My Second Build - Help me save a buck?

[mgrinspan]

Hi all, this is my first post here so go easy!

 

Today I'm trying to price out a PC for a friend. I've selected some parts and played around with them for a few days to try to get the build as cheap as possible. I know my way around, but I'm no expert - for all I know my specifications won't match my own requirements. So I have 2 questions;

1. Will the current specs match the requirements below?
2. Can anything be downgraded while still matching said requirements?

 

Here's the build so far: https://pcpartpicker.com/user/mgrinspan/saved/x68HhM

 

1. Budget & Location

N/A - I'm trying to get the total price down as much as I can without sacrificing too much. Currently the build costs around US$470.

2. Aim

The PC will be used for web browsing and light-medium gaming (Fortnite, WoW, LoL). Ideally games will run at 1080p@60 on high settings (but not necessarily max).

3. Monitors

Just one monitor - 1080p@60, possibly a second in the future but not necessary to account for that.

4. Peripherals

No peripherals, we're replacing an existing computer.

5. Why are you upgrading?

Current rig either crashes launching games or won't get more than 5fps if it does. All drivers are up to date. (AMD Athlon II x2 255, 4GB DDR3, NVIDIA Geforce 9200)

 

Thanks!

[Crunchy Dragon]

Look for a used GPU that's better than an RX 560.

 

You can usually find GTX 780s or 970s in the region of 100-150 USD, a 980 will run you closer to 200 USD. If you're fine with Ebay cards, you can find GTX 1070-1080 cards for around the same prices. Just be wary of scams on Ebay.

[handymanshandle]

Look at a used 1050ti or RX 460., or what @Crunchy Dragon was saying.

[mgrinspan]

Buying used PC parts kinda scares me, is there anything else that I can do?

 

Also, more importantly, is what I have right now capable of running the aforementioned games on mid-high settings at 1080p@60?

 

Thanks again

[bleedblue]

4 minutes ago, mgrinspan said:

Buying used PC parts kinda scares me, is there anything else that I can do?

 

Also, more importantly, is what I have right now capable of running the aforementioned games on mid-high settings at 1080p@60?

 

Thanks again

On League and Fortnite, yes. WoW, not sure, I don't play the game.

 

You could also get a Ryzen APU and save up for a GPU.

[Herman Mcpootis]

10 minutes ago, mgrinspan said:

Buying used PC parts kinda scares me, is there anything else that I can do?

 

Also, more importantly, is what I have right now capable of running the aforementioned games on mid-high settings at 1080p@60?

 

Thanks again

you can get a cheaper 1050 or a ryzen 1200/2200G, that's about it. if you wanna go any lower you'll have to get something used.

[handymanshandle]

23 minutes ago, bleedblue said:

On League and Fortnite, yes. WoW, not sure, I don't play the game.

 

You could also get a Ryzen APU and save up for a GPU.

World of Warcraft isn't terribly demanding, depending what sort of concessions you're willing to make it'll play decently on something like an A10 9600p or i3 6100.

 

I second for the Ryzen APU idea.

 

If op really wants to save a few bucks, they could probably get by with an Athlon 200GE. @Dan Castellaneta has followed that a bit more closer than I have so I think he'd know better if maybe the OP would be better off going with the 200GE or a Ryzen 3 apu

 

Edit: here's a parts list

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 3 2200G 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor	$98.79 @ SuperBiiz
Motherboard	Gigabyte - B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard	$69.89 @ OutletPC
Memory	G.Skill - Aegis 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$63.89 @ OutletPC
Storage	Kingston - A400 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$39.99 @ Amazon
Case	DIYPC - MA01-R MicroATX Mini Tower Case	$25.97 @ Newegg Business
Power Supply	Corsair - CX (2017) 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply	$32.98 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$351.51
	Mail-in rebates	-$20.00
	Total	$331.51
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-10-10 23:41 EDT-0400

