[SOLVED] First Gaming PC Build Advice Needed [$1500]

[jimbothejester]

Hello everyone. A good friend of mine is looking for build advice on his first gaming PC. He will also be needing a monitor and wants to spend around $1500 or so for everything. What do you guys/gals recommend? Thanks a lot! I greatly appreciate it.

 

[vapour]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i5-9600K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor ($259.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! - Dark Rock 3 67.8 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler ($65.01 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock - Z390 Extreme4 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($147.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($114.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial - MX500 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($67.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($479.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT - H500 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G2 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ B&H)
Monitor: Acer - ED323QUR Abidpx 31.5" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor ($349.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1615.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-01-22 14:59 EST-0500

 

[logainofhades]

Assuming everything is needed.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor ($164.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - B450 AORUS ELITE ATX AM4 Motherboard ($95.94 @ Amazon)
Memory: Team - Vulcan 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($99.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Crucial - MX500 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($67.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB Black Video Card ($499.99 @ B&H)
Case: Rosewill - NAUTILUS ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Newegg Business)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Acer - ED323QUR Abidpx 31.5" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor ($349.99 @ B&H)
Keyboard: Redragon - K551-RGB VARA Wired Standard Keyboard ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Redragon - M602 Wired Optical Mouse ($16.99 @ Amazon)
Speakers: Logitech - Z213 7 W 2.1ch Speakers ($20.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1521.73
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-01-22 15:35 EST-0500

 

[zyh1987]

little MSI themed build.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 2700 3.2 GHz 8-Core Processor ($259.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI - B450 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard ($114.57 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill - Aegis 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($92.99 @ Newegg Business)
Storage: ADATA - XPG GAMMIX S11 240 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($54.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI - GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB VENTUS Video Card ($474.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT - S340 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($70.46 @ Newegg Business)
Power Supply: Corsair - TXM Gold 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.89 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: MSI - Optix MAG27CQ 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor ($398.95 @ B&H)
Total: $1526.73
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-01-22 15:51 EST-0500

 

[jimbothejester]

Thank you so much for the responses guys/gals! You’re all awesome. Excluding any peripherals though, what would be the very best $1500 build possible? (Intel over AMD preferred) Or if he is willing to go a bit higher in budget?

 

[jimbothejester]

How can I get this build to $1500 or closest to without sacrificing much in terms of resolution, performance, and cooling?

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ZttYCb

 

[Hellfire13]

Something like this...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor ($369.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - MasterLiquid ML240L RGB 66.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($59.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus - ROG STRIX Z390-E GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($235.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill - Aegis 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($92.99 @ Newegg Business)
Storage: Crucial - MX500 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($67.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce RTX 2080 8 GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($706.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake - View 21 Tempered Glass Edition ATX Mid Tower Case ($51.82 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G2 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ B&H)
Monitor: Acer - KG241 Pbmidpx 24.0" 1920x1080 144 Hz Monitor ($187.93 @ Amazon)
Total: $1833.57
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-01-23 04:04 EST-0500

 

[logainofhades]

Thank you so much for the responses guys/gals! You’re all awesome. Excluding any peripherals though, what would be the very best $1500 build possible? (Intel over AMD preferred) Or if he is willing to go a bit higher in budget?

@1440p/4k, the gaming difference is minimal going with AMD, hence the recommendations. Also socket support through 2020, and access to Ryzen 3000, later this year. I use a 6700k, myself, but if I were building new, it would be an AMD rig. As for your question on bringing price down, on the build you linked, peripherals aside, something like this.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor ($369.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - MasterLiquid ML240R RGB 66.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($111.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock - Z390 Extreme4 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($157.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial - MX500 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($134.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce RTX 2080 8 GB Black Video Card ($698.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Cougar - MX340 ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Monoprice)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($98.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1832.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-01-23 09:33 EST-0500

 

[jimbothejester]

Hey everyone, sorry for the late post. Thank you all very much again for the helpful/informative responses.

So, after talking some more with my friend I’ve found out precisely what he’s aiming for. His goal is 1440p max settings, with a monitor, keyboard, and mouse included in his build. Also, budget is $1500-$2000. Can this be done? I would like to use the build that I posted above as a baseline but feel free to offer better alternatives because I am open to it.

 

[Hellfire13]

It can be done, yes...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor ($359.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - MasterLiquid ML240L RGB 66.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($59.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock - Z390 Phantom Gaming SLI/ac ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill - Aegis 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($92.99 @ Newegg Business)
Storage: Crucial - MX500 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($57.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce RTX 2080 8 GB Black Video Card ($698.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair - SPEC-ALPHA (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair - TXM Gold 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.89 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer - XG270HU 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor ($386.24 @ OutletPC)
Keyboard: Corsair - K55 RGB Wired Gaming Keyboard ($46.99 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Logitech - G502 Proteus Spectrum Wired Optical Mouse ($49.90 @ Amazon)
Total: $1992.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-01-24 03:35 EST-0500

 

[jimbothejester]

That’s perfect! Thanks a ton Hellfire.