Budget gaming PC build for the kids

So here's the deal, my kids are basically breathing down my neck wanting a PC with all those RGB lights 😁

I guess the first thing on the list would be a case that actually glows, right? 😁

Second, I need this machine to actually run games. Right now, they're obsessed with Fortnite—playing it just like every other kid in town. And from what I gather, Fortnite and a bunch of other titles get updates constantly. I really don't want to blow a ton of cash on something that’ll become a total headache and a frustration magnet in two years because it can't keep up with the latest patches...

It would be great if it lasts a good few years, and ideally, I could just upgrade parts as needed rather than having to scrap everything and start over...

I was thinking maybe around $900 for the tower, but I could stretch it to $1,200 if that extra money gets me something significantly better. If it's only like a 10-20% boost, it probably isn't worth it to me, so maybe we can find a happy medium...

Anyway, please send some recommendations my way. I'm planning to look at whatever most people suggest so I can check it out in person. Maybe I'll catch a Black Friday deal, too. I might even head over to Best Buy to see if they have anything interesting...

Also, feel free to suggest monitors, but that'll be a separate budget entirely, independent of the PC build...

So yeah, thanks! If anyone has questions, just ask 😁

It’s an Intel Core i5-8400, clocked at 3.40GHz with 16MB of cache on the AM4 socket. I guess it's a decent enough setup.
The MS Dark Shadow Pro case is a solid gaming option if you’re looking for that tempered glass aesthetic. It also comes with a dust filter, which is always a plus.
1TB WD Blue HDD, 3.5", 7200RPM, 64MB Cache, SATA3, WD10EZEX
FSP Fortron/Source Aurum S 500W power supply, ATX 2.3, AS-500.
Crucial BX500 240GB SSD, SATA3, SA400S37/240G
G.Skill Aegis DDR4 16GB kit (2x8GB), 3000MHz CL16, PC4-24000U (F4-3000C16D-16GISB).
MSI B450 motherboard, AM4, 90-MXB8B0-A0UAYZ
XFX Radeon RX 580 GTS XXX ED 8GB GDDR5, 1257MHz/2025MHz, RX-580P8DFD6

Total: $2.25 I guess I should probably mention that AMD Ryzen 5 2600.

I guess I put this review together just for you:

I can't actually watch videos through this link, so I'm flying blind here. If you want my take on it, maybe just drop some details about what's happening in the clip? I guess I could try to weigh in if I knew what we were looking at.

I see a lot of people mentioning GeForce, so I was wondering—what’s the actual difference between that card and the one you listed? 🤷

I've heard things about GeForce too, so that's why I'm asking, I guess. 😁

And of course, everyone’s only ever heard of GeForce—that’s been the big issue with the market for the last decade.😬

The equivalent to GTX 1060 is an RX 580, which is about 300-$$133 more expensive, so I guess it doesn't make much sense right now, IMO.

Monitor recommendation:

https://www.amazon.com/aoc-lcd-monitors...m_medium=click

crimsonstag84 said:And obviously, everyone’s only ever heard of GeForce. That’s exactly the problem with how this market has been run for the last 10 years. 😬

The equivalent to RX 580 is the GTX 1060 6GB, which is $300-$133 more expensive. Honestly, doesn't make much sense right now IMO.

Monitor recommendation:

https://www.amazon.com/lcd-monitors/aoc...m_medium=click

Solid combo.

Fortnite should hit about 100FPS on an RX 580 at that resolution, which pairs perfectly with a FreeSync 144 Hz monitor.
Personally, I get around 65-70 FPS with an RX 580 at 1440p with most settings on Epic.

P.S.
If you want to save some cash, just go with 8GB of RAM instead of 16.
8GB is plenty fine for Fortnite—you won't notice a difference, and it's easy enough to just pop in another stick later.
I'd rather grab a slightly better 500GB SSD with a longer warranty, like a Crucial MX500 or a Samsung 860 EVO.

Fortnite runs a bit faster on Intel, but the Ryzen 2600 is a way better value right now and definitely won't be bottlenecking you.

Anyway, yeah, Fortnite updates constantly, but those updates usually bring optimizations along with driver support, so I wouldn't sweat it.

I'd suggest an IPS panel instead of VA
https://www.amazon.com/monitor-23-8...black-100300314
https://www.amazon.com/monitor-23-8...black-100333240
https://www.amazon.com/monitor-23-8...black-100300224

That way you can actually enjoy a movie with better colors, without everything looking washed out just because you're looking at the screen from a different angle.

