Anyone with good PC knowledge for building a gaming PC?

[kamikazekeeg]

It's about that time when the system starts to chug and newer games struggle, and there are big games coming that will need better hardware, that I need to look at a new PC.  I built my previous PC in 2013, with only a graphics card update in 2015 and it's handled things well enough for the most part.  It's still relatively functional (Minus a freeze or two I've had) and will go to a family member once I switch for their internet use only.

For what I have now - https://pcpartpicker.com/user/Kamikaze_Keeg/saved/ZFy48d
The graphics card I updated to is a 4095MB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 (MSI)

Usually I ask for help every build as while I've managed to build a few of the last PC's, it's so far between builds and my lack of in depth knowledge, that I usually spend a lot of time double checking with others.  I sorta worked this one up with pcpartpicker again on my own and while it doesn't show compatibility issues, I just want some general input on how this looks, is there anything I should keep in mind, , is this upgrade significant enough, or just whatever help I can really get.  There's no specific rush on buying this other than hopefully by the end of October or even Novemeber, my budget is roughly in the 800 to 1000 range with some stretch.  No need for peripherals, I don't care much about my keyboard and finding a mouse is easy enough.  If I save some money on the build, I could look at a proper gaming monitor as I've just been using a TV for a long while now.  Having B&H and New Egg as my merchant list (I've never used B&H before), this knocked off the New Egg only pricing I had before in the mid 1000's down to a low 900.

New Build - https://pcpartpicker.com/user/Kamikaze_Keeg/saved/8YgQZL

I know the new build doesn't have a power supply on the list, but New Egg at the moment has a Power Supply freebie with the graphics card, but if that runs out, I can just grab some other 600/650w EVGA power supply.

Also has anyone used B&H for computer stuff? I've just used New Egg for my computer stuff since like the start and they've been good to me, but utilizing B&H in combo with it knocked off like 100 to 200 bucks easy, even when I added an SSD that I didn't have on initially. 

I also don't know anything about utilizing SSD's and HDD's together.  I know it's best to put like Windows onto the SSD among some other stuff to speed up loading quite a lot, and then use the HDD for more pure storage, but I've never owned an SSD before.

[bikingjahuty]

you definitely have a competent build there, however in order to truly future proof your rig for another 6 or 7 years you might want to look at going the next rung up on many of your components.


For example I'd go with at least an Intel i5, maybe even an i7. Around 4Ghz is all you need and you really don't need a tone of cores, but the way they process data and the speed of the bus they use will definitely run circles around an i3 and ensure you can run almost any game for the forseeable future.


Regarding you GPU, I'd bump that to a 1070 at least. 1080 would really set the bar high, but that would also really eat into your budget.


MB looks good, just make sure you it has a compatible socket for the CPU.


SSDs are probably one of the best upgrades you can make to overall performance, and I think unless you are going to be archiving a lot of files like music, movies, and pics, you should just get a huge SSD. A 1TB SSD would be perfect.


RAM I'd go with with at least 12GB of DDR4, and as long as you aren't going super cheap you should be fine in terms of the RAM speed.


You may also want to look into a better CPU fan than the stock one that comes with it. You don't need to liquid cool, but a cooler CPU means a better performing machine.


Overall you can get the minimum of what I mentioned for around $1500, which I know if quite a bit over your budget, but it'll be worth it since you'll be able to use it longer without needing to upgrade it again.


Let me know if you have any other questions.

[kamikazekeeg]

you definitely have a competent build there, however in order to truly future proof your rig for another 6 or 7 years you might want to look at going the next rung up on many of your components.


For example I'd go with at least an Intel i5, maybe even an i7. Around 4Ghz is all you need and you really don't need a tone of cores, but the way they process data and the speed of the bus they use will definitely run circles around an i3 and ensure you can run almost any game for the forseeable future.


Regarding you GPU, I'd bump that to a 1070 at least. 1080 would really set the bar high, but that would also really eat into your budget.


