Need some advice on my new build (Memory, SSD, Cooler)

HalfDead · November 14, 2020

I just finished putting together my new PC yesterday. I'll list the parts below. I still have a couple of upgrades to do though

CPU: Ryzen 5 5600x

MB: Gigabyte B550 Aorus Elite AX

PSU: Enermax Revolution D.F 750w gold

Case: Cougar MX410 Mesh-G

RAM: Thermaltake Toughram Z-One RGB

For now I'm using the SATA SSDs from my old PC (1TB 860 Evo + 500GB Kingston A400) and my existing 3GB GTX1060, I'm hoping to grab either a Founder's 3070 (unlikely) or a 6800 (non XT).

Here are my questions:

1. The RAM I bought was incorrectly listed as CL16 on the Seller's website, where as it is actually 18-19-19-39 ... had I done a tiny bit of research before buying it, I would have noticed the discrepancy.. the Model number literally ends in "3600C18A" so it's at least partly my fault for not checking. I was able to use the DRAM calculator program to tighten the timings slightly to 16-19-19-38.

- Is it worth returning the Thermaltake memory and getting something better, or should I just keep the Thermaltake stuff? will I even notice the difference?

-- I was looking at Crucial Ballistix 3600 CL16 for $139 AUD (I paid $135 for the Thermaltake kit).. But if there's any suggestions on a better option for around the same price, I don't really care it it's RGB or not... (the crucial kit is $75 USD on newegg for context)

2. Currently, I'm using the stock Wraith cooler that came with the 5600x.

Is it worth picking up something a little better? there are several similar 4 heatpipe, single 120mm fan tower coolers for around the same price ($45-$50 AUD) like the Silverstone Argon AR12 or Deepcool Gammaxx GTE V2.

If i wanted something chonkier, there are double fan, single tower coolers (like the Cooler Master Hyper 212 LED Turbo) for AU$65. Or for $75 there's the Cooler Master MasterAir MA620P RGB, which is a double tower with 6 heatpipes.

3. The reason I didn't get an NVMe SSD when I bought the rest of my gear is that I'm unsure which one to get. I've narrowed it down to the following (Aussie Dollars BTW):

- Samsung 970 EVO 1TB - $178

- Gigabyte Aorus GP-ASM2NE6100TTTD 1TB - $279

Is it worth spending the extra on a Gen 4 drive? that's nearly 64% more expensive. Will there be a benefit with DirectStorage in the future? or is a gen 3 drive plenty?

Dutch_Master · November 14, 2020

Unless you'll be playing high-frame-rate games at extreme settings, you won't notice the difference in your normal workflow. So, keep the RAM, unless you're an absolute "I-always-have-the-fastest-stuff" bragging-rights user
For a budget chip (well, compared to other Zen3 chips ) the boxed cooler suffices for 99.999% of use-cases. See the previous point
NVMe gen 3 PCIe drives are already PDQ, the extra speed gen 4 offers is really only noticeable for very high workloads, things you'll find in servers and stuff. Don't tell me 3,5+GB/s is too slow for you!

HalfDead · November 14, 2020

34 minutes ago, Dutch_Master said:

Unless you'll be playing high-frame-rate games at extreme settings, you won't notice the difference in your normal workflow. So, keep the RAM, unless you're an absolute "I-always-have-the-fastest-stuff" bragging-rights user

For a budget chip (well, compared to other Zen3 chips ) the boxed cooler suffices for 99.999% of use-cases. See the previous point

NVMe gen 3 PCIe drives are already PDQ, the extra speed gen 4 offers is really only noticeable for very high workloads, things you'll find in servers and stuff. Don't tell me 3,5+GB/s is too slow for you!

1. Once I get a new GPU, I'm planning on also getting a 1440p 144hz monitor (either a 27" IPS or 32" VA, Not decided yet).. So nothing too extreme when it comes to frames lol.

2. My chip hits about 85°C in Cinebench, but it was still getting 50-60°C in Shadow of war, even though it was only at about 22% utilisation. also the fan gets kinda loud lol. I like the look of the Hyper 212 Black Edition RGB.. so I might get a new cooler anyway, if only for aesthetics and noise.

3. I figured that was probably the case, the 970 EVO seems like the best bang for the buck, there are cheaper options, but from what I can tell, they are either DRAM-less, QLC or at least using a worse controller than Samsung's.