help specing a system

SpannerMonkey

a friend of mine is looking to build a system capable of playing games like Battlefield 3 , but he has very little spare cash, dont know if its possible but could someone spec up an approatiate system ?

1. What is your budget? [€500 ish]

2. What will be the main purpose of the computer? Gaming / surfing the net

3. Do you need a copy of Windows? Yes

4. Can you use any parts from an old computer? no

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? 21' screen yes preferably upgradeable

6. Do you need any of these peripherals? [no

7. Are you willing to try overclocking? [Yes]

8. How can you pay? [Bank Transfer/Credit Card/Laser]

9. When are you purchasing? [in 3 weeks

10. If you need help building it, where are you based? [dont need help

Monotype

Sounds like a job for AMD Trinity -

Item|Price
8GB-Kit G-Skill RipJaws PC3-12800U CL9|€33.59
WD Caviar Blue 1TB 6Gb's|€71.04
AMD A10 5800K Black Edition mit AMD Radeon HD 7660D Grafikeinheit, Box, FM2|€119.00
LiteOn iHAS122-18 schwarz SATA|€17.55
MS Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit SB-Version Englisch|€88.90
Super-Flower Amazon 80Plus 450W|€43.18
MSI FM2-A75MA-E35, FM2, mATX|€66.00
BitFenix Merc Beta|€32.07
Shipping|€18.99
Total|€490.32

You can save yourself a few quid if you buy ther German windows and dowload an English disc. There's links in the windows guide in my signature.

http://www2.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=28239

You'll most likely have to nudge down the resolution if his monitor is 1080P, but BF3 should be very playable.

spix

Monotype wrote: »

Sounds like a job for AMD Trinity -

Item|Price
8GB-Kit G-Skill RipJaws PC3-12800U CL9|€33.59
WD Caviar Blue 1TB 6Gb's|€71.04
AMD A10 5800K Black Edition mit AMD Radeon HD 7660D Grafikeinheit, Box, FM2|€119.00
LiteOn iHAS122-18 schwarz SATA|€17.55
MS Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit SB-Version Englisch|€88.90
Super-Flower Amazon 80Plus 450W|€43.18
MSI FM2-A75MA-E35, FM2, mATX|€66.00
BitFenix Merc Beta|€32.07
Shipping|€18.99
Total|€490.32
You can save yourself a few quid if you buy ther German windows and dowload an English disc. There's links in the windows guide in my signature.

http://www2.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=28239

You'll most likely have to nudge down the resolution if his monitor is 1080P, but BF3 should be very playable.

Do you think that could handle bf3? The gpu on the 5800k is a good bit slower than a 6670 which isn't the best card to begin with.

Monotype

Yes, it can handle BF3. Not at 1920x1080. It would be a bit on the choppy side. 720P or so would be fine. Mediumish settings.

Still, it's probably the best way to do it unless you get a celeron with a bottom end board and plough all the money straight into the graphics card.

spix

Monotype wrote: »

Yes, it can handle BF3. Not at 1920x1080. It would be a bit on the choppy side. 720P or so would be fine. Mediumish settings.

I tried playing bf3 on my 2500k's igp and could only manage almost playable at 640x480 on lowest settings, was around 25-30 fps. Might have to get one of these trinity cpu's :P

Monotype

I posted these tables in another thread.

Monotype wrote: »

Not really playable at 1920x1080


But at lower resolutions, you have a good few frames to spare and you could turn up detail to find a middle ground.

LOL at the 5450 you see in the "gaming systems" that you were talking about on adverts!!!

spix

Monotype wrote: »

I posted these tables in another thread.



LOL at the 5450 you see in the "gaming systems" that you were talking about on adverts!!!

The guy knows its not a gaming card but people want cheap gaming pc's, unfortunately some fall for it. Its pretty much the cheapest graphics card you can get new at approx 25 euro, can't sell a pc without a graphics card. Good for minesweeper and that's about it :P

SpannerMonkey

cheers lads i might try convince him to hold off for a while and get a few more pound together , how much would he need to put together a decent system ?

spix

SpannerMonkey wrote: »

cheers lads i might try convince him to hold off for a while and get a few more pound together , how much would he need to put together a decent system ?

650 should be enough, but the more the merrier.

Monotype

It's still a decent system. You can run any game reasonably well, just not at max detail.

I'd lean more towards €750 for a decent system. That way you should be able to fit in an Intel 3570K as a CPU and a 7870. You'd be looking at maximum detail at 1920x1080 resolution with that.