[SOLVED] How is my build?

[pcbuilder900]

Here is the link to my build,

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/GDxnmg

Goals:

I want low budget PC.
Will use for some coding, potentially some 3D modeling.
Should be able to max out most if not all 1080p games.
Originally intended for a CAN$600-700 PC, so if there are cheaper prices for same functionality and compatibility....

This is my first computer so any advice would really be appreciated.
Also, is my motherboard power connectors 24 pins like the
power supply? I couldn't find it in the specs...

Thank you!!

 

[Colif]

Problem with USB wifi connectors is many are old ones that still support win xp, and their drivers may not work with win 10 even when they say they do. I would get one that supports 802.11ax as then you likely get a new one that you won't have to replace for a few years.

 

[cryoburner]

If you came across a site selling 16GB DDR4 new, for $10, you'd run away laughing. Knowing it was a scam.
Licensed software is no different.

That is a terrible analogy. : P While Microsoft has costs involved with developing Windows, it costs them next to nothing to distribute a license for the software, so they price it according to what people are willing to pay in various parts of the world. Computer hardware, on the other hand, obviously costs money to manufacture, and unlike with software licenses, a manufacturer can't give away 16GB of RAM for $10 while still turning a profit, as it costs them more than that to manufacture and distribute.

Actually, quite a lot of them are illegitimate. Not just OEM bought in a cheap part of the world.

They are regular valid licenses, but obtained via illegitimate means.
Transfer stolen credit cards into real money, for example.

I'm sure there are some licenses that fall into that category, and the same could be said for some of the physical goods being sold on sites like ebay, but "quite a lot"? That sounds like a totally made up statistic. : P I would be interested in seeing a study into what portion of license keys come from various sources on key reseller sites, but I imagine only Microsoft has reasonably accurate data on that, at least as far as Windows is concerned.

You can install Win 10 and leave it Unactivated. Until such time as you want to buy a valid license key.

It runs just fine, with a few small caveats.
No customization of the desktop or taskbar, and a sometimes appearing watermark at bottom right.
Other than that, it runs just fine.

And that will be just as illegitimate as buying a gray-market key. According to the terms of service for Windows, one is only authorized to use the software if they have activated it with a genuine key. Microsoft may now allow people to get away with running Windows unactivated for an extended period, but they could also change their mind at any time. I suppose there is the advantage that one can be sure they didn't potentially pay money to a scammer, though clearly no money is making its way to the developer of the software either.

In any case, I haven't bought keys off reseller sites, though I could see why someone might want to get a Windows key that way, particularly for a system built on a lower budget. As for things like game keys, it's probably better to just wait some time for them to go on sale for a fraction of the cost if the price is deemed too high at launch. And for something like Office, if one actually needs an Office key, then they will probably be using it for business purposes, otherwise they might as well use an open-source office suite like LibreOffice.

 

[SteveRX4]

This thread is getting a bit long. This topic would be good for Tom's to actually research and do a story on. Look at it from buyers, sellers and Microsoft's point of view. determine how legitimate selling is, etc. I'm sure it would be appreciated by a wide audience.

 

[USAFRet]

Regarding cheap game licenses, but the same platforms:

https://www.polygon.com/2015/2/9/80...ose-mysteriously-cheap-gray-market-game-codes

https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news...resells-humble-bundle-games-reaps-profit.aspx

https://kotaku.com/shady-market-g2a-offers-to-pay-journalists-to-run-pre-w-1836186979

 

[pcbuilder900]

This thread is getting a bit long.

Yes I am just gonna ask a few more questions as I undoubtedly come upon them as I modify my build

 

[SteveRX4]

Go for it.

