First post, need system advice

[JimT]

Hi folks. Long post warning so sorry not sorry lol

I'm looking for some system advice, no case or peripherals just core components. 

Back story:

Ive 3 kids (boys) and its time for a new pc, this time I've decided that they should get a pc each so I'm pretty budget constrained; around £900 for mobo, ram, cpu and gpu in each system (2700 total) PSUs, ssd etc have a separate budget

 

All systems need to use the same components to stop arguments, used components are fine but please use average and not cheapest prices with recommendations. 

Eldest needs a system that he can use for his music stuff, recording and editing etc, plus obligatory gaming. 

Middle lad needs a system he can do his stop motion video stuff with and again, gaming. 

Youngest is into programming so anything works for him I suppose. 

 

When you recommend things can you please say why you're recommending an item if its an oddball or something or a quick bit of your thought process at the end of your recommendation please. 

 

I don't want to simply be spoon-fed, I want to learn at the same time so thanks for any help you can give. 

Oh, please don't be starting intel/amd/nvidia arguments please guys, I can make my own mind up if people respect each others opinions 

Edited April 5, 2019 by JimT
Clarifying info (hopefully)

[JimT]

Oh, forgot to add:

With the used components I'd like them to be relatively recent (like this gen or last gen) even if it does hit performance a bit. 

Also, it's OK to cut down ram amounts as I can add more in a month or two when the wallet recovers a little. 

Thanks again for any help you guys n gals give 

[Semper]

The UK version of PCPP is really not happy with me right now, it's taking ages to load things. Here's what I've got for you though:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 7 2700 3.2 GHz 8-Core Processor	£215.47 @ Scan.co.uk
Motherboard	MSI - B450M PRO-M2 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard	£64.99 @ Amazon UK
Memory	G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory	£99.99 @ CCL Computers
Storage	Crucial - MX500 250 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	£44.95 @ Aria PC
Storage	Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	£53.60 @ CCL Computers
Video Card	EVGA - GeForce GTX 1070 8 GB SC Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card	£326.46 @ Amazon UK
Power Supply	Corsair - RMx (2018) 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply	£89.99 @ CCL Computers
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	£895.45
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-04-05 08:11 BST+0100

It's a fairly generic build.

The 2700 could be swapped out for something like a 2600 if you wanted to save a bit more. I opted for a 2700 for the productivity boost you'll see. It's worth nothing though, that Zen 2 (Ryzen 3000 series) looks to be right around the corner within the next few months if you'd like to consider options from that line. Ryzen 2000 series are seeing a discount as a result of the imminent launch, which is also worth noting.
The MX500 could be upped to a 500 or 1tb model if you'd like, budget withstanding. 250 is plenty sufficient for a boot drive however.
I went with a 1070 as it's still a very capable card, with a solid price point, it should be able to handle 1440p quite competently so long as you're not striving to max everything out.
A networking card may be necessary if you plan to set them up via wifi. I did not include one as I have very little experience (and subsequent knowledge) on what's to be considered decent. I avoid wifi if at all possible.
PSU was picked for a balance of cost vs quality. You can modify as you see fit, I would encourage you to take a look at this list:

Welcome to the forum as well!

As for the length of your post, it really wasn't anywhere close to the realm of long, I'd venture to say it did everything it needed to, without any extra fluff, quite well written.

[JimT]

13 minutes ago, Semper said:

The UK version of PCPP is really not happy with me right now, it's taking ages to load things. Here's what I've got for you though:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 7 2700 3.2 GHz 8-Core Processor	£215.47 @ Scan.co.uk
Motherboard	MSI - B450M PRO-M2 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard	£64.99 @ Amazon UK
Memory	G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory	£99.99 @ CCL Computers
Storage	Crucial - MX500 250 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	£44.95 @ Aria PC
Storage	Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	£53.60 @ CCL Computers
Video Card	EVGA - GeForce GTX 1070 8 GB SC Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card	£326.46 @ Amazon UK
Power Supply	Corsair - RMx (2018) 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply	£89.99 @ CCL Computers
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	£895.45
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-04-05 08:11 BST+0100

It's a fairly generic build.

The 2700 could be swapped out for something like a 2600 if you wanted to save a bit more. I opted for a 2700 for the productivity boost you'll see.
The MX500 could be upped to a 500 or 1tb model if you'd like, budget withstanding. 250 is plenty sufficient for a boot drive however.
I went with a 1070 as it's still a very capable card, with a solid price point, it should be able to handle 1440p quite competently so long as you're not striving to max everything out.
PSU was picked for a balance of cost vs quality. You can modify as you see fit, I would encourage you to take a look at this list:

 

Thanks for the suggestion and reasoning. 

The prices there look really good but the psu, hdd & ssd count for about £150 of your budget list. 

Would that £150 get me anything better with the gpu, cpu etc? 

