Gaming PC's...

[DavidBoren]

I recently purchased a Dell G5 desktop...
Intel i5 9400
8gb RAM
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660
511gb SSD

Now I know that everything is already obsolete by the time I finished typing this sentence, but it's for my daughter's 10th birthday... so it's going to have to do, for now.

From what I can tell from reviews, the i5 9400 is actually decent, even compared to the i7 units... I will keep an eye out for when the i9 9900 drops below $250 (half of what it costs now). But I don't feel that upgrading from the i5 is a top priority.

The RAM is easy to upgrade. It's like $50 for 16gb, or $150 for 32gb... there's always Xmas, if RAM seems to be a problem.

Additional hard drive space is also pretty easy... $50 for a 1tb HDD or $250 for 5tb. Once again, something that can be done later, but will be needed probably before any other upgrades.

For the keyboard, I am looking at the Corsair K70 Mk2. And I think I like the Razer DeathAdder Elite, for the mouse.

Not sure what monitor to get yet.. Already went over budget, so I can't afford anything fancy like a curved 4k or anything like that. Definitely open to suggestions for a decent ~24" 1080p 144hz g-sync monitor.

What do you think of this as a beginning gaming PC?

What are you guys using?

[gabe]

Sounds like a pretty decent build. The real limiting factor will probably be the 1660, might try and find a GTX1080 on the second hand market for a little more raw power but now that more games are going to ray tracing, probably step up to a 2080 super when prices start getting reasonable.

Definitely spend the most you can on peripherals. Headset, mic, keyboard, mouse are all what you directly interface with and will really change your experience either for better or worse. I wouldn't even really worry about the CPU for gaming as long as it's fast "enough". The I5 is plenty fast as-is and if you need more power then buy a cheap I5-8600K and overclock it to 4.6-4.8ghz and you're within spitting distance of an I7-8700k. The I9's are pretty much pointless unless you're doing processor heavy computing or running a server or something.

[MrKittyCatMeowFace]

Gtx 1080 is still plenty for modern setups. May not do ultra setting on the new games coming. But not necessarily needed for your 10yr old. It wont stutter thats for sure

[punkncat]

TBH, don't spend money for a monitor that high refresh for a "beginner" build. You should be able to pick a decent low refresh 60 hz for a bill. The GPU in this isn't going to utilize all that.

Dell can be notorious about hiding upgrade info. I would look for a CPU compatibility list specific to your motherboard before even considering the i7, and truth be told, cost to performance wouldn't do it anyway unless you luck on something cheap, used, and working properly. The current GPU/CPU combo is well balanced enough.

If the computer will be used for AAA titles you will want to double the memory. If surfing, school work, and simple or older games that amount would be fine for now.

Since the machine has SSD already, the cheap way would be to get something with a platter, 2TB or so should be plenty.

Don't underestimate better than stock AV solution. Lock it down with an Admin password and high UAC/privacy/adult filters. Do yourself a HUGE favor. Get it set up, configured and ready...take a ghost image right THEN. Set a restore point too. That ghost image will have you patting your own back on a child build.

[pinkanese]

That sounds like a fine beginner gaming PC. It's pretty close to the one I built a few years ago and am using with a Ryzen 1600X and GTX 1060.

That i5 should do fine for a few years. I doubt the motherbaord in that system supports overclocking, so I wouldn't bother buying another CPU for that. You will also want to check that the power supply and CPU cooler can handle something like an i9 if/when you do upgrade.

I would go for more RAM when you have a little more money to spend. What configuration is it now? A single stick of 8gb or two sticks of 4gb?

I would not recommend getting an HDD for gaming. If you are going to store a whole bunch of movies, photos, other data sure, but SSD's are cheap enough when you start running out of space look at picking up a 1TB SSD, you can find them for ~$80-100.

As for a monitor, the 1660 isn't going to be able to put out 144 fps, so you can probably save yourself a few bucks there and go for a 120hz monitor. I would also suggest finding one with G Sync and Freesync support so you aren't tied to one card manufacturer.

[gabe]

TBH, don't spend money for a monitor that high refresh for a "beginner" build. You should be able to pick a decent low refresh 60 hz for a bill. The GPU in this isn't going to utilize all that.

