Advice needed/wanted please

[Papa]

My son's 16th is in a couple of weeks & I told him for his present we'd put together a computer. He's a typical teenager - which means he plays games ... A LOT!

The problem is, it's been over a decade since I put a computer together. I went to NewEgg to purchase the parts (budget ~$1000), but was bombarded with terms that are greek to me (TPM, M.2, etc)

So I thought I'd come here (my old stomping grounds) and fish for any advice. Any advice is welcome, and could come in the form of links to tutorials, component lists, or just plain "Don't do it!"

Thanks,
Mike

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Copied from the sticky to keep it together:

Hello all - Hopefully you can help me.

It's my son's 16th in a couple of weeks & we want to put together a system as kind of a b-day present. I went over to NewEgg to buy the parts, but I was pretty much lost for what I needed ... probably due to the fact that I haven't built a system in over a decade. To add perspective on how long it;s been, my last build included a floppy drive.

Let's see if I can remember the questions from the first post...

- I'm in MI
- my budget is ~$1000
- my son is a typical teenager ... that means A LOT of games
- I don't do any overclocking ... don't see the need
- No brand preference (except I was told to go with Intel, not AMD)
- I think he uses Windows 10 at his moms house, so I'd like to go with that

I've been told (not sure if it's true) that these days you can buy a system for far cheaper than you can build the same one. That's really not the point here ... the b-day present isn't the computer, it's the putting it together.

I'm really open to any advice here - be it links to tutorials, parts lists, or anything.

Thanks guys,
Mike <---formally (as in more than a decade ago) a P&N regular

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Are you anywhere near the Micro Center in the Madison Heights area? If so they do have in-store specials that could save some money, and they will price match Newegg and Amazon as well. If not, no biggie, we'll focus on Newegg.

 

[nsafreak]

Also does the budget include the peripherals (mouse, keyboard, monitor, etc.) or do you already have a some/all of those?

 

[Papa]

Grand Rapids

All peripherals needed. He lives with his mother and I don't think she'd be to happy with us using some of 'her' parts.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Grand Rapids

Hmm, yeah, nothing local here except for Best Buy, though they do occasionally have a good deal (like the Logitech G710 gaming keyboard I got from there). They will also price match Newegg, Amazon, and a few others.

All peripherals needed. He lives with his mother and I don't think she'd be to happy with us using some of 'her' parts.

So, you'll need monitor, keyboard, and mouse, as well as speakers or headset.

 

[Papa]

So, you'll need monitor, keyboard, and mouse, as well as speakers or headset.

Correct. I did get him a pair of headphones Tekn Motion) last year for Xmas, but he says they hurt his ears.

 

[fralexandr]

since your budget is ~$1k the attention low-end/midrange builders thread provides a good starting point
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2389797

Updated 5/6
"Midrange" build, overclocking, $1000:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($233.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: *Zalman CNPS10X OPTIMA CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: *Gigabyte GA-Z170M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: *Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($57.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: *Samsung 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: *Toshiba 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($42.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: *Sapphire Radeon R9 390X 8GB Tri-X Video Card ($374.99 @ Newegg)
Case: *Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: *Corsair Builder 750W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($43.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: *Lite-On iHAS124-14 DVD/CD Writer ($13.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1002.75
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-06 18:46 EDT-0400

Still hangin' on to the 390X; cut the mobo. Last update before new cards...are announced...I think. :hmm:

Post-presentation edit: You might consider the 390X a 1070 placeholder.

Previous "midrange" builds: 4/29, 4/23, 3/18, 3/4-3/11, 2/26, 2/19, 2/12, 1/22-2/5, 1/15

an example complete system for ~$1200
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($194.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-E ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($88.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: GeIL EVO POTENZA 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($53.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk SSD PLUS 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($61.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Toshiba 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($42.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 390 8GB PCS+ Video Card ($287.10 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX XT 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($31.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($36.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($83.89 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link Archer T2U 802.11a/b/g/n/ac USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($19.28 @ B&H)
Monitor: Dell S2316M 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($99.99 @ Best Buy)
Keyboard: AZIO MGK1-K Wired Gaming Keyboard ($65.99 @ NCIX US)
Mouse: Logitech G300S Wired Optical Mouse ($27.99 @ Newegg)
Other: mackie CR3 ($85.00) or CR4 ($115)
Total: $1225.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-14 13:35 EDT-0400

 

[AnonymouseUser]

since your budget is ~$1k the attention low-end/midrange builders thread provides a good starting point
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2389797

No offense, but that's a terrible list. Too many vendors, PSU is borderline junk, CPU cooler is unnecessary, and the GPU is too expensive which leaves no room for peripherals.

