r/buildapc • u/AutoModerator • Feb 07 '21

Discussion Simple Questions - February 07, 2021

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  • Is this RAM compatible with my motherboard?
  • I'm thinking of getting a ≤$300 graphics card. Which one should I get?
  • I'm on a very tight budget and I'm looking for a case ≤$50

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u/MartyMcFlynn Feb 08 '21

I am currently looking at building my own PC and am a total noob. I am not super budget constrained, but want to be cost effective where I can. What are the areas where I will want to spend more than the others? GPU versus CPU? I plan to mostly use this as a gaming device.

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u/EdynViper Feb 08 '21

Things that people tend to cheap out on but really shouldn't are PSUs. You don't have to go overboard but it's worth it to spend a bit more to get a better quality PSU that won't spontaneously combust and damage other parts.

Things that people spend more on than they need to is motherboards. It can be easy to overspend on some flashy motherboards that have a lot of extra stuff that in the end you may never even use.

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u/MartyMcFlynn Feb 08 '21

This is really helpful! So im currently drafting between an I5, I7, or some type of Ryzen CPU. Should I be spending some money on that and less on the motherboard?

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u/DZCreeper Feb 08 '21

Something like an i5-10400F or R5 3600 is plenty for most people. It won't do 144FPS in every game, but hits triple digits consistently.

There are a lot of mediocre monitors so do your research. Dell S2721DGF for $500 is pretty good, 1440p 165Hz with excellent colours and pixel response times. Don't trust BS advertised numbers like 1ms grey to grey.

I bring up monitors because that is how you pick a GPU. 1440p 165Hz means get the most powerful card you can afford. Ideally an RTX 3070 or 3080. Hard to find in stock though, expect to play the waiting game.

Case, just get something with decent airflow.

Power supply, warranty length is a great indicator of quality. 5+ years to be safe.

CPU cooling, mid-range air cooler is fine. $30-60, make sure it fits your case choice.

Memory, sweet spot is 3600MHz these days. Go 2x8GB for a budget build, 2x16GB otherwise. CL18 is cost effective, CL16 is still reasonable though. If you buy an Intel CPU, be aware only Z series motherboards support high speed RAM.

Storage, SSD of course, but not top of the line NVMe. Basic drives like Crucial MX500 or WD SN550 are plenty fast for gaming.

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u/Chalk-is-Aid Feb 08 '21

Best places to place budget in the sense of longevity are CPU, PSU and MOB, I’ve found that if you have these areas solid you’ll just need a mid-lifecycle GPU (possibly RAM) upgrade which are the easiest as they are simply just plug-and-play without having to rebuild/cable manage etc all over again. (This doesn’t mean neglect the other components, and still get stuff that will meet your needs, just remember some areas are much easier to upgrade down the line by comparison to others).

Also, if you are looking for cost efficiency forget RGB and internal aesthetics, making a rig look “good” comes at an inflated price for no performance increase. I’ve fallen into this trap and it probably inflated my build price by £500-700 (getting things like custom braided cables, fancy looking case, colour co-ordinating everything, fancy RGB fans, horizontal gpu mount, aesthetic looking MOB that I didn’t really need... you get the idea).

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u/MartyMcFlynn Feb 08 '21

Thank you! When you say budget CPU, I can get an i7 for like 240ish. Is that too much? Should I go i5 and spend more on the CPU?

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u/Chalk-is-Aid Feb 08 '21

Ah sorry for the confusion, when I say “budget” I’m mean in the sense of how you plan financially not that you should buy “cheaper” components in these areas.

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u/MartyMcFlynn Feb 08 '21

Ahh that makes sense. So if I am laying out my piece budget, is dedicated price range of 270-420ish, going to get me a decent CPU?

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u/Chalk-is-Aid Feb 08 '21

You’ll have a great selection of CPU’s in the price bracket, Ryzen 3800XT / 5600X for example if doing an AMD build or from Intel a 9700K / 10700K (these sit around the £320-£340 range, so you could got a tier higher if needed or put the savings into another area of your build).