New gaming computer

[Exodus]

Hi,

I want to build a new gaming rig. I willing to spend 1100$ Cad. I don't need preipherals and I already have a decent screen. I'm gonna use this computer strictly for gaming. What should I buy?

 

[64K]

Hi,

I want to build a new gaming rig. I willing to spend 1100$ Cad. I don't need preipherals and I already have a decent screen. I'm gonna use this computer strictly for gaming. What should I buy?

You can build a nice gaming rig with that budget. What resolution is your monitor and do you plan to upgrade the monitor to a higher resolution during the lifetime of this rig? Also will a copy of Windows 10 be coming out of this budget?

 

[dont whant to set it"']

Components from older build's going in the new one?
Storage capacity and type/s for new build?
Overclock much?

 

[BarbaricSoul]

You can build a nice gaming rig with that budget. What resolution is your monitor and do you plan to upgrade the monitor to a higher resolution during the lifetime of this rig? Also will a copy of Windows 10 be coming out of this budget?

Components from older build's going in the new one?
Storage capacity and type/s for new build?
Overclock much?

answers to these question would help greatly, but without knowing the answers, here's a starting point- https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/GrXYCy

 

[Komshija]

This is about it for 1130 CAD. It's 30 CAD over your budget, but still a nice gaming rig. At 1080p resolution it will rock.
Here: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Fnn9Z8

 

[Exodus]

Thanks for your answers. I'm gonna play on a 1080 screen. I'm making this build from scratch so theres nothing I can salvage. Also I get Ryzen recommend a lot for this new build. Is AMD better than intel right now for my budget?

This is about it for 1130 CAD. It's 30 CAD over your budget, but still a nice gaming rig. At 1080p resolution it will rock.
Here: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Fnn9Z8

Why get three fans? Isn't it overkill for a build with my budget? The CPU cooler feels expansive too.

Also I'm kinda suprised with the amd route. I know that before ryzen, intel was pretty much the best choice. Did that change?

answers to these question would help greatly, but without knowing the answers, here's a starting point- https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/GrXYCy

Is M.2 really worth it over sata? I'm just gonna use this computer for gaming (Overwatch, league, BF1, dishonnored 2). Shouldn't I spend more on the GPU?

 

[R-T-B]

Also I'm kinda suprised with the amd route. I know that before ryzen, intel was pretty much the best choice. Did that change?

AMD was garbage (well, some may argue that, but ones man's trash is another mans treasure you know) before Ryzen. Ryzen really put them back on a level playing field with Intel.

Better? I don't know that I'd call them "better" than Intel, but they certainly are very good for the money right now.

 

[Vayra86]

Intel i5 + GTX 1070 cost effective build, this will be +40-50% more performance than a Ryzen 5 + RX570 build. It will also go over budget a little bit, but you will have a system that does a LOT better in gaming and slaughters 1080p, is 1440p capable, and is 1080p/120hz capable. In other words, prepared for a monitor upgrade.

You could also knock down the 1070 and replace it with an RX480. Just as fine as the RX580, but generally a bit cheaper, and a good perf boost from the 570. I would personally avoid the GTX 1060, tight memory bus tends to fall apart fast performance wise.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/cG7y2R

Considerations:
- quality parts with solid warranty brands that do RMA properly
- slight oversize on PSU (big noise reduction, to be in line with other components - avg sys power draw will be 300-340w)
- Budget focused towards GPU
- Puts the money where it will benefit gaming the most (4 fast cores, nothing else)
- Super responsive system (M2 SSD, high IPC CPU)

Drawbacks:
- no spare cores for background apps while gaming
- 1x8 GB (tradeoff to fit GTX 1070), can add another stick later when budget allows
- Small SSD (trade off to fit GTX 1070)
- No case included, this is personal. Pick a case that comes with fans, saves money and hardly noticeable difference

There is an alternative to this, but then I'd wait for Ryzen 3. That might allow you to fit the 1070 in budget, but may run into CPU bottlenecks at 1080p.

 

[FireFox]

Ryzen really put them back on a level playing field with Intel.

 

[ASOT]

Make a Ryzen build,4 core 8 threads,mobo x370,add a good ssd 120 Gb,16 Gb Ram clocked 2400-3000,storage 1-2 Tb 7200 rpm,PSU 500-600w 80+Bronze/Gold, Gpu RX 580/1060 6 Gb

 

[FireFox]

add a good ssd 120 Gb

SSD are not expensive so 250GB wouldn't be a bad idea, PSU maybe a Gold one instead Bronze.

