Advice and help needed :)

I'm thinking about surprising my son with a solid new PC build, so I’d truly value your expertise and guidance here. I stumbled upon these options on Best Buy's website and find myself wondering what you all make of them.

Are either of these actually decent for gaming, and if I had to pick one, which would you suggest? I'm particularly concerned about how they'll handle Grand Theft Auto V, since that's his absolute favorite; he's been playing on consoles, but he's told me he's dying to make the jump to PC. Thanks for taking the time to help me out. 🙂

The first build makes some sense, I guess, but you’re probably going to end up with some bottom-tier power supply, and honestly, the whole thing could be put together much better.
That second setup is completely unbalanced.

Hang tight until tomorrow. One of the guys here will give you a recommendation for a local shop that'll build it for free if you just hand them a parts list. These pre-built configurations are always a rip-off for the customer (for instance, they didn't even list the power supply model or a few other things here).

Just let me know—are you paying by card or cash?

Also, are you planning on picking up a monitor and stuff too? What's the total budget, or is this just for the PC? You can definitely play Grand Theft Auto V on a rig that costs less than that configuration.

wiredotter14 said:The first option barely makes sense as it stands, though you'll likely end up with some bottom-tier power supply, and honestly, the whole thing could be organized much more efficiently.
That second build is completely unbalanced, isn't it?

Just hang tight until tomorrow; one of the guys here will probably point you toward a local shop that'll put it all together for free if you just hand them a parts list. These "pre-built" bundles are almost always a ripoff for the customer—for instance, they didn't even specify the power supply or a few other essentials here.

Tell me, are you paying by credit card or cash?

And yeah, are you planning on picking up a monitor and everything else too? What's the total budget looking like, or is this strictly for the tower? You could definitely play Grand Theft Auto V on a setup that costs significantly less than this one.

Yes, I am planning to buy a monitor, and the budget is $2333, which includes the monitor. I would truly appreciate it if one of the experts here could put a configuration together for that amount, because I have no desire to get scammed. I'll be paying cash upon delivery, obviously.

boldraven8 said:I’m also planning to pick up a monitor, and my budget is $2333, which includes the monitor itself. I would appreciate it if one of the experts here could put together a build for that amount, because I really don't want to mess this up. Naturally, I prefer paying cash upon delivery at my door.

I doubt you can pay that way. They'll build the rig and ship it, but only if you prepay online or through the store first.

I'm not entirely certain, but I suspect nobody is going to assemble a custom build for you just to have you pay on arrival—unless you leave some kind of agreed-upon deposit. Honestly, people need some sort of guarantee that you're actually going to follow through, if you catch my drift.

**boldraven8**: Is there truly any point in debating these trivialities when the inevitable decay of everything we build is already written in the stars?

mellowtiger83 said:I have my doubts that you can actually pull off a payment like that; won't they just slap you with extra fees for both the hardware and the shipping if you try to settle up through their website or at a brick-and-mortar store ahead of time?

I can't say I'm surprised, but I suspect you won't find anyone willing to put together a custom build just for you on a per-pickup basis unless you're prepared to leave a deposit upfront—because let’s be honest, why wouldn't people demand some kind of guarantee that you aren't just wasting their time?

I follow your logic, and I suppose there isn't much point in arguing with that perspective. I’ll dive into the "how" and the "why" of it all once I have a moment to breathe, but right now, my focus is strictly on the hardware specs—so, where can I actually sit down, spec out a custom build, and get it shipped to my door?

I’ve been tinkering around with some component builds lately, so I’d love to get your take on this

I put this together myself, though I can't help but wonder if it's actually any good or if it will even hold its own against titles like Grand Theft Auto V or Fallout 4? Please, feel free to tear it apart or suggest improvements if anything looks off.

boldraven8 said:I was playing around with some PC builds, so I wanted to get your take on this.

http://assemblio.com/pc/WalPoNZfnx/2

I put this together myself—though I’m really not sure if it’s actually any good or if it can handle games like Grand Theft Auto V or Fallout 4. Please feel free to tweak things or let me know if I messed anything up!

Honestly, it’s not great. That graphics card is pretty outdated, you're looking at an i3 processor, and that 650W power supply is total overkill for this setup. Maybe wait until someone who builds PCs for a living can put together a proper configuration for you? What’s the absolute maximum you’re looking to spend?

