First time pc gamer

[robcardiff.rc]

Hello everyone

I've decided to move from console to pc gaming but have no idea where to even start. I've looked up reviews and custom builds and everything for a few weeks but the more i look, the more lost i get, there's so much choice and different opinions. looking to spend under €1000, hopefully a good bit less if possible. looking for a build that runs smoothly and will have graphics at least like the ps4. can anyone suggest a good enough build for that? is that even enough money? don't need the latest and greatest components just enough to enjoy gaming with games like gta 5 or skyrim with no slow gameplay or anything. Sorry for vagueness, im completely new and have no idea at all! hopefully someone can help, thanks!

 

[Eximo]

1) What country are you in? Makes a big difference to available parts and prices
2) Will you be needing everything? Monitor, Mouse, Keyboard, Headphones/speakers, Operating System?
3) Preferences on the computers final size or appearance? Color?

That is enough for a mid-range computer. However, it won't have PS4 like graphics necessarily. The developers can do a lot of optimization to make it look as good as possible on a PS4. They also often run higher end games at 30FPS or at 720p and upscale to 1080p. Running on a computer at native 1080p aiming for 60hz takes a little bit more oomph then €1000, typically, depends a bit on the game.

 

[robcardiff.rc]

sorry I should have included that in my question. I live in Ireland. I'll need an operating system but have everything else to start off with. I've no preference for aesthetics for the computer, preferably one with enough space to add/upgrade parts eventually instead of buying another computer, bit if that drives the price up by much I can get a smaller one. I don't mind too much if the graphics aren't like ps4 games, just good enough that I can enjoy it without it looking completely outdated. I'll be using steam for all purchases so I won't need an internal optical drive. to be honest I'm not too fussed on any part of it ie overclocking or vr or any of that, just good enough to be able to game without having to lower settings down to minimum to play. although I want it as cheap as possible, i don't want it too cheap to the point where I can only play a few low spec games. thanks so much for the quick reply!

 

[Eximo]

This is about the best I can come up with Ireland prices. Lacking a little in storage, but you can add a hard drive at a later date.

This makes it relatively upgradeable. Enough power supply to drop in a larger GPU, and the CPU is good for many years. Even overclockable a little, you would need to get an aftermarket cooler to push it further later on.

There aren't any reasonably priced 8GB memory kits at the moment, but 16GB of memory is certainly more appropriate for the future. 2x4GB kits were about €100.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor (€188.95 @ Komplett)
Motherboard: Asus - PRIME B450-PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard (€107.29 @ Custompcparts)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (€173.23 @ Custompcparts)
Storage: ADATA - XPG SX6000 256GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (€66.38 @ Custompcparts)
Video Card: Palit - GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB StormX Video Card (€184.83 @ Custompcparts)
Case: Fractal Design - Focus G (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case (€64.62 @ Custompcparts)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - EVO Edition 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (€87.85 @ Komplett)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit (€117.70 @ Custompcparts)
Total: €990.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-09-14 19:27 IST+0100

 

[robcardiff.rc]

wow thanks so much for such a detailed response! I think I'll go with this build and see how I get on, hopefully I will enjoy it more than I enjoyed the ps4, thanks again!

 

[feelinfroggy777]

This is about the best I can come up with Ireland prices. Lacking a little in storage, but you can add a hard drive at a later date.

This makes it relatively upgradeable. Enough power supply to drop in a larger GPU, and the CPU is good for many years. Even overclockable a little, you would need to get an aftermarket cooler to push it further later on.

There aren't any reasonably priced 8GB memory kits at the moment, but 16GB of memory is certainly more appropriate for the future. 2x4GB kits were about €100.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor (€188.95 @ Komplett)
Motherboard: Asus - PRIME B450-PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard (€107.29 @ Custompcparts)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (€173.23 @ Custompcparts)
Storage: ADATA - XPG SX6000 256GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (€66.38 @ Custompcparts)
Video Card: Palit - GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB StormX Video Card (€184.83 @ Custompcparts)
Case: Fractal Design - Focus G (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case (€64.62 @ Custompcparts)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - EVO Edition 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (€87.85 @ Komplett)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit (€117.70 @ Custompcparts)
Total: €990.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-09-14 19:27 IST+0100

This is a good build with a strong foundation. An upgraded GPU down the road will keep this system young for a good while.

 

[failboat]

I'd cut back on ram or psu to get a gtx 1060 or better. r5 2600 / GTX 1060 is a good midrange combo, build around that.
50%+ faster gpu now is much better than having extra ram/psu.

 

[Eximo]

I'd cut back on ram or psu to get a gtx 1060 or better. r5 2600 / GTX 1060 is a good midrange combo, build around that.
50%+ faster gpu now is much better than having extra ram/psu.

Too expensive in Ireland at least.

Dropping down on the memory saves about €70, but a GTX1060 6G is about €130 more. Dropping to a quad core CPU and a Micro ATX board would probably work it in, but that just means more to upgrade later. This way the only thing lacking is really the GPU.

