Good build for a "casual gamer"?

[alcoholic philipp mainländer]

Hey, this Christmas I'm getting a rig with the following specs:

UPDATE: I've already ordered and received all of the parts except for the CPU and motherboard which will arive in the mail around Christmas.

Here's what I got:

FX-6300 6-core 3,5 GHz (hasn't arrived yet)
Asrock 970 PRO (hasn't arrived yet)
Kingston HyperX Genesis 2x4 GB
Asus GTX660 TI
Seagate Barracuda 1 TB
Asus DRW X24
Corsair CX500W
Cooler Master Elite 310
Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium

THE FOLLOWING TEXT IS OLD AND OUTDATED:


Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H motherboard
AMD A10 6800k Black Edition 4.4 ghz
AMD Radeon HD 8670D (onboard)
8 gb 1600 mhz RAM
1000 gb hard drive
450 watt power supply
Cooler Master Elite 344 case

Could you tell me if this build is any good for a "hardcore casual gamer" like me? You can take a peek in my game collection to see what kind of games I'm into. Also, the prebuilt rig comes with the OS installed and ready to go, which do you guys think will suit me better, Windows 7 64-bit or Windows 8/8.1 64-bit? Also I'd like to know which one performs better as a gaming OS. Thanks in advance.

UPDATE:

I found a nice build with these specs, which one is better?

AMD FX6350 4.2 ghz 6-core
4 gb 1333 mhz RAM
NVIDIA GTX 650
Zalman Z9 case w/ 500 watt power supply
Asrock 970 motherboard

UPDATE:

Here's a better one I found for 738 euros.

AMD FX6300 Box
Asus M5A97
Asus GeForce GTX 660 2 GB
Kingston HyperX Genesis 2x4 GB
Zalman Z3 Plus
EVGA 500 W PSU
WD Caviar Blue 1 TB
Asus 24x DVDRW Black SATA
Windows 7/8.1 64-bit Home Premium
Basic assembly

UPDATE:

I managed to crank the price down a little:

AMD FX-6300 Box - 110 €
Asrock 970DE3 - 60 €
MSI GTX660 OC 2 GB GDR5 - 169 €
Crucial D3 1333 mhz 8 GB RAM - 64 €
Zalman Z3 Plus - 40 €
EVGA 500W PSU - 55 €
WD Caviar Blue - 59 €
Asus DVDRW 24x Black SATA - 18 €
Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium - 95 €
Basic assembly with no software installation - 35 €

Total: 704.11 euros

[alcoholic philipp mainländer]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Rumpelcrutchskin:

Początkowo opublikowane przez HλNNES:

Hey, I found a nice build that doesn't come with an OS with the following specs:

AMD FX6350 4.2 ghz (8-core, judging on the clock speeds, amount of cores and number of cache memory I think this bad boy is even more powerful than the PS4 will ever be)
4 gb 1333 mhz RAM
NVIDIA GTX 650
Zalman Z9 case w/ 500 watt power supply
Asrock 970 motherboard

It costs 599 euros without the OS, is this build any good?

It's 6-core.
You want 8 Gb of 1600 Mhz RAM.
GTX 650 is entry level gaming card, not exactly speed demon.

Graphics card hierarchy chart:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html

Alright, I'll ask the geezer who runs the store to give me eight gigs of RAM, and ask him whether the case has enough room for a bigger card incase I get hungry for more power in the future.

Początkowo opublikowane przez skullcandy1366:

Początkowo opublikowane przez HλNNES:

Hey, I found a nice build that doesn't come with an OS with the following specs:

AMD FX6350 4.2 ghz (8-core, judging on the clock speeds, amount of cores and number of cache memory I think this bad boy is even more powerful than the PS4 will ever be)
4 gb 1333 mhz RAM
NVIDIA GTX 650
Zalman Z9 case w/ 500 watt power supply
Asrock 970 motherboard

It costs 599 euros without the OS, is this build any good?

