What country? What sites are available? I'd like to help but being from Europe myself I have no idea what $ prices to look at.
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Does the $500 budget include monitor and peripherals? If so maybe it's a bit tight for gaming.
I would also take a look at https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/, there's a lot of info and people discussing builds on a similar budget.
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Considering pretty tight budget but still having plans to upgrade in the future, I'd say go with AMD - Intel simply will require more money since they change their platform almost every year.
Small ed. Numbers inside parentheses are prices from pcpartpicker.
Ryzen 1600 (100) - because on pcpartpicker I can see only Athlons and R3 cheaper than 1600 and they don't really worth it for that (25) saving.
B450 mobo (75) - your best option right now. All three Ryzen gens work fine, plus AMD claims that 4th gen will be AM4 compatible as well.
2x8Gb RAM (65)
This is pretty much bang for the buck, around $250.
Add 400-500Gb SSD here (50), RX 570 8Gb (140), case (50), PSU (50) and here we are with $540 build.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/tBTFNq
My thoughts for this build:
Storage: I'd aim for Samsung EVO (860 in particular) which costs $25 but these models are known for their quality.
GPU: I'd personally try and go for 1060 6Gb (if it's still available in your local stores for a decent price) or 1660 6Gb (~200). It's a bit faster than 570, costs $60 more, but Nvidia's GPUs don't have constant issues like AMD. Maybe new AMD GPUs will finally fix that, but for now Nvidia is simply easier to work with. But I doubt it'll be a problem for you to google for a workaround for AMD issue if you to experience one.
Case: You don't really need to buy a brand new one case. Unlike other PC components, cases can be safely bought from second-hand market. Check if there are any local offers. For example, I managed to get my current MC500P (and looking like brand new one) for $50 when the retail prices were $170.
PSU: This is the trickiest part in my opinion. It's very important to have good PSU as having a crappy one may result in getting all your components short-circuited and fried. There is always a chance that your particular model is defected. I used to have a Cooler Master V550 (or 650? can't remember) with Gold certificate but after 6 months of using it it started to cause reboots for my PC. I asked local RMA and they told me that for some reason they've been experiencing a lot of RMA cases for these models.
Check for user reviews, look for 500W model. From the parts available on pcpartpicker, I can see be quiet! Straight Power 11 550, but it costs $100.
Check tech youtubers like Paul's Hardware, BitWit, JayzTwoCents, Greg Salazar. Previously mentioned https://pcpartpicker.com is a good place as well.
For example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PubJxQBKBio
That's it I guess. Hope that was helpful.
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CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 1600 (12nm) 3.2 GHz 6-Core Processor ($104.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($72.99 @ Best Buy)
Memory: Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 CL16 Memory ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: ADATA XPG SX6000 Pro 256 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($43.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital RE 3 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($75.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 570 8 GB GT OC Video Card ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Deepcool MATREXX 30 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Cooler Master Elite V3 600 W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $565.94
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Please give me feedback
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/nmbHMc
his room doesn't have a/c and it gets very hot in summer, so yes, we are spending extra on cooling
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I wouldn't recommend that graphic card, for me it's a waste of money if had had to choose with that card and onboard graphics i'd choose onboard.
I don't know about the heat but many times it's not the first summer, it's the next when air flow in the heatsink is lacking because of dirt. Maybe not the one included with the cpu but why not a better air cooling solution instead of water cooling.
You can save on memory and motherboard and upgrade the card. Also if it's just for gaming 16gb of ram is too much for that GPU.
And i would use an ethernet cable instead of wifi.
And you should ask ngrazer the comment above mine, very similar to mine and well explained.
Another thing i forgot to put in my comment that was later unnecessary by JonathanDoe explanation the CPU i chose is 1600AF which is basically a 2600 and very cheap.
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thank you for this.
Ethernet is not an option, but wifi is cheap enough to not really affect the budget.
the selected CPU doesn't have onboard graphics. what's the minimum graphics card you'd suggest? I figure that's one area that can be upgraded half a year down the line, but that doesn't mean we want garbage.
One big issue I have is that many B450 motherboards indicate they might need a BIOS update, and I don't have an old CPU lying around to do that.
Thank you.
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Ethernet i didn't recommend to save on wifi, but because it's much better. If you can, do this, nothing that cable duct and a crimper tool can't solve.
Yes for onboard the CPU would be a 3400G at 150, but i'd go for the 1600AF, and GPU GTX 1050 and 570 with 4gb should be cheaper but they are not so can't see anything better than 570 8gb.
Just checked and that motherboard supports 1600AF from the first bios version.
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what about this one?
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/mjfLRk
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4gb of ram is nothing you should go at the very least with 8, but i highly recommend 16, when i said 16 was too much it was if the PC is just for gaming and you were using that very bad graphic card.
You removed the SSD, don't do this, you can't have a computer without ssd in 2020. And the HDD of 1TB it's not much.
