Low Budget Build

[isthisagoodusername]

Hey there,

I was wondering if anyone had any advice for me about what specs I should get on a low budget build. The max I think I could spend is £900 which includes a keyboard ( i already have a monitor and mouse). I also already have a 1TB portable SSD so I wouldn't need a bunch of internal storage. I would like to play AAA games like Call Of Duty, GTA V etc. and normal activities such as browsing the web and social media. If it's possible, could someone please show me the best specs I could get for the price? I'm a bit of a novice.

Cheers

 

[Martinr36]

I would suggest you save about another £600, as prices are sky high at the minute

 

[Citrus_9]

Hey there,

I was wondering if anyone had any advice for me about what specs I should get on a low budget build. The max I think I could spend is £900 which includes a keyboard ( i already have a monitor and mouse). I also already have a 1TB portable SSD so I wouldn't need a bunch of internal storage. I would like to play AAA games like Call Of Duty, GTA V etc. and normal activities such as browsing the web and social media. If it's possible, could someone please show me the best specs I could get for the price? I'm a bit of a novice.

Cheers

Very hard to get anything for such a low budget. What is your monitor (resolution, refresh rate)?

If it's 1080p, these specs could do something GTA V 50-100 fps which is very poor. I'd suggest saving twice this budget to get something decent.

Case
THERMALTAKE V200 2.0 TEMPERED GLASS RGB EDITION GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600X Six Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.4GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days
Price: £1,017.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/E6VT9x4y69/

 

[isthisagoodusername]

I see... I don't know whether I would be able to spend 1500+ unfortunately. I have found this on Curry's.
Do you think that this would be okay? From my Knowledge, it seems good however I may be wrong.

***Competitor product removed***

Specs were:
i5 10400f
16Gb RAM 2666MHz
RTX2060
1Tb HDD and 256Gb SATA SSD

Also in answer to your question, this is my monitor https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/compu...l-hd-23-8-lcd-monitor-black-10208171-pdt.html

 

[SpyderTracks]

I see... I don't know whether I would be able to spend 1500+ unfortunately. I have found this on Curry's.
Do you think that this would be okay? From my Knowledge, it seems good however I may be wrong.

Also in answer to your question, this is my monitor https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/compu...l-hd-23-8-lcd-monitor-black-10208171-pdt.html

As PCS sell custom desktops and laptops we can't advise on competitor builds I'm afraid, you'd need to check an open forum like Toms Hardware.

 

[Citrus_9]

I see... I don't know whether I would be able to spend 1500+ unfortunately. I have found this on Curry's.
Do you think that this would be okay? From my Knowledge, it seems good however I may be wrong.

***Competitor product removed***

Specs were:
i5 10400f
16Gb RAM 2666MHz
RTX2060
1Tb HDD and 256Gb SATA SSD

Also in answer to your question, this is my monitor https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/compu...l-hd-23-8-lcd-monitor-black-10208171-pdt.html

Pre-built PCs normally aren't that great as the custom ones because of less flexibility for upgrades, poor quality PSU and other issues.

 

[Martinr36]

Pre-built PCs normally aren't that great as the custom ones because of less flexibility for upgrades, poor quality PSU and other issues.

Yeah the pre built ones from places like currys will have one or 2 premium parts fitted to sell them, but the rest of the system will be just enough to get by

 

[isthisagoodusername]

Oh ok. Thank you. Would these specs do? They are similar to your previous suggestion, just a little cheaper
Case
CORSAIR 175R RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i5 Six Core Processor i5-10600K (4.1 GHz) 12 MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® H410M-A: Micro-ATX, DDR4, USB 3.2, SATA 6GBs
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
256GB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (500MB/R, 400MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 450W CV SERIES™ CV-450 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 100 V3 Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days

PCSPECIALIST - Custom Computers and Laptops Built to Order

PCSpecialist is a manufacturer of high quality custom computers and laptops. Configure your ideal computer in just a few simple steps with a broad range available.

