Budget Gaming Suggestion..

[A Leopard]

To be quite frank, I'm not exactly in a wealth of money at the moment, being 15 and all. I'm not asking for some 1337, i7 2600k 16GB DDR3 RAM with a 4gb ATI pwn GFX Uber system, Just something that'll run modern-ish games, and be useful as a basis to upgrade on.

Computer I'm thinking of..

AMD, obviously Budget is the first thing that slaps you in the face, but I'm not trying to run Crysis 2 - More like Minecraft, Battlefield 2.. If I'm lucky with an upgrade here or there, Battlefield 3 when it releases in Autumn. I'm strapped for cash at the moment.. but my Birthday's coming up in august, and I'm saving and getting a job so.. My future plans are *Currently*

Purchase said Desktop
Potentially upgrade to a higher-end Phenom X4, or an X6.
Debate on upgrading much else..

Also - I literally just need raw hardware. Providing the BIOS is already sorted (Never installed a new MoBo, about all my experience lacks) I don't need any form of OS pre-installed.

Thanks.. PPS - Not sure if it's the right section, I've looked

 

[pparks1]

How much of a budget are we talking about, $400, $800, $1200?

 

[A Leopard]

Well, Considering I'm UK, I'd say around.. $400-500? If I'm right.. It should around £200-350 area in my currency

 

[pparks1]

Antec Three Hundred + BP430 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 430W Power Supply $85
Newegg.com - Antec Three Hundred + BP430 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 430W Power Supply

MSI 870-G45 AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard, $75
Newegg.com - MSI 870-G45 AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard

AMD Phenom II X4 840 3.2GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor $104
Newegg.com - AMD Phenom II X4 840 3.2GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor HDX840WFGMBOX

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL8D-4GBHK $47
Newegg.com - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL8D-4GBHK

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive $45
Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

EVGA 01G-P3-1450-TR GeForce GTS 450 (Fermi) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card $120
Newegg.com - EVGA 01G-P3-1450-TR GeForce GTS 450 (Fermi) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

$476. Expect to have to upgrade the power supply later, as this one only has 430 watts. I kept the cost under $500 which was the goal. Should give you ability to upgrade down the road.

Hope this helps.

 

[essenbe]

My only suggestion is if you are going AMD and looking for upgradeability, go wiyh an AM3+ motherboard. It will run am3 chips but will also allow you to upgrade to the vewer chips later.

 

[Ivan the SoSo]

Antec Three Hundred + BP430 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 430W Power Supply $85
Newegg.com - Antec Three Hundred + BP430 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 430W Power Supply

MSI 870-G45 AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard, $75
Newegg.com - MSI 870-G45 AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard

AMD Phenom II X4 840 3.2GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor $104
Newegg.com - AMD Phenom II X4 840 3.2GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor HDX840WFGMBOX

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL8D-4GBHK $47
Newegg.com - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL8D-4GBHK

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive $45
Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

EVGA 01G-P3-1450-TR GeForce GTS 450 (Fermi) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card $120
Newegg.com - EVGA 01G-P3-1450-TR GeForce GTS 450 (Fermi) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

$476. Expect to have to upgrade the power supply later, as this one only has 430 watts. I kept the cost under $500 which was the goal. Should give you ability to upgrade down the road.

Hope this helps.

Those are good suggestions...the only change I would make is thisNewegg.com - SAPPHIRE 100297L Radeon HD 5830 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card w/ ATI Eyefinity Technology

$109.99 one notch higherGraphics Card Hierarchy Chart : Best Graphics Cards For The Money: May 2011

However the Egg doesn't ship to the UK

 

[pparks1]

My only suggestion is if you are going AMD and looking for upgradeability, go wiyh an AM3+ motherboard. It will run am3 chips but will also allow you to upgrade to the vewer chips later.

I thought about it, and was thinking about this board; $129
ASUS M5A88-V EVO AM3+ AMD 880G HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard

The problem was the $129 price tag, put the box over $500.

