need opinion on budget build

[mxk]

Hi bros, 

 

My friend is planning to upgrade from thinkpad gaming and has a budget of $700 usd. He's going to be editing and doing gaming at 1080p+144hz. He wants to get Halo and him and I play a lot of csgo. He's not sure about other games since he's never been able to really try them with a thinkpad.

 

Here's the list I made. He wanted a 144hz monitor and I found one that also has freesync since he won't be getting 144 fps in anything but csgo for the most part.

 

I'd just like an opinion on the list and if there's anything else I can do to cut costs. I think I went as cheap as I could with his price range but I want a second look.

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor	$119.00 @ B&H
Motherboard	ASRock B450M-HDV R4.0 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard	$59.99 @ Amazon
Memory	Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$54.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Team T-Force VULCAN 250 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$35.99 @ Amazon
Storage	Seagate BarraCuda 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$42.24 @ Walmart
Video Card	Sapphire Radeon RX 570 4 GB PULSE Video Card	$133.98 @ Newegg
Case	Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L MicroATX Mini Tower Case	$44.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply	Corsair CXM (2015) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply	$58.54 @ Amazon
Monitor	Acer KG241 Pbmidpx 24.0" 1920x1080 144 Hz Monitor	$149.99 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$699.71
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-14 14:03 EST-0500

 

 

Thank you in advance for any replies!

[martward]

You could go for just 8GB of RAM, which would technically be enough. If all he does is gaming you could go with a cheaper CPU like a R3 1200.

If it isn't necessary to cut costs I would keep this though, it's a nice build and if it fits the budget it would be a waste to get worse components.

[dizmo]

• Go with a used video card. You can get a GTX 1070, if you're lucky a 1070 Ti for that price.
• Get a 1TB SSD. It's an extra $5. There's no need for spinning rust.
• I'd also get a used monitor.
• eBay is your friend.

[Juular]

Better motherboard, case and some cheaper options on other parts :

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($119.00 @ B&H)
Motherboard: ASRock B450M Pro4-F Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($74.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: OLOy 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: PNY CS900 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($27.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate BarraCuda 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($42.24 @ Walmart)
Video Card: XFX Radeon RX 570 4 GB RS XXX Video Card  ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Deepcool MATREXX 30 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($34.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CXM (2015) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply  ($58.54 @ Amazon)
Monitor: MSI Optix G24C 23.6" 1920x1080 144 Hz Monitor  ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $647.21
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-14 14:19 EST-0500

[mxk]

Just now, dizmo said:

• Go with a used video card. You can get a GTX 1070, if you're lucky a 1070 Ti for that price.
• Get a 1TB SSD. It's an extra $5. There's no need for spinning rust.
• I'd also get a used monitor.
• eBay is your friend.

alright this is good thank you i always appreciate help dizmo

 

 

idk why i didnt think about any of this i guess its been a while since I helped some1 with their build

1 minute ago, Juular said:

Better motherboard, case and some cheaper options on other parts :

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($119.00 @ B&H)
Motherboard: ASRock B450M Pro4-F Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($74.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: OLOy 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: PNY CS900 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($27.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate BarraCuda 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($42.24 @ Walmart)
Video Card: XFX Radeon RX 570 4 GB RS XXX Video Card  ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Deepcool MATREXX 30 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($34.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CXM (2015) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply  ($58.54 @ Amazon)
Monitor: MSI Optix G24C 23.6" 1920x1080 144 Hz Monitor  ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $647.21
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-14 14:19 EST-0500

this is also nice thank you very much. I'll probably change the case

[boggy77]

30 minutes ago, mxk said:

alright this is good thank you i always appreciate help dizmo

 

 

idk why i didnt think about any of this i guess its been a while since I helped some1 with their build

this is also nice thank you very much. I'll probably change the case

I'd go for 1tb ssd instead of 240+1tb

[mxk]

13 minutes ago, boggy77 said:

I'd go for 1tb ssd instead of 240+1tb

if theres money to be saved im gonna have my friend do that but im waiting til he has the money for sure then we're going to make solid choices on parts

[Queen Chrysalis]

Three Things:

A 1TB HDD is kind of a lame duck these days.  Between the 240 SSD and 1TB HDD, you're spending about 70 bucks.  Spend an Extra 10 and just get a TB SSD. 

https://www.newegg.com/western-digital-blue-1tb/p/N82E16820250092?Item=N82E16820250092&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=IGNEFL121319&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL121319-_-EMC-121319-Index-_-InternalSSDs-_-20250092-S5A1A

 

Promo Code: EMCUVUW32

 

If you run out of space you can add an HDD later.

