[SOLVED] Picking out parts for pc for friend

[ThatSourMelon]

I’m helping my friend pick out some parts for his first pc! He has a budget of ~$800 (for everything) and this is what we can up with:

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/ThatSourMelon/saved/mqWwzy

(he has a mouse, keyboard, and headset already, he’s going to sell his old laptop, but he suggested that if he had the extra cash he would like a new mouse and keyboard, idk if pcpartpicker calculates tax, so I told him to save buying those for last if he had the extra cash.) Idk what mail-in debuted are, but I assume they don’t apply, so add $15 to the final amount.

So I just wanted to double check with everyone, is this new-builder friendly? Should he get a cpu cooler with that budget besides sticking with the stock? And are there any compromises that could be made without and too much of a quality drop off (it would always be nice to get things a little cheaper)?

 

[Barty1884]

Build is fine...

Some comments though:

If you can find the Ryzen5 1600AF, then opt for it. MSRP is $85, and it's a rebranded 2600.... exactly the same CPU for ~1/2 the money. Might take a bit of hunting around for though, as they're in pretty high demand.

I'd avoid the BQ units. A quality CX450 would suffice, is better quality and similarly priced.

A basic "N" wifi adapter, even at $15 isn't the best investment these days.
I'd consider moving to an onboard AC solution, especially if freeing up budget elsewhere.

If your friend is open to used hardware, you can typically find great deals on 570s vs~$140 new. They regularly sell for closer to $70 on the used market, or for ~$100, 8GB 580's are doable.

Even if only looking at new, assuming rebates are acceptable, 580s can be found as low as ~$155.

Might want to give some consideration to a slightly larger panel.... ~24" can be found for $5-$10 more, albeit trading off IPS (colour reproduction) to VA (a nice balance) or TN (better response time, poor colours/viewing angles).

Assuming you can find an $85 1600AF, you could do a decent bit better, for a bit less money
Example:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 1600 (14nm) 3.2 GHz 6-Core Processor ($85.00)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B450 AORUS PRO WIFI (rev. 1.0) ATX AM4 Motherboard ($127.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Patriot Viper Steel 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($67.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: ADATA Ultimate SU800 512 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 580 8 GB GT Video Card ($154.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P400 ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.98 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($69.73 @ Amazon)
Monitor: VIOTEK NB24CB 24.0" 1920x1080 75 Hz Monitor ($109.99 @ Best Buy)
Keyboard: Razer Cynosa Chroma Wired Gaming Keyboard ($45.99 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Redragon COBRA M711 Wired Optical Mouse ($21.99 @ Amazon)
Custom: 4K HDR HDMI Cable 3ft by MINC - High Speed HDMI 2.0 Supports 4K 60hz 4 4 4 HDR, Deep Color, 1080p 240hz, 3D 120hz, HDCP 2.2 and ARC Compatible Xbox, PS4, Apple TV - 26AWG ($9.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $773.63
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-04-27 19:06 EDT-0400

 

[ThatSourMelon]

Build is fine...

Some comments though:

If you can find the Ryzen5 1600AF, then opt for it. MSRP is $85, and it's a rebranded 2600.... exactly the same CPU for ~1/2 the money. Might take a bit of hunting around for though, as they're in pretty high demand.

I'd avoid the BQ units. A quality CX450 would suffice, is better quality and similarly priced.

A basic "N" wifi adapter, even at $15 isn't the best investment these days.
I'd consider moving to an onboard AC solution, especially if freeing up budget elsewhere.

If your friend is open to used hardware, you can typically find great deals on 570s vs~$140 new. They regularly sell for closer to $70 on the used market, or for ~$100, 8GB 580's are doable.

Even if only looking at new, assuming rebates are acceptable, 580s can be found as low as ~$155.

Might want to give some consideration to a slightly larger panel.... ~24" can be found for $5-$10 more, albeit trading off IPS (colour reproduction) to VA (a nice balance) or TN (better response time, poor colours/viewing angles).

Assuming you can find an $85 1600AF, you could do a decent bit better, for a bit less money
Example:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 1600 (14nm) 3.2 GHz 6-Core Processor ($85.00)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B450 AORUS PRO WIFI (rev. 1.0) ATX AM4 Motherboard ($127.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Patriot Viper Steel 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($67.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: ADATA Ultimate SU800 512 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 580 8 GB GT Video Card ($154.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P400 ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.98 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($69.73 @ Amazon)
Monitor: VIOTEK NB24CB 24.0" 1920x1080 75 Hz Monitor ($109.99 @ Best Buy)
Keyboard: Razer Cynosa Chroma Wired Gaming Keyboard ($45.99 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Redragon COBRA M711 Wired Optical Mouse ($21.99 @ Amazon)
Custom: 4K HDR HDMI Cable 3ft by MINC - High Speed HDMI 2.0 Supports 4K 60hz 4 4 4 HDR, Deep Color, 1080p 240hz, 3D 120hz, HDCP 2.2 and ARC Compatible Xbox, PS4, Apple TV - 26AWG ($9.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $773.63
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-04-27 19:06 EDT-0400

