[SOLVED] Future-Proof Gaming PC?

[N1njaDestr0yer]

Hello, Tom's Hardware,

Now I know that this is kinda lame and redundant, But I want to build a new Gaming PC that can last for some decades or years (whichever comes first).

For the Budget I was looking to spend $800 for this "New PC", also I wanted to know if it is possible to build a PC with used hardware or is that a bit of a gamble in today's world of PC Gaming or building a PC in general...? For the CPU I was looking at a 3rd gen Ivy Bridge i7 (Socket 1155 or H2) or 6th Gen Skylake i7 (Socket 1151) sorry no i5's in this one, for the RAM, either 16GB or More of DDR3 or DDR4, as for the GPU I was looking into like maybe a GTX 960, 970, or 980Ti or a GTX 1060, or GTX 1070 (maybe 1080 Ti if price is cheap) and for the Storage or HDD is it better to go with a smaller SSD or go with a bigger capacity SSD (For the OS, duh) as for the Case, let me know if this will work:https://www.nzxt.com/products/source-210 (I'll add a USB 3.0 adapter thingy later) and what brand of Headphones should I look into getting? (yes ones with noise cancellation built-in) and Microphone w/ Boomarm? is that the proper name for it? (No Cheesy Headphones with built-in Microphones those usually fail later down the line)

GAMES: Games I'm looking to playing would be..... Minecraft (Java Edition), Team Fortress 2, GTA V (Online), CS:GO, Garry's Mod maybe more but I cannot think of any more other than those (for now) also I do want to learn how to code and record Youtube Videos (and Livestream if needed) so let me know if any of this will work or not,

Thanks, N1nja

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

Where do you live? I can't imagine anyone wanting to go with old Intel CPUs with the significant drop in price of 1st and 2nd-gen AMD Ryzen CPUs as well as the core increase of new 8th and 9th-gen Intel CPUs.

 

[N1njaDestr0yer]

Here's the thing I don't want to waste $900+ on some computer part I'd rather get it cheaper, but is buying USED PC Hardware really worth it in today's time? and I live in Lynnwoood, WA

 

[Wolfshadw]

If you're looking for longevity in your computer, you're going to want to go with the newest components you can get. While you could get cheaper, used components, they're already on borrowed time and when they don't support the latest tech to come out, you're out of luck. I'd still be cruising on my Intel Core I5-760, but it doesn't support the AVX instruction set which is required for VR. That's the only reason I built my new system.

-Wolf sends

P.S. An $800 budget is plenty for a decent and current gaming system.
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B450 AORUS M Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($74.98 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Aegis 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Blue 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($58.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 580 8 GB PULSE Video Card ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS Plus Gold 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($98.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $652.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-22 00:31 EST-0500

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

Here's the thing I don't want to waste $900+ on some computer part I'd rather get it cheaper, but is buying USED PC Hardware really worth it in today's time? and I live in Lynnwoood, WA

You want it cheaper so you consider buying used parts, but you also want it to last a decade. That's not the best combination of requirements and specifications for a build. Used parts aren't all bad, a lot of them will last a long time. But when you have the budget for a new build, I wouldn't recommend buying used.

$800 is plenty for a new build.

You have lots of options. The games you mentioned (minus GTAV) aren't very demanding. This build would be fine and allows for some very nice headphones. You will have to do your own research on headphones. I can recommend the Audio-Technica M50x w/ boom-mic, I've owned them for over a year and I still absolutely enjoy them. They are rather expensive though, so maybe consider the M40x w/ boom-mic.

I came up with something very similar to @Wolfshadw. He chose the RX 580 8GB, which I actually like because of the 8GB vram; however, the 1650 Super has GDDR6 memory. It's kinda a toss up right now until we see if 4GB GDDR6 can hold up against 8GB GDDR5 down the road. The 1650 Super has the lower power consumption advantage and has more potential to last longer. But I imagine the 8GB RX 580 will have higher perofrmance in a few years when more vram becomes necessary.

Pick your own case, that one you linked in your original post looked fine.

Note the expensive power supply; that's because you mentioned wanting the system to last a decade or more. Those power supplies come with 10-12 year warranties and are very good investments. Cheap power supplies are the number one killer of systems.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4 GB Twin Fan Video Card ($159.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: SeaSonic PRIME Ultra Gold 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($93.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $643.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-22 00:32 EST-0500

 

[N1njaDestr0yer]

ok.... but are there any good Intel CPUs? like the 8th gen, I series and the 9th gen, I series? also how demanding is GTA V on newer hardware? especially the online mode of GTA V?

