Returning to the desktop world

[acecow]

• Budget
  ~$850 USD
• Resolution
  1080p
• Games / Settings Desired
  WoW raiding at 5-7 is fine, mostly looking for stable 25+ fps in raid situations (obviously, dips happen)
  Most other games I'm fine with playing at medium to high, this ranges from 5+ year old games (Civ 5, Divinity: OS 1, Borderlands 2) to current games (SW:BF2, Divinity: OS 2)
• Any other intensive software or special things you do (Frequent video encoding, 3D modeling, etc)
  No
• Country
  Southeast, USA
• Parts that can be reused
  I have a 1TB 2.5" HDD that I can move from my laptop
  Also have an 256GB m.2 SSD
• Do you need an OS?
  Yes
• Do you need peripherals (e.g. monitor, mouse, keyboard, speakers, etc)?
  No
• Additional information
  I live close to a Fry's Electronics and MicroCenter that always seem to be having various deals, otherwise, I'm fine with ordering from anywhere
  No larger than a mid-sized tower
  Willing to OC

Hey all, after moving to a laptop for plenty of other reasons, I've finally gotten enough time in my life to start gaming again and have landed myself in a mythic raiding guild! While my current laptop has a decent gfx card, the low clock speed (2.4 @ turbo??) apparently escaped my view and has been hindering my progression somewhat. Playing at nearly the lowest options I can pick, I still drop down to ~5fps on some of the more add intensive fights (Harj, Mistress, High Command). Now that I actually have a desk again and have a pretty solid spot in the roster, I'm looking into building another desktop. I'm quite excited!

I don't particularly care for top of the line (rather, I can't afford it), so I'm fine with shooting for middle of the road. I'm fine with keeping my current monitor at 1080p, and don't play any shooters competitively so I don't think I'll be making a switch to free/g-sync anytime soon.

I realize now, I think I'm looking for something that will hold well for ~1.5-2 years and can upgrade in the future. Additionally, I'm looking to buy parts over the next 3 months or so. I've been trying to catch up on all the latest generations of CPUs/GPUs, but I'm still behind and not quite sure what's coming out soon that I should hold out for, if at all.

Because I can wait, the budget can be a little flexible, but I'd like to keep it in the 800s if possible. Thanks in advance!

Current Laptop Specs
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

i5-6200U @ 2.3GHz (turbo at 2.8GHz)
12GB Ram (upgraded from 8GB a year ago)
940MX - 2GB DDR5
256GB SSD (added a 1TB 2.5" HDD)

[Notdev]

Just curious, why do you have a random huge NVME ssd? Those things go for like $400.

What are the exact specs of your laptop? Important to know, because really depends on that to see if you can build a significant upgrade for $850. With today's Ram/GPU prices, it may be hard.

So smooth 1080p/60fps is your goal for the next 2 years or so, correct?

No specific suggestions yet, but some pointers

Micro Center will probably be your best bet for CPU/Motherboards. They seem to always have a good sale on processors, and have a $30 bundle discount if you buy a CPU and Motherboard together.

Ram is expensive. $150/16GB of DDR4 is considered "cheap" nowadays. Average sale prices will run you around $160-170. Premium RAM (fast and/or fancy lighting) will run you close to $200 if not more. Might be forced to stick with 8GB to stay within your budget, but you can always add another stick later.

[acecow]

My apologies, I think I had just been looking at NVMes just before I made the post. I think it's just a typical m.2 SSD. I'll update my OP with my current specs.

Edit: Wow, okay, apparently I mixed everything up. I have a 1TB 2.5" HDD in mine, I had purchased a 256gb m.2 SSD for my wife's laptop. I can potentially use that, but I'd prefer to keep that in hers.

And correct, 1080p/60ish fps is fine

[Notdev]

CPU - i5 7600k - $179.99 at micro center
Cooler - Cryorig M9i - $19.99 at newegg
Motherboard - MSI Z270 Gaming M3 $139.99 - $30 bundle - $20 rebate = $89.99 at micro center
Storage - Reuse
Ram - G.Skill Aegis 2x8GB DDR4-2400 - $159.99 at micro center
GPU - MSI GTX 1060 6GB - $274.99 - $15 rebate = $259.99 at Newegg
Case - You have tons of great budget choices between $30-$60. Cases choices are hugely opinion based, so get something you like the looks of. Lets call it $60
PSU - Corsair CX550M Semi Modular - $54.99 - $20 rebate = $34.99 at Newegg (you have a lot of leeway here too)

$804.95

A "genuine" Windows 10 will cost you $90 minimum. You can use third party channels to get it for like $10, but I don't really advocate that. Not activating Windows at all doesn't really hinder it in any way, aside from being unable to change your background. If you have a friend at a big University, I'd recommend asking if he could grab you a cheaper copy from the university bookstore (was around $20 when I went there).

