Assembling a gaming computer for $750

The Pentium Gold G5400 is the second generation of low-cost dual-core Intel processors with support for Hyper-Threading technology, which virtually doubles the number of cores (more precisely, computational threads). There are no cardinal differences from the previous G4560: the frequency has slightly increased (from 3.5 to 3.7 GHz), support for DDR4-2400 MHz RAM has appeared (previously it was only 2133), and the integrated graphics was renamed from HD 610 to UHD 610, without adding it at all performance. There are still no AVX instructions, it's good that they are not in demand.

Nevertheless, there is a reason to build a computer on the new G5400, despite the higher cost of motherboards based on the H310 chipset compared to the H110, and it is significant. In the future, it will be possible to upgrade to a mid-price six-core processor Intel Core i5 Coffee Lake i5-8400 BOX Price from 2 140 up to 3 350 ₴, while H110 motherboards from processors of similar performance support only expensive Intel Core i7 Kaby Lake i7-7700 BOX Price from 3 750 up to 29 388 ₴, while the i5-7400 is one and a half times weaker.

On its own, the Pentium Gold G5400 can handle only undemanding online games like CSGO, World of Tanks and Dota 2 with its own integrated graphics, and even then only at low graphics settings. But paired with a discrete video card like the GeForce GTX 1050, 1050 Ti or Radeon RX 560, he can handle any, even the heaviest games of 2018-2019. It is also worth noting the low heating of the processor, which even a simple bundled cooler can handle in quiet mode.

ASRock H310M-HDV/M.2 is one of the cheapest MicroATX motherboards based on Intel H310 chipset with LGA1151-v2 processor socket. It has both a reinforced 4+4-pin power supply for CPU (important for Intel Core i7 Coffee Lake i7-8700 BOX Price from 4 960 up to 5 480 ₴ and higher, so as not to melt the insulation of the PSU wires) and a slot for high-speed M.2 NVMe SSDs , while "classmates" are equipped with either only the first or the second.

The ASRock H310M-HDV/M.2 has three most common video outputs: digital HDMI, DVI and analog VGA. There are two RAM slots with a frequency of up to 2666 MHz, but Coffee Lake processors younger than the i5-8400 only support 2400 MHz. Of the six PCI-E 2.0 lanes, for which the H310 chipset is responsible, two are reserved for the built-in Intel gigabit Ethernet controller, the Realtek ALC887 audio codec (together with ELNA capacitors, it produces sound that is not premium, but quite good), as well as four SATA3 ports .

Four more PCI-E 2.0 lanes are reserved for the M.2 slot, which supports both NVMe-SSD with real speeds up to 2000 MB / s (not enough for top-end drives, but enough for pre-top drives), and M.2-SATA up to 600 MB / s With. As a result, ASRock H310M-HDV/M.2 is the optimal basis for building a working or gaming PC, which will be equipped with processors from the ultra-low-cost Celeron to the top-end i7-8700 without a hitch. We do not recommend overpaying for the 8700K, because the H310 chipset still does not support overclocking.

Apacer modules are now the cheapest branded DIMM DDR4 RAM on the market. Cheaper than them are only strips of little-known Chinese companies, which are often made from RAM chips that have not passed full quality control (in fact, rejected ones). For example, Micron labels such chips as SpecTec. And this promises, at best, increased power consumption and heating, at worst, application errors and OS crashes.

Apacer values its reputation and does not allow itself such savings “on matches”. It is better to skip the frequency of 2133 MHz and take 2400 MHz right away - the surcharge is purely symbolic, but the performance increase is 5 percent, and taking into account manual overclocking, even more. The supply voltage of 1.2 V and CL17 timings are typical for a frequency of 2400 MHz, but in the case of overclocking, both of them, of course, will have to be increased.

What kind of RAM chips (Samsung, Micron or Hynix) are used, Apacer does not say. Probably, depending on the batch, the contractor may change. However, other low-cost memory modules have a similar situation. Even Samsung puts old A-die chips, then new B-dies on its own standards, and Micron is already selling even more progressive, and therefore best overclocked H-dies, at full speed. So if you really buy a "lottery ticket", then at the lowest price - the price of Apacer.

