Gaming Build Suggestions

[Spotty]

Quote

@Cereal5@VegetableStu @GoldenLag @Herman Mcpootis @Streetguru 

If you have some spare time care to run through the part lists and recommend any changes? Doesn't need to be the cheapest possible build, but just a general "recommended" build at a good value price within each price category. If you do up any changed part lists let me know and I can add some different parts to the "Also consider" parts list, or if there are any parts that I have listed that you don't approve of or would like swapped out for something better let me know and I can swap them out.

 

@Jurrunio Would appreciate some help with motherboard recommendations. I'm not that familiar with the Z390/Z370 stuff so the stuff there atm are just placeholders. Open to suggestions for AM4 as well.

 

@TVwazhere Care to provide some input on some case suggestions? Maybe have a look at the builds and see what are some good cases to fit each build if you have some spare time.

 

Would like a bit more variance in parts as well as I don't want to play favourites with any particular brand or product. Also would like to expand and tidy up the "Also consider" section.

Open to changing the format so if anyone has any suggestions for a different layout style let me know.

 

This is just going to be intended as a basic starting point for users looking to build, and is not intended to replace giving personalised advice and suggestions.

Either reply direct to the thread or send me a PM with any suggestions for changes. If you want PM me and I can give you my Discord tag.
Feel free to tag anyone else who you think would be interested in contributing. Sorry if I missed anyone who frequently helps out in the new builds forum.

 

 

These lists are intended as a starting point. Consider any recommendations as general recommendations and not specific guides. Parts are shown for US location and in USD. Part availability and pricing will vary depending on location. These lists do not take in to account any specific requirements you have and are meant as general guides only. Use these lists as inspiration or to give you an idea of the budget required to meet your requirements.

 

For more detailed advice, please create a thread and outline what you will be using the system for, your location, and your budget.

 

Part lists do not include Monitor, Operating System (Windows), Peripherals (keyboard, mice, speakers, headset, etc). Tower only.

Storage recommendations are general suggestions only. Consider your own personal storage requirements and choose appropriate storage options to meet your needs.

 

You can edit the part lists yourself by clicking the "PCPartPicker Part List" link above each list and selecting "Edit The Part List" in the top right hand corner.

 

 

Low Budget Gaming (1080p 30fps) - $400

Last updated 17/12/2018

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 3 2200G 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Processor	$89.00 @ Amazon
Motherboard	ASRock - B450 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard	$59.99 @ Newegg
Memory	Team - Vulcan 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$61.98 @ Newegg
Storage	Crucial - MX500 250 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$42.99 @ Adorama
Storage	Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$44.85 @ OutletPC
Case	Deepcool - TESSERACT SW ATX Mid Tower Case	$35.98 @ Newegg Business
Power Supply	Corsair - CXM (2015) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply	$24.99 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$394.78
	Mail-in rebates	-$35.00
	Total	$359.78
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-12-17 07:35 EST-0500

 

Also consider:

RAM: Any 2x4GB 2666MHz or higher kit (3000Mhz preferred if within budget). Ryzen systems prefer faster memory and will perform better. Consider adding an additional 2x4GB kit later on as a future upgrade to give you 16GB total RAM.
PSU: CoolerMaster Masterwatt 550W, Be Quiet Pure Power 11 500W, Bitfenix Formula 450W.

Storage: If you already have a HDD you can use, or don't require much storage, remove the HDD from the list to save ~$45. You can always add extra storage later on as needed.

Storage (SSD): Any SSD is better than no SSD, so if your budget is tight and you can't afford the 250GB MX500, consider the Kingston A400 120GB for around $25.

Graphics Card: Try to find a 2nd hand graphics card for sale for under $100 as a future upgrade to this machine. RX 470, RX 480, GTX 960, etc.

 

 

 

Basic Gaming (1080p 60fps) - $750

Last updated 17/12/2018

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor	$159.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard	ASRock - B450 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard	$59.99 @ Newegg
Memory	G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$109.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Crucial - MX500 250 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$42.99 @ Adorama
Storage	Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$44.85 @ OutletPC
Video Card	Gigabyte - Radeon RX 580 8 GB Gaming 8G Video Card	$209.89 @ OutletPC
Case	Fractal Design - Focus G ATX Mid Tower Case	$55.71 @ Amazon
Power Supply	Corsair - CXM (2015) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply	$24.99 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$803.40
	Mail-in rebates	-$95.00
	Total	$708.40
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-12-17 07:37 EST-0500

 

Also consider:

Graphics Card: GTX 1060 6GB

RAM: Any 2x8GB 3000MHz DDR4 kit

CPU Cooler: Cryorig H7, Scythe Ninja 4, Thermaltake Macho Rev. B, Arctic Freezer 33 eSports, CoolerMaster Hyper 212/Hyper212 Black Edition.

