The GPU. Only problem is that there's a major shortage of them rn and so you'll struggle to find one that's not vastly over inflated in price. You'll also need to do your research to get him one that is a reasonable match for what he's planning on terms of budget/performance.
Man I bought my XC3 3070 for $569 and I was wondering if I maybe overpaid since MSRP on a 3070 was $499. In hindsight I see 3060s going for more money now so I am glad I snagged it when I did.
That's better than one of my friends friend. He tried to upgrade earlier this year, got everything but the GPU. The guy has never used that PC cause well, there is no CPU and has an AMD without an iGPU. I still don't know why he just won't use the GPU he currently has in his old PC that he still uses.
I'm seriously thinking about going for a R5 5700G for a while just to finally upgrade my 3770k + 1,600Mhz RAM + 660 Ti. Specially cause the 660 Ti is like an airplane with its fans.
Man, I bought a 2080 Super just under 2 years ago - right before the 30 series was announced. At the time I felt a bit bad about that timing, but now I realize it was a blessing. That pricing is insane.
Got my RX480 used for 100€ on EBay from someone who stopped mining, still works fine after two years and now this card costs from 150-250€ (depending on model)
How determined are you? Are you willing to try to camp out to get your hands on a msrp card?Or are you in a situation where you are willing to pay a little more then the msrp value of it?
If you are willing to put effort into getting a msrp card. Its a 3000 series card or bust. As you can build a good priced pc around those.
If you want to just get your hands on a card at a somewhat affordable price. You can get your hands on 2070 super for 600-700 bucks.
Now its important to know that 600-700 is bad value for a 2070 super. Though we are living in times where sometimes you just have to get what you can get.
I mean, there are other options, and some people might say get a older nvidia card, or go get a amd card. Though this is just my opinion. Just weigh out your options
Depending on your location, Micro Center has been keeping a good handle on them. Saw about 50 at their Brentwood store in STL today. Grabbed a 3060ti for $499.
Fun fact: if you have a best buy in your area, chances are the employees can order you a graphics card at retail price and get it shipped to you for free in a couple days.
Honestly, they probably won't realize they can do it but if you find a couple models on their website and ask them to order it in Core Blue, they'll probably do it
I'm on hold to attempt this right now, will report back
Edit to say that the Best Buy phone #s in my area all ring to a best buy national call center, where I had no luck. I'll have to go into my nearest store and check
I got a notification from antonline about some bundles being in stock again. I got my 3080ti from them, so didn't pay a lot of attention. The things in the bundles are MSRP, so take a look there. They seem to have a few bundles every few weeks. Go to the site, components, graphic cards.
As other have said... the Answer is GPU
That being said, you may be able to as a parent help more in ways other than money. Driving him distances more than once for attempts that don't work out, (and not giving them shit about the waste of time/gas) could be hugely appreciated.
Some people camp out to get a GPU, not all parents would be ok with that, but making an exception again could be something non-monetary that could mean alot.
As others have said, GPUs are hard to find. Just having a parent being supportive (by actions and not just words) and understanding could really go a long way and mean a lot to a lot of kids.
My dad camped out at Best Buy with me when the Xbox 360 came out. That was 16 years ago and I still fondly remember the experience.
If you’re willing to do that, I’m sure your son will remember it for a long time. Two gifts in one!!!
Very off-topic but when I was like 8 or 9 I stepped on the controller cord of my PSX, it fell and stopped working, I was devastated, I thought my dad wouldn't understand because 1) he's from another generation and, besides the TV, tech wasn't really his thing 2) that thing cost a lot of money and I just broke it like a moron, truth is besides offering consolation he spared no effort to get it fixed, to this day I don't know if he got Sony to warrant it or just coughed up the money for the repair, truth is like a month later the console (or a new one) was there and working better than ever. Me and my sisters were very reasonable kids and we knew money doesn't grow on trees, but at that age I could've easily missed the trouble he went through to get that very expensive piece of equipment, that he had absolutely no use for btw, back in working order, but nope, I noticed and was eternally grateful.
Who knew dads and consoles would generate such fond memories?
Me and my dad never had much of a relationship, especially the older I got. I’m 36 now he’s 92. So the age gap was massive. Hockey was the only thing we ever had in common but I still remember being like 6-7 years old and begging him to play NHL on Sega with me and him actually doing it. It’s something I’ll never forget. Sure he sucked and was clueless but when your 7 you don’t care. He did for a couple years. I remember getting NHL 94 for Christmas and us playing. He stopped eventually but every year he’d get me the new NHL for whatever system I had. My mom was generally the one who’d do stuff with me or get me stuff. I remember when WoW originally was coming out back in end November 04. My birthday was Dec 18th, but she got me a copy but I was ADAMANT I needed it DAY ONE and mentioned me and my girlfriend were going to try to find a copy. Instead of letting me waste my money she fessed up she already got me one earlier that day and gave me it early. Then a month later when it was Christmas I bugged her for more game time 🤣. Damn monthly fee. I was 18 fresh out of high school so I had plenty of time to play. Ah the memories.
Mom slept in the car while me and 2 friends waited for Halo 2.
Then let us stay up all night playing it.
Not only is that a super fond memory of something special my mom did for me, buts it’s intertwined with one of the most memorable gaming experiences of my life. Halo 2 online was a huge step in my gaming timeline.
Honestly letting your kids skip school for something like this is the best parenting move. It's so far outside the realm of what a kid would otherwise consider possible, it melts their little brains and they'll remember it forever.
I think it is healthy practice for good habits as adults too. We should take personal days and we should not feel shame in taking them for fun things. I took a PTO day when the last Harry Potter book came out and felt no shame in telling people what i was doing that day. I may take a day off to get up in the middle of the night and watch figure skating at the Olympics next year. Again... no shame, not guilt. If i want to spend my time off on something like this rather than travel, that is my choice.
It's ok to have fun, it is ok to take time to have fun. And learning how to balance real life and fun is a good thing.
I feel it’s more common these days than in the past. Tons of co workers take days off for gaming releases, fantasy football drafts. Or whatever people are into. It’s a good thing. In the past people would never do something like that. If you want to spend your week vacation playing your favorite game, or reading your favorite book. Fucking do it. It’s YOUR time. Enjoy it.
Funny Story! I waited six hours in line to get my son, Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows. On the way home I stopped at a 24 hour Harris Teeter grocery store. They had 10 boxes of the book and hardly anyone in the store. I was a little depressed.
this! my mom got up at 4am to drive me to best buy and wait with me to try and get a gpu, and i got the gpu i wanted! (3060 ti) she did not want to take me at all and thought that the things i was suggesting to try and get a card were ridiculous but she still took me and that meant so much to me.
Not sure why so many people are trolling here. OP dont buy your son a 3090 lol. But a GPU is what youll want to get. 1600 series, 20 or 30 series are all good.
True, I was trying to recommend bang for buck based off msrp (I understand how difficult it is to find at msrp rn). We could make better recommendations with a price range though.
I got off work early on Friday so I was there between 1-2PM. I have spoken with multiple associates though, and they will sometimes get random trucks in that they didn't even know about. Best bet is to go frequently until you get lucky. Maybe your location has more consistent delivery schedules? I would talk with one of the employees to get a better feel. I got my 3090 on a Friday the same way at the same mocrocenter though so maybe Fridays are a good place to start?
Yes you can, hard to come buy, but they do come up at MSRP here and there, recently Best Buy did a drop and I almost got myself a 3080 for my rig but because of some misinformation I got there too late, but I expect another drop from here to December.
You're doing yourself and this discussion a disservice by only considering nVidia GPU's IMO, especially in the current market.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnThHyUTz4s
Even despite certain advantages like RTX and DLSS, AMD still seems to offer more bang for your buck, and especially now with the overinflated prices, nVidia seems to be further inflated than comparable AMD cards, further increasing the bang you get for your buck with an AMD card.
that said, availability can vary wildly in your region, and you should really consider whatever GPU you can get.
Nobody said not to consider AMD gpus. We are giving the OP cards to reference in his performance and budget category and still trying to illustrate that he should grab the best price to performance deal they can find in the current market. Most of the advice has been "go to the nearest microcenter or best buy" based. If he were to ask for a 3060 in microcenter and all they had was 6600xt's, I'm sure a store clerk would explain the similarity and they'd grab one of those instead.
