Plz help with build plan, $500 USD may be increased to $600

[Jade Roxy]

Budget (including currency): Budget set by my mom; Currently it's $500 USD, however if it's recommended I may be able go up to $600 

Country: USA, West Side!

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: I'll be using it mainly for gaming: Minecraft, Valorant, and Roblox, the usual mom approved games. Some homework that my school provided chromebook couldn't handle. My dad may use it for meetings on zoom, NO CAM, but I'm not concerned about this.
As for whether the build I'm going for can be used to upgrade in the future, I'm generally not planning on to adding anything big. However, RAM and NVME are planned to be added/upgraded in the future.
 

Other details (existing parts lists, whether any peripherals are needed, what you're upgrading from, when you're going to buy, what resolution and refresh rate you want to play at, etc): 

I'll start off with what I already have.
For peripherals I'm not planning on buying any. Additionally I have 2 decent, but old, 1440p 60hz monitors so I won't be planning on buying a new one this time around.
I also have a Corsair RM850x Cybenetics Gold approved PSU, and an old 4tb Hard Drive scavenged from the family pc. Hard drive works, but family pc has no working GPU, but has cpu graphics.

Things I'm looking for in this build.
Money wise and time wise, Cyber Monday is very close and the time I would buy most if not all components. I would appreciate some advice on what hardware to look out for if they drop below a certain price point. I'm also aware of how low the prices of some AMD cpu are, but I'm not planning on buying anything until I'm dead set sure on all the hardware. If it's recommended to go a bit above $500 USD to get some better parts, I'll be willing. I know at this price point I there has to be some trade offs, and I'm willing to do so. 

Additionally I've convinced my dad to pay for tax and shipping, so hardware should equate $500 USD or more if recommended

Some things I've decided on, and I might change my mind, is buying single stick RAM since I can just buy more of the same said RAM in the future. Since my mom only wants me to spend $500 USD at once there has to be some trade offs. However, I've noticed a pattern in how my mom allows me to buy items. Each time I want to buy something, as long as they won't go above $50 USD she won't mind about me spending more on RAM or better CPU cooler. As for storage I'm looking for bang for the buck, and perhaps 1TB if the scav hard drive won't work out. Speaking of which, I'm concerned about the scav hard drive as I've heard that some problems may occur with using a really old hard drive. I'd appreciate some help on making it safe to use.

For mobo I'm mostly concerned about nvme speed and IO. As for IO I'm searching mainly for 4-5 USB ports, and I'm hopeful for a mobo that allows me to get nvme 4.0 in the future.

 

So for the pc parts I've found some that can work out:
pc parts link: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/VVgTqm
CPU: AMD 5600X or i5 12th gen if price falls - Looking for around $150 if possible
GPU: I'll search for those that are used: 1660ti, 2070, or 2080 - Looking for $150 if possible
Mobo: No clue - Looking for $110 or below

RAM: Nothing specific looking for single stick - $50 or below, perhaps 8G
Storage: NVME 4.0 would be nice, perhaps 500G or 1TB - No clue what price range I should look for

PSU: I have one already
PC Case: Cougar MG120 or the Cooler Master Masterbox Lite 3.1 - $50
TAX + Shipping covered by dad

 

Please help me out! And thank you to all those who will.

extra info: 
Owned peripherals: Hunstman mini, Hyperx Pulsefire Haste Wired, Razer Kraken v3 X, Corsair Default XL mousepad.

I'm upgrading from i7 3k, R7 270(don't exactly rmbr specifically which, but it should from 2013), 2x32G DDR3, 4TB hard drive, PSU died from lightning strike so I replaced it with RM850x, all packed in a mid-tower case with cooling along the lines of, if you want cooling open the side panels. I'm really excited about building and owning my first rig. Especially considering among my friends I'm one of, if not the best, in the games we play even with the crashes, low frames(50ish), stuttering, and frame freezes that occur way too often. The reason I'm planning on getting a rig is cause the GPU suddenly started crashing, it would stop working out of nowhere and now it's dead. I know that sacrificing some performance and make do with the budget won't compare with the night and day difference between any recent hardware compared to nearly a decade old family pc.

[WWicket]

33 minutes ago, Jade Roxy said:

GPU: I'll search for those that are used

With all the new releases hitting and holidays coming up etc., probably worth looking at used mobos+cpu+ram too. Should be some good options circulating. 

Wouldn't bother with nvme 4.0 at your price range. I would add another 8gb ram stick... Windows really benefits from more than 8gb now and the dual-channel should be an improvement / it is a pretty small additional cost. 