Motherboard: MSI B450 Tomahawk or AsRock Fatal1ty B450 K4 if you wish to overclock the CPU

PSU: CoolerMaster Masterwatt 550W, Corsair TX550M, Be Quiet Pure Power 11 500W, Bitfenix Formula 450W.

Storage (HDD): WD Blues, Seagate Barracudas, Toshiba, etc of whichever size required for your storage needs
Storage (SSD): WD Blue 3D SSD, Crucial MX500, Samsung 860 Evo. If budget is extremely tight, whatever SSD you can afford. An SSD is considered essential these days even in budget systems. You're better off buying an SSD now for your OS and adding HDD for additional storage later.

 

 

 

Basic Streamer (1080p 60fps) - $1000

Last updated 17/12/2018

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 7 2700 3.2 GHz 8-Core Processor	$259.00 @ Amazon
Motherboard	ASRock - Fatal1ty B450 GAMING K4 ATX AM4 Motherboard	$97.97 @ Newegg
Memory	G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$109.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Samsung - 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$72.00 @ Amazon
Storage	Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$58.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card	Gigabyte - Radeon RX 580 8 GB Gaming 8G Video Card	$209.89 @ OutletPC
Case	Fractal Design - Focus G ATX Mid Tower Case	$55.71 @ Amazon
Power Supply	Cooler Master - MasterWatt 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply	$45.98 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$989.43
	Mail-in rebates	-$80.00
	Total	$909.43
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-12-18 00:06 EST-0500

 

Also consider:

Motherboard: MSI B450 Tomahawk

CPU Cooler: Cryorig H7, Scythe Ninja 4, Thermaltake Macho Rev. B, Arctic Freezer 33 eSports, CoolerMaster Hyper 212/Hyper212 Black Edition.

Graphics Card: GTX 1060 6gb, RX 590. If you have additional funds GTX 1070ti or Vega 56 for higher refresh rate and higher graphical settings.

Storage:  Extra HDD storage if you plan on recording your gamplay footage/stream to save locally.

PSU: Corsair TX550M, Be Quiet Pure Power 11 500W, Bitfenix Formula 450W, Corsair CX450M, Corsair CX550.

 

 

 

Mid Range Gaming (1080p Ultra 60fps/1440p 60fps) - $1000

Last updated 17/12/2018

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor	$159.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard	MSI - B450 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard	$106.30 @ OutletPC
Memory	G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$109.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Samsung - 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$72.00 @ Amazon
Storage	Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$44.85 @ OutletPC
Video Card	Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8 GB Video Card	$379.99 @ Newegg
Case	NZXT - H500 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case	$69.99 @ B&H
Power Supply	Corsair - CXM 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply	$42.98 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1026.09
	Mail-in rebates	-$40.00
	Total	$986.09
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-12-17 05:05 EST-0500

 

Also consider:

Graphics Card: Vega 56, RTX 2070

CPU Cooler: Cryorig H7, Scythe Ninja 4, Thermaltake Macho Rev. B, Arctic Freezer 33 eSports, CoolerMaster Hyper 212/Hyper212 Black Edition.

PSU: Corsair RM550x, Seasonic Focus Plus 550W, Be Quiet Pure Power 11 500W, EVGA G2 550W, Corsair TX550M, Bitfenix Whisper 550.

 

 

High Refresh Rate Gaming (1080p 144hz) - $1250

Last updated 17/12/2018

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel - Core i5-9600K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor	$269.99 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	CRYORIG - H7 49 CFM CPU Cooler	$38.00 @ Amazon
Motherboard	Gigabyte - Z390 GAMING X ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$139.99 @ Amazon
Memory	G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$109.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Samsung - 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$72.00 @ Amazon
Storage	Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$58.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card	Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8 GB Video Card	$379.99 @ Newegg
Case	NZXT - H500 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case	$69.99 @ B&H
Power Supply	Corsair - RMx (2018) 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply	$89.99 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$1228.83
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-12-17 05:13 EST-0500

 

Also consider:

CPU: Intel i5 8600k, i7 8700(non K) + B360 Motherboard.

