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PC Build Thread
posted in Hardware
3541
#3541
0 Frags +

hello all (hi setsul)

I am looking to buy a pc soon. I've been out of the game and a lot of this is new to me again, the last time I knew what I was doing was when the 3570k was still good. from a small amount of research i've come up with this build. I want to be able to easily clear tf2, apex, overwatch and similar games for 144 fps. any comments/suggestions appreciated. my budget is flexible but i'd like to keep the cost similar to what is listed.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/k8Q9wh

hello all (hi setsul)

I am looking to buy a pc soon. I've been out of the game and a lot of this is new to me again, the last time I knew what I was doing was when the 3570k was still good. from a small amount of research i've come up with this build. I want to be able to easily clear tf2, apex, overwatch and similar games for 144 fps. any comments/suggestions appreciated. my budget is flexible but i'd like to keep the cost similar to what is listed.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/k8Q9wh
3542
#3542
0 Frags +

Some 5700 xts seem to have had driver issues for months with flickering, black screens etc. Some cards seem to be unaffected though, and some driver versions are fine. Not saying you shouldnt buy it, but something to be mindful of.

imo this has a better cooler for essentially the same price:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/6kdrxr/gigabyte-radeon-rx-5700-xt-8-gb-gaming-oc-video-card-gv-r57xtgaming-oc-8gd

NVIDIA 2060 (super) cards have a better video encoder but less FPS in games and ray tracing cores for about the same price, so eh depends what is more important to you. Pretty sure new GPUs are coming (soonish?) - big navi, 'rtx 3000' - but these are 'rumors' of course.

I would get an inexpensive tower cooler for my CPU so it doesnt run hot and noisy all the time but it wont really affect performance much (maybe 50-250mhz if you PBO).

Some 5700 xts seem to have had driver issues for months with flickering, black screens etc. Some cards seem to be unaffected though, and some driver versions are fine. Not saying you shouldnt buy it, but something to be mindful of.

imo this has a better cooler for essentially the same price:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/6kdrxr/gigabyte-radeon-rx-5700-xt-8-gb-gaming-oc-video-card-gv-r57xtgaming-oc-8gd

NVIDIA 2060 (super) cards have a better video encoder but less FPS in games and ray tracing cores for about the same price, so eh depends what is more important to you. Pretty sure new GPUs are coming (soonish?) - big navi, 'rtx 3000' - but these are 'rumors' of course.

I would get an inexpensive tower cooler for my CPU so it doesnt run hot and noisy all the time but it wont really affect performance much (maybe 50-250mhz if you PBO).
3543
#3543
0 Frags +

thanks for posting, fake. i've incorporated your suggestions and switched to a more affordable ssd: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/9NjQK4

thanks for posting, fake. i've incorporated your suggestions and switched to a more affordable ssd: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/9NjQK4
3544
#3544
0 Frags +

#3542/3544
The cooler seems unnecessary unless you're trying to push the overclock very hard (in that case maybe consider the 3600X) or have some very strict noise level requirements. Even if you do want an "inexpensive" one like #3543 suggested that's more along to lines of 30$. So the upper end of inexpensive would be something like an H7 or the usual ETS-T40 suspects.
I also wouldn't do a complete 180 on the SSD. Yes, you definitely don't need one of the fastest NVMe SSDs but that doesn't mean you should go for one of the cheapest SATA SSDs. Something like a 660p should be much faster still at a fraction of the 970 Pro's price.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/2TYYRk

The RAM also isn't on the QVL but I can't be bothered to fix that right now.

In the games you've mentioned 6 cores/12 threads aren't really going to do a whole lot. If that's all you'll be using the pc for (at least all that's actually going to tax it) then getting a 9600K(F) and overclocking it (if you're willing to spend that much) or even just a 9350KF might be a better idea.

When do you plan on building it? As mentioned before new CPUs and GPUs are coming. Probably June for AMD, August for nVidia though (the big 10k$ HPC GPU in March again probably but we don't care about that) and technically Intel GPUs in March I think but considering the usual state of their drivers I wouldn't touch the first generation with a 10 foot pole.

#3542/3544
The cooler seems unnecessary unless you're trying to push the overclock very hard (in that case maybe consider the 3600X) or have some very strict noise level requirements. Even if you do want an "inexpensive" one like #3543 suggested that's more along to lines of 30$. So the upper end of inexpensive would be something like an H7 or the usual ETS-T40 suspects.
I also wouldn't do a complete 180 on the SSD. Yes, you definitely don't need one of the fastest NVMe SSDs but that doesn't mean you should go for one of the cheapest SATA SSDs. Something like a 660p should be much faster still at a fraction of the 970 Pro's price.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/2TYYRk

The RAM also isn't on the QVL but I can't be bothered to fix that right now.

In the games you've mentioned 6 cores/12 threads aren't really going to do a whole lot. If that's all you'll be using the pc for (at least all that's actually going to tax it) then getting a 9600K(F) and overclocking it (if you're willing to spend that much) or even just a 9350KF might be a better idea.

When do you plan on building it? As mentioned before new CPUs and GPUs are coming. Probably June for AMD, August for nVidia though (the big 10k$ HPC GPU in March again probably but we don't care about that) and technically Intel GPUs in March I think but considering the usual state of their drivers I wouldn't touch the first generation with a 10 foot pole.
3545
#3545
0 Frags +

thanks for the feedback. regarding the cpu I forgot to mention I do want to be stream capable with minimal in-game performance loss. I understand games typically only utilize 4 cores at once so I think your 9600kf suggestion is probably the better option for me because I do intend to OC as much as I can without liquid cooling.

I was planning on buying it within the next 2 weeks because I want to participate in the diabotical beta however I am willing to wait for the new stuff to come out if that means saving a good chunk of change. I have access to a game capable PC at work so I can use that in the meantime.

thanks for the feedback. regarding the cpu I forgot to mention I do want to be stream capable with minimal in-game performance loss. I understand games typically only utilize 4 cores at once so I think your 9600kf suggestion is probably the better option for me because I do intend to OC as much as I can without liquid cooling.

I was planning on buying it within the next 2 weeks because I want to participate in the diabotical beta however I am willing to wait for the new stuff to come out if that means saving a good chunk of change. I have access to a game capable PC at work so I can use that in the meantime.
3546
#3546
3 Frags +

Well if you want to stream then either more cores would make sense for CPU encoding or a 2060 for better GPU encoding.
Realistically unless you cheap out massively on the GPU to get 8 or even 12 cores CPU encoding isn't going to beat the Turing encoder. On top of that dedicated encoding hardware guarantees negligible performance loss since you're not stealing computing power from the game engine.
As much as it pains me to say it, considering Intel and nVidia's anti-consumer antics and pricing policy, a 2060 Super + 9600KF are the better option for you right now.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ZqxvDx

Lots of different options for the cooler, including the NH-D15. Pcpartpicker for some reason only lists the SE-AM4, which was obviously the AM4 version back when the "normal" NH-D15 didn't support AM4 yet, but claims it supports all Intel sockets as well. That's wrong, the current normal NH-D15 (not SE) is the one that supports all sockets so for an Intel socket you obviously want that one, not SE-AM4 leftovers that are only compatible with AM4. There's also the chromax.black version for 10$ more if you think the looks are worth it.

Could go higher with the RAM but we're already at the upper end of your budget range with a pretty good deal on a 2060 Super so I'll leave that up to you to adjust in the final partlist.

If you are willing to wait then yes, you'd probably save quite a bit since that is always the case. Not like it's going to halve the price but it could be 200$. On the other hand you're probably just going to get a better GPU in that case and save maybe 100$.
Anyway some information about what could/should be coming:
New Intel CPUs, max 10 cores which will push everything down a bit. Instead of 8 cores/16 threads, 8 cores/8 threads, 6c/6t, 4c/4t the new lineup will be 10c/20t, 8c/16t, 6c/12t, 4c/8t. So the price for 6 cores wouldn't change much and the frequency/performance uplift is marginal but the 9600K(F) should obviously become cheaper once there's a 10600K with twice the threads for the same price or you could get a 10350K (4c/8t) for 100$ less and not lose much compared to the 9600K(F).
New AMD GPUs may or may not be worth it if you want GPU encoding. Iirc the current Navi H265 encoder is already quite good but H264 just isn't quite there yet and twitch doesn't allow H265. Maybe with some more hardware upgrades and time for the driver to catch up the next Navi batch might actually be on the level of Maxwell/Pascal for H264 and a worthy replacement for CPU encoding. It's still almost guaranteed to be worse than Turing or even Ampere (next gen nVidia) but if it's good enough for streaming and better price/performance otherwise it could be interesting. This should be "big Navi" though, meaning the chip above the 5700 (XT). Could push prices down a bit for the 5700/2060 but unless you're looking to increase the budget in summer the new GPUs themselves will be out of your price range.
NVidia Ampere should just be about what you'd expect. Better than Turing but price accordingly unless AMD forces the prices down again (see 2060-2080 Super). We don't know which GPUs they'll release first and considering the full lineup usually takes almost a year it could be a while before the 2060's or maybe 2070's successors, the ones that are actually relevant to you, are released. The supers are fairly recent but the 2070 was the second to be released, a month after the 2080 so it should be one of the first to be replaced. On the other hand even a 2070 would be pushing it so if nVidia raises the prices once again like from 1070 to 2070 you couldn't afford a 3070. The 2060 is the most recent, not counting GTX 1600 and supers so that might take a while. Worst case if the price brackets are pushed up and you want the same performance as the 2060 at a lower price you might be looking at the successor to the GTX 1660 (Ti) which means no RT cores (although that might not matter) and an even later release date since the GTX 16 series is even more recent than the RTX 20.
Zen3 could be interesting though. With Intel still stagnating another 10-15% IPC and a bit higher clockrates might let it push past even overlocked Intel CPUs in games.

tl;dr
Most likely lower prices but you might end up with exactly the same parts, just cheaper.

