Currently the same price on Amazon, if you have a preference.
http://amzn.com/B00KPRWAZQ

A g3258 can overclock to i3 performance. The average overclock seems to be 4ghz-4.5ghz. It matches the i7 in single thread performance when overclocked. I saw a cpu/motherboard combo on here for about $100 lol. Or the CPU is available for under $60 right now.

http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Pentium-Processor-G3258-BX80646G3258/dp/B00KPRWAZQ

Just a heads up, it's the same price on Amazon and it's Prime Eligible so free 2-day shipping for Amazon Prime members.

Alrighty then. Let's do this.

You said he is saying in the video the pc manages to crawl 30 fps on GTA V on Ultra Settings, which is, let me tell you, fucking unplayable over time. Anything below 60 fps imo is pure cancer to play with over a long term especially when it comes to a fps which is heavily relying on a good fps count (60+). I really advise you to inform yourself a little with the overall shananigans that are happening inside and outside of your pc. It crucial knowledge that you can use to make good decisions.

Starting on FPS (Frames / Second)

Generally you want over 60fps so you can actually play the game. Play? Yes, first person shooters are UNPLAYABLE without constant 60 fps, I've been playing shooters for ~7 years now, so I roundabout know what I am talking about here. The first graphics intense shooter I played was Battlefield: BadCompany 2 on about 25 fps average on a crappy Toshiba laptop (don't buy toshiba laptops, please don't). Let me tell you, it's a pain in the ass and you don't want to endure the same as me back then.

Deconstructing the Part List

• Processor: Intel G3258 4 Pentium 3.20 GHz 3M Cache 2 Core
  
  The fact that I don't see an "i" in the processors name combined with a "budget gaming pc" gives me slight creeps. When you're building a pc you want to play on, and you're building one with a Intel-based processor, please make sure you're using atleast a i3 or i5. Anything below that won't make you happy over a long run. Speaking from experience.
  
  
• Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR3 1600
  
  These are absolutely fine for the price and honestly probably the absolute best choice you can make when building a budget pc.
  THE ONLY ISSUE I HAVE WITH THESE IN THIS BUILD IS THAT YOU CAN'T UNLEASH THEIR FULL POWER. If you ask why, the reason for that is simple. The processor in the amazon link states in the description:
  >2 Channel DDR3-1333 memory support
  
  Excuse me, what? Supports 1333Mhz? Your Memory is supposed to be run on 1666Mhz. This is quite a cut in efficiency memory wise, and at this point this build seems like total bs to me. It's like I tell you to go running, but you have to take a backpack filled with stones with you at all times.
  
  
• Motherboard: ASUS H81M-A MicroATX DDR3 1333
  
  Someone please take a set of jumper cables and hit me with them, again this motherboard locks your RAM (memory) speed to 1333Mhz. As a rule of thumb stay away from motherboards pricetagged below 80 bucks, most of these are serious trash. The amazon description is filled with, you guessed right, nothing. Not one technical spec except "TOTALLY FAST USB3" and 1333Mhz RAM speed. Wow.
  
  
• HDD: Seagate 1TB Desktop HDD SATA 6Gb/s
  
  Let me tell you something, seagate hard drives are fine imo, but not for todays standards. I'd really advise you to get a SSD, which are way faster. Your Windows will boot within seconds (I am serious, mine boots in about 6) and so will your games.
  
  If you just want to store files, HDDs are the way to go because they are so cheap. But when you install and boot your Operating System on a HDD, you will sit minutes to get to the boot screen and booting takes half a eternity and that surely doesnt get better over time.
  
  

  At this point I just want to point out that this piece of s*** just used "Amazon's goes great together" algorithm and pretty much nothing else.
  

  
  

• Graphics card: ZOTAC GeForce GTX 750 Ti
  
  Seems reasonable, its a small card, but price/performance seems adequate here. It's always hard to pick on specific niche graphics cards because they all perform somewhat different. Don't expect super hard ultra graphics with this one, but imaginably most games should run on it acceptably at middle settings.
  
  
• Case: Rosewill Dual Fans MicroATX Mini Tower
  
  Well, what can I say here. It's a MicroATX case (thats a form factor for cases reaching from miniATX to ATX). So do me one favor if you decide to do your build in one of these, please make sure you have enough space and air around your pc, it will need it. Everything is very tight-packed in a MicroATX case, because theres literally no space whatsoever. This makes it hard for air to transport the heat out, which can drastically decrease your pc's performance over hours of playing.
  
