Support for First Time PC Build

[-------------]

waves
Hello,

 

My experience in the PC building community is little, but early next month I hope to have a powerful PC to endure half a decade or so. Since I'm rather lost at this stage, any support is appreciated. I've found the posts here helpful in how users guide newbies through their questions, concerns and problems. As such, here I am - with my own such ones. Instead of listing a build of compiled parts I don't yet understand, at prices which will fluctuate, I thought to list out a set of aims in my first post. These aims are what the build should be based around.

 

Aim 1: Built within a compact gaming case

I want to travel with the PC by carrying it, or at least the tower, inside of a backpack. This video (watch?v=LxQYwVQRLfU) encapsulates the idea well. I will make concessions to the portability if the second aim of power is comprised by the inevitably cramped nature.

 
Aim 2: Centered around an RTX card (eg. RTX 2080/2080Ti)

Seldom have I experienced demanding games at max settings before. I want this system to be highly capable, with specs that can endure into (and maybe throughout) the next generation of console gaming. Granted, there is a general pushback against the RTX cards, but I find the technology appealing myself. I predominantly play titles which benefit from organic lighting. My most anticipated titles are Metro Exodus and the RE2 Remake, so I'm excited to increase the immersion of these experiences with RTX technology (even if only the former supports it).

Aim 3: Using a single monitor setup at 120hz+ with an IPS panel

Ideally, a QHD resolution with G-Sync enabled will assist the tower. I want to run the above titles at 1440p, 60fps+, if the build can do so. However, I realise a large monitor will inhibit my ability to travel, so I'm considering my options. Still, do recommend a monitor for this best-case scenario. I'm accustomed to small screen sizes by way of a Surface Pro, so I won't opt for larger than a 24" size. A few searches yielded most QHD displays tend to be on 27" monitors. Is that the case? Why? I'd be most happy, frankly, with a 19-21" setup.

 

Here's more information following the template by @VVR4ITH.

 

Budget: £2500~
Location: U.K.

Build date: July 1st - 7th

Peripherals:
In need of mouse and keyboard. Should be compact (eg. Drevo) and, preferably, wireless (or with a detachable wire). A Windows OS, too, of course.

 

Lastly, I have a few questions.

 

Q - What resources are out there for beginners to learn about PC gaming? I'm thinking written guides, books and comprehensive YT videos.
Q - How ought I to approach assembling the PC without any prior experience? What are the common mistakes?
 

All guidance will be appreciated.

[Collinator24]

For that, my personal choice would be a system centered around an rtx 2080, and an i7-9700k. Just my opinions

 

I made a fast pcpp for you. Q1: (What resources are out there for beginners to learn about PC gaming? I'm thinking written guides, books and comprehensive YT videos.) : I started just my messing around in windows, and learning from youtube videos. Youtube is very valuable when it comes to this stuff. Q2: (How ought I to approach assembling the PC without any prior experience? What are the common mistakes?) : Smaller cases are generally harder to build in, just follow a youtube video for some tips. Some common mistakes are PSU fan facing inside the case, RAM not in Dual-Channel, Drivers not fully installed, Not Wiring All Of The Front Panel, etc

 

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel - Core i7-9700K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor	$389.99 @ SuperBiiz
CPU Cooler	Noctua - NH-L9i 33.84 CFM CPU Cooler	$39.95 @ Amazon
Motherboard	MSI - MPG Z390I GAMING EDGE AC Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard	$154.38 @ Walmart
Memory	Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$69.89 @ OutletPC
Storage	Crucial - MX500 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$107.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card	Gigabyte - GeForce RTX 2080 8 GB WINDFORCE Video Card	$699.99 @ Amazon
Case	Cooler Master - Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case	$41.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply	Corsair - RM 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	$94.99 @ Amazon
Operating System	Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit	$99.39 @ OutletPC
Monitor	Acer - XV272U Pbmiiprzx 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor	$449.99 @ Amazon
Keyboard	Corsair - K63 Special Edition (MX Red) Wireless Gaming Keyboard	$97.94 @ Newegg Business
Mouse	Corsair - DARK CORE RGB Wireless Optical Mouse	$59.99 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$2336.38
	Mail-in rebates	-$30.00
	Total	$2306.38
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-06-22 19:49 EDT-0400

[Derrk]

unless you really want to build this asap, i'd recommend waiting until the next generation of nvidia cards. The rtx 2080/2080ti's are nice, but ray tracing capabilities should expand a lot by the next generation. It's going to be hard to run any ray-tracing game at 60 fps on a 1440p monitor with a 2080ti. 

 

there's lot of good sources to learn more about tech. This forum, reddit, tomshardware, as well as several youtubers like jayztwocents, LLT, bitwit kyle, nexus gamer, etc. All good places to learn about tech. There's plenty of tutorials that teach you how to build a pc if you're not comfortable with it. Again, if you have a question about any step of the build, forums like this one are a good place to ask.

 

If you want to build your pc in the dates you specified (july 1-7), i'd recommend building it around an intel 9900k and an rtx 2080ti. The list @Collinator24 put together is pretty good, but there's some things i would change.