I suggested Intel because they are superior for WoW from what I know. I tend to lean AMD, but for a pure wow/gaming machine, the 7600k *should* last you 2-3 years at 1080p/60fps. There is a slight risk that games start getting bottlenecked by quad cores soon, but I wouldn't count on it. The M9i is a great budget cooler that will keep it cool with moderate overclocks.

Motherboard is just a decent rated motherboard from a big manufacturer with an M.2 slot. Don't think you need anything else.

Ram is Ram, especially for intel. If you were going AMD processor, I'd suggest getting faster Ram, but that will run you another $50 at least.

The 1060 6GB should be a 1080p killer for years to come. The one I suggested has a budget cooler, but I don't think its worth spending another $30-60 for a premium cooler.

Case is up to you, PSU is just a cheaper but reliable semi modular PSU from a big manufacturer that will provide more than enough wattage for your system.

[acecow]

Thanks for the help! I'll definitely look into it (and ask some friends who are still at Uni). Should I buy additional case fans?

[Notdev]

Thanks for the help! I'll definitely look into it (and ask some friends who are still at Uni). Should I buy additional case fans?

Depends. Some cases come with 2-4 case fans already installed. If you have leftover money and want to, go for it. But it'll probably only make a difference if you're a serious overclocker. Also they have serious diminishing returns past two fans.

[acecow]

OP you're setting your bar low lol.

To the other guy, why recommend a 7600k, get a 8350k. Best MMO cpu pound for pound?

Like I said, I don't care too much about flashiest right now, I'd mostly prefer consistent performance for now. When the time and money come, I can look into higher overall settings. Thanks for the suggestions though, I'll take them into consideration as well!

[Notdev]

OP you're setting your bar low lol.

To the other guy, why recommend a 7600k, get a 8350k. Best MMO cpu pound for pound?

Pair with a decent MOBO and cooler and you can bust out 4.7-5.0

1050 Ti or 1060 if you can squeeze it in.

Anything else is up to you, but that base of CPU will carry performance for WoW. Fuck 25 fps, you're getting a smooth 50-60 at 7-10 on 1080p. You already having storage is a large plus.

I forgot about the 8350k, but it still seems to be a bit more pricey, and so are the motherboards. Also Micro Center doesn't carry the 8350k as far as I know, so it'll be even a little more expensive.

Still might be able to fit that in under $900 though.

[Heffladin]

Like I said, I don't care too much about flashiest right now, I'd mostly prefer consistent performance for now. When the time and money come, I can look into higher overall settings. Thanks for the suggestions though, I'll take them into consideration as well!

The 8350k is about the same power as an i7 from previous gens while priced much lower. Getting a z370 motherboard might be a bit pricier, but probably worth it.
Or just go with an 1600 and an am4, which is probably the best bang for your buck.

[Notdev]

The 8350k is about the same power as an i7 from previous gens while priced much lower. Getting a z370 motherboard might be a bit pricier, but probably worth it.
Or just go with an 1600 and an am4, which is probably the best bang for your buck.

I was gonna suggest ryzen, but its lower clock speeds/ipc will be noticeable in WoW, won't it?

Also the i3 8350k being equivalent to i7s? I was under the impression that it was basically equivalent to the i5-7600k, but with slightly higher clocks/oc headroom. Do you have any sources/fps numbers?

[Heffladin]

I was gonna suggest ryzen, but its lower clock speeds/ipc will be noticeable in WoW, won't it?

Also the i3 8350k being equivalent to i7s? I was under the impression that it was basically equivalent to the i5-7600k, but with slightly higher clocks/oc headroom. Do you have any sources/fps numbers?

Indeed, at lower clock speeds it does perform similarily to the 7600k, but at higher it's only slightly below the 7700k, or in 6700k/4790k range.

