In this video, I cover how to use the buildapcsales subreddit and other resources to find some of the best deals on computer parts.
Timestamps:
Intro: 00:00
PCParterPicker: 00:40
buildapcsales: 01:46
Google Express & 2200G: 04:20
Motherboard: 05:04
RAM: 08:05
SSD: 11:06
PSU: 16:13
Case: 17:50
Other budget cases: 19:40
RGB: 21:54
Conclusion: 22:38
All the links to the parts mentioned in this build:
Ryzen 2200G: https://express.google.com/u/0/product/AMD-Ryzen-3-2200G-Quad-Core-3-5-GHz-Desktop-Processor-2-MB/2417767008290093244_8080096825452306305_125181302
Gigabyte B450M DS3H: https://amzn.to/2UFrtfI
G.SKILL Aegis 16GB: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16820232304
L5 LITE 3D: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16820331048
Hitachi 3TB 3.5″ HD: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Hitachi-HDS723030ALA640-3TB-7200RPM-64MB-SATA6-0Gb-s-3-5-Internal-Hard-Drive-x1/113603447285
EVGA 450 BR: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA6ZP7X39706
Cougar MX330: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1404160-REG/cougar_mx330_mid_tower_gaming_computer.html
upHere RGB Fans: https://amzn.to/2Zbw3kk
Links mentioned in this video:
PCPartPicker: https://pcpartpicker.com/
This build in PCPP: https://pcpartpicker.com/user/eddyscanlan/saved/zhcCLk
Buildapcsales: https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsales/new/
AMD MOBO VRM Tiers: https://www.reddit.com/r/Amd/comments/9uc6bi/am4_b450x470_vrm_tier_list/
Amazon Price Tracker Extension: https://keepa.com/
u/NewMaxx’s SSD Buying Guide: https://www.reddit.com/user/NewMaxx/comments/9yv0c6/ssd_buying_guide_wip/
Cougar MX330 Case review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQmLCoklrbI
upHere RGB 123-5 Fans review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyVwEo-kb_M
Other Recommendations:
If you’re putting together a build and want some advice, the buildapc subreddit is very friendly. You can definitely post a link to your build on pcpartpicker and you will likely get some good feedback on how to improve your build
Buildapc subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/
When it comes to deals on parts, it can be hard to find a deal on all your parts at once. 1-2 weeks is a good timeframe to find deals. SSD and RAM are relatively easier to find deals on, so you can be slightly more patient when buying those parts.
Microcenter offers great CPU/Mobo combo deals for $30 off if you buy together. If you live near a Microcenter, this is hard to beat. A great combo is a Ryzen 1600 + B350/B450 mobo.
Google Express coupons are one time use. If you want to use the coupon multiple times, you will need another Google account and another credit card number. You’ll need to make a new Google account, but you can generate another credit card number with https://privacy.com/
Make sure to sign up for eBay Bucks
https://my.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?RewardsExtEnroll
Make sure to sign up for Rakuten (previously Ebates) for additional cash back on certain purchases
https://www.rakuten.com/
Rakuten.com/shop is another great site to explore for deals, especially on Adata/XPG branded items
https://www.rakuten.com/shop/
Additional information about parts:
CPU/GPU:
I glossed over this a bit in the video: the 2200G has integrated Vega 8 graphics, which means you do not need a dedicated GPU. That said, the 2200G is great as a budget gaming chip because of the integrated graphics and it leaves you open for GPU upgrades in the future and CPU upgrades when Ryzen 3000 chips come out
2200G game benchmarks:
12 Games: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi5vI9rTq18
Apex Legends: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrcyE0Iw7tE
Motherboard:
You can actually use a B350 or X370 motherboard with Ryzen 2000 chips, but it may need a bios update and this can be a pain if you don’t already have a Ryzen 1000 chip and GPU for video output already on hand. There’s also rumors that Ryzen 3000 chips will not be supported on B350 or X370 motherboards, so that’s another reason to build on the most recent motherboard version.
Ram Speed calculator (not an exact science):
https://notkyon.moe/ram-latency.htm
Generally, 3000 Mhz at CL16 or CL15 is what you should look for
SSDs:
NVME is much faster than SATA SSDs
NVME drives only come in an M.2 form factor
SATA drives can come in an M.2 form factor or a 2.5″ size
Make sure the SSD with your operating system on it has DRAM!
Alternate NVME SSD options that are fairly reasonably priced without discounts:
Adata SX6000 128GB: https://www.rakuten.com/shop/adata/product/ASX6000LNP-128GT-C/
Adata SX6000 256GB: https://www.rakuten.com/shop/adata/product/ASX6000LNP-256GT-C/
PSU power efficiency at 50% load:
80+ White: 80%
80+ Bronze: 85% – usually what most people use
80+ Gold: 90%
80+ Platinum: 92%
80+ Titanium: 94%
Modular and semi-modular power supplies are much easier to work with for cable management, but they’re not worth paying extra for in my opinion.
Other budget case options:
I chose a micro-ATX motherboard, so you can build in as small as a micro-ATX case
Fractal Focus G: https://amzn.to/2V4Tahh
Fractal Focus G White: https://amzn.to/2IoFibY
Thermaltake Versa H15: https://amzn.to/2IodC6X
Rosewill Line-M: https://amzn.to/2IlgOA7
Case fans:
The upHere RGB fans stay on at 1200 RPM and do not have PWM. If you don’t care about looks, Arctic F12 or P12 5 packs on Amazon are great choices:
Arctic F12: https://amzn.to/2IDtXF5
Arctic P12: https://amzn.to/2UN8wYr
UPS:
This wasn’t something I mentioned in the video, but having an uninterrupted power supply is useful for desktops, especially if you live in an area that loses power often. This is basically a big battery for your computer to run long enough that you can save your work and safely shut down.
Here’s a good option: https://amzn.to/2UlOkI5
Please note that links above may be affiliate links — clicking them earns me a small commission if you make a purchase and helps support my YouTube channel. Thank you!
Notes about editing this video:
This was my first time using my home studio and since Davinci Resolve 16 Beta was just released and it’s free, I decided to use it to edit this video. Overall, I have a decent amount of background noise at my studio space because of the YN1200 fan and my server’s fans, which are really loud when recording at my computer because my server sits right next to me. I just ordered an SL60W, which will be just as loud, but should make setup easier and less jerry-rigged. In regards to using Davinci Resolve 16 Beta to edit this video, it was truly a great experience. Make sure to setup custom hotkeys to get the most out of their software. Their new cut tab is easy to use and after about a 2 hour learning curve, I felt like I could edit almost as fast as I could in Premiere Pro. Finally, noise reduction was easy to add on to the audio for the entire track which cut out the background noise from fans really well. Generally, I like DR16 because it makes it really easy to pick it up for beginners and use a lot of settings on auto that still make your video come out looking great. I’ll be editing all of my future videos in Davinci Resolve.
Gear used to shoot and edit this video:
https://kit.com/eddyscanlan
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