[SOLVED] $250 - $350 pc budget?

[GreenCEO]

Hi Everyone,

I'm looking to dig my father out of the stone age and build him his first real computer. He's 70 years old, loves listening to loud rock music, and loves playing his favorite game Starcraft 2..

Currently, his computer is able to run SC2 but its very sluggish when bigger battles start to pick up and very sluggish on PC start up / browsing online. I've listed his specs below, but I wanted to start from scratch and build him something that will last him for at least the next 3-5 years. No preference if AMD or Intel - Best bang for the buck

For the time being I would like to keep his current SSD (for budget reasons), but I do need a good base motherboard, processor, ram and probably a new power supply (though his current PS works fine at the moment). I'm not opposed to spending a little more money if need be but he really doesn't use his computer for much else besides Starcraft 2, listening to music, browsing the internet and maybe a few other light things. I'm not opposed to upgrading him from a mini motherboard, I will just need to consider purchasing a pc case if this route is chosen.

I appreciate anyone's guidance with helping me get this built for my father. His birthday is in a month and a half and I would really like to surprise him

Current Specs: Dell Inspiron 570

Motherboard: Dell 04GJJT (CPU 1) - Micro ATX
CPU: AMD Athlon II X2 250 / Regor 45nm Technology
CPU Cooler: Stock Dell
RAM: 8GB --- 4 x 2gb Dual Channel DDR3 @ 533Mhz (7-7-7-20)
Graphics: 2GB GeForce GTX 960 (EVGA)
Power Supply: Insignia NS-PCW5250 (520 Watt)
Storage: Samsung 860 Evo SSD
Monitor: 23"

 

[Hellfire13]

You can build into the same case and also reuse the SSD, GPU and Monitor as they are still good for a couple of years...

PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor | £151.56 @ Amazon UK
Motherboard | MSI B450M PRO-VDH MAX Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard | £73.48 @ Amazon UK
Memory | Crucial Ballistix 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | £74.98 @ Amazon UK
Power Supply | Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | £60.46 @ Scan.co.uk
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | £360.48
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-05-01 09:40 BST+0100 |

 

[GreenCEO]

You can build into the same case and also reuse the SSD, GPU and Monitor as they are still good for a couple of years...

PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor | £151.56 @ Amazon UK
Motherboard | MSI B450M PRO-VDH MAX Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard | £73.48 @ Amazon UK
Memory | Crucial Ballistix 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | £74.98 @ Amazon UK
Power Supply | Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | £60.46 @ Scan.co.uk
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | £360.48
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-05-01 09:40 BST+0100 |

This looks like a great setup! Thanks for taking the time to build this for me Will I need a new cpu cooler or can I just reuse the one from his initial setup?

 

[King_V]

Wait, hang on, are you building in the US, or the UK? Your subject line says $, but Hellfire's part list is in £.

If you happen to be in the US and you also happen to live near a MicroCenter, they usually have in-store only deals that are hard to beat on CPUs. Right now you can get the Ryzen 5 2600X from them for $129.99, and the same motherboard is available there for $79.99 (though I might instead, for the same price, get the ASRock B450M Pro4 AMD AM4 mATX Motherboard).

When you combine the two, they give you an additional $20 discount.

Unfortunately, though, that's in-store only. Depending on where you're located, that can be a non-starter.

 

[punkncat]

I would absolutely suggest NOT to try and build in that Dell case. You will find it problematic.

Micro ATX will be your cheapest form factor from motherboard and case. You can find a workable case for sub $30.

 

[Hellfire13]

Wait, hang on, are you building in the US, or the UK? Your subject line says $, but Hellfire's part list is in £.

Oops, seems like I overlooked that part. Must be from a previous session, well spotted.
Here is the revised list in $$$...

PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor | $172.76 @ Walmart
Motherboard | MSI B450M PRO-M2 MAX Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard | $74.99 @ B&H
Memory | G.Skill Aegis 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $64.99 @ Newegg
Power Supply | Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | $62.98 @ Newegg
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $375.72
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-05-01 12:46 EDT-0400 |

 

[King_V]

Ah, cool - I originally tried to switch to US on the PCPartPicker from your UK build, but then it said no prices were available for the Ryzen 5 3600.

I'd still suggest going with the 2600X and motherboard from MicroCenter, if the distance to one of their stores is practical.


@punkncat I know that Dell tends not to document their pinouts for the HDD LED, PWR LED, Power and Reset buttons, etc, etc. well. Aside from that possible issue, if this is what @GreenCEO 's dad's case looks like, it seems like it might not be THAT difficult, though clearly less than ideal.

https://i0.wp.com/woo.gordogato.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/desktopPC-Dell_Inspiron570_05.jpg


Another issue to consider is the Windows 10 license. That's guaranteed to be an OEM license (tied to the existing motherboard), and thus not transferable.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Hellfires list looks good. If you want to save a buck you could get a Ryzen 5 1600af (a R5 2600 -100mhz essentially) for $85 and that would still be a HUGE upgrade. It may take work to find it at that price right now.

