First Time Budget Build: Can I Copy this Build for Shadowlands?

[33kamous3]

I saw this list on pcpartpicker's featured section, and I'm wondering if anyone can advise me as to whether this would be a viable budget build for Shadowlands and the next expansion after that. My current PC is a pre-built that I got during MoP, and I don't think it will run the next WoW xpac (barely ran BfA). With the age and outdated components, I feel like it would be just as good to build a new budget PC at this point and keep the old one intact as a backup. I'd like to use the same keyboard/mouse/monitor that I have already, but I'm not sure how to verify that my monitor will work with the new setup. (edit: I'm currently using this as a monitor: Insignia 32" LCD 720p 60hz https://www.insigniaproducts.com/pdp...120A13/4550361)

I'm not a super-serious gamer, and I don't care that much about graphics, appearance, or the bells & whistles. I just want to play the game on reasonable settings with good performance going forward.



https://pcpartpicker.com/list/yDkK6R

AMD Ryzen 5 3600X 3.8 GHz 6-Core

MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4

Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16

Western Digital Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM

Inland Pre​mium 256GB​ SSD

Asus GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER 6 GB DUAL EVO OC

Thermaltake View 71 TG Snow ATX

InWin 650W​ Power Sup​ply

upHere T7SYC7 120 mm Fans 6-Pack

[Boo Radley]

Idk if this is the right forum for this man. Trolls abound. Try an actual tech forum with validated tech people who wont see you spend a few hundred on a solitaire machine and snicker at you for it.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad(or no) news, but it could save you a lot of headache in the end.

[33kamous3]

Yeah, I know what you mean and I appreciate the reply. I'm trying to get input from a few places and compare before I make any decisions.

[idnn]

please get a proper Monitor. buying a new PC is one thing but if you run it on that old outdated thing you wont have much fun

I mean if you are fine with 60hz which i never recommend in 2020 for gaming you can get one for way under 100(your currency) and your Gaming Experience would increase tremendously

[33kamous3]

I’d go for a bigger amount of SSD storage, but it should get the job done.

Ok, thanks, I'll look into that.

please get a proper Monitor. buying a new PC is one thing but if you run it on that old outdated thing you wont have much fun

I mean if you are fine with 60hz which i never recommend in 2020 for gaming you can get one for way under 100(your currency) and your Gaming Experience would increase tremendously

OK, thanks for the reply. Yeah, I'll probably be looking for a new monitor at some point. With the monitor, I'm mainly wondering if it will be compatible at all to start with (Like, will it just look crappy, or just not work at all?) I've also got a cheap-o monitor lying around somewhere, but it seems like it would be simple and pretty inexpensive to get an upgrade there.

[Hayna]

great config. The only thing i'd point is to check if u can get a better motherboard like a B550 so u can think about upgrades in the future

[33kamous3]

check if u can get a better motherboard like a B550 so u can think about upgrades in the future

Ok, thanks, that's good advice.

I'm also realizing that this build will be somewhat more expensive than what the guy who made it originally posted, because he seems to have found unique deals on some of the parts.

Still, I guess you've gotta start somewhere.

[Temp name]

great config. The only thing i'd point is to check if u can get a better motherboard like a B550 so u can think about upgrades in the future

B450 also gets Zen3 support, so he doesn't need to get a B550 just for that. Especially since Zen4 will probably be on a new socket

- - - Updated - - -

Ok, thanks, that's good advice.

I'm also realizing that this build will be somewhat more expensive than what the guy who made it originally posted, because he seems to have found unique deals on some of the parts.

Still, I guess you've gotta start somewhere.

I'd probably drop down to a 3600 from the 3600x (unless it's only 5-10 dollars more), and get more SSD storage. 256gb isn't a lot

[sunxsera]

I saw this list on pcpartpicker's featured section, and I'm wondering if anyone can advise me as to whether this would be a viable budget build for Shadowlands and the next expansion after that. My current PC is a pre-built that I got during MoP, and I don't think it will run the next WoW xpac (barely ran BfA). With the age and outdated components, I feel like it would be just as good to build a new budget PC at this point and keep the old one intact as a backup. I'd like to use the same keyboard/mouse/monitor that I have already, but I'm not sure how to verify that my monitor will work with the new setup. (edit: I'm currently using this as a monitor: Insignia 32" LCD 720p 60hz https://www.insigniaproducts.com/pdp...120A13/4550361)

I'm not a super-serious gamer, and I don't care that much about graphics, appearance, or the bells & whistles. I just want to play the game on reasonable settings with good performance going forward.



https://pcpartpicker.com/list/yDkK6R

AMD Ryzen 5 3600X 3.8 GHz 6-Core

MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4

Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16

Western Digital Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM

Inland Pre​mium 256GB​ SSD

Asus GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER 6 GB DUAL EVO OC

Thermaltake View 71 TG Snow ATX

InWin 650W​ Power Sup​ply

upHere T7SYC7 120 mm Fans 6-Pack

I build my pc last november, same cpu & motherboard. It works perfectly on beta / live servers.

One thing you need to know: you need to flash the bios from the tomahawk first. Don`t put the cpu in until it`s flashed.
The MSI homepage has an easy tutorial if you dont know how to do it. ( Just use a bootable usb stick & press the button on the back of the MB )

[Temp name]

I build my pc last november, same cpu & motherboard. It works perfectly on beta / live servers.

