Replacing my old gaming PC, need a build off you wonderful folks. All advice apprecaited, I'm out of the loop.

Hey, so as the title says I'm looking to put together a build and I was hoping to do it before the sales are over. Take advantage of them and all that. Since my previous build included an i50-3570 and a HD-7870 I figured it was time to modernize.

Okay so what I want to do with the new PC is to play anything at 1080p 60fps with all the settings cranked up to max. I'm going to be needing an SSD + HDD since the PC is used as the family's storage for music and any other crap. Plus, I've always wanted one. :D

I know it's kinda vague, but any advice you could offer is greatly appreciated. As of right now, I've been advised to get an i5-6600k, AMD RX-480 and the best RAM it can handle.

Oh and one last thing, my last PC lasted me just over 4 years before it started to kick it, so I'd like to be able to do the same with this one.

Budget for everything (including a monitor, OS. Maybe keyboard+mouse if it fits in, but not required) is <$2000.

Comments

  • This is what I would go for:

    https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/LVWVGf

    I prefer Nvidia over AMD, but there's no reason you couldn't go for an RX480 instead. The 1060 and 480 basically trade blows depending on game and API (DX12/DX11/Vulkan)

    EDIT: Going for the best RAM it can handle is a game of diminishing returns. You end up paying a lot more for not a lot of gain. You need to check latency as well as frequency. The sweet spot is DDR4 2133/2400 at the moment i think in terms of price/performance.

    EDIT EDIT: The other option you might want to consider is keeping the 3570, mobo and RAM and upgrading around that. The 3570 is still decent and shouldn't hamper many games at 1080p. That's only if you want to save some (significant) amount of money though - if you have the funds by all means go for the 6600k. You can also spend about ~$160 more and get an i7 6700k. That'll help you if you end up doing a lot of multitasking/video/photo editing etc.

    • Yeah I'd rather go AMD to be honest, had a lot of good experiences with them so I don't want to rock the boat. Plus I just found a 480 8gb for less than $400 so it's a win-win in my book.

      DDR4, 2400. Sounds good to me!

      My 3570 is currently making grinding noises so I feel like it's time to move on. :P

      Thanks!

      • I hope you mean metaphorical grinding noises? AKA: You want something shiny and new :P If you meant that literally then you probably just need to clean out the CPU fan.

        Oh… forgot to mention: if you're planning on being able to play 4k content on your pc later on, you might want to wait for Kaby Lake to drop, as the new HDCP hardware requirements for 4k content (or whatever the hell they call it these days) is only implemented in Kaby Lake.

        http://www.tomshardware.com/news/netflix-kaby-lake-cpu-4k,33…

        • I've cleaned it out fully, but the last place I lived in made sure the rest of the inside of my case is rather rusted. I'm guessing it has something to do with that. I don't mind spending the cash on it though, I found a 6600k for $288 AUD on amazon so I figure, why the hell not.

          https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012M8M7TY/ref=ox_sc_act_t…

          https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DHTWWTM/ref=ox_sc_act_t…

          https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01J3TZJOA/ref=ox_sc_act_t…

          You reckon these are worth it?

          Edit: just saw the article you linked. Lol.

        • @WillRay92:
          Rusted?? That's not a good sign lol. Those look pretty good. I'm a fan of Asus or msi graphics cards in general. Not a fan of Acer monitors though, but does that model have free sync (only mentions 144hz)? That's a big benefit of going AMD- you have a lot of choice in gaming monitors without having to fork over for g sync models

        • @nytrojen: Yeah that old place was a pain in the ass. :D

          So Freesync, from what I can tell it might as one of the answered questions states that it does but most reviews says it has no Sync-tech inside at all. I'm confused.

        • @nytrojen: Okay update, Amazon decided to be a pain in the ass so it looks like I'm in the market for a new monitor again!

          I did order the i5 and the 480 though, so any suggestions on a monitor that'll work well with those?

