The best components for a gaming computer. We are building a budget gaming computer for the price of a PlayStation. Choosing a CPU: which processor is suitable

A whole chain of world events leads to the fact that the domestic currency continues its enchanting dive in search of the bottom. Since computer equipment is purchased primarily in US dollars, its ruble value fluctuates with the exchange rate. January is the hardest month since the appearance of this column (in April, “Computer of the Month” will turn one year old). Now is perhaps the most unprofitable period for purchasing a system unit, but there is no point in dissuading it. Firstly, there is a need to purchase new equipment. Computers become obsolete and fail. Secondly, we should not exclude the situation described in one old joke: perhaps, over time, we will realize that this was still a white streak.

Iron becomes more expensive every month. Configuring systems is becoming increasingly difficult. In this regard, I made the following decision: from now on, productivity is the only priority. The goal is to offer readers configurations that will be considered relevant and modern for as long as possible. Therefore, in the assemblies reviewed today, the emphasis is on the performance of the central processor and video card. Unfortunately, in some cases you will have to sacrifice the functionality of motherboards and the potential for upgrades, as well as aesthetics, ergonomics and other criteria inherent in a home gaming computer.

Computer of the month - January 2016

Starter assembly - up to 30,000 rubles

A starting system costing up to 30,000 rubles will allow the user to play modern computer games up to 1080p resolution. In most cases, you will have to abandon effects such as anti-aliasing, and you will also need to set the general low/medium graphics quality settings.

The starting assembly is an example of a configuration in which you have to save on everything. Nothing can be done, because at today's exchange rate 30,000 rubles is only 400 US dollars, and no one has yet canceled the “thousands of dollars” rule.

What does such savings amount to? If we talk about the Intel system, then buying a dual-core, frankly budget-friendly Pentium G3260 central processor. There are games that simply won’t launch with this “stone”. For example, Far Cry 4. The only advantage of this system is the ability to eventually install a quad-core Haswell generation chip (for example, Core i5-4460), and with it a more powerful video card of the GeForce GTX 960/970 level. And buy a solid-state drive, since boards based on the H81 Express chipset have a pair of SATA 3.0 ports. With the wording “here and now”, the AMD platform looks preferable in this category. In particular, the FX-4300 processor has, albeit weak, four cores.

Last month, the launch build used a more modern FM2+ platform and an AMD Athlon X4 860K processor. This time the choice fell on the FX-4300. It is cheaper, but the functionality of boards based on 760G logic is weak on both legs. There are no SATA 3.0 connectors. There is no overclocking, although all FX chips have an unlocked multiplier. The boards indicated in the table support only 95-watt processors, which will allow you to eventually replace the FX-4300 with the low-frequency FX-8300, for example. That's all.

You can still find the Radeon HD 7850 on sale. For your money, it’s an ideal option. Don't shy away from scanning online flea markets. This is often the best way to save money. If you can’t find an old Radeon HD 7850, you’ll have to take a video card of the Radeon R7 360 or GeForce GTX 750 level. My choice fell on the AMD solution. Its performance is sufficient for more or less comfortable gaming in Full HD resolution in GTA V and Fallout 4. With proper luck, the card will accelerate to 1200 MHz on the chip. And then it will be equal in performance to the stock versions of the GeForce GTX 750 Ti and Radeon R7 260X.

Basic assembly - up to 50,000 rubles

A basic system costing up to 50,000 rubles will allow the user to play modern computer games up to 1080p resolution. In Full HD, in most cases you can pamper yourself even with high graphics quality settings.

The most difficult category. Here I suffered an outright fiasco, since within the stated budget I ultimately failed to “shove” both the Core i5 and the 4 GB version of the GeForce GTX 960 into the assembly. I have already emphasized more than once that a normal gaming computer must consist of from a 4-core processor and a mid-range graphics adapter with 4 GB of video memory to run modern games in Full HD resolution at high graphics quality settings. To fit into the pre-agreed budget, you will have to either buy a Core i3 instead of a Core i5-4460, or buy a 2 GB version instead of a 4 GB 3D accelerator. Let me remind you that the table shows average prices for Yandex.Market (region - Moscow). Consequently, such an assembly can cost either less or more.

Even in 2016, Skylake processors for the LGA1151 platform are noticeably more expensive than Haswell Refresh. For example, the cheapest 14nm quad-core processor, the Core i5-6400, is comparable in price to the Core i5-4460, but operates at a lower frequency. The new architecture doesn't help; when compared head-to-head, Skylake turns out to be slower. In addition, motherboards for the LGA1151 socket are also noticeably more expensive.