 

I would recommend getting a more reliable SSD and possibly also a large capacity HDD for mass storage. You also don't need to pay for windows 10. You can get an unregistered version for free (legally) or you could buy an iso file for $20-30

 

[Collinator24]

Agree with @Derrk. That's how I got my windows license and it works well.

[r2724r16]

21 minutes ago, Derrk said:

You can get an unregistered version for free (legally)

You're technically breaking the EULA if you use Windows unactivated, so it's technically illegal. Not that anyone cares lol.

25 minutes ago, Derrk said:

you could buy an iso file for $20-30

The ISO file is free, you don't need to pay for it. You do need to purchase a Windows activation key if you want to use the OS legally.

 

Also, those $20/30 keys you're talking about are really sketchy (and illegal).

[Derrk]

2 minutes ago, r2724r16 said:

You're technically breaking the EULA if you use Windows unactivated, so it's technically illegal. Not that anyone cares lol.

The ISO file is free, you don't need to pay for it. You do need to purchase a Windows activation key if you want to use the OS legally.

 

Also, those $20/30 keys you're talking about are really sketchy (and illegal).

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Herman Mcpootis]

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor  (£259.00) wait for it to be released.
CPU Cooler: Deepcool - CAPTAIN 120EX RGB 76.52 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  (£59.99 @ Amazon UK) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte - B450 I AORUS PRO WIFI Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard  (£112.00 @ CCL Computers) you'll need to update the bios.
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  (£68.32 @ Amazon UK) 
Storage: ADATA - XPG SX6000 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive  (£108.48 @ Ebuyer) 
Video Card: Palit - GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB GamingPro Video Card  (£999.97 @ Box Limited) 
Case: Silverstone - RVZ01-E HTPC Case  (£81.30 @ CCL Computers) 
Power Supply: Corsair - SF 600 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply  (£109.99 @ AWD-IT) 
Monitor: AOC - AG241QX 23.8" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor  (£299.95 @ Amazon UK) 
Keyboard: Cherry - G84-4100LCMUS-2 Wired Slim Keyboard  (£44.46 @ More Computers) 
Mouse: Logitech - G603 Wireless Optical Mouse  (£44.98 @ PC World Business) 
Total: £2188.44
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-06-23 04:13 BST+0100

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On 6/22/2019 at 6:51 PM, Collinator24 said:

I made a fast pcpp for you. Q1: (What resources are out there for beginners to learn about PC gaming? I'm thinking written guides, books and comprehensive YT videos.) : I started just my messing around in windows, and learning from youtube videos. Youtube is very valuable when it comes to this stuff. Q2: (How ought I to approach assembling the PC without any prior experience? What are the common mistakes?) : Smaller cases are generally harder to build in, just follow a youtube video for some tips. Some common mistakes are PSU fan facing inside the case, RAM not in Dual-Channel, Drivers not fully installed, Not Wiring All Of The Front Panel, etc

Yeah. I find YT a valuable platform for how-to and review style guides. An approach I've begun taking is branching into the subject, tagging videos and articles into corresponding topics. That way, I've begun to map out the subject. I now have a list of questions to find answers to, and sources ready to answer them.

 

Would you mind expanding on why you chose some of those parts? I agree with Derrk that an i7 9900k and RTX 2080Ti should be the forerunners of my build, because they fit my budget and scale well together in regard to eeking out performance.

 

I pose the same question to @Herman Mcpootis.

 

On 6/22/2019 at 7:03 PM, Derrk said:

unless you really want to build this asap, i'd recommend waiting until the next generation of nvidia cards. The rtx 2080/2080ti's are nice, but ray tracing capabilities should expand a lot by the next generation. It's going to be hard to run any ray-tracing game at 60 fps on a 1440p monitor with a 2080ti. 

 

there's lot of good sources to learn more about tech. This forum, reddit, tomshardware, as well as several youtubers like jayztwocents, LLT, bitwit kyle, nexus gamer, etc. All good places to learn about tech. There's plenty of tutorials that teach you how to build a pc if you're not comfortable with it. Again, if you have a question about any step of the build, forums like this one are a good place to ask.

 

If you want to build your pc in the dates you specified (july 1-7), i'd recommend building it around an intel 9900k and an rtx 2080ti. The list @Collinator24 put together is pretty good, but there's some things i would change.

 

I would recommend getting a more reliable SSD and possibly also a large capacity HDD for mass storage. You also don't need to pay for windows 10. You can get an unregistered version for free (legally) or you could buy an iso file for $20-30

 

Thanks for the recommendaitons, Derrk! I came across each of the Youtubers you listed, and I've begun exploring Reddit's gaming sectors. This forum has proved most helpful thus far, alongside techbuyersguru.com. In fact, they publish exactly the guides I was looking for prior to my post. Their Mini-ITX $2,500 meets all of my aims, so I may be replicating their build once their promised build guide releases. What seems to work is to latch onto a comprehensive, overview-like resource (in this case, LTT), then learn as you go by exploring questions and topics. Otherwise, I've found myself binge-watching videos without any lasting effect (aside from cognitive overload, perhaps).

 

Prior to findng TBG, I did note your advice on the SSD. As for Windows 10, I'll take the USB and license key approach. There should be some reliable sellers of activation keys out there - surely.

