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Gaming PC £800

steptoe

steptoe

VIP Member
OK, so my son, 12yo would like a gaming PC
we have a price of about £800
I know thats not massive, but its not real high end, he mostly plays minecraft etc
now, here is the rub,
I know it would be cheaper probably to just buy one,
But, I think it would be a nice project for the 2 of us to get the bits and build one,
I dont mind if its not as good as we could buy, as long as its 'kinda' future proof, as much as 6 month technology can be,
ie, room for more RAM, better GPU etc,
am I right in thinking I can get a better AMD than Intel for about the same money.?
I have no idea about modern computers, but I am fairly practical, know about static issues, heat paste etc,
(my real job is an electrical testing comissioning supervisor for some fairly large stuff in Europe),
and for those that know me I've dabbled in building an arcade from a Pi etc, have uograded RAM in my laptop etc,
BUT, I know JACK about building a PC from scratch.

many thanks.
 
My lad is just finishing his pc you could build a decent one for around 600—800 depending where you get all parts from and if any sales on
 
bazcfc1 said:
My lad is just finishing his pc you could build a decent one for around 600—800 depending where you get all parts from and if any sales on
Click to expand...
you couldn't send me a list of his bits could you,? if its not too much hassle,
I just wouldnt have a clue where to start, I could spend a week checking compatible parts, and still not have any idea if it would actually be a viable system,
parts being compatible doesn't always mean a good system, not in my work anyway.
just because it works, doesn't always mean it works efficiently


kegnkiwi said:
Hi steptoe
Take a look at this website below, they have a show room where you can visit and they have gaming systems in show to try, you can also speak with the young guys and they will spec everything you could want. You can also just buy the parts

Desktop PCs, Gaming PCs, Laptops, PC Monitors, Computer Components Specialists | CCL Computers
Click to expand...

thanks,
I'll check them out
 
bazcfc1 said:
I will get him to write a list and sites he's used mate maybe some time tomorrow now mate
Click to expand...

much appreciated
there's no panic,
be a month or so before my lad has enough money saved up,
I havent told him, but if he saves enough up, then I'll actually pay half for his birthday,
he already has £500 from his xmas money
 
If you check out linustechtips on YouTube. They do alot of builds for pcs, high end then best budget gaming etc
 
The most important thing with a gaming rig is the GPU (graphics card) - don't get too hung up on the CPU/RAM. 8GB RAM is usually enough, 16GB of DDR4 will future proof you for years.

It's essential to have an SSD as your main hard drive for super fast speeds. If I were building a new rig I'd probably be looking at the latest M.2 SSD's. Here's a really good video that explains the two SSD types:

You just need to be careful if you go with M.2 that you have enough PCI express slots on your motherboard as several components use them. Both types will be great but M.2 is killer.

There's not a huge difference in price between intel and AMD anymore but there's still a bit more value with AMD. The Ryzen series tend to have more cores/threads which essentially helps the computer multitask (hyperthread). Whilst lower end games don't make too much use of this the more graphically challenging games do.

Motherboards will work with either intel or amd, not both.

One of the easiest rookie mistakes to make is not paying attention to the size of your case. You'll need a decent size case to be able to fit a good GPU. If you're gaming, also make sure you have sufficient cooling. Whatever GPU you do go with - double check it will fit in the case.

For £800 you will build a very, very good rig.
 
