desktop build

[auld lad]

Hi folks, totally new to this & my son is trying to build a desktop pc for gaming. He's only 11 & as I haven't got a clue, I wondered if ye might take a look at what he has chosen & maybe answer a few questions for me please.

Case PCS P209 RGB MID TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU) AMD Ryzen 3 3200G Quad Core CPU with Vega Graphics (3.6GHz-4.0GHz/6MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard ASUS® PRIME A320M-K: Micro-ATX, AM4, USB 3.0, 6GB/s
Memory (RAM) 16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (1 x 16GB)
Graphics Card 2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1050 - DVI, HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive 1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply CORSAIR 350 W VS SERIES™ VS-350 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable 1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Extra Case Fans 1 x 120 mm Black Case Fan (configured to extract from rear/roof)
Sound Card ON BOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking 10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB/Thunderbolt Options MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus Bull Guard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Warranty 3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)

Does he know what he's talking about?
Is he missing anything? (he has a monitor)
Is this too much for a 11 year old? €660
Is there already a machine built that you could recommend instead of this?
I would appreciate any input or advice please. How big a gamer could he be at 11

 

[Oussebon]

That's not a particularly good value build. And you're not going to get one for 660€ either, unfortunately.

Unlike a console, you can upgrade parts of a PC over the years as needs change. But, you don't want to replace anything you don't have to, for as long as possible or ever.

Unless your son goes off gaming altogether, you will have to replace the graphics card (GPU) one day, when newer games need more performance from the PC. So you should plan for a system that supports a GPU upgrade. You can add more storage whenever you want, and since you're adding, not replacing, there's no waste there.

But, while you can replace the power supply, you don't want to have to - because why spend £35 on a 350W PSU, and then £55 on a 550W PSU in 2 years, when you could just buy a 550W PSU today and keep it forever?

Similar arguments for the CPU, motherboard, and RAM. You will eventually need to upgrade those, but ideally not for 5 years, maybe more. Unfortunately, that CPU is very weak and it will probably 'bottleneck' future GPU upgrades. i.e. when you upgrade the GPU in a couple of years, you'll find the CPU is so weak that it limits the performance, so you need to upgrade that too. You'll then either: buy an R5 2600 or similar, which you could have just bought outright today, or buy a CPU from a newer generation that will also require a new motherboard.

The GTX 1050 is entry-level, and will struggle with newer titles before too long. The GTX 1650 or RX 570 graphics cards absolutely smash it in performance and are only 30€ more. Either would last you a lot longer before wanting to upgrade. And apparently the RX 570 has a free game bundled as well.

The RAM - 1 x 16gb - is 'single channel'. You want the RAM in 'dual channel' configuration i.e. 2 x 8gb. I don't play fortnite myself but I've seen some videos where it makes a ~20% performance difference. That's atypical for games, but you don't particularly want to be caught out by an atypical game being your son's favourite and performance being hampered... it would take the shine off the 660€ spend, and create pressure to buy upgrades.

For general gaming but especially with a Ryzen CPU, you'll also want fast RAM - 2933MHz / 3000MHz / 3200MHz. As the CPUs and some games especially benefit from faster RAM.

So don't buy 1 x 16gb 2400MHz when you can get 2 x 8gb 2933MHz, which is probably all you'll need for the PC's lifetime.

Bottom line: buying all these things cheaply now will cost you more in the long run.

I'd suggest you either:

Go for this

PCSPECIALIST - Custom Computers and Laptops Built to Order

PCSpecialist is a manufacturer of high quality custom computers and laptops. Configure your ideal computer in just a few simple steps with a broad range available.

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

It's a special offer PCS are doing that has a discounted price and a fixed spec. It's 800€ but packs a better CPU, a way better GPU (with free game I think), 2 x 8gb 2933MHz RAM, a 550W PSU, and a much better motherboard (that does support more upgrade options than the A320). It'll last you much longer before major upgrades / replacing, and so cost you less in the long run. The discounted price makes it much better than any custom built spec at this price point.

Or, and I mean this sincerely, get a console for half the price, as it's more or less the same thing as the 660€ spec (possibly better). You can't upgrade a console, but then you can't (cost-effectively) upgrade the 660€ spec either, so what's the difference?

And just to be clear, I don't work for PCS or have any stake in them, so I don't get any benefit from telling you to spend more Hence also suggesting you might instead not buy a PC at all!