Larry Ortiz5 said:It’s a total mess, honestly; you’ve got an outdated GPU paired with an i3 processor, all while being saddled with a completely overkill 650W power supply. Why not just wait for someone who actually builds rigs for a living to put together something that makes sense? What’s the absolute ceiling on your budget?

The most I can go is $2333, and keep in mind that doesn't include a monitor, mouse, or keyboard.

SSD 256 GB Patriot Spark, SATA3, PSK256GS25SSDR
ASRock H110M-HDS motherboard, LGA 1151 socket
Intel Core i5-6402P (6MB Cache, up to 3.40 GHz), LGA 1151
500W FSP Fortron/Source Hydro power supply, ATX 2.4, HD500
8GB (1x8GB) DDR4 PC4-1700 2133MHz CL15 Kingston Value, KVR21N15D8/8, KVR21N15S8/8
XFX RX 480 8GB GTR graphics card, RX-480P8DFA6, 8 GB DDR5, 256-bit, 1288/8000 MHz
1TB Toshiba HDD, 3.5", 7200RPM, 32MB Cache, SATA3, DT01ACA100

$2.00 - Local pickup or free shipping available

crimsonstag84 said:SSD 256 GB Patriot Spark, SATA3, PSK256GS25SSDR
ASRock H110M-HDS motherboard, s1151
Intel Core i5-6402P (6MB Cache, up to 3.40 GHz), s1151
500W FSP Fortron/Source Hydro power supply, ATX 2.4, HD500
DDR4 8GB (1x8GB) PC4-1700 2133MHz CL15 Kingston Value, KVR21N15D8/8, KVR21N15S8/8
XFX RX 480 8GB GTR graphics card, RX-480P8DFA6, 8 GB DDR5, 256-bit, 1288/8000 MHz
1TB Toshiba HDD, 3.5", 7200RPM, 32MB Cache, SATA3, DT01ACA100

$2.00 - Local pickup or free shipping

What kind of performance can I actually expect when running Grand Theft Auto V or Fallout 4 on this setup? Is this build even remotely decent for gaming, or am I just chasing ghosts? Will these two titles actually hold up on Ultra settings, or is that wishful thinking? Thanks for your time.

crimsonstag84 said:SSD 256 GB Patriot Spark, SATA3, PSK256GS25SSDR
ASRock H110M-HDS motherboard, s1151
Intel Core i5-6402P processor (6MB Cache, up to 3.40 GHz), s1151
500W FSP Fortron/Source Hydro power supply, ATX 2.4, HD500
8GB DDR4 (1x8GB) PC4-1700 2133MHz CL15 Kingston Value, KVR21N15D8/8, KVR21N15S8/8
XFX RX 480 8GB GTR graphics card, RX-480P8DFA6, 8 GB DDR5, 256-bit, 1288/8000 MHz
1TB Toshiba HDD, 3.5", 7200RPM, 32MB Cache, SATA3, DT01ACA100

$2.00 - Local pickup or free shipping

I'd rather pay $5.75 more for a SanDisk Z400 256GB (with that 5-year warranty) instead of the Spark... also, I don't see a case listed. Did you forget to paste it or just totally blank on it? 😬 Everything else looks good.👍

Somehow slipped right out of my cart🤣

Zalman Z1 mid Tower case

~$2097 total.

Quote : boldraven8

mellowtiger83 said:I doubt you can even pay that way. They’ll probably just tack on extra fees for the rig and shipping if you try to prepay online or through a retail store.

I don't know, man. I doubt anyone’s gonna put together a custom build for you just to have you pay per pickup unless you leave a deposit. People need some kind of guarantee that you aren't just going to flake out, if you catch my drift.

Most shops around here give you the option to pay cash on delivery, so you just hand over the bills when the delivery guy shows up at your door. 👍

**boldraven8**

boldraven8 said:Most of all. $2333Just the tower. No monitor, mouse, or keyboard included.

What's up? $2333 You’ll nail the setup perfectly—mouse, keyboard, and a full-on monitor config. It'll be seamless.

ovako nesto:

Build - AMD

A little over budget, sure, but at least you get everything in one go. 👍

I appreciate the assistance, everyone; do enjoy yourselves 👍