First Build Ever. $1200-$1500 Budget.

[Azulio]

Hello everyone, I hope I'm doing this right,

Brand new here and to the PC community. I am currently in the market of making my own build and was looking for advice since I have never done this and have relatively no knowledge. I've been a console guy, owning both the PS4 and Xbox One but with Cyberpunk 2077 coming out this year I want to build my own PC to get the best experience I can out of this game in my budget.

Approximate Purchase Date: The next two weeks but I'm in no rush since Cyberpunk doesn't come out until September

Budget Range: I would like to stay in the $1200-$1500 budget range before shipping. I do not have a monitor or any accessories so I'm willing to spend a little more

What will your machine be used for? I want to put an emphasis on gaming but I would also like to do some light streaming and animation work such as 3DMax

Are you buying a monitor: Yes

Parts to Upgrade: everying

Do you need to buy OS: Yes
Please note that if you're using an OEM license of Windows, you will need a new one when buying a new motherboard.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts? Amazon but I'll be open to other websites in order to get a good price.

Parts Preferences: no preference

Overclocking: I'm not sure what overclocking is so maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe?

Your Monitor Resolution: Don't really have a preference but I'd like it to be high as I can and still stay close to my budget

Additional Comments: Mostly be playing Cyberpunk. Would like it to be relatively quiet, I'd be interested in having a cool case.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: I would like to experience something new besides consoles.

 

[Inspireless Llama]

The general thing I see now is not to upgrade specially for cyberpunk because it takes a while before the game is out and nobody knows what new hardware there wil be by the time the game is out. Or do you want a PC that also can run cyberpunk?

In terms of accesoires, have you thought about what you want to do with sound? Use headphones / speakers / earphones that came with your phone? I'd strongly recommend NOT using any built in monitor speakers, so far I haven't encountered a single one myself that wasn't garbage.

Does this also mean you'll need a mouse / keyboard, eventually mousepad etc?

Overclocking basically means that you're making the hardware to run faster. Here's an explanation from @Zoid from another topic:

Overclocking means running your CPU or GPU (or RAM I suppose) at higher than standard clock speeds. You can think of it like tuning up your car's engine to make more power. Pushing higher clock speeds means feeding the component more voltage, which also generates more heat, so people who overclock need to make sure they have adequate cooling for their components. You also need to balance stability, since higher clock speeds can be unstable and cause your system to crash.

Overclocking can be a fun thing to try, since it can get you a little bit of extra performance for free, but there's nothing to say you should OC. In fact, with some CPUs it can actually be smarter not to OC. Modern CPUs can essentially overclock themselves automatically when extra performance is needed, and sometimes the OC you're able to achieve can actually be lower than the factory boost clock.

Very long-winded way of saying: play around with overclocking if you want, but you don't need to

You shouldn't go for SLI / Crossfire. That's basically putting 2 videocards into a PC, but the amount of games that actively support it is going down. Besides, videocards are usually the most expensive part in a PC so it probably won't fit into your budget.

As for monitor resolution, you don't have a preferences but do you have an idea what size you want? For example, would you want a 32" monitor, 1440p might be beter than 1080p. On a 24" monitor I'd recommend 1080p.

 

[Zoid]

Welcome to the community! And thanks for providing all that detail in your post.

Additional Comments: Mostly be playing Cyberpunk. Would like it to be relatively quiet, I'd be interested in having a cool case.

If this is your primary goal for this PC then I really do recommend waiting to build it until the game is released. Until reviewers get copies in their hands to test performance and benchmark components, we can't know what kind of hardware Cyberpunk will run best on. If we speculate, you'll run the risk of either getting a computer that doesn't perform as well as you want in the game, or getting one that is more expensive than what you actually need. Also, as @Inspireless Llama says, newer and better hardware may be released between now and September.

If Cyberpunk is your main game you want to play, it's best to wait, but if you want to build this PC now and jump into the wider world of PC gaming then we can try to come up with a good parts list for you, just let us know

 

[Azulio]

Welcome to the community! And thanks for providing all that detail in your post.