MB looks good, just make sure you it has a compatible socket for the CPU.


SSDs are probably one of the best upgrades you can make to overall performance, and I think unless you are going to be archiving a lot of files like music, movies, and pics, you should just get a huge SSD. A 1TB SSD would be perfect.


RAM I'd go with with at least 12GB of DDR4, and as long as you aren't going super cheap you should be fine in terms of the RAM speed.


You may also want to look into a better CPU fan than the stock one that comes with it. You don't need to liquid cool, but a cooler CPU means a better performing machine.


Overall you can get the minimum of what I mentioned for around $1500, which I know if quite a bit over your budget, but it'll be worth it since you'll be able to use it longer without needing to upgrade it again.


Let me know if you have any other questions.

1500 is really pushing things too far unfortunately.  I'd love to future proof more, but I'm fine if it's not truly as such.  Like I can put up with lower settings on something if it comes down to it in a couple years, it's more when things start to chug or struggle with just shutting down like it can with Battlefield 1 that I'm needing this upgrade.  Like the very tippy top I could maybe consider is 1200, but even then, is a HUGE stretch and around 1000 is the more likely option.

Also just realized I didn't put my RAM back in after taking it out to check something.  Whoops.  No wonder I had such a big drop in price lol Fixed that.

A CPU cooler isn't a big deal, so I can just add one on for relatively cheap.

For the SSD, going with a 1tb, I heard the downside of them is that you don't want to like reinstall and install stuff over and over, it wears them out faster.  Am I wrong in that?  I find myself doing that alot with games to save space as I do have like 100gbs of mostly music with pictures and such.  Especially when games are getting to big now, it can fill up HDD's pretty quick.  Like I reinstall the Fallout games every so often throughout the year when I'm in the mood to fool around with a new batch of mods.

[ffxik]

Unfortunately it's true solid state memory can only be written to {x} times before they're unusable.  Although that will take quite a while.  If you do go SSD don't defrag them, it'll just shorten it's lifespan.

Dunno if it will help but here is the build I did for my wife earlier this year.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/8n8hYT

[kamikazekeeg]

Unfortunately it's true solid state memory can only be written to {x} times before they're unusable.  Although that will take quite a while.  If you do go SSD don't defrag them, it'll just shorten it's lifespan.

Dunno if it will help but here is the build I did for my wife earlier this year.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/trmVLJ

It's why I'm thinking of going with a regular HDD for storage and general use and the smaller SSD for Windows and like the big games I'm currently playing.  The loading has only ever truly been a problem for certain online games like Battlefield, or PUBG, where it's clear I'm getting into the game later, or have slow startup, but for singleplayer games, I've not seen it be as big of an issue.  Plus that cuts the price in half doing that compared to getting a 1tb SSD.  Really it's just about making tactical adjustments to try and cut down or improve with not as much extra cost.  Stuff like this can also be upgraded later or changed too when I have some extra bucks again.

Not a bad build you got there for sure, going with more CPU and slightly less GPU as otherwise it's not far off.

[ffxik]

Unfortunately it's true solid state memory can only be written to {x} times before they're unusable.  Although that will take quite a while.  If you do go SSD don't defrag them, it'll just shorten it's lifespan.

Dunno if it will help but here is the build I did for my wife earlier this year.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/trmVLJ

It's why I'm thinking of going with a regular HDD for storage and general use and the smaller SSD for Windows and like the big games I'm currently playing.  The loading has only ever truly been a problem for certain online games like Battlefield, or PUBG, where it's clear I'm getting into the game later, or have slow startup, but for singleplayer games, I've not seen it be as big of an issue.  Plus that cuts the price in half doing that compared to getting a 1tb SSD.  Really it's just about making tactical adjustments to try and cut down or improve with not as much extra cost.  Stuff like this can also be upgraded later or changed too when I have some extra bucks again.

Not a bad build you got there for sure, going with more CPU and slightly less GPU as otherwise it's not far off.