Well if you want to stream then either more cores would make sense for CPU encoding or a 2060 for better GPU encoding.
Realistically unless you cheap out massively on the GPU to get 8 or even 12 cores CPU encoding isn't going to beat the Turing encoder. On top of that dedicated encoding hardware guarantees negligible performance loss since you're not stealing computing power from the game engine.
As much as it pains me to say it, considering Intel and nVidia's anti-consumer antics and pricing policy, a 2060 Super + 9600KF are the better option for you right now.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ZqxvDx

Lots of different options for the cooler, including the NH-D15. Pcpartpicker for some reason only lists the SE-AM4, which was obviously the AM4 version back when the "normal" NH-D15 didn't support AM4 yet, but claims it supports all Intel sockets as well. That's wrong, the current normal NH-D15 (not SE) is the one that supports all sockets so for an Intel socket you obviously want that one, not SE-AM4 leftovers that are only compatible with AM4. There's also the chromax.black version for 10$ more if you think the looks are worth it.

Could go higher with the RAM but we're already at the upper end of your budget range with a pretty good deal on a 2060 Super so I'll leave that up to you to adjust in the final partlist.


If you are willing to wait then yes, you'd probably save quite a bit since that is always the case. Not like it's going to halve the price but it could be 200$. On the other hand you're probably just going to get a better GPU in that case and save maybe 100$.
Anyway some information about what could/should be coming:
New Intel CPUs, max 10 cores which will push everything down a bit. Instead of 8 cores/16 threads, 8 cores/8 threads, 6c/6t, 4c/4t the new lineup will be 10c/20t, 8c/16t, 6c/12t, 4c/8t. So the price for 6 cores wouldn't change much and the frequency/performance uplift is marginal but the 9600K(F) should obviously become cheaper once there's a 10600K with twice the threads for the same price or you could get a 10350K (4c/8t) for 100$ less and not lose much compared to the 9600K(F).
New AMD GPUs may or may not be worth it if you want GPU encoding. Iirc the current Navi H265 encoder is already quite good but H264 just isn't quite there yet and twitch doesn't allow H265. Maybe with some more hardware upgrades and time for the driver to catch up the next Navi batch might actually be on the level of Maxwell/Pascal for H264 and a worthy replacement for CPU encoding. It's still almost guaranteed to be worse than Turing or even Ampere (next gen nVidia) but if it's good enough for streaming and better price/performance otherwise it could be interesting. This should be "big Navi" though, meaning the chip above the 5700 (XT). Could push prices down a bit for the 5700/2060 but unless you're looking to increase the budget in summer the new GPUs themselves will be out of your price range.
NVidia Ampere should just be about what you'd expect. Better than Turing but price accordingly unless AMD forces the prices down again (see 2060-2080 Super). We don't know which GPUs they'll release first and considering the full lineup usually takes almost a year it could be a while before the 2060's or maybe 2070's successors, the ones that are actually relevant to you, are released. The supers are fairly recent but the 2070 was the second to be released, a month after the 2080 so it should be one of the first to be replaced. On the other hand even a 2070 would be pushing it so if nVidia raises the prices once again like from 1070 to 2070 you couldn't afford a 3070. The 2060 is the most recent, not counting GTX 1600 and supers so that might take a while. Worst case if the price brackets are pushed up and you want the same performance as the 2060 at a lower price you might be looking at the successor to the GTX 1660 (Ti) which means no RT cores (although that might not matter) and an even later release date since the GTX 16 series is even more recent than the RTX 20.
Zen3 could be interesting though. With Intel still stagnating another 10-15% IPC and a bit higher clockrates might let it push past even overlocked Intel CPUs in games.

tl;dr
Most likely lower prices but you might end up with exactly the same parts, just cheaper.
3547
#3547
0 Frags +

so I just got a new management job, gunna be able to finance my first major gaming setup, been mostly working and playing on a 27inch imac from 2015, will probably still work on the imac but this setup should let me do some serious tf2/counterstrike streaming and be able to play comp for both with a good framerate. (plus play 2020 games and even VR half life) still deciding on a case. also getting some good soundgear, amplifier for headphones, external recording gear if I do work with consoles and a new monitor. plus a new headset (still rocking a logitech g933, also still got my M-Audio Producer USB condenser microphone, logitech g502 mouse (it is about 2 years old). For everything im getting, im paying about 160 a month.

Still just gotta go out and buy a bigger case for everything, plus I got a upgrade warranty for everything, so I can always put the old kit back together with the case it came with if something happens and get everything replaced and upgraded.

my question is should I overclock everything since I'm messing with the warranty and switching to a better case for cooling? I mean honestly I might as well get my moneys worth
Case : Fractal Define Nano S W
Processors : AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12-Core 3.8GHz (4.6GHz TurboBoost) w/
Thermal Compound
Motherboard : Gigabyte X570 I AORUS PRO WIFI
Memory : 32GB CORSAIR VENGEANCE 3200MHz (2x16GB)
System Cooling : ORIGIN FROSTBYTE 240 Sealed Liquid Cooling System
Case Fans : ORIGIN PC High-Performance Ultra Silent Fans
Graphics Cards : NVIDIA 11GB GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Founder's Edition
Operating System : MS Windows 10 Professional
Operating System Drive : CORSAIR 2TB MP600 Gen4
RAID : No RAID
Power Supply : CORSAIR 850X RMX SERIES PLUS GOLD PSU
Power Supply Sleeved Cable : No Sleeved Cable
The ORIGIN Difference : The Best Gaming Experience Guaranteed
ORIGIN Maximum Protection Shipping Process : ORIGIN Wooden Crate Armor
24/7 U.S Based Warranty : 3 Year Part Replacement with Free Shipping
Evolve Upgrade Service : 3yr Evolve Upgrade Service +$79
Free ORIGIN PC Peripheral : ORIGIN PC Mousepad
Free ORIGIN PC T-shirt : ORIGIN PC T-Shirt
Size : Medium
Keyboards : CORSAIR K68 Gaming Keyboard
Mouse : CORSAIR GLAIVE RGB Gaming Mouse — Black
Mouse Pad : CORSAIR MM500 Premium Anti-Fray Cloth Gaming Mouse Pad — Extended 3XL
Gaming Controllers : Microsoft Xbox One Wireless Controller
Webcam : C922 Pro Stream Webcam
Display : ASUS 27" ROG 165Hz PG278QR Monitor
External Optical Drive : 6x External Blu-Ray Writer
External Audio : Creative Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1 External USB
External Networking : ASUS USB-AC56 Dual-band Wireless-AC1300 USB 3.0
External Capture Cards : Elgato HD60 S
Headsets : Corsair Gaming HS60 Surround Headset, Carbon
Microphone : Blue Microphones Yeti - Blackout Edition
Speakers : Logitech THX-Certified Z906 5.1 Speaker System
Web Browser : Mozilla Firefox
Security Software : Webroot AntiVirus for PC Gamers
Productivity Software : Microsoft Office 2019 Home & Student (1PC/1User)
Apps : Steam (The Ultimate Online Game Platform)
Apps : Discord

I would buy everything outright, but I only really got 3500 saved up all together, and with the new job I got im making about 600 a week towards savings after I cut out what I need for rent and utility and car stuff.

I figure I can only abuse the warranty and just buy a really nice case separately for cheap, transfer everything over and the cooling parts and really get the moneys worth with the card. maybe even in the future even use the warranty and upgrade the cpu if it somehow overheats and gets ruined, or the water cooling breaks and fucks up the setup overall.

so I just got a new management job, gunna be able to finance my first major gaming setup, been mostly working and playing on a 27inch imac from 2015, will probably still work on the imac but this setup should let me do some serious tf2/counterstrike streaming and be able to play comp for both with a good framerate. (plus play 2020 games and even VR half life) still deciding on a case. also getting some good soundgear, amplifier for headphones, external recording gear if I do work with consoles and a new monitor. plus a new headset (still rocking a logitech g933, also still got my M-Audio Producer USB condenser microphone, logitech g502 mouse (it is about 2 years old). For everything im getting, im paying about 160 a month.

