Looking for help for Gaming PC build for 16 year old - $500 budget

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Aravan24

Aravan24

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Changed the title of the post to reflect the fact that my fiancee would like to stay closer to $500.

Our 16 year old has been gaming off my old gaming desktop for a couple years and is ready to get his own build. He plays a lot of Steam games but I want to ensure that he has the ability to play any of the newer titles that come out at a decent performance level. I would also like to ideally have an upgrade path available so that the system isn't outdated in a couple of years. Most of the builds I've seen that seem to support this recommend an i3 processor at this price point but I'm open to any suggestions.

I do have a OCZ GameXStream OCZ700GXSSLI 700W ATX12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply from my prior system that I'd like to reuse if possible as well as a 128GB SSD (can't recall the brand offhand)

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!
 
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Realize if you bump down the processor especially to a non K version the system will not have the same longevity.

The 4690k is 209 at newegg right now so that cuts it a bit. It also comes with a stock cooling fan so you can drop the extra cooler. Just don't OC it until you save for a new one.

Anything cheaper than the r9 380 I listed will not have great FPS with decent quality, in my opinion. I really don't know the low end GPU space so I can't really make any suggestions. The system really starts to get unbalanced at that point as well and it may be best to drop down to a low end processor at that price point if you think it will be awhile before you can afford a better GPU.

Your other option is to drop the CPU down to...
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KingDingDong

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Assuming you can reuse your old case and the hard drive this base system will last a good 4-5 years and is overclockable.. If you have a Frys or Microcenter nearby or know someone who can buy the processor there you can save a bit more. Win 7 pro 64 can be upgraded for free to win 10 pro.

If any of those assumptions are not true we can sharpen our mouse pointers, but this is a solid base to work from and after the new GPUs are released next year you can upgrade that 1 component. He can also mow some lawns. :)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($226.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($76.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Trident X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 380 4GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 OEM (64-bit) ($60.00)
Total: $603.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-19 15:53 EST-0500

If you are a bargain hunter follow Reddit r/buildapcsales and you can do even better.
 
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Aravan24

Aravan24

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I wasn't planning on reusing the old case as most of the fans are dying and there are some other issues with it that lead me to just want to replace it fully. I think the power supply should be fine though unless anyone can see a reason that it would need to be replaced.

I already have a copy of Windows 7 Pro - 64 bit so I won't need to incur that expense.

Thanks!
 
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KingDingDong

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Perfect. $60 will get a very good case especially on sale. How are you on a HDD? That 120GB SSD will work for the OS and a some games but he will quickly need more. A 1TB can be had for $40-50.

Is this a surprise? A 16 year old will likely choose a different style case than an old fart like me.

Keep checking this thread as some others may chime in with some good ideas as well.
 
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Aravan24

Aravan24

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I'll definitely keep checking back. Thanks for the quick responses and all your help. I also figured that it'd be easy to find a good case in that price range.
 
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KingDingDong

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Realize if you bump down the processor especially to a non K version the system will not have the same longevity.

The 4690k is 209 at newegg right now so that cuts it a bit. It also comes with a stock cooling fan so you can drop the extra cooler. Just don't OC it until you save for a new one.

Anything cheaper than the r9 380 I listed will not have great FPS with decent quality, in my opinion. I really don't know the low end GPU space so I can't really make any suggestions. The system really starts to get unbalanced at that point as well and it may be best to drop down to a low end processor at that price point if you think it will be awhile before you can afford a better GPU.

Your other option is to drop the CPU down to an i3-4170. if you drop the MB to a non Z that eleimates the OC option with a future CPU upgrade. I am trying to keep your stated goal of having an upgrade path without needing to scrap the whole MB/CPU.

Sorry no one else with more mid-low end experience has popped in. You may just have to make a new post. Good luck.
 
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Aravan24

Aravan24

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KingDingDong,

I decided not to skimp or reuse any parts to ensure that the system was OC'able, upgradable and not at risk of having all the new components ruined by an older PSU. Here is what I went with:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste ($5.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($76.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Trident X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($44.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 380 4GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake Versa N21 ATX Mid Tower Case ($58.21 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($48.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 OEM (64-bit) ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition (2-Pack) 39.9 CFM 120mm Fans ($24.15 @ NCIX US)
Total: $784.05
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-23 07:39 EST-0500

There is one conflict listed on PCPartPicker that states the following:
The G.Skill Trident X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory operating voltage of 1.65V exceeds the Intel Haswell Refresh CPU recommended maximum of 1.5V+5% (1.575V). This memory module may run at a reduced clock rate to meet the 1.5V voltage recommendation, or may require running at a voltage greater than the Intel recommended maximum.

Not sure if I'll be able to run at the standard voltage or if I'll need to dial it back. Any advice you can provide is appreciated. Also, I have no experience overclocking so if you have any advice on that as well it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you again for all your assistance with this!

Rob
 
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Red Reddington

Red Reddington

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Do not order the PSU yet. That CX is bottom of the barrel and I will work on finding you a much better one for the same or cheaper. Will also look into the memory issue. Need to push the kids out the door first.

As you can see prices are very fluid right now and a lot will depend on the market when you order.
 
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Aravan24

Aravan24

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Sounds great...thanks for your assistance! I'll hold off on pulling the trigger until I hear back from you. Let me know if you need any more information from my end.
 
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Red Reddington

Red Reddington

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The minions rose up and deposed the King over the weekend so he is hiding out at an undisclosed location.

Here is my updated list. You can plug it into yours. It really is not necessary to OC right now with the 4690k so an aftermarket cooler can be added later and stick with stock it will not bottleneck that GPU. I would still have some thermal paste on hand in case you mess up installing the stock cooler and need to reapply.

As the pricing changes you may need to change PSU. The XFX is made by Seasonic and is excellent. It is not semi modular but in the scheme of things that really is not that important. Just use some zip ties to tidy things up. If you feel strongly about it here is a link to the tier list just make sure you get a tier 1 or 2. You should not need greater than 550w unless you run two GPUs. http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html

I think I saw a price drop on win7 to $55 on Amazon. Someone here suggested buying a code from kingquin for $20. That seems a little sketchy to me.

If you have a Frys or Microcenter near you can get a better deal on the CPU by buying in store.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($76.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($42.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 380 4GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX TS 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($47.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 OEM (64-bit) ($60.00)
Total: $662.72
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-23 10:04 EST-0500
 
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Aravan24

Aravan24

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After doing a bit of research it looks like while the RAM I had lined up was a slightly higher voltage than what is recommended for the mobo there should be no issue with running them together. It's just going to be running at an overclocked rate but, at least from what I've read, there should be no issue with it. If there is, I can always dial back the voltage and run it at a lower speed. I already had the RAM ordered so I'd like to avoid changing it unless necessary.

As for the PSU you're recommending, my only question is whether it'll still be sufficient if I do overclock the CPU? Right now the build I laid out on PCPartPicker originally is coming in at 398W but I'm just not sure how much overclocking would increase the power draw of the system. Any thoughts on that?
 
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Aravan24

Aravan24

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I snagged the XFX 650 for $39.99 that you suggested. Looked like a great deal. Thanks so much for posting that and for all your assistance! I should have everything I need now to complete my build. I think we'll have one happy teenager on our hands.
 
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