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

 

[Martinr36]

Oh ok. Thank you. Would these specs do? They are similar to your previous suggestion, just a little cheaper
Case
CORSAIR 175R RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i5 Six Core Processor i5-10600K (4.1 GHz) 12 MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® H410M-A: Micro-ATX, DDR4, USB 3.2, SATA 6GBs
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
256GB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (500MB/R, 400MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 450W CV SERIES™ CV-450 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 100 V3 Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days

PCSPECIALIST - Custom Computers and Laptops Built to Order

PCSpecialist is a manufacturer of high quality custom computers and laptops. Configure your ideal computer in just a few simple steps with a broad range available.

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

AMD Vs Intel

So some of you aren't aware of the reasons why so many people are heading away from Intel to AMD, so thought it would be important to lay that out for people to refer back to. A lot of you will go to cpubenchmark or userbenchmark to find performance metrics for CPU's. These sites are complete...

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

 

[Citrus_9]

Oh ok. Thank you. Would these specs do? They are similar to your previous suggestion, just a little cheaper
Case
CORSAIR 175R RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i5 Six Core Processor i5-10600K (4.1 GHz) 12 MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® H410M-A: Micro-ATX, DDR4, USB 3.2, SATA 6GBs
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
256GB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (500MB/R, 400MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 450W CV SERIES™ CV-450 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 100 V3 Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days

PCSPECIALIST - Custom Computers and Laptops Built to Order

PCSpecialist is a manufacturer of high quality custom computers and laptops. Configure your ideal computer in just a few simple steps with a broad range available.

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

No. AMD is better these days.

This would be a decent and worth the money PC:

Case
THERMALTAKE V200 2.0 TEMPERED GLASS RGB EDITION GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days
Price: £1,355.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/HUKQ3KFXup/


OR This if you want to throw it away and get a new one after a few years (I mean, somewhere between 1 and 3 years at max):

Case
THERMALTAKE V200 2.0 TEMPERED GLASS RGB EDITION GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600X Six Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.4GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days
Price: £1,073.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/tShYqWp8Fv/

 

[WombatCombat123]

No. AMD is better these days.

This would be a decent and worth the money PC:

Case
THERMALTAKE V200 2.0 TEMPERED GLASS RGB EDITION GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days
Price: £1,355.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/HUKQ3KFXup/


OR This if you want to throw it away and get a new one after a few years (I mean, somewhere between 1 and 3 years at max):

Case
THERMALTAKE V200 2.0 TEMPERED GLASS RGB EDITION GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600X Six Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.4GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days
Price: £1,073.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/tShYqWp8Fv/

Either of these are good, but there is more corners to be cut if needed.

on the first machine you are not going to draw 850w, downgrade considerably. If you really want a modular PSU go for the 650w gold Corsair one (Think that’s the lowest the have? for the RMx) If you don’t require modular, there’s even cheaper ones, I’d recommend keeping to gold rated though (and doing a quick google to ensure it’s not stuck together with super-glue and blu-tack i.e made with cheap Chinese components as this could lead to the entire system being fried one day)

On both machines RAM can be cut down to 8gb if needed, 16 is def more standard now but most games you would run on those systems shouldn’t mind only having 8gb (some games do really like having 16gb though like tarkov and even minecraft.). Also RAM speed can be downgraded, differences between speeds depend on the game again, sometimes it has 2-3 FPS difference, sometimes it’s way more. MOBAs like fast RAM I think (dont know how much of that is up to timings though)

M.2 drive on both can be dropped if you would prefer just a SATA SSD. OS can be a bit snappier and games load faster on a NVMe but not a necessity for most people. I would recommend you have a internal SSD, running games from an external drive might end up being a pain in the ass, but with your external ssd + internal you should have enough space for everything you need unless you horde files like me.

You said you already have a monitor and a mouse? Does this mean you already have a PC with windows? If so you should check if your windows is the edition which can be ported to another machine. This means you would be able to reinstall windows on your new machine, but lose it on the old one (you would have to consult a guide to do this if you don’t know already)

Remove the wireless card totally if you can get an Ethernet connection, it’s better anyway.

