pcmr2066

Hi guys, Which of the two builds below will provide a better value in terms of gaming experience. They have a massive difference in price, but has the same objective: to game. My aim for each build is: Build A: 60 FPS @ 1080p Freesync Build B: 144 FPS @ 1080p G-Sync Basically, is it worth to pay a $1000 more to get 144 FPS instead of 60? *It was a bit surprising to know how hard it is to get constant 144 FPS on AAA games even at 1080p only. Thus the need for an i7 and a 1080 Ti. Build A: PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel - Core i3-8100 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor ($117.00 @ Amazon) Motherboard: Gigabyte - H310M A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($53.42 @ Newegg) Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($116.99 @ Newegg Business) Storage: Team - L5 LITE 3D 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($62.89 @ OutletPC) Video Card: PowerColor - Radeon RX 580 8GB Red Devil Video Card ($209.99 @ Newegg) Case: Thermaltake - Versa H18 Tempered Glass MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($44.18 @ Amazon) Power Supply: Corsair - CX (2017) 750W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg) Monitor: ViewSonic - VX2457-MHD 23.6" 1920x1080 75Hz Monitor ($118.99 @ Amazon) Total: $763.45 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-10-18 14:12 EDT-0400 Build B: PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($329.99 @ Newegg) CPU Cooler: ARCTIC - Freezer 33 eSports ONE (Black/Yellow) CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Amazon) Motherboard: MSI - H370M BAZOOKA Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg) Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($116.99 @ Newegg Business) Storage: Team - L5 LITE 3D 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($62.89 @ OutletPC) Video Card: Zotac - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB AMP Edition Video Card ($679.99 @ B&H) Case: Thermaltake - Versa H18 Tempered Glass MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($44.18 @ Amazon) Power Supply: Corsair - CX (2017) 750W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg) Monitor: Asus - ROG SWIFT PG248Q 24.0" 1920x1080 180Hz Monitor ($399.99 @ Walmart) Total: $1774.00 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-10-18 14:13 EDT-0400

Thanks. The M9i looks to be a better option for this use case. As for the H18 TG though, I like the aesthetics, though I'm a bit bothered by the blue LED strip, and the TG. The PC might be left running in a room overnight, in which I could be bothered by the LED strip. As for the TG though, it adds weight, and also a look through the components inside which I'm not the biggest fan of. The i5 is also a consideration for me since it would allow me to use the most basic motherboard and the stock cooler. Though the overall system snappiness might be affected. As for the drives though, I might add a few more SSDs in the future. I don't know yet if I can use the 3.5" bay for a 2.5" SSD, but I'm sure I can add at least 3 more. 1x 2.5" and 2x M.2

Done editing my post with the Components Rationale. I appreciate your feedback on getting an RX580 instead. That's a debate in my head right now. RX 580 is actually enough for my gaming needs, but was also thinking that Vega 56 might be ideal to hit 144 frames. As for the RAM, getting a 3000mhz on a B360 board would allow me to set it on 2666mhz with a lower CL if I'm not mistaken? Is the performance difference worth the extra $15?

