Looking for something that can run age of empire 2, Valheim, minecraft and that's about it.
Can be refurb, probably 1 or 2gb gpu?
Any deals out there?
What Is Literally The Cheapest "Gaming" PC out There for Low Requirement Games Only
Bverb on 24/07/2021 - 11:27
Last edited 24/07/2021 - 11:29
Last edited 24/07/2021 - 11:29
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A potatoe
You'd need a low profile GPU to fit in an SFF desktop so you're limited to a 1050, 1050Ti or 1650.
Prices are still very much inflated and low profile variants are generally more expensive than the full-sized cardsI am looking at upgrading an optiplex, I have just watched some videos about it
I think I can get a GTX 600 or 700 series second hand as well
Just not too sure about checking if I can fit the GPU anywhere on the optiplex motherboards or if I need to upgrade PSU.
I'm not that confident in PC building to know
Careful on the 600/700 series
https://www.pcgamer.com/au/nvidia-outlines-plan-to-end-60070…The 1030 might be the better way to go
Card Dimension 17.3 x 6.9 x4 Cm
The Valheim game isn't a low requirement game - you'll need a 900 Series GPU or better to play it
The other two games would work fine otherwiseDo you have a mid tower or an SFF Optiplex?
I don't have anything yet
@Bverb: Ah ok. A mid tower can fit full sized GPU but depending on the power requirements of that card, you may need to upgrade the PSU.
The SFF like spackbace linked above are limited to low profile/half-height GPUs. These are all lower powered so you don't need to worry about PSU upgrades.Edit: The mid tower will have some limits on what can fit depending on the length of the GPU
@Bverb: No, that desktop is an USFF - ultra small form factor, it's tiny and can't have a GPU installed. You'll need a SFF desktop
I also recommend an 3rd or 4th gen i5 at least@FireRunner: If I find a sff optiplex with 4th gen i5 can I assume that I can install a low profile 1030 without checking the motherboard and without needing a psu upgrade?
@Bverb: Make sure you get an SFF Optiplex 7020 or 9020. There are USFF with i5's so don't get them confused
I made the mistake of buying an Optiplex 3020 which didn't have the x4 PCIe slot in the upper slot.
No need to worry about PSU upgrade. But you do realise the 1030 won't be able to run Valheim?
amd apu might work: https://www.amazon.com.au/AMD-4-Thread-Processor-Graphics-YD…
i know aoe2 runs on igpu just fine, the other two titles you will have to research
I thought Costco razer laptop wt $1399 deal 2-3 months ago with gtx 1660ti was very good. Too bad the USB c in it doesn't do alternate display. Similar price dell was around eofy with thunderbolt 3.
Valheim's requirement doesn't seem too low, considering a recommended GPU is still a GTX970…
I'd say around $580-$650 for meaningful gaming?
Combine a HP tower workstation (make sure not a SSD so you can fit a bigger you)
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/133770957259?hash=item1f255ed1cb…With a SSD as main drive (~$50)
Then GTX1060 3GB for under $330.
1060 3GB is what I'd go for too, or a 980 4GB. Valheim is pretty new and decent graphics though, I'd probably look around for a used 1070 (I've seen them for around $400).
Could even preorder this 5500XT for $309 - https://www.i-tech.com.au/msi-amd-radeon-rx-5500-xt-mech-oc-… It says 3-4 weeks but might be worth calling them first, make sure it actually exists.
Worst possible time to buy a GPU though. New GPUs are falling in price, supply is picking up but the older cards aren't flowing through yet - new GPUs are 50% overpriced, used ones are 100-150% over what they're really worth. 1060 3GB was $300 on release, 5 years ago.
Considering you are going to run Minecraft at vanilla or some basic mods which aren't too demanding, then Valheim will be the hardest game to run. Therefore, I've modelled the PC specs around the requirements of Valheim. Assuming you are gaming at 1080p then the CPU and RAM matter much more than the GPU.
Surfing google apparently the combined file sizes of those three games is around 23GB, so given that approximately 40-80GB goes to the OS, then 100GB+ would be ideal. I've chosen a 250GB HDD 7200RPM since we are going for "minimum specs".
I've created a list of parts below, going for $800 new:
https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/VHXfwz
Notes: You can upgrade the CPU if needed, though the i3 9100F should be fine for the games you're playing.
The RAM can be changed to 8GB, as i feel 16GB is not really needed.
CPU cooler for extra money if you want your CPU to run cool, again, not needed since you won't be overclocking or be playing overly demanding games.The one thing I would change is the GPU - find a used GPU on facebook market, ebay etc that HAS NOT been used for MINING, and install it into your PC. GPUs like 1060, RX 580, 980Tis would suffice.
This Valheim?
Minimum specs for GPU is a GTX950