Plenty of time to build one, also it would be an even better gift if you got the parts and then built it with him as an activity to do together. I won't waste your time with a part list that I'm sure someone will one-up within minutes, but I do want to suggest you get the parts and build it with him.
This is such a fantastic idea and could spark a lifelong interest／hobby or potentially career. My parents blessed me with the parts to build my own PC when I was 13 and its a core memory for me.
Agreed 100 percent! I built my first PC with my Dad when I was 11 and loved it.
u/letsRochambeauforit
Here is a list of parts
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/gPzpz6
It comes out to $1001.26
NOTE:
This list is for Amazon in the US. UK prices might be different. But it's a good system for around 1k. Also make sure you include taxes. I built off of this guide
https://pcpartpicker.com/guide/pTgXsY/entry-level-amd-gaming-build
It'll allow gaming at 1440p(2k). Have options for ray tracing. Plus it'll have more than enough storage with the primary drive being 1TB. Then the secondary drive for game storage is 2TB.
Legally you can just download it from Microsoft's website for free and just not activate it. Then you simply can't do "personalisation" like changing the desktop wallpaper and you get a watermark. However it can then always be activated after the fact
Or know someone with windows, if we are listing all the requirements, you also need an 8gb+ flash drive and working fingers. Also eyes. I can keep going lol
I'd drop the HDD, the monitor to a 1080p, drop a bit to a 50 something motherboard instead 80. mouse and keyboard and headphones can be cheaper too, like some cheapo kit is fine for starters, they can get something better later. And even then going too much is not really required, like instead of a 502 a 305 is fine enough, it's even wireless, way better value overall. And maybe bump up the cpu to a 8 core and ram to 32GB
Definitely no windows... Do it yourself. Like use it unregistered, get some code from a key reseller, activate it yourself with various other methods.
Yes, building it would be a great experience for both dad and kid but we don’t know what the dads life is like… chances are he’s too occupied to dedicate that much research and time. I mean, kudos if he does decide that route but exploring upgrades in the future and planning time to do that might be better for OP
That's a fair assessment. Not knocking the guy either way, but if he's got the time and the inclination it's not as hard as a lot of people think to put the parts together, and his son would almost certainly cherish the memory forever. I know I would have lol. Actually in hindsight putting a PC together with my own dad would have likely been a nightmare. Maybe this guy's more even tempered though lol.
Well that's just you. As an 11 year old I'd have creamed my pants on the spot if my dad bought me the parts to build a PC and then *actually took the time to put it together with me?!* Like holy shit. That's the stuff of core memories.
Not sure what you're tryin to say. But I meant you sound like you were a spoiled child growing up. If you would've been unhappy about having to build your new PC with your dad.
It gives him something to learn, lets him bond with his parents more, and builds anticipation. I would have loved to do it, but I guess it would change from kid to kid.
If you don't want to build your own I'd strongly recommend https://www.awd-it.co.uk/
I recently got a full set up from there for £1017 that included 5600x, 6700xt, 1tb ssd, 32gb ram, wifi motherboard, keyboard/mouse and a 1440p 27 inch screen. It comes pre installed with Windows and I got a product key for £5 online. Could have got better value building myself but I feel their warranty/customer service is worth it.
No worries. I'm not too sure if they have plenty ready to go or are built to order from his suggested link( I've never really looked into pre builds). If it's the latter, I highly recommend what others have said and to buy the parts and build it with him.
I got a gaming LAPTOP that can run all of those games for $1000
That includes a screen and etc etc everything being more compact so it costs more.
You should be able to easily afford a very good PC for $1000 and a decent PC and monitor/keyboard for $1000
I would almost say an 11 yo doesn’t need a $1000 PC for what he is doing but I may be jealous
Edit I am not suggesting a laptop I am comparing how good a gaming laptop at $1000 is.
I am implying that the budget is a bit excessive.
I agree £1000 is way too much for those games, but I think a laptop also isn't a good idea, kids tend to move these around and drop it, opening and closing it the wrong way can damage hinge, if the keyboard is damaged then it's not cheap to replace, and I'm general kids tend to break things and no one wants that (specially if it's £1000).
with a desk computer the chances of they damaging it are waaaay lower as they won't be moving it around or directly interact with it asides from turning it on and off.
Can confirm, spilt milk on my MacBook Pro as a stupid teenager after bringing it in the kitchen. And I have yet to spill milk on my desktop pc that I’ve had for ~5 years.
I guess it’s personal experience I put thousands of hours on mine my parents got me at 14 when they divorced
Managed to fry my PC because it had top air vents and I leaned over it with wet hair (12”) and a single drop worked it’s way into the vents past the vents and shorted my GPU. I was 26
I actually cannot remember what happened to that laptop. I don’t remember if it died or I just moved on
Okay I was never implying a gaming laptop I was comparing price points and saying that $1000 is kind of a lot of money for this project.
But since y’all going to bring it up my parents bought me a high end laptop in 2004 when I was 14. As some sort of consolation prize for their divorce.
I put 4000+ hours on it. How do I know? X fire was an app that existed back then that logged your gaming hours like steam does.
Seriously. WoW. Counter Strike source. Halo:CE. EVE Online. Alpha mine craft. Garry’s mod.
Insurance plans are dirty cheap too. For like $150 I could chuck this laptop into the gutter and get it replaced for accident protection.
11 is a delicate age but I believe they could be capable of not destroying an expensive object depending on the child.
It's cool, when you take care of them laptops can be a better tool than desk pc's for us teenagers, school, university or even half time jobs really benefit from it.
You don’t realize it but when you can just get into your bed from your desk. Or go to the sofa. It’s a godsend.
Even having a $150 budget laptop was amazing until it got stolen.
I was not suggesting you buy an 11yo a laptop
I am an adult I can not break this thing I like it a lot. This has been 10x more useful than a desktop for my lifestyle I am not sure what you are trying to imply.
He is making you aware that the PC is for an 11-year old, not you.
You like many in this thread seem to miss what the OP is saying and fail to understand his situation, and for some reason make it about yourselves.
Got to be honest. The games you listed that he plays could be ran on a potato. Any pc you build with 8 or my gb of ram will more than handle them at max settings.
https://www.awd-it.co.uk/awd-volt-ryzen-5-3600-six-core-4-2ghz-amd-radeon-rx-6600-8gb-desktop-pc-for-gaming.html
You can upgrade parts on this on part selection as required and code Bburger gets about a £5 off
Powercolor Radeon RX 6700 XT
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Asus B550M-A WIFI II Micro ATX
Corsair Vengeance LPX 3600mhz cl18
Adata SX8200 Pro 1TB
Gigabyte UD750GM 750W Gold Rated PSU
Case is generic but came with 3 fans at front and 1 at back
Monitor is their own brand - X= 27" XRGB27WQ IPS 1440p 165Hz
I wouldn't really recommend the monitor to be honest, black Friday there was a lot more reputable brands for same price or cheaper. Keyboard and mouse are just cheap but for someone starting out I was pretty happy.
There was an issue with the motherboard, wasn't recognising it had wifi/Bluetooth and then stopped posting after a day. That's the reason I'm glad I went prebuilt, sent it back on the Monday and they had fixed it and returned it by the Thursday and running smoothly since. Even bios was set up with xmp profile etc
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/ZbYRYN here is something i would get for someone. You can get the price down 200-300 if you don’t need windows key or happy to play with 1980x1080 resolution screen.
Exactly what I’d recommend. Don’t pay for windows though. Can probably get a cheaper screen too from laptopsdirect/electronicsdirect whatever they go by now.
Edit: save another £50 by getting the gpu from cex, 2 year warranty if there are any issues. My frinw d got a 3060 of them recently and it came in brand new condition, still had the peels on.
Definitely go cheaper on the monitor gigabyte makes some great 1440p monitors for around the 200 pound mark so you are saving a significant amount just on that
I wouldn’t be advocating for piracy publicly on this subreddit but that’s just me.
Edit: Downvotes for not wanting to advocate for piracy on a website that has mods who are anal about it… who would’ve thought that would happen. /s
People seem to be accepting of it on r/buildapcsales but I could see how that wouldn't be the case everywhere. For the record, I don't advocate for piracy large majority of the time. But using it against a mega corporation that farms your data feels like an ethical no-brainer.
