Advice on new/old gaming build for a kid?

[Charles Kozierok]

So, about to embark on the fun times again. I want to build a small, inexpensive but reasonably beefy system for my youngest son to do schoolwork and light gaming on. The goals here are bang-for-the-buck and future upgradeability; I don't want the latest and greatest of anything, but rather stuff a little bit older but still good enough to not get bogged down too much.

He's just turned 12 and mostly at the moment uses Minecraft and web-based games, but I can see him getting into more challenging content as he gets older. That said, we're not talking hard-core, latest-generation FPS gaming or anything. Still, I think I probably want a discrete video card, a motherboard of decent quality, and a reasonably modern CPU, hopefully that I can upgrade later.

The other option would be to build a new box for myself. I am currently running an i7-920/X58 system that's now about three years old, though the CPU and chipset are more like four years old. But the truth is that it mostly meets my needs, and I figured it would be cheaper to build a second-tier box for him rather than a new top-tier box for me.

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[dmoney1980]

Charles,

what kind of budget are we working with here, and where are you buying from?

 

[ElFenix]

please answer the sticky questions:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=80121



as for upgradeability, intel is changing sockets again this year. so the current sandybridge/ivybridge lineup is all that an 1155 motherboard will be able to use.

for processors there really isn't that much that's 'older' out there from intel. there's nearly nothing from before sandy at all (and certainly not worth paying new prices for it). and at similar pricepoints, without overclocking, ivy parts will be slightly faster than sandy parts. so, unless you get a great deal on a sandy processor, no real reason not to go with ivy.

for motherboards, the situation is similar. aside from h61 (budget) boards that were introduced with sandy, there is pretty much nothing on the market that predates ivy.

 

[Termie]

The 920 is still a potent CPU. It's too much for your son's uses.

I'm a fan of the low power use of the i3-3220, but you might consider the AMD FX-6300, which is nearly the equal of a stock 920. The 3220 has built in graphics, although for either system, you'll want something like the $100 HD7770 graphics card.

 

[Charles Kozierok]

Thanks for the replies.

Sorry about the sticky, I saw it but most of the questions didn't seem relevant so I just thought I'd describe the application in general terms.

I'm in the US, no overclocking, no brand preference. I will either give him one of my monitors and get another or buy one for him separately. Probably won't reuse any bits and pieces except for maybe a hard drive. I'd like to build within the next few weeks.

I'd like to keep this to around $300 if possible.

I hear what you're saying about the lack of availability of older hardware. I sort of forgot that the days of being able to find older generation parts at a discount are mostly gone. I could try going with used parts but I am rather wary of that.

I just realized I also have the issue of getting a copy of Windows from somewhere.

 

[Sleepingforest]

Yeah, a build is really tough for $300 inc. the OS. I don't think you can even build a functional computer for smooth Minecraft play for that much. For example:
Pentium = $50 at least
H61 Mobo = $50
RAM = $15 at least for a single 2GB stick, $28 for a 4GB stick
Storage = $40-50
Case = $25-50
PSU = $40
Windows 7 OS = $90
In other words, $400 at least. Unless you can get a student to source you the OS/ use Linux?

 

[Torn Mind]

Yeah, a build is really tough for $300 inc. the OS. I don't think you can even build a functional computer for smooth Minecraft play for that much. For example:
Pentium = $50 at least
H61 Mobo = $50
RAM = $15 at least for a single 2GB stick, $28 for a 4GB stick
Storage = $40-50
Case = $25-50
PSU = $40
Windows 7 OS = $90
In other words, $400 at least. Unless you can get a student to source you the OS/ use Linux?

He probably could hammer it down to 350ish with a Celeron, Asrock H61M-DGS from Amazon, Corsair CX430, and the cheapest case he can get(20-$25).

 

[DominionSeraph]

Wait for a 20% off sale at Dell Outlet. Get an Inspiron 660 with a G2020. The Ivy Bridge integrated graphics should be ok for light gaming. If it turns out you need more horsepower, a 7750 wouldn't bust the budget by too much.

Alternately, find a dual-core on craigslist. 'Round here they go for around $150 for an E520 or E521. E520 you can upgrade to a 65nm C2D. Then add a 9600GT/GT240/4670/5670/GT450

 

[ElFenix]

yup, dell outlet or sometimes microcenter has debranded desktops for under $300 with recent processors. at that price there's pretty much no way you can build new and beat the OEMs, esp if you need windows.

if you don't need windows and don't mind used, there's fs/ft.

