Hi, I need some advice on how to put together a PC for my dad.
Hi, I need some advice on how to put together a PC for my dad.
Hi, I'm putting together a PC for my dad who mainly wants it to play Microsoft Flight Simulator. I'm so busy because I need everything ready before he flies back for the summer. I've never built one before and I'm worried about killing something if I mess up. Is there anything wrong with this setup? Any easy wins or fatal mistakes?
Parts: Case : Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L Micro ATX - 40$ MB : Gigabyte B550M - 90$ GPU : ASRock RX 6600 Challenger - $220 CPU : Ryzen 5 5600 - $111 RAM : T-Force 2x8GB 3600mhz CL18 - $30 SSD : Crucial P3 1TB M.2 - $64 PSU : Thermaltake Smart 600W 80Plus Certified - $45
It comes to about 600$ with shipping, and I was also looking at these two pre-builts for 859$. That's way more than the cost of my parts. I'm not sure if buying those is better since they are great value for MSFS (maybe?): MSI Codex R2 HZG Gaming Desktop Computer with the difference to me being that one uses 16 DDR5 RAM while the other uses 32 DDR4.
I would really appreciate some clarity on this because I am going crazy researching everything. Thank you!
Here is a list of parts needed for your PC, including the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 processor and its cooler. The Thermalright Assassin X 120 Refined SE will handle this well enough if you only need one part. If you don't have it yet, you can buy one now without any trouble. It keeps things from overheating or melting down, but having to turn the fan on and off every few minutes just ruins fun.
Get rid of that Smart 600w thing if you want your computer to actually work or stop being a total headache. It just burns things up or causes way too much trouble. I'm not kidding, this unit is trash. This is the cheapest power supply I would ever even think about letting live in a build with those specific parts right now because of bad shipping deals and high taxes, plus many companies aren't selling them due to all these confusing rules. Every single PSU I can see from any vendor on PC Partpicker that costs less than this one is either very doubtful or a real danger. It's not just an exaggeration. Sure, it's slightly more expensive than the Smart series model, but it's still a really great power supply. Here is what you get for your money: ADATA XPG Core Reactor II 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply from Amazon ($79.98). That's all you're getting for this price tag including shipping, taxes, and discounts when they are available. This info was generated by PCPartPicker on May 31st, 2025 at 4:15 AM EDT. Also, that Masterbox Q300L is a bad idea because of how little air it can move around inside the box. It's basically the big brother to the Q500L. How much money could you actually afford to spend on this if someone wants to try and get something cheaper than that? Where are you located, like which country are you in? Is there a specific online or local store where you MUST use them, or is it okay to shop around from different sites? Usually, the best places to buy stuff are Amazon or Newegg, and they usually give free shipping.
Honestly it started around $550 but ended up a little more which is okay. Right now that feels like my budget, especially if it runs MSFS with medium settings at 30 frames per second or higher because my dad isn't actually a serious gamer. When thinking about the case for similar money? For the power supply unit (PSU), an $80 one seems really needed but is there maybe a middle option? I was surprised by how they are called time bombs since reviews were great, but I guess people check them right after using them not years later. Maybe spending a little more on the PSU makes sense. I am here in the United States and honestly I prefer sticking to Newegg or something similar like that unless Amazon's choice is much better for me personally. Thanks so much it really means a lot to me!
What reviews? On Amazon? Newegg? Pffffffffffffft. Those aren't reviews. Those are knee jerk feedbacks from people who wouldn't know a power supply from a shoe fly. The only professional review of this that I am aware of was on JonnyGuru.com and it could not pass testing even at it's spec rated loads. Not to mention, I and others have been helping people out of bad situations with these Smart series units ever since Thermaltake ditched the TR2 units and replaced them with these. Trust me, they are one of the worst models out there still being sold by a well known brand. Here's just one example and heck, it's even from a while back. Question - Will a Thermaltake Smart 500 Watt 80 Plus handle my build? Build specs. CPU: Ryzen 5 1600 4.1 Ghz 1.4v CPU Cooler: Corsair Hyper 212 evo (2 fans LED) GPU: Amd Radeon RX Vega 56 Ram: DDR4 8GB 3066 Motherboard: Msi X370 SLI Plus Storage: wd black 1tb 7.2k Rpm and HP S700 250GB ssd 3 Thernaltake Riing 120mm fans So could a Thermaltake Smart 500watt 80... forums. There are literally HUNDREDS more except with actual problems due to having purchased one. If you buy one, you WILL have grief, I promise. Especially with a discreet graphics card installed. With a system that has nothing more than integrated graphics, you MIGHT get by with one for a while, but even then don't expect it to last more than two or three years if it's being used very much. Spend the money on the Core Reactor II. The PSU is THE MOST IMPORTANT component in the system, bar none. No other component in the system matters without a reliable, at least decent quality power supply that can sustain the required capacity because no component in the system can work without it. And, a poor quality or failing power supply can look like any other component failing because without ample, clean power, it can't work right. This is the #1 component in your build you do not want to skimp on. The problem with not going with Amazon is that you end up paying about 20-30% more overall going with all parts from Newegg or another retailer. Occasionally some parts are cheaper using Newegg, or if a specific part is required, is often available through Newegg if it isn't through Amazon, and is close enough to the price it would have been on Amazon to simply say, eh, heck with it, but overall, I generally see anywhere from a 60-200 dollar savings going with Amazon if they have the part because it's simply less expensive. Trust me, I fracking hate them too sometimes. Often in fact. But I'm not going to bite my own nose off just to spite my face.
If you pay that much for those prebuilt systems, why not get something better? Here is the list of parts I picked. The RAM is only 16 GB, which isn't enough for this game. CPU: Intel Core i5-12600KF 3.7 GHz 10-Core Processor ($134.99 @ Newegg) CPU Cooler: ID-COOLING FROZN A620 PRO SE 58 CFM CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Amazon) Motherboard: Gigabyte Z790 D DDR4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Newegg) Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($51.99 @ Newegg) Storage: TEAMGROUP T-FORCE G50 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($57.99 @ Amazon) Video Card: ONIX LUMI OC Arc B580 12 GB Video Card ($309.99 @ Newegg) Case: Montech AIR 903 BASE ATX Mid Tower Case ($65.00 @ Newegg) Power Supply: Montech CENTURY II 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.90 @ Amazon) Total: $869.84 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-05-31 07:50 EDT-0400
I need to build a PC with Ryzen 5 5600 and RX 6600, using DDR4 RAM. What really matters when picking a motherboard? The end is DSH while the start has A or B. There are so many options and I'm confused because some cost more than others by only $10 to $20.
The main thing is how many things are available in each version. Low-end chips only have a few choices, while high-end ones let you pick from more options. It doesn't mean every chip has everything, but the higher you go on the list, the bigger your choice becomes.
I am building a PC with an RX6600 and a Ryzen 5 5600, using 32 gb of ddr4 memory for reference. Is there a big difference between those two hard drives? The Predator one costs $11 more. Thanks!
I'm building a PC with an RX6600 and Ryzen 5 5600, using 32gb DDR4 RAM. I heard the RX 9060 XT will launch on May 5th. Is it worth waiting to get this card for $70? Remember, I probably need it before June 12th because I'm traveling and want to gift my PC soon. Thanks!