5600g seems to be a much better deal currently than 5600x, unless I am missing something ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Something like :  https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Ympjgb
5600G, ASRock B550M Riptide, 2x8gb DDR4-3200, Intel 660p 512GB, MasterBox Lite 3.1 [Total 367USD]

*Edit - changed mobo suggestion as original sounded hit-or-miss on whether it came flashed for Ryzen 5 in reviews. 

[BiotechBen]

8 minutes ago, WWicket said:

With all the new releases hitting and holidays coming up etc., probably worth looking at used mobos+cpu+ram too. Should be some good options circulating. 

Wouldn't bother with nvme 4.0 at your price range. I would add another 8gb ram stick... Windows really benefits from more than 8gb now and the dual-channel should be an improvement / it is a pretty small additional cost. 

5600g seems to be a much better deal currently than 5600x, unless I am missing something ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Something like :  https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Jvkvhk
5600G, B550M-HDV, 2x8gb DDR4-3200, Intel 660p 512GB, MasterBox Lite 3.1 [Total 356.93]

Missing PSU

[WWicket]

1 minute ago, BiotechBen said:

Missing PSU

 

31 minutes ago, Jade Roxy said:

 

PSU: I have one already

PSU died from lightning strike so I replaced it with RM850x

 

[richodude]

29 minutes ago, Jade Roxy said:

Budget (including currency): Budget set by my mom; Currently it's $500 USD, however if it's recommended I may be able go up to $600 

Country: USA, West Side!

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: I'll be using it mainly for gaming: Minecraft, Valorant, and Roblox, the usual mom approved games. Some homework that my school provided chromebook couldn't handle. My dad may use it for meetings on zoom, NO CAM, but I'm not concerned about this.
As for whether the build I'm going for can be used to upgrade in the future, I'm generally not planning on to adding anything big. However, RAM and NVME are planned to be added/upgraded in the future.
 

Other details (existing parts lists, whether any peripherals are needed, what you're upgrading from, when you're going to buy, what resolution and refresh rate you want to play at, etc): 

I'll start off with what I already have.
For peripherals I'm not planning on buying any. Additionally I have 2 decent, but old, 1440p 60hz monitors so I won't be planning on buying a new one this time around.
I also have a Corsair RM850x Cybenetics Gold approved PSU, and an old 4tb Hard Drive scavenged from the family pc. Hard drive works, but family pc has no working GPU, but has cpu graphics.

Things I'm looking for in this build.
Money wise and time wise, Cyber Monday is very close and the time I would buy most if not all components. I would appreciate some advice on what hardware to look out for if they drop below a certain price point. I'm also aware of how low the prices of some AMD cpu are, but I'm not planning on buying anything until I'm dead set sure on all the hardware. If it's recommended to go a bit above $500 USD to get some better parts, I'll be willing. I know at this price point I there has to be some trade offs, and I'm willing to do so. 

Additionally I've convinced my dad to pay for tax and shipping, so hardware should equate $500 USD or more if recommended

Some things I've decided on, and I might change my mind, is buying single stick RAM since I can just buy more of the same said RAM in the future. Since my mom only wants me to spend $500 USD at once there has to be some trade offs. However, I've noticed a pattern in how my mom allows me to buy items. Each time I want to buy something, as long as they won't go above $50 USD she won't mind about me spending more on RAM or better CPU cooler. As for storage I'm looking for bang for the buck, and perhaps 1TB if the scav hard drive won't work out. Speaking of which, I'm concerned about the scav hard drive as I've heard that some problems may occur with using a really old hard drive. I'd appreciate some help on making it safe to use.

For mobo I'm mostly concerned about nvme speed and IO. As for IO I'm searching mainly for 4-5 USB ports, and I'm hopeful for a mobo that allows me to get nvme 4.0 in the future.

 

So for the pc parts I've found some that can work out:
pc parts link: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/VVgTqm
CPU: AMD 5600X or i5 12th gen if price falls - Looking for around $150 if possible
GPU: I'll search for those that are used: 1660ti, 2070, or 2080 - Looking for $150 if possible
Mobo: No clue - Looking for $110 or below

RAM: Nothing specific looking for single stick - $50 or below, perhaps 8G
Storage: NVME 4.0 would be nice, perhaps 500G or 1TB - No clue what price range I should look for

PSU: I have one already
PC Case: Cougar MG120 or the Cooler Master Masterbox Lite 3.1 - $50
TAX + Shipping covered by dad

 

Please help me out! And thank you to all those who will.

extra info: 
Owned peripherals: Hunstman mini, Hyperx Pulsefire Haste Wired, Razer Kraken v3 X, Corsair Default XL mousepad.

