Buying a New PC - Final Verdict

Downkey · November 20, 2020

Hi! Some of you may know that over the past week, i've been trying to get a new PC to upgrade my garbage Acer Perbuilt. (Current Specs) -
GTX 1050 2GB
Ryzen 5 1400
16GB RAM @2133mhz
OEM MOBO
400W 80+ Liteon PSU
1TB HDD

So my requirements were -
144FPS on Valorant (Consistently)
Decent Video Editing Experience
AN SSD
Ability to keep it for years to come

So my budget is $525, and i don't care a laptop or desktop.
My final two choices were - https://www.bestbuy.com/site/cyberpowerpc-gamer-master-gaming-desktop-amd-ryzen-3-3100-8gb-memory-amd-radeon-rx-570-1tb-hdd-240gb-ssd/6430866.p?skuId=6430866
2 - https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-pavilion-15-6-gaming-laptop-amd-ryzen-5-8gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1650-256gb-ssd-shadow-black/6427566.p?skuId=6427566

The laptop is going on sale for 450, and the desktop for 500.

So I won't list the pros and cons of each, but they both have compromises, and strengths. So which one would better? I was set on the laptop, but a lot of you told me that it wouldn't be enough (Since I plan to upgrade + keep this for 4+ years)

Which would be better?

Note: After having a talk with my dad, we decided that we didn't want to upgrade my current PC, as it's a fucking PAIN o upgrade in that case + The MOBO and case are garbage
(In this video Dawid Does Tech Stuff tried to upgrade in the case, just for reference)

SupaKomputa · November 20, 2020

144FPS on Valorant (Consistently) -- i don't play valorant, RX570 is not designed to run at this FPS, probably in competitive games at low settings.
Decent Video Editing Experience -- Yes, it's a decent editing card.
AN SSD -- SSD is cheap, get one.
Ability to keep it for years to come. -- both system is enough for 1080p gaming, but maybe not for long.

Quote

PAIN o upgrade in that case + The MOBO and case are garbage

With that much money, it's probably better to upgrade that pc than to have another prebuild.

I suggest getting a R5 2600 or 3300x (if it supports it) and a RX5600XT.

Add a 240gb Crucial MX500 ssd and you're done.

Downkey · November 20, 2020

3 minutes ago, SupaKomputa said:

144FPS on Valorant (Consistently) -- i don't play valorant, RX570 is not designed to run at this FPS, probably in competitive games at low settings.
Decent Video Editing Experience -- Yes, it's a decent editing card.
AN SSD -- SSD is cheap, get one.
Ability to keep it for years to come. -- both system is enough for 1080p gaming, but maybe not for long.

With that much money, it's probably better to upgrade that pc than to have another prebuild.

I suggest getting a R5 2600 or 3300x (if it supports it) and a RX5600XT.

Add a 240gb Crucial MX500 ssd and you're done.

My mobo didn't get a BIOS update, so i'm stuck w Zen1
My dad said I that he didn't want me to upgrade my current pc, and hes paying for half of it

Bombastinator · November 20, 2020

So: you want a machine that will run games fast, do it for a long time, be a prebuilt, and cost less than a console that won’t even run at the specs you list. Hmm.... run games fast and do it for a long time and be a prebuilt can be done. Not for <500 though. Multiple hundred over, really. Run games fast, NOT do it for a long time, for under 500 is more doable, as is not run games fast, but do it for a long time while being cheap. What it comes down to is cpu size more than anything else. You can get a few fast cores and be quick for a short period, get a lot of slow cores and be not very fast for a long period, or get a lot of fast cores which will do both, but blow the budget. Standard quandary: fast, good, or cheap. Pick any two.

Downkey · November 20, 2020

Just now, Bombastinator said:

So: you want a machine that will run games fast, do it for a long time, be a prebuilt, and cost less than a console that won’t even run at the specs you list. Hmm.... run games fast and do it for a long time and be a prebuilt can be done. Not for <500 though. Multiple hundred over, really. Run games fast, NOT do it for a long time, for under 500 is more doable, as is not run games fast, but do it for a long time while being cheap. What it comes down to is cpu size more than anything else. You can get a few fast cores and be quick for a short period, get a lot of slow cores and be not very fast for a long period, or get a lot of fast cores which will do both, but blow the budget. Standard quandary: fast, good, or cheap. Pick any two.

I prob shoulda mentioned that I'm only playing esports titles, could care less about AAA titles

SupaKomputa · November 20, 2020

6 minutes ago, Downkey said:

I prob shoulda mentioned that I'm only playing esports titles, could care less about AAA titles

For now, in 3 years later esports titles probably need the same performance as AAA today.

Comparing desktop and laptop is not a direct comparison, it serve a different purpose, if you want mobility, get the laptop.

If you want more performance, the desktop is better.

For that money i suggest selling the Acer and add it into your budget and build yourself a nice new PC.

I suggest:
Ryzen 2600 / 3100 / 3300x

B450
256gb ssd
RX570, 580, 5500XT, 1650 or 1660.

Bombastinator · November 20, 2020

25 minutes ago, Downkey said:

I prob shoulda mentioned that I'm only playing esports titles, could care less about AAA titles

That does bias towards fast low core count. I’ve heard good things about the 10100 for that. 3300x is also an option but availability and pricing are flakey. The problem with such a system is longevity is up in the air.
best I can do is this. There are others that might do better. Still doesn’t meet your budget. This is a 1080p machine. memory is limited to 2666 by cpu.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i3-10100 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($114.59 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B460M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1200 Motherboard ($79.98 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-2666 CL16 Memory ($70.99 @ Best Buy)
Storage: TCSunBow X3 120 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($18.98 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Radeon RX 580 8 GB GTR XXX Video Card ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Focus G ATX Mid Tower Case ($24.29 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair CXM (2015) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $578.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-11-19 20:16 EST-0500

This is assuming a new machine. 4/8 gaming machines are gettable used. You can possibly find something in your budget there. Anything 3770k or newer as long as it’s still 4/8 and k series with a newer gpu should work.

Edited November 20, 2020 by Bombastinator