Advice for buying a gaming PC!

Comes with a 3-year warranty.

Alexander Moore67 said:https://www.bestbuy.com/site/monitor-24-inch...
36-month warranty

It's a TN panel. That doesn't necessarily mean it's bad, unless it's just some cheap budget monitor with a TN panel—which is exactly what we're looking at here.

I think I’m actually going to have to settle for the GTX 1050, because honestly, the price jump between that and the 1060 is just way too steep for my budget right now.

A lower-end RTX 3060 (with just 3GB or whatever fewer cores it has) is going for anywhere from 300-$133 plus more

Adam Moore3 said:It’s a TN panel. That doesn't automatically mean it's bad, unless you're looking at a cheap budget monitor, which happens to be exactly what this is.

TN is actually the best choice for gaming, and since we're working with a budget around $333, you won't find anything better than this.

How exactly is it better?

A TN panel only really makes sense if you're looking at budget 144Hz monitors. That’s usually what people mean when they claim "TN is better for gaming"—they aren't talking about those cheap 60Hz models. Honestly, picking up a 60Hz or 75Hz screen when you could get an IPS or VA panel for basically the same price is just a total waste of money.

Playing games like F1 on cheap IPS/VA panels is just a bad experience

Thanks so much to everyone for the help! I ended up deciding to go a bit bigger on the budget and grabbed both an SSD and an RTX 3060 instead.

brightseal3 said:Thanks for all the help, everyone. I ended up pulling the trigger on a few more things and grabbed an SSD along with a GTX 1060

So, which specific GTX 1060 did you end up going with?

Thomas Hernandez said:Which specific 1060 did you end up grabbing?

Tapatalk Inno3D GTX1060 TwinX2 6 GB

Timothy Kim60 said:In what way is it better?

Using a TN panel really only makes sense if you're looking at budget-friendly 144Hz monitors. That's usually what people mean when they claim "TN is better for gaming," rather than talking about those cheap 60Hz models. Honestly, picking up a 60Hz or 75Hz screen when you could get an IPS or VA panel for roughly the same amount of cash feels like a bit of a missed opportunity.

I’m currently running a BenQ XL2430T 144 Hz which is also a TN panel, and I honestly don't have any complaints. During those first few hours—or even the first couple of days—after I made the switch from a VA panel, everything looked a little "washed out" to me. But I guess it's just a matter of getting used to it, because now everything looks perfectly "normal" to my eyes. 😁

Hey everyone!

So, uh... because of some certain, um, financial hiccups, I didn't pull the trigger on that PC build when you guys were helping me out before, but now I'm back at it again!

crimsonstag84 said:Let's set a solid foundation for future upgrades... this thing almost certainly won't last 5 years if you're playing heavy/demanding games by then. But... you could easily swap in a new CPU, GPU, and RAM in about 3 years to keep it going for even longer.

Zalman mid Tower case Black, ZAL-R1
MSI Video Card AMD Radeon RX 560 OC GDDR5 4GB/128bit, 1196MHz/7000MHz, PCI-E 3.0 x16, DP, HDMI, DVI
SSD AD 120GB SU700 SATA 3D Nand
WD10EZEX Fortron
Hyper m 500 w Samsung
Samsung monitor LR60/S24F
Genius KB-125, keyboard, black, USB
LOGITECH Corded Mouse M100 - EMEA - GRAY
2x Crucial DDR4 4GB 2400 MHz P/N: CT4G4DFS824A
MSI Main Board Desktop B350 (SAM4, 4xDDR4, PCI-Ex16, 2xPCI-Ex1, USB3.1, USB2.0, 4xSATA III, M.2, Raid) B350M_Bazooka
AMD Ryzen 3 1200

Total cost: $2003 - Best Buy (New York City)

Gameplay for 11 different games:

The little snag is that I just sent my inquiry over to Centro.hr today, and in the meantime, they've run out of some parts. To quote the guy:

"To whom it may concern,

We are no longer able to supply the following components:

Zalman mid Tower case Black, ZAL-R1

MSI Video Card AMD Radeon RX 560 OC GDDR5 4GB/128bit, 1196MHz/7000MHz, PCI-E 3.0 x16, DP, HDMI, DVI

SSD AD 120GB SU700 SATA 3D Nand

MSI Main Board Desktop B350 (SAM4, 4xDDR4, PCI-Ex16, 2xPCI-Ex1, USB3.1, USB2.0, 4xSATA III, M.2, Raid) B350M_Bazooka

Also, regarding the monitor you included in the quote, I can't seem to find it—could you tell me the exact model name?”

So, if it's not too much trouble, I'll need to tweak the configuration a bit and swap those out for similar parts that they actually have in stock right now.

Thanks in advance and cheers, everyone!

Not a single decent soul in sight?🤦

Case -
GPU -
SSD -
Motherboard -

Regarding the monitor, I have no clue what they're thinking since it's listed as available at CLICK.