Last edited:
Don't forget to include Gaming keyboard, mouse, win10 and decent monitor in your budget.
 
if at all possibly do not build a gaming PC right now... CPU's & Graphics cards are stupidly overpriced & scalpers are taking the piss due to low availability, even used is 30%+ overpriced, it will be Feb/March before anything is close to msrp again.
Best bang for buck with an upgrade path would be something along these lines:

Budget:
MSI Mortar mini ATX or Tomahawk B450 ATX motherboard (good VRM's & upgrade path as will take the newest AMD 5000 CPU's with a BIOS update applied)
AMD Ryzen 2600 (2600X slightly better variant of same CPU)
AMD Radeon RX 580 (graphics card)
16gb of branded DDR4 (2x 8gb @3200mhz)
branded 550W power supply (semi modular)
256gb M.2 NVMe drive as boot device & one or more SSD's for games etc.
full or mini ATX case of your choice

Better:
ASUS TUFF B550 ATX motherboard (good VRM's & upgrade path)
AMD Ryzen 3600-(3600X is a slightly better variant of same CPU)
Nvidia RTX 3060ti (graphics card)
16gb of branded DDR4 (2x 8gb @3600mhz)
branded 650W power supply (fully modular)
256gb M.2 NVMe drive as boot device & one or more SSD's for games etc.
full or mini ATX case of your choice

The components above are about the best base for a current build within your budget, prices will drop once the new generation CPU's & Graphics card become available (March probably)
you will need a few other items depending on what you are wanting, IF Air cooling the CPU I'd recommend AMD's Wraith Prism cooler or a quality/branded aftermarket tower cooler, If wanting water cooled I'd recommend a 240mm AIO (Corsair H115i is my preference)
you will also need a few 120mm case fans for air flow, I'd recommend Corsair IQ kit, 3 fans + controller node if you are going the RGB route, the RAM & case can also have RGB if bling is your thing so try to stick with one brand for all RGB items as will be easier to control lighting, Corsair is my choice.
Quality keyboard & mouse + headset (don't skimp on these)

as for a screen look for a 24"-27" @144+Hz with 1ms response time & a Display Port (DP) connection & reject 60hz monitors, on your budget you will be looking at 1080 gaming, possibly 1440

places to look for components & prices:
Scan.co.uk
Overclockers
CClonline
 
Last edited:
many thanks for all your help,
I dont go back to work until the 18th,
so I'm going to have a look at my boys PC this week, he is going to give me a list of what he 'thinks' he might need,
then I'm gonna come back to you guys and ask if his current PC can be upgraded (its an i3 I think, with 8G RAM ), or just a new build.

@BeakyFord
yep, its gonna be a month at least, maybe his birthday in March before this happens, just with me working overseas, I have to try and plan ahead as much as I can.
 
It will work out cheaper if you do design it yourself compared to buying pre built. Just don't cheap out on cooling and make sure you have plenty of air flow. Take it one step at a time and study as much as you can before you start.
 
OK,
this is my lads PC specs as it is now,
if his motherboard is good enough then I suppose its just a case of what it will support,,
much appreciate all your input so far folks

