The PC Build Thread

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My godson's 1060 "broke" last week and his dad asked me for replacement recommendations.

He has a budget of R5000 and I'm adding R2500, so looking to spend no more than R7500. Unfortunately, the dad doesn't want pre-owned (i.e. carb), even though there are deals to be had. Still trying to convince him otherwise.

They have one of my old rigs with:
  • Ryzen 5 1600
  • GA-AB350-Gaming 3 mobo (PCIE 3)
  • 650W PSU
Any recommendations on something that would keep the kid entertained for the next 3 years? The kid will most likely be playing Diablo IV, Anno, Cities Skylines 2 and a bunch of indie management sims for the next few years. No FPS due to a disability.

RTX 3060/3060 TI? RX6700?
 
Looks like 12VHPWR is already being phased out for an improved design with more safety changes.
12V-2x6 is the new connector.
www.tomshardware.com

16-Pin Power Connector Gets A Much-Needed Revision, Meet The New 12V-2x6 Connector

The 12V-2x6 connector could be the savior to the 12VHPWR meltdowns.
www.tomshardware.com www.tomshardware.com

if you already have a PSU with 12VHPWR it should be backwards compatible but without any of the safety improvements.
Also from below looks like SuperFlower and Corsair were smart enough not to use the 12VHPWR on the modular side of the PSU and can simply release updated cables for their ATX 3.0 PSUs.

 
Lupus said:
Those are at 11k? He was referring to a 6700 which is around 7k.
Click to expand...

Not worth it getting the 6700. The XT is the one to get. Had mine for a couple of years and it still slap. It’s still hands down the best price to performance mid range card.
 
PC build noob here. I'm considering buying a PC with a budget of R20k. Not now but sometime in the coming year. It will be purely for gaming.

Should I buy used or new? Buy components individually or buy a complete build? I'm looking at getting the greatest bang for my buck, but not if it means the components are dodgy or too old (for example, no used SSD/HDD in case of cp, and no used PSU).

I'm busy researching the market and getting a feel for local prices. Also watching youtube tutorials for additional build tips. Any advice regarding stuff I should look for locally, or wait for future releases, etc. would be appreciated.
 
Lefty309 said:
PC build noob here. I'm considering buying a PC with a budget of R20k. Not now but sometime in the coming year. It will be purely for gaming.

Should I buy used or new? Buy components individually or buy a complete build? I'm looking at getting the greatest bang for my buck, but not if it means the components are dodgy or too old (for example, no used SSD/HDD in case of cp, and no used PSU).

I'm busy researching the market and getting a feel for local prices. Also watching youtube tutorials for additional build tips. Any advice regarding stuff I should look for locally, or wait for future releases, etc. would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Bang for buck at under 20k... That will be one of the 2 consoles or a Steamdeck or Asus Rog Ally. As 20k is sadly really budget now
 
Check carb for parts.

I would get PSU and storage new. CPUs don't really die so you should be safe there. Motherboards are a bit more risky but can be gotten secondhand without issue if you buy from a trusted person. Same for RAM, GPU etc.

A nice new case is always lekker, but probably the safest thing you can get secondhand.

For a gaming PC, your GPU is your number 1 performance part, so best to spend extra there. It's also the most expensive, so it's a balancing act. But you want Ryzen 3000 or newer or Intel 12th gen or newer.
 
Lupus said:
Bang for buck at under 20k... That will be one of the 2 consoles or a Steamdeck or Asus Rog Ally. As 20k is sadly really budget now
Click to expand...
If you're willing to go secondhand you can get a decent rig for 20k.

For example:

PC Builder - Wootware

Use the PC Builder to build your new epic computer for gaming, office, or personal use. Easily choose components for each hardware category and assist with compatibility. Woot up your life using the Wootware PC Builder today.
builder.wootware.co.za builder.wootware.co.za

Leaves you around R6k for a GPU which is a secondhand 3070.
 
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Replace “bang for buck” with “enough to have a great time”, and excluding monitor this seems “easy”.

You probably won’t get 13th gen or Ryzen 7000 though, but that’s fine.