Also yeah, as he said get an AMD cpu, most likely a 3600x or a 5600x. I also think the b550 board is a great choice as it’s not losing much over the x570. If you want you could go for the ASUS Prime B550 over the TUF, main difference from what I can tell is in number of PCIe slots. The differences between them for your use might not be worth the 20 or so pound extra.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Either of these are good, but there is more corners to be cut if needed.

on the first machine you are not going to draw 850w, downgrade considerably. If you really want a modular PSU go for the 650w gold Corsair one (Think that’s the lowest the have? for the RMx) If you don’t require modular, there’s even cheaper ones, I’d recommend keeping to gold rated though (and doing a quick google to ensure it’s not stuck together with super-glue and blu-tack i.e made with cheap Chinese components as this could lead to the entire system being fried one day)

On both machines RAM can be cut down to 8gb if needed, 16 is def more standard now but most games you would run on those systems shouldn’t mind only having 8gb (some games do really like having 16gb though like tarkov and even minecraft.). Also RAM speed can be downgraded, differences between speeds depend on the game again, sometimes it has 2-3 FPS difference, sometimes it’s way more. MOBAs like fast RAM I think (dont know how much of that is up to timings though)

M.2 drive on both can be dropped if you would prefer just a SATA SSD. OS can be a bit snappier and games load faster on a NVMe but not a necessity for most people. I would recommend you have a internal SSD, running games from an external drive might end up being a pain in the ass, but with your external ssd + internal you should have enough space for everything you need unless you horde files like me.

You said you already have a monitor and a mouse? Does this mean you already have a PC with windows? If so you should check if your windows is the edition which can be ported to another machine. This means you would be able to reinstall windows on your new machine, but lose it on the old one (you would have to consult a guide to do this if you don’t know already)

Remove the wireless card totally if you can get an Ethernet connection, it’s better anyway.

Also yeah, as he said get an AMD cpu, most likely a 3600x or a 5600x. I also think the b550 board is a great choice as it’s not losing much over the x570. If you want you could go for the ASUS Prime B550 over the TUF, main difference from what I can tell is in number of PCIe slots. The differences between them for your use might not be worth the 20 or so pound extra.

This would lead to a throwaway system which is what we specifically try to avoid suggesting, it actually costs a lot more in the expected lifetime of a decently designed build because you cut the lifespan down to half or so of what it should be.

 

[WombatCombat123]

This would lead to a throwaway system which is what we specifically try to avoid suggesting, it actually costs a lot more in the expected lifetime of a decently designed build because you cut the lifespan down to half or so of what it should be.

Removing unnecessary components is sometimes worth it for people who don’t have money at the time. If you NEED to spend less than 900, mix and match my suggestions until you get under that, it can always be upgraded later especially things like the RAM, storage and Wi-Fi card. I also don’t see how 850w is suggested here, unless he is looking to upgrade to a 3090 anytime soon or do some extreme overclocks on another 30 series, just don’t skimp on efficiency rating or especially quality of PSU. Also, no reason to buy windows again if you can transfer it and you don’t require it on two machines. Other than if he buys a well cheapo power supply (which i suggested against), I don’t see anything that is going to make it a ‘throw-away system’. Upgrading a build overtime can be a lot more cost effective for some, and all of that stuff can be easily upgraded.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Removing unnecessary components is sometimes worth it for people who don’t have money at the time. If you NEED to spend less than 900, mix and match my suggestions until you get under that, it can always be upgraded later especially things like the RAM, storage and Wi-Fi card. I also don’t see how 850w is suggested here, unless he is looking to upgrade to a 3090 anytime soon or do some extreme overclocks on another 30 series, just don’t skimp on efficiency rating or especially quality of PSU. Also, no reason to buy windows again if you can transfer it and you don’t require it on two machines.