Also, the case is in-store price @ Micro Center with shipping extra.

 

[fralexandr]

the cpu cooler is necessary since skylake K cpus don't have HSF?
and as i said it's an ok starting point?

 

[AnonymouseUser]

the cpu cooler is necessary since skylake K cpus don't have HSF?
and as i said it's an ok starting point?

I guess if you go Skylake K it's necessary, but I wouldn't recommend overclocking if total build cost is roughly $1000 as the K processors are too expensive. That would mean cheaping out on other components and that's not a good idea. The motherboard also has a good percentage of negative reviews, including one where a capacitor wasn't properly soldered to the board. I've also had negative experiences with Gigabyte boards.

 

[Papa]

In all honesty, I wouldn't have a clue on how to overclock. I'm really not a 'computer guy', so it really isn't something I ever would want to do. Just sayin.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Ok, here's what I've come up with. Highest clocked i3 is good for gaming and is a good balance between price and performance.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6320 3.9GHz Dual-Core Processor ($152.81 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI B150M MORTAR Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Best Buy)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($57.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk SSD PLUS 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($61.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 380X 4GB WINDFORCE 2X Video Card ($200.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($35.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($36.98 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VS247H-P 23.6" Monitor ($125.98 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Thermaltake POSEIDON Z Wired Gaming Keyboard ($62.87 @ Amazon)
Headphones: Creative Labs Creative Fatal1ty Headset ($19.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $938.55
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-14 14:42 EDT-0400

Mouse - Sharkoon Fireglider for $32 shipped @ Newegg

Total ~$970 + tax

Some of these can be bought/price-matched at Best Buy if you wish, such as the motherboard and SSD. The Monitor is a little pricey because it has a 2ms refresh rate response time which is better for gaming.

Also, I seem to have missed the OS, so that needs to be factored in as well.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Taking a cue from fralexandr, I modified my list to include OS and Wireless adapter. I also dropped the CPU and keyboard to a cheaper model to lower the price. SSD was changed from 240GB to 120GB, and RAM was reduced to 8GB as well.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($115.95 @ B&H)
Motherboard: MSI B150M MORTAR Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Best Buy)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws 4 series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($33.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk SSD PLUS 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($42.50 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 380X 4GB WINDFORCE 2X Video Card ($200.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($35.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($36.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($85.99 @ Amazon)
Wireless Network Adapter: TRENDnet TEW-804UB 802.11a/b/g/n/ac USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($18.35 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Asus VS247H-P 23.6" Monitor ($125.98 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Thermaltake POSEIDON ZX Wired Standard Keyboard ($56.91 @ Amazon)
Headphones: Creative Labs Creative Fatal1ty Headset ($19.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $956.57
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-14 15:48 EDT-0400

Mouse - Sharkoon Fireglider for $32 shipped @ Newegg

Total ~$989

 

[corkyg]

Why not just give him the $1K and let him choose his own gear? Just a thought.

 

[Papa]

I appreciate you taking the time to do this ... now I remember why these forums stand out from the rest.

Mind if I ask a quick question. Why the 2 kinds of hard drives? I noticed that when I was browsing different sites. Many systems had a SSD along with a 'regular' drive. Why is that?

I can see I have a lot of catching up to do.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[nsafreak]

I appreciate you taking the time to do this ... now I remember why these forums stand out from the rest.

Mind if I ask a quick question. Why the 2 kinds of hard drives? I noticed that when I was browsing different sites. Many systems had a SSD along with a 'regular' drive. Why is that?

I can see I have a lot of catching up to do.

Thanks,
Mike

SSDs are generally used as OS/program drives. They're much faster than mechanical drives and as such allow for faster program loads and faster boot times. Basically an overall better user experience as the system is more responsive.

 

[Papa]

Ah, makes sense. Thanks dude.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

You could consider going with a single 480GB SSD as the prices are much more affordable now, and forgo the HDD altogether. This will limit his storage capacity quite a bit, but he can always add another storage drive later before he runs out of space.