Those aren't even in the same category; his setup features 144Hz, and there's a general consensus that VA panels are superior for watching movies because they offer much deeper blacks and better contrast—which is why they dominate the US TV market right now.
Historically, VA was considered the worst option for gaming due to being the slowest, but that landscape has shifted recently. You see them popping up everywhere in 144Hz gaming monitors lately; it feels like these panels are starting to take over the market.

VA is fine if you’re looking at it head-on, but the second you shift your viewing angle even slightly, the colors wash out and just feel off. Personally, I'll always pick color accuracy over contrast.
The latest iPhone still uses an IPS display, and the only real (though pricier) alternative is OLED, not VA. VA is mostly just a step up from those terrible TN panels.
Since this is meant to be a family PC, I don't think 144Hz makes much of a difference anyway. An IPS monitor is definitely the way to go if they want to stay happy with it long-term. Given the price point, it seems like a total no-brainer.

Building a rig for Fortnite means picking hardware capable of pushing way more than just 60Hz at 1080p.

It’s a total no-brainer to grab a monitor with at least 100Hz, or maybe even step up to a larger 1440p screen.

But if you want smooth gameplay, you need that high refresh rate.

A 23-24" screen isn't exactly a home theater for the whole family anyway—they probably have a big TV in the living room for that. Choosing an IPS 60Hz panel over a VA 144Hz one just to avoid tilting the screen when four people try to watch a movie on a tiny display makes zero sense to me.

BTW, what does an iPhone have to do with monitors?
Phones have been using basically nothing but IPS or OLED/AMOLED for years now because they serve a completely different purpose than a computer monitor.

So, we've got a 55-inch TV at home that was bought before the World Cup, so there's plenty of screen to watch movies on 😁

And I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea, I'm not really sure how demanding Fortnite actually is. It's not like people are only going to play Fortnite forever; it's just what's popular right now. Maybe tomorrow kids will move on to something else entirely. Back when I was their age, I went from CM to FIFA and then over to GTA and Neverwinter, so... I guess anything could happen 😁

What I'm really looking for is a PC that can run Fortnite and other games like it—all those newer titles—without any issues. That's pretty much it. And if I'm spending my money, I'd love to get a decent price-to-performance ratio. As for VA or IPS, it doesn't matter too much to me. I remember my dad getting me an Acer monitor for about $600; I remember other cases costing way more than that back then, but that Acer lasted through three different builds before it finally died, and the picture looked good on all of them, no matter what I was playing, you know? 😁

Also, someone told me today that he's running a Pentium with Nvidia, also for his kid to play games. He's staying over at my place with my setup, and he thinks that for the money, it’s better to go with a quad-core i5 and some GeForce rather than AMD. So, I guess I'm wondering if there's any truth to that, or if the build my buddy Smartic suggested is actually better than going with Intel and Nvidia 🤷

Adam Williams2 said:Look, my buddy Philip bought a 55-inch TV before the pandemic hit, so he's got plenty of screen real estate for movies. 😁

And don't get me wrong, I have no clue how demanding Fortnite actually is. It’s not like people only play Fortnite; they play it because it’s what’s hot right now. Tomorrow, kids might move on to something else entirely. When I was their age, I jumped from CM to FIFA, then to GTA and Neverwinter, so anything can happen. 😁

All I want is a PC that can handle Fortnite and whatever other big titles come out soon without breaking a sweat. That's it. I just want the best bang for my buck. As for the panel, VA or IPS, I don't really care. I remember when my dad bought me an old Microtron case for about $600—it cost as much as some other cases back then—but that thing outlived three different builds and always gave me a great picture regardless of what I was playing, if you know what I mean. 😁

Also, someone told me today that they're getting a Pentium paired with Nvidia for their kid's gaming setup. He thinks it's better than going with AMD, claiming a Pentium works better for games. I'm wondering if there's any truth to that, or if the build Smartic put together is actually superior to an Intel and Nvidia combo. 🤷

Basically—whatever you've been told here, especially by the users in bold, carries more weight than whatever your neighbor's cousin tells you. 😬

What Smartic put together is a total best buy for that price range. If you really want to future-proof it even more, maybe grab a stronger GPU like a GTX 1070, and you're set. You won't need to change anything else. 👍

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 doesn't really make sense when you look at those RX570/580 prices... you're only getting about 30-35% more performance for nearly double the cost (~$533 more).