Code: 
 *-core
       description: Motherboard
       product: H81M-S2V
       vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
       physical id: 0
       version: x.x
       serial: CM027725-050
       slot: To be filled by O.E.M.
     *-firmware
          description: BIOS
          vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
          physical id: 0
          version: F2
          date: 07/09/2014
          size: 64KiB
          capacity: 4032KiB
          capabilities: pci upgrade shadowing cdboot bootselect socketedrom edd int13floppy1200 int13floppy720 int13floppy2880 int5printscreen int9keyboard int14serial int17printer acpi usb biosbootspecification uefi
     *-cache:0
          description: L1 cache
          physical id: 4
          slot: CPU Internal L1
          size: 128KiB
          capacity: 128KiB
          capabilities: internal write-back
          configuration: level=1
     *-cache:1
          description: L2 cache
          physical id: 5
          slot: CPU Internal L2
          size: 512KiB
          capacity: 512KiB
          capabilities: internal write-back unified
          configuration: level=2
     *-cache:2
          description: L3 cache
          physical id: 6
          slot: CPU Internal L3
          size: 3MiB
          capacity: 3MiB
          capabilities: internal write-back unified
          configuration: level=3
     *-memory
          description: System Memory
          physical id: 7
          slot: System board or motherboard
          size: 8GiB
        *-bank:0
             description: DIMM DDR3 Synchronous 1600 MHz (0.6 ns)
             product: CT102464BA160B.C16
             vendor: Conexant (Rockwell)
             physical id: 0
             serial: DB94D34A
             slot: ChannelA-DIMM0
             size: 8GiB
             width: 64 bits
             clock: 1600MHz (0.6ns)
        *-bank:1
             description: DIMMProject-Id-Version: lshwReport-Msgid-Bugs-To: FULL NAME <EMAIL@ADDRESS>PO-Revision-Date: 2012-02-05 00:26+0000Last-Translator: Andi Chandler <Unknown>Language-Team: English (United Kingdom) <en_GB@li.org>MIME-Version: 1.0Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bitX-Launchpad-Export-Date: 2018-07-12 13:19+0000X-Generator: Launchpad (build 18719) [empty]
             product: [Empty]
             vendor: [Empty]
             physical id: 1
             serial: [Empty]
             slot: ChannelA-DIMM1
        *-bank:2
             description: DIMMProject-Id-Version: lshwReport-Msgid-Bugs-To: FULL NAME <EMAIL@ADDRESS>PO-Revision-Date: 2012-02-05 00:26+0000Last-Translator: Andi Chandler <Unknown>Language-Team: English (United Kingdom) <en_GB@li.org>MIME-Version: 1.0Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bitX-Launchpad-Export-Date: 2018-07-12 13:19+0000X-Generator: Launchpad (build 18719) [empty]
             product: [Empty]
             vendor: [Empty]
             physical id: 2
             serial: [Empty]
             slot: ChannelB-DIMM0
        *-bank:3
             description: DIMMProject-Id-Version: lshwReport-Msgid-Bugs-To: FULL NAME <EMAIL@ADDRESS>PO-Revision-Date: 2012-02-05 00:26+0000Last-Translator: Andi Chandler <Unknown>Language-Team: English (United Kingdom) <en_GB@li.org>MIME-Version: 1.0Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bitX-Launchpad-Export-Date: 2018-07-12 13:19+0000X-Generator: Launchpad (build 18719) [empty]
             product: [Empty]
             vendor: [Empty]
             physical id: 3
             serial: [Empty]
             slot: ChannelB-DIMM1
     *-cpu
          description: CPU
          product: Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-4170 CPU @ 3.70GHz
          vendor: Intel Corp.
          physical id: 40
          bus info: cpu@0
          version: Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-4170 CPU @ 3.70GHz
          slot: SOCKET 0
          size: 3691MHz
          capacity: 3700MHz
          width: 64 bits
          clock: 100MHz
          capabilities: x86-64 fpu fpu_exception wp vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe syscall nx pdpe1gb rdtscp constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts rep_good nopl xtopology nonstop_tsc cpuid aperfmperf pni pclmulqdq dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx est tm2 ssse3 sdbg fma cx16 xtpr pdcm pcid sse4_1 sse4_2 movbe popcnt tsc_deadline_timer aes xsave avx f16c rdrand lahf_lm abm cpuid_fault invpcid_single pti ssbd ibrs ibpb stibp tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority ept vpid fsgsbase tsc_adjust bmi1 avx2 smep bmi2 erms invpcid xsaveopt dtherm arat pln pts flush_l1d cpufreq
          configuration: cores=2 enabledcores=1 threads=2
     *-pci
          description: Host bridge
          product: 4th Gen Core Processor DRAM Controller
          vendor: Intel Corporation
          physical id: 100
          bus info: pci@0000:00:00.0
          version: 06
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 33MHz
          configuration: driver=hsw_uncore
          resources: irq:0
        *-pci:0
             description: PCI bridge
             product: Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor PCI Express x16 Controller
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1
             bus info: pci@0000:00:01.0
             version: 06