I'm upgrading from i7 3k, R7 270(don't exactly rmbr specifically which, but it should from 2013), 2x32G DDR3, 4TB hard drive, PSU died from lightning strike so I replaced it with RM850x, all packed in a mid-tower case with cooling along the lines of, if you want cooling open the side panels. I'm really excited about building and owning my first rig. Especially considering among my friends I'm one of, if not the best, in the games we play even with the crashes, low frames(50ish), stuttering, and frame freezes that occur way too often. The reason I'm planning on getting a rig is cause the GPU suddenly started crashing, it would stop working out of nowhere and now it's dead. I know that sacrificing some performance and make do with the budget won't compare with the night and day difference between any recent hardware compared to nearly a decade old family pc.

Heres what I cam up with
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/F8q6xs

2 sticks (dual-channel) ram is regarded as superior (and even cheaper) to single channel. 16gb is really cheap nowadays and you will have a much better time with it.
nvme 4.0 is pretty pointless but if you insist i got the bit pricey samsung 980 plus. I'd recommend a 500gb samsung 970
the gtx 1070 seems to be the sweet spot for used gpus. $120 on ebay or for just $40 more you can get the 1070ti. I'm currently rocking a 1070 and play the same games perfectly at 120 hertz
I just went for the cheapest motherboard with a 500series chipset since it sounds like you need nothing fancy. If you plan on using wifi you'll need to buy a wifi card which will set you back another 20 bucks or so

[BiotechBen]

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/DXtxPX

I've been seeing some 2060's going on eBay for about $200,  although for your gameplay, if you can score a 480 8gb for about $125-150 you'll be sitting pretty with a big smile on your face

[Somerandomtechyboi]

Could you list full specs of your current pc (incl stuff like case, cooler, etc.), usually theres alot more to scavenge than just a harddrive

[Jade Roxy]

18 hours ago, Somerandomtechyboi said:

Could you list full specs of your current pc (incl stuff like case, cooler, etc.), usually theres alot more to scavenge than just a harddrive

There's really only the lack of air cooling case, cd bay, flimsy fan, and the CPU cooler won't compare to the flimsy fan that came with the PC. I've already run down most of the possibilities w/o compromising performance. The 2013 release date GPU, most likely R7 280, showed signs of failures. Huge signs too, such as more frequent frame freezes, the need to restart after major frame freezes, and legit dies trying to play Valorant. The GPU failing is most of the reason I've been given the green light to plan a build, and buy said build with my own money.

The DDR3 ram is a lot, but I don't know about using that in place of 2x8 DDR4, even though the DDR3 is 2x32G. CPU is basically outdated, I'm certainly getting a new mobo, PSU already replaced as previous died. That's pretty much it.

[WWicket]

14 minutes ago, Jade Roxy said:

The DDR3 ram is a lot, but I don't know about using that in place of 2x8 DDR4, even though the DDR3 is 2x32G.

Not possible - they are not forwards/backwards compatible between different generations... won't even physically fit into a DDR4 slot. 

[Queen Chrysalis]

For $600 you can do a whole system with a new GPU, a 1TB Gen 4 SSD, a good PSU, and 16GB of RAM if you're willing to budge on the case.

 

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600 3.5 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($119.94 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte B450 AORUS M Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($79.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Silicon Power GAMING 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($42.97 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Kingston NV2 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($69.98 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 6600 MECH 2X 8G Radeon RX 6600 8 GB Video Card  ($189.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($42.00 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Super Flower Legion GX Pro 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply  ($57.99 @ Newegg Sellers) 
Total: $602.86
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-04 22:05 EDT-0400

 

 

Thios is a PC that could definitely handle a GPU/PSU upgrade in a few years if you wanted it to.

 

Get the 5600, it's gonna be good for a lot longer than the 5600g with that extra cache and boost freq.

 

The RX 6600 is a better GPu than most of the ones you listed and can be had new for $190 so you'll get a warranty.  It's a newer architecture, too, so new games will be better.

 

16GB of DDR4 is $43 now, just get 2 sticks or you're gonna run into problems.

 

The Aurus M b450 should fit in a mATX case if that's what you seem to be wanting.  It does not have integrated wifi, so if you need you'll have to get a wifi adapter that get one of these motherboards instead:

 

Asus TUF GAMING A520M-PLUS WIFI Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard (TUF GAMING A520M-PLUS WIFI) - PCPartPicker

Gigabyte B550M DS3H AC Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard (B550M DS3H AC) - PCPartPicker

 

A520 is fine, you can BLCK OC if you need to but frankly you shouldn't ever need to OC this chip, it boosts to 4.4 on its own.

