Budget Intel Core i5 build under $600

Well, I could use some advice on a new build. My cousin ended up wrecking my old PC. The only parts I can actually salvage are the hard drives. The processor seems to have survived the damage, but I'm thinking about selling it.
My plan is to go with an Intel Core i5-7600K. I'm also looking at that AMD card since I already own a 1440p FreeSync monitor.
I'm looking to stay under $6,000, and I'll probably need to pay for it in installments.

copperhawk19 said:Well, I could use some advice on a new build. My cousin ended up wrecking my old PC. The only parts I can actually salvage are the hard drives. The processor seems to have survived the damage, but I'm thinking about selling it.
My plan is to go with an Intel Core i5-7600K. I'm also looking at that AMD card since I already own a 1440p FreeSync monitor.
I'm looking to stay under $6,000, and I'll probably need to pay for it in installments.

You can't find AMD cards anywhere right now, and even if you do, they're overpriced. Prices spiked massively because everyone's buying them up for crypto mining again.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:You can't find AMD cards anywhere right now, and even if you do, they're overpriced. Prices spiked massively because everyone's buying them up for crypto mining again.

I am planning on picking up a GT 1030 for $267, and I'm hoping it will be enough to play Diablo, which is what I play most. Then, maybe in a few months, if an RX 580 shows up at a reasonable price, I might just sell this one and upgrade to that.

If you can make use of the case, the price drops to under $6,000

1 x Intel Core i5-7600K
1 x Intel Core i5 Intel B350 Desktop
1 x EVGA Power Supply 600W, 80+ Gold
1 x Crucial SSD Spark R555/W500, 128GB, 7mm, 2.5"
1 x Patriot Viper4, 2400Mhz, 16GB (2x8GB), CL15
1 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050
1 x Corsair Case, USB3.0 black, 2x120mm

$2087 available via financing
futura-it

Intel Core i5-7600K
MSI Main Board Desktop B350 (LGA 1200, 4xDDR4, PCI-Ex16, 2xPCI-Ex1, USB3.1, USB2.0, 4xSATA III, M.2, Rai B350M_PRO-VDH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Sapphire Radeon RX 560 PULSE 2GB GDDR5 Dp HDMI DVI
Adata XPG Z1 DDR4 16GB (2x8GB) 3000MHz P/N: AX4U300038G16-DBZ
Zalman Z1 mid tower case black, USB 3.0, without power supply ZAL-ZM-Z1
EVGA Power Supply, 550 Watt EVGA Power Supply, US Version
Crucial SSD 120GB, 2.5", 7mm, SATA III 6Gbps, Read up to 556MB/s

Total: $2.00 installment plans available, excluding the case ~$1910 - Downtown

I ended up selling my old case along with some fried components. Right now, I have a 120GB SSD and two hard drives. I’ve put together a somewhat makeshift configuration, so I suppose I came here to get a second opinion to see how things compare.
I’ve read that with Ryzen, memory speed plays a pretty significant role in performance.
So, for instance, I am debating whether it's better to go with 8GB at a higher clock speed or perhaps 16GB running at 2133MHz.
For the last six years, I’ve been using a Seasonic 620W semi-modular power supply. I’m wondering if I should just stick with the same line and grab a 520W Gold unit, or if it might be worth stretching my budget a bit for a Corsair unit. I think Seasonic manufactures those as well.
If I can't find an RX 580 and decide to go with a GTX 1070 instead, I assume there shouldn't be any issues with the wattage provided by these power supplies?
I made a mistake with my old Intel Core i5-2500 and never actually overclocked it, but I am planning to slightly bump up the clock speeds on the Ryzen—though I'll probably just use the stock cooler. Because of that, I’m questioning if an Intel Z370 motherboard is really worth the investment. I’m torn between the ASUS ROG Strix X370 and an ASRock model.
I plan on hooking this PC up to a stereo amplifier and some decent speakers. I guess I'm wondering if it makes sense to spring for those more expensive Realtek Audio codecs, or if the cheaper ones would be perfectly fine when connecting to an external amp.

You've got an ASUS Prime B350 from that more budget-friendly lineup, which actually comes equipped with Realtek Audio

I was just looking this over and I agree.
Here is how I put things together:

The biggest hassle with a new build is doing the assembly yourself and hunting through different shops to pull everything together.