CPU Cooler: Be Quiet Dark Rock Pro 4, Noctua NH D15, Corsair H100i Pro, NZXT Kraken X62 Rev.2

Graphics Card: Vega 56, RTX 2070, GTX 1080Ti (2nd hand)

PSU: Corsair RM550x, Seasonic Focus Plus 550W, Be Quiet Pure Power 11 500W, EVGA G2 550W, Corsair TX550M, Bitfenix Whisper 550, Be Quiet Straight Power 11 550W

 

 

High end gaming (1440p 144fps/4k 60fps) - $2000

Last updated 17/12/2018

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel - Core i7-9700K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor	$409.00 @ Walmart
CPU Cooler	Corsair - H100i PRO 75 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler	$99.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard	ASRock - Z390 Taichi ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$225.98 @ Newegg
Memory	G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$129.89 @ OutletPC
Storage	Samsung - 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$72.00 @ Amazon
Storage	Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$58.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card	Asus - GeForce RTX 2080 8 GB Dual Video Card	$779.53 @ Amazon
Case	NZXT - H500 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case	$69.99 @ B&H
Power Supply	Corsair - RMx (2018) 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply	$89.99 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1950.26
	Mail-in rebates	-$15.00
	Total	$1935.26
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-12-17 07:43 EST-0500

 

Also consider:

CPU: Intel i7 8700K + Z370 Motherboard

CPU Cooler: Be Quiet Dark Rock Pro 4, Noctua NH D15, NZXT Kraken X62 Rev.2 

Graphics Card: GTX 1080ti (2nd hand), Vega 64

 

 

High End Streaming (1440p 144fps/4k 60fps) - $2250

Last updated 17/12/2018

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel - Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor	$528.90 @ OutletPC
CPU Cooler	Corsair - H150i PRO 47.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler	$129.99 @ Newegg
Motherboard	Gigabyte - Z390 AORUS MASTER ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$294.98 @ Newegg
Memory	Corsair - Vengeance RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$134.64 @ OutletPC
Storage	Samsung - 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$72.00 @ Amazon
Storage	Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$58.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card	EVGA - GeForce RTX 2080 8 GB XC GAMING Video Card	$769.00 @ Amazon
Case	Lian-Li - PC-O11DW ATX Full Tower Case	$142.97 @ Newegg
Power Supply	Corsair - RMx (2018) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply	$84.98 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$2256.35
	Mail-in rebates	-$40.00
	Total	$2216.35
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-12-17 19:11 EST-0500

 

Also consider:

CPU: Ryzen 2700X overclocked + X470 motherboard

GPU: GTX 1080ti (2nd hand)

[LukeSavenije]

I like the idea of a buildplan example/guideline, but I would highly recommend using filters on the motherboards, as prices can vary that much sometimes, that a different part becomes a better value.

 

btw, if you need any help, let me know! 

[Spotty]

35 minutes ago, LukeSavenije said:

I like the idea of a buildplan example/guideline, but I would highly recommend using filters on the motherboards, as prices can vary that much sometimes, that a different part becomes a better value.

 

btw, if you need any help, let me know! 

Could look in to the motherboards and filters, however one of the things I want to avoid is selecting any crappy motherboards like the really cheap ones that only have 2 DIMM slots and terrible VRMs/VRM cooling. I'd rather have a list of "recommended" motherboards in that price point.  Like I might list the AsRock B450M Pro4, then also list "Also consider these other motherboards instead" and maybe PCPP links to those specific motherboards.

 

Obviously can only do one parts list per category, but sometimes it's hard to narrow it down to just one part when there are multiple brands/models that will work equally as well.

 

Such as GTX 1060 6GB vs RX 580 8GB which is normally a toss up in regards to performance in games. I can't list both, but I might list the RX 580 8GB in the build since it's often $10-$30 cheaper and then below recommend "Also consider the GTX 1060 6GB as well" with maybe a link to a reasonably priced 1060 6GB card...

 

Happy for you to help out. Just take a look at the parts list I have up there currently and find flaws in it and let me know what parts to replace. Doesn't need to be the *cheapest* build possible, but what you would recommend to a friend as a "good build" with that sort of budget. Looking to expand the "Also consider" section, so feel free to suggest alternate parts to ones I have listed. Just let me know which category and which part to add.

