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
https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/vQqvG/broken-age
https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/KA9Ez/overlord-ii
https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/gA7zr/the-town-of-light
https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/2ULJX/motogp15
https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/mnoSp/mxgp-the-official-motocross-videogame
https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/X1rCF/system-shock-enhanced-edition
https://www.steamgifts.com/giveaway/lu6i4/system-shock-2

4 years ago*

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Is it better to get 2 ram cards or one bigger one (eg 2x8 or 1x16)?

4 years ago*
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Building an Intel computer in 2020?!?! o.O

4 years ago
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4 years ago
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Smartbuy, серьёзно? За эти деньги лучше взять Crucial BX500 или любой WD.

4 years ago
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Серьезно, мне жаль что вы не знаете кто занимается производством ssd и думаете что wd их делает самостоятельно.

4 years ago
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Sorry, I thought you were from Russia (your nickname). The list of components that I have provided you is worth about $ 500. Probably in the US it will cost less. Good luck)

4 years ago
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4 years ago
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What's the goal for the computer? I'm assuming gaming, but what kinds of games? And I'm assuming USA?

4 years ago
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Yes and yes

4 years ago
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Alright. Some people have already shown some budget builds linked from pcpartpicker, but here are what I'd suggest for both AMD and Intel. I saw you said in other posts you may have a case and fans, and psu, but... I added a case just in case you wanted something nice, it comes with 1 fan installed. Also, I threw in a power supply, because you don't want to risk some old one that could kill the PC. However I went for a cheaper one than listed in other linked builds since having semi modular really isn't that big a deal imo. It's quite easy to manage cable and hide extras under PSU shrouds.

AMD

  • Says there may be compatibility issues, but based on newegg reviews, the motherboard worked with Ryzen 3000 CPU's out of the box, no need for BIOS update.

AMD Build Performance

  • You could expect slightly better performance than what's shown in the video since the video is running a 4GB instead of 8GB RX 570.

Intel

Final notes...

The Intel PC will get better FPS in many games, however the upgrade path is more limited. Down the road, you could jump up to an i7 9700 (8 core 8 thread) CPU, K versions would be useless since the B365 motherboards are locked and can't overclock.

i3-9100F vs Ryzen 3 3200G

The AMD build will allow you to upgrade to any Ryzen 3000 series cpu, and AMD announced B450 will be given support for Ryzen 4000 through BIOS updates. The motherboard I selected however, it is capable of overclocking, but you won't get god tier overclocks if you try. In addition, the AMD cpu selected has integrated graphics, so although unlikely, if the gpu ever failed, the PC wouldn't be rendered useless. It wouldn't game as well as with the GPU, but it's still capable. Future CPU upgrades you make likely wouldn't have integrated graphics though.

Personally I don't overclock, and I doubt it's something you'd bother with, plus it's really not a requirement in this day and age imo, so... Either route works, I just feel AMD would be more worth it in the long run due to more upgrade choicecs, but Intel would still serve you well. I'm a bit biased in favor of AMD tho, since they're also good productivity CPU's, and I do all sorts of graphics, music, etc.

Both motherboards also have additional RAM slots if you ever feel the need to exceed 16GB, tho at this time, 16GB is more than enough.

As for Windows, if you don't have a spare key to use, you can download Windows 10 off of microsofts website, setup an installation package on a USB, and install without a key. The only downside is without a key activation, you can't change the desktop background, and a watermark will show up at the bottom right of the screen. There are ways of dealing with those issues, but it's tasks you have to repeat on a regular bases, and honestly, the watermark is something that you'll rarely even notice, plus how often do people really stare at their desktop?

4 years ago*
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PCPartPicker is your friend!

If you're in the US, check out r/buildapcsales for great deals posted every hour. You can also use r/buildapc to ask questions and see what's currently relevant in PC building.

EDIT: This is PCPartPicker's current recommended budget build at $500. It will show you what to shoot for and an give you an idea of how far you can stretch the budget.

