Intel i7 8700k Gaming/Workstation Build

[SheevaBlaster]

Hello everyone, I'm sort of new to building PCs, although I've been doing massive amounts of research over the past month and I'm looking to buy the rest of my PC parts within the next 2 or 3 weeks. That being said, I'm looking to be able to play games such as Rust, Battlefield, Squad, and other FPS/survival based games at very high FPS/Settings on this new rig, while also having a fast computer that will be supplemental with my occupation (70% gaming, 30% to enlighten myself).

 

That being said, I'm having significant amounts of trouble choosing a motherboard. I'm torn between the MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Plus and the Gigabyte Z390 M Gaming motherboards. One big reason why I'm leaning towards the MSI mobo is because I intend on using Patriot Viper Steel 16 GB (2 x 8gb) DDR4-3600 with my build as these sticks of ram are about ~$90 currently which I think is a solid price and I think they will fit with the Noctua NH-D15 dual fan CPU I intend on installing. (Please correct me if I'm wrong. Worse comes to worse, I was planning on raising one of the fans if they conflicted with the RAM, or just moving one of the 140 mm fans to the top or front of the case.) Now, my ****main question**** is concerning the functionality of ram. I've watched about 4 youtube videos now (including a previous one that Linus made) and I still can't wrap my head around how RAM works in regards to frequency and timings. If someone could put in layman's terms what all this means to me in regards to my interest to help me decide whether or not I should get the MSI mobo (capable of reaching DDR4-4400) or the gigabyte mobo (only reaches DDR4-2666) that would be awesome. I've also read that MSI bios is typically much more easier to handle compared to gigabytes, but I'm unsure how true this is, but on that note, keep in mind I don't want to be constantly dealing with bios because of crashes and things of that nature. I don't really plan on overclocking my PC that much either, but I guess then I wouldn't be getting the full use of the beefy NH-D15 cooler. I won't experience crashes if I don't use XMP correct?

 

Last question: Does anyone think I should wait and see if anymore good deals are coming out for monitors? I'm livid, the Dell S241DG  went up from from $250 to $329 the day I was planning on getting it (just my luck). It's really not that big of a deal, but I'm looking for a solid 24 inch G sync monitor that is capable of 1440p that has a relatively high response time/refresh rate similar to this monitor, but without having to pay for that G sync price tag haha. I know, I probably could look at a bunch of these graphs and project when the next deal will be, but this seems very tedious and I'm assuming someone is out there that already has prior experience of dealing with this especially around the holiday season. But, at the end of the day, these deals can be very unpredictable I'm sure. Again, not that big of a deal, worse comes to worse, I'll just take this Dell monitor as it seems like a very solid monitor and has the most bang for my buck even at $351 after tax.

 

I'm providing the PCPartPicker list directly under this post, as I'm unable to post it through the URL on this post for some reason, I'm sorry. Feel free to make any comments that you have regarding my build! Keep in mind, I'm trying to future proof this build as much as possible. I think 500 GB of m.2 nvme storage will be fine for a few months and my friend is planning on giving me his m.2 180 GB that he doesn't use so I could use it as a boot drive. I'm coming from a MacBook pro that has 256 GB of flash storage so I think this should be plenty of storage for awhile. I was told to lower my PSU, but I kind of want to stick with it just incase I decide to upgrade my my PC within the next year which I probably would eventually do. I'm open to any suggestions!

 

Happy Holidays everyone!