[LukeSavenije]

13 minutes ago, Spotty said:

snip

I'll take a look when I have some time, do you want me to pm you or post it here?

[Spotty]

5 minutes ago, LukeSavenije said:

I'll take a look when I have some time, do you want me to pm you or post it here?

Whichever you prefer.
Plan is to keep the thread open and let people post new suggestions for lists or notify of part price changes or better prices available. So people post like "Hey the MX500 SSD just went up in price $30, it's not very good value any more... The WD Blue SSD is a better buy" and I can update the builds in original post. As well as if anyone has any questions on why something was recommended. Basically like the PSU tier list which is constantly updated and acts as general advice... Only this one is 100 times harder to manage as I have to consider prices as well

[Herman Mcpootis]

1 hour ago, Spotty said:

there's a 3000mhz team vulcan kit for a couple dollars more, that would be better. the ATX pro4 is cheaper and has more features so i'd list that down instead. any brand new 7200rpm HDD will work just fine.

Spoiler

 

Low Budget Gaming (1080p 30fps) - $400

Last updated 17/12/2018

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 3 2200G 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Processor	$89.00 @ Amazon
Motherboard	ASRock - B450M PRO4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard	$79.62 @ OutletPC
Memory	G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory	$59.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Crucial - MX500 250 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$42.99 @ Adorama
Storage	Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$44.85 @ OutletPC
Case	Deepcool - TESSERACT SW ATX Mid Tower Case	$35.98 @ Newegg Business
Power Supply	Corsair - CXM (2015) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply	$24.99 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$417.42
	Mail-in rebates	-$40.00
	Total	$377.42
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-12-17 04:29 EST-0500

 

 

there's the WD blue and the WD blue 3D, the 3D variant is better so i'd list that down.

 

Spoiler

 

Basic Gaming (1080p 60fps) - $750

Last updated 17/12/2018

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor	$159.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard	ASRock - B450M PRO4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard	$79.62 @ OutletPC
Memory	G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$109.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Crucial - MX500 250 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$42.99 @ Adorama
Storage	Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$44.85 @ OutletPC
Video Card	Gigabyte - Radeon RX 580 8 GB Gaming 8G Video Card	$209.89 @ OutletPC
Case	Fractal Design - Focus G ATX Mid Tower Case	$55.71 @ Amazon
Power Supply	Corsair - CXM (2015) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply	$24.99 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$828.03
	Mail-in rebates	-$100.00
	Total	$728.03
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-12-17 04:32 EST-0500

 

 

 

 

 

 

The scythe ninja 4 or thermalright macho rev. B would better choices for the same price, or just use stock. the B450 K4 is also pretty good for abit less.

 

Spoiler

 

Basic Streamer (1080p 60fps) - $1000

Last updated 17/12/2018

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 7 2700 3.2 GHz 8-Core Processor	$259.00 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	CRYORIG - H7 49 CFM CPU Cooler	$38.00 @ Amazon
Motherboard	MSI - B450 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard	$106.30 @ OutletPC
Memory	G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$109.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Samsung - 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$72.00 @ Amazon
Storage	Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$44.85 @ OutletPC
Video Card	Gigabyte - Radeon RX 580 8 GB Gaming 8G Video Card	$209.89 @ OutletPC
Case	Fractal Design - Focus G ATX Mid Tower Case	$55.71 @ Amazon
Power Supply	Cooler Master - MasterWatt 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply	$45.98 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1041.72
	Mail-in rebates	-$100.00
	Total	$941.72
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-12-17 04:51 EST-0500

 

 

 

i'd recommend a locked i7 8700 and B360 board instead, and the G2 is $50 after a $20 rebate.

 

Spoiler

 

High Refresh Rate Gaming (1080p 144hz) - $1250

Last updated 17/12/2018

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel - Core i5-9600K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor	$269.99 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	CRYORIG - H7 49 CFM CPU Cooler	$38.00 @ Amazon
Motherboard	Gigabyte - Z390 GAMING X ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$139.99 @ Amazon
Memory	G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$109.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Samsung - 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$72.00 @ Amazon
Storage	Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$58.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card	Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8 GB Video Card	$379.99 @ Newegg
Case	NZXT - H500 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case	$69.99 @ B&H
Power Supply	Corsair - RMx (2018) 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply	$89.99 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$1228.83
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-12-17 05:13 EST-0500

 

 

 

can probably get a cheaper 2080 and use the money on something else.

