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Build Guide

Entry Level Gaming Build

by ThoughtA

67
192 Comments

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Revision History

NOTE: A more recent version of this guide is available here.

Description

NCIX has kindly put together a bundle including most of the parts used in this guide, as built on our recent live stream. The bundle should be available through the June 25, 2016 on both NCIX Canada and NCIX US.

Our CPU of choice for this budget is the i3-6100. While it features only two cores, the 6100 also employs hyperthreading to help close the gap between it and a 4-core i5. Hyperthreading adds an additional logical core for each physical core, which is handy for streaming, video editing, and multi-tasking CPU-intensive tasks.

We're using the Gigabyte GA-H110M-A as our motherboard. This motherboard supports up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM, four SATA 6 GB/s devices, and it has an extra DIMM slot if we ever want to increase our total memory. We're using a parametric filter to choose the best priced 1x8GB kit of memory within Intel's recommended specifications while leaving an open DIMM slot for a potential memory increase down the road. Here, we're prioritizing the future expandability of using 1x8GB stick of RAM over the limited benefit dual channel would provide in gaming via 2x4GB sticks. Additionally, we're using a parametric filter to select the best priced 2TB 7200 RPM mechanical hard drive. For a similar price, a 240-256GB SSD could be swapped out.

In this budget build, we manage to squeeze in an AMD R9 380X. This is a very powerful GPU for our budget, and with it, we can game at 1080p admirably.

The Corsair Carbide SPEC-M2 is a mini tower case that can fit all of our components. It offers decent cable management, which can sometimes be a problem at our budget, and there's room to expand with hard drives or a solid state drive. It also has 1 front panel USB 3.0 port and 1 front panel USB 2.0 port. This mini tower case also won't take up as much space as a mid tower. There is also a deal right now for the SPEC-M2 where you can receive a free case fan with your purchase. At this budget level, case fans sometimes can be sparse, so the extra fan is helpful.

For the PSU, we're using a parametric selection of a few well-reviewed budget semi-modular units, which are all rated for good efficiency and can provide plenty of power for this build.

Part List Customize This Part List

Compatibility Check: No issues/incompatibilities found.

Estimated Wattage: 266W
Component Selection Base Promo Shipping Tax Price Where
CPU $133.89 FREE $133.89 B&H Buy
Motherboard
Memory
From parametric filter
  • Size: 8GB (1x8GB)
  • Heat Spreader: Yes
 $44.99 FREE $44.99 Newegg Buy
Storage
From parametric filter
  • Capacity: 2000 GB - 10000 GB
  • Type: SSD, 7200RPM
  • Interface: SATA 3 Gb/s, SATA 6 Gb/s
  • Form Factor: 3.5"
 $52.99 FREE $52.99 Amazon Buy
Video Card
Case
Power Supply
From parametric selection (show)
$74.99 $4.99 $79.98 Newegg Buy
Base Total: $306.86
Shipping: $4.99
Total: $311.85
* Using your selected merchants and only including nearby in-store pickup prices)
* Some physical dimension restrictions cannot (yet) be automatically checked, such as cpu cooler / RAM clearance with modules using tall heat spreaders.

Comments Sorted by:

Insanexx 3 points 33 months ago

im just asking here but according to sites like newegg and amazon this board works with ram at a speed of 2133, the ram you posted is clocked at 2400mhz so my question is will the board even be able to go past post with that ram?

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sawbladesmile 2 points 33 months ago

The RAM would automatically down-clock to 2133mhz. You may be able to achieve higher speeds through either XMP or manual RAM overclocking in BIOS. Although H110 boards tend to now allow it.

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Tiago2R -1 points 33 months ago

This processor has a considerable performance increase with faster RAM, maybe would be worth investing in a mobo with the Z170, even tough is more expensive and you can't overclock this processor you'll have a build easily upgradable in the future.

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jimlandiaman 1 Build 2 points 33 months ago

Where'd you get that info? I've seen that memory speed only makes a few FPS difference in games.

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Tiago2R 0 points 33 months ago

Usually memory speed don't make difference in games but it's not the case with this one, many review show better fps with faster RAM. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2015-intel-core-i3-6100-review

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jimlandiaman 1 Build 2 points 33 months ago

Huh. Other than their benchmarks in Ryse, their results were in-line with what I had heard (which was a <10 FPS difference in most games). The Ryse benchmarks is still interesting, though.

I think it's worth pointing out that even at the lower memory speed, games on the i3 were still at a very playable FPS (given a powerful GPU). I think the extra $70 for the Z170 board and higher memory speed may not be worth it for a budget build like this one, but it would be worth the cost in other builds.

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DuckyDragon 1 Build 0 points 33 months ago

RAM speed directly influences CPU performance, and CPU performance can influence GPU usage. When the CPU is the bottleneck, then lower CPU performance means lower GPU usage. Higher CPU performance means higher GPU usage. Logically speaking, faster RAM means greater GPU usage, which means higher FPS.

