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Want a budget gaming PC that's easy to put together and only costs ~$500? No problem.

ISee

ISee

Member
Raysoul said:
I just want to chime in, and the discussions on this thread is one of the reasons why console gamers aren't keen to getting a PC. Even PC gamers argue what is best and what is not.

Don't get me wrong, I also have a PC, but it is hard to convince console gamers specially when they just want a plug and play system (baring system updates). Those technical PC terms won't also help.
Click to expand...

More options = more opinions. The consoles are getting there too. By the end of 2017 we'll have the xbox one, the one s, the Scorpio, ps4 and ps4 pro. We have 4k, 1080p, hdr, none hdr TVs, PSVR and oculus rift (scorpio?).
What will be the best console solution? Scorpio on a 1080p HDR display with upscaling/60fps options or is 4k/30 better? Ps4 base/xbox one base because it is cheap? One S over ps4 base because of uhd support? PS4Pro because it is the better price/performance ratio for vr? Or scorpio because it is the strongest?
More options then ever before resulting in different needs/wishes and opinions + a lot of fanboyism.

It's the same on PC but with even more options. 21:1 gaming, 1080p, 1440p, 4k. 30/60/100/120/144 Hz/fps. Intel, amd, nvidia all with different levels of performance/money. It's great!
 
S

SeeNoWeevil

Member
How cute that people think $7/£20 Windows 10 keys are legit.

Why waste £20 on a dodgy key when you could pirate an equally dodgy copy? Not legit is not legit. No point paying for it.
 
F

Fularu

Banned
Coulomb_Barrier said:
You have no way of telling.

I bought the same then 3 months later MS notification in corner of PC said my copy of Windows was not genuine and my desktop had a black wallpaper. Had to completely uninstall my computer (which I use for work) and buy a genuine Windows OS for £90/$120.
Click to expand...

OEM keys are tied to your motherboard. MSDN keys aren't

Also, the seller is known to be legit.

Edit : Those keys come from scrap PCs (if you need to know where they come form). If you're worried about them not beeing legit, here's the ebay version (and thus, ebay/paypal protection) :

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/GENUINE-WIND...LICENSE-KEY-SCRAP-PC-/182340221709?rmvSB=true
 
D

Durante

Member
SeeNoWeevil said:
How cute that people think $7/£20 Windows 10 keys are legit.

Why waste £20 on a dodgy key when you could pirate an equally dodgy copy? Not legit is not legit. No point paying for it.
Click to expand...
Why wouldn't it be legit? Last time I checked, MS was giving away keys to students on Dreamspark, and at least under EU rulings reselling these is entirely within the recipients rights.
 
G

GeordieMark

Member
If you want a really cheap gaming PC, its worth looking on Ebay for old Dell T3500 workstations. Some of them have pretty beefy Intel Xeon processors, and reasonable graphics cards that will comfortably give you performance that matches a PS4 or Xbone, and you can pick them up for less than £500 easily.

I've got one with a W3680 and a HD7850 that I'm selling right now.

OmegaX06 said:
IMO, the best budget gaming PC you can get is a used Precision workstation from Ebay. Many of these have good 6 core xeons and 12-16gb of ram for around ~$200. Throw a 1060 or 1070 in one of these and you have a pretty nice setup. Blows away the one in the OP and is even cheaper.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Precis...295-Pro-F1T-/311791584599?hash=item48983a0557
Click to expand...

This guy knows!
 
P

Par Score

Member
Stumpokapow said:
I would not recommend gaming, even on a budget, without an SSD. I also would not recommend 8GB of system RAM.
Click to expand...

Even as someone fully on the SSD (1TB of total SSD space) and too much RAM (64GB yee haw) train, this is crazy talk.

There is nothing wrong with a 7200RPM drive and 8GB of RAM for most people on most games.

Navi said:
Anyone know any websites where people sell gaming computers already built?
Click to expand...

There are many, and it depends what country you're in. Check out the PC buying thread.
 
H

hardcastlemccormick

Banned
Stumpokapow said:
I would not recommend gaming, even on a budget, without an SSD. I also would not recommend 8GB of system RAM.
Click to expand...