Hi guys, Looking for a No Frills, No Fuss, simple PC for Web Browsing and Gaming. Budget is indefinite, but looking to strike a good balance between Performance, Part Quality, and Price. I'm not looking for the best bang for buck gaming performer or something. I need something that does things smoothly and has less complicated parts as possible such as lights, fans, controllers, etc. Here's what I've got so far. PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($279.99 @ Amazon) CPU Cooler: ARCTIC - Freezer 33 eSports ONE (Black/White) CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Amazon) Motherboard: ASRock - B360M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($71.98 @ Newegg) Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($125.99 @ Newegg) Storage: Inland - 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($64.99 @ Amazon) Video Card: Sapphire - Radeon RX VEGA 56 8GB PULSE Video Card ($399.99 @ Newegg) Case: Thermaltake - Versa H17 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($35.89 @ Amazon) Power Supply: Corsair - CX (2017) 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($32.98 @ Newegg) Monitor: Acer - XFA240 bmjdpr 24.0" 1920x1080 144Hz Monitor ($199.99 @ Amazon) Total: $1241.78 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-09-18 05:46 EDT-0400 Components Rationale: 1.) Why The i7-8700? I believe that it offers an amazing SC performance and decent MC performance which I think is the recipe for a snappy system. The locked variant is good enough since overclocking just makes the system less stable and adds complications. 2.) Why The Freezer 33 eSports ONE? The specific cooler of choice is still subject to change. I like it because it offers great cooling performance for the price. I don't like that it's a tower style cooler, would've preferred the Stock Intel Cooler if only that was enough. 3.) Why The B360M Pro4? Micro-ATX, has good enough VRMs. Subject to change to any Micro-ATX with good VRMs too. 4.) Why The Ripjaws? Cheapest 2x8 at the time of part selection. 5.) Why The Inland SSD? Cheap SSD with decent amount of storage. Speeds look to be promising as per reviews. Will get another SSD along the way. Having 2 drives is more convenient for me, due to being able to swap the 2nd drive easily, formatting, and stuff. 6.) Why The Vega 56? Freesync is overall cheaper than G-Sync. Still subject to change if there's a better alternative. 7.) Why The Versa H17? Nice simple looking box. Exactly what I'm looking for. 8.) Why The CX 2017? Updated internals for modern components. Non-modularity is not a big deal since the case has no window. 9.) Why XFA240? Cheap 144hz Freesync with built in speakers.

How so? I know CM doesn't use Asetek's Pump in CPU Block design which saves them money from royalty fees, but decreases the actual surface area of their radiator. It's only a few degrees hotter compared to those who uses Asetek's design, but it's not any indication that the product is low quality. I'd appreciate if you'd enlighten me with CM AIO's quality issues.

Thanks for the build. What's wrong with CM's AIO though? Thanks for the build man. I'm actually looking for a flashier build if that's possible. Either an okay looking PC with decent performance (GTX 1080 level), or a flashy build that's good enough to play some games (GTX 1060, RX580)

It's not actually for me since I don't play PC games right now. (Stuck with an MBA in a tiny apartment away from my parent's house). It's for a friend's friend with a budget of around $900 before taxes for the system only. Purchase of monitor and peripherals would still be for next month. A PC that can game today with room for future upgrades is also a possible idea

@Hi P @iLoiter @Spotty @NickPickerWI If peripherals would be included, then they would probably look like this. Build 1: Cheap out on everything except performance. PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel - Core i5-8400 2.8GHz 6-Core Processor ($199.79 @ OutletPC) Motherboard: ASRock - H310M-HDV Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($52.71 @ Amazon) Memory: ADATA - XPG GAMMIX D10 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($129.99 @ Newegg) Storage: Team - L5 LITE 3D 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.89 @ OutletPC) Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB D5X Video Card ($429.99 @ Newegg) Case: Thermaltake - Versa H17 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($29.98 @ Newegg) Power Supply: Corsair - CX (2017) 450W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($23.98 @ Newegg) Monitor: Acer - Predator XB241YU 23.8" 2560x1440 165Hz Monitor ($399.99 @ Amazon) Keyboard: Redragon - K552-R KUMARA Wired Gaming Keyboard ($33.49 @ Amazon) Mouse: Redragon - M602 Wired Optical Mouse ($14.99 @ Amazon) Total: $1384.80 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-09-09 00:57 EDT-0400 Build 2: Everything looks fancy. Costs a lot for what it can actually do. PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor ($165.99 @ Amazon) CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - MasterLiquid ML240L RGB 66.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Amazon) Motherboard: MSI - X470 GAMING PRO ATX AM4 Motherboard ($109.99 @ Newegg Business) Memory: Team - Night Hawk RGB 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($154.99 @ Newegg) Storage: Team - L5 LITE 3D 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.89 @ OutletPC) Video Card: Gigabyte - Radeon RX 580 8GB AORUS 8G Video Card ($229.99 @ Amazon) Case: Cooler Master - MasterBox TD500 ATX Mid Tower Case ($72.72 @ Newegg) Power Supply: Cooler Master - MasterWatt 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($50.98 @ Newegg) Monitor: MSI - Optix G27C2 27.0" 1920x1080 144Hz Monitor ($259.00 @ Amazon) Keyboard: MSI - VIGOR GK70 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($103.49 @ Amazon) Mouse: MSI - Clutch GM60 Wired Optical Mouse ($69.99 @ Amazon) Speakers: Cyber Acoustics - CA-3602 30W 2.1ch Speakers ($39.99 @ Amazon) Total: $1387.01 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-09-09 00:58 EDT-0400

