My Client Bought This Computer Build

[Serpius]

As the title suggests, my client went ahead and bought all of the computer parts listed below.
 
She is going to pay me labor to put all of the parts together and test the system once I am done.
 
Could she have done any better with this build? 
For the record, she is NOT a gamer, but she does do a good amount of graphical and website designing.

She already has a NAD device setup. No need to get additional storage space.

Along with her NAD, she has a number of devices that she plugs into the computer for various projects that she does, therefore, she requires a good reliable power supply unit.
Her budget was $1,200 USD or less. She also only wanted Newegg because she has a business account with them.
 
In my opinion... I think it looks good. What do you think?

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 1700X 3.4GHz 8-Core Processor  ($349.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-D9L 46.4 CFM CPU Cooler  ($53.85 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte - GA-AX370-Gaming K3 ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($143.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($126.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Western Digital - Blue 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: Sapphire - Radeon RX 560 4GB PULSE Video Card  ($118.98 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair - SPEC-02 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($54.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($105.98 @ Newegg) 
Case Fan: Cooler Master - R4-C2R-20AC-GP 69.0 CFM  120mm Fan  ($7.49 @ Newegg) 
Other: Noctua NM-AM4 Mounting Kit for Noctua CPU coolers ($7.90)
Total: $1060.14
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-05-19 20:49 EDT-0400

[LienusLateTips]

Crappy cooler, 1700X (why not get 1700), questionable motherboard and bad choice for SSD.

[Serpius]

1 minute ago, JDE said:

Crappy cooler, 1700X (why not get 1700), questionable motherboard and bad choice for SSD.

Please clarify your comments and show proof of why you believe to be correct.

[LienusLateTips]

Just now, Buzzsaw said:

Please clarify your comments and show proof of why you believe to be correct.

1. The cooler is no better than the stock one on the 1700

2. 1700 -> 1700X has little performance improvement, and if you really wanted to, with the stock cooler you can reach 1800X speeds.

3. GIGABYTE motherboards make Ryzen slow for some reason

4. SKHynix SL308 beats it for less. (though I don't know if its available at Newegg)

[SCHISCHKA]

I would have bought the 1700 over the 1700X as the performance isnt much different.

I would have used the stock cooler because it is not a bad cooler.

 

[ArcticSalad]

Here is what I personally would go with.

1. Dropped the 1700x to a 1700 as there really isn't any benefit to the 1700x over the 1700.

2. Dropped the motherboard to a MSI B350 PC MATE.

3. Dropped the cooler altogether. Ryzen comes with a good enough stock cooler, even for a decent overclock.

4. SSD isn't very good, so I bumped it to a Crucial MX300 which is totally better, plus with the above changes I was able to up it to a 525GB.

5. Upgraded the GPU to a rx580 8GB. This is a HUGE upgrade over the 460. Huge.

6. Oh, and changed the RAM to black as blue doesn't really match anything in the build.

 

Best part...still within budget and all available at newegg.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 1700 3.0GHz 8-Core Processor  ($314.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI - B350 PC MATE ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($93.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($126.94 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial - MX300 525GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte - Radeon RX 580 8GB AORUS 8G Video Card  ($254.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair - SPEC-02 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($95.98 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Cooler Master - R4-C2R-20AC-GP 69.0 CFM  120mm Fan  ($7.49 @ Newegg)
Other: Noctua NM-AM4 Mounting Kit for Noctua CPU coolers ($7.90)
Total: $1107.24
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-05-19 21:41 EDT-0400

 

Edit: Just going to add this. I was able to fit a RX580 8GB into the budget no problem with loads of room to spare. Getting a rx460 4GB is a bit of a waste considering how good of a CPU the 1700 is.

[Serpius]

1 hour ago, Shadow6767 said:

Here is what I personally would go with.