 

This MB320A is the masterbox lite, it just has better airflow and comes with fans..

 

The PSU is a good power supply that's on a really steep sale right now.  It's about $12 mor than a cheapo power supply that would ONLY be OK for a low power build, whereas this one will be very efficcient for this build and can handle a faster GPU later on.

 

If you don't need mATX this case is way better for the price:

 

Cougar Archon 2 Mesh RGB ATX Mid Tower Case (CGR-5CC5B-MESH-RGB) - PCPartPicker 

 

Here are some more expensive mATX cases that would put you at about $625 but may be more to your liking

 

Thermaltake V150 Tempered Glass ARGB Breeze MicroATX Mid Tower Case (CA-1R1-00S1WN-02) - PCPartPicker (includes all necessary fans, mATX, nice look)

 

Cooler Master MasterBox MB320L ARGB MicroATX Mini Tower Case (MCB-B320L-KGNN-S02) - PCPartPicker  (same as masterbox lite but it includes intake fans)

 

This would be $12 less with a Gen 3 SSD and should perform no differently:

 

Silicon Power A60 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (SP001TBP34A60M28) - PCPartPicker

[NF-A12x25]

5 hours ago, Jade Roxy said:

even though the DDR3 is 2x32G

2x32? Highly doubt that, sticks that large only came in ECC. Even 16gb sticks only came in ECC. Biggest non-ECC stick of DDR3 is 8gb.

[Jade Roxy]

3 hours ago, Queen Chrysalis said:

For $600 you can do a whole system with a new GPU, a 1TB Gen 4 SSD, a good PSU, and 16GB of RAM if you're willing to budge on the case.

 

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600 3.5 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($119.94 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte B450 AORUS M Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($79.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Silicon Power GAMING 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($42.97 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Kingston NV2 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($69.98 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 6600 MECH 2X 8G Radeon RX 6600 8 GB Video Card  ($189.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($42.00 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Super Flower Legion GX Pro 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply  ($57.99 @ Newegg Sellers) 
Total: $602.86
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-04 22:05 EDT-0400

 

 

Thios is a PC that could definitely handle a GPU/PSU upgrade in a few years if you wanted it to.

 

Get the 5600, it's gonna be good for a lot longer than the 5600g with that extra cache and boost freq.

 

The RX 6600 is a better GPu than most of the ones you listed and can be had new for $190 so you'll get a warranty.  It's a newer architecture, too, so new games will be better.

 

16GB of DDR4 is $43 now, just get 2 sticks or you're gonna run into problems.

 

The Aurus M b450 should fit in a mATX case if that's what you seem to be wanting.  It does not have integrated wifi, so if you need you'll have to get a wifi adapter that get one of these motherboards instead:

 

Asus TUF GAMING A520M-PLUS WIFI Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard (TUF GAMING A520M-PLUS WIFI) - PCPartPicker

Gigabyte B550M DS3H AC Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard (B550M DS3H AC) - PCPartPicker

 

A520 is fine, you can BLCK OC if you need to but frankly you shouldn't ever need to OC this chip, it boosts to 4.4 on its own.

 

This MB320A is the masterbox lite, it just has better airflow and comes with fans..

 

The PSU is a good power supply that's on a really steep sale right now.  It's about $12 mor than a cheapo power supply that would ONLY be OK for a low power build, whereas this one will be very efficcient for this build and can handle a faster GPU later on.

 

If you don't need mATX this case is way better for the price:

 

Cougar Archon 2 Mesh RGB ATX Mid Tower Case (CGR-5CC5B-MESH-RGB) - PCPartPicker 

 

Here are some more expensive mATX cases that would put you at about $625 but may be more to your liking

 

Thermaltake V150 Tempered Glass ARGB Breeze MicroATX Mid Tower Case (CA-1R1-00S1WN-02) - PCPartPicker (includes all necessary fans, mATX, nice look)

 

Cooler Master MasterBox MB320L ARGB MicroATX Mini Tower Case (MCB-B320L-KGNN-S02) - PCPartPicker  (same as masterbox lite but it includes intake fans)

 

This would be $12 less with a Gen 3 SSD and should perform no differently:

 

Silicon Power A60 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (SP001TBP34A60M28) - PCPartPicker

Thank you for the comprehensive reply. Just some comments.

I chose MATX cases as they were cheap and fit all I would need. As for the CPU and GPU, I haven't considered these options, and I would definitely opt for your recommendations. 

