Solid base for upgrades for five years OR budget friendly for two years?

[kane]

Hello guys, after a decade I would like to upgrade my PC.
Below you will find my answers to main questions. Please comment and thank you for all ideas.

 

1. Budget & Location

I would like to spend something around 800 GBP (so location: UK)

 

2. Aim

This will be my 'time off' PC, I love good strategy, and FPS, currently I am playing Escape From Tarkov, but I cant wait for the Cyberpunk. I don't aim for 120FPS as I play 6h a week ? (no, I can't buy console )
I want to build a solid base for annual upgrades. That's why I plan to buy better motherboard, so (maybe) next year I can replace the budget line 3600 with something better, or add 16 more GB or RAM?
I would like to keep my PC quiet and fast to boot and game load. I also have to use WiFi at home. That's why I decided to buy X570 to get fastest NVMe available, and WiFi and BT build on the mobo, sadly I was unable to find BT 5.0 and WiFi 6 in this budget (update: I already have an external WiFi antenna, but if I would go for build in WiFi, I would go high end and ax standard)

 

3. Monitors

Right now I have Iiyama ProLite E2607WS. I plan to move to two smaller monitors

 

4. Peripherals

Got everything, however I am considering good wireless headset

 

5. Why are you upgrading?

Well, this setup is over ten years old. while buying GTX1660 Super was an excelence upgrade I know I have to plan more upgrades.

6. What I have:
* MSI 1660 6GB Super
* Corsair 650W PSU

* 1TB of storage in SSDs

* Iiyama ProLite E2607WS monitor

7. My current 'want to buy' list:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/2R0BB7OFXDTMZ?ref_=wl_share

 

storage:

Corsair MP600, Force Series, 500GB High-Speed Gen 4 Pcie x4, NVMe M.2 SSD (Sequential read speeds of up To 4, 950MB/S and write speeds of up To 2, 500MB/S)

case:

Lian-Li Lancool II ARGB Midi-Tower Case - White

mobo:

Gigabyte X570 AORUS Elite WiFi (AMD Ryzen 3000/X570/ATX/PCIe4.0/DDR4/Intel Dual Band 802.11AC WiFi/Front USB Type-C/RGB Fusion 2.0/M.2 Thermal Guard/Gaming Motherboard)

cooling:

Noctua NH-U12S, Premium CPU Cooler with NF-F12 120mm fan (Brown)

CPU:

AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Processor (6C/12T, 35MB Cache, 4.2 GHz Max Boost)

RAM:

Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4 3600MHz C18, High Performance Desktop Memory Kit (AMD Optimised) - Black

 

 

[mayonnaiseblackhole]

A lot of this just seems so unnecessary for a mid-range build. A lot of the things you seemingly added for an upgrade path can easily be upgraded itself and is crazy overkill. Just some examples,

• I'm pretty sure for just gaming there's no reason that you'd ever need to upgrade from a 3600 on the same platform for however long AMD still supports AM4. This means you really don't need a higher end motherboard. 
• Ram you do not need more than 16gb. I'm still running 8gb on a mid range build and even though its like $30 for another kit (1/3 what i paid for lol) I just have never reasonably run out of ram. Also you don't need the "amd optimized" ram running at 3600mhz any 3000 kit will do. You can also upgrade it whenever so don't worry about the future
• You will in no way notice in any common scenario the difference between your already good amount of ssd the extremely fast ssd you have. 
• The cooling is up to you if you want to overclock but you could get away with a cheaper fan

Sorry if I ended up sounding cross but I just want to get my point across. You should really try to save that money for a nice monitor as that's something you have to completely replace when you want a new one. That goes along with a better gpu when you want. 

[kane]

The voice of reason is always appreciated

I constantly need more RAM as I am throwing tons of data across the systems and storages and doing lot of DQ and enrichment processes, that's why I would like to have an option to add more modules later.

but you are correct. for the same reason, I want two monitors, so maybe X570 and PCIx4 is an overkill

[kane]

SSoo..
I put my list into system builder to make it more user friendly:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor  (£166.98 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S 55 CFM CPU Cooler  (£54.98 @ CCL Computers)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE WIFI ATX AM4 Motherboard  (£197.60 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  (£149.99 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Corsair MP600 Force Series Gen4 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  (£130.43 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
Case: Lian Li LANCOOL II-W ATX Mid Tower Case
Total: £699.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-19 11:03 GMT+0000

 

then I prepared budget friendly version:
 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor  (£166.98 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 RGB Black Edition 57.3 CFM CPU Cooler  (£41.93 @ More Computers)
Motherboard: MSI B450 Gaming Plus MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard  (£91.90 @ More Computers)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  (£129.97 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  (£90.19 @ CCL Computers)
Case: Lian Li LANCOOL II-W ATX Mid Tower Case
Total: £520.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-19 11:19 GMT+0000

 

does it make sense?

 

for budget friendly version I can't decide between:
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/jcYQzy/msi-b450-tomahawk-max-atx-am4-motherboard-b450-tomahawk-max
and

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/BHBhP6/msi-b450-gaming-plus-max-atx-am4-motherboard-b450-gaming-plus-max

 

as the price is exactly the same...

[kane]

Also.. I never heard about Sabrent's storage, but looks like they have awesome reviews..
should I replace
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/P4ZFf7/samsung-970-evo-500gb-m2-2280-solid-state-drive-mz-v7e500bw

 

with

 

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/N7zkcf/sabrent-1-tb-m2-2280-solid-state-drive-sb-rocket-1tb

?

