Advice for buying a gaming PC!

I had an iPhone 15 for about six years before letting it go three weeks ago... I definitely put in some serious hours on Zombie mode and Halo 3, so it was a pretty solid 😬

1 x Intel Core 4C/4T 1200 (3.1/3.4GHz Boost,10MB,65W,AM4) box, with Wraith Stealth cooler
1 x EVGA video card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
1 x HDD Desktop Western Digital Blue (3.5", 1TB, 32MB, SATA III-600)
1 x Kingston SSD A400, R500/W320,120GB, 7mm, 2.5"
1 x Corsair mid Tower case Black, USB3.0, 2x120mm
1 x EVGA 500W Power Supply
1 x DDR4 Crucial 8GB DDR4 2400 MT/s CL17
1 x MSI Main Board Desktop B350 (SAM4, 4xDDR4, PCI-Ex16, 2xPCI-Ex1, USB3.1, USB2.0, 4xSATA III, M.2, Raid, DVI-D, HDMI, GLAN) mATX Retail
1 x Genius KB-125, keyboard, black, USB
1 x Microsoft Mouse
1 x Genius speakers SP-U115, 1.5W, USB, black
1 x AOC LCD 21.5 Wide , 6ms, 16:9, IPS
Total: $2052

futura🙂

This from Robert Rodriguez2 👍👍👍👍👍

I don't want to clutter up this thread unnecessarily, so I figured it might be better to just toss this question here. I’m looking at picking up a new rig from my local Best Buy, but I’ve got a few lingering doubts about the specs. If anyone could weigh in, I'd appreciate it.

I'm torn between two paths: going with an Intel Core i5-7400 paired with a fresh hard drive, or opting for an Intel Core i5-8400 if I decide to stick with my old drive, both running alongside a GTX 1050 Ti. My plan is to drop this all onto an A320 motherboard since I have zero intention of messing around with overclocking—it’s just not my style, even if people say it's the way to go with Ryzen. That said, does anyone actually know anything about the build quality of these two boards? I'm looking at the ASUS Prime A320M-K or the MSI A320M-A Pro. Should everything run smoothly if I settle on one of those?

Then there's the RAM situation. I'm staring down two choices... either some Corsair Vengeance DDR4 8GB or maybe the Corsair DDR4 8GB 2666MHz HyperX Fury with CL16 latency.

I'm also wondering if the Corsair CX450 is a reliable choice for a power supply. The other contenders on the table are a semi-modular Fortron Hyper M 500W, a semi-modular Fractal Design 450W with an 80+ Bronze rating, or a standard Zalman 500W.

As for the housing, I'll probably slide everything into a Microsoft Windows themed case, or perhaps something from the Cyclops lineup.

Jerry Williams10 said:I don't want to start a whole new thread for nothing, so I'll just ask here. I'm picking up a new PC from a local shop. I have a few doubts about the specs and could use some help.

I'm looking at either an Intel Core i5-7400 (with a new hard drive) or an Intel Core i5-8400 (if I use my old hard drive), paired with a GTX 1050 Ti. I'm thinking of putting this on an A320 board since I have zero interest in overclocking. I never have and never will, even if people say it's recommended for Ryzen. Does anyone know anything about the quality of these two boards? The ASUS Prime A320M-K or the MSI A320M-A Pro. Should be fine if I go with one of those, right?

Also, regarding the RAM. Two options here... Corsair Vengeance DDR4 8GB or Corsair DDR4 8GB HyperX Fury, CL16.

And I'm wondering if the Corsair CX450 is a decent power supply. My other choices are a Fortron Hyper M 500W semi-modular, a Fractal Design 450W 80+ Bronze semi-modular, or a Zalman 500W PSU.

How much cash are you planning to drop?
My advice: get a B350 board with 4 RAM slots, an Intel Core i5-8400, a GTX 1050 Ti, a solid power supply, and 8GB of RAM. It gives you room to upgrade to better processors later. I wouldn't touch an A320 board unless you're building an ultra-budget rig.

from 500 up to $1833. I think I could actually squeeze everything into that budget if I decide to skip getting a brand-new hard drive, though I'm still scratching my head over what those 500GB on my old drive are actually holding onto. The only catch is that the cheapest B350 boards usually only come with two RAM slots, but honestly, that's not even worth worrying about.

