Minimum budget computer for games

May 20, 2018
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Hello
I want to build a pc with a minimum of investition but in the same to be able to play games like path of exile, smite, dota, final fantasy, bless online not at ultra, but almost ultra.
I have considered following components:
MB: GIGABYTE B360M D2V
CPU: Intel Coffee Lake, Core i3 8100 3.60GHz box
RAM: Kingston ValueRAM 8GB DDR4 2133MHz CL15 Single Ranked x1
PSU: Corsair NEW VS Series VS450
SSD: SSD Kingston SSDNow UV400 120GB SATA-III 2.5 inch
HDD: -
Case: Segotep Legend C2
Monitor: don't know yet
Now, for GPU i have to options:
1) i have a GPU that i don't use: gtx 650ti 1gb. It will be able to do something good for my requests? If not:
2) Sapphire Radeon RX 560 PULSE 2GB DDR5 128-bit it will be ok?
 
Solution

As said above, GTX 650 Ti is too weak for today's gaming. And since you're looking towards 1080p gaming, minimum you'd look at would be GTX 1050, which would save you $40 compared to the GTX 1050 Ti,
pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/mbRFf7,DQL7YJ/

Sure, you can get i3-8100 for $30 more than G4620 but is it worthwhile? Let's find out.
First off, side by side performance comparisons,
G4620 vs i3-8100...
If you want the cheapest then this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Pentium G4620 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($91.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI - B250M PRO-VDH Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($62.39 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Patriot - 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($42.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PNY - GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB Video Card ($182.24 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master - MasterBox Q300L MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($36.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $546.38
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-05-20 08:09 EDT-0400

Few words
While the G4620 and it's 2 cores / 4 threads isn't as good as i3-8100 4 cores / 4 threads is, it is still good enough for gaming while it's much cheaper than Core i3. MoBo has 4 RAM slots for easier RAM upgrade and 2x 4GB 2400 Mhz RAM will give you dual-channel RAM off the bat. While HDD isn't as fast as SSD is, it has much better price to GB ratio where you get more space with less money, compared to the SSD. GTX 1050 Ti is better GPU than RX 560 since it has double the VRAM for gaming (4GB vs 2GB) and with it, you're looking high/ultra settings @ 720p or medium settings @ 1080p. Also, put in nice small footprint case that has some customization options and big transparent side panel,
specs: http://www.coolermaster.com/case/mini-tower/masterbox-q300l/
While everything is powered by the good quality and fully-modular PSU from Seasonic.

Build above is good and cheap entry-level PC for gaming needs. When more money comes available, you can upgrade it into high-end gaming rig, with e.g CPU to i5-7500 or i7-7700, RAM to 16GB, SSD for OS and GPU to GTX 1060 or GTX 1070, without the need to replace the PSU.
 
I would like somehow to include my asus gtx 650ti in spec. Do you think it is posibile? I mean, it can handle games properly?
So, if I can include it, I would like to stick on i3 8100 if posibile because I don't know how much will turn down the G4620.
 


the 8100 is a great choice

and the 650 ti is ok, but you will need to lower settings quite a bit to get decent fps at 1080p
looking at low - medium

what resolution do you intend to play at?

for 1080p I would go MINIMUM a gtx 1050
 
2GB Is the minimum these days. You need a 750ti for 1080p on medium these days and a 1050 for highest. The 650 just doesn't pull it these days. The 650 does 720p or 900 if you're lucky. An RX460 or 1050 is good but a 750ti should do for those titles.
You should have a look around on the secondhand market. My plans are to get a Dell optiplex 3010 with a 1050ti and a Corsair VS550 To play it safe.
 

As said above, GTX 650 Ti is too weak for today's gaming. And since you're looking towards 1080p gaming, minimum you'd look at would be GTX 1050, which would save you $40 compared to the GTX 1050 Ti,
pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/mbRFf7,DQL7YJ/

Sure, you can get i3-8100 for $30 more than G4620 but is it worthwhile? Let's find out.
First off, side by side performance comparisons,
G4620 vs i3-8100: http://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Pentium-G4620-vs-Intel-Core-i3-8100/3895vs3942
GTX 1050 vs GTX 1050 Ti: http://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-1050-vs-Nvidia-GTX-1050-Ti/3650vs3649

And then, comparison as a whole build: G4620 with GTX 1050 Ti (as a base) vs i3-8100 with GTX 1050 (as an alternative),
Userbenchmark PC Build Comparison

Baseline Bench: Game 39%, Desk 52%, Work 30%
CPU: Intel Pentium G4620
GPU: Nvidia GTX 1050-Ti
HDD: WD Blue 1TB (2012)
RAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport DDR4 2400 C16 2x4GB

Alternative Bench: Game 37%, Desk 56%, Work 36%
CPU: Intel Core i3-8100
GPU: Nvidia GTX 1050
HDD: WD Blue 1TB (2012)
RAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport DDR4 2400 C16 2x4GB

G4620 build is a bit better in gaming since it has better GPU with twice the VRAM. While Core i3 is a bit better in web browsing and workstation use (e.g video rendering) due to the fact that CPU has 4 physical cores and not 2 physical cores as Pentium CPU has. Price wise, they both cost the same.

But what you can do (if you don't trust what we're saying) is to buy the new build without GPU and put your old GTX 650 Ti into it to see if it really does cut it for your needs or not. And once you see the results first hand, you can go and buy better dedicated GPU if needed.
 
Solution