        • @WillRay92:

          Personally I'd go an LG Ultra wide 2560x1080. The rx480 should be able to handle the res ok. Otherwise I'd just stick to either Samsung or LG. The Samsung in this list is a 27inch pls with freesync: http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Monitors/25plus-inch

        • @nytrojen: as for mouse and keyboard, I have all Razer peripherals, but the latest Logitech stuff looks great. I'd suggest a G610 keyboard and G502 mouse. There have been some great deals on here lately if you can find them still

        • @nytrojen: thanks for the suggestions on the Monitor and kb+mouse, I'll look into all those. My rx480 should be arriving ~the 14th so I'd like to have the rest of the parts as close to that time as possible.

        • @WillRay92:

          No probs. Ps: are you planning on just turfing your old CPU mobo and ram?

        • @nytrojen: Uh, maybe?

        • @WillRay92: killrust silver paint…

        • @Slippery Fish: Pardon?

        • @WillRay92: I live near the coast too, I just used killrust paint to convert the rust.

        • @Slippery Fish: Oh cheers, I'll give that a go when I give the case to my family member.

        • @WillRay92:

          Was gonna say it might be worth trying to salvage for a family member or pc recycling. Not the that I'm a greenie or anything but I hate seeing usable pc components go to waste

        • @nytrojen: Oh for sure, I mean if it wasn't going to someone else, then I would probably re-use the disc drive if I could. DDR3 RAM so no chance for that though. :P

      • If you want to go with AMD, then I'd suggest waiting and seeing what the AMD Zen line-up looks like.

        Currently IMO nothing from AMD is worthwhile using, and I say this as an AMD proponent. They are slower, run hotter, and have more cores than normal applications or games will take advantage of.

        • Oh I wouldn't get an AMD CPU unless they were better than Intel's range. I was talking about graphics cards.

  • +1

    Here's a bit of a base build. I've kept all the parts from umart as an example. With a 1060 and i5 6600k it comes out to $1844.

    https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/j8BNgL

    Some options to reduce the cost.
    - Grab an SSD from the countless posts that get up here… the EVO 850 is a solid SSD though.
    - If you're not interested in overclocking, then swap the i5-6600k for a i5-6600. You also won't need a CPU cooler, so this will reduce the cost by $70
    - There are case options that are cheaper, just be wary of CPU cooler height if you are going for the 6600k. You can get a bare bones case for up to $50 less.

    The 1060 will meet your requirements for a while, but if you can jag another $150 then I'd go for the 1070.

    For the monitor, I'd keep an eye out on computer section here, or grab one that pops up on the dell outlet. Example - https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/274664

    For the keyboard/mouse, get what you're happy with. https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/277911 plus https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/278601 would have been a great combination (I currently have that keyboard with a G301).

    • Hey sorry, I thought I sent a message to you. Anyway, thanks for the build! I'm not a huge fan of Micro-ATX though, any chance that you would know of a few bigger parts to replace those in the build you linked?

      • Oh I'm definitely getting an SSD, right now I'm on a Barracuda and I've always wanted to upgrade.

      • From the prices I've seen, it's more like $15 or so, but no matter, I managed to find a 6600k for $215 USD. It's a steal IMO.

      • Oh yeah I don't want any kind of fancy case with lights and unicorn dust littered throughout, just something that's good quality and will last me more than 2 years.

      I just found a Rx 480 factory OC'd for way less than I could in this country so I've already ordered that. Works out as about $330 for the 8gb version.

      Yeah I definitely need a monitor, 1080p sounds perfectly fine for me and as long as it's not this AOC P.O.S. that I have currently then I'll be a happy camper.

      My current mouse is the old Death Adder Black from back in 2011 or 2012 or something. It's a wonderful mouse but I think I've used it up. Any suggestions for something that doesn't have lights or at least they're able to be turned off? I don't need MMO craziness, just something with a left button, right button, middle, and a couple of side ones too. Wired is preferable.

      Thanks for taking the time to read, I eagerly await your response!

      • +1

        https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/T6tt9W

        Changed to an ATX. Really any LGA1151 socketed z series motherboard would be suitable, just make sure it has all the features you want. Case is totally up to you but i picked a well reviewed restrained case.

        I like mATX, it can be a nice compact build but sometimes a pain in the arse to put together. I personally prefer nvidia but the rx480 should give you a solid rig.