The 900 budget is just for the motherboard, cpu, gpu and some ram that I can extend the capacity of a little later

[LukeSavenije]

16 minutes ago, Semper said:

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor	£146.98 @ Aria PC
Motherboard	MSI - B450 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard	£89.99 @ Amazon UK
Memory	Crucial - Ballistix Sport LT 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	£79.99 @ AWD-IT
Storage	Crucial - P1 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive	£63.59 @ Amazon UK
Video Card	EVGA - GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB XC GAMING Video Card	£324.97 @ Box Limited
Case	Fractal Design - Focus G (White) ATX Mid Tower Case	£49.99 @ Amazon UK
Power Supply	be quiet! - Pure Power 11 CM 500 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply	£63.47 @ Amazon UK
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	£818.98
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-04-05 08:25 BST+0100

ftfy

[JimT]

Just now, LukeSavenije said:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor	£146.98 @ Aria PC
Motherboard	MSI - B450 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard	£89.99 @ Amazon UK
Memory	Crucial - Ballistix Sport LT 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	£79.99 @ AWD-IT
Storage	Crucial - P1 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive	£63.59 @ Amazon UK
Video Card	EVGA - GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB XC GAMING Video Card	£324.97 @ Box Limited
Case	Fractal Design - Focus G (White) ATX Mid Tower Case	£49.99 @ Amazon UK
Power Supply	be quiet! - Pure Power 11 CM 500 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply	£63.47 @ Amazon UK
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	£818.98
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-04-05 08:25 BST+0100

ftfy

Sorry, I don't know what ftfy means

[LukeSavenije]

17 minutes ago, Semper said:

went with a 1070 as it's still a very capable card

except that the 2060 excists...

 

the motherboard is cheap

 

and you don't have a case...

[LukeSavenije]

Just now, JimT said:

Sorry, I don't know what ftfy means

fixed that for you

 

i made some changes which makes it more future proof and cheaper.

[JimT]

Thanks guys and thanks for explaining the acronym @LukeSavenije

 

The case etc are not included in the 900 budget, only the motherboard, gpu, cpu and some ram. 

Ive edited my opening post to hopefully clear that up a bit. 

[Semper]

8 minutes ago, JimT said:

Thanks for the suggestion and reasoning. 

The prices there look really good but the psu, hdd & ssd count for about £150 of your budget list. 

Would that £150 get me anything better with the gpu, cpu etc? 

The 900 budget is just for the motherboard, cpu, gpu and some ram that I can extend the capacity of a little later

A PSU is something you don't want to skimp out on. The RMx series aren't an end-all-be-all, but they're well priced for what you're getting, this is why I also linked you to the PSU tier list thread. Making a decision that fits quality vs price is going to be a decision that's ultimately up to you. I'd be confident in dropping down to a mid-tier PSU, but personally, I wouldn't go any lower than that.

The SSD isn't a necessity, but it's honestly the very first recommendation I can make for seeing a boost to the capability of your computer. Having one from the get-go makes life a little easier. The HDD could be knocked down to at 1tb, or 500gb model if you'd like.

7 minutes ago, LukeSavenije said:

except that the 2060 excists...

 

the motherboard is cheap

 

and you don't have a case...

From the original post:

Quote

I'm looking for some system advice, no case or peripherals just core components. 

And yes, it's a nothing-special, unremarkable motherboard, but i'm also not recommending an x SKU. My decisions were intentional, and at no point was I under the assumption or trying to disguise it as a top-tier build.

[LukeSavenije]

so i can do this?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 7 1700 3 GHz 8-Core Processor	£145.98 @ Aria PC
CPU Cooler	ARCTIC - Freezer 34 eSports DUO CPU Cooler	£29.95 @ Amazon UK
Motherboard	MSI - B450 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard	£89.99 @ Amazon UK
Memory	Crucial - Ballistix Sport LT 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	£79.99 @ AWD-IT
Video Card	MSI - GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB Video Card	£459.99 @ Box Limited
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	£805.90
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-04-05 08:35 BST+0100

 

2 minutes ago, Semper said:

unremarkable motherboard

a motherboard i wouldn't trust with a 2700 personally, that's why i added a tomahawk for a little more

 

3 minutes ago, Semper said:

recommending an x SKU

pats

[JimT]

2 minutes ago, Semper said:

A PSU is something you don't want to skimp out on. The RMx series aren't an end-all-be-all, but they're well priced for what you're getting, this is why I also linked you to the PSU tier list thread.

The SSD isn't a necessity, but it's honestly the very first recommendation I can make for seeing a boost to the capability of your computer. Having one from the get-go makes life a little easier. The HDD could be knocked down to at 1tb, or 500gb model if you'd like.

From the original post:

And yes, it's a nothing-special, unremarkable motherboard, but i'm also not recommending an x SKU. My decisions were intentional, and at no point was I under the assumption or trying to disguise it as a top-tier build.

Thankyou. 

Top tier isn't my aim, my budgets proof of that

Ive a separate budget for everything else, I was going to post in the relevant sections after sorting the core components. 

Being new I didn't want to be breaking rules. 