4 years ago*
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These sites offer good information upon which you can develop your individual build.

logicalincrements.com
pcpartpicker.com/guide/

4 years ago
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An OEM key for Windows 10 can save a lot of money compared to buying a standard copy of Windows 10. You can get that for like $25 tops, the downside is that Microsoft may not give you direct technical support and if you ever change the motherboard it will invalidate the license as it ties the license to the hardware. I will say that the savings are big enough that you could probably buy a few and you'll still be saving money. Although obviously look into it yourself as I don't feel comfortable entirely recommending it.

If you want a PC which is upgradable in the longer term you'll want a decent motherboard and power supply.

EDIT - I guess as stated below if you had a retail version of Windows yourself you may be able to get Windows 10 installed on the PC that way, although I don't mess with no retail keys.

4 years ago*
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With the same Microsoft account, you can install Windows 10 in at least 10 different PCs

4 years ago
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Depends on if they have a retail version of Windows 10 themselves I guess.

4 years ago
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You should go to pcpartpicker.com for the information, you will get good info from there

4 years ago
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Some more insight into what your son wants to use the computer for and what--if any-- parts that you already have (even if only things like keyboard, mouse, monitor, case, etc) would be helpful. At the most basic you are going to want:

  1. motherboard
  2. memory (RAM-- at least 8)
  3. power supply
  4. storage (HDD or SSD)
  5. CPU (+ cooler if not built in)
  6. Case and externals (mouse/keyboard/monitor)
  7. Video card (integrated graphics on your motherboard will be enough for very basic tasks, but I assume he wants to play games too)

And of course, make sure that you remember to buy a copy of your OS if you don't already have one.

When building your own computer it is important to remember to check that your various components are compatible. It's a good idea to decided on the CPU first, so that you can make sure everything else is compatible. As to where you should splurge and where to save, that depends on what your son wants to use his computer for. But never scrimp on the PSU; it may not matter to you whether it is fully modular or not, but you want to have a decent and reliable brand.

4 years ago
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I have a mouse and keyboard, probably a case, psu, and a fan - from an old computer

4 years ago
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Consult somebody about the PSU. If it's inadequate, or if it fails, it could damage more valuable components.

4 years ago
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Okay, that's good. Those peripherals add up but aren't the sort of thing you want to spend too much money on with such a limited budget. Like Gothemasticator mentioned, make sure that psu is in good condition and a good brand. PSU failures can fry your whole machine and be an expensive mess. I'd also double check that fan; depending on how hard you push your CPU, it might not be enough to keep things properly cool. Especially if you think your son might try overclocking it to get the most power out of a budget CPU.

Given what you've said, I'd budget most of your money for the motherboard + CPU + RAM. Those three need to be compatible so they will often upgrade at the same time (sometimes you can make an incremental change that only increases one, but usually you'll buy a new CPU and find that your old motherboard doesn't support it or vice versa). Since you said you want to build with an eye toward eventually upgrading, you want to plan your build so all three of the components need upgrading at the same time.

GPU and storage are going to be less important, so long as your kid doesn't want to play brand new AAA games at ultra high graphics. You can get away with a lower quality GPU if you play less graphic intense games, or are willing to play on lower graphics quality. Storage, likewise, can be managed by deleting what you aren't currently using or by using alternative storage options for things you don't need locally. These are also easily upgraded, so if it bothers him too much he can always add them to his next gift-giving holiday list.

Good luck to your kid! Sounds like he is going to have a good birthday =)

4 years ago
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What’s your opinion on one ram card vs two? Is it better to get 28 or 116?

4 years ago
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As a general rule, 2 smaller RAM is generally better than 1 larger one for maximizing speed. This is because if you have 2 sticks, they can be run in dual channel mode. For CPU speeds, the bulk of wait time is data entering and leaving the RAM. Data using dual-channel memory is more efficient as data can be transferring via two channels instead of just one.

However, if you want to upgrade to 32 gb of RAM soon, it will save you a bit a money to go with the 16gb option instead. This is because you can just add another 16gb stick (turning it into a dual channel) rather than having to replace both 8gb sticks with new 16gb ones.

