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A Valiant Quest!

Eschew

Black or White?  

13 members have voted

  1. 1. I'm asking about computer cases here, not about Pokemon.

    • Black!
      9
    • White!
      4


Last Updated - 10/31/2020

This thread has served its original purpose and will no longer be updated; I no longer actively follow this thread, and may or may not respond to further replies. To follow up on this outcome of this build plan, please check out Build Log - Hoshī!

 

 

To all those that offered their advice and guidance for my build -- my warmest gratitude to you all. 😁🙏

 


 

Greetings, good denizens of LinusTechTips! I am embarking on the most glorious of quests: to architect and construct a computer for the first time! Yes, it is a most daunting task for a fledgling such as I, and although I have done some research on my part, I humbly beseech you for whatever experience and insight you may lend me, my good denizens. Fear not, I am open to critiques both friendly and damning, for that is the basis of true discussion and camaraderie (... and that is the entire point of posting on a forum, yes?)

 

The Quick Glance

"I don't have time for this, what do you want?"

  • There's no need to comment on everything listed in the build, unless, of course you feel like it! There's... quite a lot to read. I'd suggest you pick and choose what piques your interest.
  • Just because I've already purchased an item doesn't mean I can't change my mind about it. Thoughts should be free, and I'd like to hear yours out.
  • I would like some opinions on your favored RAM brands, and whether you think a DDR4-3200 RAM is necessary for this build.
  • Would you rather... go with an ASRock Radeon RX 5600 XT Challenger D OC or an EVGA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti SC ULTRA GAMING?
  • I'm accepting suggestions for ATX mid-tower computer cases, but note that I am partial to Fractal Design and Lian Li. Just don't talk to me about NZXT, the strange bulge it has going on in the middle of its cases is... weird. Also, help me decide: black case or white case?

 

The General Idea

"Why did you type so many words."

  • Budget and Location: I aim to spend between $1000 - $1500 (USD), but this overall budget is by no means fixed. I am more than willing to invest a bit more cash into the system to build something that I will be satisfied for years to come, instead of scrounging up a few pennies now only to wind up disappointed down the road. Please note that I refuse to buy second-hand PC components (used peripherals are fine) and that I refuse to downgrade from the components listed below for no particular reason other than I am stubborn. That being said, I'm not in a hurry to piece it together, so I wouldn't mind waiting half a year for deals.
  • Aim: I'd like to use the computer for casual gaming. Specifically, high-end 1080p or midrange 1440p at a stable 60 FPS. I have no interest in Ray Tracing at the moment, because many of the games I'm interested in don't support that feature. An additional caveat is that I value aesthetics, in terms of both hardware and software (the less game-y it looks, the better.) Games that I'm interested in or that I play regularly include GreedFall, Cyberpunk 2077, the Divinity: Original Sin Series, the Dragon Age Series, etc. Occasionally, I host game servers and the such, for a casual gaming session with a small group of friends.
  • Monitors: I have an Acer V203W bd 20" LCD monitor (1680 x 1050, 60 Hz, 5 ms, More Specs) I got from a friend for $5, but I plan to upgrade from this when I get tired of it.
  • Peripherals: I have a wireless mouse and a headset, but I'm looking for a keyboard and I'm considering upgrading from my current peripherals. I'm interested in mechanical keyboards with quieter switches; Cherry MX Silent Black, QS1, Romer-G, it's all good -- bonus points for RGB and if my peripherals all come from the same brand. I'm a sucker for consistency. Also, I plan to install Windows 10 OS.
  • Why: The fame! The glory! The experience! Well, I've never built or owned my own gaming PC before, and I'm tired of window-shopping for games that will never run decently on my 4-/5-year old Surface Pro 4. Also, cheaper upgradeability and easier(?) repairs.

 

The Proposed Build

PC Part Picker List

Component Selection Price
CPU AMD Ryzen 5 3600X 3.8 GHz 6-Core Processor $159.99 (Purchased)
CPU Cooler AMD Wraith Spire CPU Cooler $0.00 (Bundled)
Motherboard GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO WIFI (rev. 1.0) ATX AM4 Motherboard $94.99 (Purchased)
Video Card ASRock Radeon RX 5600 XT 6 GB Challenger D OC Video Card $269.99 (Purchased)
Memory TEAMGROUP T-FORCE VULCAN Z 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory $131.98 (Purchased)
Storage Inland Premium 512GB 3D NAND M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe 3.0 x4 Internal Solid State Drive $67.99 (Purchased)
Storage Seagate BarraCuda 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive $10.82 (Purchased)
Power Supply EVGA SuperNOVA GA 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply $79.99 (Purchased)
Case EVGA DG-75 Case $59.99 (Purchased)
Operating System Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64-bit $0.00 (Purchased)
Monitor Sceptre E255B-1658A 24.5" 1920x1080 165 Hz Monitor $163.16 (Purchased)
Keyboard The Glorious GMMK TKL Keyboard (Kailh BOX Black Switches) $138.00 (Purchased)
Mouse Logitech M510 Wireless Laser Mouse $8.00 (Purchased)
Headphones Drop + HIFIMAN HE-35X Headphones $55.00 (Purchased)
     
  Grand Total* $1239.90
  Generated by PCPartPicker  

*Shipping and Taxes NOT Included.