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pci pm msi pciexpress normal_decode bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=pcieport
             resources: irq:16 ioport:e000(size=4096) memory:f6000000-f70fffff ioport:e0000000(size=167772160)
           *-display
                description: VGA compatible controller
                product: GK208B [GeForce GT 720]
                vendor: NVIDIA Corporation
                physical id: 0
                bus info: pci@0000:01:00.0
                version: a1
                width: 64 bits
                clock: 33MHz
                capabilities: pm msi pciexpress vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom
                configuration: driver=nouveau latency=0
                resources: irq:31 memory:f6000000-f6ffffff memory:e0000000-e7ffffff memory:e8000000-e9ffffff ioport:e000(size=128) memory:c0000-dffff
           *-multimedia
                description: Audio device
                product: GK208 HDMI/DP Audio Controller
                vendor: NVIDIA Corporation
                physical id: 0.1
                bus info: pci@0000:01:00.1
                version: a1
                width: 32 bits
                clock: 33MHz
                capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list
                configuration: driver=snd_hda_intel latency=0
                resources: irq:17 memory:f7080000-f7083fff
        *-display
             description: VGA compatible controller
             product: 4th Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 2
             bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
             version: 06
             width: 64 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: msi pm vga_controller bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=i915 latency=0
             resources: irq:28 memory:f7400000-f77fffff memory:d0000000-dfffffff ioport:f000(size=64)
        *-multimedia:0
             description: Audio device
             product: Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor HD Audio Controller
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 3
             bus info: pci@0000:00:03.0
             version: 06
             width: 64 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=snd_hda_intel latency=0
             resources: irq:30 memory:f7914000-f7917fff
        *-usb:0
             description: USB controller
             product: 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family USB xHCI
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 14
             bus info: pci@0000:00:14.0
             version: 05
             width: 64 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm msi xhci bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=xhci_hcd latency=0
             resources: irq:24 memory:f7900000-f790ffff
           *-usbhost:0
                product: xHCI Host Controller
                vendor: Linux 4.15.0-47-generic xhci-hcd
                physical id: 0
                bus info: usb@3
                logical name: usb3
                version: 4.15
                capabilities: usb-2.00
                configuration: driver=hub slots=10 speed=480Mbit/s
              *-usb:0
                   description: Mouse
                   product: USB OPTICAL MOUSE
                   physical id: 7
                   bus info: usb@3:7
                   version: 1.00
                   capabilities: usb-1.10
                   configuration: driver=usbhid maxpower=100mA speed=2Mbit/s
              *-usb:1
                   description: Keyboard
                   product: Razer Ornata Chroma
                   vendor: Razer
                   physical id: 8
                   bus info: usb@3:8
                   version: 2.00
                   capabilities: usb-2.00
                   configuration: driver=usbhid maxpower=500mA speed=12Mbit/s
           *-usbhost:1
                product: xHCI Host Controller
                vendor: Linux 4.15.0-47-generic xhci-hcd
                physical id: 1
                bus info: usb@4
                logical name: usb4
                version: 4.15
                capabilities: usb-3.00
                configuration: driver=hub slots=2 speed=5000Mbit/s
        *-communication
             description: Communication controller
             product: 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family MEI Controller #1
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 16
             bus info: pci@0000:00:16.0
             version: 04
             width: 64 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm msi bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=mei_me latency=0
             resources: irq:27 memory:f791e000-f791e00f
        *-usb:1
             description: USB controller
             product: 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family USB EHCI #2
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1a
             bus info: pci@0000:00:1a.0
             version: 05
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm debug ehci bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=ehci-pci latency=0
             resources: irq:16 memory:f791c000-f791c3ff
           *-usbhost
                product: EHCI Host Controller
                vendor: Linux 4.15.0-47-generic ehci_hcd
                physical id: 1
                bus info: usb@1