As for the assembly on the AMD platform, this month we had to abandon the FX-8300 processor in favor of the FX-8320E. It's not a big problem. The downside to these 95-watt chips is their low clock speed. Yes, the Turbo Core parameter is stated to be decent - 4000+ MHz. But in practice, these “stones” almost never work at this speed. The noticeable difference in performance between the FX-8320E and the FX-8320 confirms my words. Therefore, to balance the configuration, it would be a good idea to slightly overclock the central processor. For example, up to stable 3.7-4.0 GHz without raising the voltage. The motherboards given as an example will cope with this task, but I'm afraid they are incapable of more. In particular, due to the lack of any noticeable cooling of the power subsystem. You definitely need a case with a fan on the back wall, but it’s even better if the air flow is directed directly to the north bridge and the power circuit.

Practice shows that the FX-8300 and FX-8320E quickly accelerate to 4.5-4.7 GHz, but this will require a higher-quality motherboard.

Optimal assembly - up to 75,000 rubles

An optimal system costing up to 75,000 rubles will allow the user to play modern computer games up to 1440p resolution with maximum graphics quality settings.

Here is the long-awaited thousand-dollar build. So far for a thousand dollars. Last time, the core element of the Intel platform was the Core i5-6500 processor. The savings forced me to turn again to the Haswell chip. In terms of performance, it hasn't gotten any worse. In terms of functionality and possibilities for further upgrades, the January optimal build is noticeably inferior to the December one.

Second point. The budget is enough to install an inexpensive solid-state drive with a capacity of 120-128 GB. Last month I was able to integrate an SSD with twice the capacity into an optimal build.

The rest of the components have not changed. If the ruble continues to depreciate, then there is a possibility that in February it will no longer be possible to integrate a video card of the level of GeForce GTX 970 or Radeon R9 390 into the system. You'll have to settle for the Radeon R9 380X.

Advanced assembly - up to 100,000 rubles

The advanced system will allow the user to play modern computer games up to 1440p resolution with maximum graphics quality settings.

And here is the first and only build on Intel Skylake! I chose the Core i5-6600 model, without an unlocked multiplier. At the end of 2015, all leading manufacturers (ASUS, ASRock, MSI, GIGABYTE, BIOSTAR and Supermicro) released updated BIOS versions for a number of motherboards based on the Z170 Express chipset. After flashing the boards, they can overclock any Skylake chips by changing the clock generator frequency. The Core i5-6600 will easily reach the 4.0-4.3 GHz mark. To do this, you will need to increase the BCLK frequency to 121-130 MHz, respectively. The vast majority of motherboards can handle such overclocking. The table above shows devices that are 100% likely to overclock Skylake on the bus. Such procedures lead to automatic disabling of the built-in graphics core, as well as the functions of dynamic frequency change, C-states and Turbo Boost. In addition, the performance of AVX instructions is reduced.

The AMD system remains virtually unchanged. I had to focus on cheaper motherboards, but there will be no problems with overclocking. Overall, I used a cheaper power supply for the advanced build. True, installing another GeForce GTX 980 over time was not initially planned.

Extreme assembly - up to 150,000 rubles

An assembly costing up to 150,000 rubles will allow the user to play modern computer games up to 2160p resolution. In WQHD you can pamper yourself with maximum graphics quality. In Ultra HD you will have to select parameters, since the load on the graphics subsystem increases dramatically.

Over the past time, the 6-core Core i7-5820K processor and the GeForce GTX 980 Ti video card have become noticeably more expensive. A logical thought crept into my head: shouldn’t I switch to Skylake? For example, a Core i7-6700 and a Z170 board at a reasonable price. It will be cheaper this way. And yet, saving on two components allowed us to stay on LGA2011-v3. Firstly, instead of a solid-state drive with a capacity of 500-512 GB, I had to take a less capacious SSD. Secondly, my choice fell on a 650 W power supply. In the December “Computer of the Month” I offered an 850 W power supply in the expectation that over time another GeForce GTX 980 Ti would be installed in the system. As you can see, the performance of the extreme build remained at the same level, but without the same shine.

04/13/2016 Sergey Plotnikov

For a modern person, a computer is not just a “means of transportation”, but a faithful companion in life with whom we spend a lot of time. Whether working or having fun - it doesn’t matter - you want to see next to you not just a metal “coffin” stuffed with components, but a small work of art. Preferably hand assembled. Preferably a top configuration. They won’t offer anything like this in a store, and if they do, they’ll charge a considerable amount on top. The conclusion is obvious: you need to assemble a small computer yourself. Read about the intricacies of assembly and the features of compact gaming computers in this material.

Market trends 2015

Last year I wrote. And in the “Computer of the month” section, in which every 30 days the author offers the five best configurations to choose from, mostly standard-size cases appear. The process of assembling such systems is simple; the main thing is to do everything according to the instructions. The most difficult task is selecting compatible components. When you need a small computer, in which the amount of space for installing hardware is 10-20 liters, the task becomes more complicated. But this only increases interest.

