$300 Gaming PC

[IamTimTech]

I have a motorcycle so if I wanted to freeze my arse all the way there and back I could probably get there and back for $13 lol.

 

[RCFProd]

Quite a deal right there. Good I live on the otherside of the planet FFS.

 

[damric]

You know everyone says it but I've had this one for ages, it hasn't been replaced because it's still going strong. I think you and I may have already had this discussion. Just so you know my boss gives me just as much crap about it.

Might as well request your forum name be changed to "Rocketfish Guy"

😛

 

[IamTimTech]

That would be awesome!

Nah man, I make no claims that this thing is awesome or worth anyone's money. But this thing is super heavy for a 550w and has lasted for years (Im pretty sure they don't make them anymore) and if worse comes to worse I can swing the damn thing like a weapon haha.

 

[StonedSoBad]

Wow that's a really good deal, I am gonna pick one of those up!

Edit: Damn in store pick up only. The closest one to me is an hour and a half 🙁

Hey, at least gas prices are going down so it won't cost so much to drive there 😀

Eh, if it is store pick up only then I'm screwed because I live in Spain, Tenerife 🙁

 

[RCFProd]

Wow that's a really good deal, I am gonna pick one of those up!

Edit: Damn in store pick up only. The closest one to me is an hour and a half 🙁

Hey, at least gas prices are going down so it won't cost so much to drive there 😀

Eh, if it is store pick up only then I'm screwed because I live in Spain, Tenerife 🙁

Consider this build

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($64.94 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI H81M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($44.99 @ Directron)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 250GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($28.49 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R7 250X 2GB Video Card ($74.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: DIYPC M88-BK MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($22.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX Power Supply ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $304.37
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-07 12:07 EST-0500

I think you get the most out of 300 dollars with this build. I don't want to trust onboard PSU's or AMD APU performance.

 

[IamTimTech]

That G3258 is nothing special without an overclock and you can't overclock on an H81

 

[RCFProd]

That G3258 is nothing special without an overclock and you can't overclock on an H81

One more thing learned, thank you. He could add 10-15 dollars and get a mobo you can overclock though.

 

[IamTimTech]

Not a quality one. I don't like baords except Asus but here is the cheapest quality overclocking board I found
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-z97manniversary - $90

The G3258 is a cool little chip but even overclocked it's just not worth it, because most games make use of 4 cores better than they do 2 really powerful cores. For a tight budget AMD is just the way to go.

 

[MrJak]

I see that you all are doing great at this budget, but a quick idea: buy some used parts to save some more money.
You can get older high end parts that cost less and either perform as well or even better for games! 😀

Or at least, just check into sites like eBay, or even the deals forums on here.
I got a specific set of 2x4gb for $60 instead of $90-100 because I did this 😉

 

[damric]

I see that you all are doing great at this budget, but a quick idea: buy some used parts to save some more money.
You can get older high end parts that cost less and either perform as well or even better for games! 😀

Or at least, just check into sites like eBay, or even the deals forums on here.
I got a specific set of 2x4gb for $60 instead of $90-100 because I did this 😉

I like my computer parts just like my women...

well broken in 😛

 

[StonedSoBad]

Thank you all for the answers. Sorry that I haven't posted here for like 10 days, been busy. I might look into the used parts thing, as that sounds reasonable, but how do I know if the part is really working and the seller is legit. I also looked into non-boxed CPUs and getting a aftermarket cooler, would be a littlebit cheaper aswell. Anyone know anything about non-boxed CPU's and/or how to make better options on whom to buy the used parts from? Thanks!

 

[IamTimTech]

When it comes to Ebay look for someone with overwhelmingly positive feedback RECENTLY. I don't buy from a seller unless they have a lot of recent positive reviews and their overall score is greater than 99.5% positive. Used parts can pay off but they can also be risky.

 

[LucoTF]

Thank you all for the answers. Sorry that I haven't posted here for like 10 days, been busy. I might look into the used parts thing, as that sounds reasonable, but how do I know if the part is really working and the seller is legit. I also looked into non-boxed CPUs and getting a aftermarket cooler, would be a littlebit cheaper aswell. Anyone know anything about non-boxed CPU's and/or how to make better options on whom to buy the used parts from? Thanks!

Ebay has tons of buyer protection in place (as a seller, I think it may be too much at times) so don't worry.

CPUs are generally indestructible from my experience, never had a problem buying second hand. Motherboards and RAM look for the words 'will be shipped in anti-static bag' for the best experience, but for the most part if something arrives faulty just get a refund!