To save money the mother i chose works without flshing the bios, and go for the 1600AF (it's a 2600) and upgrade in the future, that mother will support Ryzen 4000.
You don't need thermal paste it comes with the cooler that comes with the cpu.
Also i have to repeat the importance of connecting with an ethernet cable, it's not hard to run an utp cable.
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I agree with marianoag I wouldn't recommend using that GPU but apart from that its a good setup. I would look at getting an RX 570 if possible (although you may need to go to a 450w PSU) and look at other ways to reduce cost e.g. reduce RAM to 8GB or leave out SSD as these can easily be added later.
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Remove that graphics card and get a better one. Don't get a water cooling solution if you don't plan on overclocking. I'm going to go against the grain here and say if the budget is tight don't get a SSD, it might be a little slower but that's a part you can always upgrade later when more money is available. For the rest the build seems alright, Any reason for a mini ATX case instead of a full tower?
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Everyone is giving nice advice, I just want to let you know that without a monitor/LCD, that 500 dollar budget wont work. since you are going to spend almost 100 on it, unless you go for used or very budget one.
Maybe give the kid a break on it, so he doesn't waste is budget on the screen part! :)
Hope you and your kid have fun!
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marianoag parts are a nice choice, the Ryzen 5 1600 with the "AFBOX" on the product code is the last iteration of that model and It's nearly identical to the Ryzen 5 2600, I think It was cheaper when AMD released It this year since they still had R5 1600 stock at the factory.
I would go with the Asrock B450M Pro 4 instead of the Gigabyte B450M DS3H since the Asrock Model has heatsinks for cooling the VRMs. Reviewers liked that motherboard, I can't say anything about the B550M Pro 4 model tho but a 550 would be ideal If the B450 doesn't have the support for the Ryzen 5 1600 AF out of the box. They might have sell B450 motherboards with a bios revisión that supports that CPU. Be sure to check which bios revisión the boards have for full CPU support.
Discard Asus and Gigabyte on their entry level models unless they have VRM cooling and a fair price. Asrock and MSI been doing good boards but as any company, they create great products and lame ones. Newegg reviews help too. HW reviewers even more.
For the RX 570 I would go for the Sapphire Pulse 8GB model for only $10 more, more quality overall. Again, discard Gigabyte and Asus.
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Please give me feedback
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/nmbHMc
his room doesn't have a/c and it gets very hot in summer, so yes, we are spending extra on cooling
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I see they have already give you advice about that build, but one more thing, If you're going wireless get one adapter that supports the last WiFi iteration which is 802.11AC and also have an antenna, It can be USB or PCI express according to your needs (motherboard and case). TP-Link is reliable but that one is gonna be a dissapointment.
If your router supports 802.11AC buying a wireless adaptor with that tech will help a lot for his gaming experience. Your ISP needs to give you one in any case. 802.11N is a bit old. AC doubles the speed and gives better connection overall.
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Since you're on a tight budget like I was, I upgraded some RAM a bit more than a year ago off a prebuilt that was getting bottlenecked by it's 8GB.
I went with OLOy branded RAM as it was the cheapest GB/$ and while I did have to do a BIOS upgrade to get the full speed, everything has been working well since.
Newegg has 32GB pretty cheap hovering around $125/32GB (and as low as 100 on sale), but with your budget I'd recommend going with 16GB and you can upgrade later.
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Please give me feedback
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/nmbHMc
his room doesn't have a/c and it gets very hot in summer, so yes, we are spending extra on cooling
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Even so, don't get water cooling. The Wraith fan/heatsink that comes with the cpu will do the job. Also it comes with thermal paste already. That video card isn't worth beans. You're going to have to spend about $125-$150 for a graphics card. I suggest looking for a terrorists rx 570 4GB model.
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Cooler: If you don't plan to OC, then you don't need liquid cooler. I have 2600X and used to have Gammaxx 400 ($25 only). With environmental temps around 28C, with enabled turbo boost I'd get ~60C for my CPU in games. With turbo boost disabled, I'd usually get 45-50C.
Storage: I've heard a lot of bad things about ADATA. Basically Samsung is the absolute leader in SSD segment, Kingston, Crucial and Plextor are a bit behind Samsung but still good. Other brands aren't that lovable by users so be very careful about them.
GPU: Absolute waste of money. Yeah, Ryzens don't have integrated graphics, so you'll need some GPU for your PC to work properly, but if you want to play on this PC then switch to something better like previously mentioned RX570.
PSU: 400W is a bit not enough for modern mid-range builds. For example, for both 570 and 1660 manufacturers usually recommend having a 450W PSU.
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You should still stay far away from water cooling until you notice your CPU is bottlenecked by heat (and definitely not for a first build),
Too much that can go wrong, and the funds would be better off invested in a more efficient CPU.
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how about this
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/mjfLRk
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Can you run Ethernet cable to his room? For online games, nothing beats a direct wired connection.