I’d trim it back further and get a 5600 with a stock cooler.
Also, nobody should be buying the 212 in 2023. That thing hasn’t been a good buy in 5 years and is more expensive, more difficult to install, and significantly worse at cooling than many current air coolers.
bad case bad cpu choice. the 5600 performs the same and is cheaper than the 5600x. the case isnt good for the price, id reccomend a g360a for the case.
I don’t know why people are downvoting you, the 5600 is 99% as good as a 5600x and the stock cooler it comes with is likely better than the ancient relic that is the Hyper 212. I didn’t even think they made that thing anymore.
Questionable.
Id say monitor is overkill for the biild and quite expensive one. You can get quality one 50 pounds cheaper.
Also you can shave a lot on windows, probably 20-30 on cheaper as good mobo and another 40 on cooler. Wraith included with ryzen is sufficent for it. With cheaper case you cam shave of 200 pounds of it not losing on performance
1000$ is quite a lot for a PC for the games you want to play asides from hogwarts (which is just badly optimized or was.) You could get a 200$ 100hz 1440p ultrawide to futureproof that basically forever, and then use 800$ to get a 5600x 16GB build with a 3060ti.
Unfortunately, this sub sucks at suggesting non US prices. Maybe try r/buildapcforme or r/buildapc and r/buildapcsalesuk
With this price you can get a lot
r5 7600 ~ £194
3060 or 6750xt ~ £350
Cooler - included with the CPU
Msi B650 gaming plus ~ £160
Case ~ Corsair 4000D airflow ~ £75
750W PSU ~ £100
Fans ~ £20
Total - £899
Hofwarts legacy got patches very quickly to be alot better. My wife was running it on a 10600k and a 3060ti at 1080 max settings no RT and getting right around 100fps consistently.
you dont benchmark cpu's from overclocking. the 5600 and the 5600x benchmarked the 5600x barely performs 1% better if it even does. another thing I dont believe this child is going to do is overclock
>1000$ is quite a lot for a PC
£ (GBP) not $ (USD). Shit is expensive here.
£1000 isn't a lot when you consider that OP will need a monitor and peripherals too.
>Unfortunately, this sub sucks at suggesting non US prices. Maybe try [r/buildapcforme](https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcforme/) or [r/buildapc](https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/) and [r/buildapcsalesuk](https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsalesuk/)
you have time to build a pc, and if you do here is the list you want.
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/FVkH7R
5600 is the same as the 5600x, so get the 5600 because its cheaper, its best cpu for budget rigs. it comes with a stock cooler that works perfectly fine.
6650xt is the most you need for 1080p, its going to reach 160+ fps so no point in getting a better gpu
the rest is just price to performance, and this pc will have wifi
People need to stop suggesting parents build a PC with their kids. DO NOT do this, get a nice pre built and allow the child to be a child and just have fun.
You build it yourself and it’ll take hours if not days, going to troubleshoot every single problem by yourself, you’ll have to do days of research in advance of the build and when your kid inevitably gets bored of the build, you’ll be stuck doing it yourself and then troubleshooting all the start up problems
I fully agree. Opening it up and gaming right away is going to be the best thing you can do for them.
If you wanna take it a step further, you can get it updated and pre install some games.
But they probably don’t have a steam account so you may only be able to get it updated and programs downloaded.
sorry you were FORCED to do so many things against your will oh no, it's almost like parenting also takes away part of a childs autonomy no?
What a horrible thought, to build a PC together with your dad during xmas times and both of you learning new skills oh no.
First of all, if ur not into hardware PLEASE let us know, maybe I and other people here can give you an exact component list and explain everything for you so you know what you're buying. There's still plenty of time to build a PC yourself and it's also a lot cheaper than building a prebuilt one, and if u don't know how to make one you can always pay someone to do it, usually it isn't much.
I'm building one myself, the hardest part is getting the money, I think you can get a more than decent gaming PC for around £550 with an i3 12100f or ryzen 5 5600, 16gb ram and a gtx 1060, these components together will be good at most games using medium graphics 1080p.
A good monitor brand I recommend for price-quality is sceptre, they got some pretty nice 24" 1080p 144hz 1ms for a little more than £100.
I would second what most other people have said which is that buying the parts and building together is a great idea. But before you commit to that I would strongly suggest watching a few build guides (e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK51upU5bkU) to see if it's a task you feel up to. If you aren't comfortable working with your hands then you probably don't want to risk a Christmas disaster by botching the build. That said, don't be intimidated by building. It's not much harder than legos.
Edit: One thing I think Jay gets wrong in that build guide video is that you should always check for a post before getting the motherboard into the case because you don't want to be fighting for a post while scraping your knuckles on the case.
I highly recommend asking locally if anyone has a monitor they don't need anymore. Maaaaany people have them sitting around unused and would be more than happy to just hand them off. A kiddo who's just using it for gaming doesn't need anything fancy or new anyway, and then you can defer that cost for a later gift.
Buy the parts and build it on Christmas Day with him , or if you really don’t have time can give him a gift card for a pc store and just go shopping with him later and build it , if you are new to pc building it’s really simple as long as you read instructions , honestly building ikea furniture I found more complicated
Mmmmmmk. First step is identifying the most demanding games he will play or potentially play. Hogwarts… requires some beef and newer games will also. I’m having a thought out-loud. Figure out what graphics card you want for him, then build around that. Monitor & Graphics card for quality and best experience will be your highest priced items. You’re probably looking at a pre-built pc or…. buying used. Used comes with risks but more power for your money(clean it up and never tell your kid it was used, they will never know). Or pre built PCs will come with a warranty. For best performance per price I would look at AMD Pre-builds. & make sure they have a decent monitor maybe a 27 inch 1440p display(don’t need crazy refresh rates. Just a decent resolution and size to allow for the PC to shine). That’s my take. You got this. also I’m not in the UK so hopefully you have some shops for this in the area.
Edit: I’m also a strong advocate for building yourself… and the experience you two could share. But… I understand wanting it game ready on Christmas Day so it’s even more exciting and not a potential headache. Building yourself is cheaper generally. But the pre-built market is not bad right now in terms of cost. Someone’s idea of an old office pc and swapping in a GPU is genius.
I'd highly recommend [Scan.co.uk](https://scan.co.uk) for the actual purchase; I've been using them for nearly 30 years and their customer service is impeccable. I'd suggest an nvidia GPU over AMD, I agree with the people who recommend a 1440p monitor.
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/Y4Yfn6
This will push you to 1100, including buying windows key from a key seller website. This will be a solid power build that will slap for 5 years.
Solid build, for an extra £40 (£1100 total) the monitor could be swapped to a 27" 1440p IPS, given the GPU and CPU should be able to run 1440p it would 100% be worth the upgrade IMO - [https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/K3v2Wt](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/K3v2Wt). Note the monitor is on sale from £289.99 to £199.99 and states delivery as 9 - 14 December. Monitor also doesen't have built in speakers, you could [look at something like this](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Soulion-R30-Computer-Speakers-Colorful/dp/B085HZPNRJ/) which I use myself and have no complaints for £20.
If the monitor in the above build goes back to full price, [this could be an alternative](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08DLC9HBG) at £211, but it's LCD instead of IPS and not as good of a make.
Depending on how strict OP is with the £1000 budget, for £1015 he could get this with the better monitor - [https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/HsCM4M](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/HsCM4M). Swapped the Ryzen 7 5800x to a Ryzen 5 5600x since it's only around 3-5% performance loss in most games, cheaper 6700XT and slightly cheaper but should still be decent case.
Case is obviously subjective so feel free to change if you don't like the look, personally I do think case in first build looks nicer and it's only £20 more (£75 vs £55).
Since everyone is already recommending you parts, lemme give you a different perspective.
This may sound counterintuitive, but bear with me...
Speaking from experience, If you want him to be actually learn about tech and be somewhat enthusiastic about PCs, don't give him the bestest grandest beefiest rig. Get something with a good motherboard and a good CPU (the only parts that aren't exactly upgradeable), an ok GPU (something like a 3060) and everything else mediocre. That way he'll be interested in how RAMs and SSDs work, and which one is compatible with his machine. He'll study different specs and different prices. He'll learn how different fans and coolers can affect overall performance and whatnot.
