Best products from r/lowendgaming

Won't recommend Huniepop. Spend the money on Hateful Days (Analogue+Hate Plus), though I did have some trouble running Analogue on my old a6400f desktop (YMMV on the performance).

Age of Empires III is another to look at- though probably not that low-end friendly, but much better than it was before. Just a warning though, high-poly models (toggleable option, enables improved destruction) requires a good GPU to not turn everything to a crawl (but even without that, some of the fireball effects are hard on low-end devices).

Some other ones to look at:

• Doom (Seriously, it's a DOS game, it runs on toasters)
  
• One Way Heroics
  
• La-Mulana
  
• Eversion
  
• 99 Spirits
  
• Cherry Tree High Comedy Club
  
• 100% Orange Juice
  
• Cave Story+ (you can also the free version without the enhanced visuals and soundtrack on cavestory.org- there's a reason it's one of the best-known freeware games)
  
• 10,000,000
  
• Commandos Collection (Commandos 1,2,3)
  
• Robin Hood: Legend of Sherwood
  
• Alltynex Trillogy (RefleX and Kamui should be fine, not sure on Alltynex second)
  
• Bunny Must Die
  
• SimCity 4 (way better than the recent SimCity, just remember to get NAM)
  
• Final Fantasy VII/VIII (should run just fine on old PCs, but Roses and Wine suggested for FFVIII, as that one still uses the old MIDI soundtrack)
  
  Outside Steam:
  
  
• Sims 2 [you should have picked up the Ultimate version when it was free on Origin. Also, remember, modthesims is a great place for Sims 2 mods and CC]
  
• Dungeon Keeper Gold [If you ever wondered why the Mobile version of Dungeon Keeper is seen as a travestry, just play this. Shouldn't take THAT long to see why. Also, DKFXKeeperFX should help here.]
  
• Raptor: Call of the Shadows
  
• Demonstar [Oldie but still pretty nice, the biggest bummer is the $9.99 cost. Soundtrack by Bobby Prince, who's best known for his composition for the Doom games]
  
• Raiden Legacy
  
• Touhou 14: Double Dealing Character [Not sure if there's any English patch available)
  

I've always been the type of person that is willing to spend a little more to make sure things go exactly as planned, so I would say the 7870K would be a great match for what you're wanting. It's only 10 bucks more than the 7670K, and it should be more than enough to run any indie games as well as some older triple A titles if you feel like it.

As far as RAM goes, I would say a minimum of 8GB honestly. This gives your OS/background processes a decent amount to chew on while still giving a little wiggle room for extra VRAM.

If you ran a low resource Linux distro (like Lubuntu) you could get by with less, but then you're running into the issue of finding the games you want to play.

Unfortunately the options are pretty much "expensive APU/RAM" or "inexpensive CPU that may or may not handle what I want" and then there is the classic "please /r/hardwareswap and CList gods, be merciful and bless this poor soul with sick bargains"

If you're sure you won't be upgrading, I say go for the best APU you're willing to buy, or wait for Raven Ridge (Ryzen APUs).

Best bet is probably a beefier APU, more/faster RAM, and then buy used for mobo, storage, fans, anything except PSU.

Give me a few to finish work, and I'll see about getting those PCpartpicker builds.

EDIT:

This is over your budget, and I'm not sure how the prices translate as far as EU stores, but it's a decent place to start.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
Motherboard | ASRock - FM2A68M-HD+ Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard | $44.99 @ Amazon
Memory | Mushkin - Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory | $61.27 @ OutletPC
Storage | Kingston - A400 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $51.99 @ Best Buy
Power Supply | SeaSonic - 300W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | $36.69 @ SuperBiiz
Other| A10 7870K| $109.99
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $304.93
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-06-28 15:56 EDT-0400 |


Buying used storage, mobo, ram, will probably get you right around 200-220, and from there if you feel like you need to shave more off I would say drop down to the A8-7600, but keep (at least) 8GB of 2133MHz ram as a priority.

I'll poke around and see what I can come up with from EU retailers in a few. :)

Hey there! Just a head's up, for $6.59 you can get a wifi antenna here: https://www.amazon.com/WIFI-10-dBi-2-4GHz-Antenna/dp/B000SEQGT2/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1542579366&sr=1-1&keywords=wifi+antenna

I'm not sure of the OP's financial situation, but if need be, I'll toss in $7 via Paypal to pay for this if the OP needs!