Still just gotta go out and buy a bigger case for everything, plus I got a upgrade warranty for everything, so I can always put the old kit back together with the case it came with if something happens and get everything replaced and upgraded.

my question is should I overclock everything since I'm messing with the warranty and switching to a better case for cooling? I mean honestly I might as well get my moneys worth
Case : Fractal Define Nano S W
Processors : AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12-Core 3.8GHz (4.6GHz TurboBoost) w/
Thermal Compound
Motherboard : Gigabyte X570 I AORUS PRO WIFI
Memory : 32GB CORSAIR VENGEANCE 3200MHz (2x16GB)
System Cooling : ORIGIN FROSTBYTE 240 Sealed Liquid Cooling System
Case Fans : ORIGIN PC High-Performance Ultra Silent Fans
Graphics Cards : NVIDIA 11GB GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Founder's Edition
Operating System : MS Windows 10 Professional
Operating System Drive : CORSAIR 2TB MP600 Gen4
RAID : No RAID
Power Supply : CORSAIR 850X RMX SERIES PLUS GOLD PSU
Power Supply Sleeved Cable : No Sleeved Cable
The ORIGIN Difference : The Best Gaming Experience Guaranteed
ORIGIN Maximum Protection Shipping Process : ORIGIN Wooden Crate Armor
24/7 U.S Based Warranty : 3 Year Part Replacement with Free Shipping
Evolve Upgrade Service : 3yr Evolve Upgrade Service +$79
Free ORIGIN PC Peripheral : ORIGIN PC Mousepad
Free ORIGIN PC T-shirt : ORIGIN PC T-Shirt
Size : Medium
Keyboards : CORSAIR K68 Gaming Keyboard
Mouse : CORSAIR GLAIVE RGB Gaming Mouse — Black
Mouse Pad : CORSAIR MM500 Premium Anti-Fray Cloth Gaming Mouse Pad — Extended 3XL
Gaming Controllers : Microsoft Xbox One Wireless Controller
Webcam : C922 Pro Stream Webcam
Display : ASUS 27" ROG 165Hz PG278QR Monitor
External Optical Drive : 6x External Blu-Ray Writer
External Audio : Creative Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1 External USB
External Networking : ASUS USB-AC56 Dual-band Wireless-AC1300 USB 3.0
External Capture Cards : Elgato HD60 S
Headsets : Corsair Gaming HS60 Surround Headset, Carbon
Microphone : Blue Microphones Yeti - Blackout Edition
Speakers : Logitech THX-Certified Z906 5.1 Speaker System
Web Browser : Mozilla Firefox
Security Software : Webroot AntiVirus for PC Gamers
Productivity Software : Microsoft Office 2019 Home & Student (1PC/1User)
Apps : Steam (The Ultimate Online Game Platform)
Apps : Discord

I would buy everything outright, but I only really got 3500 saved up all together, and with the new job I got im making about 600 a week towards savings after I cut out what I need for rent and utility and car stuff.

I figure I can only abuse the warranty and just buy a really nice case separately for cheap, transfer everything over and the cooling parts and really get the moneys worth with the card. maybe even in the future even use the warranty and upgrade the cpu if it somehow overheats and gets ruined, or the water cooling breaks and fucks up the setup overall.
3548
#3548
4 Frags +

I see a lot of Corsair and questionable decisions.

Before I can recommend anything I'll first have to figure out where you're actually going with this, so some questions in no particular order:
First of all 160 a month for how many months?
Why a mini-ITX case? You want to replace it with a bigger one anyway so why cripple your motherboard choice like that?
Why a 3900X? Considering the rest of the build this doesn't seem like a budget decision. If you do care about the cores why not go all the way and get a 3950X? If you don't a 3700X/3800X should be more than enough for games and significantly easier to cool especially when overclocked. Are you planning on using CPU encoding when streaming? Why not GPU encoding if you've got a 2080 Ti anyway?
Why go for a mediocre Aio liquid cooler at all if you're worried about it breaking?
Why choose a mobo with WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax then buy a worse external WiFi-Adapter with only 802.11a/b/g/n/ac? What's that supposed to do?
Why only 3200 MHz RAM? Considering the money you're throwing at everything else that's downright dissapointing.
Why a Founder's Edition? It's more expensive and worse in every single aspect than a card with a better cooler.
Why a 2TB MP600 but no HDD at all?
Why a 850W PSU for a 450W (still definitely <600W overclocked) build?
Why a headset and a microphone?
Why a headset with an external soundcard and another external soundcard on top of that?

I see a lot of Corsair and questionable decisions.

Before I can recommend anything I'll first have to figure out where you're actually going with this, so some questions in no particular order:
First of all 160 a month for how many months?
Why a mini-ITX case? You want to replace it with a bigger one anyway so why cripple your motherboard choice like that?
Why a 3900X? Considering the rest of the build this doesn't seem like a budget decision. If you do care about the cores why not go all the way and get a 3950X? If you don't a 3700X/3800X should be more than enough for games and significantly easier to cool especially when overclocked. Are you planning on using CPU encoding when streaming? Why not GPU encoding if you've got a 2080 Ti anyway?
Why go for a mediocre Aio liquid cooler at all if you're worried about it breaking?
Why choose a mobo with WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax then buy a worse external WiFi-Adapter with only 802.11a/b/g/n/ac? What's that supposed to do?
Why only 3200 MHz RAM? Considering the money you're throwing at everything else that's downright dissapointing.
Why a Founder's Edition? It's more expensive and worse in every single aspect than a card with a better cooler.
Why a 2TB MP600 but no HDD at all?
Why a 850W PSU for a 450W (still definitely <600W overclocked) build?
Why a headset and a microphone?
Why a headset with an external soundcard and another external soundcard on top of that?
3549
#3549
0 Frags +

He is using origin for a system builder i think. It is like 6k USD for all of that gear which is overpriced for what you are getting tbh. You should have a noctua cooler, a seasonic psu and 3600mhz memory for that price.

You should try build it yourself because origin are a bit overpriced. Also you mentioned moving it from 1 case to another so this wont be that much extra effort.

Also you cant really overclock Ryzen 1/2/3000 more than 150 mhz reliably. You can PBO and AutoOC, which allows the cpu to draw more power automatically basically, but thats it really. If you want to get into it, you can get into CCD and CCX overclocking, but that takes forever to do.
Best way to overclock ryzen is to get Samsung B-die ram modules and tighten the CAS timings as much as you can, starting with Ryzen DRAM calculator as a base. Buildzoid has some PBO and RAM overclocking videos on his youtube channel.

Get a decent gen 3 SSD and get either a high capacity drive or a NAS if you are going all out for storage. Gen4 ssds dont offer much extra other than it runs hotter for no apparent gain for most people.

If you want all out, you are probably gonna have to go custom water cooling because the 240mm CLCs are not good at all compared to a good noctua cooler in terms of noise and performance. You would only go for CLCs for the absorbing heat better when the CPU spikes when idle. But it's idle so it makes no difference at all to performance.

Also CLCs WILL fail eventually, so an NH-D15 is a good choice to go all out. It performs like 1 degree better than other dual tower coolers and it comes with fairly decent paste in the box.

You shouldnt cheap out on a case. Bad airflow can cause your system to run 10C hotter for no reason. Get decent fans that are as big as you can fit in a case, so you have the most airflow at the lowest audible noise.

Also you dont need a gamer antivirus. Windows defender is adequate for most people. Not that well versed in anti-viruses nowadays, but avoid avast and AVG. Malwarebytes always a good choice.

He is using origin for a system builder i think. It is like 6k USD for all of that gear which is overpriced for what you are getting tbh. You should have a noctua cooler, a seasonic psu and 3600mhz memory for that price.

You should try build it yourself because origin are a bit overpriced. Also you mentioned moving it from 1 case to another so this wont be that much extra effort.

Also you cant really overclock Ryzen 1/2/3000 more than 150 mhz reliably. You can PBO and AutoOC, which allows the cpu to draw more power automatically basically, but thats it really. If you want to get into it, you can get into CCD and CCX overclocking, but that takes forever to do.
Best way to overclock ryzen is to get Samsung B-die ram modules and tighten the CAS timings as much as you can, starting with Ryzen DRAM calculator as a base. Buildzoid has some PBO and RAM overclocking videos on his youtube channel.

Get a decent gen 3 SSD and get either a high capacity drive or a NAS if you are going all out for storage. Gen4 ssds dont offer much extra other than it runs hotter for no apparent gain for most people.

