Im a console gamer and am wanting to switch to the world of pc. i am want a pc that can play games such as "COD ghost, battlefield 4, and Titanfall". Im looking for something to start with in a price range of $450 max. I would like to get a good starting point and slowly upgrade it as i learn more about computer hardware. Any ideas or suggestions will be appreciated.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3l6X6
This is as close as I could get without hating myself
If you're looking to play those games to start, you're better off getting a stand alone graphics card rather than opting for an APU to start. You'll be stuck playing them at medium-high settings at this price point. The power supply is big enough for larger cards in the future and everything should allow for some mild overclocking once you have an aftermarket CPU cooler.
Thanks. But due to my knowledge on hardware i was wondering if anyone could name the parts. like "this amd processer, with this motherboard" i dont know very much and i dont know how to tell what cpu's and gpu's can go with what motherboard. i also dont know how to tell what case will fit what i am getting. Thanks for anyone that can help and thank you liferescripted
liferescripted has laid out a decent budget build.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3l6X6
I'll just do a overview of each part, and why it works with other parts.
CPU: AMD Athlon X4 760k. This is an FM2 CPU, and is related to the A10-6800k. The A10-6800k is AMD's highest end previous end APU(accelerated processing unit). The A10-6800k features a CPU and graphics onboard. The difference between the A10-6800k and the Athlon X4 760k is mainly the fact that the Athlon X4 760k has the onboard graphics disabled. They cannot be enabled, and if you try running just the 760k without a graphics card, you will not get a display. The A10-6800k does not need a dedicated graphics card to output a display. They have the same computational power, and in this case with a dedicated graphics card, the graphics on the A10 will not be used. The 760k is much cheaper than the A10, and the money saved can go into other parts of the build.
Motherboard: MSI A88XM-E35. This is on the low-medium range of MSI's motherboards. It has the highest end chipset on the FM2/FM2+ platform, the A88X. The A88X chipset has more features than all the other ones below it, such as the A55. Now you may be wondering why I typed FM2/FM2+. This is the socket type. There are many socket types out there right now. Intel's current mainstream platform uses a socket called LGA1150. You will need to find a processor with a matching socket(in this case, the LGA1150 socket). Intel has a higher end platform, using a socket called LGA2011. AMD has two sockets, a weaker, more budget oriented FM2+ socket and a higher end socket called AM3+. FM2+ is relatively new, and comes after the FM2 socket. A FM2 CPU/APU will work in both in a FM2 and FM2+ socket motherboard(hence, the FM2/FM@+). However, a FM2+ APU will not work in a FM2 board. It requires a FM2+ socketed board. The MSI A88XM-E35 is a micro ATX board (stated in the name). This names it's standardized form factor, micro ATX(known as mATX as well). Look for a micro ATX case to fit this board in. More description will come in the case section.
Memory: Commonly known as RAM, or System Memory. RAM(random access memory) is required in a system. The more programs you like to run at once, the more RAM you will require. 8 gigabytes is around the sweet spot if you're only gaming. 4 gigabytes or less can be used if simple web browsing is done. Higher capacities can be reached, depending on the application you need to do. Another thing to consider with RAM is clock speed. You can read in the name of the Adata RAM that it is DDR3-1600. This means it's clocked at 1600mhz. Clock speed doesn't matter in gaming, but does matter a lot in applications such as video rendering. The higher the clock, the better the rendering speed. Higher clock speeds are often more expensive, though, and if you don't need it, a cheap lower clocked kit will work just fine. Another thing to consider is CAS latency. It's quite complicated, but in general, the lower the number the better. If you click into the RAM link on the PcPArtPicker page, it says "CAS....9". 9-10 is typical for 1600mhz RAM, and will increase in number as clock speeds increase. Remember, the lower the CAS, the better. Again, this does not have much performance difference in gaming.
Storage: Storage space! There are two main types of storage today: HDDs(hard disc drives) and SSDs(Solid State drives). A HDD is the most common type in computers today. It utilizes a disc to read and write data, and is relatively slow to SSDs. They come in various RPMs, and the higher the RPM is, the faster the drive performs. 7200rpm drives are a good balance between reliability and speed. They also come in two sizes, 2.5" and 3.5". The 2.5" drive is mainly for laptop form factors, and the 3.5" are for desktops. SSDs are often up to 10x faster than HDDs, and come in the 2.5" form factor. They do not go up to the massive storage that a HDD can provide, and are vastly more expensive. They, however, have no moving parts. SSDs may also use the PCI-express bus on a motherboard to interact with the system since the typical storage interface, SATA, is limited in speed.
