Upgrade this PC for kid gaming?

[AC33]

A 10 y/o boy wanted an Xbox 360 like his friends', but I know that it is discontinued now, and that there is already a successor even to the Xbox One, and then a new console due next year – probably much because of competition from PCs. So, I thought I would instead upgrade his PC with a video card and controllers.
I checked and it is a Core i3 540 3.07GHz + Scythe Katana 3 cooler, GigaByte GA-H55M-D2H, 450W PSU, RAM limited by 32bit Win 10, integrated graphics.
I then checked the latest Lego games, that I know he likes, and to my amazement (since the earlier ones run on the wii) even they ask for a quad core CPU, but then here they also listed a dual core.
We would be fine with a 1366x768 or ~1680x1050 resolution. Occasional streaming to 1080p would be nice, but not if it's a large investment.
I can upgrade RAM up to 8GB by reinstalling Win10 as 64bit.
Do you think that it is possible & reasonable to make this into an enjoyable game machine, that would not frustrate him over the next few years?
If so, what video card? AMD/ATI have been giving me nothing but grief and I understand that they tax the CPU more. Wait for the Geforce 1050?
Clearly the CPU would be the bottleneck now. Replacement quads are only from the earlier gen and not so cheap, depending which. Would an i5 750 solve my problem? Would overclocking the i3 540 suffice?
What controllers? Should we invest in the new Bluetooth Xbox controllers? Would something like the Xiaomi Mi + emulator do? We would like wireless ones.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

 

[whm1974]

Sorry to disappoint you, but upgrading a machine that old is like trying to make a silk purse out of pigs ears. I would budget for a new system if I were you.

 

[UsandThem]

I think it will be fine at the resolutions and games you mentioned for a few years. Just slap an entry level gaming card in there (GTX 1050, RX 460, RX 470, or even a GTX 960 if you find one at a great price). I would install a 64-bit OS and have 8 GB of RAM like you mentioned.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/2901/12

 

[frozentundra123456]

I think it will be fine at the resolutions and games you mentioned for a few years. Just slap an entry level gaming card in there (GTX 1050, RX 460, RX 470, or even a GTX 960 if you find one at a great price). I would install a 64-bit OS and have 8 GB of RAM like you mentioned.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/2901/12

Yea, pretty much agree with this. Even a 750Ti, GTX950, or HD7770, if you can find them for cheap (under a hundred dollars, new or used) would be more than sufficient for light to moderate gaming for a 10 year old. I am not a fan of the RX 460, but prices are dropping below or around a hundred dollars after rebate (at least in the US) so that may be the best deal for a new entry level card at the present time. Personally though, I would wait to see the pricing and performance of the 1050 and 1050Ti. At least they might force the price of the 460 down a few dollars.

 

[whm1974]

Check around Steam and GOG.com for cheap games that will run on low end and older systems. They have plenty.

 

[AC33]

Thanks!
Would a 2GB video be ok for him, or is there a need for the 4GB? Again, we only need sub-full HD resolutions.
Any idea about the controllers?
How trusty are all of those websites that sell game keys for Steam etc.(kinguin, cdkeys, allkeyshop...)?

 

[IllogicalGlory]

Thanks!
Would a 2GB video be ok for him, or is there a need for the 4GB? Again, we only need sub-full HD resolutions.
Any idea about the controllers?
How trusty are all of those websites that sell game keys for Steam etc.(kinguin, cdkeys, allkeyshop...)?

2GB will be perfectly fine for that system and those resolutions.

For controllers, you can't go wrong with a wireless Xbox 360 controller and receiver, but I find wired controllers (USB) to be more reliable. The wireless receiver I had would frustratingly require a new driver install every time I unplugged it.

Those sites? Not very. They're selling keys bought in different regions from yours and it's fairly shady. Steam is officially against it, but I don't know how effective their protections against it are.

 

[AC33]

For controllers, you can't go wrong with a wireless Xbox 360 controller and receiver, but I find wired controllers (USB) to be more reliable. The wireless receiver I had would frustratingly require a new driver install every time I unplugged it.

For me, I would have taken a wired one, but for him, after playing only wireless, preferring it and asking for an Xbox 360, it may feel like a step backwards.
I was wondering if the brand new ones that use Bluetooth would make a better purchase. It looks like Windows 10 anniversary addition supports them in some higher manner, and that they can be updated. The tiny Bluetooth dongle would be generic, but I have never had much trouble with those. ...They may be more future proof.

 

[whm1974]

You could give the Steam Controller Gamepad a try.
http://store.steampowered.com/app/353370/

 

[IllogicalGlory]

For me, I would have taken a wired one, but for him, after playing only wireless, preferring it and asking for an Xbox 360, it may feel like a step backwards.
I was wondering if the brand new ones that use Bluetooth would make a better purchase. It looks like Windows 10 anniversary addition supports them in some higher manner, and that they can be updated. The tiny Bluetooth dongle would be generic, but I have never had much trouble with those. ...They may be more future proof.

I think that is what I would recommend. Buy one of the newest Xbox One controllers and a bluetooth dongle. Works great for me and it's a very nice controller as far as I can tell. They're a bit pricey, though. You could take your chances with an off-brand one. I bought for android gaming and it seems sturdy enough. Haven't used it with my PC. I don't think I can recommend it as it has no analog input which could be a factor in certain games.

