Gaming desktop build around 500 pound?

Question

What would be the best gaming desktop components to buy for around £500? AMD or Intel i3/5 ?
Im looking to buy a gaming desktop for £500 from scratch, also I dont have a current computer I can upgrade, I'm quite new to all the different things that are inside computers but I have a good understanding of what everything means, ideally I would like to play games like starcraft 2, c&c4, civilization, dawn of war and other rts sort of games, I don't mind playing minimum/medium settings as long as it is reliable, just to add I also don't have a monitor or a windows package, at the most I could streach to 550 pounds, really need some good advice thank you to everybody who can help its massively appreciated!!

Answer 1

Unless you are desperate i would be careful about getting parts of ebay, you need to make sure they have a good rating.



I build a gaming PC for £550, these are the specs:



Intel i5-2500k processor

GA-Z68X-UD3-B3 motherboard

XFX Radeon HD 7770 1GB graphics card

OCZ ZS 80+ Bronze 650W powersupply

Corsair Vengeance 1600Mhz 8GB (2x4GB) RAM

Cooler Master elite 430 case

Windows 7 Home Premium OEM version

ASUS optical drive (i just picked a cheap one with good reviews)

WD Green 500GB Hard Drive



I got the parts from Amazon.co.uk, dabs.com, ebuyer.com (all ship to the UK but, unfortunatly Newegg.com doesnt so dont get excited about their low prices)



This set-up means that i can add an SSD later to improve it or put another HD 7770 to crossfire when i have more money, so its if fairly future proof. If you cant find these parts anymore for below your budget you could get the i3-2120, which is less powerful but about £60 cheaper than the i5-2500k. However i would warn against buying a powersupply any cheaper than that one because if your powersupply is cheap then you run the risk of frying your whole system.



If you are unable to build, have a look on the sites i said earlier because they also sell good PCs for a good price and look for specs that are simular to the one a posted above.



Good luck and i hope i helped

Answer 2

Intel i3 Processor Asus P8Z68-V LX Motherboard 8gb DDR3 RAM 500gb hardchronic Apline PSU (600W+) CiT Mesh Gaming Case MSI R6670 pictures card Any CPU Fan and Heatsink this must be low-priced. Ive checked the great aspects you will get for that a lot. My gadget has similarities yet I had round £seven hundred and were given an i5 and the upgraded Asus board.

Answer 3

eBay is your best bet, some places sell new builds on there for that price range. Just watch what graphics card is included, as thats where they try to save money by using a £30 card and selling it as a "gaming pc".



I think the 5450 is the most common card on these builds so avoid it, its a cost-saver card.

Answer 4

buy a second hand monitor build pc with parts from ebuyer or somin like that and if you look around you might me able to get windows 7 for £60 good luck