First time building a PC

[daleVM]

1. Budget/Location: I want to say tops $1,500 USD. I'd like to stick around the $1,200 mark but I'm a bit flexible.

2. Aim: Mostly gaming, I'm looking forward to playing Devil May Cry 5, Doom/Doom Eternal, Sekiro Shadows Die Twice, and maybe Overwatch (Mostly single player games not super competitive). Don't plan on doing any streaming/content creating.

3. Monitors: Just 1. I'd like to run stuff at 1080p or I've been thinking about 2560 x 1440 resolution. I'm going to miss my 32 inch TV screen but it's only 720p.

4. Peripherals: Nope, I'm happy with my current mouse/keyboard system. I have Windows 7 64 bit. I hear it will lose support next year so should I upgrade to Win 10?

5. Why are you upgrading? So my current rig is about 7 years old and I think I'm well overdue for a new haul and have been wanting to get into some more modern gaming lately and I think it's time to take a dive. I tried doing some research but everything is just super confusing to me and I think I found a good build for what I'm looking for. Plus I think my current rig is starting to die on me.

 

I took this list from the budget list on PCPartPicker and toyed around with it a little. I will be having a friend help my build it so if I'm missing anything or don't need anything let me know. I also have a WD 2TB Desktop HDD. https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822235013 so I'll still use it but definitely getting a SSD listed below. This has been a bit overwhelming for me so feedback would be appreciated and if there's anything else I need to know that would be much appreciated. TIA.

 

[PCPartPicker part list](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/GvcMkd) / [Price breakdown by merchant](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/GvcMkd/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/jLF48d/amd-ryzen-5-2600-34ghz-6-core-processor-yd2600bbafbox) | $164.99 @ Amazon
**CPU Cooler** | [Corsair - H60 (2018) 57.2 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/F2rmP6/corsair-h60-2018-572-cfm-liquid-cpu-cooler-cw-9060036-ww) |-
**Motherboard** | [ASRock - B450M PRO4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/dQgzK8/asrock-b450m-pro4-micro-atx-am4-motherboard-b450m-pro4) |-
**Memory** | [GeIL - EVO SPEAR 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/qLkj4D/geil-evo-spear-16gb-2-x-8gb-ddr4-3000-memory-gsb416gb3000c16adc) |-
**Storage** | [Crucial - MX500 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/ft8j4D/crucial-mx500-500gb-25-solid-state-drive-ct500mx500ssd1) | $69.95 @ Amazon
**Video Card** | [Gigabyte - GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB OC Video Card](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/KX66Mp/gigabyte-geforce-rtx-2060-6-gb-oc-video-card-gv-n2060oc-6gd) |-
**Case** | [Cougar - MX330 ATX Mid Tower Case](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/vYp323/cougar-mx330-atx-mid-tower-case-mx330) |-
**Power Supply** | [Corsair - CX (2017) 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/FdRFf7/corsair-cx-2017-550w-80-bronze-certified-atx-power-supply-cp-9020121-na) | $53.99 @ Amazon
**Optical Drive** | [LG - GH24NSC0B DVD/CD Writer](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/9nQRsY/lg-optical-drive-gh24nsc0b) |-
**Wired Network Adapter** | [TP-Link - TG-3468 PCI-Express x1 1000 Mbit/s Network Adapter](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/dQmLrH/tp-link-wired-network-card-tg3468) | $14.99 @ Amazon
**Monitor** | [Samsung - LC27JG50QQNZA 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/qnqhP6/samsung-lc27jg50qqnza-270-2560x1440-144hz-monitor-lc27jg50qqnza) | $329.99 @ Amazon
 | *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
 | **Total** | **$633.91**
 | Generated by [PCPartPicker](https://pcpartpicker.com) 2019-03-27 15:33 EDT-0400 |

[Shimejii]

Get a Better Air Cooler Like a Be Quiet Dark Rock Pro, or a Noctua NH-D15 for a few bucks more then that AIO.

[Dedayog]

Doesn't the Ryzen come with a cooler?

 

[kian7890]

Firstly, i dont know where the 633 dollar price came from seeing as though the list shows its 1256.

 

for what you're doing, that system is a good choice. i would suggest changing the aio to a better air cooler as the h60 is good, but not the best for ryzen 5.

apart from the cpu cooler, the system seems like a good choice.

 

[Dedayog]

Just now, kian7890 said:

Firstly, i dont know where the 633 dollar price came from seeing as though the list shows its 1256.

