pcpartpicker Computer for Christmas - Parental Worries

[Brooksie359]

@EuphoricSpace if you live near a frys or microcenter I would suggest bringing your parents their. They have great customer service and would be able to help reassure your parents. Also having a store to go to if something goes wrong is always nice along with them having decent prices on pc parts.

[Daniel644]

here is a MUCH better build for the money https://pcpartpicker.com/list/NNYPPs

we could get even better if you cut back on the horribly expensive peripherals. I have a 6700k with 16GB of ram and a 1080ti, plus an H100iV2 and RM750x and my build was cheaper then yours because I didn't waste money on pointlessly expensive peripherals, also the 1TB SSD is a massive waste of money for such a low end system as an i3 and 1050ti, especially right now with Flash Storage prices as high as they are, even RAM is crazy right now, you might be better off going with a single 8GB stick then middle next year when prices drop back to normal buy a second identical stick. here is a revised build by dropping to 8GB you can get the i5 https://pcpartpicker.com/list/BnXmbj

and when RAM prices cut in half next year you can pickup the second 8GB and still be under budget.

[funkeemunkee]

1 hour ago, Daniel644 said:

here is a MUCH better build for the money https://pcpartpicker.com/list/NNYPPs

we could get even better if you cut back on the horribly expensive peripherals. I have a 6700k with 16GB of ram and a 1080ti, plus an H100iV2 and RM750x and my build was cheaper then yours because I didn't waste money on pointlessly expensive peripherals, also the 1TB SSD is a massive waste of money for such a low end system as an i3 and 1050ti, especially right now with Flash Storage prices as high as they are, even RAM is crazy right now, you might be better off going with a single 8GB stick then middle next year when prices drop back to normal buy a second identical stick. here is a revised build by dropping to 8GB you can get the i5 https://pcpartpicker.com/list/BnXmbj

and when RAM prices cut in half next year you can pickup the second 8GB and still be under budget.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/PsBgVY also this

[funkeemunkee]

2 hours ago, EuphoricSpace said:

Hello, I was talking to my parents about getting a computer for Christmas, and how I've wanted to build one for a while now. They think building the computer is too much of a hassle and insist on me buying either a Pre-Built or a Laptop. I've wanted to build a computer for a while, and have always envied at the computer builds I see getting built either on LTT or by their community. My parents worry that the parts won't be compatible, and for $2,000 USD don't want to invest in something that only "might work," which is completely understandable. So I came here to check with the community and get various opinions from other people. The guidelines I made for my build, was that the brands stay strictly Asus, Intel, Nvidia, Corsair, Microsoft and Western Digital. This is my second post on this forum regarding this topic. My first post and PCPP list has been revised to fit the criteria of the criticism that was given. So I'm looking for even more criticism to double check that my parts are all compatible, and that will work without issue. Here's my PCPP link: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Ghtx7h Additional questions of mine are: Is that an M.2 port at the bottom of the motherboard to the right of the PCI Express 3.0 X1 Slot? Will the computer be sufficient at running AAA titles like PUBG, Arma, GTA Etc.? 

For literally $93 more you could have this WAY better system. https://pcpartpicker.com/list/PsBgVY

[Arika]

This won't help convince your parents, but this is more for your information, if you chose the build it yourself, there's never a 100% chance that it will work, you might get a DoA part that you have to send back to the store and get a replacement, which if this happens it's likely your parents will tell you to send everything back and get a pre-built. All you can really do is talk to them and tell them it's not exactly rocket science, but at the end of the day they will be spending their money on you and you should probably just be grateful that they are willing to spend that much on you anyway regardless of if they just chose to get you a pre-built. There's nothing wrong with pre-built, you just don't get to put the parts together yourself.