                logical name: usb1
                version: 4.15
                capabilities: usb-2.00
                configuration: driver=hub slots=2 speed=480Mbit/s
              *-usb
                   description: USB hub
                   vendor: Intel Corp.
                   physical id: 1
                   bus info: usb@1:1
                   version: 0.05
                   capabilities: usb-2.00
                   configuration: driver=hub slots=4 speed=480Mbit/s
        *-multimedia:1
             description: Audio device
             product: 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset High Definition Audio Controller
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1b
             bus info: pci@0000:00:1b.0
             version: 05
             width: 64 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=snd_hda_intel latency=0
             resources: irq:29 memory:f7910000-f7913fff
        *-pci:1
             description: PCI bridge
             product: 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port #1
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1c
             bus info: pci@0000:00:1c.0
             version: d5
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pci pciexpress msi pm normal_decode bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=pcieport
             resources: irq:16
        *-pci:2
             description: PCI bridge
             product: 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port #3
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1c.2
             bus info: pci@0000:00:1c.2
             version: d5
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pci pciexpress msi pm normal_decode bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=pcieport
             resources: irq:18 ioport:d000(size=4096) memory:f7800000-f78fffff ioport:ea100000(size=1048576)
           *-network
                description: Ethernet interface
                product: RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
                vendor: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
                physical id: 0
                bus info: pci@0000:03:00.0
                logical name: eth0
                version: 0c
                serial: 40:8d:5c:3b:df:39
                size: 100Mbit/s
                capacity: 1Gbit/s
                width: 64 bits
                clock: 33MHz
                capabilities: pm msi pciexpress msix vpd bus_master cap_list ethernet physical tp mii 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd 1000bt 1000bt-fd autonegotiation
                configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=r8169 driverversion=2.3LK-NAPI duplex=full firmware=rtl8168g-2_0.0.1 02/06/13 ip=192.168.1.106 latency=0 link=yes multicast=yes port=MII speed=100Mbit/s
                resources: irq:18 ioport:d000(size=256) memory:f7800000-f7800fff memory:ea100000-ea103fff
        *-usb:2
             description: USB controller
             product: 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family USB EHCI #1
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1d
             bus info: pci@0000:00:1d.0
             version: 05
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm debug ehci bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=ehci-pci latency=0
             resources: irq:23 memory:f791b000-f791b3ff
           *-usbhost
                product: EHCI Host Controller
                vendor: Linux 4.15.0-47-generic ehci_hcd
                physical id: 1
                bus info: usb@2
                logical name: usb2
                version: 4.15
                capabilities: usb-2.00
                configuration: driver=hub slots=2 speed=480Mbit/s
              *-usb
                   description: USB hub
                   vendor: Intel Corp.
                   physical id: 1
                   bus info: usb@2:1
                   version: 0.05
                   capabilities: usb-2.00
                   configuration: driver=hub slots=6 speed=480Mbit/s
        *-isa
             description: ISA bridge
             product: H81 Express LPC Controller
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1f
             bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.0
             version: 05
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: isa bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=lpc_ich latency=0
             resources: irq:0
        *-storage
             description: SATA controller
             product: 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family 6-port SATA Controller 1 [AHCI mode]
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1f.2
             bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.2
             version: 05
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 66MHz
             capabilities: storage msi pm ahci_1.0 bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=ahci latency=0
             resources: irq:25 ioport:f0b0(size=8) ioport:f0a0(size=4) ioport:f090(size=8) ioport:f080(size=4) ioport:f060(size=32) memory:f791a000-f791a7ff
        *-serial UNCLAIMED
             description: SMBus
             product: 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family SMBus Controller
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1f.3
             bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.3