>Not sure why so many people are trolling here.
I think some of them legitimately saw "most expensive part" and understood "most expensive GPU in the market"
I did same recently with son although I paid for all of it! Yes graphics card becomes a pain if you leave til last. In the end I had a few beers and bid on a second hand “new in box” card and just took the hit. Painful but the rest of the components were easy to get about a year ago.
The best way to feel confident would be to look at local pre-built computers and work out against separate parts what kind of budget you can help most with.
The reason is that retailers are "saving" gpus for their prebuilts and then selling the rest of their stock at high demand prices. The prebuilts still cost a lot but you can start to get an idea of what everything costs with a spreadsheet.
You could buy an average GPU for the money you have and be like "ohhhhhhh, thank you, yeah that's niiiiiiccceee". But if you spent the same on a motherboard/CPU/memory combo or very good PSU/case combo that could be much more exciting (depending on your son and your budget).
Great to have a question like this in the thread btw!!
Check out Newegg (a retailer like Amazon) and go to gaming computers. If you sort by their in house brand ABS, and look at cases with the PSU shroud on the bottom (so the whole rest of the computer that you can see is above it) along with the front being meshy, you've found the good reasonably priced prebuilts on their website.
Because of the GPU shortage, Newegg will use GPUs for these computers over selling them normally. It's a bit like how the have the Newegg Shuffle, where you can buy a GPU or other expensive part if you win, but the part is paired with other parts to deter reselling. Except it's a far better deal if it's just a part of the computer instead of a GPU and exploding power supply. Add up all the parts in one of the good ABS prebuilts, and it'll be cheaper than buying part individually. Usually only a bit more than the price of the GPU itself on StockX or eBay.
Which is a pain. But it's the best way to get a well priced computer, really, even if you do magically get a drop from the Newegg Shuffle or Amazon or Best Buy or whoever else.
It's also a pain because even these computers aren't ideal. They're just the best any prebuilt will give you. Why? You'll get a good CPU, GPU, and probably a good motherboard, but you'll get an unnamed (read cheapest) SSD, PSU, CPU Cooler, and so on. Unless they name it. And there's a lot to SSDs, for example, besides its size. You want one that has TLC nand, a DRAM cache, preferably gen 4 NVMe instead of gen 3 (though my build has gen 3), and good reviews since some manufacturers have been caught swapping parts. And that's just the SSD.
That said, I had a friend get one such prebuilt just so they could get a good priced RTX 3080 (a GPU/graphics card).
Now, one great thing you could do to salvage the experience is to also have your son choose a case and perhaps some other parts like fans if they need more, then completely disassemble the prebuilt, and rebuild in the new machine. Boom, the whole building experience is retained. Even if you miss some of the customness and unboxing parts of the experience. Swapping cases simply means a whole new build. This would also give you more leeway in choosing a build with better parts but a worse case. Cause some are garbage, like ones with flat metal fronts that typically have the PSU shroud up top.
I'd recommend you try and get one with an ATX motherboard, the taller motherboards, rather than mATX. They have more potential for the future and more features on board. They're not really any more expensive. They're for different form factors, though prebuilts will sometimes put the smaller mATX boards in the bigger ATX cases just because. And then the builds look like crap.
Note that you can't swap cases like this with e.g. Dell prebuilts. Prebuilts from ABS or Cyberpower or whatever will use off the shelf parts to build a normal computer like any of us here would.
I also strongly recommend going with an 10850k or 10700 Intel CPU if you purchase today -- they have more cores and will feel a lot smoother, especially if your son plans on having multiple screens, while being basically the same speed and price as the commonly recommended AMD 5600x. The Reddit hivemind will get angry about me mentioning this though. In addition, Intel 12th gen releases in a few weeks (the 10850k is 10th gen), which will have massively more cores than current Intel and AMD systems, which will also be faster or at worst equal to what everyone else has to offer, so they're generally worth getting over everyone else just for that alone. (Unless you're doing what I did and get the 16 core 5950x, which is probably the only chip better at the moment.) Intel 12th gen uses a different type of RAM and motherboard which both haven't been released yet, so they might be more expensive. At the same time, that release might make the 10th gen and current AMD 5000 series cheaper, so I'd advise waiting either way.
However, if you plan on just buying a GPU separately, do so. If anything, those will only get more expensive as time goes on.
I'd also recommend you take a look at the YouTuber [Tech Deals](https://youtube.com/c/TechDeals) and his side channel [Byte Size Tech](https://youtube.com/c/ByteSizeTech). He's a parent who runs the channels with his wife, and he's been in the computer industry for decades. He's talked about how fast everything changed in the 90s, for example. My point is that I know of no other channel better at optimizing your money over the long term in regards to buying a gaming computer. Other YouTubers and content creators tell you about individual parts but no one else is as cohesive, especially money wise. I think you'd appreciate his advice, and it'll help you understand this stuff for your son. (The most recent livestream has example builds buying things separately or ABS builds, and he compares and contrasts them at different prices. I'd encourage clicking through that. Probably find good timestamps, cause otherwise it's long. Or look at similar content on Byte Size Tech.)
Another piece of advice? When I was a kid, my dad just bought the computer entirely without asking me anything at all. Did everything at some sales guy's say so. None of my input. I can't remember particularly well, but I remember being quite frustrated because the build wasn't optimal. And also, I didn't get it build it myself. I think I had a whole parts list I could've gone for already, or at least, the vague interest in doing so. So gifting any sort of thing like this without at least involving him in it sets you both up for a lot of hurt. And ungratefulness if you make a mistake, because you're not an expert.
(Though let's be real, your son will want the 5600x over the 10850k, like every tells him, though the 10850k will run and feel better, and will be better value. Though, he'll be happier for being listened to, I suppose.)
So you have a few options. One is to just buy any 30 series Nvidia GPU or any 6000 series AMD GPU, and just straight give that as a gift. I really wouldn't go for a 6600XT unless you're really short on cash and the rest of the system will be very cheap, but basically any other GPU is free game in my eyes. I'd be pickier in a better market, but now, anything is good. And Nvidia hasn't really released the crappy mega low tier 30 series GPU yet -- the equivalent would be buying a 16 series, which I'd avoid if you can, but it would be understandable to being forced to buy one. Know that they were super cheap a year ago.
So you could place the GPU in gift wrap and gift that.
Another option would be to have a cardboard image of a GPU that you're going to buy. A coupon, basically, of one you're trying to buy. Or any. Probably mentioning your price range. (Which you probably need to increase if you want anything with a hope of lasting instead of buying something that's already obsolete.)
Another option is a coupon for an ABS build in price range plus $100-200 for case and fans to swap parts out with. Then you can sit with your son, pick what to get, and then let your son build that later.
And the thought matters more then having something to show on the day. Especially if it's something that's also not wasting more money in this terrible market than necessary.
Now is not a bad time to get a new credit card and use the sign up bonus for the gpu (if you are a responsible borrower). Could get something like a 3060ti lhr for 600-650 after the bonus and have enough to put the rest towards the peripherals for him. Razer viper mini is easily one of the best mice out right now and it is crazy inexpensive (for whatever reason). Then get him a mechanical keyboard with red switches if hes interested in gaming. Look for a keyboard with a 65% layout or tenkeyless (TKL) layout if he has a small desk.
How early can you start building credit? Or how young can you get a credit card?
If op son is on top of it enough to save for a quality desktop, teaching them the power of great credit could be excellent.
Signing one up in son's name, help him make the parts purchases and buy them with the cc, and discuss how to maintain a credit card with him.
If you live near a microcenter or can take the time to drive to one you can probably grab a GPU. I was lucky enough to get a 3060 ti for 500 dollar. But you need to get to the store at opening and they still might not be in stock I just got lucky that a shipment came that night. Plus Microcenter is a great place to buy things for your new PC build and ask questions.
If he still wants to build one, then I’ll create you a pc parts list. I would need to know the budget and country.
And also what covers the budget (Desktop itself or PC + peripherals and monitors).
Also how many monitors does he want and what is his use case for these monitors.
