[SOLVED] Budget build

[Falcon6]

Looking to do another budget build, maybe $600 or less if possible, below are my current specs of the PC I am running now and have been very happy with, just looking to build something on the side for fun really, any thoughts or suggestions on some hardware? I can do the legwork once I have a good idea of what's "hot" and fairly inexpensive right now, I do game but nothing serious. I would like to go SSD maybe for my games drive and NVMe for my OS, however I do realize that may be out of my price range right now. Thanks as always.

Mobo: Z170A SLI Plus
CPU: i7-6700K 4.00GHz
Memory: Kingston HyperX FURY Black 8GB 2133MHz DDR4
GPU: Radeon RX 580 8GB
Power Supply: EVGA 600 B1, 80+ BRONZE 600W

 

[Darkbreeze]

Do you have a hard fast preference for either Intel or AMD currently?

 

[Falcon6]

Do you have a hard fast preference for either Intel or AMD currently?

I am OK with either.

 

[Darkbreeze]

So what exactly do you NEED, or want, to replace, and what are you intending to reuse from the current system. Just to be clear?

 

[Falcon6]

So what exactly do you NEED, or want, to replace, and what are you intending to reuse from the current system. Just to be clear?

This will be built from scratch, I think I have a nice 650 watt PSU laying around so that is out of the way ...Oh, and I do have a full size case as well.

 

[Darkbreeze]

So, let's make sure those are actually worth using, because you don't want to build a nice system and then throw in a PSU that is five years old and torches something, or a case that lacks modern features and is a PITA to build in.

I mean, it's your hardware, so obviously you can do what you want, but for the sake of argument and validation I'd say lets make it clear what the PSU model and case model are before we go any further. Could even be that something lacks compatibility.

 

[Falcon6]

So, let's make sure those are actually worth using, because you don't want to build a nice system and then throw in a PSU that is five years old and torches something, or a case that lacks modern features and is a PITA to build in.

I mean, it's your hardware, so obviously you can do what you want, but for the sake of argument and validation I'd say lets make it clear what the PSU model and case model are before we go any further. Could even be that something lacks compatibility.

Keep in mind, this is a budget build, so these are pretty basic, also, the case is a mid, not a full as I had posted earlier, I don't have an issue with removing these from the equation if you think they wont be sufficient.

Case: Rosewill TYRFING ATX Mid Tower
PSU: EVGA 600 B1, 80+ BRONZE 600W

 

[Darkbreeze]

So, that's up to you, but here's my thoughts on that.

The Tyrfing will work, and for the record, only in specific situations does anybody look to full tower cases these days especially for gaming systems, but it doesn't have the greatest design for airflow as the front panel is restricted in such a way that it's pretty limited. You could do a lot worse though, so it will work. If you're willing to spend fifty bucks on a case, take a look at the Fractal design Focus G, which is a very good example of what a budget mid tower case SHOULD be.

The power supply, isn't very good, especially if it is more than two or three years old, but even if it isn't. Those EVGA B1, W1 and N1 units just don't usually tend to last very long when used with any graphics card that requires more than slot power, and often, not even with those. The fact that you've been using it for a while, assuming without problems, doesn't change that. It just means you've been lucky. These units, much like the older Corsair CX units, have a history of also occasionally taking something else out with them when they go, like motherboards.

If you're going to buy new hardware, do yourself a favor and protect that investment by also replacing the power supply and it would be wise to replace it with something that is substantially better quality than that one is. The capacity is fine, most systems need only a 650w or lower capacity unit for most graphics card models these days, but capacity doesn't mean much or even anything unless the build quality, protections and components used are known to be good as well.

What resolution are you (And planning to be) gaming at? Any plans for that to change anytime soon? Are you wishing to replace the graphics card too or planning to stick with the card you have and just change the platform?

 

[DSzymborski]

Is there any particular reason for doing a second budget build rather than simply making upgrades on your old one? It feels a little odd to recommend a secondary budget build that will perform worse than your current build without a really specific need-based reason.

It seems a bit to me like the equivalent of you having a 2016 Camry and wanting to buy a 2015 Camry to cruise around in on weekends. I'd hate to make a recommendation that you'd later be unhappy with.

 

[Darkbreeze]

I think, in reality, that an "upgraded budget system" is what he's really after anyhow, but I'm not completely sure on that of course.

 

[Falcon6]

I will be gifting my current build to my daughter, so I consider this a new build, I would like to perform as good or better as my current build.

As for the resolution, I can go either way with that, I am good with 1080 right now, but if the price is right on the hardware then by all means I would like to venture into the 1440 realm? Or maybe just a decent 2k monitor for 1080 gaming? (I get a bit lost with the resolution talk)

 

[Darkbreeze]

1080p is "full hd"

1440p is 2k or "qhd"

4k is, UHD, sort of. For all of these there are some differences between what WE call them or mean by them, and what they are when used by film or broadcasting usage. For gaming, that's pretty much what they are though.

1080p and 1440p are the most popular resolutions for gaming. 1440p requires substantially better graphics cards if you want to game at high or ultra settings than what 1080p requires.

If you want something that IMPROVES on what you have now, and if you are needing a case, power supply, graphics card and a new Windows license, 600 dollars probably isn't very realistic. If you want something SAME as what you have now, it still isn't, because right now aside from memory and drives, practically all hardware is far more expensive than it was (IF you can even find it in some cases, like many power supplies currently) when you built that system because of Covid and the fact that China shut down manufacturing and shipping for four months. It really has had a substantial impact on availability and cost.

Nvidia is releasing a new architecture next month. It's probably worth it to wait a bit and see what comes with the new card family and also what comes from the new AMD Zen 3 processors that are no far away as well. Plus, supply chain might have improved by then.

 

[Boost55]

I'd say wait a bit because prices for parts are fluctuating a lot, and can become marked up out of nowhere. I'd also wait for AMD to release their new Zen 3 processors, and for Nvidia for their new cards. That being said, your probably looking at a 4 core (maybe a 6 core if you can find a 3600 for a good price) from AMD, and a 1650 Super. This may change depending on what AMD and Nvidia come out with, but I'd say those two parts are where you should center your build around.