Personally, I would advise you to buy the two 8gb sticks. 16 gb of RAM should be plenty, so I don't think the upgrading considerations should sway you here.

4 years ago
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PSU model , brand and how much amps or watts can provide on 12V line ?
You prefer brand new parts or second hand /used ? * ( you can find used parts still covered by warranty)

I myself for years, do not buy any new part to my PC with exception on PSU *( last year on sale) covered by 10 years warranty :)

Your location * Country and I will try find you some builds.

4 years ago*
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I was wondering about used. I’m not against it at all, which parts are most durable, and therefore ok to get used?

I’m in the US (New York state)

4 years ago
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Just don't get used Graphics Cards, Power Supplies, or SSD's/HDD's. CPU's tend to be quite durable, risk of failure even with a used one is rare, while most RAM comes with a lifetime warranty and the companies won't give a hard time if you don't have receipts, just be sure to look into the used ram you're buying to know what kind of warranties it has, but even then, failure is rare. As for motherboards, kinda in the middle, still not a huge risk with them, but you can never really know, so only buy if you get huge savings.

That all said, I can't say 100% on this, since I've never had RAM fail, but... To my understanding, the lifetime warranty is based on the manufacturing lifetime of the product, so naturally, when the day comes companies stop making DDR4, it would no longer be replaced.

4 years ago
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CPU / Case /Monitors / Air CPU coolers / RAM - are most durable. Less durable are Motherboards, PSU, followed by Graphic Cards. * Most failure due overheat by poor air circulation.

I personally only once during last 10 years encounter bad used GPU but after resale only lose 15$
Simply if you clean GPU from time to time from dust and replaced thermal paste every 3 years will be fine.

4 years ago*
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Bulid:
CPU AMD Ryzen 3 1200 Quad-Core + Cooler ~30-45$ EBAY https://www.ebay.com/itm/AMD-Ryzen-3-1200-Quad-Core-3-1GHz-65W-Socket-AM4/153981334307
Mobo : B450 60-70$ EBAY https://www.ebay.com/itm/MSI-B450-A-PRO-MAX-AMD-Motherboard/224055635678
Or new in shops 80-105$ https://www.newegg.com/asrock-b450-pro4/p/N82E16813157841
RAM: 16GB 55$ https://www.newegg.com/team-16gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820331360
SSD: 512G 52$ https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07NRMXWHW?psc=1&th=1&linkCode=gs2&tag=pcp0f-21
GPU: RX 580 120-150$ * Still have warranty or in shops new form 170$ https://www.ebay.com/itm/MSI-Armor-Mk-2-Rx580-OC-edition-8gb-graphics-card/143638338924

Total around: 360~450$

If need budget PSU 60$ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HKL8JQF

  • Search also on local craigslist for deals

B450 allow later upgrade up to 16 core CPU if needed ;)

4 years ago*
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The Town of Light GA has the HB gift link in the description, probably by mistake

4 years ago
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Once you decide what to buy, if you are in the US, see if you are lucky and have a Micro Center near you. They sometimes have unbeatable prices on certain parts (usually CPUs or CPU + motherboard combos), but you have to buy them in the store. Also compare prices with Amazon and Newegg.

4 years ago
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Honestly, can you tell him it'll be a belated birthday and wait on some black friday deal? It should have good deals and might get him a better computer with that budget.

4 years ago
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Honestly, Black Friday is not as wonderful as some people think. There are deals all year round (from time to time) and waiting 3 months to save 10% is not worth it
(I mean compared to, say, 4th of July sale, or Labor Day sale)

4 years ago
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You are thinking correctly here.

4 years ago
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Then wait for july 4th sale, it's one week.

4 years ago
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Why do you think I’m asking now?

4 years ago
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Don't need to have an attitude. Just trying to help you save some money and make the budget worth more.

