Recommendations for my first Desktop build

[Seabee79th]

Hi, I'm 17 years old and I'm looking to build a $2500 Desktop for gaming purposes. This will be my first build. I plan on using it for after college. I'm also trying to decide whether to build it myself or get someone else to do it for me. Thank you for your suggestions.

Also, looking for Intel i7 or i9, not AMD

 

[EarthDog]

You came here... so diy.

What parts do you need for that budget..are we talking monitor/keyboard/mouse/windows license included or just a case and all parts inside?

How do you use your PC? Do you want to game well (higher+ settings high fps) on it or not a concern?

A bit more information will help us snipe the solution instead of shotgun blasts.

 

[DaveB]

For $2,500 you can build an i9-9900K/Z390/32GB DDR4-3200/RTX 2080 Super setup running off a 1TB M.2 NVMe drive with a nice case and 650W EVGA PSU.

Don't know why you won't consider AMD, but a Ryzen 9 3900X/X570 system would come in at pretty much the same price.

 

[Seabee79th]

What about this?

 

[Bustos]

If you're going to spend $800 on a GPU, 2080 Super is the better choice. Why spend that kind of money on old tech? Do you need 32GBs of RAM? 16GB (2x8GB) will do for most people, although I can't advise on speeds and timings as I am not very familiar with Intel builds. Do you already have a case?

 

[habbajabba]

Looks like a fine build and yes you can and do need to put it together yourself. Mind you, the mobo, cpu, and graphics card are the $$ items. But all together it is a LOT of money. I keep saying this and I'll say it again, get a UPS to protect against power failures, shorts, whatever. A good one is around $200 or so. Then there's the 27'' (at least) monitor which is also not cheap. It's got 4 slots so save a little and start with 2x8gb sticks. For cooling the case ?? bigger noctuas work well and are super quiet.
I saw this newish mechanical keyboard but your probably going to go for something more flashy. It's the Keychron K1 V2 104key: https://www.keychron.com/products/keychron-mechanical-keyboard?variant=21117860675673 $95
Looking forward to seeing it all lit up.

 

[EarthDog]

What about this?
View attachment 206827

So we can assume you do NOT need a monitor/kb/mouse/windows with your reply?

Again, how do you use your PC? Primarily gaming or.............?

I also agree to get a 2080 Super instead of overpriced last gen product. Again if you give us an idea on use we can put it together for you.


Help us help you!!!

 

[Seabee79th]

Yep, I don't need the keyboard, mouse, or monitor, as I already have those, and I'm waiting to get the specs before the case.
I use my desktop primarily for gaming, secondarily as a home computer/browsing the internet.
Do those items look good altogether, or should I add/remove anything else?

PS: added the 2080 Super and removed the old 2080

 

[Bill_Bright]

I plan on using it for after college.

You are 17 now. Are you entering college this year? Are you talking about a 4 year degree and you want this computer to carry you beyond that? While a good computer can easily last that long, and it is good to plan ahead,

I keep saying this and I'll say it again, get a UPS to protect against power failures, shorts, whatever.

I totally agree. All computers should be on a "good" UPS with AVR (automatic voltage regulation). But it is important to note it is that "whatever" that makes a "good" UPS so important. Not power failures or shorts. Not sure where shorts would play into it, but for power failures, they tend to be pretty rare in the first place. And the purpose of the battery backup portion of an UPS is to give you a few minutes during a total power outage to "gracefully" save your open documents, close out any open programs, and properly shutdown Windows. Suddenly killing power to a computer is never good, and can result in file/drive corruption, or worse.

It is the AVR (automatic voltage regulation) that makes a "good" UPS with AVR so important as that is what protects all your connected devices from surges and spikes, or abnormal low voltage events like dips (opposite of spikes) and sags (opposite of surges), or long duration sags (brownouts) - any of which can cause your electronics to suddenly stop, resulting in possible data corruption. A surge and spike protector does nothing for those abnormal low voltage events and for "extreme" surges and spikes, a surge and spike protector simply kills power (with luck and if working properly) to your components. But killing power is hardly good for your computer, drives, or data either. A decent UPS with AVR will protect your computer, all your network gear, and even one or two LCD monitors.

