Second opinion on PC I'm helping my friend build

[Takalot]

Budget: 3000 USD

Country:  Arizona, USA

Games, programs, or workloads that it will be used for: Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, Modded Minecraft, GTA V,  Amateur Music Production, Possibly Streaming

Other details:  2k 144 hz variable refresh monitor, 1tb nvme ssd, keyboard, and mouse, have already been purchased.
PC Part Picker: https://pcpartpicker.com/user/Takalot79/saved/Q7zYNG
 

Context:

I’m helping my friend build a pc, and we’ve been at it for months. He doesn’t have a gaming computer right now and has been playing on an old macbook pro.

We’ve kinda gotten tired of waiting for the new graphics cards to be available at a reasonable price, so I proposed a budget build that can be upgraded later (considering a 5600x and 3080).

 

I’m posting about it here cause I want to get a second opinion before pulling the trigger. I didn’t put as much thought into this parts list as I maybe should have because my brain is pretty fried from all the work I’ve already put into it. I’d really appreciate if I was able to get a second opinion on it, and maybe even some solid recommendations.

 

He's looking to purchase soon because he's about to move into a new apartment and our friend group just started a modded Minecraft Server that his laptop struggles with.

Additional Info:

-The budget of the build is around 3000 USD, but at this point, the goal is to just get a gaming pc that works without him getting totally ripped off.

-He’s gonna be using a 2k (144hz) monitor as his primary monitor, with the possibility of having a 2nd display at 1080p.

-The keyboard, mouse, and monitor have all already been figured out and set in stone.

-I sent him links for figuring out the case today after referencing the Gamer’s Nexus “Best Cases of 2020” video.

-planning on upgrading GPU (and possibly CPU) when parts become available at a reasonable price.

 

One question I have in particular is if the 1650 (NOT super) would be a good alternative to the 1050ti. Either work, and other alternatives are welcome as well.
Any and all help is greatly appreciated

[Adorable Cat]

Everything on that list seems good except the GPU, I know you're waiting for better stuff like a 3080 to be available but a 1050ti is just going to do poorly especially at 1440p. If you guys are fine with that (because hey it'll at least do a lot better than his old mac) I guess it'll do when/is GPUS go back to normal, but personally I'd try to find like a used RX580, 1650 Super, 1660, or something

[OIIOOIOI]

Agree, at least an 1660 everything else will be underpowered for that build. The price aint too high for that and the graphicpower will be plus 66% : https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-1660-vs-Nvidia-GTX-1050-Ti/4038vs3649

 

[Takalot]

You guys are right, and I really appreciate the amd gpu pull. I'm not really familiar with the amd cards, but the 580 has some good deals on ebay, unlike the nvidia cards which seem to all be above their msrps. So I'll likely go with the rx580 used instead.

[dizmo]

Any reason why you're using an add in card for the WiFi, and aren't just buying a board with it built in?

2k isn't a widely accepted term. It's 1440p.

 

Personally I'd save some money by getting integrated WiFi, and use the money saved to buy a CPU cooler.

 

5 minutes ago, Takalot said:

You guys are right, and I really appreciate the amd gpu pull. I'm not really familiar with the amd cards, but the 580 has some good deals on ebay, unlike the nvidia cards which seem to all be above their msrps. So I'll likely go with the rx580 used instead.

Just watch for cards that have been heavily used mining.

[Takalot]

9 minutes ago, dizmo said:

Any reason why you're using an add in card for the WiFi, and aren't just buying a board with it built in?

2k isn't a widely accepted term. It's 1440p.

 

Personally I'd save some money by getting integrated WiFi, and use the money saved to buy a CPU cooler.

 

Just watch for cards that have been heavily used mining.

My friend demanded Bluetooth so I was seeking out an add in WiFi card that had that as well. But I'm definitely not great at picking motherboards, so I'm open to suggestions.

 

And I thought the cooler that came with the 3600 would be fine as is, but I can understand getting a dedicated cooler.

 

I'll also make sure to do my due diligence with purchasing a used card. Thanks for the heads up though, I was uncertain if I needed to worry about that.

[dizmo]

20 minutes ago, Takalot said:

My friend demanded Bluetooth so I was seeking out an add in WiFi card that had that as well. But I'm definitely not great at picking motherboards, so I'm open to suggestions.

 

And I thought the cooler that came with the 3600 would be fine as is, but I can understand getting a dedicated cooler.

 

I'll also make sure to do my due diligence with purchasing a used card. Thanks for the heads up though, I was uncertain if I needed to worry about that.

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/2f4BD3/msi-mpg-b550-gaming-edge-wifi-atx-am4-motherboard-mpg-b550-gaming-edge-wifi

That one has built in WiFi and BT.

 

It's adequate as in it can keep the CPU running, but it doesn't really have a place in a $3,000 build. Even a $40 cooler will greatly outperform it, and since you're getting an Nvidia card later on that will push heat up towards it, it just makes sense to get a tower cooler.

[Takalot]

12 minutes ago, dizmo said:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/2f4BD3/msi-mpg-b550-gaming-edge-wifi-atx-am4-motherboard-mpg-b550-gaming-edge-wifi

That one has built in WiFi and BT.

 

It's adequate as in it can keep the CPU running, but it doesn't really have a place in a $3,000 build. Even a $40 cooler will greatly outperform it, and since you're getting an Nvidia card later on that will push heat up towards it, it just makes sense to get a tower cooler.

Thanks for the board pick!

I added the Hyper 212 BE, but feel free to let me know if there's a better cooler I should pick. We won't be doing any CPU overclocking so I don't want to go overkill.

 

The PC Part Picker list has been updated with some of the recommendations.

[dizmo]

15 hours ago, Takalot said:

Thanks for the board pick!

I added the Hyper 212 BE, but feel free to let me know if there's a better cooler I should pick. We won't be doing any CPU overclocking so I don't want to go overkill.

 

The PC Part Picker list has been updated with some of the recommendations.

I think the Arctic Freezr 34 is pretty good, and Scythe has some good coolers as well. I wouldn't get a Hyper 212. Better coolers are only $10 or $15 more.