As for that guy talking about a quad-core i5 🤣—honestly, his info hasn't been relevant for almost two years, so I wouldn't trust his expertise much.

crimsonstag84 said:The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 doesn't really make sense when you look at those RX570/580 prices... you're only getting about 30-35% more performance for almost double the cost (around $533 more).

That guy claiming a quad-core i5 🤣 hasn't been relevant for nearly two years, so I guess we can take his expertise with a grain of salt.

And look, a buddy of mine—a real friend, mind you—offered me his PC yesterday. It's not that he's clueless or anything, he just isn't an expert like you. He had a build put together at a local Best Buy, and he’s totally happy with it, but it doesn't really serve his needs anymore, so he wants to sell. When I showed him your suggested setup and price, he basically said he could get the same thing at a local shop for twice as much. 😁

So, I guess the people selling these things are supposed to be experts, right? Even if it turns out they aren't, the customer ends up being perfectly happy anyway...

Then there's this other guy I know, pretty well-educated type, a manager and all, nothing too flashy. He got his rig from Micro Center, and they sold him the exact same kind of stuff my buddies would suggest. He's super satisfied with what he bought about a year and a half or two ago, so maybe that explains why the whole i5 thing 😁

Anyway, if those guys are totally content, while the stuff you're suggesting to me would basically eat a PC for breakfast—with some i5 and NVIDIA for lunch—then I wouldn't just be happy, I’d probably send you money via PayPal for a beer. And I mean a fancy craft beer, not just some cheap Bud Light 😁 😉

But I guess life has taught me that everyone thinks their own horse is the fastest, so you have to be careful with everything. That's why I take their comments with a reserve, and I do the same with yours, though I don't really have anywhere else to verify them. It's not that anyone is being mean or rude, it's just how it is. 😉

We're just talking here, but I've heard so many people say Intel is better for gaming. I guess, if that's not actually true, could someone explain where that reputation came from? Maybe it was true once and just stuck, but it's not really like that anymore...

Even my buddy wouldn't go for that specific monitor; he'd want an IPS panel instead. But so what? Who am I supposed to listen to? For me, the monitor is just for gaming, not for watching movies. To be honest, before this little debate started, I hadn't even thought that much about monitors. I guess I'd just want something big and nice that isn't too expensive. 😁

Adam Williams2 said:Look, life taught me that everyone's going to brag about their own ride. You have to be skeptical of everything. I take what they say with a grain of salt and try to fact-check it myself. Since I can't always verify things here, just because someone's opinion differs doesn't mean they're being malicious or rude. 😉

We're just talking, dissecting stuff. I've heard plenty of people claim Intel is better for gaming. Can someone explain why that reputation exists? Is it just old news that stuck around, even if it isn't true anymore?

Even some guy mentioned he wouldn't pick that monitor, preferring an IPS panel instead. So what? Who should I listen to? For me, the monitor is for gaming, not watching movies. Honestly, before this little debate, I hadn't given monitors much thought. I just want something big, looks good, and won't break the bank. 😁

Exactly. That's just how life works. People don't always have bad intentions.

Intel held the crown for years—basically from 2008 until about a year and a half ago—because AMD didn't have anything worth noting.
Nowadays, AMD is more than competitive.
Intel still holds the edge with their top-tier gaming chips, like the 8600K or 8700K, which outperform the best AMD offerings in pure gaming.

But the real story is the mid-range. Intel offers the Intel Core i5-8400 (6-core), which lacks Hyper-threading. Meanwhile, for similar cash, AMD was offering the AMD Ryzen 5 1600, and now the AMD Ryzen 2600, both of which feature Simultaneous Multithreading (the same as Hyper-threading) and are also 6-core.
So, there was a window where the Intel Core i5-8400 and AMD Ryzen 1600/2600 cost about the same. The Ryzen gave you more bang for your buck in productivity, while gaming performance stayed roughly neck-and-neck.
But since then, Intel prices have spiked. Now the AMD Ryzen 2600 is under $500, while the Intel Core i5-8400 is over $667. In that segment, the choice is a total no-brainer; you're paying $167 more for Intel just to stay in the same class.

If you move up to the high-end, Intel stays competitive because their prices haven't climbed as aggressively, and AMD lacks a direct rival for something like the 8700K.

As for the monitor: unless you're looking for a bigger screen or higher resolution, just stick with what the group recommended.

