First PC build from scratch, help me make the most of my money!

[Jnixon]

Hi all! 

 

I hope your weeks are going well so far. As the title states, I have never built a PC before. I have upgraded components, but never built from scratch. I just wanted to make sure I'm making the most of my money.

 

Budget: $800-$900 (flexible within reason)

Use: Primary use will be gaming, but will also use for work related things. (Not really a factor on the build)

Monitor setup: I will only be doing 1080p gaming. I don't have a great monitor, but I plan on upgrading later. 4k gaming is not important to me.

 

The only thing I have bought is the case. I am not opposed to buying used parts. I am not in a hurry, so I am scanning forums looking for good used parts. Here is everything except  CPU, GPU and Mobo. ($314.75)

 

PCPartPicker part list](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/b3VxdX) / [Price breakdown by merchant](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/b3VxdX/by_merchant/)

 

I live right by a Microcenter and they offer good deals on Motherboard/CPU combos. I plan on buying my CPU/Mobo from there. 

 

The two CPUs I'm looking at are:

 

I5-8400/Gigabyte Z390 UD ($268.99) (Total: $583.74)

https://www.microcenter.com/product/5002338/intel-core-i5-8400,-gigabyte-z390-ud,-cpu---motherboard-bundle

 

I5-9600k/Gigabyte Z390 UD ($318.98) (Total: $633.73)

https://www.microcenter.com/product/5002598/intel-core-i5-9600k,-gigabyte-z390-ud,-cpu---motherboard-bundle

 

The 8400 is a very capable CPU, and quite a bit cheaper. However, the 9600k can be overclocked and would probably be better for longevity. 

 

The 8400 will leave about $300 for a gpu.

The 9600k will leave about $250 for a gpu.

 

I have seen used 1070's around $225-$275 and 1070ti's around $300-$350. If we are looking at new cards, I'm pretty much stuck with a 1060. I have seen a few 1070's for $300, but I'm sure they won't last long.

 

I'm leaning to 8400 to save a little money for a better gpu. The only thing I don't want to buy used is Mobo and CPU. More money could open up if I find other good used parts. What is the opinion of the forum? I'm open to suggestion!

 

[Drunk.EU]

the z390 for an 8400 is not required. Honestly just go for an b360 motherboard for a non k processor and you should be able to save a lot more. 

[dizmo]

• I'd strongly suggest getting an SSD instead, and then an HDD later when you save a little more. A PC without an SSD is a horrid experience.
• Don't get the Hyper 212. It's not a great cooler, and definitely won't do the job on the 9600k.
• Try and get 3000mhz+ RAM. It's usually not much more.
• You can get a cheaper PSU like the CX550m to save money.
• If you're not in a hurry, wait for the RTX 2060. It'll be better than the 1070Ti.
• I'd go for the 9600k. For only $50 you're getting a pretty nice bump in performance.

 

Welcome to the forum.

[SupaKomputa]

For $300 you can get a 8 core Ryzen 7 CPU.

If budget is your main concern, ditch intel, you can have more to spare in a full system.

[Manderis]

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/rWwxdX
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/rWwxdX/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($164.99 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: be quiet! - Pure Rock Slim 35.14 CFM CPU Cooler  ($28.89 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: ASRock - B450 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($76.00 @ Newegg Business) 
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($119.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Crucial - MX500 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($67.89 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($58.50 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: Asus - GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8 GB TURBO Video Card  ($359.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair - SPEC-02 ATX Mid Tower Case  (Purchased For $40.00) 
Power Supply: Corsair - TXM Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($69.98 @ Amazon) 
Total: $986.23
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-01-14 12:42 EST-0500

 

That is my suggestion for a Ryzen 5 build. 
The 1070 ti is just a placeholder. I wouldn't buy one new. Get a 2060 when they get available or look at your used gpu market and get a 1070(ti) or maybe even a 1080 if you can get one

[SupaKomputa]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($164.99 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte - B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($76.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory  ($119.99 @ Corsair) 
Storage: Samsung - 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($82.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.89 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: PowerColor - Radeon RX 580 8 GB Video Card  ($179.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair - SPEC-02 ATX Mid Tower Case  (Purchased For $40.00) 
Power Supply: Corsair - TXM Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($69.98 @ Amazon) 
Total: $794.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-01-14 12:45 EST-0500