        I'm not too up to date with mouse/keyboard options, up until a few months back i was using a pretty old sidewinder mouse and a cheap membrane keyboard… i like my g301, but there could be better options out there. The dell monitors like i linked are pretty great for the price, but as i said just keep an eye on the computing section here for a good monitor :-)

        • In your opinion, would that motherboard still be great 4 years from now? Assuming I don't go Kaby in a year or two that is.

        • @WillRay92:

          Who knows. For gaming it will probably still be respectable, the VR trend will stress the GPU more than the CPU, it should last you 4 years.

          Kaby lake isn't a big upgrade at all it seems from the early benchmarks.

        • @iforgotmysocks: Cheers for that, I don't have that much of an interest in VR right now as I can't even watch a 3D movie without getting a massive headache. I assume there's a similar issue with VR goggles.

          Can I say I'm somewhat relieved Kaby isn't that big of a deal? Means my 6600k will last longer than I thought. :P

  • +1

    I've got a 1060 6 GB paired with an i5-6600 and it's been delivering a solid 60 fps at 1080p on games like Shadow of Mordor, Overwatch, and Dying Light at max settings.

    • Thanks for the suggestion, I decided to go for a 480 8gb since I found one for ~$100 less than the local price had it.

      • Can't argue with that, they all appear to be solid cards once you get away from the tribalism of red vs green.

        • Yeah I'm no fanboy of either since I've only ever owned 2 AMD and 1 Nvidia, and the Green I've owned was a GT-450.

  • +1

    i5-3570? That processor is still very good. It's also very unlikely for a processor to actually become faulty. you might have other issues with the motherboard, or PSU / HDD / GPU, but CPU failures are extremely uncommon.

    That's what I'm using right now paired with a GTX 1060 and I'm playing most games at 1080p at 100 FPS (I've got a 144hz monitor so my ideal target is 144 fps)

    • -1

      Not really relevant here, I asked for a build not for someone to tell me that my old broken CPU is fine.

      • +1

        I'd take it off your hands if you can confirm that it works. name price.

        • -1

          I don't know why you'd want to buy a CPU that someone just described as "broken", but uh, sure. Was gonna throw it out anyway.

          I have no idea how much they go for, I've had it for at least 4 years, can't recall exactly.

        • @WillRay92: lol, if it makes a grind sound it comes from the only moving part…

          You got dust in your fan or it needs a new fan or bearing…

          If you were seriously throwing it out just charge him postage and a sixpack for your time…

          Ps. Next time your house needs a new light or car needs a tire I'll have a carton waiting :)

        • @Slippery Fish: Thanks for the advice, Uh, I guess I should mention that I kinda-sorta promised to give the PC to a family member but I guess I could add in a cheaper CPU and try and sell the 3570 if it's actually worth something.

          Selling it would allow me to get a new mouse. My current one is starting to refuse to click. And yes, I have cleaned the mouse. :P

        • @WillRay92: then you weren't throwing it out :) I'd personally give my family the old pc but cash is cash. If you have no real high requirements a cheap mouse will do.

        • @Slippery Fish: To be fair, I was gonna throw it out when I throught it was pretty much dead.

          Unfortunately I'm going to find it hard to go back to a 3 button basic mouse after my old Deathadder with the 2 side buttons. It's a great mouse and actually big enough for my gorilla hands.

        • @WillRay92: I have a cheap Aldi one and a logitech g9x both good for my big hands.

          You can get big ones within buttons cheap too. I'd personally buy one that feels good, a nice mousetrap can help too :)

        • @Slippery Fish: The aldi near me sell a fully built i7 tower and absolutely nothing else even vaguely computer related. It's quite funny actually.

          If you set the right cheese, the mouse will always come.

        • @WillRay92:

          I will post you a self addressed stamped envelope.
          (Express satchel)
          Would love the motherboard, ram and CPU.
          Please.
          I am genuine.
          Have a project in mind and you $0 parts are perfecto!!

        • @chinezejew: Sorry, I've already promised it to my mum. Saving her money comes first here I'm afraid.

        • @WillRay92:
          Ok.
          Don't throw it out.

        • @chinezejew: Wasn't planning to, I'm just going to get a new HDD and hand it over to her.

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