 

[punkncat]

@punkncat I know that Dell tends not to document their pinouts for the HDD LED, PWR LED, Power and Reset buttons, etc, etc. well. Aside from that possible issue, if this is what @GreenCEO 's dad's case looks like, it seems like it might not be THAT difficult, though clearly less than ideal.

https://i0.wp.com/woo.gordogato.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/desktopPC-Dell_Inspiron570_05.jpg

There are adapters you can buy to make it work, but by the time you do that, add $10 and have a case with standard connectors and pinout. Just not worth it in the long run. Poor air flow, and more.

I only suggest utilizing Dell builds for gaming as an extreme budget measure.

 

[Hellfire13]

Another issue to consider is the Windows 10 license. That's guaranteed to be an OEM license (tied to the existing motherboard), and thus not transferable.

Windows 10 should not be any major issue...
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/get-windows-10-free-or-cheap,5717.html
It can even be activated later on...
https://www.howtogeek.com/244678/you-dont-need-a-product-key-to-install-and-use-windows-10/

 

[kevinburrow]

Hellfires list looks good. If you want to save a buck you could get a Ryzen 5 1600af (a R5 2600 -100mhz essentially) for $85 and that would still be a HUGE upgrade. It may take work to find it at that price right now.
[/QUOTE]

I haven't seen it at that price for weeks now. It's really messing up my lists!

 

[GreenCEO]

Sorry for the lack of response all. Have had minimal access to the internet the past few days. I really appreciate everyone’s guidance and hope everyone is staying safe during the current pandemic.

I did notice the pcpartpicker was in £ but no biggie I can convert to USD when I go to purchase everything. I can get windows 10 also no problem but I should be able to use the old copy thats already on his current ssd.

It does look like there is a MicroCenter in my state but its about an hr and half-ish away so Ill probably end up searching online for the lowest price I can find it.

Now if I wanted to go with the provided list of parts and maybe spend a few more bucks for a better graphics card (to increase the ram size from 2gb to 4gb), can I ask which card would pair well with the build? I was thinking maybe a gtx 1060 or 1070? I’m not to familiar with amd cards. I read that maybe an amd 5700 would be ideal?

 

[NightHawkRMX]

I can get windows 10 also no problem but I should be able to use the old copy thats already on his current ssd.

Unfortunately, you need to reinstall windows when you swap hardware due to old drivers and conflicts.

Even if you are able to reuse the old SSD and windows install on the new PC, Windows will detect its a different PC and go unactivated.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Now if I wanted to go with the provided list of parts and maybe spend a few more bucks for a better graphics card (to increase the ram size from 2gb to 4gb), can I ask which card would pair well with the build? I was thinking maybe a gtx 1060 or 1070? I’m not to familiar with amd cards. I read that maybe an amd 5700 would be ideal?

How much more?

A better card may need a better PSU with 550+ watts.

 

[GreenCEO]

How much more?

A better card may need a better PSU with 550+ watts.

Id say maybe $150-$200 budget for the card. The Power Supply maybe $80-$100? I should be able to get by with a 650 watt power supply yes?

 

[mdd1963]

There are many 'good enough' 600/650W PSUs by EVGA and Corsair that are only $55-60...

(Although someone will likely be along shortly recommending spending at least twice as much on a Quadruple Platinum DIamond 450 watt 99% efficient unit...)

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Id say maybe $150-$200 budget for the card. The Power Supply maybe $80-$100? I should be able to get by with a 650 watt power supply yes?

PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
Video Card | Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER 6 GB MINI ITX OC Video Card | $229.99 @ Newegg
Power Supply | Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | $62.98 @ Newegg
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $292.97
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-05-03 15:50 EDT-0400 |

Well more than double the GPU performance plus 6gb VRAM. I went a little over budget on GPU but well under budget on PSU.

If you want to cut costs, a $135 MSI RX570 8gb will offer over 75% more performance than a gtx 960.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/F9mLn7

Really don't need to get a fancy PSU I agree, especially with inflated prices right now.

CX450 is a very good PSU, but 450w will restrict your upgrade potential in the future.

 

[Hellfire13]

Id say maybe $150-$200 budget for the card. The Power Supply maybe $80-$100? I should be able to get by with a 650 watt power supply yes?

List all parts u want with total budget. It will be easier that way.

 

[GreenCEO]

List all parts u want with total budget. It will be easier that way.

Looks like I will be doing this build in 2 phases. The budget has increased a little bit.

Phase 1: Budget $400 - $450
Getting the Motherboard (Micro ATX), Ram, CPU & Power Supply situated. (Not opposed to going with a bigger motherboard but a bigger case will need to be purchased - don't need anything flashy i.e. rgb lighting, etc).

**Will also need to consider a new CPU cooler but a hyper 212 evo should be good enough yes?

Phase 2: Budget $250-ish (Don't need too explosive of a video card as the current monitor is non 4K and the only game that will be played is Starcraft 2). The GTX Super 1660 suggested by NightHawk looks like it would be more than suitable for the build but I'm not opposed to other suggestions.

