Starting Basis for a Gaming PC

superflyninja

Morning all,
Bit of an unusual one I need advice on please. Im looking to build a gaming desktop. My laptop had an accident so I have windows installed already on its SSD (which still works). Im hoping its 2tb drive is still ok. But for now I just want to put in place the building blocks of a gaming PC. Im not looking to even buy a graphics card right now. I have monitor, keyboard, mouse etc so Im just looking to get a straight replacement for the laptop up and finish it with more ram and a gfx card at a later date.
I need to keep the budget as low as possible. With that in mind I have a provisional list. Could I get opinions/alternatives please?


i3 10100 processor: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0883MTJSR/?coliid=I15PE8SF09IDBM&colid=24QQC0P84NKSD&psc=1

Mainboard: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0895L5MGN/?coliid=I20D3W6PBVDGAN&colid=24QQC0P84NKSD&psc=1

PSU: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N7TUD87/?coliid=I10CE1VJ5TRCFH&colid=24QQC0P84NKSD&psc=1

RAM: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07B4FRMGV/?coliid=IASCF81R1FN7N&colid=24QQC0P84NKSD&psc=1

Case : https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07G4TZPQK/?coliid=IT4AH6OGY1072&colid=24QQC0P84NKSD&psc=1

EDIT Ill be using the PC for games, games development and Photoshop/Lightroom

weisses

superflyninja wrote: »

Morning all,
Bit of an unusual one I need advice on please. Im looking to build a gaming desktop. My laptop had an accident so I have windows installed already on its SSD (which still works). Im hoping its 2tb drive is still ok. But for now I just want to put in place the building blocks of a gaming PC. Im not looking to even buy a graphics card right now. I have monitor, keyboard, mouse etc so Im just looking to get a straight replacement for the laptop up and finish it with more ram and a gfx card at a later date.
I need to keep the budget as low as possible. With that in mind I have a provisional list. Could I get opinions/laternatives please?


i3 10100 processor: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0883MTJSR/?coliid=I15PE8SF09IDBM&colid=24QQC0P84NKSD&psc=1

Mainboard: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0895L5MGN/?coliid=I20D3W6PBVDGAN&colid=24QQC0P84NKSD&psc=1

PSU: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N7TUD87/?coliid=I10CE1VJ5TRCFH&colid=24QQC0P84NKSD&psc=1

RAM: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07B4FRMGV/?coliid=IASCF81R1FN7N&colid=24QQC0P84NKSD&psc=1

Case : https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07G4TZPQK/?coliid=IT4AH6OGY1072&colid=24QQC0P84NKSD&psc=1

For starters Swap out your mb and CPU for AMD

superflyninja

I heard that this i3 is a great cpu, 4 cores and 8 threads.

Any specific recommendations though?

K.O.Kiki

The i3-10100 is worse than AMD Ryzen 3-3300X.
https://www.techspot.com/review/2033-intel-core-i3-10100/

The only upside Intel has is an iGPU; but literally any GPU would take that advantage away.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3400G 3.7 GHz Quad-Core Processor (£129.00 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B450 AORUS ELITE ATX AM4 Motherboard (£87.98 @ CCL Computers)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 CL16 Memory (£41.10 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P400A ATX Mid Tower Case (£64.95 @ CCL Computers)
Power Supply: Antec NeoECO Classic 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£45.66)
Case Fan: ARCTIC P12 Silent 24.1 CFM 120 mm Fan (£4.99 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £373.68
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-07-20 14:17 BST+0100

Slightly more expensive but better case, good motherboard, and it can play games right away.
To save money, you could downgrade to 3200G (4 cores/4 threads, £79) or even Athlon 200GE(2 cores/4 threads, £42) while you save up for a GPU & CPU upgrade.

Homelander

Just get a Ryzen 2600 + A320M + 16GB DDR4 in 2 x 8GB sticks. Best value on a budget by far and fairly "future proof" due to the number of cores/threads, which is higher than either that i3 or the Ryzen 3300X.

If you must, just get a €10 2nd hand GPU from CEX or Adverts to get you by until you can afford a real card.

superflyninja

Thanks all, Im now leaning toward a 2600

Samuel T. Cogley

New Ryzen APUs are out if you want to do some gaming on the CPU and integrated graphics.

Aodhan5000

I thought the new APUs aren't being sold to DIYers

grogi

Homelander wrote: »

Just get a Ryzen 2600 + A320M + 16GB DDR4 in 2 x 8GB sticks. Best value on a budget by far and fairly "future proof" due to the number of cores/threads, which is higher than either that i3 or the Ryzen 3300X.

If you must, just get a €10 2nd hand GPU from CEX or Adverts to get you by until you can afford a real card.

