gaming build for wife.

[bhaney07]

Hello, everyone! As the title suggest, i am looking to get my wife into pc gaming! -excitement 😀-
She currently has an acer laptop that i bought her few years back, with the intention of the laptop being basic internet, video streaming, and occasional photoshop. Over the past few years though, i convinced her to give pc gaming a try, instead of the usual facebook games that she plays. (yuck lol) She did pick up the sims 3, and a few small indie games via steam.

While i am proud she has been willing to venture into actual (non-facebook lol) pc gaming, i feel that it's time to look into buying and building her a gaming desktop of her own. We have come to agreement on a few points, but overall she is letting me take charge in selection of parts.

Here are the requirements we have determined so far-
budget- $400-$500 for desktop alone. we will work on the monitor, keyboard and mouse in another budget.
just a standard desktop, being capable of running her favorite game (sims 3 plus expansions) and pretty much max settings, plus photoshop editing on the side.
I know sims 3 isn't really a demanding game for pc, but i personally would like to build her a rig, that is able to run more recent games (within past 3 years least) at a respectable medium-high settings. My hope is she will become more interested in pc gaming, if she just had a good rig to play games on! 😛 Or at the very least, has room for future upgrades.

So, here is what i've come up with thus far-
cpu- cheapest i'll go is $70 whereas max is $120-130.
Just to name a few cpu's i've looked into-
intel pentium g3258
amd a10-5800k
amd athlon x4 750k
amd fx- 4300
intel core i3 4130
I know there are fanboys of both amd and intel. so simply put, looking for suggestions from BOTH cpu companies are welcome!


ram- to keep this build under $500, i'm leaning towards 4gb ram at ddr3 1600, but open to suggestions!

motherboard- I really don't have a clue, given being unsure on the cpu.

graphics- willing to spend anywhere from $100-150, just depends on how much invested in cpu. Either way, i'd like to invest most in the gpu. Unless, i go for the amd a10-5800k, which i know has the gpu built in. (more about that later)

hard drive- leaning towards least a 1tb drive, if budget allows, a solid state with least 120gb space for the os.

case- I let her choose this, given that i am choosing pretty much everything else. lol
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811154110&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

psu- i think i will snatch up this one right now:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139026&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
i believe this corsair will do just fine, given the budget. and right now, comes with $20 mail in rebate! woot!

and FINALLY the os-
either windows 7 or windows 8.1. she is okay with either, but has win. 7 on her laptop now.

whew! that was alot of info! Anyways, again whole point to this thread, is that i am looking for suggestions for a build. Really want to make sure i do this right for her! 😀
Oh, regarding the amd a10-5800k and it's gpu. (the 7660D) If i went this route to save some cash, would there be any problems later on if say we wanted to add a dedicated graphics card? Does the 7660d get disabled? will it conflict with the gpu? is it even worth it to go this route?

Thanks to anyone who is willing to read all this! Input is greatly appreciated!

 

[bhaney07]

crap, realized i posted into wrong forum... can i get an admin or moderator to delete this? meant to go in components section.

 

[clutchc]

You realize you will be creating a monster if your wife really takes to 'real' gaming, right? 😉

The A10 can easily use a discrete card when you are ready, yes. The on-die GPU will suffice for 720p-ish resolution. But if you/she is gaming at 1080p, you'll want something more than the 7660D. Your choice of the unlocked multiplier G3258 and a discrete card would be a nice way to go for the cost. If you haven't already read it, check this out: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/pentium-g3258-b81-cheap-overclocking,3888.html
It can almost reach i3-4130/50 performance if you can get it to near the OC in the article.
The MB in the article would be a good low cost pick. Any gfx card up to a R9-270 will be fine with the 430W PSU.

 

[Zircoben]

This is a great build for the money:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus H81M-K Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($55.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda ES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($50.49 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 270 2GB Core Edition Video Card ($149.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Apex PCV-588 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($14.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $516.39

The R9 270 in that build will perform excellently for years to come. The R9 270 is miles beyond the graphics in an A10-5800K or anything like that. I'd avoid integrated graphics, you really don't want to bump down to 720p. I had an A10-5800K and I was suprised, I could actually play at 1080p on Ultra low at some games and it did well, but honestly, you want a good GPU.

