PC Build - Advice Required

With Black Friday etc I want a decent enough gaming PC. I don't need ultra high graphics with raytracing and 240 FPS. Just something I can play most things.

I can't build it myself for reasons so I am left to the sharks that are "custom" builders.

I have found this which seems like a pretty good deal, but I would welcome any thoughts on it :h:

Price: £623

Specs that matter:

ASUS Intel PRIME B460M-K Micro-ATX Motherboard
Intel Hex Core i5 10400F Comet Lake Processor - 6/12 Cores/Threads, 2.9GHz-4.3GHz Turbo, 12MB Cache
16GB 2666MHz DDR4 (1x16GB) - Major Brand
4GB GeForce® GTX 1650 SUPER Graphics Card
256 GB 2.5" SATA III SSD
1TB SATA III 6GB/s 7200rpm 64MB Cache 8ms
CoolerMaster Hyper H411R White LED CPU Cooler

Specs that probably don't matter:

Spoiler

Reply 1

Ahmed_007

5

I wouldnt recommend, that's pretty expensive for a gtx 1650 super and entry level i5, if you can I would wait and buy a PC with 5th gen ryzen 3 or 5 and a gtx/rtx 3050ti/ 3060 when they are announced if you want to keep the PC for a while

Reply 2

username4986690

OP

19

Original post by Ahmed_007

I wouldnt recommend, that's pretty expensive for a gtx 1650 super and entry level i5, if you can I would wait and buy a PC with 5th gen ryzen 3 or 5 and a gtx/rtx 3050ti/ 3060 when they are announced if you want to keep the PC for a while

I can't afford a new model GPU, even in the budget line.

Reply 3

Ahmed_007

5

Original post by DiddyDec

I can't afford a new model GPU, even in the budget line

If you can't afford the new line GPUs I would then try to go for a pc with a gtx 1660 because the 4GB on the 1650 super isn't allot so in the future it might not be enough to run some games, I have seen PCs with gtx 1660 gpus go for around the same price, also the Intel 10400f is good but if you find a pc with ryzen 3300X/3600 it will be better as you will then be able to upgrade to 5th gen ryzen in a few years without having to change the motherboard but if you don't find a ryzen PC the Intel is still very good, the most important thing is to try and find a PC with a gtx 1660 6GB for the same price

Reply 4

username612415

21

Original post by DiddyDec

With Black Friday etc I want a decent enough gaming PC. I don't need ultra high graphics with raytracing and 240 FPS. Just something I can play most things.

I can't build it myself for reasons so I am left to the sharks that are "custom" builders.

I have found this which seems like a pretty good deal, but I would welcome any thoughts on it :h:

Price: £623

Specs that matter:

ASUS Intel PRIME B460M-K Micro-ATX Motherboard
Intel Hex Core i5 10400F Comet Lake Processor - 6/12 Cores/Threads, 2.9GHz-4.3GHz Turbo, 12MB Cache
16GB 2666MHz DDR4 (1x16GB) - Major Brand
4GB GeForce® GTX 1650 SUPER Graphics Card
256 GB 2.5" SATA III SSD
1TB SATA III 6GB/s 7200rpm 64MB Cache 8ms
CoolerMaster Hyper H411R White LED CPU Cooler

Specs that probably don't matter:

Spoiler

Like the above user, I'd recommend stretching a bit further and grabbing something with a better graphics card, specifically the 1660 Super. It's pretty much the sweet spot for mid tier builds like this for price-performance, and crucially gives you a lot more longevity. Deals for 1660S machines frequently pop up for around £700, so it's worth considering (or if you can add that to your custom site's config for around that price).

If you can't stretch to that, the 1650S actually gets very close to the baseline 1660 recommended above, so I'd just stick with the 1650S rather than spending money on something that won't have a huge benefit.

Besides that, the build generally looks fine. If whatever custom site you're using gives this level of information, check to see if the RAM is a 1 x 16GB or 2 x 8GB configuration, you ideally want the latter. And just an fyi, but power supply is definitely not in the "probably doesn't matter" pile, it's an easily overlooked but very important part of a PC build. It's less prevalent now in the gaming space but it used to be the case that prebuilt computers were notorious for shipping with crappy power supplies, things have improved over the last few years but definitely always make sure whatever options you're considering have an 80+ certified PSU as a sort of minimum assurance of quality.

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 5

username4986690

OP

19

I wish I could stretch the budget but this is already in the upper limit.

The RAM is 1x 16GB which I know isn't ideal but does it really make that big or a difference?

I can always upgrade it in the future should it be required but I still play console for most of my games but there are some that are either better on PC or exclusive or just for mod support.
Noted on the PSU.

It is actually one of the TSR promotional sites.
https://www.meshcomputers.com/custom-gaming-pcs/intel-10th-generation-pcs/elite-hero-super/

Reply 6

StriderHort

21

I'd agree with this in general. I built mine a few weeks ago and was going to go with the 1650S....for a new PC it's just not up to it imo for what your spending, 4gb video mem is going to start feeling cramped very soon I suspect. I got a 2060 in the end but was going to get the 1660S, I might balk at the upfront cost, but I can't really afford to spend on a PC that doesn't last either.

