Advice Needed for First Build (Portable, ~$3200 CAD)

[JPai]

Hey! New to the forum and the PC building community as a whole but I'm excited for my first build!

 

I'm trying to build a portable (since I'll be moving on and off the campus as the terms end) system that can support my needs. So, my budget's about $3200 CAD after tax, so ~$2830 CAD before. I'm hoping for it to be my daily driver, so something like 20-30% browsing/school related, 20-25% gaming (preferably 1440p), and then split between coding, design, math/physics simulations, 3D printing/casual blender things.

 

I would like to be able to upgrade it down the road without switching most of the PC out.

 

I suppose I should somewhat go over what I was thinking for each part (so those of you with much more knowledge can correct me on flawed thinking):

3700X - A good all-rounder that I think should be able to handle the more CPU-heavy workloads well and be able to last several years before needing an upgrade (but also not being overly expensive). I'm not sure how much better it is than a 3600, though, since the benchmark numbers don't really mean much to me. I currently am using a laptop with an i7-8665U.

 

Corsair H100i - I'm not sure if 240mm is necessary, but I figured it's better to go overboard than go too little. I'm thinking of water cooling because I've read heavy air coolers can damage motherboards during transportation, so given I'll probably be moving the system around a lot over the next couple years, water cooling is probably safer(?)

 

Motherboard - I don't really know what I need/don't need. I know WiFi is a must and I would much prefer 2xM.2 slots. Are there any major differences in performance or support for future generation Ryzen CPUs if I go with a B450 for instance? (Also, if I do get a B450, how can I update the BIOS, as I don't have an older CPU for it.)

 

Corsair LPX - They were around the middle of the pack and I've read that faster RAM helps Ryzen CPUs, but again, I don't really understand how much a difference it makes in real life. Like there are cheaper sticks (by upwards of $20-30 but they're all DDR4-2400.)

 

Samsung Evo Plus 970 -  This is the drive that I use on my laptop, so it's what I'm most used to. Not sure if it's the best for my money though. I'm thinking of probably adding another drive of some sorts down the road.

 

EVGA 2070S - From the benchmarks, it seems (to me) that the 2070S tends to perform better than the 5700XT by quite a bit in both games and in things like blender. Also, ray-tracing sounds pretty interesting to me, but then again, I haven't ever seen/used it myself.

 

NZXT H200 - It was the cheapest ITX case I could find that had a decent size and decent cooling support. Mostly, I'm just worried that if I choose one with a tiny form factor, I would screw something up while building the first time.

 

Corsair SF750 - I read that a smaller one is better for ITX builds. I have no clue how much wattage I need, though. Is it enough or too much? If I used a 450W or 600W one, would it hinder the upgradability?

 

LG 27GL850 - LTT said really good things about it and it was pretty well priced I think, so..? Again, I haven't really used many good monitors before either, so I don't know how necessary it is.

 

That's it. Hope to get some advice/recommendations.

 

P.S. I'm also wondering, should I wait for Black Friday, Boxing Day, or Cyber Monday sales? Like how big are they and how much could I expect to save? I mean, as a student this is a pretty big investment, so hopefully it goes well.

 

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor	$441.25 @ Vuugo
CPU Cooler	Corsair H100i PRO 75 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler	$154.99 @ Amazon Canada
Motherboard	Gigabyte X570 I AORUS PRO WIFI Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard	$289.99 @ PC-Canada
Memory	Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory	$104.99 @ Canada Computers
Storage	Samsung 970 Evo Plus 250 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive	$89.99 @ Amazon Canada
Video Card	EVGA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB BLACK GAMING Video Card	$659.00 @ Canada Computers
Case	NZXT H200 Mini ITX Tower Case	$99.99 @ Memory Express
Power Supply	Corsair SF 750 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply	$189.99 @ Newegg Canada
Monitor	LG 27GL850-B 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor	$699.99 @ Memory Express
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$2750.18
	Mail-in rebates	-$20.00
	Total	$2730.18
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-09-14 16:26 EDT-0400

 

[Blind X]

Welcome to the forum!

 

Here are my thoughts about this,

 

CPU: Yes, the 3700X will be a great all rounder in every perspective and is definitely a better choice over 3600 for CPU heavy workd loads.

 

Cooler: A huge and heavy cooler can be a threat to the motherboard if you are moving the system but for something which will be moving this often I wouldn't recommend water cooling either as there is always a danger of leakage. Instead you can grab a slim and light but still a powerful air cooler (talking about the Dark Rock Slim here) which will do the job and should not be a sign of threat to the mobo while transporting. Yet a very capable cooler which will keep the temps cool and provide decent air flow even in an ITX build.

