Advice For My First Gaming PC

[Gojen]

Hello,

 

I apologize if this is the wrong place to post this, but I am looking into building a Gaming PC in the next few months and figured this would be a great place to optimize the picking of my parts. 

 

Budget: $1200-$1500 range 

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ZLBY27 

 

I am heavily considering looking into a different monitor in the $300 range as well. Trying to aim for 27" 1440p flat.

[Mateyyy]

I'd suggest swapping out the PSU for a Corsair RM550x, as it's about the same price while being much better in terms of quality, and also going for the slightly more expensive Sabrent Rocket, as you'll want to avoid QLC SSDs if it'll be the only drive in your system.

Other than that, it looks like a solid build.

 

Edit: I had mistaken the PSU for the older Earthwatts model, this new one looks good so you can stick to it.

Edited March 15, 2020 by Mateyyy

[tdkid]

you are going to have to choose a different power supply as the 5700 XT requires 2 PCIe power cables and the power supply only has 1 spot open. I would go for a different company like EVGA, corsair, cooler master or a few others that have higher wattage PSU and more modular designs.

[Gojen]

1 hour ago, Mateyyy said:

I'd suggest swapping out the PSU for a Corsair RM550x, as it's about the same price while being much better in terms of quality, and also going for the slightly more expensive Sabrent Rocket, as you'll want to avoid QLC SSDs if it'll be the only drive in your system.

Other than that, it looks like a solid build.

 

Edit: I had mistaken the PSU for the older Earthwatts model, this new one looks good so you can stick to it.

Thanks for the advice. Just trying to save every penny I can for the best possible build in my price range haha.

 

Do you think the Crucial P1 1 tb is worthy? https://pcpartpicker.com/product/pxKcCJ/crucial-p1-1tb-m2-2280-solid-state-drive-ct1000p1ssd8

[Gojen]

1 hour ago, tdkid said:

you are going to have to choose a different power supply as the 5700 XT requires 2 PCIe power cables and the power supply only has 1 spot open. I would go for a different company like EVGA, corsair, cooler master or a few others that have higher wattage PSU and more modular designs.

PCPartpicker says the psu should be just fine for the 5700 xt. You sure? 

[tdkid]

22 minutes ago, Gojen said:

PCPartpicker says the psu should be just fine for the 5700 xt. You sure? 

yes I am sure. it may have enough power rating to do it but the 5700 xt is a 2 power point connector card in which 2 cables have to be connected to the PSU in order for it to work. I am trying to find a youtube video that will explain this better than I can but all I am finding so far are the people talking about the design of the GPU and not actually the power requirements for it.

 

best I could do is a pic. 

Edited March 16, 2020 by tdkid
new info

[actually-light]

55 minutes ago, tdkid said:

best I could do is a pic.

That picture seems to show a single cable with 2 pcie connecters on one end, not two cables. PC part picker also says that the PSU has 4 6+2 pcie connectors?

 

3 hours ago, Gojen said:

I am heavily considering looking into a different monitor in the $300 range as well. Trying to aim for 27" 1440p flat.

I got a refurbished 27" 1440p/144hz ViewSonic ips for like $215. Amazon doesn't have any refurbished at the moment, but you can get it new for $300

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VJJXDBX/ref=dp_cr_wdg_tit_nw_mr

I don't game much, but as far as I can tell it's a pretty great monitor for the price. Only issue I had is the stand it comes with isn't height adjustable, but it is vesa compatible.

[tdkid]

2 minutes ago, actually-light said:

That picture seems to show a single cable with 2 pcie connecters on one end, not two cables. PC part picker also says that the PSU has 4 6+2 pcie connectors?

 

I got a refurbished 27" 1440p/144hz ViewSonic ips for like $215. Amazon doesn't have any refurbished at the moment, but you can get it new for $300

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VJJXDBX/ref=dp_cr_wdg_tit_nw_mr

I don't game much, but as far as I can tell it's a pretty great monitor for the price. Only issue I had is the stand it comes with isn't height adjustable, but it is vesa compatible.

well yes but look at the thickness of that cable. it was one of the only pics I was able to find it. and it does come with 4 6+2 pcie connectors but it doesn't show you other photos of the PSU. https://www.amazon.com/Antec-EarthWatts-Cooling-Modular-Warranty/dp/B077G9V84S

 

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=amd+radeon+5700+xt+psu+connectors&&view=detail&mid=44E1F1D429FA46B8755044E1F1D429FA46B87550&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Damd%2Bradeon%2B5700%2Bxt%2Bpsu%2Bconnectors%26FORM%3DHDRSC3

 

[Gojen]

21 minutes ago, actually-light said:

That picture seems to show a single cable with 2 pcie connecters on one end, not two cables. PC part picker also says that the PSU has 4 6+2 pcie connectors?

