Need help deciding which system (3 options)

[JK7521]

I am currently trying to put a budget gaming build for my girlfriend together. I want it to be around $400 give or take $50. I have no idea what games she is going to be playing on this thing (other then a lot of sims 4 and minecraft), but I have three similar builds put together and I need help deciding on which one I should pick for her.

1. http://pcpartpicker.com/user/JKW7521/saved/fWTZxr
2. http://pcpartpicker.com/user/JKW7521/saved/49Hqqs
3. http://pcpartpicker.com/user/JKW7521/saved/jmcgXL

With the pentium build the only reason I have a z97 mobo is because I was told that intel is working on a cpu microcode update to stop all the overclocking on non z chipset motherboards. So just in case that happens I want to make sure she will not get "screwed". So again I have no idea which build to go with if you could please let me know what you think and any comments, questions, or better build ideas is greatly appreciated.

 

[Tradesman1]

Link 2-3 are the same and would be my choice

 

[i7Baby]

Yes - I vote for the Pentium build too

 

[cub_fanatic]

I'd go with the Pentium G3258 as it has better upgrade potential if you are power hungry in the future. The Z97 board offers a much better choice of mid to high end CPUs including the i5 and i7 vs the aging AMD FM2+ platform. I'd stick with the Intel for that reason.

 

[TheIcedCanadian]

Here is something for $450 which might be outside of your price range. (It has RAM, which some of yours didn't) This build includes a R9 270, which is plenty for light gaming.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/N9DpD3

This build has a slightly toned down GPU, but is cheaper
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/hXwG23

Hope this helps!

 

[SlayZombi]

I love AMD but I gotta say, Pentium looks more appealing...

 

[JK7521]

Link 2-3 are the same and would be my choice

Sorry about that I just updated the link so should work now.

 

[JK7521]

Here is something for $450 which might be outside of your price range. (It has RAM, which some of yours didn't) This build includes a R9 270, which is plenty for light gaming.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/N9DpD3

This build has a slightly toned down GPU, but is cheaper
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/hXwG23

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the opinion I will look into, also everything that I left out I already have laying around for this build ex: Ram, OS, Monitor, and Keyaboard/mouse.

 

[TheIcedCanadian]

Here is something for $450 which might be outside of your price range. (It has RAM, which some of yours didn't) This build includes a R9 270, which is plenty for light gaming.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/N9DpD3

This build has a slightly toned down GPU, but is cheaper
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/hXwG23

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the opinion I will look into, also everything that I left out I already have laying around for this build ex: Ram, OS, Monitor, and Keyaboard/mouse.

OK - because you already have the RAM, you should be able to go for a great graphics card (for the price) - the 270 or (if you have enough money), even the 270X

 

[cub_fanatic]

Link 2-3 are the same and would be my choice

Sorry about that I just updated the link so should work now.

I'd still go with the Pentium + Z97 for the same reason as before - much better upgrade potential than the B85. Also, overclocking and the fact that most games out do not really use hyperthreading even some of the newest ones so the two extra threads that you are paying extra for with the i3 will rarely be utilized. That, and since you are using a lower spec'd GPU, you probably won't notice the difference between the Pentium at stock or overclocked speeds vs the i3 since your GPU is going to be the bottleneck in this system.

 

[Tradesman1]

Yep, I stick with my original choice also, can up grade CPU to Haswell or down the road to Broadwell

 

[JK7521]

Link 2-3 are the same and would be my choice

Sorry about that I just updated the link so should work now.

I'd still go with the Pentium + Z97 for the same reason as before - much better upgrade potential than the B85. Also, overclocking and the fact that most games out do not really use hyperthreading even some of the newest ones so the two extra threads that you are paying extra for with the i3 will rarely be utilized. That, and since you are using a lower spec'd GPU, you probably won't notice the difference between the Pentium at stock or overclocked speeds vs the i3 since your GPU is going to be the bottleneck in this system.

so what GPU would you recommend? Also what if im not interested in a upgrade path would that change your mind on which build? This build is just mainly to be used to get through college and a year after that because whenever I get a decent job I will just look into an i7 build to replace this one and by that time there is going to be new technology out so I will just get the latest mobo and cpu.

 

[cub_fanatic]

so what GPU would you recommend? Also what if im not interested in a upgrade path would that change your mind on which build? This build is just mainly to be used to get through college and a year after that because whenever I get a decent job I will just look into an i7 build to replace this one and by that time there is going to be new technology out so I will just get the latest mobo and cpu.

GPU - When I said the GTX 750ti will be the bottleneck, it doesn't mean it is a bad GPU to get. It is a good choice for this type of system. If you want a little more power though, there are literally dozens of better GPUs to choose from it just depends on your budget. For the price range, the 750ti is probably the best bang for your buck sub-$150 GPU you can get. The best bang for your buck sub-$250 GPU is probably the R9 285 and the best bang for your buck sub-$350 GPU is easily the GTX 780 at the moment. There are of course many GPUs above and in between all of those that all have their +'s and -'s to consider. The GTX 750ti should be just fine for medium level detail 1080p single monitor gaming.

I'd still go with the Pentium over the i3 since it is cheaper and offers almost the same performance in the games you are going to play combined with the 750ti. In fact, if you OC it to around 4.3 or 4.5 GHz with the right aftermarket cooler you would be getting better performance than the i3 in many games due to brute force single core strength. I read an article recently that showed the Pentium OC'd to around 4.8 GHz beating a stock FX 8350 and a stock Sandy Bridge i5 in Crysis 3 and coming very close to the Haswell i7. (link) Of course, for 4.8 GHz you would need a $100+ cooler AND get lucky with your sample but with a $30 cooler you should be able to get 4.5 GHz stable with decent temps.

 

[cub_fanatic]

Sorry, that link was for an SSD. Here is the article about the OC'd G3258 http://techreport.com/review/26735/overclocking-intel-pentium-g3258-anniversary-edition-processor/3