 

[ASOT]

Yes..i was thinking he will need some peripherals or gtx 1070 instead

 

[notb]

You got a few suggestions already, but consider them carefully. Here's a more "sensible" approach.

First of all: will you overclock? Do you care about noise? Can you live with a window in a case (and LEDs all over the PC)?

Also, do you really need to go ATX? You're not going for dual GPU, large cooling solution or multiple disks. I assume you're also not into noise dampening or some other specific case properties.
A smaller build will easily meet your requirements. Even a notebook would, but you'd have to raise the budget a bit.
And if you don't plan to change the LCD any time soon, you should also be fine with GTX1060 and a slower CPU (instead of Ryzen 1600 and GTX1070 mentioned above). This would lower the cost substantially.

 

[Vayra86]

You got a few suggestions already, but consider them carefully. Here's a more "sensible" approach.

First of all: will you overclock? Do you care about noise? Can you live with a window in a case (and LEDs all over the PC)?

Also, do you really need to go ATX? You're not going for dual GPU, large cooling solution or multiple disks. I assume you're also not into noise dampening or some other specific case properties.
A smaller build will easily meet your requirements. Even a notebook would, but you'd have to raise the budget a bit.
And if you don't plan to change the LCD any time soon, you should also be fine with GTX1060 and a slower CPU (instead of Ryzen 1600 and GTX1070 mentioned above). This would lower the cost substantially.

Smaller cases / mATX generally don't make a system build cheaper, but they do make it (slightly) harder to actually build and sometimes a bit more expensive too. MicroATX is generally similar price, but the difference in case size is generally minimal.

Slower CPU will increase the upgrade itch that much faster whenever OP does a GPU upgrade, because anything over GTX 1060/RX480 performance levels @ 1080p will be pushing it already. It is much more cost effective to have some headroom on CPU power - a platform upgrade is expensive because it involves motherboard + CPU, not just CPU, in most cases. It also means you need a new OS license, and you need to redo your build including cooler mount etc.

Cheaper initial builds are not always cheaper in the long run!

Overclocking was not mentioned, and should be an afterthought in any cost effective build. Overclocking generally also costs money (in case of intel: Z-chipset, in case of Ryzen: barely any gains) and is a lower perf/dollar 'win' than you'd expect.

@BarbaricSoul absolutely this is over budget. The Ryzen suggestion earlier in the topic is on budget. I think its good to consider if the additional price is worth the additional performance for OP, its a pretty big leap forward for the added price.

 

[BarbaricSoul]

Is M.2 really worth it over sata? I'm just gonna use this computer for gaming (Overwatch, league, BF1, dishonnored 2). Shouldn't I spend more on the GPU?

The M2 SSD is only $15 more than a SATA SSD of the same capacity- https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/ngH83F

Intel i5 + GTX 1070 cost effective build, this will be +40-50% more performance than a Ryzen 5 + RX570 build. It will also go over budget a little bit, but you will have a system that does a LOT better in gaming and slaughters 1080p, is 1440p capable, and is 1080p/120hz capable. In other words, prepared for a monitor upgrade.

You could also knock down the 1070 and replace it with an RX480. Just as fine as the RX580, but generally a bit cheaper, and a good perf boost from the 570. I would personally avoid the GTX 1060, tight memory bus tends to fall apart fast performance wise.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/cG7y2R

Considerations:
- quality parts with solid warranty brands that do RMA properly
- slight oversize on PSU (big noise reduction, to be in line with other components - avg sys power draw will be 300-340w)
- Budget focused towards GPU
- Puts the money where it will benefit gaming the most (4 fast cores, nothing else)
- Super responsive system (M2 SSD, high IPC CPU)

Drawbacks:
- no spare cores for background apps while gaming
- 1x8 GB (tradeoff to fit GTX 1070), can add another stick later when budget allows
- Small SSD (trade off to fit GTX 1070)
- No case included, this is personal. Pick a case that comes with fans, saves money and hardly noticeable difference

There is an alternative to this, but then I'd wait for Ryzen 3. That might allow you to fit the 1070 in budget, but may run into CPU bottlenecks at 1080p.

That all fine and dandy except for one thing. The OP is in Canada. Your build in Canadian prices ($300 over budget)- https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/cG7y2R

@BarbaricSoul absolutely this is over budget. The Ryzen suggestion earlier in the topic is on budget. I think its good to consider if the additional price is worth the additional performance for OP, its a pretty big leap forward for the added price.