If you want all out, you are probably gonna have to go custom water cooling because the 240mm CLCs are not good at all compared to a good noctua cooler in terms of noise and performance. You would only go for CLCs for the absorbing heat better when the CPU spikes when idle. But it's idle so it makes no difference at all to performance.

Also CLCs WILL fail eventually, so an NH-D15 is a good choice to go all out. It performs like 1 degree better than other dual tower coolers and it comes with fairly decent paste in the box.

You shouldnt cheap out on a case. Bad airflow can cause your system to run 10C hotter for no reason. Get decent fans that are as big as you can fit in a case, so you have the most airflow at the lowest audible noise.

Also you dont need a gamer antivirus. Windows defender is adequate for most people. Not that well versed in anti-viruses nowadays, but avoid avast and AVG. Malwarebytes always a good choice.
3550
#3550
4 Frags +

I wouldn't buy by brand. Neither Noctua nor Seasonic are always the best choice nor is the RMx series bad. That's the one Corsair part in the whole build I don't dislike for being Corsair but rather because 850W are wholly unnecessary.

And yeah, I figured some of the choices (GPU, fans, cooler) are limitations of the website/builder but that doesn't explain half of the choices.

I'm also actively trying to ignore the existence of "AntiVirus for PC Gamers". Please don't make me remember.

I wouldn't buy by brand. Neither Noctua nor Seasonic are always the best choice nor is the RMx series bad. That's the one Corsair part in the whole build I don't dislike for being Corsair but rather because 850W are wholly unnecessary.

And yeah, I figured some of the choices (GPU, fans, cooler) are limitations of the website/builder but that doesn't explain half of the choices.

I'm also actively trying to ignore the existence of "AntiVirus for PC Gamers". Please don't make me remember.
3551
#3551
0 Frags +

ive been looking into building a small form factor pc but am unsure if i should go for an ITX or MATX mobo. my main goal is portability to take it with me to LAN and my cousins house as im there quite often.

my budget is around 1000 CAD and most likely will not be recycling parts from my old PC (i3-6100, rx470) because of how cost effective ryzen is, as well as the form factor concern/ram speed.

im leaning towards ryzen but any input is appreciated.

games wise i would mainly want to be able to play and stream tf2, csgo, and possibly the new diabotical game coming out @ high frames with a low quality graphics config (looking to maximize fps) and stream at 720p 60fps. I don't play many other mainstream titles but I would like to have the option to play them without fps issues. unsure about overclocking but as long as it doesn't make my computer too loud im all for it.

also not one for crazy aesthetics as long as the case isn't obnoxious looking and durable for travel. i believe fans would be best for this? am unsure about water-cooling but id also like my computer to not be loud as fuck like my old build is.

I'm looking to get the build ready at by the end of April as that's when uni ends for me, and when I'll have free time to game like a degenerate again.

ive been looking into building a small form factor pc but am unsure if i should go for an ITX or MATX mobo. my main goal is portability to take it with me to LAN and my cousins house as im there quite often.

my budget is around 1000 CAD and most likely will not be recycling parts from my old PC (i3-6100, rx470) because of how cost effective ryzen is, as well as the form factor concern/ram speed.

im leaning towards ryzen but any input is appreciated.

games wise i would mainly want to be able to play and stream tf2, csgo, and possibly the new diabotical game coming out @ high frames with a low quality graphics config (looking to maximize fps) and stream at 720p 60fps. I don't play many other mainstream titles but I would like to have the option to play them without fps issues. unsure about overclocking but as long as it doesn't make my computer too loud im all for it.

also not one for crazy aesthetics as long as the case isn't obnoxious looking and durable for travel. i believe fans would be best for this? am unsure about water-cooling but id also like my computer to not be loud as fuck like my old build is.

I'm looking to get the build ready at by the end of April as that's when uni ends for me, and when I'll have free time to game like a degenerate again.
3552
#3552
0 Frags +

Take a look at the size of µATX cases. Especially the smaller ones. Don't go mini-ITX unless you really have to to get the build as small is you want it.

I can see not reusing the mobo (and therefore the CPU) but unless you want to sell the old PC as is I'd at least consider reusing the GPU, HDD/SSD and PSU.

"Ryzen" is even less specific and useful than "i7". If you don't at least have a few specific models in mind and are aware of what the other options are this is the same as the old "I'll buy Intel because I like Intel, that's what my old pc uses". If you ever rule out half of your options because you've "heard good things" about the other half you need to take a step back and reconsider.

GPU or CPU encoding?
What are "high frames"?
What does playing other maintstream titles without fps issues mean? There's a difference between getting a GPU one step above what you strictly need and getting one that's three times as expensive because you 60 fps on max settings in every game.

Watercooling also uses fans. For travel size and weight should be your primary concern. There are cases that are quite pretty and very durable because they are a massive box of steel weighing 30 pounds but I wouldn't want to travel with one of those. With the exception of some cheap plastic front panels no case should just fall apart during travel. Any force that could actually break weaker cases would leave even the best ones quite scratched and banged up so you should avoid that either way.

Take a look at the size of µATX cases. Especially the smaller ones. Don't go mini-ITX unless you really have to to get the build as small is you want it.

I can see not reusing the mobo (and therefore the CPU) but unless you want to sell the old PC as is I'd at least consider reusing the GPU, HDD/SSD and PSU.

"Ryzen" is even less specific and useful than "i7". If you don't at least have a few specific models in mind and are aware of what the other options are this is the same as the old "I'll buy Intel because I like Intel, that's what my old pc uses". If you ever rule out half of your options because you've "heard good things" about the other half you need to take a step back and reconsider.

GPU or CPU encoding?
What are "high frames"?
What does playing other maintstream titles without fps issues mean? There's a difference between getting a GPU one step above what you strictly need and getting one that's three times as expensive because you 60 fps on max settings in every game.

Watercooling also uses fans. For travel size and weight should be your primary concern. There are cases that are quite pretty and very durable because they are a massive box of steel weighing 30 pounds but I wouldn't want to travel with one of those. With the exception of some cheap plastic front panels no case should just fall apart during travel. Any force that could actually break weaker cases would leave even the best ones quite scratched and banged up so you should avoid that either way.
3553
#3553
0 Frags +
SetsulI wouldn't buy by brand. Neither Noctua nor Seasonic are always the best choice nor is the RMx series bad. That's the one Corsair part in the whole build I don't dislike for being Corsair but rather because 850W are wholly unnecessary.

Generally I thought of those brands offering comparably more expensive parts which was why I mentioned them to highlight the cost of origin config. But yeah you're right.

indigosummer

What size are you looking for?

Are we talking like a Fractal Design Nano S or like a DanCases A4? Without a size limitation it's hard to know what stuff can fit in without problems. If you want as small as possible you want it like the DanCases A4, but you are going to need mini ITX motherboards, which isnt ideal for numerous reasons.

Have a browse through PC Partpicker's case selection. Some niche small cases might not be on there though but generally you can find something there, probably only looking at mini/micro atx type.
https://pcpartpicker.com/products/case/

Ryzen is pretty power efficient, but Intel can be just as power efficient too, maybe uses a bit more power.
A R5 3600 or 3700X are good choices for AMD because they are low TDP parts
Maybe you could get away with an i5 9600kf for Intel

but depending on the case you chose depends on the processor you can put in it because you need space to cool it.

I assume high frames means around 120fps and you are on a 1080p monitor.

You'll probably be fine with a 1660 SUPER or a 5500 XT if you just want 1080p low for all the games you play (or even the GPU you have now), but you need to be a bit more specific about what 'mainstream' titles you want to play and the settings you want, because that's a bit too vague for a solid choice.

[quote=Setsul]I wouldn't buy by brand. Neither Noctua nor Seasonic are always the best choice nor is the RMx series bad. That's the one Corsair part in the whole build I don't dislike for being Corsair but rather because 850W are wholly unnecessary.[/quote]

Generally I thought of those brands offering comparably more expensive parts which was why I mentioned them to highlight the cost of origin config. But yeah you're right.

[quote=indigosummer][/quote]
What size are you looking for?

Are we talking like a Fractal Design Nano S or like a DanCases A4? Without a size limitation it's hard to know what stuff can fit in without problems. If you want as small as possible you want it like the DanCases A4, but you are going to need mini ITX motherboards, which isnt ideal for numerous reasons.

Have a browse through PC Partpicker's case selection. Some niche small cases might not be on there though but generally you can find something there, probably only looking at mini/micro atx type.
https://pcpartpicker.com/products/case/

Ryzen is pretty power efficient, but Intel can be just as power efficient too, maybe uses a bit more power.
A R5 3600 or 3700X are good choices for AMD because they are low TDP parts
Maybe you could get away with an i5 9600kf for Intel

but depending on the case you chose depends on the processor you can put in it because you need space to cool it.

I assume high frames means around 120fps and you are on a 1080p monitor.