 

For anyone interested, here are some questions I'll be answering for myself tonight. Feel free to answer them with your own experience or second-hand information. It'll save me time, and perhaps help out other beginners.

 

What are external and internal bays, and what of the varying sizes?

A case can have a power supply?

What wattage should I am for in a mini ITX case? What is the difference between a desktop and tower? An ATX and an ITX tower?

What defines the best SSD cards? Does a demanding GPU require a certain level of SSD?

What is a case fan, and how does it differ from a CPU cooler? What about thermal compounding?

What does a sound card do, and do I need one for gaming? If so, will one fit into my compact setup?

Do I need a bluetooth card to connect use my Bose wireless headphones with my PC?

How can I make my setup wireless?

 

On 6/22/2019 at 10:13 PM, Herman Mcpootis said:

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor  (£259.00) wait for it to be released.

 

Why do you recommend waiting for AMD's new processors?

[Derrk]

2 hours ago, ------------- said:

Thanks for the recommen What seems to work is to latch onto a comprehensive, overview-like resource (in this case, LTT), then learn as you go by exploring questions and topics. Otherwise, I've found myself binge-watching videos without any lasting effect (aside from cognitive overload, perhaps).

 

What are external and internal bays, and what of the varying sizes?

A case can have a power supply?

What wattage should I am for in a mini ITX case? What is the difference between a desktop and tower? An ATX and an ITX tower?

What defines the best SSD cards? Does a demanding GPU require a certain level of SSD?

What is a case fan, and how does it differ from a CPU cooler? What about thermal compounding?

What does a sound card do, and do I need one for gaming? If so, will one fit into my compact setup?

Do I need a bluetooth card to connect use my Bose wireless headphones with my PC?

How can I make my setup wireless?

i think jayztwocents has the best build tutorials. He's entertaining and doesn't give so much information that it'll overload your brain.

I'll try my best to answer your questions in order, in layman's terms.

 

 

external & internal bays are in regards to how hard drives are stored. Internal are inside of the case & external are outside of the case & typically attached through a usb port. Internal hard drives are significantly faster. Most people only use external as a means of backing up their system or transferring data in the way one would use a flash drive.

 

a case needs a power supply. It converts A/C power from the wall outlet into D/C power which is delivered to your components. 

 

I'd recommend AT LEAST 650W for your system but you should try to get a larger one. You wan't it to last up to 5 years, so i'd suggest trying to find something around 750 watts to support any overclocking you might do on the system. It might be difficult to fit that into an ITX case because many of them can only fit small form factor (SFX) power supplys. unfortunately most small power supplies run upwards of around 600W. There might be some that can deliver more watts but i'm unaware of them. A desktop & tower are the same thing, however "tower" usually describes an ATX or mATX build since they typically stand taller. The difference between ATX & ITX is the size of the motherboard. eATX is the largest & mITX is the smallest. I can follow up more on that if you'd like.

 

The best SSDs are reliable and have high read/write speeds. There are several different types of SSDs such as SATA (which is the most common & cheapest) and NVMe (which is the fastest but much more expensive). SATA has max speeds of around 550 mbs and NVMe has max speeds of around 3500mbs. In most cases, the additional speed of an NVMe isn't noticed in everyday use so i'd recommend getting a good SATA drive. GPU is not dependent on an SSD at all. Your games will load faster if they're stored on an SSD rather than an HDD but the GPU isn't impacted at all.

 

A case fan is mounted on the ends of the case to move air through the system, whereas a CPU cooler is attached directly to the CPU to dissipate heat. Air-cooled systems have metal heat pipes (typically copper) with several small metal fins (typically made of aluminum) which conduct heat from the CPU & then fans attached directly to the cooler move heat away from all the metal. Case fans bring cool air inside of the case and remove the hot air from another side of the case, so that warm air doesn't build up. Thermal compounds (or TIM) are conductive materials that bridge the CPU & the CPU cooler together so that the cooler is able to conduct heat away from the CPU.

 

Almost all modern motherboards have an integrated sound card, so you won't have to worry about adding one. Some audiophiles still add one & use an external amplifier to increase audio performance. In my opinion, it isn't necessary, but it may be if you're a music producer.

 

Like a sound card, most modern motherboards include a wireless card for bluetooth and wifi. Not all motherboards do, so be sure to check for that when shopping.

 

 

 

I know this might be confusing to a newcomer so let me know if you have any questions or want any further detail

[Herman Mcpootis]

4 hours ago, ------------- said:

What are external and internal bays, and what of the varying sizes?

A case can have a power supply?

What wattage should I am for in a mini ITX case? What is the difference between a desktop and tower? An ATX and an ITX tower?

What defines the best SSD cards? Does a demanding GPU require a certain level of SSD?

What is a case fan, and how does it differ from a CPU cooler? What about thermal compounding?

What does a sound card do, and do I need one for gaming? If so, will one fit into my compact setup?

Do I need a bluetooth card to connect use my Bose wireless headphones with my PC?

How can I make my setup wireless?

internal bays are for things like HDDs, SSDs and such, external bays store things like disc drives and fan hubs where you need to interact with it(pressing buttons, etc.)

if you mean a case with an included PSU, yes but they're usually not good. a good 500w PSU is enough.

