Budget gaming PC build for the kids

Regarding the monitor, I guess you’d end up with a slower panel and a pretty grainy image using a 27" screen at 1080p resolution.

As for everything else, I think I've already accounted for those details while putting this together, so you probably don't need to worry about them. 😉

DDR5 RAM isn't hitting the market until sometime in 2020, and it doesn't have anything to do with the VRAM on a dedicated graphics card.

Thanks for all the help! So, they don't have the Crucial SSD in stock, but they do have an Apple one instead. I guess that should be fine, right?

If I head over there tomorrow, I'll grab the 😁

Yeah, I guess that's fine.

Fair enough.

crimsonstag84 said:Intel Core i5-7600K BOX, 3.2GHz 16MB, LGA1151
ASUS Prime B350M-A motherboard, s.AM4, 90-MXB520-A0UAYZ
MS Stone midi tower case
1TB WD Blue HDD, 3.5", 7200RPM, 64MB Cache, SATA3, WD10EZEX
120GB Kingston A400 SSD, 2.5", SATA3 interface, TLC
EVGA GTX 1060 4G D5 Nitro plus OC, 4GB GDDR5, 256-bit, 1340/1750MHz, 11266-14-20G, 11266-46-20G
500W FSP Fortron/Source Hexa+ power supply, ATX 2.4
8GB (1x8GB) DDR4 PC4-21300U 2666MHz CL19 ADATA Premier, D4U266638G19
Corsair AF120 Silent fan, 120mm, 800rpm, 62.9m³/h, ACFAN00027A

Total: $1.75 - ADM

Hello again,
I didn't jump on this build immediately because I was holding out hope for some Black Friday deals or maybe a Christmas sale... but now? Well, Christmas is right around the corner, and my kid is expecting a new computer for the holidays. I really don't have time to wait around anymore, and to make matters worse, the motherboard from this specific list isn't available at ADM anymore. Does anyone have a recommendation for a different board that would fit this setup? Or perhaps there's an entirely different combination available now that might perform better?
My son is 12 years old and mostly plays Fortnite for now. (He's currently struggling through it on a weak laptop that barely manages to run it).
As for payment, I don't mind—cash works fine. My main priority is having the whole thing pre-assembled; I definitely don't want to tackle the building process myself.
I also want to pick up a decent, budget-friendly 24" monitor. My total target budget, including the monitor, is around $6,200, $2100 (though I could stretch to $6,500 if those extra $67 actually provide a significant boost to the performance 🙂), but I won't complain if everything fits within $2000 😁
Thanks!

If that specific motherboard isn't in stock, just grab this one instead and keep everything else the same.

https://www.bestbuy.com/product...ayz&code=93077

They'll put the PC together for you at no extra charge.
You can pick up a monitor there or somewhere else entirely.

For a monitor, you could go with something like this:

It’s a solid deal. It uses a PLS panel, which is basically just the Apple version of an IPS.

It’s got G-Sync compatibility for the GPU we discussed, plus a 72Hz refresh rate—not much, but definitely a step up from the standard 60Hz.

Then there's this one, probably similar quality.
It’s curved, which isn't really a big win at 24", but it shouldn't be a dealbreaker either.
They claim to offer an extra 3 years of warranty, which sounds decent, and there's a discount if you use American Express.

Thanks... would this SSD work for me? I think I'd actually prefer to go with the 240 GB version instead.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/example...40g&code=88182

Sure thing.

Just wanted to check in and say the PC is running great now. It handles everything without any issues and the kids are really happy with it. The monitor is perfect too—just the right size, not too big and not too small. I haven't messed around with it too much yet; I just installed Windows 10, the all-in-one ASUS Prime B350M-A drivers, and the GPU drivers. I guess I'm not sure if that covers everything or if there’s more I should tweak, so if there's anything else, I'm listening to 😁
.
Also, I have a few more questions or maybe little problems...

