Cheap but upgradable?

[Fanglor]

So, it's about time to get back into my PC gaming and I've been living off a 200$ Dell Optiplex Refurb for a few years now. It's gotten me by but I mostly want to use my pc for WoW. I play League of Legends, WoW, and MUD's (which require nothing if but a little bit of cpu to run...)

 

Due to another current addiction of Airsoft which I easily spend 700$ a month on (and with no end in sight...expensive sport)...I'm looking for something to get me started sooner than later. In what way could I start off cheap as well as functional, and work my way into more expensive things? What would be the easiest option to start with in this situation?

 

I live in the US, and currently run two monitors, but would rather be running three. 

[DobertRownySr]

What is your budget?

[Fanglor]

Just now, DobertRownySr said:

What is your budget?

This is going to sound stupid, but I'd like to start around 400-500$. I expect to spend more in the future, but to at least become functional more than this rusty Dell Optiplex is the most ideal. 

 

The same situation I can relate to for my Airsoft budgetting. I started off  with a 300$ M249, and here we are 3000$ later with an excellent product.

[DobertRownySr]

Just now, Fanglor said:

This is going to sound stupid, but I'd like to start around 400-500$. I expect to spend more in the future, but to at least become functional more than this rusty Dell Optiplex is the most ideal. 

 

The same situation I can relate to for my Airsoft budgetting. I started off  with a 300$ M249, and here we are 3000$ later with an excellent product.

Are you willing to build a PC yourself?

[Fanglor]

Just now, DobertRownySr said:

Are you willing to build a PC yourself?

Of course

[DobertRownySr]

Just now, Fanglor said:

Of course

Give me a minute.

[LienusLateTips]

7 minutes ago, Fanglor said:

This is going to sound stupid, but I'd like to start around 400-500$. I expect to spend more in the future, but to at least become functional more than this rusty Dell Optiplex is the most ideal. 

While this is a bit over your budget, this rig will likely to last you for quite awhile. The hex core Ryzen 5 processor is more than you need now, and the GPU can practically run anything, 1080p Ultra.

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($119.99 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: ASRock B450M Pro4-F Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($71.00 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: SK hynix Gold S31 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($53.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: XFX Radeon RX 580 8 GB GTS XXX ED Video Card  ($159.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Corsair CXM (2015) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply  ($44.98 @ Newegg) 
Custom: SAMA Sama-3D Black Steel / Tempered Glass ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ($54.98)
Total: $554.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-22 19:48 EST-0500

 

-the CPU is a great deal

-platform allows for even a 16 core now

-16GB DDR4, fast RAM

-chose a SATA drive with DRAM over a NVMe drive with no DRAM

-HDD can be added, 2TB for $50

-RX 580s are a great deal

-Power supply that is good quality at a great price, has 2x PCIE

-Case with good airflow, and good looks IMO

[Fanglor]

1 minute ago, LienusLateTips said:

While this is a bit over your budget, this rig will likely to last you for quite awhile. The hex core Ryzen 5 processor is more than you need now, and the GPU can practically run anything, 1080p Ultra.

 

I feel stupid for asking this, but...what rig? I don't see a link

[LienusLateTips]

Just now, Fanglor said:

I feel stupid for asking this, but...what rig? I don't see a link

My fault, haha, reload

pressed enter by accident

[Fanglor]

Just now, LienusLateTips said:

My fault, haha, reload

pressed enter by accident

For continued curiousities sake, what would you go about replacing in what order for future changes?