 

[waldoh]

a basketball

 

[lehtv]

a basketball

You mean like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwVa_jGa9ms#t=1m

 

[lucklessgorath]

a basketball

How big a PSU does this need?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...9SIA06N07E1085

 

[Charles Kozierok]

Thanks for the further replies.

A cheap box from Dell is what I did the last time around. I was thinking this might not be a great idea as it would make future upgrading difficult, but at some point you get into diminishing returns -- if it's substantially cheaper I'm better off to just save the $ towards another box later on.

 

[Venom20]

I just realized I also have the issue of getting a copy of Windows from somewhere.

If Minecraft is all that he currently plays (aside from browser-based games) then why not give him a linux dsitro to play with?

According to the download page, minecraft is available for linux, never used it so I cannot vouch for its usability though.

That way you can spend more on hardware.

 

[frozentundra123456]

So, about to embark on the fun times again. I want to build a small, inexpensive but reasonably beefy system for my youngest son to do schoolwork and light gaming on. The goals here are bang-for-the-buck and future upgradeability; I don't want the latest and greatest of anything, but rather stuff a little bit older but still good enough to not get bogged down too much.

He's just turned 12 and mostly at the moment uses Minecraft and web-based games, but I can see him getting into more challenging content as he gets older. That said, we're not talking hard-core, latest-generation FPS gaming or anything. Still, I think I probably want a discrete video card, a motherboard of decent quality, and a reasonably modern CPU, hopefully that I can upgrade later.

The other option would be to build a new box for myself. I am currently running an i7-920/X58 system that's now about three years old, though the CPU and chipset are more like four years old. But the truth is that it mostly meets my needs, and I figured it would be cheaper to build a second-tier box for him rather than a new top-tier box for me.

Thanks for your thoughts!

I pretty much agree with other posters. I would aim to spend a bit more now and get a decent rig with modern components and not worry too much about future upgradability, except for perhaps adding a better graphics card. There is really nothing on the horizon CPU wise that is a compelling upgrade, except for perhaps lower power usage and better igps, neither of which are particularly important for a desktop.

Something like the i3 or FX 6300 with a HD7750 or HD7770, as others suggested, would seem to be adequate now and offer the opportunity to add a better graphics card in the future without overpowering the cpu.

 

[Hubb1e]

An A10 would allow you to skip the graphics card this time around, and the CPU is as powerful as an i3 so this is actually a textbook case of a time to spec an A10. If you don't need the HD then you could get a system in around $300 minus windows.

 

[mfenn]

Here's my best shot at a $300 PC using reasonably current parts. Windows is out of the question unless you have a spare license since that's 1/3rd of the budget.

AMD A8-5600K $110
Biostar A55ML2 $45
Crucial Ballistix Sport DDR3 1333 4GB $26
WD Blue 500GB $60
430CX $20 AR
Fractal Core 1000 $37
Total: $298 AR

This will play Minecraft and other light games on Linux pretty well.

However, I'm in agreement with the other other posters that you can get more for your money (including Windows) if you wait for a Dell Outlet sale.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

Here's my best shot at a $300 PC using reasonably current parts. Windows is out of the question unless you have a spare license since that's 1/3rd of the budget.

AMD A8-5600K $110
Biostar A55ML2 $45
Crucial Ballistix Sport DDR3 1333 4GB $26
WD Blue 500GB $60
430CX $20 AR
Fractal Core 1000 $37
Total: $298 AR

This will play Minecraft and other light games on Linux pretty well.

However, I'm in agreement with the other other posters that you can get more for your money (including Windows) if you wait for a Dell Outlet sale.

That looks good mfenn. Only comment I have is that the OP might choose a cheaper case and get some faster RAM. Those APU's are very sensitive to memory bandwidth, and 1333MHz is kind of on the low side. But that's strictly from a performance point of view. Fractal Design cases are very nice.

 

[frozentundra123456]

Here's my best shot at a $300 PC using reasonably current parts. Windows is out of the question unless you have a spare license since that's 1/3rd of the budget.

AMD A8-5600K $110
Biostar A55ML2 $45
Crucial Ballistix Sport DDR3 1333 4GB $26
WD Blue 500GB $60
430CX $20 AR
Fractal Core 1000 $37
Total: $298 AR

This will play Minecraft and other light games on Linux pretty well.