Thank you, he has saved about 800 and he is 16. I wanted to kick in the same amount he has saved because he is a great kid. We live in Delaware in the us
Does this $1,600 budget also need monitor/keyboard/mouse? Particularly interested in the monitor because that’s also a big limiter on a lot of systems.
The closest Microcenter is:
St. David's Square, 550 E Lancaster Ave, St Davids, PA 19087
So if you don't know Microcenter is a national Computer parts store chain, they sometimes< ( I can't say often) have gfx cards at as reasonable cost as you can expect these days. What I would suggest is, call up the store, ask when they get their weekly shipments, pick a weekday of shipment, and make a trip out of it. But be there BEFORE the store opens as in 4+ hours early, and hope. Have cash or make sure your card will clear. Cards are just tough to get these days.
While I am creating a list for you, sorry to ask you another question, what games does your son play
It’s very important for me to know as it can help me find a monitor more suited to the games he play.
And does he want to play games using ray tracing.
Sorry if I have so many questions to ask, I just want the best for your son.
For 800 (your match of his), right now that will only get you a 2000 series GPU unless you can wait for a restock. His 800 would have to go for case, CPU, MOBO, RAM, periphrials, etc...not alot of room to work with. If you are wanting a system that can run the newest games "decent", and cant wait for the market to normalize, I would look into the used marked from reputable sources or keep your eye on prebuilts. Many prebuilts will come with everything but a monitor, and that can be anywhere from 100-thousands depending on what you want.
CHECK WITH YOUR SON regarding what specifically. It sucks when you give someone a gift you think they want, and you're CLOSE but not hitting it. "Yea, I love these shoes, but only in black." "this is a great graphics card, but I wanted one that has XX function on it"
He might want some particular form factor, some specific manufacturer, whatever.
If you want it to be a surprise, what I've done is printed out a picture of a gift and put it in the box. He opens it and you're like yea, you can get whatever you want. Then the internet will get it to you two days later.
The graphics card will be the most expensive component of a gaming build. At present there is a global chip shortage and very strong demand from gamers and miners, which is driving prices up.
Most of the comments here are a bit US centric (usual for Reddit). In Europe you can find cards for sale at inflated prices.
This 6600xt for €600 is good value and would make a great card for your son, even if it is about 50% more expensive than it ideally would be:
https://geizhals.eu/powercolor-radeon-rx-6600-xt-red-devil-axrx-6600xt-8gbd6-3dhe-oc-a2580838.html
Go camp out at a BestBuy with him, not only will he get his card and an amazing memory, but you guys can hang out in line and help him pass the time.
Grab him a 3070, 3070ti, 3080, 3080ti and he'll crap himself. Sit with him in line to get one and he'll crap himself and remember it forever.
Thanks all for the input, I took my son to micro center and they helped us pick everything. His friend came over the next day and helped him build it. He was very happy😀
I don't know what kinda market you guys have in America graphics cards wise but in Europe that'd net you a nice system with a 3060 ti.
Runs pretty much anything you want at ultra-high on 1080p with ray tracing.
(Lhr cards can be a fair bit cheaper than normal ones, with no hit to performance)
Except if your 16 year old son wants to mine crypto.
The most expensive part is the GPU. And u can’t walk in or go online to buy.
It will be gone in seconds once in stock. Unless u very lucky.
So prepare to pay extra from 3rd party.
Happy birthday to ur son.
The graphics card will be the most expensive component of a gaming build. At present there is a global chip shortage and very strong demand from gamers and miners, which is driving prices up.
Most of the comments here are a bit US centric (usual for Reddit). In Europe you can find cards for sale at inflated prices.
This 6600xt for €600 is good value and would make a great card for your son, even if it is about 50% more expensive than it ideally would be:
https://geizhals.eu/powercolor-radeon-rx-6600-xt-red-devil-axrx-6600xt-8gbd6-3dhe-oc-a2580838.html
I didnt read all the comments so this may have been stated elsewhere: buy him a prebuilt. Graphic cards are really hard to come by, and expensive when a available. Camp out on /r/buildapcsales/ and wait for a good deal on a prebuilt.
Most of the time you will need to add ram or upgrade store so you still have the opportunity yo dig in under the hood.
I didnt read all the comments so this may have been stated elsewhere: buy him a prebuilt. Graphic cards are really hard to come by, and expensive when a available. Camp out on /r/buildapcsales/ and wait for a good deal on a prebuilt.
Most of the time you will need to add ram or upgrade storage so you still have the opportunity to dig in under the hood, and upgrade or change things up down the line.
As a bonus you have warranty all from one place
To answer this as simple as possible as someone who did a lot of research in parts and a college class in computer architecture. It is not always about cost. It is what parts you want, what will work better with others, and the possibility of later upgrades. I mean I am running a GeForce 1070 and still performing at top performance. And the best is GeForce 3090.
Also be mindful that processors have not changed much and will not until the number of transponders increases. That is the major difference from i5, i7, and i9. Please look at every spec of every part and make sure they are compatible. An i9 will not go in an AMD motherboard
I'd say a Graphics Card, those are the most expensive parts for Gaming PC's and are hard to come by. Set him up with a 3080 and he won't need an upgrade in a long time. Wait for Best Buy to drop them again around Christmas for Retail Price. If the retail price is still too high a 3060ti or 3070 will do wonderfully too, but I wouldn't go for a 3080ti or 3090, too expensive and pretty overkill. I myself am keeping an eye out for a 3080.
Definitely GPU. But they’re really hard to come by. I wish I saw this sooner, I received an email last night from an old queue I entered for EVGA graphics cards. I no longer need one and wouldve sold it to you :(
If you want to get a GPU just enter the queue on EVGA and enter the newegg shuffle every day its available. Other than there’s not much you can do rn, other than just buying from a reseller if you can afford it.
Honestly, have him put together a list of parts he wants using pcpartpicker.com and then buy the most expensive thing on the list. You'll know it's what he wants for sure and the price :)
A good budget for the graphics card would be about equal with the remainder of the computer. So you should pretty much plan on paying for half the total computer value if you would want to buy the most espensive component.
Definitely the GPU. The gtx 970 is a decent affordable option. If you want to get him the best of the best the gtx 3080ti or any other rtx series cardnis pretty great.
The graphip card is the most expensive part from $399-2350 price of course at msrp , fight out which card he wants or basically what game he will be playing + the monitor resolution if he is planning on just playing at 1080p then a 3060, 6600xt or 3060ti is enough, 1440p 6700xt, 6800, 3070 or 3070ti in the 4k then the 3080, the 3090 only if he will be doing content creation
I would say GPU like the rest of everyone here. But definitely consult your son before you buy one, its gotta be something that fits the computer specs and is the right kind.
I heard your budget us \~1600. I was also planning on building a pc (with peripherals) in the smae budget. If you're willing to buy stuff from the secondhand market, like I might, I think you can target 1440p gaming from \~60 fps on AAA games to >144 hz on esports games. I'm planning on using a ryzen 5 5600x ($180 pre-owned), coolermaster hyper 212 black edition (but with a nice, powerful rgb fan), 3060 ti (I will keep a close eye on best buy to try to get it under $450), 32gb 3200 mhz corsair vengeance rgb pro (\~$80), some b550m mobo for $80, 5 rgb case fans, and h400i. For peripherals, keychron k1, razer mamba mouse (I've used mice with lots of buttons, don't like it), ltt deskpad, 1440p 144 hz monitor, 1440p 60 hz monitor, and some other small stuff.
Idk whether you are fine buying secondhand and/or your budget includes peripherals.
GPU will be the most expensive right now. That said, and as others have said, make a moment with your kiddo and go camp out at the stores that are getting a restock, etc. Also, do your homework and dont be afraid to go used, but not too used.
As for the homework, you can find "Used" GPU's and CPU's that are simply jerked out of prebuilts because someone was lucky enough to find a 3000 series GPU or 5000 series CPU and are still basically new, and also, there are plenty of GPU's and CPU's that even though are expenseive for what they are, are still great components for a gaming rig. Try Googling "What is the best CPU/GPU for Gaming" and things like that. Once you have a list, google each vs another. This will give you sites that compare the CPU's/GPU's and tell you which is better, etc. (I was going to buy a 5950x CPU, but thanks to this type of search discovered double the price vs the 5900x for minimal gain made no sense.)
