Considering building/buying a gaming PC but don't know where to start.

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bethp1819

Jul 1, 2018
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Hi, I want to start live streaming gaming (fortnite, rocket league, etc.) however currently only have a Mac, which obviously can't handle it. I honestly know nothing about PC's so wouldn't know where to start building one. Does anyone know of any pre-built PC's that could handle this, or guide me towards the parts I need in order to build one. Thanks.
 
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You might want to complete the template found here:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/353572-31-build-upgrade-advice

Complete that, and post it back in here.


I would look to build your own, depending on the budget. Pre-Built's have a purpose at a certain pricepoint (~$500 IMO) and recently, were ok value propositions as GPU's were roughly MSRP in them. With GPU prices normalizing though, building your own will net you better quality overall, hopefully better pricing - and a much better understanding of what you have/how it works.

At a basic level.... gaming + streaming, you want a healthy number of cores & threads (6/6 absolute minimum, preferrably more), 16GB RAM and a GPU fit for the resolution you want to play at.
 
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Budget Range: £1000-£1500
Usage: Streaming gaming
Are you buying a monitor: Yes
Location: United Kingdom

Do you have any suggestions of pre-built ones that could handle this?


 
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There's a lot more to that template than those questions..... but it gets us somewhere.

I assume 1080p gaming is is what you're aiming for?

At that pricepoint and what you could do with the money.... building your own is going to get you further than any pre-built.

For example (not necessarily a finalized build, but gives you a solid idea)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600X 3.6GHz 6-Core Processor (£182.39 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! - Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler (£69.37 @ More Computers)
Motherboard: MSI - X470 GAMING PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard (£119.99 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: ADATA - XPG Z1 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (£149.56 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Crucial - MX500 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (£56.39 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£50.39 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: Palit - GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8GB Dual Video Card (£394.98 @ Ebuyer)
Case: Fractal Design - Meshify C TG ATX Mid Tower Case (£75.59 @ Aria PC)
Power Supply: Corsair - TXM Gold 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£71.99 @ Amazon UK)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit (£99.99 @ Amazon UK)
Monitor: Asus - VG248QE 24.0" 1920x1080 144Hz Monitor (£208.66 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £1479.30
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-07-04 17:52 BST+0100

6c/12t, overclocking potential, 1070TI and quality components throughout.

Vs

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cyberpower-Warrior-i7-1070-Gaming-PCI/dp/B072B8PRLD/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1530723189&sr=8-1&keywords=cyberpowerpc+1070

4c/8t CPU, no overclocking, unknown PSU/MB etc, weaker GPU.

OR
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cyberpower-Warrior-i7-1080-Gaming-PCI/dp/B07253KSLD/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1530723189&sr=8-2&keywords=cyberpowerpc+1070

Same issues as above. Slightly stronger GPU, lesser storage.

OR

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cyberpower-Centurion-i5-1070-Gaming-PC/dp/B01IVS32Y8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1530723189&sr=8-3&keywords=cyberpowerpc+1070

6c/6t CPU, overclockable. Weaker GPU, lesser storage - same PSU/MB issues.

OR

A Ryzen offering from CBPC
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cyberpower-Conqueror-1080-Gaming-PCI/dp/B073W9LYF9/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1530723189&sr=8-7&keywords=cyberpowerpc%2B1070&th=1

At best, it's equal to the build I linked, but with the PSU/MB, lower speed memory, lesser storage.... there's probably changes you'd need to make for a long-term viable setup.

+All the CBPC's still need a monitor added.


Gives you options though. For your budget, there's going to be lots of options available to you.


 
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Thank you for your help! Yes 1080p is what I would like. I'm not going to lie but a lot of this doesn't make sense to me which makes me wary of building my own. Dell recommended this desktop, however I'm not sure whether it has enough memory: https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/desktops-and-all-in-ones/new-inspiron-gaming-desktop-intel/spd/inspiron-5680-gaming-desktop/cd568008 . I was also recommended this one from Scan: https://www.scan.co.uk/3xs/shared/34cb0242-bc32-4b91-81c9-15c1825cd7e6 . I would really appreciate if you had an opinions about these.


 
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Those recommendations are weak, for what you want to do.