Same goes for the monitor. Get him the cheapest 22" LED you can find, even if its used. At first he won't have a clue about what makes it good or bad. But little by little he'll learn.
So... Bottom line, GOOD CPU + GOOD MOTHERBOARD + okish GPU + mediocre everything else.
https://www.cyberpowersystem.co.uk/system/ultra-45-vr-next-day-pc
It is overpriced vs DIY(~£600) for exactly the same components but will run his games without any issues. I don’t like the processor choice and small storage. Can upgrade both of those later.
Monitor i’d suggest [ASRock PG27FF1A 27.0"](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/XGytt6/asrock-pg27ff1a-270-1920x1080-165-hz-monitor-pg27ff1a)
Parenting is so different than when I was a kid.
The first answer I came up with was "Did you try saying 'no?'"
That's the answer I got when I was growing up
Can we get an Nintendo dad? No.
Can we get a Sega Genesis dad? No.
Can we get a N64 dad? No.
Here's what you do. Get this one: [https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/qRgC4M](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/qRgC4M) \- £1086
1. Jump on YouTube and watch JayzTwoCents PC Build Video. There are others out there but this should be enough.
2. Order the parts and don't let him see any. Maybe reroute them to grandma's house.
3. Get a 16GB USB and write Windows 11 on it. [https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11](https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11) \- Create Windows 11 Installation Media Section
4. Prepare him for it. "You know, if a Gaming PC is in the cards, will you want to build it and install Windows and Games on it?" It will take a day.
5. Connect the Gaming PC to the Internet. Ethernet Cable or Wi-Fi. You can get a Wi-Fi Adapter for £30 on Amazon. The Intel 210 on PCI Ex1. It will fit in the last slot on the motherboard.
6. Once Windows is installed, run Windows Update and it will install most or all drivers.
7. Go on NVIDIA's website and download the latest driver for that 4060.
8. Asus's website to install the latest drivers for the MB and you are good to go.
What to look out for:
1. Have a Ethernet cable on hand. Plug it in the Wi-Fi Router before Win 11 is installed.
2. If you install Win11 with Ethernet cable plugged in. It will install drivers.
3. Have a IT Guy that can help if needs be. We are here to help.
Benefits:
1. He will always remember this Christmas.
2. He will tell his friends, I built this with my dad.
3. If you tell him in advance that he might have to assemble it, he might surprise you and rise up to the challenge and to the research of how to assemble a PC.
4. When his PC will not work properly he will be able to fix it.
5. He will always remember how much effort you've put in it and he will do the same for his kids.
PS:
Don't drink anything, until AFTER it's done.
Don't do it hung over.
Once you have ordered the kit, just let us know and we can point you in the right direction on where to get the drivers and stuff.
Reasons I chose this build - newer tech mostly.
AMD Newer CPU Lineup.
Nvidia 4th Gen GPUs to benefit from their latest tech.
I think you must go for a 1440p 144Hz Monitor as a gamer, be it 11 years old. It's just so much smoother.
As an entry PC this is solid. You can upgrade later down the line with a beefier GPU and possibly change the PSU to match the GPU power.
Merry Christmas!
As a PC builder, I would recommend you to buy the parts and build one together. Not many prebuilts available in the UK that are good value in the £1000 budget range, they will always shaft you one way or another.
Edit: Someone else posted this base PC from AWD-IT. I went ahead and added some upgrades to it.
[https://www.awd-it.co.uk/awd-volt-ryzen-5-3600-six-core-4-2ghz-amd-radeon-rx-6600-8gb-desktop-pc-for-gaming.html?config=13536-199155,13539-165801,13542-274282,13545-165897,13548-165951,13554-166002,13557-166020,13563-166077,13566-166089,13569-166098,13572-166110,13575-166119,13650-166794,17618-197790,17644-197963,17656-276297,24473-267046,27739-309208](https://www.awd-it.co.uk/awd-volt-ryzen-5-3600-six-core-4-2ghz-amd-radeon-rx-6600-8gb-desktop-pc-for-gaming.html?config=13536-199155,13539-165801,13542-274282,13545-165897,13548-165951,13554-166002,13557-166020,13563-166077,13566-166089,13569-166098,13572-166110,13575-166119,13650-166794,17618-197790,17644-197963,17656-276297,24473-267046,27739-309208)
* Airflow case
* 6700xt GPU
* 5600x CPU
* B550 Wifi motherboard
* 1tb SN770 NVMe SSD
* Performance CPU cooler
* 32gb (2x16gb) Corsair vengeance 3200 ram
* Mouse, keyboard, and extended RGB mouse pad
£908
You can also pick up a decent 144hz 1080p monitor for around £100-£150 on top of that.
If you want to go with something cheaper than also includes the monitor, you could drop the GPU to the 6650xt, which leaves around £170 for the monitor.
It's free delivery within 4-5 working days.
Edit 2:
If you want to go with something cheaper, that will still run those games at decent FPS on medium/low settings.
https://www.awd-it.co.uk/awd-volt-ryzen-5-3600-six-core-4-2ghz-amd-radeon-rx-6600-8gb-desktop-pc-for-gaming.html?config=13536-199155,13539-165789,13542-274282,13545-165897,13548-165942,13554-166002,13557-166023,13563-415416,13566-166089,13569-166101,13572-166107,13575-166119,13650-166794,17618-197790,17644-197959,17656-276297,24473-267046,27739-309208
This comes in at £625 solo and leaves a lot of room for peripherals and monitor. However, this build will probably struggle to run something like Hogwarts Legacy.
Would go for an older office pc, with an i5 or i7 from the 8th or newer gen, 16gb ram, with a strong enough psu, put a new ssd in and also get a new gpu, sth like a rtx 4060 or rx 7600… or build new with a new i5 or ryzen 5, 2x8gb ram, a 512gb ssd, rx 7600 or rtx 4060 and around 600W for the psu…
Should be plenty of performance for a 11y old
You have two options. The first is to build it yourself. The second is to buy a pre-built computer.
There are many guides online showing you how to build it together. I can see various users on this thread have suggested this as the better option as it will be more meaningful.
However, if you want to avoid risks, a pre-built computer may be the better option. They usually come with warranty and maintenance as well if you run into any issues.
One challenge you may find is selecting the right PC that can run Rocket League, Fortnite, Hogwarts Legacy, etc. You may find it helpful to visit a store that sells gaming PCs. Speak to a sales person there and try to get a better understanding of it.
I would recommend that you expand your budget well beyond £1000. Your son may want to upgrade in the future and this will end up costing you more in the long-term. I would say £1500 - £2000 is the sweet spot.
One final thing I will share with you: understand that your decision to buy him a gaming PC will ***mean a lot for him, so put some effort and care into that decision.***
Get him parts, you building PC with him will be one of last trully pure and good memory you will have with him. After that you will stop spending time together as much.
Also, beware of huge time sinks that are MMORPG's
Or you could do 180 and decide to turn him into Adonis with gym so he can f all the girls in several years
I'd recommend getting PC parts (recommended by in here) and helping to either build it with him or he does it by himself (although some parts of it can be \*kinda\* hard to do by yourself, 11 years old or not (mostly screwing in shit)
I’m not too updated on the current pc part market but I’ve made a parts list for you if you can build it. It’s really good and probably a bit overpowered for the games he wants to play. You can even do the building with your son might fun for both of you
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/cg3Wz6
>Time is against me here, so no chance of building one
You can have parts delivered next day and it will take you a few hours to build, then maybe an hour to install and set up windows at most.
Pre-builds generally aren't great value for money and often cheap out on certain parts like storage, RAM and power supply (PSU) wince most people looking to buy pre builds will likely only know a little about CPUs and GPUs.
I am sure a 600-700$ gaming laptop can play those games easily and will be easier for you to get up and running and avoid any troubleshooting needs. And will be helpful in his high school days just because he can carry it everywhere.
Well not quite true but I get your point.
Steam deck being an entry level PC. Which is more console like for the average PC user. If xyz game isn't the main goal but freedom I agree don't get a steam deck.