If you are referring to going with a GTX 1070 over either a GTX 1060 or RX570 (like in my latest build suggestion), I agree. As for going Intel, well I'll let my newest build suggestion speak for it's self- https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/Tcq7JV

 

[notb]

Smaller cases / mATX generally don't make a system build cheaper, but they do make it (slightly) harder to actually build and sometimes a bit more expensive too. MicroATX is generally similar price, but the difference in case size is generally minimal.

That depends what you mean by "minimal". mATX towers are a fair bit smaller than similar ATX variants. Think FD Define R4 vs Define Mini.
But for mATX you can already find a decent cube-styled case or a desktop (even small enough for an LCD stand).
IMO mATX is the optimal size - it should be the "default" one. ATX should be reserved for large, specialized builds (multiple GPU etc).
If mATX was more popular, we would have more cases and the choice of small ones would be greater.

Slower CPU will increase the upgrade itch that much faster whenever OP does a GPU upgrade, because anything over GTX 1060/RX480 performance levels @ 1080p will be pushing it already. It is much more cost effective to have some headroom on CPU power - a platform upgrade is expensive because it involves motherboard + CPU, not just CPU, in most cases. It also means you need a new OS license, and you need to redo your build including cooler mount etc.

That depends on many variables. Not everyone gets the "upgrade itch" before PC becomes uncomfortable to use.
I agree on the CPU headroom, but we don't know what OP needs. Intel i3 works well in 1080p gaming, so i5 would already be a fairly safe choice. For someone else 4 cores are already obsolete, so 6 is minimal and 8 is "future-proof". Hard to judge.
The OS license thing wasn't mentioned at all (and none of the build shown have included it). Maybe OP doesn't need one? There's SteamOS, there are other gaming-friendly Linuxes. Finally, there are many ways to get a free Windows license (e.g. DreamSpark).

Cheaper initial builds are not always cheaper in the long run!

But they can be. An expensive initial build will remain expensive.

 

[Komshija]

Thanks for your answers. I'm gonna play on a 1080 screen. I'm making this build from scratch so theres nothing I can salvage. Also I get Ryzen recommend a lot for this new build. Is AMD better than intel right now for my budget?

Absolutely. Currently AMD offers a lot better options for a lot less money for pretty much everyone. If I'm about to build my new PC right now, I wouldn't even look at the expensive 4C/8T i7 or its very expensive 6C/12T variant, but 8C/16T Ryzen 7.

Why get three fans? Isn't it overkill for a build with my budget? The CPU cooler feels expansive too.

Two fans would do - intake + exhaust. My mistake, I was thinking that case has space for two front 120 mm fans. With Arctic F12 PWM fans you can regulate their speed and they also offer better cooling performance than stock LED fans. They aren't expensive either.
As a matter of fact, that CPU cooler isn't expensive. Slightly cheaper and propably better variant is Arctic Freezer 33: https://www.arctic.ac/eu_en/freezer-33.html Both coolers will offer better cooling performance compared to stock AMD cooler.

Also I'm kinda suprised with the amd route. I know that before ryzen, intel was pretty much the best choice. Did that change?

Yes. Ryzen offers better value for money and a lot better bang-for-buck. In a few games Intel will have slight edge due to higher core frequencies (eg. 4,0 GHz for Intel vs ~3,5 GHz for AMD), but much more important component for better in-game FPS will be GPU. AMD is also more future proof and extra "core power" will be certainly helpful in various tasks.

Is M.2 really worth it over sata? I'm just gonna use this computer for gaming (Overwatch, league, BF1, dishonnored 2). Shouldn't I spend more on the GPU?

It's faster, but usually more expensive. It all depends how much money you are willing to spend. Personally, I wouldn't consider M.2 even within 1500 CAD budget. Keep in mind that 240-256 GB SSD will offer you enough space for the operating system, a few programs and two or three 50 GB games. 480-525 GB SSD's are still quite pricey.

 

[Vayra86]

> M2 is already similar price to SATA SSDs, my list had the Intel M2 600p one, was in between SATA SSDs, and you can go cheaper, but that generally means you drop some reliability as well, something that for storage I would never recommend. In other words, def worth a critical look also at your Canadian stores. You also save yourself a SATA slot, though I don't see you looking for lots of storage. In my experience though, you'll definitely add some device(s) in the future, storage is something you'll always want more of over time.

