Building My First Computer!

[ButterBeard]

Budget (including currency): ~$1,000 - 1,300 USD

Goal: Build a computer that I can upgrade and maintain for at least 6-10 years. I'm fine (and I actually would love) upgrading individual components as time goes by. 

Country: United States (West Coast)

Games, programs, or workloads that it will be used for: 

• Web Browsing, Microsoft Office (heavy Microsoft Word usage)
• Little to no gaming (I have an Xbox for that). However, I may experiment with it in the future and I would be interested to know what would need to be changed/updated on my parts list if I did try gaming in the future.
• Photo Editing using open-source software such as GIMP and Inkscape
• Eventually, I want to start learning some 3D modeling software (e.g., Solidworks) and some entry-level coding practice online. 

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): 

• Current parts list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/CwKQPF. This is just what I came up with. I have no idea if this is overkill, or too expensive. Feedback is appreciated!! 
• Upgrading from a 2017 MacBook Pro (Intel Core i5 3.1 GHz, 8GB DDR3 RAM)
• Timeline: Flexible. I already have the MacBook, so I'm okay waiting a bit, or purchasing parts in batches if necessary.
• Peripherals: I already have 3-4 1920x1080 monitors (2 are currently in use), and I think I have all of the necessary peripherals already (mice, keyboards, webcams).
• I'll be going Windows, but I'm not sure if I'll go Windows Home or Windows Pro. This laptop will be used for personal and work use. 

 

Reason for Upgrading: The MacBook Pro's screen is starting to go (black lines start appearing as the screen warms up. Since I'm currently working a fully remote position, I'm concerned that the Mac may eventually kick the bucket. I didn't really want to spend 3k for a new MacBook Pro and I've always wanted to build a Windows computer, so this seems like an ideal time to do so. 

 

Eventually, I may need to get a laptop as well, however, since the Mac is still king in the laptop space (as far as I can tell), and I still have a mostly functional Macbook Pro, I felt that building the Windows desktop would be the best course of action at this time. I've used Windows at work for the last few years now and love it, so that should make this transition go pretty smoothly.

 

[Dukesilver27-]

If you want to upgrade individual parts in the future, why picked a dead platform like AM4? AM5 is the way to go due to potential upgrade path.

Cheaper SSD, kept the PSU just for future upgrades.

Windows 10 is not upgreable to win 11 anymore, IIRC, and it is ending support in 2 years, so getting a win 10 license now is kinda a waste. And you could get cheaper windows keys elsewhere, a lot cheaper.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/PjXcHG

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($295.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: ID-COOLING SE-224-XTS BLACK 70 CFM CPU Cooler  ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI PRO B650M-A WIFI Micro ATX AM5 Motherboard  ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: TEAMGROUP T-Create Expert 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL38 Memory  ($79.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 870 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($59.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Crucial P5 Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($53.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2X 12G GeForce RTX 3060 12GB 12 GB Video Card  ($286.00 @ Amazon)
Case: be quiet! Pure Base 500DX ATX Mid Tower Case  ($99.90 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair RM850e (2023) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: ARCTIC P12 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fan  ($8.02 @ Amazon)
Total: $1182.85