1. Dropped the 1700x to a 1700 as there really isn't any benefit to the 1700x over the 1700.

2. Dropped the motherboard to a MSI B350 PC MATE.

3. Dropped the cooler altogether. Ryzen comes with a good enough stock cooler, even for a decent overclock.

4. SSD isn't very good, so I bumped it to a Crucial MX300 which is totally better, plus with the above changes I was able to up it to a 525GB.

5. Upgraded the GPU to a rx580 8GB. This is a HUGE upgrade over the 460. Huge.

6. Oh, and changed the RAM to black as blue doesn't really match anything in the build.

 

Best part...still within budget and all available at newegg.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 1700 3.0GHz 8-Core Processor  ($314.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI - B350 PC MATE ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($93.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($126.94 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial - MX300 525GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte - Radeon RX 580 8GB AORUS 8G Video Card  ($254.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair - SPEC-02 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($95.98 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Cooler Master - R4-C2R-20AC-GP 69.0 CFM  120mm Fan  ($7.49 @ Newegg)
Other: Noctua NM-AM4 Mounting Kit for Noctua CPU coolers ($7.90)
Total: $1107.24
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-05-19 21:41 EDT-0400

 

Edit: Just going to add this. I was able to fit a RX580 8GB into the budget no problem with loads of room to spare. Getting a rx460 4GB is a bit of a waste considering how good of a CPU the 1700 is.

6

Currently, she has no plans to overclock the processor.

Regardless of whether or not she will overclock the processor, the Noctual CPU cooler is one of the higher rated air-based CPU coolers on the market.

She liked the tech reviews/benchmarks of the Noctua CPU cooler and since she's investing a good amount of money into a new system, she wants to make it last long as possible.

 

She didn't order the RX 460.

She got the RX 560 4 GB.

As I stated in my 1st post, she's not a gamer, so there's no need to blow that much money on a graphics card that she will never get maximum performance out of.

Total waste of money.

 

She didn't care about the looks... only cared about the performance of the processor and the motherboard.

If you had reviewed the specs of that computer case... you would have noticed that it doesn't have a side window.

She's going to keep the computer at a spot where it's hardly going to be seen by anyone. 

 

Once again, there's no need to get a larger storage space for a bootup drive.

As I mentioned, she already has a NAD device, so she's got loads of space available.

A 250 GB SSD is more than plenty to install Win 10 Pro and a few other programs.

Most of the other programs she uses are on the NAD device.

 

[ArcticSalad]

29 minutes ago, Buzzsaw said:

Currently, she has no plans to overclock the processor.

Regardless of whether or not she will overclock the processor, the Noctual CPU cooler is one of the higher rated air-based CPU coolers on the market.

She liked the tech reviews/benchmarks of the Noctua CPU cooler and since she's investing a good amount of money into a new system, she wants to make it last long as possible.

If she has no plans to overclock the processor then an aftermarket cooler is overkill. The new AMD stock coolers are actually pretty good and quiet too. No harm in getting a better cooler; I'm just stating an area where some money could be saved. The X370 motherboard is pointless too if she isn't overclocking, running SLI or using it's advanced features. Might as well save the money and pick up a B350 like the MSI PC MATE.

29 minutes ago, Buzzsaw said:

She didn't order the RX 460.

She got the RX 560 4 GB.

As I stated in my 1st post, she's not a gamer, so there's no need to blow that much money on a graphics card that she will never get maximum performance out of.

Total waste of money.

460 is a miss-type, my apologies. The rx580 8GB isn't really a waste of money considering I was able to include one of these fantastic GPUs for almost literally the same price as the system you posted. If all she really needs is a 560, then why is the system costing as much as a system that could have an RX580 8GB?

29 minutes ago, Buzzsaw said:

She didn't care about the looks... only cared about the performance of the processor and the motherboard.

If you had reviewed the specs of that computer case... you would have noticed that it doesn't have a side window.

She's going to keep the computer at a spot where it's hardly going to be seen by anyone.

Just seemed weird, whether you can see it or not, getting blue RAM when the system is black/red when it is the same price as it in black. No problems, just weird.

29 minutes ago, Buzzsaw said:

Once again, there's no need to get a larger storage space for a bootup drive.