 

[N1njaDestr0yer]

also @Wolfshadw you missed one detail... I already have a case I'm going to use for this build

https://www.nzxt.com/products/source-210

one last thing... any good Mechanical USB 3.0 Keyboard and Mouses (for Gaming)? since I will probably have to get a newer one that supports USB 3.0

 

[Phaaze88]

ok.... but are there any good Intel CPUs? like the 8th gen, I series and the 9th gen, I series? also how demanding is GTA V on newer hardware? especially the online mode of GTA V?

Unless your budget can accommodate either an 8700K, 9700K, or 9900K, PLUS a cooler, then no. Intel doesn't have any competitive cpus for people on tight budgets.

 

[Deepaq]

Hello, Tom's Hardware,

Now I know that this is kinda lame and redundant, But I want to build a new Gaming PC that can last for some decades or years (whichever comes first).

For the Budget I was looking to spend $800 for this "New PC", also I wanted to know if it is possible to build a PC with used hardware or is that a bit of a gamble in today's world of PC Gaming or building a PC in general...? For the CPU I was looking at a 3rd gen Ivy Bridge i7 (Socket 1155 or H2) or 6th Gen Skylake i7 (Socket 1151) sorry no i5's in this one, for the RAM, either 16GB or More of DDR3 or DDR4, as for the GPU I was looking into like maybe a GTX 960, 970, or 980Ti or a GTX 1060, or GTX 1070 (maybe 1080 Ti if price is cheap) and for the Storage or HDD is it better to go with a smaller SSD or go with a bigger capacity SSD (For the OS, duh) as for the Case, let me know if this will work:https://www.nzxt.com/products/source-210 (I'll add a USB 3.0 adapter thingy later) and what brand of Headphones should I look into getting? (yes ones with noise cancellation built-in) and Microphone w/ Boomarm? is that the proper name for it? (No Cheesy Headphones with built-in Microphones those usually fail later down the line)

GAMES: Games I'm looking to playing would be..... Minecraft (Java Edition), Team Fortress 2, GTA V (Online), CS:GO, Garry's Mod maybe more but I cannot think of any more other than those (for now) also I do want to learn how to code and record Youtube Videos (and Livestream if needed) so let me know if any of this will work or not,

Thanks, N1nja

At this config On lowest setting 60hz you can run any game for next 5 years.

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

ok.... but are there any good Intel CPUs? like the 8th gen, I series and the 9th gen, I series? also how demanding is GTA V on newer hardware? especially the online mode of GTA V?

You're just not going to get the same value from an $800 Intel build as you are an $800 AMD build.

ok.... but are there any good Intel CPUs? like the 8th gen, I series and the 9th gen, I series? also how demanding is GTA V on newer hardware? especially the online mode of GTA V?

Intel's current 8th and 9th-gen Core i5s are lacking SMT (Simultaneous Multi-Threading) and they cost more than AMD's Ryzen 5. With each new generation of Ryzen, AMD is regaining their competitiveness with Intel's performance.

GTAV has many different graphical settings. With a GTX 1650 Super (which is on par with a GTX 1060 6GB) you can run it on a good mixture of high and very high settings and get well over 60fps. I've got a good video showing the best settings for GTAV if you need to see it. GTAV has some settings that if enabled will greatly reduce performance. So it's important not to expect to max out every setting.

Click to see the GTAV Best Settings video

 

[drivinfast247]

Hello, Tom's Hardware,

Now I know that this is kinda lame and redundant, But I want to build a new Gaming PC that can last for some decades or years (whichever comes first).

Years come before a decade. A decade is 10 years.

 

[N1njaDestr0yer]

So looks like AMD is the best platform to go with... especially with my needs and budget?

because Intel has nothing to compete with AMD's Ryzen?

 

[Phaaze88]

Correct.
You need to spend a fair bit more to get a decent Intel build. It's unfortunate that some people are buying up I3-9100, I5-9400 and 9600 models.
They won't get as much longevity out of them as games continue to run multiple cores/threads.

 

[N1njaDestr0yer]

So AMD is the better way to go? in terms of budget-minded folks like me? Cheaper CPU prices that won't leave you with an empty wallet... and Dececent MOBO Prices as well?

 

[Dcopymope]

So AMD is the better way to go? in terms of budget-minded folks like me? Cheaper CPU prices that won't leave you with an empty wallet... and Dececent MOBO Prices as well?

For sure, but don't be too cheap with what you get even from AMD, especially the motherboard. If you can afford it, get it, especially if you are concerned with future proofing. I have the one linked below, and I personally wouldn't get anything less.

Link: X570 AORUS MASTER

 

[Phaaze88]

For sure, but don't be too cheap with what you get even from AMD, especially the motherboard. If you can afford it, get it, especially if you are concerned with future proofing. I have the one linked below, and I personally wouldn't get anything less.