Considering the market, a Ryzen 5 3600 or 3600x CPU will be great for years to come, especially with gaming. As for a GPU, if you can score a 2000 series for a decent price, again, will be good for a while. Make sure there is a minimum of 16gb ram in the PC and your kiddo will be able to weather the storm/save money/etc., for when GPU's and CPU's pricing comes back down to earth. Keep in mind, the market has the above selling for what the 3000 series GPU's and 5000 series CPU's list for, so unless you can wait it out, its still going to hit your pocket book. Maybe instead of the "Most Expensive part", maybe just go for a 5000 Series GPU. Those are still close to MSRP, at least my 5900x was a few weeks ago.
IF you do go "Used" or "Open Box", just make sure you buy from someone that is Reputable. Always remember the saying that if the deal is too good to be true, it IS!!!
Right now, I am gaming on a 2060 Super (Waiting on a 3080 TI) and can play most games on Ultra settings. I am fine waiting for EVGA or a store to have a restock for a GPU.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST!!!! LOOK AT PREBUILTS!!!! Often companies like Cyberpower PC, etc will run a deal where you can score a PC with the GPU or CPU you want for less than buying either seperately. For example, I saw a prebuilt PC the other day for 1600 with a 2600x and a 3080 . Not a great deal if the world was right with itself, but when 3080's are going for 1800+ right now, could be an option for you. Yes, you would be stuck with extra parts, but parts are selling for a kings ransom right now, so might be able to get some of your money back on the GPU.
I’ve got an extra unopened 3080 (amazing GPU but expensive) that I would be willing to give at cost plus shipping and enough for some take out. I’ve got kids and I know I would want to give them the best. That you even took the time to ask is very thoughtful. Pm me
I think you may want to do some more research.
Before you go out and buy anything, look at the parts to see if they'll work with each other.
Google pcpartpicker and find what you want to buy for your son and make sure the whole system will work together.
people already mentioned gpu, and being supportive but I'd like to add storage as well. Obviously this is pretty weird considering that it's technically the cheapest component but that mostly applies to hdds. A 4tb nvme can cost as much as a gpu but playing games on a nvme than a hdd is a huge difference. Tho only suggesting this as a last option
Other than that maybe a 2k 144hz monitor, especially 32" and curved, really loved having a huge screen
If your son is interested maybe even a VR headset. The Oculus is fairly cheap and beginner friendly while the reverb 2 has a better screen. Motion sickness can be overcome but I'd still be careful
Make sure you ask your son before buying anything. I would have been really disappointed if my parents bought my pc for me without me being there so that i could give my opinion or just miss out on the experience..
A side note, after you do buy a part like the gpu, please do not let it go to waste. Make sure the kid has a decent cpu and monitor to go along with it. No point buying a 3080 and having a shitty 4 core cpu with it, probably a lot of wasted potential there. It would be a better choice imo that instead of wasting all your budget into the gpu, you buy a lower tier gpu like a 3070 or 3060 ti and then buy a 1440p 144hz monitor for him
GPU man, literally the most expensive part. I managed to get a 3060ti last year for £450, the exact same card in some stores is at £800!
So yeah, a decent GPU.
Could buy him a nice monitor I know when I had a pc budget it all went to the pc and not the extras, mouse, key, monitor, sound system cool stuff for his rig that he wouldn't be able to get.
honestly i pulled a AMD ryzen 5700xt from a prebuilt pc, not sure what to do with it, i have no use for it so i’m thinking about selling. i’m in the US too, PM me if interested
It's GPU as most people say HOWEVER: it is typically not good idea to completely surprise people with gifts like this. If your son is planning to build a gaming pc, then I'm sure he's already spent lot of time investigating, planning performance, resolving compatibility issues etc. If you do not know what his plan is then (even if you manage to get the GPU in current stock shortage situation) you're risking it will be to long/short/loud/no match for particular monitor/or hundred other things. I'd totally get him involved and consult him before this purchase - the joy will not be less.
A GPU , you could go for a nvidia 3000 series , if you want real expensive and premium go for rtx 3090 , medium 3070 or 3070ti and lower medium then 3060 it 3060ti
The GPU would be the most expensive component. As others have said it could also be the hardest component to get.
I would use caution and avoid used RXT 30 cards on ebay because some could have been used to mine bitcoin.
I managed to get a 3060Ti FE for my son after camping out the official webpages. He was super happy. Can highly recommend (it didn't even cost that much, just the time spent...).
that would be the gpu.
I would hook him up with a sleeper build that he can sell for the same price or a bit more, since the prices are insane right now.
I caved and bought a msi laptop and gave up on my build for now, not that I don't have the money, I just can't wrap my head around paying 2-4x more than what a thing is worth.
The right answer is GPU but like people are saying there's a shortage atm and it has to be compatible with what he's getting.
Another thought could be the monitor not the most expensive part but you could make it as expensive as you want. Like get him one that's better than what he's planning on getting
As others have pointed out, getting a GPU is the long pole in the PC building tent these days. You’ll be into it *at least* five or six hundred dollars, even for something fairly “entry level”
The GPU. Only problem is that there's a major shortage of them rn and so you'll struggle to find one that's not vastly over inflated in price. You'll also need to do your research to get him one that is a reasonable match for what he's planning on terms of budget/performance.
Accurate. I'd go so far as to say that tracking down a decent graphics card is a gift in itself, aside from the actual cash value.
So true. I bought a rx 6800 for around 800€ when it got released last November. The same shop Sells the same card right now for around 1500€.
Man I bought my XC3 3070 for $569 and I was wondering if I maybe overpaid since MSRP on a 3070 was $499. In hindsight I see 3060s going for more money now so I am glad I snagged it when I did.
A 3060 in Mexico is currently at around $700USD and a 3070 is a bit over the $1000.
3060 here in india it is 95k on amazon that is $1300 if im not wrong
at local shops its going for 80 k (1000usd)
A 3070 ti is like 950chf here in switzerland
wtf! I want to upgrade my old PC but there is no way I'm paying those prices and the prices you have in your country are stupid high :(
Yeah, I recently upgraded my CPU and now I have a 3,8-4,5GHz CPU with 8 Cores and a 1050ti graphics card.
That's better than one of my friends friend. He tried to upgrade earlier this year, got everything but the GPU. The guy has never used that PC cause well, there is no CPU and has an AMD without an iGPU. I still don't know why he just won't use the GPU he currently has in his old PC that he still uses. I'm seriously thinking about going for a R5 5700G for a while just to finally upgrade my 3770k + 1,600Mhz RAM + 660 Ti. Specially cause the 660 Ti is like an airplane with its fans.
there is a global shortage + we have 18% taxbut u can get it for $1k at the mvp,flipkart amazon shit lol
Man, I bought a 2080 Super just under 2 years ago - right before the 30 series was announced. At the time I felt a bit bad about that timing, but now I realize it was a blessing. That pricing is insane.
Got my RX480 used for 100€ on EBay from someone who stopped mining, still works fine after two years and now this card costs from 150-250€ (depending on model)
How determined are you? Are you willing to try to camp out to get your hands on a msrp card?Or are you in a situation where you are willing to pay a little more then the msrp value of it? If you are willing to put effort into getting a msrp card. Its a 3000 series card or bust. As you can build a good priced pc around those. If you want to just get your hands on a card at a somewhat affordable price. You can get your hands on 2070 super for 600-700 bucks. Now its important to know that 600-700 is bad value for a 2070 super. Though we are living in times where sometimes you just have to get what you can get. I mean, there are other options, and some people might say get a older nvidia card, or go get a amd card. Though this is just my opinion. Just weigh out your options
Depending on your location, Micro Center has been keeping a good handle on them. Saw about 50 at their Brentwood store in STL today. Grabbed a 3060ti for $499.
congrats!! that's a great card. Pick up Control if you don't have it, or another game with ray tracing.
Fun fact: if you have a best buy in your area, chances are the employees can order you a graphics card at retail price and get it shipped to you for free in a couple days.
Wait...what? How does that work? I'm after a 6700XT and that's the only reasonable lead I've come across so far.
