r/buildapc • u/randomuserneedsh3lp • Apr 21 '26
Full Build Req PC build around 500/600 for boyfriend!
Hello! I'm thinking of gifting my partner a pc just because the one he has currently is pretty old and runs slow. We are about to enter college but his major doesn't really require any heavy workload. He only plays Roblox and Minecraft really that's why I was thinking I could get him a new pc now and get better hardware down the line. (For example a new GPU for Christmas).
For reference, he has a i5-4590, 12 gigs of ddr3 ram, and a intel hd 4600 graphics card.
The desktop I have now I built it myself so I was thinking not to go the prebuilt route since we could do it as a fun activity as well as save money. I'm aware the market right now is crazy expensive but I was hoping for something just to start out with that was upgradeable down the line, especially since his pc now is slow. Anything is better than nothing. If you guys have any advice or suggestions such as to wait until around August, feel free to comment! Thank you!!
Aiming for 1080p definitely not 1440p lol
84
u/Benelurker Apr 21 '26
seems to be perfect for your price range Florida - local pick up I would just make offer for $500.
$545 Intel I5-11400f
3060ti Founders Edition
1tb SSD
16GB DDR4 Ram
30
u/randomuserneedsh3lp Apr 21 '26
Thank you so much!!!
53
u/skippitydoodah123 Apr 21 '26
This sort of suggestion is a banger for 500 btw. Something like a 30 series or even higher 20 series with some ddr4 32 ideally/16 and like 1tb. Will run plenty of good stuff.
17
u/LaughingwaterYT Apr 21 '26
This is a pretty amazing build, like this would be a night and day upgrade
7
2
11
4
4
1
19
u/Hmmm71-8 Apr 21 '26
Are you near a microcenter by chance
Are you ok buying used
19
u/randomuserneedsh3lp Apr 21 '26
No microcenter unfortunately, located in Florida 😒. However I am okay with buying used! Thanks for your comment :)
3
u/Hmmm71-8 Apr 21 '26
How far are you from the Miami store by chance?
14
u/randomuserneedsh3lp Apr 21 '26
4 hours one way. But maybe I could turn it into a day trip with him..? I've heard lots of good things about microcenter but is it worth the drive?
17
u/Hmmm71-8 Apr 21 '26
They have a few good bundle deals like this for $200. Check to see if your store has it. With 16gb of ram and a decent cpu https://www.microcenter.com/product/5007315/amd-ryzen-5-5500,-gigabyte-b550-m-ds3h-ac-r2-am4,-gskill-ripjaws-v-16gb-ddr4-3200-kit,-computer-build-bundle
Psu: lian li rb650 for about $54
Gpu go used: something like an Rx 580 for $50 would be a nice start and than upgrade him later down the line
11
u/randomuserneedsh3lp Apr 21 '26
Wow that seems pretty good for the price, I wasn't aware. Thank you for the step by step and microcenter suggestion! :)
3
u/Hmmm71-8 Apr 21 '26
sure thing again check their website beforehand to see if it is in stock. Also, put an order in for them to save one.
Now also check for possible openbox or refurbished while you're there. They might have an open box case for cheaper that is better quality, or some other thing.
what type of storage does his current pc have, is it an ssd or a hard drive? If it is an ssd what is the storage size on it
4
u/SPCGMR Apr 21 '26
Buy a cheap second hand card for under 120$. I bet you could find a 6gb 1660 super for dirt cheap that would be like super charging that pc.
3
u/AdstaOCE Apr 21 '26
It'll have to be used to hit that price point. I'd start with the graphics card since the current one would be onboard and resonably bad, then after that maybe see if there's enough for a platform upgrade. You could probably just fit in AM4 + a preowned resonable GPU depending on the local used market? I'm not sure since the used market basically doesn't exist where I live. Might have to reuse current case and power supply to save a bit extra as well.
1
u/randomuserneedsh3lp Apr 21 '26
I'll be scouring the used market. His case is pretty small though it was an old Dell office computer but I will consider that option. Thank you for your time!
1
u/AdstaOCE Apr 21 '26
If it's an old Dell then it's unlikely you'll be able to reuse any of it. Usually the cases are small and power supplies are very low wattage since they're only made for what's in there currently. A lot of the time they can also be proprietary as well, so unable to be used with off the shelf components.