I just threw in an SSD in my gaming rig as the boot drive. Oh boy, Windows boots faster. Whoopdeedoo. I'm not really impressed by the result.

I'd only recommend an SSD if you use the computer as your main device and you're constantly opening and closing programs. I would definitely shave off an SSD if your PC budget is as low as possible.

OmegaX06 said:
IMO, the best budget gaming PC you can get is a used Precision workstation from Ebay. Many of these have good 6 core xeons and 12-16gb of ram for around ~$200. Throw a 1060 or 1070 in one of these and you have a pretty nice setup. Blows away the one in the OP and is even cheaper.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Precis...295-Pro-F1T-/311791584599?hash=item48983a0557
Click to expand...

That's not a bad deal at all. Probably has Windows activated on the MB too.
 
S

Sad Affleck

Member
Going for a card lower than the RX470 is not worth it. The RX470 is a bit more expensive than the 1050Ti but it is much faster.
 
Interfectum

Interfectum

Member
Ibuki said:
1DUV52S.png
Click to expand...

lol
 
S

SomTervo

Member
ISee said:
More options = more opinions; = more that can go wrong; = more headaches; = more time researching; etc
Click to expand...

FTFY

I have a high end VR-ready PC and a PS4, but I mainly play on my PC (often by Steam link). It's a brilliant machine.

But I can tell you for a fact that PC is a fucking pain in the ass. Building it yourself is a pain in the ass. All the parts coming at different times is a pain in the ass. Software arbitrarily not working is a pain in the ass. The amount of accidents and mistakes you can make with software and hardware will probably lead to pains in the ass. Tweaking game settings is a pain in the ass.

After all the effort and extensive time input? You have an incredible, unparalleled machine. But for most people that effort and extensive time effort just isn't worth it.

And that's completely fine.
 
M

MorshuTheTrader

Neo Member
For anyone who wants just a simple guide to building a PC for any price range, check this out: http://www.logicalincrements.com/

I've used it for a couple different PC builds and the increments are all helpful and well thought out. Takes a lot of the hassle out of choosing parts since all the parts in each tier are compatible and work well together.
 
S

Sephimoth

Member
I have an average PC, but when I play any kind of game my fans come on SO LOUD it just puts me off so I barely bother. No idea if it's my CPU or GPU (Nvidia Geforce GTX 960) but it's offputting
 
Lister

Lister

Banned
KillerMan91 said:
Like always with these ''PC hardware is super cheap'' threads: sure if you live in US.
Click to expand...

Well in the US and many oher places aroudn the world too. Consoles also vary in price world wide. Pretty sure a PS4 Pro in Brazil is a a LOT of money.
 
K

KillerMan91

Member
Lister said:
Well in the US and many oher places aroudn the world too. Consoles also vary in price world wide. Pretty sure a PS4 Pro in Brazil is a a LOT of money.
Click to expand...

Well I guess it depends but consoles usually are pretty equally priced around the world (at least in western world). Countries like Brazil are pretty much exceptions with their tariffs for products not made in Brazil. For example normal retail price for PS4 is $299 in US and also 299€ here in Finland but quick look at those parts in OP and their price in finnish stores put the price at around 600€ + probably at least 20-30€ shipping costs as you have to use several different stores for lowest price.
 
H

Herola

Neo Member
Pif said:
With scorpio (or consoles in general) there is: paid online inferior to free steam, higher digital prices, no real OS, and no M&K support.

Gotta consider those over the span of years, and then check and see where the most money is being spent.
Click to expand...

The online comes with at least 3 games a month so the price is almost negligible. The digital prices on games across the board fluctuate all the time. Sales across PC don't come out ahead as much as they use to.

The biggest barrier for most is the barrier to entry. Most who go console would rather spread that payment out over years and get 36+ games for paying for online.
 