SSDs just store data, doesn't affect the GPU. NVMe SSDs are faster than sata SSDs but may cost more.

the case fan is just a fan that you can mount onto the case. a heatsink helps to remove heat directly from the CPU while the fans move air in and out of the case. thermal compound is included with the heatsink.

all consumer boards now include audio, so don't worry about this.

if it comes with a wireless dongle then connect that to the PC.

if you need wifi, you can get a board with integrated wifi or a Pci-e wifi adapter. most M-itx boards will have integrated wifi, just look up the product page if you're not sure.

[-------------]

18 hours ago, Derrk said:

I'll try my best to answer your questions in order, in layman's terms.

 

@Derrk

Fantastic reply, Derrk. Saving you from going into further detail, I can springboard off into more complicated questions myself now. I'll be sure to nudge you will any queries, given your willingness to still help!

 

Regarding my needed power wattage, the build I'm to follow recommends 700W. Do you think that'd suffice? I do hear you on your previous remark, that I may be better waiting for AMD's new CPUs to release. I read an article by WWCFTech reporting on the 3800X's single and multi-thread performance, in comparison with the 9900k. The results are impressive, and we yet have the 3900X to see.

 

[Source: https://wccftech.com/amd-ryzen-7-3800x-benchmarks-leaked-crushes-intels-i9-9900k-in-multi-threaded-performance/]

 

In response, it's claimed Intel will drastically reduce their prices, exceeding a 20% cut. So, even if I were to stick with Intel, I think your advice is worth heeding: patience will pay off here (literally). My main concern regarding them are the power requirements. I'll have to wait until the techies at TBG (techbuyersguru.com) update their Mini-ITX builds in July. How will these processers affect you? You have a 2700x, right; I could see a potential upgrade here for you.

 

17 hours ago, Herman Mcpootis said:

internal bays are for things like HDDs, SSDs and such, external bays store things like disc drives and fan hubs where you need to interact with it(pressing buttons, etc.)

if you mean a case with an included PSU, yes but they're usually not good. a good 500w PSU is enough.

SSDs just store data, doesn't affect the GPU. NVMe SSDs are faster than sata SSDs but may cost more.

the case fan is just a fan that you can mount onto the case. a heatsink helps to remove heat directly from the CPU while the fans move air in and out of the case. thermal compound is included with the heatsink.

all consumer boards now include audio, so don't worry about this.

if it comes with a wireless dongle then connect that to the PC.

if you need wifi, you can get a board with integrated wifi or a Pci-e wifi adapter. most M-itx boards will have integrated wifi, just look up the product page if you're not sure.

@Herman Mcpootis

Likewise, I appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions. It's helpful seeing questions answered in multiple ways.

 

I'll avoid cases with pre-installed PSUs. Irregardless of the performance, I imagine the price will be inflated, but even if not I think part of the joy of this project will be to install the parts myself. Any recommendations on the Wi-Fi front? I do dabble in competitive play. Plus, my download speed is quite high. I may benefit from a decent router, but a beginner's glance at broadband language is intimidating. Especially with the rise of streaming services, I would prefer a jitter-less performance, even in my single player games.

[Derrk]

8 minutes ago, ------------- said:

@Derrk

Fantastic reply, Derrk. Saving you from going into further detail, I can springboard off into more complicated questions myself now. I'll be sure to nudge you will any queries, given your willingness to still help!

 

Regarding my needed power wattage, the build I'm to follow recommends 700W. Do you think that'd suffice? I do hear you on your previous remark, that I may be better waiting for AMD's new CPUs to release. I read an article by WWCFTech reporting on the 3800X's single and multi-thread performance, in comparison with the 9900k. The results are impressive, and we yet have the 3900X to see.

 

[Source: https://wccftech.com/amd-ryzen-7-3800x-benchmarks-leaked-crushes-intels-i9-9900k-in-multi-threaded-performance/]

 

In response, it's claimed Intel will drastically reduce their prices, exceeding a 20% cut. So, even if I were to stick with Intel, I think your advice is worth heeding: patience will pay off here (literally). My main concern regarding them are the power requirements. I'll have to wait until the techies at TBG (techbuyersguru.com) update their Mini-ITX builds in July. How will these processers affect you? You have a 2700x, right; I could see a potential upgrade here for you.

700W should suffice, though it never hurts to have more, especially if you plan on overclocking everything

the new ryzen CPUs have higher multi-threaded performance, but most games utilize only 4 cores and single-threaded performance. If this build is mostly going to be for gaming, i think the 9900k will run games better than the new AMD CPUs.

 

I'm happy with my current setup. 2700x does everything i need it to & more. I may upgrade to a 3800x or 3900x in a couple of years if i need the boost. Otherwise i'll probably wait several years to do a huge overhaul on my system.

[Herman Mcpootis]

6 hours ago, ------------- said:

Regarding my needed power wattage, the build I'm to follow recommends 700W. Do you think that'd suffice? 

 

Any recommendations on the Wi-Fi front? I do dabble in competitive play. Plus, my download speed is quite high. I may benefit from a decent router, but a beginner's glance at broadband language is intimidating. Especially with the rise of streaming services, I would prefer a jitter-less performance, even in my single player games.

