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| Kaveri |
When it comes to PC gaming, you usually don't hear about many cheap custom setups because its often said that they're not worth the cost. So we did a little bit of research to see if a ~$400 PC could deliver playable frame rates in modern games while serving as a media centric entertainment system. Here is a low-end build for the gamer that wants an extremely cheap gaming PC. AMD seems to be the price/performance ratio leader in this arena, so we chose their budget hardware to make a build. Here is our findings, which we will keep up-to-date with a fluctuation amount of $10, all new and necessary components.
I. Media Center PC With Gaming Capabilities
This custom build could be considered a media center PC also considering the plethora of options available through your browser. The list of free movie services alone such as Crackle and Popcorn Flix provide plenty of content to users without the need to spend a dime. For a complete list of the many entertainment ideas available through your browser, check out our Remedies For PC Boredom.
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CPU
-AMD A10-Series APU A10-7850K Socket FM2+
-Price -$129.99 {Amazon.com}
-This is an APU powered proccessor, meaning it contains a modest integrated GPU capable of playing modern games, though on lower settings than a dedicated card would give you. Because APU's have crossfire{dual graphics} availability, you could add a Radeon R7 240 for $70. This could increase your performance by 15 - 20 fps in certain games when run in crossfire mode. But even without a dedicated card, this APU is still good enough to deliver playable experiences inside a relatively cheap gaming PC. It contains a quad core processor clocked at 3.1 Ghz along with an R7 GPU featuring 384 graphics cores clocked at 720 Mhz.
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- ASRock Micro ATX DDR3 2400 FM2 Motherboard FM2A58M-VG3+ R2.0
-Price -$42.99 {Amazon.com}
-When buying a CPU, it is important to make sure the accompanied motherboard is compatible. This motherboard works with AMD APU series processors, giving you a path to upgrade when a new CPU arrives. It also features a PCI express 3.0 X 16 slot for when you are ready to upgrade to a dedicated GPU, and 4 SATA2 ports for extra connectivity. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better motherboard to put inside of your budget gaming PC than this one.
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RAM {MEMORY}
-Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (1) DDR3 PC3-12800 1600MHz
-Price -$44.25 {Amazon.com}
-8GB of memory is the lowest amount you should buy if you plan to play games on your PC, especially if it has an APU inside. This is also true concerning the clock speed of the memory, since the APU's rely on the system's memory. This stick of RAM has you covered, as its clocked at 1600 Mhz. Though its not the latest or fastest form of memory one could buy, if your on a budget, it fits the bill. It also only takes up one memory slot on your motherboard, so you can always buy another 8GB {or 16GB} stick of memory in the future for a quick upgrade.
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HARDRIVE
-Seagate ST3750640NS 750 GB SATA II 7200 RPM Hardrive
-Price -$36.00 {Amazon.com}
-For those on a budget and want enough space on their hardrives for their stored data, this one would be hard to pass up on. This is the cheapest HDD around with 750GB of space while spinning at 7200 RPM. Its true that an SSD or even a terabyte or 2 of space are better choices, they are also more expensive choices. This is a good fit for those looking for a cheaper gaming PC than those with more expensive equipment. Plus, if you ever want to upgrade to more space,then adding an extra SSD or HDD would be simple and easy, given you have an extra SATA port available.
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GPU {Graphics Card}
-AMD A-10 APU R7 Discreet graphics
-Price - $0.00
-Since were rolling with an APU in this build, the GPU is builn-in. But I know you're wondering what kind of performance or discreet GPU you could compare it to? Well, in our research, we found that the integrated graphics in the 7850K is on par with the Radeon R7 250, give or take a few frames per second. That is pretty good, considering this is integrated graphics were talking about. This card is sold in the price range of $90 and $120, so that is about normal for a low/mid end GPU. You shouldn't have too much trouble running your games with this APU as long as you pay attention to your graphical settings.
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CASE {TOWER}
-Rosewill Dual Fans MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case
-Price -$29.99 {Amazon.com}
-While there are much better cases out there than this one, they cannot touch this one concerning price for those on a budget. Also, for what it is, this Rosewill case is pretty good on airflow and space. As long as you're not planning on cross-firing 2 full length GPUs, this case should serve you well. Its dual fan design will keep your components from overheating, and should fit any full sized graphics card. Its also pretty sturdy, in case you need{or want} to move it often.