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I've never heard of CoolMax so can't say anything about them. I can see Thermaltake TR2 (CWT platform apparently) for ~$55, so maybe dig for info about that model instead since Thermaltake offers 5yrs warranty according to Amazon and they at least have a 'weight' in the industry.
1x4Gb is not enough nowadays. Spend more on 2x8 kit today, so you don't need to worry about upgrading it in the nearest future.
Why the 3600 though? You can go with 1600AF and B450.
1600AF+B450=$175, 3600+550=$270. 100 bucks difference there which you can spend on things like PSU/memory/storage.
With mid-range GPU and 75 or less Hz monitor you won't even notice a difference between 3600 and 1600AF in games.
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B450 will allow you to upgrade to Ryzen 4000, but Ryzen 5000 will have ddr5 and you won't be able to use it with a motherboard that you buy now, you can upgrade to a 4950x (not released yet) with a b450.
A B450 is plenty for upgrading, use that money for an SSD. It will make a lot of difference.
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Giveaway
The Town of Light
Error
Deleted 2 days ago by the giveaway creator, dingbat.
Reason
Leaked Giveaway
Description
The URL for this private giveaway has been leaked, and the giveaway removed.
LOL xD
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I don't know if this has been posted, but the best way to pick your components is to do your own research, because conflicting advices will just make a mess out of your shopping list. In my opinion, a great place to start researching is Anandtech and their buyer's guides. You can find them here https://www.anandtech.com/tag/buyers-guides
Just pick the compatible components that fit your budget and you you're good to go. Keep in mind though, the more you research the more options you can discover.
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yeah, I know. I just needed to get pointed in the right direction.
Everyone is giving their opinion, and from their POV, and I took it all on board and did my own thing.
I did insist on having my son research intel v AMD and Nvidia vs AMD, but then I took care of the rest.
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He decided on Ryzen and Radeon, the rest was up to me
CPU AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor $174.89
Motherboard Gigabyte B550M AORUS DS3H Motherboard $94.99
Video Card ASRock Radeon RX 570 8 GB Phantom Gaming D Video Card $143.98
Memory G.Skill Aegis 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 CL16 Memory $57.99
Storage Seagate SkyHawk 1 TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive $39.50
Power Supply CoolMax 600 W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply $56.98
Wireless Network Adapter TP-Link TL-WN725N USB 2.0 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi Adapter $9.19
Case Fan Rosewill RFA-80-K 33.21 CFM 80 mm Fan $6.00
Thermal Compound Arctic Silver Ceramique 2 Tri-Linear 2.7 g Thermal Paste $4.90
it's a little over budget, but I'd rather he gets something decent than bargain-basement - and at the same time where an upgrade or two next summer can show a noticeable difference as an easy example, getting a solid state drive next year will show a noticeable increase in startup speed - while a 1TB HD gives him more than enough storage to have quite a few games at a time
On the other hand, the price difference between a B450 and a B550 was small enough that I'd rather get the newer one, so he could upgrade the CPU without needing to swap everything else out. Likewise, the price difference between 4GB ram and 16GB was small enough that I paid the difference out of my own pocket.
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That will be a good rig. You can nitpick any parts list, but this is a solid budget build.
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Yeah, well, when he saves up another $250-$400, he can upgrade the video card and then sell his old one for $80.
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I insist on getting the Sapphire GPU instead but your call, not bad overall. The wireless adapter needs to be changed tho.
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Quality overall yes, It even has a backplate. Asrock, is new on the GPU sales and I remember reading that their GPU fans are loud. They both cost the same on Newegg. Any graphics card can fail but I don't think Sapphire will.
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PCPartPicker is mainly to help you gather your PC parts in a list and see if the site says anything wrong with it. The offering choices to buy the parts are indeed sub-par and numerous parts are only linked to Amazon and Newegg. Buying parts requires you to sift through the internet. Where I look for deals is here: https://old.reddit.com/r/buildapcsales/ and if you want to find used parts: https://old.reddit.com/r/hardwareswap/
With the coronavirus shenanigans, $500 build is less flexible than at the start of 2020. PSUs are either out of stock or priced higher than usual currently. Motherboards luckily came back in stock mid-June. Everything else to build a PC is fine albeit the retailers may increase the prices then include discounts that bring down the prices to their regular values. There will be no heavy discounts for awhile.
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Edit: Apparently, half the components I picked on pcpartspickers are unavailable. What's the point of helping me select items that can't be purchased. that website sucks
For my son's birthday, I'm going to help him build his first computer. Neither of us know anything about building a computer, so I'm looking for advice here, from a complete list of components we need, websites that can help us figure out what to get, etc.
Total budget is about $500 he's 10, he saved it up himself, so I'd like advice on where to spend extra cash, where to save, etc., and to also build with an eye toward upgrading in the future.
Of course, there's nothing for nothing
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