[SOLVED] Need a gaming build for teenage son

[Frierfly]

Approximate Purchase Date: Within the next 3 weeks.

Budget Range: Cheaper is better, but up to $750

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming and watching YouTube videos

Are you buying a monitor: Not currently, but will buy something bigger later. Currently has/will use Samsung Syncmaster XL2270.

Parts to Upgrade: Everything, except the monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

Do you need to buy OS: Yes, will need to be Win10

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: None

Location: Kentucky, USA. Two hours from the nearest major metropolitan area, so MicroCenter or Fry's in-store deals are a no-go.

Parts Preferences: Nvidia GPU

Overclocking: Not going to manually set it, but if OC is automatic (boost mode or whatever they call it), that is fine.

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920 x 1080

Additional Comments: My son has an extensive Steam Library (200+ games). He mainly plays Ark: Survival Evolved, nearly every game in the Total War series, and Rocket League. He also plays heavily modded versions of Minecraft, such as Mincolonies.

Why Are You Upgrading: Pretty sure the current PC is dying. It's several years old, and has been upgraded/refreshed more than once.

 

[Flayed]

Approximate Purchase Date: Within the next 3 weeks.

Budget Range: Cheaper is better, but up to $750

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming and watching YouTube videos

Are you buying a monitor: Not currently, but will buy something bigger later. Currently has/will use Samsung Syncmaster XL2270.

Parts to Upgrade: Everything, except the monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

Do you need to buy OS: Yes, will need to be Win10

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: None

Location: Kentucky, USA. Two hours from the nearest major metropolitan area, so MicroCenter or Fry's in-store deals are a no-go.

Parts Preferences: Nvidia GPU

Overclocking: Not going to manually set it, but if OC is automatic (boost mode or whatever they call it), that is fine.

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920 x 1080

Additional Comments: My son has an extensive Steam Library (200+ games). He mainly plays Ark: Survival Evolved, nearly every game in the Total War series, and Rocket League. He also plays heavily modded versions of Minecraft, such as Mincolonies.

Why Are You Upgrading: Pretty sure the current PC is dying. It's several years old, and has been upgraded/refreshed more than once.

Here you go:
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i3-10100 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI MAG B460M BAZOOKA Micro ATX LGA1200 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($44.49 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Blue SN550 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1660 6 GB GAMING X Video Card ($239.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone PS15 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($64.98 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($74.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $734.41
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-10-13 15:46 EDT-0400

 

[thefxgamingrules]

No, not the i3-10100. It may sound like a sweet deal but 4C/8T will probably fall short in the near future. Look for something with at least 6C/6T or 6C/12T or 8C/8T if budget permits.

 

[thefxgamingrules]

Also, trusting a CX550 with that hardware isn't what I'd be comfortable doing.

 

[sizzling]

No, not the i3-10100. It may sound like a sweet deal but 4C/8T will probably fall short in the near future. Look for something with at least 6C/6T or 6C/12T or 8C/8T if budget permits.

Agreed. Also you can only go up to 2933mhz RAM speed. Personally I’d suggest waiting for the new Ryzen cpu’s, it should push the price of a 3600 and B450 motherboard down and this can run 360hz RAM.

The CX550 isn’t bad, it’s not high end but ok middle of the road if budget limited.

 

[SteelStruck]

My suggestion is to not buy windows as you can get all features for free you will just have an annoying watermark in the corner, or buy it cheaply from a key reseller like kinguin for ~30USD, as these keys are rarely stolen just resold, say a company buys 150 windows keys but they only use 142 of them, those last 8 keys they might just give them away or sell them cheaply to a key reseller as it is not worth it to spend company resources finding a buyer who will buy them for a good price.
I don't know what you were going to do but this is my suggestion on how to handle your OS.

 

[Flayed]

Also, trusting a CX550 with that hardware isn't what I'd be comfortable doing.

