Building a PC For ~$450

[2G_Tony]

I haven't really kept up to date with recent processors and GPUs being released, so when my friend came to me for my help on getting parts for his PC I'm kinda lost. Something like this (https://pcpartpicker.com/list/sXVpyf ), but I'm not sure if there are better options for the money. Thanks in advance

[wagaloo123]

Steer clear of the last-gen AMD processors, they're pretty awful. Get a Ryzen 3 or 5, and maybe bump up from a 1050 to a 1050ti. The inclusion of a SSD would also make the system much faster, and there are a ton of Cyber Monday deals going around on them right now.

[seon123]

Oh god, no, not an FX. You should be looking at a G4560

[Bruno_A]

Don't go with the FX series. Get a Ryzen chip if you can, or save up if you can't. If you're looking for the best bang for the buck, go with used, the deals you can get on used PC's are simply crazy. Just two days ago I grabbed myself a PC with 8GB of DDR3 RAM, a Core i5 3570K, a GTX 1070, 500GB HDD and an 840 EVO for £350.

[2G_Tony]

Just now, wagaloo123 said:

Steer clear of the last-gen AMD processors, they're pretty awful. Get a Ryzen 3 or 5, and maybe bump up from a 1050 to a 1050ti. The inclusion of a SSD would also make the system much faster, and there are a ton of Cyber Monday deals going around on them right now.

I loved my 6300. I had a stable 4.8GHz OC on air (using a Noctua NHD-14). How do Ryzen chips compare?

[Streetguru]

7 minutes ago, DarkenedTrial said:

I haven't really kept up to date with recent processors and GPUs being released, so when my friend came to me for my help on getting parts for his PC I'm kinda lost. Something like this (https://pcpartpicker.com/list/YCF2pb ), but I'm not sure if there are better options for the money. Thanks in advance

Either R3 1200 + 1050 or R5 1400 + GT 1030(only when it's under $70)

I think I would stick to the better CPU as it'll give you a better base platform.

FX is dead don't buy it.
 

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/cRwszM
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/cRwszM/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 1400 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($144.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock - AB350M Pro4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: ADATA - 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($41.89 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GT 1030 2GB Video Card  ($63.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Rosewill - NAUTILUS ATX Mid Tower Case  ($24.49 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($37.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $458.33
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-11-27 17:28 EST-0500

[wagaloo123]

1 minute ago, bruny06 said:

Don't go with the FX series. Get a Ryzen chip if you can, or save up if you can't. If you're looking for the best bang for the buck, go with used, the deals you can get on used PC's are simply crazy. Just two days ago I grabbed myself a PC with 8GB of DDR3 RAM, a Core i5 3570K, a GTX 1070, 500GB HDD and an 840 EVO for £350.

Damn, where'd you find that?

[Streetguru]

-delete-

[2G_Tony]

Just now, Streetguru said:

If you already have most of a PC then you can probably just get an R5 1400 + RX 570 at $200 and be good to go

It's for a friend not myself so he'd be building from scratch. 

[Bruno_A]

Just now, wagaloo123 said:

Damn, where'd you find that?

Local Facebook classifieds groups. I moved here just 3 months ago and I've been getting amazing deals, you have no idea. Facebook classified groups are great options for used stuff.

[seon123]

For performance on a budget, you're looking at something like this.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Pentium G4560 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($77.77 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte - GA-B250M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($39.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: ADATA - 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($84.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: *Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($41.89 @ SuperBiiz) 
Video Card: Asus - Radeon RX 570 4GB ROG STRIX Video Card  ($189.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Rosewill - FBM-05 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($11.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: Corsair - CXM (2015) 450W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($19.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $466.61
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-11-27 17:31 EST-0500

[Streetguru]

Just now, DarkenedTrial said:

 

Then ya FX is dead and don't buy it.

 

R5 1400 + GT 1030 while it's cheap is my suggestion. Will be alright for 1080 low settings in AAA games, perfectly fine at esports games.

[wagaloo123]

 

Just now, seon123 said:

For performance on a budget, you're looking at something like this.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Pentium G4560 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($77.77 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte - GA-B250M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($39.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: ADATA - 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($84.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: *Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($41.89 @ SuperBiiz) 
Video Card: Asus - Radeon RX 570 4GB ROG STRIX Video Card  ($189.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Rosewill - FBM-05 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($11.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: Corsair - CXM (2015) 450W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($19.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $466.61
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-11-27 17:31 EST-0500

I would say go for a Ryzen 3 1300x over the G4560. Even though it's a great budget chip, the extra cores in the Ryzen would be super helpful.