To put it simply, just like that quad-core i5 was your go-to "best buy" for gaming a few years back at roughly $433, the modern equivalent is the AMD Ryzen 1600/2600. There’s been quite a bit of drama surrounding this lately, but the biggest recent headache is the massive price hike on Intel processors due to manufacturing shortages.

The build crimsonstag84 put together for you is the absolute best value for that budget, whether you're playing Fortnite or anything else. You could tweak a few details—like which case, SSD, or RAM sticks you pick—depending on what's actually in stock at Best Buy or Micro Center at the moment, but the core foundation remains the same. If someone has a little extra cash, they can swap out an RX 570/580 for an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070/1070Ti, and that's really all there is to it.

As far as modern AAA titles go, Pentiums haven't been relevant for a long time, and even a basic quad-core isn't exactly the gold standard anymore, though it still gets the job done in most scenarios.

So this guy mentioned his upper limit for the tower is $2667.
Check out this build—it features a GPU that’s easily 60-70% more powerful.


$2733.

They didn't have the AMD Ryzen 5 1600 in stock, so I swapped it for the 1600x instead.
If you ditch the 212 EVO cooler and swap the 1070Ti for an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070, you're looking at roughly $2500. Even then, it's still about 40% beefier than an RX 580. (Though, I gotta say, what crimsonstag84 mentioned regarding the price-to-performance ratio is spot on.)

As for the monitor, definitely go with a VA panel like the guys suggested earlier. You don't want that decent graphics card just rotting away on some mediocre 60-75Hz refresh rate. 😁

Peter Green said:Here is a build with a GPU that offers roughly 60-70% better performance.

You're overestimating things a bit... 47% at 1080p click

But yeah, if you're looking at higher budgets, go for a GTX 1070/Ti. That motherboard choice is a little weak for this setup; you really should look for something with a decent VRM cooler and four RAM slots—it's not like we're cutting corners on a budget build here.

wiredotter14 said:Since then, Intel prices have shot up significantly. Now, the Ryzen 2600 is sitting under $500, while the i5 8400 is over $667. In this specific bracket, the choice is a total no-brainer; you’re basically paying $167 more just to go with Intel for the same level of performance.

Plus, you end up paying even more for an Intel motherboard.

Timothy Kim60 said:Basically, what used to be a quad-core i5 for about $433—which was a massive best-buy for gaming back in the day—is now the Ryzen 5 1600/2600. A lot has changed since then, and if anyone tries to lecture you on it, just remember the latest issue: Intel's prices have spiked abnormally because of manufacturing capacity shortages.

If I could add one thing to that: this shortage isn't actually because everyone is suddenly rushing to buy new Intel chips. It's more like Intel got caught sleeping at the wheel and felt the pressure from AMD, forcing them to scramble and rush out a competitive new generation. They essentially put together a rushed mess, and their production lines aren't anywhere near optimized right now.
That’s why there’s relatively "little" stock available and why prices are so high.

Timothy Kim60 said:Maybe you're overestimating things a bit... getting 47% at 1080p click.

But yeah, if you're looking to bump up the budget, maybe go for a GTX 1070 or 1070 Ti. That motherboard seems like a slightly weak choice for this setup; I guess it might be better to look for something with a decent VRM cooler and four RAM slots, since space isn't really an issue here.

So, which motherboard would actually work best with that configuration above? Like, what would be the best fit? 😁

Peter Green said:I was checking out UserBenchmark.
Here's the link.

I guess I agree about the motherboard—it could definitely be better—but regarding the RAM slots, it doesn't really matter much. I mean, 99% of people probably won't ever need more than two during their computer's lifespan. With the GTX 1070 Ti, things get a bit tight 😁, but maybe it's still worth squeezing it in? A GTX 1070 would fit within the budget without any issues.

The whole point of my post was just that you can actually fit a GTX 1070 Ti in there up to the amount that guy mentioned, and compared to an RX 580, it’s a pretty significant upgrade. You end up with a much better gaming rig. I wasn't really comparing retail prices, so maybe you could find it cheaper somewhere else. I was with AMD on that one.

Oh, wait, can that GTX fit in the moderator's build, or is it just for this version of yours? 🤷

And one more thing, the PC will be using WiFi, so I guess I might need some kind of card for that too, right? 😁

Actually, one more thing... 😬

Can I expect any deals on these parts at a place like Micro Center or something, or do sales usually only apply to brand-new stuff? I wonder if US shops have those big expo booths or special promotions like that, since I've never really been to one so I'm not sure. 🤷