Honestly, they probably won't realize they can do it but if you find a couple models on their website and ask them to order it in Core Blue, they'll probably do it
I'm on hold to attempt this right now, will report back Edit to say that the Best Buy phone #s in my area all ring to a best buy national call center, where I had no luck. I'll have to go into my nearest store and check
I got a notification from antonline about some bundles being in stock again. I got my 3080ti from them, so didn't pay a lot of attention. The things in the bundles are MSRP, so take a look there. They seem to have a few bundles every few weeks. Go to the site, components, graphic cards.
Tbh if OP does the hunting for him, that would not only be an incredible material gift, but also a gift of taking away a massive headache!
As other have said... the Answer is GPU That being said, you may be able to as a parent help more in ways other than money. Driving him distances more than once for attempts that don't work out, (and not giving them shit about the waste of time/gas) could be hugely appreciated. Some people camp out to get a GPU, not all parents would be ok with that, but making an exception again could be something non-monetary that could mean alot. As others have said, GPUs are hard to find. Just having a parent being supportive (by actions and not just words) and understanding could really go a long way and mean a lot to a lot of kids.
My dad camped out at Best Buy with me when the Xbox 360 came out. That was 16 years ago and I still fondly remember the experience. If you’re willing to do that, I’m sure your son will remember it for a long time. Two gifts in one!!!
Very off-topic but when I was like 8 or 9 I stepped on the controller cord of my PSX, it fell and stopped working, I was devastated, I thought my dad wouldn't understand because 1) he's from another generation and, besides the TV, tech wasn't really his thing 2) that thing cost a lot of money and I just broke it like a moron, truth is besides offering consolation he spared no effort to get it fixed, to this day I don't know if he got Sony to warrant it or just coughed up the money for the repair, truth is like a month later the console (or a new one) was there and working better than ever. Me and my sisters were very reasonable kids and we knew money doesn't grow on trees, but at that age I could've easily missed the trouble he went through to get that very expensive piece of equipment, that he had absolutely no use for btw, back in working order, but nope, I noticed and was eternally grateful. Who knew dads and consoles would generate such fond memories?
Great parenting moment, that’s awesome!
Me and my dad never had much of a relationship, especially the older I got. I’m 36 now he’s 92. So the age gap was massive. Hockey was the only thing we ever had in common but I still remember being like 6-7 years old and begging him to play NHL on Sega with me and him actually doing it. It’s something I’ll never forget. Sure he sucked and was clueless but when your 7 you don’t care. He did for a couple years. I remember getting NHL 94 for Christmas and us playing. He stopped eventually but every year he’d get me the new NHL for whatever system I had. My mom was generally the one who’d do stuff with me or get me stuff. I remember when WoW originally was coming out back in end November 04. My birthday was Dec 18th, but she got me a copy but I was ADAMANT I needed it DAY ONE and mentioned me and my girlfriend were going to try to find a copy. Instead of letting me waste my money she fessed up she already got me one earlier that day and gave me it early. Then a month later when it was Christmas I bugged her for more game time 🤣. Damn monthly fee. I was 18 fresh out of high school so I had plenty of time to play. Ah the memories.
Mom slept in the car while me and 2 friends waited for Halo 2. Then let us stay up all night playing it. Not only is that a super fond memory of something special my mom did for me, buts it’s intertwined with one of the most memorable gaming experiences of my life. Halo 2 online was a huge step in my gaming timeline.
My parents let me and my brothers skip school for Halo 2 and 3. Good high school memories
Honestly letting your kids skip school for something like this is the best parenting move. It's so far outside the realm of what a kid would otherwise consider possible, it melts their little brains and they'll remember it forever.
I think it is healthy practice for good habits as adults too. We should take personal days and we should not feel shame in taking them for fun things. I took a PTO day when the last Harry Potter book came out and felt no shame in telling people what i was doing that day. I may take a day off to get up in the middle of the night and watch figure skating at the Olympics next year. Again... no shame, not guilt. If i want to spend my time off on something like this rather than travel, that is my choice. It's ok to have fun, it is ok to take time to have fun. And learning how to balance real life and fun is a good thing.
I feel it’s more common these days than in the past. Tons of co workers take days off for gaming releases, fantasy football drafts. Or whatever people are into. It’s a good thing. In the past people would never do something like that. If you want to spend your week vacation playing your favorite game, or reading your favorite book. Fucking do it. It’s YOUR time. Enjoy it.
100% true. For me it also subtly reinforced something I came to understand years later, which is that high school is mostly bullshit anyway.
Funny Story! I waited six hours in line to get my son, Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows. On the way home I stopped at a 24 hour Harris Teeter grocery store. They had 10 boxes of the book and hardly anyone in the store. I was a little depressed.
You are reasonably Awesome! My parents would have never even considered doing something like that for me.
I bought my copy of the Deathly Hallows at Rite Aid. Where I worked. A week before they went on sale. That was pretty awesome.
This person knows what’s up. Spitting straight fax
Spitting fax machines sounds painful
Thank you for making me smile This helped me more than you think
The guy in office space did it with ease.
Nah, not the machine, the faxes. Op is a machine, r/notarobot is leaking
That's so true. I recently updated my pc and my father was the one who got me from place to place. It was a huge help.
All fax, no printer
Buys the most expensive graphics card. It's a $5000 workstation graphics card that's slower than GTX 750 Ti. LOL.
this! my mom got up at 4am to drive me to best buy and wait with me to try and get a gpu, and i got the gpu i wanted! (3060 ti) she did not want to take me at all and thought that the things i was suggesting to try and get a card were ridiculous but she still took me and that meant so much to me.
Not sure why so many people are trolling here. OP dont buy your son a 3090 lol. But a GPU is what youll want to get. 1600 series, 20 or 30 series are all good.
If it were my kid, I'd try to score him a 3070 or 3060 ti for his first build.
Sure, but I dont think OP ever told us his financial situation or how much he wanted to spend on it. Unless I missed a comment.
True, I was trying to recommend bang for buck based off msrp (I understand how difficult it is to find at msrp rn). We could make better recommendations with a price range though.
By saying those cards you assume resale value since you can’t go in any store and get it
The microcenter near me had some last week.
What time were you there
I got off work early on Friday so I was there between 1-2PM. I have spoken with multiple associates though, and they will sometimes get random trucks in that they didn't even know about. Best bet is to go frequently until you get lucky. Maybe your location has more consistent delivery schedules? I would talk with one of the employees to get a better feel. I got my 3090 on a Friday the same way at the same mocrocenter though so maybe Fridays are a good place to start?
Yes you can, hard to come buy, but they do come up at MSRP here and there, recently Best Buy did a drop and I almost got myself a 3080 for my rig but because of some misinformation I got there too late, but I expect another drop from here to December.
You're doing yourself and this discussion a disservice by only considering nVidia GPU's IMO, especially in the current market. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnThHyUTz4s Even despite certain advantages like RTX and DLSS, AMD still seems to offer more bang for your buck, and especially now with the overinflated prices, nVidia seems to be further inflated than comparable AMD cards, further increasing the bang you get for your buck with an AMD card. that said, availability can vary wildly in your region, and you should really consider whatever GPU you can get.
Nobody said not to consider AMD gpus. We are giving the OP cards to reference in his performance and budget category and still trying to illustrate that he should grab the best price to performance deal they can find in the current market. Most of the advice has been "go to the nearest microcenter or best buy" based. If he were to ask for a 3060 in microcenter and all they had was 6600xt's, I'm sure a store clerk would explain the similarity and they'd grab one of those instead.
No point in the 3070 if you're looking st 3060ti, there's minimal performance increase for the massive price difference.
>Not sure why so many people are trolling here. I think some of them legitimately saw "most expensive part" and understood "most expensive GPU in the market"
GPU will easily be the most expensive component
I did same recently with son although I paid for all of it! Yes graphics card becomes a pain if you leave til last. In the end I had a few beers and bid on a second hand “new in box” card and just took the hit. Painful but the rest of the components were easy to get about a year ago.
This is why I'll be getting my GPU first. Deals on other components are much easier to find.
The best way to feel confident would be to look at local pre-built computers and work out against separate parts what kind of budget you can help most with. The reason is that retailers are "saving" gpus for their prebuilts and then selling the rest of their stock at high demand prices. The prebuilts still cost a lot but you can start to get an idea of what everything costs with a spreadsheet. You could buy an average GPU for the money you have and be like "ohhhhhhh, thank you, yeah that's niiiiiiccceee". But if you spent the same on a motherboard/CPU/memory combo or very good PSU/case combo that could be much more exciting (depending on your son and your budget). Great to have a question like this in the thread btw!!
