Budget Game PC - September 2012

By Koen Crijns,

The Hardware.Info Budget Game PC Advice has a balanced configuration for playing video games, without having to spend too much. The components have been selected to offer the best bang for your buck.

That means you cannot always expect the highest settings, resolution and frame rate, but at the same time you should be able to play all modern games in Full HD resolution without making huge concessions to either the image quality or your enjoyment of the game.

Unlike previous Budget Game PC guides, we are no longer focusing on the upgrade aspect of this configuration. This is to keep the price down by saving on powerful components with unused potential.

Please note: the PC Buyer’s Guide is compiled based on independent component tests performed by Hardware.Info. If no new, superior products are released that should replace one or more of the components, then the component(s) will remain the same as the previous month.

If you want to know more about how we compile our PC Buying guides, have a look at this article.

Configuration

Processor - Intel Core i3 2120

The processor we recommend for the Budget Gaming PC is the Intel Core i3 2120. It's fast enough to get the most out of modern graphics cards at high resolutions. Our tests have proven time and again that at a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels a faster CPU does not have much added benefit.

Specifications Test results

CPU cooler - Intel Boxed cooler

As the chosen processor is not particularly suitable for overclocking, the boxed cooler suffices. If you want to overclock in the future after all, you might consider a cooler such as the Cooler Master Hyper TX3 Evo, which offers good performance at great value.

Specifications Test results

Memory module - 8 GB (2x 4 GB) DDR3-1333 / 1600

The current prices for RAM are so low we are putting 8 GB in the budget gaming PC, enough for most applications and games. We are using DDR3-1600 memory, for example Kingston ValueRam. If you find a better deal, just make sure it's at least DDR3-1333 or faster.

Specifications Test results

Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-Z77M-D3H

For the Intel Core i3 CPU we picked the modern yet affordable Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H that received our Bronze Award in our recent round-up. This ATX board has enough connectors including USB 3.0 and decent VIA VT2021 audio codec for it to be an excellent choice for a budget game system. The presence of an mSATA connector makes Smart Response possible for accelerating hard drive performance.

Specifications Test results

Graphics card - Sapphire Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition OC 1GB

It's not easy to find an affordable graphics card that also performs well in games. The HD 6870 is still available but more expensive than the only current alternative, which is the AMD Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition.

The Sapphire HD 7770 GHz Edition OC 1 GB is clocked faster, and comes close to the HD 6870. So if you want the latest in terms of hardware, this is your card. A fast HD 6870 is an excellent alternative if you can afford it.

Specifications Test results

Hard disk/SSD - Seagate Barracuda 7200.14 1TB

This month we are no longer including an SSD in our Budget Game PC, but merely a hard drive. Traditional hard drives are still pricy, but SSDs are even more expensive and have less storage. Hard disk prices are slowly stabilising, and even going down a bit.

We went for the well-tested Seagate Barracuda 7200.14 1TB.

Specifications Test results

Optical drive - Lite-On iHAS524

Burning CDs, CD-ROMs, and DVDs is not as common as it once was. Still, it's very useful to have an optical drive to make back-ups, to reinstall the OS, and to install software from CD-ROMs and DVDs.

Nowadays most DVD-burners are equal in terms of quality and price. The drive with the best score from our most recent test is the Lite-On iHAS524, and it will make a fine choice for our gaming PC.

Specifications Test results

Case - Antec Three Hundred Two

Until recently we recommend getting the Corsair Carbide 300R, which is an excellent chassis with plenty of connectors, easy-of-use, enough internal space and excellent cooling. Antec has a case that also meets all those requirements, but has recently become more affordable than Corsair's chassis.

The Antec Three Hundred Two might look at bit Spartan on the inside, but it also has excellent cooling, good installation options, quality finish and all the connectors you need.

Specifications Test results

Power supply - Nexus Value 430W

The components in the budget game PC don't require a lot of power. You do want a stable and efficient power supply, and the Nexus Value 430W is a good solution here. It performed very well in our tests, so well that we actually tried several of them to make sure it wasn't a fluke. But no, this budget PSU just performs very well.

If you want a little more power and modular cables, then the Nexus RX-5300 Modular is a good alternative. It also scored well in our recent test.

Specifications Test results

Keyboard - Microsoft Wired Keyboard 600 Black

Microsoft has an excellent range of peripherals. This Wired Keyboard 600 is a good example of an affordable yet great quality model.

Specifications Test results

Mouse - CM Storm Inferno

A decent mouse is a requirement for a Gaming PC. This time we choose the Cooler Master Storm Inferno, which has high precision and good response combined with another nice extra: the ability to assign a second function to buttons. You also get the other standard features of a gaming mouse, including macros.

Specifications Test results

PC speaker set - Creative Inspire T6160

As long as you don't require room filling audio (which would be a bit much to ask for on on a limited budget), Creative's T6160 is one of the best sounding and affordable surround speaker sets.

Specifications Test results

Monitor - Iiyama ProLite E2473HDS-B1

The Iiyama E2273HDS-B1 is an affordable and fast 22-inch model. If you have a little bit more to spend, Samsung's SyncMaster S23B550V is even faster an a better performer all-round, but the Iiyama won't steer you wrong either.

Specifications Test results

Configuration overview		Price
Processors	Intel Core i3 2120	£97.39
CPU coolers	Intel Boxed cooler	-
Memory modules	8 GB (2x 4 GB) DDR3-1333 / 1600	£51.86
Motherboards	Gigabyte GA-Z77M-D3H	£89.27
Graphics cards	Sapphire Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition OC 1GB	£297.65
Hard disks/SSDs	Seagate Barracuda 7200.14 1TB	£54.73
Optical drives	Lite-On iHAS524	£20.15
Cases	Antec Three Hundred Two	£62.61
Power supplies	Nexus Value 430W	-
Keyboards	Microsoft Wired Keyboard 600 Black	-
Mice	CM Storm Inferno	£42.14
PC speaker sets	Creative Inspire T6160	£60.12
Monitors	Iiyama ProLite E2473HDS-B1	£210.50
Add as wish list	Average total price:	£986.42