Budget ($800) PC Desktop Recommendation

Lmstest on 29/05/2021 - 13:40
Last edited 29/05/2021 - 13:59 by 1 other user

I am looking to buy a Desktop PC (AMD based) and need some recommendations with links to parts etc. that I can purchase online. I have been waiting to buy/build a computer as my approximately 10 year old (Core2Quad, 4GB RAM) is nearing its end of life and saw the below case advertised so thought I might buy this and build a computer myself.

https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/626386

Although I don’t have any specific gaming requirements, I do want to buy a computer that will satisfy processor/memory requirements for a number of years to come. Ideally, I’d prefer if I could get everything from centrecom even if it’s a touch expensive to save time. I have done a bit of searching and below is an approximate guide of what I think I want to get:

  • Case - https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/626386 - I can get something else but this looks pretty god for the price and I can also get this in white colour for the same price from CentreCom
  • Motherboard - Not sure, Something that will fit in the above case and satisfy the below requirements and some upgrade/expansion if required in future
  • Processor - AMD (With so many processors, I don’t know what to get Ryzen 3, 5 or 7??)
  • Memory - 16 GB RAM ( I don’t know what frequency I should buy, again with so many brands and frequencies, I am unsure which one to buy)
  • Graphics Card - Any low end card that will support a 4K monitor with medium (90hz, 120hz) refresh rate
  • Disk drive - 250 GB, I’d be lucky if I ever use 50% of that capacity (SATA III, PCIe, NVMe, M.2, etc. etc. not sure, I don’t know what to get, whatever is fastest)
  • Power Supply - Don’t know

I don’t need:

  • Any extra cooling (I’m guessing processors come with some standard out-of-the-box cooling)
  • Fancy LEDs
  • Sound card ( I am guessing motherboard will have something embedded inbuilt, that’s enough)
  • Wired network card ( I am guessing motherboard will have something embedded inbuilt, that’s enough)
  • Monitor (for the time being)
  • Operating system (I’ll put Ubuntu on it now and will purchase Windows if really required)
  • Keyboard, mouse etc.

I’ll go ahead and try to assemble it myself to save the build/labour fee, the last computer build I did was well over 10 years and I’m guessing the job hasn’t become anymore difficult than what it used to be previously. I’m based In metro Melbourne so I could pickup the parts from stores if required.

Any suggestions/recommendations welcome.

Thanks

Computing Computer Desktop Computer

Comments

  • Baysew on 29/05/2021 - 13:51

    What is your budget?

    • mstest on 29/05/2021 - 13:54

      $800

  • mstest on 29/05/2021 - 13:54

    I should also mention that I have tried to use https://au.pcpartpicker.com but I am not totally sure of compatibility of different items and I seem to get a little lost. For example, there is a specific length listed for each of the graphics cards such as 298mm and I don't know the significance of this, would it fit in a mini-ITX for example?

    • TheBird on 29/05/2021 - 17:43
      +1

      Motherboard - Not sure, Something that will fit in the above case and satisfy the below requirements and some upgrade/expansion if required in future
      Processor - AMD (With so many processors, I don’t know what to get Ryzen 3, 5 or 7??)

      Note: I don't really touch budget systems, so I don't know half of what you'll need to find out, but here is what I can help with you.

      I pretty much only dealt with Intels in the last couple decades. I know some of the theory, but practically speaking, I wouldn't know the ass end of an AMD chip.

      Memory - 16 GB RAM ( I don’t know what frequency I should buy, again with so many brands and frequencies, I am unsure which one to buy)
      I understand that AMD wants as fast ram as you can get, but it depends on what you're doing with it. If you're browsing/watch video,any DDR4 would do.

      there is a specific length listed for each of the graphics cards such as 298mm and I don't know the significance of this, would it fit in a mini-ITX for example?

      Will it fit the motherboard, yeah sure.

      Will it fit your case… that's the question you need to ask. Some video cards are longer than the case (plus fans) can handle.

      Power Supply - Don’t know

      Will depend on what CPU/GPU you end up with. Since your budget is tiny, it's likely you're fine with any power supply. Probably aim at a cheap 450/500w. The higher quality you get, the longer it will last though, but most of the time, it isn't worth paying 3x to get a better quality/quieter when the rest is a noisy hunk of junk.

      (SATA III, PCIe, NVMe, M.2, etc. etc. not sure, I don’t know what to get, whatever is fastest)

      PCIe have the fastest capability of the bunch. M.2 drives tend to have that sweet spot for price/speed, though you can get M.2 drives that are slower than a fast Sata III. Quality differs between drives. M.2 and PCIe can overheat and thermal throttle, and with your adversion to getting extra cooling, it might be safer for you to stick to an SSD if you're using it a lot.

      I don't know what you're using the computer for. Though, you still have a computer with 4gb ram, I'd guess you'd hardly use it. If you're putting Ubuntu on it, if you're just internet browsing, why not just throw in a small SSD and put ubuntu on your current system? What in your computer is dying?

