[SOLVED] Gaming PC build around $2500

Duskie

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Jun 19, 2016
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I'm looking to build a gaming PC around $2500 minus the keyboard and mouse. Shipping costs shouldn't be taken into consideration. Any suggestions? (All shipping to the US)

Thank you.
 
My take

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3800X 3.9 GHz 8-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X72 Liquid CPU Cooler ($169.89 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS PRO WIFI ATX AM4 Motherboard ($249.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($189.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($168.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB XC GAMING Video Card ($1103.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic ATX Full Tower Case ($148.97 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS Plus Gold 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($114.99 @ B&H)
Total: $2486.79
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-19 23:44 EST-0500
 

Snip3o

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Jan 2, 2017
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Pretty much as good as it gets in terms of your price point. If you're just gaming you could stick to Intel, but AMD offers better value over all with the Ryzen 9 3900x with it's 12 Cores and 24 threads compared to the i9 9900k's 8 Cores and 16 Threads. Of course case is pretty much personal preference so you can switch that out to anything ATX, and there's also enough wiggle room for more storage if you wish. If you want your PC to look extra nice you can also get some braided cable extensions by Cablemod which are at a pretty reasonable price.

And regarding shipping, you can just order all the parts from Amazon and use the Prime service for 'free' shipping.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($504.99 @ Best Buy)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 CHROMAX.BLACK 82.52 CFM CPU Cooler ($99.95 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z390 AORUS MASTER ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($269.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($91.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($87.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB GAMING X TRIO Video Card ($738.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Meshify S2 ATX Mid Tower Case ($148.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx (2018) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $2222.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-19 23:47 EST-0500
 

Duskie

Reputable
Jun 19, 2016
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My take

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3800X 3.9 GHz 8-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X72 Liquid CPU Cooler ($169.89 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS PRO WIFI ATX AM4 Motherboard ($249.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($189.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($168.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB XC GAMING Video Card ($1103.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic ATX Full Tower Case ($148.97 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS Plus Gold 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($114.99 @ B&H)
Total: $2486.79
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-19 23:44 EST-0500

That looks good! How much would addon speakers increase the cost by? I think I can go a little over $2500 for speakers.
 

Duskie

Reputable
Jun 19, 2016
32
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4,535
Pretty much as good as it gets in terms of your price point. If you're just gaming you could stick to Intel, but AMD offers better value over all with the Ryzen 9 3900x with it's 12 Cores and 24 threads compared to the i9 9900k's 8 Cores and 16 Threads. Of course case is pretty much personal preference so you can switch that out to anything ATX, and there's also enough wiggle room for more storage if you wish. If you want your PC to look extra nice you can also get some braided cable extensions by Cablemod which are at a pretty reasonable price.

And regarding shipping, you can just order all the parts from Amazon and use the Prime service for 'free' shipping.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($504.99 @ Best Buy)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 CHROMAX.BLACK 82.52 CFM CPU Cooler ($99.95 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z390 AORUS MASTER ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($269.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($91.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($87.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB GAMING X TRIO Video Card ($738.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Meshify S2 ATX Mid Tower Case ($148.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx (2018) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $2222.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-19 23:47 EST-0500

That's a mighty build but is it possible to integrate a 2080 Ti into the build? I can go a little over $2500. I'd also love it if you could find a way to pop in a pair of speakers.
 
Another option for the base build

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($308.94 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE ATX AM4 Motherboard ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($168.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 860 Evo 2 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($279.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: Asus GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB ROG Strix Gaming OC Video Card ($1224.46 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Meshify C ATX Mid Tower Case ($96.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS Plus Gold 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($114.99 @ B&H)
Total: $2464.33
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-20 00:07 EST-0500
 
Solution

Snip3o

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Jan 2, 2017
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4,710
That's a mighty build but is it possible to integrate a 2080 Ti into the build? I can go a little over $2500. I'd also love it if you could find a way to pop in a pair of speakers.
Another option for the base build

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($308.94 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE ATX AM4 Motherboard ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($168.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 860 Evo 2 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($279.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: Asus GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB ROG Strix Gaming OC Video Card ($1224.46 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Meshify C ATX Mid Tower Case ($96.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS Plus Gold 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($114.99 @ B&H)
Total: $2464.33
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-20 00:07 EST-0500

This is a really good build which includes the 2080 ti and the CPU is still perfectly fine for gaming.
 

Duskie

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Jun 19, 2016
32
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No, but if you're buying a build for this much you should use ethernet. Or you can buy a wifi card.

I'm not very well versed in building computers or computers in general. I just want Wi-Fi connectivity because my router is a bit far. Is it possible to pop in a Wi-Fi card into that build? Also what kind of Wi-Fi card should I be looking for?
 
