$600 Office + Stadia Build

[noname2020x]

Please check post 14 for an update.

Working from home this year has really put my patience to the test, and I've realized that I can take two routes. 1. Be more patient 2. Build a new PC

Obviously, I'm leaning toward #2


$600 is an arbitrary amount, but it seems reasonable.

Big wants:
1. Fast browsing (chrome and firefox)
2. Faster load times on Google Drive. My internet isn't the problem (~300mb/s ethernet)
3. Fast file transfer (mainly smaller files)
4. The ability to deal with 5 windows with 100 tabs without slowing
5. Smooth medium-high gaming via Stadia or GeForce Now
6. Possible future addition of a gfx card for personal gaming
7. USB C
8. Included wifi is nice but not required

That's about it. This is what I came up with: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/VhRWK3
I have one concern with it though... 2666 memory :-(

Thoughts?

 

[BugFreak]

I work remotely too. Do you connect to an office pc that does most of the work or are you using your pc as the primary?

 

[noname2020x]

I work remotely too. Do you connect to an office pc that does most of the work or are you using your pc as the primary?

Everything is through my PC. No VPN, no virtual networks, no remotely controlling another computer.

Also, curious about the present and future impact of no PCIe 4.

I did forget to mention, I'd like to hook up my Oculus Quest to it with a low-mid graphics card too sometime in the near future.

 

[Zerileous]

What kind of tasks will you be using for work? Are you sure you have the internet connection to support streaming games? Do you have any experience with this technology / have you read substantial reviews, as my understanding is that it is not very mature.

I could suggest a Ryzen APU but at 4c/8t and Zen+ it will leave you hamstrung in the future for native gaming. Your other option would be to go ahead and get the whole system now, if your budget has the flexibility. $600 will get you a great system, minus the GPU. If you couldn't afford the GPU right now (also may benefit until stock issues improve and you can actually get new model GPUs like the anticipated 3050), you could get something like a GT710 for $50 that just outputs video.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/yMKv2V

 

[caddi daddi]

the 2666 rams seems like it will be fine but, 16 gigs and A couple hundred pages open????

 

[noname2020x]

What kind of tasks will you be using for work? Are you sure you have the internet connection to support streaming games? Do you have any experience with this technology / have you read substantial reviews, as my understanding is that it is not very mature.

I could suggest a Ryzen APU but at 4c/8t and Zen+ it will leave you hamstrung in the future for native gaming. Your other option would be to go ahead and get the whole system now, if your budget has the flexibility. $600 will get you a great system, minus the GPU. If you couldn't afford the GPU right now (also may benefit until stock issues improve and you can actually get new model GPUs like the anticipated 3050), you could get something like a GT710 for $50 that just outputs video.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/yMKv2V

Is the 3600 worth it? Should I wait until the new chips or for stuff to get back in stock if the intel isn't worth getting? 3600 is so old. now right? As you said, I prefer not to be "hamstrung" later on.

I have been out of the PC parts loop for a bit, yeah.

Stadia 4k suggested is surprisingly low, actually. My internet is plenty fast enough.

 

[bigtallanddopey]

Is the 3600 worth it? Should I wait until the new chips or for stuff to get back in stock if the intel isn't worth getting? 3600 is so old. now right? As you said, I prefer not to be "hamstrung" later on.

I have been out of the PC parts loop for a bit, yeah.

Stadia 4k suggested is surprisingly low, actually. My internet is plenty fast enough.

Intel is perfectly worth getting right now as AMD’s prices are inflated. The 3600 could be found for $150 last year, but now you are looking at $200+. The 5600x is selling for around $300, which is overpriced. Because of that, something like a 10600k is a very good value 6/12 cpu that is close to the 5600x in performance. Has onboard graphics too, not great but you can run without a graphics card.

 

[Zerileous]

The difference between the 3600 and 5600 is about 20% in strictly CPU limited scenarios (1080P high FPS gaming). The 10600k will fall in between the two, and actually yes for your situation an integrated GPU would be a good thing. Due to motherboard pricing, you could end up spending similar amounts of money for a 5600 based system or a 10600k based system. Both are the top of the line and great CPUs.

Regarding your pcpartpicker list, I am probably overly dismissive of the non K CPUs. $100 is a lot to pay for 500MHz boost and unlocked multiplier if you're not interested in overclocking and would just use a bit faster memory for it. Of course 500Mhz is also a lot to knock off of the performance of CPU for gaming. You'd have to look at benchmarks to decide if its worth it to you. Also the 9400F you used doesn't have the iGPU, so a non-F model would be more appropriate, if you plan to go that route.

Here's a review to give you an idea of where they all fall (5600 excluded) https://www.techspot.com/review/2032-intel-core-i5-10400/

 

[noname2020x]

Thank you for that!

OK, so updated questions/ideas.

Let's say I get the 3600, would I need to upgrade the Mobo for near future CPUs/Mobos?