It’s all more or less the same stuff. I assume things will end up being pricier because those RX cards aren't around anymore, so I swapped in a GTX 1050 as a replacement. It's definitely about 200 $100 more expensive than that RX card at its current price of roughly $400.

Performance-wise, it's practically identical. The biggest drawback is the lack of VRAM; that RX card had 4GB while this 1050 only has 2GB.
If you want 4GB, you'll have to step up to a much pricier 1050Ti, which you can find for around $500. A 560 with that much VRAM is barely even on the market, and where you do find them, the prices are insanely inflated considering the 1050Ti is noticeably stronger anyway.

1 x AMD Ryzen 3 1200 processor
1 x ASRock AB350 PRO4, AM4
1 x Gigabyte GF GTX1050 OC, 2GB GDDR5
1 x Crucial DRAM 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR4 2400 MT/s (PC4-19200) CL17 SR x8 Unbuffered DIMM 288pin, EAN: 649528769824
1 x Toshiba P300 1TB, 64MB, 7200rpm
1 x SSD 2.5" - 240GB PNY, CS900 SATA3
1 x Fortron napajanje Hexa 85+ 550W, 80+ Bronze, ATX
1 x Zalman mid Tower case Black
1 x AOC LCD 23,8", IPS WLED, HDMI, 4ms
1 x Genius SlimStar 130, keyboard, USB, black
1 x Gembird Illuminated large size mouse, USB
1 x Genius SP-HF160 wooden speakers, 4W, USB

Total: $2052 Futura-IT

crimsonstag84 said:1 x AMD Ryzen 3 1200
1 x ASRock AB350 PRO4, AM4
1 x Gigabyte GF GTX1050 OC, 2GB GDDR5
1 x Crucial DRAM 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR4 2400 MT/s (PC4-19200) CL17 SR x8 Unbuffered DIMM 288pin, EAN: 649528769824
1 x Toshiba P300 1TB, 64MB, 7200rpm
1 x SSD 2.5" - 240GB PNY, CS900 SATA3
1 x Fortron power supply Hexa 85+ 550W, 80+ Bronze, ATX
1 x Zalman mid Tower case Black
1 x AOC LCD 23.8", IPS WLED, HDMI, 4ms
1 x Genius SlimStar 130 keyboard, USB, black
1 x Gembird Illuminated large size mouse, USB
1 x Genius SP-HF160 wooden speakers, 4W, USB

Total: $2052 Futura-IT

👍

If you put it together better, you get a 240GB SSD instead of a 120

crimsonstag84 said:I suppose I’ve decided to pick up a single AMD Ryzen 3 1200, though I find myself wondering if such a modest component is truly sufficient for my needs, or if I am simply settling for mediocrity in an era of overwhelming technological excess.
I suppose I’m looking at an ASRock AB350 PRO4 on the AM4 platform, though I can't say for certain if it truly meets my current requirements, given how quickly these things seem to evolve. It might suffice, I guess, if one is feeling particularly cautious about their hardware choices.
I suppose I have one Gigabyte GF GTX 1050 OC sitting around, featuring 2GB of GDDR5 memory, if anyone happens to be looking for something along those lines.
I suppose I should mention that I’ve decided to pick up a single 8GB kit of Crucial DDR4 RAM—specifically those two 4GB sticks running at 2400 MT/s, CL17, unbuffered DIMM 288-pin variety. It isn't exactly groundbreaking technology, nor is it particularly fast by today's rather demanding standards, but perhaps it will suffice for my current needs, though I can't say I'm entirely certain about the longevity of such a modest upgrade. One does wonder if the latency might become an issue down the road, but then again, maybe I am just being overly cautious as usual.
I suppose I’m currently running a single Toshiba P300 1TB drive, which boasts a 64MB cache and operates at 7200rpm, though I find myself wondering if that speed is truly sufficient given how much everything seems to drag these days.
I suppose I’m looking at a single 2.5" SSD here—specifically that 240GB PNY CS900 SATA3 model. It’s a modest little thing, I guess, but perhaps sufficient if one isn't expecting miracles from it.
I suppose I’ve ended up with one of those Fortron Hexa 85+ 550W units—it's an 80+ Bronze, ATX model, if that matters to anyone. It’s just a single power supply, really, nothing particularly groundbreaking, though I find myself questioning whether such things ever truly hold up the way they used to. Perhaps it will suffice for now, but then again, one can never be entirely certain with these components, can one?
I suppose I’ve finally decided to settle on a single Zalman mid Tower case Black, though I can't say for certain if it's truly the right choice given how fickle hardware preferences seem to be these days.
I suppose I’ve gone and acquired an AOC 23.8-inch LCD monitor, featuring that IPS WLED panel and an HDMI connection, though I suspect the 4ms response time might be somewhat underwhelming in the grand scheme of things. Perhaps it will suffice for my current needs, but I find myself questioning if such specifications are truly enough to satisfy a modern setup. One can only hope.
I suppose I’ve finally settled on a basic setup, consisting of a single Genius SlimStar 130—just a simple, black USB keyboard, really—which I imagine will suffice for the time being, though I can't say I'm feeling particularly optimistic about its longevity.
I suppose I’ve finally settled on a single Gembird illuminated large-format mouse, which connects via USB; it’s a rather modest choice, I guess, but perhaps it will suffice for now.
I suppose I’ve ended up with one of those Genius SP-HF160 wooden speakers—the 4W variety that runs on USB—though I can't quite say if that's a stroke of luck or just another minor inconvenience in an otherwise predictable week.