Admittedly, Fortnite isn't difficult to run, nor stream necessarily. But to speak to those systems specifically:

Dell: i5-8400 + 8gb + 6gb 1060
Very capable for 1080p High settings (60Hz) gameplay, even on AAA titles. Should be able to adequately stream Fortnite at lower quality.
6c/6t CPU, OEM PSU and motherboard, 128GB SSD is really small

Scan: i3-8100 + 8gb + 2gb 1050
Similarly, a solid playing experience - Medium for most titles at 1080p. Very capable for Fortnite gameplay, but will struggle with the additional streaming demands.

For the money, neither represent overly good "value" at all.
 
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Ok, thank you for your advice. I know it's a lot to ask, but you don't have any pre-built PC's that you could recommend? Also, would you say it's pretty easy to put together the parts you suggested?


 
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I haven't found one that jumps out at me as great value, no.

That's not to say they don't exist - and the convenience factor/warranty on the unit as a whole can make sense..... but i haven't found one I'd consider to be "worth it".

As for building a system... It's really not too difficult. Plenty guides on TH and elsewhere, places like YT etc.
Typically referred to as "Lego for adults", everything has a place, and it's difficult to get anything outright "wrong".

I would highly recommend building. Not only do you have the granular control over individual components, the knowledge of assembly etc makes troubleshooting or upgrading much easier in future.

I'll take another look for pre-builts and see what i can find, if anything.

*EDIT*
You could look to Overclockers UK for a system, configured.
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/ocuk-tech-labs-coffee-lake-midi-tower-gaming-pc-configurator-fs-01m-tl.html#t=a3b5c7d8e5f+g~i1r4

I configured an i7-8700, B360 board, 2x8GB DDR4, 240GB SSD, quality PSU (upgrade to the Corsair TX550M) and a 6GB Palit GTX 1060 for ~1200quid.

Not a perfect use of the money, but you get granular control over component choices (from preset options anyway).

 
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Thank you so much for your response! Do I need i7 or would i5 be ok?
On this page - https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/best-gaming-pc-2993099 would the quad HD gaming pc (3rd down the page) be good enough? If I was to buy these parts with i7 would it work?
 
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An i5 *could* be ok - certainly sufficient for gaming.

The issue is your streaming, and the specifics that go with that. The additional cores/threads would certainly be beneficial (and where AMD Ryzen really comes into it's own as a value proposition).


I wouldn't say that build is anything particularly great. Besides, those prices are not "live", they're about a month old from what I can see.
It was done when only the Z370 boards were available, which is now a waste for a locked i5 (no overclocking).

If you were to switch out the i5-8400 in that build for an i7-8700K (+CPU cooler) with some tweaks for budget-friendly options today, it would be very solid.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz 6-Core Processor (£303.59 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£24.95 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - Z370P D3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£85.98 @ CCL Computers)
Memory: ADATA - XPG Z1 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (£149.56 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Crucial - MX500 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (£89.98 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£50.39 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: Palit - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB Dual Video Card (£235.47 @ Scan.co.uk)
Case: NZXT - S340 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case (£51.59 @ Box Limited)
Power Supply: Corsair - TXM Gold 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£71.99 @ Amazon UK)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit (£99.99 @ Amazon UK)
Monitor: LG - 24MP59G-P 23.8" 1920x1080 75Hz Monitor (£113.57 @ Ebuyer)
Total: £1277.06
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-07-04 20:00 BST+0100

Then, the 144Hz monitor is probably a waste, as a 6GB 1060 isn't going to drive that in most titles (but should in Fortnite, CSGO etc) so a drop to a 75Hz panel (but IPS).


While that's a very solid gaming/streaming machine..... the Ryzen offering I did initially would still outperform it as a result of the much stronger GPU.
 
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Thanks for making this! I'm actually considering buying the parts as it is closer to my budget. Just a few questions if that's ok:
1. This would definitely run smoothly when streaming?
2. Will it be very noisy when running?
3. What's the difference between the CPU cooler that you picked and one like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CW-9060025-WW-Extreme-Performance-Liquid/dp/B019EXSSBG/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1530743240&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=CORSAIR+HYDRO+SERIES+H100i+v2+AIO+Liquid+CPU+Cooler%2C+240mm+Radiator%2C+Dual+120mm+PWM+Fans%2C+Advanced+RGB+Lighting+and+Fan+Software+Control
4. Do I need 2 storage devices?
5. I saw that there was some capability notes, is that going to be a problem?
6. Will this PC have Wifi or will I need to plug it straight into my router?
7. Could I change the case as long as it's compatible?
8. Will I be able to stream and record all through this desktop and one monitor?