[SheevaBlaster]

51 minutes ago, SheevaBlaster said:

 

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel Core i7-8700K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor	**Purchased**
CPU Cooler	Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler	$89.95 @ Amazon
Motherboard	MSI MPG Z390 GAMING PLUS ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$143.99 @ Amazon
Memory	Patriot Viper Steel 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory	$85.95 @ B&H
Storage	Samsung 970 Evo 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive	$79.98 @ Amazon
Video Card	Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB GAMING OC 3X Video Card	$509.99 @ Newegg
Case	Thermaltake H200 TG Snow RGB ATX Mid Tower Case	**Purchased**
Power Supply	Corsair HX Platinum 750 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	$147.47 @ Amazon
Case Fan	Noctua NF-A14 industrialPPC-2000 IP67 PWM 107.41 CFM 140 mm Fan	$27.95 @ Amazon
Case Fan	Noctua NF-A14 industrialPPC-2000 IP67 PWM 107.41 CFM 140 mm Fan	$27.95 @ Amazon
Monitor	Dell S2417DG 23.8" 2560x1440 165 Hz Monitor	$329.99 @ Dell
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1833.11
	Mail-in rebates	-$30.00
	Total	$1803.11
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-20 02:12 EST-0500

 

[SheevaBlaster]

I forgot to mention, I already have the CPU and thermaltake h200 tower! Bought the CPU for $290 and tower for $90 if that makes any difference!

[Meganter]

Hello,

 

A 3700x + b450 MSI Max motherboard will be cheaper while being better. 

The NVMe is overpriced (Corsair MP510, HP 920EX or Adata SX8200 Pro will be as good while cheaper).

This case seems to have an airflow almost inexistant which will make it quickly a cooker for eggs (the eggs here will be the hardware).

The PSU is also overpriced.

 

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor	$309.99 @ B&H
CPU Cooler	ARCTIC Freezer 34 eSports DUO CPU Cooler	$38.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard	MSI B450 Gaming Plus MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard	$99.99 @ B&H
Memory	Patriot Viper 4 Blackout 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory	$74.98 @ Amazon
Storage	HP EX920 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive	$114.99 @ Newegg
Video Card	Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB GAMING OC 3X Video Card	$509.99 @ Newegg
Case	Phanteks Eclipse P400A ATX Mid Tower Case	$72.98 @ Newegg
Power Supply	Phanteks AMP 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	$79.99 @ Newegg
Monitor	Acer VG270U Pbmiipx 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor	$319.99 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1661.89
	Mail-in rebates	-$40.00
	Total	$1621.89
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-20 02:32 EST-0500

 

I changed the monitor for a better one (IPS).

 

Also do a TLDR because your text is quite heavy to read  

[SheevaBlaster]

20 minutes ago, Plouffe said:

Hello,

 

A 3700x + b450 MSI Max motherboard will be cheaper while being better. 

The NVMe is overpriced (Corsair MP510, HP 920EX or Adata SX8200 Pro will be as good while cheaper).

This case seems to have an airflow almost inexistant which will make it quickly a cooker for eggs (the eggs here will be the hardware).

The PSU is also overpriced.

 

 

I changed the monitor for a better one (IPS).

 

Also do a TLDR because your text is quite heavy to read  

Sorry, I didn't post this in initial post (see above your response) but I said that I already bought the Intel i7 8700k and the thermaltake h200 case. So unfortunately I will be unable to get that motherboard.

 

Thanks for the input regarding the nvme, i've been told that before and I'll definitely look into cheaper options with similar performance.

 

And all do respect, but how were you able to deduce that there seems to be no airflow within the Thermaltake h200 case? I thought I did an abundance amount of research before I bought the case and it seems like the case has relatively ok airflow within it as long as your fan set up is solid. I know one thing many people complained about is that it is a very tight squeeze in regards to cable management, but not many complaints regarding airflow especially for the price point. I thought buying strong noctua fans would help for any lack of airflow issues if I had any at all? I love the eggs analogy nonetheless XD.

 

I'll definitely look into other options regarding PSU and monitors, that monitor you sent does look promising I must say especially for an IPS.

 

And sorry, I know a lot of information, I'll try to consolidate next time. Just hoping that various people will be able to answer some of these questions where they feel the most comfortable answering! Don't need to answer em all haha

 

 Thank you for your input! It's much appreciated

[Daniel Z.]

This build would work very well. The ultrawide monitor is great for both gaming and productivity. Also the 3700x is better than the 8700k. The 2080 Super is an excellent card. You could replace it with the 5700 XT for not a massive performance decrease for a $300 difference, but this build gives you the best performance possible at your original budget.