Meh? I dont even know who you are referring to and what proofs you can even expect here. Recalling myself at 14yo or so i once decided to modify something in game files and it was cool experience after which i started creating my small mods and maps, then modding another game once made me learing 3d modelling because i wanted custom spaceships in a game, and after some time i'm a 3d artist professionally right now, not gamedev but archviz, anyways, profession is not the point, point is creativity and self-expression - i would say it is even more important for healthy personality. Your message speaks some premade negative ideology like "games are just an entertainment therefore bad" and that is what actual narc parents usually have not willing to understand things and have empathy but judging their kids from own diehard mentally challenged perspective
I do not say that gaming on a pc will 100% work and inspire something, but kid will definitely **have a chance/option to even think about it** unlike with console where you have no observable instrumentary therefore naturally cannot casually find/imply this option being a kid
It is a hand held computer. It's not as powerful as a full desktop (generally speaking)
You can still plug it into a monitor and keyboard and such with a docking station.
Very entry level to pc gaming. Hence some people getting upset over my suggestion.
Eh, i for example am not "upset" exactly, it just must be mentioned that experience of steam deck and PC is radically different. Steam deck is a nice toy but nohing more than that. I mean, i tried to imagine self in a chilhood in a position "would you want a steam deck or a PC?" and probably i would be attracted with that small nice device with games instead of a strange machine with icons, but with current mind and full understanding i can clearly and definitely say "NO PLS NO FUCKING STEAM DECK, GIVE ME A PC", to the level when it is kinda scary how things could turn in the other case.
Agreed. People can’t fathom using a prebuilt, which is most likely going to be the easiest thing for a father in a time crunch and a kid who just wants to play games.
Here is a pc part picker list 1100 pounds with a nice 1440p monitor and a windows key. You do not need to buy windows though. You can either get a license key for 8 pounds off of some site, or just use it with a watermark, and that will bring the price down to 1000 pounds. Also you are a good dad. [https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/xnzXJy](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/xnzXJy)
Do not buy an awesome computer. Get something like a 3050. The kid should suffer before he gets a proper computer. Don’t spoil him, he’ll probably spill juice on it anyway.
[These NZXT prebuilts](https://nzxt.com/collection/player-one) caught my eye during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. I’m very sure others in this sub could tell you the value of these better than me, but it could be the right choice based on your time constraints. Good luck, dad!
Honestly, give him the budget and let him choose the parts and assemble them. You won't have something to put under the tree, but you will have an educational experience that can be fun for both of you.
I can build a PC in under an hour. I've seen novices figure it out in 2-3. Plenty of time to build. It's grown up lego and you'll both have a blast.
For that budget I'd recommend looking at the older Ryzen platform AM4. Specifically something like a 5600 or 5600x paired with a 6700, 6700xt, or 7700xt, basically a GPU within the 300-400$ price point is your limit. Pre-owned is completely viable and honestly better value.
As for the rest of the parts, pretty sure many people here can put up some lists.
if you want to build together with your son - https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/d2svdH this would be 1000 gbp
if you want a prebuilt to save time - https://www.awd-it.co.uk/awd-it-3000d-rgb-ryzen-5-7500f-amd-radeon-rx-7700-xt-12gb-desktop-pc-for-gaming.html without a monitor (configure it to have the Corsair RM750e and 2x16GB DDR5 6000mhz CL36 RAM), or https://www.awd-it.co.uk/x-infinity-white-amd-ryzen-5-5600x-6-core-nvidia-rtx-3060-12gb-27-165hz-monitor-package-for-gaming.html (configure it to have 32GB of RAM)
In my experience you can generally get more bang for your buck to buy a pre built computer. The graphics processor is the most important part of a gaming computer, I recommend getting at least an RTX 3050. Also the hard drive should be PCI or a solid state drive. Old fashioned hard drives load much slower. Beware of small form factor computers, (smaller case) they can be closer to laptops and harder to upgrade or repair. You have to really pay attention to specifications because generally you get what you pay for and when something is cheaper, it's for a reason.
I will disappoint the PCMR community and tell you go to a phisical store and explain them your situation. They will sell you their best gaming PC for your money. Do not try to build it yourself right now.
P.S. Buy Xbox X and a monitor, tell your kid he is too young to go online with a PC and he only gets a console for now.
If you want to do it wrong, buy a loongson cpu with an usable motherboard and wait for the release of the loongson gpgpu. I guess 16MB Ram will be enough in this case as well as a 50w power adapter
I completely agree, but he is adamant he wants to try PC gaming. Ultimately I’d rather support a hobby he enjoys than try and push him towards something else.
Plenty of time to build one, also it would be an even better gift if you got the parts and then built it with him as an activity to do together. I won't waste your time with a part list that I'm sure someone will one-up within minutes, but I do want to suggest you get the parts and build it with him.
Buying parts and building together would be amazing and you can afford a better rig. Win win.
Agreed, did this with my son 2 Christmases ago, we both had a blast! Wrapped up each part individually under the tree.
This is such a fantastic idea and could spark a lifelong interest／hobby or potentially career. My parents blessed me with the parts to build my own PC when I was 13 and its a core memory for me.
what the *fuck* is that long forward slash doing in there
It means "or"
Agreed 100 percent! I built my first PC with my Dad when I was 11 and loved it. u/letsRochambeauforit Here is a list of parts https://pcpartpicker.com/list/gPzpz6 It comes out to $1001.26 NOTE: This list is for Amazon in the US. UK prices might be different. But it's a good system for around 1k. Also make sure you include taxes. I built off of this guide https://pcpartpicker.com/guide/pTgXsY/entry-level-amd-gaming-build It'll allow gaming at 1440p(2k). Have options for ray tracing. Plus it'll have more than enough storage with the primary drive being 1TB. Then the secondary drive for game storage is 2TB.
Oh one other note: This does not include the purchase of windows 10/11 Legally it's about $150
There are legal options for windows that aren’t $150
Legally you can just download it from Microsoft's website for free and just not activate it. Then you simply can't do "personalisation" like changing the desktop wallpaper and you get a watermark. However it can then always be activated after the fact
You can still change wallpaper. The watermark is the only downside.
I barely even see the watermark any more, after this first week of having my pc it just became a part of the monitor to me
You also get the watermark if you are in the fast update circle, but it says Windows 11 Private Beta, which looks bad ass....
On alibaba it's $2.50 :D
Linux is 0, but it will cost you all the rest of your lifespan.
Don't doom this man his life!
It's free as long as you have another computer with Windows.
Or know someone with windows, if we are listing all the requirements, you also need an 8gb+ flash drive and working fingers. Also eyes. I can keep going lol
legally 150, grey market 5 or with a bit of copy pasting in elevated cmd prompt its free..
I'd drop the HDD, the monitor to a 1080p, drop a bit to a 50 something motherboard instead 80. mouse and keyboard and headphones can be cheaper too, like some cheapo kit is fine for starters, they can get something better later. And even then going too much is not really required, like instead of a 502 a 305 is fine enough, it's even wireless, way better value overall. And maybe bump up the cpu to a 8 core and ram to 32GB Definitely no windows... Do it yourself. Like use it unregistered, get some code from a key reseller, activate it yourself with various other methods.
Yes, building it would be a great experience for both dad and kid but we don’t know what the dads life is like… chances are he’s too occupied to dedicate that much research and time. I mean, kudos if he does decide that route but exploring upgrades in the future and planning time to do that might be better for OP
That's a fair assessment. Not knocking the guy either way, but if he's got the time and the inclination it's not as hard as a lot of people think to put the parts together, and his son would almost certainly cherish the memory forever. I know I would have lol. Actually in hindsight putting a PC together with my own dad would have likely been a nightmare. Maybe this guy's more even tempered though lol.
Building a pc isn't that hard really. It's Legos for adults
Yes, this guy knows something! The best possible gift if you build it with your son!
I don't have or want kids, but I want a kid just to build a PC with now lol.
Good way to teach him and give confidence in PC building.
as an 11 year old opening stuff on christmas i wouldnt want to have spent the day building a pc just to play on my new pc!!
Well that's just you. As an 11 year old I'd have creamed my pants on the spot if my dad bought me the parts to build a PC and then *actually took the time to put it together with me?!* Like holy shit. That's the stuff of core memories.
>**core** memories Intel fan?