Build 1: Compact, modest looking PC with decent gaming performance. PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: Intel - Core i5-8400 2.8GHz 6-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Amazon) Motherboard: ASRock - H310M-HDV Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($52.71 @ Amazon) Memory: ADATA - XPG GAMMIX D10 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($129.99 @ Newegg) Storage: Team - L5 LITE 3D 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.89 @ OutletPC) Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB D5X Video Card ($429.99 @ Newegg) Case: Thermaltake - Versa H17 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($29.98 @ Newegg) Power Supply: Corsair - CX (2017) 450W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($23.98 @ Newegg) Total: $916.53 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-09-09 00:05 EDT-0400 Build 2: Flashy Mid-Tower PC with lots of RGB. Good enough to play most titles. PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor ($165.99 @ Amazon) CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - MasterLiquid ML240L RGB 66.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Amazon) Motherboard: MSI - X470 GAMING PRO ATX AM4 Motherboard ($109.99 @ Newegg Business) Memory: Team - Night Hawk RGB 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($154.99 @ Newegg) Storage: Team - L5 LITE 3D 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.89 @ OutletPC) Video Card: Gigabyte - Radeon RX 580 8GB AORUS 8G Video Card ($229.99 @ Amazon) Case: Cooler Master - MasterBox TD500 ATX Mid Tower Case ($72.72 @ Newegg) Power Supply: Cooler Master - MasterWatt 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($50.98 @ Newegg) Total: $914.54 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-09-09 00:09 EDT-0400

That's cool. Thanks man!

Wow, thanks for sharing your experience with the case. It really seems to be an amazing value. I don't hate acrylic per se, I see it as a good material overall. I think I know the "rainbow effect" you mentioned. That happens with my Ghost Chair which is made of Acrylic too.

Great Tip! Thanks for that. It's actually for a friend. He mainly plays Dota 2 and whichever is popular such as PUBG and Fortnite. There's a chance he'll get to emulation as well since he plays a ton of games. He never built a PC yet, but he was actually looking at a 1060 the last time we talked.

Looks pretty stealthy which is good. It's $61 right now, but I believe it dropped to $25 at one point in time. Great choice eh? I actually like the proportions of the Mini better than the standard one. How is the side panel holding up btw? Does it get scratches? Attracts dirt or fingerprints? As for the CPU, well the 2600 is $15 more expensive, requires bios update for x370 (which 90% of motherboards are probably updated by now), and has a Wraith Stealth vs the Wraith Spire in the 1600. But if I was going with an aftermarket cooler, I'd get the 2600 for sure

It is? Well, the MSI Armor is fine too. I just hope it's not like the 1080 Ti scenario.

Hi guys, I'm currently looking at this build: PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Amazon) Motherboard: ASRock - X370 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard ($49.99 @ Newegg) Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($144.99 @ Newegg) Storage: Team - L5 LITE 3D 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg) Video Card: Gigabyte - Radeon RX 580 8GB AORUS 8G Video Card ($229.99 @ Amazon) Case: Fractal Design - Focus G (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Amazon) Power Supply: Corsair - CX (2017) 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($32.98 @ Newegg) Total: $722.92 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-09-02 09:24 EDT-0400 It seems okay to me for the price, but I feel there's still room for improvement here. I'd like to know your thoughts on how to make it better for around the same price. Thanks!