Help me buy a new gaming computer

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

$150 or so might easily get you the next tier CPU

And RAM, baby, stuff that thing with all the RAM it'll take.

 

[Kokoro Fasching]

Anything like this is good.

Prebuilt Gaming PCs: iBUYPOWER®

Prebuilt Gaming PCs by iBUYPOWER®. Shop weekly deals on prebuilt computers and desktops. Same Day RDY Systems include free 2 day shipping.

www.ibuypower.com

the 4070 will handle the next several years of sims/SL easily, 32gb of ram, and a nice AMD Processor. And good cooling.

 

[Veritable Quandry]

I'm in the panhandle, but Fairfax is still about a 2-hour drive, ending with teeth-gritting traffic. My current aspiration is to never again go near the DC Metro area in what is left of my lifetime.

If you can manage a trip to Fairfax, there is a Microcenter there. Their house brand is PowerSpec. My current computer is a PowerSpec with an AMD CPU that is built with an ASUS motherboard and GPU in a Lian Li case. They use pretty good parts, and their service is excellent. They have great support, and they will install any upgrades that you buy at the same time as the computer free of charge, so you can throw in an extra drive.

Here's a good example of what you can get in your budget.

PowerSpec G449 Gaming PC; Intel Core i7 14th Gen 14700KF 2.5GHz Processor; NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER 12GB GDDR6; 32GB - Micro Center

Get it now! The PowerSpec G449 is more than just a gaming PC; it's a statement piece. Own your individuality, explore the virtual world within those cozy games, and dominate AAA titles in style. This stunning gaming PC is not solely for esthetics; it's a finely tuned instrument built for peak...

www.microcenter.com

PowerSpec G717 Gaming PC Platinum Collection; AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2GHz Processor; NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER 12GB - Micro Center

Get it now! The PowerSpec G717 delivers the performance of a top-tier gaming PC in an astonishingly compact package. This monster prebuilt gaming PC brings you big-league components like an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Super graphics card and an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU, all in a space-saving ATX case...

www.microcenter.com

Both are similar to the ibuypower linked above, but there is a choice between AMD and Intel CPUs.

 

[Beebo Brink]

Update: I found someone just 30min away who will assemble my build, as long as I pick and order the parts. He referred me to PC Parts Picker, so I've spent the morning struggling with specs. Fortunately, they provide some build guides that turned out to be very useful as a starting place, so that along with my notes from this thread got me here:

• AMD Ryzen 5600X processor
• Gigabyte B550 motherboard
• 32gb RAM
• Silicon Power SSD 1TB (2 of them)
• Radeon RX 7700 XT video card
• Thermaltake Toughpower GF1 (2024) 850 W 80+ Gold power supply
• NZXT H7 Flow mid-tower case

With labor for assembly, cost of Microsoft software, plus a new monitor, I can bring this in for just under $2,000, which was my budget limit.

Does this look reasonable from a tech perspective?

ETA - to update case and PSU components.

 

[Cindy Claveau]

Update: I found someone just 30min away who will assemble my build, as long as I pick and order the parts. He referred me to PC Parts Picker, so I've spent the morning struggling with specs. Fortunately, they provide some build guides that turned out to be very useful as a starting place, so that along with my notes from this thread got me here:

• AMD Ryzen 5600X processor
• Gigabyte B550 motherboard
• 32gb RAM
• Silicon Power SSD 1TB (2 of them)
• Radeon RX 7700 XT video card
• Phanteks XT Pro mid-tower case

With labor for assembly, cost of Microsoft software, plus a new monitor, I can bring this in for just under $2,000, which was my budget limit.

Does this look reasonable from a tech perspective?

I'll trade you my current build

 

[Veritable Quandry]

Make sure you are also getting a decent brand PSU, modular or semi-modular.

 

[Knutz Scorpio]

Maybe a bit early, but will make for a Very Merry Christmas

 

[Beebo Brink]

Make sure you are also getting a decent brand PSU, modular or semi-modular.

Good catch, I missed that spec. Looking at this:

• SeaSonic FOCUS Plus 650 Gold 650 W

Argh, now I'm seeing something about it being a small form factor. I'll have to keep searching for something comparable, I guess.