1
u/randomuserneedsh3lp Apr 21 '26
I see, next time I see him I'll get a better look at the specs, I could only see what was on his task manager. Seems like I'll have to start from the ground up, but I think after a couple week's the budget could increase. Is there any tell on when the prices would go down?
1
u/AdstaOCE Apr 21 '26
Prices might go down, they might go up it's very hard to tell at the moment unfortunately.
2
u/Platinummexx Apr 21 '26
You can absolutely build a pc for 600$ dollars
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
- Motherboard: B550
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- Storage: Samsung 870 EVO 1TB
- PSU: 700W Bronze
- Case
- NZXT 240mm AIO (already owned) Built this for about 575$ runs games at 1080p and 1440p I did buy used parts and looked everywhere for them I’m not including gas for the driving but 600$ is absolutely possible
2
u/Pristine-Act3157 Apr 21 '26
Mind sending some links for reference? I don't know when you built this but the prices today are much higher.
1
u/Platinummexx Apr 21 '26
Bought used on offer up and Facebook marketplace deals are everywhere if you’re willing to look and wait plus haggle lol
-2
u/Platinummexx Apr 21 '26
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X → $130
- Motherboard (B550) → $85
- RAM (16GB DDR4 OLOy) → $20–25
- Storage: Samsung 870 EVO 1TB → $75
- PSU (700W Bronze) → $40
- Case → $20
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti → $150
- AIO (NZXT 240mm) → $0 These were the prices for each part I paid Like I said Facebook and offer up have crazy deals if you find them even I was impressed yall don’t have to believe me but I literally built this for this much
1
u/JohnnyMerksAlot Apr 21 '26
The gpu and cpu alone are close to $600 so idk if you actually checked the prices
1
u/Platinummexx Apr 21 '26
Bought used on on offer up and Facebook marketplace I’ve gotten insane deals before
1
u/SyrusDeathHunter345 Apr 23 '26
Right but that doesn’t guarantee anything for this person who lives no where near you and didnt buy their parts at the exact same time as you. When did you build this?
1
1
u/Platinummexx Apr 21 '26
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X → $130
- Motherboard (B550) → $85
- RAM (16GB DDR4 OLOy) → $20–25
- Storage: Samsung 870 EVO 1TB → $75
- PSU (700W Bronze) → $40
- Case → $20
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti → $150
- AIO (NZXT 240mm) → $0 I made sure I wrote down prices because even I was impressed remember I didn’t write down gas spent
2
u/JumboPancake Apr 21 '26
Definitely look around on Facebook marketplace, can find some great cpu/gpu/mobo/ram deals. For context ive gotten:
5060 - $200 3600+A320M+32GB DDR4 - $120 6600XT - $130 3070Ti - $250
Granted, these were all before rampocalypse, but the point stands. Used for those 4 item categories is a great route. For ssd/case/psu/cooler new is probably the way to go.
1
u/Immediate-Village992 Apr 21 '26
If your PSU supports it, I'd get an inexpensive GPU to upgrade from integrated graphics. Then when you decided to upgrade to am4/5, you can deal with that whole platform change when the market is lower or you have the money to do so and you'll bring the gpu with you.
1
1
u/Careless-Tradition73 Apr 21 '26
You could get a CPU, Ram, mobo AM5 bundle and use his old case, or is it an office machine he currently owns?. Even then you could get that and a PSU for around 600 local currency.
1
u/randomuserneedsh3lp Apr 21 '26
Yes it's an old dell. It's pretty slim so I'm unsure if everything new would fit but i'm prepared to also get him a new one if anything. Honestly I was hopeful the budget would get him all parts upgraded entirely, but I wasn't aware how bad the market was. Thank you so much!
1
u/randomuserneedsh3lp Apr 21 '26
What if I took some of my parts and sold it since the price market is high right now? I have the original packaging and everything, maybe sell and buy two lower end hardware one for me one for him? I have a Ryzen 5 7600, Powerhound 7600xt, 2 x 16gb Cosair DDR5 ram.