 

[Hellfire13]

Looks like I will be doing this build in 2 phases. The budget has increased a little bit.

Phase 1: Budget $400 - $450
Getting the Motherboard (Micro ATX), Ram, CPU & Power Supply situated. (Not opposed to going with a bigger motherboard but a bigger case will need to be purchased - don't need anything flashy i.e. rgb lighting, etc).

**Will also need to consider a new CPU cooler but a hyper 212 evo should be good enough yes?

Phase 2: Budget $250-ish (Don't need too explosive of a video card as the current monitor is non 4K and the only game that will be played is Starcraft 2). The GTX Super 1660 suggested by NightHawk looks like it would be more than suitable for the build but I'm not opposed to other suggestions.

Phase 1+2

PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor | $172.39 @ Amazon
Motherboard | MSI B450M PRO-VDH MAX Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard | $89.99 @ B&H
Memory | G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory | $83.99 @ Newegg
Video Card | MSI GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER 6 GB VENTUS XS OC Video Card | $229.99 @ Newegg
Case | Fractal Design Focus G ATX Mid Tower Case | $49.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply | Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | $62.98 @ Newegg
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $699.33
| Mail-in rebates | -$10.00
| Total | $689.33
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-05-05 01:55 EDT-0400 |

 

[King_V]

**Will also need to consider a new CPU cooler but a hyper 212 evo should be good enough yes?

With a Ryzen 5 3600, that wouldn't be necessary. However, if after the system is put together, you feel a quieter or more effective cooler is needed, then an aftermarket CPU cooler could always be purchased.

 

[Vic 40]

For fase 1,

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($172.39 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Freezer 33 eSports ONE (Black/Green) CPU Cooler ($27.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B450M/AC Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($93.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: ADATA XPG Z1 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($64.98 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA B5 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($86.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $446.32
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-05-05 09:06 EDT-0400

no reviews about that psu yet,so might be not that good.

Or this psu as linked above,
Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (CP-9020120-NA) - PCPartPicker
which seems to be proven decent quality.

for fase 2 something like that ventus. Might well be that an RX 570 or gtx 1650 super would do fine for your fathers game. look somewhere in between these,
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 6 GB XLR8 Gaming Overclocked Edition Video Card vs. Asus GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER 6 GB DUAL EVO OC Video Card vs. Zotac GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4 GB Twin Fan Video Card vs. Gigabyte Radeon RX 570 4 GB GAMING Video Card - PCPartPicker

 

[GreenCEO]

For fase 1,

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($172.39 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Freezer 33 eSports ONE (Black/Green) CPU Cooler ($27.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B450M/AC Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($93.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: ADATA XPG Z1 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($64.98 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA B5 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($86.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $446.32
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-05-05 09:06 EDT-0400

no reviews about that psu yet,so might be not that good.

Or this psu as linked above,
Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (CP-9020120-NA) - PCPartPicker
which seems to be proven decent quality.

for fase 2 something like that ventus. Might well be that an RX 570 or gtx 1650 super would do fine for your fathers game. look somewhere in between these,
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 6 GB XLR8 Gaming Overclocked Edition Video Card vs. Asus GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER 6 GB DUAL EVO OC Video Card vs. Zotac GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4 GB Twin Fan Video Card vs. Gigabyte Radeon RX 570 4 GB GAMING Video Card - PCPartPicker

Was there a reason in particular you chose the B450M/AC over the Pro-VDH Max? Wireless capability? dual card? I didn't see too noticeable of a difference between the 2 but the B450M/AC did offer wireless capability and an option for dual cards to be run in crossfire.

I did notice that your pcpartpicker list shows the build may have an incompatibility? https://ibb.co/Xp3sCv1 Will this be an issue? I'm leaning more towards the GTX 1660 Super Ventus for the graphics card but I'm going to check out the other cards you listed. I would like to get him some kind of 6gb card

 

[Vic 40]

What gpu you give him is up to you. Just wanted to show some more (cheaper) options, but if you want to go for the gtx 1660 super is that a good choice. Was just looking at your original budget.

Chose that motherboard because it supports Ryzen 3600 from release bios. What the incompatibility is about, but with this one should you be fine. That MSI motherboard as well now i look again so which one you choose is up to you, just saw that the MSI has some more usb ports at the back so if that is something to take into consideration is it maybe the better choice. For the rest are they pretty similar.

 

[Hellfire13]

Actually the sweet spot for Ryzen 3000 memory is 3600mhz cl16...
https://premiumbuilds.com/ram/best-ram-for-ryzen-3000/
And only the MAX boards have higher memory support along with 3rd gen. compatibility. Except the MAX series all other b450 boards were released before 3rd gen.
If you can wait a bit, the b550 boards should release soon...
https://www.techpowerup.com/review/future-hardware-releases/