Several things prompted me to write this article. The most important motive is the emerging fashion for miniaturization. Compact systems are becoming popular. At each exhibition there are several ready-made solutions from various manufacturers. As well as a whole range of special components. Specialists from Valve actually turned a desktop computer into a game console called the Steam Machine. And if the PC is in the living room, then there’s no need for miniaturization. Rumor has it that Microsoft will soon turn the Xbox into a PC hybrid. In general, wherever you look, powerful and small computing systems are visible from everywhere.

A powerful small computer of 2016 is modern!

A few examples. In the spring, at the CeBIT 2016 exhibition, among the various computer innovations, gaming mini-systems stood out separately. More details about them in the March “Iron Shop”. For example, ZOTAC released a powerful gaming “computer” MAGNUS. The company's engineers housed a quad-core Core i5-6400 (review) and a GeForce GTX 980 (review) in a 6-liter case (230x203x130 mm). At the same time, the video card was equipped with a maintenance-free “dropsy”.

ZOTAC MAGNUS. Source: maximumpc.com

Inspired by the cylindrical Apple Mac Pro, MSI has created the Vortex Gaming Station. The assemblers inserted two GeForce GTX 980 video cards, as well as a powerful Core i7-6700K central processor into the 6.5-liter volume (270 mm high).

There are many similar examples. ASUS ROG G20 (12.5 liters) is available in stores. Miniature gaming systems are produced by Alienware, GIGABYTE and Intel. But it is much more interesting to assemble such a computer yourself, with complete control over the selection of components. There are plenty of miniature cases and other necessary gaming hardware on the market. By the way, a homemade computer is always cheaper in cost.

There are several types of miniature cases. The first is a barebone nettop in the shape of a cube. They became popular due to the Taiwanese company Shuttle, which has been producing small form factor computers since 1983. In such cases, the motherboard is horizontally attached to the bottom. Above it is the power supply and the rest of the hardware. As an example, take the popular Cooler Master Elite 120 Advanced case. Since barebones do not have a hidden bottom behind the chassis, you have to tinker with them a lot in order to properly pack all the wires.

Assembly based on the Cooler Master Elite 120 Advanced case. This whole bunch of wires needs to be carefully hidden.

The second type of miniature enclosures is small Towers. Small towers in which motherboards of mini-ITX and mATX sizes are installed. For example, SilverStone FT03/FT03-MINI with dimensions of 189x397x235 mm (17.6 liters) accommodates video cards with a length of 250 mm. We can say that this is a cult case, there are a huge number of assemblies based on it in a special topic on the overclock.net forum.

These cases include the equally popular BitFenix ​​Prodigy (review), AeroCool Dead Silence Cube (review) and Corsair Graphite Series 380T. In these cases, the motherboard is mounted horizontally, there is space for installing the power supply, drive cage, and cable routing. Another example is the MSI Nightblade series of computer systems (review).

SilverStone FT03. Source: overclock.net

And finally, the third type includes Slim Desktop/HTPC cases. Externally similar to the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One game consoles. They are approximately the same size. The profile of the video card used, as well as the model of the processor cooler, depends on the height of the case. The motherboard, power supply and storage devices in this case are located on one wall.

An example of assembly based on the Lian Li PC-05 case

As a clear example, let's take a small and cheap case of the cooler master elite 110.

Despite its small dimensions (260x208x280 mm) and small volume (only 15 liters), a full-fledged ATX form factor power supply can be installed in such a case.

Our task is to use this case to build a gaming computer comparable in power to classic Full/Midi-Tower. Therefore, we take only top-end hardware and use overclocking.

How to make the right choice

Yes, when assembling a miniature gaming PC, you first choose not a processor with a video card, but a case. Only then, having examined this or that case, all other components are selected. Mistakes are not allowed here, but they do happen.

To begin with, on the official website of the manufacturer (we have Cooler Master), in the “Specifications” tab, we find out the height of the processor cooler, the length of the video card and case. . The Elite 110 has the following parameters: 76 mm, 210 mm and 180 mm. As you can see, the restrictions are quite strict. . Pay attention to the plugs for the video card. There are two of them, therefore, we can safely take a two-slot 3D accelerator. It doesn’t hurt to find out information about seats for fans and water cooling systems. A good manufacturer should have it.

Elite 110 comes with one fan by default. It is mounted on the front panel and operates as a blower. The specifications indicate that a single-section maintenance-free SVO can be installed in the same place. For the Elite 110, mounting holes are provided for both a 120 mm radiator and a larger 140 mm analogue. That is, the vast majority of maintenance-free systems are suitable. Let's take this moment into account.