Spoiler

 

High end gaming (1440p 144fps/4k 60fps) - $2000

Last updated 17/12/2018

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel - Core i7-9700K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor	$409.00 @ Walmart
CPU Cooler	Corsair - H100i PRO 75 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler	$99.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard	ASRock - Z390 Taichi ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$225.98 @ Newegg
Memory	G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$129.89 @ OutletPC
Storage	Samsung - 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$72.00 @ Amazon
Storage	Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$58.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card	EVGA - GeForce RTX 2080 8 GB XC ULTRA GAMING Video Card	$809.99 @ Amazon
Case	NZXT - H500 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case	$69.99 @ B&H
Power Supply	Corsair - RMx (2018) 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply	$89.99 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1980.72
	Mail-in rebates	-$15.00
	Total	$1965.72
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-12-17 05:27 EST-0500

 

 

 

 

 

[Spotty]

4 minutes ago, Herman Mcpootis said:

there's a 3000mhz team vulcan kit for a couple dollars more, that would be better. the ATX pro4 is cheaper and has more features so i'd list that down instead. any brand new 7200rpm HDD will work just fine.

I'll swap the RAM and Mobo out.

 

4 minutes ago, Herman Mcpootis said:

there's the WD blue and the WD blue 3D, the 3D variant is better so i'd list that down.

For the SSD instead of the MX500? 250GB MX500 is currently $43 vs $52 for the 250GB WD Blue SSD. I'll add the WD Blues and 860 evos to the Storage "also consider" section for that system as well.

 

7 minutes ago, Herman Mcpootis said:

i'd recommend a locked i7 8700 and B360 board instead, and the G2 is $50 after a $20 rebate.

I was actually planning on working a i7 8700 B360/H370 build in somewhere...

 

$60 more for the 8700 over the 9600k, though I guess you can save a bit on the motherboard. Gain 6c/12t vs 6c, but you take a hit on the single core clocks/performance and lose ability to overclock... For 1080p 144hz... Single core performance 6c6t or lower single core performance and 6c12t?

I'll add the 8700/b360 in to the considerations list for now for that system, but I might end up working out a different build for B360/8700 system. Might look at doing a $1500 budget system but I'm not sure how to target it just yet.

 

I'm trying to avoid stuff on sale or with rebates. I'd rather stuff which just have good value MSRPs rather than stuff on special, just because I don't want to update this thread every day as things go on/off sale. People can check the Hot Deals forum to see if there are any similar parts on special, and I'd still recommend anyone thinking of buying to make a thread first. This is more... Inspiration? Give someone who has no idea about PC building an idea of what to start off with.
 

12 minutes ago, Herman Mcpootis said:

can probably get a cheaper 2080 and use the money on something else.

Most the decent ones seem to start at around $780. I'll swap in the Asus Dual RTX 2080 for $780. https://pcpartpicker.com/product/PT3H99/asus-geforce-rtx-2080-8gb-dual-video-card-dual-rtx2080-o8g

[Herman Mcpootis]

19 minutes ago, Spotty said:

For the SSD instead of the MX500? 250GB MX500 is currently $43 vs $52 for the 250GB WD Blue SSD. I'll add the WD Blues and 860 evos to the Storage "also consider" section for that system as well.

over the WD blue that you stated below it.

[LukeSavenije]

Spoiler

Low Budget Gaming (1080p 30fps) - $400

Last updated 17/12/2018

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 3 2200G 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Processor	$89.00 @ Amazon
Motherboard	ASRock - B450 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard	$59.99 @ Newegg
Memory	Team - Vulcan 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$61.98 @ Newegg
Storage	Crucial - MX500 250 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$42.99 @ Adorama
Storage	Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$44.85 @ OutletPC
Case	Deepcool - TESSERACT SW ATX Mid Tower Case	$35.98 @ Newegg Business
Power Supply	Corsair - CXM (2015) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply	$24.99 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$394.78
	Mail-in rebates	-$35.00
	Total	$359.78
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-12-17 07:35 EST-0500

 

Also consider:

RAM: Any 2x4GB 2666MHz or higher kit (3000Mhz preferred if within budget). Ryzen systems prefer faster memory and will perform better. Consider adding an additional 2x4GB kit later on as a future upgrade to give you 16GB total RAM.
PSU: CoolerMaster Masterwatt 550W, Be Quiet Pure Power 11 500W, Bitfenix Formula 450W.

