I think I got bad advice and was ripped off on my first PC build, I am a noob and need good advice pls

[Frenetixx]

Budget (including currency): 600-750 CAD

Country: Canada

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: 1st year of use mainly internet browsing, youtube, word, star craft 1 and starcraft 2 only for games, business and school use 

 

Hi everyone, I am looking for some advice, I am very new to building PC's so please forgive my ignorance. I paid someone on Fiverr to help me make a build since I did not know what I was doing, you can see the pic of the first build. I thought the CPU he recommended was a little to expensive considering I would also have to buy a graphics card, and he mentioned they are super inflated right now, so I watched one of Linus's pc building videos and he used the 3000g so I asked the Fiverr guy if I can use that since it has graphics abilities,  I saw it was a speed of 3.5ghz and I thought that was pretty good and at the time had zero knowledge about the core count of CPU's.

 

I noticed my PC is a little bit slow even using such things as Word and messenger so I was disappointed, there might be some very small lag in the programs but I can notice, I came from using a Ipad Pro 2018 (8 core) where everything is lighting fast for me, I believe he gave me bad advice because I paid almost $200 for a 3000g when this AMD Ryzen 5 costs only a little bit more and it seems way better with 6 cores. I plan to return the 3000g and buy this Ryzen since its only a little bit more expensive. (The pc build pics are in USD, the amazon pics are in CAD)

 

Question 1 

 

I am wondering if this would be a good choice for me? I want something very fast, I am mainly using the PC for school, business, entertainment and for starcraft 1 and 2, I do though plan to use it for programs for photo editing and video editing later on when I start my youtube channel and get a better graphics card when I am not broke and the prices are better. 

 

Question 2

 

Can I just get some really old graphics card from amazon so I can play startcraft 2 with the Ryzen 5 and maybe do super basic photo editing? Can anyone please recommend me any super cheap graphics card that will fit my needs and your thoughts on my build, I would like to be able to watch YouTube in 1080p. Any help will be tremendously appreciated. Thanks!                 

 

(First pic is current build, second pic was his first recommendation. He recommended i get a 1060 graphics card and it was way to expensive, thats why i gravitated to the 3000g but I dont think I needed such an expensive graphics card in the first place?)

[WhitetailAni]

The person on Fiverr was either stupid or trying to rip you off.

The 2600 is much, MUCH better than the 3000G.

[wONKEyeYEs]

6 minutes ago, Frenetixx said:

AMD Ryzen 5 2600

This CPU does not have on board graphics and requires a discreet GPU right?

[Herman Mcpootis]

the 2600 is much better, but it doesn't have an iGPU. if you can't find a dedicated GPU (which is EXPENSIVE rn), you wouldn't be able to use your rig to begin with.

[Frenetixx]

thanks for your reply, at first he recommend that Ryzen 5 at first and also recommended this:

 

AMD Ryzen 5 3400G 4-core, 8-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor with Radeon RX Graphics

 

but when I mentioned about the 3000g he just went along with it and did not really advise me on getting a better CPU

 

I have a new question:

 

What would make more sense for me to get the 2600 and an old graphics card (not used) OR

AMD Ryzen 5 3400G 4-core, 8-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor with Radeon RX Graphics

 

since that has graphics built in? 

[MadAnt250]

14 minutes ago, Frenetixx said:

I paid someone on Fiverr to help me make a build

Oof, should have came here instead for advice.

[Frenetixx]

2 minutes ago, wONKEyeYEs said:

This CPU does not have on board graphics and requires a discreet GPU right?

yes it needs a separate GPU

[Herman Mcpootis]

2 minutes ago, Frenetixx said:

thanks for your reply, at first he recommend that Ryzen 5 at first and also recommended this:

 

AMD Ryzen 5 3400G 4-core, 8-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor with Radeon RX Graphics

 

but when I mentioned about the 3000g he just went along with it and did not really advise me on getting a better CPU

 

I have a new question:

 

What would make more sense for me to get the 2600 and an old graphics card (not used) OR

AMD Ryzen 5 3400G 4-core, 8-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor with Radeon RX Graphics

 

since that has graphics built in? 

starcraft 2 doesn't seem to need much to run, so the 3400G will do.