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Athlon 200GE 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor	$59.99 @ Newegg
Motherboard	Gigabyte - B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard	$69.89 @ OutletPC
Memory	G.Skill - Aegis 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$63.89 @ OutletPC
Storage	Kingston - A400 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$39.99 @ Amazon
Case	DIYPC - MA01-R MicroATX Mini Tower Case	$25.97 @ Newegg Business
Power Supply	Corsair - CX (2017) 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply	$32.98 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$312.71
	Mail-in rebates	-$20.00
	Total	$292.71
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-10-10 23:40 EDT-0400

 

[PlayStation 2]

Fortnite, World of Warcraft and League of Legends should run fine on the Athlon 200GE if you can get that. That being said they are a pain in the ASS to get a hold of in America, so for here I'd recommend a 2200G.

Don't skimp on the power supply. The VS series was notoriously shite and it still kinda is. Try for one of the CX grey label PSUs as a minimum for decent upgradability.

Oh also, fuck $133 for an RX 560. Just get a 2GB 1050 for much cheaper.

Here's what I came up with in ~3 minutes. If there's any other places we can realistically skimp, mention it.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 3 2200G 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($98.79 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte - GA-AB350M-DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: G.Skill - Aegis 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($55.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Kingston - A400 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($27.89 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1050 2GB ACX 2.0 Video Card  ($109.99 @ B&H) 
Case: DIYPC - MA01-R MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($25.97 @ Newegg Business) 
Power Supply: Corsair - CX (2017) 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($32.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $401.60
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-10-10 23:36 EDT-0400

[mgrinspan]

Thanks a ton @pinksnowbirdie and @Dan Castellaneta

 

I'm liking the 2200G idea - would it be worth it get the 2400G instead for the slightly higher clock speeds, multithreading, and Vega 11 instead of 8? I'm sure the clock speed difference is negligible and I can't speak of Vega 8 vs 11, but in my experience multithreading is day and night. Of course, this computer isn't for me and will have much less multitasking going on (think a couple YouTube tabs, Discord, and a game).

 

Again, thanks so much for your help!

[PlayStation 2]

1 minute ago, mgrinspan said:

Thanks a ton @pinksnowbirdie and @Dan Castellaneta

 

I'm liking the 2200G idea - would it be worth it get the 2400G instead for the slightly higher clock speeds, multithreading, and Vega 11 instead of 8? I'm sure the clock speed difference is negligible and I can't speak of Vega 8 vs 11, but in my experience multithreading is day and night. Of course, this computer isn't for me and will have much less multitasking going on (think a couple YouTube tabs, Discord, and a game).

 

Again, thanks so much for your help!

The 2400G wouldn't be a bad idea, but at that kind of money, you might as well throw the 1600 back in the build.

[handymanshandle]

1 minute ago, mgrinspan said:

Thanks a ton @pinksnowbirdie and @Dan Castellaneta

 

I'm liking the 2200G idea - would it be worth it get the 2400G instead for the slightly higher clock speeds, multithreading, and Vega 11 instead of 8? I'm sure the clock speed difference is negligible and I can't speak of Vega 8 vs 11, but in my experience multithreading is day and night. Of course, this computer isn't for me and will have much less multitasking going on (think a couple YouTube tabs, Discord, and a game).

 

Again, thanks so much for your help!

yeah no problem.

 

Uh, if you don't get a GPU right away. Do consider getting faster ram like what I have in my list, but otherwise yeah his build would be good

[mgrinspan]

2 minutes ago, pinksnowbirdie said:

if you don't get a GPU right away

If we don't get one now we probably won't for years - I don't expect to upgrade this rig much if at all.

 

5 minutes ago, pinksnowbirdie said:

Do consider getting faster ram like what I have in my list

Is RAM speed that impactful?

 

4 minutes ago, Dan Castellaneta said:

The 2400G wouldn't be a bad idea, but at that kind of money, you might as well throw the 1600 back in the build.

