# Budget Gaming Rig suggestions



## Israar (Jul 5, 2012)

Hey Guys and Gals! Long time no see!

Sorry it's been such a long time and truthfully, with what I have going on at the moment I can't spend the time I would like to on reading up and getting myself back into the know with all the latest tech and deals! 

One of my best friends wants me to build him a decent gaming rig, it doesn't have to be super crazy or over powerful! Just enough to play games such as World of Warcraft on decent settings and maybe some Steam games.

The budget he has is £400 to £450, he needs a case and everything inside as well as Windows 7. He's not fussed whether he has 32bit or 64bit, that is dependable on the build suggestions. 

Hopefully it's not too much a hard task for you legends, but for me right now, it's too much a task for me to take on :S

Hope to hear back from you guys and gals soon and hope everyone is taking damn good care of themselves! 

--Lee


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## Crap Daddy (Jul 5, 2012)

Maybe you know a better supplier but I compiled some stuff from Aria:

http://www.aria.co.uk/SuperSpecials...t+F3+SATA-II+3.5"+Hard+Drive+?productId=37726

http://www.aria.co.uk/SuperSpecials...cket+LGA1155+Processor+-+OEM+?productId=50439


http://www.aria.co.uk/SuperSpecials...DDR3+PCI-Express+Motherboard+?productId=48876

http://www.aria.co.uk/SuperSpecials...R5+PCI-Express+Graphics+Card+?productId=47265

http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Comp...430CX+V2+80PLUS+Power+Supply+?productId=42487

http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Comp...+Channel+Kit+(TW3X4G1333C9A)+?productId=50784

That's 391.

all you need is a case and the damn Windows licence.


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## D007 (Jul 5, 2012)

I tip my hat to whoever pulls this off..
A "gaming" rig for under 500 bucks.. That is gonna be tough..



Crap Daddy said:


> Maybe you know a better supplier but I compiled some stuff from Aria:
> 
> http://www.aria.co.uk/SuperSpecials...t+F3+SATA-II+3.5"+Hard+Drive+?productId=37726
> 
> ...



Consider my hat tipped.. Dam nice build there, at an amazing price CD.
Cases are overrated..lol.. He can wait for a case or not even get one, if he really wants to save money..
Win 7 without the case, within that price, should be easy enough to find.
Or tell him to save for another week or something..
I'd be worth it.


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## brandonwh64 (Jul 5, 2012)

I have windows 7 pro COA for ya at a good price


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## Yo_Wattup (Jul 6, 2012)

Crap Daddy said:


> Maybe you know a better supplier but I compiled some stuff from Aria:
> 
> http://www.aria.co.uk/SuperSpecials...t+F3+SATA-II+3.5"+Hard+Drive+?productId=37726
> 
> ...



I made an imaginary build from that website and basically got what you got. Pretty good system.

EDIT: actually I chose a 7770 rather than a 6870 just because it uses less power. I personally would not use a 6870 with a 430W PSU.


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## Sh00t1st (Jul 6, 2012)

I've used my sisters 6870 with a 300 watt power supply and its currently running on a 380 antec earthwatts, you'll do just fine with picking it over the 7770.


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## de.das.dude (Jul 6, 2012)

maybe he should wait till trinity desktops come out?


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## Norton (Jul 6, 2012)

Yo_Wattup said:


> I made an imaginary build from that website and basically got what you got. Pretty good system.
> 
> EDIT: actually I chose a *7770 rather than a 6870 *just because it uses less power. I personally would not use a 6870 with a 430W PSU.



You will need to consider this or a get a slightly larger PSU- the Corsair 430w has only one PCIE connector (the 500w model has two)


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## Aquinus (Jul 6, 2012)

When I had my Phenom II 940 and Radeon HD 6870 in the same box, my 550-watt PSU wouldn't even boot. I ended up replacing it with an 800-watt Corsair and it worked out of the box, no problem. The 6870 is a good card, just don't skimp on power. It does overclock very well, I might add. 1Ghz core isn't out of the realm of possibility.



Sh00t1st said:


> I've used my sisters 6870 with a 300 watt power supply and its currently running on a 380 antec earthwatts, you'll do just fine with picking it over the 7770.



Have fun, my Phemom II 940 and Radeon 6870 at stock speeds would use more than that. She is going to fry something on that machine before you know it.


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## brandonwh64 (Jul 6, 2012)

Aquinus said:


> When I had my Phenom II 940 and Radeon HD 6870 in the same box, my 550-watt PSU wouldn't even boot. I ended up replacing it with an 800-watt Corsair and it worked out of the box, no problem. The 6870 is a good card, just don't skimp on power. It does overclock very well, I might add. 1Ghz core isn't out of the realm of possibility.
> 
> 
> 
> Have fun, my Phemom II 940 and Radeon 6870 at stock speeds would use more than that. She is going to fry something on that machine before you know it.



