Advice for buying a gaming PC!

Since the AMD FX 6300 combo is a bit pricier and slightly underpowered... I don't think it's worth the hassle. Sure, it's cheaper, but at this point 🤷

That sounds great. I will pass these messages along so he can decide what works best for him. 😁

Feel free to hang tight for more suggestions...

I told him I'd reach out by the end of the week, so I'll see what else turns up. I was hunting for something similar back in February, but he thinks everything is overpriced. Not much I can do to help there.

analogtiger19 said:Since the AMD FX 6300 setup costs more and is slightly weaker... I don't think it's worth it. Sure, it might be cheaper, but at this rate 🤷

Weaker how? Only in single-core performance. Since plenty of current and upcoming games need more cores, the AMD FX 6300 is the better call for me, regardless of the i3 hyperthreading.
Everything else in the build is basically the same.

The i3 makes sense if you're planning an upgrade to an i5 later. Otherwise, not really. At the end of the day, an i3 is just a dual core, no matter how much you talk about hyperthreading and simulating those extra two cores.

No offense, but if we're looking at stock performance for both, the Intel i3 6100 ASRock H110M-ITX HyperX Fury actually beats it in most gaming benchmarks.

For instance,




Here’s a comparison between the Intel i3 6100 ASRock H110M-ITX HyperX Fury at stock and the AMD FX 6300 pushed to 4.7 GHz—and even then, they're basically neck and neck.


Still, we're talking about architecture that's four years old...

I’m leaning toward the i3 Skylake myself, mostly because the price point is better and you're getting a much more modern platform overall.

By the way, analogtiger19 is totally faking those benchmarks from that first link just to give Intel an unfair advantage.

Alright, I've made my picks. It's up to 👍
to see what they go with.
🐔

Timothy Kim60 said:I'm leaning towards the i3 Skylake too, mostly because it's cheaper and sits on a newer platform.

By the way, analogtiger19 in that first link is totally faking tests to favor Intel.

Alright, I didn't know that. Maybe the others are doing the same thing and people just haven't caught on yet? 😬

Jokes aside, I shared those links with the best intentions and I apologize if that one (SkuezTech) is shady. 🕺

I would truly appreciate some guidance regarding a PC build I am considering
Intel i3 6100 ASRock H110M-ITX HyperX Fury
ASRock H110M-ITX
HyperX FURY 8GB DDR4 2133
Seagate 1 TB 7200 rpm-64 (though I am open to Western Digital if they happen to offer better quality at the moment)
Thermaltake V1 mini ITX
ITX FORTRON Hexa plus 400 w (though I am weighing this against a Thermaltake Litepower 450W, perhaps a Kolink Core 500W, or some other alternative)
Nvidia GTX 1050 ti (I suspect the MSI OC might be the superior choice, though I believe a Palit would also be good quality)

My primary intention for this machine is basic gaming on a television set, likely targeting 1080p resolution or perhaps slightly lower... Given that, I find myself wondering if I might encounter significant overheating issues within an ITX chassis, and whether it might be more prudent for my future needs to opt for an mATX setup instead... specifically if I eventually decide to upgrade for VR capabilities, such as moving toward an i7 paired with a GTX 1080... I am curious how such an upgrade would manifest, and whether it is even feasible to achieve clean cable management within such a compact enclosure... those are my main concerns, along with any suggestions you might have for components that fall within this same budget range...
Thank you all very much

What kind of budget are we working with here?

If you ask me, you should stick with at least an mATX build. It'll save you from unnecessary headaches down the road if those extra few centimeters aren't a dealbreaker for you.

Timothy Kim60 said:What kind of budget are we looking at here?

In my estimation, opting for at least an mATX setup would be the wiser path to avoid any unnecessary headaches... unless those few extra centimeters truly don't matter to you in the grand scheme of things...

It isn't a dealbreaker, but I find ITX builds much more aesthetically pleasing because mATX cases tend to look quite bulky, whereas an ITX build just looks so much cooler... though I have been reviewing the specifications and it appears everything should fit, including the power supply and even a longer graphics card, given the VGA length limitations of 255mm for the inner chassis and 285mm for the outer chassis—though I am somewhat uncertain what "outer chassis" implies, perhaps referring to components protruding slightly from the frame...
My only lingering concern is that the CPU fan might have less breathing room, but then again, Intel i3 chips don't typically run all that hot, so perhaps I am overthinking this...
And besides, there is that old saying about how technical precision is what really matters... ha...