 

[Papa]

Here's what I've come up with. Please skim over it & let me know if I'm way off or have missed anything.

My apologies, how to hide links under some text escapes me.

CPU - i5-4590 Haswell Quad-Core 3.3 GHz (199.99) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...well_Quad-Core_3.3_GHz-_-19-116-991-_-Product

Motherboard - MSI Z97 PC Mate LGA 1150 (79.99) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...I_Z97_PC_Mate_LGA_1150-_-13-130-779-_-Product

Video Card - ASUS Radeon R9 380 STRIX-R9380-DC2OC-4GD5-GAMING 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5 (189.99) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...MING_4GB_256-Bit_GDDR5-_-14-121-978-_-Product

Memory - Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (52.99) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...n_DDR3_SDRAM_DDR3_1600-_-20-148-545-_-Product

Storage - Corsair Force LE 2.5" 480GB SATA III TLC Internal Solid State Drive (114.99) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...rnal_Solid_State_Drive-_-20-233-949-_-Product

Case - Corsair Carbide Series 200R Black (44.99) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...bide_Series_200R_Black-_-11-139-018-_-Product

Keyboard/Mouse - CM Storm Devastator - LED Gaming Keyboard and Mouse Combo (19.99) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...3129030&cm_re=cm_storm-_-23-129-030-_-Product

Headphones - Creative Fatal1ty Gaming Headset (19.99) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ative+Fatal1ty+Gaming+Headset&N=-1&isNodeId=1

Power Supply - EVGA 100-B1-0500-KR 80 PLUS Bronze 500W Active PFC ATX12V v2.31/EPS 12V v2.91 (29.99) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...C_ATX12V_v2.31/EPS_12V-_-17-438-012-_-Product

Optical - LITE-ON DVD Burner SATA Model iHAS124-14 - OEM (19.99) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...Model_iHAS124-14_-_OEM-_-27-106-393-_-Product

Monitor - ASUS VS Series VS247H-P Black 23.6" (124.99) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...s_VS247H-P_Black_23.6"-_-24-236-174-_-Product

~$900


A few questions/observances...

I figured a CPU cooler isn't needed...true?
Everything is from NewEgg. I used the 'Best Sellers' option a lot. Any experiences with their rebates...there's a lot of them?
This case is big enough, right?
Do I need any thermal compound? What about any (monitor)cables?

Thanks for the help,
Mike

 

[nsafreak]

Mike,

To answer your questions:

1) CPU Cooler - No, you don't need one. The one that's included with the CPU will work just fine.
2) Rebates are going to vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Some are quick to to send a check, others not so much. I wouldn't rely too heavily on them to keep it within your budget.
3) The case is plenty big enough
4) The heatsink that comes with the CPU has thermal compound pre-applied so no you don't need any thermal compound. You won't need any monitor cables either as the one you've selected comes with a DVI cable. You should be set on SATA cables as most motherboards come with at least two and that's all you need currently.

 

[Papa]

Thanks dude. I'll go ahead and pull the trigger today.

Mike

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Most everything looks good.

I would be concerned that the keyboard and mouse will need to be replaced within the first year, though. Lots of complaints in the most recent Slickdeals thread. I understand wanting to go cheap in some areas, but I don't think you should go this cheap.

I also think the 380X is worth the few extra dollars over the 380.

DVD drive instead of Bluray is fine as well.

Lack of wireless adapter means he has a wired connection or another wireless adapter already?

Also the OS will need to be factored into the total.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

There is another R9 380 for a little less, which gives you some extra spending money for the keyboard/mouse. I really don't think you'll see a difference in gaming between those two 380's.

 

[Papa]

Most everything looks good.

I would be concerned that the keyboard and mouse will need to be replaced within the first year, though. Lots of complaints in the most recent Slickdeals thread. I understand wanting to go cheap in some areas, but I don't think you should go this cheap.

I also think the 380X is worth the few extra dollars over the 380.

DVD drive instead of Bluray is fine as well.

Lack of wireless adapter means he has a wired connection or another wireless adapter already?

Also the OS will need to be factored into the total.

Hi AU,

I'll take a look at that thread concerning the keyboard. Newegg's site says there's a newer version of that particular keyboard. Maybe that one would be better. The OS is purchased already, so no worries there. We have an old system hooked up to the cable modem already, we'll just replace that computer, so also no worries.

Mike