When the GTX2060/2050 drop towards the end of the year we'll have a better picture on how the low/mid range cards are going to be.

In the meantime this is 1080p gaming at high settings in most titles with a decent frame rate. 4GB of VRAM is an advantage over a GTX1060 3GB.

I took a hard look at Intel as well, but the prices over there are not favorable. i3-8100 is almost as much as the R5-2600...

Actually the worst thing in Europe is always picking out a power supply. Really very expensive over there and brand diversity is very low. I usually like to use gold rated supplies, but they all started at €100.

 

[failboat]

I'd cut back on ram or psu to get a gtx 1060 or better. r5 2600 / GTX 1060 is a good midrange combo, build around that.
50%+ faster gpu now is much better than having extra ram/psu.

Too expensive in Ireland at least.

Dropping down on the memory saves about €70, but a GTX1060 6G is about €130 more. Dropping to a quad core CPU and a Micro ATX board would probably work it in, but that just means more to upgrade later. This way the only thing lacking is really the GPU.

When the GTX2060/2050 drop towards the end of the year we'll have a better picture on how the low/mid range cards are going to be.

In the meantime this is 1080p gaming at high settings in most titles with a decent frame rate. 4GB of VRAM is an advantage over a GTX1060 3GB.

I took a hard look at Intel as well, but the prices over there are not favorable. i3-8100 is almost as much as the R5-2600...

If a little more can be cut out by sizing the psu right it will be closer.

http://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-1060-3GB-vs-Nvidia-GTX-1050-Ti/3646vs3649

 

[feelinfroggy777]

I'd cut back on ram or psu to get a gtx 1060 or better. r5 2600 / GTX 1060 is a good midrange combo, build around that.
50%+ faster gpu now is much better than having extra ram/psu.

Too expensive in Ireland at least.

Dropping down on the memory saves about €70, but a GTX1060 6G is about €130 more. Dropping to a quad core CPU and a Micro ATX board would probably work it in, but that just means more to upgrade later. This way the only thing lacking is really the GPU.

When the GTX2060/2050 drop towards the end of the year we'll have a better picture on how the low/mid range cards are going to be.

In the meantime this is 1080p gaming at high settings in most titles with a decent frame rate. 4GB of VRAM is an advantage over a GTX1060 3GB.

I took a hard look at Intel as well, but the prices over there are not favorable. i3-8100 is almost as much as the R5-2600...

Actually the worst thing in Europe is always picking out a power supply. Really very expensive over there and brand diversity is very low. I usually like to use gold rated supplies, but they all started at €100.

Yeah, I looked through pcpartpicker and the pricing in Ireland is a killer. Not sure how it works, but he could save some cash by picking up the parts in the UK.

Not sure why, but PSUs are really high in Europe. I guess I have just come accustom to the prices in the US.

 

[Eximo]

I'd cut back on ram or psu to get a gtx 1060 or better. r5 2600 / GTX 1060 is a good midrange combo, build around that.
50%+ faster gpu now is much better than having extra ram/psu.

Too expensive in Ireland at least.

Dropping down on the memory saves about €70, but a GTX1060 6G is about €130 more. Dropping to a quad core CPU and a Micro ATX board would probably work it in, but that just means more to upgrade later. This way the only thing lacking is really the GPU.

When the GTX2060/2050 drop towards the end of the year we'll have a better picture on how the low/mid range cards are going to be.

In the meantime this is 1080p gaming at high settings in most titles with a decent frame rate. 4GB of VRAM is an advantage over a GTX1060 3GB.

I took a hard look at Intel as well, but the prices over there are not favorable. i3-8100 is almost as much as the R5-2600...

If a little more can be cut out by sizing the psu right it will be closer.

http://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-1060-3GB-vs-Nvidia-GTX-1050-Ti/3646vs3649

If you really wanted to, but I am not a huge fan of a good chunk of the part selection:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor (€188.95 @ Komplett)
Motherboard: Asus - PRIME B450M-A Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard (€89.33 @ Custompcparts)
Memory: Kingston - FURY 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2666 Memory (€108.95 @ Komplett)
Storage: Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (€51.09 @ Custompcparts)
Video Card: MSI - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB 6GT OC Video Card (€328.95 @ Komplett)
Case: BitFenix - Nova ATX Mid Tower Case (€34.90 @ Custompcparts)
Power Supply: Cooler Master - MasterWatt 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (€68.79 @ Custompcparts)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit (€117.70 @ Custompcparts)
Total: €988.66
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-09-14 20:17 IST+0100

 

[robcardiff.rc]

hi again guys

a guy in my job has offered his custom built pc to me for €600, just wondering what you's think of it performance-wise.. Would it be suitable for what I mentioned early? thanks!

i5 7600k processor 3.8ghz
8gb DDR4 crucial memory 2133
nvidia gtx 1050i 4gb graphics card
Windows 10 home 64bit fully licensed
1 tb hard disk storage
128gb ssd boot drive
zalman cooling drive
tp link network card

that's all the information he gave me, hopefully it's enough for yous to be able to tell for me.

