But it does take time and a commitment to learning something that tends to be very detail oriented and has its own language of terminology and acronyms.
I find the biggest time consumer is the decision/research process.
Much of the problem with the self-build industry today is there are just too many viable and quality options to choose from. For example, despite what the fanboys want each other to believe, both AMD and Intel make great,
reliable processors. While I happen to prefer Intel, I concede that AMD platformed computers are a great choice too. While I happen to prefer Gigabyte motherboards, ASUS and MSI (and others) make great and
reliable motherboards too. Both AMD and NVIDIA make great and
reliable graphics cards. It is almost impossible to find RAM that is not warrantied for life. Ever heard of OLOy RAM? Me either but even it is
warrantied for life.
@Ringside - You have already taken the first two most important steps; you defined your needs and you set your budget.
But we really need you decide the course of action you wish to take from here. The fact you are looking for motherboard, CPU and RAM options suggests to me you are going to put this together yourself, or you have someone doing it for you. That's great. But do you want to go Intel or AMD? This is really just a personal choice, akin to do you like red or blue better?
Some may argue you should go AMD because they cost less. Well, at the top-tier levels that is certainly true. But not so as you move down the line. For example, the
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G Quad-Core 3.6 GHz (3.GHz Turbo) currently goes for $130 while the
Intel Core i3-9100F Coffee Lake 4-Core 3.6GHz (4.2GHz Turbo) goes for $95. And as seen
here, the Intel rates comparably or slightly better in just about every category with the final comments from the author reporting the Intel gives, "
Insane value for money!" Of course there are examples where AMD shines too. I am just pointing out the argument that many pose claiming AMD is cheaper is simply bogus. It's about doing your homework and filtering out the biased nonsense.
Plus, once you factor in the cost of the motherboard, RAM, drives, case, power supply, Windows and other software licenses, monitor, keyboard, mouse and other peripherals, then spread those costs over the expected 3 - 5+ years of use for the computer, any extra cost for a more expensive CPU (regardless the brand) becomes a wash - or darn close to it.
IMO, a good case and power supply form the foundation for a good computer that can support you and several "evolutions" of upgrades for years to come. So "investing" a little more here can pay valuable dividends down the road. Do you need a new case too? I like Fractal Design cases and have been using them almost exclusively in all our builds in the last couple of years with no regrets. A good case is well built and "true". By true, I mean exactly 90.0° bends in the sheet metal. Sheet metal edges will be finished (rolled or files so they don't shred your knuckles). The case will provide good cable management options and have plenty of large (preferably 140mm or larger) fan options. And for me, the case must have removable, washable air filters.
What about a PSU? I tend to lean towards the EVGA G2 or G3 Golds but Seasonic is a great, reliable brand too. Regardless, pick a reputable, known brand PSU and one that is
80 PLUS certified at least Bronze, preferably Gold. Going above Gold to Platinum or Titanium may get you a more efficient supply, but it would take many years (if ever!) to make up for the extra cost. Modular PSUs are nice because they reduce clutter in the case which makes for easier cleaning, a nicer appearance and may help with air flow. But sadly, there is no industry standard the connectors used on the PSU side of those cables. So unused cables from PSU A must be stored separately (possibly for several years!) from PSU B - even if they are the same brand!
This may not be a problem if you only have 1 or 2 computers. But if you have several, it can be a PITA. In terms of performance or reliability, there is nothing superior to modular supplies. In fact, some may argue hard-wired cables of non-modular supplies are more reliable because there are fewer connectors and splices the voltages need to pass through.