 

1 minute ago, LukeSavenije said:

so i can do this?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 7 1700 3 GHz 8-Core Processor	£145.98 @ Aria PC
CPU Cooler	ARCTIC - Freezer 34 eSports DUO CPU Cooler	£29.95 @ Amazon UK
Motherboard	MSI - B450 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard	£89.99 @ Amazon UK
Memory	Crucial - Ballistix Sport LT 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	£79.99 @ AWD-IT
Video Card	MSI - GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB Video Card	£459.99 @ Box Limited
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	£805.90
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-04-05 08:35 BST+0100

 

a motherboard i wouldn't trust with a 2700 personally, that's why i added a tomahawk for a little more

 

pats

Yeah, missing the other components is fine. 

I'm trying to read up and watch reviews on components to make a better informed decision from the suggestions people make. 

[LukeSavenije]

1 minute ago, JimT said:

 Being new I didn't want to be breaking rules.

technically you already did with posting this in the wrong section, but that's not a problem, mods aren't that bad here.

 

these are some nice things to check out, saves time:

 

[JimT]

Glad to hear the mods are cool here then and I knew no matter how I tried I'd mess it up

Thanks for the links from you both, they're certainly helping. 

 

Since the mods are cool I'm probably just aswell giving budget without case and cooling then. They'll still remain separate. 

 

I need atleast 4tb storage for my eldest so I can get my portable hdd back lol, maybe a 1tb ssd too, ill need recommendations on sizes I guess. 

So then, system budget minus cooling and case is £1300 each

[LukeSavenije]

19 minutes ago, JimT said:

Glad to hear the mods are cool here then and I knew no matter how I tried I'd mess it up

yeah... don't worry about it... i know them pretty good by now. i have contacts with like 9 mods and 1 admin

 

20 minutes ago, JimT said:

Since the mods are cool I'm probably just aswell giving budget without case and cooling then. They'll still remain separate. 

 

20 minutes ago, JimT said:

So then, system budget minus cooling and case is £1300 each

just curious, what would it be with everything included? maybe i can fit in something nice

[JimT]

2 minutes ago, LukeSavenije said:

just curious, what would it be with everything included? maybe i can fit in something nice

I was going to let the kids decide, it's the parts they'll see most but likely around the 350 mark. I'm leaving a little flexabilty for them to personalise things

[LukeSavenije]

5 minutes ago, JimT said:

I was going to let the kids decide, it's the parts they'll see most but likely around the 350 mark. I'm leaving a little flexabilty for them to personalise things

my last suggestion then, they can change a lot in it

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 7 2700 3.2 GHz 8-Core Processor	£215.47 @ Amazon UK
CPU Cooler	be quiet! - Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler	£63.84 @ Amazon UK
Motherboard	Gigabyte - X470 AORUS ULTRA GAMING ATX AM4 Motherboard	£129.99 @ Amazon UK
Memory	Crucial - Ballistix Sport LT 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	£79.99 @ AWD-IT
Storage	Crucial - P1 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive	£63.59 @ Amazon UK
Storage	Seagate - IronWolf Pro 4 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	£139.49 @ Box Limited
Video Card	PowerColor - Radeon VII 16 GB Video Card	£634.96 @ Scan.co.uk
Case	Cooler Master - MasterCase H500 ATX Mid Tower Case	£98.99 @ AWD-IT
Power Supply	BitFenix - Whisper M 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply	£99.95 @ CCL Computers
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	£1526.27
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-04-05 09:29 BST+0100

 

[JimT]

17 minutes ago, LukeSavenije said:

my last suggestion then, they can change a lot in it

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 7 2700 3.2 GHz 8-Core Processor	£215.47 @ Amazon UK
CPU Cooler	be quiet! - Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler	£63.84 @ Amazon UK
Motherboard	Gigabyte - X470 AORUS ULTRA GAMING ATX AM4 Motherboard	£129.99 @ Amazon UK
Memory	Crucial - Ballistix Sport LT 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	£79.99 @ AWD-IT
Storage	Crucial - P1 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive	£63.59 @ Amazon UK
Storage	Seagate - IronWolf Pro 4 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	£139.49 @ Box Limited
Video Card	PowerColor - Radeon VII 16 GB Video Card	£634.96 @ Scan.co.uk
Case	Cooler Master - MasterCase H500 ATX Mid Tower Case	£98.99 @ AWD-IT
Power Supply	BitFenix - Whisper M 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply	£99.95 @ CCL Computers
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	£1526.27
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-04-05 09:29 BST+0100

 

Thanks again. 

Quick question though, what prompted the change from the 2070 to the Radeon? 

Just wondering if it's a performance or budget thing

[LukeSavenije]

1 hour ago, JimT said:

Thanks again. 

Quick question though, what prompted the change from the 2070 to the Radeon? 

Just wondering if it's a performance or budget thing

vii=2080 performance

 

but the vii has a shocking 16 gigs of hbm2 (which is faster than nvidia's/Samsung's gddr6)