The reason is that the phenom II 940 is a 140W CPU by itself and the I3-2100 is a 65W so he maybe able to get away with it but I wouldn't trust it myself.


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## Israar (Jul 6, 2012)

Crap Daddy said:


> Maybe you know a better supplier but I compiled some stuff from Aria:
> 
> http://www.aria.co.uk/SuperSpecials...t+F3+SATA-II+3.5"+Hard+Drive+?productId=37726
> 
> ...



Thanks matey, not looked at the items yet though I will scan through it! I never actually thought anyone would come up with something so quickly, and truthfully from the looks of skimming the links it looks pretty good for the price too! 

Again, thank you very much for the VERY fast reply with links too! Really appreciate it! 



brandonwh64 said:


> I have windows 7 pro COA for ya at a good price



Let me know how much it costs mate then I can get back to you, though I'm not sure when my friend is actually having this build of his done =)



Yo_Wattup said:


> I made an imaginary build from that website and basically got what you got. Pretty good system.
> 
> EDIT: actually I chose a 7770 rather than a 6870 just because it uses less power. I personally would not use a 6870 with a 430W PSU.



So you'd rather go with a 7770 over a 6870 to drop the load weight from the CPU, saying that as I said above I've not fully looked into the build suggestion yet though I will definitely keep my eye on this  -- Thank you! 



de.das.dude said:


> maybe he should wait till trinity desktops come out?



Never even heard of a Trinity Desktops until now, they any good? 



Norton said:


> You will need to consider this or a get a slightly larger PSU- the Corsair 430w has only one PCIE connector (the 500w model has two)



I'll definitely keep this in mind matey, chances are, after going through the list and checking it all out, based on the suggested links and help from you guys I'll more than likely go for a spread which will end up upgrading both, though depends on the budget, if it comes to budget then most likely will end up with which ever is more suitable at the time. Not sure which would be the better choice if to chose one over the other though, normally I'd go PSU over most things due to it being a core part to the system haha! Needs to be decent otherwise it puts the rest of the equipment at risk :S

Thanks for the very helpful information and suggestions everyone, once I go through the links above I'll get back to you lot and let you know what's going on after I've talked my mate through it all then we can see how it pans out 

--Lee


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## TheMailMan78 (Jul 6, 2012)

Israar said:


> Hey Guys and Gals! Long time no see!
> 
> Sorry it's been such a long time and truthfully, with what I have going on at the moment I can't spend the time I would like to on reading up and getting myself back into the know with all the latest tech and deals!
> 
> ...



Why are you eating that womans face in your avatar?


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## de.das.dude (Jul 8, 2012)

Israar said:


> Thanks matey, not looked at the items yet though I will scan through it! I never actually thought anyone would come up with something so quickly, and truthfully from the looks of skimming the links it looks pretty good for the price too!
> 
> Again, thank you very much for the VERY fast reply with links too! Really appreciate it!
> 
> ...




they should be. laptop trinitys are awesome. combining 76xx series GPU on board the CPU die. and they are cheap!


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## mediasorcerer (Jul 8, 2012)

Good info, i need to build a new rigg now too, on bros lappy atm, im going with matx mobo and big juicy gpu ie small form factor but lots of power haha.


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## WhiteLotus (Jul 8, 2012)

You can probably save a bit of money knocking the hard drive down a bit. 1TB is an awful lot of storage. 

Maybe something like this http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Stor...3.5"+Hard+Drive+-+CLEAN+PULL+?productId=48044, that save you ~£20.

Also if you have a student in the family, check out Software4Students, and also if you know of any NHS employees you can get Win7 for cheaper than off the shelf.

Edit, and don't forget to have a bit of ££ left over should you need to purchase some SATA cables etc. OEM stuff rarely come with cables.


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## Nokiacrazi (Jul 8, 2012)

Sorry to hijack this thread a little. Wondering about a new build, which would better i5 2500k or i5 3450 bearing in mind I won't be over clocking. The IB one is about £15 cheaper.


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## Aquinus (Jul 9, 2012)

Nokiacrazi said:


> Sorry to hijack this thread a little. Wondering about a new build, which would better i5 2500k or i5 3450 bearing in mind I won't be over clocking. The IB one is about £15 cheaper.



The 3450 would be faster and cheaper if you don't overclock at all, if you decide that you want to overclock though, you're not going to be able to do a whole lot with it though.


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## Nokiacrazi (Jul 9, 2012)

Aquinus said:


> The 3450 would be faster and cheaper if you don't overclock at all, if you decide that you want to overclock though, you're not going to be able to do a whole lot with it though.



Fair enough - if you don't mind, what dya think about this build (for gaming)

CM Storm Scout + Coolermaster Silent Pro 700W Modular PSU
Intel Core i5 3450 3.1GHz Socket 1155 6MB Cache Retail Boxed Processor
Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H Socket 1155 VGA DVI HDMI 8 Channel Audio ATX Motherboard
G-Skill 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600Mhz RipjawsX Memory Kit CL9 (9-9-9-24) 1.5V

And my current 3870 to be upgraded to 7850 when I see a cheap one.


