Here’s a solid PC configuration for around $650 suitable for gaming.
Here’s a solid PC configuration for around $650 suitable for gaming.
My adolescent son liquidated a considerable portion of his belongings to finance a gaming workstation. He currently possesses $650 in savings, and an individual advertising on Craigslist within the United States is offering a meticulously assembled computer for $625. As I'm unfamiliar with gaming hardware, I’d value your opinion on whether this represents a favorable offer or if further investigation is warranted. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Component Details:
Processor: AMD Ryzen5-1400, reaching a clock speed of up to 3.4 GHz with 4 cores and 8 threads (comparable to an i7).
Cooling: DEEPCOOL ICE BLADE 2x L.E.D. Fans – completely new.
Graphics Card: Gigabyte RX 570 8GB (performs similarly to a GTX1060 3GB) – a gaming component.
Memory: Crucial 8x2GB (16GB) 2400mhz – new.
Motherboard: MSI A320 ATX.
Storage: 240gb SSD Inland (for Windows – new).
Hard Drive: Seagate 7200rpm 1000GB (1TB).
Power Supply: EVGA 600w 80+ – new.
Operating System: Windows 10 Pro – new.
Case: RoseWill SPECTRA C100 – new.
Fans: 3x 120mm Blue L.E.D. (front), 1x 120mm Blue L.E.D. (rear) – new.
Ports: LAN x1, USB 2.0 x6, USB 3.0 x6, 5 audio jacks – high definition audio.
Outputs: HDMI x1, DVI x1, DisplayPort x2
That certainly isn't a favorable proposition. You could construct an entirely new system with superior capabilities. If you’re unfamiliar with assembly, it's remarkably straightforward. You don't require a detailed understanding of its operation to assemble it – everything simply connects together, and you both might gain some knowledge along the way.
Here’s a construction costing $600. It requires windows, but he could operate an unlicensed version temporarily until he secures the $100 necessary for activation.
PCPartPicker component list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/nZn2w6
Price breakdown by vendor: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/nZn2w6/by_merchant/
CPU: AMD - Ryzen 3 2200G 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock - B450M PRO4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($82.68 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Team - Vulcan
That’s certainly not a favorable offer. Constructing your own system would likely yield superior performance. If you're unfamiliar with assembly, it’s surprisingly simple—no technical expertise is required to assemble it. You simply connect the components, and you’re likely to gain valuable knowledge along the way.
This build is available for $608. It requires windows, but you could temporarily operate it with a trial version until you can afford the $100 activation fee.
PCPartPicker component list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/nZn2w6
Merchant price breakdown: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/nZn2w6/by_merchant/
Components: AMD Ryzen 3 2200G Processor (Quad-Core, 3.5 GHz) – $94.99 (Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B450M PRO4 Micro ATX AM4 – $82.68 (OutletPC)
Memory: Team Vulcan 16 GB DDR4-3000 – $89.99 (Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX500 500 GB SSD – $57.99 (Amazon)
Graphics Card: PowerColor Radeon RX 580 8 GB – $169.99 (Newegg)
Case: NZXT H500 (Black) ATX Mid Tower – $69.99 (Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620 W – $42.98 (Newegg)
Total: $608.61
Prices include shipping, taxes and any applicable discounts. Generated by PCPartPicker on 2019-01-30 09:26 EST-0500
This setup isn’t terrible, but I believe it could be improved. Items such as the 600 Watt power supply are largely unnecessary, as a solid 400 Watt model would likely suffice. The pre-installed AMD cooler is adequate, eliminating the need for an additional aftermarket solution – it simply adds to the cost without providing significant performance gains.
Here’s a suggested configuration:
PCPartPicker list:
/
Merchant price breakdown:
CPU:
AMD Ryzen 5 2600 (3.4 GHz, 6-Core Processor) – ($165.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard:
Gigabyte B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard – ($76.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory:
Team Vulcan 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 – ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Storage:
Kingston A400 240 GB 2.5” Solid State Drive – ($33.99 @ Newegg)
Storage:
Western Digital Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5” 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive – ($44.89 @ OutletPC)
Graphics Card:
Sapphire Radeon RX 580 8 GB NITRO+ – ($199.99 @ Newegg Business)
Case:
Rosewill FBM-X1 MicroATX Mini Tower Case – ($26.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply:
Corsair CXM (2015) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply – ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $673.70 (Includes shipping, taxes, and discounts)
The upgraded CPU offers increased core count (6 Cores 12 Threads) and a slightly higher clock speed, while the cooler performs effectively.
The graphics card is also an improvement; The RX 580 performs similarly to a GTX 1060 6GB, with performance varying depending on the game, but overall they deliver comparable results.
I’ve boosted the RAM to 3000 MHz, which is beneficial for Ryzen architecture – a small but noticeable performance enhancement.
While the total cost exceeds $650, you could reduce it by opting for a smaller SSD (120GB) or HDD (500GB), with a Windows key available for under $20. All components come with warranties.
This setup isn’t ideal, but could be improved upon. For instance, a 400-watt power supply would likely suffice, as it would be more than adequate for a capable 580-watt card. The stock AMD cooler performs adequately, so an aftermarket solution isn’t necessary – it simply adds unnecessary expense that could be better allocated to components offering performance gains.