      • mstest on 29/05/2021 - 18:34
        +1

        Thanks for your comments. The computer will be used for a little more than browsing.

        I guess nothing is dying on the 4 GB RAM computer, it just becomes very slow at times. For example when having 5 to 10 different tabs open in Firefox along with MS Teams and office applications (LibreOffice) running simultaneously, the computer feels very slow and everything seems to take quite some time. Note, this is after I removed the old HDD and put an SSD into it last year, the computer was virtually unusable with the HDD.

        I also want to future-proof the computer (within reason) to some extent as well. It is possible that I'll put Windows on it later on and use a few more applications. I think given the budget, I might forget about a graphics card that supports 4K resolution and get a motherboard with onboard graphics instead. Hopefully, I can buy a graphics card few years later and plug it in the motherboard to support 4K screen resolution.

        Thanks for your comments about various drives as well, I'll have a think as to what should I do now. It might come down to what's available on the motherboard and what will fit in the case.

        • TheBird on 30/05/2021 - 02:13

          I might forget about a graphics card that supports 4K resolution and get a motherboard with onboard graphics instead. Hopefully, I can buy a graphics card few years later and plug it in the motherboard to support 4K screen resolution.

          You'll also need a CPU with an inbuilt GPU. As I mentioned before, I'm not an AMD person, but if memory serves me right, Ryzen chips don't have an inbuilt GPU, so if you go AMD, check that. You may be better off picking up an i3 Intel and make sure it has.

          For your current PC, it may just need some extra ram. If you can find someone who you can borrow 4gig of ram to try in your machine, you may find that's enough for light stuff. I used to have to set up machines that were pretty much used for browsing, wordprocessing and video playing. Anything with 4gig or less struggled, especially with Windows 10. 8 and 16gig systems of ram ran much shoother.

          Usually when someone is after a low end machine, I often suggest looking at picking up a second hand system. The market for second hand pc gear is nuts expensive for what you get, so it makes very little sense to pick up second hand currently. Just in case you were thinking.

  • frondono on 29/05/2021 - 14:19
    +1

    Probably get better bang for buck with intel for that money. or maybe a ryzen with inbuilt graphics 3400g etc.

  • mstest on 29/05/2021 - 14:47

    What about this deal https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/625843

    After applying the coupon code, changing the disk to M.2 (NVMe) and power supply to 650W 80 Plus Bronze (I thought this might be a good idea as the default power supply is 750W), it costs $737.31 (including shipping to Melbourne). The only problem is that this is expected to be shipped mid June and I wanted it sooner. Also, any warranty issues - although unlikely I'm guessing - would mean I have to send this over to South Australia.

    AMD Ryzen 7 2700X Workstation Desktop PC
    Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 2700X Processor
    Processor Cooling: Standard Fan CPU Cooler
    Case: Leaper Air Mini RGB [M-ATX] Case
    Motherboard: Biostar X470GTQ [M-ATX] Motherboard
    Graphics Card: NVIDIA GT 710 2GB Graphics Card
    Memory: 16GB [3200MHz] DDR4 RAM (2 x 8GB Modules)
    Operating System SSD: 240GB M.2 [NVMe] Solid State Drive
    Additional Storage SSD: None
    Hard Disk Drive: None
    Power Supply: 650W 80 Plus Bronze Power Supply
    Operating System Activation: No Operating System Activation
    Networking: On-Board [Wired] Ethernet Port
    Keyboard: None
    Mouse: None
    Monitor: None
    Headset: None
    Warranty: 1 Year Return To Base Warranty

  • jiberz on 29/05/2021 - 18:39
    +1

    With the current shortages now is a bad time to get budget because even older stuff is selling for more with regards to GPUs. Also FYI a GT710 probably performs about the same as the CPU's onboard gpu. 4k medium on that budget won't happen unless you get some great deals on gumtree.

    If you aren't sure I would use a pcpartpicker build such as: https://pcpartpicker.com/guide/rbH9TW/entry-level-intel-gami…

  • mstest on 29/05/2021 - 21:10

    OK, I think I've managed to put something together, thanks for everyone's suggestions thus far.

    https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/jnGb9N

    Question:
    Part picker shows this incompatibility message

    Warning!Some AMD B450 chipset motherboards may need a BIOS update prior to using Picasso CPUs. Upgrading the BIOS may require a different CPU that is supported by older BIOS revisions.

    A bit of searching online indicates that most motherboards should have already have this BIOS update to support newer generation processors. Is it safe to assume that or should I call the seller and check?

    Question:
    If I swap the RAM for the one advertised in this deal https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/626631 would I get the same (or better) memory for a cheaper price?

    Question:
    The motherboard has onboard graphics. If in future I decide to go for a graphics card, would it be possible to do on this motherboard?