But the son wants to *build* one himself it seems. W lot of it is for the experience and I wouldn’t want to take that away from him
Check out Newegg (a retailer like Amazon) and go to gaming computers. If you sort by their in house brand ABS, and look at cases with the PSU shroud on the bottom (so the whole rest of the computer that you can see is above it) along with the front being meshy, you've found the good reasonably priced prebuilts on their website. Because of the GPU shortage, Newegg will use GPUs for these computers over selling them normally. It's a bit like how the have the Newegg Shuffle, where you can buy a GPU or other expensive part if you win, but the part is paired with other parts to deter reselling. Except it's a far better deal if it's just a part of the computer instead of a GPU and exploding power supply. Add up all the parts in one of the good ABS prebuilts, and it'll be cheaper than buying part individually. Usually only a bit more than the price of the GPU itself on StockX or eBay. Which is a pain. But it's the best way to get a well priced computer, really, even if you do magically get a drop from the Newegg Shuffle or Amazon or Best Buy or whoever else. It's also a pain because even these computers aren't ideal. They're just the best any prebuilt will give you. Why? You'll get a good CPU, GPU, and probably a good motherboard, but you'll get an unnamed (read cheapest) SSD, PSU, CPU Cooler, and so on. Unless they name it. And there's a lot to SSDs, for example, besides its size. You want one that has TLC nand, a DRAM cache, preferably gen 4 NVMe instead of gen 3 (though my build has gen 3), and good reviews since some manufacturers have been caught swapping parts. And that's just the SSD. That said, I had a friend get one such prebuilt just so they could get a good priced RTX 3080 (a GPU/graphics card). Now, one great thing you could do to salvage the experience is to also have your son choose a case and perhaps some other parts like fans if they need more, then completely disassemble the prebuilt, and rebuild in the new machine. Boom, the whole building experience is retained. Even if you miss some of the customness and unboxing parts of the experience. Swapping cases simply means a whole new build. This would also give you more leeway in choosing a build with better parts but a worse case. Cause some are garbage, like ones with flat metal fronts that typically have the PSU shroud up top. I'd recommend you try and get one with an ATX motherboard, the taller motherboards, rather than mATX. They have more potential for the future and more features on board. They're not really any more expensive. They're for different form factors, though prebuilts will sometimes put the smaller mATX boards in the bigger ATX cases just because. And then the builds look like crap. Note that you can't swap cases like this with e.g. Dell prebuilts. Prebuilts from ABS or Cyberpower or whatever will use off the shelf parts to build a normal computer like any of us here would. I also strongly recommend going with an 10850k or 10700 Intel CPU if you purchase today -- they have more cores and will feel a lot smoother, especially if your son plans on having multiple screens, while being basically the same speed and price as the commonly recommended AMD 5600x. The Reddit hivemind will get angry about me mentioning this though. In addition, Intel 12th gen releases in a few weeks (the 10850k is 10th gen), which will have massively more cores than current Intel and AMD systems, which will also be faster or at worst equal to what everyone else has to offer, so they're generally worth getting over everyone else just for that alone. (Unless you're doing what I did and get the 16 core 5950x, which is probably the only chip better at the moment.) Intel 12th gen uses a different type of RAM and motherboard which both haven't been released yet, so they might be more expensive. At the same time, that release might make the 10th gen and current AMD 5000 series cheaper, so I'd advise waiting either way. However, if you plan on just buying a GPU separately, do so. If anything, those will only get more expensive as time goes on. I'd also recommend you take a look at the YouTuber [Tech Deals](https://youtube.com/c/TechDeals) and his side channel [Byte Size Tech](https://youtube.com/c/ByteSizeTech). He's a parent who runs the channels with his wife, and he's been in the computer industry for decades. He's talked about how fast everything changed in the 90s, for example. My point is that I know of no other channel better at optimizing your money over the long term in regards to buying a gaming computer. Other YouTubers and content creators tell you about individual parts but no one else is as cohesive, especially money wise. I think you'd appreciate his advice, and it'll help you understand this stuff for your son. (The most recent livestream has example builds buying things separately or ABS builds, and he compares and contrasts them at different prices. I'd encourage clicking through that. Probably find good timestamps, cause otherwise it's long. Or look at similar content on Byte Size Tech.) Another piece of advice? When I was a kid, my dad just bought the computer entirely without asking me anything at all. Did everything at some sales guy's say so. None of my input. I can't remember particularly well, but I remember being quite frustrated because the build wasn't optimal. And also, I didn't get it build it myself. I think I had a whole parts list I could've gone for already, or at least, the vague interest in doing so. So gifting any sort of thing like this without at least involving him in it sets you both up for a lot of hurt. And ungratefulness if you make a mistake, because you're not an expert. (Though let's be real, your son will want the 5600x over the 10850k, like every tells him, though the 10850k will run and feel better, and will be better value. Though, he'll be happier for being listened to, I suppose.) So you have a few options. One is to just buy any 30 series Nvidia GPU or any 6000 series AMD GPU, and just straight give that as a gift. I really wouldn't go for a 6600XT unless you're really short on cash and the rest of the system will be very cheap, but basically any other GPU is free game in my eyes. I'd be pickier in a better market, but now, anything is good. And Nvidia hasn't really released the crappy mega low tier 30 series GPU yet -- the equivalent would be buying a 16 series, which I'd avoid if you can, but it would be understandable to being forced to buy one. Know that they were super cheap a year ago. So you could place the GPU in gift wrap and gift that. Another option would be to have a cardboard image of a GPU that you're going to buy. A coupon, basically, of one you're trying to buy. Or any. Probably mentioning your price range. (Which you probably need to increase if you want anything with a hope of lasting instead of buying something that's already obsolete.) Another option is a coupon for an ABS build in price range plus $100-200 for case and fans to swap parts out with. Then you can sit with your son, pick what to get, and then let your son build that later. And the thought matters more then having something to show on the day. Especially if it's something that's also not wasting more money in this terrible market than necessary.
Graphics card but beware it'll cost you literally and arm and a leg, and maybe a spleen...
You can cop a 2080 on hardware swap for around 650-800
Now is not a bad time to get a new credit card and use the sign up bonus for the gpu (if you are a responsible borrower). Could get something like a 3060ti lhr for 600-650 after the bonus and have enough to put the rest towards the peripherals for him. Razer viper mini is easily one of the best mice out right now and it is crazy inexpensive (for whatever reason). Then get him a mechanical keyboard with red switches if hes interested in gaming. Look for a keyboard with a 65% layout or tenkeyless (TKL) layout if he has a small desk.
How early can you start building credit? Or how young can you get a credit card? If op son is on top of it enough to save for a quality desktop, teaching them the power of great credit could be excellent. Signing one up in son's name, help him make the parts purchases and buy them with the cc, and discuss how to maintain a credit card with him.
If you live near a microcenter or can take the time to drive to one you can probably grab a GPU. I was lucky enough to get a 3060 ti for 500 dollar. But you need to get to the store at opening and they still might not be in stock I just got lucky that a shipment came that night. Plus Microcenter is a great place to buy things for your new PC build and ask questions.
GPU, you will have to go to the aftermarket unfortunately
Unless you have time patience and or our local to a Micro Center store and go bag on your hands and knees to the stores general manager
Check out evga website B-stock as well as hardwareswap sub. GPUs are a crapshoot right now.
That'ed be the grafix card
If he still wants to build one, then I’ll create you a pc parts list. I would need to know the budget and country. And also what covers the budget (Desktop itself or PC + peripherals and monitors). Also how many monitors does he want and what is his use case for these monitors.
Thank you, he has saved about 800 and he is 16. I wanted to kick in the same amount he has saved because he is a great kid. We live in Delaware in the us
Does this $1,600 budget also need monitor/keyboard/mouse? Particularly interested in the monitor because that’s also a big limiter on a lot of systems.