Tax and shipping won't be accounted into my build as I won't be paying for it. Adding to that I currently have a great PSU, RM850x, and a friend of mine will buy me the RAM. 2x8G 3200Mhz

 

Now that opens up more budget allocations for any other components. Considering once again the great recommendation of the CPU and GPU, what should I shill out more on? Considering I have around 200~300 left, best to assume I can only spend another 200 after considering CPU and GPU combined. Should I go with a better airflow case? Better CPU? Better mobo? Better storage? Once again $200 USD on either, or combination of some of these.

 

ALSO, please consider that I won't be considering upgrading major components such as CPU or GPU as this build is supposed to last ~7 years. Extra NVME, RAM, CPU cooler is the top->low priority in terms of upgrades/expansions that can be considered as some of these can be bought at around ~$50 USD.

 

Thanks again to those who are helping and have helped! I've considered most, if not all, the recommendations as of 11/4/2022.

[Jade Roxy]

1 minute ago, NF-A12x25 said:

2x32? Highly doubt that, sticks that large only came in ECC. Even 16gb sticks only came in ECC. Biggest non-ECC stick of DDR3 is 8gb.

Then they must be 4x16G, mb. I always remembered 2 sticks of RAM in the mobo each time I did some light fixing. Now I remember seeing different colored pairs of RAM in there.

[NF-A12x25]

Just now, Jade Roxy said:

Then they must be 4x16G, mb. I always remembered 2 sticks of RAM in the mobo each time I did some light fixing. Now I remember seeing different colored pairs of RAM in there.

Biggest they could possibly be is 4x8gb if ddr3 non-ECC

[Queen Chrysalis]

4 hours ago, Jade Roxy said:

Then they must be 4x16G, mb. I always remembered 2 sticks of RAM in the mobo each time I did some light fixing. Now I remember seeing different colored pairs of RAM in there.

In that case, I'd get either this (PCIe Gen 4 support):

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600 3.5 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($119.94 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Assassin X 120 Refined SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler  ($19.89 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte B550M DS3H AC Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($109.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Kingston NV2 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($69.99 @ B&H) 
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 6600 MECH 2X 8G Radeon RX 6600 8 GB Video Card  ($189.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Cougar Archon 2 Mesh RGB ATX Mid Tower Case  ($47.89 @ Amazon) 
Total: $557.69
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-05 06:24 EDT-0400

 

Or this (no PCIe gen 4 support):

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600 3.5 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($119.94 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Assassin X 120 Refined SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler  ($19.89 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte B450 AORUS PRO WIFI (rev. 1.0) ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($119.99 @ B&H) 
Storage: Silicon Power A60 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($57.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 6600 MECH 2X 8G Radeon RX 6600 8 GB Video Card  ($189.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Cougar Archon 2 Mesh RGB ATX Mid Tower Case  ($47.89 @ Amazon) 
Total: $555.69
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-05 06:26 EDT-0400

 

Both have motherboards with wifi/BT incase you PC ends up in a place where you need to use wifi and/or so you can use a controller wirelessly.  The second board has slightly better I/O, but either will work well.

 

DO NOT get the first motherboard I recommended in the previous parts list I posted with a Gen 4 SSD, as AMD pulled PCIe Gen 4 support from all B450 motherboards, but frankly i wouldn;t worry too much about it, as gen 3 is still very fast and Gen 4 support wouldn;t be much of a concern if you just wanna keep it in the budget.

 

Both parts lists also include a cooler than should let your 5600 easily and quietly boost to it's max frequency.

 

If you want a bigger cooler, this one is a good deal too for a very strong cooler:

 

Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler (PA 120 SE ARGB) - PCPartPicker

 

Lastly, the case is a VERY good deal for a good airflow case with fans included, but it has 3 on the front and does not include a pre-installedexhaust fan.  This is not a big deal s you could:

A) Put one of the three on the back for exhaust.

B) See if your friend has an extra 120mm fan you could use for exhaust

C) Buy an arctic P12 for $8 and use it for exhaust ARCTIC P12 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fan (ACFAN00118A) - PCPartPicker

 

(Personally, I'd ask your friend.  I do a lot of PC stuff and have a few extra fans laying around, they probably do too).