 

The Details & The Justification

"How in the Nine Hells did you get a HDD at $10.82?!"

Spoiler

AMD Ryzen 5 3600X 6-Core CPU (Max CPU Budget: $200, Purchased at $159.99 from Micro Center)

  • CPU was heavily discounted, and came with a decent stock cooler and a bundled game (The Outer Worlds/Borderlands 3.)
  • CPU has Socket AM4, compatible with B450, X470, and X570 chipsets for upgradeability.
  • I'm voting for AMD with my wallet. Intel doesn't inspire confidence with their products anymore.

 

AMD Wraith Spire CPU Cooler (Max CPU Cooler Budget: $50, Bundled with CPU from Micro Center)

  • It it ain't broke, don't change it.
  • I don't plan on stressing my CPU with overclocking.

 

GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO WIFI Motherboard (Max MOBO Budget: $150, Purchased at $94.99 from Micro Center)

  • B450 chipset is compatible with Socket AM4, supports dual channel DDR4 DIMMs, and supports NVMe SSDs.
  • Onboard Wi-Fi is a priority, since my place doesn't have Ethernet. Yes, I could have bought a cheaper B450 motherboard and gotten a wireless network adapter and finagled with other hardware, but for my first build, I wanted to keep things simple. I believe Occam's Razor and Murphy's Law applies here: the fewer things I have, the fewer things I can screw up with.
  • AMD Ryzen 3000 Desktop Ready, saving me from BIOS shenanigans. Greatly appreciated since I don't have an extra USB flash drive lying around.

 

TEAMGROUP T-FORCE VULCAN Z 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory (Max RAM Budget: $80 per Stick, Purchased at $65.99 per Stick from Newegg)

  • I've heard that 16 GB and 3000MHz and above are recommended to pair with a Ryzen 3600(X) CPU, but I'm not exactly sure why. In fact, I'd like your RAM recommendations. Which brand(s) have proven reliable for you?
  • 16 GB sticks or BUST. Yes, I can get 2 x 8 GB and take advantage of dual channel memory now, but that means if I ever want to upgrade, I need more tiny 8 GB sticks that will cap at 32 GB on the GIGABYTE B450 motherboard (4 x DDR4 DIMM sockets, 64 GB max memory). If you're asking why on earth I would need 36 GB or 64 GB RAM for gaming, well... Touché, good sir or madam. But I will not budge, because I am stubborn.
  • Apparently 4 DIMMs have more stability issues than 2 DIMMs when working with Ryzen CPUs. (Reddit)

 

Inland Premium 512 GB 3D NAND M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe 3.0 x 4 Internal Solid State Drive (Max SSD Budget: $80, Purchased at $67.99 from Micro Center)

  • I wanted to try a(n) NVMe SSD. I've heard the first-time experience is magical.
  • Reviews of the Inland (Micro Center) NVMe SSD seem pretty favorable in terms of speed, stability, reliability. Also, I snagged it at a cool discount, making it significantly cheaper than NVMe SSDs from big name brands like Samsung and Western Digital.

 

Seagate Barracuda 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (Max HDD Budget: $50, Purchased at $10.82 from Best Buy)

  • I used a $30-something gift card still valid from 5 years ago. The actual price was $43.93 after price matching with Walmart. So... I lied and I pulled a Linus on y'all.
  • 1 TB to store all my games (I'll accept the slower loading times compared to SSDs). 7200RPM for some decent read/write speeds. No particular reason for picking Seagate other than their decent reputation.

 

ASRock Radeon RX 5600 XT Challenger D OC or EVGA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti SC ULTRA GAMING Video Card (Max Video Card Budget: $300, Purchased at $269.99 from Newegg)

  • I'm looking for some high-end 1080p or midrange 1440p at a stable 60 FPS, and I don't have strong feelings about Ray Tracing. Both cards seem to fit the bill pretty nicely.
  • Radeon RX 5600 XT has FreeSync compatibility with monitors in the $150 - $250 price range. GeForce GTX 1660 Ti has G-SYNC, but it's difficult trying to find a monitor in the same price range with G-SYNC compatibility.
  • According to GPU benchmarks (UserBenchmark), the Radeon RX 5600 XT seems to be better suited for my gaming preferences, which emphasizes on immersive, visually-appealing RPGs. The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti comes up somewhat short, but it is slightly cheaper. Like, very slightly.
  • Reviewers say ASRock is solid when it comes to their product quality (not sure about their customer service), and that EVGA has both quality products and great customer service (provided you jump through all the right hoops).