Is it worth waiting for the new CPUs to come out? (I fear not because I probably won't even be able to grab one, right?)

The p10600k still has 2666 ram as the top right? - Compared to the 3600, it seems like after getting thermal compound, cpu fan, and the higher CPU cost, it will be too much compared to the 3600. (Will Windows boot with only 3600 cpu or would I need a cheap discrete card?) Also, the 10400f has build in has a uhd 630

 

[stompah]

From your PC Part Picker list.

I would go 16GB x 2. Simply because this motherboard has 2 slots and if you find that 16GB isn't enough then you will have to upgrade to the 16GB x 2 anyways.

Also, larger case if you plan on getting a GPU that will generate high heat and play a game that will strain your system.



If you go with Zerileous's PC Part Picker build then I would swap the SSD he listed for the NVME you listed. You can stay with the 8GB x 2 kit since that motherboard has 4 slots.

 

[Zerileous]

So any Intel CPU with the letter F following it does *not* have integrated UHD630 graphics. The F denotes that. In this case I think the 10400 is only $20 more though. Also the K denotes that the CPU is unlocked and able to be overclocked. The 10600K when placed in a z490 board is fully unlocked, you can set memory to whatever as well, but the cost for that higher end motherboard is substantial. I believe the memory speed limitation is related to the motherboard primarily.

For AMD the B550 and X570 motherboards will support up to 5000 series CPUs, so if that's what you mean by "near future CPU's" then no you won't need to upgrade. For what it's worth that series of CPUs has already launched but are plagued by supply limitations (that said with a little persistence and knowing the right channels to follow, you can get the parts). The next CPU AMD launches will be on a new socket, and likely running DDR5, but I don't think were expecting to see that until next year. If you get the 3600 it will not be able to run at all without a GPU of some kind.

Personally if I was in a situation where the only upgrade I could see coming in the next 2 years would be a GPU purchase, and on a tight budget, I think I would actually go for the 10400 (no F) after looking at the review this AM. This would let you run off the integrated graphics for the time being and have an easy way to add a GPU later without an extra part lying around. If I could see myself buying a GPU in 6 months and then maybe wanting a CPU upgrade within a year or so, I think the 3600 would be better. Overall it's a tough time to build.

What monitor do you plan on using. As you may have noticed in the reviews, a lot of the differences in CPUs happen at 1080P and 100+ FPS. If you're planning to play on a 1080P 60Hz monitor or go for higher resolutions, the difference can end up being a moot point in many cases.

edit: also yes Stompah is right, the 970 is a better SSD for the money, I didn't realize they were such a good deal right now.

 

[noname2020x]

Good point, Stompah. I'll switch to 16gb one stick and the 970.

Thank you SO much for that clear and helpful info, Zerileous!

All of that makes sense. I'll be using a 4k monitor at 60hz (maybe higher hz in the future... 96 or 120). I'll run games at 1080p or 1440p if on the PC and 4k if over Stadia.

updated: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/bFxYbh

Do any cheaper mobos (micro atx or mini itx) have usb c functionality off the mobo and/or io? The mobo here says it supports up to 2933 ram, but the processor won't, right?

I suppose this could be an alternative: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/PW8KkX ?

And, out of the left field, this is strangely tempting: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/353508009104912/ -- image below

 

[stompah]

That motherboard is Dual Channel. Get 2 sticks of 16GB RAM. If your budget cant handle that at the moment I would switch to Zerilous's build (or at least his MB/CPU) since it has 4 RAM slots. You can populate 2 slots now and when you get more cash you can fill the other 2.

 

[noname2020x]

Thank you all for your guidance!

With everything in mind and some more personal research (and news of a bonus from work coming up so upped to $700), I've created two new builds. Please let me know what you think. The intel build can only do 2933 right? Also, do you think it's worth waiting for the 5600x to come back in stock?

AMD: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/DCVBxc

Intel: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/69zFHz


On the AMD mobo page, it shows the following image. What do they mean by the gpu is included?

 

[Zerileous]

That's only the ones with an APU. Not the regular CPUs. Those have a G after them, but at this point they are using such dated CPU technology it's not a great deal (Zen+ vs Zen2 or Zen3).

I mean the 5600x is going to give you the best performance if you can find one for $300, it's only a little better than the 10600k, and only a little more expensive. At some point the best advice I can give is to look at the benchmarks and decide for yourself. If you want to OC the 10600K I would step up a bit on the cooler, the Noctua U12s or U14S or scythe Fuma R2 are all good and not overly expensive. The Hyper212 is getting a bit weak for this CPU.

A 10400 build can only do either 2666 or 2933 (I'm not sure off the top of my head), but the 10600k can do faster on a Z490 motherboard. I would not put a K CPU on a B series chipset just like I would not put a non-k CPU in a Z series chipset.

 

[trents]

Often, the K series CPU have slightly higher non-overclocked speeds out of the box than their non-K equivalents. For some who can afford to shell out the extra cash but have no intention of overclocking that may be appealing.