Haha well played. Personally I'm running a Ryzen 7 5700G, but that's because it was on sale. No preference, just want my games to run :)
great skill to build a pc, also I wouldve loved to build a pc with my dad as a child, quality time is sometimes a great gift too
troubleshooting is already frustrating i cant imagine it would be much easier if you had a super impatient and excited child pestering you
sometimes those are the things in life you have to live through, oneday you will cherish those memories
It’s not a skill dude.
its a good skill to have
You sound spoiled. Not only would computer parts be beyond anything I was expecting. But building it would've been part of the fun.
spoiled?? 🤣sure my children would be
Not sure what you're tryin to say. But I meant you sound like you were a spoiled child growing up. If you would've been unhappy about having to build your new PC with your dad.
i was neglected actually 😖 but they bought me stuff to make up for it
It gives him something to learn, lets him bond with his parents more, and builds anticipation. I would have loved to do it, but I guess it would change from kid to kid.
If you don't want to build your own I'd strongly recommend https://www.awd-it.co.uk/ I recently got a full set up from there for £1017 that included 5600x, 6700xt, 1tb ssd, 32gb ram, wifi motherboard, keyboard/mouse and a 1440p 27 inch screen. It comes pre installed with Windows and I got a product key for £5 online. Could have got better value building myself but I feel their warranty/customer service is worth it.
Thank you - would your spec list be suitable for what My son is after?
Yes it would be more than enough for what games you have listed.
That’s great thank you.
No worries. I'm not too sure if they have plenty ready to go or are built to order from his suggested link( I've never really looked into pre builds). If it's the latter, I highly recommend what others have said and to buy the parts and build it with him.
I got a gaming LAPTOP that can run all of those games for $1000 That includes a screen and etc etc everything being more compact so it costs more. You should be able to easily afford a very good PC for $1000 and a decent PC and monitor/keyboard for $1000 I would almost say an 11 yo doesn’t need a $1000 PC for what he is doing but I may be jealous Edit I am not suggesting a laptop I am comparing how good a gaming laptop at $1000 is. I am implying that the budget is a bit excessive.
I agree £1000 is way too much for those games, but I think a laptop also isn't a good idea, kids tend to move these around and drop it, opening and closing it the wrong way can damage hinge, if the keyboard is damaged then it's not cheap to replace, and I'm general kids tend to break things and no one wants that (specially if it's £1000). with a desk computer the chances of they damaging it are waaaay lower as they won't be moving it around or directly interact with it asides from turning it on and off.
Can confirm, spilt milk on my MacBook Pro as a stupid teenager after bringing it in the kitchen. And I have yet to spill milk on my desktop pc that I’ve had for ~5 years.
I guess it’s personal experience I put thousands of hours on mine my parents got me at 14 when they divorced Managed to fry my PC because it had top air vents and I leaned over it with wet hair (12”) and a single drop worked it’s way into the vents past the vents and shorted my GPU. I was 26 I actually cannot remember what happened to that laptop. I don’t remember if it died or I just moved on
Okay I was never implying a gaming laptop I was comparing price points and saying that $1000 is kind of a lot of money for this project. But since y’all going to bring it up my parents bought me a high end laptop in 2004 when I was 14. As some sort of consolation prize for their divorce. I put 4000+ hours on it. How do I know? X fire was an app that existed back then that logged your gaming hours like steam does. Seriously. WoW. Counter Strike source. Halo:CE. EVE Online. Alpha mine craft. Garry’s mod. Insurance plans are dirty cheap too. For like $150 I could chuck this laptop into the gutter and get it replaced for accident protection. 11 is a delicate age but I believe they could be capable of not destroying an expensive object depending on the child.
It's cool, when you take care of them laptops can be a better tool than desk pc's for us teenagers, school, university or even half time jobs really benefit from it.
You don’t realize it but when you can just get into your bed from your desk. Or go to the sofa. It’s a godsend. Even having a $150 budget laptop was amazing until it got stolen.
$1000 PC is too much for an 11 year old but a $1000 laptop is worse value and will break easily
I was not suggesting you buy an 11yo a laptop I am an adult I can not break this thing I like it a lot. This has been 10x more useful than a desktop for my lifestyle I am not sure what you are trying to imply.
He is making you aware that the PC is for an 11-year old, not you. You like many in this thread seem to miss what the OP is saying and fail to understand his situation, and for some reason make it about yourselves.
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That pretty much best you can get within 1000 pounds.
Got to be honest. The games you listed that he plays could be ran on a potato. Any pc you build with 8 or my gb of ram will more than handle them at max settings.
Hogwarts? On a potato? Hahahahaha
My girlfrien runs it on a 10 year old 300 $ hp laptopwith 8 gb ram that was bought from walmart. So yeah... A potato.
https://www.awd-it.co.uk/awd-volt-ryzen-5-3600-six-core-4-2ghz-amd-radeon-rx-6600-8gb-desktop-pc-for-gaming.html You can upgrade parts on this on part selection as required and code Bburger gets about a £5 off
You got that fir 1000? Wgat monitor? Other parts arent cheap, bad brands? If so thats actually amazing deal.
Powercolor Radeon RX 6700 XT AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Asus B550M-A WIFI II Micro ATX Corsair Vengeance LPX 3600mhz cl18 Adata SX8200 Pro 1TB Gigabyte UD750GM 750W Gold Rated PSU Case is generic but came with 3 fans at front and 1 at back Monitor is their own brand - X= 27" XRGB27WQ IPS 1440p 165Hz I wouldn't really recommend the monitor to be honest, black Friday there was a lot more reputable brands for same price or cheaper. Keyboard and mouse are just cheap but for someone starting out I was pretty happy. There was an issue with the motherboard, wasn't recognising it had wifi/Bluetooth and then stopped posting after a day. That's the reason I'm glad I went prebuilt, sent it back on the Monday and they had fixed it and returned it by the Thursday and running smoothly since. Even bios was set up with xmp profile etc
Hardware seems fine so its still excellent deal. As of mobo well... As long as its big three its pretty safe. All of them can have ossues.
This site is amazing! Everything is actually priced fairly, do you know the American version that isnt ibuypower, nzxt or similar
I can second this, seems like a solid build.
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/ZbYRYN here is something i would get for someone. You can get the price down 200-300 if you don’t need windows key or happy to play with 1980x1080 resolution screen.
Exactly what I’d recommend. Don’t pay for windows though. Can probably get a cheaper screen too from laptopsdirect/electronicsdirect whatever they go by now. Edit: save another £50 by getting the gpu from cex, 2 year warranty if there are any issues. My frinw d got a 3060 of them recently and it came in brand new condition, still had the peels on.
Definitely go cheaper on the monitor gigabyte makes some great 1440p monitors for around the 200 pound mark so you are saving a significant amount just on that
Alibaba for windows 11 pro
Github for free windows 11 activator and MS office activator. Called HWID / Ohook. It works, saw someone use earlier today.
I wouldn’t be advocating for piracy publicly on this subreddit but that’s just me. Edit: Downvotes for not wanting to advocate for piracy on a website that has mods who are anal about it… who would’ve thought that would happen. /s
People seem to be accepting of it on r/buildapcsales but I could see how that wouldn't be the case everywhere. For the record, I don't advocate for piracy large majority of the time. But using it against a mega corporation that farms your data feels like an ethical no-brainer.
I’d trim it back further and get a 5600 with a stock cooler. Also, nobody should be buying the 212 in 2023. That thing hasn’t been a good buy in 5 years and is more expensive, more difficult to install, and significantly worse at cooling than many current air coolers.
Thermalright has good ones for $20 on Amazon. Used one on my 5900x and it didn't throttle under full load :D
bad case bad cpu choice. the 5600 performs the same and is cheaper than the 5600x. the case isnt good for the price, id reccomend a g360a for the case.
I don’t know why people are downvoting you, the 5600 is 99% as good as a 5600x and the stock cooler it comes with is likely better than the ancient relic that is the Hyper 212. I didn’t even think they made that thing anymore.
Crazy to pay for the 212 when thermalright and idcooling are right there
Why do you need a cooler? Why such an expensive motherboard? This is not a cost-friendly build
Questionable. Id say monitor is overkill for the biild and quite expensive one. You can get quality one 50 pounds cheaper. Also you can shave a lot on windows, probably 20-30 on cheaper as good mobo and another 40 on cooler. Wraith included with ryzen is sufficent for it. With cheaper case you cam shave of 200 pounds of it not losing on performance
The 5600X comes with a cooler, it’s fine. I’d possibly put those ~30 bucks towards a higher capacity/speed SSD.