It's not going to create a miracle, of course. The CPU is still the bottleneck, and only upgrading it is going to change that. However, you can get quite a bit more out of it than before. When we're talking about low-end gaming, then 7 FPS is a lot more meaningful when we're sub-refresh rate, and can mean the difference between 48 FPS and 55 FPS.

Another reason to consider getting 2400MHz RAM is because it strangely costs nearly the same as 2133MHz RAM, sometimes even less. I'm not sure who comes up with these prices, but you might actually get a better deal with 2400MHz RAM versus 2133MHz. Higher quality RAM for the same price is great, I guess!

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jimlandiaman 1 Build 1 point 33 months ago

This is true, but the issue isn't the RAM's price, but the motherboard's price. non-z170 motherboards will downclock memory modules to 2133, and can only be overclocked on Z170 boards. Upgrading to the cheapest Z170 board is a $30 price hike. This might not be an issue depending on someone's budget, but wouldn't be feasible if someone was pinching every penny. The H110 board is entry-level, and is therefore appropriate for an "entry level gaming" build guide.

Also, most FPS gains on memory tend to show at 2666 or 3000-speed DDR4, not 2400. In either case, dual channel probably makes as big of a difference (without major price hikes) in performance as memory clock speed.

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cscheat 1 point 32 months ago

i have the i3 6000 too

upgraded my ram from 2133 to 2666 really makes a huge difference !

i follow digital foundry advice

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ilikepcs__ 1 point 33 months ago

More than likely probably not

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kinfoxx 2 points 33 months ago

Right so I'm fairly new to the game of PC building (last one I did was 15+ years ago) so need a bit of advice. I've made a part list based off of this list but need that extra bit of help before I take the plunge.

Part list: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/NWGMf7

Requirements

  • Moderate gaming (I'm not a graphics ***** but I do like it to look nice) hooked up directly to my TV via HDMI (pretty much emulating a Steam Machine)

  • Network connected media server (looking to build this as a NAS running PLEX - which ofc I can add additional SSDs later on)

  • On the point above ^ being able to use it as a wireless NAS fileserver with Macs in the house

Pretty much I want a NAS but also a PC able to handle most games (right now all I have is a laptop) and realised I could kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Thoughts?

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GordonRamsay 1 point 33 months ago

This Should Be Fine, But IDK About A NAS, It Might Be Safer Just To Get A Separate NAS System Just Incase, Plus This Would Have To Be On Constantly To Act As A NAS, And It Might Get A Bit Hot, And Quite Loud. Sounds Good Though. And, It Appears That Everything Will Be Stored On That One SSD, Which Means You Would Lose Everything From Your Computer If Something Happens To The NAS.

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kinfoxx 2 points 33 months ago

Yeah I'd be adding more SSDs later on for a true RAID config. Couple of colleagues advised to get a 250gb SSD for OS and games, and a 1-2TB for the media server. I'm trying to eliminate the need to buy a dedicated NAS as they're as expensive as a PC anyway.

Also, no need to have it on all the time, only when accessing media which is occasionally. It's how we work it now, using my laptop as a Plex server.

Just an aside.. why do you capitalize every word?

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GordonRamsay 1 point 33 months ago

I Don't Know... I Think It Just Look Neater With Them All Capitalised...

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Muzo1 4 points 32 months ago

No offence, but it is really annoying to look at let alone reading it >_<''

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ChaseHe 1 point 32 months ago

Agreed. It's okay if you don't capitalized like it, or, and, etc.

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GreenWard 1 Build 1 point 33 months ago

On the Hitachi Deskstar the type is displayed as SSD.Wierd.Otherwise,pretty nice build (guide)!

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ThoughtA staff submitter 2 points 33 months ago

I can explain that. The parametric filter checks for both 7200RPM HDDs and SSDs, and both happen to fall under the same filter category.

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GreenWard 1 Build 1 point 33 months ago

Oh well,minor detail.Good buildguide non the less.

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SamHam 1 point 33 months ago

Noice build guide. Can you tell me if my build idea is any good and any recommendations you have too improve it?

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Jt9Bgs

Thanks.

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Decf1 3 points 33 months ago

maybe change psu to EVGA GQ, its a bit better then NEX G1

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l1nk 1 point 33 months ago

The GQ is the best price/value PSU imo. The difference is non-percievable between the GQ and the G2.

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johngerges582 1 point 33 months ago

The difference is non-percievable between the GQ and the G2.

The difference you see is non perceivable, but the ripple, voltage regulation, warranty, and even noise is noticeable.

G2 voltage regulation- .76%

GQ voltage regultaion- 1.33%

G2 12v ripple- 15mv

GQ 12v ripple- 55mv

The G2 still holds the crown for the best price/ performance ratio.

