[SOLVED] HELP, building a family PC

[Roel_]

Hi everybody,
our family pc died, and my parents asked me to buy a new decent pc for them. since i m interested in ever building my own PC, i think this is the ideal occasion to learn. i therefore tought it would be cool to build them a very own pc. can somebody here help my decide on some components for a family pc ? and most importantly tell me why you specifically advice those parts instead of some other available !

Budget: +/-1000€ i guess..
usage: mails, no games, adobe programs, vlc, microsoft office, internet, storing family pictures and docs, ...
needed: entire PC incl case, monitor. maybe even keyboard, mouse and stereo if i can convince them that its needed

 

[Eximo]

Well the requirements aren't for much of a PC, the budget is a little high. On computers like this it is often more economical to buy off the shelf. OEMs ability to get deep discounts on the OS and things like drives in bulk.

However, if you wanted a basic home system with everything: (Assumed Germany, unless you state otherwise)

Basically an APU with decent integrated graphics. Decent SSD for the OS, a 2TB hard drive for storage, and an external 2TB drive for backing up everything important or sharing family videos and such. A basic monitor, but it has a fully adjustable stand that you don't find on lower end monitors. The peripherals are fairly basic and I can't really vouch for the speakers.

Good quality motherboard with a chipset that allows for many upgrades if they are ever needed. The video memory is shared with the system so 16GB of decently fast stuff, should be good for the life of the PC. A high quality power supply. This is a bit overkill, but it is the core of the system. Fully modular so you get some practice wiring up a system without all the clutter.

I included an Blu-Ray player, this is totally optional. A cheaper CD/DVD writer is probably sufficient, but I know photo places still give out pictures on disc at least. Besides, you could use it to play music. (Windows 10 doesn't support Blu-Ray or DVD playback, you will have to download some software for that)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2400G 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor (€136.80 @ Alza)
Motherboard: ASRock - B450M PRO4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard (€76.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Memory: G.Skill - Aegis 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (€100.90 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Storage: Kingston - A400 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (€34.27 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (€58.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Case: Fractal Design - Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case (€44.90 @ Caseking)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - 520 W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (€66.90 @ Caseking)
Optical Drive: Pioneer - BDR-209DBK Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer (€56.90 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit (€108.84 @ Mindfactory)
Monitor: Asus - VG245H 24.0" 1920x1080 75 Hz Monitor (€172.92 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Keyboard: Gigabyte - GK-KM3100 Wired Standard Keyboard w/Optical Mouse (€17.83 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Speakers: Logitech - S-150 1.2 W 2ch Speakers (€28.55 @ Amazon Deutschland)
External Storage: Seagate - Backup Plus Slim 2 TB External Hard Drive (€61.53 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Total: €966.32
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-02-12 23:14 CET+0100

 

[volkgren]

Well the requirements aren't for much of a PC, the budget is a little high. On computers like this it is often more economical to buy off the shelf. OEMs ability to get deep discounts on the OS and things like drives in bulk.

However, if you wanted a basic home system with everything: (Assumed Germany, unless you state otherwise)

Basically an APU with decent integrated graphics. Decent SSD for the OS, a 2TB hard drive for storage, and an external 2TB drive for backing up everything important or sharing family videos and such. A basic monitor, but it has a fully adjustable stand that you don't find on lower end monitors. The peripherals are fairly basic and I can't really vouch for the speakers.

Good quality motherboard with a chipset that allows for many upgrades if they are ever needed. The video memory is shared with the system so 16GB of decently fast stuff, should be good for the life of the PC. A high quality power supply. This is a bit overkill, but it is the core of the system. Fully modular so you get some practice wiring up a system without all the clutter.