[Jade Roxy]

On 11/5/2022 at 3:28 AM, Queen Chrysalis said:

In that case, I'd get either this (PCIe Gen 4 support):

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600 3.5 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($119.94 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Assassin X 120 Refined SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler  ($19.89 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte B550M DS3H AC Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($109.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Kingston NV2 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($69.99 @ B&H) 
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 6600 MECH 2X 8G Radeon RX 6600 8 GB Video Card  ($189.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Cougar Archon 2 Mesh RGB ATX Mid Tower Case  ($47.89 @ Amazon) 
Total: $557.69
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-05 06:24 EDT-0400

 

Or this (no PCIe gen 4 support):

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600 3.5 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($119.94 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Assassin X 120 Refined SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler  ($19.89 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte B450 AORUS PRO WIFI (rev. 1.0) ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($119.99 @ B&H) 
Storage: Silicon Power A60 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($57.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 6600 MECH 2X 8G Radeon RX 6600 8 GB Video Card  ($189.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Cougar Archon 2 Mesh RGB ATX Mid Tower Case  ($47.89 @ Amazon) 
Total: $555.69
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-05 06:26 EDT-0400

 

Both have motherboards with wifi/BT incase you PC ends up in a place where you need to use wifi and/or so you can use a controller wirelessly.  The second board has slightly better I/O, but either will work well.

 

DO NOT get the first motherboard I recommended in the previous parts list I posted with a Gen 4 SSD, as AMD pulled PCIe Gen 4 support from all B450 motherboards, but frankly i wouldn;t worry too much about it, as gen 3 is still very fast and Gen 4 support wouldn;t be much of a concern if you just wanna keep it in the budget.

 

Both parts lists also include a cooler than should let your 5600 easily and quietly boost to it's max frequency.

 

If you want a bigger cooler, this one is a good deal too for a very strong cooler:

 

Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler (PA 120 SE ARGB) - PCPartPicker

 

Lastly, the case is a VERY good deal for a good airflow case with fans included, but it has 3 on the front and does not include a pre-installedexhaust fan.  This is not a big deal s you could:

A) Put one of the three on the back for exhaust.

B) See if your friend has an extra 120mm fan you could use for exhaust

C) Buy an arctic P12 for $8 and use it for exhaust ARCTIC P12 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fan (ACFAN00118A) - PCPartPicker

 

(Personally, I'd ask your friend.  I do a lot of PC stuff and have a few extra fans laying around, they probably do too).

Thanks again for the recommendations. 

 

I believe I’ve found some great hardware:

 

CPU: AMD 5600 nonX, found it goes down to $110 I’ll strike once it drops again

Mobo: AsRock B550M Legend, $110 on newegg black friday

Cooler: Thermalright Assassin X 120 $20

Storage: Samsung 970 evo 1TB, covered by friend

RAM: G Skill 3600Mhz, covered by dif friend

Case: Zalman S2 $50 absolute best I’ve seen, though there is no rubber CPU cutouts

 

As for GPU, since I’m planning on not upgrading the major components: GPU, CPU, MOBO. I’m planning on splurging more on the GPU. Is the RX 6600 the best GPU where I’m currently standing in terms of hardware?

 

+110

+110

+50

+20

————

$290

remainder $310

 

I’ve considered the option of sticking to the RX 6600, add some p12, upgrade to  Arctic Duo cooler. However, there are some really good deals of used 2070, heck even the ti version. Should I opt for an NVIDIA card even if they’re used?

 

btw the rebate card sounds kinda a pain so I would consider the $190 MSI 6600 as $210

[NF-A12x25]

10 minutes ago, Jade Roxy said:

Cooler: Thermalright Assassin X 120 $20

I would get the Thermalright Frost Spirit 140 v3, which is a much better dual tower cooler and is only $35.

[Queen Chrysalis]

1 hour ago, NF-A12x25 said:

I would get the Thermalright Frost Spirit 140 v3, which is a much better dual tower cooler and is only $35.

At that point its $4 more for the peerless assassin 120 which is even better.  Point is it's a tight budget so a quad pipe single tower ifs more than enough for a 5600 and OP ain't upgrading, so I figured why bother?  That $15 is the difference between a very basic PSu and a Good one or other things that will actually make a difference, as opposed to extra cooling on a chip that is not hot.

[Jade Roxy]

41 minutes ago, Queen Chrysalis said:

At that point its $4 more for the peerless assassin 120 which is even better.  Point is it's a tight budget so a quad pipe single tower ifs more than enough for a 5600 and OP ain't upgrading, so I figured why bother?  That $15 is the difference between a very basic PSu and a Good one or other things that will actually make a difference, as opposed to extra cooling on a chip that is not hot.

Correct! I have a rough of what hardware I'll be buying, however, I'm still a bit confused on GPU as these should be something to splurge much more than the rest. Granted I have a 60hz monitor right now, the colors aren't the best but I am hopeful for an upgrade somewhere after spring hits.