 

[essenbe]

What about this one ASUS M5A87 AM3+ AMD 870 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard 99.00 should keep him at his mark. Plus I have a problem with MSI.

 

[Wishmaster]

You have a Keyboard,Mouse,Monitor all covered?
And speakers if needed?

 

[pparks1]

@essenbe: You are right, I linked to the wrong mobo. I thought about that $129 board when I was considering using onboard video to stay under $400. However, it would have never met his gaming goals. So, the second board I linked to had onboard video and the one you mentioned, shaved $30 off by removing it. That IS what I should have linked to.

@Wishmaster: I wondered about those things as well. Plus, as nobody should ever forget, a copy of Windows 7 is likely going to set you back at least $100 depending on what version and what licensing type you choose.

 

[Wishmaster]

Yea.
Sadly these are just little things that get overlooked in the budget when building a new rig sometimes.
Ive been guilty of it myself in the past.

 

[A Leopard]

Ooft, such an influx of answers! I'm going to attempt to use all the suggestions.. but you've basically built me a miles better computer for cheaper than the one I'd already found.. Thanks guys!

 

[essenbe]

I don't know where you buy in the UK, but often times if you watch and wait some good parts go on sale. You can watch for the sales and save a few dollars oops I mean pounds.

 

[A Leopard]

Mainly? Amazon. Cheapest for everything (My main purchase is games, but Consoles are so downgraded now I've tasted a little bit of computer gaming) and I genuinely can't wait for Battlefield 3, 'Cos BF3 is primarily (Like BF2) a PC Game, proved by the game trailers all done on PC Gameplay to show it's true potential, and things like 64 Players PC VS 24 Players console.. Jets on PC (Although they seem minor.. gameplay wise, it's huge. Battlefield isn't Battlefield without large player counts and epic vehicular warfare)

And for those who've been living under a rock, I'll leave this here - (Can't get the Youtube tags to work with the full link or the /watch part, so..) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zw8SmsovJc

A bit more on-topic, I've added a 650W power supply to be upgrade proof, took basically everything from pparks 1 epic suggestions (I've used basically everything you've said) and essende for the MoBo! In total.. it's come to basically £330 on the mark, or.. $542 Dollars. It's quite a wedge over, but.. I had to minus the case and use my pre-existing one, and I'll just buy as I need!

 

[essenbe]

I was saying that because there are places where the people who are tech savvy buy parts and leave feedback. It is a good way to get some idea about parts by reading their feedback. You can buy wherever you want to. But you can also learn alot from the feedback. In the US, most people go to Newegg. A lot of the comments are by people who know what they are talking about and you can learn some things from them. I know I do.

 

[A Leopard]

Wow, my message has been deleted 3 times before i've even got chance to post it, here we go again..

Thanks for treating me normally, and not as the majority of people I've come across playing the whole 'Oh, he's 15, that gives him an IQ under his shoe size, clearly." card, massively bugs me.

Anyways.. Been browsing for BF3 specifications on the EA UK Battlefield forums, and there has been some heavily slated idiotic figures, and some down-to-earth, logical and good assumptions of possible specs.. Idiotic first.

• Windows 7 64-bit
• 2GB DirectX 11 video card (Nvidia GTX 580, 6990)
• 4-8GB DDR3 RAM
• Quad or hexacore processor

Now, proof of the idiocy here is that he's suggesting a Nvidia GTX580 (The card the trailer's computer uses), which is a 1.5GB Card, and that's breaching a £300 barrier at a number of retailers.. and never mind the 6990!!!

And the more plausible, credible ones..

- Windows 7 64-Bit
- 1GB Directx 11 Video Card / HD 6850 or GTX 460
- 4GB RAM
- Quad Core Processor / Phenom II or Core i5 Equivalent
- 10GB Hard Drive Space

Now, although my graphics i'm lining up (HD5830) seems massively underpowered (I'm not too well up on GFX's either way, but a '1000' difference in the name, as it is designed to do, indicates quite a big difference.