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georgethedreamer 1 point 33 months ago

You should get a power supply with less wattage (You don't need 400 watts of headroom). This one is good:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/HvTmP6/evga-power-supply-100w10430kr

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HotSaauce 1 Build 0 points 33 months ago

ram- switch to 2x 4GB RAM. although 8 GB is ok, you want more pin contact with the mobo for greater bandwidth/

psu- its overkill. you can get a semi or full modular bronze 500W psu and still have plenty of power even after efficiency degradation

gpu- with the money you save from the psu, spend the extra 20 bones and upgrade your GPU to the 380x. it is significantly better and yes, its worth the price.

cooler- I noticed you did not have a cooler selected. I would highly recommend getting one. any low profile aftermarket air cooler will do the trick. see how your stock one works first.

My Build- http://pcpartpicker.com/b/YswV3C

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GordonRamsay -1 points 33 months ago

I'd Get A 500W - 600W PSU, As 750W Is Unnecessary And PSU's Can Be Fairly Expensive, At The End Of The Day, Every Penny Counts!

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WowRood 1 point 33 months ago

You've got a point, but the 750W psu will leave plenty of options when it comes to upgrading.

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OutrageLlama 1 point 33 months ago

hi this is the first time that i build my own computer can i know if these part are ok to run latest game? http://it.pcpartpicker.com/p/XK9v8d

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SamHam 2 points 33 months ago

This build should be fine in playing all the latest games at mostly ultra settings at around 50 FPS.

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OutrageLlama 1 point 33 months ago

Thanks now i know what i will be getting

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OutrageLlama 1 point 33 months ago

btw do i need a wired network adapter or the motherboard come with it?

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DownExtreme 2 points 33 months ago

I would go with the i3-6100 over the FX-6300

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OutrageLlama 1 point 33 months ago

When I try to add it,it give me incompatible error and I have a 650€ budget

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DownExtreme 3 points 33 months ago

That's because it requires a different motherboard and ddr4 ram. I put it together for you and it will be better than the one you had: http://it.pcpartpicker.com/p/LTYznQ

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DownExtreme 3 points 33 months ago

With 650€ you can build this which will be much better: http://it.pcpartpicker.com/p/DJnJzy

I took off the monitor you had because it wasn't the actual monitor, just the control for the monitor.

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kyro04 1 point 33 months ago

I highly doubt that SamHam

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GentlemanShark 1 Build 1 point 33 months ago

How is that PSU? I've never heard of it, but it looks decent enough.

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ThoughtA staff submitter 1 point 33 months ago

Which one? The Rosewill G550? The 750W unit scored an 8.1 on JohnnyGuru. That doesn't mean the 550W unit is necessarily good, but it's typically a good indicator of quality, especially if the units were launched together.

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GentlemanShark 1 Build 1 point 33 months ago

That's good, I wasn't sure as rosewill isn't that well known.

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eopest 9 Builds 1 point 33 months ago

Rosewill is the NewEgg house brand. NewEgg occasionally sponsors builds here.

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bob_kerman 1 point 33 months ago

anyone know of any good pc part stores near perth

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zwatton 1 point 33 months ago

msy, ple, austin

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jimlandiaman 1 Build 1 point 33 months ago

This is a good guide overall. I have a few complaints, though:

  • You never actually specify a budget in the build. Although the budget will vary from person to person (and people shouldn't use build guides part-for-part anyways), I would still like to see an SSD in the parts list alongside the hard drive. That way, new builders can choose to remove it if they need to save money, and will be more explicitly aware of the option should they be able to afford it.

  • Your parametric selection for the PSU is good overall, but I'm a little surprised you didn't include the EVGA GQ on the list.

  • I agree with your selection of the i3-6100, but your reasoning behind it refers entirely to workloads other than gaming. This doesn't help new builders when they're looking for part justifications based off of the primary function of this build - to game.

Other than that, it's a +1 from me.

P.S. I like the new picture. It's the perfect personality for this site.

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ThoughtA staff submitter 3 points 33 months ago

Hey, thanks for the feedback.

I talk about the option to get an SSD in the write-up. I agree that your suggestion here could be helpful. I think there are a couple of ways to handle the option of an SSD, none of which are right or wrong. I just happened to go this route.

I like the GQ line a lot (I'm typing from a PC with one now). Unfortunately, it's a liiiiittle on the long side. Enough to exclude a number of cases. People get confused about parts not showing up, and I wanted to try to avoid that happening in a guide.

You're right about the reasoning I wrote for the 6100. I could be more clear and talk about gaming a little more. I'll revisit that, thank you.

And thanks re:picture! It's my favorite film.

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jruben14 1 point 33 months ago

Just out of the blue...If I buy the AMD A10-7870K 3.9GHz Quad-Core Processor, would i need a graphics card? Running games like League of Legends, CS:GO, Team Fortress 2, and unturned.

These two are my builds so far: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/8Cxd8d (the one with AMD A10-787K)

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/4r8q6h (i3-6100)

Also, which build is recommended for those games? Sorry im asking alot, im really new to building a pc.

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PCBuilder430 2 points 33 months ago

That i3 build would be better, it would run those games buttery smooth, and it seems it's only $50 more.

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jruben14 1 point 33 months ago

Okay, thank you so much!

