[SOLVED] New computer for beginner

[Cjpace]

Morning all - I am looking to build my first PC but this is all pretty new to me and confusing so I was looking for some help/input. Based on some initial research and evaluating what I actually need, I've come up with the following but am still looking for a few suggestions. This will primarily be used for a home office and some light gaming. I realize it may be a bit more than I need but wanted to make it future proof for at least a year or two. Budget is around $1000

• AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-core 3.6 GHz (https://www.newegg.com/amd-ryzen-5-3600/p/N82E16819113569?Item=N82E16819113569)
• Gigabyte X570 Aorus Elite Wifi (https://www.newegg.com/gigabyte-x570-aorus-elite-wifi/p/N82E16813145165?Item=N82E16813145165)
• ASRock Phantom Gaming D Radeon RX 5500 XT 8G OC Video Card, RX5500XT PGD 8GO(https://www.newegg.com/asrock-radeo...gd-8go/p/N82E16814930027?Item=N82E16814930027)
• Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB 288 Pin DDR43200(https://www.newegg.com/corsair-16gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820233859?Item=9SIA1K65R52694)
• WD Blue 3D NAND 1TB internal SSD - SATA III 2.5" (https://www.newegg.com/western-digital-blue-1tb/p/N82E16820250088?Item=N82E16820250088)
• WD Black SN750 NVMe M.2 2280 250GB PCI-Express 3.0 x 4 64-layer 3D NAND(https://www.newegg.com/western-digital-black-sn750-nvme-250gb/p/N82E16820250108)
• Fractal Design Focus G Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case(https://www.newegg.com/black-fracta...-tower/p/N82E16811352069?Item=N82E16811352069)
• CORSAIR VS Series VS500 500W 80 PLUS Certified Non-Modular ATX Power Supply, CP-9020223-NA
• Acer VG270U bmiipx 27" Quad HD 2560 x 1440 2K 1ms (VRB) 75Hz 2xHDMI DisplayPort AMD FreeSync Built-in Speakers Backlit LED IPS Gaming Monitor (https://www.newegg.com/corsair-vs-s...a-500w/p/N82E16817139267?Item=N82E16817139267)
• Windows 10 Home 64 bit - OEM

Biggest concern is if all the parts are compatible.
Thanks in advance for any input!

 

[CryoWolf]

The overall list is a good choice bar the power supply, I know the VS power supplies have been improved over the years but if I'm correct they are still pretty bad. I would look at the Corsair CX500 silver label to begin with, as a rule of thumb. Never skimp on the power supply.

 

[Cjpace]

The overall list is a good choice bar the power supply, I know the VS power supplies have been improved over the years but if I'm correct they are still pretty bad. I would look at the Corsair CX500 silver label to begin with, as a rule of thumb. Never skimp on the power supply.

awesome will do. Appreciate the input

 

[CryoWolf]

Here is a PSU tier list, which is a good rough indicater of whats good and whats not

Article - [psucultists] PSU tier list rev. 14.8 (Final Update Jul '21)

PSU Tier List 4.0 rev. 14.8 (outdated) Last Update: 12-07-2021 Legend : Gray - EoL/obsolete and/or otherwise not recommended for purchase. Green - small form-factor (gold and blue colors are disregarded due to scarcity of SFX PSUs) Gold - best units in the tier (includes requirements for blue...

forums.tomshardware.com

I would say for your build Tier C and upward

 

[Prad_Bitt]

Morning all - I am looking to build my first PC but this is all pretty new to me and confusing so I was looking for some help/input. Based on some initial research and evaluating what I actually need, I've come up with the following but am still looking for a few suggestions. This will primarily be used for a home office and some light gaming. I realize it may be a bit more than I need but wanted to make it future proof for at least a year or two. Budget is around $1000

• AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-core 3.6 GHz (https://www.newegg.com/amd-ryzen-5-3600/p/N82E16819113569?Item=N82E16819113569)
• Gigabyte X570 Aorus Elite Wifi (https://www.newegg.com/gigabyte-x570-aorus-elite-wifi/p/N82E16813145165?Item=N82E16813145165)
• ASRock Phantom Gaming D Radeon RX 5500 XT 8G OC Video Card, RX5500XT PGD 8GO(https://www.newegg.com/asrock-radeo...gd-8go/p/N82E16814930027?Item=N82E16814930027)
• Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB 288 Pin DDR43200(https://www.newegg.com/corsair-16gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820233859?Item=9SIA1K65R52694)
• WD Blue 3D NAND 1TB internal SSD - SATA III 2.5" (https://www.newegg.com/western-digital-blue-1tb/p/N82E16820250088?Item=N82E16820250088)
• WD Black SN750 NVMe M.2 2280 250GB PCI-Express 3.0 x 4 64-layer 3D NAND(https://www.newegg.com/western-digital-black-sn750-nvme-250gb/p/N82E16820250108)
• Fractal Design Focus G Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case(https://www.newegg.com/black-fracta...-tower/p/N82E16811352069?Item=N82E16811352069)
• CORSAIR VS Series VS500 500W 80 PLUS Certified Non-Modular ATX Power Supply, CP-9020223-NA
• Acer VG270U bmiipx 27" Quad HD 2560 x 1440 2K 1ms (VRB) 75Hz 2xHDMI DisplayPort AMD FreeSync Built-in Speakers Backlit LED IPS Gaming Monitor (https://www.newegg.com/corsair-vs-s...a-500w/p/N82E16817139267?Item=N82E16817139267)
• Windows 10 Home 64 bit - OEM

Biggest concern is if all the parts are compatible.
Thanks in advance for any input!

A few things.

You might not need X570, unless you plan to not upgrade your motherboard for like 6 years because the only advantage it has is extra PCIe 4.0 lanes (B550 has 20, this has i believe 36, one gpu will use 16, one pcie ssd will use 4). Mind you the SSD you picked, SN750 is still Pcie 3

Secondly, why that WD Blue SATA? you can get an SN550 NVMe instead for not much higher.

Third the PSU like @CryoWolf said. I would be looking at a CX550 minimum.

Also, you sure you'll be fine with a 5500 XT for the light gaming part?

 

[Cjpace]

A few things.

You might not need X570, unless you plan to not upgrade your motherboard for like 6 years because the only advantage it has is extra PCIe 4.0 lanes (B550 has 20, this has i believe 36, one gpu will use 16, one pcie ssd will use 4). Mind you the SSD you picked, SN750 is still Pcie 3

Secondly, why that WD Blue SATA? you can get an SN550 NVMe instead for not much higher.

Third the PSU like @CryoWolf said. I would be looking at a CX550 minimum.

Also, you sure you'll be fine with a 5500 XT for the light gaming part?

Thanks - I am still learning but understand what you are saying about the b550 chipset. For my needs I believe you are right and that it will be sufficient. I am having trouble finding one with wifi that is really any cheaper than the one I selected. Any recommendations?

and no, I’m not sure about the 5500XT lol. It’s just what I can fit in my budget and it’s super hard to find anything right now. I don’t play a ton of games - currently only play Warzone but I’ve never built a PC to have anything else to base it off

 

[Prad_Bitt]

Thanks - I am still learning but understand what you are saying about the b550 chipset. For my needs I believe you are right and that it will be sufficient. I am having trouble finding one with wifi that is really any cheaper than the one I selected. Any recommendations?

and no, I’m not sure about the 5500XT lol. It’s just what I can fit in my budget and it’s super hard to find anything right now. I don’t play a ton of games - currently only play Warzone but I’ve never built a PC to have anything else to base it off

For B550, I have a Gigabyte B550 Aorus Pro AC. A better one would be the Asus Strix B550-F WiFi. I usually recommend either of these two to B550 seekers. But you don't really need either of those because you won't be OCing at all. I planned to OC, so I picked a board appropriate for that.

I'm not sure the 5500XT will do you justice in a heavy game like warzone, especially at 1440p. You should check out benchmarks for GPUs and CPU's before buying any.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/hw7wDc

This leaves you with $280 for a GPU

If you have a discrete GPU lying around, use that for a while, and wait for the RTX 3050, I think that would be less than $280. I say wait because you have a 1440p monitor. It's definitely gonna be worth the wait to get a GPU that can actually utilise the extra pixels

Or you can probably find an RTX 2060 at a discount around that price somewhere, or at least a 1660 Ti. Way better than the 5500 XT. Also those might not even need the higher end 650W PSU I included. If you don't mind wires you can buy a CX650 instead. And if the wattage is way too OP, you can even get away with a CX550. Don't get the CXM though, not so good lol.

