Need a budget setup

Locify · July 4, 2021

Budget (including currency): $1000 CAD

Country: Canada

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: Gaming (Fortnite, COD: Warzone, basically just FPS titles), and also some light photo/video editing.

Other details: An entire setup (not including a desk) for 1000 CAD, I would like 144 hz gaming at 1080p in Fortnite, but it’s not required.

So it’s up to ya guys to decide

MadAnt250 · July 4, 2021

Look for a used system and parts. Going this route is probably the best bang for the buck you are going to get right now.

YoungBlade · July 4, 2021

If you also need to fit a 144Hz monitor in your setup, then your options are really limited. The monitor is going to eat up a minimum of $150 CAD, but more realistically, you're looking at closer to $250 CAD. After that, you'll only have $750-$850 remaining.

In this market, your only hope would be to get, somehow, a sanely priced Ryzen APU, a used GPU, or a refurbished computer.

Ryzen APU:

The 3400G can do about 100fps in Fortnite, although it only gets about 30fps at 1080p low in Warzone, and its price on Amazon is an insane $450 and eBay Buy-It-Now runs $300. Other Ryzen APUs are similarly overpriced right now. So I'm going to rule that one out. If you can luck out and find something like that, have at it, but I think you're going to need to go a different route.

No recommendation.

Used GPU:

The Quadro K2200 is better than the Vega 11 on the 3400G. It's going for $150 used on eBay. It's not an amazing card, but it's probably the best you can get without spending scalper levels of money. It also draws all of its power from the slot, which is useful because of my next recommendation:

Throw that in a cheap pre-built. You can find ones with modern Intel chips on Amazon Canada in the $600-$700 range.

1080p 144Hz monitor - $215

Nvidia Quadro K2200 (used) - $149

Cheap, pre-built PC that comes with the mouse and keyboard - $625

Total - $989

Refurbished Computer:

If Newegg can ship to your region of Canada, there's this system for $484 USD ($600 CAD) which comes with a Quadro K2200. The processor is an old Xeon 4c/8t that boosts to 3.6GHz. Not an amazing chip, but you're on a tight budget.

1080p 144Hz monitor - $215

Cheap, refurbished workstation that comes with a mouse and keyboard and GPU - $600

Total - $815

They ain't pretty, but with a $1000 CAD budget, there isn't a lot of room to work with.