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TSeel 1 point 33 months ago

The MoBo on the A10-787K doesn't have a price listed, so they would likely be about the same price.

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BigAll 5 Builds 1 point 33 months ago

Please, take it to the forums, that is where you'll get the best advice.

I don't know about unturned, but all of the other games you listed will run perfectly on an apu, but the best choice depends on your long term goals and financial state.

The build itself could be a bit cheaper either way, but you'll have to take it to the forums, it is hard to give good help in the middle of a bunch of comments.

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GreenWard 1 Build 1 point 33 months ago

Hey,I've been thinking of doing a somewhat similar build,except I wanted to use the iGPU on the i3 because it's enough for what I plan to do.Here's the build.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type Item Price
CPU Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor $151.02
Motherboard ASRock Fatal1ty Z170 Gaming K4 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard $163.91
Memory Kingston Savage 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR4-2666 Memory $35.53
Memory Kingston Savage 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR4-2666 Memory $35.53
Storage Intel 535 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive $71.84
Case Inwin 503 BLACK ATX Mid Tower Case $71.84
Power Supply XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply $66.83
Mouse SteelSeries Rival 100 Wired Optical Mouse $40.17
Other SteelSeries QcK+ Fanatic Mousepad $17.62
Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
Total $654.29
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-16 06:54 EDT-0400

Now,someone told me that I'd be dumb to buy an i3 and a $150 mobo,but I wanna upgrade and overclock at some point.He told me that I should get an i5 and a really cheap motherboard,like this one or this one.Is that a good option?Which features do I lose out on from the Killer Fatal1ty except overclocking?Which one would YOU do?

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BigAll 5 Builds 1 point 33 months ago

this would be better asked in the motherboards section of the forums, it is hard to give propper advice in the middle of a bunch of comments.

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S-man491 1 Build 1 point 32 months ago

Why buy two RAM sticks seperately?

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GreenWard 1 Build 1 point 32 months ago

Dude that post was ancient.I changed my part list completely and bought different parts. Anyway,the sticks are the same thing,and there wasn't a 2x4 option so I went with that.

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S-man491 1 Build 1 point 32 months ago

Sorry didn't see that.

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GreenWard 1 Build 1 point 32 months ago

1 month ago

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S-man491 1 Build 1 point 32 months ago

:P

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Acostadude 1 Build 1 point 33 months ago

I'm new at this and I'm trying to get some advice from the people who really know about Gaming on a PC. Will this be ok for a starter PC, I'll upgrade the GPU once I can http://pcpartpicker.com/p/9cCv8d

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Zohnda 2 points 33 months ago

You should use the forums for this instead of here.

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Acostadude 1 Build 1 point 33 months ago

Why???

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Zohnda 2 points 33 months ago

Because you went to a popular guide asking specifically for advice on a build unrelated to the guide.

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Acostadude 1 Build 1 point 33 months ago

Well, since so many have asked and have been helped, but please, which forum would you recommend?

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Mr_Majestic 1 point 33 months ago

I would personally go with an EVGA G2 or GS PSU instead. only $10 more (i think last time i checked) and it has full modularity, a 10-year warranty (G2) or 7 year warranty (GS), and at least the GS is pretty much completely inaudible

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johngerges582 1 point 33 months ago

The GS 550/650 is still 5 years. The 850/1050 is 7.

The noise on the GS and GQ is the same.

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Mr_Majestic 1 point 33 months ago

Where did GQ come from I was talking about GS and G2

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johngerges582 1 point 33 months ago

I meant GS and G2. My bad.

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seweroutlet 1 point 33 months ago

Would changing the GPU to http://pcpartpicker.com/part/sapphire-video-card-100362sr work? $20 more for a 290x vs 380x seems worth it for the price in this build.

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iarrninja 1 point 33 months ago

Wish I could see some benchmarks on this complete build.. Or completed pictures. My only complaint. Its nice, i like it, and I'm probably goign to go for it because it's a little cheaper and better mobo than what I have in mind.

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samschiedermayer 1 point 33 months ago

The only issue that I have with this build is the sata 3gb/s hdd, 6gb/s makes a huge difference in boot time and game load time. Most of the time you can get a 1tb 6gb/s hdd for the same price as the one currently in the build. Other than that detail this build is pretty good :)

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ThoughtA staff submitter 1 point 33 months ago

Hey, thanks for the feedback. Thing is, you're not going to see a mechanical drive come close to saturating 3Gb/s I/O.

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ydrinkcoke 1 point 33 months ago

I'll have to look around, but you should be able to get a comparable z170 for ~80-90. I'm not sure if it's still possible, but I believe you were able to bclk overclock many of these non-k CPUs for a while. I guess it would depend on both of those being true, but if they are, it might be worthwhile to go for the z170 over the h110. However, even then, it still might be better to just dump the cash into a better GPU.

It's been years since I've built a PC. I think the last PC I built was in 2006, but I still try and follow the trends. My little cousin's finally old enough to build a PC and asked me to lend him a hand. This is a great help as a baseline to build upon for his rig. Thanks a bunch!

