$700 Best-Value Gaming PC Build Guide (Jun 2020)

[crazyeyesreaper]

If it's the same ones they sold in China, looking by the SKU it does seem that way, then it's the FSP raider platform. Think Be Quiet Pure Power 10, maybe they upgraded the main cap from 85c to 105c so it can have a five year warranty.

If that is the case it should be a solid unit.

 

[newtekie1]

Definitely a solid build. Obviously there are so many different combinations and changes that could be made to please each person individually, but this is definitely a solid $700 build.

 

[Rowsol]

This is one of those things were someone's always going to find issue with some part of it. I for one would never pay 70 dollars for a bronze PSU when you can get gold in that range.

 

[64K]

This is one of those things were someone's always going to find issue with some part of it. I for one would never pay 70 dollars for a bronze PSU when you can get gold in that range.

Gold over Bronze isn't a question of quality. It only means that the Gold Rated PSU is a bit more efficient than the Bronze unit. The efficiency difference will be irrelevant to almost everyone except to people running their rig at max 24/7.

 

[Rowsol]

Would you rather have that or this? https://pcpartpicker.com/product/cT...00-w-80-gold-certified-atx-power-supply-bn901
I never claimed it was better quality, just that 70 for a bronze PSU is too much.

 

[Casecutter]

Power Supply Calculator - PSU Calculator | OuterVision

Power Supply Calculator - Select computer parts and our online PSU calculator will calculate the required power supply wattage and amperage for your PC.

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As to the difference running a 2060 Super or a RX 590 on a +Bronze verse Gold + it works out like this... gaming 4 hours per day on .18 cents p/kWh.
Now either system really only start need of 400W PSU minimum

The 2060 Super: is $99.37 /year on the 80+ Bronze verses the Gold + at $94.60. That difference is $4.77 a year.
With a RX 590: is $103.95 /year on the 80+ Bronze verses the Gold + at $98.92 That difference is $5.03 a year.

Now while in this work-up a RX 590/Gold+ is showing it saves .45 cent /year... IDK I don't think that difference is wroth worry either way.

This Power Supply is just $46! That's on a $10 Rebate and with $6 shipping.

EVGA 500 GD 100-GD-0500-V1 500 W Power Supply - Newegg.com

Buy EVGA 500 GD 100-GD-0500-V1 500 W ATX12V / EPS12V 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Non-Modular Active PFC Power Supply with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.com

I think it's better to pay $25 less for a Gold+ PSU, not shell out $60 (25%) for a 2060 Super for about 5-6% better performance, while then use all that saved to add $15 to double the amount of ram and faster spec, and pocket the $70. Better yet that goes to fund approximately 35% of many 27" FreeSync 1440P nowadays.

 

[newtekie1]

Would you rather have that or this? https://pcpartpicker.com/product/cT...00-w-80-gold-certified-atx-power-supply-bn901
I never claimed it was better quality, just that 70 for a bronze PSU is too much.

I'd take the CX550M over that. Then again, if I was considering the BeQuiet unit, which isn't modular like the CX550M, then I'd just go with the CX550 which is $60 and pretty hard to beat at that price.

And personally, in this price range, I'd save the $10 and go with the non-modular PSU. But then again, I'd also ditch the fancy case and put everything in something cheaper and put the money towards more RAM or the next step up of GPU(that might be a stretch even given the savings). Saving $30 on the PSU and case would give enough to bump up to 16GB of RAM. Which, IMO, is going to help more than a fancy case or modular PSU. But that's just my preference. Others might want to spend some money on a nice case because they plan to keep it through multiple builds. I know, for me at least, a good case will last a really long time and I'm usually replacing parts in the case long before I think of getting rid of the case. And of course, a nice case with a side window means a modular PSU to cut down on cable clutter is nice to have. It all comes down to preference.