 

I got a refurbished 27" 1440p/144hz ViewSonic ips for like $215. Amazon doesn't have any refurbished at the moment, but you can get it new for $300

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VJJXDBX/ref=dp_cr_wdg_tit_nw_mr

I don't game much, but as far as I can tell it's a pretty great monitor for the price. Only issue I had is the stand it comes with isn't height adjustable, but it is vesa compatible.

That monitor seems perfect for my budget. Thanks!

[Gojen]

12 minutes ago, tdkid said:

well yes but look at the thickness of that cable. it was one of the only pics I was able to find it. and it does come with 4 6+2 pcie connectors but it doesn't show you other photos of the PSU. https://www.amazon.com/Antec-EarthWatts-Cooling-Modular-Warranty/dp/B077G9V84S

 

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=amd+radeon+5700+xt+psu+connectors&&view=detail&mid=44E1F1D429FA46B8755044E1F1D429FA46B87550&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Damd%2Bradeon%2B5700%2Bxt%2Bpsu%2Bconnectors%26FORM%3DHDRSC3

 

I may just play it safe a fork over a few more dollars for a different psu. Thanks for the help.

[actually-light]

13 minutes ago, tdkid said:

well yes but look at the thickness of that cable. it was one of the only pics I was able to find it. and it does come with 4 6+2 pcie connectors but it doesn't show you other photos of the PSU. https://www.amazon.com/Antec-EarthWatts-Cooling-Modular-Warranty/dp/B077G9V84S

 

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=amd+radeon+5700+xt+psu+connectors&&view=detail&mid=44E1F1D429FA46B8755044E1F1D429FA46B87550&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Damd%2Bradeon%2B5700%2Bxt%2Bpsu%2Bconnectors%26FORM%3DHDRSC3

 

So while there's only one visible pcie connection on the PSU, this review of the 750w version says that it has another non-removable cable, so there's at minimum two cables.

 

It'd be really weird if a modern consumer 650w PSU was unable to power a mid-range GPU

[tdkid]

1 minute ago, actually-light said:

So while there's only one visible pcie connection on the PSU, this review of the 750w version says that it has another non-removable cable, so there's at minimum two cables.

 

It'd be really weird if a modern consumer 650w PSU was unable to power a mid-range GPU

seeing the pics I did, I am betting that non removable cable goes to the motherboard.

 

and it might be built today but its far from modern. with only 1 PCIe slot and 3 SATA/molex ports, it will not allow for anything more than a micro ATX board and 500 series GPU by the looks of it.

[tdkid]

6 minutes ago, Gojen said:

I may just play it safe a fork over a few more dollars for a different psu. Thanks for the help.

I would look into ones that have a gold or better rating from companies like EVGA, corsair, cooler master and a few others. anything bronze or silver would best be avoided as they don't have the efficiency rating to make them good PSUs

[actually-light]

23 minutes ago, tdkid said:

seeing the pics I did, I am betting that non removable cable goes to the motherboard.

 

and it might be built today but its far from modern. with only 1 PCIe slot and 3 SATA/molex ports, it will not allow for anything more than a micro ATX board and 500 series GPU by the looks of it.

If you check that review I linked, it states that eps, 24-pin and one pcie are all non-removable

 

Why on Earth would anyone make a 650w PSU that can only run a 150-180w GPU?

 

[tdkid]

if that is true then it will have enough PCIe ports as it is.

[Mateyyy]

7 hours ago, Gojen said:

Thanks for the advice. Just trying to save every penny I can for the best possible build in my price range haha.

 

Do you think the Crucial P1 1 tb is worthy? https://pcpartpicker.com/product/pxKcCJ/crucial-p1-1tb-m2-2280-solid-state-drive-ct1000p1ssd8

The Sabrent Rocket Q is actually slightly better than the P1, so that wouldn't be a great choice in your case. 

My suggestion would be to maybe get a 512GB better quality drive now, like a Sabrent Rocket or Samsung 970 EVO (whichever's cheaper, probably the Sabrent), and then add in more storage for games later on, but note that it will have to be a SATA drive, as the B450 Tomahawk only has one M.2 slot.

That being said, if you think that's not a possibility, then by all means you could just go with the Rocket Q in your original post - you should still have a great experience with it.