So, we didn't install a DVD ROM, but my boy actually got GTA V as a gift on 5 CDs 🤣. I was thinking about getting an external optical drive, but there are like a million different ones out there priced around $67. I guess I'm wondering if there's anything specific I should look for or if they're all basically the same thing 🤷 😁
.
And the second thing—we talked before about how to get this PC on the Wi-Fi, and it was suggested that this might work. I picked it up and paired it with this, but man, the connection keeps dropping. It's pretty unstable. It doesn't happen constantly, but let's just say from Christmas until now, I've had to reset it two or three times because the signal just died. And it's not like I'm always home, and honestly, why would I be if I don't need to be using the radio all the time? 🙄

Anyway, I actually got a new router from AT&T because of that weak signal, and it has both 2.4G and 5G networks. My setup above can't seem to pick up the 5G one, though. So I was wondering, what should I buy for that? Would this solve my problem? Basically, I need something that can catch that 5G connection and stay stable. If this adapter/dongle fixes it, I'll buy it right away, but if not, what would work 🤷
?
Thanks in advance, and I wish you all the very best in the New Year 😁 🙂

As far as drivers go, Windows pretty much handles everything itself; just make sure you grab the latest one for your graphics card, especially if you're playing newer games.

Regarding the DVD drive, it doesn't matter much—just buy something online from a major retailer so you can actually return it if it's a dud (for the sake of the warranty).

When it comes to Wi-Fi, 5GHz is faster, but the signal strength always sucks compared to 2.4GHz or 3GHz networks.

Powerline might solve your problem; I recommended that to you from the start.
Besides, you wouldn't even need to deal with Wi-Fi then. I'm not even sure what you meant by trying to connect to 5GHz while using Powerline.

If you have those Powerline adapters, just plug the desktop PC directly into the Powerline adapter in the wall via a cable.

You could technically hook a Wi-Fi Access Point up to a Powerline adapter to get a wireless signal, but that’s really only useful for phones or laptops. For a desktop PC, just use a cable.

To be honest, I haven't even really looked at it yet. I mean, what kind of Ethernet port does my motherboard actually have? If it has one, then yeah, maybe that works, though I'm not totally sure how Powerline is supposed to function. I guess you just plug it into the wall, then connect the router to it, and then on the other side, you plug it back into the wall and run a cable straight to the desktop PC 🤷

In my house, the 5G signal is definitely stronger than the 3G, and it's faster too. The kids have those newer phones, so they can pick up the Wi-Fi in that room without any issues, whereas that old laptop struggles with 3G and doesn't even recognize the 5G 🤷

Adam Williams2 said:If I'm being honest, I haven't even checked yet. What do I have on my motherboard for an internet cable port? I mean, if it's there, then sure, though I'm not entirely sure how this Powerline stuff actually works—you plug it into the wall, then the router goes into it, and then on the other side, you plug it back into the wall and then into the PC? 🤷

In my house, the 5G signal is stronger and faster than 3G. The kids have new phones, so they catch the Wi-Fi in that room without any issues, while that old laptop struggles on 3G and can't even see the 5G. 🤷

Every motherboard has an internet port; it's just a standard Ethernet cable.

Yeah, exactly. You connect one Powerline adapter to the router via Ethernet, and the other one goes into the PC in the other room. Basically, it detects the signal through the wiring, so you can set up those connected to PCs anywhere in the house, while the one plugged into the router stays put.

5GHz is fast, but the signal drops off quickly. Devices that don't support 5GHz won't even see it.

Regarding that link I posted above—it actually has an outlet built in. Does that mean I have to plug the router into that specific outlet, or does it not really matter? Also, could I just plug a power strip into it to run my desktop PC, monitor, and all my peripherals?

And I was wondering, would that outlet carry both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz signals? I'm thinking if I can connect via a hardwired connection, it might be way more stable than what I'm dealing with right now.🤷

Whether there's an outlet available is a whole other conversation; all this means is you aren't using up one of your sockets.

I wouldn't bother plugging a power strip into it unless I absolutely had to, though it probably doesn't matter much as long as you follow the device's wattage limits.
But whatever you do, don't plug the Powerline adapter INTO a power strip—it has to go straight into the wall, because any intermediate device just kills the signal.

