Advice for buying a gaming PC!

Robert Rodriguez2 said:1 x Crucial DRAM 8GB DDR4 2133 MT/s (PC4-17000) CL15 SR
1 x xfx 480 GTR Video Card AMD Radeon RX 480 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 HDD 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

Wouldn't this be a better option:
1.
Intel Skylake i5 6400 3.3 GHz LGA1151
Nvidia GTX 1060 3GB DDR5
RAM 8GB DDR4 2133
http://prnt.sc/daubbq
$2017, plus RAM $166=$2184

for roughly the same price??

Should I go with Konfa 2 or Konfa 5?
Given the $80 difference, would it really be worth it?
In other words, is it a significant upgrade?
My goal is to run The Witcher 3 on maximum settings.

I don't have much experience putting together PC builds.

John Booth said:wouldn't this be better:
1.
Intel i5 6400 3.3 GHZ LGA1151
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 3GB DDR5
8GB DDR4 2133 RAM
http://prnt.sc/daubbq
$2017, plus ram $166=$2184

for similar money??

either Konfa 2 or 5?
with that $50 difference, is it worth it?
meaning, is it a significant upgrade?
my goal is running The Witcher 3 on max settings.

I don't have experience building rigs.

it's not better, obviously... junk power supply, worse card, cheaper motherboard.

and there's no point building it yourself, at $667 almost every store offers free assembly and shipping

John Booth isn't

In the first one, the power supply is absolute garbage—I wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy. Plus, you're looking at a smaller SSD and a 3GB GTX 1060.

As for Konfa 2, there's no SSD included. You can't even be sure which exact components you're getting (for instance, I see a 2-year warranty here, while most others offer 3 years, etc.), and it's overpriced considering the lack of an SSD.
Konfa 5 lacks an SSD entirely, especially considering the price point where you'd expect at least a 240/256GB SSD and a decent case.

Thank you,
but I still have a few more questions.

1 x xfx 480 GTR AMD Radeon RX 480 GDDR5 8GB/256bit, 1338MHz/8000MHz, PCI-E 3.0 x16, HDMI, DVI, 3xDP, DD 2X cooler LED(Double Slot), Backplate, 3+2 Warranty, Retail

and
1 x SAPPHIRE Radeon RX 480 NITRO+ OC GDDR5 8GB/256bit

which of these two graphics cards is superior? (And by how much?)

Additionally, I am curious
how much weaker is this
1 x Intel Core i5-6402P (2.8GHz, 6MB, LGA1151) box
processor compared to this one:
PROCESSOR: Intel Core i5 6500 (3.2 GHz)

The differences are pretty negligible in both scenarios. I guess you should just go with whatever's cheaper.

Well, what are your thoughts on this build:

$2.50,
It runs Windows 10,
and it includes a mouse and keyboard as a bonus.

The only downside is that it doesn't come with a standard hard drive.

Honestly, don't even bother with pre-built PCs... we've been over this a million times already, haven't we?

John Booth, if you insist on forcing pre-built PCs on people, you're just going to end up with a worse deal click

There’s really no reason to be afraid of picking out your own configuration. You get free assembly anyway, so you might as well optimize your hardware selection and ensure you aren't overpaying for nothing.

Timothy Kim60 said:John Booth, if you push for those pre-built systems, you might end up making a worse click
.
There really is no reason to be afraid of picking your own components. Since assembly is included for free anyway, wouldn't it be better to select specific hardware to get more value without overpaying?

True, but I don't feel competent enough to pick out the parts myself.
I mean, what if I just click through various components based on price? Who knows how they will actually fit together or perform.

For example:
1 x Crucial DRAM 8GB DDR4 2133 MT/s (PC4-17000) CL15 SR
1 x xfx 480 GTR AMD Radeon RX 480 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 HDD 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

In this configuration that Robert Rodriguez2 put together, how would it look if I upgraded the processor slightly to ensure everything runs smoothly?
And one more thing: would it be a better move to upgrade the processor or simply add another 8GB of RAM?

You don't really need to upgrade anything, and honestly, you can't really do much since the i5 6500 and 6600 are basically the same chip with just a slightly higher clock speed—not something you'd actually notice in real use. If you wanted any kind of meaningful jump, you'd have to look at an i7 6700, but that'll cost you $400 more, which I guess isn't worth it at all.

Everything looks like it's put together correctly.

It’s a solid build overall.

If you have an extra $40, you might want to consider picking up the Zalman Z3 instead of the Z1.$17 It comes with an extra fan and better support for the GPU. It isn't strictly mandatory, but since the price gap is small—that single 12cm fan alone is worth the difference—it makes sense.

Another area where you could potentially see some gains if you're looking to spend a bit more is this SSD (maybe aiming for $23 higher speeds). You probably won't notice a massive real-world difference, but it's a superior drive. Ultimately, though, all of this is optional; nothing here is a dealbreaker.

John Booth said:Yeah, but I really don't have the expertise to be picking out parts myself.
I mean, I could just click through components based on price, but who knows if they'll even work together or run smoothly once it's all put together.

Just pick one of these recommended builds that looks good to you. You can literally just copy and paste the list into an email to Micro Center and call it a day. Just ask them to handle the full assembly for you.

I just received an offer from a different shop:
http://prntscr.com/dlc7kc

Which of these two builds would be the better choice?
I am definitely placing my order tomorrow for one of them.

Oh, one more thing.
The graphics card uses HDMI, but my monitor only has a VGA port.
Does this mean I will need to purchase a new monitor as well?

Edit,
I almost forgot to mention.
The clerk at the store suggested I go with the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB instead, claiming that the Radeon RX 480 suffers from driver issues and FPS drops.
Is there any truth to his advice, or is he simply trying to sell me a more expensive card?

The GTX 1060 seems to fall behind the RX 470/480 when you factor in the drivers.😬

You could probably grab an AMD card instead. It might be a bit easier on the wallet.

You’ll likely need a new monitor, though, if yours only has a VGA port. These cards don't support VGA, and even using a dongle adapter won't help much.

Since it's an AMD build, does that mean this is the better option?
Can I also swap out the Z1 case for a Z3 model instead?

And what about using an adapter like this one?

Or would it be smarter to just plug into the DVI port on the card and use a DVI-to-VGA adapter?

If not, I'll just have to connect the monitor directly to the graphics card.😁

What you actually need is a converter, not just an adapter. However, since it’s being sold by a retail store, it should technically work—it's unlikely they'd be hawking something that doesn't function properly.

In my opinion, you're better off selling that monitor and aiming for at least this

I ended up ordering this from AMD. Thanks to everyone for all the advice and guidance 🙏👍

How does the shipping process typically work here?
Since my workday ends at 3 PM, will I need to pick up the package in person?

So, I guess you picked 😬 Cash on Delivery for the order... which means you just pay at the door when it arrives.

That makes sense, but am I required to handle this personally, or can someone else pick it up for me?
I'm currently working, and my old man is at home. He’s a bit worried about how he'll be able to tell everything apart—specifically, how he'll know if a particular item has actually been paid for. 😁

Don't know how they handled it, but when I placed my order, the delivery driver actually gave me a call to coordinate. I ended up just grabbing the package myself...