[LogicalDrm]

-> Moved to New Builds and Planning

[Herman Mcpootis]

8 hours ago, tdkid said:

I would look into ones that have a gold or better rating from companies like EVGA, corsair, cooler master and a few others. anything bronze or silver would best be avoided as they don't have the efficiency rating to make them good PSUs

the 80+ efficiency rating is only an indicator of power efficiency, not about quality.

[Herman Mcpootis]

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($174.99 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Freezer 33 eSports ONE (Black/Yellow) CPU Cooler  ($29.99 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($114.99 @ Best Buy) 
Memory: GeIL EVO POTENZA 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($63.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Silicon Power A80 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($129.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 5700 XT 8 GB PULSE Video Card  ($393.98 @ Newegg) 
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P400A Digital ATX Mid Tower Case  ($98.98 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: Cooler Master MWE Gold 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($78.36 @ B&H) 
Monitor: VIOTEK GN27D 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor  ($269.99 @ Best Buy) 
Total: $1355.26
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-03-16 07:00 EDT-0400

[tdkid]

14 minutes ago, Herman Mcpootis said:

the 80+ efficiency rating is only an indicator of power efficiency, not about quality.

which is why I said a list of different companies if you actually read the comment. but it kind of does. a lower efficiency PSU is going to draw more power from the wall and turn that into heat which the process will go in a circle of pulling more power, heating up the case, fans coming on to cool the case and more power needed or drawn. a good quality high efficiency PSU will not only be modular (in my opinion) but also have more than enough power to handle anything you throw inside your case.

 

for example I have a EVGA supernova 1000G+ PSU, way more than I will ever need at this moment so if I wanted to add a second GPU or more fans inside of the case I can easily do that.

[Herman Mcpootis]

1 minute ago, tdkid said:

which is why I said a list of different companies if you actually read the comment.

this also doesn't work. like, at all. name any company and we can name at least one crappy unit.

[GoldenLag]

1 minute ago, Herman Mcpootis said:

name any company and we can name at least one crappy unit.

5 minutes ago, tdkid said:

which is why I said a list of different companies if you actually read the comment

and the odds are, we can mention one of higher quality with a lower efficiency badge, from a lesser known company. 

 

[tdkid]

1 minute ago, Herman Mcpootis said:

this also doesn't work. like, at all. name any company and we can name at least one crappy unit.

i think i am going to let this die because i can tell you are the kind of person that wants to get the last word in to make it sound as if what you say is right. just because you have a lot of post doesn't make you right, it just means you have been hear for longer.

 

and yes that will happen with any company you name which is why i said a few of the better ones that everyone knows and probably has once of their PSUs in their builds right now.

[GoldenLag]

2 minutes ago, tdkid said:

it just means you have been hear for longer.

it also means he can have contact with people who do know. which he does, if you didnt know. 

4 minutes ago, tdkid said:

few of the better ones that everyone knows

"better". 

 

current lineup of all three of those companies have PSUs that should be avoided. even if you ignore bronze and silver. EVGA has gold units that really arent better than some bronze units. and plenty of silver units that should be considered over it. 

 

8 minutes ago, tdkid said:

i think i am going to let this die

well, before you do. i do recommend checking out the forum resources including the PSU tierlist. its allways good to help people choose a good PSU. because if you point towards a perticular brand and you call them "good". even if you stipulate requirements such as price and efficiency, they could end up with something like the EVGA N1 or seasonic S12ii. which happens more than you would think.  

[tdkid]

1 minute ago, GoldenLag said:

it also means he can have contact with people who do know. which he does, if you didnt know. 

"better". 

 

current lineup of all three of those companies have PSUs that should be avoided. even if you ignore bronze and silver. EVGA has gold units that really arent better than some bronze units. and plenty of silver units that should be considered over it. 

 

well, before you do. i do recommend checking out the forum resources including the PSU tierlist. its allways good to help people choose a good PSU. because if you point towards a perticular brand and you call them "good". even if you stipulate requirements such as price and efficiency, they could end up with something like the EVGA N1 or seasonic S12ii. which happens more than you would think.  

i have only had 2 computers so far. a prebuilt i got from best buy and then one i bought parts for from best buy to replace the prebuilt one years later, which include the PSU, RAM and motherboard, and then i relatives such as my dad and two uncles who all know about computers as my dad worked for a company that fixed and monitored the computers at gas stations that controlled the pumps and tanks. and my uncles who one is the only person in the world who does what he does for computers on the oil rigs all over the world (don't know exactly what he does as i haven't talked with him in years after moving away when i was 7) and my other uncle who works with the computer programs. so i think i have a good source of computer knowledge that can help me out when needed.