I included an Blu-Ray player, this is totally optional. A cheaper CD/DVD writer is probably sufficient, but I know photo places still give out pictures on disc at least. Besides, you could use it to play music. (Windows 10 doesn't support Blu-Ray or DVD playback, you will have to download some software for that)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2400G 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor (€136.80 @ Alza)
Motherboard: ASRock - B450M PRO4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard (€76.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Memory: G.Skill - Aegis 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (€100.90 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Storage: Kingston - A400 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (€34.27 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (€58.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Case: Fractal Design - Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case (€44.90 @ Caseking)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - 520 W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (€66.90 @ Caseking)
Optical Drive: Pioneer - BDR-209DBK Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer (€56.90 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit (€108.84 @ Mindfactory)
Monitor: Asus - VG245H 24.0" 1920x1080 75 Hz Monitor (€172.92 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Keyboard: Gigabyte - GK-KM3100 Wired Standard Keyboard w/Optical Mouse (€17.83 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Speakers: Logitech - S-150 1.2 W 2ch Speakers (€28.55 @ Amazon Deutschland)
External Storage: Seagate - Backup Plus Slim 2 TB External Hard Drive (€61.53 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Total: €966.32
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-02-12 23:14 CET+0100

I would have picked a very similar build list. A couple changes I would make:

a.) Get a cheaper 60Hz monitor for $100.
b.) Get a 1TB Samsung 860 EVO solid-state drive and forget about the 2TB HDD (or the external, either one) and the cheap 240GB SSD.

I had picked out everything else the same in a list until I realized it was needed in Euro not USD; including the B450 Pro4, Blu-ray player, and Fractal Design Core 1000 MicroATX Mid case. I think I had picked the Corsair CX550M for semi-modularity, but that could be a problem if you lose the cables and can't find them later if you need them. I had also considered Intel Core i5-8400, but the Ryzen 5 2400G is good because it's cheaper, has 2 extra threads, and comes with better graphics.

 

[Eximo]

I would have picked a very similar build list. A couple changes I would make:

a.) Get a cheaper 60Hz monitor for $100.
b.) Get a 1TB Samsung 860 EVO solid-state drive and forget about the 2TB HDD (or the external, either one) and the cheap 240GB SSD.

I had picked out everything else the same in a list until I realized it was needed in Euro not USD; including the B450 Pro4, Blu-ray player, and Fractal Design Core 1000 MicroATX Mid case. I think I had picked the Corsair CX550M for semi-modularity, but that could be a problem if you lose the cables and can't find them later if you need them. I had also considered Intel Core i5-8400, but the Ryzen 5 2400G is good because it's cheaper, has 2 extra threads, and comes with better graphics.

Didn't even notice that was a 75hz monitor, a bonus. I avoid the cheap monitors due to the lack of an adjustable stand. A fixed base with only tilt is terrible. Especially for a family PC where you will have people of different heights using it.

The key I saw was family photos, videos, and documents. For a basic use computer a 1TB SSD is overkill, you shouldn't be storing bulk files on an SSD, only things that need to be accessed quickly. Also putting everything in one basket.

It would be a small matter to set up the documents files and the desktop to be backed up to the hard drive, and further to sync the external drive when it is plugged in. All of that could be purchased later.

An alternative would be a 500GB SSD whic isn't all that expensive these days, and keep the external drive for backups.

I have an $89 lenovo IdeaStick + USB hub, keyboard, mouse, and a monitor with speakers. Instant all in one for less than $200. Any off the shelf laptop plus an external monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, same thing. Then you even have a battery backup.

And any off the shelf OEM desktop can compete on features. My understanding is that this is a stepping stone to the OP building another PC for himself (or herself)

 

[volkgren]

I do myself like an adjustable monitor. Can't really argue with you there.

With the 1TB SSD, I think the cheap (one of the cheapest on the market, the A400) SSD would only last 2-3 years; whereas the very nice and durable Samsung 860 EVO 1TB (Forgot to mention that) would easily last 5+ years as I still see people using their 840 EVO that was released in 2013. In fact, the 860 EVO comes with a 5 year warranty, longest on the market. Cheap SSDs don't typically last very long. But keep either the internal or external 2TB for backups of important files, actually I'm moving toward cloud backups as my #1 recommendation via long-term/long-standing giants like Microsoft One Drive, Google Drive, Drop Box, etc.