 

EVGA SuperNOVA GA 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Power Supply (Max PSU Budget: $120, Purchased at $79.99 from Amazon)

  • PSU was discounted, is 80+ Gold Certified, is fully modular, and has 10-year warranty.
  • The wattage for my build seems to be around 360 W - 370 W, 650 W seems adequate.
  • The only reviews of the EVGA SuperNOVA GA I've looked at were from Amazon, and people have generally seemed pretty happy with their choice. Couldn't find any reviews of it from Newegg, and Micro Center and Best Buy don't carry it on their shelves. If it serves well, I'll consider writing a review about it.
  • Assuming I can catch that EVGA $20.00 rebate, I might be able to knock the price down to $59.99. We'll see.
  • The G5 also had a significant discount, but it had a singular, massive, absolutely unacceptable flaw... it's... green.
  • Actually, what exactly is the difference between EVGA's G2, G3, G+, GQ, G5, and GA PSUs?

 

EVGA DG-75 ATX Case (Max Case Budget: $150, Purchased at $59.99 from Newegg)

  • The original plan was to go with the Fractal Design Meshify C. Reviews of the Meshify C have praised its easy cable management, relatively low noise levels, good airflow (2 case fans included), build flexibility (removable compartments), and aesthetics. The first three points are very important to me, especially airflow. Summer weather sucks.
  • Bonus points If the case has minimal or a complete lack of branding on the exterior. It... it makes me feel... inferior...
  • New plan is the EVGA DG-75. I wanted to stay away from cases with TG and stifling airflow, but the $59.99 price tag plus free shipping was too appealing to pass up, and my system is exposed to the elements as I'm using it right now. Every day I see it in the open, it fills me with equal parts pride and fear.
  • Ease of cable management would be nice, but isn't a priority. I'll figure something out.
Spoiler

Windows 10 Operating System (Purchased at $0.00, Max OS Budget: ...Microsoft Calls the Shots)

  • I managed to get a Windows 10 product key for free thanks to university student privileges. Sweet!
  • I've only ever used Windows. Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10. That's the story of my life, right there.
  • Linux interests me with its customization and "freedom," but I have zero knowledge of programming. I'll consider delving into it after building a stable system and having some free time on my hands.
  • I have very strong, very negative feelings about Apple's macOS. First, I find its use of a non-capitalized letter to begin a proper noun to be a revolting eyesore and a flagrant disrespect for the English language. Second, I--

 

Sceptre E255B-1658A 24.5" 1920x1080 165 Hz Monitor (Max Monitor Budget: $250, Purchased at $163.16 from Amazon)

  • I already have a 60 Hz monitor. If I'm going to upgrade from it, 120 Hz - 144 Hz seems like a good jump. Oh, the monitor supports up to 165 Hz? Even better.
  • Has FreeSync, if I decide to go the AMD route for my video card. Not quite sure if G-SYNC will work on it or not.
  • I demand beautiful aesthetics from this thing. Absolutely NO compromises. Anything that has an ugly non-monochrome decal anywhere on the monitor is beyond consideration, even if the paint is on the back of the monitor, where I can't see it.
  • Has built-in speakers. It's not an absolute priority, but I'd prefer having the option there. I've heard that monitor speakers tend to be craptastic anyway.
  • No particular preference for TN, VA, or IPS display panels. Any is fine.
  • I don't care for curved screens. I don't think I'd be able to get used to it.

 

The Glorious GMMK TKL Keyboard (Max Keyboard Budget: $150, Purchased at $138.00 from MechanicalKeyboards and Kono Store)

  • Hot-swappable PCB means I don't need a soldering iron or extra solder to install or remove switches -- I don't have the tools lying around.
  • Compatible with Cherry MX, Kailh, and Gateron plate-mounted switches. PCB-mounted switches are compatible too, snipping tools required.
  • Kailh BOX Black switches because I rather like linears, the sound of these switches, and the BOX. Also, black aesthetics.
  • Getting to pick, choose, and swap out switches and keycaps is very appealing to me.

 

Drop + HIFIMAN HE-35X Headphones (Max Headphones Budget: $200, Purchased at $55.00 from Drop)

  • Impulsive decision. Headphones were discounted from $120 to $75, and I had a $20 coupon code lying around in my inbox.
  • Decent entry-level, budget audiophile headphones.

 

Final Notes

"Stop. Stop writing already. My eyes are so dry."

I thank you for your rapt interest and your great patience, good denizens of LinusTechTips! I confess, I did not foresee the grand scale of this post when I began my prose, but I hope it has managed to conveyed to you the heart I have put into this quest of mine. Please do not hesitate to share your thoughts below, be it a short word or a lengthy analysis. I eagerly await your responses!

 

Change Log

...I've never been this indecisive before.