[johnjohns111]

There are a lot of guides with custom PC builds, just pick one of them and show to your parents. And you will be sure that it would work if you don't want a Pre-Built (ready or built for you)

[Mooshi]

Spending 2k and not going with an i7 over  i5 should be illegal

[Brooksie359]

8 hours ago, valdyrgramr said:

Big problem with that is a lot of reviewers on amazon and even newegg aren't even techies.  XFX, Sapphire, Seasonic, EVGA, AMD,  and many others are good companies.  ASUS and MSI have the worst customer service.  But, ASUS at least has good products.

I am talking about third party reviews by tech reviewers not customer reviews lol. 

[brob]

16 hours ago, EuphoricSpace said:

@JM21 what about these changes I've made: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ZkJztJ

Not bad. But the case is ATX while the motherboard is mATX. As a result the motherboard will look a little small. The cpu cooler won't allow for much of an overclock. Thermal compound is not really necessary as cpu coolers typically come with pre-applied compound or a small tube. Finally, the Microsoft OEM license does not allow its use in DIY builds. Getting a full license has the advantage of being transportable. So when the system is upgraded, there is no problem using the same Windows license.

 

I think the data in https://www.techspot.com/review/1499-intel-core-i3-8100-i3-8350K/ puts paid to the idea that the i3-8350K is close to i5-8400 performance.

 

I am going to suggest going with a non-overclocking mATX build. In part because if saves $, but also because an i7-8400 is well matched with a GTX 1060.

 

Going with a 1TB 2.5" ssd is slightly less expensive, but mostly much easier to install.

 

Since the cpu is not overclockable, there is no reason to invest in a more expensive motherboard.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i5-8400 2.8GHz 6-Core Processor  ($199.89 @ B&H) 
Motherboard: MSI - Z370M GAMING PRO AC Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($168.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($93.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Crucial - MX300 1.1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($275.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB SC GAMING Video Card  ($269.49 @ OutletPC) 
Case: Fractal Design - Define Mini C TG MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($79.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: Corsair - CXM (2015) 450W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($54.89 @ OutletPC) 
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home Full - USB 32/64-bit  ($109.98 @ B&H) 
Monitor: Asus - MG248Q 24.0" 1920x1080 144Hz Monitor  ($289.99 @ Best Buy) 
Other: Corsair Mouse ($29.99)
Other: Corsair Keyboard ($139.99)
Other: Corsair Headset ($99.99)
Other: Corsair Headset Stand ($59.99)
Other: Corsair Mouse Pad ($29.99)
Other: Microsoft Webcam ($39.99)
Total: $1943.14
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-10-30 15:32 EDT-0400

[Brooksie359]

1 hour ago, valdyrgramr said:

Oh, well avoid MSI.  Most other bog names are fine.

Almost all big name companies have made a crappy product and it would be ill advise to determine the quality of the product solely on the brand name. Also msi has made some really good products over the years they just dropped the ball recently and made a couple of really bad products. They are like any of the big companies.

[Brooksie359]

1 hour ago, valdyrgramr said:

Oh, well avoid MSI.  Most other bog names are fine.

The only brand that I would blindly trust is evga tbh. Because they hardly ever make a bad product and when they do the jump through hoops to make it to those who bought it. 

[brob]

A number of OEMs make psu for EVGA. Currently the most popular models (G2, G3, T2, P2, et. al.) are manufactured by Superflower. GS models are made by Seasonic.

 

Sapphire does not make psu. Any models I've seen with that branding are made by Enermax.

 

ASRock was originally spun off by Asus as a budget brand. Since then it was essentially spun off and is now an independent brand.

 

Ram is ram. After all there are only a few companies that make the chips used in enthusiast parts. That said, how the modules are assembled, handled, and binned is very much up to each brand. Some do a better job than others.

 

Figuring out which reviews are heavily influenced by the manufacturer is difficult. But there are a few tells that can help. If a review does not include a very popular competitor, one should ask why that might be. When a test system does not seem balanced, one should wonder. When a gpu is only tested at one resolution, is it a lazy reviewer or someone not wanting to show the strength of the competition?