 

[ocer9999]

Well the requirements aren't for much of a PC, the budget is a little high. On computers like this it is often more economical to buy off the shelf. OEMs ability to get deep discounts on the OS and things like drives in bulk.

However, if you wanted a basic home system with everything: (Assumed Germany, unless you state otherwise)

Basically an APU with decent integrated graphics. Decent SSD for the OS, a 2TB hard drive for storage, and an external 2TB drive for backing up everything important or sharing family videos and such. A basic monitor, but it has a fully adjustable stand that you don't find on lower end monitors. The peripherals are fairly basic and I can't really vouch for the speakers.

Good quality motherboard with a chipset that allows for many upgrades if they are ever needed. The video memory is shared with the system so 16GB of decently fast stuff, should be good for the life of the PC. A high quality power supply. This is a bit overkill, but it is the core of the system. Fully modular so you get some practice wiring up a system without all the clutter.

I included an Blu-Ray player, this is totally optional. A cheaper CD/DVD writer is probably sufficient, but I know photo places still give out pictures on disc at least. Besides, you could use it to play music. (Windows 10 doesn't support Blu-Ray or DVD playback, you will have to download some software for that)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2400G 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor (€136.80 @ Alza)
Motherboard: ASRock - B450M PRO4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard (€76.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Memory: G.Skill - Aegis 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (€100.90 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Storage: Kingston - A400 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (€34.27 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (€58.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Case: Fractal Design - Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case (€44.90 @ Caseking)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - 520 W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (€66.90 @ Caseking)
Optical Drive: Pioneer - BDR-209DBK Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer (€56.90 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit (€108.84 @ Mindfactory)
Monitor: Asus - VG245H 24.0" 1920x1080 75 Hz Monitor (€172.92 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Keyboard: Gigabyte - GK-KM3100 Wired Standard Keyboard w/Optical Mouse (€17.83 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Speakers: Logitech - S-150 1.2 W 2ch Speakers (€28.55 @ Amazon Deutschland)
External Storage: Seagate - Backup Plus Slim 2 TB External Hard Drive (€61.53 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Total: €966.32
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-02-12 23:14 CET+0100

I would say save the OS license and buy online for 25$. Use the money you saved to buy a Ryzen 7.

 

[Roel_]

Thank you very much already for the time and effort you put into your answers.
however, i have some adittional questions.

1. will i not be needing a video card ?
2. is the external harddrive needed ? 4.24 Tb of space seems like a bit too much right ?
3. how did u determine which power supply was sufficient and no overkill( interesting for future builds)
4. dont I need a cooler for the CPU ?
5. i also need a wifi connector, because there isnt a LAN port near our PC. Are there much differences in these components, and which would you guys suggest ?
6. the optical drive seems like a bit overkill. we dont own any bluray. my dad might need a cd drive though, for reinstalling some ancient software which he, for some reason still uses.
7. how did you know what case was big enough for all the components ?
8. last vague question: why did you specifically choose that processor, motherboard and memory ? just interested and maybe i could learn somthing new.

Again, thank you guys for replying

 

[Roel_]

I would say save the OS license and buy online for 25$. Use the money you saved to buy a Ryzen 7.

Where can i buy this? Is it also available in Europe ? and most of all, is it legal this way ?

 

[Roel_]

Didn't even notice that was a 75hz monitor, a bonus. I avoid the cheap monitors due to the lack of an adjustable stand. A fixed base with only tilt is terrible. Especially for a family PC where you will have people of different heights using it.

The key I saw was family photos, videos, and documents. For a basic use computer a 1TB SSD is overkill, you shouldn't be storing bulk files on an SSD, only things that need to be accessed quickly. Also putting everything in one basket.