As for building it yourself, there's no better way to learn about computer hardware, IMO. But note when you build it yourself, you assume responsibility for tech support - including for Windows (unless you buy the full Retail version). If comfortable with that, I say go for it. It really is much easier than many think. HOWEVER, there is nothing wrong with having a reputable shop assemble it for you either. I sure would recommend that over buying a factory built computer.

So we can assume you do NOT need a monitor/kb/mouse/windows with your reply?
Again, how do you use your PC? Primarily gaming or.............?

He has 64-bit W10 Home listed, and he states this if for gaming.

But as mentioned, I don't see a case listed. I like Fractal Design cases. But Seabea79, note many cases these days don't support optical drives. So with your desire to include a DVD drive, make sure any case you chose supports at least 1 "external" 5.25 inch drive bay. And FTR, if me, I would go for a Blu-ray burner instead. They cost more but you can store up to 50GB on a dual-layer Blu-ray disk vs only 8.7GB maximum on a dual-layer DVD. And most, if not all Blu-ray drives will play (and burn) DVD disks too.

 

[trents]

You can save some money by purchasing an OEM Windows product key from kinguin.net for under $40 (Windows 10 Pro). Using another computer, build an Windows 10 installer on a flash drive using the Microsoft Media Creation Tool website: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

 

[EarthDog]

You can find W10 a lot cheaper than that... https://www.overclockers.com/forums...and-Office-2016-Lifetime-Keys-at-Up-To-92-Off
(So long as you buy it and instantly activate/use it, there will be no issues - be prepared for a long-winded response to that though, lol).

If you don't plan on overclocking the CPU much, that Hyper 212 Evo is a good choice. If you plan on pushing things at any point, I would get something better... at least a 2x120mm AIO or a high-end air cooler.

A UPS, though important (I've never owned one in 30 years owning a PC - call it luck) is a tertiary item in the list. I'd get a better GPU before I got a UPS. I also have above average surge protectors which will do the job (protecting my PC against surges) and I have a good backup plan in place as well. So a power blip to me, is simply annoying. If the stuff hits the fan (rare) due to it, then I can recover quickly. If your 'gaming' needs are that critical, get a UPS for that few more minutes to shut down your PC. Again, its a good idea, but, I wouldn't put it on the list now (and I never have put it on my list - everyone prioritizes things differently).

 

[Bill_Bright]

A "good" UPS is like good insurance - you hope you never need and with luck, won't. But if you do need it, you will be glad you had it.

I live in Tornado Alley and I live in a 100 year old neighborhood. That means our power is distributed on poles and via drops to the houses - the power distribution system most vulnerable to interruptions and anomalies - to include [soon to be crispy crittered] squirrels who forget to let go of one wire before grabbing the other. Your grid may be much more stable and that's great. But it is important to note excessive surges and spikes can originate from within the home too - from a faulty microwave oven, clothes dryer, or a $15 1500W hair dryer from China, as examples. If you live (or will be living) in an apartment (or dorm), there's no predicting how a neighboring unit will affect your power - regardless how stable your grid is.

So while some may feel a "good" UPS is a tertiary item, others would make it a top priority or at least secondary to the computer hardware itself - especially in light of the very limited advantages offered by even the best surge and spike protectors.

As far as long-winded responses to "too good to be true" prices for Windows licenses, all I will say is this - don't you think if those ultra cheap prices were totally legitimate that Newegg, Best Buy, Micro Center, B&H Photo and especially the cutthroat retailers Amazon and Walmart would get in on that action too? Contrary to what some claim, URCDKeys and Kinguin are NOT authorized Microsoft software resellers. Just because a retailer says they are, that does not mean they are.

 

[storm-chaser]

A "good" UPS is like good insurance - you hope you never need and with luck, won't. But if you do need it, you will be glad you had it.

I live in Tornado Alley and I live in a 100 year old neighborhood. That means our power is distributed on poles and via drops to the houses - the power distribution system most vulnerable to interruptions and anomalies - to include [soon to be crispy crittered] squirrels who forget to let go of one wire before grabbing the other. Your grid may be much more stable and that's great. But it is important to note excessive surges and spikes can originate from within the home too - from a faulty microwave oven, clothes dryer, or a $15 1500W hair dryer from China, as examples. If you live (or will be living) in an apartment (or dorm), there's no predicting how a neighboring unit will affect your power - regardless how stable your grid is.