 

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor	$309.99 @ B&H
Motherboard	MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard	$114.99 @ B&H
Memory	Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory	$49.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Crucial BX500 960 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$84.99 @ Amazon
Video Card	EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB BLACK GAMING Video Card	$659.99 @ Newegg
Case	be quiet! Pure Base 500 ATX Mid Tower Case	$89.90 @ B&H
Power Supply	Corsair RM (2019) 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	$99.99 @ Amazon
Monitor	MSI Optix MAG341CQ 34.0" 3440x1440 100 Hz Monitor	$389.99 @ B&H
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1829.83
	Mail-in rebates	-$30.00
	Total	$1799.83
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-20 03:00 EST-0500

 

[Meganter]

9 minutes ago, SheevaBlaster said:

Sorry, I didn't post this in initial post (see above your response) but I said that I already bought the Intel i7 8700k and the thermaltake h200 case. So unfortunately I will be unable to get that motherboard.

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel Core i7-8700K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor	Purchased
CPU Cooler	Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler	$89.95 @ Amazon
Motherboard	Gigabyte Z390 AORUS ELITE ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$169.99 @ Amazon
Memory	Patriot Viper 4 Blackout 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory	$74.98 @ Amazon
Storage	HP EX920 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive	$114.99 @ Newegg
Video Card	Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB GAMING OC 3X Video Card	$509.99 @ Newegg
Case	Thermaltake H200 TG Snow RGB ATX Mid Tower Case	Purchased
Power Supply	Phanteks AMP 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	$79.99 @ Newegg
Monitor	Acer VG270U Pbmiipx 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor	$319.99 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1399.88
	Mail-in rebates	-$40.00
	Total	$1359.88
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-20 02:57 EST-0500

Instead  

 

 

9 minutes ago, SheevaBlaster said:

And all do respect, but how were you able to deduce that there seems to be no airflow within the Thermaltake h200 case? I thought I did an abundance amount of research before I bought the case and it seems like the case has relatively ok airflow within it as long as your fan set up is solid. I know one thing many people complained about is that it is a very tight squeeze in regards to cable management, but not many complaints regarding airflow especially for the price point. I thought buying strong noctua fans would help for any lack of airflow issues if I had any at all? I love the eggs analogy nonetheless XD.

Because it's not a front mesh panel, but I didn't notice the little air hole around though, so It won't cook much but it won't be as good as a mesh front panel, but yeah with a proper airflow it'll do.

 

For example, I have the P600S, it's similar to yours but I can open the panel for more airflow. When "closed" I have great temp because I added noctua fan everywhere (don't get industrial they can be quite loud).

 

9 minutes ago, SheevaBlaster said:

I'll definitely look into other options regarding PSU and monitors, that monitor you sent does look promising I must say especially for an IPS.

The HX you use in your build is a great unit but the AMP will be as good especially for half the price  

 

9 minutes ago, SheevaBlaster said:

and in all honesty, I don't know what you mean by "TLDR" but I know it was a lot of information, I apologize. I'll try to consolidate my questions next time!

It means "Too Long Didn't Read" for lazy people that don't want to read everything  

[SheevaBlaster]

20 minutes ago, Plouffe said:

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel Core i7-8700K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor	Purchased
CPU Cooler	Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler	$89.95 @ Amazon
Motherboard	Gigabyte Z390 AORUS ELITE ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$169.99 @ Amazon
Memory	Patriot Viper 4 Blackout 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory	$74.98 @ Amazon
Storage	HP EX920 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive	$114.99 @ Newegg
Video Card	Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB GAMING OC 3X Video Card	$509.99 @ Newegg
Case	Thermaltake H200 TG Snow RGB ATX Mid Tower Case	Purchased
Power Supply	Phanteks AMP 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	$79.99 @ Newegg
Monitor	Acer VG270U Pbmiipx 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor	$319.99 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1399.88
	Mail-in rebates	-$40.00
	Total	$1359.88
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-20 02:57 EST-0500

Instead  

 

 

Because it's not a front mesh panel, but I didn't notice the little air hole around though, so It won't cook much but it won't be as good as a mesh front panel, but yeah with a proper airflow it'll do.