Going for Intel over AMD is an excellent investment because in 2 years and you want a better CPU, there is an upgrade path, and you should be able to get an i5 or something used on eBay for cheaper by then.

Hope that helps

 

[Zircoben]

crap, realized i posted into wrong forum... can i get an admin or moderator to delete this? meant to go in components section.

I just added it to the components section by adding a tag.

 

[bhaney07]

You realize you will be creating a monster if your wife really takes to 'real' gaming, right? 😉

The A10 can easily use a discrete card when you are ready, yes. The on-die GPU will suffice for 720p-ish resolution. But if you/she is gaming at 1080p, you'll want something more than the 7660D. Your choice of the unlocked multiplier G3258 and a discrete card would be a nice way to go for the cost. If you haven't already read it, check this out: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/pentium-g3258-b81-cheap-overclocking,3888.html
It can almost reach i3-4130/50 performance if you can get it to near the OC in the article.
The MB in the article would be a good low cost pick. Any gfx card up to a R9-270 will be fine with the 430W PSU.

Thanks for the input! (even though i posted in wrong forum lol)
oh, forgot to mention that this build is $400 to $500 including os. oops! And i'm somewhat doubtful that we would be overclocking the intel g3258, unless it's like super easy to overclock.

 

[Zircoben]

You realize you will be creating a monster if your wife really takes to 'real' gaming, right? 😉

The A10 can easily use a discrete card when you are ready, yes. The on-die GPU will suffice for 720p-ish resolution. But if you/she is gaming at 1080p, you'll want something more than the 7660D. Your choice of the unlocked multiplier G3258 and a discrete card would be a nice way to go for the cost. If you haven't already read it, check this out: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/pentium-g3258-b81-cheap-overclocking,3888.html
It can almost reach i3-4130/50 performance if you can get it to near the OC in the article.
The MB in the article would be a good low cost pick. Any gfx card up to a R9-270 will be fine with the 430W PSU.

Thanks for the input! (even though i posted in wrong forum lol)
oh, forgot to mention that this build is $400 to $500 including os. oops! And i'm somewhat doubtful that we would be overclocking the intel g3258, unless it's like super easy to overclock.

It's very easy to overclock, and you can even do it with the stock cooler. The ASUS H81 motherboard in my build can overclock. Overclocked, it is by far the best CPU for the money.

 

[bhaney07]

Thanks to zircoben for the suggestion on the intel cpu! Just hearing alone that you can overclock the g3258 without a premium quality cooler is a big plus.
Shoot, forgot to mention another thing.. i probably won't be able to buy all of the components in one sweep. (wish i could) but, my goal is to get it completely built within a year, or if really pushing it by end of this year. Regardless of when it gets done, i'm sure the intel suggested as well at the other cpus i'm looking into will still be available.

 

[clutchc]

I was going to work up a build for you, but the one that Zircoben has listed pretty much is what I ended up with too. Slight changes in the case and MB, but basically the same build. The G3258 is easily OC'd by simply raising the unlocked CPU clcok multiplier in BIOS. Easy to do with one adjustment. Most H81 boards aren't going to take much voltage increasing, so forget about that. Just go with increasing the multiplier. As the article states, the stock cooler will suffice for OC'ing the G3258.

 

[Zircoben]

I was going to work up a build for you, but the one that Zircoben has listed pretty much is what I ended up with too. Slight changes in the case and MB, but basically the same build. The G3258 is easily OC'd by simply raising the unlocked CPU clcok multiplier in BIOS. Easy to do with one adjustment. Most H81 boards aren't going to take much voltage increasing, so forget about that. Just go with increasing the multiplier. As the article states, the stock cooler will suffice for OC'ing the G3258.

Agreed. I chose the case because his wife chose the case (first post) and the motherboard because ASUS is a brand I trust and MSi is crap (I have had some very poor experiences with them, just this year).