Link: X570 AORUS MASTER

There are just as good X570 mobos for cheaper than the Aorus Master, such as:
-Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI)
-Asus PRIME X570-P
-Gigabyte X570 GAMING X
-Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE
-Gigabyte X570 I AORUS PRO WIFI

There are even more budget friendly B450 models among Msi's MAX series.

 

[Dcopymope]

There are just as good X570 mobos for cheaper than the Aorus Master, such as:
-Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI)
-Asus PRIME X570-P
-Gigabyte X570 GAMING X
-Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE
-Gigabyte X570 I AORUS PRO WIFI

There are even more budget friendly B450 models among Msi's MAX series.

Well by 'settle for less' I meant less than an X570 with PCI-E 4.0 slots, the price doesn't matter that much to me beyond that.

 

[N1njaDestr0yer]

All I want out of this build, Is to play any game I throw at it and get a 60FPS or above average in any game like GTA V (Demanding Game) and maybe some modded Games like Minecraft or TF2

 

[Phaaze88]

Well, the build posted by MrN1ce9uy is good start...

 

[Dcopymope]

All I want out of this build, Is to play any game I throw at it and get a 60FPS or above average in any game like GTA V (Demanding Game) and maybe some modded Games like Minecraft or TF2

Well GTA V is far from the most demanding game on the market today, so it certainly wouldn't be a game I'd use as a measuring stick for a future proofed PC. Red Dead Redemption 2 would be a far better choice, a truly great technical achievement.

 

[N1njaDestr0yer]

At the time of typing this, I am in the process of getting an i7 CPU Combo, (I7 4770k that has been De-Lidded, an ASUS Q87M-E Motherboard and 32GB of DDR3? Crucial Ballistix RAM) is that good enough? for gaming in today's era of PC Games? and another thing I'm not looking for crazy expensive parts, just something that can last for 3-5 years or so.... the guy I'm buying from says he wants $500, but I want to know how much those parts would have costed, if you bought them new and see how much money I'd or you'd save......?

but I need help with the GPU and PSU (for the Power Supply I'm aiming for 650 watts - 750 watts) since if i get anything higher that then the PC will run slower, and for the GPU I was looking at a GTX 960 or a 970, and or a 980 Ti, or maybe get a 1060, or 1070....?

 

[Dcopymope]

At the time of typing this, I am in the process of getting an i7 CPU Combo, (I7 4770k that has been De-Lidded, an ASUS Q87M-E Motherboard and 32GB of DDR3? Crucial Ballistix RAM) is that good enough? for gaming in today's era of PC Games? and another thing I'm not looking for crazy expensive parts, just something that can last for 3-5 years or so.... the guy I'm buying from says he wants $500, but I want to know how much those parts would have costed, if you bought them new and see how much money I'd or you'd save......?

but I need help with the GPU and PSU (for the Power Supply I'm aiming for 650 watts - 750 watts) since if i get anything higher that then the PC will run slower, and for the GPU I was looking at a GTX 960 or a 970, and or a 980 Ti, or maybe get a 1060, or 1070....?

At first glance, $500 seems like a more or less reasonable price, but that's just me. I wouldn't go any lower than 750 watts for the power supply. The 980TI should be as low as you are willing to go for a GPU for the sake of longevity. The GTX 1070 seems about the same in performance. I don't know just how accurate these benchmarks really are, so I'd take them with a grain of salt.

Link: RTX 980TI vs RTX 1070

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

At the time of typing this, I am in the process of getting an i7 CPU Combo, (I7 4770k that has been De-Lidded, an ASUS Q87M-E Motherboard and 32GB of DDR3? Crucial Ballistix RAM) is that good enough? for gaming in today's era of PC Games? and another thing I'm not looking for crazy expensive parts, just something that can last for 3-5 years or so.... the guy I'm buying from says he wants $500, but I want to know how much those parts would have costed, if you bought them new and see how much money I'd or you'd save......?

but I need help with the GPU and PSU (for the Power Supply I'm aiming for 650 watts - 750 watts) since if i get anything higher that then the PC will run slower, and for the GPU I was looking at a GTX 960 or a 970, and or a 980 Ti, or maybe get a 1060, or 1070....?

$500 for 6 year old, (de-lidded) parts? Heck no. Absolutely ridiculous considering the cost of Ryzen and Ryzen being faster than the i7-4770K. Get a Ryzen 5 3600 and 16GB of RAM and be set for years to come. The i7-4770's motherboard could die in 2 months (it's happened to me on 2nd-gen Intel boards a couple years ago) and then you will be out of luck, because those motherboards are increasingly difficult to come by.

Buy a new motherboard and PSU. I don't care what else you buy used.

 

[ohio_buckeye]

500 are you kidding? For that amount you can have a new ryzen system setup that will have more upgrade options as it ages.