I myself aren't familiar with SSDs as far a actually using them.  So I can't be a voice in their performance versus an HDD.  But since my wife and I are constantly using photoshop and writing to the drive.  I figure a traditional would be our best bet for her.

She isn't much of a high end gamer so honestly that build was overkill for what she needed.  She does have a bunch of online friends she does play with and I figured I had better build something I wont have to replace parts on too soon.

That link in the original post has been modified.  The part list was wrong.  I clicked the wrong video card.  It has a EVGA - GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC GAMING ACX 3.0 Black Edition in it.

[oldgamerz]

I recommend a sound card also. A sound card takes some of the stress off the CPU processor. Since the sound card produces it's own sound instead of depending on the mother board for the CPU sound capabilities. besides a the right sound card can make the gaming experience more deeper and 3D sometimes.

It's a tiny upgrade usually. and without a sound card your computer takes up a little more RAM to run things when playing video games and other duties.

But to most people it's a waste of money. Most people agree that motherboard audio is better and cheaper.

(GOOGLE)
Sound cards will improve the sound quality of your system, but if you don't have the appropriate speakers or headset, you will never notice the difference. ... Onboard audio (the audio that comes with your motherboard) is by no means bad in any way, and for most people, it is more than enough for everyday use.

[tripredacus]

Core i3 should be at least an i5. Don't buy the cheap CPU.

Your existing PC looks fine also, you just need to update the video card. Those specs are about what I run on my gaming PC besides the video card. I have no problem running anything I've tried so far.

[kamikazekeeg]

Core i3 should be at least an i5. Don't buy the cheap CPU.

Your existing PC looks fine also, you just need to update the video card. Those specs are about what I run on my gaming PC besides the video card. I have no problem running anything I've tried so far.

Yeah I decided I am going to try and squeeze in the i5.  Don't think I can do much more cutting and while it's pushing past the limit of what I'd like, I'll just have to try and make it work if I can.

I'm sure a new graphics card would help, but in general, this system is not built for the newer stuff like Battlefield and some others anymore and the system in general has been chugging abit.  The new computer is an upgrade for performance, but also because I know my computer isn't running as great in general.

Also what wattage power supply should I get? If I get the graphics card through New Egg sometime soon, I'll get a free 600w, but is that good for this?  If I have to buy one separately, I was figuring just a 650w, but it's also only 10 bucks more to get a 750w.  Just not sure what is best nowadays for systems.

[ffxik]

Core i3 should be at least an i5. Don't buy the cheap CPU.

Your existing PC looks fine also, you just need to update the video card. Those specs are about what I run on my gaming PC besides the video card. I have no problem running anything I've tried so far.

Yeah I decided I am going to try and squeeze in the i5.  Don't think I can do much more cutting and while it's pushing past the limit of what I'd like, I'll just have to try and make it work if I can.

I'm sure a new graphics card would help, but in general, this system is not built for the newer stuff like Battlefield and some others anymore and the system in general has been chugging abit.  The new computer is an upgrade for performance, but also because I know my computer isn't running as great in general.

Also what wattage power supply should I get? If I get the graphics card through New Egg sometime soon, I'll get a free 600w, but is that good for this?  If I have to buy one separately, I was figuring just a 650w, but it's also only 10 bucks more to get a 750w.  Just not sure what is best nowadays for systems.

That 600w will work.  Your total wattage according to your build is 339w estimated of course.

[kamikazekeeg]

Core i3 should be at least an i5. Don't buy the cheap CPU.

Your existing PC looks fine also, you just need to update the video card. Those specs are about what I run on my gaming PC besides the video card. I have no problem running anything I've tried so far.

Yeah I decided I am going to try and squeeze in the i5.  Don't think I can do much more cutting and while it's pushing past the limit of what I'd like, I'll just have to try and make it work if I can.

I'm sure a new graphics card would help, but in general, this system is not built for the newer stuff like Battlefield and some others anymore and the system in general has been chugging abit.  The new computer is an upgrade for performance, but also because I know my computer isn't running as great in general.