Fair point, but even though the 2400G is about the same price as the 1600, I get to cut out $100+ on a GPU with the 2400G.

[handymanshandle]

1 minute ago, mgrinspan said:

Is RAM speed that impactful?

Mostly yeah.

 

[mgrinspan]

@pinksnowbirdie

 

So from what I can tell from that video, RAM speeds matter more when using an APU. Good to know!

 

Last question (probably) - In this video he's using 2400Mhz RAM and using XMP/DOCP to overclock it to 3200Mhz, couldn't I stick with the 2133 and let XMP/DOCP make up the difference (rather than buying 3000Mhz)? Or were you suggesting I get the 3000 and add XMP/DOCP on top of that?

 

Thanks! 

[handymanshandle]

Just now, mgrinspan said:

@pinksnowbirdie

 

So from what I can tell from that video, RAM speeds matter more when using an APU. Good to know!

 

Last question (probably) - In this video he's using 2400Mhz RAM and using XMP/DOCP to overclock it to 3200Mhz, couldn't I stick with the 2133 and let XMP/DOCP make up the difference (rather than buying 3000Mhz)? Or were you suggesting I get the 3000 and add XMP/DOCP on top of that?

 

Thanks! 

In my list, I was suggesting the 3000MHz stick and then yeah probably XMP/DOCP, 2666MHz would also be a middle ground with price and speed.

 

Even standard Ryzen CPUs without graphics like faster ram.

[mgrinspan]

31 minutes ago, pinksnowbirdie said:

In my list, I was suggesting the 3000MHz stick and then yeah probably XMP/DOCP, 2666MHz would also be a middle ground with price and speed.

 

Even standard Ryzen CPUs without graphics like faster ram.

Alright, I'll splurge for the 3000 as the 2666 is US$0.90 cheaper - there is a 2666 that's US$8 cheaper with 19CL instead of 16, but I'm assuming the difference between 16 and 19CL is enough to warrant US$8. (Correct me if I'm wrong.)

 

Here's the "final" build, note the SSD on the list is a spare I have, and the HDD is from the existing PC. (Best way to save on parts is to already have said parts.)

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2400G 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($159.89 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte - B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($69.89 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: G.Skill - Aegis 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($63.89 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: Samsung - 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Case: DIYPC - MA01-R MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($25.97 @ Newegg Business) 
Power Supply: Corsair - CX (2017) 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($32.98 @ Newegg) 
Other: Travelstar 5K1000 1TD 2.5" HDD (Purchased For $0.00)
Total: $352.62
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-10-11 01:01 EDT-0400

[handymanshandle]

1 minute ago, mgrinspan said:

Alright, I'll splurge for the 3000 as the 2666 is US$0.90 cheaper - there is a 2666 that's US$8 cheaper with 19CL instead of 16, but I'm assuming the difference between 16 and 19CL is enough to warrant US$8. (Correct me if I'm wrong.)

 

Here's the "final" build, note the SSD on the list is a spare I have, and the HDD is from the existing PC. (Best way to save on parts is to already have said parts.)

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2400G 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($159.89 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte - B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($69.89 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: G.Skill - Aegis 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($63.89 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: Samsung - 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Case: DIYPC - MA01-R MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($25.97 @ Newegg Business) 
Power Supply: Corsair - CX (2017) 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($32.98 @ Newegg) 
Other: Travelstar 5K1000 1TD 2.5" HDD (Purchased For $0.00)
Total: $352.62
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-10-11 01:01 EDT-0400

Looks good

[mgrinspan]

On 10/11/2018 at 1:02 AM, pinksnowbirdie said:

Looks good

Hi again, I have another question! Is there any reason not to get this motherboard instead: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/vs2rxr/asrock-a320m-hdv-micro-atx-am4-motherboard-a320m-hdv

 

I have an A6-9500 I can use to update the BIOS to support the 2400G.

 

Thanks