Optionally, on one of the walls, on the video card side, there is space for installing two 80 mm fans. Seen in the photo above. But when using one “propeller”, space is lost for mounting a 3.5-inch hard drive. You can install two of them in the Elite 110 at once. The case does not include storage cages or an optical drive. Hard drives and SSDs are attached to the side (video card side) and top (power supply side) walls.

To begin with, we look at the following compatibility parameters of a compact case: the height of the processor cooler, the length of the video card and the length of the power supply

If the case has trays, you need to make sure that they do not take up space for the video card. For example, Bitfenix Prodigy Orange has two drive cages installed at once: an upper and a lower one. To install a sufficiently long graphics adapter (as in the photo below), we dismantle the top tray.

Example of assembly based on the BitFenix ​​Prodigy case

If baskets are not provided, as is the case with the Elite 110, all that remains is to calculate the potential options. In our case, we couldn’t use the seats for a 3.5” HDD on the side panel of the case, since the top hard drive covers the video card fan. Both the 3D accelerator and the drive tend to heat up. This nuance must be taken into account at the stage of purchasing all components. In the case of the Elite 110, along with a powerful video card, access to 3.5-inch drives is closed. Euzhny 2.5 inches.

Sometimes the power supply prevents the installation of a long video card. For example, in a Fractal Design Node 304 case, installing a PSU longer than 160mm will result in you not being able to install a video card longer than 170mm.

When building a regular computer, we have a lot to choose from. Today, the popular sizes of motherboards are ATX, mATX, mini-ITX and E-ATX, the most popular being ATX. When building the Elite 110 and other small models, the only option is mini-ITX. The form factor involves the use of a square board 170 x 170 mm.

In our small computer we use the ASUS Z170I PRO GAMINGB board, which is productive and functional for this form factor. We install a 4-core Core i5-6600K chip on the motherboard. In the photo below, interfaces that are sure to be used are highlighted in different colors. In mini-ITX boards, different connectors can be arranged differently, with the exception of the socket, slots for RAM and the only PEG slot for the video card. It is best to think in advance about how the power supply cables and interface wires will be located in the motherboard case.

There is only one option - mini-ITX

Since mini-ITX boards have only two slots for DDR3/DDR4, it is better to immediately purchase “larger” modules. Best of all, 16 GB.

ASUS Z170I PRO GAMING

It is desirable that the location of the SATA ports on the board be similar to the one in the photo below. Very often, barebones have storage devices mounted on the side walls or on top.

The M.2 port is “hidden” on the back of the ASUS Z170I PRO GAMING. This is the best solution that developers could come up with for compact computers! If you need to use a solid-state drive, then it is better to use an SSD of this format. M.2 “kills two birds with one stone”: firstly, there is no need to use additional cables; secondly, in a case without a cage, a 2.5-inch solid-state drive will not overlap other components. Some boards have a mini-PCI Express connector, which is also good.

The M.2 interface allows you to get rid of unnecessary wires. Take a board with this connector

If you plan to build a computer based on an Intel processor, then choose the LGA1151 platform for Skylake chips. Most motherboards based on H110/B150/H170/Z170 Express logic have an M.2 connector. It’s not bad to have a wireless communication module in a miniature PC. I’ll give an example of motherboards of the mini-ITX form factor, which are quite suitable for assembling a miniature gaming computer:

ASUS Z170I PRO GAMING (Intel Skylake);

MSI H110I PRO (Intel Skylake);

GIGABYTE GA-Z97N-WIFI (Intel Haswell/Broadwell);

MSI B85I (Intel Haswell/Broadwell);

MSI A68HI (AMD Kaveri);

ASRock X99E-ITX/ac (Intel Haswell-E).

M.2 slot on the back of ASUS Z170I PRO GAMING

When choosing a video card, the main parameter is length. For most, the size of the graphics adapter is proportional to its speed. For example, the GeForce GTX 980 model has 268 mm. This size will not suit us. Fortunately, the stores are full of truly miniature video cards. Some of them are specially designed for the mini-ITX form factor, their length is no more than 170 mm. For assembly, we will take perhaps the most powerful gaming video card among compact models - amd radeon r9 nano (review). Its length is only 152 mm, but the performance is equal to the full-size version of the GeForce GTX 980. Following the Radeon R9 NANO are the compact versions of the GeForce GTX 970, GeForce GTX 960, Radeon R9 380 and GeForce GTX 950. These video cards can handle modern games in Full resolution HD. These cards are perfect for building a small computer.

There is one more nuance. Some manufacturers produce versions of the GeForce GTX 950 without additional power. There is a GeForce GTX 750 Ti on sale, which can also be called a gaming graphics card. In other cases, in my opinion, it is better to purchase an adapter with power connectors facing upwards. This makes it easier to lay the cable.