Well, apart from the GFX, My build seems very well optimized for the recommended, but.. I don't expect Maximum, I barely expect to use ANY form of AA/AF, that's a bonus given to me from being a Console gamer, and lack the finer aspects of AA/AF!

 

[pparks1]

Well, right now BF3 is pure speculation. Nothing is official, here is what I have found;
Battlefield 3 system requirements - Battlefield 3

Second, people have varying opinions on what is suitable as far as gaming is concerned. Some run multi-monitors and high resolutions and want it on uber-realism, at more than 60 frames per second or they declare it gargabe....thus they need a far beefier PC. Other people are fine with a single monitor, and a mangeable resolution and find that a different rig can provide 30 frames per second and they feel that's adequate. So, depending upon what type of a gamer you are, dictates when you feel you need.

So, your last block above is the recommended system for best gameplay. But it's far more than the minimum requirements which are listed on that link above as; Nothing here seems outrageous and you will clearly be between Min and Max.

OS: Windows Vista or Windows 7
Processor: Core 2 Duo @ 2.0GHz
RAM: 2GB
Graphic card: DirectX 10 or 11 compatible Nvidia or AMD ATI card.
Graphics card memory: 512 MB
Hard drive: 15 GB for disc version or 10 GB for digital version

 

[essenbe]

I don't know much at all about graphics cards. But I have read some articles that the 6000 cards are replacements for the 5000 cards, they just upped the numbers to where a 6870 is the replacement for the 5770. So, you can check it out, but you may be surprised at how well a 5830 competes against the 6000 cards.

 

[Ivan the SoSo]

I'm kinda underwhelmed by the 6xxx series.....that said some of the 5xxx series are going for fire sale prices...the 5850 I'm using now was a $300+ card not too long ago....I got mine for $139.....

Yeah we all would like to have a 590/6990, but most everybody has a budget...and we all want the most for those scarce dollars/pounds......

 

[Fumz]

... Been browsing for BF3 specifications ... some down-to-earth, logical and good assumptions of possible specs.. Idiotic first.

• Windows 7 64-bit
• 2GB DirectX 11 video card (Nvidia GTX 580, 6990)
• 4-8GB DDR3 RAM
• Quad or hexacore processor

Now, proof of the idiocy here is that he's suggesting a Nvidia GTX580 (The card the trailer's computer uses), which is a 1.5GB Card, and that's breaching a £300 barrier at a number of retailers.. and never mind the 6990!!!

And the more plausible, credible ones..

- Windows 7 64-Bit
- 1GB Directx 11 Video Card / HD 6850 or GTX 460
- 4GB RAM
- Quad Core Processor / Phenom II or Core i5 Equivalent
- 10GB Hard Drive Space

Now, although my graphics i'm lining up (HD5830) seems massively underpowered (I'm not too well up on GFX's either way, but a '1000' difference in the name, as it is designed to do, indicates quite a big difference.

Well, apart from the GFX, My build seems very well optimized for the recommended, but.. I don't expect Maximum, I barely expect to use ANY form of AA/AF, that's a bonus given to me from being a Console gamer, and lack the finer aspects of AA/AF!

Battlefield 3 uses the Frostbite engine. If you want to know about what to expect, play Bad Company 2. We can only cross our fingers and hope BF3 is better optimized for the PC, but, I would not hold my breath, and neither do other people, which is why you're seeing such high specs.

Most games today are console ports. First they make it for the console, then they see if it'll work on the PC. Because they're originally designed for consoles, they really do take advantage of multi core cpus... essentially, the more cores, the better your game will play. The caveat, of course, is that 6 core AMD cpu's don't fare so well. Intel quads and hexes are good to go.

A "1000 point difference" only indicates the model number. It would be incorrect to assume that 6000 series cards are better than 5000 series cards just because they're named 6000. I have a 5850 that I'll put up against a 6850 any day... and I will spank it... hard.