 

Motherboard: There is no B450 motherboard in existence that has 2 m.2 slots with BIOS Flash Back which means you will require an older CPU to update the BIOS so I would also be picking the same mobo as in your build.

 

RAM: Ram is cheap now a days. And there is a significant improvement in performance coming from 2400MHz to 3200MHz. So a 3200MHz cas 16 kit is what I would recommend.

 

Storage: Not sure if you really need the 970 Evo because there are a very few cases where you will be benefiting from it such as working with huge file sizes but since you wanted it I have added a 512 gig one. Also for rest of the needs I would recommend Intel 660p 2 TB M.2 NVME. Its cheap for the price is blazing fast and probably the best value SSD for storage if you have the budget.

 

GPU: The 5700XT only lacks Ray Tracing, other than that it goes neck on neck with the 2070 SUPER. Yes, if you are seeing benchmark results then the 2070 SUPER is a tad bit faster but when it comes to real world performance, the difference in most of the cases is unnoticeable. And imo if you don't want Ray Tracing that badly stick with the 5700 XT. Its just as good. However if you want to future proof it a bit for gaming at 1440p I' d say get a 2080 SUPER which you have the budget for (check out my recommended build at the end of the post) as it is pretty much the most powerful card out there if you neglect 2080 Ti.

 

Case: The H200 is a bit big for an ITX build however its relatively easy to build in for a first time builder and the disassembling is really easy so no changes there.

 

PSU: 750W is simply overkill. You don't need that much wattage. 550W is more than enough for any single GPU setup.

 

Monitor: The Acer VG271U Pbmiipx is just as good and the LG monitor isn't worth paying the extra $100 imo.

 

I don't know if there was a specific reason for you to held back like saving some money for other peripherals, because my build is pretty close to your total budget and the Partpicker prices include shipping, taxes, rebates and discounts (when available). If you are into saving some money and think that you don't really need the power of a 2080 SUPER, then just downgrade to a 5700 XT as paying extra for the 2070 SUPER is just a bad idea unless you want Ray Tracing.

 

Here is my recommended build,

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($441.25 @ Vuugo) 
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Slim CPU Cooler  ($118.01 @ Amazon Canada) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 I AORUS PRO WIFI Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard  ($289.99 @ PC-Canada) 
Memory: Team T-Force Delta RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($105.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($162.99 @ PC-Canada) 
Storage: Intel 660p Series 2.048 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($258.50 @ Vuugo) 
Video Card: Zotac GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB GAMING Video Card  ($920.99 @ PC-Canada) 
Case: NZXT H200 Mini ITX Tower Case  ($99.99 @ Memory Express) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GM 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply  ($118.99 @ PC-Canada) 
Monitor: Acer VG271U Pbmiipx 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor  ($598.99 @ PC-Canada) 
Total: $3115.69
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-09-14 18:47 EDT-0400

 

[JPai]

Thanks for the reply and suggestions!

 

I was rather under budget because Partpicker didn't seem to include taxes, so I precalculated the tax onto it (Meaning I only had around 2800 for the whole system).

 

For the cooler, I was originally planning to use a Noctua U9S, which is a bit cheaper and weighs about the same as the Dark Rock Slim and seems to perform around the same. Do you think that the Dark Rock is worth the extra bit?

 

Also, I couldn't really find any reviews on the EVGA power supply (and the few that I did find seemed to not rate it very highly). Do you think that I should try to stay with the SFX form factor or save some money here to put for other components and opt for an ATX one (as that would be cheaper)?

 

Do you feel the 2080S is worth the upgrade from 5700XT, since those are the two main options?

[brob]

The cpu comes with a decent stock cooler. I'd start with that and only replace it if your usage indicates something beefier is needed.

 

Consider a lower performance but larger NVMe drive. 

 

Tempered glass cases are not an optimal choice if a system is going to be moved around. Nor is it something I'd want in a dorm.

 

As has been mentioned, 750W is far more capacity than needed. Almost twice what is required in fact. A 450W psu is more than enough capacity.

 

I've included an RTX 2080 Super. If that pushes the budget too much, step down to the RTX 2070 Super in the OP. Since you are using a high refresh rate monitor, more gpu power is always a good investment. Besides, it might help with Blender.