    Question:
    Is there any advantage/disadvantage or compatibility issue with other parts I'm purchasing as per the part picker list and this case https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/626386, I like the white colour version of the case from CentreCom and it's only $69 too.

    Edit, I just found out that mini ITX case would mean a different and usually more expensive motherboard so staying with micro ATX case and micro ATX motherboard. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

    • xuqi on 29/05/2021 - 22:12
      +1

      Buy the RAM now for $95 and spend the saving on a B550 motherboard:

      https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/626631

    • barge-in hunter on 29/05/2021 - 22:37
      +1

      The list you have above isn't too bad quality wise, but I'd switch up for a dedicated graphics card and a cheaper CPU.

      Eg, the same build, but with:

      CPU - AMD Ryzen 3 3100 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor (very similar performance to the 3400g)

      Video card - MSI GeForce GT 1030 DDR4 2 GB Video Card (not a gaming card per se', but will support multiple monitors, manage 4k res and play basic eSports titles).

      1) bios updates… U Less it's particularly old stock, it should have a very recent bios rev. Upgrading it isnt too hard though

      2) that ram has bad timings I think (cl18). Might be worth spending a little more to get better ram, as ryzens can be bottlenecked easily.

      3) this b450 board has a std PCI-E x16 slot, so all good for a dedicated graphics card. Fwiw, the 'integrated graphics' you mentioned is actually in the CPU, so the boards' HDMI pass through will only work if you have a specific (g) designated CPU (like the 3400g)

      Good luck

  • zrmx on 30/05/2021 - 09:23
    +1

    The setup is not bad, but OP, may I ask why do you want to go with AMD Ryzen?

    The 3100 isnt in stock btw… Unless maybe try eBay?

    • mstest on 30/05/2021 - 10:56

      No particular reason for AMD Ryzen, I have just preferred AMDs from Athlon days when I did my first build ~13 years ago. Edit: I remember back in the day AMDs generally used to be better value for money, it appears that it may still be true https://www.tomshardware.com/features/amd-vs-intel-cpus

      Yes, I can't find 3100 stock anywhere locally even on ebay. I found 3300X for $225 on ebay, I'll sign up for ebay plus to get $50 off.

      • zrmx on 30/05/2021 - 18:53

        Currently at entry/low to mainstream level, Intel's CPUs are actually better value, although AMD platform has better low end MBs. AMD has better upgrade paths and better efficiency.

        Intel's 6-cores Core i5 11400F is actually $229 delivered from CentreCom, and performs better than the 3300X.

  • Ruddaga on 30/05/2021 - 10:47
    +1

    4k fast refresh rate on a budget? Also "future proofing?“.

    Sorry bro that's not happening. Especially in this current shortage climate. My advice, check out Techfasts or pccg pre builds and spend a couple bucks more to get something that will suit your needs.

    Maybe even a laptop atm would be better value bang for buck.

    • mstest on 30/05/2021 - 10:52

      Thanks, yes, not going for 4K anymore :)

      • terrys on 30/05/2021 - 13:44

        Eek. I just checked out a half height GTX 1050ti like the one I picked up for around $250 a couple of years ago. You can save ~ $40 on your chosen [below] video card though if you want to play the "Shipped from China" lottery as regards shipping times.

        https://www.newegg.com/global/au-en/p/1FT-000Y-004Y1?Item=9S…

  • mstest on 30/05/2021 - 12:11

    Thanks all for your feedback and comments, much appreciated. I ended up buying the below items, pretty much everything from Centrecom except for the motherboard which I bought from MSY ($10 more than centrecom but pickup tomorrow)

    https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/H3wDgt

    This cost me $791 (+ $8.96 cc surcharge by centrecom)

    • zrmx on 30/05/2021 - 19:43

      Oh.

      All the best then OP, have fun with building =)

  • srhardy on 30/05/2021 - 21:48

    ON fleebay they have flipped dells with the GPUs removed going for less than the parts if you know what to look for.

    Dell XPS 8940 (1TB SSD + 2TB HDD, Intel Core i7-11700K, 16GB RAM, GeForce RTX 3070 8GB, Windows 10 Home) Tower Desktop PC
    The K version has IntelGPU built in, so your good to go out of the box, also the K edition has the big teower cooler unlike the F (no gpu) & the i7-11700 that gets only the small, inefectual heatsink and fan!

    1tb FAST (real fast) NVME storage! The 2gb HD is just a bonus IMO. Comes in a nice case with 500w PSU; enough for a 3060/ti/3070 down the track

    Look for OFFERS around $900-1100. Bidding just went for $910 delivered and I OFFERED $970+30delv for $1k… Arrives Tuesday with tracking.

    The CPU is an 8/16 11th gen, 5.0ghz and for gaming and encoding is faster than the 5800 or trades places in other tests. Its better than most alternatives

    OTHERWISE: Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree, its going to be hard to do better from any store, new now.

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