4 years ago
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I don't have an attitude, I'm sorry if I came off as such. on the internet, things sometimes come off harsher than intended

4 years ago
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All good. Good luck with finding some deals. I built mine like 6 years ago but with a friend's help. We mainly got it all during Black Friday but it cost a lot a lol at the time since I had to get the tower, monitors, basically everything.

4 years ago
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This is a very decent build for the money, plus the total runs up to $499.94 which is within your range.
The only thing I would change is motherboard - you should get one based on newer B550 chipset so that you will have the ability to upgrade to Zen3 CPUs later on (B450 are not guaranteed to support them).
Get one from this list.

4 years ago*
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You forgot the engine tho.

4 years ago
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Yah, that build doesn't work since the CPU isn't in stock anywhere, and also isn't calculating it into the price since there is no price to calculate due to no stock.

4 years ago
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4 years ago*
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I have no advice as I am in the process myself and it's a process alright but I know you'll find help here.
Just wanted to say it's a great project for a birthday and ask if your kid is working for the mob or something :P
At 10 I couldn't have save 200 bucks even if my life depended on it and I was working newspaper routes (but I was and always am a lousy spender)

Anyway pretty cool stuff and pretty cool kid managing his money like that.

4 years ago
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My daughter when she was 7 saved up for a $180 dollhouse. I have no idea where she got the money.

4 years ago
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Hahaha I think your kids found a secret stash!
It's awesome though. So many kids today grow up with their hand held out for their parents to get them everything and it's cool that there are kids who learn to save up for what they want. You need these skills when you become a grown up and live on your own.
I have so many younger friends who are living week to week because they don't know how to manage the money they make.

4 years ago
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The two PC PartPicker builds that have been linked are both good, but I would go with the Intel build: https://pcpartpicker.com/guide/3pkcCJ/entry-level-intel-gaming-build

The AMD build linked to has no price for the CPU, so the price is not accurate.

The Intel build will suffice for all the games a 10 year old can and should be playing. Don't expect it to play The Witcher 3, though...

4 years ago
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What games do you think he shouldn’t be playing? On a while, I can’t think of many that he’d want to play but aren’t suitable

4 years ago
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I'd ignore that statement. What a child should or should not be playing is something that needs to be decided on an individual basis, entirely based on their individual maturity level. You'd know what is suitable for your child better than anyone else I'm sure.

4 years ago
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Avoid games with R18+

4 years ago
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He’s not big on sexual content, but certainly isn’t scared of violence. He’s been watching horror movies half his life

4 years ago
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IMO R18+ aren't always as bad as regulators try to demonize them.
Instead, 10yr should avoid highly toxic competitive games (CSGO, battle royales, moba games, PvP shooters, etc) and games with influence of lootboxes (although since your boy saved $500 by himself, maybe he know the money's value?).
All in all, it's up to you to decide what may be bad for your son since, well, you are the one here who know him better than anyone.

4 years ago
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That’s pretty much my opinion too

4 years ago
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I'm sure you're right. All the games he will want to play are great games. I didn't mean anything by it.

4 years ago
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Sorry, I didn’t mean anything either.
Just that age ratings are very rough, and everyone reacts to content differently.

4 years ago
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No hard feelings!🤝

4 years ago
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Don't expect it to play The Witcher 3, though...

Why not? Such a system is absolutely capable to run Witcher 3 in 1080p. Not in 60 fps, but good enough.

4 years ago
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Serious?
The CPU in this build is inferior to the CPU listed as minimum spec for TW3: http://www.cpu-world.com/Compare/481/Intel_Core_i3_i3-2130_vs_Intel_Core_i5_i5-2500K.html

4 years ago
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There are plenty enough benchmark videos available showing systems with the CPU and a weaker GPU running Witcher 3.

Edit:
I'm also not sure why your comparison is about the i3 2130, while your build had the i3 9110F. Which is better than the minimum spec.
http://www.cpu-world.com/Compare/555/Intel_Core_i3_i3-9100F_vs_Intel_Core_i5_i5-2500K.html
Maybe I misunderstood you somewhere, no idea.

