Build help/advice for first timer

[AboveTheChemist]

Now that prices seem to be normalizing, the build project that I've had in the back of my head for two years seems feasible. I've never built my own before so I could certainly use any and all help/advice.

 

My rough budget is $1,000 but that is not a hard limit. I'd like a reliable, long-lived build that I can use for general productivity, potentially some video editing, and gaming. I mostly plan to play older games but would like the option to play some newer games (even if I need to dial back the settings a bit).

 

I've done a fair bit of research, including quite a few YouTube videos and browsing some build guides on PCPartsPicker. I've put together a rough build (linked below) that I think gets me in the ballpark. I have parametric selections for most parts so you can see some of the options I am considering, and I am not necessarily leaning towards the lowest price option for each component, but that's how the site displays them.

 

EDIT: Now that I am done, I've changed the link to represent my final build:

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/AboveTheChemist/saved/C2N3wP

 

For those that don't want to click the link, here's what I chose:

Spoiler

• CPU: Ryzen 5 5600 - should be more than plenty to meet my needs
• GPU: Radeon RX 6700 (non-XT) - I play in 1080p and the 6700 (non-XT) seemed to be the best bang for the amount of bucks I wanted to spend. I strongly considered the 6650 XT and 6700 XT, though.
• Motherboard: MSI B550M PRO-VDH WIFI - I spent a little more on the motherboard than I planned, but it got great reviews and I think it will be a solid option for future upgrades
• RAM: Silicon Power XPOWER Turbine 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 - 32GB might be overkill but I didn't mind investing a little more to have room to spare
• Storage: Nextorage NEM-PA 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive OS/applications drive, Seagate BarraCuda 4 TB 3.5" 5400 RPM Internal Hard Drive for files - The SSD is a high-end tier drive (according to this spreadsheet) that I was able to get a good deal on for not much more than the mid-tier drives I was considering
• PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower PF1 650W - I might have gotten a slightly better PSU deal if I had waited a little longer but the case I got is on the small side with a max PSU size of 150mm. All the other PSU deals I have seen have been 160mm PSUs, whereas this on is 140mm. It is a 'best of' Tier B according to the cultist's guide (which was a huge help in weeding through the PSU choices).
• Case: Silverstone PS15 PRO - This one came with RGB fans, which I didn't need, but I am removing them and giving them to a friend that I am helping with a budget build. I got a great deal on some open-box Arctic P12/P14 fans which I will put in here. Otherwise, it's a no-frills case that was small enough to meet my needs.
• CPU Cooler: Thermalright Assassin King SE - It was well reviewed and I happened to snag a nice deal on it. I was looking at a few other coolers that I think would have performed just as well, but I happened to catch the deal on this one.

 

Grand total including tax, shipping, and all, was $1,006.98. If I had been a little more patient I could have saved five more dollars on the SSD, otherwise I think I got the best possible deal on all the parts.

Feel free to comment on or give advice in relation to the build above if you like. It was my first and I am more than happy with it, although as time has progressed I see a couple of things I might have tweaked. The original RAM and SSD I bought were replaced with the options above, because I found better options after I made those purchases. I'll put the original purchases to good use, though.

 

I enjoyed the process so much that I decided to put together a small form factor build using a mini-ITX motherboard and an APU with no discrete GPU. I plan to install Linux on that machine, maybe put a few old games on it (and at least try CoH on it), and possibly let my wife use it as a potential replacement for her aging MacBook Air. I also have been helping a family friend with tight budget gaming PC build and I am really happy with what we put together for that computer.

 

Edited January 6, 2023 by AboveTheChemist
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