It would be a small matter to set up the documents files and the desktop to be backed up to the hard drive, and further to sync the external drive when it is plugged in. All of that could be purchased later.

An alternative would be a 500GB SSD whic isn't all that expensive these days, and keep the external drive for backups.

I have an $89 lenovo IdeaStick + USB hub, keyboard, mouse, and a monitor with speakers. Instant all in one for less than $200. Any off the shelf laptop plus an external monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, same thing. Then you even have a battery backup.

And any off the shelf OEM desktop can compete on features. My understanding is that this is a stepping stone to the OP building another PC for himself (or herself)

i agree with the 60 Hz monitor i guess. 75hz means that it would be able to visualize more fps, am i correct ? and since nobody will be gaming on this PC, this isnt exactly necessary right?
could you link me this package from lenovo, so i can check it out.
I think a 1TB SSD is also a little too much. pictures open up fast enough on my 7200rpm hard drive. no need for an SSD this big.

 

[Eximo]

• The Ryzen 2400G (G is for Graphics) includes a contemporary Vega based graphics processor on board the CPU. Equivalent to roughly an RX550. It can be used for light gaming, but will provide good playback on videos and websites or anything else that can be hardware accelerated. (Way more for the money this way, but again we could go MUCH cheaper)
• A drive installed in the computer isn't a backup. If the computer fails and takes the hard drive and SSD with it, you lose everything. An external drive is at least separate and should not remain plugged inThere is a minimum cost to making a hard drive. 2TB may seem like a lot, but it is just about the standard "small" drive. You will only see a 10-15% price difference between 1TB and 2TB, and even the smallest cheapest drives still ask half that price. $/GB 2TB is about right.
• As I said that particular power supply is oversized. The total consumption of this system is somewhere in the 150W range. The reason for an expensive, relatively, power supply is that good power delivery makes computers more stable. Additionally these things will last many years.
• Boxed processors include an adequate CPU cooler. You can buy aftermarket components if desired.
• Wifi cards are easier to upgrade and replace, so I suggest any PCIe capable WiFi card compatible with the home network in question. Alternative is a board that includes WiFi, but then you are mostly stuck with.
• Just swap for a standard CD/DVD Writer, they are about 1/3 the cost
• Aside from the partpicker website's compatibility checker just general knowledge that Micro ATX boards fit in Micro ATX cases. Standard cooler is well within specs of nearly any case, standard ATX power supply, etc. ATX is a standard, parts are designed to fit together.
• Ryzen is a very capable platform. AMD does not restrict overclocking, upgrades, etc as much as Intel. They are also more available and cheaper than Intel equivalents at the moment.

I would not trust a $25 OS license. Either buy from Microsoft or a major retailer to be sure of a legitimate license. You don't want some violation hanging over your parents head. Or install something like Ubuntu or a KDE (Windows like) Linux distribution for free if they are used to Windows over Mac OS.

It isn't necessary to have a 75hz monitor, but it doesn't hurt anything either. If you want to prioritize cost then we can go way cheaper.

The Lenovo product I have is still technically available, though that is new old stock, I have had it for years. It is an Intel Atom processor, memory, and storage on a single large stick. No display, peripherals, etc. For basic computing tasks it is enough. There are similar, though superior products like NUC (Next Unit of Computing) that are essentially laptops without displays or batteries. You can plug these up to a monitor and peripherals and have a full computing experience while taking up next to no space. Not really upgradeable aside from storage and sometimes memory.

As I said earlier, there is a lot of argument for just picking up a cheap laptop. It will have all the capabilities of a low end desktop, just add full size peripherals. That would put you to a total cost of about 500 Euro.

This was a formatting nightmare, so many new buttons...