Or, how about this... the downside is the GPU only has 2 years of warranty left, but it does come with a 240GB SSD.

Intel Core i3-8100 (3.6GHz, 6MB, LGA1151) box
ASUS Z370 Motherboard (Socket, 4xDDR4, HDMI, 1xPCIEX16/2xPCIEX4(16)/3xPCIEX1, USB3.1)
2x Crucial DDR4 4GB 2400 MHz
Corsair CX450, 450 Watt Power Supply
Zalman Mid Tower Case Black, ZAL-R1
Palit Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 StormX 3GB GDDR5 HDMI, DVI-D, DP
WD Green SSD (2.5", 240GB, SATA III 6 Gb/s)

Total: $1838 $450

Jerry Williams10 said:between 5000 and $1833. Everything fits in that budget if I ditch the new hard drive, but I'm stuck wondering why those 500GB on my old drive feel so slow. The only issue is the cheapest B350 board only has 2 RAM slots, but I don't really care about that.

View on imgur

with the HDD

If you aren't desperate for an HDD right now, just go with an SSD... start there, then slap in a mechanical drive later if you actually need the space.

1 x MSI Aero GTX 1050 Ti 4GB 128bit GDDR5
1 x Seagate Barracuda HDD (3.5", 1TB, 32MB, SATA III-600)
1 x Zalman Z1, USB3.0 black, 2x120mm
1 x EVGA 400W, 80+
1 x Crucial DDR4 8GB 2400 MT/s CL17
1 x MSI B350 mATX Motherboard (SAM4, 4xDDR4, PCI-Ex16, 2xPCI-Ex1, USB3.1, USB2.0, 4xSATA III, M.2, Raid, DVI-D, HDMI, GLAN) Retail
1 x Intel Core i5-8400 (3.4/3.6GHz Boost, 19MB, 65W, AM4) box, with Wraith Spire 95W cooler
Total: $1769

or Best Buy

with the SSD

1 x MSI Aero GTX 1050 Ti 4GB 128bit GDDR5
1 x Zalman Z1, USB3.0 black, 2x120mm
1 x EVGA 400W, 80+
1 x Crucial DDR4 8GB 2400 MT/s CL17
1 x MSI B350 mATX Motherboard (SAM4, 4xDDR4, PCI-Ex16, 2xPCI-Ex1, USB3.1, USB2.0, 4xSATA III, M.2, Raid, DVI-D, HDMI, GLAN) Retail
1 x Intel Core i5-8400 (3.4/3.6GHz Boost, 19MB, 65W, AM4) box, with Wraith Spire 95W cooler
1 x Kingston UV400 240GB SSD, 2.5” 7mm, SATA 6 Gbit/s
Total: $1880

Thanks, guys. Just one more quick question so I don't accidentally screw things up. I'm currently using a Dell Monitor. Should everything run smoothly on it, even if the thing is seven years old?

Yeah, you just need a DVI cable if you don't already have one 😛

Happy New Year 2018, everyone!!!

Huge thanks to crimsonstag84 and the crew for those build configurations you sent over. Sorry I went MIA for a few days—caught a nasty sore throat and it absolutely wiped me out...

Got a couple more questions for you guys—please don't roast me, I am a total newbie here...

1. Can I actually fit an optical drive or a burner in there?
2. Does Windows come pre-installed on everything, or what's the deal...?
3. Since I'm based out of Cleveland—what's the word on Best Buy? Is it any good?

Cheers!

Happy holidays to you too! 😁

1. You can definitely do that in those cases, though most people usually just leave it alone.
2. Nope, you're on your own when it comes to the software side of things.
3. If you're paying cash, then no—you'll end up with fewer options and higher prices.

Does anyone have any solid recommendations for a gaming rig around $5,000? I’m looking for something that can handle all the latest big titles without breaking a sweat so I can just relax and enjoy my games for a while, though I'd definitely want to leave some room to pull the trigger on an upgrade down the road eventually.

