Need suggestions for building a desktop gaming computer

I’m doing a robot camp for a grandson and a few of his teenage friends. One of the guys is earning money and wants to build a fast desktop computer for games. He does not seem to have a particular target game in mind. The budget is around $1,200. I suspect that some would say that you cannot build a fast gaming computer for that amount but that is near the limit we need to work with. All suggestions are welcome. I have not built up a computer since the 1970s so this will be interesting. On the other hand, if you think buying a complete computer is a better route, which one is your suggestion.

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First thing I would do is start looking at microcenter.
I get emails from them and I’ve noticed here recently since about a week before Black Friday they’ve had a lot of really good computer part and accessory sales happening.

Just for example, and I don’t know if any of these are still going on you would have to look, they had some package deals where if you bought certain processors you can get a free motherboard with the package other processors came with free Ram as a package (32gb DDR5 if I remember correctly).
And the last time I checked, they had a 1 TB SSD on sale for $80 (Ibelieve, might have been even cheaper than that), which I don’t think is too bad.

They also have a lot of open box buys that you can find through the website that they don’t always have on the floor in the store, sometimes they’re in the back and the sales guys don’t even know about them.
Bought an ROG laptop like that once.

However though, your biggest expense is going to be the graphics card.
The last I looked at a Nvidia 4080(?) It was around $500.

After shopping and getting prices for what you want at microcenter, I would then move to Amazon and compare pricing.
Newegg would also be a pretty decent place to compare pricing, but I always like to start at Micro Center just so I can physically see and get my hands on the parts before I make up my mind, then price shop from there.

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A site I have used in the past has helped me a lot with planning these. They have some “pre-picked” builds for gamers.

https://pcpartpicker.com/

And +1 for Microcenter…sometimes is worth a drive, or a dollar or two more, to support local businesses and be able to get/return/exchange something the same day.

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logicalincrements.com for build specifics at different price points.

A 3060 can handle most games on ultra specs at 1440p. I’d recommend a 1440p 120hz 24" monitor as a good standard size. $1200 is more than enough.

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I’ve used https://www.tomshardware.com/ as a reference.
Various parts from cpus, gpus, mobos, etc rated by performance and cost.
Builds for cad/cam, simulations, photo/video editing, etc. have similar requirements.

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I actually just got this today…

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I mean, it depends on what “fast” is to your grandson. The trusty old GTX 1080 Ti can be had secondhand for 200 USD on ebay/ or reddit’s hardwareswap if you look around a bit, and it’s more than capable of running most modern games (granted, you won’t get raytracing or pushing high framerates at 4k, but those are still fairly niche setups for most people). If you’re willing to go for AMD, their GPU prices are pretty insanely cheap right now.

I think the Intel 12600k bundle at Microcenter right now is a good deal, as MadScists mentioned. You can get that and a good set of DDR4 RAM 3200 MHz for about 50 bucks or so more. I don’t believe the 12600K Alder Lake CPU comes with a heatsink, and since it has 125W TDP, you’d probably need a fairly beefy third party cooler. I use the Scythe Fuma 2 for my Ryzen CPU, and it’s been more than capable. I think it’s about 70 bucks new? Make sure you get the Rev B model with LGA 1700 support for Alder Lake.

The case is subjective, but if you want better build quality (e.g. thicker metal for case panels), it’ll probably set you around 100 USD, maybe 130. Corsair 4000D airflow is pretty popular and I use the NZXT H7 Flow. I’ve heard good things about the Fractal Air Pop! and it comes in a lot of colors. Regardless of what you pick, you want to look for a case with good airflow (not solid front panel) for better computer thermals.

For video cards, I believe the Radeon 6700 XT comes in at 400 bucks new, and is roughly on par with an RTX 3070, so might be more bang for your buck than a 3060. AMD generally tends to be better value than Nvidia at the midrange, though they have less features like NVENC, Raytracing, etc.

Microcenter is doing a 512 GB SSD drive for 25 bucks as well, so you throw them all together, you’re at roughly 950 USD. I believe mechanical hard drives are dirt cheap as well, so you could probably get a couple of TB for 50 bucks or so if you need the storage space. So adding that, we’re at 1000.

Now, I think it’s really important to shell out the extra cash for a decent computer power supply. You’ll get better efficiency and a more reliable unit, and these things can last for well over a decade if treated well (I bought mine over a decade ago and it’s still running now with no issues). I’d recommend a modular interface, since cable management can be a nightmare, but semi-modular works fine too and can be a bit cheaper. Definitely look at some youtube videos by gamersnexus or linustechtips if there are any, since the PSU is the lifeblood of any system.

For the specific wattage, I believe both the CPU and Video card take about 225W each, and the motherboard takes about 50 or so (lots of variants and I don’t have those specific cards, so I’m just going on what I read online). Therefore, I’d probably go for a 700W+ power supply and give yourself plenty of headroom, though you could probably get away with 650. I’d look for 80+ Gold certification or better, so you can tell it is an efficient power supply. On Amazon, I’m seeing about 100 USD or so for a power supply.

So in total:

(300 + 50 + 70 + 100 + 400 + 25 + 50 + 100) * 1.0825 = 1185.3375, which is in your budget.

Keep in mind that I threw this together and didn’t look for specific deals or cheap parts. I’d use the sites davcon and mblatz mentioned for fine grained builds, but I just wanted to get you started.

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I actually saw a magazine in the checkout line at Microcenter this weekend that touted “Build a $990 Gaming Rig”.

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Could you ask your grandson and friends what resolution they game at? If we know that, we can adjust the build prices to better suit their needs.

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First, thanks to you all for some fantastic responses!

I’m not sure how well the desires have been defined at this point. I will use the above to encourage him to research the options and decide what may be best.

I will not push this idea but I tend to think it might be best to watch Microcenter and get one there that can be returned within 15 days if it is not acceptable. They had a gaming computer which goes for $1,200 listed as refurb for $200 off. I’m sure there will be more.

To satisfy the “build it myself” interest, I have an old desktop that he could test, tear down, rebuild, and test again.

I’ll be watching this thread and update it as he moves through this project!

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Good idea!

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I’d caution against pre-builts, unless maybe it is a microcenter in house brand. OEMs usually cheap out on RAM, the motherboard, and the power supply, which isn’t good for longevity.

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PC Perspective lists the best combination of gaming computer parts at various price points, I see they have a recommended system at $1,000.

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If you still looking i just got this today…

I’d say the Ryzen 5 3600 and the i5-12600k are the best combos to go for. The Alder Lake combo has the hidden cost of buying a new CPU cooler since one isn’t included, so that’s an extra 60-70 USD for a decent cooler. The 3600 comes with the Wraith Spire, which is more than capable and can do mild overclocking.

Overall, you’re saving at least 150 bucks going for AMD, and @bpamplin 's grandson can upgrade to a 5800X3D down the line or Ryzen 5000 if it’s getting a bit old, but they can also upgrade to Raptor Lake with Intel, so it’s a bit of a wash. Though they could put that extra 150 USD towards a better video card, which matters more for gaming.

Just an update. I picked up a 6800 XT Red Devil from Microcenter for about 550 USD out the door (513 before tax). It’s a really good deal, and if you don’t care about raytracing, then it’ll last you for a good while.

Thanks to you all for the info. The boy and family went with a $900 refurb gaming computer which has worked out wonderfully. I don’t have the details but they are very happy. I think going with an assembled unit was the right choice in this case.

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