[Frenetixx]

4 minutes ago, Herman Mcpootis said:

starcraft 2 doesn't seem to need much to run, so the 3400G will do.

thank you very much for the reply, how do I gauge the power or ability of what this card can do for graphics? and other GPU's? For instance if I search for the requirements for what ever software I am going to use, how do I tell if its good enough?

 

Starcraft 2 Minimum System Requirements

• CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo | AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+
• RAM: 2 GB RAM.
• HDD: 30 GB available space.
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT | ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT | Intel HD Graphics 3000 or better.  ????
• OS: 64-bit Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10.
• Screen Resolution: 1024X768 or better.

[aisle9]

1 minute ago, Frenetixx said:

thanks for your reply, I need reccomend that Ryzen 5 at first and also reccomended this:

 

AMD Ryzen 5 3400G 4-core, 8-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor with Radeon RX Graphics

 

but when I mentioned about the 3000g he just went along with it and did not really advise me on getting a better CPU

 

I have a new question:

 

What would make more sense for me to get the 2600 and an old graphics card (not used) OR

AMD Ryzen 5 3400G 4-core, 8-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor with Radeon RX Graphics

 

since that has graphics built in? 

A 3400G is selling anywhere between $160 and $230+ on eBay right now. By comparison, a GTX 750 Ti (which is a wee bit more powerful than the 3400's Vega 8 ) will set you back about $80-85, and the R5 2600 new (don't buy it new) is $189 on your Amazon.

 

Seriously, don't buy it new. You can get a Ryzen 5 3600 for $150 on eBay.

 

So, looking at your options here, an R5 3400G which is a meh processor and really weak graphics would probably end up costing you around $180-190. All prices are USD, of course. An R5 3600 would set you back, hell, let's just call it $160 USD. You can get it for $200 USD brand new. You need a GPU with that, but you're getting a vastly more powerful CPU. If you go the GTX 750 Ti route, you're spending more for a more powerful GPU, but it's still far from great in 2021 and you'll need to replace it eventually.

 

If it were me and all I wanted to do was play Starcraft, I'd just go down to the thrift shop and buy whatever Dell Optiplex 755 they have sitting there this week, buy a $9 Q6600 off of eBay, tape over two pins, spend $20 on 8GB of DDR2, drop $15 on an HD 7570 and enjoy Zerging ALL the things. Seriously, Starcraft and Starcraft 2 can run on a literal potato, and given the state of the PC market and what you say you intend to do with it, this is one of those situations where cheaping out now makes a ton of sense for when prices eventually adjust. For $100 tops, you've got an ancient boat anchor that can get you through these dark times, and you've got money you can put away for a big boy PC when the market figures itself out.

 

That's not necessarily a recommendation, because if you decide in a month that you like Cyberpunk and you want to play Cyberpunk now, you ain't doing it with a 13-year-old Optiplex. But if you're positive that what you have listed in your first post is what you want to do with your PC, then tbqh, my "just make it f*cking work" mentality says overhaul an Optiplex.

[DCCFan]

18 minutes ago, Frenetixx said:

 

I have a new question:

 

What would make more sense for me to get the 2600 and an old graphics card (not used) OR

AMD Ryzen 5 3400G 4-core, 8-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor with Radeon RX Graphics

 

since that has graphics built in? 

 

As someone else said, the 3400G would work well for the games you wanna play. Plus you can always upgrade the CPU down the line if you require more power. Just in casemake sure your mobo is good enough for a ryzen 7 like the 3800x, then you'll be able to upgrade without changing the mobo.

 

GPU-wise, what I did for my children's rig was get a refurbished GPU from eBay and I couldn't be happier with it. That can be risky though, so if you go that route choose a seller with a great reputation and lots of reputation. The one I bought from was a refurbished components store that had over 200k sales and 99.9% good rep. 