The build istelf is great although the Graphics card can't run newer games maxed out but can run them smoothely on medium to lower without any stats. You might actually be able to play them on high however, if you do some overclocking and configurating your card. Everything else is excellent though the I'm a little iffy on that price considering you don't take the OS but I think it could last you a couple of years.

Also, as I said, I NEVER run games at a higher res than 1024x768, it gives me nasty headaches and motion sickness. If it runs GTA V (once the PC port is released) and Half-Life 3 (when it will be released 167946723678542893765 years after Gabe Newell's death) on the lowest possible settings, then I'll take it.

[Gee Wilikers]

Początkowo opublikowane przez HλNNES:

Początkowo opublikowane przez skullcandy1366:

The build istelf is great although the Graphics card can't run newer games maxed out but can run them smoothely on medium to lower without any stats. You might actually be able to play them on high however, if you do some overclocking and configurating your card. Everything else is excellent though the I'm a little iffy on that price considering you don't take the OS but I think it could last you a couple of years.

Also, as I said, I NEVER run games at a higher res than 1024x768, it gives me nasty headaches and motion sickness. If it runs GTA V (once the PC port is released) and Half-Life 3 (when it will be released 167946723678542893765 years after Gabe Newell's death) on the lowest possible settings, then I'll take it.

I keep hearing about a pc port! Is that really happening or just some rumors (cough) (cough) (Red Dead Redemption)

[_I_]

pc ports happen when the devs take the shortest route to convert a console game to pc
not putting in any extra menus for video settings or keeping in the console low resolution textures ect..

good examples, dead space 1-2, crysis 3, dead island 1-2

if you want something casual, get an i3, atleast it has upgrade options, and even tho its a dual core with ht, the core performance is over 1.5x amd

paired witha gtx650 will make a cheap machine

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2c9G8

[alcoholic philipp mainländer]

Początkowo opublikowane przez _I_:

pc ports happen when the devs take the shortest route to convert a console game to pc
not putting in any extra menus for video settings or keeping in the console low resolution textures ect..

good examples, dead space 1-2, crysis 3, dead island 1-2

if you want something casual, get an i3, atleast it has upgrade options, and even tho its a dual core with ht, the core performance is over 1.5x amd

paired witha gtx650 will make a cheap machine

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2c9G8

I've heard the i3 is a good budget CPU, but I'm looking to go future-proof, which is why I'll probably be getting the FX6350 rig I mentioned earlier. BTW, will the build I mentioned will I be able to max out Saints Row IV?

[Whitefeather]

Noting that GTAV.exe has been added to the list of optimized games in the latest Catylist drivers, I suspect it is no longer a rumor. They're pretty much following the release pattern of GTA IV.

i3 builds are not "future proof" you can't plug and play them as well as AMD CPUs as there's several different sockets in the current generation, and whenever a new codename drops, Intel feels the need to change the socket, while simultaneously making the old ones disappear.

If you want a budget rig and want to upgrade the CPU later, go with AMD. They're more upgrade friendly. Also since most of the computations are made on the GPU anymore, CPU doesn't make as much of an impact on gaming. Even then with games utilizing every core they have available, having more cores at your disposal will even or better your performance for less money.

Even if you only play games at 1024x768, don't skimp too much on hardware because it's better to upgrade every 4 years than every year. Even if you don't play newer games, some patches can make older games work the hardware more.(CSS for example, a patch made my AMD 3500+ NV GF 7600GT build go from maxing it out to medium settings, if I tried to go high it would lag it.)

[_I_]

with the onboard apu, itll be playable, but not on high-max settings
be sure to get 1866+ cl9- ram to get the best performance from it

[Whitefeather]

That's one thing with the APUs that I forgot to mention. You can't just buy any DDR3 RAM and throw it in there and expect to game on it. RAM speed matters a lot more with APUs than it does CPUs, unless you're disabling the built in video.