$750 budget doesn't stretch to an 8 core cpu and high end PSU

 

[sizzling]

My suggestion is to not buy windows as you can get all features for free you will just have an annoying watermark in the corner, or buy it cheaply from a key reseller like kinguin for ~30USD, as these keys are rarely stolen just resold, say a company buys 150 windows keys but they only use 142 of them, those last 8 keys they might just give them away or sell them cheaply to a key reseller as it is not worth it to spend company resources finding a buyer who will buy them for a good price.
I don't know what you were going to do but this is my suggestion on how to handle your OS.

They don’t give those 8 away or sell them, that would be a breach of the license they were bought for under. These bulk purchases are not intended for resale.

 

[Archaic59]

Approximate Purchase Date: Within the next 3 weeks.

Budget Range: Cheaper is better, but up to $750

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming and watching YouTube videos

Are you buying a monitor: Not currently, but will buy something bigger later. Currently has/will use Samsung Syncmaster XL2270.

Parts to Upgrade: Everything, except the monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

Do you need to buy OS: Yes, will need to be Win10

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: None

Location: Kentucky, USA. Two hours from the nearest major metropolitan area, so MicroCenter or Fry's in-store deals are a no-go.

Parts Preferences: Nvidia GPU

Overclocking: Not going to manually set it, but if OC is automatic (boost mode or whatever they call it), that is fine.

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920 x 1080

Additional Comments: My son has an extensive Steam Library (200+ games). He mainly plays Ark: Survival Evolved, nearly every game in the Total War series, and Rocket League. He also plays heavily modded versions of Minecraft, such as Mincolonies.

Why Are You Upgrading: Pretty sure the current PC is dying. It's several years old, and has been upgraded/refreshed more than once.

So, while the others argue discuss what parts are best for you, I wanted to mention your old monitor. AFAIK it only has DVI-I dual link and maybe VGA inputs. You're probably not going to find a modern GPU with outputs to support that. What you'll get is HDMI and display port on most all modern GPU's. If you want to continue using the old Samsung monitor, for the time being, you'll need an adapter to connect it. Maybe you already have one, I don't know what GPU you currently have. Verify the connection options on whatever GPU you decide to buy. Something like this should work:
https://www.amazon.com/DVI-I-Dual-Link-Male-Female-Adapter/dp/B001I1KU6O

This system is just over your budget but includes a 1TB NVME drive, good quality power supply and windows license:
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/dfXpbh

 

[SteelStruck]

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/3gBWXb here is probably the best you can get for 750$ and could easily handle any modern game, and the banger of CPU inside will be able to handle all of your son's mods. now for something cheaper here is my suggestion: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/LZBWXb it is definitely a step down from the 750 dollar one but it should still be able to play most if not all modern titles albeit at low settings.

 

[SteelStruck]

They don’t give those 8 away or sell them, that would be a breach of the license they were bought for under. These bulk purchases are not intended for resale.

Well, that's just what I heard, I don't know the schematics of it. My 30$ windows pro key from kinguin worked anyways.

 

[sizzling]

Well, that's just what I heard, I don't know the schematics of it. My 30$ windows pro key from kinguin worked anyways.

And this forum is littered with threads where these keys get revoked albeit usually a long time after buying. Any site selling genuine keys wouldn’t need to make a point of having a guarantee encase the key doesn’t work.

 

[Flayed]

Check your local charity/thrift stores you may get lucky and find a retail box of Windows 10

 

[SteelStruck]

And this forum is littered with threads where these keys get revoked albeit usually a long time after buying. Any site selling genuine keys wouldn’t need to make a point of having a guarantee encase the key doesn’t work.

Hmmm, after some research on the internet it sounds like they are resold by corporations trying to make a quick buck even though it is a breach of code, so they are legit it is just when Microsoft finds out they get revoked. I bought mine for 15 dollars so it would take many many keys to make up for the price of a retail windows key.

 

[sizzling]

Hmmm, after some research on the internet it sounds like they are resold by corporations trying to make a quick buck even though it is a breach of code, so they are legit it is just when Microsoft finds out they get revoked. I bought mine for 15 dollars so it would take many many keys to make up for the price of a retail windows key.

