[SOLVED] The value of peripherals vs the computer

[gondo]

Here's an interesting food for thought. Just thought I'd get everyone's opinion on this.

When building a new computer for someone who has nothing and a limited budget. How much money goes into the computer and how much into peripherals.

Personally I like the idea of buying a good case, great power supply, nice keyboard, mouse, headset, great monitor to start off with. I would sacrifice the computer and get an I5 instead of an I7 or a B450 instead of an X550 motherboard, or a 2060 rather than a 2070super video card to overbuy on the peripherals. My logic is that those peripherals will last you 10+ years and never require an upgrade saving you money in the long run. You will also enjoy your computer over those 10 years since you have a nice monitor, keyboard, etc... But your system can easily be upgraded 1 piece at a time to increase it's speed, and an I7 will eventually be upgraded anyways. And would you even notice the difference between an I7 and an I5? Many people won't. I know people who never adjust video settings in games and just game at whatever default they are thrown into so getting them a 2080Ti would be worthless.

I say sacrifice and get the nice peripherals initially, and then in the future when the next generation of CPU or video card is out upgrade to that. For now stick with an I3 and 1660 video card. I guess it comes down to if you are willing to game with a 2070super video card using a $5 mouse and $100 monitor or would you rather have it the other way around? A tricked out setup but only capable of running 1080p at 60fps.

 

[Barty1884]

Interesting question. There has to be a balance, and there's no hard & fast rule.

Sure, a nice monitor and peripherals is great.... but if the user won't have the funds to upgrade the tower for a number of years, certain elements are a bit of a waste.

For a gamer, a 144Hz/1440p panel sounds great, but if that only leaves enough in the budget for a GT1030, it's pretty irrelevant.

For someone who does a lot of word processing, a comfortable keyboard might be a priority. Doesn't matter if the system is sporting an Athlon or an i9 if it's not fit for purpose.


From your description, you're clearly looking at this from a gamers perspective... so let's look at that.
First and foremost, I'd prioritize making sure the GPU/CPU/PSU/RAM is fit for purpose & good quality, then a Monitor. If upgrades are likely, at this point I'd consider what resolution the GPU now is capable of.... and then consider whether a step 'up' makes any sense. If you're buying a 2060, a 1440p panel isn't a bad option.... but a 4K panel would be a poor decision.

Provided the motherboard is compatible, and has no inherent issues (like a weak VRM for a Ryzen9 or something), it should just work. Of course, having an eye on an upgrade path is great, but not always viable.

A case, provided it fits the components & has reasonable airflow serves it's purpose. When you're on a budget, the aesthetic element is the first compromise you should make, IMO.

KB/M, headset, mic are entirely subjective, and I would personally leave those until the end - as the lesser priority if you will.
You can game with a $20 KB/M combo and a $10 headset, and it's a heck of a lot easier to replace those in short order than it is to replace your CPU.


Again, interesting topic.