Budget gaming PC

[NanLaew]

I think I have maxed out the possibilities with the current i5 build from maybe 10 years ago so looking for a replacement DIY build. Since I already have the ATX case, it's basically replacing the mobo, CPU and RAM with something that will be easier to upgrade. I priced the below ensemble on amazon UK and seeking some input from those who play games or who build their own here in Thailand. The £255 tag is roughly 10,800 baht which is close to what I paid for my legacy builds that I seek to replace.

 

 

The only significant add-on I see would possibly be a decent GPU card. Now since I have the micro-ATX small-form enclosure, I am limited to a low-profile card so I would also appreciate any input on a suitable card that won't break the bank. We're talking GTA and Minecraft here for my teenager and not Bitcoin mining!

 

Thanks!

NL

[jackdd]

For 10k THB it's difficult, and at this price point I would recommend to buy something second hand.

If at least 20k THB is within your budget, then it should be possible to configure something reasonable with new components.

[NanLaew]

28 minutes ago, jackdd said:

For 10k THB it's difficult, and at this price point I would recommend to buy something second hand.

If at least 20k THB is within your budget, then it should be possible to configure something reasonable with new components.

 

So you don't reckon that new bundle of AMD Ryzen 3 2200G 3.5Ghz (Turbo 3.7Ghz) Quad Core CPU, ASUS Prime A320M-K Motherboard & 8GB 2400Mhz Crucial DDR4 RAM will cut the mustard? Is it the CPU or lack of RAM maybe? How about a Ryzen 5 or 7 and 16 Gb?

 

When we were upgrading the 10 year-old rig, it was the older mobo's inability to support a beefier GPU that became mission critical.

Edited March 8, 2021 by NanLaew

[jackdd]

3 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

So you don't reckon that new bundle of AMD Ryzen 3 2200G 3.5Ghz (Turbo 3.7Ghz) Quad Core CPU, ASUS Prime A320M-K Motherboard & 8GB 2400Mhz Crucial DDR4 RAM will cut the mustard? Is it the CPU or lack of RAM maybe? How about a Ryzen 5 or 7 and 16 Gb?

The Ryzen 3 2200G is two years old and was the slowest model back then, 8GB ram can also be a bottle neck.

Ryzen CPUs which have a G at the end come with an integrated graphics card, this is obviously not required if you get a dedicated graphics card anyway.

 

Go for something like the Ryzen 5 3600, 16GB ram, a motherboard with B550 chipset, and an M2 (PCIe) SSD with at least 256GB (better 512GB, but you can of course add an additional SSD later if you want), and something like an Nvidia GTX1650 as graphics card.

If you want to spend more right now invest in a better graphics card (the GTX1650 should be OK to begin with though, if you are not happy with the gaming performance in the future, upgrade it then). Just get a new case which fits a regular size graphics card, can be bought for as low as 1000THB or so and gives you way more options.

 

Is Thailand out of Hardware or something? I just wanted to check the prices, and somehow JIB, Advice and invadeit have hardly anything available in their shops. But the components which I suggested above should be somewhere around 20k THB I think, if you can find a shop which has it...

[NanLaew]

4 minutes ago, jackdd said:

The Ryzen 3 2200G is two years old and was the slowest model back then, 8GB ram can also be a bottle neck.

Ryzen CPUs which have a G at the end come with an integrated graphics card, this is obviously not required if you get a dedicated graphics card anyway.

 

Go for something like the Ryzen 5 3600, 16GB ram, a motherboard with B550 chipset, and an M2 (PCIe) SSD with at least 256GB (better 512GB, but you can of course add an additional SSD later if you want), and something like an Nvidia GTX1650 as graphics card.

If you want to spend more right now invest in a better graphics card (the GTX1650 should be OK to begin with though, if you are not happy with the gaming performance in the future, upgrade it then). Just get a new case which fits a regular size graphics card, can be bought for as low as 1000THB or so and gives you way more options.

 

Is Thailand out of Hardware or something? I just wanted to check the prices, and somehow JIB, Advice and invadeit have hardly anything available in their shops. But the components which I suggested above should be somewhere around 20k THB I think, if you can find a shop which has it...

 

Excellent, detailed advice jack... thanks.

 

I've been using userbenchmark.com to do a virtual build of that amazon package and then tweaking the alternatives. It showed that the better Ryzen's are not supported by that mobo but now you have given me some mobo alternatives to plug and play. I have been a long time ASUS fan.

 

I am also an Nvidia fan and have my eyes on the GTX 1050 Ti. Although that's a legacy GPU, it was just about the best I could find with a low-profile option for the existing clunker.

 

My mate mentioned last week about the scarcity of computer components online in Thailand. He reckoned the GPU shortage is because of people mining Bitcoin. I even had a look at Newegg online in the US and loads of bare shelves there too. The low-to-mid range stuff is getting hard to find and only the really expensive boards are available. Same on eBay.

[kekalot]

I agree with the above, Ryzen 5 3600 is a good base .. depending on case you should still be able to fit most video cards tho (can check the model on Google etc)

I built a computer with a R5 3600 but already had a power supply and case and I believe I spent 14k then I snagged a 1660 Super from some dude that likely upgraded to 3000 series for I believe 6500 baht

i checked recently on Facebook marketplace tho and the prices have been like 50% higher

GPU shortage is not because of Bitcoin mining (useless to use a GPU for that) but because it's in low quantity and scalpers buy them to resell them at 150-200% of the price

Edited March 8, 2021 by kekalot

[OneMoreFarang]

A decent GPU is the most important for most games.

I bought 10 month ago a Radeon RX 580 8GB for 4300THB. That was the sweet spot at that time.

It seems the same card cost now 15,000THB. It's a bad time to buy GPUs...

 

I agree with above, try to buy a 2nd had Gaming PC or GPU.

And about the form factor of the GPU. A new case is cheap. Probably a lot cheaper then looking for GPUs with a limited size.

[prism]

As the others has said, you're going to be stuck finding an affordable GPU. I've seen a second hand gtx 1060(dual fan) on FB marketplace for around 4K baht. Just saw a listing for RX570 for 4,200 baht. Both should fit in a mini tower case. 

Edited March 15, 2021 by prism