New PC build

So, I've got some $2667 money coming back from my tax return, and the easiest way to blow it is probably hitting up the Best Buy in San Diego. I'm looking to pick up a case, a mouse, and a keyboard... honestly, I think an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 should be enough to serve as the foundation for this build. Any help with putting the whole thing together would be huge—thanks in advance for the effort! It's mainly for gaming...

Jonathan Reed50 said:I have $2667 and since I need to deal with tax returns, my best bet is hitting up a Best Buy in San Diego. I need a case, a mouse, and a keyboard. I think an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 would be a decent foundation for this build. Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me put this together. It's for gaming.

Hmm, I'm not quite sure how being close to a store helps with getting a tax refund? 🤔

I’d definitely suggest waiting a few more days because an ASUS RX5700 should be popping up soon, which might fit better within this budget. 🙂

Something like this paired with an RX5700(XT) would actually be pretty solid:

1 * AMD Ryzen 5 2600 Processor (6C/12T, 3.9GHz, 19MB, 65W, AM4) box, Wraith Stealth
Password: YD2600BBAFBOX - $390

1 * Asrock B450M Steel Legend, 4xDDR4, AM4
Password: ASR-B450M-STEEL - $262

1 * KINGSTON 16GB 3200MHz DDR4 CL18 DIMM HyperX Fury Black
Password: HX432C18FB/16 - $254

1 * SSD Adata 960GB SU630 SATA 3D Nand
Password: 0141160 - $266

1 * SAMA ARMOR 750W Power Supply, 80+ GOLD, Modular
Password: 0151337 - $166

1 * Zalman Z1 NEO Midi-Tower ATX Case, no PSU, black
Password: 35759 - $111

Total: $1450 + RX5700 (only if it's div>

The Ryzen 5 3600 will hold its own just fine here. One thing though—don't even think about running a single 16GB stick. You'll absolutely tank your performance by being stuck in single channel mode. And while you're at it, stay far away from those CL18 sticks; they aren't worth the headache.

I picked up an AMD Ryzen 5 3600. It’s the boxed version, so it comes with that Wraith Stealth cooler included. Just a solid 6-core, 12-thread setup running at 4.2GHz with 36MB of cache and a 65W TDP. Fits perfectly into my AM4 build.
Password: 100-100000031BOX - $566

I’ve got one Socket AM4 GIGABYTE B450 Aorus elita motherboard up for grabs.
Password: B450_AORUS_ELITE - $283

I picked up a single kit of Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2x8) DDR4-3000, CL 15.
Password: BLS2K8G4D30AESBK- - $243

I've got one Nvidia GeForce RTX2060 super Ghost sitting here with 8GB of VRAM.
Password: gai-2060s-gh-8g $1120

I picked up a SAMA FORZA 750W unit—it’s an 80+ Gold modular power supply.
Password: 0151380 - $163

I picked up one of those SilentiumPC Regnum RG2 TG Pure Black cases—the version with the two 120mm fans included (P/N: SPC217).
Password: 29150689 - $100

I picked up a 480GB GIGABYTE SSD. It’s a standard SATA III drive using 3D NAND TLC, clocking in at about 550MB/s read and 480MB/s write speeds. Simple, reliable, gets the job done.
Password: GP-GSTFS31480GNTD - $143

Just one Seagate BarraCuda 1TB, 64MB, 7200rpm.
Password: to-hdwd110uzsva - $113

Total: $2731 (-2%=$2.75)
Free assembly and shipping included.

Here’s an example of how someone might scam you at a place like Future I.
You get a 2% discount just for being a member here.

Look, I'm coming over from Canada, so my best bet is just to head down to San Diego to hit up the Newegg store—either grab parts or the whole rig at once—and then deal with the sales tax refund on the way back... that's why I was really pushing for getting everything assembled right there at the Newegg location!

Is this Newegg location actually losing its mind or something? Because it feels like nobody wants to put anything together there anymore!!! I’d honestly love to just pick up my gear at Micro Center or maybe Future... but the whole tax refund situation makes it such a headache for me...