Storage: If you already have a HDD you can use, or don't require much storage, remove the HDD from the list to save ~$45. You can always add extra storage later on as needed.

Storage (SSD): Any SSD is better than no SSD, so if your budget is tight and you can't afford the 250GB MX500, consider the Kingston A400 120GB for around $25.

Graphics Card: Try to find a 2nd hand graphics card for sale for under $100 as a future upgrade to this machine. RX 470, RX 480, GTX 960, etc.

I would say for psu tier c/3+ would be a good general recommendation, mention the downsides of single channel ram? other things seem fine, maybe add the 860 evo, but that's about it.

 

Spoiler

Basic Gaming (1080p 60fps) - $750

Last updated 17/12/2018

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor	$159.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard	ASRock - B450 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard	$59.99 @ Newegg
Memory	G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$109.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Crucial - MX500 250 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$42.99 @ Adorama
Storage	Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$44.85 @ OutletPC
Video Card	Gigabyte - Radeon RX 580 8 GB Gaming 8G Video Card	$209.89 @ OutletPC
Case	Fractal Design - Focus G ATX Mid Tower Case	$55.71 @ Amazon
Power Supply	Corsair - CXM (2015) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply	$24.99 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$803.40
	Mail-in rebates	-$95.00
	Total	$708.40
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-12-17 07:37 EST-0500

 

Also consider:

Graphics Card: GTX 1060 6GB

RAM: Any 2x8GB 3000MHz DDR4 kit

Motherboard: MSI B450 Tomahawk or AsRock Fatal1ty B450 K4 if you wish to overclock the CPU

PSU: CoolerMaster Masterwatt 550W, Corsair TX550M, Be Quiet Pure Power 11 500W, Bitfenix Formula 450W.

Storage (HDD): WD Blues, Seagate Barracudas, Toshiba, etc of whichever size required for your storage needs
Storage (SSD): WD Blue SSD, Crucial MX500, Samsung 860 Evo. If budget is extremely tight, whatever SSD you can afford. An SSD is considered essential these days even in budget systems. You're better off buying an SSD now for your OS and adding HDD for additional storage later.

I would swap the tomahawk and pro4, you'll keep a bit of difference, and show what some more budget can give you mobowise. maybe add an option for a cooler here? for hdd the Hitachi fine too imo.

Spoiler

Basic Streamer (1080p 60fps) - $1000

Last updated 17/12/2018

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 7 2700 3.2 GHz 8-Core Processor	$259.00 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	CRYORIG - H7 49 CFM CPU Cooler	$38.00 @ Amazon
Motherboard	ASRock - Fatal1ty B450 GAMING K4 ATX AM4 Motherboard	$97.97 @ Newegg
Memory	G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$109.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Samsung - 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$72.00 @ Amazon
Storage	Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$44.85 @ OutletPC
Video Card	Gigabyte - Radeon RX 580 8 GB Gaming 8G Video Card	$209.89 @ OutletPC
Case	Fractal Design - Focus G ATX Mid Tower Case	$55.71 @ Amazon
Power Supply	Cooler Master - MasterWatt 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply	$45.98 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1013.39
	Mail-in rebates	-$80.00
	Total	$933.39
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-12-17 07:40 EST-0500

 

Also consider:

Motherboard: MSI B450 Tomahawk

CPU Cooler: Use stock. It's free and comes with the CPU, so if you're on a budget the stock CPU cooler is a good place to start. If you find that you aren't happy with the performance the stock cooler gives, consider upgrading to an aftermarket cooler. Stock cooler, Cryorig H7, Scythe Ninja 4, Thermaltake Macho Rev. B.

Graphics Card: GTX 1060 6gb, RX 590. If you have additional funds GTX 1070ti or Vega 56 for higher refresh rate and higher graphical settings.

Storage:  Extra HDD storage if you plan on recording your gamplay footage/stream to save locally.

Would start with 2tb here. personally would choose the freezer 33 esports one, and add this one as an alternative. the gigabyte only has 2 heatpipes, the xfx and sapphire would be better for a guideline here, as they have 4 heatpipes.

