Gaming Desktop - Advice for First Timer (Budget $2000)

Lmegapenfreak on 21/09/2022 - 17:34
Last edited 21/09/2022 - 18:25 by 1 other user

Hi.

My son wants to get onto PC Gaming, and is looking at buying his set up

I have absolutely no idea what's what in the gaming world and what to look for when buying. Would love some advice:

• Ideally, <$2000 for a setup of the Computer, Screen, Mouse and Keyboard, or
• What you would recommend as a budget starter gamer pack. or
• Recommended shops or websites that sell affordable set ups that won't break the bank

He's currently got Xbox One, and your standard tablets and laptop…

Any advice or recommendations welcome.

Thankyou

• 

  CrispyChrispy on 21/09/2022 - 17:37

  +4

  What games are your son playing? No need to go overboard if he's not playing anything too intense, though it doesn't hurt if he does move on to more demanding titles.

  • 

    SpeedingSlim on 28/09/2022 - 23:28

    Hi the son here!

    I play Apex legends and Rainbow six seige and exstraction primarily so i would like something with higher graphics capabilities

• 

  scrimshaw on 21/09/2022 - 17:59

  +4

  We are about 6 days away from Ryzen 7000 series being released. Probably best to wait about a week more and see if they are any clearance on the current gen 5000 series.

  • 

    megapenfreak on 23/09/2022 - 11:36

    ok… so Ryzen is the cpu?? I should be expecting discounts on systems with Ryzen 5000.

    sorry I'm even worse than I noob.

    • 

      scrimshaw on 23/09/2022 - 12:07

      Yes, Ryzen is the brand name of AMD's processors.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryzen
      https://www.amd.com/en/processors/ryzen

      With the new release of Ryzen 7000 also comes a new motherboard socket called socket AM5. This means anyone that owns a current generation Ryzen 5000 series can't just drop in a new processor, they'll need to upgrade to a new motherboard alongside with new DDR5 memory — basically, all new standards.

      This means the current gen platform is EOL (end of line). While you won't see any huge discounts in the short term, the new AM5 release should still send a price signal to retailers to clear out their stock (especially the more high end parts).

• 

  garetz on 21/09/2022 - 18:26

  +1

  If you wait for the new amd cpus and video cards, the previous gens will drop about 40%, and will be a much better buy.

  • 

    askbargain on 21/09/2022 - 19:20

    +1

    i saw it drop as high as 50%!

• 

  Zylam Marex on 21/09/2022 - 18:30

  +3

  Keep an eye out for techfast deals such as these

  Decent value machines. As for monitors, the Dell S2721DGF is an ozbargain favorite and the current value champion. It's around 500+ atm but it's been 450 and even down to 400 in the past. However for 500+ I'd recommend the Gigabyte M27Q-P, it's an exceptional monitor for 569 and can be found on centrecom and Scorptec.

  As for keyboard and mouse, it depends on your son's needs, some people get along with basic keyboard and mice, other people want some bling and features. This is something you can take your time with and research as it's dependent on what your son wants.

  Bear in mind, this is the time of year when the computer hardware is refreshed, we've just had a new generation of graphics cards be announced last night and new cpus are coming at the end of the year. Nothing will likely change in the next 4 months, except for maybe 200 dollars worth of saving on a gpu or system build. So if you can wait 6 months, I'd say wait, otherwise grab a tech fast deal and the monitor I mentioned, you'd be happy.

• 

  xxBARGAINGODxx on 22/09/2022 - 07:00

  Some general advice if you decide to build (which I would recommend over prebuilts):

  A good keyboard and mouse can last longer than the pc will be used. A poor keyboard and mouse might have to be replaced a few times but cost much less. Think about whether you prefer to spend up front or continuously on peripherals.

  These days the necessary specs for a gaming pc have to do primarily with 1. the type of monitor you'll be using (refresh rate and resolution) and 2. the types of games you plan to run (CPU-bound (simulation games with a lot of moving "pieces" to keep track of, CS:GO, etc)) or GPU-bound (most other games). Figure these details out first when planning. The better the monitor you want to run GPU-bound games on, the more you will need to spend on a GPU and power supply to keep it fed.

  There is no good reason to use water cooling (including CPU AIOs) on a midrange build. A stock CPU cooler (if included) will be enough in most cases or there are very good air coolers to be had for very little money. Make sure you pick a case with good airflow though, there are plenty of reviews that test this.

  High-end gaming sub-brands (Aorus, ROG, etc) incur a premium for their aesthetic and cooling design and will end up bleeding your budget for very little tangible benefit for what your son will be doing with it. Consider getting the lower tiers from reputable manufacturers (ASUS TUF Gaming is one with a good reputation in the GPU department this generation).

  In the price range you're looking at, used components make a lot of sense. You can build him a much more powerful pc for the same price by finding good deals on used components. As satisfying as it is to unbox a pristine new PC, this feeling wears off as soon as you can't run a game at your desired settings because you paid extra for something that is functionally the same. Make sure you ask about warranty duration and invoices if they are needed to claim the warranty before buying any parts used, though.

  If your son likes RGB/cool-looking addons (and who doesn't), I would recommend not paying a premium to get coolers/GPUs/RAM/etc. unless the price difference is very small. A case with a built-in RGB strip and RGB fans can get you a good aesthetic outcome for very little money.

  • 

    SpeedingSlim on 02/10/2022 - 20:47

    I don't have a cabled internet connection in my room what are the options for wireless and how would it affect my gameplay?

    • 

      xxBARGAINGODxx on 03/10/2022 - 08:09

      This depends a bit on how strong the Wi-Fi signal is in your room and how much you care about throughput. If it is strong and you are not that fussed about speeds, you can get away with a relatively cheap USB Wi-Fi dongle like this: https://www.umart.com.au/product/simplecom-nw602-ac600-dual-…

      If you have weaker signal or want better throughput I would recommend getting a motherboard with Wi-Fi built in. The ones with Wi-Fi built in are listed in the specs and often come with an external antenna.

• 

  verify on 12/11/2022 - 14:49

  I'm looking in the same budget, is this any good:

  https://www.alliedgamingpc.com.au/allied-stinger-a-ready-to-…