Despite having only 4 cores 3300x is equally fast. It is a sweet CPU.

Homelander

Yes but it's still only 4 cores. It makes sense from longevity POV to get a 6/12 processor over a 4/8, especially when the new consoles out this year are 8/16 based.

If you plan keeping the core of the machine for a fair few years, the 2600 is a better investment.

4/8 will become obsolete far quicker, in the same way that the old 4/4 i5's are fairly obsolete now in the bigger AAA games, even though as late as 2018 they were popular gaming CPUs being bought new.

Due to the new consoles, games will take a massive shift to heavy multi-core/thread over the next few years. It was going that way anyway, the past two years in particular (hence why i5's went from being top CPU's to struggling in some new games rather abruptly), but this will drive it even more significantly.

superflyninja

So I found out that the likes of the 2600x don't have on board gfx, which is fine but I didn't know it meant that there would be zero video output.
That leaves me needing to either buy a gfx card or get a chip with on board gpu.
I wouldn't have the budget right now to get a card( cheapest I found on amazon was about 140sterling).
I noticed the ryzen 5 3400g. I know its only 4 cores, but would it be a terrible move to get that chip?

Samuel T. Cogley

A 3400G and decent platform would be a good move IMHO. You can buy a second hand Ryzen 3XXX processor down the line and add in a GPU when budget permits.

Aodhan5000

Other alternative is to buy a cheap gpu like a gt 710 off eBay just so you'll have video output for now. They can be had for around 20 pounds + shipping but you might find a better deal

Serephucus

I'd be going cheap Adverts GPU if I were you, plenty to choose from:
https://www.adverts.ie/for-sale/computers/desktop-hardware/graphics-cards/499/price_1-50/

Either you spend €20 on a GPU you can keep around for swap-tests later (or as a handy backup if you ever need to RMA your main one).
Or, you spend €1-150 on a CPU that'll bottleneck you in future.

superflyninja

Aodhan5000 wrote: »

Other alternative is to buy a cheap gpu like a gt 710 off eBay just so you'll have video output for now. They can be had for around 20 pounds + shipping but you might find a better deal

This the sort of card you mean? https://www.amazon.co.uk/ASUS-GT710-SL-1GD5-GeForce-Graphics-Efficient/dp/B075DCQ8JN/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=gt+710&qid=1596019003&sr=8-1

Serephucus

That'll work, but for the love of god don't buy it new:
https://www.ebay.ie/itm/GIGABYTE-Nvidia-Geforce-GT710-GV-N710D5-2GL-2-GB-GDDR5-PCI-Express-Graphics-Card/193598367718?hash=item2d135ca7e6:g:NMgAAOSwx8xfHrIv

superflyninja

Serephucus wrote: »

That'll work, but for the love of god don't buy it new:
https://www.ebay.ie/itm/GIGABYTE-Nvidia-Geforce-GT710-GV-N710D5-2GL-2-GB-GDDR5-PCI-Express-Graphics-Card/193598367718?hash=item2d135ca7e6:g:NMgAAOSwx8xfHrIv

By the time I include postage its about the same price as amazon prime.

Hmmmmm I have a choice then. Ive seen GTA V running fine on the 3400g. I could game straight out the gate with that. However, getting the better cpu means a **** gfx card and I presumably wouldn't get much gaming out of it.
Im not planning on buying a proper gfx card late until next year anyway, so maybe for the current term get the 3400g and then upgrade.

Aside from gaming Ill be using the PC for Unity game dev and Photoshop/Lightroom. (Im fairly sorted gaming wise, I have a ps4 pro).

Homelander

Just get the Ryzen 2600 and a 2nd hand card for cheap, it makes far more sense if you want to play games, use it for productivity and want it to last as well.

3400G is good for an APU, but it's still super low-end in terms of graphical capability being realistic about it, and it's a low-end CPU compared to other offerings on the market.

Something like a GTX750Ti for €50 2nd hand will run GTA V at high settings just fine for example.

Like, if you must, a Ryzen 3100 + 2nd hand €50 card is vastly superior to a 3400G and there's only about €10 in the difference.

superflyninja

Im convinced! Ive got my eyes on a 2600x(currently cheaper than a 2600) and will hunt down a gfx card. I think Ill be in position to buy this week. Any thoughts on this case https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07MZDP8QT/?coliid=I2X1I4OSOHN3OU&colid=3T5P94HM05K2T&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Aodhan5000

Airflow from the front doesn't look fantastic but it could be worse. Bear in mind it only comes with 1 fan though so you might want to throw in another 1 or 2. If you like the look of it then go for it I'd say, it's decent value for what it is but fans would add another five or ten quid. I've heard "up here" fans are good but lots of people recommend Artic p12s. You can get them for like a fiver apiece : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Arctic-P12-Pressure-optimised-120-Case/dp/B07GB16RK7/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=artic+p12&qid=1596030238&sr=8-3