[Frenetixx]

26 minutes ago, aisle9 said:

A 3400G is selling anywhere between $160 and $230+ on eBay right now. By comparison, a GTX 750 Ti (which is a wee bit more powerful than the 3400's Vega 8 ) will set you back about $80-85, and the R5 2600 new (don't buy it new) is $189 on your Amazon.

 

Seriously, don't buy it new. You can get a Ryzen 5 3600 for $150 on eBay.

 

So, looking at your options here, an R5 3400G which is a meh processor and really weak graphics would probably end up costing you around $180-190. All prices are USD, of course. An R5 3600 would set you back, hell, let's just call it $160 USD. You can get it for $200 USD brand new. You need a GPU with that, but you're getting a vastly more powerful CPU. If you go the GTX 750 Ti route, you're spending more for a more powerful GPU, but it's still far from great in 2021 and you'll need to replace it eventually.

 

If it were me and all I wanted to do was play Starcraft, I'd just go down to the thrift shop and buy whatever Dell Optiplex 755 they have sitting there this week, buy a $9 Q6600 off of eBay, tape over two pins, spend $20 on 8GB of DDR2, drop $15 on an HD 7570 and enjoy Zerging ALL the things. Seriously, Starcraft and Starcraft 2 can run on a literal potato, and given the state of the PC market and what you say you intend to do with it, this is one of those situations where cheaping out now makes a ton of sense for when prices eventually adjust. For $100 tops, you've got an ancient boat anchor that can get you through these dark times, and you've got money you can put away for a big boy PC when the market figures itself out.

 

That's not necessarily a recommendation, because if you decide in a month that you like Cyberpunk and you want to play Cyberpunk now, you ain't doing it with a 13-year-old Optiplex. But if you're positive that what you have listed in your first post is what you want to do with your PC, then tbqh, my "just make it f*cking work" mentality says overhaul an Optiplex.

Thanks very much for the reply, I should mentioned that I might want to play higher end games in the future and I do want to be able to render 4k video and use more powerful photo/video editing software, I already built the pc so I would like to keep it other than the CPU, what CPU do you think makes more sense for me?  if i get the R5 3600 can I use a graphics card like this for the time being, i would say for this year I want to do what i mentioed earler, but would like to have a more powerful pc in the months to come to then do more intensive things, prices are in CAD and new

 

AMD Ryzen 5 3400G 4-core, 8-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor with Radeon RX Graphics

New

$286.99

+ $17.00 shipping

 

OR--

 

AMD Ryzen 5 2600 Processor with Wraith Stealth Cooler - YD2600BBAFBO

 

---

Price:

CDN$ 238.87

 

+ 

ASUS GeForce GT 710 1GB GDDR5 HDMI VGA DVI Graphics Card (GT710-SL-1GD5-BRK)

$70.74

[DCCFan]

I would not get a 710 GPU. They're so very weak. Even weaker than what I got for my Athlon II office PC.

 

https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GeForce-GT-710-vs-AMD-R7-250/m77649vsm8217

 

I paid $20 on eBay for this r7 250. You could get the 250 if you find it for $20 and use it while you save for a better card. It can play stuff like Roblox and Minecraft. I've even played RE6 haha

 

Here's one (removed eBay link because it was the 240)

 

The power of the 250 is similar to Intel integrated graphics, I think. At least HD graphics from a couple gens ago. 

[aisle9]

1 minute ago, Frenetixx said:

Thanks very much for the reply, I should mentioned that I might want to play higher end games in the future and I do want to be able to render 4k video and use more powerful photo/video editing software, I already built the pc so I would like to keep it other than the CPU, if i get the R5 3600 can I use a graphics card like this? 

Between those two options, and it kills me to say this, I'd probably go with the 3400G. I'm just that averse to anyone ever spending money on the GT 710.