I love that you're giving this away. Bravo! I hope the winner is happy (not entering myself as I have an existing system).

Best of luck all!

I unboxed and deployed about 500 of these a few months ago. They are pretty unremarkable laptops but decent for the price. Durable and reasonably easy to work on. The RAM is not soldered down and you could easily upgrade to SSD later on. The touchpad and screen are both enjoyable. I didn't like the keyboard though, it felt like the key travel was very short and mushy. I am not a keyboard snob at all (no mechanical keyboards in my house) and I still found it hard to type on. We did have maybe 10/500 that came from the factory with sticky keys (that stick down or are very slow to come back up) so this seems to be something they are prone to. Another issue is the cable that connects the touchscreen to the motherboard seems to break under normal use. If you are not buying a touchscreen model though this probably won't matter to you, and in any case they might have come up with a better cable by now since I believe they are aware of this problem. It only affects the touchscreen input, not the display itself. I have played AOE and AOEII on mine and it ran well.

Normally i5 indicates four cores, but the i5 in this laptop is really more of an i3. It is a dual core with hyperthreading. You can now buy laptops with the next-gen i3-5020u which is the same configuration (dual core with hyperthreading) and much cheaper. Then you could spend the difference on an SSD. For instance, you could buy something like this and something like this. This would be a better setup IMO.

Yes, I think the problem is what's right for some people isn't right for another group of people. So it's the afficionados/perfectionists versus the casualists. I'm definitely in the NOT in the former category but just need something to hold me over until 1. I manage to move my real monitors from my old home back to the east coast, and 2. until native 720p projectors ascend in features to offer decent sound.

I know one can always add a speaker system, but one of the main appeals of these highly portable projectors is that they can be an all-in-one solution. I want to bypass the clutter of this and that component. I'd like these devices to double as a speaker system even when switching the primary display to a proper monitor. After resolution and price, semi-decent sound was my third priority. I wanted a minimum requirement of a simple $15-20 USB powered speaker system (while also avoiding any bundled dreaded bluetooth). Something like or exceeding amazon basics https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-USB-Powered-Computer-Speakers-Dynamic/dp/B07DDGBL5T/

So after enough browsing, I reduced it to the C80W versus the ultra-cheap Myriann, both of which seem to have speaker systems that are slightly better than the two speaker systems of most of the lower sub $70 projectors, and will probably (hopefully) match the amazons basics usb speakers. The right choice probably would be the C80W because the picture quality is a league higher (native 1280x720 resolution at 2400:1 contrast ratio versus 800x480p resolution at about 1000:1 contrast). However, I figure for me it will be a temporary solution for computer display, followed by good utility for a practical bare basics movie playback role.

So for now I'm going bare acceptable minimum for video and audio and, if the projector setup appeals to me, I will upgrade in a few years when the features are there at a good price point. In a few years I can hopefully one can get a 720p projector but with really decent sound for a small living room (Like a ~25W three speaker system) for around $120. I would consider that a proper solution meeting audio and video needs. So I'm going cheap now but that's what I'm saving up to.

I did later (after pulling the trigger) notice a third candidate, a $74 projector (at 800x480 and 2000:1 contrast ratio) https://www.amazon.com/Azk-Projectors-Projector-Brighter-Portable/dp/B07GZMY79G/

But here, I think it probably might be worth it to splurge the extra $26 to get the proper 720p.

Well, I think we'll see a lot of progress on these neat devices over the next few years. So, somebody please wake me up when these things have kick ass sound under $120.

In addition, if you're looking to buy a laptop with a GTX 1050 or 1050 Ti card, I would advise against buying the Dell Inspiron 7000 Gaming (7567), unless you really like the color gray (or are planning to replace the display).

The laptop uses a very low quality TN panel, with poor contrast and viewing angles, that render a grayish gradient in place of solid black, and produce an overall 'washed out' look. A screen this poor shouldn't exist in laptops costing this much, IMO, and the good news is you don't have to settle for it.

• https://i.imgur.com/Sajajqc.jpg
  
• https://www.reddit.com/r/SuggestALaptop/comments/5ozrqq/warning_the_new_inspiron_15_display_is_indeed/
  
  The following laptops deliver similar performance for a similar price, with much better display quality.
  
