Building Emulation/Gaming PC with $500-700 budget. Please help.

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bradm7841

Jul 31, 2018
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Approximate Purchase Date: 1-3 weeks

Budget Range: $500-700 before rebates and including shipping

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Emulation, Gaming, watching 4K content, general web browsing

Are you buying a monitor: No

Parts to Upgrade: Everything except the monitor, keyboard and mouse. I think a mid tower ATX case may work for me. A full ATX case seems to big but if you think it would work better for me, let me know.

Do you need to buy OS: Yes (hoping to get non retail OEM version of Windows 10 for $40)

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: any reputable site in the U.S.

Location: Buffalo, NY

Parts Preferences: As far as the processor, I'm leaning more towards AMD because from what I have been reading so far, the Ryzen processors can still handle PCSX2, Dolphin and CEMU emulation well and they are also good for modern games because they have more cores vs Intel. For everything else, I just want parts from reliable and reputable brands. I also like that current motherboards for the Ryzen processors will be able to support the latest AMD processors through 2020 if I needed to upgrade the processor in two years. However, if you think an Intel processor will give me more bang for my buck in the long term then let me know. Ultimately, I want to build a tower that will last me 4-5 years before I have to build a completely new PC.

Overclocking: Maybe. I would only do this if games and emulators don't run well and I don't want to spend too much on cooling.

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe (I might in the future add a cheap Radeon card to connect to a CRT TV to play retro games so I like having this as an option)

Your Monitor Resolution: currently my monitor is 1440p but I plan on upgrading to a 4K monitor at some point and have a 4K TV I connect to

Additional Comments:
-Would prefer to have PC be on quiet side but it's not a deal breaker if that isn't feasible within my budget
-I want to install the OS on an SSD and might add an addition SSD in the future for more storage. I am considering this SSD as it seems like a good deal:

Samsung 860 EVO 500GB 2.5 Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-76E500B/AM)
https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-500GB-Internal-MZ-76E500B-AM/dp/B0781Z7Y3S/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1533042091&sr=1-3&keywords=samsung+SSD&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&dpID=41qR7C253KL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

-I want a good power supply that is fully modular and at least bronze rated. If you think I'd be better off with a silver or gold rated power supply then I'm open to suggestions.

-I'm not a hardcore gamer and I only play games for 1-2 hours per week but I want a graphics card that can at least handle the latest games in 1080p and run them at a decent frame rate with mid level graphics settings. I would also like to be able to run games in 4K with a decent frame rate and graphics on medium but I want to spend the lowest amount possible on the video card to do this. I'm trying not to spend more than $200 on a video card.

-I want to be able to run PCSX2, Dolphin and CEMU in at least 1080p and preferably 4K at a good framerate. I'm not looking to spend more than $250 on a processor.

Why I'm Upgrading:
I am upgrading for a few reasons. My PC is 10 years old and I want to build a PC for emulation and gaming that is capable or meeting my requirements mentioned above. I want to build a PC that will last me 4-5 years.
 
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Based on what you want I would recommend this if you can increase the budget.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i5-8600K 3.6GHz 6-Core Processor ($249.00 @ Walmart)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock - Z370 Killer SLI/ac ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill - Trident Z 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($151.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial - MX500 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Superclocked Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card ($474.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal...
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feelinfroggy777

feelinfroggy777

Glorious
Dec 13, 2016
5,721
135
45,990
At your budget I would not go with the Samsung EVO. The MX500 is very close to performance and is a little cheaper. I went with the 1050ti to keep you under the $200 GPU limit, but I would rather see you go with a 1060 or 580 as the 1050ti is a budget GPU and has been out for several years. It will show its age sooner than later.

Intel:

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/wRtK29
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/wRtK29/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel - Core i5-8400 2.8GHz 6-Core Processor ($195.79 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - B360M DS3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($65.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws 4 Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($80.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial - MX500 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI - GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB Video Card ($164.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Phanteks - ECLIPSE P400 TEMPERED GLASS ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $702.71
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-07-31 09:51 EDT-0400

AMD:

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/jnvqBb
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/jnvqBb/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor ($169.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock - B450 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard ($91.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot - Viper 4 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($80.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial - MX500 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI - GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB Video Card ($164.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Phanteks - ECLIPSE P400 TEMPERED GLASS ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $702.80
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-07-31 09:53 EDT-0400
 
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bradm7841

Jul 31, 2018
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Do you recommend an AMD or Intel processor for my situation?

