Hello, Deal Kittens!

This week I will be detailing my journey to building my dream PC but at an affordable cost. As a mostly Mac user it was a goal of mine to keep this under the price of a standard Mac which would usually cost about $1100 before any crazy upgrades. I will include the prices of each component of the machine.

I started by using the website PCPartPicker.com to make picking parts a little easier. This site makes it easy to select different parts for the computer and keeps everything in an organized list while simultaneously being able to view the different prices from different retailers. I am very new to this and have only been looking into the components for about a week but with careful consultation with experts I have found with is best for me in terms of price, looks, and functionality. 

I wanted to go with a theme that was mainly pink and resembled a sort of sakura blossom theme but voted against that as colors would be conflicting. I choose many items that would be RGB light components that I feel would clash with the pink. This was a personal preference and I believe that there are many cute pink PC builds out there.

Video Linked Above

For my CPU, I chose an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor. This CPU is on sale currently at NewEgg with the promo code EMCGGDE22 for a limited time. This processor is 134.99 after the coupon is applied. The CPU is the 🧠 of the computer. Having 6 cores in a processor is essential for gaming. The more cores you have the better. 

The next component is the CPU Cooler. The functionality is in the name. This part keeps the CPU from overheating. I went with a Zalman CNPS10X Optima II 61.52 CFM CPU Cooler. The price just was right coming in at about $40 and it was aesthetically pleasing. 

For my motherboard, I choose something on the cheaper side. This ASRock B450M Steel Legend Motherboard is priced at about $80 which is a great price for a motherboard. The max memory on this motherboard is 64gb. Found this motherboard through this video on YouTube.

For memory, I stuck to something very inexpensive. With ram, you can always update it at a later date. Sticking with the theme I went for something that was RGB and 2 8gb sticks. The cost of both is about $60.

For storage, I went with a Western Digital Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5 Hard Drive and a PNY CS900 240 GB SSD. I went with the 1 TB option assuming most PC games are not too large in file size. The hard drive is $45 and the SSD is $26.99.

The graphic card I choose was an Asus GeForce GTX 1060 3GB 3 GB DUAL Video Card. They have been out now for about 4 years, so still fairly new. This card can get the job done and get your gaming to 1080p. 

For the power supply, I stuck with a well-known brand; Corsair. PC Part Picker tells you what you estimated wattage is when you start adding different components to the list. The estimated wattage on this build is 299W. 

I chose a white 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply. The 750 surpasses the 299W threshold by a wide margin and is only $144.99. You definitely can find a power supply with good wattage for a lower price but for the purpose of this build a white power supply is something I think will look better with the overall build. If you are choosing a power supply make sure it is over the estimated wattage is over 350 and or double you estimated. If you do not want a bunch of cords hanging out of your power supply try to aim for a modular build. 

For the case, I chose something very affordable and unique. This mesh dark flash computer case is not like most cases I have seen. It is priced at only $59.99.

The total for this build comes out to be about $860 before tax. For a first gaming PC; this is not too bad.

If you are in need of a monitor, Walmart is going to have an Acer 32 inch Curved Gaming Monitors for only $155 on Black Friday. This deal starts on November 7th online at midnight. https://bit.ly/32erZmK

For the peripherals, I decided to go with a light blue theme. A Razer brand headphone stand with USB ports is about $60-$80. Found something similar for about $30. https://amzn.to/3esnUQL

Links for Computer Parts 

CPU- https://bit.ly/3jUrWm1

CPU Cooler- https://amzn.to/3k0mpdz

Motherboard- https://amzn.to/3etI7oY

Ram- https://bit.ly/2I8FcX4

Hard Drive- https://bit.ly/3eqqWot

SSD- https://amzn.to/34VWj7a

Graphics Card- https://bit.ly/32cK8RL

Power Supply- https://amzn.to/3oReQJM

Case- https://amzn.to/3jYNzS6

Thank you all for viewing this week’s post.

And As Always,

Farwell Deal Kittens