 

Also, Dont bother buying new if you're just getting a 570 4GB, you'll find yourself wanting an upgrade in like year.  Get this something more powerful:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/GIGABYTE-NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-1070-G1-8GB-GDDR5-Graphics-Card-GV-N1070G1/193256979256?epid=14030519147&hash=item2cff037b38:g:e2cAAOSwqLFdJENr

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Powercolor-AMD-Vega-56-8gb/184081929552?hash=item2adc235550:g:xk8AAOSwBDdd9RrH

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/GIGABYTE-NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-1070-G1-8GB-GDDR5-Graphics-Card-GV-N1070G1/264537594853?epid=14030519147&hash=item3d97ab5be5:g:e2cAAOSwqLFdJENr

 

These cards would be about 30 bucks more, but its the most important piece of you build for game performance.  My personal choice for editing would be the Vega 56 (middle) for 140, but any of these would drastically ourperform a 570 4GB.

 

Lastly, a 450w PSU will be a limiting factor for upgrade, and more wattage wont stretch you much thinner.  You would need a new PSU for any more powerful of a GPU.

 

https://www.newegg.com/corsair-cx-series-cx650-650w/p/N82E16817139200

 

These changes would add as little as $30 more to your build and it would be a night and day difference in user experience.

 

 

[Queen Chrysalis]

I should also note that there's no reason to worry about GPUs on eBay.  If the card shows up and it doesnt work as described you get your money back with eBay buyer protection.  GPU dies are usually rated to last 10 years, and non of these cards have even been available to the market for more than 3.  Though many sellers used the cards to mine crypto, I wouldn't worry about that either.  Crypto miners usually run cards at lower voltages to maximize power efficiency (long hard gaming sessions usually put cards under more stress) and take good care of their equipment so that they can sell it when mining is no longer profitable.  I've personally bought a couple of ex-crypro cards on eBay, and they've always bench well above average when properly tuned.  

[Queen Chrysalis]

Not to nitpick this aswell, but I would STRONGLY recommend a different case.  The HDD mounting cage on the inside of the one you chose will get in the way of longer GPUs and will prevent you from installing an intake fan to the lower part of your system, where the GPU is.

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0785GRMPG?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1&pldnSite=1

 

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16811353096?Item=N82E16811353096&nm_mc=AFC-RAN-COM&cm_mmc=AFC-RAN-COM&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_source=afc-PCPartPicker&AFFID=2558510&AFFNAME=PCPartPicker&ACRID=1&ASID=https%3a%2f%2fpcpartpicker.com%2fproduct%2f8W38TW%2fdiypc-case-diyf2w&ranMID=44583&ranEAID=2558510&ranSiteID=8BacdVP0GFs-ilz9_x4KLfzuC5vaab6iiQ

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072JC4SCN?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1&pldnSite=1

 

Any of these would be fine for about the same price.

[mxk]

2 hours ago, Queen Chrysalis said:

 

I have read though all your paragraphs and I do already know about a lot of it (and I appreciate your responses still). 

 

Although it would be much easier on a higher budget my friend can't just afford to extra money. This isn't a scenario where he can bend his budget a little, it's truly all he has.

 

I know about ebay, used, etc. Like I said it's been a bit since I've helped my friends and considered every option since my PC I'm building is new parts since I have a bigger budget. I already told him about the scam protection through eBay.

 

Right now, he has $100 and about $27 worth of TF2 keys that he can cash out of with bitskins.com if he needs to. We're going to make a full plan of what to buy on eBay and whats in his area once we can. The HDD would likely just be for holding shadowplay clips.

[Queen Chrysalis]

3 minutes ago, mxk said:

I have read though all your paragraphs and I do already know about a lot of it (and I appreciate your responses still). 

 

Although it would be much easier on a higher budget my friend can't just afford to extra money. This isn't a scenario where he can bend his budget a little, it's truly all he has.