Spoiler

Mid Range Gaming (1080p Ultra 60fps/1440p 60fps) - $1000

Last updated 17/12/2018

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor	$159.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard	MSI - B450 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard	$106.30 @ OutletPC
Memory	G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$109.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Samsung - 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$72.00 @ Amazon
Storage	Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$44.85 @ OutletPC
Video Card	Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8 GB Video Card	$379.99 @ Newegg
Case	NZXT - H500 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case	$69.99 @ B&H
Power Supply	Corsair - CXM 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply	$42.98 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1026.09
	Mail-in rebates	-$40.00
	Total	$986.09
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-12-17 05:05 EST-0500

 

Also consider:

Graphics Card: Vega 56, RTX 2070

PSU: Corsair RM550x, Seasonic Focus Plus 550W, Be Quiet Pure Power 11 500W, EVGA G2 550W, Corsair TX550M, Bitfenix Whisper 550.

would add the option for a x470 mobo here. fatal1ty and aorus elite should be nice options on this budget

some case alternatives like the meshify would be nice, but i'll leave that to tvwazhere. maybe a vega 64/1080 if price is fair?

Spoiler

High Refresh Rate Gaming (1080p 144hz) - $1250

Last updated 17/12/2018

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel - Core i5-9600K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor	$269.99 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	CRYORIG - H7 49 CFM CPU Cooler	$38.00 @ Amazon
Motherboard	Gigabyte - Z390 GAMING X ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$139.99 @ Amazon
Memory	G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$109.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Samsung - 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$72.00 @ Amazon
Storage	Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$58.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card	Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8 GB Video Card	$379.99 @ Newegg
Case	NZXT - H500 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case	$69.99 @ B&H
Power Supply	Corsair - RMx (2018) 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply	$89.99 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$1228.83
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-12-17 05:13 EST-0500

 

Also consider:

CPU: Intel i5 8600k, i7 8700(non K) + B360 Motherboard.

CPU Cooler: Dark Rock Pro 4, Noctua NH D15, Corsair H100i AIO

Graphics Card: Vega 56, RTX 2070

PSU: Corsair RM550x, Seasonic Focus Plus 550W, Be Quiet Pure Power 11 500W, EVGA G2 550W, Corsair TX550M, Bitfenix Whisper 550, Be Quiet Straight Power 11 550W

kraken aio? maybe a better graphics card if possible? so 2080/vega64/1080 ti?

Spoiler

High end gaming (1440p 144fps/4k 60fps) - $2000

Last updated 17/12/2018

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel - Core i7-9700K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor	$409.00 @ Walmart
CPU Cooler	Corsair - H100i PRO 75 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler	$99.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard	ASRock - Z390 Taichi ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$225.98 @ Newegg
Memory	G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$129.89 @ OutletPC
Storage	Samsung - 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$72.00 @ Amazon
Storage	Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$58.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card	Asus - GeForce RTX 2080 8 GB Dual Video Card	$779.53 @ Amazon
Case	NZXT - H500 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case	$69.99 @ B&H
Power Supply	Corsair - RMx (2018) 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply	$89.99 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1950.26
	Mail-in rebates	-$15.00
	Total	$1935.26
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-12-17 07:43 EST-0500

 

Also consider:

CPU: Intel i7 8700K + Z370 Motherboard

CPU Cooler: Be Quiet Dark Rock Pro 4 or Noctua NH D15 for high end air cooling - Keep in mind case and RAM clearance with large air coolers.

Graphics Card: GTX 1080ti (2nd hand)

would change the mobo for a aorus master, 10 phase vs 12 phase power. the vengeance rgb pro as alternative. would use a master for the 8700k too, as they are not that much more. maybe 650 here?

Spoiler

High End Streaming (1440p 144fps/4k 60fps) - $2250

Last updated 17/12/2018

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel - Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor	$528.90 @ OutletPC
CPU Cooler	Corsair - H150i PRO 47.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler	$129.99 @ Newegg
Motherboard	ASRock - Z390 Taichi ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$225.98 @ Newegg
Memory	Team - T-Force Delta RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$109.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Samsung - 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$72.00 @ Amazon
Storage	Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$58.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card	EVGA - GeForce RTX 2080 8 GB XC GAMING Video Card	$789.89 @ OutletPC
Case	Lian-Li - PC-O11DW ATX Full Tower Case	$142.97 @ Newegg
Power Supply	Corsair - RMx (2018) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply	$84.98 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$2198.59
	Mail-in rebates	-$55.00
	Total	$2143.59
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-12-17 06:01 EST-0500

Also consider:

CPU: Ryzen 2700X overclocked

GPU: GTX 1080ti (2nd hand) gives similar performance to the RTX 2080, and should be able to find used ones for a bit cheaper.

once again the master, why such cheap memory here compared to the other one?

for x470 I would say the taichi ultimate is the best.