Also what wattage power supply should I get? If I get the graphics card through New Egg sometime soon, I'll get a free 600w, but is that good for this?  If I have to buy one separately, I was figuring just a 650w, but it's also only 10 bucks more to get a 750w.  Just not sure what is best nowadays for systems.

That 600w will work.  Your total wattage according to your build is 339w estimated of course.

I figured it might, I just wanted to double check as I'm not planning to add anything extra to the system beyond what I got and no plans for overclocking.  It's all about double and triple checking stuff before I start buying parts.   Thinking I might just buy the graphics card here this weekend just to take advantage of the power supply savings.

*EDIT*
Tweaked a thing or two, went with a different case and moved it all onto New Egg as it's not much cheaper splitting things up and I've been good with New Egg for the last few builds I've done over the years.  Think I settled on things how I wanted, going for a cheaper storage aspect with a smaller SSD and regular HDD, but bumping up the CPU to an i5.  Here's a hopefully working build list link.

https://secure.newegg.com/Wishlist/SharedWishlistDetail?ID=%2b%2beAWsi8D%2fGvAprE0%2bbaOQ%3d%3d&&cm_mmc=snc-twitter-_-sr-_-wishlist-%2b%2beAWsi8D%2fGvAprE0%2bbaOQ%3d%3d-_-09/28/2018

If this all seems functional, I think I'm ready to get to ordering sometime next week.  I just need some help double checking if I'll need anything extra or if I'm missing anything (600w power supply is free with the graphics card).  I know sometimes hardware doesn't come with all the cords and I assume I need to get some thermal compound for putting the heatsink on.  If I'm without a cord or something, that's not a huge deal as it's not hard to find most of the basic cords as I think places like Best Buy still carry a few of the basics and I'm sure I can find computer repair shops to grab things from if I super need it (I miss having CompUSA/Tigerdirect around lol)

Also ignore the wireless card on the build list, that's for my current PC I'm giving to a family member where there isn't an option for wired internet.

[kypherion]

Yeah, you can get a really good build for like $800 ish IIRC (off the top of my head)

-B350 Tomahawk
-Ryzen 5 1600x
-16gb RAM
-GTX 1060 (6gb)
-I'd use a 850 watt PSU
-Reuse storage from old PC

sell old pc or sell parts to help cover cost

[kamikazekeeg]

While it would be nice to sell what I can from my current PC, it's going to a family member who lacks a PC and has been getting by on a kindle lol I'm just gonna reinstall windows, clean it out, add a wifi card and considering some silent fans to cut down on any extra noise it puts out that I probably should've done like forever ago.

[oldgamerz]

always leave room for expansion if you only plan to play modern games or programs, if you can get a good deal on the higher power supply then go for it. If your planing on building a modern gaming PC.

But note that A retro gaming PC don't need to be as fast
If you ever plan on playing older or retro video games than I suggest purchasing another slower computer for older video game. Sometimes the older video games cannot run on a high specs gaming PC without some kind of issues

(edit) remember to check your wall electric outlet. before you plug a modern gaming PC in to ensure you won't pop the circuit breaker or blow an electric fuse in your building indoor electric box

[kamikazekeeg]

Basically ready to buy my system tomorrow, and I think I'm settled on everything and I'm not seeing any real problems with it, though I wanted to make sure I fully understood how a two HDD setup works.  I have SDD and HDD, but do I need anything for it beyond any likely cords that will come with the...mobo I believe? Is it just plug and go, or do I have to do anything extra for getting that setup?  Just my first time dealing with this and it's the only thing I'm not 100% on, as building a PC otherwise hasn't really changed for as long as I've done them.  I plan to watch some youtube stuff just as a refresher for PC building (And I've been basically absorbed into Linus Tech Tips for the past week or more and seen so much PC building), but I like double checking and triple checking anything when it comes to stuff I'm dumping a ton of money into lol