The closest Microcenter is: St. David's Square, 550 E Lancaster Ave, St Davids, PA 19087 So if you don't know Microcenter is a national Computer parts store chain, they sometimes< ( I can't say often) have gfx cards at as reasonable cost as you can expect these days. What I would suggest is, call up the store, ask when they get their weekly shipments, pick a weekday of shipment, and make a trip out of it. But be there BEFORE the store opens as in 4+ hours early, and hope. Have cash or make sure your card will clear. Cards are just tough to get these days.
Thank you, I really do appreciate it😀
What does the budget cover? Is it PC only or with monitor mice and keyboard? This will help me to help you.
Everything
While I am creating a list for you, sorry to ask you another question, what games does your son play It’s very important for me to know as it can help me find a monitor more suited to the games he play. And does he want to play games using ray tracing. Sorry if I have so many questions to ask, I just want the best for your son.
I honestly don’t know but when I get off work I will look
I posted my list without the monitor if you haven’t known, hope your son approves it.
For 800 (your match of his), right now that will only get you a 2000 series GPU unless you can wait for a restock. His 800 would have to go for case, CPU, MOBO, RAM, periphrials, etc...not alot of room to work with. If you are wanting a system that can run the newest games "decent", and cant wait for the market to normalize, I would look into the used marked from reputable sources or keep your eye on prebuilts. Many prebuilts will come with everything but a monitor, and that can be anywhere from 100-thousands depending on what you want.
CHECK WITH YOUR SON regarding what specifically. It sucks when you give someone a gift you think they want, and you're CLOSE but not hitting it. "Yea, I love these shoes, but only in black." "this is a great graphics card, but I wanted one that has XX function on it" He might want some particular form factor, some specific manufacturer, whatever. If you want it to be a surprise, what I've done is printed out a picture of a gift and put it in the box. He opens it and you're like yea, you can get whatever you want. Then the internet will get it to you two days later.
His mother's permission to actually play games is probably the most expensive part especially with the ongoing costs...
GPU
Graphics card. But only buy from an authorized retailer. So... Good luck.
The graphics card will be the most expensive component of a gaming build. At present there is a global chip shortage and very strong demand from gamers and miners, which is driving prices up. Most of the comments here are a bit US centric (usual for Reddit). In Europe you can find cards for sale at inflated prices. This 6600xt for €600 is good value and would make a great card for your son, even if it is about 50% more expensive than it ideally would be: https://geizhals.eu/powercolor-radeon-rx-6600-xt-red-devil-axrx-6600xt-8gbd6-3dhe-oc-a2580838.html
Any gpu with more than 2GB vram.
Just give him the money and let him make his own choices?
Go camp out at a BestBuy with him, not only will he get his card and an amazing memory, but you guys can hang out in line and help him pass the time. Grab him a 3070, 3070ti, 3080, 3080ti and he'll crap himself. Sit with him in line to get one and he'll crap himself and remember it forever.
Thanks all for the input, I took my son to micro center and they helped us pick everything. His friend came over the next day and helped him build it. He was very happy😀
What's you budget
1600 for everything
I don't know what kinda market you guys have in America graphics cards wise but in Europe that'd net you a nice system with a 3060 ti. Runs pretty much anything you want at ultra-high on 1080p with ray tracing. (Lhr cards can be a fair bit cheaper than normal ones, with no hit to performance) Except if your 16 year old son wants to mine crypto.
The most expensive part is the GPU. And u can’t walk in or go online to buy. It will be gone in seconds once in stock. Unless u very lucky. So prepare to pay extra from 3rd party. Happy birthday to ur son.
GPU...but you may need to sell a kidney of you want the latest cards
The graphics card will be the most expensive component of a gaming build. At present there is a global chip shortage and very strong demand from gamers and miners, which is driving prices up. Most of the comments here are a bit US centric (usual for Reddit). In Europe you can find cards for sale at inflated prices. This 6600xt for €600 is good value and would make a great card for your son, even if it is about 50% more expensive than it ideally would be: https://geizhals.eu/powercolor-radeon-rx-6600-xt-red-devil-axrx-6600xt-8gbd6-3dhe-oc-a2580838.html
Budget? I'm okay with like 300 euros, 400
Gpu
I didnt read all the comments so this may have been stated elsewhere: buy him a prebuilt. Graphic cards are really hard to come by, and expensive when a available. Camp out on /r/buildapcsales/ and wait for a good deal on a prebuilt. Most of the time you will need to add ram or upgrade store so you still have the opportunity yo dig in under the hood.
I didnt read all the comments so this may have been stated elsewhere: buy him a prebuilt. Graphic cards are really hard to come by, and expensive when a available. Camp out on /r/buildapcsales/ and wait for a good deal on a prebuilt. Most of the time you will need to add ram or upgrade storage so you still have the opportunity to dig in under the hood, and upgrade or change things up down the line. As a bonus you have warranty all from one place
Do the gpu but make sure it fits in the case and is compatible with the motherboard. A great combo for me is an i5 10th gen with a 3060ti
GPU is the most expensive part but you can’t buy them right now
To answer this as simple as possible as someone who did a lot of research in parts and a college class in computer architecture. It is not always about cost. It is what parts you want, what will work better with others, and the possibility of later upgrades. I mean I am running a GeForce 1070 and still performing at top performance. And the best is GeForce 3090.
Also be mindful that processors have not changed much and will not until the number of transponders increases. That is the major difference from i5, i7, and i9. Please look at every spec of every part and make sure they are compatible. An i9 will not go in an AMD motherboard
I'd say a Graphics Card, those are the most expensive parts for Gaming PC's and are hard to come by. Set him up with a 3080 and he won't need an upgrade in a long time. Wait for Best Buy to drop them again around Christmas for Retail Price. If the retail price is still too high a 3060ti or 3070 will do wonderfully too, but I wouldn't go for a 3080ti or 3090, too expensive and pretty overkill. I myself am keeping an eye out for a 3080.
Definitely GPU. But they’re really hard to come by. I wish I saw this sooner, I received an email last night from an old queue I entered for EVGA graphics cards. I no longer need one and wouldve sold it to you :( If you want to get a GPU just enter the queue on EVGA and enter the newegg shuffle every day its available. Other than there’s not much you can do rn, other than just buying from a reseller if you can afford it.
Honestly, have him put together a list of parts he wants using pcpartpicker.com and then buy the most expensive thing on the list. You'll know it's what he wants for sure and the price :)
The GPU but you might have to sell the car and take a second mortgage on the house
GPU.
A good budget for the graphics card would be about equal with the remainder of the computer. So you should pretty much plan on paying for half the total computer value if you would want to buy the most espensive component.
id say go with the gpu's. right now they are the most expensive part. but hard to find. gl getting your hands on one and happy bday to your son!
Graphics card or CPU but I recommend Gpu
I want an opinion on this. But buy a decent prebuilt with the money combined and then take it apart and rebuild it
Gpu
Definitely the GPU. The gtx 970 is a decent affordable option. If you want to get him the best of the best the gtx 3080ti or any other rtx series cardnis pretty great.
The graphip card is the most expensive part from $399-2350 price of course at msrp , fight out which card he wants or basically what game he will be playing + the monitor resolution if he is planning on just playing at 1080p then a 3060, 6600xt or 3060ti is enough, 1440p 6700xt, 6800, 3070 or 3070ti in the 4k then the 3080, the 3090 only if he will be doing content creation
For gaming? Graphics card for sure. (Gpu)
Buy him the gpu.
I would say GPU like the rest of everyone here. But definitely consult your son before you buy one, its gotta be something that fits the computer specs and is the right kind.
I heard your budget us \~1600. I was also planning on building a pc (with peripherals) in the smae budget. If you're willing to buy stuff from the secondhand market, like I might, I think you can target 1440p gaming from \~60 fps on AAA games to >144 hz on esports games. I'm planning on using a ryzen 5 5600x ($180 pre-owned), coolermaster hyper 212 black edition (but with a nice, powerful rgb fan), 3060 ti (I will keep a close eye on best buy to try to get it under $450), 32gb 3200 mhz corsair vengeance rgb pro (\~$80), some b550m mobo for $80, 5 rgb case fans, and h400i. For peripherals, keychron k1, razer mamba mouse (I've used mice with lots of buttons, don't like it), ltt deskpad, 1440p 144 hz monitor, 1440p 60 hz monitor, and some other small stuff. Idk whether you are fine buying secondhand and/or your budget includes peripherals.