Spoiler
  • 2/22/2020: Added Change Log. Replaced previous custom PC parts table with PC Part Picker table. Swapped 1 x 16 GB RAM for 2 x 16 GB RAM on parts list. Fixed CPU Cooler section from AMD Wraith Prism to AMD Wraith Spire. Updated Windows 10 OS section.
  • 3/18/2020: Cleaned up PC Part Picker table. Updated RAM section with TEAMGROUP T-FORCE VULCAN Z 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 RAM purchase.
  • 3/20/2020: Updated Video Card section with ASRock Radeon 5600 XT Challenger D 6G OC purchase.
  • 3/21/2020: Updated Monitor section with Sceptre E255B-1658A purchase.
  • 4/10/2020: Updated Case section with EVGA DG-75 purchase.
  • 5/08/2020: Updated Operating System section with Microsoft Windows 10 purchase.
  • 6/11/2020: Updated PC Part Picker List link. Updated Keyboard section with GMMK Custom Keyboard purchase. Removed Logitech G peripherals from Keyboard, Mouse, and Headphones sections. Preened some fluff from the obnoxiously long wall of text.
  • 7/15/2020: Updated Headphones section with Drop + HIFIMAN HE-35X purchase.
  • 10/31/2020: Added Last Updated - 10/31/2020 section.

正直に生きる、一度きりの人生だから

Keeb Weeb LinksCustom Mechanical Keyboards | #KeebWeebClub

'Chew Builds: Hoshī (PC) | Okashī (PC) | K-4398 (Keeb) | Eighty #391 (Keeb) | R2-968 (Keeb) | MGK64 (Keeb)

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Hello,

 

I'd go with a black case and the 5600XT, it's way better than the 1660Ti for the same price although the drivers are kinda fucky at the moment.

 

Otherwise good build :)

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Well now that I read it all I can safely say that I forgot what I wanted to say about it in the beginning. Instead I'm just gonna say bend back the little support metal for the ports on the I/O shield before you install your motherboard. I recently did my first build as well and even though I knew this beforehand, I still managed to get it wrong. It was a real pain to install it too, because it doesn't quite fit and you bend the metal into the ports. I had to unscrew the motherboard and take it back out to bend it back, after that it was a breeze. Hope all goes well for you and good luck.

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I would go with black case and 5600xt, but a higher end version that has the new, better bios. Look for sapphire pulse or nitro. Otherwise, look for a rtx 2060 as well

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2 hours ago, S.Chew said:

AMD Wraith Prism CPU Cooler (Max CPU Cooler Budget: $50, Bundled with CPU from Micro Center)

  • It it ain't broke, don't change it.
  • I don't plan on stressing my CPU with overclocking.

The best stock cooler is still easily beaten by a common tower cooler, say a Hyper 212 Black edition, and will still reach 80C without much effort in a lasting workload. That's why I never recommend paying extra for a better stock cooler, AMD ones arent as terrible as Intel's but that's a really low floor to judge things.

 

2 hours ago, S.Chew said:

AMD Ryzen 3000 Desktop Ready, saving me from BIOS shenanigans.

That only means it has 3rd gen compatible BIOS available to the public, no guarantees that it comes flashed from the factory with a BIOS that new. There are already examples of people getting boards with boxes that say "3rd gen ready" but does not recognize any 3rd gen CPU. Only boards I know with wireless onboard that is always 3rd gen ready and on B450 is the Asrock B450M/AC because it launched after 3rd gen's release and even the first BIOS support 3rd gen Ryzen 5 and 7 (not Ryzen 9 because those came later), but the board itself is... pretty barren aside from onboard WiFi.

 

Seriously, we recommend wireless adaptors or just expansion devices in general for a reason, since it gives you more options as less parts of the board matter. With the Gigabyte board you'll have to bet on it being new stock, or bring it to microcenter for a BIOS update which they very well could do it for you since you're thier customer, I dont have experience myself with them though this is just what I've heard from others.

 

2 hours ago, S.Chew said:

I've heard that 16 GB and 3000MHz and above are recommended to pair with a Ryzen 3600(X) CPU, but I'm not exactly sure why.

Windows + background tasks + games easily go past the 8GB mark, since we dont want to use mismatched stick capacity in each memory channel the only step up is to 16GB.'

higher memory frequency just helps Ryzen transfer data faster because its uncore frequency (you might hear it as infinity fabric) is tied to memory frequency, which increases performance and especially, frame rate stability. 3000MHz just because 3000MHz kits are the cheap and common while still being rather speedy (comparing to 2133-2666MHz kits)

 

2 hours ago, S.Chew said:

Which brand(s) have proven reliable for you?

No one can really screw up a memory stick, it's just some soldering and programming... If I have to kick some names out, then it's oloy just because it's a new brand and Corsair because some boards failed to read their memory kits' XMP profile in the past.

 

2 hours ago, S.Chew said:

because I am stubborn.

then you better not be cheap and get 2 16GB sticks from the get go. Frequency matters but not nearly as much as dual channel, since dual channel has in theory double, in practice 80% more bandwidth than single channel.