[bowrilla]

20 hours ago, EuphoricSpace said:

@JM21 what about these changes I've made: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ZkJztJ

1st … forget about that idea of shopping by brands. That's an absolute waste of money and makes no sense at all
2nd … you're wasting money on peripherals you could have used way (!) better in a way faster build
3rd … don't buy retail version of Win10. You can get a working legal key from a key vendor for like $25
4th … while M.2 ssds are awesome and blazingly fast you won't feel that much of a difference compared with a good SSD when gaming or even booting, you're wasting money

So I quickly picked those components together. I know it's 58 bucks over budget, but that monitor offers you G-Sync which will improve gaming experience. You could swap it for your prefered monitor. Btw – I'm pretty sure that Asus is only buying their panels from one of the big manufacturers like almost everybody else. I threw out that horribly overpriced headphone stand, that mousepad and the webcam. You can always buy stuff later. Focus on what you need to have a good and fast system. If that means going for lower tier peripherals then for the love of everything what's holy in the universe just do that. You could get a cheaper keyboard and headset for now to stay in budget.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz 6-Core Processor  ($399.99 @ B&H) 
CPU Cooler: Corsair - H105 73.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: MSI - Z370 SLI PLUS ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($141.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($148.55 @ Newegg Marketplace) 
Storage: Samsung - 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($149.89 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: Seagate - BarraCuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($44.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1070 8GB FTW2 Gaming iCX Video Card  ($429.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Phanteks - ECLIPSE P400S TEMPERED GLASS ATX Mid Tower Case  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($75.98 @ Newegg) 
Monitor: Acer - XB241H bmipr 24.0" 1920x1080 180Hz Monitor  ($321.88 @ Amazon) 
Keyboard: Corsair - K66 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($69.99 @ Amazon) 
Mouse: Corsair - Sabre RGB Wired Optical Mouse  ($39.99 @ Amazon) 
Headphones: Corsair - VOID Stereo  Headset  ($59.99 @ Best Buy) 
Other: OS from Serial Shop ($25.00)
Total: $2058.20
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-10-30 20:35 EDT-0400

 

[Brooksie359]

7 hours ago, valdyrgramr said:

EVGA only made products bad when they went with a shody OEM during the first gen PSUs.  Ryzen processors from AMD are better than a lot of i3s and i5s, and better in multitasking than the i7s.  Sapphire makes the top tier AMD GPUs followed by XFX.  Sapphire, Delta, and Seasonic are the top PSU makers in the world, and EVGA uses Seasonic as an OEM.  XFX just uses painted Seasonics.  ASUS has a cheapo brand called ASrock yet has shody customer service.  I avoided MSI like the plague because every department has been a hassle  Gigabyte makes really sturdy motherboards  Seagate and WD both are trusy brands, but if you're going for an SSD Samsung, Intel, newer Kingston, PNY, and few others are really good.  RAM is RAM.  For Coolers Thermaltake, Corsair, Noctua, and NZXT are the best imo.  Cases NZXT, In Win, Lian Li, Corsair, Coolermaster, Thermaltake, Phanteks, and many others are great including Be Quiet!  You do know a lot of top reviewers are paid by sponsors, right?  Only trusting like 5 companies is going to give you almost not price to performance or price to over quality.  Oh, and before I forget RAM is RAM.  Why I hate MSI is because most of their products have shitty cooling, poor engineering, and their customer service department is equal to ASUS.  They almost never get back to you, and they avoid RMAs and rebates like the plague.  My point is don't just trust the guy that gets paid to tell you that it is good.

That's why you don't look at just one you look at multiples. Also there are plenty of trust worthy reviewers that give criticism when it is warrented. Again you blindly trust companies which leads to bad things when you buy one of their mistakes. 

[Brooksie359]

Just now, valdyrgramr said:

I do research on companies first and their products. Tried the blind way once, and gave them 2 more chances.  It's why I don't buy MSI.

See but at that was my point. You just said these companies are who you should buy from which isn't what you do so why should they? I mean it's good to know a companies reputation for customer service but you should also research the product you plan on buying.