  
• PSU (Power Supply Unit): EVGA 500 W1 80+, 500W
  
  Yes, no, I don't really know here. My rule of thumb again is to buy only beQuiet psus because they have serious quality behind the price. Don't get me wrong EVGA is a really ok manufacturer, but I wouldn't set my 2k$ rig on the risk of being fried because the power supply has a bad day. I mean technically I can give you a yes to use it in a budget build, but a definite no if you want to build something of higher quality. ~40 bucks +- just doesn't suit my sense of a magical box that is in charge to keep your parts intact for years. Use it, but be aware of that.
  
  

  Conclusion
  

  
  Please do not build this PC, I am sure LinusTechTips builds are way stabler and better thought through for their price tags. I really do not recommend TechSource for pc builds, his videos look very view generating and zero effort to me. His entire "benchmark" video for the pc is a dubstep compilation for games, where it would be sad if they'd perform any worse then shown. Like seriously, Heroes of the Storm? Blade and Soul? these are not really graphic intese games and have not really stable grounds to be benchmarked with. Same with csgo. I have easy 300fps+ in cs, but you can probably run csgo on a toaster if you know how.
  
  On a side note, the GTA V gameplay looks so smooth because it was filmed by an external camera which smoothes the frames to 30 fps. This is quite a dirty trick. He could've used the actual footage he took with fraps (the thingy that records your screen) and shows you the fps in the top left corner), but he did this on purpose because he knows the results are drastically different when you see the raw footage instead.
  
  
  This took me a bit, so If you find it helpful please give it a upvote.**
  
  If you have any questions regarding anything, please, just ask. Doesn't cost you anything and I won't blame you either.
  
  Tagging /u/effoxs, /u/SheepRoll, /u/Marrked, /u/morepandas, /u/tooDank_dot_js.
  
  If the peeps over at /r/buildapc or /r/buildmeapc decide to take it on this build I'd be glad if you could link them to this comment so they don't have to redo this.
  
  

That's not true. The i3 series has nearly the same performance per thread as a quad core i5. Even the Intel Pentium G3258 which is basically an i3 without hyperthreading, should crush SC2.

Eurogamer has been running games on a budget PC with i3 4130 and gtx 750 and has been getting equal or better performance than consoles on most games. Since SC2 doesn't utilize more than 2 cores, a dual core should be more than enough. Just make sure that the dual core has a decent clock speed and is preferably not AMD.

OK, so the price is for Prime members only? What's the problem here? You pay for Prime, you get discounts on things, that's how Prime works. Here are a fuckload more that aren't for Prime members:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00KPRWAZQ/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new

You may be better off buying a new intel CPU that takes DDR3 and a motherboard.

​

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KPRWAZQ/?tag=hubacct9792-20

​

this CPU is $65 - you will need to dig up the right size intel motherboard but everything else should transfer over. Newegg has some LGA 1150 mobos for $100 but i'll bet ebay is full of them, maybe even some pulls that come with a processor attached.

​

the amd cpu is similarly priced, but it's not going to be a major upgrade. neither is an older intel, but it's 2 years newer and should perform faster in gaming.

​

anything beyond this and you'll need DDR4 RAM too.

Since R9 270 serves well for gaming, for that budget you can nail an G3258 plus an H81-B85-H97 motherboard, FX-4100 is a pretty "old" chip and may be an slightly bottleneck.

At most, you can get:

GPU

Green Side: EVGA GTX 960 starting at $200 dls may be an 25-35% faster than your current GPU.

Red Side: R9 280X Vapor X Same story, but performs a little better than the GTX 960.

CPU

]Blue side:] One of the best performers is the G3258 it's a Haswell unlocked chip, you can get this little monster up to 4,2 ghz easily with the proper cooling, also to note you need a new motherboard for this chip, ANY ASUS branded board (H81, B85, H97, Z97) is able to overclock unlocked mutiplier chips since last year i think, it from $69-89
one of the best price-performance chip, don't get fooled by the "Pentium name".

Red Side: FX-6300, a bit "old" but also one of the best price/performance chips, it doesn't even bottlenecks a top tier card. And you won't need to change you Motherboard.