 

Spoiler

Why people going for single channel memory but not in tight budget should be sent to Gulag right away

https://www.hardwaretimes.com/single-channel-vs-dual-channel-ram-impact-on-gaming-performance-in-ryzen-3000-cpus/

Spoiler

Why high memory frequency is good, but too high is bad

 

 

2 hours ago, S.Chew said:

Apparently 4 DIMMs have more stability issues than 2 DIMMs when working with Ryzen CPUs. (Reddit)

Yes because there are now longer memory traces and unbalanced length of memory traces (on daisy chain topology boards, which includes 95% of consumer boards and 100% of low to mid range boards) too all sticks. Btw more memory capacity itself makes it more difficult to stabilize, which means the memory controller maxes out sooner.

 

2 hours ago, S.Chew said:

Inland Premium 512 GB 3D NAND M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe 3.0 x 4 Internal Solid State Drive (Max SSD Budget: $80, Purchased at $67.99 from Micro Center)

  • I wanted to try a(n) NVMe SSD. I've heard the first-time experience is magical.
  • Reviews of the Inland (Micro Center) NVMe SSD seem pretty favorable in terms of speed, stability, reliability. Also, I snagged it at a cool discount, making it significantly cheaper than NVMe SSDs from big name brands like Samsung and Western Digital.

Phison E12 controller + Toshiba 64 layer TLC NAND, PCIe 3.0x4 rated for around 3GB/s read and write. I dont see any reason to hate it even though the brand is less common.

 

2 hours ago, S.Chew said:

ASRock Radeon RX 5600 XT Challenger D OC or EVGA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti SC ULTRA GAMING Video Card (Max Video Card Budget: $300)

  • Radeon RX 5600 XT has FreeSync compatibility with monitors in the $150 - $250 price range. GeForce GTX 1660 Ti has G-SYNC, but it's difficult trying to find a monitor in the same price range with G-SYNC compatibility.

Ever since some time in 10 series (Pascal's) product cycle, Nvidia opened up Freesync support with Displayport on their current and futuregraphics cards. 16 series and 20 series support the same thing as a result.

 

3 hours ago, S.Chew said:

I'm looking for some high-end 1080p or midrange 1440p at a stable 60 FPS, and I don't have strong feelings about Ray Tracing. Both cards seem to fit the bill pretty nicely.

Navi is decent hardware plagued with buggy drivers, while Nvidia's best offering at this price range is the $320-340 RTX 2060, maybe you can get them for even less. Have you heard of the 2060 KO? The cooler is snatched right from a 1660Ti SC Ultra but now has to handle more heat, also power limit cannot be increased over the factory setting and hence not recommended for gaming use over the slightly more expensive RTX 2060 with better coolers and higher potential power limits.

 

3 hours ago, S.Chew said:

Reviewers say ASRock is solid when it comes to their product quality (not sure about their customer service)

asrock is new to the graphics card market, technically started making RX 500 series cards first but those didnt arrive in the western market in large quantities. Navi is their first major card production. Imo they are too new to judge, but their coolers' performance is on the weaker side among competitors at the same price range and if their boards tell anything, is that they are prone to software bugs (on their boards, some options in the BIOS dont do anything because it's copy and pasted to cheaper boards)

 

3 hours ago, S.Chew said:

that EVGA has both quality products and great customer service (provided you jump through all the right hoops).

EVGA doesnt have much hoops to jump through, heck they even bother to repair cards after the user has custom fitted a waterblock onto it, some I've heard didnt even charge their customer. Other brands won't even try fixing it even if you pay them...

 

3 hours ago, S.Chew said:

The only reviews of the EVGA SuperNOVA GA I've looked at were from Amazon, and people have generally seemed pretty happy with their choice. Couldn't find any reviews of it from Newegg, and Micro Center and Best Buy don't carry it on their shelves. If it serves well, I'll consider writing a review about it.

Reviews on a semi-closed off box is hard to be proper, as in someone has to take it apart and I can ensure you that none of the people commenting in retail sites do. The GA is just too new to be taken apart by pros though as of now, so it's still unknown quality. I do hope EVGA understands 10 year warranty's risk, as this is on par with some really good PSUs like the Corsair RMx and Seasonic Focus GX/PX.

 

3 hours ago, S.Chew said:

Actually, what exactly is the difference between EVGA's G2, G3, G+, GQ, G5, and GA PSUs?

@LukeSavenije might as well also include the first of the series, the GS.

 

3 hours ago, S.Chew said:

(2 case fans included),

that's like the bare minimum for an ATX case to not be a hot box tbh (not saying 2 fans will save a sealed off box though), adding your own fans is still recommended if you don't use a radiator + fan setup of some sort which takes away the room to add case fans. I recommend at least fully occupying the front, which means a pair of 140mm fans (better than 3 120mm since in both cases only 2 fans directly blow towards the CPU cooler and graphics card, bigger fans are of course stronger if they are from the same family generating the same level of noise) and an extra exhaust fan (120mm for this case). Preferably use the extra 120mm they gave you for free up to near the back, also sucking air out.