700w isn't needed for a single GPU rig, a good 500-600w PSU is enough.

 

if you really want stutter free, an ethernet cable is still the way to go. you can pick up a motherboard with a better wifi module to help out with download speeds, like this:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/f7GxFT/asrock-fatal1ty-x470-gaming-itxac-mini-itx-am4-motherboard-x470-gaming-itxac

[brob]

7 hours ago, ------------- said:

Regarding my needed power wattage, the build I'm to follow recommends 700W.

That is a ridiculous amount for anything less than an i9. Even then it is on the very high side of requirements.

 

Trusting "leaks" is foolhardy. The data graphed is meaningless without full context. We have no idea about the equipment and conditions involved in generating the numbers.

[celerystruct]

On 6/23/2019 at 7:11 PM, ------------- said:

What are external and internal bays, and what of the varying sizes?

They hold your disc reader. Just buy a cheap external one if you need one and hook it up via usb.

 

On 6/23/2019 at 7:11 PM, ------------- said:

A case can have a power supply?

If you mean PSU built in then no. 

 

On 6/23/2019 at 7:11 PM, ------------- said:

What wattage should I am for in a mini ITX case? What is the difference between a desktop and tower? An ATX and an ITX tower?

600W is plenty

 

Desktop and Tower? No difference different words for same thing.

 

ATX and ITX are form factors. ITX is the small motherboard you'll be getting so an ITX case is a small case meant to house just those. ATX are the larger ones that can house both ATX mother boards and any smaller boards like the ITX

 

On 6/23/2019 at 7:11 PM, ------------- said:

What defines the best SSD cards? Does a demanding GPU require a certain level of SSD?

You're just going to be gaming so just slpa one of these bad boys in there and call it a day

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/ft8j4D/crucial-mx500-500gb-25-solid-state-drive-ct500mx500ssd1

 

On 6/23/2019 at 7:11 PM, ------------- said:

What is a case fan, and how does it differ from a CPU cooler? What about thermal compounding?

Case fans are fans that go on your case.

CPU cooler goes on your cpu

thermal compound or paste is the thing you put between your cpu and cooler to ensure they make proper contact. Most coolers come with them preapplied so don't worry about it.

 

On 6/23/2019 at 7:11 PM, ------------- said:

What does a sound card do, and do I need one for gaming? If so, will one fit into my compact setup?

Don't need one unless you're doing some serious stuff with sound like music production.

On 6/23/2019 at 7:11 PM, ------------- said:

Do I need a bluetooth card to connect use my Bose wireless headphones with my PC?

Not if you buy a motherboard with bluetooth already on it

On 6/23/2019 at 7:11 PM, ------------- said:

How can I make my setup wireless?

If you mean wireless as in internet then get a motherboard that comes with wifi support.

If you mean speakers and mouse and key board, just buy wireless versions of those.

On 6/22/2019 at 7:35 PM, ------------- said:

Q - What resources are out there for beginners to learn about PC gaming? I'm thinking written guides, books and comprehensive YT videos.

When it comes to anything tech related never rely on books. They get outdated fast and can't be updated. Just google what you want to learn and read articles or watch videos and go on forums like this.

 

Gamer's nexus goes very in depth with things

On 6/22/2019 at 7:35 PM, ------------- said:

Q - How ought I to approach assembling the PC without any prior experience? What are the common mistakes?

Just watch some youtube vids by paul's hardware or search common mistakes on youtube. 

 

On 6/22/2019 at 7:35 PM, ------------- said:

A few searches yielded most QHD displays tend to be on 27" monitors. Is that the case? Why? I'd be most happy, frankly, with a 19-21" setup.

More pixels more screen real estate. If you really want a small screen just get a 1080p monitor. 

 

 

Also is travelling with your rig that important? Building in ITX cases is a huge hassle and very hard for experienced builders to do as well especially with you wanting a 2080 ti in there.

 

If travel is so important to you that you need the tiniest pc and a tiny monitor you might be better served just getting a gaming laptop. Again if travel is very important to you. Otherwise I'd say just get a big ol' tower and a big ol' monitor and just leave them at home.

[-------------]

On 6/25/2019 at 5:16 AM, Herman Mcpootis said:

700w isn't needed for a single GPU rig, a good 500-600w PSU is enough.

 

if you really want stutter free, an ethernet cable is still the way to go. you can pick up a motherboard with a better wifi module to help out with download speeds, like this:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/f7GxFT/asrock-fatal1ty-x470-gaming-itxac-mini-itx-am4-motherboard-x470-gaming-itxac

I hear 700W is advantageous for an RTX 2080 Ti and 9900k combo, whereas a middling PSU could risk throttling. Furthermore, to overclock on a power supply sub-700W would be risky. I want to future proof my rig, so to compromise power supply here on the basis of finances isn't worth it for me.

 

Neither is an ethernet cable. Portability will be restricted here, although I could see ethernet helpful in poor Wi-fi zones. But I would plan ahead to avoid weak internet speeds, or to have a few DRM-free titles in my library as back-up games. Along these lines, are any recent titles difficult to play or simply unavailable offline?

 

I'll keep that motherboard in mind, in the meantime. I may opt for a Mini-ATX build instead - I'm not sure. There seems to be a consensus that this level of performance I'm aiming for is unsustainable in the ITX form factor.

