First Time Build Questions

[nicholsiigregory]

Hello

I am planning on building a budget gaming PC here soon. I believe i have the build I want to go with but since this is the first build I have ever done, I am a little nervous and want some confirmation before i jump in head first.

My Budget is around $700 USD

Mostly this PC will be used to play games such as Witcher 3, Divinity 2, DOTA 2, and some FPS. I would like to get at least 60 fps while playing on medium to high settings. Other than that it will be used for school work and watching movies.

Here is the build I have as of right now
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/G9TsMZ

I have seen a few posts where the BIOS has to be updated before you get the machine up and running. Do you know if i will have to do this? If i do, does anyone have a link for a thread explaining how to accomplish this?

Thanks in advance!

 

[volkgren]

Hi,

I think it's great you've decided to build your own PC. Bios updates are required when you are using a CPU lineup/generation that was released after the motherboard chipset was released, or after the motherboard with the earlier chipset was manufactured without the latest bios to support the newer CPU.

With the B350 motherboard and Ryzen 5 1600, they were both released at the same time. So, you won't have that issue. Now, the Ryzen 5 2600 and B450 motherboard are bother newer, and if you can get them for the same or better price then you should do so. Otherwise, stick with what you have selected.

The PSU you have selected there is a bit overpriced considering it failed Tomshardware's review of the unit when they tested the Over Power Protection (OPP) by sending more power through it than it is rated to handle. Good power supplies with proper OPP would safely shutdown to protect itself, and then you would be able to safely power it back on. The 450 B3 shutdown and then when powered back on it blew sparks and was no longer safe to use. That could have been a one-off faulty unit, but it signifies poor quality control nonetheless. https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/evga-450-b3-psu,5160.html

That said, the Corsair CX450 (2017) is a safe unit that is tiered higher than the 450 B3 and usually costs $45. I would recommend it instead. The CX450M is also a good choice if it is $45.

PSU Tier list for reference - https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/631048-psu-tier-list-updated/

With a budget of $700 I feel like you can get a better GPU in there. At least an RX 570 or 580. A GTX 1050 Ti is not worth $199 if the RX 570 4GB is also $199. The RX 570 is considerably faster.

If you just really want to go with the TOMAHAWK you can, but I'd save $10 and get one of the other ATX motherboards that are basically the same as it.

I believe this RX 570 is on sale, but I would still get it or one like it if it was $199. With the price down, that leaves room for a better quality case such as one from Corsair, Phanteks, Fractal Design, NZXT, etc. $60-$70 cases (in my experience) are considerably better quality than $50-under cases. But, case should be the last thing to worry about if gaming performance is key.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - GA-AB350-Gaming ATX AM4 Motherboard ($79.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Team - Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($75.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston - A400 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($28.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.39 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte - Radeon RX 570 4GB Gaming 4G Video Card ($171.00 @ Newegg)
Case: Rosewill - NAUTILUS ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair - CX (2017) 450W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.90 @ OutletPC)
Total: $660.13
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-09-15 00:19 EDT-0400

 

[bmockeg]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor ($165.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock - B450 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team - Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($75.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston - A400 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($28.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.39 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus - Radeon RX 580 4GB Dual Video Card ($216.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design - Focus G (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair - CX (2017) 450W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.90 @ OutletPC)
Total: $712.11
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-09-15 00:53 EDT-0400

Here's a setup slightly above your budget with better CPU, motherboard, GPU and case.