You'll probably be fine with a 1660 SUPER or a 5500 XT if you just want 1080p low for all the games you play (or even the GPU you have now), but you need to be a bit more specific about what 'mainstream' titles you want to play and the settings you want, because that's a bit too vague for a solid choice.
3554
#3554
0 Frags +
SetsulI can see not reusing the mobo (and therefore the CPU) but unless you want to sell the old PC as is I'd at least consider reusing the GPU, HDD/SSD and PSU.

I am most likely selling it to my brother, but I might keep my SSD and HDD, and possibly the GPU if he wants to replace it, if not I will be buying a new one.

Setsul"Ryzen" is even less specific and useful than "i7". If you don't at least have a few specific models in mind and are aware of what the other options are this is the same as the old "I'll buy Intel because I like Intel, that's what my old pc uses". If you ever rule out half of your options because you've "heard good things" about the other half you need to take a step back and reconsider.

I was leaning more towards the 2600/3600 ryzen cpu chips because more cores + more threads is more cost effective and for future proofing. I just don't see the point in staying intel unless they slash prices more. I also helped my cousin build his PC last year, and he is using the 2600 without any issues. Very good CPU for the price he spent on it, and he plays titles similar to me with the same constraints I'll mention later.

https://old.reddit.com/r/bapcsalescanada/comments/f9od9q/cpu_amd_ryzen_5_3600_27999_5200_22799_mikes/
https://old.reddit.com/r/bapcsalescanada/comments/f8n3m3/cpu_amd_ryzen_3600_6_core_22999_5_shipping/

The 3600 has gone on sale multiple times for ~235 CAD, another reason why I was looking to buy a ryzen cpu, I don't see many deals of intel cpus at the moment.

SetsulGPU or CPU encoding?
What are "high frames"?

If I were to reuse my old gpu I would use CPU encoding because I don't think my GPU can handle it, but I'm unsure if I will upgrade my GPU hence is why I neglected to mention it.

SetsulWhat does playing other maintstream titles without fps issues mean? There's a difference between getting a GPU one step above what you strictly need and getting one that's three times as expensive because you 60 fps on max settings in every game.

I am aiming for above ~144fps in tf2/counterstrike/quake with graphics configs and 60fps locked at medium quality for triple A titles like GTA or the witcher.

SetsulTake a look at the size of µATX cases. Especially the smaller ones. Don't go mini-ITX unless you really have to to get the build as small is you want it.

Just curious, why do you reccomend matx and not mini itx? ideally id want my cpu's footprint to be as small as possible to aid in transportation.

thank you for taking the time to respond to my questions, you really don't get enough praise for all the work you do for the tftv community.

[quote=Setsul]
I can see not reusing the mobo (and therefore the CPU) but unless you want to sell the old PC as is I'd at least consider reusing the GPU, HDD/SSD and PSU. [/quote]

I am most likely selling it to my brother, but I might keep my SSD and HDD, and possibly the GPU if he wants to replace it, if not I will be buying a new one.

[quote=Setsul]
"Ryzen" is even less specific and useful than "i7". If you don't at least have a few specific models in mind and are aware of what the other options are this is the same as the old "I'll buy Intel because I like Intel, that's what my old pc uses". If you ever rule out half of your options because you've "heard good things" about the other half you need to take a step back and reconsider. [/quote]

I was leaning more towards the 2600/3600 ryzen cpu chips because more cores + more threads is more cost effective and for future proofing. I just don't see the point in staying intel unless they slash prices more. I also helped my cousin build his PC last year, and he is using the 2600 without any issues. Very good CPU for the price he spent on it, and he plays titles similar to me with the same constraints I'll mention later.

https://old.reddit.com/r/bapcsalescanada/comments/f9od9q/cpu_amd_ryzen_5_3600_27999_5200_22799_mikes/
https://old.reddit.com/r/bapcsalescanada/comments/f8n3m3/cpu_amd_ryzen_3600_6_core_22999_5_shipping/

The 3600 has gone on sale multiple times for ~235 CAD, another reason why I was looking to buy a ryzen cpu, I don't see many deals of intel cpus at the moment.
[quote=Setsul]
GPU or CPU encoding?
What are "high frames"?
[/quote]

If I were to reuse my old gpu I would use CPU encoding because I don't think my GPU can handle it, but I'm unsure if I will upgrade my GPU hence is why I neglected to mention it.

[quote=Setsul]
What does playing other maintstream titles without fps issues mean? There's a difference between getting a GPU one step above what you strictly need and getting one that's three times as expensive because you 60 fps on max settings in every game.
[/quote]

I am aiming for above ~144fps in tf2/counterstrike/quake with graphics configs and 60fps locked at medium quality for triple A titles like GTA or the witcher.

[quote=Setsul]
Take a look at the size of µATX cases. Especially the smaller ones. Don't go mini-ITX unless you really have to to get the build as small is you want it.
[/quote]

Just curious, why do you reccomend matx and not mini itx? ideally id want my cpu's footprint to be as small as possible to aid in transportation.


thank you for taking the time to respond to my questions, you really don't get enough praise for all the work you do for the tftv community.
3555
#3555
2 Frags +

See, that already makes a difference for the budget.
There's obviously no reusing the PSU but we get some leeway to make the budget work if we're in a tight spot.

Well would you mind explaining how this "future proofing" works and why it's more cost effective? Because what you're actually doing is planning to buy a 3600 (please don't get a 2600 just because it "worked without any issues", that should be the bare minimum for any CPU and it's outdated now) because it's (significantly) cheaper although (not that much) slower in the games you'll play than a 9600K(F). The most cost-effective CPU would probably be a 50$ Pentium or Athlon. You're just looking for the best CPU at a price you're willing to pay. Don't get me wrong, you're on a budget so not wanting to pay 300 CAD for a 9600KF is perfectly reasonable, but that's got nothing to do with cost effectiveness. What applies to the 3600 in comparision with the 9600KF also applies to the 9350KF or 3400G in comparision to the 3600. You're trying to justify it as "future proofing" because "more threads = better" and surely one day there'll be a game where the 3600 beats the 9600KF therefore it must be the better CPU but really that's just lying to yourself.
In the end the 2600 worked well enough for your cousin so you'll buy a 3600 for yourself, ignoring all alternatives.
I mean right now the cheapest 9600KF costs 243.75$. https://www.shoprbc.com/ca/shop/product_details.php?pid=51813535
Now let's hear why a 3600 for 14.25$ less is that much better or more cost effective.
On top of that I want to see how your future proofing works out when the 10600K(F) with 12 threads is released in April or May.
And in the opposite direction why do you need 12 threads? I can see the point of 12 or even 16 threads if you go with CPU encoding and if you reuse the GPU you could definitely afford such a CPU, but if you don't? Beyond "more threads = better" and nebulous claims of future proofing what do you get out of a 3600 that a higher clocked quad core (with or without SMT) can't do better for less?

Well but that is the question isn't it? With GPU encoding you could drop down to a cheaper CPU, with CPU encoding and no cost for reusing the GPU it would make sense not to stop at 6 cores but maybe get a 3700X for that extra oomph.

That seems reasonable. Roughly how much more fps you want in AAA titles compared with your current RX 470 (assuming you're not CPU limited) would also work for a decent estimate of what you'll need GPU wise.
From what I know a 470 should already get you 60 fps in Witcher 3 and GTA V on medium settings.

Mini-ITX mobos are more expensive and rather limited.
Mobos are also flat so SSDs, HDDs and potentially the PSU are right above them in some cases (really most small cases do that) so the space isn't wasted. The volume taken up by the CPU cooler is entirely unaffected by the mobo beneath it. If you're not specifically going for a very tiny case swapping a µATX mobo for a mini-ITX one can be like shrinking Kansas. It's all well and good that the mini-ITX mobo is only 170mm instead of 244mm but the case isn't going to get any shorter if you also want to fit a 290mm GPU in there.

Case in point I do get praise for what I do. Personally I think the amount is perfectly adequate.

See, that already makes a difference for the budget.
There's obviously no reusing the PSU but we get some leeway to make the budget work if we're in a tight spot.