So while some may feel a "good" UPS is a tertiary item, others would make it a top priority or at least secondary to the computer hardware itself - especially in light of the very limited advantages offered by even the best surge and spike protectors.

I have to agree with EarthDog on this one - but Bill makes some good points that should be noted as well. In my 20 years of using/building computers I have never used a UPS. I can definitely see the need for one in a server scenario and of course, if you have something mission critical going on with a desktop / workstation then it would be wise to hook it up to a UPS. Additionally, if you live in an area where your power delivery is in question, you should seriously consider it. But for the majority of desktop computing systems, there is really no need for a UPS. Most power supplies in this day and age have various voltage and surge protections built in (and would likely shut down before damage can occur).

edit: I would probably look at voltage regulators before going directly to a UPS. Seems like a good compromise to me. For example:
https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E168121...&ranSiteID=kXQk6.ivFEQ-pdTu6NQnKC9hrHJGYP70AQ

 

[don256us]

I'm going to chime in and agree that there is nothing wrong with the current gen AMD. You'll save some cash on the MB usually which you can then put towards another part(s).
I just switched from Intel to AMD Zen1 and I'm happy with it. I've switched back and forth several times over the years. Maybe you do want Intel but don't just brush off AMD especially after this latest release.

 

[habbajabba]

UPS is great even for just regular browsing. Even if the power goes out for a single second for any reason, it will completely stop whatever it is you are doing as if you had forced a shutdown (or worse). With a ups you won't even notice. I keep my monitor, modem & router, and of course the pc connected to the battery/surge side just for this reason. Other notable reasons are you can't boot and are trying to reimage a drive (or back it up) and there is a power fluctuation or it is cut for whatever reason (someone flips the switches inside the panel without telling you-happens). My last address in an apt. the power was NOT stable and it came in handy quite a few times. By short I mean even a small disruption. Not required to boot just piece of mind like locking ones door at night. The more powerful the ups (like an amp) the less work it has to do. Learned that here btw.

 

[Robert17]

Every suggestion above has merit. Weigh them and build away. You'll be glad you did.

One thing I noticed missing is some tools. Do you have a good set of screw drivers, smaller sized phillips and slotted? A nut setter or two (#8, #10 and 1/4" are used often) are good items to have. A hemostat is handy far more often than you'd think too.

 

[trents]

Every suggestion above has merit. Weigh them and build away. You'll be glad you did.

One thing I noticed missing is some tools. Do you have a good set of screw drivers, smaller sized phillips and slotted? A nut setter or two (#8, #10 and 1/4" are used often) are good items to have. A hemostat is handy far more often than you'd think too.

 

[Bustos]

Never know when you need to stop a bleed!

 

[EarthDog]

UPS is great even for just regular browsing. Even if the power goes out for a single second for any reason, it will completely stop whatever it is you are doing as if you had forced a shutdown (or worse). With a ups you won't even notice. I keep my monitor, modem & router, and of course the pc connected to the battery/surge side just for this reason. Other notable reasons are you can't boot and are trying to reimage a drive (or back it up) and there is a power fluctuation or it is cut for whatever reason (someone flips the switches inside the panel without telling you-happens). My last address in an apt. the power was NOT stable and it came in handy quite a few times. By short I mean even a small disruption. Not required to boot just piece of mind like locking ones door at night. The more powerful the ups (like an amp) the less work it has to do. Learned that here btw.

Clearly there are use cases for such a device. Nobody is suggesting otherwise. It just isn't near the top of my list of things to buy when building a rig.

 

[don256us]

Clearly there are use cases for such a device. Nobody is suggesting otherwise. It just isn't near the top of my list of things to buy when building a rig.

Agreed. I only recently bought a UPS for my modem, router and magic jack but I do not have one for my PC. I get frequent but very short power outages even though I'm in the kill zone of two nuclear power plants. The irony of it all. But still no UPS for my machines.

Edit: The irony grows. Just as I saved this response above, the power went out at my work. Not surprised as there is a light drizzle outside.