£600 gaming pc build - please help!
Discussion
I've got a budget of around £500 - £600 for a gaming build, I've already got SD storage, monitor, keyboard etc so need motherboard, processor, memory, PSU, graphics and case.
I've watched various budget gaming builds on youtube but just can't make my mind up. I was thinking processor wise - AMD Ryzen 5 1600 AF Socket (£113) or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (£160).
Motherboards - which one for each of the above? I keep reading reviews saying you need to update bios on certain mobo's for them to work which needs to be done using an older generation CPU which is confusing me.
Thanks!
I've watched various budget gaming builds on youtube but just can't make my mind up. I was thinking processor wise - AMD Ryzen 5 1600 AF Socket (£113) or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (£160).
Motherboards - which one for each of the above? I keep reading reviews saying you need to update bios on certain mobo's for them to work which needs to be done using an older generation CPU which is confusing me.
Thanks!
Edited by No_Idea on Friday 5th June 19:23
What is your current processor ?
The motherboard issue is usually due to older boards not having the latest bios when shipped so cannot support later generation chipset. Not sure its really an issue with these chips ( despite some reviews/pcpartsbuilder making a big thing on it ! ) - but if you have an existing slower chip of the right socket ( and given you have keyboard etc . im assuming you have a current pc ) then you could use this and not worry
Any idea what graphics card you are considering ?
The motherboard issue is usually due to older boards not having the latest bios when shipped so cannot support later generation chipset. Not sure its really an issue with these chips ( despite some reviews/pcpartsbuilder making a big thing on it ! ) - but if you have an existing slower chip of the right socket ( and given you have keyboard etc . im assuming you have a current pc ) then you could use this and not worry
Any idea what graphics card you are considering ?
Chozza said:
What is your current processor ?
The motherboard issue is usually due to older boards not having the latest bios when shipped so cannot support later generation chipset. Not sure its really an issue with these chips ( despite some reviews/pcpartsbuilder making a big thing on it ! ) - but if you have an existing slower chip of the right socket ( and given you have keyboard etc . im assuming you have a current pc ) then you could use this and not worry
Any idea what graphics card you are considering ?
Thanks. Nothing currently - only a laptop. Graphics... I was looking at this one;The motherboard issue is usually due to older boards not having the latest bios when shipped so cannot support later generation chipset. Not sure its really an issue with these chips ( despite some reviews/pcpartsbuilder making a big thing on it ! ) - but if you have an existing slower chip of the right socket ( and given you have keyboard etc . im assuming you have a current pc ) then you could use this and not worry
Any idea what graphics card you are considering ?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B077VX31FZ/?coliid=IV5... (XFX Radeon RX 570 RS XXX Edition 1286MHz, 8gb)
Abviously for the budget I don't expect super high frame rates but want something that won't be laggy either!
What games are you looking to play and at what resolution? How many years would you like the system to last?
Are you ok with second hand? Often the answer is something like this with a decent graphics card.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dell-OptiPlex-9020-SFF-...
Of course, you need to research if this type of system can take it. I have an overclocked 4770k at 4.5ghz (4 cores 8 threads) and a 1080ti and can take on pretty much anything I throw at it. It's 7 years old and on par with a fair amount of modern processors (if you ignore DDR4 and efficiencies) and older than the one I linked. The only downside is that I will need to get rid of it all one day, a modern system can get upgraded within the chipset.
There is so much information out there, just keep watching videos. It will make sense eventually.
Are you ok with second hand? Often the answer is something like this with a decent graphics card.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dell-OptiPlex-9020-SFF-...
Of course, you need to research if this type of system can take it. I have an overclocked 4770k at 4.5ghz (4 cores 8 threads) and a 1080ti and can take on pretty much anything I throw at it. It's 7 years old and on par with a fair amount of modern processors (if you ignore DDR4 and efficiencies) and older than the one I linked. The only downside is that I will need to get rid of it all one day, a modern system can get upgraded within the chipset.
There is so much information out there, just keep watching videos. It will make sense eventually.
I'd look at the new Ryzen 3100/3300 chips, 16GB of RAM - and put everything you can into the graphics card, btu you are not going to get a 2000 series card with a £600 system budget. I've been looking myself to replace my 4 year old I5 based system - that is choking the 2060 super I bought to upgrade the 1060 I was using with an oculus.
The best budget CPU at the moment seems to be the AMD Ryzen 3 3300X AM4 Processor @ about £120 - this at your budget is a cracking CPU.
The latest AMD chipset is the X570 - and has support for all the new 3rd GEN Ryzen chips: problem is being new and a premium part (over £150 and up) there is a more in your budget X550 chipset due - but no boards available yet, I'd be tempted to consider a decent X450 board at under £100, either buy the board as a bundle with the CPU to ensure it's updated.. A quick google found this bundle @ 185 https://www.awd-it.co.uk/amd-ryzen-3-3300x-quad-co... but ymmv - you could always speak to the supplier (scan/overclockers etc) to confirm the match.
Not sure how much overclocking you will get out of this board though - but you have to cut your cloth with this budget.
2x8GB ram - £70 DDR4 PC3200/2933 quite a few options..
PSU ~500W Corsair, Silverstone or Antec about £50, please dont go too cheap here..
Case: this one is very much up to you - but a cheapo micro ATX case is about £30 - this is where I would cut the hardest.