If this is your primary goal for this PC then I really do recommend waiting to build it until the game is released. Until reviewers get copies in their hands to test performance and benchmark components, we can't know what kind of hardware Cyberpunk will run best on. If we speculate, you'll run the risk of either getting a computer that doesn't perform as well as you want in the game, or getting one that is more expensive than what you actually need. Also, as @Inspireless Llama says, newer and better hardware may be released between now and September.

If Cyberpunk is your main game you want to play, it's best to wait, but if you want to build this PC now and jump into the wider world of PC gaming then we can try to come up with a good parts list for you, just let us know

I appreciate your response. I really do want to build this PC now so I can get the full experience, I guess Cyberpunk will just be a plus. But that would be awesome if I could get help on a good parts list within my budget.

I did a little research and this is something I came up with and would like some feedback.

System Builder

pcpartpicker.com

 

[Zoid]

I appreciate your response. I really do want to build this PC now so I can get the full experience, I guess Cyberpunk will just be a plus. But that would be awesome if I could get help on a good parts list within my budget.

I did a little research and this is something I came up with and would like some feedback.

System Builder

pcpartpicker.com

A pretty solid build overall. I'd swap the RAM for this instead which is 3600MHz instead of 3000MHz and at the time of posting is actually cheaper. I'd also strongly recommend buying an SSD instead of an HDD even if you have to sacrifice some storage space. General system performance and load time in games will be so much better. Something like this would be a good budget SSD pick. Finally, I'd recommend spending just a few bucks more on an EVGA SuperNova G3 which is a much nicer power supply than the BQ and is currently being offered at a good price.

 

[Inspireless Llama]

To add to this: It's perfectly fine to stick with the stock cooler from the processor right now. That will cut your costs by 50$. Every AMD processor will be included with a cooler. Surely, it's not perfect and it's not the most quiet, but it does it job (cooling the CPU).

Also, keep in mind you're probably going to need a mouse, keyboard, eventually speakers / headset. You can keep them as cheap as you want or make them as expensive as you want, but you should keep them in mind with your total budget.

 

[Azulio]

A pretty solid build overall. I'd swap the RAM for this instead which is 3600MHz instead of 3000MHz and at the time of posting is actually cheaper. I'd also strongly recommend buying an SSD instead of an HDD even if you have to sacrifice some storage space. General system performance and load time in games will be so much better. Something like this would be a good budget SSD pick. Finally, I'd recommend spending just a few bucks more on an EVGA SuperNova G3 which is a much nicer power supply than the BQ and is currently being offered at a good price.

would this be a nice alternative? https://www.newegg.com/corsair-rm-series-rm650-cp-9020194-na-650w/p/N82E16817139101 for the power supply? I can't find the BQ online anywhere

 

[Oussebon]

Very good advice above!

Yes, the TXm is good.

The BQ is a really weird power supply, that is very expensive for a bronze-rated unit. The only thing it has going for it is the semi-passive fan, but it's little cheaper than things like the Corsair RMx are (normally).

What monitor are you getting? Is that within the $1500 max budget or is there a separate budget for the monitor?

 

[Azulio]

Very good advice above!

Yes, the TXm is good.

The BQ is a really weird power supply, that is very expensive for a bronze-rated unit. The only thing it has going for it is the semi-passive fan, but it's little cheaper than things like the Corsair RMx are (normally).

What monitor are you getting? Is that within the $1500 max budget or is there a separate budget for the monitor?

I am looking at this Sceptre C305B-200UN
30" Curved Gaming Monitor.

So I'm about to be a little over budget with a mouse and keyboard so I'm going to be more around 1700-1800 for my budget.

I just wanted to also so thank you to everyone's advice its much appreciated.

 

[Oussebon]

That monitor is a very, very niche, spec. Be absolutely sure you want something like that before you buy it.

It's 1080p ultrawide, which means it's fundamentally 1080p, just with some bonus on the sides. It doesn't give you increased pixel density.