If you can install a long video card in a miniature case (for example, Fractal Design Node 304), then it is better to take an adapter with a cooler equipped with a turbine fan. Such a “propeller” has improved suction from the side wall, and then completely disappears from the case.

We choose compact and powerful video cards. If we take a long one, then it’s better - with a turbine.

By the way, you can install the Radeon R9 Fury X in the Elite 110, as it allows you to install a single-section maintenance-free water cooling system.

The Elite 110 can accommodate a CPU cooler up to 76mm in height. The following models are quite suitable for overclocking the Core i5-6600K: Cooler Master GeminII M4, Noctua NH-L12, Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev. B, Thermalright AXP-100/200 (Muscle), Deepcool Gabriel, CRYORIG C1 and be quiet! SHADOW ROCK LP. There are many options. The main thing is to ensure that the cooler does not cover the RAM and video card slots. In most cases, it is better to use a kit of RAM with low heatsinks or no heatsinks at all. A blow-in cooler installed on the front wall of the Elite 110 will be very effective, because free space in the case is limited and the cooler needs help.

Down Flow cooler cools not only the CPU, but everything around it

But we will use a maintenance-free “dropsy”. We found the Deepcool Maelstrom 120 model. Inexpensive, entry-level SVO, assembled according to the ASETEK reference model. The thickness is small - only 16 mm, but in the case of the Elite 110, every millimeter counts.

All that remains is to select one of the main devices of the computer - the power supply. The Elite 110 has a seat for the ATX form factor. Maximum length - 180 mm. Naturally, the shorter the block, the better. Some cases (for example, SilverStone FT03-MINI) are equipped with the SFX form factor. They are much smaller, you can save a decent amount of internal volume. But, unfortunately, there are few of them.

To build a miniature PC, you only need a modular power supply.

Modern ATX blocks with a power from 500 W to 750 W with a 120 mm fan have a length of 150 mm. For example, Cooler Master v seriesV750. It was originally intended to be used, but a number of problems arose during the assembly process. Among the cables that cannot be disconnected, the unit contains two wires for the video card. One wire turned out to be redundant. This does not add aesthetics to our build.

As a result, instead of the V750, we will use a completely modular SeaSonic power supply, from which all the wires can be completely unfastened. This is very convenient when assembling a miniature PC. Therefore, it is recommended to check the number and length of cables before purchasing, both detachable and non-removable.

We sorted out the components. The design of the Elite 110 limited us in one thing: we had to abandon the use of a 3.5-inch hard drive. If this is important to you, then purchase another model (with storage baskets). The final configuration looks like this:

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K, 3.5 GHz

Cooling system: Deepcool Maelstrom 120

Motherboard: ASUS Z170I PRO GAMING

RAM: DDR4-2133, 2x 8 GB

Storage: 1x M.2 SSD, 1x SATA SSD

Video card: AMD Radeon R9 NANO, 4 GB

Power supply: SeaSonic Platinum Fanless, 520 W

Let's start assembly. The system unit assembly algorithm is standard. First, we attach the central processor to the motherboard and install RAM, then the cooling system. Before installation in the case, it is recommended to check the functionality of the components on a bench. Despite the additional labor costs, it becomes possible to test the compatibility and stability of the system. This will prevent you from having to disassemble the entire system again in the future.

The processor has been overclocked, the tests have been run, the hardware is functional, we are starting to assemble the computer. We will overclock the chip to 4.2 GHz, increase the VCore voltage to 1.25 V. God knows what the result will be, but we take into account the fact that in a tiny case the cooling efficiency of the Deepcool Maelstrom 120 will noticeably deteriorate.

The first step during assembly is to install the motherboard onto the chassis chassis. The SVO water block is already installed on the socket. When using air cooling, the cooler is attached to the processor after connecting the cables to the motherboard and video card.

The fan installed on the case operates as a blower. In our case, with the installed SVO, this will not work. With increased load on the processor, all the warm air enters the case, causing the temperature of the processor and all installed components to increase. Therefore, the “dropsy” fan should work to blow out.

In a compact case, you should try to place the cooling elements of the processor and video card further away from each other.

There was a problem with Deepcool Maelstrom 120.

The supplied cooler did not fit; it could not be secured to the case wall with standard screws. I had to take another impeller - from the Scythe Kotetsu cooler. The optional Elite 110 impeller does not have PWM and operates at a constant frequency, so it is not suitable.

An example of installing a two-piece maintenance-free water cooling system in a BitFenix ​​Prodigy case

One more thing. Water cooling is installed sideways. Where should the hoses be directed? It seems to be an unimportant point, but when the radiator is secured as shown in the photographs below, the CBO hoses become sandwiched between the power supply and the video card. But the reverse side of the Radeon R9 NANO heats up to 90 degrees Celsius under load. We definitely don’t need extra heating of the processor.