I don't really get what you're asking regarding the 2.4GHz and 5GHz signals.

Powerline DOES NOT transmit a wireless signal, unless you happen to have a specific model with a built-in Access Point.

Powerline carries an ETHERNET signal through your walls; basically, it’s meant to connect your computer to the router via ETHERNET cable through the house.
You can plug the Powerline into an Access Point on the other side of the house (via ETHERNET), and then you'll have Wi-Fi there.

Look, Powerline is essentially just an Ethernet extension through your walls. It has nothing to do with wireless, which is its whole advantage. It doesn't matter how thick your walls are or what kind of Wi-Fi your PC supports. As long as your home's electrical wiring is decent, the connection will work, and it'll be just like being plugged directly into the router.

There are Powerline adapters that come with built-in Wi-Fi, acting like an extension for your wireless signal while also serving as an Ethernet extender (that's basically what I've got running in my kid's room)...maybe that's what he was getting at.

wiredotter14 said:I'm not quite sure I follow what you mean regarding the 2.4GHz and 5GHz signals.

Powerline doesn't actually transmit a wireless signal, unless you happen to get a specific model that has a built-in Access Point.

Basically, Powerline sends an Ethernet signal through your walls, so it's meant to let you connect your desktop PC to the router via an Ethernet cable through the house.
Maybe you could plug an Access Point into the Powerline unit on the other side of the house (using an Ethernet cable), and then you'd have wireless coverage there.

So, I guess you can think of Powerline as an Ethernet extender through the walls. It doesn't really have anything to do with wireless, which is actually its main advantage—it doesn't matter how thick your walls are or what kind of Wi-Fi your PC supports. As long as your electrical wiring is decent, the connection should work, and it’s almost like being plugged directly into the router.

Oh, right, I guess I meant the signal itself rather than wireless. I might be phrasing this poorly, but I'd be connecting it with a wire, so it would be more stable. That's really all that matters to me. 😁

I think they have those Powerline kits without the extra plug part, and they seem a little cheaper $27 if I saw correctly at Target yesterday. I'll probably pick some up in the next few days and write back with my thoughts. I'm just hoping it works okay. My main goal isn't necessarily having great Wi-Fi like you guys have; I just want a stable connection for my computer, that's about it. Anyway, thanks again everyone! 👍 🙏

👍👍

If you need Wi-Fi later on, just grab an Access Point. It’s basically like a router, but instead of plugging directly into the AT&T line, you hook it up to your existing router via a cable. Plug that into a Powerline adapter, and boom—you've got both Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections right where you need them.

Well, I might as well jump into this discussion😁
For a gaming PC, my absolute limit is $2333, roughly what I’d spend on a few trips to Denny's. I haven't decided if I'll be paying cash or not, but let's say $7,000 at Denny's. If I go with cash, it might be about 10% cheaper. I was looking at Dell, and they actually seemed like the most budget-friendly option?
What are your thoughts on this:

goldenpanther said:Well, excuse me for crashing the party here 😁
For my gaming PC, I’m capping out at $2333—basically what I’d spend on a few trips to Denny's. Still deciding if I want to use credit or just drop the cash. Anyway, $700 is the limit for card payments. If I pay cash, I can shave off about 10%. Honestly, looking at Best Buy, their prices seemed the cheapest?
What do you guys think about this:

ryzen 5 1600x
arctic freezer 33
(those two together cost about as much as an r5 2600—the processor is basically identical, but the arctic freezer 33 absolutely destroys the stock cooler you get with the 2600)

I wouldn't touch a Patriot SSD; I'd go with a Kingston A400 if that's the budget we're working with
(And skip the mechanical hard drive entirely. I'd rather grab a 500GB SSD, though I guess that's just personal preference)

You could probably get away with a weaker power supply. 650W feels like total overkill for a build with such low power draw; 500W would be more than enough

I wouldn't buy a single 16GB stick of RAM. Better to grab 2x8GB modules instead