Whereas you can get 1440p 144hz monitor, the higher resolution giving a much sharper image than 1080p, starting at the same price. They come in 27 and 32" versions too. 1440p resolution is quickly becoming mainstream for mid-high end gaming builds - and it's nice to be getting off 1080p at last too.

I'd almost never recommend 1080p ultrawide for a general gaming build versus the alternatives.

Also, given the price difference, an RX 5700 would probably make more sense than an RTX 2060 too. Since it's only £10 more and is significantly better overall e.g.
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/tt7p99/xfx-radeon-rx-5700-8-gb-dd-ultra-video-card-rx-57xl8lbd6
No RTX. But you're not going to get far on RTX with a 2060 anyway...

 

[Azulio]

That monitor is a very, very niche, spec. Be absolutely sure you want something like that before you buy it.

It's 1080p ultrawide, which means it's fundamentally 1080p, just with some bonus on the sides. It doesn't give you increased pixel density.

Whereas you can get 1440p 144hz monitor, the higher resolution giving a much sharper image than 1080p, starting at the same price. They come in 27 and 32" versions too. 1440p resolution is quickly becoming mainstream for mid-high end gaming builds - and it's nice to be getting off 1080p at last too.

I'd almost never recommend 1080p ultrawide for a general gaming build versus the alternatives.

Also, given the price difference, an RX 5700 would probably make more sense than an RTX 2060 too. Since it's only £10 more and is significantly better overall e.g.
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/tt7p99/xfx-radeon-rx-5700-8-gb-dd-ultra-video-card-rx-57xl8lbd6
No RTX. But you're not going to get far on RTX with a 2060 anyway...

I dont think I'd mind spending more on a video card, is there an RTX you'd recommend thats a little bit more expensive?

 

[Azulio]

That monitor is a very, very niche, spec. Be absolutely sure you want something like that before you buy it.

It's 1080p ultrawide, which means it's fundamentally 1080p, just with some bonus on the sides. It doesn't give you increased pixel density.

Whereas you can get 1440p 144hz monitor, the higher resolution giving a much sharper image than 1080p, starting at the same price. They come in 27 and 32" versions too. 1440p resolution is quickly becoming mainstream for mid-high end gaming builds - and it's nice to be getting off 1080p at last too.

I'd almost never recommend 1080p ultrawide for a general gaming build versus the alternatives.

Also, given the price difference, an RX 5700 would probably make more sense than an RTX 2060 too. Since it's only £10 more and is significantly better overall e.g.
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/tt7p99/xfx-radeon-rx-5700-8-gb-dd-ultra-video-card-rx-57xl8lbd6
No RTX. But you're not going to get far on RTX with a 2060 anyway...

From those monitors is there a brand you'd recommend? Or any recommendations?

 

[Oussebon]

I would not recommend any RTX GPU for RTX gaming.

RTX in what few titles it exists in often has a harsh performance cost, and I seriously expect Nvidia's future generations of GPU - including the one coming out at some point this year - to have better implementations or just straight up beefier hardware for ray tracing than this generation.

Buying an RTX card to 'futureproof' for ray tracing in games is probably about as good an investment as setting fire to bank notes.

Leaving RTX aside, there's nothing wrong with the RTX GPUs, they're great as far as they go. Unfortunately, the current pricing makes buying them hard to justify.

Why buy a 2060 when the more powerful RX 5700 is only $10-30 more?
Why buy a 2060 Super for $400 when you can buy a more powerful RX 5700 XT for the same price?
Above that there's the RTX 2070 Super for $500, which for a 25% price increase over the 5700 XT for maybe 10% more performance overall. Given your budget and need for a monitor, a 2070 Super is probably a reach too far, too.

I have a 2060 - because the 5700 didn't exist when I bought one.

From those monitors is there a brand you'd recommend? Or any recommendations?

Anything really - do you have a preference for any kind of panel - VA, TN, IPS? 32 or 27" screen? 27" is more common for 1440p, but there are various 32" options available. Could suggest a few option depending what you're after. Picking one out of a hat, the MSI Optix MAG272QR is decent.