[seon123]

Just now, wagaloo123 said:

 

I would say go for a Ryzen 3 1300x over the G4560. Even though it's a great budget chip, the extra cores in the Ryzen would be super helpful.

Yes, but not necessarily when that means a significant GPU downgrade. 

[wagaloo123]

1 minute ago, Streetguru said:

Then ya FX is dead and don't buy it.

 

R5 1400 + GT 1030 while it's cheap is my suggestion. Will be alright for 1080 low settings in AAA games, perfectly fine at esports games.

I'd say a 1050 or 1050ti

[CyberFern0]

11 minutes ago, DarkenedTrial said:

I haven't really kept up to date with recent processors and GPUs being released, so when my friend came to me for my help on getting parts for his PC I'm kinda lost. Something like this (https://pcpartpicker.com/list/YCF2pb ), but I'm not sure if there are better options for the money. Thanks in advance

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Yf2yvV

[Streetguru]

2 minutes ago, wagaloo123 said:

I'd say a 1050 or 1050ti

Not really happening for $450 unless you seriously skimp on the CPU. I value CPU performance more than GPU performance, as with the decent CPU it won't need replacing even if you jump to a high end GPU.

*Or get on a dead platform with the G4560 and mail in rebates

[Streetguru]

5 minutes ago, seon123 said:

 

The VRM on that board looks beyond pathetic though, not even any heatsinks.

And your actual total is "

Total:

$538.61

"

Don't use mail in rebates to start man.

[2G_Tony]

So, he says he doesn't necessarily care about graphics so I think the build made by @Streetguru https://pcpartpicker.com/list/xm2yvV would be best for him

[wagaloo123]

3 minutes ago, Streetguru said:

Not really happening for $450 unless you seriously skimp on the CPU. I value CPU performance more than GPU performance, as with the decent CPU it won't need replacing even if you jump to a high end GPU.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/nWyC3F

 

I didn't even look closely for the best deals and he could pick some stuff up used to lower the cost even further.

[seon123]

1 minute ago, Streetguru said:

The VRM on that board looks beyond pathetic though, not even any heatsinks.

And your actual total is "

Total:

$538.61

"

Don't use mail in rebates to start man.

I mean, it's a dual core. And even a locked quad core should be fine. It can't be that bad. 

I assume that if someone is going to a forum to get the best bang for their buck, they'll also use rebates. Maybe I'm too naive

[seon123]

3 minutes ago, DarkenedTrial said:

So, he says he doesn't necessarily care about graphics so I think the build made by @Streetguru https://pcpartpicker.com/list/xm2yvV would be best for him

Just change the PSU to the CX450 or CX450M. They should cost about the same before rebate

 

[Streetguru]

3 minutes ago, DarkenedTrial said:

So, he says he doesn't necessarily care about graphics so I think the build made by @Streetguru https://pcpartpicker.com/list/xm2yvV would be best for him

Then ya a GT 1030 should be fine and gets you a better CPU, spend a bit more on the wireless adapter though and get this gigabyte model, you can place the antenna anywhere for a better signal.

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/tTdqqs/gigabyte-wireless-network-card-gcwb867di
 

1 minute ago, seon123 said:

I mean, it's a dual core. And even a locked quad core should be fine. It can't be that bad. 

I assume that if someone is going to a forum to get the best bang for their buck, they'll also use rebates. Maybe I'm too naive

You'd still need more money up front anyways, and I assume most rebates don't even work, as I've never had one actually work.

[wagaloo123]

Just now, Streetguru said:

Then ya a GT 1030 should be fine and gets you a better CPU, spend a bit more on the wireless adapter though and get this gigabyte model, you can place the antenna anywhere for a better signal.

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/tTdqqs/gigabyte-wireless-network-card-gcwb867di
 

You'd still need more money up front anyways, and I assume most rebates don't even work, as I've never had one actually work.

All the rebates I've ever dealt with have come in like a charm.

[2G_Tony]

Thanks for all the help, guys. Appreciate it.