 

CPU: i7-2600K 4751MHz 1.44V (software) --> 1.47V at the back of the socket Motherboard: Asrock Z77 Extreme4 (BCLK: 103.3MHz) CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 RAM: Adata XPG 2x8GB DDR3 (XMP: 2133MHz 10-11-11-30 CR2, custom: 2203MHz 10-11-10-26 CR1 tRFC:230 tREFI:14000) GPU: Asus GTX 1070 Dual (Super Jetstream vbios, +70(2025-2088MHz)/+400(8.8Gbps)) SSD: Samsung 840 Pro 256GB (main boot drive), Transcend SSD370 128GB PSU: Seasonic X-660 80+ Gold Case: Antec P110 Silent, 5 intakes 1 exhaust Monitor: AOC G2460PF 1080p 144Hz (150Hz max w/ DP, 121Hz max w/ HDMI) TN panel Keyboard: Logitech G610 Orion (Cherry MX Blue) with SteelSeries Apex M260 keycaps Mouse: BenQ Zowie FK1

 

Model: HP Omen 17 17-an110ca CPU: i7-8750H (0.125V core & cache, 50mV SA undervolt) GPU: GTX 1060 6GB Mobile (+80/+450, 1650MHz~1750MHz 0.78V~0.85V) RAM: 8+8GB DDR4-2400 18-17-17-39 2T Storage: HP EX920 1TB PCIe x4 M.2 SSD + Crucial MX500 1TB 2.5" SATA SSD, 128GB Toshiba PCIe x2 M.2 SSD (KBG30ZMV128G) gone cooking externally, 1TB Seagate 7200RPM 2.5" HDD (ST1000LM049-2GH172) left outside Monitor: 1080p 126Hz IPS G-sync

 

Desktop benching:

Cinebench R15 Single thread:168 Multi-thread: 833 

SuperPi (v1.5 from Techpowerup, PI value output) 16K: 0.100s 1M: 8.255s 32M: 7m 45.93s

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13 minutes ago, Jurrunio said:
3 hours ago, S.Chew said:

Actually, what exactly is the difference between EVGA's G2, G3, G+, GQ, G5, and GA PSUs?

@LukeSavenije might as well also include the first of the series, the GS.

GS, also known as G1/NEX gold was a groupreg... so not really relevant here

 

G1+ is an FSP ACRF

G2 is a superflower leadex ii, but slightly shorter

G3 is a heavily modified leadex ii, but has too high set protections

GQ is something close to be quiet's pure power 11

G5 is a modified be quiet power zone

GA is an andyson i know too little about to recommend

 

they're okay... but don't really stand out

G3<GQ=G1+=G5<G2

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Greetings, all! I see that Team Black is currently in the lead! Where's the all the love for Team White gone?

 

12 hours ago, Plouffe said:

Hello,

 

I'd go with a black case and the 5600XT, it's way better than the 1660Ti for the same price although the drivers are kinda fucky at the moment.

 

Otherwise good build :)

11 hours ago, boggy77 said:

I would go with black case and 5600xt, but a higher end version that has the new, better bios. Look for sapphire pulse or nitro. Otherwise, look for a rtx 2060 as well

10 hours ago, Jurrunio said:

Navi is decent hardware plagued with buggy drivers, while Nvidia's best offering at this price range is the $320-340 RTX 2060, maybe you can get them for even less. Have you heard of the 2060 KO? The cooler is snatched right from a 1660Ti SC Ultra but now has to handle more heat, also power limit cannot be increased over the factory setting and hence not recommended for gaming use over the slightly more expensive RTX 2060 with better coolers and higher potential power limits.

 

asrock is new to the graphics card market, technically started making RX 500 series cards first but those didnt arrive in the western market in large quantities. Navi is their first major card production. Imo they are too new to judge, but their coolers' performance is on the weaker side among competitors at the same price range and if their boards tell anything, is that they are prone to software bugs (on their boards, some options in the BIOS dont do anything because it's copy and pasted to cheaper boards)

 

Ah, I've heard about AMD's driver issues and the different RX 5600 XT VBIOS. Actually, one of the very first posts I read on this forum was "GN: How AMD Sabotages Itself & Its Partners," linking a video in which Steve Burke analyzes the RX 5600 XT's "switch-and-bait" launch (I didn't understand a thing at the time, haha.) I'll do some extra reading into the driver issues and VBIOS updates, you have my thanks!

 

11 hours ago, merco said:

Well now that I read it all I can safely say that I forgot what I wanted to say about it in the beginning. Instead I'm just gonna say bend back the little support metal for the ports on the I/O shield before you install your motherboard. I recently did my first build as well and even though I knew this beforehand, I still managed to get it wrong. It was a real pain to install it too, because it doesn't quite fit and you bend the metal into the ports. I had to unscrew the motherboard and take it back out to bend it back, after that it was a breeze. Hope all goes well for you and good luck.