 

[persuse]

Ryzen 2600 is the best P/p CPU in its range and the system built with this processor very powerful in gaming and multi-threaded processing but i recommend with 16GB of ram.
We can save some money on the motherboard، PSU and Chassis for replace 16GB of ram G.skill Flare X 3200 with 64$ price tag and ryzen Compatibility. I recommend the following components:
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 -----118$
Motherboard: Asrock B450M Steel Legend -------80$
Memory: G.skill Flare X 16GB(2*8GB) ------64$
SSD: Crucial P1 1 TB NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD ------ 96$
Graphics Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1660 Super OC 6G ------- 230$
Chassis: Cooler Master MasterBox MB510L------------50$
PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower GX1 600W -----------65$
Total: 703$

 

[PLAfiller]

Generally solid guide for a 700$ build, but I do have to disagree with the RAM suggestion. 8GB is fine, but why dual-channel kit? I have spent time researching this and I think it's better to have a single stick and down the road it is SO much easier to add another one, than selling the previous kit and having to buy a new one. In your argument you point out significant benefit in performance for "some games and applications"....to be honest very limited scenario in my opinion. Unless that person is zipping files all day, I don't think the loss in performance is so "feelable". I know because I have been through this. I had my current build with one stick of 8GB and a few months later I got a deal on identical stick and now I have dual channel on 16GB. I definitely think it's better to have it on one stick for a budget build. Also for the GPU, I've never owned a new one. I'd just get a second hand for a budget build. Right now RX470/480/570/580 are selling like hot cakes.

 

[-The_Mask-]

The PSU is getting a bit old, it's still double forward. 550W is also really overkill for a PC that takes around 225W. The CX600M review has nothing to do with the CX550M, totally different power supply. And the 50% load statement is a myth.

A better 400/450W PSU makes a lot more sense.

And the system needs 16GB, with 16GB this system can play every game without any problem. Not always on the highest settings of course. But with 8GB this simply isn't possible.

Ryzen 5 2600 and GTX 1660 Super are both the only option in this budget, they are unbeatable at this moment.

 

[Tsukiyomi91]

how about this mock-build?
- AMD Ryzen 5 2600 Processor w/ AMD Wraith CPU Cooler (~$117)
- Gigabyte AORUS B450M mATX Motherboard (~$85)
- Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB 3200MHz DDR4 (2 x 8GB Kits, ~$68)
- Kingston A2000 500GB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (~$60)
- Zotac GTX1660 Super Twin Fan 6GB Graphics Card (~$230)
- Cooler Master Masterbox Q300L MicroATX Mini Tower Case (~$45)
- Cooler Master MasterWatt 650W 80+ Bronze Semi-Modular PSU (~$73)
Total: about $678
I think this is a slightly better build, with the storage drive being the minus point of the build. Then again, one can add another drive later on or upgrade to a 1TB unit.

 

[Space Lynx]

The PSU is getting a bit old, it's still double forward. 600W is also really overkill for a PC that takes around 225W. The CX600M review has nothing to do with the CX550M, totally different power supply. And the 50% load statement is a myth.

A better 400/450W PSU makes a lot more sense.

That's why i mentioned the 700 gd evga gold I got for $45 after rebate, its a brand new model/fresh soldered/hasn't been sitting on a shelf

 

[64K]

Every time I do the math between using a Gold Rated or a Bronze Rated PSU on a budget build I'm always impressed by how little a difference it makes going with a Gold Rated PSU. For the build posted by the OP the rig probably won't use close to 275 watts most of the time during gaming but let's say the PSU is providing 275 watts for simplicity's sake. That would put a 550 watt PSU right in the highest efficiency range of 50% load. That would mean a Gold Rated PSU (at 90% efficiency) would be drawing about 300 watts from the wall and a Bronze Rated PSU (at 85% efficiency) would be drawing 320 watts from the wall.

I pay 12 cents per kWh so that 20 watt difference for me gaming an average of 20 hours a week would add 21 cents a month to my electricity bill. Assuming the person building this budget build kept it for 4 years before doing a new build then it would make running a Bronze Rated unit cost approximately $10 more over those 4 years. Now if you are paying a lot more than 12 cents per kWh then the difference might be significant.

On a budget build like this one I would grab a 450 watt CX-M which is way more than enough for this rig. It can be had on Amazon or Newegg for $57. Get a cheaper case and bump the RAM up to 16 GB. Bearing in mind that we aren't just building for today's games. We are building a rig to last maybe 4 years. When the next gen consoles come out next year they will no doubt have more RAM than today's consoles so Developers will use more RAM. 8 GB will be an issue.

 

[silentbogo]

Gold over Bronze isn't a question of quality. It only means that the Gold Rated PSU is a bit more efficient than the Bronze unit. The efficiency difference will be irrelevant to almost everyone except to people running their rig at max 24/7.