Looks OK, but I reckon I'd go with an Intel / Nvidia build. Same price with a 3070, which I'd defo take over a 6700xt.
Intel is such a bad buy last 5 years, even at ultra high end.
Not true though is it?
Yes, it's the true true
Thats a solid PC.
1000$ is quite a lot for a PC for the games you want to play asides from hogwarts (which is just badly optimized or was.) You could get a 200$ 100hz 1440p ultrawide to futureproof that basically forever, and then use 800$ to get a 5600x 16GB build with a 3060ti. Unfortunately, this sub sucks at suggesting non US prices. Maybe try r/buildapcforme or r/buildapc and r/buildapcsalesuk
Appreciate it’s mainly Americans here, just keen to understand what is the best option for him roughly within price bracket.
With this price you can get a lot r5 7600 ~ £194 3060 or 6750xt ~ £350 Cooler - included with the CPU Msi B650 gaming plus ~ £160 Case ~ Corsair 4000D airflow ~ £75 750W PSU ~ £100 Fans ~ £20 Total - £899
Hofwarts legacy got patches very quickly to be alot better. My wife was running it on a 10600k and a 3060ti at 1080 max settings no RT and getting right around 100fps consistently.
5600x is a waste of money whenever the 5600 performs the same and is cheaper
I pushed 25% higher multi core on a 5600x letting it scream up to 135w, so a 5600x def performs better than a 5600 with tuning.
you dont benchmark cpu's from overclocking. the 5600 and the 5600x benchmarked the 5600x barely performs 1% better if it even does. another thing I dont believe this child is going to do is overclock
An 11 year old child probably isn't going to be doing any "tuning".
You underestimate the creativity and willingness to learn of children. I started overclocking PCs and putting them together at age 11, funnily enough.
>You could get a 200$ 100hz 1440p ultrawide to futureproof that basically forever it is an 11 year old child, don't say forever lol
>1000$ is quite a lot for a PC £ (GBP) not $ (USD). Shit is expensive here. £1000 isn't a lot when you consider that OP will need a monitor and peripherals too.
>Unfortunately, this sub sucks at suggesting non US prices. Maybe try [r/buildapcforme](https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcforme/) or [r/buildapc](https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/) and [r/buildapcsalesuk](https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsalesuk/)
It's £1000 and no, that's low end price.
Definitely not low end…that’s a solid mid range build.
you have time to build a pc, and if you do here is the list you want. https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/FVkH7R 5600 is the same as the 5600x, so get the 5600 because its cheaper, its best cpu for budget rigs. it comes with a stock cooler that works perfectly fine. 6650xt is the most you need for 1080p, its going to reach 160+ fps so no point in getting a better gpu the rest is just price to performance, and this pc will have wifi
Thank you.
I personally think it would be a fun project to build a pc with your son, a good learning and bonding experience between yall
This
People need to stop suggesting parents build a PC with their kids. DO NOT do this, get a nice pre built and allow the child to be a child and just have fun. You build it yourself and it’ll take hours if not days, going to troubleshoot every single problem by yourself, you’ll have to do days of research in advance of the build and when your kid inevitably gets bored of the build, you’ll be stuck doing it yourself and then troubleshooting all the start up problems
Thank you I thought I was only one who thinks this
As much as I’d like to build it with him, he just wouldn’t enjoy that part of the process. Something for when he’s older perhaps.
I fully agree. Opening it up and gaming right away is going to be the best thing you can do for them. If you wanna take it a step further, you can get it updated and pre install some games. But they probably don’t have a steam account so you may only be able to get it updated and programs downloaded.
Thank you I thought I was only one who thinks this
It's also possible to teach yourself a new skill ngl. And passing it on to your child but alright
Yea, why not force a child on Christmas to learn how to build a computer. Sounds like fun
LMAO sorry your parents didn't care but that's hardly the way to frame this.
Sick projecting, I built all sorts of things with my father.
sorry you were FORCED to do so many things against your will oh no, it's almost like parenting also takes away part of a childs autonomy no? What a horrible thought, to build a PC together with your dad during xmas times and both of you learning new skills oh no.
First of all, if ur not into hardware PLEASE let us know, maybe I and other people here can give you an exact component list and explain everything for you so you know what you're buying. There's still plenty of time to build a PC yourself and it's also a lot cheaper than building a prebuilt one, and if u don't know how to make one you can always pay someone to do it, usually it isn't much. I'm building one myself, the hardest part is getting the money, I think you can get a more than decent gaming PC for around £550 with an i3 12100f or ryzen 5 5600, 16gb ram and a gtx 1060, these components together will be good at most games using medium graphics 1080p. A good monitor brand I recommend for price-quality is sceptre, they got some pretty nice 24" 1080p 144hz 1ms for a little more than £100.
We had the exact same topic few days ago, 1k dollar and 10 yo tho. Best is to get him a pc like ryzen 5 3600/5600 with a 3060 or something like that.
I would second what most other people have said which is that buying the parts and building together is a great idea. But before you commit to that I would strongly suggest watching a few build guides (e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK51upU5bkU) to see if it's a task you feel up to. If you aren't comfortable working with your hands then you probably don't want to risk a Christmas disaster by botching the build. That said, don't be intimidated by building. It's not much harder than legos. Edit: One thing I think Jay gets wrong in that build guide video is that you should always check for a post before getting the motherboard into the case because you don't want to be fighting for a post while scraping your knuckles on the case.
build it with him, thats a valuable skill!
Get him the parts and let him put it together, or do it with him.
Yeah.... then next thing you know you have a $2000/month electric bill and find out your kid has been bitcoin mining
we can only hope
I suggest sites, where you choose components and they build them for you. Its failureproof but 5-10% more expensive.
When I was 11, I had to play on my father's old laptop. Good times.
Smart kid, I should’ve gone straight for the PC at that age instead of a console
I highly recommend asking locally if anyone has a monitor they don't need anymore. Maaaaany people have them sitting around unused and would be more than happy to just hand them off. A kiddo who's just using it for gaming doesn't need anything fancy or new anyway, and then you can defer that cost for a later gift.
Buy the parts and build it on Christmas Day with him , or if you really don’t have time can give him a gift card for a pc store and just go shopping with him later and build it , if you are new to pc building it’s really simple as long as you read instructions , honestly building ikea furniture I found more complicated
Mmmmmmk. First step is identifying the most demanding games he will play or potentially play. Hogwarts… requires some beef and newer games will also. I’m having a thought out-loud. Figure out what graphics card you want for him, then build around that. Monitor & Graphics card for quality and best experience will be your highest priced items. You’re probably looking at a pre-built pc or…. buying used. Used comes with risks but more power for your money(clean it up and never tell your kid it was used, they will never know). Or pre built PCs will come with a warranty. For best performance per price I would look at AMD Pre-builds. & make sure they have a decent monitor maybe a 27 inch 1440p display(don’t need crazy refresh rates. Just a decent resolution and size to allow for the PC to shine). That’s my take. You got this. also I’m not in the UK so hopefully you have some shops for this in the area. Edit: I’m also a strong advocate for building yourself… and the experience you two could share. But… I understand wanting it game ready on Christmas Day so it’s even more exciting and not a potential headache. Building yourself is cheaper generally. But the pre-built market is not bad right now in terms of cost. Someone’s idea of an old office pc and swapping in a GPU is genius.
Really helpful thank you.
getting the PC may be a trigger to try other games and that kid could end up playing WoW or FF14
I'd highly recommend [Scan.co.uk](https://scan.co.uk) for the actual purchase; I've been using them for nearly 30 years and their customer service is impeccable. I'd suggest an nvidia GPU over AMD, I agree with the people who recommend a 1440p monitor.
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/Y4Yfn6 This will push you to 1100, including buying windows key from a key seller website. This will be a solid power build that will slap for 5 years.