Sorry, but no. Spend the good money on a monitor now instead of upgrading later. The GTX1660 will easily push lower end games like Battlefield 4 and CS:GO way past 60hz and you'll want to be able take advantage of that. Even more, having a higher resolution like 1440p or 4k can be a massive benefit for not only gaming but also workstation stuff. Spend the money on peripherals up front since those can normally be transferred to a later PC build since monitors and mice and keyboards don't have the same level of progression as PC's.

Dell can be notorious about hiding upgrade info. I would look for a CPU compatibility list specific to your motherboard before even considering the i7, and truth be told, cost to performance wouldn't do it anyway unless you luck on something cheap, used, and working properly. The current GPU/CPU combo is well balanced enough.

All Intel I5/7 CPU's use the same LGA1151 socket so you should be fine to upgrade with your current MOBO.

If the computer will be used for AAA titles you will want to double the memory. If surfing, school work, and simple or older games that amount would be fine for now.

8GB should be fine for AAA titles if you close background apps. I would go for 16GB for peace of mind.

Since the machine has SSD already, the cheap way would be to get something with a platter, 2TB or so should be plenty.

More storage space is a must. I have a 1TB and thought that would be fine but now I'm having to uninstall/reinstall games regularly to keep some open space. 2TB HDD would be a nice second drive to have to store games on and keep the 512GB SDD for operating system and games you want to load quickly.

Don't underestimate better than stock AV solution. Lock it down with an Admin password and high UAC/privacy/adult filters. Do yourself a HUGE favor. Get it set up, configured and ready...take a ghost image right THEN. Set a restore point too. That ghost image will have you patting your own back on a child build.

Some thoughts in red...

[ybbpi]

It's a good build. Not many games are worth the cutting edge. I regret spending ~ $3000 to upgrade my 7 year old computer 2 years ago. Only thing I really got that was worth it was the monitor and, the motherboard and an M.2 SSD. The SSD has cut loading times by more than half.

The I5 9400 is fine most games don't even take advantage of multi-core processing and hyper-threading. Many 5+ year old quad-cores are good enough.

Definitely add more ram and an HDD. Google Chrome can use up all 8 GBs of ram.

Mechanical keyboards are ok, not really necessary for gaming. I'm a logitech fanboy so I'm using a logitech K810 and a G500.

G-sync isn't necessary, you wouldn't even see screen tearing it if you have a monitor with 100+ refresh rate.
I like Samsung and this one is pretty cheap $180 https://www.newegg.com/matte-black-s...82E16824022761

[DavidBoren]

I bought this particular model because everything I read said that the i5 9400 is good enough to last until I can afford an i9 9900... which is currently $500. I am not even going to consider it until it's half that price. And probably not even then... until she actually needs it. I have already seen i9's for the 1151 slot, but I would still have to check the cooling system.

The GeForce GTX 1660 is another piece that was said to be about as good as the next, and probably not need upgrading until I can conveniently afford it. Crypto-currency is making it very unappealing to shop for graphics cards right meow, so the little GTX 1660 is going to have to do for now.

She's 10, and honestly, she is damn lucky that she is getting a machine even half this good given that I really can't afford it.

The corners I was willing to cut were RAM and hard drive space... since they are the easiest and cheapest to upgrade.

I absolutely plan on getting a 2+TB HDD for the bulk of the files. I want to keep the SSD dedicated to the operating systems, and probably her Fortnites or whatever, since it's the main thing she wants. Everything else is going to be moved to the slower, but more spacious HDD (probably around Xmas).

I will probably bite the bullet and jam 32gb of RAM in it at the same time I do the HDD.

I would like to get a halfway respectable monitor now, so I am not upgrading a whole host of accessories every time I upgrade the performance of the tower. I will take a good look at that Samsung.

Thank you for the advice on taking the snapshot and setting the reset point.

Obviously the computer is going to be used for a lot more schoolwork now, because pandemic. I have absolutely no doubt that all of this will run anything grade school can throw at it.

My daughter is into coding... she plays some odd Kindle game involving animals, and she is always going online to copy and paste code into her dialog box... making banners of different colors and fonts. So I would like to get something like that for her, too.

Anyone know of any amateur coding programs?

[chrislognshot]

here your issue want 32 gb of ram and new graphic card then good to go. my next desktop build not cheap at all. since will have about over 256 gb of ram video card for video editing and graphics card for games so can do both

[punkncat]

Some thoughts in red...