Well would you mind explaining how this "future proofing" works and why it's more cost effective? Because what you're actually doing is planning to buy a 3600 (please don't get a 2600 just because it "worked without any issues", that should be the bare minimum for any CPU and it's outdated now) because it's (significantly) cheaper although (not that much) slower in the games you'll play than a 9600K(F). The most cost-effective CPU would probably be a 50$ Pentium or Athlon. You're just looking for the best CPU at a price you're willing to pay. Don't get me wrong, you're on a budget so not wanting to pay 300 CAD for a 9600KF is perfectly reasonable, but that's got nothing to do with cost effectiveness. What applies to the 3600 in comparision with the 9600KF also applies to the 9350KF or 3400G in comparision to the 3600. You're trying to justify it as "future proofing" because "more threads = better" and surely one day there'll be a game where the 3600 beats the 9600KF therefore it must be the better CPU but really that's just lying to yourself.
In the end the 2600 worked well enough for your cousin so you'll buy a 3600 for yourself, ignoring all alternatives.
I mean right now the cheapest 9600KF costs 243.75$. https://www.shoprbc.com/ca/shop/product_details.php?pid=51813535
Now let's hear why a 3600 for 14.25$ less is that much better or more cost effective.
On top of that I want to see how your future proofing works out when the 10600K(F) with 12 threads is released in April or May.
And in the opposite direction why do you need 12 threads? I can see the point of 12 or even 16 threads if you go with CPU encoding and if you reuse the GPU you could definitely afford such a CPU, but if you don't? Beyond "more threads = better" and nebulous claims of future proofing what do you get out of a 3600 that a higher clocked quad core (with or without SMT) can't do better for less?

Well but that is the question isn't it? With GPU encoding you could drop down to a cheaper CPU, with CPU encoding and no cost for reusing the GPU it would make sense not to stop at 6 cores but maybe get a 3700X for that extra oomph.

That seems reasonable. Roughly how much more fps you want in AAA titles compared with your current RX 470 (assuming you're not CPU limited) would also work for a decent estimate of what you'll need GPU wise.
From what I know a 470 should already get you 60 fps in Witcher 3 and GTA V on medium settings.

Mini-ITX mobos are more expensive and rather limited.
Mobos are also flat so SSDs, HDDs and potentially the PSU are right above them in some cases (really most small cases do that) so the space isn't wasted. The volume taken up by the CPU cooler is entirely unaffected by the mobo beneath it. If you're not specifically going for a very tiny case swapping a µATX mobo for a mini-ITX one can be like shrinking Kansas. It's all well and good that the mini-ITX mobo is only 170mm instead of 244mm but the case isn't going to get any shorter if you also want to fit a 290mm GPU in there.

Case in point I do get praise for what I do. Personally I think the amount is perfectly adequate.
3556
#3556
0 Frags +

Thinking of buying these parts for using a daw and playing the newest games and tf2:
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/pbvsvW

Any issues with them? Time matters so what can arrive in the next couple of days is selected.

Thinking of buying these parts for using a daw and playing the newest games and tf2:
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/pbvsvW

Any issues with them? Time matters so what can arrive in the next couple of days is selected.
3557
#3557
0 Frags +
scrambledThinking of buying these parts for using a daw and playing the newest games and tf2:
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/pbvsvW

Any issues with them? Time matters so what can arrive in the next couple of days is selected.

You are cutting it close a bit with the power supply. Maybe a 550W just to be safe but it should be fine.

Not familiar with that board, but it doesnt look that good honestly. 2 Ram slots, 2 pcie slots, and a bad VRM. thats the one thing i would change 100%. I would get something more expensive like an ASRock B450 Pro4, as the one you have is pretty barebones/bad.

2400MHz RAM is 2015 levels of performance. You can get 3200MHz for a couple pounds more and it will be way faster, especially for Ryzen (you can raise the infinity fabric clock in the bios now but RAM speed/latency still matters)

Hyper 212 is good but it isnt the best thing out there. I always say Noctua NH-U14S because their mounting system and support are excellent, but Scythe Mugen coolers, Cryorig H7 and BeQuiet! pure rock are basically the same performance but cheaper. This will allow the CPU boost higher naturally or allow for some manual overclocking. Either way your pc runs faster.

Not everyone does this but i like to buy a fan or 2 for some better airflow for the GPU, CPU and VRM. Can lower CPU temps by a few degrees and makes the system quieter.

[quote=scrambled]Thinking of buying these parts for using a daw and playing the newest games and tf2:
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/pbvsvW

Any issues with them? Time matters so what can arrive in the next couple of days is selected.[/quote]

You are cutting it close a bit with the power supply. Maybe a 550W just to be safe but it should be fine.

Not familiar with that board, but it doesnt look that good honestly. 2 Ram slots, 2 pcie slots, and a bad VRM. thats the one thing i would change 100%. I would get something more expensive like an ASRock B450 Pro4, as the one you have is pretty barebones/bad.

2400MHz RAM is 2015 levels of performance. You can get 3200MHz for a couple pounds more and it will be way faster, especially for Ryzen (you can raise the infinity fabric clock in the bios now but RAM speed/latency still matters)

Hyper 212 is good but it isnt the best thing out there. I always say Noctua NH-U14S because their mounting system and support are excellent, but Scythe Mugen coolers, Cryorig H7 and BeQuiet! pure rock are basically the same performance but cheaper. This will allow the CPU boost higher naturally or allow for some manual overclocking. Either way your pc runs faster.

Not everyone does this but i like to buy a fan or 2 for some better airflow for the GPU, CPU and VRM. Can lower CPU temps by a few degrees and makes the system quieter.
3558
#3558
0 Frags +
Fake...

Thanks for your feedback :)

Updated: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/BFnXhg

Apparently the single core boost can push the cpu power draw way up so now have 550W psu, swapped out the ram and mobo for your suggestion. Kept the cooler because I'm really trying to save money as much as possible here.

[quote=Fake]...[/quote]
Thanks for your feedback :)

Updated: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/BFnXhg

Apparently the single core boost can push the cpu power draw way up so now have 550W psu, swapped out the ram and mobo for your suggestion. Kept the cooler because I'm really trying to save money as much as possible here.
3559
#3559
3 Frags +

Do you really need 32GB of RAM? That would be a nice way to save some money to put towards a better cooler or motherboard.

Do you really need 32GB of RAM? That would be a nice way to save some money to put towards a better cooler or motherboard.
3560
#3560
2 Frags +

Hey there I'm looking to spend a max of 1500 USD on my first PC build to upgrade from the ol' laptop. I'm considering the price of a monitor separately. The following list was made with the help of some friends and reading reviews so I'm hoping for second opinion(s).

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/XTrfhg

I don't intend to overclock anything unless you guys would recommend it I guess, I don't exactly mind learning how

I have the rest of the peripherals I would want and as marked in the pcpartpicker, some storage already on hand that I use as an external with my laptop right now.

I intend to use the PC to primarily play games like the witcher, Nier, skyrim, code vein, MHW, tf2, and other games that are hopefully similar in requirements. I don't need the highest settings in game(s), but I do want to make use of the 2k 144hz i plan to buy as much as possible.

I plan to stream tf2, and probably the single player games as well, as much as that's possible, but I won't call it a hard requirement.

appreciate it, and any opinions on the monitor as well.

Hey there I'm looking to spend a max of 1500 USD on my first PC build to upgrade from the ol' laptop. I'm considering the price of a monitor separately. The following list was made with the help of some friends and reading reviews so I'm hoping for second opinion(s).

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/XTrfhg

I don't intend to overclock anything unless you guys would recommend it I guess, I don't exactly mind learning how

I have the rest of the peripherals I would want and as marked in the pcpartpicker, some storage already on hand that I use as an external with my laptop right now.

I intend to use the PC to primarily play games like the witcher, Nier, skyrim, code vein, MHW, tf2, and other games that are hopefully similar in requirements. I don't need the highest settings in game(s), but I do want to make use of the 2k 144hz i plan to buy as much as possible.

I plan to stream tf2, and probably the single player games as well, as much as that's possible, but I won't call it a hard requirement.

appreciate it, and any opinions on the monitor as well.
3561
#3561
0 Frags +
_KermitDo you really need 32GB of RAM? That would be a nice way to save some money to put towards a better cooler or motherboard.

yeah, a daw uses crazy ram, if i could put more in i would

[quote=_Kermit]Do you really need 32GB of RAM? That would be a nice way to save some money to put towards a better cooler or motherboard.[/quote]
yeah, a daw uses crazy ram, if i could put more in i would
3562
#3562
1 Frags +

Hi all,

While everyone's stocking up on face masks and toilet paper, I'm doing the sensible thing and purchasing a new gaming PC to wait out the 14 day quarantine period if/when it happens.

My budget is preferably <$2500 AUD, with a max at <$3000 if need be.

Do you guys see any red flags with the below:
link

My plan is to still keep the GTX 1070 from my current PC, and upgrade at a later time if need be. I also plan to switch the power supply to the Corsair one with a 10 year warranty - as my power supply has died on both my previous builds.

My second option is to just go big with this one, (again, keeping my 1070, possibly lowering the RAM down to 16GB, plus ditching the fancy lighting to bring it roughly to the 3k mark, which was the upper end of my limit.

I use my PC daily, and will be planning on playing Doom Eternal and Cyberpunk when they release, plus TF2 on the side. My current PC is from 2015 (i7 4820k, OC'd to 4.3GHz) and have only upgraded the GPU in that time (GTX 760 - 1070). I'm still reasonably happy with how it runs, but think its time for a nice upgrade anyway.