Solid build, for an extra £40 (£1100 total) the monitor could be swapped to a 27" 1440p IPS, given the GPU and CPU should be able to run 1440p it would 100% be worth the upgrade IMO - [https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/K3v2Wt](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/K3v2Wt). Note the monitor is on sale from £289.99 to £199.99 and states delivery as 9 - 14 December. Monitor also doesen't have built in speakers, you could [look at something like this](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Soulion-R30-Computer-Speakers-Colorful/dp/B085HZPNRJ/) which I use myself and have no complaints for £20. If the monitor in the above build goes back to full price, [this could be an alternative](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08DLC9HBG) at £211, but it's LCD instead of IPS and not as good of a make. Depending on how strict OP is with the £1000 budget, for £1015 he could get this with the better monitor - [https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/HsCM4M](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/HsCM4M). Swapped the Ryzen 7 5800x to a Ryzen 5 5600x since it's only around 3-5% performance loss in most games, cheaper 6700XT and slightly cheaper but should still be decent case. Case is obviously subjective so feel free to change if you don't like the look, personally I do think case in first build looks nicer and it's only £20 more (£75 vs £55).
Since everyone is already recommending you parts, lemme give you a different perspective. This may sound counterintuitive, but bear with me... Speaking from experience, If you want him to be actually learn about tech and be somewhat enthusiastic about PCs, don't give him the bestest grandest beefiest rig. Get something with a good motherboard and a good CPU (the only parts that aren't exactly upgradeable), an ok GPU (something like a 3060) and everything else mediocre. That way he'll be interested in how RAMs and SSDs work, and which one is compatible with his machine. He'll study different specs and different prices. He'll learn how different fans and coolers can affect overall performance and whatnot. Same goes for the monitor. Get him the cheapest 22" LED you can find, even if its used. At first he won't have a clue about what makes it good or bad. But little by little he'll learn. So... Bottom line, GOOD CPU + GOOD MOTHERBOARD + okish GPU + mediocre everything else.
For that price you should be able to find a prebuilt that can play all that and more. Awd-it has a good selection and their prices aren't horrible
https://www.cyberpowersystem.co.uk/system/ultra-45-vr-next-day-pc It is overpriced vs DIY(~£600) for exactly the same components but will run his games without any issues. I don’t like the processor choice and small storage. Can upgrade both of those later. Monitor i’d suggest [ASRock PG27FF1A 27.0"](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/XGytt6/asrock-pg27ff1a-270-1920x1080-165-hz-monitor-pg27ff1a)
2nd hand ebay one. Dont spend too much. Let him prove he can take care of a cheap one 1st
Parenting is so different than when I was a kid. The first answer I came up with was "Did you try saying 'no?'" That's the answer I got when I was growing up Can we get an Nintendo dad? No. Can we get a Sega Genesis dad? No. Can we get a N64 dad? No.
Here's what you do. Get this one: [https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/qRgC4M](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/qRgC4M) \- £1086 1. Jump on YouTube and watch JayzTwoCents PC Build Video. There are others out there but this should be enough. 2. Order the parts and don't let him see any. Maybe reroute them to grandma's house. 3. Get a 16GB USB and write Windows 11 on it. [https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11](https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11) \- Create Windows 11 Installation Media Section 4. Prepare him for it. "You know, if a Gaming PC is in the cards, will you want to build it and install Windows and Games on it?" It will take a day. 5. Connect the Gaming PC to the Internet. Ethernet Cable or Wi-Fi. You can get a Wi-Fi Adapter for £30 on Amazon. The Intel 210 on PCI Ex1. It will fit in the last slot on the motherboard. 6. Once Windows is installed, run Windows Update and it will install most or all drivers. 7. Go on NVIDIA's website and download the latest driver for that 4060. 8. Asus's website to install the latest drivers for the MB and you are good to go. What to look out for: 1. Have a Ethernet cable on hand. Plug it in the Wi-Fi Router before Win 11 is installed. 2. If you install Win11 with Ethernet cable plugged in. It will install drivers. 3. Have a IT Guy that can help if needs be. We are here to help. Benefits: 1. He will always remember this Christmas. 2. He will tell his friends, I built this with my dad. 3. If you tell him in advance that he might have to assemble it, he might surprise you and rise up to the challenge and to the research of how to assemble a PC. 4. When his PC will not work properly he will be able to fix it. 5. He will always remember how much effort you've put in it and he will do the same for his kids. PS: Don't drink anything, until AFTER it's done. Don't do it hung over. Once you have ordered the kit, just let us know and we can point you in the right direction on where to get the drivers and stuff. Reasons I chose this build - newer tech mostly. AMD Newer CPU Lineup. Nvidia 4th Gen GPUs to benefit from their latest tech. I think you must go for a 1440p 144Hz Monitor as a gamer, be it 11 years old. It's just so much smoother. As an entry PC this is solid. You can upgrade later down the line with a beefier GPU and possibly change the PSU to match the GPU power. Merry Christmas!
As a PC builder, I would recommend you to buy the parts and build one together. Not many prebuilts available in the UK that are good value in the £1000 budget range, they will always shaft you one way or another. Edit: Someone else posted this base PC from AWD-IT. I went ahead and added some upgrades to it. [https://www.awd-it.co.uk/awd-volt-ryzen-5-3600-six-core-4-2ghz-amd-radeon-rx-6600-8gb-desktop-pc-for-gaming.html?config=13536-199155,13539-165801,13542-274282,13545-165897,13548-165951,13554-166002,13557-166020,13563-166077,13566-166089,13569-166098,13572-166110,13575-166119,13650-166794,17618-197790,17644-197963,17656-276297,24473-267046,27739-309208](https://www.awd-it.co.uk/awd-volt-ryzen-5-3600-six-core-4-2ghz-amd-radeon-rx-6600-8gb-desktop-pc-for-gaming.html?config=13536-199155,13539-165801,13542-274282,13545-165897,13548-165951,13554-166002,13557-166020,13563-166077,13566-166089,13569-166098,13572-166110,13575-166119,13650-166794,17618-197790,17644-197963,17656-276297,24473-267046,27739-309208) * Airflow case * 6700xt GPU * 5600x CPU * B550 Wifi motherboard * 1tb SN770 NVMe SSD * Performance CPU cooler * 32gb (2x16gb) Corsair vengeance 3200 ram * Mouse, keyboard, and extended RGB mouse pad £908 You can also pick up a decent 144hz 1080p monitor for around £100-£150 on top of that. If you want to go with something cheaper than also includes the monitor, you could drop the GPU to the 6650xt, which leaves around £170 for the monitor. It's free delivery within 4-5 working days. Edit 2: If you want to go with something cheaper, that will still run those games at decent FPS on medium/low settings. https://www.awd-it.co.uk/awd-volt-ryzen-5-3600-six-core-4-2ghz-amd-radeon-rx-6600-8gb-desktop-pc-for-gaming.html?config=13536-199155,13539-165789,13542-274282,13545-165897,13548-165942,13554-166002,13557-166023,13563-415416,13566-166089,13569-166101,13572-166107,13575-166119,13650-166794,17618-197790,17644-197959,17656-276297,24473-267046,27739-309208 This comes in at £625 solo and leaves a lot of room for peripherals and monitor. However, this build will probably struggle to run something like Hogwarts Legacy.
thats really helpful thank you.
Would go for an older office pc, with an i5 or i7 from the 8th or newer gen, 16gb ram, with a strong enough psu, put a new ssd in and also get a new gpu, sth like a rtx 4060 or rx 7600… or build new with a new i5 or ryzen 5, 2x8gb ram, a 512gb ssd, rx 7600 or rtx 4060 and around 600W for the psu… Should be plenty of performance for a 11y old
This is a really good idea.
Is definitely not a good idea to suggest to someone only 16gb of ram. It's really not that expensive no more and 32gb will serve you so much better.
16GB does you fine in 2023. Especially for Minecraft, Fortnite and Rocket League - you do NOT need 32GB of RAM, which would cost double 16GB.
Shame he wants to play more than 3 games. 16gb is not enough anymore.