Crucial DDR4 8GB 3000MHz XPG Z1 memory.
MSI B350 Motherboard (AM4, 2xDDR4 slots, PCI-Ex16, 2xPCI-Ex1, USB 3.1, USB 2.0, 4xSATA III, M.2, Raid support)
Maybe an Intel Core i3-6100 would do the trick. I guess.
Maybe consider the Corsair CX450 if you need a reliable 450W power supply. It seems like a decent enough option for certain builds.
The ZAL-R1 is a Corsair Mid Tower Case.
Western Digital Blue Desktop HDD (3.5", 1TB, 64MB, SATA III-600). WD10EZEX
EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB.

$1.75 - Center

Or you could just swap it out for this graphics card if that one's a bit much.

I saw this listing for an EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 online. It looks like a decent enough deal if you're looking to grab a card for a budget build, I guess.

thanks

I'm looking for something on a budget that includes an SSD.

I guess I'm looking at a single Intel Core i3-6100 processor here, featuring an AM4 socket, clocking in at 3.1GHz with a 10MB cache, a QuadCore setup, and it comes bundled with the Wraith Stealth cooler.
I suppose I'm looking at a single ASRock AB350M on the AM4 platform.
I've got one MSI Aero GTX 1050 Ti 4GB 128bit GDDR5 available.
I suppose I'm looking at one stick of 8GB Crucial DDR4 running at 2400 MT/s with CL17 timings.
I suppose I'm looking at a single 256GB SanDisk X400 SSD.
I suppose I'm looking at one 1TB Seagate Barracuda hard drive, a 3.5" model with a 32MB cache running on a SATA III-600 interface.
I guess I've got one EVGA 450W 80+ Bronze power supply on hand.
I've got one Zalman Z3, the black version with USB 3.0, featuring those three 120mm fans.

Total: $1741
I suppose I should probably weigh in on this, though I’m not entirely sure if my perspective actually matters here. It feels like there's a lot of noise surrounding these specific hardware configurations lately, and honestly, I find myself hesitating to commit to any single opinion without seeing more data. Maybe I'm being too cautious, but when you look at how these components interact—specifically when you're pairing something like an Intel Core i5-8400 with an ASUS Prime A320M-K—there are just so many variables that could go sideways. It isn't really a straightforward calculation, is it? You have the power draw from the EVGA 500W, the latency issues that might pop up with Corsair DDR4, and then you have to consider whether a GTX 1060 is even going to hold its own in modern titles given the way drivers are being optimized these days. I guess you could argue that it's a solid budget build, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it's foolproof. There are always bottlenecks lurking somewhere, whether it's the SATA speeds on a Seagate Barracuda or just general thermal throttling in a Corsair Mid Tower Case if the airflow isn't exactly right. I don't want to be overly blunt, but some of the suggestions I've seen floating around this thread seem a bit optimistic, perhaps even a little reckless. It's easy to talk about peak performance, but I tend to worry more about stability over a long period. If you aren't careful with your voltage settings or if you're trying to squeeze too much out of a limited power supply, you might end up regretting the whole setup. It's a delicate balance, I suppose, and I'm still undecided on which path makes the most sense for someone looking to build something reliable without breaking the bank.

I'm honestly not sure how big the jump actually is between the GTX 1050 Ti and the GTX 1060, but I'm thinking about adding some more $217 and picking up an SSD along with the 1060; does anyone have a recommendation for a good monitor that would pair nicely with that kind of GPU?

The difference is actually pretty significant click

As for the monitor—what kind of budget are we looking at? There are literally millions of options out there.

Timothy Kim60 said:Honestly, the difference is pretty massive if you just click

As for the monitor—what kind of budget are we talking about here? There are seriously a million different options out there right now.

Dell 24-inch 243V5LHSB5 LED

Something along these lines.

So, we're looking at $800-$333?

For that kind of budget, you can actually find some seriously great VA or IPS panels.

https://www.amazon.com/search.php?q=GW2270
https://www.amazon.com/search.php?q=GW2470

https://www.bestbuy.com/philips-23...m_medium=click
https://www.bestbuy.com/philips-23...m_medium=click
https://www.walmart.com/lcd-monitors/aoc...m_medium=click
http://www.newegg.com/default.aspx?pi...m_medium=click
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/monitor-d...m_medium=click