One thing you need to know: you need to flash the bios from the tomahawk first. Don`t put the cpu in until it`s flashed.
The MSI homepage has an easy tutorial if you dont know how to do it. ( Just use a bootable usb stick & press the button on the back of the MB )

He's looking at the MAX, which came out after the 3000 series, and as such is only available with the correct bios.
And even if he wasn't, it's been over a year, pretty much any motherboard you buy now that has a compatible BIOS will have it installed

[33kamous3]

Ah, thanks so much, Temp name and Sunxsera both, I'm looking around and learning about all this stuff, and that advice helps a lot. I really appreciate the help!

[Thunderball]

1) This build is some kind of a deal, you're not getting any kind of decent enough 650W PSU (not that you need one) or that case for $40. So I would look into different options there.
2) Components:
- CPU: As people mentioned get 3600X if it's $5-10 dollars more than a regular 3600, otherwise there's no point, it's a same CPU just with slightly higher clocks.
- Motherboard: Tomahawk MAX or B450-A PRO MAX look like prime choices here. Both of these boards have the same PCB, -A PRO just has worse VRM heatsinks and slightly less USB ports. The price difference should be around $10-20. B550 - you dont need it.
- RAM: The RAM in the build is weak. I would suggest either looking for plain green Crucial sticks and OCing them, or getting their 3600CL16 RAM. Shouldnt break your budget aswell.
- Storage: Make sure you actually need a HDD. That SSD is pretty bad so if you dont need the space just get a 1TB SSD, it will get you more endurance, better speed and you wont have to deal with 2 drives.
- GPU is totally fine. Although since this was most likely built a while ago you might find other models using the same GPU to be cheaper. Just basically look at any dual fan cards.
- PSU: First, you dont need a 650W PSU for this build. Second, InWin doesnt make PSUs anymore, and most of the ones they order from OEMs are trash. Seasonic S12III is your best if you're looking a reliable and cheap PSU right now.
- This case is pretty much not available anymore, so look into something else. So the stuff I would look into: Phanteks P300A Mesh (it's cheap, but deceptive since you need to buy a 120mm fan to go with it); Coolermaster NR600; Phanteks P400A - both the NR600 and P400A have 2 fans included, so you might wanna buy another fan to create positive pressure, but that's not required; Coolermaster TD500; Lian Li Lancool II Mesh - they're mostly out of stock in the US now, Phanteks P400A Digital - 3 RGB fans here if you like that kind of stuff; Phanteks Enthoo Pro/Pro M - good cases but the looks are kinda hideous.
- 6 fan pack you obviously dont need if you're buying a proper case.

[33kamous3]

1) This build is some kind of a deal, you're not getting any kind of decent enough 650W PSU (not that you need one) or that case for $40. So I would look into different options there.
2) Components:
- CPU: As people mentioned get 3600X if it's $5-10 dollars more than a regular 3600, otherwise there's no point, it's a same CPU just with slightly higher clocks.
- Motherboard: Tomahawk MAX or B450-A PRO MAX look like prime choices here. Both of these boards have the same PCB, -A PRO just has worse VRM heatsinks and slightly less USB ports. The price difference should be around $10-20. B550 - you dont need it.
- RAM: The RAM in the build is weak. I would suggest either looking for plain green Crucial sticks and OCing them, or getting their 3600CL16 RAM. Shouldnt break your budget aswell.
- Storage: Make sure you actually need a HDD. That SSD is pretty bad so if you dont need the space just get a 1TB SSD, it will get you more endurance, better speed and you wont have to deal with 2 drives.
- GPU is totally fine. Although since this was most likely built a while ago you might find other models using the same GPU to be cheaper. Just basically look at any dual fan cards.
- PSU: First, you dont need a 650W PSU for this build. Second, InWin doesnt make PSUs anymore, and most of the ones they order from OEMs are trash. Seasonic S12III is your best if you're looking a reliable and cheap PSU right now.
- This case is pretty much not available anymore, so look into something else. So the stuff I would look into: Phanteks P300A Mesh (it's cheap, but deceptive since you need to buy a 120mm fan to go with it); Coolermaster NR600; Phanteks P400A - both the NR600 and P400A have 2 fans included, so you might wanna buy another fan to create positive pressure, but that's not required; Coolermaster TD500; Lian Li Lancool II Mesh - they're mostly out of stock in the US now, Phanteks P400A Digital - 3 RGB fans here if you like that kind of stuff; Phanteks Enthoo Pro/Pro M - good cases but the looks are kinda hideous.
- 6 fan pack you obviously dont need if you're buying a proper case.

Excellent, Thunderball, thank you; that's extremely helpful. I'm still learning how to understand and compare these choices, so that gives me some great specifics to research and compare. I really appreciate the advice there.

It started to become clear as I was looking at the original list and making a new copy on the website, that some of those parts and prices would not be replicable, but I figured I should just start making a draft, and then revise as I learn what is what.

Thanks again for the specifics. Cheers

[sunxsera]

He's looking at the MAX, which came out after the 3000 series, and as such is only available with the correct bios.
And even if he wasn't, it's been over a year, pretty much any motherboard you buy now that has a compatible BIOS will have it installed

Ohh, you are absolutely right. I didnt see the MAX behind the name and didn`t even know they released a new version of the tomahawk. My bad.

I`d still update the bios though.

[idnn]

Ok, thanks, I'll look into that.



OK, thanks for the reply. Yeah, I'll probably be looking for a new monitor at some point. With the monitor, I'm mainly wondering if it will be compatible at all to start with (Like, will it just look crappy, or just not work at all?) I've also got a cheap-o monitor lying around somewhere, but it seems like it would be simple and pretty inexpensive to get an upgrade there.

not sure you might run into some Problem with the Cable. Better look into it. Still i highly recommend getting a 120-144hz+ 1080p Monitor. Maybe you are lucky with Second Hand. I dont know your Limit. But please consider it

Maybe someone here with more knowledge can help you with a good Monitor