K

Kuosi

Member
KillerMan91 said:
Well I guess it depends but consoles usually are pretty equally priced around the world (at least in western world). Countries like Brazil are pretty much exceptions with their tariffs for products not made in Brazil. For example normal retail price for PS4 is $299 in US and also 299€ here in Finland but quick look at those parts in OP and their price in finnish stores put the price at around 600€ + probably at least 20-30€ shipping costs as you have to use several different stores for lowest price.
Click to expand...

partly true, parts etc are pricier but consoles aren't 1:1 either, Pro f.e launched at 429€ not 399€, which is why I import pc parts from mainly germany
 
Duxxy3

Duxxy3

Member
Was putting together a parts list for someone and was in the $600 range (with operating system). Came to the same conclusion when it came to the video card. RX470 is an excellent card for its price.

Nice job OP.
 
T

TaterTots

Banned
Art Vandilay said:
To each their own. If I ever build, I'll be playing games on my couch and TV with a controller. That said, I'll never be playing competitive online shooters on PC as I'd be greatly disadvantaged. Single player games are another story though.
Click to expand...

If you ever decide to build, I suggest giving the Steam controller a go. It takes some time to get use to, but is worth it. It's better than your standard controller for fps.
 
K

KillerMan91

Member
Kuosi said:
partly true, parts etc are pricier but consoles aren't 1:1 either, Pro f.e launched at 429€ not 399€, which is why I import pc parts from mainly germany
Click to expand...

Pro has premium in its price probably because since launch it has been in very low supply. After stock issues are cleared I think the price will drop to normal 399€ even here.
 
A

AmFreak

Member
KillerMan91 said:
Well I guess it depends but consoles usually are pretty equally priced around the world (at least in western world). Countries like Brazil are pretty much exceptions with their tariffs for products not made in Brazil. For example normal retail price for PS4 is $299 in US and also 299€ here in Finland but quick look at those parts in OP and their price in finnish stores put the price at around 600€ + probably at least 20-30€ shipping costs as you have to use several different stores for lowest price.
Click to expand...
I'm sure i could rebuild a similar pc in Germany for the same price, so i doubt it would be much more expensive in other big EU countries. I can see it being different in Finland though.
 
G

Grief.exe

Member
OmegaX06 said:
IMO, the best budget gaming PC you can get is a used Precision workstation from Ebay. Many of these have good 6 core xeons and 12-16gb of ram for around ~$200. Throw a 1060 or 1070 in one of these and you have a pretty nice setup. Blows away the one in the OP and is even cheaper.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Precis...295-Pro-F1T-/311791584599?hash=item48983a0557
Click to expand...

GeordieMark said:
If you want a really cheap gaming PC, its worth looking on Ebay for old Dell T3500 workstations. Some of them have pretty beefy Intel Xeon processors, and reasonable graphics cards that will comfortably give you performance that matches a PS4 or Xbone, and you can pick them up for less than £500 easily.

I've got one with a W3680 and a HD7850 that I'm selling right now.



This guy knows!
Click to expand...

The barrier to entry is especially low since the consumer only needs to plug in a graphics card rather than build the entire computer.

Are the PSUs robust enough and have the proper connections for a high power GPU?


QuantumSquid said:
My PC only has a hard drive and I have not noticed excruciatingly long load times in any game. Ignorance is bliss, I suppose.
Click to expand...

One of the main problems with console loading times is the CPU, an SSD only adds to the advantage.
 
B

brunomartynhak

Member
Lister said:
Well in the US and many oher places aroudn the world too. Consoles also vary in price world wide. Pretty sure a PS4 Pro in Brazil is a a LOT of money.
Click to expand...

lol, you would be 100% on point if we officially had PS4 Pro in Brazil. It is only from the grey marked. At least it is not absurdly expensive, just very expensive.


OP:
This is a PC I would recommend for PC exclusive games. If one planning to switch all/most of multiplatform games to PC I would suggest going a bit stronger: better CPU, SSD, more RAM, Plus Gold Power Supply. GPU is fine and has probably the best cost/benefit now, depending on what you can find on 470/480/1060. Not cheaping out on other components, you can keep years and years just upgrading your GPU (see people with OCed 2500k, some are upgrading only now).
 
C

captmcblack

Member
This is a pretty good build list...is there a small form factor budget build list for something like this?

I want to get a second gaming-capable PC to plug into my TV for comfy couch gaming (and to have a second unit for playing Overwatch, lol). I would buy an Alienware Alpha, but those aren't upgradable...
 