 

[cryoburner]

Regarding cheap game licenses, but the same platforms:

The Polygon article didn't tell us much. The key they were tracking down ended up being part of a two-for-one deal that every copy of the game shipped with. Although it did end up being the second copy that shipped with a code the developer sent out to some youtuber, it's likely that they didn't specifically have the youtuber agree to not resell it. And really, that's something the developer should kind of expect when deciding to include two keys with every purchase. Not everyone's going to want to keep the second copy, so inevitably they're going to end up with a lot of extra keys floating around.

And while the article mentions that Ubisoft credit card fraud situation from around that time, that was almost six years ago, and made headlines. How often do you hear about similar situations like that occurring?

The second article talks about people reselling Humble Bundle keys, and suggests that they are taking advantage of charities, but in reality Humble Bundle is a site that is itself using charity as an incentive to sell games and make profit. Most of the profit is going to the developers or publishers, and the site itself is taking a decent chunk as well, generally larger than what goes to charity. The charity is largely just there as a way to draw people in for an impulse purchase they might not have made otherwise, which is arguably a bit questionable in itself.

If developers toss out keys for free or for a very low price without any sort of expiration date on them, they should fully expect that they will be competing with those keys in the future. This is more the result of poor business decisions on the part of the developers than anything. They see the option of bringing in hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars for themselves in the short term, but might not fully consider how that could potentially affect their long-term sales.

 

[USAFRet]

I don't know what to tell you. I'm just not comfortable supporting potential criminal activity.

And having been burned on an OS that came with a refurbished Asus Transformer...a license that is of unknown provenance just rubs me the wrong way.

YMMV.

 

[SteveRX4]

I don't know how you would "get burned". I pay through PayPal. Plus in Australia, I can pay staright with my card and the bank covers any losses - by law.

 

[USAFRet]

I don't know how you would "get burned". I pay through PayPal. Plus in Australia, I can pay staright with my card and the bank covers any losses - by law.

I purchased a refurb laptop, $190. 3rd party seller on Newegg.
Company has existed for years. Many good reviews. woowoo...
Win 10 Pro installed and activated.

180 days after powering it up, the OS Unactivated itself. Exactly 180 days.

Conversations between the 3rd party seller, Newegg, and Asus....all pointing fingers at each other. With me in the middle, and no valid OS.
It still ran of course, but with the watermark at bottom right.

Eventually, the 3rd party seller gave me $20, "for your troubles", and Asus gave me the original license key it came with. For Win 10 Home.

No, this isn't the same as buying 'just a key'. But it is yet another instance of a NotValid OS license being sold.

 

[SteveRX4]

Did the seller have good reviews?

 

[USAFRet]

Did the seller have good reviews?

Yes.
https://www.newegg.com/Always-Deals/about

 

[PC Tailor]

180 days after powering it up, the OS Unactivated itself. Exactly 180 days.

No, this isn't the same as buying 'just a key'. But it is yet another instance of a NotValid OS license being sold.

I've also had quite a few instances of this. With users computers, buying OS licenses from reputable sources and then they seemingly "cut-off" after set amount of days. As well as happening to me once or twice some years ago.

 

[SteveRX4]

Mixed reviews.

I figure if you lost out 3 times, then you'd be even.

Key from Microsoft = $140aud
Key from Kinguin = $30aud.

I think you were unlucky. But maybe I'm just lucky.

I don't know if you can, but it'd be a good topic for a Tom's story. Might even throw few grenades into the industry.

 

[pcbuilder900]

Hello everyone! I was just wondering if this would qualify as a good wifi adapter?
https://www.newegg.ca/d-link-dwa-18...cm_re=wifi_adapter usb-_-33-127-466-_-Product
Is it compatible with my build? (I couldn't find it in PCPartPicker...)
Is it worth the CAN$60?

Thanks!

 

[USAFRet]

Mixed reviews.

I figure if you lost out 3 times, then you'd be even.

Key from Microsoft = $140aud
Key from Kinguin = $30aud.

I think you were unlucky. But maybe I'm just lucky.

I don't know if you can, but it'd be a good topic for a Tom's story. Might even throw few grenades into the industry.