Ditto PSU, you'll never care about it right up until it was important, I use an 80 Bronze 700w just for my midrange one. I had a cheap one blow a year or so ago, and was super lucky it didn't take anything else with it. uni work go bye bye *poof*

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 7

username612415

21

Original post by DiddyDec

I wish I could stretch the budget but this is already in the upper limit.

The RAM is 1x 16GB which I know isn't ideal but does it really make that big or a difference?

I can always upgrade it in the future should it be required but I still play console for most of my games but there are some that are either better on PC or exclusive or just for mod support.
Noted on the PSU.

It is actually one of the TSR promotional sites.
https://www.meshcomputers.com/custom-gaming-pcs/intel-10th-generation-pcs/elite-hero-super/

Fair enough :yy:

The RAM isn't a major sticking point (it would be if it was an AMD processor as they really benefit from dual channel and fast memory speeds, whereas Intel CPUs aren't overly dependent), but it's just a nice-to-have. One fringe benefit to dual channel kits are if you end up shipped a PC with a dead stick, you can potentially return one and keep using the PC with the other while the dead one is exchanged, depending on the retailer's warranty policy.

That deal is about as good as I can find a prebuilt going for sub-£650, you're just frustratingly on the verge of a card that makes a big leap. If you're only after a 1080p experience it will do the job nicely, running most titles at high settings at decent frame rates.

Reply 8

username612415

21

Original post by StriderHort

I'd agree with this in general. I built mine a few weeks ago and was going to go with the 1650S....for a new PC it's just not up to it imo for what your spending, 4gb video mem is going to start feeling cramped very soon I suspect. I got a 2060 in the end but was going to get the 1660S, I might balk at the upfront cost, but I can't really afford to spend on a PC that doesn't last either.

Ditto PSU, you'll never care about it right up until it was important, I use an 80 Bronze 700w just for my midrange one. I had a cheap one blow a year or so ago, and was super lucky it didn't take anything else with it. uni work go bye bye *poof*

To be fair it's one of the better deals that I'm able to find for a £630ish prebuilt, and 4GB of VRAM is less problematic for the highish 1080p gaming loads this card is aimed towards, especially when taking into account that the memory is GDDR6 rather than the slower GDDR5. It's just a shame how closely that 1660S is sitting on the horizon!

Yeah power supplies are one of the least glamourous components that should never be skimped on, considering in a worst case scenario it can take pricier components with it. There's no need to go overboard on wattage, RTX 3080s run happily on as low as 650W and I'll likely stick with my 550W when I move to a 3070 and don't anticipate any issues with power delivery (although I run in a tiny 7L case so have no desire to overclock any element of the rig), but having something from a reputable brand you know is built to a good standard is crucial for any gaming build.

Reply 9

username4648764

18

Just wondering why you went with Intel over Ryzen? I think Ryzen is a nice-to-have when it come to upgrading.

Reply 10

username612415

21

Original post by Afrrcyn

Just wondering why you went with Intel over Ryzen? I think Ryzen is a nice-to-have when it come to upgrading.

It's a single build configuration offered on the site that has this BF discount to bring the price down. While I'm also a strong advocate of Ryzen, the 10400 is also a very solid processor and performs well enough in line with its competitor, the 3600, to not really be a major issue when the GPU is the bottleneck in this system.

Ahhh, gotcha.

I know what you mean, the 1650 seems a good card in general, but as you say yr v close to the 1660S, I assume bundle makers and such know this fine well and still want to shift their 1650's though so will tweak accordingly

(For PSU I know I don't need 700w , when my last one blew I needed a new one from a shop ASAP and they only had cheap crap or the 700w one)

Reply 13

TheMcSame

19

Original post by Ahmed_007

If you can't afford the new line GPUs I would then try to go for a pc with a gtx 1660 because the 4GB on the 1650 super isn't allot so in the future it might not be enough to run some games, I have seen PCs with gtx 1660 gpus go for around the same price, also the Intel 10400f is good but if you find a pc with ryzen 3300X/3600 it will be better as you will then be able to upgrade to 5th gen ryzen in a few years without having to change the motherboard but if you don't find a ryzen PC the Intel is still very good, the most important thing is to try and find a PC with a gtx 1660 6GB for the same price

It really depends what you're doing with it I suppose. My 980 is still very much kicking it with a measly 4GB. Hell, my 980 is still doing a great job for me, not bad for a 6-year-old dinosaur.

But yeah, going for 4 at this point in time is a bit of a risky play. Especially if you're doing anything above 1080p

Definitely. It's quite amazing to see how little people think about PSUs. The one thing that, quite literally, has the capability of taking out an entire system.

The thing with PSUs is that just because it runs on it, doesn't mean it's the better option because they're more efficient at certain workloads than others (60-75% is the sweet spot iirc). I wouldn't splurge just for more wattage mind you, but it does allow for upgradability in the future as well as allowing for better efficiency, and, if the budget allows for it, you should definitely opt for a bit of spare wattage, just not at the expense of other parts.

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