ISee

ISee

Member
SomTervo said:
FTFY

I have a high end VR-ready PC and a PS4, but I mainly play on my PC (often by Steam link). It's a brilliant machine.

But I can tell you for a fact that PC is a fucking pain in the ass. Building it yourself is a pain in the ass. All the parts coming at different times is a pain in the ass. Software arbitrarily not working is a pain in the ass. The amount of accidents and mistakes you can make with software and hardware will probably lead to pains in the ass. Tweaking game settings is a pain in the ass.

After all the effort and extensive time input? You have an incredible, unparalleled machine. But for most people that effort and extensive time effort just isn't worth it.

And that's completely fine.
Click to expand...

I have a very descent PC/OR setup too.
But building PCs isn't a pain in the ass imo. Granted I'm only changing my cpu/mainboard once every 3-4 years but I always enjoy it. Some man like to work on cars, I like building PCs (actually both), but I'm also an engineer so maybe I have a different view on that. For example my 960 pro m.2 should arrive this weekend and I already look forward to opening my case.
Also playing around with settings and testing for the optimal performance in games is enjoyable, mainly because I can decided what's the best experience for me. I'm even recording quick benchmarks for future performance comparisons.
In the end pc gaming is a great hobby to me and console only gaming is rather boring in comparison (as you can guess I also own consoles, for exclusives). Again PC gaming is about modularity and the ability to make your own choices and to be honest with you. Building/maintaining a PC is as easy as never before, but whatever. Some people will never touch gaming PCs, some will never buy a console. They both loose.
 
Straight Edge

Straight Edge

Member
Now add in the cost of the OS, controller, and labor to build the PC as a console comes assembled in a box. Even if you add the cost of PSN, the budget PC is still at least 30% more expensive.
 
Lister

Lister

Banned
Straight Edge said:
Now add in the cost of the OS, controller, and labor to build the PC as a console comes assembled in a box. Even if you add the cost of PSN, the budget PC is still at least 30% more expensive.
Click to expand...

Not over the course of generation it isn't. Not only are games cheaper, but PSN is a yearly buy in.

Anyway, the thread is about the opportunity of getting in on PC gaming at what is an affordable price for many people.

It's not about consoles are CHEAPER!!!

We know. But consoles cna't play many of the highly rated PC exclusives, nor can they do 60 FPS 1080p in MOST games, nor can it help with editing family videos and pictures.

In short, it's not always about what the cheapest thing is. There are a myriad reasons why someone might want to own a gaming capable PC, just as there are many reasons why someone might want to own a 3dS, or a switch or a PS4 pro (I mean, why not get the cheaper PS4?? cheaper = better always, right?), or even an Xbox one S (like 4K blurays).
 
ISee

ISee

Member
chrisPjelly said:
neat, I'm considering making one for animation rendering as well
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if the Pentium is the right CPU for you because of the missing AVX instructions. I know they help in movie rendering, but I'm not rendering stuff myself so there is that.
 
S

shandy706

Member
Pixel Fist said:
Put up the parts list then and add to the discussion.
Click to expand...

Sure :)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G4560 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor ($75.00 @ B&H)
Motherboard: Asus H110M-E/M.2 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($46.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Elite Plus 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($48.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 750GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($46.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB Video Card ($137.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: DIYPC MA08-BK MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 450W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($37.89 @ OutletPC)

Total: $417.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-02-02 11:14 EST-0500

I mean, the 1050 Ti seems to run fine on even 300-350watt PSUs. You could probably knock more off price wise if you stick with the 1050 Ti.

Just add $25-$30 for the RX 470. Add $1 if you prefer the RAM in OP. Add $3 if you prefer the HDD in the OP. You can of course pick and choose.

The above is $100 cheaper than OP and would do 1080p gaming on the latest games just fine. We are talking budget gaming as the title says :).
 
Lister

Lister

Banned
Aiustis said:
My KBM both came from the thrift store; cost me 3 dollars together and they work fine.
Click to expand...

Doesn't count. Must be purchased at Gamestop new, and vetted by an esports personality. Also if the same keyboard is $3,000 in the only store in the frozen tundra of Siberia, then it also doens't count.
 
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