You can try to justify it all day long.
Convincing me is a non-starter.

Tomorrow, you go to work.
The boss calls you in the office:
"Well, Steve, we like your work. A lot. But we're not going to pay you anymore. And you can't quit, you have to still keep coming here."
Would that go over well?

 

[cryoburner]

I don't think these analogies are getting any better. : P

Hello everyone! I was just wondering if this would qualify as a good wifi adapter?

Perhaps worth considering, do you actually need Wifi? Generally, using an ethernet cable will tend to be more reliable and perform better than a wireless connection, while typically costing less (assuming you don't need to hire someone to run permanent in-wall lines or something). So if it would be practical to connect your system directly to your router with a wired connection, that might be a better solution, at least for a desktop system that's not going to get moved around often.

As for that Wifi adapter, I'm not really sure how it performs compared to other options currently in its price range, though it's apparently a model from 2012 that supports AC, while some newer models may support the AX standard. Do you have a wireless router in your home already, and do you know what standards it supports?

 

[pcbuilder900]

Do you have a wireless router in your home already, and do you know what standards it supports?

No, I don't think I do...

an ethernet cable will tend to be more reliable and perform better than a wireless connection, while typically costing less

Thanks, cryoburner!
That's a good idea! Does my case and mobo have ethernet,
though? I guess it should... but I don't know where to find that in the specs...
THANKS!

 

[ceriumin]

Here is the link to my build,

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/GDxnmg

Goals:



This is my first computer so any advice would really be appreciated.
Also, is my motherboard power connectors 24 pins like the
power supply? I couldn't find it in the specs...

Thank you!!

I didn't bother to read the other posts to see if this was already outlined before, however this is what I recommend changing. Your system is fine. Although some of the points were already covered, I may confirm some of the points, so take it as some extra trust factor.

1. The GTX1050ti is a good low-end gaming card, but it is pretty bad for the price considering you can get a GTX1650/1650s for very similar prices, or an RX570. The GTX1060 is a out of production but is pretty popular, however not recommended for 2020. If you are lucky you might find a used RX580/GTX1660 on sale, potentially on black friday but it depends when you buy the pc.
2. The PSU is good, however it could be better. I recommend getting a cheap but effective power supply such as the CX450/CX550, the more watts you can get the better for the future when trying to upgrade.
3. Depending on how much games you will get, I would switch out the 2TB HDD for a 1TB HDD and a 250GB SSD. Or just knock in one because SSD's are so much better and they are a must in a pc build.
4. You do not need to pay $100 for windows, you can leave it unactivated or buy a cheap one which is not recommended and is piracy.

Hope I helped a bit

 

[pcbuilder900]

I didn't bother to read the other posts to see if this was already outlined before, however this is what I recommend changing. Your system is fine. Although some of the points were already covered, I may confirm some of the points, so take it as some extra trust factor.

1. The GTX1050ti is a good low-end gaming card, but it is pretty bad for the price considering you can get a GTX1650/1650s for very similar prices, or an RX570. The GTX1060 is a out of production but is pretty popular, however not recommended for 2020. If you are lucky you might find a used RX580/GTX1660 on sale, potentially on black friday but it depends when you buy the pc.
2. The PSU is good, however it could be better. I recommend getting a cheap but effective power supply such as the CX450/CX550, the more watts you can get the better for the future when trying to upgrade.
3. Depending on how much games you will get, I would switch out the 2TB HDD for a 1TB HDD and a 250GB SSD. Or just knock in one because SSD's are so much better and they are a must in a pc build.
4. You do not need to pay $100 for windows, you can leave it unactivated or buy a cheap one which is not recommended and is piracy.

Hope I helped a bit

Thank you! Yes, what you sayed has already been covered, but nevertheless it is nice to hear it from more people
Here is my updated build so far: https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/mmYRsX
Do you have any other suggestions? That would be greatly appreciated seeing as this is my first computer build (apart from disassembling and reassembling an old 2001 computer ) Thanks ceriumin!