Therefore, in the case of the Elite 110, it is correct to install the Deepcool Maelstrom 120 radiator as shown in the photo below. Fortunately, the heatsink for cooling the motherboard power subsystem did not interfere.

Installation of air cooler, radiator location

Installed cooling and motherboard. Now comes the time to lay the wires. Our goal: to prevent a pile of wires from appearing near the side walls, as well as in the area of ​​the cooling radiator. There is very little free space. It is necessary to improve air exchange as much as possible. Therefore, we fix all the cables at the bottom of the case. The design of the Elite 110 allows this. Once connected to the connectors, we remove the huge pile of cables from the Elite 110 I/O panel behind the front panel. All wires were eventually removed.

At the next stage of assembly, we install the video card. With the Radeon R9 NANO everything turned out to be very simple, the device takes up little space. Essentially, after installing the motherboard, cooling system and video card, installing and connecting all the cables, including SATA, all that remains is to place the power supply in the appropriate slot and connect (in our case) four wires to it.

Since the SeaSonic Platinum Fanless is a completely modular power supply, we do the following. First, let's connect all the cables - two to the motherboard and one to the video card - and only then connect them to the “feeder”. Naturally, all the wires are neatly laid around the dropsy radiator. The result is shown in the photo below.

The final stage is the installation of the top bar with the drive installed in it. We bring the second SATA connector to the top. Maybe over time you will need a second 2.5-inch drive.

Hurray, the miniature gaming computer is assembled!

Based on a compact case, we were able to implement a powerful gaming system with an overclocked central processor. As you can see, it's not that difficult. The main thing is to choose the right components, since there are many different offers on the market for anyone, even the most demanding user.

Let's return to the topic of website building. The article talks about a very interesting and modern style in website design.

Building a cheap gaming computer these days is quite difficult. And no matter how much you save, it will still affect performance, especially when it comes to games. Even programs, especially graphic editors and programs for working with video, are very demanding on the system and the video card in particular. After analyzing several configurations, we managed to assemble the final good version. At the end of the article, we will definitely offer a video review, as well as test results in games.

• • The heart of our computer is the AMD FX 4130 3.8 GHz processor. Price: 4,500 ₽ or $70 American.

• • Motherboard from ASUS model M5A78L-M LX3 2,800 ₽ or $52 dollars. Despite the fact that this is a budget model, it can work with memory at a frequency of 1600 MHz and higher, plus it has several overclocking features in the BIOS

• • The motherboard will be cooled by a DEEPCOOL ICE BLADE 100, 92mm cooler priced at 800 ₽ or $20. The basis is a heat pipe and a heat fan with a diameter of 92 millimeters.

• • The most expensive part of any build is the video card; the choice fell on the MSI R7 370 2GD5T OC 4 11,000 ₽ - $170. After looking at many tests and comparisons of video cards, the choice fell on this model. The card has 2GB of memory on board.

• • RAM Hynix DDR3 8 GB with a frequency of 1600 MHz 2,800 ₽ $45. Hynix is ​​an inexpensive and at the same time reliable and already quite well-known company. Subsequently, you can increase the volume by adding another bar.

• • Seagate Barracuda 1TB hard drive, 7200 rpm 1 3 200 ₽ — $50. A terabyte of memory will fully cover the requests for installing several top games, in addition to a huge amount of music and video.

• • If you want to save on a power supply, a case with a built-in one would be a good choice. For example, Casecom CP-626 450W 2,700 ₽ $40, 450 Watt power supply, such a system can easily be powered up. Or you can take the second path and pay a little extra to buy a new 600-watt power supply, and buy a used case, for example on Avito. There are good models from 200-300 rubles.

• In total we get 27,800 rubles or $447 green. For residents of Ukraine, the entire set will cost 10,930 hryvnia.

Tests in games

• Assassin's creed syndicate on medium-low settings confidently produces 25-30 FPS with a screen resolution of 1920x1080.
• In GTA V, the game at high-ultra settings produces 35-45 frames per second with a resolution of 1366x768.
• Call of duty black ops 3 on high-medium settings produced 18-40 fps with a screen resolution of 1920x1080. All effects included. If we lower the resolution a little and disable some visual effects, we get a great frame rate.
• Mad Max at very high settings consistently maintains a frequency of 40-60.
• The Witcher 3 on ultra settings also pleased with its excellent performance of 40-55 frames.
• Dota 2 on ultra-high settings with all the effects just flies. The frame rate is about 40.