Here’s a suggested configuration:
* **CPU:** AMD Ryzen 5 2600 (3.4 GHz, 6-Core) - $165.98 (Newegg)
* **Motherboard:** Gigabyte B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 - $76.88 (OutletPC)
* **Memory:** Team Vulcan 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 - $89.99 (Newegg)
* **Storage:** Kingston A400 240 GB SSD - $33.99 (Newegg)
* **Storage:** Western Digital Caviar Blue 1 TB HDD - $44.89 (OutletPC)
* **Graphics Card:** Sapphire Radeon RX 580 8 GB NITRO+ - $199.99 (Newegg Business)
* **Case:** Rosewill FBM-X1 MicroATX Mini Tower - $26.99 (Amazon)
* **Power Supply:** Corsair CXM 450 W - $34.99 (Newegg)
Total: $673.70 (including shipping, taxes, and discounts).
The enhanced processor offers more cores (6 Cores 12 Threads) with a slightly elevated clock speed, and the cooler is effective. The graphics card upgrade provides comparable performance to a GTX 1060, though results may vary by game. The RAM upgrade to 3000MHz will positively affect Ryzen performance, albeit marginally.
While the total cost exceeds $650, you could reduce it by opting for a 120 GB SSD or a 500 GB HDD, and obtaining a Windows license for under $20. All components are covered by warranties.
It would be unwise to use a 450-watt power supply with the RX 580 and Ryzen 5 2600; a 550-watt unit would be recommended.
My son, age 12, recently sold some belongings to finance a gaming computer. He currently has $650 saved, and he found an advertisement locally on Craigslist in the United States for a customized PC priced at $625. I’m unfamiliar with gaming computers and would appreciate any feedback on whether this represents a worthwhile deal or if I should continue my search. Any guidance would be welcome.
The specifications include: AMD Ryzen5-1400 processor (with a clock speed of up to 3.4 GHz, featuring 4 cores and 8 threads – comparable to an i7), a DEEPCOOL ICE BLADE CPU cooler, a Gigabyte RX 570 graphics card with 8GB of VRAM (performing similarly to a GTX1060 3GB), 16GB of Crucial RAM, an MSI A320 motherboard, a 240gb Inland solid-state drive for the operating system, a 1TB Seagate hard drive, an EVGA 600w power supply (80+ certified), Windows 10 Pro, a RoseWill SPECTRA C100 case, three new blue LED fans (front) and one blue LED fan (rear), LAN ports (x1), USB 2.0 ports (x6), USB 3.0 ports (x6), five audio jacks, high-definition audio output, a single HDMI port, one DVI port, and two DisplayPort connections.
This appears to be a reasonable price for a pre-assembled gaming PC. While you could achieve superior components by building it yourself, this would involve sacrificing the Windows license and running the system without a legitimate activation – which I personally dislike. It would also require a significant investment of time and effort.
A price of $550 might be a favorable offer, though it could prove difficult to achieve for the seller. $600 would also be acceptable, as he won’t experience a significant loss, and even at the full price of $625, it remains reasonable given that it includes a legitimate Windows license. When compared to other configurations, the first option is priced at $665 with a $60 discount, while the second comes in slightly above $700 with a $30 reduction. In each scenario, you’re forfeiting the Windows license (approximately $100) to acquire superior components – remember, nothing is truly without cost.
I'd agree with the fact that it's not bad for a ready built machine. If you factor in costs and include your own time ( I don't know if you know how to build a PC by yourself, for example ), you're looking at $80-100 if you go with a non-OEM Windows 10 key. I don't particularly suggest you go with the $80-100 version as there are OEM keys for sale that are significantly cheaper... but let's say it's that $80. That puts the rest of those builds to $700-750, out of budget range. Un-activated windows can be run but once again not ideal. There's also the added time to learn and subsequently build said machine--might be a good bonding experience but that's up to you to know.
On the other hand. If you choose to go with some of the above builds (which I agree are a better dollar for dollar value), you also get warranties. All of those parts are brand new. There is often no lengthy warranty on something you pick up off eBay, craigslist, Facebook marketplace, etc. The warranties on parts in and of themselves would be worth the extra ~$50-75 that the above builds go for. Warranties can be a lifesaver.
Shuffled some of the parts around from the first build to squeeze a little bit more in for the CPU.
PCPartPicker part list:
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/wy977W
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/wy977W/by_merchant/
CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2400G 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus - PRIME B450M-A/CSM Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($77.85 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill - Sniper X 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial - MX500 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($57.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: PowerColor - Radeon RX 580 8 GB Video Card ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cougar - MX330 ATX Mid Tower Case ($43.41 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA - 600B 600 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($29.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $614.11
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-01-30 15:57 EST-0500
Whether you go with new or with a prebuilt, both of them will be a decent value as a gaming machine. It really depends on what weighs more on the scale; the extra money for Windows 10, the time to put in the rebate cards, and the time to build the system, or the lack of warranty, slightly downgraded parts, but hassle free purchase.
The possibility of component guarantees was not something I evaluated. I won’t be assembling it myself, and the integrated screens are a welcome feature. My primary concern is that though this setup will enable him to enjoy his games presently, it might become inadequate for upcoming software, necessitating future expenses and upgrades—something I’d prefer to avoid. However, the fact that he could obtain a fully operational computer for under $600 with minimal effort is appealing.