 

[Eximo]

hi again guys

a guy in my job has offered his custom built pc to me for €600, just wondering what you's think of it performance-wise.. Would it be suitable for what I mentioned early? thanks!

i5 7600k processor 3.8ghz
8gb DDR4 crucial memory 2133
nvidia gtx 1050i 4gb graphics card
Windows 10 home 64bit fully licensed
1 tb hard disk storage
128gb ssd boot drive
zalman cooling drive
tp link network card

that's all the information he gave me, hopefully it's enough for yous to be able to tell for me.

It is not bad. The CPU is overclockable on a Z170 or Z270 motherboard, if it doesn't have that then it will still boost to 4.2Ghz. Memory speed is a little disappointing, that is DDR4 stock speed. No power supply listed, but A GTX1050Ti doesn't use much, so that isn't a big deal.

 

[feelinfroggy777]

hi again guys

a guy in my job has offered his custom built pc to me for €600, just wondering what you's think of it performance-wise.. Would it be suitable for what I mentioned early? thanks!

i5 7600k processor 3.8ghz
8gb DDR4 crucial memory 2133
nvidia gtx 1050i 4gb graphics card
Windows 10 home 64bit fully licensed
1 tb hard disk storage
128gb ssd boot drive
zalman cooling drive
tp link network card

that's all the information he gave me, hopefully it's enough for yous to be able to tell for me.

From what the Ireland prices look like, I don't think you will get near that performance for 600. Id rather see you get an 8 thread or more CPU, but the 7600 is still a good processor.

From what you said at the beginning, that rig will meet your needs and may be enough to convince you to move past your PS4 to join the pc master race lol.

 

[failboat]

The difference in cpu doesn't have near the impact as difference in gpu for games. It's likely going to be very similar fps as the 1050 ti build above for a lot less money.

I don't think you could build that for 600, but I also don't think it's a steal either. It's a fair deal.

 

[robcardiff.rc]

as I said earlier I have no idea about the components so when he offered it to me for 600 I wasn't sure if it was a good price or bad, or if it would be good enough for what I'm looking for, he said if I wasn't happy with it he would take it back and give me my money back so it's a safe bet, I just didn't want to waste his time and have the awkwardness of asking him to take it back haha thanks so much everyone for your opinions! I'm glad I found somewhere to ask with people who really know their stuff!

 

[Eximo]

So here is a today's Irish price for a similar build with minimum part selections:

Even used, he is offering a very good price.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i5-7600K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor (€301.82 @ Custompcparts)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (€36.56 @ Custompcparts)
Motherboard: MSI - Z270 PC MATE ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (€124.95 @ Komplett)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory (€102.71 @ Custompcparts)
Storage: ADATA - Ultimate SU800 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (€40.11 @ Custompcparts)
Storage: Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (€51.09 @ Custompcparts)
Video Card: Palit - GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB StormX Video Card (€184.83 @ Custompcparts)
Case: BitFenix - Nova ATX Mid Tower Case (€34.90 @ Custompcparts)
Power Supply: Cooler Master - MasterWatt 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (€68.79 @ Custompcparts)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit (€118.95 @ Komplett)
Total: €1064.71
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-09-14 20:42 IST+0100

Not even any DDR4 2133 for sale...

 

[failboat]

That's a crazy price for the old gen part.
It's really not worth that now with better new alternatives.

 

[robcardiff.rc]

yeah I was trying to find the ddr4 2133 but couldn't find it for sale on most websites so I thought maybe it was so outdated they don't sell it and therefore my games wouldn't run the best and id have to buy a new one for about 200, meaning total spend would be 800.. might aswell spend another 150 or 200 and get one brand new. so all in all for what I need do you think I should buy that one for 600 and I won't need to get any upgrades with the games I'm looking to play or would I be better off buying brand new? I'm gonna have to save for about 2months to be able to buy the one you gave me so I'm just trying to weigh up my options and see what I'm better off doing. obviously a brand new one would be much better but if the 600 custom built one does the job then I'll go for that and save the 400 extra a new one will cost

 

[failboat]

yeah I was trying to find the ddr4 2133 but couldn't find it for sale on most websites so I thought maybe it was so outdated they don't sell it and therefore my games wouldn't run the best and id have to buy a new one for about 200, meaning total spend would be 800.. might aswell spend another 150 or 200 and get one brand new. so all in all for what I need do you think I should buy that one for 600 and I won't need to get any upgrades with the games I'm looking to play or would I be better off buying brand new? I'm gonna have to save for about 2months to be able to buy the one you gave me so I'm just trying to weigh up my options and see what I'm better off doing. obviously a brand new one would be much better but if the 600 custom built one does the job then I'll go for that and save the 400 extra a new one will cost

Taking the 600 pc selling the gtx 1050 and buying a gtx 1070 will get you an incredible pc for around 1000.
noteL going from 80->150W gpu. psu needs to be 500W bare minimum.

the 600 dollar one is the best deal anyway you look at it. assuming it works.