Results: As you can see, the new and most demanding games of 2015-2016 were taken for testing; this hardware copes with earlier toys, network games, shooters and strategies with a bang. In this configuration, the processor will operate at its limit without overclocking. There are times when the processor is slightly unable to cope with the load and there may be minor freezes - slightly lower the resolution or remove unnecessary effects and get 30-50 FPS.
Prices were taken as the average of several online stores - in some places certain components are cheaper, in others more expensive. Therefore, be sure to compare the values ​​before purchasing.
Our verdict: a solid four plus, games are easy to play, there are ways for a subsequent upgrade, an excellent price-quality ratio.
As you can see, you can assemble a cheap, powerful gaming computer within 30,000 rubles.

On average, in Russia, to assemble a gaming computer, you will need to spend from thirty to one hundred fifty, or even more, thousands of rubles. The cost of assembling a gaming PC depends on a huge number of different aspects. At the same time, by assembling the computer yourself, you will spend much less money than it would be if you bought a ready-made system unit.

Does the graphics card you choose affect the cost of building a gaming PC?

Together with the processor, the video card affects the final cost of building a computer the most. Initially, I would like to draw your attention to processors. At the moment, the most relevant, and at the same time expensive, processors are the Intel Core i7 processors, which replaced their “big brother” (Intel Core i5) and which are distinguished by very high performance, as well as a huge internal clock frequency , which is equal to 4000 MHz.


The cost of processors of this generation will be 25,000 rubles, approximately. Until now, for the purpose of assembling a gaming computer, they use processors of the previous generation, the aforementioned Intel Core i5. Of course, their characteristics are not so good. Nevertheless, they are enough to “pull” the vast majority of modern games. Considering that the cost of processors of this generation is almost two times lower than what you would need to pay for an Intel Core i7, and their characteristics are almost the same, we advise you to give your preference to them. By the way, if for some reason you do not like processors manufactured by Intel, then you can replace the above-mentioned components with AMD parts, which cost much less - from 2,000 rubles. But, at the same time, they do not have the opportunity to boast of having sufficient reliability and, moreover, they often overheat, especially when playing modern computer games.

A similar state of affairs is also observed with video cards. There are a huge number of them on the modern computer market. At the same time, there are only two generations: Nvidia GeForce and ADM Radeon. If the cost of video cards of the latest family is quite affordable, then here are the components from Nvidia, belong rather to the premium segment and therefore represent an ideal option for all those users who want to build a gaming computer.

On average, the cost of video cards from this manufacturer is 15,000 rubles. But, again, if you still have the corresponding desire, then you can find video cards cheaper or, on the contrary, more expensive.

What else affects the cost of building a gaming computer?

In addition to all of the above, there are a huge number of other, less important components that affect the final cost of building a PC. These would include power supplies, fans, RAM, internal storage, and so on. In particular, I would like to dwell on fans and cooling systems in general. Today, when assembling a gaming computer, users often use more inventive and therefore expensive systems to prevent overheating of the components located in the system unit. So, if you want to equip your system unit with so-called water cooling.

After your immediate installation, for which you will need to pay at least 5,500 rubles, such equipment will need to be supported in every possible way. Thus, every month you will have to pay about 800 rubles per month. The cost of the case itself can also cost completely differently, which varies within such wide limits that it is completely inappropriate to even talk about them. This may not surprise some of you, but on the modern market there are cases decorated with all kinds of jewelry. It is not surprising that their price sometimes exceeds several hundred thousand rubles.

Results

If you are ready to make do with ordinary ventilation and do not think about any unique case, then, when assembling a gaming computer, most of your money will go to the processor, as well as to the video card, which will cost you 20,000 and 12,000 rubles, respectively. In general, a gaming computer will cost you about 80-150 thousand rubles.

A gaming computer can be considered a computer that is capable of playing all modern games, providing an acceptable level of comfort from this entertainment. But user requirements differ, so very different devices fall into the category of gaming PCs. For many users, it is enough that games play smoothly, the game world is displayed correctly and there are no control problems. Professional gamers (who make money from gaming) and those who spend a significant portion of their leisure time playing games have more stringent requirements for PC performance.

This material will tell you how to assemble a gaming PC with your own hands, both for users who just need a smooth rendering of the picture on the screen, and for gamers for whom the quality of graphics is paramount. Of course, for these two categories of buyers, both the performance of the components and their cost will differ significantly (up to ten times). But the general recommendations on how to assemble a gaming PC with your own hands will be similar for everyone.

Assembling a PC on your own is, first of all, a solution that allows you to select the optimal configuration for the needs of a particular user. Also, setting up your own computer is a way to save money. The question of how to build a cheap gaming PC interests many users. Unfortunately, the performance of a computer largely depends on its cost. Therefore, it is now impossible to assemble a completely cheap (for example, for 10-15 thousand rubles) gaming PC.