 
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feelinfroggy777

feelinfroggy777

Glorious
Dec 13, 2016
5,721
135
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They are really close in gaming performance, but the Intel CPU has a slight edge. The 2600 however has twice as many threads which is hard to pass up. Now that the cheaper b450 boards have been released it brings down the cost of the AMD CPUs. They are both really good CPUs, but I would go with the 2600 over the 8400.
 
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bradm7841

Jul 31, 2018
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Will the cheaper b450 boards be good for the next gen of Ryzen CPUs and do they have good VRMs?

Right now, I'm considering increasing my budget to the $900 range going with the 2600x CPU
and either the 1050 Ti or 1060 Ti. Do you think the 1060 Ti will serve me well enough that I wouldn't need to upgrade in 2-3 years for light gaming?
 
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feelinfroggy777

feelinfroggy777

Glorious
Dec 13, 2016
5,721
135
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FYI, there is no 1060ti, there is a 3gb model and a 6gb model. But don't worry, it is supposed to be confusing.

The b450 board will be compatible with AMD releases till 2020. The b450 chipset was released this week, so there is not a lot of info about them right now. I would not worry too much about the VRMs though. The VRMs and the x470 chipset really only matters for overclocking. The b450 chipset supports overclocking, but the x470 chipset will overclock a little bit better. Considering you are not big into overclocking and don't want to pay a lot for cooling, there is not a good reason to go with the x470. In fact, the way the new Ryzen CPUs turbo (particularity the 2600x), in many cases overclocking will hurt gaming performance because the single core turbo is reduced.

The 2600 will be a very good CPU for some time. It has just been released and I suspect that in 5 years it will still be very capable. However, the 1050ti is a budget GPU that is 2 years old. It will show its age much quicker. If gaming is your primary focus, then the GPU needs to be your biggest priority. Personally, I would not build a system today with anything less than a 1060 6gb or a 580. The GPU market has been stagnant with little new tech released over the last couple of years. Those are the midrange GPUs of choice today and will soon be budget options. The current budget options (1050ti) will not be capable of keeping up. Even 2-3 years, the 1060/580 may have trouble as those GPUs will have been on the market for 5 years by that time. 5 years in the PC industry is like a century to the rest of the world.

With a budget of 900 though you can really open up your options. In this build I kept the 2600, because it is more than adequate for gaming and you should use the money saved and put it to your GPU. In order to stay below budget I went with a cheaper case and a cheaper SSD. The SSD is not as fast as the MX500, but it is still much faster than a HDD.

The money saved I put into the GPU and went with a 1070. Currently a 1070 is a highend GPU and it is very good. If you want longevity in your system, then you need to put high end parts. A budget GPU wont be relevant nearly as long as a high end GPU and the GPU is the most important part of a gaming rig.

With $900 and a focus on long term use, I would go with this:

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/XFjqBb
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/XFjqBb/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor ($169.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock - B450 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard ($91.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot - Viper 4 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($80.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Team - L5 LITE 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($74.99 @ Newegg Business)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC GAMING ACX 3.0 Black Edition Video Card ($409.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Thermaltake - Core G21 Tempered Glass Edition ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.96 @ Newegg)
Total: $892.78
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-08-01 11:16 EDT-0400
 
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bradm7841

Jul 31, 2018
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I appreciate your help. With emulation, I need the CPU to get to at least to 4GHz and I know that the 2600 could be overclocked to do that but people seem to recommend not using the stock cooler to overclock the 2600 to 4GHz. I know the 2600x can safely reach 4.25GHz using the turbo boost and xfr features using the stock cooler as that only affects 1-2 cores so temps won't go up too much. Adding a good cooler to the 2600 would cost $50-70 and at that point, the 2600x makes more sense to me.

I do understand what you are saying about the GPU but the 1070 really is a lot of money. I do care more about emulation and I don't game that much. It will mostly be stuff along the lines of Indie games, Rocket League, Fortnite, PUBG, a AAA title here and there on medium settings. Also, I don't have a ton of time to play games so I like to play games in short spurts. Does it make more sense for me to get a GTX 1060 and upgrade in 3 years or for me to get a 1070 and upgrade in 5 years? I'm okay playing games on low graphics settings in the future if I have to.
 
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bmockeg

Dignified
May 11, 2018
5,170
358
14,990
Based on what you want I would recommend this if you can increase the budget.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i5-8600K 3.6GHz 6-Core Processor ($249.00 @ Walmart)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock - Z370 Killer SLI/ac ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill - Trident Z 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($151.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial - MX500 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Superclocked Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card ($474.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design - Focus G (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - S12II 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($47.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1218.72
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-08-02 10:36 EDT-0400
 
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