[SOLVED] Deciding between a prebuilt and building my own Pc

[Kveyy]

Deciding between ~$1100 dollar PCs

I’m sorry if this isn’t the appropriate place to post this but I was recommended this build(https://pcpartpicker.com/list/hNHvCL) but was also presented with what I think is a good deal on a prebuilt (https://www.amazon.com/iBUYPOWER-Computer-Element-9260-i7-9700F/dp/B07V34QQ3C/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3L7NFTQGFJ886&dchild=1&keywords=prebuilt+gaming+pc&qid=1588394524&sprefix=prebuilt,aps,173&sr=8-2). I will also be buying different peripherals for the prebuilt if I end up getting that so the total cost will end up around $1100. Building the Pc won’t be an issue should I go that route. I currently have a 1080p 60hz monitor but would like to upgrade soon. This PC will be used primarily for gaming. CSGO, Overwatch, Tarkov, and Assassins Creed are games I will be playing. I’m also very interested in VR down the line. Which do you think would be better for my situation?I would like it to last as long as possible as a competent gaming pc. I appreciate any input!

 

[richiestang_78]

Unless you have no other option avoid iBuypower, Cyberpower etc. Their quality varies wildly and they tend to use very mismatched parts as well as some questionable power supplies.

If you do want a pre-built NZXT's prebuilt line https://www.letsbld.com/ seem to be quite good and the "build charge" only seems to be around 50-100.

Of course though building your own you could probably squeeze more performance per dollar.

I edited your build, much better for the money


PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/jnypp8

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($172.76 @ Walmart)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Best Buy)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($83.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial P1 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($67.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda Compute 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8 GB Video Card ($399.99 @ Best Buy)
Case: Corsair 100R ATX Mid Tower Case ($54.99 @ Best Buy)
Power Supply: Corsair CXM 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($88.98 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Corsair K55 RGB Wired Gaming Keyboard ($49.88 @ Walmart)
Mouse: Razer DeathAdder Elite Wired Optical Mouse ($39.99 @ Best Buy)
Total: $1128.54
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-05-02 07:57 EDT-0400

 

[DSzymborski]

While there are some odd choices with the PC Part Picker one, if I was forced to choose, I'd easily prefer these specs to the prebuilt.

 

[DSzymborski]

(Richie's list is far better than either in the first post)

 

[Dj0gany]

go for ryzen rtx build.The difference between rtx 2060 and a 1660 is really noticable.The difference between 9700f and 3600 is not that big,but the 9700f will perform a little bit better in games than 3600 (about 10-20 fps more deppending on your settings).I would go for the ryzen build,mainly because the other one has a weaker gpu.The i7 build has a ssd with 2x more capacity but im sure you can buy more storage.
Also the keyboard and mouse in prebuilt are so much uglier and worse than ones in the ryzen build.Go for what you wish,im just saying i would have gone for the ryzen build.

 

[Kveyy]

Unless you have no other option avoid iBuypower, Cyberpower etc. Their quality varies wildly and they tend to use very mismatched parts as well as some questionable power supplies.

If you do want a pre-built NZXT's prebuilt line https://www.letsbld.com/ seem to be quite good and the "build charge" only seems to be around 50-100.

Of course though building your own you could probably squeeze more performance per dollar.

I edited your build, much better for the money


PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/jnypp8

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($172.76 @ Walmart)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Best Buy)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($83.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial P1 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($67.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda Compute 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8 GB Video Card ($399.99 @ Best Buy)
Case: Corsair 100R ATX Mid Tower Case ($54.99 @ Best Buy)
Power Supply: Corsair CXM 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($88.98 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Corsair K55 RGB Wired Gaming Keyboard ($49.88 @ Walmart)
Mouse: Razer DeathAdder Elite Wired Optical Mouse ($39.99 @ Best Buy)
Total: $1128.54
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-05-02 07:57 EDT-0400

Thanks i really appreciate the input. My friend recommended the path of the x570 board because I wanted out of the box compatibility as well as WiFi built in as Ethernet won’t be an option unfortunately. I’m not too familiar with how to properly choose a motherboard so I’m curious as to why you went with the one you chose.

 

[Kveyy]

While there are some odd choices with the PC Part Picker one, if I was forced to choose, I'd easily prefer these specs to the prebuilt.

What choices would you consider odd and why? Genuinely curious, new to this sort of thing

 

[Kveyy]

While there are some odd choices with the PC Part Picker one, if I was forced to choose, I'd easily prefer these specs to the prebuilt.

What choices would you consider odd? I’m new to pc building so I’m kinda curious.

 

[richiestang_78]

Thanks i really appreciate the input. My friend recommended the path of the x570 board because I wanted out of the box compatibility as well as WiFi built in as Ethernet won’t be an option unfortunately. I’m not too familiar with how to properly choose a motherboard so I’m curious as to why you went with the one you chose.

MSI MAX model boards support Ryzen 300 out of the box. X570 and the PCIe4 you get with it is a waste for the bulk majority of users. Unless you are in a field that handles huge files then there no way you will every need the bandwidth of it. PCIe3 still has yet to be maxed out by any graphics card today.

Your friend also picked 300mhz RAM which is slow for Ryzen. 3200mhz minimum or 3600mhz for optimal perfomrance

The PSU he picked is also junk

The SSD is alright but 120GB is almost worthless today due to the size of games and apps.

 

[DSzymborski]

What choices would you consider odd? I’m new to pc building so I’m kinda curious.

The PSU is relatively low quality, not something I'd use in a build in this price range.

The RAM is relatively slow for a Ryzen CPU, especially one of the newest ones. The price difference between 3000 MHz and 3600 MHz is quite small, enough to justify getting RAM which is in the sweet spot for Ryzen. Fast RAM matters in Ryzen, far more than it does in an Intel build.

Also, a 128 GB SSD is exceedingly small and even if you don't get an $80 one, you can get a lot more space on a SATA SSD for just a litlte more money.

Richie's build has better storage, better RAM, a better GPU, and a better PSU!

 

[Kveyy]

The PSU is relatively low quality, not something I'd use in a build in this price range.

The RAM is relatively slow for a Ryzen CPU, especially one of the newest ones. The price difference between 3000 MHz and 3600 MHz is quite small, enough to justify getting RAM which is in the sweet spot for Ryzen. Fast RAM matters in Ryzen, far more than it does in an Intel build.

Also, a 128 GB SSD is exceedingly small and even if you don't get an $80 one, you can get a lot more space on a SATA SSD for just a litlte more money.

Richie's build has better storage, better RAM, a better GPU, and a better PSU!

Ok, thanks for the help!