I’m thinking more along the lines of whether it actually fits on a specific desk or workspace. If you aren't dealing with tight spatial constraints, those extra few centimeters don't really matter. You have plenty of "boxier" cases that support mATX boards (like the Fortron GMB0101, RAIJINTEK STYX, RAIJINTEK Aeneas, Corsair 240, etc.), which gives you much more breathing room regarding form factors. On the other hand, ITX builds tend to be pricier and often come with fewer features overall.

Honestly, that TT case is more mATX than ITX if you ask me. If you're actually looking for something compact—and maybe even looks decent—you should just go with the node 202. Those i3 chips don't run too hot, so even a stock cooler will do the job just fine. Obviously, things are going to run a bit warmer than they would in a roomy ATX or mATX case, but we're talking totally normal levels here. As for cable management... well, that really depends on you or whoever ends up building it. With builds like this, you definitely need a game plan if you want everything to look clean and not have stuff blocking the airflow.

Here's a rough idea of a build...

i3 6098P
MSI H110i PRO
CRUCIAL 8GB DDR4 2400 MHZ
SANDISK Z400S 256GB SSD / SEAGATE 500GB SSHD
GIGABYTE GTX 1050 Ti 4GB
FRACTAL NODE 202 + SFX 450W 80+ BRONZE

Totaling about $4950/ $1623 including shipping and assembly.

If you've already got an old SATA HDD lying around from a previous rig, just grab a cheap external enclosure and keep it as extra storage—an SSD is always a faster and better way to go. But if you don't have anything, an SSHD is a pretty solid middle ground (just keep in mind the Node only fits 2.5" drives).

I appreciate the feedback provided, and I have decided that I will proceed with the motherboard regardless of the outcome; if I find myself needing something more powerful down the line because my current setup simply cannot keep up, then that is a challenge I will simply have to face...
On a separate note, for those of you who closely monitor market trends and pricing fluctuations, would it be more prudent to make a purchase now before the holiday season begins, or is it wiser to hold off for perhaps a month to see if prices stabilize after the Cyber Monday rush?

Patience pays off, man. Everything's going to shift over the next few months, so if you aren't in a massive rush, I’d say just hold off on buying for now. Honestly? Just grab a more standard case instead—that way you can put your money toward the stuff that actually matters and avoid the headache > was talking about. Right now, prices are just climbing and companies are throwing out these sneaky "deals" that aren't even deals—Cyber Monday is a perfect example of that kind of nonsense.

Prices tend to stay pretty much constant regardless of the season (at least here in the States), though you'll occasionally see minor dips as products get older and more outdated

I am currently looking into buying a new monitor and researching various PC builds, but I have become somewhat lost in all the options. Therefore, I would like to ask for your assistance.
Paying in cash, with a maximum budget of $2400
So far, I have narrowed my selection down to these:

1.
PROCESSOR: Intel i5 6400 3.3 GHz LGA1151
GRAPHICS CARD: Nvidia GTX 1060 3GB DDR5
RAM: 8GB DDR4 2133
http://prnt.sc/daubbq
$2017, plus RAM $166= $2184

2.
PROCESSOR: Intel Core i5 6500 (3.2 GHz)
GRAPHICS CARD: AMD Radeon RX 480 8GB GDDR5
MEMORY: 8GB DDR4 2133MHz
http://www.bestbuy.com/catalog/example...la/bestbuy-098/
$2200 , does not include an SSD, +$167= $2366

3.
PROCESSOR: Intel i5 6400 (2.7 GHz up to 3.30 GHz)
GRAPHICS CARD: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 3GB
MEMORY: 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 2133MHz
http://www.bestbuy.com/catalog/example...a/bestbuy-bb02/
$2066, does not include an SSD, +$167= $2233

4.
PROCESSOR: Intel i5 6400 (2.7 GHz, 1MB 6MB, 65W)
GRAPHICS CARD: AMD Radeon RX 470/480 4GB GDGD5
MEMORY: 16GB (2x8) DDR4 2133MHz
http://www.bestbuy.com/catalog/example...la/bestbuy-018/
$1966, does not include an SSD, +$167= $2133