             version: 05
             width: 64 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             configuration: latency=0
             resources: memory:f7919000-f79190ff ioport:f040(size=32)
     *-scsi:0
          physical id: 1
          logical name: scsi0
          capabilities: emulated
        *-disk
             description: ATA Disk
             product: WDC WD10EZEX-00W
             vendor: Western Digital
             physical id: 0.0.0
             bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0
             logical name: /dev/sda
             version: 1A01
             serial: WD-WMC6Y0F42STY
             size: 931GiB (1TB)
             capabilities: partitioned partitioned:dos
             configuration: ansiversion=5 logicalsectorsize=512 sectorsize=4096 signature=000a5a64
           *-volume:0
                description: Windows NTFS volume
                physical id: 1
                bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0,1
                logical name: /dev/sda1
                version: 3.1
                serial: 14314927-2b98-874f-a81e-1de9e03e210f
                size: 489GiB
                capacity: 489GiB
                capabilities: primary bootable ntfs initialized
                configuration: clustersize=4096 created=2015-12-20 18:24:37 filesystem=ntfs modified_by_chkdsk=true mounted_on_nt4=true resize_log_file=true state=dirty upgrade_on_mount=true
           *-volume:1
                description: Windows NTFS volume
                physical id: 2
                bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0,2
                logical name: /dev/sda2
                version: 3.1
                serial: de0cee9c-27f7-de4f-8837-4388d6c1865a
                size: 293GiB
                capacity: 293GiB
                capabilities: primary ntfs initialized
                configuration: clustersize=4096 created=2015-12-20 18:24:38 filesystem=ntfs label=media state=clean
           *-volume:2
                description: EXT4 volume
                vendor: Linux
                physical id: 3
                bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0,3
                logical name: /dev/sda3
                logical name: /
                version: 1.0
                serial: 594849c0-15b0-4954-a8d6-321b88d8f43c
                size: 17GiB
                capacity: 17GiB
                capabilities: primary journaled extended_attributes large_files huge_files dir_nlink recover extents ext4 ext2 initialized
                configuration: created=2016-04-07 17:33:50 filesystem=ext4 lastmountpoint=/ modified=2021-01-10 17:46:18 mount.fstype=ext4 mount.options=rw,relatime,errors=remount-ro,data=ordered mounted=2021-01-10 17:46:21 state=mounted
           *-volume:3
                description: Extended partition
                physical id: 4
                bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0,4
                logical name: /dev/sda4
                size: 130GiB
                capacity: 130GiB
                capabilities: primary extended partitioned partitioned:extended
              *-logicalvolume:0
                   description: Linux swap volume
                   physical id: 5
                   logical name: /dev/sda5
                   version: 1
                   serial: 21aa9224-caab-4861-99ba-35f750dea6cc
                   size: 3815MiB
                   capacity: 3815MiB
                   capabilities: nofs swap initialized
                   configuration: filesystem=swap pagesize=4096
              *-logicalvolume:1
                   description: EXT4 volume
                   vendor: Linux
                   physical id: 6
                   logical name: /dev/sda6
                   logical name: /home
                   version: 1.0
                   serial: 3fa68c09-73e6-4710-925b-dabd266b850d
                   size: 126GiB
                   capacity: 126GiB
                   capabilities: journaled extended_attributes large_files huge_files dir_nlink recover extents ext4 ext2 initialized
                   configuration: created=2015-12-23 21:55:48 filesystem=ext4 lastmountpoint=/home modified=2021-01-10 17:46:27 mount.fstype=ext4 mount.options=rw,relatime,data=ordered mounted=2021-01-10 17:46:27 state=mounted
     *-scsi:1
          physical id: 2
          logical name: scsi4
          capabilities: emulated
        *-cdrom
             description: DVD-RAM writer
             product: CDDVDW SH-224FB
             vendor: TSSTcorp
             physical id: 0.0.0
             bus info: scsi@4:0.0.0
             logical name: /dev/cdrom
             logical name: /dev/cdrw
             logical name: /dev/dvd
             logical name: /dev/dvdrw
             logical name: /dev/sr0
             version: SB00
             capabilities: removable audio cd-r cd-rw dvd dvd-r dvd-ram
             configuration: ansiversion=5 status=nodisc
  *-power UNCLAIMED
       description: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
       product: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
       vendor: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
       physical id: 1
       version: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
       serial: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
       capacity: 32768mWh
 