 
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1. With an i7 (or Ryzen5) CPU, there's more than enough resources for smooth streaming at 720p or 1080p.
2. Depends on configurations, cooling, ambient etc - too many variables. The parts list though, should be pretty quiet.
3. Cooling performance, ultimately. The 212 is a very basic cooler - sufficient for stock speeds and maybe some very light overclocking. The cooler you linked is a fairly high-end liquid cooler. More potential points of failure vs a traditional air-cooler, but may have improved temperatures. However, high-end air coolers (like a Noctua NH-D15, for example) will rival it.
4. I would highly recommend dual storage. An SSD will give you snappy response times, fast boot/save/load times. Mechanical drives still give you affordable bulk storage. You don't *need* an SSD, but it's highly, highly recommended.
5. The compatibility notes are not a concern. You lose 1x SATA port when using a SATA m.2 drive.... but should have 6 or more, and only need 1.
6. No native Wifi, no. You could certainly add it relatively inexpensively with a PCIe addon card, or USB solution BUT, given your goal is gaming/streaming, stability/reliability is probably the most important part of the equation. It's certainly possible over Wifi, but much more likely to be achieved with a wired connection.
7. Absolutely. Provided it can accommodate all the components (motherboard form factor, cooler height, GPU length) then go for it. A case is like 10% compatibility, 90% personal preference IMO.
8. Certainly possible in a single monitor setup. I'd suggest picking up a cheap secondary monitor though, for things like monitoring the stream, run OBS (or program of choice), chat functionality etc.

If the 1200-1300 range is more comfortable for you, I've made some tweaks.

Should be any tradeoff in performance, just a lower cost.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor (£148.74 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! - Dark Rock 4 CPU Cooler (£50.99 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: MSI - X470 GAMING PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard (£119.99 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: ADATA - XPG Z1 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (£149.56 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Crucial - MX500 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (£89.98 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£50.39 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: Palit - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB Super JetStream Video Card (£238.97 @ Ebuyer)
Case: BitFenix - Nova TG (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case (£38.99 @ Aria PC)
Power Supply: be quiet! - Pure Power 10 500W 80+ Silver Certified ATX Power Supply (£56.92 @ More Computers)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit (£99.99 @ Amazon UK)
Monitor: LG - 24MP59G-P 23.8" 1920x1080 75Hz Monitor (£113.57 @ Ebuyer)
Total: £1158.09
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-07-05 00:00 BST+0100

OR, if 1300 or so is still ok with you, you could have a much stronger GPU....

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor (£148.74 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! - Dark Rock 4 CPU Cooler (£50.99 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: MSI - X470 GAMING PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard (£119.99 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: ADATA - XPG Z1 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (£149.56 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Crucial - MX500 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (£89.98 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£50.39 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: Palit - GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8GB Dual Video Card (£394.98 @ Ebuyer)
Case: BitFenix - Nova TG (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case (£38.99 @ Aria PC)
Power Supply: be quiet! - Pure Power 10 500W 80+ Silver Certified ATX Power Supply (£56.92 @ More Computers)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit (£99.99 @ Amazon UK)
Monitor: LG - 24MP59G-P 23.8" 1920x1080 75Hz Monitor (£113.57 @ Ebuyer)
Total: £1314.10
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-07-05 00:01 BST+0100


You definitely seem more keen on Intel, which is completely fine..... but the value proposition when gaming/streaming sits firmly with AMD. A Ryzen5 2600 has the same core/thread count as an i7-8700K and, while the 8700K is a bit stronger in outright gaming..... the tradeoff to make the budget comes out of the GPU. The 1070TI vs a 6GB 1060 is a substantial improvement.

I would opt for the Ryzen5 + 1070TI if this were me. But considering you're only looking at Fortnite, even the 1060 is sufficient.
 
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Thank you for answering the questions, it's a big help! So with the dual storage I guess I save Windows 10 to the SSD and then do you keep your files, etc. on the mechanical drive? Also, you are sure the cheapest option will be able to run rocket league and fortnite smoothly with multiple windows open while streaming? I'm assuming I'll have to buy virus protection on top as well?

I was watching this video about building a PC (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZaFqY8UF6I) and from 17:50 onwards do I need to do this?



 
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Yes, you install Windows to the SSD. Within Steam (or other platform) you can direct where you library is stored. Direct that to the HDD (the D drive, typically).

Cheapest? No. Best value in price/performance, it should be, yes. As I mentioned, you *can* play/stream on an i5 / 1060 (or even a 1050TI etc), but would be far from an optimal experience IMO - although you are looking at relatively light titles.