10 hours ago, Jurrunio said:

That only means it has 3rd gen compatible BIOS available to the public, no guarantees that it comes flashed from the factory with a BIOS that new. There are already examples of people getting boards with boxes that say "3rd gen ready" but does not recognize any 3rd gen CPU. Only boards I know with wireless onboard that is always 3rd gen ready and on B450 is the Asrock B450M/AC because it launched after 3rd gen's release and even the first BIOS support 3rd gen Ryzen 5 and 7 (not Ryzen 9 because those came later), but the board itself is... pretty barren aside from onboard WiFi.

 

Seriously, we recommend wireless adaptors or just expansion devices in general for a reason, since it gives you more options as less parts of the board matter. With the Gigabyte board you'll have to bet on it being new stock, or bring it to microcenter for a BIOS update which they very well could do it for you since you're thier customer, I dont have experience myself with them though this is just what I've heard from others.

10 hours ago, Jurrunio said:

that's like the bare minimum for an ATX case to not be a hot box tbh (not saying 2 fans will save a sealed off box though), adding your own fans is still recommended if you don't use a radiator + fan setup of some sort which takes away the room to add case fans. I recommend at least fully occupying the front, which means a pair of 140mm fans (better than 3 120mm since in both cases only 2 fans directly blow towards the CPU cooler and graphics card, bigger fans are of course stronger if they are from the same family generating the same level of noise) and an extra exhaust fan (120mm for this case). Preferably use the extra 120mm they gave you for free up to near the back, also sucking air out.

 

YES, thank you! I forgot to mention that I would appreciate any building tips, tricks, and things-that-I-wish-I-knews. (Special thanks for the well wishes! ?) I can't comment on the BIOS at the moment, but if it needs updating I can confirm that Micro Center does offers its services and I had planned to get their help. As for case fans, your suggestion seems solid. I'll move the 1 x 120mm fan from the front to the back/top-back as exhaust, and outfit the front it with 2 x 140mm intake fans.

 

10 hours ago, Jurrunio said:

Windows + background tasks + games easily go past the 8GB mark, since we dont want to use mismatched stick capacity in each memory channel the only step up is to 16GB.'

higher memory frequency just helps Ryzen transfer data faster because its uncore frequency (you might hear it as infinity fabric) is tied to memory frequency, which increases performance and especially, frame rate stability. 3000MHz just because 3000MHz kits are the cheap and common while still being rather speedy (comparing to 2133-2666MHz kits)

 

No one can really screw up a memory stick, it's just some soldering and programming... If I have to kick some names out, then it's oloy just because it's a new brand and Corsair because some boards failed to read their memory kits' XMP profile in the past.

 

then you better not be cheap and get 2 16GB sticks from the get go. Frequency matters but not nearly as much as dual channel, since dual channel has in theory double, in practice 80% more bandwidth than single channel.

 

Yes because there are now longer memory traces and unbalanced length of memory traces (on daisy chain topology boards, which includes 95% of consumer boards and 100% of low to mid range boards) too all sticks. Btw more memory capacity itself makes it more difficult to stabilize, which means the memory controller maxes out sooner.

 

Interesting! Thanks for answering my question on 16 GB 3000Mhz RAM and for confirming the 4 DIMMs vs 2 DIMMs reports. Per your suggestion, I'll definitely take a look at OLOy/Corsair RAMs and 2 x 16 GB RAMs.

 

10 hours ago, LukeSavenije said:

GS, also known as G1/NEX gold was a groupreg... so not really relevant here

 

G1+ is an FSP ACRF

G2 is a superflower leadex ii, but slightly shorter

G3 is a heavily modified leadex ii, but has too high set protections

GQ is something close to be quiet's pure power 11

G5 is a modified be quiet power zone

GA is an andyson i know too little about to recommend

 

they're okay... but don't really stand out

G3<GQ=G1+=G5<G2

 

A concise summary of the differences between the PSUs and a hierarchy was exactly the kind of thing I was looking for! I wasn't expecting such a quick reply to the EVGA naming scheme, so it's very much appreciated!

 

Once again, thank you all for your interest in my humble project! I consider every learning experience as a good step forward, and I've learned quite a bit from your feedback. The positive comments are especially encouraging and very much appreciated! ? Also, when I finally manage to get a hold of all my PC parts (it might take 3 months to 1 year), would people be interested in seeing the finished build?

正直に生きる、一度きりの人生だから

Keeb Weeb LinksCustom Mechanical Keyboards | #KeebWeebClub

'Chew Builds: Hoshī (PC) | Okashī (PC) | K-4398 (Keeb) | Eighty #391 (Keeb) | R2-968 (Keeb) | MGK64 (Keeb)

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5 minutes ago, Eschew said:

I'll definitely take a look at OLOy/Corsair RAMs

I'm saying "not" look at them if you have to rule out some of them, but you dont have to.

 

6 minutes ago, Eschew said:

Where's the all the love for Team White gone?