My lads just brought himself one of these AlphaSync Core i5 9th Gen 16GB RAM 2TB HDD 240GB SSD GTX 1660 Super Gaming Desktop PC. Not that bad for 800 quid. Obviously you can spend way more but decent enough cheap gaming PC you don't have build yourself. Only extras he'll be adding for now is more SSD. Does have windows pre installed and overall happy for a budget one. He did get his monitor first so still around a grand all in I think
 
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G_1981 said:
My lads just brought himself one of these AlphaSync Core i5 9th Gen 16GB RAM 2TB HDD 240GB SSD GTX 1660 Super Gaming Desktop PC. Not that bad for 800 quid. Obviously you can spend way more but decent enough cheap gaming PC you don't have build yourself. Only extras he'll be adding for now is more SSD. Does have windows pre installed and overall happy for a budget one. He did get his monitor first so still around a grand all in I think
Click to expand...
ebuyer is where his current PC came from,
and my 'good' laptop
I did look at them, but I have no idea what I'm looking at tbh, lol
 
@steptoe it's a basic system but there is room to upgrade & make it feel like a much newer rig capable of playing most 'AAA' titles at 1080 resolution with high settings (144hz monitor with display port recommended but not essential)

Motherboard - Gigabyte H81M-S2V (low level board but will support a decent CPU as upgrade)
Intel CPU - i3-4170 (best bang for buck CPU upgrade - i5-4690K)
RAM - DDR3 1600Mhz 8bg 'single stick' (add a 2nd identical 8gb ram stick to total 16gb or replace with a matched pair of 2x 8gb DDR3 @1600mhz)
Graphics card - GeForce GT 720 (almost anything would be an upgrade lol, Nvidia 6gb GTX 1060/AMD Radeon 580 or better)

current used price guide:
CPU - i5 4690K - £60
GPU
GTX 1060 6gb - £150+ or AMD Radeon 8gb RX580 - £140+
RAM
1 x 8gb @1600mhz - £35 (match/pair the one you have)
or
2 x 8gb @1600mhz - £60 (corsair or known brand gaming ram)

£300'ish spend in upgrades, no point in aiming higher in components or building new with current prices being stupidly high, no info given on power supply/case so possibly upgrades required there. I'd recommend replacing 'CPU cooler' with an aftermarket gaming cooler if you upgrade the CPU (£30-£40) plus add an SSD (new) for a huge speed boost.

At the end of the day it may be worth looking on FB marketplace as £400-£500 buys a higher spec/newer refurbished system, an £800 spend on a refurb will get him a decent/current rig, possibly a full setup with monitor
 
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BeakyFord said:
@steptoe it's a basic system but there is room to upgrade & make it feel like a much newer rig capable of playing most 'AAA' titles at 1080 resolution with high settings (144hz monitor with display port recommended but not essential)

Motherboard - Gigabyte H81M-S2V (low level board but will support a decent CPU as upgrade)
Intel CPU - i3-4170 (best bang for buck CPU upgrade - i5-4690K)
RAM - DDR3 1600Mhz 8bg 'single stick' (add a 2nd identical 8gb ram stick to total 16gb or replace with a matched pair of 2x 8gb DDR3 @1600mhz)
Graphics card - GeForce GT 720 (almost anything would be an upgrade lol, Nvidia 6gb GTX 1060/AMD Radeon 580 or better)

current used price guide:
CPU - i5 4690K - £60
GPU
GTX 1060 6gb - £150+ or AMD Radeon 8gb RX580 - £140+
RAM
1 x 8gb @1600mhz - £35 (match/pair the one you have)
or
2 x 8gb @1600mhz - £60 (corsair or known brand gaming ram)

£300'ish spend in upgrades, no point in aiming higher in components or building new with current prices being stupidly high, no info given on power supply/case so possibly upgrades required there. I'd recommend replacing 'CPU cooler' with an aftermarket gaming cooler if you upgrade the CPU (£30-£40) plus add an SSD (new) for a huge speed boost.