[DobertRownySr]

8 minutes ago, Fanglor said:

Of course

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 1600 3.2 GHz 6-Core Processor	$117.37 @ Amazon
Motherboard	MSI B450 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard	$99.99 @ Best Buy
Memory	Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory	$74.99 @ Best Buy
Storage	SanDisk SSD PLUS 120 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$21.99 @ Best Buy
Storage	Western Digital Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$39.99 @ Amazon
Case	Phanteks Eclipse P400 ATX Mid Tower Case	$69.99 @ Newegg
Power Supply	EVGA BQ 500 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply	$59.99 @ ModMyMods
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$494.31
	Mail-in rebates	-$10.00
	Total	$484.31
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-22 19:51 EST-0500

Okay, so the prices listed here aren't entirely accurate. If you live near a microcenter, you can get the R5 1600 and the motherboard for around $120 total.
You can then go to Ebay and buy an RX 580 for around $90-$120 dollars. For around 500 dollars that will give you a really good experience.

[LienusLateTips]

Just now, DobertRownySr said:

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 1600 3.2 GHz 6-Core Processor	$117.37 @ Amazon
Motherboard	MSI B450 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard	$99.99 @ Best Buy
Memory	Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory	$74.99 @ Best Buy
Storage	SanDisk SSD PLUS 120 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$21.99 @ Best Buy
Storage	Western Digital Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$39.99 @ Amazon
Case	Phanteks Eclipse P400 ATX Mid Tower Case	$69.99 @ Newegg
Power Supply	EVGA BQ 500 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply	$59.99 @ ModMyMods
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$494.31
	Mail-in rebates	-$10.00
	Total	$484.31
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-22 19:51 EST-0500

Okay, so the prices listed here aren't entirely accurate. If you live near a microcenter, you can get the R5 1600 and the motherboard for around $120 total.
You can then go to Ebay and buy an RX 580 for around $90-$120 dollars. For around 500 dollars that will give you a really good experience.

-the ryzen 5 2600 has better memory controller, for $3 more....

-overpriced RAM, you can get RGB RAM from team for $55

-if you're going 120GB, why not get a SSD with DRAM for the same price? https://pcpartpicker.com/product/VqgzK8/crucial-bx500-120gb-25-solid-state-drive-ct120bx500ssd1

-you can get a 2TB HDD for $50....

-group regulated PSU for more expensive than a good quality DC-DC....

3 minutes ago, Fanglor said:

For continued curiousities sake, what would you go about replacing in what order for future changes?

I'd probably get a hard drive first, to be able to store more games.

 

After that, the GPU. A 5700XT or something next generation ~$500-600 would be great.

 

Then, maybe an upgrade to a higher end CPU?

[DobertRownySr]

Just now, LienusLateTips said:

-the ryzen 5 2600 has better memory controller, for $3 more....

-overpriced RAM, you can get RGB RAM from team for $55

-if you're going 120GB, why not get a SSD with DRAM for the same price? https://pcpartpicker.com/product/VqgzK8/crucial-bx500-120gb-25-solid-state-drive-ct120bx500ssd1

-you can get a 2TB HDD for $50....

-group regulated PSU for more expensive than a good quality DC-DC....

I'd probably get a hard drive first, to be able to store more games.

 

After that, the GPU. A 5700XT or something next generation ~$500-600 would be great.

 

Then, maybe an upgrade to a higher end CPU?

The 1600 is $80 at microcenter. with an extra $20 off when paired with a board.

[weeblord]

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel Core i3-9100F 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor	$82.99 @ SuperBiiz
CPU Cooler	Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler	$24.99 @ Newegg
Motherboard	ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 4 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$89.99 @ Newegg
Memory	G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory	$64.98 @ Amazon
Storage	Inland Professional 120 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$18.98 @ Amazon
Storage	Western Digital Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$39.99 @ Amazon
Video Card	XFX Radeon RX 570 4 GB RS XXX Video Card	$99.99 @ Newegg
Case	Thermaltake Versa J24 ATX Mid Tower Case	$43.75 @ Amazon
Power Supply	Corsair CXM (2015) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply	$44.98 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$580.64
	Mail-in rebates	-$70.00
	Total	$510.64
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-22 23:17 EST-0500

I know it's a little late for this thread, but I compiled an ok Intel build for very close to the price point. But @LienusLateTips has a better guide IMO.

