CNN Builds 3 Gaming PCs - Did They Nail It, Or Are They the Next Verge?

[Hairless Monkey Boy]

Summary

  CNN just posted a story about how they built 3 gaming computers hitting 3 different price points: $800, $1100, and $1575.

 

 

Quotes

Quote

Just like any other DIY project, building your own gaming rig will save you some cash, and you’ll learn a ton about all the parts and pieces that go into a computer. For example, by the end of the build process, you’ll know what a motherboard is and why you need to familiarize yourself with its BIOS (that’s the operating system that runs on a motherboard, and allows the CPU, GPU, RAM and other components to communicate with each other).

 

My thoughts

    I think they actually did a good job overall, They at least used an actually anti-static wrist strap instead of a live-strong bracelet... Sure, for the $800 build they spent too much on the case, and for the $1100 build they went with a Core i5-9400F... But the $1575 build was configured well enough, and the overall message of the story was good.

 

Quote

Take your time during the actual build process, and don’t make the same mistakes we did — like bending the pins on an AMD processor, forcing us to buy a second one. When you run into any issues that YouTube can’t guide you through, don’t be afraid to go to sites like Reddit and ask for help. The Build a PC group is friendly and helpful.

 

Sources

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/30/cnn-underscored/how-to-build-a-gaming-pc/index.html

[Eighjan]

CNN should stick to ENG...

[givingtnt]

"They did a good job but they didn't take the cpu I take to bed every night therefore it's like the verge"

This isin't really tech news..

[GDRRiley]

1st build really is stupid. a cheaper b450/b550 itx board with a better CPU+ GPU is the way to go

2 should have been a 3600/x/xt with a 5700/5700xt not a big fan of the case+PSU and again overspending on the board

 

the big issue they are running into is bad value boards and spending way to much on case+PSU

its not a horrible explainer but the builds are bad. embedding PCpartpicker would have been better than these fixed lists.

[Mateyyy]

3 minutes ago, GDRRiley said:

2 should habe been a 3600/x/xt 

b..but 9400 is 2.6 times more than 3600 so it's got to be more better, right? /s

[Hairless Monkey Boy]

2 minutes ago, GDRRiley said:

1st build really is stupid. a cheaper b450/b550 itx board with a better CPU+ GPU is the way to go

2 should habe been a 3600/x/xt with a 5700/5700xt not a big fan of the case+PSU and again overspending on the board

 

the big issue they are running into is bad value boards and spending way to much on case+PSU

It's because they went to reddit instead of here 

[Haro]

when was this made ?  

because if it was made recently 

the first two builds are absolutely horrendous  

[Haro]

Just now, Mateyyy said:

b..but 9400 is 2.6 times more than 3600 so it's got to be more better, right? /s

i was SHOCKED when i saw that 

[GDRRiley]

Just now, Mateyyy said:

b..but 9400 is 2.61 times more than 3600 so it's got to be more better, right? /s

they really liked APUs but kinda need the 4000 APUs for the low end build to be a good buy

[Guest]

Another blow by the fake news media!

[Mateyyy]

3 minutes ago, GDRRiley said:

they really liked APUs but kinda need the 4000 APUs for the low end build to be a good buy

True. I'm really excited to see the 4700G in-use and what graphics they throw onto it (though granted that won't exactly be low-end haha).

 

On another note, the third build actually looks alright. Well, maybe except for the fact that they used A CPU COOLER THAT'S $100 MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE CPU ITSELF AND A 2070 SUPER THAT'S GOT THE HEATSINK OF A 1050TI ON IT. But those are minor details, right?

[Haro]

2 minutes ago, Mateyyy said:

they used A CPU COOLER THAT'S $100 MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE CPU ITSELF AND A 2070 SUPER THAT'S GOT THE HEATSINK OF A 1050TI ON IT.

No there was something worse 

THEY USED A BOARD WAS ALMOST 3 TIMES THE PRICE AS THE CPU ( on the first build)

[TVwazhere]

7 minutes ago, GDRRiley said:

1st build really is stupid. a cheaper b450/b550 itx board with a better CPU+ GPU is the way to go.

Correct. There are far cheaper options for a cooler, case and PSU than the NZXT H1. 

 

I guess if you were trying to make this "super entry level" to the point of making it as easy to assemble as possible it makes sense, but not at the price point. 

 

Looking further though, they used all H series cases and NZXT Aio's... I smell a sponsor or a favoritism. 

Quote

The bulk of the price difference between this one and the second build comes down to the GPU, NZXT’s H510 Elite case, and upgraded AIO cooling thanks to NZXT’s Kraken Z63

Meaning you completely wasted money on 2/3 things that dont significantly affect performance. 

 

This isnt "The Verge" level bad but there's a lot of room for improvment. 

[Mateyyy]

4 minutes ago, TofuHaroto said:

No there was something worse 

THEY USED A BOARD WAS ALMOST 3 TIMES THE PRICE AS THE CPU ( on the first build)

Oh god I actually didn't even notice that. Well, at least, it's a really good board, and you never know when you're gonna want to throw a 3950X in there

[Haro]

1 minute ago, Mateyyy said:

Well, at least, it's a really good board,

Not for a 3200g

My body wants to escape it self after seeing that lmao.

[WambleCropped]

Love how they take the time to explain every component besides ram

[Hairless Monkey Boy]

1 minute ago, WambleCropped said:

Love how they take the time to explain every component besides ram

Random Access Memory isn't self-explanatory? 

[Haro]

5 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

This isnt "The Verge" level bad but there's a lot of room for improvment. 

The build guide it self ( I haven't read all of it ) doesn't seem bad 

But the verge actually did a better job with the parts 

[Mateyyy]

1 minute ago, WambleCropped said:

Love how they take the time to explain every component besides ram

RAM? What's a RAM?

 

I guess they just went for the "if it fits, it sits" tactic.

[GDRRiley]

6 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

Correct. There are far cheaper options for a cooler, case and PSU than the NZXT H1.

I agree but its kinda a cool form factor so I let it slide. mini ITX is always more expensive.

[Hairless Monkey Boy]

Just now, TofuHaroto said:

But the verge actually did a better job with the parts 

Except for the really long screws for no reason (screw with confidence!), the static wrist band, and the thermal compound.

[PCGuy_5960]

-Moved to general discussion-

 

Not really tech news

[Haro]

Just now, HairlessMonkeyBoy said:

Except for the really long screws for no reason (screw with confidence!

Well ignoring the building part of it 

The parts selection was not bad

[SansVarnic]

Well knowing what CNN is, I cant take this article serious or legit.

Being me I like to know all angles before making a judgement so I read it anyway, and thus confirming what I know about CNN.

The builds were not well thought out and whomever put these together did not do their diligence and consult somebody with an understanding of how to build a system. Just like most of the CNN reporting they just muddled through hoping people will buy into what they say.

[Hairless Monkey Boy]

11 minutes ago, SansVarnic said:

whomever put these together did not do their diligence and consult somebody with an understanding of how to build a system.

The thing is, they did consult someone. The very first response laid out everything that should be done to make the build good value, but it was ignored.

 

Still though, if the story leads to more people being interested in building a gaming PC, I think that is a good thing.