Input Needed Please Help.

OppositeDestiny · May 13, 2020

Hey, I'm pretty new to this PC stuff and I'm preparing a plan for saving up to get a PC sometime within the next 2 years. From all of the videos I've watched of LTT i've come up with this PC: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Yj7xQq, it's a price that I am comfortable with as I wanted to stay within the 1.4-1.8k range. Any input/critiques/changes (with reasons given for the input/critiques/changes) are greatly appreciated seeing as I have little to no previous knowledge beyond LTT videos.

Spotty · May 13, 2020

> Moved to New Builds & Planning.

7 minutes ago, OppositeDestiny said:

I'm preparing a plan for saving up to get a PC sometime within the next 2 years. From all of the videos I've watched of LTT i've come up with this PC: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Yj7xQq

Most of those parts won't be available in 2 years time. Anything that is still available then would probably be replaced by something newer and better.

PC hardware moves quickly. It's pointless trying to work out what to buy in 6 months time let alone 2 years. Keep saving up and when you're ready to buy consider your options and get the best price to performance within your budget that is available at the time

Eschew · May 13, 2020

Hey there. Here's my thoughts:

Hm. Are you getting that $75 120mm AIO liquid cooler for looks or for performance? If the latter, I'd say you could do better with an air cooler like a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO for a fraction of that price, or a decent Noctua for equal to that price.
I'd definitely try expanding that your system's storage with a 1 - 2 TB drive -- SSD if you can afford it, HDD if not.
If you're looking for a 165 Hz 1920 x 1080 TN monitor, the Sceptre E255B-1658A is a decent choice. You'd be shaving off close to $100 from your total purchase (usually goes for $165), and er, you'd also be shaving off 2.5" from your screen real estate.
You can install Windows 10 OS to your new PC and use it (albeit with restricted personalization and other features) without needing to activate a license; all you need is a USB drive. If you'd like a guide, check out Microsoft's Download Windows 10 install guide.
If you're a student or a school faculty member (high school, colleges, and universities), check on OnTheHub to see whether your school has any special discounts/privileges (read: free stuff) on software and Windows 10 licenses for you.

Otherwise, the build looks fine for a system I'd build in 2020. AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is a decent price-to-performance purchase, the MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX MOBO is a solid choice for a smooth out-of-box experience, 2 x 8 GB RAM is fine for gaming (you might want to ramp it up if you're running RAM-hungry applications, though), and the Fractal Design Focus G is a good budget case.

No idea how the tech market would look in 2 years' time, so I can't comment on that. AMD's currently shaking up the CPU scene with its Ryzen 3 3100s and 3300Xs, people are buzzing about DDR5 RAM, there are rumors about the Socket AM5 and Ryzen 4000 series, etc. etc.

May 14, 2020

A lot of people have asked me about the best computer to get.
I tell them "Choose the software you want to run, take the highest requirements in each category, add 30% to the capabilities ( round up ) and that will tell you the hardware you need."