The economics of it are not the problem, it’s the ethics. I would think the most likely scenario is an employee thinks they can make a quick buck by stealing these codes. It’s no different to buying a cheap laptop down the pub from some dodgy bloke who you know is probably dealing with stolen goods.

 

[King Dranzer]

Better if you plan your Purchase around Black-Friday Next Month.

New AMD CPUs and GPUs will be out. You may get better Performance value that route instead of going for NVIDIA GPU.

They are set to Launch in coming 2-3Weeks. And depending on how AMD releases its GPUs we may see Low end GPU as well from AMD where NVIDIA pushed it back to December.

 

[Vic 40]

The economics of it are not the problem, it’s the ethics.

Why then do we have this thread here?
How to Get Windows 10 for Free (or Under $30) | Tom's Hardware

 

[King Dranzer]

Why then do we have this thread here?
How to Get Windows 10 for Free (or Under $30) | Tom's Hardware

At this point every single Tech YouTuber including all the Big Ones(or should I say especially) and Tech sites are supporting it.

There is no point of spending high on Microsoft Website for Windows Key for 99.99% people.

 

[Vic 40]

Don't want to get this of topic, but in that case is sizzling's point abit redundant.

 

[King Dranzer]

Don't want to get this of topic, but in that case is sizzling's point abit redundant.

Yes. If we have to call all the Top Tech Youtubers and Tech sites who have been using Sites which offer Sub $20 Windows Keys as their Video Sponsors it makes it clear that it is legit.

 

[SteelStruck]

Why then do we have this thread here?
How to Get Windows 10 for Free (or Under $30) | Tom's Hardware

Thank you.

 

[SteelStruck]

The economics of it are not the problem, it’s the ethics. I would think the most likely scenario is an employee thinks they can make a quick buck by stealing these codes. It’s no different to buying a cheap laptop down the pub from some dodgy bloke who you know is probably dealing with stolen goods.

I mean anything off of craigslist or eBay could be stolen too, kinguin is just like those sites but for game and windows keys. (Also I would totally buy a laptop from a dodgy bloke down at the pub.)

 

[King Dranzer]

I mean anything off of craigslist or eBay could be stolen too, kinguin is just like those sites but for game and windows keys. (Also I would totally buy a laptop from a dodgy bloke down at the pub.)

Hahahahaha................................................

Nice one.

But lets limit our conversation to OP's Topic as much as possible. We don't want to tick off Mods(FOR GOING OFF TOPIC) of the Forum Unwantedly.

The Sub Topic Ends Here. Thank you.

 

[Vic 40]

Had a similar Intel build a while ago and abit cheaper,

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i3-10100 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($114.95 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B460M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1200 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: ADATA XPG Z1 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 CL16 Memory ($56.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: ADATA SU635 960 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER 6 GB GAMING OC Video Card ($249.99 @ B&H)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($47.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($74.99 @ Corsair)
Total: $719.88
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-10-19 09:11 EDT-0400

Now see how AMD builds are. And something AMD for that budget,

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600X 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($167.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($71.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($57.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: ADATA SU635 960 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER 6 GB GAMING OC Video Card ($249.99 @ B&H)
Case: Metallic Gear Neo Silent ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($74.99 @ Corsair)
Total: $747.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-10-19 12:02 EDT-0400

 

[Frierfly]

Thanks for all the input, the various builds presented gave me a lot to think about. I ended up spending more than I wanted to, here's what I purchased.
Still have to fork out the cash for Win10.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($222.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock X570 Phantom Gaming 4S ATX AM4 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($94.49 @ Newegg)
Storage: ADATA XPG SX6000 Pro 512 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda Compute 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: PNY GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4 GB Video Card ($174.99 @ B&H)
Case: DIYPC Solo-T2-BK Black USB 3.0 ATX Mid Tower Case ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Raidmax Thunder RGB 735 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($69.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $829.40
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-11-26 18:07 EST-0500