Review for a first-time PC build for gaming on a son's system.
Review for a first-time PC build for gaming on a son's system.
Hello, I haven't assembled a new machine in more than ten years and have never built a gaming PC before. This is the first budget-friendly gaming build for my son, aiming to take advantage of Thanksgiving discounts. Locating a reasonably priced yet capable gaming GPU under $350 has been challenging. He currently plays top-tier soccer, Formula 1, racing, and football games on his console but is interested in transitioning to PC. I have two drives to run Raid 1 for redundancy (as that’s what I’m used to), though I’m wondering if this setup might not be ideal for gaming. I was trying to stay within a $1000 budget, but $1200 is acceptable.
Looking for feedback and input from the group – thank you ahead. This total comes to $1168 before tax – does that seem like good value?
CPU:
AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D 3 GHz 8-Core Processor ($196.89)
CPU Cooler:
Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360L Core ARGB Liquid CPU Cooler ($69.98)
Motherboard:
Gigabyte B550 UD AC ATX AM4 Motherboard ($107.21)
Memory:
Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro SL 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory ($59.99)
Storage 1:
Western Digital WD Blue SN5000 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD ($59.99)
Storage 2:
Western Digital WD Blue SN5000 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD ($59.99)
Video Card:
XFX Speedster SWFT 319 Core Radeon RX 6800 16 GB ($339.99)
Case:
Montech AIR 903 MAX ATX Mid Tower Case ($65.90)
Power Supply:
Corsair RM750x (2021) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99)
Operating System:
Microsoft Windows 11 Home Retail USB 64-bit ($129.99)
Take a glance at this offer—it should help you cut expenses: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb...&ranSiteID=HlvbvYZP82I-.D3gcNk_MouO77QwYtMeGg
You can start from an M.2 SSD and configure RAID with HDDs for data storage, as SSDs are much faster. This setup significantly improves performance. I use Debian and don’t know if Windows offers the same setup, though I have the system root on the M.2 drive and the home directory in RAID on the HDDs, ensuring speed while keeping data safe. Just remember, RAID protects against drive failure, not backups—if a virus occurs, the RAID will copy the damage to both drives, but you still need to back up important files.
Comparable to the 5700x3D, I believe a future upgrade is possible for this setup. Consider adding a GPU to this configuration. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805937115185.html AMD Ryzen 5 7500F $127.00 PCPartPicker Part List CPU Cooler: * ID-COOLING FROZN A620 PRO SE 58 CFM CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Amazon) Motherboard: * MSI PRO B650-S WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Amazon) Memory: * TEAMGROUP T-Create Expert 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($81.99 @ Newegg) Storage: * MSI SPATIUM M482 Eco-Pack 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD ($89.99 @ MSI) Case: * Montech AIR 903 BASE ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.88 @ Newegg) Power Supply: * MSI MAG A750GL PCIE5 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.98 @ Amazon) Overall cost: $471.82 (includes shipping, taxes, and available discounts) *Selected lowest-priced components based on parameters* Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-11-27 01:57 EST-0500 Total: $598.82 w/cpu
Also, do you know if there’s a Microcenter close by? If so, go check it out. They’re offering combined offers regularly.
For instance
https://www.microcenter.com/product...ie...ild-bundle
If you’re looking to cut costs, they have options with the 7700x. Or if you really want more savings, you can get the 7600x with a board and 16GB RAM for $300, or the 9600x for an additional $30.
https://www.microcenter.com/product...l-...ild-bundle
Based on your budget, I think the 6800 would be a good pick. I own a 6800xt and it runs slightly better than that card, but going for the 7800xt might stretch the budget thin.
Have you checked out a monitor yet? This is what I just bought. It should work well with that card.
https://www.microcenter.com/product...-2...ng-monitor
I mistakenly posted a 1080p monitor earlier. The one above is the 1440p model I currently have. I found it on sale for $129.99 last Friday. It seems they might have mispriced it or it was part of a limited-time offer.
In everyday consumer use, RAID is seldom beneficial.
That 'speed' would point to a RAID 0 setup?
If that's the case, it directly contradicts the purpose of safeguarding against drive failure.
A single failed drive or controller results in complete data loss within the array.
A bit under $1200 yet offering a strong build with future improvements.
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X 4.5 GHz 8-Core Processor
($259.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE ARGB 66.17 CFM
($35.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B650M-HDV/M.2 Micro ATX AM5
($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: TEAMGROUP T-Create Expert 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30
($81.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Inland Performance Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME
($69.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Inland Performance Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME
($129.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Speedster QICK 319 Core Radeon RX 7800 XT 16 GB
($369.00 @ Amazon)
Case: Montech AIR 903 MAX ATX Mid Tower Case
($65.88 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower GF A3 - TT Premium Edition 850 W
($89.99 @ Best Buy)
Total: $1202.71
Costs encompass shipping, taxes, and any available discounts
Created by PCPartPicker
2024-11-27 11:07 EST-0500
Consider an R5 7600 for a slight savings, but the 7700x remains a solid choice.
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600 3.8 GHz 6-Core Processor
($178.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE ARGB 66.17 CFM
($35.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B650M-HDV/M.2 Micro ATX AM5
($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: TEAMGROUP T-Create Expert 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30
($81.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Inland Performance Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME
($69.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Inland Performance Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME
($129.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Speedster QICK 319 Core Radeon RX 7800 XT 16 GB
($369.00 @ Amazon)
Case: Montech AIR 903 MAX ATX Mid Tower Case
($65.88 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower GF A3 - TT Premium Edition 850 W
($89.99 @ Best Buy)
Grand Total: $1121.71
All prices account for shipping, taxes, and applicable discounts
Generated by PCPartPicker
2024-11-27 11:09 EST-0500