Need help: Complete newbie here, looking to buy my first PC

So, my son is looking for a desktop setup. He’s mostly interested in gaming, though he might want to try his hand at uploading content to YouTube—nothing too heavy-duty, just some basic recording, I suppose—alongside the usual schoolwork and browsing. I’m currently making do with an old laptop, but he wants something much more capable than that, specifically for titles like Minecraft, GTA, and things in that vein. We’re looking for a full gaming rig including a monitor, keyboard, and Windows... basically everything, with a total budget cap of around $5,500-$2000 if we pay in installments, which would mean staying under about $83 per month. Anything higher than that is simply out of the question for us right now. I’ll eventually have to head down to a place like Best Buy to see what they have, but I wanted to ask here first. He’s eyeing games like GTA5, Borderlands, and FIFA 15. I’d prefer a decent monitor so he isn't straining his eyes, but obviously, we can't blow the entire budget on just the screen. I’m looking for recommendations for the whole package, from the monitor down to the individual components. It would be ideal if the build allows for some easy upgrades later on as games become more demanding. So, please, help a dad out; I mainly use my computer for web browsing and a bit of light business work, and I honestly don't know the first thing about gaming hardware. I just want to get him a solid setup for Christmas 🙂 Please, try to keep your explanations simple and bear with me, as I am a complete novice when it comes to computer specs

Which specific card are we talking about here?

If you're just starting to think about picking up a new PC for Christmas, my advice is to wait until maybe a week or two before the holiday hits. Trust me—prices and what's actually in stock are definitely going to shift around by then.

No new problems here. This is basically what this place is for—helping people who aren't exactly tech wizards. With that kind of budget, you can definitely build a decent rig. You just have to wait for someone who actually knows their stuff to chime in. I could probably help out with some individual parts, but I’m not an expert when it comes to GPUs, and that’s the most important part of any build like this.

As for the monitor, don't sweat it. There aren't really those "bad" monitors anymore that wreck your eyes. Even the cheap ones on the market today are perfectly fine for long sessions...

edit:

Well, damn... while I was typing, the experts already showed up. 👍

Like Amy Vaughn12 was saying, you really need to check which card or bank you're using. Since you're looking to split this into 24 monthly installments, you have to realize not every retailer accepts every type of credit. Plus, once you factor in all the peripherals—mouse, keyboard, speakers—and the Windows license, you'll be left with just under $3,900 for the tower itself if we stick to the upper limit of $2000. That should still be enough to put together a decent rig. 😉

Ditch Windows, and you'll have $333 left over to sink into the rig. I assume there’s someone out there who actually knows how to install a clean OS 🙂

Robert Rodriguez2 said:Ditch Windows, and you'll have $333 left over to sink into the rig. I assume there’s someone out there who actually knows how to install a clean OS 🙂

🙂 Out of basic decency—not even mentioning forum rules—stuff like this should be handled via private message...🙂😬

Someone’s got to do the dirty work, I guess.😬

Regarding the rules, all I see is a copyright violation. It would be nice if they just dropped the download link, but there isn't anything explicitly prohibiting piracy here... Besides, who knows what kind of Flotron Windows he was talking about—a trial version? An original copy from his aunt?🤔 😬

Kimberly Gomez34 said:Someone’s got to do the dirty work, I guess.😬

Regarding the rules, all I see is a copyright violation. It would be nice if they just dropped the download link, but there isn't anything explicitly prohibiting piracy here... Besides, who knows what kind of Flotron Windows he was talking about—a trial version? An original copy from his aunt?🤔 😬

👍 exactly 🕺

analogtiger19 said:Like Amy Vaughn12 was saying, you really need to check which card or bank you're using. Since you're looking to split this into 24 monthly installments, you have to realize not every retailer accepts every type of credit. Plus, once you factor in all the peripherals—mouse, keyboard, speakers—and the Windows license, you'll be left with just under $3,900 for the tower itself if we stick to the upper limit of $2000. That should still be enough to put together a decent rig. 😉

I'll be using a Mastercard on a 24-month plan; I don't really have any other options right now.

analogtiger19 said:🙂 Out of basic decency—not even mentioning forum rules—stuff like this should be handled via private message...🙂😬

So there you have it—Windows 10 is free. Worst case scenario, you can grab it right now for about $15 or $16. It’s not like anyone's going to drop 700-$267 on an OS at a retail store (especially when you're already hitting your budget limit for the PC itself)!

restlessfox94 said:I'll be using a Mastercard on a 24-month plan; I don't really have any other options right now.

I haven't found a single retailer offering interest-free financing for that many installments. That means you're looking at a personal loan (which could stretch up to 36 months).

For example, click

If we're talking about a 3-year term with an 11% APR, roughly $220 would end up going toward interest alone from the total amount ($2000). Just a heads-up: reach out right before you actually pull the trigger—literally a day or two before—because offers and pricing shift constantly. Ultimately, it's all manageable if you plan it out.

ADM is offering rates equivalent to a master Chase 24 account without any interest charges applied

It goes up to 12 🤷, plus you get a 36 credit limit with them (though their 9.90% rate is actually a better deal)

http://www.chase.com/payment.php?osCsid...ce9f59e480342d

On the first page, just scroll down a bit more