Spoiler

Dream Machine - $3000

Last updated 17/12/2018

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel - Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor	$528.90 @ OutletPC
CPU Cooler	Corsair - H150i PRO 47.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler	$129.99 @ Newegg
Motherboard	ASRock - Z390 Taichi ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$225.98 @ Newegg
Memory	G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$144.89 @ OutletPC
Storage	Samsung - 970 Evo 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive	$117.99 @ Newegg Business
Storage	Samsung - 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$147.00 @ Amazon
Video Card	EVGA - GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB XC ULTRA GAMING Video Card	$1349.99 @ B&H
Case	Lian-Li - PC-O11DW ATX Full Tower Case	$142.97 @ Newegg
Power Supply	Corsair - RMx (2018) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply	$84.98 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$2927.69
	Mail-in rebates	-$55.00
	Total	$2872.69
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-12-17 05:37 EST-0500

Also consider:

Finding a cheaper hobby.

once again, aorus master

 

I'll add @Stefan Payne and @seon123 here for some psu help.

[Spotty]

8 hours ago, LukeSavenije said:

I would swap the tomahawk and pro4, you'll keep a bit of difference, and show what some more budget can give you mobowise. maybe add an option for a cooler here?

Don't need a cooler for a basic machine. This is basically just budget 1080p 60fps gaming.  Also the price of the current build is $743.50 in PCPP, so not enough room in budget for cooler and Tomahawk at this stage, but prices may come down in time.

 

8 hours ago, LukeSavenije said:

would add the option for a x470 mobo here.

I don't really see the benefit in X470 motherboards unless you're using multi GPU? And again budget...

 

8 hours ago, LukeSavenije said:

maybe a vega 64/1080 if price is fair?

GTX1080 is sold out in most places, and is generally worse performance/dollar than the 1070ti. The Vega 64 has supply issues as well, and would be way over the budget for the build.

 

8 hours ago, LukeSavenije said:

kraken aio? maybe a better graphics card if possible? so 2080/vega64/1080 ti?

I'll add some more cooling options. 1080ti and Vega64 have supply issues, and the RTX 2080 would be about $250 over budget for this build.

 

8 hours ago, LukeSavenije said:

would change the mobo for a aorus master, 10 phase vs 12 phase power.

Costs $300 though so goes way over budget for this build... I'm going to swap out the Z390 boards though, the ones there are more or less just placeholders.

 

8 hours ago, LukeSavenije said:

once again the master, why such cheap memory here compared to the other one?

I... Don't know. But there's room in the budget here for the Master so I'll swap that in

[LienusLateTips]

Please mention Hyper 212 Black

 

It is good product

 

Better performance than the Freezer 33

 

$35, same price range

[Spotty]

4 minutes ago, LienusLateTips said:

Please mention Hyper 212 Black 

Does it use the same mounting mechanism as the Hyper 212 or has it been updated? I know quite a few people have complained about the mounting of the original Hyper 212 cooler.

[LienusLateTips]

1 minute ago, Spotty said:

Does it use the same mounting mechanism as the Hyper 212 or has it been updated? I know quite a few people have complained about the mounting of the original Hyper 212 cooler.

I think it's the same. Never worked with the original though

 

Quite easy. Just a few hiccups with the mounting pressure. I had to use so much force I felt like I was breaking the motherboard

[Spotty]

10 minutes ago, LienusLateTips said:

I think it's the same. Never worked with the original though

 

Quite easy. Just a few hiccups with the mounting pressure. I had to use so much force I felt like I was breaking the motherboard

I'll add it to the list of "also considers" for the mid range gamer/basic streamer alongside the Cryroig H7, Arctic Freezer 33, etc.
Next time I update the list I think I'm going to remove the aftermarket coolers from the PCPP lists for the 2600/2700 builds since the stock coolers are an adequate starting point, and free. I'll keep recommendations for the coolers in the comments in case anyone does want to replace the stock cooler.

 

List updated.