 

The question really comes down to this for me:

• R5 3400G: You've got your CPU and GPU in one package, but you're making a pretty big compromise on both with a weak CPU and a weak GPU. But, again, you've got everything and don't need to worry about fighting the GPU market.
• R5 3600 + any GPU: You're going to need to upgrade the GPU before playing more modern stuff, but even a 710 would be more than fine for Starcraft. If you do buy a cheap crap-tier GPU, don't spend $70 on a GT 710. Don't spend anything on a GT 710. Go to eBay and buy a used HD 7470, HD 7570, HD 8450, R5/R7 240 or R7 250 for under $50 (as low as $10 US for the 7470) instead. They perform every bit as well as a GT 710. Hell, a chihuahua with an HDMI cable shoved up its ass outperforms a GT 710, and eBay automatically gives you free 30-day returns if something goes wrong.

You spend more up front on the 3600+GPU option, but if you decide in a year that the 3400G is just unbearable as a CPU, you end up spending more yet to replace the 3400G and buy a GPU. It's a risk either way.

[aisle9]

4 minutes ago, DCCFan said:

The power of the 250 is similar to Intel integrated graphics, I think. At least HD graphics from a couple gens ago. 

The GDDR5 version of the R7 250 still outperforms Intel integrated graphics (at least the UHD ones, the Xe stuff probably smokes it), but it's lacking a lot of driver support and instruction sets modern games like to see.  That said, if I can find one for under $30 and I need a GPU, any borderline marginally gaming-capable GPU as long as it isn't a GT 610 or HD 5450, I'm on it.

[Frenetixx]

2 hours ago, DCCFan said:

I would not get a 710 GPU. They're so very weak. Even weaker than what I got for my Athlon II office PC.

 

https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GeForce-GT-710-vs-AMD-R7-250/m77649vsm8217

 

I paid $20 on eBay for this r7 250. You could get the 250 if you find it for $20 and use it while you save for a better card. It can play stuff like Roblox and Minecraft. I've even played RE6 haha

 

Here's one (removed eBay link because it was the 240)

 

The power of the 250 is similar to Intel integrated graphics, I think. At least HD graphics from a couple gens ago. 

thank you for the replies

[Frenetixx]

2 hours ago, aisle9 said:

The GDDR5 version of the R7 250 still outperforms Intel integrated graphics (at least the UHD ones, the Xe stuff probably smokes it), but it's lacking a lot of driver support and instruction sets modern games like to see.  That said, if I can find one for under $30 and I need a GPU, any borderline marginally gaming-capable GPU as long as it isn't a GT 610 or HD 5450, I'm on it.

thanks a lot

 

I think I will go this route AMD Ryzen 5 2600 + any GPU and get a better graphics card maybe next year, thanks again for your input  does this sound good?

[Frenetixx]

thanks everyone, any more input would also be appreciated 

[DCCFan]

 

Here's the exact one I have. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-AMD-Radeon-R7-250-2GB-GDDR3-PCIe-GPU-FDT1K-DVI-DP-Low-Profile-Tested/265102265460?

 

It's $34 now. But it's pretty acceptable compared to the 710. Aisle9 is right, it is a tad stronger than Intel integrated graphics. You can even game on intel CPU graphics. My children used to before I got the GPU. You just have to play with low settings.

 

I'd say check out the rx460 but all gpu's are so overpriced these days, even those are going for about $150.

[Frenetixx]

On 3/27/2021 at 3:16 AM, DCCFan said:

 

Here's the exact one I have. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-AMD-Radeon-R7-250-2GB-GDDR3-PCIe-GPU-FDT1K-DVI-DP-Low-Profile-Tested/265102265460?

 

It's $34 now. But it's pretty acceptable compared to the 710. Aisle9 is right, it is a tad stronger than Intel integrated graphics. You can even game on intel CPU graphics. My children used to before I got the GPU. You just have to play with low settings.

 

I'd say check out the rx460 but all gpu's are so overpriced these days, even those are going for about $150.

you are an awesome person thank you