR5 Dual w/TV $58.00 (not sure if this is compatible)

And if you have already a DVDRW, thats $23 off
sum is equal to 356, plus VAT = $391.6 and add $10 shipping $401.6

AvoK95

Downgrading the CPU is not an option, because that will cause a bottleneck and massive decrees in performance.
The 400W PSU should run it , but just to be safe it should be upgraded to at least 550W

Flakk

Based on my experience downgrading the CPU will only bottleneck 5% to 10% which is barely noticeable. You will probably lose 2 to 3 frames per second in games by downgrading from 3.1ghz to 2.6ghz.
I say go for it, just to reduce the price.

The-MMMs

Core 2 Duo <3.0 will give you a lot of stuttering and as explained bottleneck issues with all these modern games

AvoK95

Flakk wroteBased on my experience downgrading the CPU will only bottleneck 5% to 10% which is barely noticeable. You will probably lose 2 to 3 frames per second in games by downgrading from 3.1ghz to 2.6ghz.
I say go for it, just to reduce the price.

Dual core CPU's are not ment for gaming, they are used for word procesing , web browsing and everyday computer stuff. I say stick with the i3 and upgrade the PSU.

khanem

A dual core is fine for games (g620 is a sandy bridge) and the power supply is good for the configuration. try getting a lower capacity HD to save some bucks.

Flakk

AvoK95 wroteDual core CPU's are not ment for gaming, they are used for word procesing , web browsing and everyday computer stuff. I say stick with the i3 and upgrade the PSU.

I was not arguing if a Dual core is good for gaming or not. I was discussing the Bottleneck assumption you mentioned, which is totally over exaggerated by the way.
I have worked with many computers and I have tested Bottlenecks. Trust me its not like how they describe it in PC articles around the web

The i3 has 2 cores and is a direct replacement of the Core 2 Duo series. So i think that makes it a Dual core processor.

IMO the G620 will run games fine, not as good as an i3 though.

Gamer

omar_killer did your uncle increase the price range,
Use some marketing techniques; tell him if he wants the PC to last at least 5 years, he has to invest at least $200 more. This would in turn pay out when his kids grow up and are in College/High school, where PCs now are required.

Also tell him later they would want to join Lebgeeks, and they would have been shunned if they didn't have a decent computer and no girls would want to chat with them cause their computer crashed while typing a/s/l. then they would need lots of therapy which would cost thousands of dollars. hence whats $200 for investing in their future. ;P