10k for GPU, and 10K for cpu, mb, ram, nvme, PSU, case. - can get the last 4 for under 1K each (maybe shift some of the low RAM and storage costs to a better PSU)
 
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I bought a 1440p 165Hz ultrawide monitor for work purposes currently but also for gaming down the line. So I'm hoping to build a pc able to support 1440p 60fps for AAA games at the very least, ideally 120+ but of course not essential given the budget.

UrBaN963 said:
Check carb for parts.

I would get PSU and storage new. CPUs don't really die so you should be safe there. Motherboards are a bit more risky but can be gotten secondhand without issue if you buy from a trusted person. Same for RAM, GPU etc.

A nice new case is always lekker, but probably the safest thing you can get secondhand.

For a gaming PC, your GPU is your number 1 performance part, so best to spend extra there. It's also the most expensive, so it's a balancing act. But you want Ryzen 3000 or newer or Intel 12th gen or newer.
Click to expand...

Yeah I have no problem buying easily upgradeable parts that are used from a trusted seller, PSU and storage aside. Futureproofing is also a concern. What are your thoughts on DDR4 vs DDR5 ram in 2023?
 
Lefty309 said:
I bought a 1440p 165Hz ultrawide monitor for work purposes currently but also for gaming down the line. So I'm hoping to build a pc able to support 1440p 60fps for AAA games at the very least, ideally 120+ but of course not essential given the budget.



Yeah I have no problem buying easily upgradeable parts that are used from a trusted seller, PSU and storage aside. Futureproofing is also a concern. What are your thoughts on DDR4 vs DDR5 ram in 2023?
Click to expand...
I upgraded from a DDR4 to DDR5 setup so it's obviously faster, but the real world gains from memory are not massive per testing. That will likely change as the tech advances but I would say the raw improvement of the RAM itself is not worth the money. Obviously that comes with faster CPUs and newer platforms so it could be worth it. I went AM5 due to the expected upgrade path. For Intel, all of their products are already DOA in the sense that their next CPUs will require a new motherboard, so your mileage varies there. However DDR5 will be carried over and be around for a while. Really depends on budget. To me it made sense to go DDR5 because it will be the standard in the near future, but the platform costs are higher so it's really budget-dependant.
 
Found this quite intresting -

I think in SA the price gap between PC and laptops is much bigger but was looking to build and ITX PC now I might opt for a gaming laptop if I see a good deal. I mainly play Dota, COunter Strike and Warzone but still want to option to play new titles on med-high settings
 
L-Dog said:
Found this quite intresting -

I think in SA the price gap between PC and laptops is much bigger but was looking to build and ITX PC now I might opt for a gaming laptop if I see a good deal. I mainly play Dota, COunter Strike and Warzone but still want to option to play new titles on med-high settings
Click to expand...
One thing to keep in mind though is PC's can be upgraded and parts can be replaced easier.

Also if you're into PC gaming, then having a PC is just a lot more fun. The fun in having built it yourself, being able to build something that looks the way you want it.

I've done the laptop gaming thing and I'm back on a PC. It's just more fun.
 
TofuMofu said:
One thing to keep in mind though is PC's can be upgraded and parts can be replaced easier.

Also if you're into PC gaming, then having a PC is just a lot more fun. The fun in having built it yourself, being able to build something that looks the way you want it.

I've done the laptop gaming thing and I'm back on a PC. It's just more fun.
Click to expand...

Yeah the upgrade thing does make sense, still leaning towards an nice itx build so I can hook it up to my TV in teh living room and play some games with a PS 5 control
 
UrBaN963 said:
If you're willing to go secondhand you can get a decent rig for 20k.

For example:

PC Builder - Wootware

Use the PC Builder to build your new epic computer for gaming, office, or personal use. Easily choose components for each hardware category and assist with compatibility. Woot up your life using the Wootware PC Builder today.
builder.wootware.co.za builder.wootware.co.za

Leaves you around R6k for a GPU which is a secondhand 3070.
Click to expand...
Side question:
Do you know if possible to pay Wootware with budget facility of your CC ?
I like to use this to get my credit score better, but I don't see any such option on their site, even at checkout
 
Anthro said:
Side question:
Do you know if possible to pay Wootware with budget facility of your CC ?
I like to use this to get my credit score better, but I don't see any such option on their site, even at checkout
Click to expand...
No idea. You could email and ask them though.
 
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