Hardware does this seem like a good steam machine build?

TotalInsanity4

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Holy cow I'm so sorry for not responding sooner, I didn't think this thread would move this fast

@DarkRiolu264, I'm going to give you a few pointers to consider right now since my online time is going to be a bit unpredictable today:
  • If you're going to be playing modern games, while looking for a CPU settle for no less than 3 cores at about 3.2gHz
  • A lot of people will probably try to tell you that clock speeds on GPUs matter. While this is true, this is one of only a lot of factors that goes into the decision making process. Depending on the GPU, vRAM can make a HUGE difference; look for the highest end GPU in your budget and then see if there is a 4GB or above version.
  • Decide your budget early and then set aside about 1/3 of it for the GPU, you'll thank me later.
  • READ REVIEWS. It will save you from accidentally making the worst decisions you could when building a PC. Don't just look at the PCPP reviews, look at the reviews on retailers sites as well.
  • Old hardware =/= bad hardware, but there are benefits from getting newer hardware; if you can get parts cheap that are outdated but are certified for performance, more power to ya. Just keep in mind that newer parts are typically more energy efficient and generally better at doing what they do. Which leads me to...
  • When you're building a small form factor PC, you're going to want to build it so that it has the lowest TDP possible (aka lowest wattage). Why? Less power = less heat, and SFX PCs typically only have room for one or two fans, or may even *shudder* be passively cooled.
  • For RAM, make sure you have at least one 8GB DIMM running at 1866mHz. This leaves room for future expansion to 16GB and will allow you to play every modern game available, aside from Star Wars: Battlefront
 
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Xenon Hacks

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I would like to thank you all for the advice but, every single piece of advice has been from personal opinion not actual tips that would help me build it successfully.... thank you all
None of it is opinion its been pretty easy to understand stay away from AMD get an intel CPU change your memory and you only need 1 hard drive. The problem is your shooting yourself in the foot with such a small budget that no can can actually give you solid build advice.
 

sarkwalvein

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I would like to thank you all for the advice but, every single piece of advice has been from personal opinion not actual tips that would help me build it successfully.... thank you all
Well, look for reviews, benchmarks and comparisons. Google is your friend.
I think the most useful comments you have got are:
  1. Do not think a PC is a console. You should give it a good space. If you make it starve from good ventilation it will die.
  2. If you are in such a low budget, drop the SSD completely.
  3. Get an Intel CPU, even if it is a Pentium it will run better than most AMD ones. I would get a Core i3, but look for benchmarks and stay in your budget.
 
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DarkRioru

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None of it is opinion its been pretty easy to understand stay away from AMD get an intel CPU change your memory and you only need 1 hard drive. The problem is your shooting yourself in the foot with such a small budget that no can can actually give you solid build advice.
fine, I'll get intel but, I'll need to watch some intel vs amd videos before my mind is justified by the decision...
 

Xenon Hacks

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fine, I'll get intel but, I'll need to watch some intel vs amd videos before my mind is justified by the decision...
There is nothing to think about AMD has always been one step behind intel its just the way things are if AMD ever releases something better people will shift there tone but your killing yourself with the budget just be more patient till you have more cash. I don't know if you work or not.
 

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DarkRioru

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There is nothing to think about AMD has always been one step behind intel its just the way things are if AMD ever releases something better people will shift there tone but your killing yourself with the budget just be more patient till you have more cash. I don't know if you work or not.
I do... but mostly doing chores for now... when I graduate in june... I'll have a job that will justify for my needs as a gamer as well as a new life of opportunities
 

Xenon Hacks

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you should ask your questions here
http://www.overclockers.com/forums/
or
http://www.overclock.net/f/

I agree with you there is a little too much bias in this thread
There's not much BIAS he has a low budget so his only choice is AMD its not horrible but for a little more intel blows AMD out of the water especially when it comes to CPU's

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

I do... but mostly doing chores for now... when I graduate in june... I'll have a job that will justify for my needs as a gamer as well as a new life of opportunities
Yeah get things settled remember gaming is a hobby and depending on how things go you might not even have much time to do it.
 

DarkRioru

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I can use intel if i want but, I amd has been advertized as a gaming cpu and intel as more of an office/editing/workspace cpu... I just want to know what I'm getting for every penny that is spent...

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

question: do I need an hdmi in the motherboard if I have one on the gpu?
 