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EliG12 1 point 33 months ago

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/y6Fv8d Is this a good build?

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KindredBrioss 1 point 33 months ago

Can I mount the same components on a i5 cpu, instead of a i3? could that work? I'm a total noob, sorry if the questions is terribly dumb

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ThoughtA staff submitter 1 point 33 months ago

So long as the CPU is the same generation and fits the same socket, so it will depend on which i5. What would your intended uses for the computer be?

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KindredBrioss 1 point 33 months ago

Mostly gaming and graphics (photoshop and illustrator cs6, premiere pro cs6 for max 30 mins lo0ng videos). I made up a build based on yours, take a look at it maybe -just notice some values and models aren't right and I need to fix them asap

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Kam007 1 point 33 months ago

change ur ram for this one: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f42133c15d8gvr It will run in dual channel = much better performance for the difference of price

i changed my crucial 1 x 8 gb for g skills 2 x 4 gb and i got like 200 fps instead of 120 fps while playing cs go

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Sacred-Sky 1 point 33 months ago

Is the video card necessary for an everyday monitor? The cpu has integrated Intel HD Graphics 530.

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ThoughtA staff submitter 1 point 33 months ago

For basic daily tasks like web browsing and word processing? No. You're right that the CPU's integrated graphics in combination with the motherboard would provide video out.

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boomer422 1 point 33 months ago

Im not that smart with the techy stuff about computers and there parts so I was wondering If you don't have an operating system can you download one or do you have to put it into your build. I am confused as to why none of these builds have an operating system. Thank you in advance.

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neozanzuken 1 point 33 months ago

You could add windows (roughly 90 dollars) but most people wont add that because they have means of getting it or already have it. you could also run a free distro such as ubuntu, mint, steam os, debian, etc.

Mainly though people just use the part-picker for their hardware, hence the lack of an os or any other software.

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itsdavvvid1231 1 point 33 months ago

I'm new to building a computer. If I build this PC and want to upgrade to like a Great Gaming Build, that would be no problem right?

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boomer422 1 point 33 months ago

If you mean like replacing parts in your pc yes you can swap out parts but you have to make sure they are compatable with the case and other parts your replacing or currently have.

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AvoZ_InSaNe 1 point 33 months ago

Can somebody please tell me if this is a good build because im kinda new to that type of stuff, ive never built a pc before.

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/HFtGBm

thx

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BigAll 5 Builds 1 point 33 months ago

Please, take it to the forums, you will get better help there.

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AvoZ_InSaNe 1 point 33 months ago

Thanks a lot mate, I appreciate the suggestion.

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Daniel00mader 1 point 33 months ago

Just spend $100 more, and this pc could last for years longer. (replace i3 to i5 6500

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dirty_ninja21 1 point 33 months ago

add 30$ and look around, i've seen 970s for 260 after MIRs

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vReckoner 1 point 33 months ago

Hello, I was wondering how much fps I would get if I used this build to play CS:GO at 1920x1080p on max settings and then also 1024x768 on all low settings?

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digah2750 1 point 33 months ago

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type Item Price
CPU Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor $110.99 @ SuperBiiz
Motherboard ASRock H170M Pro4S Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard $81.99 @ SuperBiiz
Memory *G.Skill Aegis 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory $29.98 @ Newegg
Storage *Hitachi Ultrastar 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive $55.00 @ Amazon
Video Card Asus Radeon R9 380 2GB Video Card $179.99 @ Amazon
Case Corsair Carbide SPEC-M2 MicroATX Mid Tower Case $44.99 @ Newegg
Power Supply SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply $68.99 @ NCIX US
Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
Total $571.93
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-22 16:50 EDT-0400

It's just cheaper. The 380X is barely better than the 380. It's cheaper, and you get a better mobo/power supply.

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Parlow 1 point 33 months ago

one question because i dont know the ins and outs of specs. can this run a game like ARK on full graphics with no issues

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RobotSpaceCow 1 point 33 months ago

That's all fine and dandy, but can it run minecraft on max settings?

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fingerz42 1 point 33 months ago

$597 without monitor and OS? I don't get why people consider this a computer build. Unless it has an operating system it isn't even really a usable computer. So bare bones this is a $700 machine and you still need a monitor.

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neozanzuken 1 point 33 months ago

some people will reuse a monitor that they already have, or will use a television via hdmi, in addition the monitor is up to the users specific wants and needs. As for the lack of an Os, thats usually a given (people will either have a way of getting it, bought it already, or are just gonna run a free distro such as steam os or ubuntu)

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Crazycat233 1 point 33 months ago

How many fps on cs go?

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APEBuilt 3 Builds 1 point 33 months ago

THe major change I would make on this build is to sack about 10% GPU performance in order to move $50 of budget to a 500GB class SSD and the GPU would be a R9 380 non-X

I would also personally spend more on a mobo with a little better onboard features and preferably a VRM heatsink in hopes of a future upgrade to a Core i7-6700K class CPU.