On 6/25/2019 at 6:27 AM, brob said:

That is a ridiculous amount for anything less than an i9. Even then it is on the very high side of requirements.

 

Trusting "leaks" is foolhardy. The data graphed is meaningless without full context. We have no idea about the equipment and conditions involved in generating the numbers.

As I asked above, even when overclocking? From what I understand, three factors contribute to this line of thinking: manufactures misrepresent power demand numbers on their products, an overclocked RTX 2080Ti and i9900k is heavy duty, and continuous usage over time places heavier demand on your power supply. Combined, this would suggest hours into a demanding game you could throttle your rig from a lack of power.

 

I note your point here. The data was stripped of its context- the entire setup, the test conditions - and wasn't verified by third parties (which means in the worst case, the data could be fabricated). Assuming you track leaks, what role do they play for you? Is there any value to leaks regarding new products?

19 hours ago, celerystruct said:

They hold your disc reader. Just buy a cheap external one if you need one and hook it up via usb.

 

If you mean PSU built in then no. 

 

600W is plenty

 

Desktop and Tower? No difference different words for same thing.

 

ATX and ITX are form factors. ITX is the small motherboard you'll be getting so an ITX case is a small case meant to house just those. ATX are the larger ones that can house both ATX mother boards and any smaller boards like the ITX

 

You're just going to be gaming so just slpa one of these bad boys in there and call it a day

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/ft8j4D/crucial-mx500-500gb-25-solid-state-drive-ct500mx500ssd1

 

Case fans are fans that go on your case.

CPU cooler goes on your cpu

thermal compound or paste is the thing you put between your cpu and cooler to ensure they make proper contact. Most coolers come with them preapplied so don't worry about it.

 

Don't need one unless you're doing some serious stuff with sound like music production.

Not if you buy a motherboard with bluetooth already on it

If you mean wireless as in internet then get a motherboard that comes with wifi support.

If you mean speakers and mouse and key board, just buy wireless versions of those.

When it comes to anything tech related never rely on books. They get outdated fast and can't be updated. Just google what you want to learn and read articles or watch videos and go on forums like this.

 

Gamer's nexus goes very in depth with things

Just watch some youtube vids by paul's hardware or search common mistakes on youtube. 

 

More pixels more screen real estate. If you really want a small screen just get a 1080p monitor. 

 

 

Also is travelling with your rig that important? Building in ITX cases is a huge hassle and very hard for experienced builders to do as well especially with you wanting a 2080 ti in there.

 

If travel is so important to you that you need the tiniest pc and a tiny monitor you might be better served just getting a gaming laptop. Again if travel is very important to you. Otherwise I'd say just get a big ol' tower and a big ol' monitor and just leave them at home.

A competent motherboard should solve many of my concerns, then.

 

There is the option for me to pick-up a laptop, yes. It'll depend on my living circumstances in July-August, but I have examined the Zephrus S and MSI Raider. Another commenter tipped I'd be sensible to wait a few weeks for AMDs' product release. Now that I've planned out my options, I'm going to do that and stay patient. Thanks for answering, Celerystruct.

On 6/24/2019 at 10:57 PM, Derrk said:

700W should suffice, though it never hurts to have more, especially if you plan on overclocking everything

the new ryzen CPUs have higher multi-threaded performance, but most games utilize only 4 cores and single-threaded performance. If this build is mostly going to be for gaming, i think the 9900k will run games better than the new AMD CPUs.

 

I'm happy with my current setup. 2700x does everything i need it to & more. I may upgrade to a 3800x or 3900x in a couple of years if i need the boost. Otherwise i'll probably wait several years to do a huge overhaul on my system.

We have differing views here. I will likely opt for a 700w PSU, but others claim this voltage is overkill.

 

We'll see whether the new CPUs outperform the 9900k. Even if they do, the latter is battle-tested and the more reliable choice for me.

 

You'll upgrade only when necessary.

[celerystruct]

24 minutes ago, ------------- said:

Neither is an ethernet cable. Portability will be restricted here, although I could see ethernet helpful in poor Wi-fi zones. But I would plan ahead to avoid weak internet speeds, or to have a few DRM-free titles in my library as back-up games. Along these lines, are any recent titles difficult to play or simply unavailable offline?

If it's a single player game you can just enable offline mode on Steam and play all your games without internet. Your profile won't show you got new achievements or whatever is the only thing you'll miss out on and whatever features were included if your single player game had online features.

 

I don't know about the Epic Games Store or Ubisoft's uplay but you don't need to go out of your way to specifically get DRM free games.

 

29 minutes ago, ------------- said:

I'll keep that motherboard in mind, in the meantime. I may opt for a Mini-ATX build instead - I'm not sure. There seems to be a consensus that this level of performance I'm aiming for is unsustainable in the ITX form factor.

I mean it's not really the performance that's the issue with an ITX build. It's just hard to build in a "portable" ITX cases with the amount of stuff you're trying to cram in there. It can be done but it'd be a huge hassel.