Really, though I would get your wife looking at some other cases. Something like this really looks a lot better, and is higher quality.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146102&cm_re=micro_atx_case-_-11-146-102-_-Product

 

[bhaney07]

I was going to work up a build for you, but the one that Zircoben has listed pretty much is what I ended up with too. Slight changes in the case and MB, but basically the same build. The G3258 is easily OC'd by simply raising the unlocked CPU clcok multiplier in BIOS. Easy to do with one adjustment. Most H81 boards aren't going to take much voltage increasing, so forget about that. Just go with increasing the multiplier. As the article states, the stock cooler will suffice for OC'ing the G3258.

i have to ask though.. would it even be necessary to overclock the g3258, given the most demanding game she has is sims 3??? LOL i suppose overclocking would benefit other (more demanding) games?

and to zircoben, it's funny the case you suggested, is one that i suggested to her. I showed her like 10 cases, and the apex on is the one she wanted. It's already been ordered.. so kinda late to switch now. Oh wells, i promised her she got say in that at least. If she doesn't like it, will just have to save up and pick up another one. The apex then could be used elsewhere!

 

[Zircoben]

I was going to work up a build for you, but the one that Zircoben has listed pretty much is what I ended up with too. Slight changes in the case and MB, but basically the same build. The G3258 is easily OC'd by simply raising the unlocked CPU clcok multiplier in BIOS. Easy to do with one adjustment. Most H81 boards aren't going to take much voltage increasing, so forget about that. Just go with increasing the multiplier. As the article states, the stock cooler will suffice for OC'ing the G3258.

i have to ask though.. would it even be necessary to overclock the g3258, given the most demanding game she has is sims 3??? LOL i suppose overclocking would benefit other (more demanding) games?

and to zircoben, it's funny the case you suggested, is one that i suggested to her. I showed her like 10 cases, and the apex on is the one she wanted. It's already been ordered.. so kinda late to switch now. Oh wells, i promised her she got say in that at least. If she doesn't like it, will just have to save up and pick up another one. The apex then could be used elsewhere!

Don't worry about the case! It will work just fine and looks like a good case overall. I have an Apex case, and the USB ports aren't top quality, but besides that it is a well-built case.

I really don't think you need to overclock it at all, but giving it a comfortable, easy overclock of maybe 3.8 to 4 GHz would be both easy and would boost your performance. It's kind of a "why not" situation.

Hope that helps

 

[clutchc]

No problem with either case. Not a big deal. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and all that. No, you wouldn't have to OC the G3258, but is so easy to do... it would be a shame not to. The performance will improve dramatically. And if you go with the suggested R9-270, you should really bump up the CPU's clk multiplier to keep from bottle-necking the card.

 

[Calculatron]

With this build ( http://pcpartpicker.com/p/yJTCZL ), you'll go slightly (about $5) over budget with the components you already selected. However, you'll have everything you already need for now, and the future. The motherboard is sufficient, and you'll have 8gb of RAM. The A10-7850K is good enough in the CPU department, and the integrated graphics will be good enough for most of your 720p needs - probably perfect for your wife. If you wish to spend a bit more cash later, it'll be an easy, slap-in upgrade. (As long as it's a AMD/Radeon GPU.)

I did something similar for my significant other, about a year and a half back. It was an A10-5800K build, which was great all the things she liked to do and play. (Trine, Mass Effect series, etcetera.) When some of the newer more intensive games, like Tomb Raider, started to come out, although it could play them at 720p, I started looking for a discrete graphics card to toss in, because these other games could really look great and I didn't want her to miss out on that. I ended up buying a friend's old GPU for like, $50 bucks, so she can play pretty much every game at full HD, with at least medium settings. Grand total build still something like $400 bucks.

A lot of people boo-hoo about matching an APU with a discrete APU. I understand their reasoning - if you're not using the iGPU part, it's a waste. If I heard of someone pairing and APU with a discrete GPU as a build for day one, I'd try to persuade them otherwise.