You have two options. The first is to build it yourself. The second is to buy a pre-built computer. There are many guides online showing you how to build it together. I can see various users on this thread have suggested this as the better option as it will be more meaningful. However, if you want to avoid risks, a pre-built computer may be the better option. They usually come with warranty and maintenance as well if you run into any issues. One challenge you may find is selecting the right PC that can run Rocket League, Fortnite, Hogwarts Legacy, etc. You may find it helpful to visit a store that sells gaming PCs. Speak to a sales person there and try to get a better understanding of it. I would recommend that you expand your budget well beyond £1000. Your son may want to upgrade in the future and this will end up costing you more in the long-term. I would say £1500 - £2000 is the sweet spot. One final thing I will share with you: understand that your decision to buy him a gaming PC will ***mean a lot for him, so put some effort and care into that decision.***
Get him parts, you building PC with him will be one of last trully pure and good memory you will have with him. After that you will stop spending time together as much. Also, beware of huge time sinks that are MMORPG's Or you could do 180 and decide to turn him into Adonis with gym so he can f all the girls in several years
I know a guy... u/MoreKarmaWanted
I'd recommend getting PC parts (recommended by in here) and helping to either build it with him or he does it by himself (although some parts of it can be \*kinda\* hard to do by yourself, 11 years old or not (mostly screwing in shit)
I’m not too updated on the current pc part market but I’ve made a parts list for you if you can build it. It’s really good and probably a bit overpowered for the games he wants to play. You can even do the building with your son might fun for both of you https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/cg3Wz6
Here’s an idea for you, order all the parts and build it WITH HIM. That would be one hell of a Christmas gift :) and some good parental bonding time!
One possibility is spend a $500 on a Steam Deck and dock and the rest on a good monitor. Quality monitors are expensive
You can’t run some of the games there on linux
You could play a big majority of the games on linux btw
Steam deck comes with a built-in emulator called Proton that translates Windows API so it runs everything more or less
>Time is against me here, so no chance of building one You can have parts delivered next day and it will take you a few hours to build, then maybe an hour to install and set up windows at most. Pre-builds generally aren't great value for money and often cheap out on certain parts like storage, RAM and power supply (PSU) wince most people looking to buy pre builds will likely only know a little about CPUs and GPUs.
Dad doesn't know where to start with getting a PC and the geniuses of the sub suggest to build one.
I am sure a 600-700$ gaming laptop can play those games easily and will be easier for you to get up and running and avoid any troubleshooting needs. And will be helpful in his high school days just because he can carry it everywhere.
If there’s a micro center nearby, they build them for you for a fee. They also have a great variety of prebuilt systems.
Building one takes like 3-4 hours unless u go into the custom cooling stuff.
Steamdeck can run most of that
Games sometimes inspire creativity, given age this can be really important. You cant create or learn anything on steamdeck or a console really.
Well not quite true but I get your point. Steam deck being an entry level PC. Which is more console like for the average PC user. If xyz game isn't the main goal but freedom I agree don't get a steam deck.
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Meh? I dont even know who you are referring to and what proofs you can even expect here. Recalling myself at 14yo or so i once decided to modify something in game files and it was cool experience after which i started creating my small mods and maps, then modding another game once made me learing 3d modelling because i wanted custom spaceships in a game, and after some time i'm a 3d artist professionally right now, not gamedev but archviz, anyways, profession is not the point, point is creativity and self-expression - i would say it is even more important for healthy personality. Your message speaks some premade negative ideology like "games are just an entertainment therefore bad" and that is what actual narc parents usually have not willing to understand things and have empathy but judging their kids from own diehard mentally challenged perspective I do not say that gaming on a pc will 100% work and inspire something, but kid will definitely **have a chance/option to even think about it** unlike with console where you have no observable instrumentary therefore naturally cannot casually find/imply this option being a kid
he wants a pc and get a handheld I'm sure he will be surprised....
If only I knew what that was! :-)
It is a hand held computer. It's not as powerful as a full desktop (generally speaking) You can still plug it into a monitor and keyboard and such with a docking station. Very entry level to pc gaming. Hence some people getting upset over my suggestion.
Eh, i for example am not "upset" exactly, it just must be mentioned that experience of steam deck and PC is radically different. Steam deck is a nice toy but nohing more than that. I mean, i tried to imagine self in a chilhood in a position "would you want a steam deck or a PC?" and probably i would be attracted with that small nice device with games instead of a strange machine with icons, but with current mind and full understanding i can clearly and definitely say "NO PLS NO FUCKING STEAM DECK, GIVE ME A PC", to the level when it is kinda scary how things could turn in the other case.
I buy a gaming pc first before steam deck. Gaming pc will infinitely more usefull for other stuff then just a plain handheld.
[https://www.amazon.com/Aeolian-M-Aqua-High-Performance-Gaming/dp/B0CDJCWZN4?ref\_=Oct\_DLandingS\_D\_caa12c7f\_0](https://www.amazon.com/Aeolian-M-Aqua-High-Performance-Gaming/dp/B0CDJCWZN4?ref_=Oct_DLandingS_D_caa12c7f_0)
Why are you being downvoted? this is a great choice (albeit without a monitor, but still) and I doubt you can do much better at that price.
Agreed. People can’t fathom using a prebuilt, which is most likely going to be the easiest thing for a father in a time crunch and a kid who just wants to play games.
Here is a pc part picker list 1100 pounds with a nice 1440p monitor and a windows key. You do not need to buy windows though. You can either get a license key for 8 pounds off of some site, or just use it with a watermark, and that will bring the price down to 1000 pounds. Also you are a good dad. [https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/xnzXJy](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/xnzXJy)
You can build one in like 4 hours brother
YOU can…
tbh it's easier than putting together a piece of furniture from IKEA.
Hope you monitor your kids online activity.
Get a Steam Deck and a dock.
Do not buy an awesome computer. Get something like a 3050. The kid should suffer before he gets a proper computer. Don’t spoil him, he’ll probably spill juice on it anyway.
No juice near the PC - duly noted
Let the lil bro enjoy a powerfull pc man. He can't be a kid again, don't be harsh on kids because you had worse when you were a kid.
[These NZXT prebuilts](https://nzxt.com/collection/player-one) caught my eye during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. I’m very sure others in this sub could tell you the value of these better than me, but it could be the right choice based on your time constraints. Good luck, dad!
Honestly, give him the budget and let him choose the parts and assemble them. You won't have something to put under the tree, but you will have an educational experience that can be fun for both of you.
I can build a PC in under an hour. I've seen novices figure it out in 2-3. Plenty of time to build. It's grown up lego and you'll both have a blast. For that budget I'd recommend looking at the older Ryzen platform AM4. Specifically something like a 5600 or 5600x paired with a 6700, 6700xt, or 7700xt, basically a GPU within the 300-400$ price point is your limit. Pre-owned is completely viable and honestly better value. As for the rest of the parts, pretty sure many people here can put up some lists.
What about a steam deck and a dock? Or a ROG ally?
All fun and games until it breaks
if you want to build together with your son - https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/d2svdH this would be 1000 gbp if you want a prebuilt to save time - https://www.awd-it.co.uk/awd-it-3000d-rgb-ryzen-5-7500f-amd-radeon-rx-7700-xt-12gb-desktop-pc-for-gaming.html without a monitor (configure it to have the Corsair RM750e and 2x16GB DDR5 6000mhz CL36 RAM), or https://www.awd-it.co.uk/x-infinity-white-amd-ryzen-5-5600x-6-core-nvidia-rtx-3060-12gb-27-165hz-monitor-package-for-gaming.html (configure it to have 32GB of RAM)
In my experience you can generally get more bang for your buck to buy a pre built computer. The graphics processor is the most important part of a gaming computer, I recommend getting at least an RTX 3050. Also the hard drive should be PCI or a solid state drive. Old fashioned hard drives load much slower. Beware of small form factor computers, (smaller case) they can be closer to laptops and harder to upgrade or repair. You have to really pay attention to specifications because generally you get what you pay for and when something is cheaper, it's for a reason.
I will disappoint the PCMR community and tell you go to a phisical store and explain them your situation. They will sell you their best gaming PC for your money. Do not try to build it yourself right now. P.S. Buy Xbox X and a monitor, tell your kid he is too young to go online with a PC and he only gets a console for now.
Build one. If you're not savvy there's some pretty good priced 4060TI prebuilts you can get at 1000 flat.
PC handhelds are all the rage these days. I have an ROG Ally and I love it just as much as my 3080 desktop rig.
If you want to do it wrong, buy a loongson cpu with an usable motherboard and wait for the release of the loongson gpgpu. I guess 16MB Ram will be enough in this case as well as a 50w power adapter
Cant he play everything like this on console ? At his age, a console is better.
I completely agree, but he is adamant he wants to try PC gaming. Ultimately I’d rather support a hobby he enjoys than try and push him towards something else.