> CPU. Ryzen is definitely a go-to route these days, but it also depends on the budget you have for CPU and Ryzen 3 hasn't landed yet; though at similar physical core counts (4c versus 4c/8t) I would still opt for the i5 if you build your system for gaming. Similar price points, higher base and boost clocks on the i5 and marginally better IPC, will net you more gaming performance in the end. Versus a Ryzen 5 4c/8t at 3.2 Ghz, the i5 will be the better choice. An added bonus on the i5 is the iGPU, which is super handy for troubleshooting should your video card ever die on you - you'll have a backup already built in.

Ryzen 5, if you go that route anyway, should definitely be a 6c/12t or better - that is the segment Ryzen actually shines at, below that, it becomes remarkably similar to Intel's offerings, both price and perf, but Intel still has the single thread crown, which still is valuable.

I would strongly suggest you read through a couple Ryzen reviews so you can see what kind of performance differences we're actually speaking of. Only you can decide whether these differences are meaningful for you. I would certainly also consider your future upgrade plans when building a system. If you don't like upgrading and have budget to spare, definitely shoot for the stronger system, it will be cheaper than doing multiple component swaps later.

One thing I would NEVER do, is spend the good part of 1.000 dollars and have a lower-midrange tier GPU when you build a system for gaming. That RX570 is going to really limit your system a lot, and it will be the very first thing you'll toss out. At the VERY LEAST push it up to an RX480 that will be comfortable doing almost everything at 1080p/60fps for at least the year 2017. If you dont mind second hand for GPU, a 980ti at a good price might be a winner here too.

Last but not least: to illustrate on how important the right CPU choice (and that bit of headroom) will be: I'm still content with a late 2012 Intel i5 K... Five years running full tilt, survived four (!) GPU upgrades already and is only now, with a near-top end GPU out of 2016, starting to really sweat in games and actually limit my performance.

FWIW, you are asking all the right questions so far In any gaming rig, the majority of budget should really be pushed towards GPU > CPU, the rest is far less relevant

If you really are tight on budget... check reliable second hand deals on Intel i7's. They do extremely well, but will cost you half the price of a new one, while the performance loss is minimal. Anything Intel Haswell for example, is going to be super close to a new Skylake or Kaby Lake chip. CPU second hand is also a very good thing to do, because they're really hard to break and even a 2013/2014 CPU will still outlast your entire build + your next 1 or 2 GPU upgrades.

A final consideration for the SSD: again if you cant expand the budget, your gaming experience will be improved by dropping the SSD altogether and just going HDD. In-game difference is exactly zero, but loading times will be longer, and outside of gaming, the system will feel a bit less responsive. You can always add the SSD later. May be worth investing that money towards beefier GPU.

Wall of text, I think of things as I go, sorry

 

[Komshija]

Ryzen 5, if you go that route anyway, should definitely be a 6c/12t or better - that is the segment Ryzen actually shines at, below that, it becomes remarkably similar to Intel's offerings, both price and perf, but Intel still has the single thread crown, which still is valuable.

AMD Ryzen 5 1400 is cheaper than Intel Core i5 7400. Yes, Ryzen 5 1600 or 1600X is a better option, but also more expensive. Ryzen 5 1600 costs about 50-60 $ more than Ryzen 5 1400, while 1600X will be about 80-90 $ more expensive. Ryzen 5 1600 / 1600X is certainly more future proof, but for gaming, Ryzen 5 1400 paired with good GPU like RX 570 will be enough - at least for the next 4 years.

That RX570 is going to really limit your system a lot, and it will be the very first thing you'll toss out. At the VERY LEAST push it up to an RX480 that will be comfortable doing almost everything at 1080p/60fps for at least the year 2017.

Sorry mate, but that's rubbish. RX 570 is only about 7% slower than RX 480. If an RX 470 can comforrtably push very demanding Far Cry Primal with Ultra settings @ 1920x1080 to almost 60 FPS (~ 57-58 when I tested it), it will also have no problems with newer games for a lot more than one year.

The problem is that some folks feel uncomfortable if they have to play with "high" in-game settings opposed to "ultra" settings and if they get some 5 FPS under 60 FPS. From my perspective, that's laughable. As long as someone can play very demanding games with medium to high settings above 35 FPS and without any freezes/crashes, they're golden.

 

[ASOT]

Ryzen 5 1400/B350 or X370 mobo if like to OC 16 GB Ram,standard sata 3 ssd 120 Gb for OS is enough,storage 1-2 Tb 7200, GTX 1070,psu 600w Gold

 

[Toothless]

I mean..

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/6hKxKZ

Could easily toss in an i5 and still be under budget.



I'm also loving some people who keep throwing in parts like they know what they're talking about with no inclusion of brand or pricing.