[Notdev]

Current Laptop Specs
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

i5-6200U @ 2.3GHz (turbo at 2.8GHz)
12GB Ram (upgraded from 8GB a year ago)
940MX - 2GB DDR5
256GB SSD (added a 1TB 2.5" HDD)

Thanks for updating. That GPU is pretty much purely for e-sports on lowered settings. I'm not saying its trash tier, but you can get a $100 desktop GPU that will easily double its performance. You will see an enormous upgrade with a GTX 1060, or even a 1050ti.

Reusing your storage, I think it will be quite easy to get a huge upgrade for less than $850.

[acecow]

Thanks for updating. That GPU is pretty much purely for e-sports on lowered settings. I'm not saying its trash tier, but you can get a $100 desktop GPU that will easily double its performance. You will see an enormous upgrade with a GTX 1060, or even a 1050ti.

Reusing your storage, I think it will be quite easy to get a huge upgrade for less than $850.

Yeah definitely. Its great for older games, 5-10 man's and even BGs, but 20+ man raiding it gets pretty bad. It's even okay for BF2 at low/med settings.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys

- - - Updated - - -

Any case suggestions or things to look for that may often be overlooked/under-appreciated?

[Denpepe]

Cases are somewhat personal, following ones should be good

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/svV...ase-fdcadefsbk

The ones below here are nice cases, but according to pc partpicker you would need a different cooler then the be rock quiet Xinkir used in his build as it is pretty big.

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/ms6...case-cas340wb1
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/tBW...h-ec416pstg_bk
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/WMb...case-303-black

[DeltrusDisc]

Just curious, why do you have a random huge NVME ssd? Those things go for like $400.

lol the fuck are you talking about? You can get the Samsung 960 EVO for $128. The 500GB is still not even $250.

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-960-E...rds=256gb+nvme

- - - Updated - - -

Cases are somewhat personal, following ones should be good

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/svV...ase-fdcadefsbk

The ones below here are nice cases, but according to pc partpicker you would need a different cooler then the be rock quiet Xinkir used in his build as it is pretty big.

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/ms6...case-cas340wb1
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/tBW...h-ec416pstg_bk
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/WMb...case-303-black

Add Fractal Design Define R5 if you like more HDD space like me.

FRACTAL PLEASE MAKE AN R6 ALREADYYYY!!

[Notdev]

lol the fuck are you talking about? You can get the Samsung 960 EVO for $128. The 500GB is still not even $250.

His original post listed that he had a "1TB NVME ssd". It has since been edited. Would have been apparent if you read the rest of the thread.

[DeltrusDisc]

His original post listed that he had a "1TB NVME ssd". It has since been edited. Would have been apparent if you read the rest of the thread.

Fair nuff.

But it was more than a whole sentence into his second post! That's so far. Gotta get my react-post in. 8)

Anyways, whatchu got against 1TB NVMe, anyways? People were paying $400 not too long ago for small SSDs. :P Hell, I remember paying $250 for my old Crucial m4 128GB in 2011. x_x

[yourdead]

I made a new build with about the same budget as you (i took advantage of black friday and also reused my old storage and the total was ~750) with a 8350k and a gtx 1060, capped my FPS to 100 and it sticks there on pretty much everywhere (dips to about 85 when dalaran is crowded) so you dont need to go any higher for wow in my opinion. If you can fit a 8600k for future proofing by all means do but i dont think you need to upgrade from a 1060 for 1080p anytime soon.

[acecow]

Fair nuff.

But it was more than a whole sentence into his second post! That's so far. Gotta get my react-post in. 8)

Anyways, whatchu got against 1TB NVMe, anyways? People were paying $400 not too long ago for small SSDs. :P Hell, I remember paying $250 for my old Crucial m4 128GB in 2011. x_x

Maybe next time I'll put it in my third sentence~

Thanks for all the help guys. Any releases that I should be looking out for that might drop prices of older hardware?

[Notdev]

Fair nuff.

But it was more than a whole sentence into his second post! That's so far. Gotta get my react-post in. 8)

Anyways, whatchu got against 1TB NVMe, anyways? People were paying $400 not too long ago for small SSDs. :P Hell, I remember paying $250 for my old Crucial m4 128GB in 2011. x_x

Nothing is wrong with it, just thought it was odd paired with a laptop that was getting sub 20-25 fps in raids and paired with an upcoming build with a budget of $800.