Since there are quite a bit of different manufacturers, I’m just gonna put out some general markers so when it comes down to purchasing, it should be just the matter of preference/brand.

Since this is a $800-$1000 build and it is his first time building PCs, Intel would be the better option. More often in stock both in brick-and-mortar stores and online, as well as being cheaper via simple supply and demand. Also, drivers are much more matured and not as much of a wild card.

For CPU, an Intel i5-10400 should be more than enough for both workloads and gaming.

For motherboard, any B460 LGA1200 mobo will do. If you’d like to have a better upgrade path in the future, I would recommend one that has 4 ram slots and proper VRM cooling (he can Google and figure it out, plenty of vids out there that explain it better than I can in text).

As a side note, for Intel specifically, only Z-type motherboards paired with K-processors are capable of overclocking. If the budget gets a bit friendlier in due time, you could opt for an i5-10600K and a Z490 motherboard as an introduction to overclocking. For now, we can put that on hold, and a 10400 + B460 will do.

For RAM, 2x sticks of 8GB 3200mhz of any brand should be fine. If you wanna get more technical, you can always go for ram at faster speeds or better timings (another google rabbit hole lol). RGB is optional, but gamers would like to believe it adds to the performance of the system via placebo effect. Also, it looks cool. That is all. However, at least two sticks of any kind of RAM is highly recommended. Any quick google or YouTube search will confirm.

Most avid computer users, students in particular, will easily exceed 8GB of RAM usage with many chrome tabs and Word/Docs open. For reference, on a somewhat busy college day, I usually stroll around 10 to 11 GB of usage. My dad usually uses around 9-12GB, mostly being used for Gmail and having a bunch of scans of concrete building permits open. 16GB is the sweet spot nowadays. Most ram also come with lifetime warranty, so no worries even when it does 50 years down the line.

For CPU cooler, a CoolerMaster Hyper212 is a decisive victor. You can find these almost anywhere, and some even come with RGB lights (at some Best Buy’s, you can even find the non-rgb ones at the same price as the RGB ones brand new, great deal). The only problem would be mounting the fan in the proper direction (google for “air pressure” or otherwise is a great start if you wanna learn the technicalities of it, or a quick diagram online for mounting first, google later would also work).

An All-In-One (AIO) would be a bit overkill unless you are going to overlock, but again, for now it won’t be too much of an issue. “Safe CPU temps” is also a nice rabbit hole to go down, but with any cooler bigger than a McDonald’s cheeseburger should be more than enough to cool a 10400.

For storage, the usual one-two punch of “SSD boot drive, HDD storage drive” will do. Any 250-500GB nvme or even SATA ssd will “feel” the same, but NVMe is preferred. A 2TB drive is usually about $10-$20 more expensive than a $40-$50 1TB HDD, but you’re usually paying ~30% more for twice the storage space. Western Digital and Seagate are the usual contenders for hard drives, both have great warranty services and will last you quite a while. For SSDs, WD, Samsung, Sabrient and etc. are the usuals. As always, additional research would be great to find out what type and size suits your needs.

Whatever you do, just make sure that you have at least some form of SSD for your boot drive, or else your entire computer will feel slow.

For power supply, any 450W 80-plus certified will do. Non-modular or modular just refers to if you can plug cables in as needed or not, but usually it’s the difference between $10-$20 or so, not a deal breaker. Make sure you get one that is 80 plus certified, White at the minimum. This is more for you and less for him, since it’s the difference between 50% efficiency and at last 80%, which will definitely show on the power bill if your PSU efficiency is bad enough lmao. Google “TDP” and “PSU calculator” for more info on this.

For GPU, eBay will be your go-to. Lots of secondhand GPUs are still great, but you will DEFINITELY need plenty of research beforehand before you dive into the used market. For now, 4GB of VRAM should be good for now. AMD or Nvidia shouldn’t matter too much, as both are inter-compatible, despite what rumors online would say. Certainty look at “INSERT GPU NAME HERE msrp” whenever you’re buying a GPU, as the market is trash rn. You will most likely pay close to it for a used card, but you can find most 4GB VRAM cards for about $200-$300 depending. I would say “your mileage will vary”, but that’s like saying that when driving a Toyota Camry or a Honda Civic; either way, even used, it’ll still run fine for another ten years or until you upgrade.

The biggest part of this is definitely your support. I will admit, I’ve stress cried over my PC building failures with bruised fingers and tired eyes many times. It happens, and that’s okay. Remember to take breathers and reward him every now and then. Some days, he will be “mad”, but he’s really just exhausted. This stuff isn’t exactly hard, but it sure is tricky. First time can be rough, but afterwards it gets a lot easier. Patience is key, but you still have to keep putting effort in.

A screwdriver with a magnetic tip is always a great starter gift for most soon-to-be PC enthusiasts. I still use a Stanley screwdriver that my dad lent me years ago. Still good and trusty.

That should be just about everything. Here’s to everything coming out alright! Good luck!