Trying to get a cheap desktop

[mahewses]

I have been searching the internet and trying to find the best desktop for my needs. I realized that it is cheaper (and more rewarding) to build one then to buy one from big corporations such as Dell or hp. The problem is that I have a tight budget. I am looking for a combination of all parts including a monitor and keyboard and all cables for under $600. (I could go a little over, not too much though.) The purpose of this computer would be to play some games including Minecraft, Team Fortress 2, Portal (2), Goat Simulator, and maybe other games from steam on at least mid settings. I'd also need to have the ability of connecting to the internet wirelessly and watch Netflix, YouTube etc. I'd also want to have the ability to program games and maybe edit videos at decent speeds. So, what's the best computer I could get with this budget?

 

[jaraldo]

Hey, just a few questions you missed

Do you need an operating system?
Are you interested in Overclocking?

 

[mahewses]

I do need Windows 7. Oveclocking options don't need to be there, but it could.

 

[jaraldo]

hmm ok, that's a tall order when you consider it all, but I'd recommend this

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($74.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI Z97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($80.00 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Blu Red Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($71.88 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.91 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($139.20 @ Newegg)
Case: Rosewill Galaxy-03 ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($84.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $598.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Take a look, do some research and see what you think.

I'll just speak briefly here; this computer is:

-upgradeable because of the z97 motherboard (you can get an i5 later)

-able to overclock right now with that cpu cooler and the G3258 even at 4.0ghz will show big improvement. On the PSU you should be able to do 4.0ghz safely.

-That graphics card can play many newer games on ultra settings at 40+fps (ex, watchdogs)

-That cpu shouldn't bottleneck your gpu even at stock speeds; it would be very little if any.

-8gb of ram is all you need for gaming

-that's a good budget psu, but if you wanted to do some overclocking to 4.5ghz I would suggest spending $15-20 more on a better PSU

Edit: crap, forgot you need a monitor, keyboard etc :lol: Nothing wrong with getting those 2nd hand though. You can get a 19'' monitor, keyboard and mouse for $30-50 on the classifieds. Or even use a TV for now.

 

[jaraldo]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3220 3.0GHz Dual-Core Processor ($59.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI H81M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($49.99 @ Mwave)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($38.70 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.91 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake VL80001W2Z ATX Mid Tower Case ($24.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($84.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: AOC i2267Fw 60Hz 22.0" Monitor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Edimax EW-7811Un 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($9.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Logitech MK120 Wired Slim Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($14.18 @ B&H)
Total: $595.69
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

This would be my minimum for a gaming computer and some would argue it's not much of one
It will be good for what you said your needs are and can even play newer games like BF4/watchdogs in high settings 40+fps. Though with those games I'm not sure how the CPU would do.

It can't overclock but you can upgrade to a i5-4670 later.

I would suggest adding in another 4gb of the EXACT model ram when you can. It will help having 8gb for gaming and video editing by a large margin.

I got you an IPS monitor (good quality) aswell as the mouse, keyboard and wifi adapter.

I was not sure if you needed an optical drive. Really, you only need them for the installation. If you could borrow one that would save you $15 rather than buying one. Usb drives are far more useful than optical drives anyways. You could install your operating system by USB drive if you had access to a computer that you could format it to boot windows 7.

There are other versions of builds, but I think since you are wanting the OS and a monitor for $600, this is a good build .