I'm not very well versed in building computers or computers in general. I just want Wi-Fi connectivity because my router is a bit far. Is it possible to pop in a Wi-Fi card into that build? Also what kind of Wi-Fi card should I be looking for?
Yes, it is possible, and if ethernet is definitely not an option at all, then a PCIe wifi card is not very expensive, and any wifi card will fit into the appropriate PCI-e slot on the motherboard. This one for example:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/tTdqqs/gigabyte-wireless-network-card-gcwb867di
 

Duskie

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Jun 19, 2016
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Duskie

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Jun 19, 2016
32
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4,535
Yes, it will have plenty of PCI-E slots, and the motherboard is really good, it's a mid-range X570 motherboard that will handle all the components as well as anything more expensive will. If it was bad, I wouldn't have picked it.

Ah! Sounds good. How long will this build be relevant for? Probably a few years right? How good is the processor? Doesn't look like you added in a cooler for it. Is it really not necessary enough to ignore?

By the way, sorry for the rapid questions. I really need to finalize everything before I buy all the parts :(
 
Last edited:

Ferimer

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Ah! Sounds good. How long will this build be relevant for? Probably a few years right? How good is the processor? Doesn't look like you added in a cooler for it. Is it really not necessary enough to ignore?

By the way, sorry for the rapid questions. I really need to finalize everything before I buy all the parts :(
You have been given a very expensive build to play game on high settings, sometimes the highest settings isn't always the best for performance and it truly depends on the game you are playing. These guys are just maxing out your build budget. You could get an almost identical set up for like 600-700 less if you just budget it properly.
 

Ferimer

Distinguished
Ah! Sounds good. How long will this build be relevant for? Probably a few years right? How good is the processor? Doesn't look like you added in a cooler for it. Is it really not necessary enough to ignore?

By the way, sorry for the rapid questions. I really need to finalize everything before I buy all the parts :(
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($308.94 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240L RGB 66.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ B&H)
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard ($182.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: ADATA Ultimate SU800 256 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($44.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: ADATA SU760 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB VENTUS OC Video Card ($1129.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P400 ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Thermaltake 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($89.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $2081.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-20 10:57 EST-0500
 
Ah! Sounds good. How long will this build be relevant for? Probably a few years right? How good is the processor? Doesn't look like you added in a cooler for it. Is it really not necessary enough to ignore?

By the way, sorry for the rapid questions. I really need to finalize everything before I buy all the parts :(
The build I did had WiFi 6 built in, newest WiFi tech available. There is absolutely no reason to buy a separate WiFi card in 2020, just like there’s no reason to buy a separate sound card unless you are producing music professionally.

You definitely want an aftermarket cooler for the higher end Ryzen CPUs unless you don’t mind the noise of the stock CPU ramping up all the time. Even if it’s a better air cooler rather than water cooling.

I selected a 3800x because it’s only $30 more than a 3700x and has a higher thermal limit to give you a higher sustained boost speed as long as it’s cooled properly.

Gigabyte motherboard I selected is ready for the future with all the newest tech and will support even future AMD processors. Good VRM as well.

Gskill NEO RAM is made specifically for AMD CPUs and I selected the sweet spot of 3600 with a CAS latency of 16, best you can do for price and performance. 32GB gives you plenty of memory for the future.

Samsung 970 evo is only beaten by the plus version and you’ll never notice the difference at the price premium. Very good SSD that will last longer than your system.

Lian li case that is very well reviewed with plenty of room for fans and radiators to customize. Added a NZXT x72 to keep that 3800x nice and cool and it will go great with this case.

Seasonic is one of the best you can buy and this gold rated PSU will power your system withou ANY issues at all.

EVGA makes some great GPUs and their warranty is even better. You definitely want to get the 2080ti if you are buying now.
 
Ah! Sounds good. How long will this build be relevant for? Probably a few years right? How good is the processor? Doesn't look like you added in a cooler for it. Is it really not necessary enough to ignore?

By the way, sorry for the rapid questions. I really need to finalize everything before I buy all the parts :(

Depends on what your expectations are. If you want to play every new game at maximum detail settings, this build will probably last a year, year and half. If you are willing to go down to high or medium settings in future games, you can easily pull off 4 years, maybe more. Lower the detail settings you are fine with, the longer the build will serve you, simple as that. Also depends on the resolution and refresh rate of your monitor, if it's a 4K or 1440p 144 Hz monitor, you'll need a GPU upgrade every 1.5-2 years to keep up with the demands of games. If it's 1440p or 1080p, again it'll last longer.

The processor is an 8 core 16 thread chip, and right now almost no game goes over 12 threads as far as I know, and even those games work just fine with 8 threads, plus more than 8 cores is not yet mainstream, so until 8 cores doesn't become 'low-end', the processor will serve you well. I'd say that's at least 3 years, probably 4, maybe more. You can get an aftermarket cooler since there's budget for it, but the cooler that comes with the chip is more than capable of running the chip at stock speeds and at moderate overclocks. Someone mentioned noise - it's very subjective. Some people find that the stock cooler is silent or manageable, others say it sounds loud. I'd recommend you to try the stock cooler first, and if you think it's loud, then get an aftermarket cooler. That way you won't unnecessarily blow $70-$170 on a liquid cooler without knowing if the free option serves you well enough anyway.

No worries on the questions, better safe than sorry is always good when building PC's :).