 

For example, I have the P600S, it's similar to yours but I can open the panel for more airflow. When "closed" I have great temp because I added noctua fan everywhere (don't get industrial they can be quite loud).

 

The HX you use in your build is a great unit but the AMP will be as good especially for half the price  

 

It means "Too Long Didn't Read" for lazy people that don't want to read everything  

Hmmmm build seems pretty solid, but as in my original post, it says that motherboard only goes up to DDR4-2666.... Then i wouldn't be able to utilize full potential of the Patriot Viper Blackout DDR4-3600... How much of a difference is between the two? This was my main question in my original post, because I've been doing a lot of research on RAM for the past week and I'm still unsure of what's the best option for me especially when considering a mobo, hence why I settled for the MSI MPG Z390 gaming plus as of right now. 

 

And ahhhhh you make a very solid point, I had to pull out my tower to see what exactly what you were talking about but you are definitely right. Any recommendations regarding fan set up then? I was thinking about getting a strong 120 mm fan and replacing the exhaust fan (that comes with the tower) with that. Then I would move the fan that comes with the tower to either the top or front panel. I definitely wanted to get another 140mm fan for the top portion of the tower. I kinda just wanted to settle for the industrial fans because they seem to be moving the most amount of air. I kind of feel like the fan set up I have now will definitely be audible, but not too distracting. I have no clue as I have no first hand experience with this really  At the end of the day, I think I'd rather have my PC be very loud, rather than my hardware frying from within ultimately limiting my performance right?

[Meganter]

2 minutes ago, SheevaBlaster said:

Hmmmm build seems pretty solid, but as in my original post, it says that motherboard only goes up to DDR4-2666.... Then i wouldn't be able to utilize full potential of the Patriot Viper Blackout DDR4-3600... How much of a difference is between the two? This was my main question in my original post, because I've been doing a lot of research on RAM for the past week and I'm still unsure of what's the best option for me especially when considering a mobo, hence why I settled for the MSI MPG Z390 gaming plus as of right now. 

It goes up to 4266MHz don't worry  also the Elite will allow an higher overclock.

 

3 minutes ago, SheevaBlaster said:

And ahhhhh you make a very solid point, I had to pull out my tower to see what exactly what you were talking about but you are definitely right. Any recommendations regarding fan set up then? I was thinking about getting a strong 120 mm fan and replacing the exhaust fan (that comes with the tower) with that. Then I would move the fan that comes with the tower to either the top or front panel. I definitely wanted to get another 140mm fan for the top portion of the tower. I kinda just wanted to settle for the industrial fans because they seem to be moving the most amount of air. I kind of feel like the fan set up I have now will definitely be audible, but not too distracting. I have no clue as I have no first hand experience with this really  At the end of the day, I think I'd rather have my PC be very loud, rather than my hardware frying from within ultimately limiting my performance right?

The basic would do well (or chromax if you don't like beige ). 1 exhaust rear and 3 front will be perfect  

[SheevaBlaster]

1 minute ago, Plouffe said:

It goes up to 4266MHz don't worry  also the Elite will allow an higher overclock.

 

The basic would do well (or chromax if you don't like beige ). 1 exhaust rear and 3 front will be perfect  

 

It does??? On PCPartPicker it says only 2666MHz. I'm going to look now though! That would be clutch if it did. 

 

Honestly love the beige and brown color combo, hence why I'm sticking with the NH-D15 non-chromax edition. I think it adds a little "pop" to the internals of the case, but that's probably just me . I don't think many people should be seeing my build at all anyways haha.

 

And what about the top ventilation? I mean i'm no scientist, but I do know hot air rises...