It's not the issue of Bronze vs Gold. It's the issue of Bronze for $70. If efficiency is not an issue, you can get some el-cheapo EVGA-500W or /B for $25-30 on yet another sale, drop SSD to 512GB, skip a fancy $60 chassis in favor of some less popular, but semi-decent FSP or Chieftec mid-tower for $30 and have enough cash to bump the GPU to RX5700 or higher. I think that PSU/Chassis combo costs more than Fractal Design Node 202 w/ PSU, which is far more superior for a compact gaming rig.
Also, 2x4GB is atrocious, especially when you look at the price. You can get some cheap TForce Vulcan kits nowadays: $60 $50 for 2x8G kit of DDR4-3000 in US (or around ~$70-75 EU/CIS regions).
Heck, now that I think of it, $700 is enough to built a pretty decent gaming ITX rig.

 

[64K]

It's not the issue of Bronze vs Gold. It's the issue of Bronze for $70. If efficiency is not an issue, you can get some el-cheapo EVGA-500W or /B for $25-30 on yet another sale, drop SSD to 512GB, skip a fancy $60 chassis in favor of some less popular, but semi-decent FSP or Chieftec mid-tower for $30 and have enough cash to bump the GPU to RX5700 or higher. I think that PSU/Chassis combo costs more than Fractal Design Node 202 w/ PSU, which is far more superior for a compact gaming rig.
Also, 2x4GB is atrocious, especially when you look at the price. You can get some cheap TForce Vulcan kits nowadays: $60 for 2x8G kit of DDR4-3000 in US (or around ~$70-75 EU/CIS regions).
Heck, now that I think of it, $700 is enough to built a pretty decent gaming ITX rig.

It's surprising how many people believe that the Bronze/Gold rating is a measure of quality though. I have see jonnyguru post about this several times that it's not and people just argue with him.

I see a budget build the same way as you. A person with a very limited budget shouldn't be concerned with a fancy case or a vastly oversized PSU. Just get a quality Bronze Rated unit. For the case be concerned about decent airflow. Add a fan for a couple of dollars if the case only comes with one and use the money elsewhere. I've got a really nice case but I wasn't on a budget and I never look at it except to push the power button.

 

[-The_Mask-]

It's surprising how many people believe that the Bronze/Gold rating is a measure of quality though. I have see jonnyguru post about this several times that it's not and people just argue with him.

It's also doesn't tell you much about the efficiency, only what the efficiency needs to be at three fixed points with 115V. Because of that a 80PLUS Bronze PSU can easily be more efficient with a PC then a 80PLUS Gold power supply. A 80PLUS Bronze PSU based on a Active Clamp Reset Forward design, which FSP likes to use, is a good example. Don't even counting the many fake 80PLUS badges.

 

[silentbogo]

It's surprising how many people believe that the Bronze/Gold rating is a measure of quality though.

But indirectly, it is. With Bronze, you can cut corners on components, since people already expect Bronze to be of lower quality (kinda "self-fullfilling prophecy"). That CX550M is a good example: either CWT or Corsair decided to save some money on input caps, and with a combination of under-mediocre brand and only 220uF capacitance it made some PSUs even fail the ATX standard for hold-up time. Hardware insights even went out of their way to do some creative artwork )))

Spoiler

Just because there are excellent PSUs with only a bronze certificate on the market doesn't mean that they all are excellent.

 

[64K]

But indirectly, it is. With Bronze, you can cut corners on components, since people already expect Bronze to be of lower quality (kinda "self-fullfilling prophecy"). That CX550M is a good example: either CWT or Corsair decided to save some money on input caps, and with a combination of under-mediocre brand and only 220uF capacitance it made some PSUs even fail the ATX standard for hold-up time. Hardware insights even went out of their way to do some creative artwork )))

Just because there are excellent PSUs with only a bronze certificate on the market doesn't mean that they all are excellent.

Well obviously not all Bronze rated PSUs are quality but some Gold Rated PSUs are garbage too. They just happen to be more efficient than a Bronze Rated unit. I can't remember the units that jonnyguru was referring to on those but the important thing is to get a quality unit no matter what the rating.

