Hi guys, about to order my first gaming machine in the next day or two, currently using a laptop.

I don't have a big budget and will be entering the low-end of the market.

Don't want to build my own, not feeling confident enough to do so at this point but will look to upgrade this machine myself, part-by-part in the future. Once I have at least a little experience swapping parts in and out then I will be looking at full system builds down the line.

Anyway, I'm looking at either this pc, based around a FX 6350 and a HD 7770 or This one - Fx 4130 choosing the option of a HD 7850 gpu.

I was thinking the second one. Tell me if I'm making the right or wrong choice.

My reasoning so far? Well I like the 2 year guarantee that comes with the second option. Also, I figured if I go for the 6350 + 7770 one then I'll probably change the graphics card first whereas if I go for the 4130 + 7850 choice then it'll be the cpu I'm changing first. Not sure I'll have much use for a spare hd 7770 in the future but might for a spare FX 4130 CPU, figured that if I'm getting into building sytems I could maybe one day build someone in the family a basic PC and stick that in it.

What do you reckon?

For your time

11 years ago*

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You can build one by yourself!

11 years ago
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The second one if your main purpose is gaming, the first one if you want to do some CPU intensive processes(like video editing or so)

11 years ago
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+1

11 years ago
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what this guy said, yet id say build your own
it wont take more than a day, its a fun experience and cost effective because you get to pick your own parts

11 years ago
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None of them, build your own. Its cheaper and you can focus the specs on that what you´re planning to do on your machine.

11 years ago
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This. Try building your own one, set yourself a maximum price you'd buy a PC for and start buying your desired parts.
It'll come out cheaper and better than the one's already built that cost £300 and are crap.

11 years ago
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Lol, I knew I'd get that as an answer! Seriously, the thought of screwing up and damaging something makes me crap my pants at this point.

11 years ago
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I'm building a rig atm, as long as you make sure everything is compatible you shouldn't run into any major problems.
Also, a lot of pc stores will install the primary parts in the case for you for a small fee, here in Europe it's about 20 euros to install the MOBO + CPU in the case, and it's still cheaper then a pre-build rig.
Also, this site should help, it gives you the option to build a rig and check for compatibility problems.
PCpartpicker

11 years ago
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I chose parts myself and the shop installed everything for about 0.25€ with a promo code (you can use it infinitely, yay!). Without the promo code it would cost about 17€, so if you don't want to build it yourself then always remember to search for promo codes :]

11 years ago
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You can fiddle around with the idea of purchasing the parts yourself (try to get them at the cheapest prices) and go to a shop that assembles the parts for cheap, but still have high reliability :)

11 years ago
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Build one yourself. You'll save a lot of money and you'll have great PC. I'll soon build my own! Just need to decide which case to buy...

11 years ago
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11 years ago
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Amd gpu...

EPIC WIN

11 years ago
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I agree with your reasoning, so the second.

11 years ago
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Build yourself = cheaper and better.

11 years ago
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Everyone would recommend building your own, but the first has a faster CPU and a slightly slower 7770 GPU, as compared to the second which has a slightly faster GPU but a much slower CPU. Considering the price difference, and considering that you're planning to upgrade anyway, I agree with your reasoning to get the second one for now.

11 years ago
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Just a reminder, changing a GPU is much easier than changing CPU, since when you choose to upgrade your CPU, you will most likely (almost certainly) need to change your motherboard too. When you want to upgrade GPU, you won't most likely need to upgrade anything else unless you get really crappy PSU.

I would personally go with a stronger CPU, you might even want to get a high end AMD cpu and settle with dedicated card for time being (AMD has quite good ones atm.) and get a discrete one later on, when you save enough money for a good one (150-250 bucks).

11 years ago
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As far as I'm aware the best cpu that either build's motherboard can support right now is the AMD FX-8350. I don't know if it will support stronger ones in the future as I don't know if they're continuing to manufacture new models in the same line. Right now, I think I'd be more than happy to put something like that inside in say a year's to 15 month's time.

As for PSU's, I'll be ugrading for sure at some point. First model has a 430w psu, the second a 400w. Most people seem to recommend more power these days, but I figured that if it dies while under guarantee then I at least get a free replacement.

11 years ago
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AMD has been using the same socket, AM3+, for a long time now. When AMD releases a new socket, it's usually backwards compatible with CPUs created for the previous socket iteration.

An AM2 CPU can fit into an AM2/AM2+ socket, An AM2+ can fit into most AM2/AM2+/AM3 sockets, an AM3 CPU can fit into an AM3/AM3+ socket, an AM3+ CPU can fit into an AM3+ socket and a lot of AM3 sockets, etc. AMD is very generous when it comes to maintaining inexpensive upgrade paths. They also don't introduce new sockets as often as Intel, so you won't be replacing your motherboard as often either. An AMD owner normally doesn't need to upgrade more than one or two pieces of hardware at the same time.

11 years ago
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Neither. Assemble a custom system.

11 years ago
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The second link doesn't display properly, but the first link should only cost you around 350 GBP if you build it yourself.

In fact, I just built it in PC Part Picker for 319.15 GBP. They're choosing decent parts for the price, but not the best for around that price. At higher price points, you get a lot more for your money. When looking at identical parts, you can get the same parts much cheaper if you shop around.

The first link's case, psu, ram, CPU, and motherboard are all fine. I would improve the GPU from a 7770 to a 7790 for 10 USD more (6.12 GBP), or the 7850 for 20 USD more than the 7770 (12.24 GBP). Consider hitting ebay, because a lot of the 7xxx series have been sold in barely used condition by people buying the R9 series, not realizing that the R9s are mostly just rebranded 7xxx GPUs.

11 years ago
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This comment was deleted 4 years ago.

11 years ago
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As many others have said, a self-build is the best option. All the components you buy will have a warranty if things go knockers skyward, and there really isn't much to it. There are countless websites and youtube videos which will help walk you through the process!

11 years ago
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building your own is easy. only thing you need to watch for is static

11 years ago
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Which one are you gonna buy me?

11 years ago
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There are a lot of sites which specialize in putting together a PC depending on your budget and making sure that all the parts are compatible. They can even assemble the PC for you, in exchange of a small fee.

There are no downsides in building your own PC, because it's way cheaper and you get a warranty for each component, not for the system as a whole. So, if you decide to change/upgrade something in the near future, you don't have to worry about the fact that you can't open your PC case to do so. ( since warranty formulars cleary state that you opening the case will invalidate the warranty.

11 years ago
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Build your own, that will I also say, you will save some money and get a good PC. If you ask me I will say get a 3rd Gen Core i5 3470 processor; 8 GB ram ; Asus or Gigabyte motherboard and GTX 660 or 760 depends on your budget... I have the same configuration but with lower GPU 550Ti and able to play BF4, COD Ghost, with high settings (My video resolution is low 720p). With 660 or 760 you will definitely get better output.

11 years ago
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Closed 11 years ago by UraniumFalconPunch.