[kane]

or option #3

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor  (£166.98 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 RGB Black Edition 57.3 CFM CPU Cooler  (£41.93 @ More Computers)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard  (£92.39 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  (£129.97 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Sabrent Rocket 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  (£119.99 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Lian Li LANCOOL II-W ATX Mid Tower Case
Total: £551.26
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-19 19:15 GMT+0000

 

what do you think?

BTW, I don't care about RBG, I prefer something more quiet than glam

[kane]

Next question.
I've read that MSI Mortar motherboard is not so popular for a single reason, it's not avaiable in the US. But I see it on UK amazon so I think I could use it instead of tomahawk.

So I replaced the mobo, drop the cooler, and replace 1TB storage with 500GB one. For saved money I upgraded CPU to 3700X.

does it make sense?

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor  (£280.00 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: MSI B450M MORTAR MAX Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard  (£84.95 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  (£129.97 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Sabrent Rocket 512 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  (£69.98 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Lian Li LANCOOL II-W ATX Mid Tower Case
Total: £564.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-20 11:26 GMT+0000

[boggy77]

i'd go for this, since you mentioned you need wifi

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor	£166.98 @ Aria PC
CPU Cooler	Cooler Master Hyper 212 RGB Black Edition 57.3 CFM CPU Cooler	£41.93 @ More Computers
Motherboard	MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC ATX AM4 Motherboard	£118.95 @ Amazon UK
Memory	Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory	£148.30 @ Amazon UK
Storage	ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro 512 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive	£69.74 @ More Computers
Case	Lian Li LANCOOL II-W ATX Mid Tower Case
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	£545.90
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-20 11:58 GMT+0000

 

[kane]

Hi @boggy77 WiFi is VERY "nice to have". Right now I have external WiFi antenna : https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01IEU7UZ0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And it's fine for now. I wanted WiFi 6, if I would buy new highend motherboard. otherwise I can but WiFi PCIe card for WifI 6 in a year when ax routers will be more popular?

Whould you go with Pro Carbon and 3600 ? or would you change anything?

[VEXICUS]

I'll recommend something like this instead...

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor  (£280.00 @ Amazon UK) 
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard  (£92.39 @ Amazon UK) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory  (£148.30 @ Amazon UK) 3600mhz cl16 kit.
Storage: PNY XLR8 CS3030 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  (£62.99 @ Amazon UK) A phison e12 drive.
Case: Fractal Design Meshify C ATX Mid Tower Case  (£89.83 @ Amazon UK) Best sub £100 case in terms of looks and cooling.
Total: £673.51
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-20 12:10 GMT+0000

[kane]

Thank you @VEXICUS ! Do you have any opinion on MSI Mortar? I know it gets an additional M2 slot and better i/o but form what I read Tomahawk ahs better VRM (maybe because of bigger size?).

[VEXICUS]

5 minutes ago, kane said:

Thank you @VEXICUS ! Do you have any opinion on MSI Mortar? I know it gets an additional M2 slot and better i/o but form what I read Tomahawk ahs better VRM (maybe because of bigger size?).

They have pretty much similar vrm solutions. But the tomahawk sports a larger heatsink. Also, tomahawk is atx and mortar is matx. 

Have a look at this tier list...

 

You won't go wrong if you go with either of them.

[Guest]

21 minutes ago, kane said:

Thank you @VEXICUS ! Do you have any opinion on MSI Mortar? I know it gets an additional M2 slot and better i/o but form what I read Tomahawk ahs better VRM (maybe because of bigger size?).

The Mortar is a solid board. If you are going with an ATX case then you might as well go with the Tomahawk MAX or the B450-A PRO MAX which is usually a bit cheaper. Not as aesthetically pleasing, but it performs the same. The VRM's are more or less the same. They will all handle a 3700X with no issues, and even a stock 3900X.

[kane]

18 minutes ago, lee32uk said:

If you are going with an ATX case

let's say that the aesthetic part is my last concern. I'm used to having a full tower case under my desk. So I prefer to have a bigger case for better cooling and less noise (more low rpm fans?).

Of course, if I am buying a new set I would like to buy something 'nice'. I've heard a lot of good stuff about Lian Li Lancool II (I like the idea of having USB C at the top and easy to clean mesh front. But I see that Fractal Design Meshify C mentioned by Vexicus got easy-access dust filters as well (I'm living in a victorian era house so there is A LOT of dust and dirt from old walls and wooden floors)

 

 

[SHROUD]

17 minutes ago, kane said:

let's say that the aesthetic part is my last concern. I'm used to having a full tower case under my desk. So I prefer to have a bigger case for better cooling and less noise (more low rpm fans?).

Of course, if I am buying a new set I would like to buy something 'nice'. I've heard a lot of good stuff about Lian Li Lancool II (I like the idea of having USB C at the top and easy to clean mesh front. But I see that Fractal Design Meshify C mentioned by Vexicus got easy-access dust filters as well (I'm living in a victorian era house so there is A LOT of dust and dirt from old walls and wooden floors)

 

 

That meshify c is an excellent case. My wife has got one and it looks too good.

[kane]

OK. I've finallly got some time to order and build my new PC.
so, at the end I got something like:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor  (£259.99 @ Amazon UK)
Thermal Compound: Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut 1g 1 g Thermal Paste  (£4.98 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard  (£94.98 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory  (£153.97 @ Scan.co.uk)
Storage: Sabrent Rocket 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  (£119.99 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £633.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-10 18:40 GMT+0000

I decided to drop the case and reuse my old one. Sadly I can't identify that one :/ but I think it will works fine at least for now ;) and because I was able to save some money on that, I decided to go for 1TB of storage, as on Tomahawk I got only single .M2 port.
What's your opinion guys?