Great guide!

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IForgotHow2Compute 1 point 33 months ago

WHERE DO I EVEN LEARN TO COMPUTER WHAT THE HELL IS THERE A GUIDE BOOK HOW DID YOU ALL COME TO KNOW THESE TERMS AM I THE ONLY ONE IN THE WORLD SO CONFUSED DO I NEED A DEGREE TO RUN C++

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Fehir 1 point 33 months ago

Is there a link to the Canadian site the one you posted is for the u.s. version

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Cman3144 1 point 33 months ago

So I'm interested in using this parts list for my first gaming PC. I mostly play games such as Garry's Mod, American Truck Simulator, and I'd like to start with some GTA V PC but I can't run it. Can someone tell me if this would be good for those types of games? Such as what settings I would be able to play at with fair FPS.

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Cman3144 1 point 33 months ago

Alright, thanks.

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alaskanhybrid 1 Build 1 point 33 months ago

Much better build in my opinion with a full list of parts with all the prices on display. http://pcpartpicker.com/p/tcnwr7

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Dawn_of_War 1 point 33 months ago

I agree with rolfejc here.

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Irish97 1 point 33 months ago

Could this run games like CS:GO and Overwatch well?

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Payofcoby 1 point 33 months ago

How good is a dual core compared to a quad core?

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Joshray93 1 point 33 months ago

Im new to builds and ive been looking around for a cheap one. Could this run fallout 4 or dark souls 3? Ive been all over this site and made a few different builds from intel to amd but i just dont really know what to do need so helpful info.

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G_I_L 1 point 33 months ago

Hmm. Thermaltake PSU.

Hmm.

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ThoughtA staff submitter 1 point 33 months ago
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G_I_L 1 point 33 months ago

Hm, heard that most of them were bombs. But you have proven me quite wrong.

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Payofcoby 1 point 33 months ago

Nice budget build

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Snuffles5 1 point 33 months ago

I'm new to this, so please help. If I were to upgrade the cpu to Intel i5 2300, would I still need gpu? and would this be recommended? Is a fan necessary?

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TheDudeThatLurks 1 point 33 months ago

That would be a downgrade. The 2300 uses the Sandy Bridge architecture, which is pretty ancient by now. Even though it's an i5, the 6100 will still beat it out in terms of performance.

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Snuffles5 1 point 32 months ago

Thanks. What fan would be compatible, and what would you recommend?

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Homegesam 1 point 33 months ago

Hi, this was my first rough drafted build, http://pcpartpicker.com/list/vBDG3F. But I was deciding between that and this and I received advice saying this is better. What I need is a PC for work in an engineering college (for example running CATIA (CAD program) well) and I also want to play games on this build at a decent performance. (for example games such as Overwatch, League of Legends, Ark, etc.)

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1315841867 1 point 33 months ago

Wait for the AMD RX-480

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Dibsy 1 point 33 months ago

Super new here, thinking of building my very first computer. Because I can't get an ethernet cable all the way to my room I would need to use Wi-Fi. However, I've read somewhere that I would need to get a card to do so. Could that be confirmed?

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ThoughtA staff submitter 1 point 33 months ago

It depends on whether the motherboard has onboard WiFi or not. If it doesn't, you'd need an expansion card or other WiFi solution added to your build. You may also want to look into powerline ethernet adapters.

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Kakashidrops4 1 point 33 months ago

I've seen a 120 GB SSD for $30. Wouldn't really hurt to add it to this build. https://www.amazon.com/Patriot-Torch-120GB-height-Solid/dp/B00OTY083M

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Kakashidrops4 1 point 33 months ago

I honestly would just use it to put my OS in there and the really slow games that take forever to load up. That's usually only a couple of games but you might be right.

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EmeraldPlum628 1 point 32 months ago

I might be wrong but if you are getting in to pc gaming wouldn't you want windows 7,8,10 ? and the psu is expensive for a budget build

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drewboidy 1 point 32 months ago

IS THIS GOOD FOR GTA 5 MODS AND FOR VIDEO EDITING?? thanksmlol

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Andzx02 7 Builds 1 point 32 months ago

Good parts selection, I think once you add the windows tax this puts this system out of the entry level price range. +1

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bsantoyo1 1 point 32 months ago

nice build guide man. I'm building a pc of my own can you tell me if it's good and what I could improve on? http://pcpartpicker.com/list/Rmc4D8

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Porphyro 1 point 32 months ago

Nice build! Thinking of putting this together for my son. He uses a 1600x900 monitor, and isn't looking to upgrade that right now. Could any of you experts recommend me a GPU that would run today's games at ultra or close, at 1600x900? I'm assuming that the card spec'd in the above build is overkill for that resolution.

Thanks for any help!

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Gabof 1 point 32 months ago

2 ram sticks would be better I think.

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Gabof 1 point 32 months ago

What about dual channel with 2 sticks?? Does that do anything?

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Gabof 1 point 32 months ago

Ok, well I guess I learned something new...