Or if you do like the idea of an "ultrawide" then those are available from ~$450 and you can probably just about squeeze one in to your extended $1800 budget

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X 3.8 GHz 6-Core Processor ($204.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Mugen 5 Rev. B 51.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($48.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI B450M PRO-M2 MAX Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($74.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($83.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Intel 665p 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda Compute 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 5700 XT 8 GB PULSE Video Card ($399.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Meshify C ATX Mid Tower Case ($104.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair TXM Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($109.99 @ Corsair)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($108.78 @ Other World Computing)
Monitor: MSI Optix MAG272QR 27.0" 2560x1440 165 Hz Monitor ($349.00 @ B&H)
Total: $1660.67
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-05-07 14:45 EDT-0400

I picked an Intel 665p SSD - which I didn't know was a thing - but may offer a tiny smidge better performance over the Crucial P1 and of course the older Intel 660p (review A and B).
TXm PSU
RX 5700 XT GPU - 2070 *Super being presumably out of the price range.

 

[Azulio]

I would not recommend any RTX GPU for RTX gaming.

RTX in what few titles it exists in often has a harsh performance cost, and I seriously expect Nvidia's future generations of GPU - including the one coming out at some point this year - to have better implementations or just straight up beefier hardware for ray tracing than this generation.

Buying an RTX card to 'futureproof' for ray tracing in games is probably about as good an investment as setting fire to bank notes.

Leaving RTX aside, there's nothing wrong with the RTX GPUs, they're great as far as they go. Unfortunately, the current pricing makes buying them hard to justify.

Why buy a 2060 when the more powerful RX 5700 is only $10-30 more?
Why buy a 2060 Super for $400 when you can buy a more powerful RX 5700 XT for the same price?
Above that there's the RTX 2070 Super for $500, which for a 25% price increase over the 5700 XT for maybe 10% more performance overall. Given your budget and need for a monitor, a 2070 Super is probably a reach too far, too.

I have a 2060 - because the 5700 didn't exist when I bought one.

Anything really - do you have a preference for any kind of panel - VA, TN, IPS? 32 or 27" screen? 27" is more common for 1440p, but there are various 32" options available. Could suggest a few option depending what you're after. Picking one out of a hat, the MSI Optix MAG272QR is decent.

Or if you do like the idea of an "ultrawide" then those are available from ~$450 and you can probably just about squeeze one in to your extended $1800 budget

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X 3.8 GHz 6-Core Processor ($204.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Mugen 5 Rev. B 51.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($48.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI B450M PRO-M2 MAX Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($74.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($83.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Intel 665p 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda Compute 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 5700 XT 8 GB PULSE Video Card ($399.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Meshify C ATX Mid Tower Case ($104.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair TXM Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($109.99 @ Corsair)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($108.78 @ Other World Computing)
Monitor: MSI Optix MAG272QR 27.0" 2560x1440 165 Hz Monitor ($349.00 @ B&H)
Total: $1660.67
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-05-07 14:45 EDT-0400

I picked an Intel 665p SSD - which I didn't know was a thing - but may offer a tiny smidge better performance over the Crucial P1 and of course the older Intel 660p (review A and B).
TXm PSU
RX 5700 XT GPU - 2070 being presumably out of the price range.

This looks great, I appreciate all the wisdom and help. I think this is what I'm going after.

 

[cruz666]

That monitor is a very, very niche, spec. Be absolutely sure you want something like that before you buy it.

It's 1080p ultrawide, which means it's fundamentally 1080p, just with some bonus on the sides. It doesn't give you increased pixel density.

Whereas you can get 1440p 144hz monitor, the higher resolution giving a much sharper image than 1080p, starting at the same price. They come in 27 and 32" versions too. 1440p resolution is quickly becoming mainstream for mid-high end gaming builds - and it's nice to be getting off 1080p at last too.

I'd almost never recommend 1080p ultrawide for a general gaming build versus the alternatives.