AMD Ryzen 5 2600, 3400/3900 MHz, Socket AM4
Socket AM4 GIGABYTE B450 Aorus elita, DDR4, DVI, HDMI, ATX.
1 TB, Seagate BarraCuda, 3.5", 7200 rpm, SATA III, HDWD110UZSVA
GIGABYTE 16 GB (2x8 GB) DDR4, 2666 MHz
ZALMAN R1, power supply not included.
480 GB Kingston A400 SSD, 2.5" SATA III.
SEASONIC SS-520GM2 EVO, 520 W, modular, 80+ Bronze
MSI Nvidia GeForce RTX2060 Super Gaming X, 8 GB GDDR6

Total: $7,967.32 Newegg

It’s not exactly the best way to go. You could definitely find better value for your money elsewhere, but if you're stuck with no other options than Newegg... ☕
They don't even have the Ryzen 5 3600 in stock... 🤦

https://www.newegg.com/amd-ryzen-5-3600/p/P17168-26612

They have them, I guess, but their filters are pretty much useless. 😁

crimsonstag84 said:https://www.newegg.com/p/processor-amd-ryzen/244345

They have them, their search filters just suck 😁

🤦

Setting the webshop aside, the build itself turned out pretty solid, provided they don't screw things up during the process. ☕

AMD Ryzen 5 3600, 3600/4200 MHz, Socket AM4
GIGABYTE B450 Aorus Elite, socket AM4, DDR4, DVI, HDMI, ATX
2x KINGSTON 8 GB DDR4, 2666 MHz, DIMM, HyperX Fury, CL16
GAINWARD Nvidia GeForce RTX2060 super Ghost, 8 GB GDDR6
SEASONIC SS-520GM2 EVO, 520 W, modular, 80+ Bronze
SSD disk 480 GB, Kingston A400, 2.5", SATA III
1 TB, Seagate BarraCuda, 3.5", 7200 rpm, SATA III, HDWD110UZSVA
ZALMAN Z1 NEO case, no PSU

Total: $802.11 www.newegg.com

@Olivia Mitchell9, I think this is about as much as you can squeeze out for the money 🙂

does it actually make sense to grab an i5 9400f right now? prices are looking pretty decent...

Jonathan Reed50 said:Does an i5 9400f make sense right now since prices have dropped...

Bottom line $100 when compared to a more expensive Ryzen 3600? There isn't any. If you were on a razor-thin budget where you literally couldn't afford anything else, maybe—though I'd probably still just grab a Ryzen 2600 in that scenario.
In this case, absolutely not. It’s better for gaming in 99% of scenarios, and don't even get me started on everything else. Not to mention the upgrade path, the Future-proofing, or the sheer value you get for that money. 😁

CLICK

Yeah, Intel still owns the high-end market, but when you look at the mid-range, only the 9600K can actually go toe-to-toe with Ryzen. Everything else just fell flat on its face.

Honestly, I agree with what > said—if you need to save some cash, grab a 2600 or maybe a 1600(X) if the price is right.

The Ryzen 5 3600 actually managed to outpace the Core i7 8700 at stock settings. Just keep in mind that in this specific test, they used an i7 8700K running at its base clock, which sits about 500MHz higher than the standard non-K i7 8700. Because of that, there's really no way I'm considering those overpriced i5 chips that lack HT.

The difference is really just a 100MHz bump in clock speeds; I guess the base clock is mainly there so Intel can claim a 65W TDP for the Core i7 8700.

swiftfalcon89 said:The Ryzen 5 3600 actually caught up to the Core i7 8700 Stock (keep in mind this test used an i7 8700K at its stock settings, which runs 500MHz faster than the non-K i7 8700), so those overpriced i5 chips without HT aren't even worth discussing.

An 8600K is cheaper than an 8700 and you can overclock it, making it faster than either the Stock 8700 or a Ryzen 3600 most of the time.

The i5-9400F is noticeably weaker than the Ryzen 5 3600.

Being Futureproof and handling non-gaming workloads is a whole different ballgame.

Pure hexas like the Intel Core i5-9600K can actually show more significant FPS drops or lower minimum frame rates in certain benchmarks. Plus, since the socket is likely end-of-life, there isn't much point in picking one up over an R5 3600...