Currently if I were to go with the RX 6600 I could spend more on other items, perhaps some more case fans to cool down the temps. However, there are alternative NVIDIA GPUs on ebay that I can spend on, somewhere in the neighborhood of 250~280 USD is a good range.

The question is whether I should consider buying a used 2060, 2060ti, or 2070 from ebay instead of the RX6600. Though getting an NVIDIA GPU would hit the budget quite hard, though that's not a problem.

[Queen Chrysalis]

7 minutes ago, Jade Roxy said:

Correct! I have a rough of what hardware I'll be buying, however, I'm still a bit confused on GPU as these should be something to splurge much more than the rest. Granted I have a 60hz monitor right now, the colors aren't the best but I am hopeful for an upgrade somewhere after spring hits.

Currently if I were to go with the RX 6600 I could spend more on other items, perhaps some more case fans to cool down the temps. However, there are alternative NVIDIA GPUs on ebay that I can spend on, somewhere in the neighborhood of 250~280 USD is a good range.

The question is whether I should consider buying a used 2060, 2060ti, or 2070 from ebay instead of the RX6600. Though getting an NVIDIA GPU would hit the budget quite hard, though that's not a problem.

If you’re ok with eBay get a 6700xt.  WAY FASTER, and they’re only like $300 right now from some sellers.  Absolutely the best value you can get. You could get a 1440p 165hz and play anything you want at awesome settings.

 

The Zalman S2 case you picked is a great deal and should fit any GPU.

[Jade Roxy]

17 hours ago, Queen Chrysalis said:

If you’re ok with eBay get a 6700xt.  WAY FASTER, and they’re only like $300 right now from some sellers.  Absolutely the best value you can get. You could get a 1440p 165hz and play anything you want at awesome settings.

 

The Zalman S2 case you picked is a great deal and should fit any GPU.

Does this mean that I should opt for any good priced RX 6600-6700xt and not any NVIDIA based GPU? In fact, is there any difference between the 2060 and the RX 6600? If there is what are the major differences that increase gaming experience, some light video editing, and some game streaming?

if there are somewhat identical messages, i believe my previous message didn't go through

[NF-A12x25]

6 minutes ago, Jade Roxy said:

Does this mean that I should opt for any good priced RX 6600-6700xt and not any NVIDIA based GPU? In fact, is there any difference between the 2060 and the RX 6600? If there is what are the major differences that increase gaming experience, some light video editing, and some game streaming?

the 6600 is significantly faster than the 2060.

 

Better idea to get a 6700xt from ebay tho, it’s about on par with a 3070 but costs less. 

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/144799987465?epid=10045666139&hash=item21b6c07709%3Ag%3AOqQAAOSwGO5jRhjz&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAkE%2FAQJNBuTP%2FfjfNDVap82I%2BQ9VebiEqqy17QIMb93CVv9%2BX3I9Qi%2B%2FZ8Xg9u3CFlqnpLlUITCD8AO7qagA5mBO8yc0HAXATxgmhReaJ%2BqlScwdSEicKpL3tNCFCJpHVmYsZFDoG6NJUQdZoaon9CjcTiPlv8cbhGDh8vbHZ%2Fq3I9LBVhwNlhLaYfo6zc5zCIQ%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR77mm5aLYQ&LH_BIN=1

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/364042093501?epid=10045666139&hash=item54c29983bd%3Ag%3AIDwAAOSwqZFjaZZs&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoOnoZhhgQ2S6zHL4oC3%2FuNISR5k7u%2F9uhMxWbkb4tj4VxHgwz336cMmGsYSuXL8%2B1QavKuB4Ah8xfINzfGLPWKbPqsT6ZNLYBRojmj5OK270LP%2FCbCMI1J%2FXEHYVaSvdbwGngD%2BC7Dds3wQh3eb67RgPYjDaZynXo9NhpkcU4a9%2F5vCJ4SvLsrpG0bcTAK36D0ZZfn6DUbolGCQ8XgWEEyo%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR77mm5aLYQ&LH_BIN=1

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/204143203930?epid=12045123584&hash=item2f87e2165a%3Ag%3AIB4AAOSwEIBjZm58&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAkEg%2FMTXipQcHUEdz%2B0%2BtCGmou5bxyttQB70i64a%2BCWpt%2BU6fNw9up329hYxiGP4IPMrMIBS%2B6gSFmMtDQbotjec4Mco%2BtrmXSA3dJ1NiyMiFpD%2BMFPx6BTP%2F%2FJdwmpL91%2Bu9qGKztQYFtNwAhHkrWe%2BUh7936T1xZ%2Fi68ZaO%2BKCslpfVkcS%2FO3yBD6SZzKEHhA%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR8Dmm5aLYQ&LH_BIN=1