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($441.25 @ Vuugo) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 I AORUS PRO WIFI Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard  ($289.99 @ PC-Canada) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($104.99 @ Canada Computers) 
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($119.99 @ Canada Computers) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB BLACK GAMING Video Card  ($944.00 @ Canada Computers) 
Case: Fractal Design Define Nano S Mini ITX Desktop Case  ($109.99 @ Amazon Canada) 
Power Supply: Corsair CXM (2015) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply  ($64.99 @ Amazon Canada) 
Monitor: Acer VG271U Pbmiipx 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor  ($598.99 @ PC-Canada) 
Total: $2674.19
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-09-14 19:25 EDT-0400

 

[Blind X]

23 minutes ago, JPai said:

For the cooler, I was originally planning to use a Noctua U9S, which is a bit cheaper and weighs about the same as the Dark Rock Slim and seems to perform around the same. Do you think that the Dark Rock is worth the extra bit?

Yes, its noticeably quiet, better aesthetics and slim as it says.

23 minutes ago, JPai said:

Also, I couldn't really find any reviews on the EVGA power supply (and the few that I did find seemed to not rate it very highly). Do you think that I should try to stay with the SFX form factor or save some money here to put for other components and opt for an ATX one (as that would be cheaper)?

Ahhhh yes.... Getting an ATX Power Supply is a better option as it will fit in the case without any trouble. The EVGA I would say not a very highly rated module but is above decent and should do the job just fine however I agree that you can get much better quality ATX Power Supplies for cheaper as compared to SF750. Something like Corsair RMx 550-650 is what I would recommend. 550W should be enough but the 650W will perform quiet.

23 minutes ago, JPai said:

Do you feel the 2080S is worth the upgrade from 5700XT, since those are the two main options?

The 2080S is quiet a bit fast than the 5700 XT. But considering the $400 price difference, the 5700 XT offers a much better value for the price. So it might not be a wise idea to pay 80% more for 15-20% more performance. Depends upon you. If 2080 Ti wasn't fitting in my budget and I'd money to go with the 2080S, I would have done that. But since its your money, you are the boss and should know what is more suitable for your needs.

[JPai]

Okay, I've updated my lists a bit more. So, right now, I'm mostly wondering if I should go with the 2080S and use the stock CPU cooler or drop down to the 5700XT and get a Dark Rock Slim (and maybe upgrade the CPU to a 3900X or the SSD to 2TB).

 

Like, how big a difference of framerates will there be if I downgrade, and how well would a 3900X fit (and would I need a better/heavier cooler than the slim)?

 

EDIT: I should say, how noticeable they are. Like, would I be able to tell there is a big difference?

[Blind X]

26 minutes ago, JPai said:

Okay, I've updated my lists a bit more. So, right now, I'm mostly wondering if I should go with the 2080S and use the stock CPU cooler or drop down to the 5700XT and get a Dark Rock Slim (and maybe upgrade the CPU to a 3900X or the SSD to 2TB).

If you consider going with the 3900X then unfortunately the Dark Rock Slim might not be enough. Its rated for 180W TDP while the R9 3900X is only 105W, but in an ITX build its not safe to say if it will be able to push the required amount of air flow so something more powerful will be required. Something like NH-D15 or the Dark Rock Pro 4, which are heavy coolers and therefore could be a threat to the motherboard while moving the PC. Do you really need that 12 core beast??

 

I have already added a 2 TB SSD in my build along with a faster 500 GB 970 Evo and the 2080 Super.

26 minutes ago, JPai said:

Like, how big a difference of framerates will there be if I downgrade

At 1440p maxed settings, somewhere between 15-30 average fps. However the difference might significantly reduce in some titles like the Battlefield V where the 2080S was only 5 fps higher on average but thats only in a very few cases and overall the 2080S keeps pulling off.

[JPai]

2 minutes ago, Blind X said:

Do you really need that 12 core beast??

 

I have already added a 2 TB SSD in my build along with a faster 500 GB 970 Evo along with the 2080 Super.

 

At 1440p maxed settings, somewhere between 15-30 average fps. However the difference might significantly reduce in some titles like the Battlefield V where the 2080S was only 5 fps higher on average but thats only in a very few cases and overall the 2080S keeps pulling off.

Probably not. I was just wondering if it would be a plausible idea.

 

Oh. I might have not said it too clearly, but for some reason, Partbuilder doesn't seem to include taxes for me, so my budget is more like $2830 (before tax), so unfortunately I can't have all three.

 

Okay, thank you! I think I will stick with the 2080S for now, then.

[brob]

43 minutes ago, JPai said:

Partbuilder doesn't seem to include taxes for me

 

Have you set the tax rates for the various merchants? If not, in your account preferences there is a section to do so. It's a bit of a pain as the tax rate has to be set for each vendor. I find it easier to work with pre tax budgets.

[JPai]

1 hour ago, brob said:

 

Have you set the tax rates for the various merchants? If not, in your account preferences there is a section to do so. It's a bit of a pain as the tax rate has to be set for each vendor. I find it easier to work with pre tax budgets.

Oh! Thank you so much!