 

I know about ebay, used, etc. Like I said it's been a bit since I've helped my friends and considered every option since my PC I'm building is new parts since I have a bigger budget. I already told him about the scam protection through eBay.

 

Right now, he has $100 and about $27 worth of TF2 keys that he can cash out of with bitskins.com if he needs to. We're going to make a full plan of what to buy on eBay and whats in his area once we can. The HDD would likely just be for holding shadowplay clips.

In that case, get this CPU instead.  Zen 14nm is nearly identical to Zen+ 12nm.  When you tune it properly, it games nearly identically to the 2600, and that will save you the 40 dollars for what I would call some necessary improvements, keeping your build at the budget you wanted:

+10 for eBay vega 56 instead of new 570 4gb

+10 for 1tb SSD (w/ promo code) instead of 1tb hdd and 240gb ssd

+10 for cx650 PSU instead of cx450 psu

+5 DITPC f2 case (which coems with fans pre-installed so its actually a net savings) instead of deepcool case

-40 for 1600 instead of 2600

 

I would STRONGLY recommend doing this, as those little peripheal issues will be an annoyance, and the Vega 56 will blow the 570 4gb out of the water in any game, and even more so in editing programs.  If the vega 56 has sold, get the 1070, as it is a similar story.  

[Queen Chrysalis]

If nothing else, keep the other peripherals as they are and swap the 2600 x/ 570 for a 1600 w/ 1070.  Night and day performance difference with thats swap alone, and the money you save going with the 1600 will cover the 1070.

[seagate_surfer]

Yup! Listen to teh guy above and if possible at this moment, get an SSD!

[alijaghama]

7 hours ago, Queen Chrysalis said:

Three Things:

A 1TB HDD is kind of a lame duck these days.  Between the 240 SSD and 1TB HDD, you're spending about 70 bucks.  Spend an Extra 10 and just get a TB SSD. 

https://www.newegg.com/western-digital-blue-1tb/p/N82E16820250092?Item=N82E16820250092&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=IGNEFL121319&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL121319-_-EMC-121319-Index-_-InternalSSDs-_-20250092-S5A1A

 

Promo Code: EMCUVUW32

 

If you run out of space you can add an HDD later.

 

Also, Dont bother buying new if you're just getting a 570 4GB, you'll find yourself wanting an upgrade in like year.  Get this something more powerful:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/GIGABYTE-NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-1070-G1-8GB-GDDR5-Graphics-Card-GV-N1070G1/193256979256?epid=14030519147&hash=item2cff037b38:g:e2cAAOSwqLFdJENr

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Powercolor-AMD-Vega-56-8gb/184081929552?hash=item2adc235550:g:xk8AAOSwBDdd9RrH

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/GIGABYTE-NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-1070-G1-8GB-GDDR5-Graphics-Card-GV-N1070G1/264537594853?epid=14030519147&hash=item3d97ab5be5:g:e2cAAOSwqLFdJENr

 

These cards would be about 30 bucks more, but its the most important piece of you build for game performance.  My personal choice for editing would be the Vega 56 (middle) for 140, but any of these would drastically ourperform a 570 4GB.

 

Lastly, a 450w PSU will be a limiting factor for upgrade, and more wattage wont stretch you much thinner.  You would need a new PSU for any more powerful of a GPU.

 

https://www.newegg.com/corsair-cx-series-cx650-650w/p/N82E16817139200

 

These changes would add as little as $30 more to your build and it would be a night and day difference in user experience.

 

 

So are you saying the Vega 56 card would also be good for gaming? Or would you go with the 1070 if we are both editing(4k video) and gaming?

[seagate_surfer]

5 minutes ago, alijaghama said:

So are you saying the Vega 56 card would also be good for gaming? Or would you go with the 1070 if we are both editing($k video) and gaming?

For pricing get the AMD but I am personally in love with the GTX 10 series yet.

[Queen Chrysalis]

2 hours ago, alijaghama said:

So are you saying the Vega 56 card would also be good for gaming? Or would you go with the 1070 if we are both editing(4k video) and gaming?

Vega 56 for either really, the 2060 non-super is a lame-duck for people who are willing to buy used.