However, I'm in agreement with the other other posters that you can get more for your money (including Windows) if you wait for a Dell Outlet sale.

The OP did say he also wanted to be able to use the computer for "school work". Not sure what he had in mind, but I would think you would want windows for compatability purposes with other computers. I believe you get a copy of MS office starter with most new pre-builts these days, which would also be very useful for productivity purposes. I know there are free office suites you can use with linux, but personally they all seem lacking to me.

 

[mfenn]

That looks good mfenn. Only comment I have is that the OP might choose a cheaper case and get some faster RAM. Those APU's are very sensitive to memory bandwidth, and 1333MHz is kind of on the low side. But that's strictly from a performance point of view. Fractal Design cases are very nice.

The cheapest 1866 memory that I could find on Newegg that wasn't a horrible 2x2 kit was $44 which means going with some really horrible case. I figured that the memory would be easier to upgrade in the future than the case, but the OP could certainly go the other way.

The OP did say he also wanted to be able to use the computer for "school work". Not sure what he had in mind, but I would think you would want windows for compatability purposes with other computers. I believe you get a copy of MS office starter with most new pre-builts these days, which would also be very useful for productivity purposes. I know there are free office suites you can use with linux, but personally they all seem lacking to me.

You know, I did specifically say that the OP might be better off looking for a Dell Outlet deal or similar. Besides, there's always Google Docs.

 

[Charles Kozierok]

"School work" means basic word processing and light programming stuff, anything would work for that.

I'm not going to start playing with Linux on this box. I can handle that, but my son would be harrassing me every other day to fix this or that or wondering why this or that didn't work. Just don't need the hassle.

I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for a sale on an existing unit and also for deals on components.

Thanks!

 

[VirtualLarry]

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?inv...03-GRN&cat=CAS

This is a pretty snazzy case that I've used on builds before for friends. Not high-end cooling/airflow, but for a basic browser box it's fine. That one at Geeks includes a PSU for that price. Note that Geeks is in Cali, so shipping was $12 on top of the price for me. I just had three of them ordered for me.

 

[frozentundra123456]

Snip

You know, I did specifically say that the OP might be better off looking for a Dell Outlet deal or similar. Besides, there's always Google Docs.[/QUOTE]

I know, I was basically agreeing with you about a pre-built at this price point unless you have a copy of windows.

Personally I hate google docs, but that is just because I had a lot of compatability/formatting issues a few years ago when I tried to convert between them and MS Office files. Maybe it is better now.

 

[Charles Kozierok]

Well, seems there is a 20% off sale on the Dell Outlet through tomorrow. I was able to spec this out at $263:

Intel Pentium G2020 Processor (3M Cache, 2.9 GHz)
Windows 8
Dell Outlet Inspiron 660 Slimtower
500GB 7200RPM, SATA 3.0Gb/s, 16MB Cache
4GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz
16X DVD +/- RW Drive
Intel HD Integrated Graphics
Black Bezel
Slim Tower
Dell DW1506 (802.11 b/g/n) WLAN half mini-Card
USB Keyboard
Dell USB Optical Mouse
120V Power Cord
Heatsink
Windows 64 Bit

I have to admit that this is tempting.

On the other hand, I might be better off going a slightly different route. My work machine (the i7-920) is mostly fine, but the truth is there are two areas where I could do with an upgrade.

First, my system drive is a 3-year-old Intel SSD that has served me well but at 80 GB it is starting to get cramped.

Second, I want to get a new monitor, hopefully at 2560x1600 one, but I don't think my HD 5770 will be able to drive it.

So, I thought if I built my son a box I could move the SSD and video card over and then get him an inexpensive core (motherboard, CPU, RAM).

But the Dell box would be easier and possibly cheaper. The Windows 8 64-bit alone is worth half the box. What do you guys think?

I'd have to make sure that I can put an after-market video card in there though. I don't know if the IGP will be enough.

 

[Charles Kozierok]

Hmm, looks like my video card is the cryptically named EAH5770 CUcore/G/2DI/1GD5, which it appears will drive 2560x1600. Anyone see anything there that suggests I'll have an issue doing that?

I do some light to moderate gaming on my machine on occasion, but not much, so I'd rather not upgrade the video card unless necessary.