Choose and help

br0keN2 · October 2, 2019

Hello , which build is better?, I want to build a PC and started picking parts, it's my first so please feel free to suggest improvements.

Also I'm not sure about the mobo/gpu's compatibility with the psu I selected

Build #1 :

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel Core i5-9600K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor	$236.89 @ OutletPC
CPU Cooler	Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240L RGB 66.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler	$58.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard	ASRock B365M Phantom Gaming 4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$85.98 @ Newegg
Memory	Team T-Force Delta RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory	$78.98 @ Newegg
Storage	Samsung 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$74.99 @ Adorama
Video Card	MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB GAMING X Video Card	$301.26 @ Amazon
Case	Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L MicroATX Mini Tower Case	$45.98 @ B&H
Power Supply	Corsair CXM 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply	$69.89 @ OutletPC
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$997.86
	Mail-in rebates	-$45.00
	Total	$952.86
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-10-02 01:45 EDT-0400

Build #2 :

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X 3.8 GHz 6-Core Processor	$234.89 @ OutletPC
CPU Cooler	Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240L RGB 66.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler	$58.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard	MSI B450M BAZOOKA PLUS Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard
Memory	Team T-Force Delta RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory	$78.98 @ Newegg
Storage	Samsung 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$74.99 @ Adorama
Video Card	MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB GAMING X Video Card	$301.26 @ Amazon
Case	Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L MicroATX Mini Tower Case	$45.98 @ B&H
Power Supply	Corsair CXM 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply	$69.89 @ OutletPC
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$899.88
	Mail-in rebates	-$35.00
	Total	$864.88
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-10-02 01:43 EDT-0400

Bloody-George · October 2, 2019

Second option, but I advise you not to go with the 3600x. Gain in performance when compared to the 3600 is close to none, and the 3600 is cheaper. You'll save even more if you get the non-x Ryzen 5 3600.

Oh, and make sure you get a motherboard that comes with updated BIOS from the shop to accomodate 3rd-gen Ryzen or that you already have an older Ryzen chip so you can update it yourself. Older AM4 mobos won't support new Ryzen chips unless you have updated BIOS. I think the B450M Bazooka Plus has the BIOS flashback feature that allows you to update it without the need of a CPU, only ATX power and a USB flash drive with the BIOS version in it.

br0keN2 · October 2, 2019

3 minutes ago, Bloody-George said:

Second option, but I advise you not to go with the 3600x. Gain in performance when compared to the 3600 is close to none, and the 3600 is cheaper. You'll save even more if you get the non-x Ryzen 5 3600.

Oh, and make sure you get a motherboard that comes with updated BIOS from the shop to accomodate 3rd-gen Ryzen or that you already have an older Ryzen chip so you can update it yourself. Older AM4 mobos won't support new Ryzen chips unless you have updated BIOS. I think the B450M Bazooka Plus has the BIOS flashback feature that allows you to update it without the need of a CPU, only ATX power and a USB flash drive with the BIOS version in it.

So would the 3600 be the best or are there other options that are better for slightly more $

Bloody-George · October 2, 2019

1 minute ago, br0keN2 said:

So would the 3600 be the best or are there other options that are better for slightly more $

Best bang for your buck is the 3600, for sure. If you go with Intel (in your case, the 9600k), it's not worth it to get a B360 motherboard because you won't be able to overclock the CPU. And if you don't overclock it, then there's no point in getting a 9600k in the first place. The 9400F would be the option below it, and I just don't think it's as good an option as the AMD offerings, all things considered. It has such a low base clock, it's not overclockable, no hyperthreading, and it costs practically as much as the 3600 - which has SMT - aka AMD's hyperthreading -, faster speed, and is overclockable with chipsets as accessible as the B450 motherboards.

TLDR: Choosing a 9600k means you'd want to overclock it, and you can't with a B360 motherboard. A 3600 offers a more accessible platform, cheaper pricing, and more CPU threads for less. In my opinion, the 3600 is your sweet spot. Obviously, it depends on what you usually do with your PC.

P.S.: Oh, and as for your question about GPU/PSU compatibility, that shouldn't be a problem. The CX550M is a capable unit, and the 1660Ti is a pretty low-power-consumption card. You're good to go even if you get an i7 CPU.