Oh and first generation i7's are super super cheap, but that's only because working LGA1366 motherboards are very rare and expensive

 

[StonedSoBad]

Thank you all for the answers. Sorry that I haven't posted here for like 10 days, been busy. I might look into the used parts thing, as that sounds reasonable, but how do I know if the part is really working and the seller is legit. I also looked into non-boxed CPUs and getting a aftermarket cooler, would be a littlebit cheaper aswell. Anyone know anything about non-boxed CPU's and/or how to make better options on whom to buy the used parts from? Thanks!

Ebay has tons of buyer protection in place (as a seller, I think it may be too much at times) so don't worry.

CPUs are generally indestructible from my experience, never had a problem buying second hand. Motherboards and RAM look for the words 'will be shipped in anti-static bag' for the best experience, but for the most part if something arrives faulty just get a refund!

Oh and first generation i7's are super super cheap, but that's only because working LGA1366 motherboards are very rare and expensive

Awesome, thank you guys. How cheap would a 'super super cheap' i7 + a compatible mobo be? Would it go over 150$ for cpu+mobo? Thanks!

Found one for 25.88$ with moneyback quarantee from a user with 100% positive ratings. ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/intel-i7-930-2-8-with-heatsink-and-fan-/121547591748?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c4ccd1044#shpCntId ). Is this a good deal?

 

[IamTimTech]

That's an LGA 1366 socket processor. Not worth.

 

[StonedSoBad]

That's an LGA 1366 socket processor. Not worth.

What is a better option? When looking in compatibility mode on pcpartpicker it doesn't come up with any boards :/

 

[LucoTF]

Thank you all for the answers. Sorry that I haven't posted here for like 10 days, been busy. I might look into the used parts thing, as that sounds reasonable, but how do I know if the part is really working and the seller is legit. I also looked into non-boxed CPUs and getting a aftermarket cooler, would be a littlebit cheaper aswell. Anyone know anything about non-boxed CPU's and/or how to make better options on whom to buy the used parts from? Thanks!

Ebay has tons of buyer protection in place (as a seller, I think it may be too much at times) so don't worry.

CPUs are generally indestructible from my experience, never had a problem buying second hand. Motherboards and RAM look for the words 'will be shipped in anti-static bag' for the best experience, but for the most part if something arrives faulty just get a refund!

Oh and first generation i7's are super super cheap, but that's only because working LGA1366 motherboards are very rare and expensive

Awesome, thank you guys. How cheap would a 'super super cheap' i7 + a compatible mobo be? Would it go over 150$ for cpu+mobo? Thanks!

Found one for 25.88$ with moneyback quarantee from a user with 100% positive ratings. ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/intel-i7-930-2-8-with-heatsink-and-fan-/121547591748?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c4ccd1044#shpCntId ). Is this a good deal?

As I said they're cheap because theres more CPUs than mobos out there for that old socket, so the cpu may be cheap but the mobos go for crazy prices

 

[StonedSoBad]

Thank you all for the answers. Sorry that I haven't posted here for like 10 days, been busy. I might look into the used parts thing, as that sounds reasonable, but how do I know if the part is really working and the seller is legit. I also looked into non-boxed CPUs and getting a aftermarket cooler, would be a littlebit cheaper aswell. Anyone know anything about non-boxed CPU's and/or how to make better options on whom to buy the used parts from? Thanks!

Ebay has tons of buyer protection in place (as a seller, I think it may be too much at times) so don't worry.

CPUs are generally indestructible from my experience, never had a problem buying second hand. Motherboards and RAM look for the words 'will be shipped in anti-static bag' for the best experience, but for the most part if something arrives faulty just get a refund!

Oh and first generation i7's are super super cheap, but that's only because working LGA1366 motherboards are very rare and expensive

Awesome, thank you guys. How cheap would a 'super super cheap' i7 + a compatible mobo be? Would it go over 150$ for cpu+mobo? Thanks!

Found one for 25.88$ with moneyback quarantee from a user with 100% positive ratings. ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/intel-i7-930-2-8-with-heatsink-and-fan-/121547591748?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c4ccd1044#shpCntId ). Is this a good deal?

As I said they're cheap because theres more CPUs than mobos out there for that old socket, so the cpu may be cheap but the mobos go for crazy prices

Makes sense. Would I be better off with the AMD chip? Thank you all for the answers!

 

[damric]

Is your budget still $300? This thread is old and prices have changed. I can try and work some magic.