CPU recommendations?

wiredotter14 said:Neither of those options works. They aren't even a decent value, let alone having integrated graphics. You running a dedicated GPU?

My current card is a GeForce GT 710 with 1 GB.
What else can I get for that kind of cash? Are integrated graphics on modern CPUs actually any better than some entry-level cards like that 710?

Which game are we talking about here?
Anything beats a GeForce GT 710, even basic integrated graphics.

Are you upgrading an existing rig or building a new one around that old card?

If this CPU isn't breaking your bank, it’s a solid pick.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ryzen+4650g

It features Zen 2 architecture with integrated graphics that will absolutely smoke a GeForce GT 710. Just make sure you run dual-channel RAM at higher speeds—grabbing two 8GB sticks at 3000MHz or 3200MHz (CL15 or CL16 aren't expensive these days) is vital. Pair it with a B450 or B550 motherboard.

A more budget-friendly route would be the i3 10100F for $217 + you can just stick with that GT 710 you have.

The 4650G isn't officially supported on B450 motherboards. From what I can gather, it’s just some leaked Beta BIOSes keeping it alive.

No, it works with any BIOS that includes Zen 2 support. Basically, when it first launched, people were only skipping it on MSI boards.

Right now, the Beta BIOS versions are specifically for the Ryzen 5000 series.

Timothy Kim60 said:Nah, it works with any BIOS that has Zen 2 support. When it first dropped, people were mostly just ignoring it on MSI boards.

The Beta BIOSes are specifically for Ryzen 5000 right now.

Still, it's not listed on the official manufacturer support pages. Weird.

Not officially

It’s a bit of a confusing mess. If you try searching Google for a BIOS for the Ryzen 4000 series—specifically for a 4650G on a B450 board—you end up getting results for Zen 3 instead. It feels like they skipped a beat by branding them as the 5000 series, even though the 4000 APUs are actually based on Zen 2 architecture.

To make matters worse, almost every reviewer out there was testing with X570 chipsets. You don't see many home users running these because the 4000 APUs were primarily designed for OEM machines, which means finding actual user feedback online is nearly impossible.

Anyway, I saw some discussions on Reddit claiming people just slotted them straight into B450 boards. I even saw some random guy on YouTube who bought a B450, this specific APU, and some DDR4 RAM, then just plugged everything in and it worked perfectly. This happened right at launch when BIOS support wasn't even certain yet. It turns out that as long as the motherboard has a Zen 2 BIOS, it should work since the architecture is identical, even if these specific chips aren't explicitly listed on the official support pages (much like those XT scams).

Whatever. They really should have just updated their websites. But since this series is built for OEM machines, they probably couldn't care less. Either way, it’s impossible to say for sure whether it supports it or not.

Yeah, regarding those APUs being sold—they aren't officially released for retail stores; they're strictly intended for OEM channels. Honestly, the manufacturers should have been much clearer about what these chips are actually capable of and where their limits lie.

Timothy Kim60 said:Look, if this CPU doesn't break the bank for you,
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ryzen+4650g
It’s got that Zen 2 architecture plus integrated graphics that’ll absolutely smoke a GeForce GT 710. Just make sure you go with dual-channel RAM at higher speeds—like 2x8GB at 3000MHz or 3200MHz; those CL15 and CL16 sticks aren't exactly pricey these days. Pair it with a B450 or B550 motherboard and you're golden.
A cheaper route would be an i3-10100F for $217 and just stick with that GT 710 you've got.

Here's my current thought process:

Asrock H410M-HVS
i5-10400F 2.90GHz
2x Kingston HyperX Fury 8GB 2666MHz
Gigabyte GeForce GT 1030 2GB
Or am I missing something better for this kind of cash??

Maybe a beefier processor with decent integrated graphics would actually be cheaper than this whole i5+GT1030 combo? If so, I could probably put that extra money toward faster RAM.
P.S. It's been like 7 years since I last bought a PC. I haven't really kept up with how much the motherboard and CPU markets have shifted lately...

silverridge3 said:Maybe a beefier CPU with integrated graphics would actually be cheaper than this i5+GT1030 combo? If so, I could probably hunt down faster RAM too.

