Build Challenge: Best possible build with hands me down parts

[TacticianDaru]

A friend of mine will give me some parts he no longer uses for real cheap, and I want to make the most out of them.

Here's the list. (Attaching screenshot below if you don't wanna click)

 

What build would you guys do to make this as bang for your buck as possible? Not maxing out, bang for your buck

 

Details:

• Resolution/FPS Target: 60 fps on most modern AAA games at high/ultra 1080p
• $500-$600 budget
• Monitor, mouse and keyboard not to be considered in the build
• I do Graphic Design work on the side, so a punchy processor would be great

Thanks in advance!

 

[Boyohan]

1. Your motherboard isn't great but a Ryzen 3600 is a great (6 core/12 thread) CPU that would work fine if you update the bios. 

I would not put a more power hungry CPU in that motherboard. 

Ryzen 3600 - 200USD on Amazon

 

2. Ryzen CPUs work best with fast RAM and your 2400mhz 4x4gb memory isn't great but you can use it for a while and upgrade your memory later. 

If/when you upgrade your ram you should buy 2x8gb with 3200mhz or 3600mhz

 

3. You may need a bigger SSD or HDD (your choice)

500gb SSD = 50-60USD on amazon

 

4. Your power supply (I believe it is model: RS600-PCARE3-US) is about 10-11 years old and not +80 rated at all. I wouldn't use that power supply. 

Get a new power supply: 550W-650W with +80 Bronze rating or better. 

For example CX550M is 70USD on amazon

 

5. Use all your remaining budget on getting the best graphics card possible.

GTX 1650 Super / GTX 1660 Super / RTX 2060 / RTX 3060ti

Buying a second hand GTX 1080 / 1080ti would also be great if you can find them for a good price. 

 

 

 

[GhostRoadieBL]

48 minutes ago, TacticianDaru said:

Details:

• Resolution/FPS Target: 60 fps on most modern AAA games at high/ultra 1080p
• $500-$600 budget
• Monitor, mouse and keyboard not to be considered in the build
• I do Graphic Design work on the side, so a punchy processor would be great

1080p high/ultra 60fps for moderns AAA would be a minimum AMD 5500XT or 2060super range card but all those cards currently run between $375 for the 5500xt and $500 for a used 2060super. New and used prices aren't going to get much better for the next few months. you can probably get away with used GTX1070 or 1080 series cards and still hit high fps but it won't have the latest features like ray tracing or DLSS which can help lower cards make up for a lack of graphics power. 

 

CPU wise has the same issue with a very low stock availability. Ryzen 3100 or 3300x would both do very well in the build but those are also rare to find. If you can get a 3300x under $150 it's a good price to performance point for 1080p without sacrificing performance but that doesn't fix the GPU market and you'd need a dedicated gpu with both cpus. 

 

the other option is start with a 3400G for ~$200 used and play 1080p/900p med/low before adding a graphics card in a few more months

 

If it was my$ and I had $600 left over in the budget (not sure if you meant $500-600 more to spend or total cost including the other parts)

 

3300X for $175

https://www.ebay.com/itm/AMD-Ryzen-3-3300X-Tray-Processor-100-100000159-Expedited-Shipping/402654591080?epid=19039168475&hash=item5dc0157868%3Ag%3AFtIAAOSwqqBgCePD&LH_BIN=1

 

CPU cooler for $30

https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-BK008-Pure-Rock-Slim/dp/B01KVNCEIG/ref=sr_1_28?dchild=1&keywords=am4+cooler&qid=1612485835&refinements=p_36%3A1253504011&rnid=386442011&s=electronics&sr=1-28

 

GTX1080 Founders Edition $385

https://www.ebay.com/itm/EVGA-GeForce-GTX-1080-Founders-Edition-8GB-GDDR5X-Graphics-Card/303873450909?hash=item46c044e39d%3Ag%3AtnMAAOSwtmVgHJIE&LH_BIN=1

 

 

bottleneck calculator to knock down the "it's going to be too much GPU" comments early

https://pc-builds.com/calculator/Ryzen_3_3300X/GeForce_GTX_1080/0XW0Uu8A/16/100

 

[brob]