If you want to take intel route for some reason, this is the list.

[trevb0t]

17 hours ago, LienusLateTips said:

While this is a bit over your budget, this rig will likely to last you for quite awhile. The hex core Ryzen 5 processor is more than you need now, and the GPU can practically run anything, 1080p Ultra.

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($119.99 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: ASRock B450M Pro4-F Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($71.00 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: SK hynix Gold S31 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($53.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: XFX Radeon RX 580 8 GB GTS XXX ED Video Card  ($159.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Corsair CXM (2015) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply  ($44.98 @ Newegg) 
Custom: SAMA Sama-3D Black Steel / Tempered Glass ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ($54.98)
Total: $554.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-22 19:48 EST-0500

 

-the CPU is a great deal

-platform allows for even a 16 core now

-16GB DDR4, fast RAM

-chose a SATA drive with DRAM over a NVMe drive with no DRAM

-HDD can be added, 2TB for $50

-RX 580s are a great deal

-Power supply that is good quality at a great price, has 2x PCIE

-Case with good airflow, and good looks IMO

I'll vouch for this build. For $550, it's a solid option with an easy upgrade path as you choose to plug new pieces in.

• B450 Mobos can support Zen 2 CPUs and likely Zen 3 next year (the chipset can. We will see if certain boards have enough nuts to handle the new gear as it drops.) 
• RX 580 is powerful enough to give you a taste of AAA high/ultra settings. It keeps up with at least 60FPS in most titles at 1080p. (There are a few notorious games that you'll need to drop to med/high.) It also resells for nearly its full value (Like $125 used.) so it's a good return rate when you're ready to buy something bigger and better.
• 450W may not leave a lot of room for upgrade, but it's enough to run an average single GPU system. May need replacement later as you get bigger gear. The 550W CX is $64. (might be a solid investment now to put an extra $20 that way with something like this. It's an upgrade in many ways, though a bit pricier, if you don't wanna have to worry about a PSU swap, it's a good idea.)
• I always push the Cougar MX330 case for budgeted builds. Airflow, cable management, looks... Pretty high end. It only includes an exahust fan, but for now that's fine, and in the future you can add any fans you want.
  • I haven't seen that Sama case. I agree it's pretty sleek looking!

[LienusLateTips]

1 hour ago, trevb0t said:

 

• 450W may not leave a lot of room for upgrade, but it's enough to run an average single GPU system. May need replacement later as you get bigger gear. The 550W CX is $64. (might be a solid investment now to put an extra $20 that way with something like this. It's an upgrade in many ways, though a bit pricier, if you don't wanna have to worry about a PSU swap, it's a good idea.)

I've run a Vega 64 and 8700K OC to 4.9GHz on a CX450M. It's more than enough for a lot. 

 

(Now i wouldn't recommend doing what I did but still)

[trevb0t]

7 minutes ago, LienusLateTips said:

I've run a Vega 64 and 8700K OC to 4.9GHz on a CX450M. It's more than enough for a lot. 

 

(Now i wouldn't recommend doing what I did but still)

Fair enough! Vega is hungry, too!

[Fanglor]

After everything is physically built, is there a guide on how to set everything up as far as bios and whatnot 

[trevb0t]

2 hours ago, Fanglor said:

After everything is physically built, is there a guide on how to set everything up as far as bios and whatnot 

I like this one:

 

[Fanglor]

@LienusLateTips with the mobo price reaching 100$ now would you still reccomend it or is there something better to consider? Finishing my purchases in 8 days. So far I've bought case, sad, and power supply

[boggy77]

30 minutes ago, Fanglor said:

@LienusLateTips with the mobo price reaching 100$ now would you still reccomend it or is there something better to consider? Finishing my purchases in 8 days. So far I've bought case, sad, and power supply

Get this one instead

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/kRTzK8/msi-b450m-pro-vdh-max-micro-atx-am4-motherboard-b450m-pro-vdh-max