Although i am running a AMD X6 1100T cpu atm, i am not fan boy. Personally atm i would recommend for going with either cheap ivy bridge or even Haswell, because in time it will be easy to upgrade the computer with higher end cpu, when their prices go down. With amd processors that isnt really viable atm as far as i know, amd will be changing a socket again.

AMD has a very good niche position on cpu markets actually, the APU processors are very, very good if dont plan to do heavy gaming and the integrated CPU is enough for you. The recently released Richland APU's are slightly better than the older ones - but what i am really expecting to see, is the next gen Kaveri APU's. However, i guess those are released only around the end of year or so.

So for skyrim, i wouldnt recommend only AMD APU, but definitely for person who play GOG -games. I doubt you can find a game here that would choke one of those.

--

As for the 500usd machine - if i was in the position to buy computer for 500usd, id buy used. Ofcourse that means one needs to know a bit what to look for, but thats the way to max the bang for 500usd machine.

But when buying new, id build it GPU heavy and save on cpu - just make sure the socket is either ivy bridge or haswell so you dont need to change that one later.

...so i just clicked some stuf quickly from Newegg.com

http://postimg.org/image/pyebp9acv/

632,93$ is a bit higher than the 500$, but what youd get for it:

*Nvidia GTX 660 2gb (=basically play anything smoothly)
*Intel i3-3220 ivy bridge (only dual core, but doesnt really matter with games - also lots of upgrade options later)
*mini-itx case (computer cases dont have to be huge unless you really really need the space - most dont)
*8gb ram.

So fast gaming comp with good uprade options and small in size.

If that seems too expensive, then maybe drop the Nvidia GTX 660 (215usd) and put in Nvidia GTX 650 Ti (130usd) like: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127725

-> so around 550$

Mobo's can be bought few bucks cheaper - but you might regret that later. Same with HDD.

...just few quick ideas :)

Hi, I have read through your thread and watched the linked youtube video. But neither that nor you yourself specified at which resolution he is going to play Skyrim. Do you know which monitor you have?

This is what hardware-revolution basically recommends and I would second that.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/152ZO

(Source: http://www.hardware-revolution.com/best-budget-gaming-pc-may-2013/ )

It's 70 bucks over your budget, you could probably get 30$ off by choosing a different case. But you get a superior card that should handle Skyrim at Full HD.

Well, unless intel released some ivy bridge CPUs for the LGA1150 socket, you can only purchase the more expensive haswell chips for it. Haswell's are not compatible with the ivy bridge LGA1155 socket and it is a dead end.

I was literally just about to come here and ask for advice building a budget gaming computer for $500. So, uh, thanks. :D

i did not mean that ivy and haswell were compatible.

Whati mean is that even if you buy the very cheapest of desktop ivys, its more than decent for gaming with enough memory and decent gpus. In just wait a year or two and you can buy one of the current top end ivys for very very affordable price. Or even Xeon. And those are going to last for great many years. Heck, even 2500k Sandy Bridge is still overkill for most games and thats two generations old middle class cpu.

hower, if you go for current desktop performance amd. say FX-8150 - there arent that many models you can go up from there...and most intel cpus beat the crap out of all of them -in gaming-.

Amd is doing just fine cpus, but the problem is that atm they are kinda too advanced. You cant use all the cores. Most programs can still handle only like two cores, so those cool 8-core FX's are wasting a lot of computing power as the programs and games are just not able to tap into it.

Its really shame. If everything was properly multitasking, Amd would definitely not be the underdog. I was very happy that Amd managed to to put their cpus to the newest consoles - both cpu and gpu fields need some serious competition.

Considering that 27" 2560x1440 IPS/PLS monitors can be bought these days for around 250usd, id be making a machine compatible with that resolution ;)

http://viewitem.eim.ebay.fi/UP-to-3-Dead-New-XSTAR-DP2710-LED-27-2560x1440-SAMSUNG-PLS-High-Glossy-Monitor/161028275573/item

I wouldn't qualify APU's as a waste. You could build reasonably priced familly computers based on Llano and Trinity CPUs. Richland on the other hand is too expensive and the IGP isn't evoluting that much ( even if names HD8xxxD, it's still a HD6xxxD and, as a consequence, there has been no improvement in the dual graphics capability )

I just built a system around an Athlon II X4 750k ( a trinity APU without IGP ) and it's not too bad. However I would not recommend that solution for the OP. Maybe a FX6350 coupled to a Radeon HD 7790 or 7850. But at that price point, he would be able to get an i3 3240, which will be performing better in Skyrim. Unfortunately, it will be based on 1155 socket, that is now made obsolete by Haswell.