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-10400 2.9 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($159.99 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: ASRock H470 Phantom Gaming 4 ATX LGA1200 Motherboard  ($99.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 4 GB (1 x 4 GB) DDR4-2400 CL16 Memory  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 4 GB (1 x 4 GB) DDR4-2400 CL16 Memory  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 4 GB (1 x 4 GB) DDR4-2400 CL16 Memory  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 4 GB (1 x 4 GB) DDR4-2400 CL16 Memory  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Storage: ADATA SU630 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4 GB OC Low Profile Video Card  ($267.80 @ Amazon) 
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($54.94 @ Newegg) 
Total: $582.72
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-02-04 20:21 EST-0500

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X 3.8 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($314.99 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: ASRock AB350M Pro4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 4 GB (1 x 4 GB) DDR4-2400 CL16 Memory  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 4 GB (1 x 4 GB) DDR4-2400 CL16 Memory  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 4 GB (1 x 4 GB) DDR4-2400 CL16 Memory  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 4 GB (1 x 4 GB) DDR4-2400 CL16 Memory  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Storage: ADATA SU630 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4 GB OC Low Profile Video Card  ($267.80 @ Amazon) 
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($54.94 @ Newegg) 
Total: $637.73
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-02-04 20:23 EST-0500

[TacticianDaru]

50 minutes ago, GhostRoadieBL said:

1080p high/ultra 60fps for moderns AAA would be a minimum AMD 5500XT or 2060super range card but all those cards currently run between $375 for the 5500xt and $500 for a used 2060super. New and used prices aren't going to get much better for the next few months. you can probably get away with used GTX1070 or 1080 series cards and still hit high fps but it won't have the latest features like ray tracing or DLSS which can help lower cards make up for a lack of graphics power. 

 

CPU wise has the same issue with a very low stock availability. Ryzen 3100 or 3300x would both do very well in the build but those are also rare to find. If you can get a 3300x under $150 it's a good price to performance point for 1080p without sacrificing performance but that doesn't fix the GPU market and you'd need a dedicated gpu with both cpus. 

 

the other option is start with a 3400G for ~$200 used and play 1080p/900p med/low before adding a graphics card in a few more months

 

If it was my$ and I had $600 left over in the budget (not sure if you meant $500-600 more to spend or total cost including the other parts)

 

3300X for $175

https://www.ebay.com/itm/AMD-Ryzen-3-3300X-Tray-Processor-100-100000159-Expedited-Shipping/402654591080?epid=19039168475&hash=item5dc0157868%3Ag%3AFtIAAOSwqqBgCePD&LH_BIN=1

 

CPU cooler for $30

https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-BK008-Pure-Rock-Slim/dp/B01KVNCEIG/ref=sr_1_28?dchild=1&keywords=am4+cooler&qid=1612485835&refinements=p_36%3A1253504011&rnid=386442011&s=electronics&sr=1-28

 

GTX1080 Founders Edition $385

https://www.ebay.com/itm/EVGA-GeForce-GTX-1080-Founders-Edition-8GB-GDDR5X-Graphics-Card/303873450909?hash=item46c044e39d%3Ag%3AtnMAAOSwtmVgHJIE&LH_BIN=1

 

 

bottleneck calculator to knock down the "it's going to be too much GPU" comments early

https://pc-builds.com/calculator/Ryzen_3_3300X/GeForce_GTX_1080/0XW0Uu8A/16/100

 

I did some digging and found a new 1660 Ti for around $300. Do you think it'd be better than a GTX?

And for the budget, it's meant to be spent on top of the parts.

 

However, these are good picks! And I had no idea a bottleneck calculator existed, I'll book mark it. Thank you for your input!

[TacticianDaru]

21 minutes ago, brob said:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-10400 2.9 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($159.99 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: ASRock H470 Phantom Gaming 4 ATX LGA1200 Motherboard  ($99.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 4 GB (1 x 4 GB) DDR4-2400 CL16 Memory  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 4 GB (1 x 4 GB) DDR4-2400 CL16 Memory  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 4 GB (1 x 4 GB) DDR4-2400 CL16 Memory  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 4 GB (1 x 4 GB) DDR4-2400 CL16 Memory  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Storage: ADATA SU630 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4 GB OC Low Profile Video Card  ($267.80 @ Amazon) 
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($54.94 @ Newegg) 
Total: $582.72
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-02-04 20:21 EST-0500

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X 3.8 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($314.99 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: ASRock AB350M Pro4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 4 GB (1 x 4 GB) DDR4-2400 CL16 Memory  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 4 GB (1 x 4 GB) DDR4-2400 CL16 Memory  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 4 GB (1 x 4 GB) DDR4-2400 CL16 Memory  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 4 GB (1 x 4 GB) DDR4-2400 CL16 Memory  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Storage: ADATA SU630 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4 GB OC Low Profile Video Card  ($267.80 @ Amazon) 
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($54.94 @ Newegg) 
Total: $637.73
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-02-04 20:23 EST-0500

Thanks for the lists!