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## Aquinus (Jul 9, 2012)

Nokiacrazi said:


> Fair enough - if you don't mind, what dya think about this build (for gaming)
> 
> CM Storm Scout + Coolermaster Silent Pro 700W Modular PSU
> Intel Core i5 3450 3.1GHz Socket 1155 6MB Cache Retail Boxed Processor
> ...



Not bad, I would opt for the 7870 if I were you though.


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## Nokiacrazi (Jul 9, 2012)

Aquinus said:


> Not bad, I would opt for the 7870 if I were you though.



Hmm, but the 7870 is quite a lot more expensive but not greatly better performance wise unless I'm mistaken?


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## Aquinus (Jul 9, 2012)

Nokiacrazi said:


> Hmm, but the 7870 is quite a lot more expensive but not greatly better performance wise unless I'm mistaken?



I know that you already said that you don't plan on overclocking but the 7870 is already clocked a lot higher than the 7850 and it also overclocks really well. I keep forgetting that you're not going to be overclocking, but that in itself is reason to get a faster GPU imho.

According to TPU's own review of the 7870 and 7850, the 7870 is roughly 15% faster than the 7850.

Take a look for yourself.


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## Nokiacrazi (Jul 10, 2012)

I think I'll stick to the 7850 tbh - it won't have a problem fitting in that case will it? Also 700W should be more than enough for the system?


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## Crap Daddy (Jul 10, 2012)

Nokiacrazi said:


> I think I'll stick to the 7850 tbh - it won't have a problem fitting in that case will it? Also 700W should be more than enough for the system?



In the Storm Scout? It will fit no prob. 700W is overkill for one 7850 and non-OC Ivy Bridge.


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## Frick (Jul 10, 2012)

Crap Daddy said:


> In the Storm Scout? It will fit no prob. 700W is overkill for one 7850 and non-OC Ivy Bridge.



Overkill for overclocking as well.


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## gopal (Jul 10, 2012)

600W will be nice


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## Nokiacrazi (Jul 10, 2012)

Well actually doing the measurements, I don't think I need a new case to be honest. And if my current 600W (cheap) PSU is good enough, then I can save by not buying new Case+PSU.


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## Nokiacrazi (Jul 10, 2012)

Apologies again, but rather than make a new thread, thought I would just post here again.

So I am pretty set on

i5 3450
G-Skill 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600Mhz RipjawsX Memory K...
And some 7850 (any recommended company? Maybe sapphire?)

Problem is I can't decide on a mobo. Not going to be overclocking, just gaming really. Looking to spend ~£80, cheaper is better. Looking at these 

Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H

or 

Asus P8Z77-M Z77


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## Aquinus (Jul 10, 2012)

Nokiacrazi said:


> Apologies again, but rather than make a new thread, thought I would just post here again.
> 
> So I am pretty set on
> 
> ...



Both of my 6870s are MSI and they've performed great, not a single issue with either of them.

Gigabyte and Asus are both good, but I would lean towards Asus. I've had strange issues with the BIOS on a gigabyte board that I recently built a 2600k machine with, but I know plenty of people who swear by both, so personally I would say the P8Z77-M is the better choice. Just keep in mind that the Asus board is a Micro-ATX motherboard.


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## Nokiacrazi (Jul 10, 2012)

Aquinus said:


> Both of my 6870s are MSI and they've performed great, not a single issue with either of them.
> 
> Gigabyte and Asus are both good, but I would lean towards Asus. I've had strange issues with the BIOS on a gigabyte board that I recently built a 2600k machine with, but I know plenty of people who swear by both, so personally I would say the P8Z77-M is the better choice. Just keep in mind that the Asus board is a Micro-ATX motherboard.



What difference would that make other than size?


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## Israar (Jul 15, 2012)

TheMailMan78 said:


> Why are you eating that womans face in your avatar?



Haha, love this reply, my response? Simply because she is tasty ;-)



de.das.dude said:


> they should be. laptop trinitys are awesome. combining 76xx series GPU on board the CPU die. and they are cheap!



I'll have to have a look at those see what they're like!  -- Sounds of it they should be good! XD



Nokiacrazi said:


> Sorry to hijack this thread a little.



Hey dude, no need to be sorry, you're after the same thing I was more or less, so join in on the thread all you like, if it helps get you some info and in the right direction it's all the more better!

Also, this is for everyone that's helped me thus far, a huge thank you for the input, unfortunately, he's having a build done I don't know the specs or anything like that but I'll find out soon enough when he gets it  -- A Techy I used to work for is building it for him, I don't know the budget he gave either so I'm literally out of the loop for the time being, though I promise I'll let you all know what he gets 

--Lee


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