Also, given the price difference, an RX 5700 would probably make more sense than an RTX 2060 too. Since it's only £10 more and is significantly better overall e.g.
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/tt7p99/xfx-radeon-rx-5700-8-gb-dd-ultra-video-card-rx-57xl8lbd6
No RTX. But you're not going to get far on RTX with a 2060 anyway...

Please click the green human to continue - UserBenchmark

5% ahead of the RTX 2060 and just 8% behind the RTX 2060S
is not significantly faster.
A link for your pleasure.

My version is overclocked to 1830Mhz and can hit a stable overclock of 1930MHz , no problem.
All things considered they are approximately equal. Except for the Ray Tracing. Future proof, for a while anyway.
A link for your pleasure. I bought both the GPU and the monitor on sale. Prices on monitors have come down since I purchased 3 years ago.
Again, upgrades down the rode. I see 1440p 144mhz is becoming the go to resolution, , but for now I have, what I think, is a good, mid grade, 1080p gaming setup. But that's not it main purpose anyway. Not sure why everyone is going AMD these days for the CPU but the couple experiences I've had weren't good so I stick with Intel now.

We could argue/discuss all day why someones choice is good or bad, or they got ripped off or they paid to much. Or they didn't buy good enough.
As long as your happy with what you got.

 

[Inspireless Llama]

Results from Passmark (which I believe to be more trustable) gives the 5700 a score of 16.600 points, where the RTX2060 scores 14.700 points. That makes the 5700 12% faster and I'd say that's a significant difference.

I do agree with the last part though, be happy with what you get, there's always something better on the horizon So just go for one and enjoy it

 

[Oussebon]

Oh dear.

UserBenchmark: AMD RX 5700 vs Nvidia RTX 2060 5% ahead of the RTX 2060 and just 8% behind the RTX 2060S
is not significantly faster.
A link for your pleasure.

My version is overclocked to 1830Mhz and can hit a stable overclock of 1930MHz , no problem.
All things considered they are approximately equal. Except for the Ray Tracing. Future proof, for a while anyway.
A link for your pleasure. I bought both the GPU and the monitor on sale. Prices on monitors have come down since I purchased 3 years ago.
Again, upgrades down the rode. I see 1440p 144mhz is becoming the go to resolution, , but for now I have, what I think, is a good, mid grade, 1080p gaming setup. But that's not it main purpose anyway. Not sure why everyone is going AMD these days for the CPU but the couple experiences I've had weren't good so I stick with Intel now.

1) Ignore userbenchmark - it's garbage data.

2) Read the spec I posted. I posted the 5700 XT, not the 5700.

3) Read the spec the OP posted (and what I said). They posted a 2060 (non-Super) initially.

4) That's why we're talking about RX 5700 XT vs RTX 2060 (RX 5700 XT being a tier or two above 2060). RX 5700 vs RTX 2060 Super is completely irrelevant here.

5) The RX 5700 XT is overall faster than the 2060 Super too.

6) Use actual reviews of benchmarks in games to assess GPU performance e.g. Techpowerup, Techspot, Tom's Hardware, PC Gamer...

As you can see, in general, RX 5700 XT > RTX 2060 Super > RX 5700 > RTX 2060, in terms of performance.

Prices on monitors have come down since I purchased 3 years ago.

We could argue/discuss all day why someones choice is good or bad, or they got ripped off or they paid to much. Or they didn't buy good enough.
As long as your happy with what you got.

Yes. That's what I said in the other topic. Specifically:

@ cruz666 - if you own that PC already and are happy with it, that's great

@ everyone else - don't buy that spec for gaming. Modern options and pricing fortunately mean you can get much better for $2000.

i.e. it's nice that you're happy with your spec. And buying the various parts could have made sense at the time you bought them, price/options wise. Nobody's judging your purchase - only saying people today shouldn't buy it given the other options now available. I wouldn't recommend my 3770k in a new gaming spec today either.

When I suggested to continue the conversation in a different thread I meant start your own thread, not hijack another person's thread to discuss/defend your spec.