 

[Eximo]

Here is a used desktop that includes everything but speakers: https://www.amazon.de/HP-Compaq-I3-...=UTF8&qid=1550081882&sr=8-11&keywords=i3-6300

Here is a fully loaded NUC: https://www.amazon.de/MSI-Cubi2-031...=UTF8&qid=1550081527&sr=8-4&keywords=i3+7100u

Here is a cheap laptop with roughly the same stats: https://www.amazon.de/HP-15-da0055n...id=1550081826&sr=8-1&keywords=i3-7100u+laptop

Here is a stick computer: https://www.amazon.de/Compute-Stick...qid=1550081587&sr=8-4&keywords=atom+prozessor

Here is a cheaper build:
Should still do everything you asked of it.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Celeron G4900 3.1 GHz Dual-Core Processor (€44.90 @ Caseking)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - H310M DS2 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (€58.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-2400 Memory (€52.80 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Storage: Crucial - BX500 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (€35.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Storage: Seagate - BarraCuda 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (€38.94 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Case: Fractal Design - Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case (€44.90 @ Caseking)
Power Supply: XFX - XT 400 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (€43.71 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Optical Drive: LG - GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer (€15.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit (€110.89 @ Alternate)
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus - PCE-AC51 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter (€29.90 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Monitor: BenQ - GW2470H 23.8" 1920x1080 60 Hz Monitor (€122.95 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Keyboard: Gigabyte - GK-KM3100 Wired Standard Keyboard w/Optical Mouse (€17.83 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Speakers: Logitech - S-150 1.2 W 2ch Speakers (€28.55 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Total: €646.34
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-02-13 19:28 CET+0100

 

[Roel_]

1. The Ryzen 2400G (G is for Graphics) includes a contemporary Vega based graphics processor on board the CPU. Equivalent to roughly an RX550. It can be used for light gaming, but will provide good playback on videos and websites or anything else that can be hardware accelerated. (Way more for the money this way, but again we could go MUCH cheaper)
2. A drive installed in the computer isn't a backup. If the computer fails and takes the hard drive and SSD with it, you lose everything. An external drive is at least separate and should not remain plugged in

There is a minimum cost to making a hard drive. 2TB may seem like a lot, but it is just about the standard "small" drive. You will only see a 10-15% price difference between 1TB and 2TB, and even the smallest cheapest drives still ask half that price. $/GB 2TB is about right.
3) As I said that particular power supply is oversized. The total consumption of this system is somewhere in the 150W range. The reason for an expensive, relatively, power supply is that good power delivery makes computers more stable. Additionally these things will last many years.
4)Boxed processors include an adequate CPU cooler. You can buy aftermarket components if desired.

1. Wifi cards are easier to upgrade and replace, so I suggest any PCIe capable WiFi card compatible with the home network in question. Alternative is a board that includes WiFi, but then you are mostly stuck with.
2. Just swap for a standard CD/DVD Writer, they are about 1/3 the cost
3. Aside from the partpicker website's compatibility checker just general knowledge that Micro ATX boards fit in Micro ATX cases. Standard cooler is well within specs of nearly any case, standard ATX power supply, etc. ATX is a standard, parts are designed to fit together.
4. Ryzen is a very capable platform. AMD does not restrict overclocking, upgrades, etc as much as Intel. They are also more available and cheaper than Intel equivalents at the moment.

I would not trust a $25 OS license. Either buy from Microsoft or a major retailer to be sure of a legitimate license. You don't want some violation hanging over your parents head. Or install something like Ubuntu or a KDE (Windows like) Linux distribution for free if they are used to Windows over Mac OS.

It isn't necessary to have a 75hz monitor, but it doesn't hurt anything either. If you want to prioritize cost then we can go way cheaper.

The Lenovo product I have is still technically available, though that is new old stock, I have had it for years. It is an Intel Atom processor, memory, and storage on a single large stick. No display, peripherals, etc. For basic computing tasks it is enough. There are similar, though superior products like NUC (Next Unit of Computing) that are essentially laptops without displays or batteries. You can plug these up to a monitor and peripherals and have a full computing experience while taking up next to no space. Not really upgradeable aside from storage and sometimes memory.