You never spec a system to your current requirements, that leads to a throwaway system. If you make compromises to the platform as you have with a low PSU, you have no space to accomodate future upgrades anyway, so when it comes time to replacing the GPU which is the first bottleneck, you have nowhere to run.

The answer isn't to poorly adjust a build to meet a low budget, the proper answer is just to save up a little more and do it right in the first place. It leads to a far lesser outlay in the longer term and hence much cheaper.

 

[WombatCombat123]

You never spec a system to your current requirements, that leads to a throwaway system. If you make compromises to the platform as you have with a low PSU, you have no space to accomodate future upgrades anyway, so when it comes time to replacing the GPU which is the first bottleneck, you have nowhere to run.

The answer isn't to poorly adjust a build to meet a low budget, the proper answer is just to save up a little more and do it right in the first place. It leads to a far lesser outlay in the longer term and hence much cheaper.

Unless you need to replace things, your going to spend the same amount anyway, and unless he wants a 30-series later on, he won’t need 850w (even so, 750w is perfectly fine for pairing with a 3080). Everything else is going to cost practically the same in the long run, as it’s all stuff that are additions rather than replacements (RAM, WiFi Card, M.2 etc). Even if he does have to replace something like the RAM because of its speed, 2133/2400 isnt going to be obsolete because it can be used in office machines fine, so it should resell well.

OR

An alternative to this way of doing it in stages is to pay in stages with a finance option from PCS. I would personally not do this, but it could be preferred by some who would rather never touch the insides of their system while also staggering the payments.

 

[SpyderTracks]

even so, 750w is perfectly fine for pairing with a 3080

This is only true of a founders edition, 3rd party cards require 850w, plus founders editions sold out months ago and stopped production.

2133/2400 isnt going to be obsolete because it can be used in office machines fine, so it should resell well.

For the amount saved by going with the lower speeds, plus then the amount spent by upgrading to speeds which Ryzen requires for normal performance, it’s a poor choice.

Both of those, the cost saving is marginal vs the hundreds of pounds you’d need to put it right plus almost a full system rebuild which most people buying a custom build are not comfortable doing.

it’s a negative economy going for this route, one that’s been proven numerous times on the forum, hence why we never recommend it anymore.

 

[NoddyPirate]

Planning to sell components in the future to offset the cost of upgrades is a bad idea. The market at the time will dictate what you'll get for your bits and you have no idea what they'll fetch. The only value to plan for them retaining after they are removed is ZERO - anything you get will then be a bonus. So I wholeheartedly agree with @SpyderTracks that speccing a system to only meet your current needs on a limited budget will unquestionably cost you more money in the long term.

But where I personally disagree is that this fact would make doing so objectively wrong. It isn't that there is no upgrade path here - it's that it would require further time and money spent later.

The subjective value of having a system vs not having one can not be properly dismissed or ignored. Treating a build only as an investment asset I fear misses what it is desired in the first place and what joy or pleasure it will provide to the owner. So, I do wonder if we could be less forceful sometimes in our rejection of such options? Yes more money will be spent than could otherwise be required if one instead waited and saved more. But that's not the only factor to consider.

As long as we can make it clear to people what might be needed down the road - both in terms of limitations, or extra money and skills/labour - I see no reason myself why any budget can not be facilitated.......

 

[SpyderTracks]

Planning to sell components in the future to offset the cost of upgrades is a bad idea. The market at the time will dictate what you'll get for your bits and you have no idea what they'll fetch. The only value to plan for them retaining after they are removed is ZERO - anything you get will then be a bonus. So I wholeheartedly agree with @SpyderTracks that speccing a system to only meet your current needs on a limited budget will unquestionably cost you more money in the long term.

But where I personally disagree is that this fact would make doing so objectively wrong. It isn't that there is no upgrade path here - it's that it would require further time and money spent later.

