Upgradable $370 Gaming System?

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PotatoGamerSince2014

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Dec 27, 2015
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I got $370 USD towards a gaming computer. I'm getting a job this summer, so I'll have money then to upgrade my video card, and maybe even the processor, but until then, I want to build a computer that can run Source Engine games at 1080p 60fps. I already have a GT 610 that I can use until I get a job, so please don't include a graphics card. For the processor, I'm okay with a speedy dual-core, but I would prefer to be able to upgrade to an FX-6300 or similar when I get a GTX 750 Ti. Built in WiFi is preferred but not necessary, same for USB 3.0. I can only buy from Newegg. Thanks in advance.
 
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Math Geek
sounds like you don't need any advice from us then :)

you got it all figured out. based on the limitations you've imposed on yourself, your not gonna get any better that what you already chose. enjoy the build for what it's worth
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But that version of Win 10 is configured for something else. You will want to do a clean install for a new motherboard to minimize problems.
 
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What problems would I encounter by inserting the 2.5 into the desktop? I should be able to just install a few new drivers and be on my way.
 
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No boot, BSOD, random problems ... The registry for that Win 10 install has all the remnants of what ever it was previously installed on. It "thinks" there are devices that don't exist. You will be chasing "ghosts" until you end up doing a clean install. Since that is a laptop drive, it may not load anyway because the original vendor (Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc) could have put a check for their motherboard into the code.
 
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problem is win 10 is tied to the pc it was installed on. it won't activate on a new build since it was activated on the laptop. no way around it really anymore since there is no key to hope will work on a new machine.

for your budget it is doable but you will be wanting those upgrades as quickly as possible.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($71.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M Anniversary Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($71.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Zalman Z1 ATX Mid Tower Case ($35.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($102.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $367.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-28 19:41 EST-0500

you'll need to reuse the laptop hdd for now with a fresh win 10 install. the rest is solid enough for whatever cpu and gpu combo you chose later. the power supply can handle just about all gpu's except the high end amd ones which pull a lot of power. the mobo can handle any of the socket 1150 i3/5/7 cpu's and the case is decent for the low cost. the cpu will want to be upgraded pretty quickly as it is only a dual core and won't play some of the newest games that require a quad core.
 
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https://pcpartpicker.com/parts/partlist/

also im just going to let you know gt 610 aint going to cut it with 1080p/60hz man..... ddr3 vram is too low end these days....for the same price go with a gtx 750 ti although yeah its kinda too late for that.
 
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i'd just save the money for now and wait, or maybe do chores or something for extra money and wait till you can afford something a bit better, at this point I don't think you're going to get what you're looking for in that price range math geek is pretty right on what he said and the build he posted is fine but your gpu won't be able to play anything but indie games with minimum settings
 
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My budget bumped up to 460 after a late birthday card came in, and I'm doing a one-time job soon, so I came up with my goal. Take a look!
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/8BbGyc

My main concern is the graphics card. I know if I pair the FX-6300 with a GTX 750 Ti, I can play pretty much any AAA game on medium 1080p, but would I get the same results if I went with an AMD R7 250? It's 2GB GDDR5 running at 1.10GHz for only $85.

Also, the list does include Windows 10 Home 64-bit. I have a USB DVD player, so that's why it is not included in the list.

Hopefully, I can work hard and get enough to pay for the whole system. I did some work today which I was told I would be paid for, so I can split up the remainder of the cost of the parts ($104) and ask for maybe $25 for today's work and $80 next time. I will be cleaning 8 different houses completely, albeit with help, but it's still only $10 per house.
 
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not sure why you're stuck on the 6300, but for the money, this i3 for the same price is a better choice and cheaper option since it won't need the extra cooling the 6300 will. i even managed an r7 360 into it for a fewbucks more than you're looking at now. plus you still have the upgrade path to an i5/7 later on down the road as extra cash comes in.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($99.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($62.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($45.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R7 360 2GB Video Card ($99.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($89.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $508.69
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-31 12:42 EST-0500
 
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I prefer the FX-6300 because of how much bang for the buck it has. I've seen it paired with a 2GB GTX 750Ti, and it can handle games like Star Wars: Battlefront, Battlefield 4/Hardline, and Rainbow Six: Siege at 1080p 60fps. It has 6-cores whereas the i3 only has 2. The 6300 would probably be best for games that require more than two cores. Also, later on, I plan to upgrade to the FX-8350. It has 8 cores all running at 4GHz. Anything like that from Intel would cost a fortune. I'm not concerned about cooling. I'm sure a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO would solve most of my problems in that area. Thank you for the suggestion, but I'm not interested in Intel processors.

And as for the R7 360, because I'm not switching the processors, I won't be able to include it in my build. The R7 250 is pretty much the same thing at a lower price (2GB @ 1.1GHz). If the 360 somehow performs better, I may look for more cost effective parts with the exception of the processor in order to fit it in my budget.
 
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This is what I ended up with.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-4350 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor (Purchased For $0.00)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (Purchased For $0.00)
Motherboard: MSI 760GMA-P34(FX) Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard (Purchased For $0.00)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport XT 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (Purchased For $0.00)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card (Purchased For $0.00)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $0.00)
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $0.00)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) (Purchased For $0.00)
Total: $0.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-02 16:08 EST-0500

It will probably do well on most games I throw at it. Thanks for the help everyone!
 
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