As I said earlier, there is a lot of argument for just picking up a cheap laptop. It will have all the capabilities of a low end desktop, just add full size peripherals. That would put you to a total cost of about 500 Euro.

Very clear answers, thank you ! i will use your setup as a guide for sure !
when is it actually a good idea to build your own pc then ? there are gaming pc's on the market too, why not buy a stock gaming PC instead of building one since you claim that is is way cheaper ?

 

[Eximo]

I did not make that claim. It depends on the use case and the pricing. For your average home computer even a ten year old desktop is still relevant. Only concern there is longevity. Intel hasn't really done much with the core series and AMD, until recently, has been lagging behind them.

When 1/5th the price is the OS their ability to bargain that down means they can spend a little more on other things. Not to mention warranty and support services. You buying a single case costs you probably a 30% mark up. Same with hard drives. When they buy in pallets the unit price goes down a lot.

Common points to skimp on with OEM computers is the power supply, memory, and motherboard. These are usually low power computers, so the power supply quality isn't as significant. Memory speed isn't all that important compared to just having the proper amount, and most people don't need more than a cheap motherboard offers.

Once you are above about 800-1000 USD or Euro (or 1200 pounds) then part selection/quality when comparing pre-builds to custom built starts to make the difference.
You want long term stable power delivery to run high end components, so step one is a good/great power supply.
You want to increase memory bandwidth while keeping latency as low as possible (and you want heatspreaders so it looks cool)
You want better motherboards with better than standard audio, full size PCIe x16 slots for graphics cards, and the most bandwidth you can get between components.
You want to pick out the GPU with the appropriate cooling, better power delivery, not an off the shelf blower style (unless it is a small form factor build)
And for some reason OEMs still charge a big premium for SSDs, they are usually much cheaper to buy loose then you can pay for an upgrade doing a customization.
Most OEM computers are not sold with overclocking capabilities (related to the motherboard and CPU selection)

On a high end gaming PC, picking out your own components will almost always get you more quality per dollar if not performance per dollar. You can also match all the components so they look at least semi-professional. Or go for maximum performance damn the looks.

Boutique computers, where you pick the parts and they build it, cost more than doing it yourself. They can leverage bulk purchases as well, so as long as you don't mind paying a small premium there, some of them aren't too bad. Also have unique styles you can't easily duplicate with custom modified chassis and other unique features. You can also pay for warrantied overclocking and other services.

 

[geofelt]

You may be able to do better buying a pre built pc but, I applaud your desire to do a build yourself.
The experience will be worth whatever you pay.
In addition, you will know enough to troubleshoot any problems that your parents encounter.

Without access to your shopping, here are some principles.

1. Start with a good monitor that can display a 4k image.
It need not be large. 24" or 27" perhaps.
The reason for 4k is to be able to display photos with close to the detail at which photos were taken.
The monitor should have the modern Displayport input.

2. Use a ssd for windows and storage. A ssd makes everything you do so much quicker.
It need not be large 240/500ay well be all you need. If you will store large video files, a HDD is a more economical device for that.
It is easy to add a hdd later.
Do not buy a cheap ssd, not all work well. You can be safe with a Samsung EVO for performance and reliability.

3. Processor.
Pick a current gen ryzen or intel processor.
Really, any will do, even the cheapest will have sufficient power for your needs.
On the ryzen side, pick one with integrated graphics like the 2200G
On the intel side, they will all come with adequate integrated graphics.
G5600 is a quick unit that would be appropriate. I happen to like Intel better.

3. Motherboard.
You will want a supported motherboard for either ryzen or intel.
You will have a choice of size format.
Itx will have one expansion slot and often comes with integrated wifi.
M-ATX will have 4 slots and ATX will have 6.
You are unlikely to ever need more than one expansion slot, perfhaps for a gaming discrete card.
The advantage of a smaller motherboard is that you can use a smaller case.