 

 

[SheevaBlaster]

13 minutes ago, Plouffe said:

It goes up to 4266MHz don't worry  also the Elite will allow an higher overclock.

 

 

You're right. I'm sorry. I'm unworthy of your superior knowledge you are providing me 

[Meganter]

7 minutes ago, SheevaBlaster said:

It does??? On PCPartPicker it says only 2666MHz. I'm going to look now though! That would be clutch if it did. 

 

Honestly love the beige and brown color combo, hence why I'm sticking with the NH-D15 non-chromax edition. I think it adds a little "pop" to the internals of the case, but that's probably just me . I don't think many people should be seeing my build at all anyways haha.

 

And what about the top ventilation? I mean i'm no scientist, but I do know hot air rises...

I went full capacity on mine (see my signature) and the temp decreased a lot (85 to 70 to the CPU (we have the same) when closed and 60 when open).

 

2 minutes ago, SheevaBlaster said:

You're right. I'm sorry. I'm unworthy of your superior knowledge you are providing me 

I had to double check to be sure since I have the "better" one (Ultra ).

[SheevaBlaster]

16 minutes ago, Plouffe said:

I went full capacity on mine (see my signature) and the temp decreased a lot (85 to 70 to the CPU (we have the same) when closed and 60 when open).

 

I had to double check to be sure since I have the "better" one (Ultra ).

Oh niiiice. And yeaaa yeaa, maybe one day I can upgrade my motherboard to one like yours ... so right now I have 3 of these fans... https://pcpartpicker.com/product/znPfrH/noctua-case-fan-nfa15pwm (I believe these are the same ones that come with the NH-D15)... I was thinking I place one at the exhaust, 2 at the top of the case, then place the stock 120mm one that comes with the case in the center of the front panel? I'm trying to think of the most effective way to place these fans

[Meganter]

7 minutes ago, SheevaBlaster said:

Oh niiiice. And yeaaa yeaa, maybe one day I can upgrade my motherboard to one like yours ... so right now I have 3 of these fans... https://pcpartpicker.com/product/znPfrH/noctua-case-fan-nfa15pwm (I believe these are the same ones that come with the NH-D15)... I was thinking I place one at the exhaust, 2 at the top of the case, then place the stock 120mm one that comes with the case in the center of the front panel? I'm trying to think of the most effective way to place these fans

They are 150mm frame so you might not be able to place them properly otherwise the placement should be good  

[SheevaBlaster]

9 minutes ago, Plouffe said:

They are 150mm frame so you might not be able to place them properly otherwise the placement should be good  

Hmmm solid point, is there any way I can figure this out without pulling out the ole tape measure and doing a bunch of mathematical conversions that I really don't feel like doing. I think I'm having trouble finding a definitive answer online. Might need a separate thread for this one

 

[Meganter]

5 minutes ago, SheevaBlaster said:

Hmmm solid point, is there any way I can figure this out without pulling out the ole tape measure and doing a bunch of mathematical conversions that I really don't feel like doing. I think I'm having trouble finding a definitive answer online. Might need a separate thread for this one

 

It's 150x140 with a 140mm frame to attach them so it should be good, otherwise if you can return them and get 140mm instead it will be better  

[SheevaBlaster]

2 minutes ago, Plouffe said:

It's 150x140 with a 140mm frame to attach them so it should be good, otherwise if you can return them and get 140mm instead it will be better  

Awesome, thank you so much! You've been very insightful and incredibly patient despite my ignorance. Thank you again and stay safe friend 

[trevb0t]

4 hours ago, SheevaBlaster said:

Hmmm solid point, is there any way I can figure this out without pulling out the ole tape measure and doing a bunch of mathematical conversions that I really don't feel like doing. I think I'm having trouble finding a definitive answer online. Might need a separate thread for this one

 

Worst case you could try jimmying them to fit by removing rubber corner pieces, etc. 

I was able to fit 3x 120mm fans into my MX-330, which only supports 2. Just had to get clever on the mounting for the top unit.