Video Card: R7 260x. GPUs/Video Cards chips are mainly created by two companies: AMD and Nvidia. These two companies license their chips to various venders, such as MSI, Sapphire, and Asus. The vendors then build the cards, and sell them to the consumer. The R7 260X is an AMD card. The one that liferescripted picked out is manufactured by MSI. It's a low-mid range GPU. GPUs today are compatible with pretty much any motherboard that has a PCIe x16 slot. An AMD GPU will work with either an AMD or Intel CPU. A Nvidia GPU will work with either an AMD or Intel CPU. A lot of the connectors and slots are standardized so many parts will work with other parts, and this is one of them.
Case: There are many sizes of cases to accommodate many types of motherboards. The most popular sizes of motherboards today are(small-big): Mini-ITX(mITX), Micro-ATX(mATX), ATX, and extended ATX. You need a case that fits the size of motherboard you need. Some cases that are for bigger motherboards will have mounting holes for smaller boards(e.g. Some mid-tower ATX cases will fit micro-ATX boards). However, if you want to be sure, go to the manufacturer's website to make sure. In general, the larger the board, the more slots and possibilities for expansion there will be. A mid-tower ATX case will usually fit what the regular consumer needs. A full-size tower is indeed very large, and is optimal for modding and things such as custom water cooling.
Power supply: Provides power to your components. A general rule of thumb is to go about 100 watts over your needed wattage. There are many wattage calculators to aid you, and PcPartPicker quotes 304w max wattage for liferescripted's build. 500w can power this just fine. However, not all power supplies are made the same. Many use cheap chinese parts, are highly inefficient, and provide very "dirty" power to your system. There are many review sites that know their power supplies in and out, such as jonnyguru.com. The quality power supplies often use japanese capacitors. As for efficiency, there is something called 80+. It is a rating system on the efficiency of a power supply. 80+ certification has many levels, ranging from simply 80+ to 80+ Silver to 80+ Platinum. The higher the level, the more efficient the power supply is. it is advisable to pick at least 80+ Bronze for your power supply. Just remember, the power supply powers all the expensive parts in your computer, and this is not a place where you want to skimp out on.
I know this was lengthy, but I hoped this helped you a bunch. This stuff takes awhile to learn, and it requires research on many different sites to grasp ahold of how this stuff works.
Thank you tech noob. i will go with the parts off of the part picker link. I am going to build it myself once all the parts come in. Is there anything else I need to know.
Nothing much else, really. If you ever have a question, just post it here.
Do post pictures if you have the chance! We all loving seeing a good build come together and we can help you along the way, should you need it!
I love watching a console gamer turn! Welcome to what it would have been like had Luke not totally fucked up the deathstar!
Thanks for all the help. On newegg in the "DIY PC" categorie they have a complete build that I think I will start with. its does use a APU but I will soon try to replace that with a better CPU and GPU and also add some RAM. If anyone doesn't care to check it out and out your opinions please do so. It's the $299.99 bundle in the DIY categorie
The big issue is that you want a platform that you can upgrade. That DIY combo comes with a A55 motherboard, meaning it runs off of a FM2 socket. Newer CPU's can only run off of a FM2+ socket. As stated by Some Tech Noob before, FM2 CPUs can run off a FM2+ socket, but a FM2+ CPU cannot run on a FM2 socket. If you get this combo, you are stuck with using old hardware for your upgrades. The MB also does not support USB 3.0, which is funny because the case that comes with it does.
The RAM is from an unknown vendor so I can't stand by it's reliability. It's also clocked slow, at 1333mhz, meaning the APU's performance will suffer. An APU likes fast ram, usually 1866mhz or higher is good. Typically, gaming rigs have a "sweet spot" at 8gb of ram. You want a recognizable vendor, such as Kingston, Crucial, G.Skill, Mushkin etc, as they are guaranteed supported by more motherboards.
The PSU is less than stellar. It is not 80+ at all, meaning it's probably not very efficient. I also can't find a review or teardown of the thing for the life of me, so there's no knowing what quality of parts are under the hood. If you have a bad PSU, you run the risk of killing all of the components in your system.
And that case.... you can get better for the same price.
I don't think this is a good platform for upgrades, and it really isn't suited to run any of the games you mentioned in your original post, even on low.