 

https://www.amazon.com/CORSAIR-High-Performance-i9-9920X-960GB-Windows/dp/B07L71QFQ4/ref=asc_df_B07L71QFQ4/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=321499553671&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11640691878419460365&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007299&hvtargid=pla-668172823160&psc=1

 

You could go for something like this. But that won't fit in your bag.

On 6/24/2019 at 5:41 PM, ------------- said:

Any recommendations on the Wi-Fi front? I do dabble in competitive play. Plus, my download speed is quite high. I may benefit from a decent router, but a beginner's glance at broadband language is intimidating. Especially with the rise of streaming services, I would prefer a jitter-less performance, even in my single player games.

 

 

You could go for this. But it'll be a huge hassle.

 

Also pretty much all high end boards come with 802.11ac wifi but your internet speed is also dependent on your service provider and router and other variables which will be impossible to ensure on the go. 

 

Also the more I read the more it sounds like you'd be better suited for a laptop instead. It's got the portability and the small screen.

[brob]

4 minutes ago, ------------- said:

As I asked above, even when overclocking? From what I understand, three factors contribute to this line of thinking: manufactures misrepresent power demand numbers on their products, an overclocked RTX 2080Ti and i9900k is heavy duty, and continuous usage over time places heavier demand on your power supply. Combined, this would suggest hours into a demanding game you could throttle your rig from a lack of power.

Don't confuse TDP with power consumption. It is quite true that Intel Coffee Lake Refresh TDP numbers are stock at idle values. Which means much higher than anticipated heat output with turbo clocks and when overclocked.

 

It is possible to push an i9-9900K to ~250W draw. But this is with the cpu fully loaded (i.e. all cores at 100% load). Add on a fully loaded RTX 2080 Ti at ~280W and about 100W for everything else, for a total of ~630W. The only way to get to this number realistically is through artificial loading. Continuous gaming for long periods will not come close to list sort of loading.

 

It was my impression that you were not looking at an i9-9900K. Certainly with the cooling requirements of this cpu a smaller system is difficult to achieve.

 

4 minutes ago, ------------- said:

I note your point here. The data was stripped of its context- the entire setup, the test conditions - and wasn't verified by third parties (which means in the worst case, the data could be fabricated). Assuming you track leaks, what role do they play for you? Is there any value to leaks regarding new products?

 

I do not trust "leaks" at all. They are worthwhile in warning one that something might change, but in my experience manufacturers have become very good at generating excitement for a new product through strategic leaks. Marketing departments are only interested in sales and that sometimes means presenting a less than complete picture.

[Derrk]

On 6/26/2019 at 12:32 PM, ------------- said:

We have differing views here. I will likely opt for a 700w PSU, but others claim this voltage is overkill.

 

We'll see whether the new CPUs outperform the 9900k. Even if they do, the latter is battle-tested and the more reliable choice for me.

 

You'll upgrade only when necessary.

Sorry for the late response, i've been a bit busy.

While it may not be necessary for 700w in this system, it never hurts to have more wattage. Typically, but not always, higher grade PSUs have longer life-spans than lower grade PSUs, and it never hurts to have extra power for overhead. If you ever get into overclocking i could imagine this system pulling above 600w, (although i haven't check the TDP of these component in a while). I'm running a 600w premium PSU on a 1080ti and a 2700x and sometimes cut it close at full load. I believe the 9900k is close to the 2700x in TDP, but i think the 2080ti significantly exceeds the 1080ti in total draw power, if i remember correct.

 

The voltage itself isn't a factor, since practically all power supplies use comparable rail voltages. For example, a 500w PSU will deliver the same voltage as a 700w system, when under the same settings, so long as it has enough overhead (or wattage) to do so. Basically, a power supply can never be too powerful for a system. Basically, you could use an insanely expensive 1000+ watt PSU without any issue, other than it not being cost-effective. Those who argued were most-likely just trying to save you some money, which i can appreciate. In short, the system will use whatever amount of wattage it needs, and the PSU won't supply more power than necessary. It never hurts to have too much wattage, but it can hurt to cut it too close

 

As far as cpu performance, I forget what i said earlier (& I'm currently too tired to reread this thread), but the 9900k should out-perform the new AMD CPUs in terms of gaming. As far as multitasking and multi-threaded performance, benchmarks show the new high-end AMD CPUs should take an advantage over the 9900k. However, since it sounds like you primarily want a gaming system, from what i remember, the 9900k would still be your best option. Granted, Intel usually releases their new CPUs in Q3-Q4,  so there may be a better gaming cpu coming out fairly soon. Just something to keep in mind

[trevb0t]

On 6/23/2019 at 5:11 PM, ------------- said:

Why do you recommend waiting for AMD's new processors?

Watch... Literally anything about them. 

 

Zen 2 is claiming a 1-2% lead over 9th Gen Intel chips in single-core performance (...we'll see,) and a SIGNIFICANT win in multi-core (already does in 2nd gen Ryzen. That's not going anywhere.) For less cost, you can grab an unlocked chip with more cores, Multithreading in all cases (except the Ryzen 3 series), and support on motherboards that cost half of what a decent Z390 does... Even if they fall short of the single-core claims and perform 1-2% worse than 9th gen Intel... It's still a no brainer.

 

There is literally no reason not to wait and see what the reviewers say about Zen 2. 