At the end of the day it may be worth looking on FB marketplace as £400-£500 buys a higher spec/newer refurbished system, an £800 spend on a refurb will get him a decent/current rig, possibly a full setup with monitor
Click to expand...
Thank you so much
PSU is currently 780W so that should be ok,
Graphics card was only a cheapo £30-40 at the time, so no surprise there, the rest is not a bad price for an upgrade,
Would just be nice as a joint project for the 2 of us, rather than but a built PC
Would there be a benefit to leave existing RAM installed and also a new matching pair,?
I know an SSD is a big upgrade, but do I need a big one for the games, or just the OS,? Would a smallish 240G one be enough,?
Otherwise, prices all look very reasonable,
Maybe in another year he can completely upgrade again with a new system.

Edit : this was a sub £300 system when we got him it 3 years ago, so I know it's not gonna be capable of singing and dancing at the same time.
 
steptoe said:
OK, so my son, 12yo would like a gaming PC
we have a price of about £800
I know thats not massive, but its not real high end, he mostly plays minecraft etc
now, here is the rub,
I know it would be cheaper probably to just buy one,
But, I think it would be a nice project for the 2 of us to get the bits and build one,
I dont mind if its not as good as we could buy, as long as its 'kinda' future proof, as much as 6 month technology can be,
ie, room for more RAM, better GPU etc,
am I right in thinking I can get a better AMD than Intel for about the same money.?
I have no idea about modern computers, but I am fairly practical, know about static issues, heat paste etc,
(my real job is an electrical testing comissioning supervisor for some fairly large stuff in Europe),
and for those that know me I've dabbled in building an arcade from a Pi etc, have uograded RAM in my laptop etc,
BUT, I know JACK about building a PC from scratch.

many thanks.
Click to expand...
Simce completing my City & Guilds IT in 1992 I have built and repaired several Intel desktop PCs , using components from local trade distributors, mainly Taiwanese. The biggest challenge was component compatibility and future-proofing, as technology standards change so quickly. And getting buggy Windows versions to work was a nightmare with the patches and updates. Eventually I found that PCs pre-built, burnt-in and tested, by the same trade distributors, and for not much more cost, was the easiest and quickest solution. Good luck with your project. Check out this website: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/
 
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steptoe said:
I know an SSD is a big upgrade, but do I need a big one for the games, or just the OS,? Would a smallish 240G one be enough,?
Click to expand...
an SSD as a boot device will give him the most noticeable speed boost, installing games on an SSD will make a big difference to load times but will be fine if left on his SATA drive, it is better to have separate drives for the OS & games so it may be worth installing 2 x SSD's (120gb-240gb for OS/programs & a 500gb or larger for games).

upgrading his current system is the cheapest option but his base components are very basic as a starting point. I would be very tempted to go for a new CPU/motherboard combo at the cheaper end (£200'ish) as both intel & AMD offer good value in this range. It all depends on how much time & effort you are willing to put into selecting the best bang for buck components without bursting the budget.

steptoe said:
Would there be a benefit to leave existing RAM installed and also a new matching pair,?
Click to expand...
running 2 x ram sticks is always recommended as it runs in dual channel which improves performance, a single stick in a gaming rig is a bit of a no no, matching ram sticks is important/critical, gaming ram generally come with a heat spreader to help keep temps under control.


There are so many options available it's impossible to give specific recommendations, budget, compatibility, upgrade path, manufacturer, specifications all play a part in selecting the correct components. I have been building PC's for over 20y & I still spend a lot of time looking at specification data ensuring I make the right choices, it's like anything in life...the more prep you are able to do before you start the easier/smoother everything else becomes
 
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