I was talking only in the context of building a gaming PC. If you really can't afford a discrete card but want some gaming, AMD APU's are the best solution. If you can, I think it's better to avoid them. While it's possible to do crossfire between the APU and a discrete GPU, that just doesn't work as well as a discrete card. Also it's rumoured that the next gen AMD APU will use a difference socket, so buying one now may be a dead end in terms of CPU upgrades.

I've been an AMD CPU owner for many years (since I bought an Athlon XP 2100+, currently on Phenom II X6 1090T) and there's a chance I'll get a Steamroller CPU if they're really good and AM3+ compatible, but I'm not a fanboy and AMD just isn't the best choice in many cases, even in the value space. I do hope that the Steamroller cores provide a real jump in performance to make AMD more competitive.

Well if he has a monitor already, ofcourse he will want second sooner or later. Then the third.... Usually people are satisfied by then ;)

And what do you mean weird korean monitors dont count? :D even 100% more price it would still be less than half price the average 2560x1440 costs in the shop you know. The reason they are cheap, is because the panels are A- class (or some such). They are the exactly same panels Samsung, Dell, Apple and so on use - but for one or other reason didnt make it.

I wont derail this more - but id really suggest you to read around about those, on average people have been more than satisfied from what ive read. There are even 120hz ones. 120hz.net is one forum where to look into, if youre interested.

If you want to be able to upgrade, I would avoid the Socket 1155 completely. Yes, currently you can get a better chip for it, but that platform will disappear pretty quickly. I purchased a lot of the Socket 775 right before the new sockets came out. After a year it was getting more and more impossible (from legitimate sellers) to find either a good 775 motherboard or proc. While technically they are still available, your choices will be extremely limited in a year or two when you will be ready to upgrade. Look at a few of the newer sockets LGA1156 & LGA 1366, they are harder to find than the 775.
My opinion would be to purchase the 1155, but do not expect to be able to upgrade it. If you want to be able to upgrade in the future, then you need to hop on the pricier 1150 (from what I have heard AMD chips have no upgrade path either).

I was mistaken the last AMD processor I bought is the Athlon 64 X2 4800+ not the K6-2. Just off three or four gens. I would really like to use them again, but not with how underpowered they are. AMD really needs their new line to outperform or at least be in the ballpark of Intel's i7.

You are aware of the rough performance difference between ivy bridge i3, i5 and i7 cpu's? Id say there's easily chance for one of two cpu upgrades if youre starting from the bottom of i3's. Also eventually upgrading from 2 core to 4 core is rather nice.

Also when talking about gaming, Haswell's arent -that- much faster than Ivy Bridges...which arent all that much faster than Sandy Bridges. Good gpu + Sandy 2500k and you could easily play any game you wish for the next 3 years. And by that time cpu's have already advance atleast couple generations anyway. Personally ive never had trouble buying those older cpu's used - especially when new cpu generation comes up (like now) you can get those 1-2 generations olders cpu's at pretty good price as more people are upgrading their systems.

Anyways - one does not need to think -so- much about cpu's these days as in my youth. Gpu's rule and most games are these days either indie games (which usually dont require much of a computer in the first place) ...or console ports. And that means the game requirements arent going to be rising a lot in the next few years.

Maybe when PS5 and "Xbox two" eventually come out.

Yeah, I have a hard time trusting any used parts (unless it is from a reputable dealer). So, there is that option if you don't mind the risks involved.

Well, unless the seller has been doing some super high overclocking with improper cooling or just plain doesnt know how to remove the parts from computer, i see hardly any problems as long as the price is right :)

...but receipts help too. Many computer parts have quite long warranties actually.

Anyways, if you go to a proper computer forum, check the buy/sell forum section and only buy from people who have decent reputation, the chances youre out right screwed are pretty slim.