Timothy Kim60 already told you exactly what you're asking.

The integrated graphics on the Zen 2 chip actually sit right up there with a GT 1030—it might even edge it out slightly.

Check out this 3DMark comparison table here:

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/am...cs-performance

That said, if your main goal is gaming, you'll get much more bang for your buck by grabbing an i3-10100F and putting whatever budget is left toward a beefier used GPU. Going the i5 plus GT 1030 route means you're paying nearly as much for the CPU as you would for a Ryzen, yet you aren't gaining any real speed from a dedicated card. In my opinion, it’s just a terrible value proposition.

Timothy Kim60 said:The integrated graphics on the Zen 2 chip are pretty much on par with a GT 1030, maybe even a bit punchier than that.
Here's a table showing some 3D Mark results if you want to see for yourself:
https://www.tomshardware.com/news/am...cs-performance
Though, honestly, if gaming is actually the goal, you’re better off grabbing an i3-10100F and putting whatever leftover cash you have toward a decent used GPU. This whole i5 plus GT 1030 setup? You're paying almost as much for the CPU as you would for a Ryzen, and since the dedicated card isn't even faster, it ends up being... well, just a terrible value proposition. Lowest price-to-performance ratio I've seen in a while.

I'm not really looking to game, so the graphics card isn't my main concern, but I still don't want to buy total junk.🙂
What matters to me is multitasking. I'll have AutoCAD, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Outlook all running at once, plus a mountain of tabs open in my browser and a bunch of PDFs...
I usually swap out my PC every five or six years, so I just want to squeeze every bit of juice out of this budget tier before I hit $1833...

Like Timothy Kim60 said—the Zen 2

I actually put together a full build spec in my AutoCAD thread

So, which motherboard actually makes sense with an i3-10100f?

For 10th Gen processors, prices start at $183.

Aaron Evans2 said:Which motherboard would actually be the best match for an i3-10100f?

You're looking for the LGA1200 socket—specifically chipsets like the H410, B460, H470, or Z490.

Thanks. But which of those would you guys actually suggest if I'm working with a tight budget?

If you aren't planning on upgrading to K-series processors, overclocking, or anything fancy down the road, just grab the cheapest H410 motherboard you can find—as long as it actually supports NVMe SSDs, because believe it or not, some models don't. For example, check out
:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=H410M-HDV%2FM.2

If you want something a bit more robust, I'd recommend looking at an MSI B460 model like the Bazooka or the Mortar.

I’m looking for some serious advice on building the ultimate desktop setup! We are trying to put together the best possible machine for a budget of roughly $1,100 $0.00! It’s for my 12-year-old, intended for both schoolwork and gaming. Our main goal is to find a configuration that stays relevant and can actually handle newer titles for as long as possible. We’ve already looked at two pre-built options from Best Buy and Hard Rock Cafe, but honestly, we're a bit lost. I noticed that the GTX 1660 is definitely a step up from the GTX 1650, and while the monitors seem pretty similar, it looks like the Ryzen 5 3600 should be a much stronger processor than that Intel i3 1010... but beyond that, we aren't totally sure! The motherboards are a mystery to us, and most of the other specs—like the specific brand of RAM—aren't even listed by the manufacturers. I generally know my way around computers quite well, but I’ve never personally been into gaming, which is arguably the most critical factor when building a gaming rig. So, I would really appreciate any recommendations or suggestions on where to buy. P.S.—when I shop for TVs, I always go for an IPS panel, but both of these monitors use VA panels. Is that just because of the price point, or is VA preferred for gaming? I know people have very strong opinions on that choice! Thanks in advance!

Hard Rock Cafe-

https://www.hardrockcafe.com/desktop-computer...-r53616616s5nd
https://www.dell.com/en/shop/cty/...?ref=PD_Family

Plus keyboard, mouse, mousepad, speakers, and headset with mic... total around $1,100 $33

Best Buy-

https://www.bestbuy.com/desktop-gaming-pc...-4gb-034900224

https://www.samsung.com/us/monitors/...c24rg50fqrxen/

Plus keyboard, mouse, speakers... total around $3100