ASUS Radeon RX 560 EVO is the cheapest video card with 4 GB of memory where these four gigs are really in demand (whereas for the younger RX 550 they are superfluous). The performance of the Radeon RX 560D roughly matches the rival GeForce GTX 1050, which has 2 gigabytes of memory. Whereas the 4-gig GTX 1050 Ti costs 20 percent more.

It is important to note that the ASUS Radeon RX 560 EVO has 896 micro-cores, which means it is based on the RX 560D chip, although this is not shown in the name. Unless, by the absence of an external power connector (75 W of electricity is transmitted directly through the PCI-E x16 bus), you can guess that we have a D-version. However, unlocking all 1024 micro-cores of the Polaris architecture and turning the RX 560D into a full-fledged RX 560 is not difficult, the Internet is full of instructions for flashing.

True, the lack of additional power will not allow you to achieve a record manual overclocking, which would be in place, given the efficient two-fan cooling system. Taking into account unlocking and moderate overclocking, we get 15 percent more FPS in games. It seems to be not much, but sometimes this is not enough to get the desired stable 30 or 60 FPS.

There are three video outputs, all digital: HDMI, DVI and Display Port. But if you need to connect a VGA monitor, you can buy an active HDMI-VGA adapter. In general, the ASUS Radeon RX 560 EVO is a quiet, energy efficient and inexpensive 4 GB video card for those who like to ask for something and overclock, which will run any modern game at least at medium settings (or even higher) at Full HD resolution.

Apacer AS350 Panther is one of the cheapest solid-state drives in domestic retail, and if we take into account only models of famous brands (Apacer is a subsidiary of Acer), then it is generally the cheapest. Expected for a low-cost SSD, built on the basis of TLC-memory (planar SanDisk) with three bits per cell and average durability (3 thousand rewrites). For comparison, a two-bit MLC can withstand as much as 10 thousand cycles, and a four-bit QLC - only 1 thousand.

The AS350 is controlled by a smart Silicon Motion SM2258 controller. Theoretically, its speed characteristics can reach 560 and 520 MB / s for linear reading and writing, respectively (this is the maximum of the SATA 3 interface). But in practice, Apacer programmatically limited speeds to 450 and 350 MB / s, so that the AS350 model does not interfere with sales of more expensive and faster models of the Panther series. But it should be borne in mind that, traditionally for TLC memory and Silicon Motion controllers, the volume of the SLC cache (software combination of three cells into a single array) is equal to a third of the disk volume. If you record a larger file or if the free disk space is less than three times the file size, the recording speed will drop to 70 MB / s.

But what the low-cost SSD clearly gives out in the Apacer AS350 Panther is the low read and write speed of 4K blocks - 28 thousand IOPS (although it happens even less). Solid-state drives, on the other hand, can boast twice or even three times the best IOPS. This parameter is important primarily for programmers who create databases and websites consisting of a huge number of very, very small files. Apacer AS350 Panther is categorically contraindicated for workers in this profession. For the rest of the economical users who do not need ultra-high speed and durability, the AS350 will be an excellent replacement or addition to a slow HDD.

The Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM008 is the most breakthrough hard drive in recent years among inexpensive 3.5-inch models. Compared to the previous revision of the 2 terabyte Barracuda, as well as HDDs from other brands equipped with a small 64 MB RAM cache, the new product received a downright gigantic 256 MB cache. Previously, only solid-state drives could boast such a large buffer.

Used cache RAM by the hard drive to process small files at lightning speed, although 256 MB is not that small. The speed of linear reading and writing of large files, thanks to high-density magnetic plates, is 220 MB / s. On the one hand, this is twice as slow as reading TLC SSD drives, on the other hand, three times as much as they write (taking into account the speed reduction when the SLC cache is full).

