Gaming build under $1,500?

Hello everyone,
I have finally decided to pull the trigger on a high-end gaming PC. I find myself in a fortunate position where I can allocate a significant amount toward this build right now, and frankly, I doubt I’ll have the luxury to do something this substantial again anytime soon. I’ve been following the discussions here and I really value the analytical approach you all take; your insights would be incredibly helpful to me.
As the title suggests, I am looking for assistance in putting together a gaming configuration (tower only, no peripherals) with a budget of up to 11 $0.00, though I could potentially stretch that slightly if necessary.

Thank you in advance,
Christopher

What resolution and refresh rate are you planning to run on your monitor?

wiredotter14 said:What resolution and refresh rate are you planning to run on your monitor?

My current setup:
Dell UltraSharp Monitor 23-inch Full HD 1080p LCD TV/Monitor (5ms, 50000:1 HDMI, Black)

However, I intend to upgrade this fairly soon (likely in a few months) to something similar to this:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=28-inch+monitor

Essentially, I want to ensure this configuration can handle 4K playback without any issues.

👍

So, I'm guessing the build would center on an RTX 2080 and an Intel Core processor, keeping you just under budget. That RTX 2080Ti? Way too pricey.

You could probably cram an 8700K in there, but since you're gaming at 4K, having a beefier CPU won't matter much—your frame rates will be capped by the 60Hz monitor and the GPU anyway.

BTW, look for a monitor with G-Sync. Even Nvidia cards support it now.

Here’s how I’d do it.

I'm picking Future because their pricing on CPUs and GPUs is solid, and it saves you the headache of hunting down individual parts.
You might find a slightly better deal elsewhere, especially if you're willing to piece it together from multiple shops.

1 * Palit GF RTX 2080 Dual, 8GB GDDR6
Password: pal-2080-dual-8gb - $1904

1 * GSkill Aegis 16GB (2x8) DDR4 3000MHz Memory
Password: F4-3000C16D-16GISB - $333

1 * Seagate Barracuda 2TB, 64MB, 7200rpm
Password: to-hdwd120uzsva - $173

1 * Samsung 870 EVO (512GB, M.2 80mm PCIe 3.0 x4, 3D2, QLC) Retail Box Single Pack
Password: SSDPEKNW512G8X1 - $264

1 * MSI X470 GAMING PRO, D4, U3.1, m2, AM4
Password: msi-x470-g-pro - $385

1 * SAMA ARMOR 650W 80PLUS GOLD
Password: 0151336 - $166

1 * AMD Ryzen 5 2600 (6C/12T, 3.9GHz,19MB,65W,AM4) box, Wraith Stealth
Password: YD2600BBAFBOX - $453

1 * Cooler ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 33, socket 1151/1150/1155/1156/2011-v3/2011/AM4
Password: 050.903.341- - $66

1 * Zalman S3, 1x120mm, USB3.0
Password: ZAL-S3 - $83

1 * Akyga AW-12A-BK 12cm black System Fan
Password: AW-12A-BK - $10

Total: $3838

From what I can gather, this power supply is actually pretty decent.
500W would technically work, but there wasn't anything reliable at that price point. Of course, you could always opt for a more well-known brand.

I set this up so there are almost zero compromises.
16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 2TB HDD, RTX 2080.
The Ryzen 2600 is a no-brainer at this price; you'd have to gut everything else just to squeeze in an i7-8700K, which is way more expensive. $667

Down the road, if you move to a high refresh rate monitor and upgrade your GPU, you can swap out the CPU too—the motherboard supports newer generations with more cores.

Note:

Someone might be able to suggest a better motherboard; I'm no expert on which one is the absolute best pick.

If you want a flashier case or PSU, or if you need to trim the budget, you could drop down to a 256GB SATA SSD. You won't notice much difference.

For example:

https://www.future-it.com/crucial-bx5...0SSD1/product/

For the graphics card, maybe try
https://www.future-it.com/msi-video-c...%5F8G/product/

Check online reviews to see if there's any real difference (they both come with warranties).

Thanks, wiredotter14

I have made a few minor adjustments based on my specific requirements, but I do have one question.