As I mentioned, she already has a NAD device, so she's got loads of space available.

A 250 GB SSD is more than plenty to install Win 10 Pro and a few other programs.

Most of the other programs she uses are on the NAD device.

 

That's fine, but again I was able to include a larger and better quality SSD in a system that is the same price as you posted. Go with a 250GB then.

 

You came here for opinions and I stated mine. You specifically asked if she could have done better with the build and the answer is yes, yes she could have. My primary point is that the money could have been better utilized in a number of areas. When someone is spending a large sum on something like a PC, it's best for them to try and get as much as they can out of it and that's what I was trying to help with. It sounds like your mind and her mind are all set, I'm not sure what kind of other feedback you were expecting. I gave you my best tips, good luck with the build.

 

[Serpius]

1 minute ago, Shadow6767 said:

You came here for opinions and I stated mine. My primary point is that the money could have been better utilized in a number of areas. When someone is spending a large sum on something like a PC, it's best for them to try and get as much as they can out of it and that's what I was trying to help with. It sounds like your mind and her mind are all set, I'm not sure what kind of other feedback you were expecting. I gave you my best tips, good luck with the build.

 

 

Actually, after consulting with me for the past 2 weeks, she ordered the parts on her own. 

 

After reviewing the specs on your computer, you would be criticizing your own computer build as well, but that's not the topic of this thread.

[ArcticSalad]

Just now, Buzzsaw said:

Actually, after consulting with me for the past 2 weeks, she ordered the parts on her own. 

 

After reviewing the specs on your computer, you would be criticizing your own computer build as well, but that's not the topic of this thread.

You don't know anything about why I choose the parts I did in my own personal build, I'd be happy to explain if you're interested. Additionally, I didn't pay full price for several of my parts and instead found some decent deals. I criticize my own build all the time, you're welcome to as well. That's what we do here. I suppose the difference though, is that mine is already built and I'm typing here on it right now.

 

If you intended to stay on topic, you wouldn't be firing shots at people for doing the exact thing you asked for here - which is to criticize the system you posted. My sincere apologies in advance sir, but I cannot understand your reason for posting here if you don't actually intend to take in any feedback.

 

[Serpius]

Just now, Shadow6767 said:

You don't know anything about why I choose the parts I did in my own personal build, I'd be happy to explain if you're interested. Additionally, I didn't pay full price for several of my parts and instead found some decent deals. I criticize my own build all the time, you're welcome to as well. That's what we do here. I suppose the difference though, is that mine is already built and I'm typing here on it right now.

 

If you intended to stay on topic, you wouldn't be firing shots at people for doing the exact thing you asked for here - which is to criticize the system you posted. My sincere apologies in advance sir, but I cannot understand your reason for posting here if you don't actually intend to take in any feedback.

 

Really, the main reason for my post was to get feedback from the LinusTech people that frequent these forums.

 

Are you aware of the fact that the R7 1700x processor does NOT come with a stock CPU cooler?

 

If you and the others in this thread done your homework, you would have realized that the R7 1700x does require a 3rd party CPU cooler.

Sure, she could have picked the R7 1700 that has the stock CPU cooler, but she didn't.

So, as a tech, I have to work with what I am given.  

 

Most of the posts in this thread so far have been focused on the processor itself.

It seems that the general consensus is that the R7 1700x is an overkill for her needs, but of by itself, the processor is a great one.

 

For some reason, you still seem stuck on the color issue where that has ZERO bearing on the performance of the computer.

Again, the computer case has NO side window. So, what's the worry?

[The Sloth]

8 minutes ago, Buzzsaw said:

For some reason, you still seem stuck on the color issue where that has ZERO bearing on the performance of the computer.

Again, the computer case has NO side window. So, what's the worry?

you can get your client something that looks nice and performs well 

[ArcticSalad]

1 minute ago, Buzzsaw said:

Really, the main reason for my post was to get feedback from the LinusTech people that frequent these forums.