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GR33NREAPER 1 point 32 months ago

if the rx480 releases on the 29th June then i would recommend buying it instead of the r9380x as it is £160 and is compared to even an 980 (if the benchmarks are true

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olefaded 1 point 32 months ago

does it have a suffecient amount of fans to keep it cool enough to where it wont start a fire or overheat. also is it easily upgradeable

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Scotea 1 point 32 months ago

Excellent build ty! But some slight modifications might go a long way in order to future proof this a bit more for only $50 more... http://pcpartpicker.com/list/zVHmGf

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S-man491 1 Build 1 point 32 months ago

I think it would be better if you change the HDD to a 1TB one and the PSU to the seasonic S1211 to be able to add in a cheap SSD as a boot drive.Also you could downgrade the GPU to a powercolor R9 380 to get a better mobo like the MSI Z170-A PRO( which can be bought for $80) or an H170 board for better upgradibility and features.

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Shadowlegacy46 1 point 32 months ago

Is a intel i3 still good to buy or should I buy an i5 or higher? this is for medium level gaming

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Shadowlegacy46 1 point 32 months ago

Okay thank you

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eddy351 1 point 32 months ago

So can this kind of build or something like it can run games like Overwatch, CS:GO, Skyrim?

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ThoughtA staff submitter 2 points 32 months ago

Yep! Although what resolution, frame rate, and graphics settings you want matters too.

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eddy351 1 point 32 months ago

Thanks! Never though you'd reply so quick :D

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itsmatthxw 1 point 32 months ago

Is there anything you fellas would change on this? I do not know much about computers and this is in my price range of $500-600. I plan on playing games like arma 3, dayz, rust, ect.

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ThoughtA staff submitter 1 point 32 months ago

Wait a few hours and you should see some changes in OP.

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itsmatthxw 1 point 32 months ago

Thanks man, means a lot cause i dont know anything about pcs really.

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samsjayhawk 1 point 32 months ago

I purchased this list on father's day on a bit of a whim, and I am very, very pleased with the results. I would have never had the guts to build a rig with a $50 motherboard, but the performance of my completed PC speaks for itself. This is a great list, thank you so much ThoughtA!

ps. This motherboard had problems with Windows 7 so I bit the bullet and went with Windows 10.

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itsmatthxw 2 points 32 months ago

What games do you play on this? I plan on getting this build for DayZ, Arma 3, ect but idk if it would be good enough

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samsjayhawk 1 point 32 months ago

I currently play quite a bit of Heroes of the Storm. I haven't tried any newer FPS on it, but it lasers through HotS on high settings. I think you will be pleased with the results.

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samsjayhawk 1 point 32 months ago

What list should I have built?

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someonestolemyusername 1 point 32 months ago

Hey dude, just wanted to ask if I would be able to automatically connect to the internet with this build, or would I need to buy a seperate wifi card?

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someonestolemyusername 1 point 32 months ago

Awesome, thanks for telling me!

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Rohat-Noob 0 points 33 months ago

Should have just with a i5 witch has 4 cores for a few bucks 2 cores in i3 may not last a long time

Did u know i3 2 cores i5 4 cores/2 cores i7 4/6/8 cores

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Bengus81 0 points 33 months ago

So where is the OS listed? I see this all the time even on some of the big time YT builders they pretend that an OS costs nothing or is an outside expense. Nah...it's part of a computer build just like a case or a HD. I guess you could turn it on and stare at a BIOS screen.

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ThoughtA staff submitter 3 points 33 months ago

It's an "outside" expense in a similar way to a monitor, keyboard, or mouse. Everyone is going to need one; preferences and priorities vary so much that it can be best not to recommend one thing to a large number of people; everyone has different access to different OSes (student access at schools, transferring a retail key from a previous PC); and it's just plain outside the scope of a guide focused on choosing hardware for a PC.

The guide isn't here to talk about acquiring OSes. That would distract from the purpose of it - choosing hardware.

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Bengus81 0 points 33 months ago

It's still a part and expense of a build. Pretty simple to "move" your monitor/mouse/keyboard maybe even a case to a new build if you so desire and save money there, but literately impossible to do so with a version of Windows installed and activated on your old computer. LG won't care when I move my 43 inch HD TV to a new build nor will Logitech but Microsoft will and won't activate my already installed OS on a new build,therefore it's an expense added in to my build. I have Win 10 as an expense in my build list not because I want to but because I have too.

Years ago I had a mobo go south and installed a new one--the ONLY change in that four year old computer and it about took an act of Congress and a couple of phone calls to activate my legal Windows XP once again.

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ThoughtA staff submitter 3 points 33 months ago

Regardless, it's outside the scope of this guide. The scope of this guide is choosing hardware. Period.