 

for what you're doing, that system is a good choice. i would suggest changing the aio to a better air cooler as the h60 is good, but not the best for ryzen 5.

apart from the cpu cooler, the system seems like a good choice.

 

Why would you get an aftermarket cooler for a Ryzen 2600?

 

Lose the cooler and add a 1 or 2TB HDD for mass storage.  

 

[kian7890]

1 minute ago, jstudrawa said:

Why would you get an aftermarket cooler for a Ryzen 2600?

 

Lose the cooler and add a 1 or 2TB HDD for mass storage.  

 

Thats a good idea actually. depending on where he gets the cpu, he can get a cooler with it. the wraith coolers are actually ok aren't they?

[daleVM]

4 minutes ago, jstudrawa said:

Why would you get an aftermarket cooler for a Ryzen 2600?

 

Lose the cooler and add a 1 or 2TB HDD for mass storage.  

 

I honestly don't know, I'll ditch that cooler and look up the part to see if it already has one (I'm assuming it does). It's not listed in the parts list but I already have a 2TB HDD that i'll just use for this build. Thanks for the info

[Dedayog]

2 minutes ago, kian7890 said:

Thats a good idea actually. depending on where he gets the cpu, he can get a cooler with it. the wraith coolers are actually ok aren't they?

They're pretty good, yes.   It comes with one...

 

https://www.amazon.com/AMD-Processor-Wraith-Stealth-Cooler/dp/B07B41WS48

 

If you live near a Microcenter, you can grab a Ryzen 5 1600 w/ cooler for $79.99.  

 

I'm not sure how well the 2060 can run a 144Hz 1440p monitor, others can comment but I worry it's a bit underpowered for that monitor.

[jerubedo]

6 hours ago, daleVM said:

1. Budget/Location: I want to say tops $1,500 USD. I'd like to stick around the $1,200 mark but I'm a bit flexible.

2. Aim: Mostly gaming, I'm looking forward to playing Devil May Cry 5, Doom/Doom Eternal, Sekiro Shadows Die Twice, and maybe Overwatch (Mostly single player games not super competitive). Don't plan on doing any streaming/content creating.

3. Monitors: Just 1. I'd like to run stuff at 1080p or I've been thinking about 2560 x 1440 resolution. I'm going to miss my 32 inch TV screen but it's only 720p.

4. Peripherals: Nope, I'm happy with my current mouse/keyboard system. I have Windows 7 64 bit. I hear it will lose support next year so should I upgrade to Win 10?

5. Why are you upgrading? So my current rig is about 7 years old and I think I'm well overdue for a new haul and have been wanting to get into some more modern gaming lately and I think it's time to take a dive. I tried doing some research but everything is just super confusing to me and I think I found a good build for what I'm looking for. Plus I think my current rig is starting to die on me.

 

I took this list from the budget list on PCPartPicker and toyed around with it a little. I will be having a friend help my build it so if I'm missing anything or don't need anything let me know. I also have a WD 2TB Desktop HDD. https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822235013 so I'll still use it but definitely getting a SSD listed below. This has been a bit overwhelming for me so feedback would be appreciated and if there's anything else I need to know that would be much appreciated. TIA.

 

[PCPartPicker part list](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/GvcMkd) / [Price breakdown by merchant](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/GvcMkd/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/jLF48d/amd-ryzen-5-2600-34ghz-6-core-processor-yd2600bbafbox) | $164.99 @ Amazon
**CPU Cooler** | [Corsair - H60 (2018) 57.2 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/F2rmP6/corsair-h60-2018-572-cfm-liquid-cpu-cooler-cw-9060036-ww) |-
**Motherboard** | [ASRock - B450M PRO4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/dQgzK8/asrock-b450m-pro4-micro-atx-am4-motherboard-b450m-pro4) |-
**Memory** | [GeIL - EVO SPEAR 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/qLkj4D/geil-evo-spear-16gb-2-x-8gb-ddr4-3000-memory-gsb416gb3000c16adc) |-
**Storage** | [Crucial - MX500 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/ft8j4D/crucial-mx500-500gb-25-solid-state-drive-ct500mx500ssd1) | $69.95 @ Amazon
**Video Card** | [Gigabyte - GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB OC Video Card](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/KX66Mp/gigabyte-geforce-rtx-2060-6-gb-oc-video-card-gv-n2060oc-6gd) |-
**Case** | [Cougar - MX330 ATX Mid Tower Case](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/vYp323/cougar-mx330-atx-mid-tower-case-mx330) |-
**Power Supply** | [Corsair - CX (2017) 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/FdRFf7/corsair-cx-2017-550w-80-bronze-certified-atx-power-supply-cp-9020121-na) | $53.99 @ Amazon
**Optical Drive** | [LG - GH24NSC0B DVD/CD Writer](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/9nQRsY/lg-optical-drive-gh24nsc0b) |-
**Wired Network Adapter** | [TP-Link - TG-3468 PCI-Express x1 1000 Mbit/s Network Adapter](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/dQmLrH/tp-link-wired-network-card-tg3468) | $14.99 @ Amazon
**Monitor** | [Samsung - LC27JG50QQNZA 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/qnqhP6/samsung-lc27jg50qqnza-270-2560x1440-144hz-monitor-lc27jg50qqnza) | $329.99 @ Amazon
 | *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
 | **Total** | **$633.91**
 | Generated by [PCPartPicker](https://pcpartpicker.com) 2019-03-27 15:33 EDT-0400 |