Paid virus protection is not a necessity. Between free programs like AVG or Avast et al (one, don't use multiples) there should be sufficient protection. Add Malwarebytes for periodic scans and you should be good to go. Of course, if you plan to spend much time on shady areas of the web, or downloading questionable programs etc, then more premium "paid" options may be a worthwhile consideration.


Yes, you'll need to install your drivers. Windows 10 does a decent job of finding them for you, but I would always suggest installing the drivers from Nvidia and motherboard manufacturer directly.

Ideally, download them before you install Windows and do not provide internet access to the system initially upon Windows install.

Have the drivers on a USB flash drive or external HDD. Once Windows is installed, connect the USB/HDD and install all the drivers at that point. Reboot once complete & then connect to the internet. Windows will fill in any "gaps" at that point (along with any Windows updates required).

Also note, create your own installation media here:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/software-download/windows10

You still need to buy a license, but the media it comes with is likely dated. If you install from that retail media, you'll then have to go through a bunch of patches/updates. The tool linkd above will allow you to install the latest version of Windows, patches/updates and all!


As for building a PC, installing drivers etc - I find PaulsHardware's videos to be pretty comprehensive and easy to follow.
How to build:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zQXFkzZ1Ac
First 5 things to do (test, BIOS, install Windows, install drivers)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbpqkiaO7q4
 
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Thank you for your continued help, what is your opinion on these changes:
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/XDKnGG

2600X so I don't have to buy an extra cooler and a different PSU?

Also this may be a stupid question, but if I wanted to change to an intel CPU in the future can I just swap with the current one, or will it not be compatible?



 
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Hi, so this is what I have so far:

PCPartPicker part list: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/T6HBTB
Price breakdown by merchant: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/T6HBTB/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600X 3.6GHz 6-Core Processor (£182.39 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - X470 AORUS ULTRA GAMING ATX AM4 Motherboard (£125.99 @ Aria PC)
Memory: Team - T-Force Vulcan 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory (£149.99 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
Storage: Samsung - 860 Evo 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£87.59 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£50.39 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: Palit - GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8GB Dual Video Card (£394.92 @ Laptops Direct)
Case: Phanteks - Enthoo Pro M ATX Mid Tower Case (£59.91 @ Ebuyer)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 (EU) 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£74.99 @ Amazon UK)
Monitor: AOC - G2460FQ 24.0" 1920x1080 144Hz Monitor (£169.99 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
Total: £1296.16
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-07-17 17:17 BST+0100

I know b-die is better for Ryzen, however I can't currently afford this. Will the RAM I have selected be ok? Also would it be any different to ADATA - XPG Z1 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory?
I don't know much about PC's and am not interested in overclocking. Is the motherboard I have selected easy to set up?


 
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2nd Gen Ryzen has improved compatibility quite a bit.

Ultimately, unless it appears on the QVL for the motherboard, its still a bit of a crapshoot re: running at higher speeds. Should all "work" at 2133-2400Mhz, but potentially not at the full rated speeds.

A QVL is not an exhaustive list of everything that works at the highest rated speeds, just what has been verified - but it's the closest you'll get.

For that board, consult the Raven Ridge support list here:
https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/X470-AORUS-ULTRA-GAMING-rev-10#support-doc
 
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I'm sorry a lot of this doesn't make sense to me. What would you change?


 
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If you want it to work, with memory at the rated (3000 or 3200MHz) speeds, then I would change the RAM to a kit that has been verified to work on that specific motherboard.

Those kits are listed, kit by kit on the QVL (qualified vendor list) on Gigabyte's website.

For example, this kit appears on the QVL, so will run at 3000MHz.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ADATA-AX4-U300038G16-DRZ-Z1-DDR4-MHz-PC4-24000-CL16-16GB/dp/B01LZIY86F/ref=sr_1_2?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1531854608&sr=1-2&refinements=p_4%3AADATA

 
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Ah ok, thank you for explaining! So even though the ADATA is 3000 you would still go for that?



 
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Yes. The actual performance gains between 3200 vs 3000MHz is negligible (the step up from 2400 to 3000MHz is much, much more noticeable).

Much better to get a kit of (slightly) lower speed, that's confirmed to work vs taking a chance on a kit that may/may not.
 
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Ok, thanks! So if I get that RAM, overall would you say the build will be able to handle streaming fortnite/rocket league?



 
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Ok, thank you for you help! I just see some videos where they say that Intel is better or it's best to save up for the 2700X.



 
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