Budget Gaming PC for MOBA

jpv on 19/01/2015 - 01:19

Hi all,

My laptop just died and I'm looking to build a new gaming PC. I generally play MOBAs such as DotA and strategy games like Civilians and Empire Earth.

I was wondering if someone could help me with a budget build. I've looked at some forums but a lot of the parts aren't available in Australia. I've got a Mac for my day to day use so I'll only be using it for gaming.

I was looking at the AMD FX-6300 for my build. I already have storage for it. Any suggestions or improvements?

Budget: $500-600
Use: Basic Gaming

CPU: AMD FX-6300
Memory: 2x4GB DDR-1300

MoBo: ???
GPU: R9 270X (?)
PSU: Corsair CX430M (?)
Case: Cheap $50 case.

Computing

Comments

  • Axelstrife on 19/01/2015 - 01:32

    http://www.msy.com.au/viconline/home/12641-thermaltake-versa…

    theres your case and psu

    for motherboard will you be wanting to do any over clocking?

    • jpv on 19/01/2015 - 07:23

      I don't intend to overclock it as it would require an extra cooling system.

  • MasterScythe on 19/01/2015 - 01:34
    +1

    Find an Intel based NUC with IRIS graphics.

  • scrimshaw on 19/01/2015 - 01:50
    +1

    DOTA is surprisingly pretty forgiving on low end machines.

    And there is actually a build guide dedicated to DOTA2 — visit http://www.logicalincrements.com/games/dota2/

    but the TLDR is a basic $500 dollar AUD machine can easily max out DOTA2 at 1080p.

    Civ 5 however is pretty damn demanding especially on CPU usage — the AI calculation takes a toll on the CPU. It can however offload some of it's processing to the GPU.

    So buy a good GPU if you can. The rest of your build is inconsequential (you will compromise a little on cooling, aesthetics and noise), but aim for at least 4GB RAM.

    You can also even skip using Windows. Steam can run on Linux, and quite a number of games are Linux compatible. This includes DOTA2 and Civ 5.

    • jpv on 19/01/2015 - 07:34

      Here's my build so far according to the guide. http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/yN9RRB.

      CPU: AMD FX-6300
      Memory: 2x4GB DDR-1300
      MoBo: Asus A5M97 R2.0
      GPU: R9 270X

      Would that be sufficient for these game? On top, would it be future proof incase I want to start other game such as Crysis or Battlefield?

      • scrimshaw on 19/01/2015 - 13:35
        +1

        Given your limited budget, that's about as good as it gets.

        'Future proof' is a bit of a myth these days. Go watch Linus's video on future proofing,
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK4ip08auGg

        Buy a balanced configuration that fits your needs now, rather than trying to squeeze the parts into a budget for the intention of upgrading later because by the time you can afford to upgrade, the standards would've changed anyway and few parts would be compatible.

        The only things that seem to be unchanged in the last few years would be hard drive technology and power supplies, so you can count on your PSU, HDD and SSD (as well as your ATX casing) to remain relevant for a couple of years from now. So if you want, you could pay a little more for the premium quality (and longer warranty) and not be worried about them being incompatible when you switch out for a new mobo and CPU.

        I've been using my Antec Three Hundred case and Antec Truepower 550 for 5 years now through 2 different builds (LGA775 and then LGA 1155), and since these are quality items I don't see a point in replacing them.

  • [Deactivated] on 19/01/2015 - 01:54

    get a 5 year old one second hand for about $100 if all you want to do it play MOBAs

    • cypher67 on 19/01/2015 - 08:32

      This isnt the worst advice I've seen. I play Dota 2 on a 6.5 year old system on the highest settings and it runs perfectly. It was a top end machine back then (i7 & 4870x2) but none the less it doesnt even remotely get push. I can imagine you could pick up something like that for a fraction of the cost.

  • jpv on 19/01/2015 - 07:28

    Just a follow-up, is it worth buying some gear on Amazon as it is cheaper? Will there be any warranty issues?

    • cypher67 on 19/01/2015 - 08:28

      Amazon may be cheaper but the postage will kill most deals on the lower end items. I find it is only worth it on the high end which has bigger savings

  • ethereal88 on 19/01/2015 - 10:02

    FX is rubbish. Its an old obsolete 2007 era chipset saddled with some thirsty tired old cores that die under single threaded gaming (i.e. most games and emulators). If you want cheap and basic an i3 4160 and H81 will do it. This is the original Witcher from 2007:

    http://gamegpu.ru/images/remote/http--www.gamegpu.ru-images-…

    A 6300 can't even crack the all important 60FPS minimum to prevent hitching in a 7yr old game. If you do buy into FX you are wasting your money on a dead platform.

    • jpv on 19/01/2015 - 18:35

      What GPU would you recommend with the i3 4160?

      • ethereal88 on 21/01/2015 - 07:43

        750Ti or the upcoming 960. They won't be up to AAA gaming though, all modern games want a quad.

  • Paul Atreides on 19/01/2015 - 11:13

    MSY

    Coolermaster Elite case with 420w psu - $69
    i5 4460 - $239
    gtx 760 - $245
    mobo - asrock H97 pro4 - $105
    ram - 8gb kit - $88

    • $746

    not sure how your wiring will look, but heres a build

  • MasterScythe on 19/01/2015 - 12:29

    I'd still go a NUC with an IRIS PRO. It'll laugh at practically everything and be kinda unique :)

  • BnDozer on 21/01/2015 - 14:28

    My Recommendation:

    http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/PWfCK8

    Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor
    $99.00

    ASRock B85M-PRO3 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
    $79.00

    Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
    $88.00

    Asus Radeon R9 270 2GB DirectCU II Video Card
    $205.00

    Fractal Design Core 1100 MicroATX Mini Tower Case
    $55.00

    Power Supply
    Corsair 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply
    $69.00

    A bit over, but the i3-4160 is a better choice for games, Intel Core quality over AMD integer cores.

    AS a reference: This. http://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/2lak25/i3_4160_vs_…

    • ethereal88 on 21/01/2015 - 15:41

      Why bother? That 4770R has been known to throttle heavily to prevent overheating. It won't run any modern AAA game with the settings turned up above a slideshow either.

      • MasterScythe on 21/01/2015 - 16:40

        What does AAA stand for?

        I play all the current MOBA's at 1080p @ high on an i7 with HD4600; let alone iris.

        remember we're not building a 'gaming machine' we're building a dedicated MOBA rig.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join