4. Your processor will come with an adequate cooler.

5. Sound.
A modern motherboard will come with integrated sound.
If music is not a priority then a inexpensive pair of desktop speakers will do.
If your monitor includes speakers, you can use them.

6. You only need a minimal wattage for the PSU.
Stronger power supplies are needed only for discrete graphics cards.
Quality is all important, do not go cheap on the psu.
Seasonic is always good, I like the focus line. 450w is very good.

7. You asked some questions:

1. no discrete graphics card will be needed.
2. If you value anything on the pc, you should have a usb connected drive for backup.
3. 300w is sufficient, but a stronger psu will only use the power demanded of it regardless of the max capability.
4. The processors we are talking about all come with an adequate cooler.
5. On wifi, you are ok if wifi is included with your motherboard. therwise consider a pcie add in card with a good antenna; They will likely have better signal strength.USB wifi dongles will work, but may not be as strong as you need. Check user experiences
6. If your case has room for a dvd drive, buy a sata connected drive. If the case does not have room, a usb attached dvd burner works equally well
7. A ITX sized motherboard will fit only a ITX case. A M-ATX case will fit either a M-ATX motherboard or a ITX motherboard. A full ATX motherboard needs a ATX case.

 

[Roel_]

https://de.pcpartpicker.com/user/Roel_/saved/6JqCbv

This is what im going to build. Any comments from u guys ? Will all the components fit the case, wont i be needing additional cables, ...

thanks again

 

[geofelt]

https://de.pcpartpicker.com/user/Roel_/saved/6JqCbv

This is what im going to build. Any comments from u guys ? Will all the components fit the case, wont i be needing additional cables, ...

thanks again

Looks reasonable.
I think the motherboard will come with two sata data cables, you will need one more for your three sata components.

I might suggest that you spend your drive budget on a single 500gb ssd.
That will hold a fair number of games.
It is easy to add a HDD later if you need to store large files such as videos.
If you buy a m.2 ssd, it will simply plug into your motherbard and only two sata cables will be required.
This 500gb Samsung 860 evo m.2 will cost the same if you defer on the HDD.
https://de.pcpartpicker.com/product...o-500gb-m2-2280-solid-state-drive-mz-n6e500bw

 

[Roel_]

what are the 3 sata cables for ? ssd, hdd, and ? are there any differences in sata cables? what do u suggest i should buy if i need 3
My parents dont need to store any games. thats why i chose a 250g ssd and 2tb HDD for pictures and stuff.

 

[geofelt]

what are the 3 sata cables for ? ssd, hdd, and ? are there any differences in sata cables? what do u suggest i should buy if i need 3
My parents dont need to store any games. thats why i chose a 250g ssd and 2tb HDD for pictures and stuff.

what are the 3 sata cables for ? ssd, hdd, and ? are there any differences in sata cables? what do u suggest i should buy if i need 3
My parents dont need to store any games. thats why i chose a 250g ssd and 2tb HDD for pictures and stuff.

You also need one for the dvd drive as well as the HDD.
You can eliminate the need for one sata cable by using a m.2 ssd device like the Samsung 860 evo referenced above. It comes in 240gb also.
I like Samsung evo for performance and reliability. A cheap ssd can have issues.
If you are storing photos, you do not need lots of space.
It is videos that take up the room. Consider that a 10 minute video at 60 frames per second will be the equivalent of 36,000 photos.

Then, consider how much you value those photos or videos.
To protect against the threat of a virus or ransomware, whatever you value should also be backed up to a EXTERNAL device. That is easily done with a usb stick or a usb attached HDD depending on how much you need to protect.

Sata cables all are about the same.
They differ in length and the orientation of the connectors which makes no difference for your build.