I would go with this build for a little more but still within budget:

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel - Core i5-9400F 2.9 GHz 6-Core Processor	$159.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard	Gigabyte - Z390 UD ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$124.40 @ Amazon
Memory	Crucial - Ballistix Sport LT 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$87.19 @ Newegg
Storage	Intel - 660p Series 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive	$109.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card	EVGA - GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB Black Video Card	$489.99 @ Amazon
Case	Cougar - MX330 ATX Mid Tower Case	$39.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply	Corsair - CXM 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply	$42.98 @ Newegg
Optical Drive	Lite-On - iHAS124-14 DVD/CD Writer	$13.89 @ OutletPC
Other	Samsung LC27JG50QQNZA Series Curved 27" Gaming Monitor Dark Blue Grey	$329.99 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1428.21
	Mail-in rebates	-$30.00
	Total	$1398.21
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-27 22:50 EDT-0400

 

The benefits would be:

 

The i5 provides better average FPS, 1% lows, and 0.1% lows. See here for examples:

 

The RTX 2070 will provide quite a nice boost over the RTX 2060 and if you're considering 1440p, it's the better option. Here's some examples at 1440p:

 

 

The 1TB SSD will let you house most of your games on the SSD. There are huge benefits to this including load times and in some games it alleviates texture pop-ins. Again, here's some data that shows huge differences in load times:

 

 

For $7 more, the RAM is a more well-known and reliable brand than GeIL.

[Slayer3032]

The wraith stealth isn't a very good cooler, it's adequate at best. I would upgrade to the 2600x for the improved cooler and out of the box XFR performance then skip the cooler for now and if you want better cooling you can always upgrade. You're also sticking an mATX motherboard into a standard ATX case, there's nothing wrong with this but I generally try to pair the motherboard layout/size to the case I'm using. Skip the DVD drive, just buy a USB one that you can throw in a drawer. Then it's compatible with anything you plug it into and don't have to wait for a lazy slow dvd drive to init on boot, mess up the case with ugly wires and generally be ugly, loud and pointless 99% of the time.

 

Upgrade to a nicer power supply also, there's usually some great sales on higher end ones but they're pretty much always rebates. EVGA and Seasonic both offer some amazing warranties.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151189

 

I don't know anything about that monitor but I think the Dell 1440p144/155 monitors are usually pretty highly recommended, they've been on sale for 279.99 recently.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/dell-s2719dgf-27-led-qhd-freesync-monitor-black/6293714.p?skuId=6293714

[LienusLateTips]

46 minutes ago, Slayer3032 said:

Upgrade to a nicer power supply also, there's usually some great sales on higher end ones but they're pretty much always rebates. EVGA and Seasonic both offer some amazing warranties.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151189

That unit is either incompatible with select higher end cards due to low OCP setting, or after the tuning the OCP being set too high.

[BigRom]

5 hours ago, kian7890 said:

Thats a good idea actually. depending on where he gets the cpu, he can get a cooler with it. the wraith coolers are actually ok aren't they?

There are 2 types of AMD coolers, the lower end (Ryzen 3 and lower Ryzen 5 IIRC) get the Wraith Stealth. The higher-end Ryzen 5s and Ryzen 7s get the Wraith Spire (RGB ring on the cooler for Ryzen 7)

 

They are 'good enough' that you won't need to spend extra on coolers if you don't want to, certainly better than whatever Intel gives.