 

[pcbuilder900]

Hello! My brother just got a new laptop computer with an AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, and it brought me to realize, that I may have been to hasty to think "AMD is worst that INTEL for sure!!". maybe I would like to switch to AMD mobo and AMD Ryzen CPU for my custom computer build after all... do you have any suggestions on what to look for in the specs, and any suggestions for specific AMD Ryzen CPUs and MOBOs?? Thank you!!

P.S. Sorry I haven't been really active lately, I've been quite busy

EDIT: Here is my build upgraded to AMD stuff:
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/s7sf8J

Is this better than what I had before?
PCPartPicker says "Note:The ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming 4/ac ATX AM4 Motherboard has an additional 4-pin ATX power connector but the Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply does not. This connector is used to supply additional 12V current to the motherboard. While the system will likely still run without it, higher current demands such as extreme overclocking or large video card current draws may require it. "
Is this a problem? I won't be overclocking this computer, I'll just be coding, with maybe some intensive graphics and maybe play a bit of Minecraft (maxed out) on it...
Will the RAM be supported? I purposefully changed RAM to DDR4 3200... is this better? Should I revert to my old ram? Any other thoughts on this?

THANKS SO MUCH EVERYBODY!

 

[SteveRX4]

No worries. You can add [SOLVED] to the thread heading and if you think someone has helped you a lot give them a Best Answer.

 

[PC Tailor]

Ff you do wish to mark the thread as solved - Click the trophy by the most helpful post to mark the question as solved. More Info

https://imgur.com/yXImRtp

View: https://i.imgur.com/yXImRtp.gif

 

[pcbuilder900]

No worries. You can add [SOLVED] to the thread heading and if you think someone has helped you a lot give them a Best Answer.

Ff you do wish to mark the thread as solved - Click the trophy by the most helpful post to mark the question as solved. More Info

https://imgur.com/yXImRtp

View: https://i.imgur.com/yXImRtp.gif

So sorry everybody for the misunderstanding! I didn't mean "Thanks so much for helping me solve my build"...
not yet... I meant "Thanks so much for all the help you have given and thanks for
(in advance) helping me with this new AMD tweak to my build"...

Again,
SO SORRY!

EDIT:
when I sayed

Hello! My brother just got a new laptop computer with an AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, and it brought me to realize, that I may have been to hasty to think "AMD is worst that INTEL for sure!!". maybe I would like to switch to AMD mobo and AMD Ryzen CPU for my custom computer build after all... do you have any suggestions on what to look for in the specs, and any suggestions for specific AMD Ryzen CPUs and MOBOs?? Thank you!!

P.S. Sorry I haven't been really active lately, I've been quite busy

EDIT: Here is my build upgraded to AMD stuff:
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/s7sf8J

<etc...>

I am still hoping to get an answer to my question...? Thanks!

 

[g-unit1111]

Ok, I'll try that!! I know this is a dumb question, but just triple check
...
This is a compatible build??
Thanks so much for the response, SteveRX4!
I'll do this build tomorrow (i'm just kinda tired at the moment )

No, that is a truly terrible build on multiple levels. The low end, poor quality PSU, the junk video card, Arctic Coolers are junk, I could go on and on. Here's how you spend $1200 on a build:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($264.50 @ shopRBC)
Motherboard: ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming 4/ac ATX AM4 Motherboard ($188.50 @ Vuugo)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-2400 CL16 Memory ($89.75 @ Vuugo)
Storage: Western Digital Blue 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($134.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 5600 XT 6 GB PULSE Video Card ($387.20 @ Vuugo)
Case: Corsair 275R ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.50 @ Vuugo)
Power Supply: Antec NeoECO 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Canada Computers)
Total: $1244.43
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-10-20 12:00 EDT-0400

With operating system that comes out to about $1350.