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KinglyPlanet24 0 points 33 months ago

You need a better CPU, Graphics Card, Power Supply, Case

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KinglyPlanet24 1 point 33 months ago

if u look at my build I have a better cpu graphics card power supply and case in the same price range and I can play pc games all ready out and upcoming in 2016

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KinglyPlanet24 1 point 33 months ago

yes and what would u change oh and look at the accessories

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DIAMONDtroops 0 points 32 months ago

This build actually bad the i3 is worse than a AMD Athlon 860k with has two more cores if you want a good build look at budget builds on YouTube

SPECS

intel core i3----3.7ghz and 2 cores 110$

AMD Athlon ----3.7ghz and 4 cores 75$

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ThoughtA staff submitter 1 point 32 months ago

Clock speed and core count aren't all that matter. IPC (Instructions Per Cycle), and some things around that, is just as important. 3.7GHz on one core the i3-6100 will perform significantly better than 3.7GHz on the 860K. I'd recommend you look up some benchmarks comparing the two, or their bigger brothers the i3-6300 and Athlon 880K, which should show similar relative performance.

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TedTheOperator -2 points 33 months ago

Why go with a two core Intel CPU when you can get a six core AMD CPU for the same price?

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Dawn_of_War 4 points 33 months ago

The fx 6300 doesn't perform as well as the i3 6100, although many get caught by the "more cores = better" bait.

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TedTheOperator 1 point 33 months ago

What about the new games that are taking advantage of the 8 cores in the PS4 and Xbox 1?

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Mr_Majestic 2 points 33 months ago

Games dont take full advantage of 8 cores in consoles, they rarely use up to 4. however, this gen of consoles like to have stuff going on with the OS (all the notifications and stuff) and other applications. thats why they have 8-core chips also be aware that the i3 while being 2-core has 4-threads so multi-threaded applications wont suffer here. This obviously cant completely close the gap between 4 physical cores but it makes more of a difference than you would think. (thats why theres a huge price gap between the i3 and the pentium)

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TedTheOperator 1 point 33 months ago

Alright thanks for the information.

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Mr_Majestic 1 point 33 months ago

also unless you have a single core processor, most of the time stronger cores>more cores

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TedTheOperator 1 point 33 months ago

Alright than.

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BigAll 5 Builds 1 point 33 months ago

it's a ballancing act between how many cores you can use and how powerful you need those cores to be. Sone things can use more cores than you can shove onto a motherboard, for these tasks an 8350 would be excelant. Other things can only use one core and need a powerful core to do it's job correctly. Some things can use 3 or 4 or five. you have to know what you can use to make a proper choice.

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Mr_Majestic 1 point 33 months ago

I agree with everything you just said

except the title of the build is "entry level GAMING build" which by themselves rarely use more than 3 or 4 cores/threads

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eopest 9 Builds 1 point 33 months ago

If you're talking just IPC, then yes, you are correct. But the FX is usually a little cheaper and is overclockable, and can dedicate a core to each of up to 6 threads, as opposed to virtually as the i3 does. So if you want to game and stream on a budget or have other stuff running in the background, I might go FX-6300 (especially since most boards that can accommodate a 6300 can also go up to a 8320 or 8350).

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vagabond139 5 Builds 1 point 33 months ago

Why would you go for a part with worst performance?

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sonka -7 points 33 months ago

Never buy only one RAM stick !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( 2X 4g)

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DownExtreme 7 points 33 months ago

The improvement in dual channel is negligible and 1 stick of 8GB would be a good idea for this build since the motherboard only has 2 RAM slots so in the future you can just buy another 8GB stick and upgrade it to 16GB

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Xorex64 1 point 33 months ago

Why?

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ThoughtA staff submitter 1 point 33 months ago

What 950?

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ThoughtA staff submitter 1 point 33 months ago

Actually, we built and benchmarked this build, and it ran quite well. I'd be interested to see some benchmarks showing this CPU bottlenecking you're referring to, though.

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ThoughtA staff submitter 1 point 33 months ago

Thanks for the link. You're right that there will indeed be games where the 6100 holds things back. You'll see here that, again, there is less performance with a 6100 than a modern i5. However, You'll also see in those benches that it's getting the job done (in those games). When you're at this budget, "gets the job done" is the focus. By the time you've dropped the GPU down enough to purchase an i5, you'll be unbalanced in the other direction far too much.

Of course, with differences in regional prices, this can potentially change.

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ThoughtA staff submitter 6 points 33 months ago

The i3-6100 comes with a cooler. Dual channel memory has a negligible benefit to gaming, and leaving a DIMM slot open allows for further memory expansion down the road.

No essential parts are left out.

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fingerz42 3 points 33 months ago

This is how people get misinformation. This. Right. Here.

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Reason:
Note: Wattages are estimates only. Actual power draw may differ from listed values.
Component Estimated Wattage
Intel - Core i3-6100 3.7 GHz Dual-Core Processor 6W - 51W
Team - Vulcan 8 GB (1 x 8 GB) DDR4-2400 Memory 5W - 5W
Hitachi - Deskstar 7K2000 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive 4W - 20W
Gigabyte - Radeon R9 380X 4 GB WINDFORCE 2X Video Card 47W - 190W
Total: 62W - 266W