  ------
  
  

  USA
  

  
  HP Pavilion 15t
  
  

• http://store.hp.com/us/en/pdp/Laptops/hp-power-pavilion-laptop--15t-x7p44av-1
  
• $649 at the moment! Default $849, and regularly goes down to $700-$750, which is still a good price.
  
• Note: Offered UHD display is PenTile (RG/BW) not-true-UHD. See /r/SuggestALaptop/ sidebar for more info. This isn't the laptop I would pick if you want UHD. If you want UHD, my recommendation will actually go for the Dell Inspiron 7567, 4K IPS model. Or, chose the 17.3" Pavilion, as its UHD is also the real deal.
  
• Review vs Inspiron: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBtF6iRA6IQ
  
• The HP Omen 15t / 17t is very similar, the main differences being looks, pricing / discount timings, and offered options (including a GTX 1050 Ti).
  
  Lenovo Y520
  
  
• http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/ideapad/legion-y-series/y520/#tab-customize ($50 off through this discount: Load this then go here)
  
• https://www.costco.com/Lenovo-LEGION-Y520-Gaming-Laptop---Intel-Core-i7---4GB-NVIDIA-Graphics---1080p.product.100347159.html (Costco deal with 2TB+256GB)
  
  Clevo N855HJ (pick the IPS panel option)
  
  
• http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np5855-clevo-n855hj.html
  
• https://lpc-digital.com/product/sager-np5855-clevo-n855hj/
  
• http://www.pro-star.com/index.php?r=product/detail&model=N855HJ
  
• http://www.sagernotebook.com/Notebook-NP5855.html
  
• Pick the IPS panel option since the stock display is similarly poor to the Inspiron. They only recently added this option, and it may not have made it to pre-config listings on Amazon/Newegg yet, which is why I didn't link those. If you're recommending this laptop to others, I would be sure to include this detail.
  
  Clevo N850HK1
  
  
• http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np6852-clevo-n850hk1.html
  
• https://lpc-digital.com/product/sager-np6852-clevo-n850hk1/
  
• http://www.pro-star.com/index.php?r=product/detail&model=N850HK1
  
• http://www.sagernotebook.com/Notebook-NP6852.html
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Eluktronics-N850HK1-Premium-Performance-Laptop/dp/B06X6BB9F7/
  
• Note: Offered UHD display in the Eluktronics version is PenTile (RG/BW) not-true-UHD. See /r/SuggestALaptop/ sidebar for more info. This isn't the laptop I would pick if you want UHD. If you want UHD, my recommendation will actually go for the Dell Inspiron 7567, 4K IPS model.
  
• The Eluktronics model costs more. The advantage with them is that they're very straightforward about which LCD you get. The N850HK1 is confirmed to use the LG LP156WF6-SPB1, a panel with 72% NTSC color gamut rather than 45% (more saturated colors on top of the good contrast and viewing angles of IPS). The others may very well use 72% NTSC as well, but I haven't been able to confirm.
  
  Acer Aspire VX 15
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-Gaming-GeForce-VX5-591G-5652/dp/B01N11JKA3/ (GTX 1050, 256GB SSD)
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-Gaming-GeForce-VX5-591G-54VG/dp/B01MR82G0W/ (GTX 1050 Ti, 256GB SSD)
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-Gaming-GeForce-VX5-591G-75RM/dp/B01N12YZ7B/ (GTX 1050 Ti, 256GB SSD, i7-7700HQ may not be needed over the i5-7300HQ for gaming on this GPU in most cases, but it is an option)
  
• Includes SSD only, however there is a slot for a HDD. You will need to request a free mounting bracket to use it.
  
  ------
  
  

  Canada
  

  
  Clevo N850HK1
  
  

• http://reflexnotebook.ca/sager-notebooks/sager-display/sager-15display/sager-np6852.html
  
• Reflexnotebook.ca has not yet added the IPS option on the NP5855 / N855HJ.
  
  Acer Aspire VX 15
  
  
• https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834315888
  
• https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834315889
  
• Includes SSD only, however there is a slot for a HDD. You will need to request a free mounting bracket to use it.
  
  Lenovo Y520
  
  
• http://www3.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptops/ideapad/lenovo-legion-y-series-laptops/Lenovo-Y520-15IKBN/p/88GMY500808 (Not available yet)
  
  ------
  
  

  UK
  

  
  Clevo N850HK1
  
  

• https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/notebooks/optimusVIII-15/
  
• i5-7300HQ + 8GB RAM + GTX 1050 Ti is a good config
  
  Acer Aspire VX 15
  
  
• https://www.amazon.co.uk/Acer-Aspire-VX5-591G-15-6-Inch-Notebook/dp/B01N24EENE/
  
• Includes SSD only, however there is a slot for a HDD. You will need to request a free mounting bracket to use it.
  