 

[potato580+]

r5 1600/2600(cooler)/1700(tray) $100- $120
rx590 nitro+ or rtx zotac/inno 2060 $200-$300+
m/b b350(msi) $70+
dual channel 8gb 3200mz ram $50
fsp hexa/hydro 550/600w $35/$60
random cheap "rgb" case atx $10+
random mouse keyboard gamepad $5
estimate price should be around $500/600
just my 2cent

 

[sutyi]

BQ Pure Power 11 500CM PSU could be had around that 80USD mark. Its semi modular, 80Plus Gold rated and comes with a much better fan.

As for the SSD I would gove with a 660p from Intel. Its better for the same money as the P1.

 

[silentbogo]

As for the SSD I would gove with a 660p from Intel. Its better for the same money as the P1.

Last year - definitely. Nowadays - neither is even close to be considered as "the best bang for the buck". Competition forced some OEMs to drop prices on TLC drives, which resulted in things like HP EX920/EX950 being THE SSD. Also there are tons of options from ADATA, Kingston, Plextor, Patriot, Mushkin etc. Americans also have Sabrent, which I was skeptical about at first, but after reading reviews changed my opinion. That's probably the reason Samsung hasn't released a single QLC NVME drive so far (or even the stupid M.2 SATA version of 860 QVO) - not enough margin to compete with cheap TLC and satisfy their immeasurable appetite for cash.

 

[sutyi]

Last year - definitely. Nowadays - neither is even close to be considered as "the best bang for the buck". Competition forced some OEMs to drop prices on TLC drives, which resulted in things like HP EX920/EX950 being THE SSD. Also there are tons of options from ADATA, Kingston, Plextor, Patriot, Mushkin etc. Americans also have Sabrent, which I was skeptical about at first, but after reading reviews changed my opinion. That's probably the reason Samsung hasn't released a single QLC NVME drive so far (or even the stupid M.2 SATA version of 860 QVO) - not enough margin to compete with cheap TLC and satisfy their immeasurable appetite for cash.

For a 1TB size NVMe drive it is still a solid option and it is better then the Crucial P1. The mentioned EX920 and EX950s are TLC, but they cost from 40 to 60% more here in the EU. The next best thing in line here is the Kingston A2000 series or for a bit more one can go ADATA SX8200 Pro & XPG S11.

 

[silentbogo]

The mentioned EX920 and EX950s are TLC, but they cost from 40 to 60% more here in the EU

That's weird, cause I'm in Ukraine, and with our additional recently introduced taxes they are all at approximately the same price. To be fair, Intel 660p is the most expensive of the lineup here.

Порівняння Crucial P1 1 TB (CT1000P1SSD8),HP EX920 1 TB (2YY47AA#ABC),Intel 660p 1 TB (SSDPEKNW010T8X1)

Порівняння Crucial P1 1 TB (CT1000P1SSD8),HP EX920 1 TB (2YY47AA#ABC),Intel 660p 1 TB (SSDPEKNW010T8X1)

hotline.ua

 

[crazyeyesreaper]

Well keep the comments / recommendations coming,

Just realize that over time this article will be updated, the old builds will be moved to a spoiler tag within the article and a new build will takes its place. As such this part list WILL evolve over time just an FYI for those that don't read all the comments. As for SSD choice ive had no failures from Crucial or Samsung, however many other brands I have failed drives. Considering I still run multiple Crucial SSDs from even the BX series which has been abused for years and still no signs of problems. Went with my gut on that one.

Hopefully as black friday gets closer prices will come down for the shopping season and I can squeeze 16GB ram, and an AMD 3600 into the build with a few tweaks.

 

[argon]

Recently just helped a friends for get him into PC gaming, he had a old already build pc from supermarket, literally unsable (amd Athlon II X4 620 ) very old from 2013 or so, we taken the 480gb hdd he had in in. so we could save for a better gpu,
his budget was: keep it low, but very durable!

My main suggestion for him (he will not doing more than 1080p gaming) was to suggest RX5700 and ryzen 3600 and save on all other things! as other people mentioned on this post

we ended with

RX 5700 Spphire nitro - 370
ryzen 3600 - 195
msi B450 tomahawk max - 98
8gb g skill 3200cl16 - 41
550w be quiet pure power 11 - 59
bitfenix nova - 37
windows 10 keys for 7
everything for 800euro as we live in europe and its close to 700 US$ cause in america price are little lower
He will get an ssd and some 1/2tb hdd for 30/40 in a few month and will save a lot instead of getting old 2600 and low performance gpu' like the 1660, rx5700 is way more better for future gaming imho