1 * AMD Ryzen Desktop CPU Ryzen 5 6C/12T 2600X (4.25GHz,19MB,95W,AM4) box with Wraith Spire cooler
Password: YD260XBCAFBOX - $595

instead of the standard 2600... and would this potentially necessitate a more robust power supply? (I removed the hard drive since I am not exactly a digital hoarder of movies or music.)

Furthermore, I tend to favor Intel, and while researching pre-built systems, for example:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?N=4314844129

the pricing for a build like that seemed quite reasonable.

I have been looking into the performance gap between the RTX 2060 and the RTX 2080; while the 2080 is clearly superior, it is also nearly twice the price... is it actually worth such a significant premium for that level of difference?

Could someone explain the reasoning behind choosing Ryzen over Intel?

An RTX 2060 for 4K? Good luck. 😬

The 2080 is about 50% more powerful. Sure, the value isn't quite as great, but at that resolution, your FPS is going to be entirely dependent on your GPU.

Honestly, that’s not a great deal for a 9700K paired with an RTX 2060. It doesn't make much sense either, since you usually grab a 9700K to pair with something like an RTX 2080 at 1080p, but I guess some people $1.25 just don't care.

You might want to look at an i5 8400 or 9400F instead. They tend to perform slightly better in games than a Ryzen 2600, and I think prices have stabilized a bit lately. There are also a few other tweaks I'd probably make to that build.

EDIT: For example,

1 x Palit GF RTX 2080 Dual, 8GB GDDR6
1 x Seagate Barracuda 1TB HDD (3.5, SATA III-600)
1 x Intel Core i5-9400F (2.9GHz, 9MB,
2 x Apacer Panther Gold DDR4 2666MHz, 8GB
1 x Gigabyte Z390-UD
1 x Crucial MX500 500GB SSD
1 x EVGA 550W Gold Power Supply
1 x Antec P7 Mid-Tower Case, Green,
2 x 12cm Black Case Fans

Total: $3805

The 2600X is definitely not worth that price!

That i5 isn't a bad choice for gaming, but you have to consider it lacks Hyper-Threading. Plus, that 1151 socket doesn't offer much of a future; your only real upgrade path is hunting down used chips from the same generation.
In 2019, a 6-core/6-thread CPU feels outdated when you've got the Ryzen 2600 on the table.

The Ryzen 2600 is a 6-core/12-thread CPU. It delivers solid performance—especially for the money—and the platform stays open for any Future upgrades you might need.
I added an extra cooler (Freezer 33) to the list. With that, you can easily overclock the Ryzen 2600 to around 4.0GHz, which pretty much wipes out most of the i5 9400's advantages.

Regarding the GPU, the RTX 2080 is really your only shot at 4K (you don't have the budget for a 2080Ti).

What crimsonstag84 put together is also fine, but personally, I'd lean toward Ryzen because of the upgrade potential and the fact that you're getting a multi-threaded 6-core CPU for less than Intel's "basic" 6-core.
It might not feel critical right now, but looking long-term, it’ll make a difference sooner or later—assuming you don't upgrade, and with Intel, you don't have many options anyway.

Thank you all!

I have reached a final decision on my build:

1 * Samsung 870 EVO (512GB, M.2 80mm PCIe 3.0 x4, 3D2, QLC) Retail Box Single Pack
Password: SSDPEKNW512G8X1 - $264
1 * Cooler Master Freezer 33 Air Cooler, compatible with socket 1151/1150/1155/1156/2011-v3/2011/AM4
Password: 050.903.341- - $66
1 * GSkill Aegis 16GB (2x8) DDR4 3000MHz RAM
Password: F4-3000C16D-16GISB - $333
1 * Palit GF RTX 2080 Dual, 8GB GDGD6
Password: pal-2080-dual-8gb - $1904
1 * Zalman Z3 Midi-Tower ATX Case, no PSU included, black
Password: 35455 - $127
1 * MSI X470 GAMING PRO, D4, U3.1, m2, AM4
Password: msi-x470-g-pro - $385
1 * AMD Ryzen Desktop CPU Ryzen 2600X 6C/12T (4.25GHz,19MB,95W,AM4) box with Wraith Spire cooler
Password: YD260XBCAFBOX - $595
1 * SAMA ARMOR 650W 80PLUS GOLD
Password: 0151336 - $166

Total: $3841

The reason I opted for the 2600X over the standard 2600 is based on several reviews suggesting this processor would pair most effectively with the RTX 2080. Furthermore, the price difference is roughly equivalent to the cost of an external hard drive, which is something I simply don't need right now. 🙂

Thanks again; I will likely be placing the order around the 15th.

