First PC Build Please Help

tiankaik

Prominent
Jul 9, 2017
3
0
510
Hello Community,

I’m new to PC building and would like to get advice about building my own one.

Approximate Purchase Date: Around 31 July, as parts will be delivered to my college on approx 10 August
Budget Range: SGD 600-730, not including monitor, keyboard/mouse and OS. As I stay in Singapore, parts from US are 36% more expensive for me. So a budget of US$569 = SG$773 because of the exchange
System Usage from Most to Least Important rate.
: Gaming, Movies, Surfing the Internet
Are you buying a monitor: Maybe, I have a Samsung Smart TV (unused, not sure of the model name and measurements and can’t open it yet) at home but I’m unsure if it has HDMI ports to plug my cable into the PC.
Do you need to buy OS: Yes, Windows 10 Home
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Amazon
Location: Singapore, in a hostel with my roommate
Parts Preferences: I would like a GTX 1050 Ti/1060, a Ryzen CPU and a microATX Tower case.
Overclocking: Maybe
SLI or Crossfire: No
Your Monitor Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Additional Comments: PC needs to be relatively quiet and small enough to occupy my work desk in my hostel room.
I would like my PC to be able to play current and future games smoothly for at least 5 years before I upgrade the CPU/PSU/GPU, if needed. I don’t need to run games at 1440p, Ultra settings and 60+ FPS.

I am also waiting for the release of Ryzen 3 1st Gen. If I can run my games with Ryzen 3 instead of Ryzen 5, I can spend at least SGD 50 less on my PC. However, the Ryzen 5 1500X is very promising as a middle-of-the-road, value-for-money processor.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: My current multimedia laptop is unable to run most current games well, and I really want to play future games without a hitch, especially Monster Hunter: World.

This is what I plan to buy. Of course, it's subject to changes.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/
Total estimated price: USD 600 = SGD 816

I am considering buying my CPU, GPU, Mobo and PSU in my country's tech shops, but I'm concerned about the inflated prices there. Should I opt for websites or local retailers?

Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
 
Solution
Well first up you've just linked the generic PCPartpicker list, so everyone will just get whatever they last had in the System Build list on PCPartPicker, not your list specifically. You need to use the [bb] button and post your link in the thread directly (that's preferred because it avoids people having to go to an external website). Alternatively, copy and paste the permalink into the thread.

You have two problems with your plan at the moment:
Problem 1: You can't get a capable 5yr PC for $570 US (not including OS). That price can get you an entry level gaming PC, but the compromises you have to make to hit the budget will almost certainly mean the PC won't age well at all without upgrades.
Problem 2: Graphics card...
Well first up you've just linked the generic PCPartpicker list, so everyone will just get whatever they last had in the System Build list on PCPartPicker, not your list specifically. You need to use the [bb] button and post your link in the thread directly (that's preferred because it avoids people having to go to an external website). Alternatively, copy and paste the permalink into the thread.

You have two problems with your plan at the moment:
Problem 1: You can't get a capable 5yr PC for $570 US (not including OS). That price can get you an entry level gaming PC, but the compromises you have to make to hit the budget will almost certainly mean the PC won't age well at all without upgrades.
Problem 2: Graphics card pricing right now is ridiculous because of a mining craze. So the bottom end and top end gaming cards still have relatively sensible pricing, but anything mid-range (which is probably what you're hoping for) has stupid pricing right now.

So that means you need to compromise somewhere. Either raise your budget or lower your expectations.

Here's one suggestion, but there are other options if you'd prefer to compromise somewhere else:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($197.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI - B350M PRO-VDH Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($74.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Team - Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Zotac - GeForce GTX 1050 2GB Mini Video Card ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design - Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair - CX (2017) 450W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $580.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-07-30 05:41 EDT-0400

That build above gives you a very solid platform with a budget video card. It's *NOT* well balanced at all (the CPU is overpowered/overpriced for that GPU). But because of Problem 2 above (video card pricing), getting a decent GPU into your build right now is going to cost a fortune. That build above is well set up for the future... it just has a very low quality GPU. The idea being that you put up with that for six months or so and save your pennies. When the mining craze finally ends you should be able to pick up a sensible priced mid-range GPU, or if you're prepared to take a risk on a second hand ex-mining card, there may well be an explosion of mid-high end GPUs on the second hand market.
As I say, that build is great with the exception of the GPU. So once that's upgraded, you'll have a fantastic build that should last you a good few years. Five years may still be a stretch, but you get the picture.

The other options is to drop the CPU down and try and squeeze in a better GPU. But - as I said originally - that'll leave you overpaying on a GPU because prices are stupid. Furthermore, while that would give you a better balanced system, the lower tier CPU will also age pretty quickly and then come upgrade time you'll need a new CPU & GPU.

RE local retailers, I really don't know anything about the market in your region. If you can source them locally from reputable suppliers for competitive prices then of course go for it. Warranty can be an issue internationally and shipping will cost a bunch too. Assuming the Amazon US pricing is better, it's really up to you to decide whether the international shipping and potential warranty issues are worth the savings.
Sorry I can't be more help on that one.
 
Solution