[LukeSavenije]

I'll just post my take on it here

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor	$164.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard	ASRock - B450M PRO4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard	$59.99 @ Newegg
Memory	G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$104.99 @ Newegg Business
Storage	Crucial - MX500 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive	$65.75 @ OutletPC
Storage	Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$59.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card	XFX - Radeon RX 580 8 GB GTS XXX ED Video Card	$189.89 @ OutletPC
Case	Corsair - SPEC-02 ATX Mid Tower Case	Purchased For $40.00
Power Supply	Corsair - CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply	$19.99 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$795.49
	Mail-in rebates	-$90.00
	Total	$705.49
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-01-14 13:00 EST-0500

 

[Jnixon]

40 minutes ago, Drunk.EU said:

the z390 for an 8400 is not required. Honestly just go for an b360 motherboard for a non k processor and you should be able to save a lot more. 

The reason I had a z390 is because microcenter doesn't offer a b360 combo with the 8400. I also wanted to allow room to upgrade to a 9th gen with overclocked ability down the road.

[Jnixon]

42 minutes ago, dizmo said:

• I'd strongly suggest getting an SSD instead, and then an HDD later when you save a little more. A PC without an SSD is a horrid experience.
• Don't get the Hyper 212. It's not a great cooler, and definitely won't do the job on the 9600k.
• Try and get 3000mhz+ RAM. It's usually not much more.
• You can get a cheaper PSU like the CX550m to save money.
• If you're not in a hurry, wait for the RTX 2060. It'll be better than the 1070Ti.
• I'd go for the 9600k. For only $50 you're getting a pretty nice bump in performance.

 

Welcome to the forum.

I forgot to mention I already have a 258gb SSD. What would you recommend for cooler if not a 212 Evo? 

 

Also, I'm worried the 2060 will be in the $350-$400 range new.

[Jnixon]

I appreciate all of the responses. I should have clarified that I am trying to strike the balance of my budget and future upgradability. That's why I chose a tx650 over a cx450 And a z390 on a non overclocked chip. Ideally, id like to not have to buy a new power supply, Mobo, etc to upgrade. Although I know the 9th gen will probably be the last to use 300 series boards.

[Manderis]

Most of the time Motherboard generation and CPU generation have to be treated as one unit (Not counting AM4). Usually you can only upgrade within the same or one newer generation so after 4 years you can't just buy a new CPU and slap it in you motherboard. You might be able to get a nice deal on used hardware that is a few tiers above your chip. Like when you have a i5 4570 and can get a i7 4790 after 4 years for cheap. That is a nice upgrade.

But most of the time you have to change your entire platform (mb+cpu)

Case/PSU sometimes RAM (but DDR5 is around the corner), CPU cooler (most of the time support several sockets or offer mounting kits like noctua) 

 

And GPU tech is changing fast af so buying "future proof" isn't a thing really.

 

But a decent CPU will outlive several gpu's before you need to change it because it is bottlenecking with next gpu gen.

 

So as far as current information goes AM4 socket is the most future proof motherboard choice because AMD will support it until 2020

 

Good for you having the ssd already. Saving a few bucks. An CPU Cooler depends if you want to overclock or not. If not you might even be ok with the stock cooler if you choose an amd X series chip. Else everything what noctua does seems like a good bet. Dark rock pro 4 ...

 

[dizmo]

12 hours ago, Jnixon said:

I forgot to mention I already have a 258gb SSD. What would you recommend for cooler if not a 212 Evo? 

 

Also, I'm worried the 2060 will be in the $350-$400 range new.

Honestly I'd just save up the $50 or $100 to get the better card. It really shouldn't be that difficult.

[Jnixon]

Thank you all for the advice. I have decided to go with the I5-8400 because microcenter has further reduced the price. I got that and the MSI H370 gaming plus for $280 out the door. The extra cost to get a good cooler was just too much.

 

Also, RTX2060 is looking great for my budget! From what I have seen, it performs slightly better than the 1070, and almost on par with 1070ti. For $349, that is a good deal.