The subjective value of having a system vs not having one can not be properly dismissed or ignored. Treating a build only as an investment asset I fear misses what it is desired in the first place and what joy or pleasure it will provide to the owner. So, I do wonder if we could be less forceful sometimes in our rejection of such options? Yes more money will be spent than could otherwise be required if one instead waited and saved more. But that's not the only factor to consider.

As long as we can make it clear to people what might be needed down the road - both in terms of limitations, or extra money and skills/labour - I see no reason myself why any budget can not be facilitated.......

To a point I fully agree, but when you factor in the extra from say a 550w CV series PSU to an 850TXm, it’s not worth the saving for the pain you’ll face in the (near) future.

I don’t disagree with 8gb RAM over 16Gb at all as well, but when you factor in the difference between 2400mhz and 3200mhz, again, it doesn’t make any sense to save that value over saving up the difference over a month rather than having to replace the whole lot and compromising performance before then.

There are times where it’s perfectly valid to say it’s not a good idea, you’ll regret it. Sure, give people the option, but to me, there are always bottom lines I wouldn’t cross for the overall “value” it’s not saving.

When buying a house, just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean a good estate agent will recommend it, sure, a high street one may do, but they’re not so intent on selling you the long term value over the short. They’ll miss out the part about possible subsidence and cracked pipe work to make the sale.

That’s a poor analogy, but you get my drift. There’s nothing wrong with telling someone where the bottom line is.

 

[NoddyPirate]

To a point I fully agree, but when you factor in the extra from say a 550w CV series PSU to an 850TXm, it’s not worth the saving for the pain you’ll face in the (near) future.

I don’t disagree with 8gb RAM over 16Gb at all as well, but when you factor in the difference between 2400mhz and 3200mhz, again, it doesn’t make any sense to save that value over saving up the difference over a month rather than having to replace the whole lot and compromising performance before then.

There are times where it’s perfectly valid to say it’s not a good idea, you’ll regret it. Sure, give people the option, but to me, there are always bottom lines I wouldn’t cross for the overall “value” it’s not saving.

When buying a house, just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean a good estate agent will recommend it, sure, a high street one may do, but they’re not so intent on selling you the long term value over the short. They’ll miss out the part about possible subsidence and cracked pipe work to make the sale.

That’s a poor analogy, but you get my drift. There’s nothing wrong with telling someone where the bottom line is.

Yeah that all good @SpyderTracks - I didn't mean to suggest that going for 2400 MHz RAM or something like for budget reasons is anything but a silly idea given the differences cost wise - because you are trimming off bits that you'd actually want in the build in the first place for it to do what you need it to right now - I think we can all agree there that it should be a non-runner.

But if trimming back on the spend still allows the system to work to your current needs - but would require a change later - that isn't necessarily the same thing. Again - don't get me wrong - if it's just a single item - like a PSU - we're talking about then wait and spend the extra few quid when you can of course. But when your budget restricts you in a more system wide sense - the choice becomes a usable system now and spend more later - or no system at all until some future date - then that's a personal call - not an objective one is all I'm saying.

If the 'bottom line' you refer to is technical - then it's objective and 100% accurate - but if its' an assessment of worth or value then it kind of isn't anymore. Like - your cheap house may be a DIY guys dream!

Anyway, enough said by me maybe. But I can't help to keep the poor analogies going though:

None of us would suggest that someone should avoid the little runaround and instead walk everywhere for the next two years just so they can save more for a people carrier - in case they decide to have babies in the future!

 

[SpyderTracks]

If the 'bottom line' you refer to is technical - then it's objective and 100% accurate - but if its' an assessment of worth or value then it kind of isn't anymore. Like - your cheap house may be a DIY guys dream!

This is certainly true. I come from the stance that anyone ordering a custom PC is either not interested in or not willing to do internal surgery on the PC, not talking about easy things like RAM, but when you’re talking platform changes like PSU that involves taking the motherboard out etc etc, then that’s the assumption I’d make.

Anyone who knew how to build would build their own, they’re not restricted to parts and manufacturers selections and can specify exactly what they want.