  ------
  
  These models will also be available in many other countries. For the Acer Aspire VX 15, check to make sure you're looking at an IPS config, as certain earlier releases used low quality TN panels. For the Clevo N855HJ, make sure you have the option to choose the IPS panel.
  
  Also know that TN isn't inherently bad, it's the low quality non-WVA kind used in the Dell Inspiron 7567 that's bad. This isn't me bashing all TN panels because the viewing angles aren't perfect. A number of TN panels are perfectly fine, including most older TN 1080p laptop displays, most 120Hz TN laptop displays, and most TN desktop monitors. This is Dell's use of a very low quality non-WVA-type TN panel (to be more specific, a lottery of at least three different similarly-poor non-WVA-type TN panels) in a product line that has historically used IPS, and that is in a price bracket where in my opinion we shouldn't be seeing displays like this.
  
  As a final note, while the Dell Inspiron 7567 is perhaps the most infamous, it isn't the only higher-priced laptop with a low quality display. These higher-priced laptops use low quality displays as well.
  
  
• ASUS GL502VT-BSI7N27 (Best Buy model. The GL502VT is IPS from most other sources.)
  
• ASUS K501UW, FX502VM, FX553VD
  
• MSI GP62MVR
  
• MSI GL62M(?) (The Notebookcheck review indicates it's a WVA-type TN, but this review and this review show other laptops with identical LCD panel hardware IDs and low quality displays, leading me to believe it could be a lottery with that panel model, rather than a deliberate choice by MSI to use a good panel.)

Split/Second has a decent storyline and some explosive mechanics that make it interesting. Driver: San Francisco an excellent open world racer with a twist, decent storyline and solid retro vibe. Burnout Paradise if you're looking for some open-world arcade-ish racing without much in the way of story line. FlatOut 2 and Carmageddon: Max Damage if you're looking for some mayhem. The TrackMania2 games if you want some fun with physics and an endless set of track possibilities, or grab TrackMania Nations Forever which is free. True arcade racing at it's finest/craziest. Speed Dreams if you're looking for a motorsport sim, and it's free. DiRT Rally if you're looking for rally sport. Freebies SRB2Kart and SuperTuxKart for some kart fun (STK has some new play modes too, worth a look).

You can keep an eye on Project Torque. Supposedly the beta (download is here) is still going on while they sort out their issues with Steam. Haven't verified that though. They do have a discord and seems that peeps are playing.

Acer Aspire E5 with a Geforce 940 MX (2 GB GDDR5 variant). It is under $600 and it has the fastest GPU for this price.

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-E5-575G-57D4-15-6-Inches-Notebook-i5-7200U/dp/B01LD4MGY4/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

The Geforce 940 MX GDDR5 is twice as fast as the Intel HD 620. It may still not be enough to run games fluently at high resolutions and settings, but it is a step forward. It can play most games at 720p low 30-40 fps. Slightly better then the desktop Geforce GT 730 GDDR5.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-940MX.156033.0.html

Games from few years ago can be played even better.

Could this pc run Disco Elsyium at 30 fps with 720 resolution? -

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C715KNT/ref=psdc_13896615011_t1_B074Q54GSR if you don't want to click on the link- info on the laptop below.

8th Gen Intel Core i5-8300H quad-core mobile processor

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB Graphics Card

8GB DDR4 RAM e Drive

(NOte, I do not actually own this pc, but I'm considering buying it play mainly RPG games at 30 fps with 720 resolution like consoles. Main reason I'm not getting a console is that PC gets exclusives like Disco Elysium and Tyranny. If this is too off topic feel free to downvote this post)

What's your maximum budget?

A refurb desktop might do you some good and give you the room to throw in a stronger GPU later. Of course, you might be better-served by a laptop since you don't have your own place right now.

This A10-6700 desktop and this A10-7800 desktop would do well and can run most games on modest settings. The RAM is probably 1333 or 1600Mhz, which would make the APU performance suffer.

This HP looks to have an i5-2400. weaker graphics off the bat, but a Sandy Bridge i5 is an excellent option for you to throw in a stronger GPU later.