Grand Total: $2052 I suppose I should probably mention Futura-IT, though I can't say with any absolute certainty if they're truly worth the trouble or just another fleeting name in this industry. One might find themselves wondering about their reliability, I guess, given how much things seem to shift these days. It’s all rather uncertain, really.

Greetings!

If I were to rebuild this configuration—specifically looking at which components might benefit from an upgrade if I were to strip away the peripherals like the monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers from the suggestions provided by crimsonstag84—I suppose I would have to wonder where the extra funds should actually go. My budget is... $2167 I suppose one might attempt to estimate the margin of error, though I suspect it sits somewhere around a certain percentage... if I had to venture a guess, perhaps.

If one were to decide to forgo the suggested peripherals entirely—perhaps by opting for a more modest mouse or keyboard—and instead divert those funds toward upgrading the RAM, securing a more robust graphics card, or investing in a superior processor, I suppose one might wonder where that capital would be most effectively deployed. If the goal is to actually feel a tangible difference in performance regarding the specific requirements listed below, I suspect there might be a most logical path to take, though I can't say for certain without further deliberation.

So, I suppose I need to put together a build that can handle two very different worlds: firstly, getting through titles like Battlefield 1, The Witcher 3, PubG, GTA V, and maybe even some HoMM VII when the mood strikes; and secondly, handling the demands of audio production, specifically those rather heavy-duty sound processing programs. It’s quite a balancing act, I guess.

Budget's a bit tight, but here’s how I’d play it:

ASUS Prime B360M-A, LGA 1151 8th Gen
Intel Core i5-8400
8GB DDR4 (1x8GB) Crucial, 2666MHz
FSP 550W Hexa 85+
1TB Toshiba P300 HDD
240GB Western Digital WD Green SSD
Gainward NVIDIA GTX 1060 6g
Zalman Z1 NEO mid tower case

Total is $600,$314 Best Buy

There isn't much room to squeeze more savings out of this.
You could $33 cut costs by switching to an ITX build with a single-fan version of the same card, but honestly, I don't think it's worth it.
Maybe grab a 120GB SSD instead to save a few bucks, but again, probably not worth the headache.
You could switch to Ryzen to save $10 a little, but for gaming, I still think the i5 is the way to go—especially now that B360 motherboards are out, so you aren't stuck buying a massive Z370 just to run a standard i5.

I checked a few different retailers, but this looks like the best deal I could find. Maybe wait a bit longer and see if someone else comes up with a better combo.

Adam Moore3 said:It’s a somewhat tight budget, I suppose, but if I were in your shoes, I might lean toward this configuration:

ASUS Prime B360M-A, s1151 8th Gen
Intel Core i5-8400
DDR4 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 2666MHz
Fortron 550W Hexa 85+
HDD 1TB Samsung 870 EVO SSD Western Digital WD Green Gainward GTX1060 6 g
SSD 240GB Western Digital WD Green
Gainward GTX1060 6G, 6GB GDDR5
Zalman Z1 NEO mid tower case

Roughly $600 total, $314 sourced via local retailers.

There isn't much room to trim the fat here, I suspect.
One could, theoretically, $33 opt for an ITX build with a single-fan version of that same GPU, though I find myself doubting whether such a move truly offers any real value.
Perhaps you could settle for a 120GB SSD to shave off a few bucks, but then again, I wouldn't necessarily say that's a wise trade-off.
You could certainly pivot to a Ryzen build for $10 a lower entry cost, but when it comes to gaming performance, I still feel the i5 is likely the better path, primarily because those B360 motherboards have finally arrived, meaning one no longer feels compelled to waste hundreds on a Z370 just to run a standard i5.

I’ve shopped around at various local stores, but this seems to be the most economical option available to me; perhaps you might wait a bit longer to see if someone else happens to have a clever workaround or a better deal.

Thank you for your response!

I think I shall wait a little longer to see if anyone else has any insights, but if not, I will probably proceed with your recommendation.

I’m not entirely certain about the motherboard yet. Since those mid-tier Coffee Lake boards—aside from the high-end Z370 chipsets—only recently hit the market, there just isn't a massive amount of reviews or data out there to go on. On paper, an average board should be fine; you get four RAM slots, USB 3.1 support, an M.2 slot, and a chipset heatsink, which theoretically covers all the bases. That said, there might be a better deal waiting for you at another retailer or somewhere similar. I'd say wait a few more days... maybe someone else will jump in with a better suggestion. 👍