In need of a new computer, and it’s going to take a year to build it.

After I moved into my new apartment last year, my old gaming PC has been banished to the closet as a server due to the fact that it made a really high-pitched noise that was giving me headaches (yes, even after a thorough cleaning). Ever since then I have tried to use different alternatives. The first was a mini PC, which barely did the job, then the current solution, my Laptop I bought for my last job which is almost 3 years old. The present solution, of course, has a secondary USB monitor by AOC, as working on one monitor just doesn’t feel right. But working off of two 15 inch monitors is a pain since at work I at least have two 20 inch-ers, still small by today’s standards, but still better than 15 inches.

So here is my plan: Since buying a new computer outright is near impossible, seeing as the cost of such a machine from an actual brand like HP or Dell would cost over $2,000 (I need a real system, not the $500 entry system from Best Buy), I will be sourcing the parts individually, one per month, for the next year.

This serves 2 purposes:

1. A goal to save up for.
2. It won’t break my bank.

So here is the parts list (in total) Any duplicate items will be purchased at a later date (one of the RAM packs, the extra HDDs and the Extra monitor)

PCPartPicker part list
Price breakdown by merchant

• CPU: AMD – Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($228.99)
• Motherboard: ASRock – X370 Taichi ATX AM4 Motherboard ($239.50)
• Memory: G.Skill – Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($180.99)
• Memory: G.Skill – Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($180.99)
• Storage: Samsung – 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5″ Solid State Drive ($179.99)
• Storage: Western Digital – Gold 2TB 3.5″ 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($141.75)
• Storage: Western Digital – Gold 2TB 3.5″ 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($141.75)
• Video Card: EVGA – GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB GAMING Video Card ($349.99)
• Case: NZXT – Phantom 410 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99)
• Power Supply: Corsair – TXM Gold 750W 80+ Gold ATX Power Supply ($109.99)
• Optical Drive: LG – WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($59.99)
• Operating System: Microsoft – Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit ($172.75)
• Monitor: Asus – VP228H 21.5″ 1920×1080 60Hz Monitor ($129.99)
• Monitor: Asus – VP228H 21.5″ 1920×1080 60Hz Monitor ($129.99)

Currently at the price it is today it would cost me $2326.65 if I bought it all at once.  That’s a huge chunk of cash I don’t have dispensable right now.  So I figure one of the 10 items above, again, the red items will come afterward to improve my system but are not required for the system run.  Now I know prices change, some of these parts like the Western Digital Drives are actually a sale price that will change, but I figure about $3000 in total (Taxes and shipping included).  I tried to keep most parts below $350.00 as I really don’t want to spend too much.  As any Computer Geek knows, high-end CPUs and GPUs can cost into the $1000s, and I really don’t want to make it hard for me to get parts.  After all, I am trying to buy a part a month, and the $350 Graphics card is already gonna be the hardest to get, as I really can only save up ~$150 a pay, so it will have to wait till one of the triple pay months (Happens twice a year when paid bi-weekly).

I am gonna try and get it done faster, anything I have extra left over from one month will carry to the next.  For instance, if I save up $300 in a month, and I buy the $60 BluRay drive, I might also buy the case as well for $80 and then the remaining $160 will pass on to the next month.  In any case, I am hoping to get everything purchased before this time next year, as I really need a better system.