So basically my questions are:
- Any red flags / improvements on the above builds?
- Is the i9 worth the price over the i7?
- I've been seeing replies of people suggesting the 3200MHz RAM, should I upgrade from the 3000MHz in these builds?
- Are these new GPU's worth the hype? I have been able to play all my games on MED-HIGH on my 1070, and am happy with the performance so far.

Thanks all.

Hi all,

While everyone's stocking up on face masks and toilet paper, I'm doing the sensible thing and purchasing a new gaming PC to wait out the 14 day quarantine period if/when it happens.

My budget is preferably <$2500 AUD, with a max at <$3000 if need be.

Do you guys see any red flags with the below:
[url=https://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Ready-to-Run-PCs/Gaming-PC/76491-SS-AORUS2080S]link[/url]

My plan is to still keep the GTX 1070 from my current PC, and upgrade at a later time if need be. I also plan to switch the power supply to the [url=https://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Power-Supplies/ATX/77958-CP-9020194-AU]Corsair one[/url] with a 10 year warranty - as my power supply has died on both my previous builds.

My second option is to just go big with [url=https://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Ready-to-Run-PCs/Gaming-PC/75200-SS-VENG2080TIEX]this one[/url], (again, keeping my 1070, possibly lowering the RAM down to 16GB, plus ditching the fancy lighting to bring it roughly to the 3k mark, which was the upper end of my limit.

I use my PC daily, and will be planning on playing Doom Eternal and Cyberpunk when they release, plus TF2 on the side. My current PC is from 2015 (i7 4820k, OC'd to 4.3GHz) and have only upgraded the GPU in that time (GTX 760 - 1070). I'm still reasonably happy with how it runs, but think its time for a nice upgrade anyway.

So basically my questions are:
- Any red flags / improvements on the above builds?
- Is the i9 worth the price over the i7?
- I've been seeing replies of people suggesting the 3200MHz RAM, should I upgrade from the 3000MHz in these builds?
- Are these new GPU's worth the hype? I have been able to play all my games on MED-HIGH on my 1070, and am happy with the performance so far.

Thanks all.
3563
#3563
0 Frags +

Hi. Since my brother is back home for about a month or so at least due to the quarantine, we've been thinking about playing some online games together, but only my own pc is capable of running them smoothly.
Our father dug out an old prebuilt he had at his office that I was thinking could possibly be upgraded a bit for cheap to be able to run games like Apex, Overwatch and TF2 smoothly at 1080p60 (on low settings if necessary). Ideally we would like to keep the expenses under 250-300 euros overall. We already have peripherals.
The prebuilt itself is the following : ASUS K31CD-FR118T (CPU and RAM aside it's awful yes). Since it's an old model, if you can't find a specs sheet let me know and I'll try to find or make one myself.
The main points to me seemed to be the following : a GPU upgrade would be necessary (I was thinking RX 580 8G or GTX 1650 Super which are priced similarly) but would probably be too much for the 300W PSU, and maybe one more stick of RAM and/or an SSD could be useful, although I'd prefer not to have to reinstall Windows since our father has a lot of stuff stored or installed on this PC that he'd rather not have to move to external storage or reinstall on short notice.
Do you see any additional modifications I should consider ? Do the aforementioned seem reasonable to you ? I haven't yet looked at component size constraints.

Thanks in advance !

Hi. Since my brother is back home for about a month or so at least due to the quarantine, we've been thinking about playing some online games together, but only my own pc is capable of running them smoothly.
Our father dug out an old prebuilt he had at his office that I was thinking could possibly be upgraded a bit for cheap to be able to run games like Apex, Overwatch and TF2 smoothly at 1080p60 (on low settings if necessary). Ideally we would like to keep the expenses under 250-300 euros overall. We already have peripherals.
The prebuilt itself is the following : ASUS K31CD-FR118T (CPU and RAM aside it's awful yes). Since it's an old model, if you can't find a specs sheet let me know and I'll try to find or make one myself.
The main points to me seemed to be the following : a GPU upgrade would be necessary (I was thinking RX 580 8G or GTX 1650 Super which are priced similarly) but would probably be too much for the 300W PSU, and maybe one more stick of RAM and/or an SSD could be useful, although I'd prefer not to have to reinstall Windows since our father has a lot of stuff stored or installed on this PC that he'd rather not have to move to external storage or reinstall on short notice.
Do you see any additional modifications I should consider ? Do the aforementioned seem reasonable to you ? I haven't yet looked at component size constraints.

Thanks in advance !
3564
#3564
5 Frags +

#3559
Could still do better on the mobo and PSU. Is there a budget?
The cheapest cooler is the stock cooler. Unless you're going to overclock hard or want a particularly silent build it'll do. If you do want either of those the 212 Evo and cheaping out on the cooler in general are questionable.

#3561
Nothing obviously wrong.
NH-D15 might be overkill.
Not sure which part of the bait-and-switch-cycle of "good CX, bad CX" that particular CXM is.

CPU or GPU encoding for the streaming?
Haven't looked at the monitor yet. Hard to tell if it's what you want beyond being a 2k 144Hz monitor when that's the only requirement I've got to work with.

#3563
None of that is worth the price/hype if you're already happy with the performance you're getting. There is no improvement to be had. You're upgrading for the sake of upgrading, just to get rid of 3000$.
Everything is only getting faster/cheaper so why would you upgrade before you need to?

#3564
Long text. Looks interesting/complicated. Might require thinking. Sleep now. Thinking tomorrow.

EDIT:
Yeah, upgrading to dual channel should be fairly cheap even if it doesn't do that much and most of those games should be fine even with 8GB, so I'd do it if it's still within budget.
SSD seems unecessary, nice for loading times but not worth the effort, especially considering this isn't going to be a long term situation. If you do have one lying around or can afford it you can just use it as a second drive for the games. Should still speed up loading and it's not like that PC will be rebooted that often so shortening the wait for something that happens once a day isn't a priority. No need to reinstall windows.

GPU seems reasonable.
An aftermarket/factory overclocked 580 can easily draw over 200W so I'd say that's a hard no. It might technically be less than 300W total but with spikes, +5V rail and the cheap 300W OEM PSUs being what they are I wouldn't expect it to cope well with that.
1650S with just 100W TBP should actually be doable and most of them should be a bit short as well, so higher chance of finding one that actually fits inside the case. Check the PSU first though. If it's one of those terrible ancient leftovers with just 150W on the +12V rail and >100W on the +5V rail it's not going to work. Also check if it even got a PCIe 6-pin power connector.

#3559
Could still do better on the mobo and PSU. Is there a budget?
The cheapest cooler is the stock cooler. Unless you're going to overclock hard or want a particularly silent build it'll do. If you do want either of those the 212 Evo and cheaping out on the cooler in general are questionable.

#3561
Nothing obviously wrong.
NH-D15 might be overkill.
Not sure which part of the bait-and-switch-cycle of "good CX, bad CX" that particular CXM is.

CPU or GPU encoding for the streaming?
Haven't looked at the monitor yet. Hard to tell if it's what you want beyond being a 2k 144Hz monitor when that's the only requirement I've got to work with.

#3563
None of that is worth the price/hype if you're already happy with the performance you're getting. There is no improvement to be had. You're upgrading for the sake of upgrading, just to get rid of 3000$.
Everything is only getting faster/cheaper so why would you upgrade before you need to?

#3564
Long text. Looks interesting/complicated. Might require thinking. Sleep now. Thinking tomorrow.

EDIT:
Yeah, upgrading to dual channel should be fairly cheap even if it doesn't do that much and most of those games should be fine even with 8GB, so I'd do it if it's still within budget.
SSD seems unecessary, nice for loading times but not worth the effort, especially considering this isn't going to be a long term situation. If you do have one lying around or can afford it you can just use it as a second drive for the games. Should still speed up loading and it's not like that PC will be rebooted that often so shortening the wait for something that happens once a day isn't a priority. No need to reinstall windows.

GPU seems reasonable.
An aftermarket/factory overclocked 580 can easily draw over 200W so I'd say that's a hard no. It might technically be less than 300W total but with spikes, +5V rail and the cheap 300W OEM PSUs being what they are I wouldn't expect it to cope well with that.
1650S with just 100W TBP should actually be doable and most of them should be a bit short as well, so higher chance of finding one that actually fits inside the case. Check the PSU first though. If it's one of those terrible ancient leftovers with just 150W on the +12V rail and >100W on the +5V rail it's not going to work. Also check if it even got a PCIe 6-pin power connector.
3565
#3565
0 Frags +

I can say with some certainty that the PSU on that doesnt have a 6PIN. Adapters are kind of sketchy, so I would instead go for the 75W 1650, which will work 100% with no extra cables needed. You would need a molex or SATA power to 6pin adapter if you wanted the 1650 Super.