If it were me, I'd take the Xbox One controller. Make sure you get one that says "newest". The others don't support bluetooth.

 

[AC33]

You could give the Steam Controller Gamepad a try.
http://store.steampowered.com/app/353370/

Thanks for the advice.
I have seen it previously, but the online reviews did not favor it.
I now dug more into it, and while *I* really like the idea, minus the proprietary receiver, I am worried about his ability to configure it and play with his friends.
I see many people that really like it, and others that simply don't. I thought of getting one of each remote, but I read that they would not work together in many games.
Do you have a different knowledge?

 

[whm1974]

Thanks for the advice.
I have seen it previously, but the online reviews did not favor it.
I now dug more into it, and while *I* really like the idea, minus the proprietary receiver, I am worried about his ability to configure it and play with his friends.
I see many people that really like it, and others that simply don't. I thought of getting one of each remote, but I read that they would not work together in many games.
Do you have a different knowledge?

I haven't tried using more then one Steam Controller, but I love mine. It works real well with Civ: Beyond Earth w/ Rising Tide once you configure it. That is the selling point of this gamepad: You can remap keyboard commands to to it and so you will be able to play most PC games with it.

I'm sure your grandson will have no problems with using and setting it up. There is a learning curve however.

 

[AC33]

I guess I will have to let him make this choice, but since he is into Xbox 360 games right now, and has zero idea what Civ is…

 

[whm1974]

I guess I will have to let him make this choice, but since he is into Xbox 360 games right now, and has zero idea what Civ is…

Well he might want the Xbox 360 or One gamepad then.

 

[ET]

My HTPC has a Phenom II X3 710 (triple core 2.6GHz), 4GB RAM (Windows 7 64bit) and a Radeon 5550 (DDR3). It runs LEGO games fine at 720p, and many indie platform games at 1080p.

So I imagine that your current PC is fine, and pretty much any cheap GPU would do. (A friend of mine used both my old Radeon 5850 and GeForce 750 Ti in his older kids' PC's and they were okay with both, so again, a $100 card would likely be more than he'd need for a while.)

(My personal plan is to upgrade to Bristol Ridge AM4 once that comes out. Would likely let me run LEGO at 1080p.)

As for controllers, I'm using two wireless Xbox 360 controllers on that HTPC.

Really, it's pretty much an Xbox 360 replacement for me. I do have a 360, but I mainly use it for Kinect games. Other games the kids want on the 360 I just get for the PC and run on the HTPC.

(Although if he really wants an Xbox, and his friends are console gamers, the Xbox One S should last for a while and its library of compatible 360 games keeps growing.)


Reading back your post, my most serious reservation is about the 'next few years'. If his friends move to an Xbox One (or derivatives) and move from LEGO to FPS or other AAA action games, especially multiplayer ones, keeping him on PC might end up a problem. For now I think it's fine.

 

[AC33]

My HTPC has a Phenom II X3 710 (triple core 2.6GHz), 4GB RAM (Windows 7 64bit) and a Radeon 5550 (DDR3). It runs LEGO games fine at 720p

What latest Lego games have you tried? They seem to keep raising the bar. Lego Star Wars: The Video Game ran on the GameCube, The Force Awakens, however, seems quite demanding.

Reading back your post, my most serious reservation is about the 'next few years'. If his friends move to an Xbox One (or derivatives) and move from LEGO to FPS or other AAA action games, especially multiplayer ones, keeping him on PC might end up a problem. For now I think it's fine.

Could very well be …or maybe they will too go the PC path, or he may start playing strategy games. One way we've spent a little too much on a video card but still use the controllers, the other way we still use the PC, and have less use for those controllers. We're hedged.
Also, his parents didn't like the idea of the subscription fee for online gaming.

 

[ET]

What latest Lego games have you tried? They seem to keep raising the bar. Lego Star Wars: The Video Game ran on the GameCube, The Force Awakens, however, seems quite demanding.

Lego Jurassic World is the latest I tried (I think I played the demo of Lego Marvel's Avengers on the 360). I do see that the base requirements went up a little for the latest games, but they're still pretty low. I could try the PC demo of the Avengers game, if you're interested.

As long as they release 360 versions I think they won't get really demanding.

 

[Torn Mind]

Buy a GPU. It is the only thing you can carry over to the next build if he ever needs one. Besides, if you really find hiccups occuring due to the CPU, i5s for the 1156 mobos are about 50 dollars now and will only get cheaper as future generations get released.

 

[AC33]

Lego Jurassic World is the latest I tried (I think I played the demo of Lego Marvel's Avengers on the 360). I do see that the base requirements went up a little for the latest games, but they're still pretty low. I could try the PC demo of the Avengers game, if you're interested.

As long as they release 360 versions I think they won't get really demanding.

If it's no hassle, then yes, I would love to know how it does on your CPU, and how it compares to the demand class of Jurassic World/Marvel Super Heroes, as far as playability @720p. Looks like your CPU is rated on par with his.

Don't they just make them less demanding for the 360? They also make them for android. I tried one, and it does run but it does not look the same as a PC game or even a WII game. It looked like they don't even apply textures, not to mention shadows, reflections, aa (I have no idea beyond this)… and there are no graphics settings.

 

[ET]

The Avengers demo ran fine.

 

[AC33]

The Avengers demo ran fine.

Thanks! This is encouraging to know.