I included the Crucial P2 instead of the Blue NVMe because I don't think $20 extra is worth it, although I am not sure of the specifics, so it might even be 😅

 

[punkncat]

I would check that Corsair memory against the QVL for mobo. I like Corsair, and use it with a Ryzen build I have, but overall have had far better luck on some of the "Ryzen Optimized" RAM selections.
IMO would go with a better PSU if you can squeeze it in.

 

[Cjpace]

For B550, I have a Gigabyte B550 Aorus Pro AC. A better one would be the Asus Strix B550-F WiFi. I usually recommend either of these two to B550 seekers. But you don't really need either of those because you won't be OCing at all. I planned to OC, so I picked a board appropriate for that.

I'm not sure the 5500XT will do you justice in a heavy game like warzone, especially at 1440p. You should check out benchmarks for GPUs and CPU's before buying any.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/hw7wDc

This leaves you with $280 for a GPU

If you have a discrete GPU lying around, use that for a while, and wait for the RTX 3050, I think that would be less than $280. I say wait because you have a 1440p monitor. It's definitely gonna be worth the wait to get a GPU that can actually utilise the extra pixels

Or you can probably find an RTX 2060 at a discount around that price somewhere, or at least a 1660 Ti. Way better than the 5500 XT. Also those might not even need the higher end 650W PSU I included. If you don't mind wires you can buy a CX650 instead. And if the wattage is way too OP, you can even get away with a CX550. Don't get the CXM though, not so good lol.

I included the Crucial P2 instead of the Blue NVMe because I don't think $20 extra is worth it, although I am not sure of the specifics, so it might even be 😅

Awesome. Thank you for this!

 

[geofelt]

Your parts are compatible, but I might do things differently.
A balanced gamer will budget about 2x the cost of the processor for the graphics card.
You are about 1:1.
The graphics card is the most important component for gaming.
Particularly at higher resolutions like 1440P.

I might suggest splitting your $430 cpu/gpu budget into more like $115/$315. That would buy you a i3-10100 processor and a GTX1660 class graphics card.
Graphics cards are hard to buy now.
If you want, you can use the integrated HD630 graphics with your monitor for starters.

Lest you think the i3-10100 is not a good budget gamer, read this review:
https://www.techpowerup.com/review/intel-core-i3-10100/16.html
It trades blows with the 3600.
You could use any lga1200 based motherboard, about $75.

No need for fast ram. 2666 speed is fine.

I like the simplicity of a single large C drive.
A 1tb intel 665P m.2 pcie ssd is about $100.
You can always add storage later if/when you run out of space.

Consider the power supply as a long term investment. Buy a quality 650w unit with a 7 or 10 year warranty.
That will accommodate future graphics upgrades.
Seasonic is usually a safe choice.

FWIW, as a first time builder,

MY build process:

Before anything, while waiting for your parts to be delivered, download
and read, cover to cover your case and motherboard manual.
Buy a #2 magnetic tip philips screwdriver.
I find it handy to buy a power switch like this for testing.
https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E168121..._switch-_-12-119-009-_-Product&quicklink=true
1. I assemble the critical parts outside of the case.
That lets me test them for functionality easily.
A wood table or cardboard is fine.
2. Plug in only the necessary parts at first. Ram, cpu, cooler, psu.
Do not force anything. Parts fit only one way.
Attach a monitor to the integrated motherboard adapter if you have one, otherwise to the graphics card.

1. If your motherboard does not have a PWR button, momentarily touch the two pwr front panel pins with a flat blade screwdriver.
2. Repeatedly hit F2 or DEL, and that should get you into the bios display.
3. Boot from a cd or usb stick with memtest86 on it. memtest will exercise your ram and cpu functionality.
4. Install windows.
5. Install the motherboard cd drivers. Particularly the lan drivers so you can access the internet.

Do not select the easy install option, or you will get a bunch of utilities and trialware that you don't want. Drivers only.

1. Connect to the internet and install an antivirus program. Microsoft defender is free, easy, and unobtrusive.
2. Install your graphics card and driver if you tested with integrated graphics.

You will need to remove the graphics card later to install your motherboard in the case.
As a tip when screwing the motherboard into the posts, give the screw a small counterclockwise turn until you feel a click.
That lets you know that the screw will engage properly.
Make a note of how the graphics card latches into the pcie slot.
The mechanism will be hidden under the card and may be difficult to work if you have not previously checked how.

1. Update windows to currency.
2. Only now do I take apart what I need to and install it in the case.
3. Now is the time to reinstall your graphics card.