It's just really hard to get white parts at good prices, and also higher requirements to cleaning

CPU: i7-2600K 4751MHz 1.44V (software) --> 1.47V at the back of the socket Motherboard: Asrock Z77 Extreme4 (BCLK: 103.3MHz) CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 RAM: Adata XPG 2x8GB DDR3 (XMP: 2133MHz 10-11-11-30 CR2, custom: 2203MHz 10-11-10-26 CR1 tRFC:230 tREFI:14000) GPU: Asus GTX 1070 Dual (Super Jetstream vbios, +70(2025-2088MHz)/+400(8.8Gbps)) SSD: Samsung 840 Pro 256GB (main boot drive), Transcend SSD370 128GB PSU: Seasonic X-660 80+ Gold Case: Antec P110 Silent, 5 intakes 1 exhaust Monitor: AOC G2460PF 1080p 144Hz (150Hz max w/ DP, 121Hz max w/ HDMI) TN panel Keyboard: Logitech G610 Orion (Cherry MX Blue) with SteelSeries Apex M260 keycaps Mouse: BenQ Zowie FK1

 

Model: HP Omen 17 17-an110ca CPU: i7-8750H (0.125V core & cache, 50mV SA undervolt) GPU: GTX 1060 6GB Mobile (+80/+450, 1650MHz~1750MHz 0.78V~0.85V) RAM: 8+8GB DDR4-2400 18-17-17-39 2T Storage: HP EX920 1TB PCIe x4 M.2 SSD + Crucial MX500 1TB 2.5" SATA SSD, 128GB Toshiba PCIe x2 M.2 SSD (KBG30ZMV128G) gone cooking externally, 1TB Seagate 7200RPM 2.5" HDD (ST1000LM049-2GH172) left outside Monitor: 1080p 126Hz IPS G-sync

 

Desktop benching:

Cinebench R15 Single thread:168 Multi-thread: 833 

SuperPi (v1.5 from Techpowerup, PI value output) 16K: 0.100s 1M: 8.255s 32M: 7m 45.93s

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32 minutes ago, Eschew said:

A concise summary of the differences between the PSUs and a hierarchy was exactly the kind of thing I was looking for! I wasn't expecting such a quick reply to the EVGA naming scheme, so it's very much appreciated!

if only those were all of evga's psus

 

G2
G3
G2L
B1
B2
B3
BR
W1
N1
T2
P2
GS
G5
GA
GD
PS
G1+
G1(Nex)
GQ
BQ
BT
GM
PQ
GD 2.0
BD
P3
GT
BA
B5

 

nope, not a joke

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2 hours ago, Eschew said:

would people be interested in seeing the finished build?

Sure it's always fun to see what other people have built!

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4 hours ago, Jurrunio said:

I'm saying "not" look at them if you have to rule out some of them, but you dont have to.

 

It's just really hard to get white parts at good prices, and also higher requirements to cleaning

 

Whoops! My bad, I read the initial comment wrong. I get it now.

 

1 hour ago, merco said:

Sure it's always fun to see what other people have built!

 

Cool! It might take a while for me to finish the build (3 months to 1 year), so does this forum have any super-strict rules about necroposting? I'd rather not incur the wrath of the Lich King I mean, the moderators and the weird people who get very touchy over necroposting.

正直に生きる、一度きりの人生だから

Keeb Weeb LinksCustom Mechanical Keyboards | #KeebWeebClub

'Chew Builds: Hoshī (PC) | Okashī (PC) | K-4398 (Keeb) | Eighty #391 (Keeb) | R2-968 (Keeb) | MGK64 (Keeb)

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6 hours ago, Eschew said:

Cool! It might take a while for me to finish the build (3 months to 1 year), so does this forum have any super-strict rules about necroposting? I'd rather not incur the wrath of the Lich King I mean, the moderators and the weird people who get very touchy over necroposting.

No idea, but I would guess it's not necroing if it's your own thread and you continue it. 

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  • 3 months later...

wheres the build log/showcase for this?

please quote me or tag me @wall03 so i can see your response

motherboard buying guide      psu buying guide      pc building guide     privacy guide

ltt meme thread

folding at home stats

 

pc:

 

RAM: 16GB DDR4-3200 CL-16

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 @ 3.6GHz

SSD: 256GB SP

GPU: Radeon RX 570 8GB OC

OS: Windows 10

Status: Main PC

Cinebench R23 score: 9097 (multi) 1236 (single)

 

don't some things look better when they are lowercase?

-wall03

 

hello dark mode users

goodbye light mode users

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1 minute ago, wall03 said:

wheres the build log/showcase for this?

No build log, but I did make a status update about it. 😉

正直に生きる、一度きりの人生だから

Keeb Weeb LinksCustom Mechanical Keyboards | #KeebWeebClub

'Chew Builds: Hoshī (PC) | Okashī (PC) | K-4398 (Keeb) | Eighty #391 (Keeb) | R2-968 (Keeb) | MGK64 (Keeb)

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