So: ($69 G3258 - $55 ASUS H81-M ) If you go Intel side, so you'll left $174 for the gpu

and for the red side FX-6300 and spare $198 for gpu

I suggest this as well as a motherboard that works with it.

If you were to go with Intel you would have to consider overclocking at this budget!

If you're very inclined to purchase an Intel build and you're willing to Overclock I recommend you get the Intel G3258.

That CPU is a beast and will blaze through anything you throw at it for such a low price.

Now, if you're not comfortable overclocking then don't sweat it and get the AMD one.

g3258 for 55 shipped

[Intel G3258 4 Pentium 3.20 GHz] (https://www.amazon.com/Intel-G3258-Pentium-Processor-BX80646G3258/dp/B00KPRWAZQ?ie=UTF8&tag=xtremegaminer-20) , I wouldnt really go with AMD processors, Prob this motherboard but there might be something else someone will mention, wait for the rx 460, uhh and just get ripjaws ram, with the money saved should be enough to get 460

edit: Saw its not for gaming, the 99$ rx 460 should be fine

The g3258 is 55 bucks right now on amazon - here's Camelx3 showing the price humps, been 55 bucks a few days this month: http://camelcamelcamel.com/Intel-Pentium-Processor-G3258-BX80646G3258/product/B00KPRWAZQ?context=browse

so, might be able to save 15 bucks

Intel Pentium G3258 appears to be much better for only $67 and has the 1150 socket. Would that work?

Edit: nevermind you said 8 cores. I'll look into some cheap octa-cores.

just FYI the G3258 is on sale at Amazon and Fry's for $57

Is this motherboard 100% compatible with this CPU?

Thanks for the feedback. So I see you replaced both the processor I was looking at and the case.

Is the AMD FX-8320 really worth the extra money over the Intel G3258? With Amazon selling the G3258 for $57, the AMD is twice the price. Will having the 8-core make a huge difference in performance given the data crunching I will be doing with it? I assume that in this case, the number of cores will be more important than the difference in clock rate? Otherwise, would it be better to go with a cheaper CPU with the intention of upgrading later?

Also, my other concern with your build is the case. It's significantly larger than the Roseville case I originally included (in terms of both footprint and the overall volume). I'd really like to stick with something more along the lines of a mini tower (so microATX). Do you have any suggestions for builds that would fit in the Rosewill Legacy U3-B) case?

If all you care about is SC2. I'd honestly get http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Pentium-Processor-G3258-BX80646G3258/dp/B00KPRWAZQ

Just overclock it to 4.0ghz (super simple), and you'll be good to go.

Then if you ever did want to upgrade later, you can go to an i-5 or i-7 with no problem.

The power supply will be fine. The i5 and motherboard are a little bit dated, 4GB of memory should probably be upgraded to at least 8GB for modern gaming. You could buy an R9 290 for under $300. You could keep the Radeon HD 5870 (it should still be fine to play games at 1080p medium settings, unless the titles have been ubisofted) and upgrade CPU and Motherboard, then upgrade the 5870 in a month or two. One last thing: upgrade to GTX 750 Ti FTW from EVGA, LGA 1150 motherboard, Pentium G3258, 8GB RAM. That will give you plenty of options for upgrades. You could go as far as a Core i7 + GTX 980 later. The power supply will hold up to any of these options.

Links to items on Amazon:

Just R9 290

R9 290 - http://www.amazon.com/MSI-Computer-Corp-290-GAMING/dp/B00HPS4AFG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1419091411&sr=8-3&keywords=r9+290

Keep the HD 5870 and upgrade CPU + Motherboard

Core i5 4670K - http://www.amazon.com/Intel-i5-4670K-Quad-Core-Desktop-Processor/dp/B00CO8TBOW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419091540&sr=8-1&keywords=core+i5+4570k

Motherboard - http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-B85M-E-CSM-DDR3-Motherboard/dp/B00CRJU2X2/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1419091591&sr=8-16&keywords=lga+1150+motherboard

Pentium G3258, GTX 750 Ti FTW, LGA 1150 motherboard, 8GB RAM.