ASUS Prime B350 Motherboard, LGA 1200, AMD $351
Intel Core i5-7600K Processor LinkedIn $595
NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030, 2GB DDR5 LinkedIn $269
G.SKILL 16 GB (2x8 GB) DDR4, 3000 MHz eBay $361
THERMALTAKE View 31 TG eBay $233
Seasonic M12II-520 Gold EVO Uzishop $200

$2009

What do you guys think? It’s pretty much what I had in mind. I guess I am a little worried about that Seasonic power supply, but maybe it will be enough to handle an RX 580 down the road.

Wouldn't it just be easier for you to grab everything from a single retailer?
The RX 550 isn't really a great value proposition, especially when you consider $267. You could probably get better performance out of a GT 1030 for less money, or maybe look at an RX 460, which is significantly more powerful than both of them while only costing a tiny bit more

Man, $267 for a GT 1030? 😬

Come to think of it... Best Buy might be your best bet if you're looking to pay in installments, since they offer pretty decent financing options similar to their cash prices.

Intel Core i5-7600K, LGA 1200, 3.2GHz, 19MB cache, Hexa-core, Wraith Spire Cooler
Corsair Case, MIDI, ATX, window blue edition, black, no power supply
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, 2GB GDDR5, DVI, HDMI, DP
ASUS ROG Strix X370, Intel Z370, DDR4, audio, G-LAN, SATA, M.2, PCI-E 3.0, SLI, HDMI, USB 3.1, ATX, LGA 1200
EVGA Power Supply 550W, ANTEC NE550C EC, ATX v2.4, 120mm fan, PFC, Gold
PC-24000 memory, 16 GB, G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series, F4-3000C15D-16GVGB, DDR4 3000MHz, 2x8GB kit

$2020 - Best Buy

You've got an X370 board, fast RAM, a GTX 1650, and a really solid power supply and case.

Amy Vaughn12 said:Wouldn't it just be easier for you to grab everything from a single retailer?
The RX 550 isn't really a great value proposition, especially when you consider $267. You could probably get better performance out of a GT 1030 for less money, or maybe look at an RX 460, which is significantly more powerful than both of them while only costing a tiny bit more

The GT 1030 is actually stronger than an RX 550???

http://hwbench.com/vgas/geforce-gt-1...-radeon-rx-550

@Bryan Taylor6 Look, if you keep linking me component comparisons from PCPartPicker, TechPowerUp, Tom's Hardware, IGN, TechPowerUp, or any of that other junk, you're going to get a ban.😂



They're pretty close—it’s basically the same deal as the GTX 1050 vs. GTX 1050 Ti or the RX 480/580 vs. GTX 1060.

Ordered,
Power supply from Micro Center
CPU and GPU from Newegg
Everything else came from Amazon, though I decided to grab the AX370 motherboard there because one $33 ended up being cheaper than if I had just gone through Newegg.
$2029 + $13 went toward some thermal paste. I wasn't entirely sure if the Ryzen cooler already had some pre-applied.
Thanks for all the advice.

crimsonstag84 said:Man, $267 for a GT 1030? 😬

Come to think of it... Best Buy might be your best bet if you're looking to pay in installments, since they offer pretty decent financing options similar to their cash prices.

Intel Core i5-7600K, LGA 1200, 3.2GHz, 19MB cache, Hexa-core, Wraith Spire Cooler
Corsair Case, MIDI, ATX, window blue edition, black, no power supply
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, 2GB GDDR5, DVI, HDMI, DP
ASUS ROG Strix X370, Intel Z370, DDR4, audio, G-LAN, SATA, M.2, PCI-E 3.0, SLI, HDMI, USB 3.1, ATX, LGA 1200
EVGA Power Supply 550W, ANTEC NE550C EC, ATX v2.4, 120mm fan, PFC, Gold
PC-24000 memory, 16 GB, G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series, F4-3000C15D-16GVGB, DDR4 3000MHz, 2x8GB kit

$2020 - Best Buy

You've got an X370 board, fast RAM, a GTX 1650, and a really solid power supply and case.

Is this some kind of new thing? 🤔 Last time I picked up a PC case a couple of weeks ago, I just went with the standard 12-month installment plan at the listed price. At that shop, they always offered that option. Same price regardless of how you pay.Never heard of this "up to 9 installments" thing before. 🕺