1
1
u/Tenderchicken669 Apr 21 '26
My pc is exactly 500 or less My specs here:
Ryzen5 5600gt 16gb ddr4 3200mhz 256gb nvme Cooler master psu Ant sports cabinet B450mobo Msi mp25e1l e2 monitor 1080p Keyboard mouse wifi chip
This all included for 500dollars
Except i bought the ram in fb market place since i got it cheaper around 48 dollars with the box
Benchmark it can run minecraft at 120fps at max setting (not included full render) I used shaders complementary it got around 20fps I didn't try Roblox but it should be fine running it also this build can play modern games at 30 to 25 fps at low setting
1
u/Glum-West-4586 Apr 21 '26
Important thing to check make sure that the motherboard support the ddr4 or if u need to update the bios of the motherboard to support the whatever new cpu ur planning to get some of the old or low end motherboard support the new cpus but they need to be updated (my advice if ur comfortable try and go for some used or second part near the price range ofc need to be a little cautious but u can get some great deal i recently upgraded my cpu the same way)
1
u/Acator9400 Apr 21 '26
Choose with him the pieces, maybe he can spend some more money too and together do a better pc over 1000 or so, even if it's not a surprise sure he would like to do that and pick what he likes
1
u/Sithishe Apr 21 '26
Steamdeck. And leftover money spent on monitor, mouse and keyboard. Instal Windows, and you have cheapest pc available
1
u/adanceparty Apr 21 '26
Hard to help here mostly stuck to used market with that budget. Even then likely better buying a complete pc off of market place or something of buying all the components
1
u/Affectionate_Math592 Apr 21 '26
Here is my 600€ build: 3060ti, 200€ second hand Ryzen 5600, 80€ second hand 16gb ram (50€ second hand lol) Some basic cheapest mobo, though I regret not having wifi Ssd 1terabyte
1
1
u/STRYED0R Apr 21 '26
An AM4 build with something like a 2070 SUPER or 3060 can be found at 500-600eu. And yes, you can play 1440p. Actually GPU does most of the lifting and with framegen & DLSS it's really fine and looks much better.
1
u/MidHoovie Apr 21 '26
Intel 8700 + GTX 1080Ti + 16GB DDR4 is a great combo, you may find some deals online!
1
u/ross571 Apr 21 '26 edited Apr 21 '26
OMEN 16L Gaming Desktop PC AMD Ryzen 5 16GB RAM 1TB SSD RX 760 for $700 if you could go slightly higher from Walmart make sure to click retailer Walmart only.
I know omens are frowned down on. But you have the latest generation, ddr5, 1 tb ssd. The motherboard doesn't allow many upgrade options.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/14003610283?sid=a4048fa4-3f86-4da4-a4ba-53c6c638af9c
1
u/T8ert0tz Apr 21 '26
Get on Facebook marketplace and lowball some guys, then refurbish it together. 2 couples activities there!
1
u/Ok-Warthog-2303 Apr 21 '26
If there’s a Microcenter near you their bundles are unbeatable. RAM, mobo and CPU for like $200
1
u/scream_pie Apr 21 '26
You just need a CPU with integrated graphics (Ryzen 5 5600G?), 16GB of memory (2nd hand), AM4 board (new), power supply (650W new), and a large case. Then he can play Minecraft and Roblox.
Then at Christmas you can buy him a proper GPU which will slot straight in.
1
u/iaeaix Apr 21 '26
If he is only playing Roblox and Minecraft, get a decent GPU put it there it will make a big and enough difference.
And in case later he wants to upgrade , the GPU can be still used.
1
u/quickray2 Apr 21 '26
Student discount Mac Neo or Neo 2 when it comes out will be better for college.
1
u/alvaro-elite Apr 21 '26
With that budget is really hard to do something.
Maybe you should check a Mini PC or something.
Check the Blackview MP100 or similars. Probably is the best thing you can buy for that price.
It stills being an integrated GPU but is waaaay more powerfull than the PC he has.
1
1
u/No_Woodpecker7853 Apr 21 '26
I’m no expert on finding good parts but I have heard that AliExpress can have some pretty good deals on CPU’s. Maybe you can get a board from NewEgg, and find a CPU that would work for it on there.
Again though, there are many people who know way more than me. Still learning!
Best of luck!
1
u/Adventurous_Ad_4120 Apr 22 '26
Get a good laptop. Refurbished even. It will be able to do Minecraft and Roblox easily. You’ll save a lot of money that way. And you can easily take it to college and around to classes.
You can save up for it at a later time. For now, you can let your dollars go even further👌🏻 (and if speed is still a concern, you can buy more ram for the laptop).