Pentium G3258 - http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Pentium-Processor-G3258-BX80646G3258/dp/B00KPRWAZQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419090974&sr=8-1&keywords=pentium+g3258

MSI motherboard - http://www.amazon.com/MSI-Computer-MicroATX-Motherboard-H81M-E33/dp/B00F42W70A/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1419090913&sr=8-5&keywords=lga+1150+motherboard

GTX 750 Ti FTW - http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Display-Graphics-02G-P4-3757-KR/dp/B00J0ISHMQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419090882&sr=8-1&keywords=750+ti+ftw

8GB RAM - http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-HyperX-FURY-2x4GB-1600MHz/dp/B00J8E93G6/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1419091061&sr=1-1&keywords=8GB+ram

Yes, I realize some of these are slightly over a total of $300. Also these options (aside from r9 290) give the system plenty of room to upgrade. As for power supply, the TX 650 should be fine. Reuse your old hard drive and reuse your case.

Okay I like those choices I'll check out the mobo
But the processor is this what you were referring to? I like it, seems nice and cheap. Thanks for all the help by the way. I greatly appreciate this.

If you have got the extra money to spend, get the i5, since many games, today at least, doesn't use more than 4 cores, rarely even more than 2 cores. Thus, they benefit from fewer, stronger cores, which is what the i5 offers. However, if you are on a bit of a budget, you could go for the FX-6300. The FX is still a good processor, but in some games, it may bottleneck you quite a bit.
If I may add another option, you could get an Intel Pentium G3258 with a Z97 board. If you overclock the Pentium, it matches even a i7-4790K in games, and that's for a fraction of the price!

Intel Core i7 4790K & Pentium G3258 "Anniversary …: http://youtu.be/evXpqpNhu_Y

This setup also allows you to upgrade to an i5-4XXX or even an i7-4XXX in the future, if your performance starts to fall off.
For this I would recommend an aftermarket cooler, to get the most out of your overclock. If aesthetics doesn't matter much or if you like the look of a big heatsink on your CPU, I would say go for the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo, which is on sale on Amazon right now for $32.99 http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-212-RR-212E-20PK-R2/dp/B005O65JXI

You can get the Pentium G3258 for $57 right now on Amazon as well! http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00KPRWAZQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1417947594&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

First off, get an Intel G3258 3.2GHz I OC'd this badboy to 4.4GHz stable. But even at stock its still good for CS;GO. Next, with an R9, I'd recommend getting a full mobo. Z87-G41 by MSI is a great board, also has nice overclocking program. Next, I would recommend getting 2 sticks of RAM because dual channel gives you better bandwidth. It will stay the same price. Next, unless you are in love with the case, I would trash it. To me, it looked to have TERRIBLE air flow. I personally would get an Antec 302 This case is great. Lastly, I play CS:GO and I have it installed onto an SSD. This REALLY makes it load fast. I would try to squeeze a few extra bucks into getting a 120gb SSD. It can really make the difference. I would spend no more than 90 bucks on one. Hope my novel of words helps!

UK : http://www.scan.co.uk/products/intel-pentium-k-anniversary-g3258-s1150-haswell-dual-core-32ghz-oc-up-to-45ghz-5-gt-s-dmi-32x-ratio-?utm_source=google+shopping&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=Cj0KEQiA2o6lBRCn_b7yppe98rQBEiQAMpnYnSdYFW8_k9QGTft1YZ7xfewfOYhIlzwfRvcIljggYt8aAtPF8P8HAQ

US: http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Pentium-Processor-G3258-BX80646G3258/dp/B00KPRWAZQ

Pentium is probably best bang for the buck. Has an integrated GPU that's pretty average until you get the rest of your build together. 6300 would be fine also, but no iGPU.

You already have the GPU? Try going the g2358 route.

http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Pentium-Processor-G3258-BX80646G3258/dp/B00KPRWAZQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417450450&sr=8-1&keywords=pentium+g3258

An inexpensive motherboard should be able to overclock it.

Great! Could you do me a huuuge solid and tell me if it can support my processor really quick?
Edit: Processor

I checked out FreeNAS. For me that is probably the best route, thanks. Is there a reason you wouldn't use RAIDz2 instead of RAID 6? Does that have to do with the ECC RAM and motherboard? I know they are quite a bit more expensive.

One concern I have is the AMD processor you are planning to use does not have a discrete graphics. From what I have read, this may interfere if you are wanting to play videos from it. If you are not wanting this to be a HTPC then disregard. I will point out that there is a sale on the Intel Pentium G3258 for only $55 right now. I know that is $14 more, but having discrete graphics could really pay for itself in the future if you change your mind. I know you would have to change motherboards, I was just throwing that out there.

http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Pentium-Processor-G3258-BX80646G3258/dp/B00KPRWAZQ/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1414267301&sr=8-3-fkmr1&keywords=intel+g5238

And particular reason for going with that AMD?