If you go for the bundle - you have a budget of about £250 for graphics. which should see you in a GTX1660 super or maybe event stretch to a Ti if you get a good deal elsewhere.
That lot - should be a great base for 1080P @ 60Hz gaming.
As mentioned above - getting stuff second hand changes the budget dynamics significantly
Hope this helps...
The best budget CPU at the moment seems to be the AMD Ryzen 3 3300X AM4 Processor @ about £120 - this at your budget is a cracking CPU.
The latest AMD chipset is the X570 - and has support for all the new 3rd GEN Ryzen chips: problem is being new and a premium part (over £150 and up) there is a more in your budget X550 chipset due - but no boards available yet, I'd be tempted to consider a decent X450 board at under £100, either buy the board as a bundle with the CPU to ensure it's updated.. A quick google found this bundle @ 185 https://www.awd-it.co.uk/amd-ryzen-3-3300x-quad-co... but ymmv - you could always speak to the supplier (scan/overclockers etc) to confirm the match.
Not sure how much overclocking you will get out of this board though - but you have to cut your cloth with this budget.
2x8GB ram - £70 DDR4 PC3200/2933 quite a few options..
PSU ~500W Corsair, Silverstone or Antec about £50, please dont go too cheap here..
Case: this one is very much up to you - but a cheapo micro ATX case is about £30 - this is where I would cut the hardest.
If you go for the bundle - you have a budget of about £250 for graphics. which should see you in a GTX1660 super or maybe event stretch to a Ti if you get a good deal elsewhere.
That lot - should be a great base for 1080P @ 60Hz gaming.
As mentioned above - getting stuff second hand changes the budget dynamics significantly
Hope this helps...
No_Idea said:
Excellent thanks that's really helped. Game wise I'm not too sure yet but I'll be happy with 60fps @ 1440.
I'll put a list together on pcpartpicker over the weekend and check back before ordering. My main worries is compatibility but I guess this will get flagged up on there.
Stick the list up on here before you press go. Everyone will have their own ideas but it's good to get a second opinion. I'll put a list together on pcpartpicker over the weekend and check back before ordering. My main worries is compatibility but I guess this will get flagged up on there.
No_Idea said:
Excellent thanks that's really helped. Game wise I'm not too sure yet but I'll be happy with 60fps @ 1440.
I'll put a list together on pcpartpicker over the weekend and check back before ordering. My main worries is compatibility but I guess this will get flagged up on there.
You might need to up your budget if you want 60fps @ 1440p, at any decent quality settings.I'll put a list together on pcpartpicker over the weekend and check back before ordering. My main worries is compatibility but I guess this will get flagged up on there.
stevesingo said:
You might need to up your budget if you want 60fps @ 1440p, at any decent quality settings.
Indeed - that budget is fine for 1080 not 1440 - it will struggle as indicated. If you want 1440 @ 60FPS - you'll need at least an RTX2060 Super or a second hand GTX 1070...
The 2060 will set you back the best part of 400 quid.
I assume you are using a 1440P monitor today?
Regarding the refurbed Optiplex - Watch the Small Form Factor PC's as they often take unique PSU and the installed one may not be meaty enough for a decent GPU. It's definitiely worth looking at though...
S.
Edited by 51mes on Saturday 6th June 00:13
Budget has slightly gone out the window.
Thoughts on this please..
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/ZZ6V9G
Is the graphics card a good choice to start out with this build or are there better alternatives for not much more money?
Thanks again.
Thoughts on this please..
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/ZZ6V9G
Is the graphics card a good choice to start out with this build or are there better alternatives for not much more money?
Thanks again.
I have a very similar system - 2700X CPU instead of 3700X (older generation), and it cost less than the sum of your parts, but pre-built and with a 240GB SSD.
Don't discount a pre-built system out of hand, at the time it would have cost £30 for me to buy the exact same parts as it cost to buy the thing already set up.
EG
https://www.ebuyer.com/913998-alphasync-core-i5-gt...
https://www.ebuyer.com/981865-alphasync-ryzen-5-36...
You also, presumably, need to budget for a HD and OS in your costs?
Don't discount a pre-built system out of hand, at the time it would have cost £30 for me to buy the exact same parts as it cost to buy the thing already set up.
EG
https://www.ebuyer.com/913998-alphasync-core-i5-gt...
https://www.ebuyer.com/981865-alphasync-ryzen-5-36...
You also, presumably, need to budget for a HD and OS in your costs?
I'm now going towards this bundle here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CCL-4-2GHz-AMD-Ryzen-5-...
I'll put this in the Thermaltake Core V1 case.
Pricing them up individually it's actually a decent price as far as I can see. I can't decide on the graphics yet though!
I'll put this in the Thermaltake Core V1 case.
Pricing them up individually it's actually a decent price as far as I can see. I can't decide on the graphics yet though!
No_Idea said:
I'm now going towards this bundle here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CCL-4-2GHz-AMD-Ryzen-5-...
I'll put this in the Thermaltake Core V1 case.
Pricing them up individually it's actually a decent price as far as I can see. I can't decide on the graphics yet though!
£10 cheaper direct https://www.cclonline.com/product/228594/MBB-AMD-R...I'll put this in the Thermaltake Core V1 case.
Pricing them up individually it's actually a decent price as far as I can see. I can't decide on the graphics yet though!
Remember you will need to budget for a power supply, and if you are not connecting directly to the router, wi-fi or network over power line.
Edited by stevesingo on Sunday 7th June 00:12
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