Need help building a new out-of-date PC

[Blackhawk3339]

Yep. I want to build a PC that is out of date.

Here's the deal. My kids and I have started playing Borderlands together, and we are having an absolute blast. The problem is that I'm on my gaming PC, my youngest is on my secondary PC (which runs it fine), and my eldest is on the TV/media PC - which only runs it if I turn the visuals all the way down and reduce the resolution significantly. When we finish Borderlands, we won't be able to play the rest of the series together at all.

I've managed to cobble together some spare parts - a case, power supply, drives, and a video card that falls within

Now, I'm on a very, very tight budget (I'm on disability and have medical bills out the wazoo.) I can't afford a new PC, or even a modern budget PC. Luckily, all I need is what would have been a good PC four years ago when the games in question were released. Other than that, all this system is used for is watching videos.

My problem is that every guide I find from a few years ago refers only to parts that are no longer available online (and I don't have a local option.) I need to find a motherboard, processor, and RAM that fit the recommended specs for Borderlands 2 and will take a GTX 570 or 460. I have very, very little money to work with - I can't drop hundreds here. Not even close.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Oh, note: The recommended specs I'm working toward are simply: "2.3 GHz Quad Core processor ".

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Do you have a budget?

 

[Blackhawk3339]

Not a precise one, no. I'm sitting on about $100 right now, and am stretching everything else to add to that. As I'm on a very fixed budget, I can only add a little each month. If things go well? A couple of hundred, after another month or two, perhaps. It isn't much to work with, I know.

 

[WildCard999]

There's Craigslist or eBay for cheap parts. If by chance you live in the US near Massachusetts ill sell you a EVGA Z97 FTW for $40, that way you could use the GTX 570 as a main GPU and the GTX 460 for PhysX, works perfect and is just collecting dust.

 

[Wolfshadw]

Here's a new, ultra cheap core system:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 830 2.8GHz Quad-Core OEM/Tray Processor ($61.89 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Masscool 5T568S1H3 33.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($8.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI 760GM-P21 (FX) Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($55.08 @ Amazon)
Memory: Mushkin Essentials 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($28.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $154.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-27 21:43 EST-0500

Should be more than enough for Borderlands 2.

-Wolf sends

 

[Blackhawk3339]

I appreciate the offer, but I'm clear over in Indiana. Craigslist isn't much of an option, either, as there simply isn't anything around here (I live in a town of less than 4,000 people, with nothing else around.)

Ebay, maybe, although I'm leery of buying that way and getting burned. I've gotten stepped on on ebay a couple of times. Part of my problem is that every time I think I may have found a decent part, I can't find the rest of the components to go with it.

 

[Blackhawk3339]

Oh, and to clarify, the two cards are either-or. I have two cards and two computers - I just meant that I could choose which one goes in which.

 

[Blackhawk3339]

Wolfshadw - sorry, I missed your post while replying. Thanks! I will dig into that.

 

[ohiou_grad_2006]

With ebay there is some protection.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/BIOSTAR-A960A3-AMD-Motherboard-CPU-Combo-w-Athlon-II-X4-630-Processor-/111877620172?nav=SEARCH

Here's an Athlon ii x4 with a board for 90 plus shipping. I think you can get 4gb of ram for about 15 or 20. If you have a case, grab a psu and you are in business.

 

[bambiboom]

Yep. I want to build a PC that is out of date.

Here's the deal. My kids and I have started playing Borderlands together, and we are having an absolute blast. The problem is that I'm on my gaming PC, my youngest is on my secondary PC (which runs it fine), and my eldest is on the TV/media PC - which only runs it if I turn the visuals all the way down and reduce the resolution significantly. When we finish Borderlands, we won't be able to play the rest of the series together at all.

I've managed to cobble together some spare parts - a case, power supply, drives, and a video card that falls within

Now, I'm on a very, very tight budget (I'm on disability and have medical bills out the wazoo.) I can't afford a new PC, or even a modern budget PC. Luckily, all I need is what would have been a good PC four years ago when the games in question were released. Other than that, all this system is used for is watching videos.

My problem is that every guide I find from a few years ago refers only to parts that are no longer available online (and I don't have a local option.) I need to find a motherboard, processor, and RAM that fit the recommended specs for Borderlands 2 and will take a GTX 570 or 460. I have very, very little money to work with - I can't drop hundreds here. Not even close.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Oh, note: The recommended specs I'm working toward are simply: "2.3 GHz Quad Core processor ".

Blackhawk3339,

When the budget is very strict, it is less expensive - and far less trouble- to buy a suitable system and upgrade it. Importantly, building requires buying a copy of Windows that costs more than your entire budget.

Still, with a little patience shopping, you can see really good deals:

Dell Optiplex 780 Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.00GHz 2GB Desktop PC > sold for $16.49 + $27.12 shipping

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Optiplex-780-Intel-Core-2-Duo-E8400-3-00GHz-2GB-Desktop-PC-/361451906550?hash=item54283665f6%3Ag%3AInIAAOSw3KFWdDKi&nma=true&si=3o7JFUv4buOddEVUaw8uar9eEOg%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

The thing to look for an Optiplex 780 with 3GHz+ Core2 Duo, in a mid-tower case and not the thin one, and a Windows 7 COA so you can reinstall and activate Windows without cost.

Then, find something like this:

Evga Geforce GTX 650 - Great Condition - Free Shipping! >Sold for a best offer less than $29.99

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Evga-Geforce-GTX-650-Great-Condition-Free-Shipping-/191788822880?hash=item2ca7813160%3Ag%3ABGQAAOSwLnlWoZIJ&nma=true&si=3o7JFUv4buOddEVUaw8uar9eEOg%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

_ and there's still almost $30 left from your $100!

There also a possibility of the more modern Optiplex 790:

Dell Optiplex 790 MT Intel Core i3-2120 3.30ghz 2gb RAM > Sold for $51.51 + $30.21 shipping

That one did not have a HD, but does have a Windows 7 COA and is a dual core i3 @ 3.3GHz. That system could be used longer as your kids move to more demanding games. It's always cheaper in the long run if you can delay replacing a system a couple of years.

Buying this way also saves all the fuss of researching, ordering, assembling, and trouble shooting a built system,. If you buying a complete system, it could be up and playing the same day it comes out of the box. I bought a Dell Precision T3500 in December for $52.52 + $26.71 Shipping and I ran a performance test on it three hours after opening the box.

Cheers and best of luck,

BambiBoom

 

[ohiou_grad_2006]

The system with the i3 would be good also. Plus if that system has 4 slots for ram, grab a set like this to get 6gb.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-4GB-2X2GB-PC3-10600-DDR3-1333Mhz-240pin-Desktop-Memory-For-AMD-Motherboard-/111714914492?hash=item1a02ba50bc:g:cpIAAOSwHnFVn38E

Also, found a radeon 6950 2gb for 40 bucks.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sapphire-Technology-AMD-Radeon-HD-6950-11188-05-50G-2-GB-GDDR5-SDRAM-PCI-/321991974319?hash=item4af8379daf:g:VQQAAOSwa-dWqiZ-