No RGB on the Artic fans though but the Up Here fans are RGB:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/upHere-Rainbow-Computer-Cooling-PF120CF4-3/dp/B07VRK8337/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=uphere+fans&qid=1596030303&s=computers&sr=1-3

superflyninja

Thanks!
There is an led strip on the front so I might grab an Artic fan or two for there and the rgb ones (at a later date) for the body

rpmcs

Hi, sorry if i,m hijacking thread or i need to in another,

But i have realised I dont know enough to build my own, so was thinking of something for light/modest gaming and logging in to work etc.

https://www.lenovo.com/ie/en/desktops-and-all-in-ones/ideacentre/500-series/IdeaCentre-T540-15ICB-G/p/99IC9500324

After reading through countless threads I felt out of my depth!
So any pointers would be greatly apprciated.

Thanks in advance

Homelander

That's crap value for money.

For example, you can configure this PC to the following, that is still a good bit cheaper than the Lenovo and miles faster (better CPU, better graphics, double the RAM, bigger SSD)

CPU - 9400F
Memory - 16GB DDR4 2666mhz
Hard drives - 250SSD + 1TB HDD
Graphics - GTX1660 Super 6GB

https://www.awd-it.co.uk/awd-it-seven-9400f-4.1ghz-six-core-gtx-1650-super-4gb-pc-for-gaming.html

In that config it comes to about €700 and is double the speed of the Lenovo. Not saying buy that one, but just to give you an idea of the value you can get shopping around.

rpmcs

Cheers Homlander,

The kinda help i needed!

Have you knowledge or dealt with AWD-IT before?

Would it be needed/ worth while money on the 8core cpu?

Any good monitors that are better or worse?

Thanks

Aodhan5000

Building yourself is much easier once you've briefed yourself with some YouTube videos but if you'd rather prebuilt that's ok to. Someone has to keep them in business . For monitor suggestions I'd take a look at hardware unboxed probably. They've got great reviews on plenty of monitors. When looking for a monitor you probably want to buy 1080p 144hz or 1440p 144hz however the latter can be a fair bit more expensive and the pandemic has done nothing to help. You also want to look for low response times with monitors to prevent blur etc

Edit: Don't think 8 core is worth it unless you do video editing or if it's only a bit extra. Modern quad cores get by in most games so I'd say it'll be a while before you see a big performance gap between 6 and 8 core

Samuel T. Cogley

I love the fact that some of the Youtubers think its so easy they've got their 8 year old to do it / done it drunk. That said there are some fidly bits like the power switch etc., that sort of thing. Many of us are willing to help in a build. I'm North Dublin if that helps at all.

I really wish the inclusion of that little block to put all the wires onto externally, then plug that in had taken off.

Skerries

superflyninja wrote: »

This the sort of card you mean? https://www.amazon.co.uk/ASUS-GT710-SL-1GD5-GeForce-Graphics-Efficient/dp/B075DCQ8JN/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=gt+710&qid=1596019003&sr=8-1

don't buy that one as it is low profile and won't fit into a full size case

beauf

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

I love the fact that some of the Youtubers think its so easy they've got their 8 year old to do it / done it drunk. That said there are some fidly bits like the power switch etc., that sort of thing. Many of us are willing to help in a build. I'm North Dublin if that helps at all.

I really wish the inclusion of that little block to put all the wires onto externally, then plug that in had taken off.

This was the best of those...superman...

https://youtu.be/G2gYUVQrLzQ

Homelander

Skerries wrote: »

don't buy that one as it is low profile and won't fit into a full size case

Yes it will. Low profile cards are just low profile board, the brackets are normal full height with optional low profile brackets.

Some low profile cards don't even come with low profile brackets as standard.

beauf

Aodhan5000 wrote: »

....
Edit: Don't think 8 core is worth it unless you do video editing or if it's only a bit extra. Modern quad cores get by in most games so I'd say it'll be a while before you see a big performance gap between 6 and 8 core

True.

If you were building a PC for now and on a tight budget it makes sense to go for lower CPU (if you can get one in stock). If your planning a CPU upgrade in 12-24 months. If this not going to upgraded for the next 2-5yrs then I'd be going for more cores. Because these CPUs are the ones that are in stock anyway.

rpmcs

Thanks for responses and helpful input, dont se myself doing to much up grading so may go for higher cpu.

Like every walk of life, fields that people dont know much about , pay higher price, which is ok as long as not being totally ripped off!

Again thanks