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Also good advice buy all your parts from amazon and newegg
I'd actually argue with this - Amazon doesn't necessarily mean shipped by Amazon.com versus an unreliable third-party. If there's good discount codes available Jet.com's pretty great - I saved at least a couple hundred off of what otherwise would've been the best prices available by abusing a 30% discount code in January, and everything was shipped from either Newegg or reliable wholesalers.

I can use intel if i want but, I amd has been advertized as a gaming cpu and intel as more of an office/editing/workspace cpu... I just want to know what I'm getting for every penny that is spent...

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

question: do I need an hdmi in the motherboard if I have one on the gpu?
AMD performs significantly worse than an Intel processor at the same clock speed (or even against lower-clocked Intels). Something like an i7 is certainly overkill for just about any gaming rig, but on a budget build with demanding games you'll almost certainly be bottlenecked using a low-end or mid-grade AMD versus a late-gen i3 or even Pentium processor.

Video output on the motherboard is irrelevant in most cases as you'll need to have your display plugged into the video card to actually make use of it. Obviously if you want to use your computer without the card installed or working you'll want to be able to use the motherboard's video connection, though.
 

Xenon Hacks

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I'd actually argue with this - Amazon doesn't necessarily mean shipped by Amazon.com versus an unreliable third-party. If there's good discount codes available Jet.com's pretty great - I saved at least a couple hundred off of what otherwise would've been the best prices available by abusing a 30% discount code in January, and everything was shipped from either Newegg or reliable wholesalers.


AMD performs significantly worse than an Intel processor at the same clock speed (or even against lower-clocked Intels). Something like an i7 is certainly overkill for just about any gaming rig, but on a budget build with demanding games you'll almost certainly be bottlenecked using a low-end or mid-grade AMD versus a late-gen i3 or even Pentium processor.

Video output on the motherboard is irrelevant in most cases as you'll need to have your display plugged into the video card to actually make use of it. Obviously if you want to use your computer without the card installed or working you'll want to be able to use the motherboard's video connection, though.
I always buy from manufacturers on Amazon never 3rd party's I just snagged this case for cheap http://www.amazon.com/Rosewill-Towe...&ref_=redir_mobile_desktop&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
 

sarkwalvein

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I can use intel if i want but, I amd has been advertized as a gaming cpu and intel as more of an office/editing/workspace cpu... I just want to know what I'm getting for every penny that is spent...
You are badly misinformed. AMD CPUs are budget CPUs, ideal for office work, internet browsing and toaster function control.
You don't trust us, so look for benchmarks in other places.
Specially, talking about gaming or so, look how Intel vs AMD performs in those fields.
I have had headaches with AMD in the past, when the first corei processors were released. Things haven't changed since.
In those times even the cheapest corei could run things like dolphin at full fps, while AMD processors cried and never got near 60FPS.
I know, times have changed, dolphin is not such a benchmark anymore, but the difference between AMD and Intel stays the same.
http://www.pcgamer.com/the-best-pc-gaming-cpus-processors/
http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/cpu-charts-2015/-14-3DMark,3706.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/cpu-charts-2015/-36-Total-Time,3728.html
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=intel+vs+amd+performance+gaming
 
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DarkRioru

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You are badly misinformed. AMD CPUs are budget CPUs, ideal for office work, internet browsing and toaster function control.
You don't trust us, so look for benchmarks in other places.
Specially, talking about gaming or so, look how Intel vs AMD performs in those fields.
I have had headaches with AMD in the past, when the first corei processors were released. Things haven't changed since.
In those times even the cheapest corei could run things like dolphin at full fps, while AMD processors cried and never got near 60FPS.
I know, times have changed, dolphin is not such a benchmark anymore, but the difference between AMD and Intel stays the same.
http://www.pcgamer.com/the-best-pc-gaming-cpus-processors/
http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/cpu-charts-2015/-14-3DMark,3706.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/cpu-charts-2015/-36-Total-Time,3728.html
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=intel+vs+amd+performance+gaming
you guys stand corrected... :P now, will an intel core i3 actually work for dolphin emulator and the games on this wishlist here? http://steamcommunity.com/id/YamiRioru/wishlist
 

sarkwalvein

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should I go for an i5 or an i7, boost the ram or increase the memory to get out of this bottlenecking situation?
I think you should look at your budget. It is very low.
You should try to increase it or balance it.
With such a low budget I would stay in an i3 or at least a good Pentium, get a cheap HDD, only 8GB of RAM, a big well ventilated not fancy at all cheap case and spend the rest in the best video card I could get.
Core i5 is also OK, but almost sure too expensive for your budget.
Core i7 is overkill, specially for your budget.
 
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