[Herman Mcpootis]

6 hours ago, daleVM said:

**CPU Cooler** | [Corsair - H60 (2018) 57.2 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/F2rmP6/corsair-h60-2018-572-cfm-liquid-cpu-cooler-cw-9060036-ww) |-
**Wired Network Adapter** | [TP-Link - TG-3468 PCI-Express x1 1000 Mbit/s Network Adapter](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/dQmLrH/tp-link-wired-network-card-tg3468) | $14.99 @ Amazon

get a scythe fuma instead of the H60, or just use the stock cooler. the network adapter is pointless, just use your motherboard's ethernet port.

[Herman Mcpootis]

$1200:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($164.89 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: ASRock - B450 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($64.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: GeIL - EVO SPEAR 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($79.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: HP - EX900 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive  ($78.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB OC Video Card  ($349.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair - Carbide Series 275R (Black w/Tempered Glass) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($79.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic - FOCUS Gold 450 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($39.99 @ Newegg) 
Monitor: VIOTEK - GN27D 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor  ($349.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1208.82
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-27 22:16 EDT-0400

 

$1500:

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700 3.2 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($314.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - Hyper 212 LED 66.3 CFM Rifle Bearing CPU Cooler  ($17.99 @ B&H) 
Motherboard: MSI - B360-A PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($84.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: GeIL - EVO SPEAR 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($79.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: HP - EX900 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive  ($78.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB Black Video Card  ($489.99 @ Amazon) 
Case: Cougar - MX340 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic - FOCUS Gold 450 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($39.99 @ Newegg) 
Monitor: VIOTEK - GN27D 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor  ($349.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1506.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-27 22:25 EDT-0400

 

[daleVM]

Thank you everybody I think I have some good material to work with all very good suggestions. I decided I'll just get a new HDD and leave my current one in my old desktop as a media center for the living room or something haha.I'll update my list with these suggestions and think start working on ordering parts. I'm very excited thanks for the support.

[daleVM]

16 hours ago, Herman Mcpootis said:

$1200:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($164.89 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: ASRock - B450 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($64.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: GeIL - EVO SPEAR 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($79.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: HP - EX900 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive  ($78.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB OC Video Card  ($349.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair - Carbide Series 275R (Black w/Tempered Glass) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($79.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic - FOCUS Gold 450 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($39.99 @ Newegg) 
Monitor: VIOTEK - GN27D 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor  ($349.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1208.82
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-27 22:16 EDT-0400

 

it says there's a compatibility issue "The motherboard M.2 slot #2 shares bandwidth with SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports. When the M.2 slot is populated, two SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports are disabled" is that something to be concerned with?

[Dedayog]

9 minutes ago, daleVM said:

 says there's a compatibility issue "The motherboard M.2 slot #2 shares bandwidth with SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports. When the M.2 slot is populated, two SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports are disabled" is that something to be concerned with?

Not really.  Just means they share lanes, so when you use an M.2 in that slot you can't use 2 of the SATA ports, out of the 6 you get.

 

For instance, I have the same type of thing but I can use 4 drives no problem at all.  Only an issue if you are nearing using all your ports.  Most people it's never an issue.

[jerubedo]

1 hour ago, daleVM said:

it says there's a compatibility issue "The motherboard M.2 slot #2 shares bandwidth with SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports. When the M.2 slot is populated, two SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports are disabled" is that something to be concerned with?

Since it seems you aren't concerned with the optical drive (I thought maybe you had a need for it), here's a refinement of my list. Again, this will be the best gaming performance right in the middle of the budget (this is still assuming you're dead set on that monitor you picked):

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel - Core i5-9400F 2.9 GHz 6-Core Processor	$159.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard	Gigabyte - Z390 UD ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$124.40 @ Amazon
Memory	Crucial - Ballistix Sport LT 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$87.19 @ Newegg
Storage	Intel - 660p Series 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive	$109.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card	EVGA - GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB Black Video Card	$489.99 @ Amazon
Case	Corsair - Carbide SPEC-04 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case	$36.98 @ Newegg
Power Supply	Corsair - CXM 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply	$42.98 @ Newegg
Other	Samsung LC27JG50QQNZA Series Curved 27" Gaming Monitor Dark Blue Grey	$329.99 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1416.31
	Mail-in rebates	-$35.00
	Total	$1381.31
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-28 16:20 EDT-0400

 

 

[Herman Mcpootis]

6 hours ago, daleVM said:

it says there's a compatibility issue "The motherboard M.2 slot #2 shares bandwidth with SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports. When the M.2 slot is populated, two SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports are disabled" is that something to be concerned with?

Nope, since you aren't using 5-6 sata ports anyway.