[trevb0t]

^ That said, I went ahead and built you a FULL RGB build that will shred frames (RGB = Extra FPS, right?)

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor	£329.00
CPU Cooler	Corsair - H100i RGB PLATINUM 75 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler	£109.00 @ AWD-IT
Motherboard	ASRock - B450 Steel Legend ATX AM4 Motherboard	£91.13 @ CCL Computers
Memory	Corsair - Vengeance RGB Pro 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	£90.48 @ Scan.co.uk
Storage	Intel - 660p Series 512 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive	£65.99 @ Amazon UK
Storage	Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	£61.74 @ Egenisys
Video Card	Gigabyte - GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB AORUS XTREME Video Card	£1159.99 @ CCL Computers
Case	Cooler Master - MasterBox MB511 ATX Mid Tower Case	£61.13 @ CCL Computers
Power Supply	Corsair - RMx (2018) 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	£89.99 @ CCL Computers
Monitor	Acer - Predator XB271HUA 27.0" 2560x1440 165 Hz Monitor	£446.21 @ Box Limited
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	£2504.66
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-06-28 08:30 BST+0100

• Ryzen 7 3700X, because until we're proven wrong it appears to be a market master.
• VERY nice AIO (performance-wise... It's not just for sex appeal, but that's there too.) A case to support this on top, and 3 RGB fans up front. Very sexy.
• Steel Legend for great performance, and RGB. Corsair Vengeance RGB for the same things.
• The AORUS EXTREME may be the spot you're spending a touch more for RGB than is practical, but the cooler performance is spectacular. You could also look to the MSI 2080Ti Duke for a small savings, and a pretty nice unit as well.
• RMx 650W, because 650W is MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR A SINGLE GPU BUILD!
• A 27" 1440p 165hz 1ms G-Sync Monitor to let these powerful gaming parts stretch their legs. 

See also this very sexy all black build:

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor	£329.00
CPU Cooler	be quiet! - Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler	£67.98 @ Aria PC
Motherboard	MSI - B450 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard	£89.84 @ AWD-IT
Memory	Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	£70.38 @ Aria PC
Storage	Intel - 660p Series 512 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive	£65.99 @ Amazon UK
Storage	Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	£61.74 @ Egenisys
Video Card	MSI - GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB GAMING X TRIO Video Card	£1075.00 @ Amazon UK
Case	Fractal Design - Meshify S2 ATX Mid Tower Case	£135.06 @ More Computers
Power Supply	Corsair - RMx (2018) 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	£89.99 @ CCL Computers
Monitor	Acer - Predator XB271HUA 27.0" 2560x1440 165 Hz Monitor	£446.21 @ Box Limited
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	£2431.19
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-06-28 08:38 BST+0100

• Dark Rock Pro 4 for quiet, high end air cooling.
• Tomahawk for very solid VRMs.
• 2080Ti Gaming X Trio for very nice boost clocks at a solid price.
• Meshify case for... Pure sex appeal.

[-------------]

On 6/26/2019 at 6:26 PM, celerystruct said:

If it's a single player game you can just enable offline mode on Steam and play all your games without internet. Your profile won't show you got new achievements or whatever is the only thing you'll miss out on and whatever features were included if your single player game had online features.

 

I don't know about the Epic Games Store or Ubisoft's uplay but you don't need to go out of your way to specifically get DRM free games.

 

I mean it's not really the performance that's the issue with an ITX build. It's just hard to build in a "portable" ITX cases with the amount of stuff you're trying to cram in there. It can be done but it'd be a huge hassel.

 

Also pretty much all high end boards come with 802.11ac wifi but your internet speed is also dependent on your service provider and router and other variables which will be impossible to ensure on the go. 

 

Also the more I read the more it sounds like you'd be better suited for a laptop instead. It's got the portability and the small screen.

3

I see portable ITX cases may impact a system's longevity. Given I will now wait until Prime Day to buy parts, I will reconsider my build's form factor. On the one hand, I have the budget and desire for an enthusiast build; on the other, I may be moving places and the constraints associated there would be easier to manage with a compact, cheaper build.

 

You're right a laptop would also serve my needs. Perhaps I'll pick-up a secondhand laptop under £750. I find there are few all-around gaming budget laptops, however. Either you opt for mid-range to high-end build, which will be cost-inefficient and depreciate exponentially over time, or you take up an older generation laptop, usually with a clunky, heavy chassis and piteous battery life.

How I've managed games in the past is to wait for "Game of the Year" and "Ultimate Editions" of the AAA publishers. Not only do you save money, but you ensure the games are rich in content from the start. Right now, I am building a library of indie, classic and past-favourite singleplayer games. All of these are unaffected by DRM, but I'm glad to know Steam provides an option for offline play.

I have a hazy understanding as to why people buy games on release. The more expensive a game is, the quicker it'll depreciate in value. From a consumer's point of view, you are always incentivised to wait a few months. When I see a new title I'm excited about, I'll either opt for the previous game, a similar one or re-direct my interest elsewhere. Granted, some games will maintain a stable selling price (eg. LoZ: Breath of the Wild), but others do not (eg. Fallout 76). I realise launching into online-centric games day one can be an exciting experience, though, so there are exceptions.