 

[Zircoben]

With this build ( http://pcpartpicker.com/p/yJTCZL ), you'll go slightly (about $5) over budget with the components you already selected. However, you'll have everything you already need for now, and the future. The motherboard is sufficient, and you'll have 8gb of RAM. The A10-7850K is good enough in the CPU department, and the integrated graphics will be good enough for most of your 720p needs - probably perfect for your wife. If you wish to spend a bit more cash later, it'll be an easy, slap-in upgrade. (As long as it's a AMD/Radeon GPU.)

I did something similar for my significant other, about a year and a half back. It was an A10-5800K build, which was great all the things she liked to do and play. (Trine, Mass Effect series, etcetera.) When some of the newer more intensive games, like Tomb Raider, started to come out, although it could play them at 720p, I started looking for a discrete graphics card to toss in, because these other games could really look great and I didn't want her to miss out on that. I ended up buying a friend's old GPU for like, $50 bucks, so she can play pretty much every game at full HD, with at least medium settings. Grand total build still something like $400 bucks.

A lot of people boo-hoo about matching an APU with a discrete APU. I understand their reasoning - if you're not using the iGPU part, it's a waste. If I heard of someone pairing and APU with a discrete GPU as a build for day one, I'd try to persuade them otherwise.

I agree, for your wife, you probably don't need much more than an APU, and you can pop in a good graphics card later.

Here's what i'd do:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD A10-5800K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus A55BM-E Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard ($44.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($76.50 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 250GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($33.49 @ Amazon)
Case: Thermaltake VL80001W2Z ATX Mid Tower Case ($22.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Rosewill 450W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($84.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $402.92

The A10-5800K really is not far in performance from the A10-7850K, which costs a whole $70 more. They are about 10% apart on the CPU side and probably 30% apart on the graphics side, and for a whole $70 less, I think it is a great buy.

You will want fast RAM for an APU - 2133 mHz is the best for the money.

The build above is an entire computer for just over $400. With the $100 savings, buy your wife a nice meal!

Have a great one

 

[bhaney07]

Hey guys! I know it's been awhile since last post here, but now looking for feedback. Noticed newegg has a bundle right now of an intel pentium g3258 and a gigabyte mobo. (gigabyte ga-b85m-ds3h). All together total is 99.98 (savings of $37 off the board). What i want to know is, is gigabyte a reputable brand for motherboards? looking to save where i can, but also ensure a premium quality of the build. If gigabyte is a trusted brand, i may just jump on the deal. That $37 def. could go towards other components!

Thanks again for tips!

Also- Noticed that the g3258 has a max ram speed of 1333 ghz, if i bought a ram set that is 1600, will it downclock to default 1333?

 

[bhaney07]

one more thing, sorrys- noticed through other post here at tom's and around the net, that some non z boards MIGHT need to have a bios update in order to accept the g3258... I'm not experienced the bios... 🙁 there any chance that any non z board i choose, it will be ready out of box for the cpu?

 

[Calculatron]

DDR3's native speed is 1333, so anything over is just simply an overclock - so, yes, if you by a higher speed RAM, and either the CPU or motherboard can't/won't handle it, it will downclock. (That is my understanding, anyway.)

As for Non-Z motherboard overclocking, I don't rightly know that either. Flashing/updating a BIOS isn't bad, though. It's just scary because, if something happens, you can "brick" your motherboard. Bricking these days only really happens if the power goes out, or somehow else your computer loses power, while updating. I've done about 5 BIOS updates within the last six months, on ASUS, MSI, and Biostar motherboards, all went fine.

As for Gigabyte brand motherboards, I know they are considered mid-tier. I have no personal experience with them, but I know others who own them. I think the general rule is that their higher-end boards are great, but their lower-tier motherboards can be questionable. This may have changed in recent years, however. I hope someone else chimes in with more information.

 

[bhaney07]

One final update- Decided to pull the trigger on the g3258/gigabyte combo. couldn't pass up a savings of nearly $40 on a lower-end budget. Hope it will be worth it!