5.
CPU: Intel Skylake i5 6400 Soc.1151
Graphics card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB GDDR5
Memory: 8GB DDR4
http://www.microcenter.com/pc-builds/.../Ext8/product/
$2083, does not include a 1TB HDD: +$140=$2223 + 8GB RAM: +$153= $2391

6.
CPU: Intel i5 6400 Soc.1151
Graphics card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 3GB GDDR5
Memory: 8GB DDR4 2133 MHz
http://www.microcenter.com/pc-builds/...Gam07/product/
$1900, does not include a 1TB HDD: +$140=$2039 + 8GB RAM: +$153= $2192

7.
CPU: Intel i5 6400 Soc.1151
Graphics card: AMD Radeon RX 480 4GB GDDR5
Memory: 8GB DDR4
http://www.microcenter.com/pc-builds/.../Ext1/product/
$1916, does not include a 1TB HDD: +$140=6,168.00 + 8GB RAM: +$153= $2209

Which of these would be the most sensible choice?

Don't even bother looking at pre-built bundles; you're much better off picking out your own parts like this:

1 x Intel Core i5-6402P (2.8GHz, 6MB, LGA1151) box
1 x MSI H110M PRO-D (S1151, DDR4, USB3.1, SATA III, DVI, Audio, LAN) mATX Retail
1 x Crucial DRAM 8GB DDR4 2133 MT/s (PC4-17000) CL15 SR
1 x SSD AD 256GB SU800 SATA 3D Nand
1 x Seagate Barracuda 1TB, 64MB, 7200rpm, High-Performance
1 x SAPPHIRE Radeon RX 480 NITRO+ OC GDDR5 8GB/256bit
1 x Fortron Hyper 600W, 80+ - 60mj.
1 x Zalman Z3, USB3.0 black, 3x120mm

Total cost: $2133 This is a solid future-proof setup. It’s cheaper and you get everything you need. If you want more bang for your buck, you could always upgrade the motherboard (maybe look at an MSI B150 Bazooka or a B150 Mortar). That would put you at roughly $67 higher
than this.

Timothy Kim60 said:Don't just buy some pre-built bundle without looking. Pick your own parts instead, like this:

1 x Intel Core i5-6402P (2.8GHz, 6MB, LGA1151) box
1 x MSI H110M PRO-D (S1151, DDR4, USB3.1, SATA III, DVI, Audio, LAN) mATX Retail
1 x Crucial DRAM 8GB DDR4 2133 MT/s (PC4-17000) CL15 SR
1 x SSD AD 256GB SU800 SATA 3D Nand
1 x Seagate Barracuda 1TB, 64MB, 7200rpm, High-Performance
1 x SAPPHIRE Radeon RX 480 NITRO+ OC GDDR5 8GB/256bit
1 x Fortron Hyper 600W, 80+ - 60mj.
1 x Zalman Z3, USB3.0 black, 3x120mm

Total: $2133 It’s more future-proof. Cheaper and you get everything you need. You could even bump up the motherboard (maybe an MSI B150 Bazooka or Mortar). That'll put you around $67 higher
than the first option.

Yeah, exactly. I'd probably swap in a better board and call it a day. Might even grab the xfx 480 GTR, but this setup is solid enough.

1 x Crucial DRAM 8GB DDR4 2133 MT/s (PC4-17000) CL15 SR
1 x XFX Video Card AMD Radeon RX 480 GTR GDDR5 8GB/256bit, 1338MHz/8000MHz, PCI-E 3.0 x16, HDMI, DVI, 3xDP, DD 2X cooler LED(Double Slot), Backplate, 3+2 Warranty, Retail
1 x SSD ADATA 240GB SP550
1 x Seagate Barracuda 1TB, 64MB, 7200rpm, High-Performance
1 x Zalman Z1, USB3.0 black, 2x120mm
1 x Intel Core i5-6402P (2.8GHz, 6MB, LGA1151) box
1 x MSI B150M Bazooka Plus, LGA1151, D4,S3,U3, HD
1 x Fortron Hyper 600W, 80+ - 60mj.

Total: $2225