 

[Beebo Brink]

Any potential issues with this PSU?

• Thermaltake Toughpower GX1 500 500 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply

I have no idea what I'm doing.... every time I choose a PSU it turns out not to be available.

 

[Veritable Quandry]

Either you list will be fine. You just want to avoid the generic/Chinese name PSUs that have poor quality parts. I've lost a motherboard to a bad power supply causing overvoltage.

 

[Beebo Brink]

Either you list will be fine. You just want to avoid the generic/Chinese name PSUs that have poor quality parts. I've lost a motherboard to a bad power supply causing overvoltage.

Okay, this is a bit more power than I need, but it's in stock: Thermaltake Toughpower GX2 600 W. It's not modular, but apparently there is a supply problem with modular PSUs. I'll have to make do without that flexibility.

My splurge was with the case. It cost extra to find one without all the RGB light shows. Don't want that in my face all day. lol

 

[Veritable Quandry]

In that case a non-modular PSU will be OK. I have an M-ATX case, so the unused cables would take up a lot of space. It actually came will all of the modular cables installed, so I removed what I don't need to get better airflow. A bit of extra capacity on the PSU is usually a good idea.

 

[Kokoro Fasching]

Update: I found someone just 30min away who will assemble my build, as long as I pick and order the parts. He referred me to PC Parts Picker, so I've spent the morning struggling with specs. Fortunately, they provide some build guides that turned out to be very useful as a starting place, so that along with my notes from this thread got me here:

• AMD Ryzen 5600X processor
• Gigabyte B550 motherboard
• 32gb RAM
• Silicon Power SSD 1TB (2 of them)
• Radeon RX 7700 XT video card
• Thermaltake Toughpower GX2 600 W power supply
• NZXT H7 Flow mid-tower case

With labor for assembly, cost of Microsoft software, plus a new monitor, I can bring this in for just under $2,000, which was my budget limit.

Does this look reasonable from a tech perspective?

ETA - to update case and PSU components.

I would highly recommend you go to the 850W power supply by same company, is $30 more, and gives you a nice cushion on power.

Amazon.com

Everything else looks good!

 

[Beebo Brink]

I would highly recommend you go to the 850W power supply by same company, is $30 more, and gives you a nice cushion on power.

That one is fully modular and it's in stock, so even better.

My estimated power usage is 425W, so that's exactly double of what I need. That should be future proof, assuming I ever upgrade. You never know, right?

Thanks!

 

[Casey Pelous]

That one is fully modular and it's in stock, so even better.

My estimated power usage is 425W, so that's exactly double of what I need. Too much cushion?

For the rest of it, thanks!

In several contexts, including this one, there ain't no such thing as too much cushion.

See: Tap, Spinal

 

[Beebo Brink]

In several contexts, including this one, there ain't no such thing as too much cushion.

Got it! I've edited my parts list to go with Kokoro's recommendation.

I'm not quite ready to pull the trigger on BUY -- but I should have the courage to do that by tomorrow morning.

 

[Madi Perth]

I would highly recommend you go to the 850W power supply by same company, is $30 more, and gives you a nice cushion on power.

Amazon.com

Everything else looks good!

I'm a little late for the party but for what its worth I agree here. I've never but less than an 850W in any system I have for gaming. Never cheap out on a powersupply ether. I've had a cheap one short out and take everything with it. Graphics cards and processors come and go but a good PS can last for years.

 

[Beebo Brink]

I'm a little late for the party but for what its worth I agree here. I've never but less than an 850W in any system I have for gaming.

I'm picking up my assembled computer in just about 2 hours! And yes, I went with the 850W recommendation.

I was chuffed when the computer tech nerd unpacked all my parts and said "Oh, this will be a good build". I confessed that it was probably overkill for how I'd use it, but he countered with "No such thing as overkill."

Nonetheless, it really is a total splurge and I feel ever so slightly guilty about it, but not enough -- obviously -- to stop myself.

 

[Veritable Quandry]

Sometimes overkill is just kill enough.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

This year's overkill is next year's adequate.