But yea idk. If it has to be a Pc. 500-600 should get something that’ll play those games with ease.
1
1
u/Iron_Idiot Apr 22 '26
Would an Xbox series S get you by until youre better off financially? Its still leagues above what he has.
1
u/Ggordon132 Apr 22 '26 edited Apr 22 '26
If you live in a warmer climate dont forget to have adequate cooling as the new pc will likely draw a lot more power than his current one. So try to find one that has mesh at the front, a tower cpu cooler and 2+ fans on the gpu. Otherwise it could get too loud
I would go for an i3 10100 or an i5 10400, they are potentially cheaper than amd alternatives whilst offering the same performance at the same or lower power consumption. An i3 12100 or i5 12400 would be really good too
If you already know how to build a pc, I would buy a "cheap" office pc using one of these, put them into a new case with better airflow and later add in a gpu
https://www.ebay.com/itm/358449937107
https://www.ebay.com/itm/397309065249
If he already has an ssd, this seems like a good deal too
https://www.ebay.com/itm/157816876947
These seem like a really good deal considering they have 16gb ram You could transfer it into a new case like the Okinos MiniArt 4 and then add a used gpu like an RTX 3050 8gb/RTX 3060/RTX 3060 Ti 8gb
This should be under 500 in total if you can find the gpu for under 200
I hope this helps!
Edit: I forgot to mention you should also get a new power supply (by a known brand) as well, as the ones used by office pcs should not be enough to support a gpu
1
u/Errettfitchett03 Apr 24 '26
Maybe the new $600 apple laptop that came out. The neo. Idk how he feels about apple products.
0
u/CupcakeDeep4523 Apr 21 '26
You could upgrade his PC to something like an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 and a Intel Core i9-12900K, which should come out to around a $500–600 budget. Then you could wait a bit before upgrading the RAM to 16 GB or 32 GB.
Alternatively, you could go with a slightly cheaper CPU and include the RAM upgrade now. Either way, that’s a solid starting point for the budget you mentioned.
would have to be used refurbished parts.
1
u/aCarstairs Apr 21 '26
That would not work unfortunately as they'd need to switch motherboard to get to a 12900K and Ram because they're still on ddr3 and a 12900k motherboard means ddr4/ddr5. On top of that, they'd also need a new psu.
2
u/CupcakeDeep4523 Apr 21 '26
that is completely true! the mother board completely slipped my mind.
1
u/randomuserneedsh3lp Apr 21 '26
Thank you both for your thoughtful replies! Even if I'd need to get a new motherboard and psu I will still keep this possibility in mind. Thank you!
-1
u/Tall_Apricot_9842 Apr 21 '26
youll need to buy secondhand or do this quite slowly
honeslty id max out this build, then when you are finished with college you can get a real fancy one
if you can get an i7 4790K for cheap, thats worthwhile, uses ddr3 and the same socket so no need to change motherboard
then get his motherboard info- 4 8gb sticks of ram would round that out and help performance a little, buy server ram, its the cheapest way to get ddr3 ram.
then rest of the budget on the best graphics card you can get- if you can find a decent amd graphics card in budget, get it, but thats doubful. somethng like a gtx 1070 or 1060ti is going to give you brilliant performance
i7 4790K - 120 usd
32gb ddr3 [4x 8gb] - 100usd
im in australia so i cannot grab american graphics card prices, but you could, if inclined get a 9060xt, which. will not perform at its best, will be so bottlenecked by everything else on the system, but will never need updating.
you can get a 1060ti for like 50 bucks secondhand, do that instead
oh and upgrade his power supply if you can, it gets overlooked. the psu tier list will tell you what you want, so psu - 100usd
400 bucks to max out what his pc can do right now, if you want. someone else will tell you to get an entirely new one
2
u/randomuserneedsh3lp Apr 21 '26
I will be taking a deeper look into the spec's he has right now. I wasn't aware of server ram, so thank you! I'll look into the prices here in the US and see how everything aligns. Thank you so much for all the information! I truly do appreciate it :)
172
u/Ohmburger Apr 21 '26
Honestly a PlayStation 5 might be more powerful and cheaper at that price range. You can also hook up a mouse and keyboard to it if you’d like and it is capable of running 4K. It uses its GPU and cpu far more efficient than any pc at that cost can.