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PSU {POWER SUPPLY}
-EVGA 500 W1 80+, 500W 3 Year Warranty Power Supply
-Price -$44.99 {Amazon.com}
Although we're building a relatively cheap gaming PC, we cannot skimp on the power supply. You want to make sure you're getting a reliable PSU, preferably one with a 80+ certificate. 500 Watts should be the minimum and it should have its own PCI-e connectors. This power supply has both and isn't rough on your wallet. Plus its made by a graphics card vendor, so you could say that this is a gaming power supply. EVGA cards are known for being both good quality and low costing so its no wonder that their PSU is the same.
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DVD DRIVE
-Samsung SATA 1.5 Gb-s Optical Drive
-Price -$18.62 {Amazon.com}
-Truth be told, a DVD drive isn't necessary when building a custom PC. You could always load windows from a thumb drive{even though that method requires the availability of another computer to setup}. Also, you could get most if not all of your favorite content online or through streaming services, so this option has lost most of its popularity over the years thanks to digital distribution networks. But for those of you who bought a normal Windows DVD and/or like to buy the hard copies of their video games and movies{like we still do occasionally}, this is pretty much needed.
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OS {OPERATING SYSTEM}
-Windows 8.1 System Builder OEM DVD 64-Bit
-Price -$89.99 {Amazon.com}
-Again, like the DVD drive, a new windows isn't needed in all situations. But for those of you who have never build a gaming PC before, and do not possess a windows product key, this is going to be an option you are going to need. Considering the fact that most video games, programs, and streaming services only work under a windows environment, there is no other option than to run it on you PC. On the bright side Windows 10 just released and its free for those who purchase any windows OS 7 or better. So get Windows 8.1, upgrade, and enjoy Windows 10.
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KEYBOARD AND MOUSE {PERIPHERALS}
-Kensington Keyboard and Mouse for Life Wired Desktop Set
-Price -$12.95 {Amazon.com}
-And finally, to finish off our cheap gaming PC is a cheap keyboard and mouse combo. Really, there isn't anything special about this set, only the fact it isn't expensive. You could do a lot better for more money of course, but we wanted the bare minimum for what it was worth. You probably know someone with a set just lying around, and if you do, you could shave this off of the price.
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>Total: $446.60
-Price without OS & Dvd Drive: $338.00
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To compare, here is a pre-built machine also featuring an A-10 7850k. If you really don't want to build your own PC, this is the cheapest option we could find on Amazon.com.
A-10 7850k Custom Pre-built {Amazon.com}
>Total: $688.00
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Given the low price, this is a nice entry piece of hardware. It wont necessarily outclass a current gen console, but it will deliver playable frame rates in modern games, as long as you go easy on the settings. And lets not forget that this is also a PC, something that is useful in its own right. It does much more than just play games, it can actually allow you to produce any form of content, even your own video game. Media content, art, research, production, you name it. But since this is a cheap gaming PC, lets see what kind of gaming performance it can dish out for what its worth. Here are some benchmark graphs showing the in-game fps of the performance of the 7850k.
II. Performance Benchmarks
Remember that anything at or above 30 frames per second {fps} is considered playable. Frame rates of 45 and higher is considered smooth, and frame rates of 60 or better are considered optimal.
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Resolution:
1280X720 = 720p
1366X768 = 768p
1600X900 = 900p
1920X1080 = 1080p
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Exclusive games:
Multi-platform Games:
Surprisingly, this APU keeps the frame rates above 30, meaning minimally smooth performance. GTA V in 1080p, even with low settings, looks nice. The Witcher 3 is the latest system punisher, and it remains playable{with a slight hitch in open areas} in 768p. Dying Light also manages to keeps the frames rate smooth enough for you to forget that your gaming on a budget machine.
Considering the fact that the integrated GPU can keep these modern DX 11 games playable in the 30's without a dedicated GPU is very surprising of the 7850k. For as low as $338 you could have a gaming capable media center PC that has an upgrade path by simply adding in a dedicated GPU, like the R9 280 or GTX 960. But for the people who want a cheap media center PC with the ability to play games this build is pretty much as good as it gets. It supplies enough juice for good frame rates for your games, and makes other tasks, such as web browsing and streaming media a breeze. This would be a good starting point for those of you who want to start off with PC gaming without spending more than what you would on a console. We feel that this relatively cheap gaming PC is the ticket you were looking for.