/r/suggestalaptop's cheapest gaming quick pick is the Asus F555LA with an i3-5010U sporting Intel HD 5500 graphics.

I have a GT1030 in an HP Elite PC and it works very well. I dont play AAA games, but newer stuff like Tacoma and Infra looks REALLY nice. Here's the one I bought: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072HRD3CY/

Buy this Optiplex for $145: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Optiplex-7010-MT-i5-3470-3-20GHz-8GB-DDR3-320GB-Win-10-Pro-64-bit-F6D08Y1/223241688757

Add this PSU, $40 before rebate, $20 after mail in rebate: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139201

Add a used 750ti from Aliexpress for $50 (or ebay, or Newegg sometimes)....

or add a new GT1030 DDR5 model for $85: https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-GeForce-GDDR5-Graphics-GT1030-2G-CSM/dp/B071JV26GH?th=1


Better CPU by far, easier to put together and find the parts, already has Windows 10, and it costs $250.

.

Add $40 and get a refurbished GTX 1060 straight from Zotac: https://store.zotac.com/zotac-geforcer-gtx-1060-3gb-zt-p10610a-10l-1460 For $290 you have a system not made from random shit, has some warranty on parts, and that 1060 is better than the rx 570.


I don't suggest random deals on used GPUs... they could have been miners, etc, and may burn out... at least a new card carries a for sure guarantee you can send it back unless you drop it in the toilet.

Honestly, if you don't mind a laptop: Go pick up an IBM Thinkpad. The T61 line is decent (I would go with the Intel/Nvidia combo if you can get it, should run you around $100)

​

You will be able to install Dosbox and run pretty much any older 90's game I can think of.

​

Edit: apologizes, looking on amazon they run for around $150ish. If you don't mind checking ebay you can find something cheaper if you don't mind bidding. I own two of these bad boys, and they are rock solid in terms of reliability, and performance.

​

I'll link the exact model I am talking about (hope you don't mind it is an amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-ThinkPad-T61-15-4-NoteBook/dp/B00OF37G32/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=lenovo+t61&qid=1556035974&s=gateway&sr=8-3 )

There are some sales on Amazon you can check out.

This one has Intel HD5500 graphics.
This one has HD520 which are better.

Those will even run things like Rocket League, which I've player on a laptop with a i5-3370u and HD4000 graphics.

Make sure you dust/clean the air vents.


Also the fan/heatsink that originally game on the laptop may not be able to handle the additional heat produced by the faster CPU.


You may want to try a laptop cooling pad or aftermarket fan attachment.


https://www.amazon.com/Targus-Chill-Laptop-Black-AWE55US/dp/B002NU5O9C/ref=lp_2243862011_1_17?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1574110531&sr=1-17


https://www.amazon.com/Temperature-Auto-Temp-Detection-2600-5000RPM-Nintendo/dp/B01NACVLWM/ref=lp_2243862011_1_15?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1574110531&sr=1-15

If where you live you've got a lively 2nd hand market for gpus go there , find a 750ti or smth , also if you dont buy this gt 1030 https://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-GeForce-GV-N1030SL-2GL-Silent-Profile/dp/B072HRD3CY/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1522925017&sr=1-3&keywords=gt+1030 its cheaper than what youre getting

I have a cooling pad (This one, works fairly well) but it does still get hot... Maybe I need to invest in a new one.

Though after doing some research, I found that it is a pretty common problem. I found a way to fix it from /r/TheSims, but I haven't tried it yet.

Thanks for the input!

I'd recommend you either the

GT 730 4GB GDDR3 - 85$

OR

GT1030 2GB GDDR5 - 70$

Personally I'd get the GT1030, does a decent job with latest games. But it's passively cooled, so it can get a bit hot while gaming. Nothing that can't be fixed with a small case fan. The GT730 I linked has 4 gigs of vram though, which can help with texture fidelity in newer games.

Yeah, it'll have a 940MX.

Actual laptop to be precise: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LD4MGY4

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01LD4MGY4/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1499163797&sr=1-2&refinements=p_4%3AAcer&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65

Here is the one I think I have settle on
https://www.amazon.com/Acer-E5-575G-57D4-15-6-Inches-Notebook-i5-7200U/dp/B01LD4MGY4/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1494413390&sr=1-2&keywords=940mx+ddr5


I found it from Acer Refurbished for $430, which may be a stellar price, right?