The monitor comes down to how you want to spend your money, and is a whole other thread, really.

As to the processor...just because it's the same socket doesn't mean it will always "just work" with a higher end and higher power draw CPU. For one 8th and 9th gen are different BIOS revisions. I cannot speak to stepping backwards (which would apply in this case) but stepping forward on and OEM isn't always possible if they didn't release a BIOS update to make it possible. On top of that, if the motherboard was spec'ed to run JUST i3 or i5 the VRM and power delivery may not be able to handle the TDP of a higher line like i7 or i9. It's possible that it could boot and then cause performance issues or even damage.

[DavidBoren]

I do not even know what those words mean. Lol.

Honestly, I will probably have to call tech support or Geek Squad when it comes time for upgrading from the i5... I don't even know where to look for the information to see about the i9 working in the same 1151 slot. It's really not anywhere in the picture for the immediate future, though, so I am not concerned about it. The i5 is going to have to work until it literally cannot.

Same thing with the GeForce GTX 1660. That thing is in there until it ceases to be run the games she plays. I will have to call and find the exact right thing to replace it with... when that time comes. Not going to worry about it until then. And, honestly, won't even worry about it at that point if it's still $500 for the upgrade. Nope. Not happening, kiddo. Blame Bitcoin.

I figure it will be a learning experience for both her and I, and we can start with the easy stuff like RAM and adding another hard drive. It's like Legos. As we get more experienced and more confident in tinkering with the computer, we can move on to cooling systems and graphics cards and processors and the like. No real rush... might as well get some use out of the original purchase.

As for the monitor... I want something that won't need to be replaced immediately. I don't mind getting her a better one later. But I need one that will wow her for her birthday, ya'know? I need vivid colors and dark darks and fast frames and what have yous. This is her window, her portal, her eyes into whatever fantasy she fancies. I need it to be like f!ck!ng POW!

[Whee McGee]

i7-8700
RTX2070
970 Evo 500GB SSD and a 2TB HDD
32GB RAM

Built it early last year for streaming, 3D modeling, and gaming. Recently upgraded from 16GB of RAM and it's been fantastic. Got the 2070 for super cheap and it's been a monster.

Next big thing I need is a good monitor. I've been using a 8 year old 32" HDTV and while 1080P has been great, I want to check out what the latest and greatest is now that I have a machine that can run it.

[punkncat]

To get down to brass tacks, that is a damned amazing system for anyone for any pedestrian usage and FAR better than many. Your daughter should be proud to have such a system, even the way it stands.

[DavidBoren]

I just ordered a Dell 24" g-sync monitor. Didn't want to take any chances with it not being 100% compatible, so I went with something listed on the Nvidia website.

It's an S2417DG...
2560x1440 QHD, 1ms, 165hz, 1-144hz variable overdrive, and other stuff that I don't quite understand.

But it's Dell, and so is the computer, so it's like they go together... or, at least, they do now.

[ybbpi]

I just ordered a Dell 24" g-sync monitor. Didn't want to take any chances with it not being 100% compatible, so I went with something listed on the Nvidia website.

It's an S2417DG...
2560x1440 QHD, 1ms, 165hz, 1-144hz variable overdrive, and other stuff that I don't quite understand.

But it's Dell, and so is the computer, so it's like they go together... or, at least, they do now.

Make sure you use the correct HDMI or DP cable. Older versions of those cables might not be able to support 2560x1440 @ 144hz.

i7-8700
RTX2070
970 Evo 500GB SSD and a 2TB HDD
32GB RAM

Built it early last year for streaming, 3D modeling, and gaming. Recently upgraded from 16GB of RAM and it's been fantastic. Got the 2070 for super cheap and it's been a monster.

Next big thing I need is a good monitor. I've been using a 8 year old 32" HDTV and while 1080P has been great, I want to check out what the latest and greatest is now that I have a machine that can run it.

Almost the exact same As what I got. except 12 TB HDD. I used to use a 32" HDTV as well and it was eye cancer. I only noticed how horrible it was when I upgraded.
Although I'd wait to splurge on a monitor until Samsung starts making consumer microleds. It should solve contrast problems that most LEDs have.