Is there any particular reason you swapped out the PSU? I noticed that on both builds you removed it. It seems to be in good condition, he only used it for about two years.

[brob]

13 minutes ago, TacticianDaru said:

I did some digging and found a new 1660 Ti for around $300. Do you think it'd be better than a GTX?

And for the budget, it's meant to be spent on top of the parts.

 

However, these are good picks! And I had no idea a bottleneck calculator existed, I'll book mark it. Thank you for your input!

 

GTX 1660 Ti would be a good choice. 

 

12 minutes ago, TacticianDaru said:

Thanks for the lists!

Is there any particular reason you swapped out the PSU? I noticed that on both builds you removed it. It seems to be in good condition, he only used it for about two years.

 

The Cooler Master design is at least 10 years old. The model is not 80+ certified and I would worry that it does not have protections considered standard today.

[GhostRoadieBL]

10 minutes ago, TacticianDaru said:

I did some digging and found a new 1660 Ti for around $300. Do you think it'd be better than a GTX?

A 1080 is around 30% faster than the 1660ti, this makes the bang for buck a dead heat between them. Both cards will be great for 1080p but I think the 1660ti would be a better long term gpu for being supported by the next 5+ years of drivers. 

 

You would be limited to high/med to get 60fps in the newest AAA games on the 1660ti so if Nvidia keeps driver support going forward with the gtx1080 it will have the raw power to keep up at high/ultra for longer. 

 

Resale value usually holds better for flagship cards so in a few years flipping the 1080 would sell for more. 

 

[TacticianDaru]

1 hour ago, Boyohan said:

1. Your motherboard isn't great but a Ryzen 3600 is a great (6 core/12 thread) CPU that would work fine if you update the bios. 

I would not put a more power hungry CPU in that motherboard. 

Ryzen 3600 - 200USD on Amazon

 

2. Ryzen CPUs work best with fast RAM and your 2400mhz 4x4gb memory isn't great but you can use it for a while and upgrade your memory later. 

If/when you upgrade your ram you should buy 2x8gb with 3200mhz or 3600mhz

 

3. You may need a bigger SSD or HDD (your choice)

500gb SSD = 50-60USD on amazon

 

4. Your power supply (I believe it is model: RS600-PCARE3-US) is about 10-11 years old and not +80 rated at all. I wouldn't use that power supply. 

Get a new power supply: 550W-650W with +80 Bronze rating or better. 

For example CX550M is 70USD on amazon

 

5. Use all your remaining budget on getting the best graphics card possible.

GTX 1650 Super / GTX 1660 Super / RTX 2060 / RTX 3060ti

Buying a second hand GTX 1080 / 1080ti would also be great if you can find them for a good price. 

 

 

 

I'm reading that the only difference between the 3600 models are TDP and clock speeds. Would the TDP of the X or XT variant make a big difference?

 

I dug around a bit and the PSU is this one. It's not even listed on PC Part Picker. Would this one be good to go?

 

Thank you for the reply by the way!

[TacticianDaru]

4 minutes ago, GhostRoadieBL said:

A 1080 is around 30% faster than the 1660ti, this makes the bang for buck a dead heat between them. Both cards will be great for 1080p but I think the 1660ti would be a better long term gpu for being supported by the next 5+ years of drivers. 

 

You would be limited to high/med to get 60fps in the newest AAA games on the 1660ti so if Nvidia keeps driver support going forward with the gtx1080 it will have the raw power to keep up at high/ultra for longer. 

 

Resale value usually holds better for flagship cards so in a few years flipping the 1080 would sell for more. 

 

Right. I think considering the current demand for GPUs, I think it boils down to which I can potentially find first. I'll be on the lookout for 1080 Ti's!