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/165767452480?epid=5045269093&hash=item2698829740%3Ag%3Aso0AAOSwg2Vjapry&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAkKbNnnfTAJ5MvA%2BpTC9NeuEGGLe%2BmltOjQgSPxxNjz4RErbURfb9fo6cMJ4q%2FhLTV6rNLCFSzMG8Y7FCCkaOXcf4xI9qWiI8gmQCb67fSq65a27CLzFKkj1ZqpTOFIGatfmq8fVG3CPkIMUUqpoDQB53Y7%2F3Uqq2drRNaKQuLGKMBy3d%2BXSE1MFMjVy8xJh81Q%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR8Dmm5aLYQ&LH_BIN=1

 

Would be smart to make a best offer, a couple of the listings I suggested have “or best offer” as an option.

[Jade Roxy]

1 hour ago, NF-A12x25 said:

the 6600 is significantly faster than the 2060.

 

Better idea to get a 6700xt from ebay tho, it’s about on par with a 3070 but costs less. 

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/144799987465?epid=10045666139&hash=item21b6c07709%3Ag%3AOqQAAOSwGO5jRhjz&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAkE%2FAQJNBuTP%2FfjfNDVap82I%2BQ9VebiEqqy17QIMb93CVv9%2BX3I9Qi%2B%2FZ8Xg9u3CFlqnpLlUITCD8AO7qagA5mBO8yc0HAXATxgmhReaJ%2BqlScwdSEicKpL3tNCFCJpHVmYsZFDoG6NJUQdZoaon9CjcTiPlv8cbhGDh8vbHZ%2Fq3I9LBVhwNlhLaYfo6zc5zCIQ%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR77mm5aLYQ&LH_BIN=1

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/364042093501?epid=10045666139&hash=item54c29983bd%3Ag%3AIDwAAOSwqZFjaZZs&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoOnoZhhgQ2S6zHL4oC3%2FuNISR5k7u%2F9uhMxWbkb4tj4VxHgwz336cMmGsYSuXL8%2B1QavKuB4Ah8xfINzfGLPWKbPqsT6ZNLYBRojmj5OK270LP%2FCbCMI1J%2FXEHYVaSvdbwGngD%2BC7Dds3wQh3eb67RgPYjDaZynXo9NhpkcU4a9%2F5vCJ4SvLsrpG0bcTAK36D0ZZfn6DUbolGCQ8XgWEEyo%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR77mm5aLYQ&LH_BIN=1

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/204143203930?epid=12045123584&hash=item2f87e2165a%3Ag%3AIB4AAOSwEIBjZm58&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAkEg%2FMTXipQcHUEdz%2B0%2BtCGmou5bxyttQB70i64a%2BCWpt%2BU6fNw9up329hYxiGP4IPMrMIBS%2B6gSFmMtDQbotjec4Mco%2BtrmXSA3dJ1NiyMiFpD%2BMFPx6BTP%2F%2FJdwmpL91%2Bu9qGKztQYFtNwAhHkrWe%2BUh7936T1xZ%2Fi68ZaO%2BKCslpfVkcS%2FO3yBD6SZzKEHhA%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR8Dmm5aLYQ&LH_BIN=1

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/165767452480?epid=5045269093&hash=item2698829740%3Ag%3Aso0AAOSwg2Vjapry&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAkKbNnnfTAJ5MvA%2BpTC9NeuEGGLe%2BmltOjQgSPxxNjz4RErbURfb9fo6cMJ4q%2FhLTV6rNLCFSzMG8Y7FCCkaOXcf4xI9qWiI8gmQCb67fSq65a27CLzFKkj1ZqpTOFIGatfmq8fVG3CPkIMUUqpoDQB53Y7%2F3Uqq2drRNaKQuLGKMBy3d%2BXSE1MFMjVy8xJh81Q%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR8Dmm5aLYQ&LH_BIN=1

 

Would be smart to make a best offer, a couple of the listings I suggested have “or best offer” as an option.

I see, thanks for the recommendations! What if I were to find a good beefy 2070, or 2080 on ebay? Should I opt for these instead of the 6600, or should I opt for a stronger AMD card like the 6600xt or 6700xt?

I'm one step closer to finishing what hardware I should buy, thanks in advance!

edit: mb i didn't click on the links before replying, most of the links lead to a 6700XT, I'll most likely opt for a 6700XT

Edited November 8, 2022 by Jade Roxy
blind