If you want to game with the A10, get the fastest 8GB or more RAM you can buy that's compatible with the board you are using.

Even then I still recommend getting a dedicated CPU and GPU for gaming. The APUs the PS4 and XB1 are using are specifically designed for gaming and cheaper than two different chips. That's why they used them, because consoles appeal more for budget gamers(who seem to like to pay more in the long run in subscription fees and higher priced accessories.)

The A10 is great for a media center PC, but not that good for gaming. Also another note about it, don't think that it will be as fast as the 7670 because of the name. The D on the end of 8670D means that it's designed for integrated. Which means less stream processing units(384 on the APU and 480 on the 7670.) Stream processors make up the majority of the performance of GPUs because by design they are parallel processors, more cores = more performance.

Początkowo opublikowane przez HλNNES:

Hey, I found a nice build that doesn't come with an OS with the following specs:

AMD FX6350 4.2 ghz (8-core, judging on the clock speeds, amount of cores and number of cache memory I think this bad boy is even more powerful than the PS4 will ever be)
4 gb 1333 mhz RAM
NVIDIA GTX 650
Zalman Z9 case w/ 500 watt power supply
Asrock 970 motherboard

It costs 599 euros without the OS, is this build any good?

That is a good one but up the RAM to 8GB and consider getting a better video card and you may have a solid performer. Upgrade the power supply if you plan on upgrading the rest of the hardware.(for maximum efficiency you want to be within 50-60% of the power supply capacity)

The CPU is a 6-core but it will outperform the XB1 and PS4 even though they have 8 because the clock speed is per core essentially, so it means each core does 2 or 3 times more per second than the XB1 or the PS4.

Edit: Add: Clock speed has nothing to do with the amount of cores by the way. Clock speed just tells how many times data can cycle through a second. For instance a 64-bit CPU processes 64-bits per cycle, a 2Hz 64-bit CPU can sift through 128 bits of code each second.

[Rove]

For the games you play that rig looks superb.

However a few things to point out about that system:

1. you could get it better and cheaper by building your own from parts.

EXAMPLE BUILD from German websites in Euros, includes Windows 7 64bit:
http://de.pcpartpicker.com/p/2cjkk
Base Total: €560.84
Shipping: €4.99
Total: €565.83

2. the RAM is only DDR3-1600 but the A10-6800K APU supports (and does best) with DDR3-2133 at the lowest CAS latency possible (9 or 10 CAS would be ideal, I have some CAS 11 and it's okay also, avoid anything like CAS 13 though) and this can directly effect the APU's graphics performance and to a lesser extent CPU performance.

3. that rig does come with a very nice socket FM2+ motherboard which can later be upgraded to a better FM2+ APU when they are released.

4. the AMD onboard graphics (HD 8670D) should be more than enough to play all your games very well even at 1080p and I heard you like lower resolution so until you want a monitor upgrade it is overkill (better than you need). If you do get a monitor upgrade you also have space for a separate dedicated GPU on that motherboard and you can add it in later when needed. I played DoTA2 on one of these at 1080p highest settings.

[alcoholic philipp mainländer]

Początkowo opublikowane przez DBobExpress:

That's one thing with the APUs that I forgot to mention. You can't just buy any DDR3 RAM and throw it in there and expect to game on it. RAM speed matters a lot more with APUs than it does CPUs, unless you're disabling the built in video.

If you want to game with the A10, get the fastest 8GB or more RAM you can buy that's compatible with the board you are using.

Even then I still recommend getting a dedicated CPU and GPU for gaming. The APUs the PS4 and XB1 are using are specifically designed for gaming and cheaper than two different chips. That's why they used them, because consoles appeal more for budget gamers(who seem to like to pay more in the long run in subscription fees and higher priced accessories.)

The A10 is great for a media center PC, but not that good for gaming. Also another note about it, don't think that it will be as fast as the 7670 because of the name. The D on the end of 8670D means that it's designed for integrated. Which means less stream processing units(384 on the APU and 480 on the 7670.) Stream processors make up the majority of the performance of GPUs because by design they are parallel processors, more cores = more performance.

