Question Gaming PC Build

[spookmama]

Hey all! I am the mom of a gamer (he's 15) and I'm rather clueless about all this, to be honest. For Christmas, he wants to build his own gaming PC. (He has one, but it's several years old and not powerful enough and upgrading it is not worth it.) We have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse he can use - but I need help picking everything else. I'd like to keep it around $600-$700, if possible. I know there are a lot of deals today. Anyone have a parts list they could share - preferably with cyber Monday deals? Thank you!!!

 

[SetDreadsToStun]

Hey there!
I've also just recently started down the PC building path.
Pcpartpicker.com has been a lifesaver so far. They have suggested builds of their own, but users can also create and share their own builds. When you're choosing your own parts they even have a compatibility checker that helps you pick the best parts.

They have a pretty basic gaming build here, and its estimated price is less than $700: https://pcpartpicker.com/guide/PB6MnQ/entry-level-amd-gaming-build

That said, this build might not have all the bells and whistles your son wants or needs in a gaming device. I know that I, for one, am intrigued by PC builds with lights and colors. Given Cyber Monday there's actually some pretty nice deals on even more expensive parts with these features right now.

Unless you feel strongly about purchasing the parts yourself without his input, maybe you could give him a purchasing budget and let him pick the parts he wants, and/or get him a gift certificate to somewhere like Best Buy or Newegg? Prices are often different at different retailers and you can really end up saving some money if you shop around.

Hope this helps!