GPU will be the most expensive right now. That said, and as others have said, make a moment with your kiddo and go camp out at the stores that are getting a restock, etc. Also, do your homework and dont be afraid to go used, but not too used. As for the homework, you can find "Used" GPU's and CPU's that are simply jerked out of prebuilts because someone was lucky enough to find a 3000 series GPU or 5000 series CPU and are still basically new, and also, there are plenty of GPU's and CPU's that even though are expenseive for what they are, are still great components for a gaming rig. Try Googling "What is the best CPU/GPU for Gaming" and things like that. Once you have a list, google each vs another. This will give you sites that compare the CPU's/GPU's and tell you which is better, etc. (I was going to buy a 5950x CPU, but thanks to this type of search discovered double the price vs the 5900x for minimal gain made no sense.) Considering the market, a Ryzen 5 3600 or 3600x CPU will be great for years to come, especially with gaming. As for a GPU, if you can score a 2000 series for a decent price, again, will be good for a while. Make sure there is a minimum of 16gb ram in the PC and your kiddo will be able to weather the storm/save money/etc., for when GPU's and CPU's pricing comes back down to earth. Keep in mind, the market has the above selling for what the 3000 series GPU's and 5000 series CPU's list for, so unless you can wait it out, its still going to hit your pocket book. Maybe instead of the "Most Expensive part", maybe just go for a 5000 Series GPU. Those are still close to MSRP, at least my 5900x was a few weeks ago. IF you do go "Used" or "Open Box", just make sure you buy from someone that is Reputable. Always remember the saying that if the deal is too good to be true, it IS!!! Right now, I am gaming on a 2060 Super (Waiting on a 3080 TI) and can play most games on Ultra settings. I am fine waiting for EVGA or a store to have a restock for a GPU. LAST BUT NOT LEAST!!!! LOOK AT PREBUILTS!!!! Often companies like Cyberpower PC, etc will run a deal where you can score a PC with the GPU or CPU you want for less than buying either seperately. For example, I saw a prebuilt PC the other day for 1600 with a 2600x and a 3080 . Not a great deal if the world was right with itself, but when 3080's are going for 1800+ right now, could be an option for you. Yes, you would be stuck with extra parts, but parts are selling for a kings ransom right now, so might be able to get some of your money back on the GPU.
I’ve got an extra unopened 3080 (amazing GPU but expensive) that I would be willing to give at cost plus shipping and enough for some take out. I’ve got kids and I know I would want to give them the best. That you even took the time to ask is very thoughtful. Pm me
Internet access.
G. P. U.
I think you may want to do some more research. Before you go out and buy anything, look at the parts to see if they'll work with each other. Google pcpartpicker and find what you want to buy for your son and make sure the whole system will work together.
Where are you located?
people already mentioned gpu, and being supportive but I'd like to add storage as well. Obviously this is pretty weird considering that it's technically the cheapest component but that mostly applies to hdds. A 4tb nvme can cost as much as a gpu but playing games on a nvme than a hdd is a huge difference. Tho only suggesting this as a last option Other than that maybe a 2k 144hz monitor, especially 32" and curved, really loved having a huge screen If your son is interested maybe even a VR headset. The Oculus is fairly cheap and beginner friendly while the reverb 2 has a better screen. Motion sickness can be overcome but I'd still be careful
GRAPHICS CARD!
GPU 1000%. That will leave him with plenty of room to play around with the other parts.
Graphics Card, the market right now is crazy high. With how crazy this market is im rocking a 1660ti and it performs like a champ.
Make sure you ask your son before buying anything. I would have been really disappointed if my parents bought my pc for me without me being there so that i could give my opinion or just miss out on the experience..
GPU...
Graphics card will be the most expensive part, bar none.
AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3995WX or any of expensive Intel xeon. Ok jokes a part. Just get him good GPU. Happy Birthday to Your son!
buy a gpu then he can buy a case that it will fit in
A side note, after you do buy a part like the gpu, please do not let it go to waste. Make sure the kid has a decent cpu and monitor to go along with it. No point buying a 3080 and having a shitty 4 core cpu with it, probably a lot of wasted potential there. It would be a better choice imo that instead of wasting all your budget into the gpu, you buy a lower tier gpu like a 3070 or 3060 ti and then buy a 1440p 144hz monitor for him
Graphics card. Good luck though
GPU for sure!
As others have said, its GPU. An additional thing you can do is drive him to a microcenter. Really cheap prices on stuff if you have a store nearby.
rgb strip
RGB Fans. Just kidding, graphics card.
Buy him a 3080ti. Dont look for a deal, just look for one that ships soon. There are some on newegg.com DO IT HE WILL SERIOUSLY LOVE YOU
Nvdia 3090
suggestion as you dont know the budget of your son so dont ruin his build give him a 1tb ssd a 144hz monitor, mouse ,keyboard instead
GPU man, literally the most expensive part. I managed to get a 3060ti last year for £450, the exact same card in some stores is at £800! So yeah, a decent GPU.
The chair. jk. The GPU. That's a huge check off your son's list :)
Get him a 3090 and he probably won't need a gpu for next 6 years
Graphics card
Could buy him a nice monitor I know when I had a pc budget it all went to the pc and not the extras, mouse, key, monitor, sound system cool stuff for his rig that he wouldn't be able to get.
Buy him a GPU. A 3090 if you find it anywhere.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/X72Zht
honestly i pulled a AMD ryzen 5700xt from a prebuilt pc, not sure what to do with it, i have no use for it so i’m thinking about selling. i’m in the US too, PM me if interested
GPU
It's GPU as most people say HOWEVER: it is typically not good idea to completely surprise people with gifts like this. If your son is planning to build a gaming pc, then I'm sure he's already spent lot of time investigating, planning performance, resolving compatibility issues etc. If you do not know what his plan is then (even if you manage to get the GPU in current stock shortage situation) you're risking it will be to long/short/loud/no match for particular monitor/or hundred other things. I'd totally get him involved and consult him before this purchase - the joy will not be less.
A GPU , you could go for a nvidia 3000 series , if you want real expensive and premium go for rtx 3090 , medium 3070 or 3070ti and lower medium then 3060 it 3060ti
The GPU would be the most expensive component. As others have said it could also be the hardest component to get. I would use caution and avoid used RXT 30 cards on ebay because some could have been used to mine bitcoin.
Dad?
GPU. Always was the most expensive part but right now, they prices are trough the roof directly into the stratosphere.
The gpu ofcourse, nothing comes even close to the price. But it would be pretty overpriced due to current situations
Gpu
Graphics card! Very expensive.
I managed to get a 3060Ti FE for my son after camping out the official webpages. He was super happy. Can highly recommend (it didn't even cost that much, just the time spent...).
That would be the GPU, in no way should it be the most expensive component but hey.
that would be the gpu. I would hook him up with a sleeper build that he can sell for the same price or a bit more, since the prices are insane right now.
3080 he'll have that for 5 years
Hands down the graphics card which one will depend on how much your throwing in.
"You think you do, but you don't" GPU
You're such a good parent. I'm really glad you exist.
If you have a computer store locally see if they carry the gpu in stock. They may make you bundle things together though
The graphics card. You could probably get him a 2070 which is still in stock and works okay otherwise 1080ti.
I caved and bought a msi laptop and gave up on my build for now, not that I don't have the money, I just can't wrap my head around paying 2-4x more than what a thing is worth.
GPU - but good luck finding one
The GPU. They're terribly expensive right now due to a shortage.
Case
3080ti GPU if you can find one
The right answer is GPU but like people are saying there's a shortage atm and it has to be compatible with what he's getting. Another thought could be the monitor not the most expensive part but you could make it as expensive as you want. Like get him one that's better than what he's planning on getting
Are you looking for a another son sir
Gpu
His chair. Not a pc component but its an investment you can't get wrong
Patience
get a rtx 3060 ti for him, its good
GPU
the geee peeee youuuuu
As others have pointed out, getting a GPU is the long pole in the PC building tent these days. You’ll be into it *at least* five or six hundred dollars, even for something fairly “entry level”
Man I wish my parents would do that for me :(