4 years ago*
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Well I'll be damned. You are correct, sir.

4 years ago
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Well, good news for the kid! ;)

4 years ago
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That's a tight budget, the main concern would be what CPU you want $$$-wise, then pick a motherboard that the cpu will work on - plus a cpu cooler because 99.9% stock fans are sh*t. PCpartpicker will let you know if there are any compatibility issues between the parts. The RAM will also need to be compatible with the motherboard you pick. When upgrading in the future, these three parts will almost definitely need to be replaced together. Everything else is free to choose, except making sure it all fits in the case, and that the psu is powerful enough to run all your parts.

Maybe take a look at builds on PCpartpicker to get a hint of how much you are willing to spend on each part. With that budget, I would definitely skimp on the video card, it's easy to upgrade later anyways, peripherals - monitor/headset/kb+mouse - are extra too.

Don't forget about any sales/electronic/environmental tax that may be in your area!

It is also possible for him to "borrow credit( money)" from you for slightly better cpu investment and pay you back over time, but then he'll be a 10 year old in debt to you.

4 years ago*
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is this for fortnite? how about a tablet instead?

https://www.logicalincrements.com/
Are you going to use it too? how about saving another $500?

If it's just e-sports games (lol, fornite, cs:go) $300 tier is fine (RAM at least 8 GB (2 sticks of 4 GB)).
Ryzen R3 2200G's integrated graphic is enough. No need to buy GPU.
https://youtu.be/GaA6yTy8pJI?t=895 (Benchmark)

You can save money on skipping additional case fans, cpu cooler (stock is fine, just noisier), and case.
Parts without RGB / gaming moniker is often cheaper.

building pc
https://youtu.be/1Zt1P41pjE4
https://youtu.be/i5jFXl0GZJo
https://youtu.be/IhX0fOUYd8Q

4 years ago
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no one should be playing fortnite

4 years ago
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Since there are so many useful advice here already, the only thing i can say is: Don't cheap out on PSU, some people actually buy one for the build just to save up some money, but believe me its not worth it! PSU is gonna last longer than most other component if it's great quality, and if you are planning to upgrade your build in the future, you know it can handle it!

4 years ago
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Guess you got a good list there already. Hope you can build it up and your son will have much fun.

4 years ago
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Here's a decent guide for a budget build and how to install
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PubJxQBKBio

4 years ago
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Tell him to keep some money for games!

You can save money on the motherboard. Take the cheapest one and just make sure it supports the CPU you want. Unless you're (or your son is) an enthusiast looking for a +2% performance in a few select games for a ridiculous price, you won't want to upgrade the CPU for 5+ years and by then you will have to change the motherboard anyway, so...

For the CPU, I suggest a Ryzen 3400G (or 2400G if you can buy it from someone). It's a good CPU and it has onboard graphics, which is really more than enough for a 10 years old. And you can buy a discrete graphics card to upgrade this build in a few years. Don't go for the 2200G or 3200G as the integrated graphics is not worth it, unless you know for sure which games are going to be played for the next few years and that those games are not too demanding.

4 years ago
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I’m gonna give him my steam account with 700+ good games

4 years ago
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Nice!

4 years ago
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while i can't help with the computer building stuff , i can help by bumping them threadz!

4 years ago
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As a few others have mentioned https://pcpartpicker.com is an incredibly useful tool.

Youtube can teach you anything you need to know. A couple of good channels that helped me when I built my first PC are Linus Tech Tips & JayzTwoCents:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dEfc9LL9bQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_DcWgxMZ3k

Good luck with the build!

4 years ago
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+1 LTT. Just watched their new $500 build video that you linked to and its just what OP needs to see/hear

4 years ago
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I usually use https://www.logicalincrements.com/ to find out what kind of parts I should expect for a given budget
Then once I've found some parts I want I slam them in https://pcpartpicker.com/ to see if there's any incompatibilities

Make sure to budget for peripherals (keyboard, mice, monitor) if you don't already have them

4 years ago
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check this full build.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/GZcBn7

4 years ago
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