The CPU upgrades make no sense honestly. The CPUs are overpriced on the used market and unless you want to gamble on a skylake xeon, which i wouldnt, the best you could hope for that is probably a 6700 or maybe if you update the bios a 7700, because your cooler is probably the horrible stock Intel cooler. You probably will gain more performance getting dual channel memory.

Windows 10 hates hard drives. It runs soooo slowly with a hard drive, to the point that i think an SSD in 2020 is a necessity. You can reuse the SSD in another system also so I think you should get a cheap WD Green or something.

I can say with some certainty that the PSU on that doesnt have a 6PIN. Adapters are kind of sketchy, so I would instead go for the 75W 1650, which will work 100% with no extra cables needed. You would need a molex or SATA power to 6pin adapter if you wanted the 1650 Super.

The CPU upgrades make no sense honestly. The CPUs are overpriced on the used market and unless you want to gamble on a skylake xeon, which i wouldnt, the best you could hope for that is probably a 6700 or maybe if you update the bios a 7700, because your cooler is probably the horrible stock Intel cooler. You probably will gain more performance getting dual channel memory.

Windows 10 hates hard drives. It runs soooo slowly with a hard drive, to the point that i think an SSD in 2020 is a necessity. You can reuse the SSD in another system also so I think you should get a cheap WD Green or something.
3566
#3566
1 Frags +

Nope, there's plenty 1650 with a 6 pin.

Did I miss something about a CPU upgrade? Don't think he wrote anything about that. Not like he needs it anyway.

And what would be slow without an SSD? These upgrades are mostly about fps and an SSD won't affect that.
Also how does reusing the SSD in another system help when his problem is that he doesn't want to reinstall windows?

Nope, there's plenty 1650 with a 6 pin.

Did I miss something about a CPU upgrade? Don't think he wrote anything about that. Not like he needs it anyway.

And what would be slow without an SSD? These upgrades are mostly about fps and an SSD won't affect that.
Also how does reusing the SSD in another system help when his problem is that he doesn't want to reinstall windows?
3567
#3567
0 Frags +
Setsul

I didnt know some had a 6pin. Just assumed because it was a 75W card it would use 75Wish of PCIe power. Should have known to say that because some 1050s had PCIe power, woops.

https://fr.pcpartpicker.com/products/video-card/#c=443&Q=0
All of those dont require external power and dont need any cables. Pretty sure they will all fit in that case.

I just threw the CPU upgrade in there in case he was thinking about it. Pretty pointless to upgrade that to anything more.

From using a HDD on Windows 10, and i dont know if its the services, MSRT, updates or what but it was unreasonably slow, like opening explorer/programs, searching and stuff like that would take 15-20 seconds.
I thought it wouldnt be unreasonable to have a separate "gaming" drive and then he still keeps all the data+programs on the Hard Drive and its still bootable.

That may become annoying if they want to use some of the programs on the other drive that needs a license key to work, so they would have to boot into the other drive - but I didnt think of that >_>. And I doubt he wants to image the drive onto an SSD. I just hate using Hard Drives on windows 10. No FPS gains, but I still felt it was important to say.

[quote=Setsul][/quote]
I didnt know some had a 6pin. Just assumed because it was a 75W card it would use 75Wish of PCIe power. Should have known to say that because some 1050s had PCIe power, woops.

https://fr.pcpartpicker.com/products/video-card/#c=443&Q=0
All of those dont require external power and dont need any cables. Pretty sure they will all fit in that case.

I just threw the CPU upgrade in there in case he was thinking about it. Pretty pointless to upgrade that to anything more.

From using a HDD on Windows 10, and i dont know if its the services, MSRT, updates or what but it was unreasonably slow, like opening explorer/programs, searching and stuff like that would take 15-20 seconds.
I thought it wouldnt be unreasonable to have a separate "gaming" drive and then he still keeps all the data+programs on the Hard Drive and its still bootable.

That may become annoying if they want to use some of the programs on the other drive that needs a license key to work, so they would have to boot into the other drive - but I didnt think of that >_>. And I doubt he wants to image the drive onto an SSD. I just hate using Hard Drives on windows 10. No FPS gains, but I still felt it was important to say.
3568
#3568
0 Frags +
Setsul#3561
Nothing obviously wrong.
NH-D15 might be overkill.
Not sure which part of the bait-and-switch-cycle of "good CX, bad CX" that particular CXM is.

CPU or GPU encoding for the streaming?
Haven't looked at the monitor yet. Hard to tell if it's what you want beyond being a 2k 144Hz monitor when that's the only requirement I've got to work with.

NH-D15 might be overkill but i'm willing to work with it.
Could you elaborate a bit on what this good CX bad CX business means? The reviews seem fine as far as i can tell.
I'm under the assumption gpu encoding is easier on the system, especially so for tf2, so I guess that.
Crossing my fingers on the monitor then, people seem to say generally good things

[quote=Setsul]
#3561
Nothing obviously wrong.
NH-D15 might be overkill.
Not sure which part of the bait-and-switch-cycle of "good CX, bad CX" that particular CXM is.

CPU or GPU encoding for the streaming?
Haven't looked at the monitor yet. Hard to tell if it's what you want beyond being a 2k 144Hz monitor when that's the only requirement I've got to work with.
[/quote]

NH-D15 might be overkill but i'm willing to work with it.
Could you elaborate a bit on what this good CX bad CX business means? The reviews seem fine as far as i can tell.
I'm under the assumption gpu encoding is easier on the system, especially so for tf2, so I guess that.
Crossing my fingers on the monitor then, people seem to say generally good things
3569
#3569
2 Frags +

Multiple different PSUs with the same name, sometimes even the same part number. Sent out review samples of the good version, switch production to cheaper model 2 years later, keep the name, keep the price, coast on the good reviews.
It's more of a problem with CX rather than CXM though, but pcp mislabeling things always makes it more interesting than it should be. For me the main issue is that 69$ is a lot for a 80+ Bronze semi-modular budget PSU especially while there's not one but two actually really good 80+ Gold fully-modular PSUs on sale.
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/v6qBD3/evga-supernova-ga-550-w-80-gold-certified-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-220-ga-0550-x1
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/bqVD4D/corsair-rmx-2018-550w-80-gold-certified-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-cp-9020177-na

Monitor depends on what you're looking for exactly. You're not going to get a monitor that does everything perfectly (e.g. colours vs response time), any extra features you don't use cost extra assuming it at least got all of the features you do want to use.
If you do want a 27" 1440p 144Hz TN panel with G-Sync there's nothing wrong with that one apart from being a bit expensive than the competition.

Multiple different PSUs with the same name, sometimes even the same part number. Sent out review samples of the good version, switch production to cheaper model 2 years later, keep the name, keep the price, coast on the good reviews.
It's more of a problem with CX rather than CXM though, but pcp mislabeling things always makes it more interesting than it should be. For me the main issue is that 69$ is a lot for a 80+ Bronze semi-modular budget PSU especially while there's not one but two actually really good 80+ Gold fully-modular PSUs on sale.
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/v6qBD3/evga-supernova-ga-550-w-80-gold-certified-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-220-ga-0550-x1
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/bqVD4D/corsair-rmx-2018-550w-80-gold-certified-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-cp-9020177-na

Monitor depends on what you're looking for exactly. You're not going to get a monitor that does everything perfectly (e.g. colours vs response time), any extra features you don't use cost extra assuming it at least got all of the features you do want to use.
If you do want a 27" 1440p 144Hz TN panel with G-Sync there's nothing wrong with that one apart from being a bit expensive than the competition.
3570
#3570
0 Frags +

Yo, looking to buy a pc as I've moved abroad and don't have one. I'll basically use it to play TF2 (and probably stream a bit) and probably some AAA games with friends/games like Bannerlord if it ever comes out (but mostly Tf2). If a more portable or smaller case would work, that would be cool cause I may have to move apartments at some point, though I'm probably too shit at building to effectively manage a small case.

I've made a build on Partpicker and it would be good if someone could have a look and suggest any areas it can be improved ( more efficient, unnecessary stuff, cheaper options etc). I may have gone OTT on stuff like the GPU and power for all I know. I want that CPU so I built from there.

https://es.pcpartpicker.com/user/Stylax/saved/#view=sgwmkL

Any help much appreciated.

Yo, looking to buy a pc as I've moved abroad and don't have one. I'll basically use it to play TF2 (and probably stream a bit) and probably some AAA games with friends/games like Bannerlord if it ever comes out (but mostly Tf2). If a more portable or smaller case would work, that would be cool cause I may have to move apartments at some point, though I'm probably too shit at building to effectively manage a small case.

I've made a build on Partpicker and it would be good if someone could have a look and suggest any areas it can be improved ( more efficient, unnecessary stuff, cheaper options etc). I may have gone OTT on stuff like the GPU and power for all I know. I want that CPU so I built from there.

https://es.pcpartpicker.com/user/Stylax/saved/#view=sgwmkL

Any help much appreciated.
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