 

Are you aware of the fact that the R7 1700x processor does NOT come with a stock CPU cooler?

 

If you and the others in this thread done your homework, you would have realized that the R7 1700x does require a 3rd party CPU cooler.

Sure, she could have picked the R7 1700 that has the stock CPU cooler, but she didn't.

So, as a tech, I have to work with what I am given.  

 

Most of the posts in this thread so far have been focused on the processor itself.

It seems that the general consensus is that the R7 1700x is an overkill for her needs, but of by itself, the processor is a great one.

 

For some reason, you still seem stuck on the color issue where that has ZERO bearing on the performance of the computer.

Again, the computer case has NO side window. So, what's the worry?

The reasons I suggested the 1700 is because it comes with a stock CPU cooler and is cheaper. I never intended to imply that the 1700x comes with one - because it doesn't. If that's the idea you got, I'm sorry for my wording that must have caused a misunderstanding.

 

There is no harm in going with the 1700x, in fact if she isn't overclocking it's not a half bad idea because it comes with a higher frequency out of the box. The 1700 still remains a better value for the money with it's included cooler, but either way works.

 

The RAM colour...I specifically said it's not a problem. Strange, but not a problem. I don't really care.

 

 

[Droidbot]

 

7 hours ago, Buzzsaw said:

For some reason, you still seem stuck on the color issue where that has ZERO bearing on the performance of the computer.

Again, the computer case has NO side window. So, what's the worry?

That's a Spec-02.. it's got a side window. 

A big fat plexi one. 

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 1700 3.0GHz 8-Core Processor  ($314.99 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: ASRock - X370 KILLER SLI/ac ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($126.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($110.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Crucial - MX300 525GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($159.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: MSI - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB GT OCV1 Video Card  ($224.98 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair - SPEC-02 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($44.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: Corsair - CXM 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($37.99 @ Newegg) 
Case Fan: Cooler Master - R4-C2R-20AC-GP 69.0 CFM  120mm Fan  ($7.49 @ Newegg) 
Total: $1078.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-05-20 01:59 EDT-0400

 

[Serpius]

6 hours ago, Droidbot said:

That's a Spec-02.. it's got a side window. 

A big fat plexi one. 

 

2

Again... regardless if the computer case has a window or not, hardly anyone is going to see it. 

 

After double-checking the order with her, she inadvertently gave me the incorrect part number for the computer case.

 

She actually ordered the Corsair 200R case, not the Spec-02. 

[Droidbot]

2 minutes ago, Buzzsaw said:

Since when did post count suggest someone's knowledge or lack of knowledge?

 

Your logic in that statement makes absolutely no sense at all.

7 hours ago, Buzzsaw said:

Really, the main reason for my post was to get feedback from the LinusTech people that frequent these forums.

sounds like you're asking for someone else to answer but him.. and I've never seen someone from LTT actually comment on a thread outside of the News and General categories. 

[Serpius]

2 minutes ago, Droidbot said:

sounds like you're asking for someone else to answer but him.. and I've never seen someone from LTT actually comment on a thread outside of the News and General categories. 

You've totally missed my point. I was NOT referring to the EMPLOYEES of Linus Tech Tips.

I was referencing to the USERS of Linus Tech Tips forums.

 

Stop making assumptions!

[Droidbot]

1 minute ago, Buzzsaw said:

You've totally missed my point. I was NOT referring to the EMPLOYEES of Linus Tech Tips.

I was referencing to the USERS of Linus Tech Tips forums.

 

Stop making assumptions!

it's hard not to make assumptions when the person that you're conversing with says something vague and confusing

[Serpius]

1 minute ago, Droidbot said:

it's hard not to make assumptions when the person that you're conversing with says something vague and confusing

The only person who is confused is you, Droidbot.

 

Stop it now.

[Nicnac]

Off-topic: this is hilarious and I got a good chuckle from scrolling through this conversation. Thanks guys!

 

On-topic: I hope your client doesn't need virtualization features for her work as that seems to suck on Ryzen rn.