Keep in mind that reviews usually base their ratings on some kind of MSRP.
Right now, this thing is $26 cheaper than the suggested retail price, which is why we’re giving it the thumbs up.

Bottom line: the Core i9 is the better call if you aren't planning on overclocking, especially when it comes to gaming performance. If you're going to overclock anyway, it doesn't really matter which one you pick.

The motherboard isn't the best call, mostly because the VRM cooling looks pretty weak. I think there are better, more budget-friendly B450 options out there.

For the PSU, I'd probably go with an EVGA 600 W Gold instead; it comes with a 5-year warranty and feels a bit more solid.

crimsonstag84 said:That board is a bad call. The VRM cooling is non-existent. There are way better, more budget-friendly B450 options out there.

https://www.newegg.com/msi-b450-gaming-plus/p/

Go with an EVGA 600 W Gold power supply instead. It comes with a 5-year warranty and it’s actually decent quality.

👍

crimsonstag84 said:That motherboard is a poor choice, primarily because the VRM cooling is nonexistent. There are far better and more cost-effective B450 boards available.

https://www.newegg.com/msi-b450-gaming-plus/p/

I would suggest opting for an EVGA 600 W Gold instead; it comes with a five-year warranty and offers superior build quality.

I appreciate the suggestion regarding the motherboard, but from what I can see, that specific model doesn't support the RAM speeds I’ve listed here...
(Memory Speed: 2133MHz(PC4-17000) 2400MHz(PC4-19200) 1866MHz(PC4-14900) 2667MHz(PC4-21300)) according to the specs on the linked motherboard site.

As for the power supply... isn't 550W cutting it a bit too close?

Those are just the official specs for the Core i9. Intel also supports up to 2666MHz on all their newer chips, though you can actually push them up to 4266MHz.

Your build probably won't even hit 350W while gaming.

Regarding the case, I see you're using a Z3. I might go with something a bit higher-end or larger instead:

https://www.newegg.com/p/sharkoon-m2...38386/product/

Honestly, there's no point in shelling out $167 extra just to grab the 2600x version because of a slightly higher clock speed. If you pair either one with a solid motherboard and a decent cooler, you can overclock them both until they're basically identical. Besides, once you move up to 4K resolution, your GPU does all the heavy lifting anyway, making the CPU difference pretty negligible:

1 * AMD Ryzen 5 2600 (6C/12T, 3.9GHz, 19MB, 65W, AM4) box, Wraith Stealth
Part Number: YD2600BBAFBOX - $453

1 * LC-Power LC-CC-120 Cooler, Intel/AMD + AM4
Part Number: lcp-hlad-lc-cc-120 - $60

1 * GIGABYTE X470 AORUS ULTRA GAMING, S.AM4
Part Number: X470_AORUS_ULTRA_GAMING - $406

1 * GSkill Aegis 16GB (2x8) DDR4 3000MHz Memory
Part Number: F4-3000C16D-16GISB - $333

1 * Palit GF RTX2080 Dual, 8GB GDDR6
Part Number: pal-2080-dual-8gb - $1904

1 * Crucial P1 500GB 3D NAND NVMe PCIe M.2 2000/1700 SSD
Part Number: CT500P1SSD8 - $275

1 * Seagate BarraCuda 1TB 3.5 Hard Drive
Part Number: 0140635 - $116

1 * 650W Power Supply, ANTEC HCG650 Gold, ATX v2.4, 120mm, modular, 80+ Gold
Part Number: 052.700.200- - $270

1 * Armis AR3 TG PC Case, black
Part Number: 29150690 - $116

Total: $3934 (-2%=$3.75)
Free assembly and shipping

The Freezer 33 actually beats out the LC-CC-120, plus from what I've seen in reviews, it features a 0rpm mode.