Thanks! That was all super helpful! Just to clarify, you said it was better to use a motherboard with built-in wifi instead of a wireless networking card? It’s more expensive and I heard that external antennas have a better signal. That psu you recommended is more expensive, and so is the motherboard. My friend isn’t comfortable buying from online retailers he hasn’t heard of and used parts. I couldn’t find that cpu you were suggesting. So unless you have a fix for those, or that BQ psu is a really bad choice for a psu, or that wifi card is really bad, I think I’m just going to stick with what I have, thx!

 

[Barty1884]

The "onboard" Wifi has external antennas. You're comparing Apples and Oranges between the card you linked ($15 wireless N, a standard from 2006) and the onboard offerings AC, a later standard (~2013), with much faster throughput available. Might be a moot point depending on the Wifi setup they have, but better to be overspec'd than under - especially for a ~$20 difference when it's all said an done.

If you/they want to stick with the Tomahawk, that's a great board - but on the Wifi front, I'd suggest putting an extra $10-$15 into it (for a $20-$30 purchase) for a better quality, newer offering.
Some examples... PCIe:
https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/k9ndnQ,MLJmP6/
USB options exist too, but the good ones tend to be more expensive for the convenience factor (I assume), more in the ~$50 range. I've had great success with the older model of this, for example, but it's $60.
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/dmYXsY/asus-wireless-network-card-usbac56

Yeah, the R5 1600AF seems to be really hard to come by at the minute. Unless they simply must buy in the next few days, I'll hold off on the CPU purchase. If the AF reappears, you get the same CPU for roughly half the price. If it doesn't, they're no worse off.

The BQ is now out of stock, so it's not a direct comparison. However the CX450 is a better quality unit. At the time I posted it, I was comparing it at $69 outright vs the $75 before rebate... so it was actually a little cheaper, and better quality. Albeit a lesser wattage on the label.

Nothing in the build was really bad, no. I was merely offering alternatives to either bring the cost down (maintaining or improving quality) or the net more performance for similar money.

Used parts is one thing, and that's totally understandable. As far as online retailers go though, my parts list was exclusively Amazon, NewEgg, B&H & BestBuy. Not sure which of those your friend is unfamiliar with (I'm assuming probably B&H), but they've nothing to worry about there. All are highly reputable stores, with a long standing reputation.

 

[ThatSourMelon]

The "onboard" Wifi has external antennas. You're comparing Apples and Oranges between the card you linked ($15 wireless N, a standard from 2006) and the onboard offerings AC, a later standard (~2013), with much faster throughput available. Might be a moot point depending on the Wifi setup they have, but better to be overspec'd than under - especially for a ~$20 difference when it's all said an done.

If you/they want to stick with the Tomahawk, that's a great board - but on the Wifi front, I'd suggest putting an extra $10-$15 into it (for a $20-$30 purchase) for a better quality, newer offering.
Some examples... PCIe:
https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/k9ndnQ,MLJmP6/
USB options exist too, but the good ones tend to be more expensive for the convenience factor (I assume), more in the ~$50 range. I've had great success with the older model of this, for example, but it's $60.
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/dmYXsY/asus-wireless-network-card-usbac56

Yeah, the R5 1600AF seems to be really hard to come by at the minute. Unless they simply must buy in the next few days, I'll hold off on the CPU purchase. If the AF reappears, you get the same CPU for roughly half the price. If it doesn't, they're no worse off.

The BQ is now out of stock, so it's not a direct comparison. However the CX450 is a better quality unit. At the time I posted it, I was comparing it at $69 outright vs the $75 before rebate... so it was actually a little cheaper, and better quality. Albeit a lesser wattage on the label.

Nothing in the build was really bad, no. I was merely offering alternatives to either bring the cost down (maintaining or improving quality) or the net more performance for similar money.

Used parts is one thing, and that's totally understandable. As far as online retailers go though, my parts list was exclusively Amazon, NewEgg, B&H & BestBuy. Not sure which of those your friend is unfamiliar with (I'm assuming probably B&H), but they've nothing to worry about there. All are highly reputable stores, with a long standing reputation.

Ya, ok. The Corsair psu is still the same certification, and it’s not macular, which I think could be important in the wire management, but I’ll trust you. I’ll look for a board with wifi on-board, found the Gigabyte B450 AORUS PRO WIFI, and we’ll look for an 1600af. Thx for all your input it has been super helpful!