In addition, a hard drive is not limited by the number of write cycles like an SSD. This makes it better suited for professional use that requires writing, erasing and then rewriting large amounts of data. Well, for games that now weigh 100+ GB each, HDD is also more profitable. All in all, the Barracuda ST2000DM008 is fast, inexpensive per gigabyte, and arguably the most versatile hard drive in Seagate's range, albeit a little noisy due to the high spindle speed (7200 rpm). If you need an extremely quiet solution, then pay attention to the IronWolf series for NAS servers and SkyHawk for video surveillance systems.

Zalman ZM500-TX is the most complete power supply in the sub-$50 price range. It attracts attention with its appearance alone. Its fan not only has a diameter larger than that of "classmates" (14 cm), it also glows blue. If you install the PSU from above, it will illuminate the motherboard and CPU cooler. If from below, then it will shine into the floor a la a tuned sports car from Need for Speed.

The ZM500-TX's +12V main line power is 480 out of a total of 500 watts, which is excellent. At the same time, the PSU is able to withstand short-term overloads up to 600 watts. Efficiency of 80 percent, for which ZM500-TX deservedly awarded the 80 PLUS certificate. The processor power cable has a record length of 63 cm, while all cables, except for 20 + 4-pin, are made in the form of a thin "noodle". Both contribute to a neat hidden laying of wires.

Unfortunately, the perfect Zalman ZM500-TX at a cost of only $50 cannot be. As its electronic basis, a turnkey solution from a little-known company Hui Cheng is used, the durability of which is still a mystery. In general, the circuitry seems to be not bad, but in some places there are obvious savings. For example, there is no varistor at the power input, which should protect against power surges in the household power supply. But despite this, the ZM500-TX remains a solid PSU and we can recommend it for building a gaming PC even with the most voracious video card, such as the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti.

The Aerocool Aero-500 case is suitable for building almost any computer. It is inexpensive, which means it can become the basis for a home multimedia PC. At the same time, it is ergonomic and roomy, which allows you to assemble a powerful gaming system in it. In addition, Aero-500 is well ventilated - there are seats for fans on the front, rear, side and top panels.

Two key features of the Aerocool Aero-500 are the bottom-mounted power supply and compatibility with long graphics cards. If you install the PSU from above, then it will draw in a large amount of heat generated by the processor and video card. As a result, the PSU will be forced to buzz the fan louder, and excessive heating can eventually lead to a breakdown. If we talk about long three-fan video cards, then they often do not fit into cheap cases - they rest against the disk basket. The Aero-500 also provides an opening between the upper and lower basket specifically for the video card.

The Aero-500 also has other pleasant things: rubber feet dampen vibrations, skids simplify the installation of 3.5 and 2.5-inch drives, and the reobas allows you to easily increase the fan speed in hot weather and lower it when cold weather sets in. The Aero-500 has only one drawback: the manufacturer was greedy to add one more fan to the front panel to cool the drives.

Philips 223V7QHSB is a new wave of 22-inch monitors. Thanks to thin bezels, with a screen diagonal of 21.5 inches, it has the same compact body as the old 20-inch models. Therefore, it can even fit into a narrow niche of a computer desk with additional shelves above it. Well, it just looks prettier. There are two video interfaces: analog VGA and digital HDMI. But there is no MiniJack audio output, so turning the monitor into a TV by connecting a TV tuner or game console and stereo speakers will not work.

Matrix Philips 223V7QHSB bright and contrasting IPS with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, matte finish and wide viewing angles (up to 178 degrees). That is, when the head is tilted forward or tilted back, the picture will not darken or, on the contrary, brighten, as in the case of TN matrices. The response time of 5 ms cannot be called e-sports, but still it is much less than the recently standard for IPS 8 - 14 ms. So it will be comfortable to “run” in dynamic games.

It's nice that Philips was one of the first on the market to transfer all its monitors without exception to Flicker Free technology. The LED backlight no longer flickers (brightness is regulated precisely by reducing the intensity of the glow), which allows you to work at the monitor without eye fatigue for longer. However, we strongly recommend that you take regular breaks from working at your PC (see the article "5 tips to protect your eyesight when working at a computer"). As a result, Philips 223V7QHSB is a stylish-looking "frameless" 22-inch monitor with a FullHD IPS-matrix, a basic set of video inputs and a reasonable price.