Początkowo opublikowane przez HλNNES:

Hey, I found a nice build that doesn't come with an OS with the following specs:

AMD FX6350 4.2 ghz (8-core, judging on the clock speeds, amount of cores and number of cache memory I think this bad boy is even more powerful than the PS4 will ever be)
4 gb 1333 mhz RAM
NVIDIA GTX 650
Zalman Z9 case w/ 500 watt power supply
Asrock 970 motherboard

It costs 599 euros without the OS, is this build any good?

That is a good one but up the RAM to 8GB and consider getting a better video card and you may have a solid performer. Upgrade the power supply if you plan on upgrading the rest of the hardware.(for maximum efficiency you want to be within 50-60% of the power supply capacity)

The CPU is a 6-core but it will outperform the XB1 and PS4 even though they have 8 because the clock speed is per core essentially, so it means each core does 2 or 3 times more per second than the XB1 or the PS4.

Edit: Add: Clock speed has nothing to do with the amount of cores by the way. Clock speed just tells how many times data can cycle through a second. For instance a 64-bit CPU processes 64-bits per cycle, a 2Hz 64-bit CPU can sift through 128 bits of code each second.

Alright. I'll see if I can get 8 gigs of RAM. I may also replace the GPU. My budget is 700 euros, including OS, so no GTX Titan here. I'm also a bit concerned about the power supply, can you guys name me some brands that perform well with AMD 6-cores?

[_I_]

antec, corsair, seasonic, xfx are all good power supplies
600w is more than enough for a single gpu setup

[alcoholic philipp mainländer]

Also, could you suggest me the cheapest possible way to obtain a Windows 7/8 OS legally, preferably without ordering from Microsoft's website?

[alcoholic philipp mainländer]

Początkowo opublikowane przez _I_:

antec, corsair, seasonic, xfx are all good power supplies
600w is more than enough for a single gpu setup

I probably sound like a complete noob, but does adding an extra stick of RAM increase the need for power? Also, can I snag the 4 gb stick from my current junk rig and then use it with the new one, or do they need to be of the same brand?

[Rumpelcrutchskin]

Początkowo opublikowane przez HλNNES:

Początkowo opublikowane przez _I_:

antec, corsair, seasonic, xfx are all good power supplies
600w is more than enough for a single gpu setup

I probably sound like a complete noob, but does adding an extra stick of RAM increase the need for power? Also, can I snag the 4 gb stick from my current junk rig and then use it with the new one, or do they need to be of the same brand?

RAM takes very little power. Two parts that use most power in PC are graphics card and CPU, rest is just small stuff.
You need same specs RAM so not good idea to use your old one.

[Rove]

If you can order from Germany or make something similar from a local PC Parts retailer then here is what I suggest:

http://de.pcpartpicker.com/p/2cwKe
Total: €673.74

The cheapest way to get Windows is to order a "OEM" copy from some place just like I did in this build. Just make sure you get 64bit WIndows and NOT 32bit cause you need 64bit.

[alcoholic philipp mainländer]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Rove:

If you can order from Germany or make something similar from a local PC Parts retailer then here is what I suggest:

http://de.pcpartpicker.com/p/2cwKe
Total: €673.74

The cheapest way to get Windows is to order a "OEM" copy from some place just like I did in this build. Just make sure you get 64bit WIndows and NOT 32bit cause you need 64bit.

Very nice build, but do I have to assemble it myself? To be honest, the only time I've ever opened a computer's case was when my granpa's old Pentium 4 rig's CPU socket had somehow popped off and I had to reattach it. My local retailer has an "assembly service" that costs around 80 euros but I think it'd be better if I did it myself, are there any good books or tutorials for assembling your own computer? Do I need any special tools? Also, what will mailing the parts to me (Espoo, Southern Finland) cost?