Where to begin

Budget is a key factor when choosing components. Therefore, first of all, you should decide how much money will be allocated for the purchase. It also matters whether you need the system unit itself, or peripheral devices (monitor, acoustics, keyboard, mouse).

Each manufacturer's model range includes several sockets (processor sockets). Each of them requires a motherboard with its own connector. If the CPU is equipped with Socket 1155, then the motherboard must have the same. In addition, you should consider the board's compatibility with specific processor models. As a rule, board manufacturers publish lists of supported CPUs on their official websites.

The requirements for the board itself are determined based on the number and capacity of RAM sticks that will be installed, the number of connected drives (HDD, SSD), their interfaces (SATA, PCI-Express or M.2) and overclocking capabilities. The future upgrade also matters: if one is planned in a couple of months or years, you need to choose a motherboard with a large number of interfaces and a fresh chipset (for example, MSI H61M-P31/W8 for Intel, ASUS M5A78L-M LX for AMD). If you are renting a computer for a long time and there is no provision for upgrading its components, you can save a little on the system board.

An advanced motherboard is needed if an upgrade is planned

Video card

The GPU in a gaming computer is just as (if not more) important than the CPU. It is the video card that is responsible for processing the three-dimensional image and displaying it on the display. However, you can’t just pick up and install a powerful video card and save on other hardware. Information for subsequent processing by the graphics processor is prepared by the “CPU + RAM” combination, which, in turn, receives data from the drive (HDD and SSD).

A weak processor will not allow you to unleash the potential of a gaming video card

The “weak link” (regardless of whether it is the processor, video card or hard drive) will drag the system down, becoming a bottleneck. An analogy can be drawn with a logistics terminal: no matter how high its throughput is, no matter how many cars are loaded, if there is a lack of loading equipment and labor, expanding the capabilities of the terminal itself will not help speed up its work.

Tandems like “inexpensive Intel Core i3 (or similar AMD FX 4xxx series) + Geforce GTX Titan X” are thus extremely ineffective and a waste of money. The “ceiling” of such processors is video cards of the Geforce GTX 750 Ti class. Such a chip will not reveal the potential of a more productive GPU.

To assess whether the combination of the selected processor and video card will have the optimal balance of capabilities, you can compare their prices. The cost of the GPU should exceed the price of the CPU. In the budget category (Intel Core i3, AMD FX 4xxx and 6xxx series) the difference is 10-30%, and in the niche of more expensive devices it can reach 100%. That is, if you plan to buy a processor for 8,000 rubles, then there is no point in installing a video card for 15,000 or more. But the GeForce GTX 980, costing up to 50 thousand, will be optimally combined with an Intel Core i7 CPU for 25-30 thousand.

You can install 2 video cards if the motherboard supports SLI (for Nvidia GeForce) or CrossFire (AMD Radeon) technologies. In the budget segment, such a solution looks pointless (1 GPU for 15 thousand will be more productive than 2 for 8 thousand). In the top class, connecting two video cards allows you to achieve an increase in performance that cannot be realized in other ways.

Two video cards in SLI will increase the performance of your gaming PC

If you plan to upgrade your PC, you can purchase a motherboard that supports two video cards and get a GeForce GTX 960-level GPU. For now, the capabilities of this video card are enough to play all games, and in a year you can pair it with another one of the same kind to improve performance.

It should be remembered that to work in SLI/CrossFire, video cards must be, if not identical, then built on the same version of the graphics processor.

RAM

When choosing RAM, the main thing is to take into account the compatibility of generations and operating frequencies. For example, sixth generation Intel Core i7 processors (and motherboards compatible with them) work with DDR4 RAM sticks, and AMD FX 8xxx - DDR3.

DDR4 memory is faster, but not supported by all processors

The amount of RAM is limited by the wallet and the number of slots on the motherboard. RAM is a resource that can never be enough (thanks to software developers who, after switching to 64-bit Windows, do not bother themselves with excessive efforts to optimize memory consumption). Therefore, whether to install 8 GB of RAM or 32 is up to users to decide.

When selecting RAM sticks, it is recommended to install them in pairs or triplets. In this case, the chips operate in two or three-channel (depending on the CPU model and motherboard) mode. In this case, the speed of data exchange theoretically increases, respectively, by two or three times. Two 4 GB modules will work faster than 1 8 GB module.

Drives

Hard drives are gradually losing ground under the pressure of rapidly reducing prices, gaining capacity and becoming more reliable SSDs. Since it is impossible to build a powerful gaming PC without a high-speed drive, a gaming computer cannot do without a solid-state drive. A capacity of 256 or 512 GB is enough to install Windows and games, and for multimedia content (music, movies), you can simultaneously install a capacious HDD of 2, 3 or more terabytes.

The capacity of modern HDDs has already reached 10 TB