I think the Intel G3258 is a much better value at around $60. You can find a combo with a mobo for around $100-110.

http://www.microcenter.com/site/brands/G3258Bundle.aspx

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KPRWAZQ/?tag=pcpapi-20

Couldn't find any direct comparisons, but the even the older Intel G3220 is ranked higher than the 5150.

http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Pentium-G3220-vs-AMD-Athlon-5150

I think this cpu would be better value. Then try and pick up a 7750/7770 on gumtree or craigslist or something.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LDM43_cKn0

Edit: oh, and you don't need a z87 like they said in the video.

Is it this http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Pentium-Processor-G3258-BX80646G3258/dp/B00KPRWAZQ/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413764366&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=Intel+Pentium+gr3258

Pentium K for the win: http://www.amazon.com/Intel-G3258-Pentium-Processor-BX80646G3258/dp/B00KPRWAZQ
Currently have mine clocked at 4.7 ghz. Runs KSP like a champ.

This is the best you're gonna do for your budget:

ASUS 20" 1600x900 LED Monitor: http://www.amazon.com/VS207D-P-19-5-Inch-Screen-LED-Lit-Monitor/dp/B00B5Q6Y8U/ref=sr_1_6?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1408605057&sr=1-6

AmazonBasics USB Keyboard and Mouse Combo: http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Wired-Keyboard-Mouse-Bundle/dp/B00B7GV802/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1408605161&sr=1-4&keywords=usb+keyboard

Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core: http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Pentium-Processor-G3258-BX80646G3258/dp/B00KPRWAZQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408605465&sr=8-1&keywords=pentium+g3258

ASUS H81M-E Motherboard: http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-H81M-E-DDR3-1333-Motherboards/dp/B00ESETQNG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408605562&sr=8-1&keywords=asus+h81m-e#customerReviews

Crucial 4GB DDR3-1600: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006WAGG14/?tag=pcpapi-20

Seagate Barracuda 1TB: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005CT56R6/?tag=pcpapi-20

Silverstone PS08B Micro-ATX Case: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A1ZU1I0/?tag=pcpapi-20

EVGA 500W 80 Plus Power Supply: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H33SFJU/?tag=pcpapi-20

MSI Radeon R7 265 OC: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JJNQ8ZA/?tag=pcpapi-20

Total: $500

This will play all but ACU on the highest setting while being on budget.

The G3258 is a new processor, but you should get a motherboard with a new enough BIOS. I work retail and the latest batches we've been getting all work with the G3258.

Get an Intel G3258.

They are $70 at the moment. It's a dual core processor that can be overclocked up to 4.2 - 4.5 ghz, features the latest and best cores that Intel has to offer. This processor can out due the i3 4130 which is almost double the cost.

My formatting is really bad, so I apologize ahead of time. This is what I've done research on and saved so far.


Monitor- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824160240&ignorebbr=1


CPU- (Dual core) http://www.amazon.com/Intel-G3258-Pentium-Processor-BX80646G3258/dp/B00KPRWAZQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1455357130&sr=1-1&keywords=g3258&linkCode=sl1&tag=techsource02-20&linkId=11a30b5f30fd79c6d6919bca3aa14c1f


Ram- (16 gigs ram) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148545&cm_re=Crucial_Ballistix_Sport-_-20-148-545-_-Product


Motherboard- (Asus) http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-H81M--MicroATX-DDR3-Motherboards/dp/B00ESETQOK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1455357170&sr=1-1&keywords=asus+h81m-a&linkCode=sl1&tag=techsource02-20&linkId=60be0ea7c8506bbb9c1dee32c151c0ac


Hard drive - (1 tb) http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Desktop-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST1000DM003/dp/B005T3GRNW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1455357232&sr=1-1&keywords=seagate+1tb&linkCode=sl1&tag=techsource02-20&linkId=87e7d08908036af45a70d409a29a6801


Video Card- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500349&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-TechSource%20Official-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=7899552&SID=


(other option) http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Cooling-Graphics-02G-P4-2958-KR/dp/B013WQC9U2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1455357501&sr=1-2&keywords=gtx+950&linkCode=sl1&tag=techsource02-20&linkId=cc7e6d2ede49ec0d489f64252ca2ef13


Keyboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1KT2FA2910


Case - http://www.amazon.com/Rosewill-MicroATX-Tower-Computer-FBM-01/dp/B005LIDU5S/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1455357279&sr=1-1&keywords=rosewill+fbm-01&linkCode=sl1&tag=techsource02-20&linkId=e7076f52a8f3cfa59e8f7ecf39eb20f6


Power Supply - http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-Continuous-Warranty-Supply-100-W1-0500-KR/dp/B00H33SFJU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1455357296&sr=1-1&keywords=evga+500w&linkCode=sl1&tag=techsource02-20&linkId=0c53362e4ccfc9d77d7c8c0203dd9f38

Hey man, you're probably going to want to go with a G3258. It's a hair under 4000 passmark but I have the same CPU and it works fine. Those things are great overclockers, so it's definitely going to fit your needs. Mobo doesn't really matter. Find something with the correct socket, right number of SATA ports, right form factor and you're good to go. This is what I used for reference. RAM isn't too big of a deal, either. Cheapest one that'll fit the build. 4GB would be plenty but because I had a stick lying around, I'm using 8GB.

I don't know the exact power draw of mine but it's always on and I don't notice it.

http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Pentium-Processor-G3258-BX80646G3258/dp/B00KPRWAZQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410491109&sr=8-1&keywords=intel+g3258

I just ordered an Intel G3258 for a light gaming build. Priced at $54.99, it's a steal. I had $27 in Amazon points, so I ended up getting this CPU for $32 haha.

I'm going to cool this with an H80i, so hopefully I can get a massive overclock on this thing.

You can get the G3258 $55 here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KPRWAZQ/

Here's some other mobo options since the PC MATE is kinda crappy:

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-z97extreme3

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-z97pro3

If you get this mobo: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-z97anniversary

You can avoid the rebates and only pay like $5 more upfront.

Building a budget computer (light gaming/everyday). Buy This & This, or wait for one of those ~$100 Cpu + Mobo bundles (have yet to buy memory for my setup as of yet)?

Yeah, I get that. I don't mean to come off as rough or anything but you can only patch over a build like this so much before you're wasting money and need to start investing into a better machine. I see a lot of guys trying to make something out of nothing here, and it's only hurting themselves.

The best place he can put his money right now for gaming performance is the Graphics card, any other upgrades would probably start getting too costly.

An alternative solution would be to replace the CPU and motherboard with a Pentium G4400. It's probably the best he can get for cheap and it OC's pretty well. The processor in combination with a motherboard to go with it will cost him about 110 GBP before tax and such. The GPU is still a weak spot, but if he's playing low end games that should get him by until he can get ahold of something better.

I agree. This one is overclockable to over 4.0 GHz, I think. It's a steal for the price.

http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Pentium-Processor-G3258-BX80646G3258/dp/B00KPRWAZQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404356522&sr=8-1&keywords=intel+g3258

I've heard that the Pentium G3258 is an amazing deal, for gaming, if you're going to overclock it

This is what you want:

Pentium G3258 can be overclocked to 4.2 Ghz with its stock fan. Great for emulation.
https://www.amazon.com/Intel-G3258-Pentium-Processor-BX80646G3258/dp/B00KPRWAZQ

MSI Intel H81 LGA 1150 Micro ATX Motherboard (H81M-E34) with HDMI out
https://www.amazon.com/MSI-Intel-Micro-Motherboard-H81M-E34/dp/B00HUFEUQ8/

Easy to find two used 4 GB sticks (or a single 8 GB) DDR3 for 8 GB. $25-30

Easy to find an at least 500W PSU. $40

Easy to find a new or used ATX case. $20


What kills you is a new copy of Windows 10 Home (System Builder version) if you don't already have copy. That's $90 on Amazon alone. Maybe check a grey market Key selling sight for this.

Add a used gaming GPU if needed.

Hey there. Don't mind me, just leaving this and this here.

Would you consider a cheaper CPU with an SSD? With a G3258 you could afford a quieter cooler and a 240gb SSD and save about $25.

Intel G3258

r7 370

It certainly won't run most AAA games on high settings, but it's better than the a10. If the 370 is a bit too much, than I'd consider the 750ti. It isn't AMD, but it's a good buy.