First PC Build - Parts/Specs Help

[chris_lentini1]

Budget (including currency): ~$1200-$1300 (somewhat flexible)

Country: United States

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: CoD Cold War, Minecraft, Watch Dogs: Legion, GTA 5, Valorant, etc., CAD, Engineering Simulations, Machine Learning

 

Hi everyone.  I am looking to build my first PC and wanted to get some opinions on my part choices before I make any purchases.

 

As for games I plan to play CoD Cold War, Minecraft, Watch Dogs: Legion, GTA 5, among some others.  I'd like to get 1440p mid-high settings in these games (not sure if this is realistic).

Also, I am an engineering student who frequently uses CAD/ECAD programs (Autodesk Inventor, SOLIDWORKS, DipTrace, Altium) as well as simulation software (ANSYS).  I have done and plan to do some more Machine Learning work, as well.

 

On the parts list below I chose an RTX 3070, but I will probably go with an RTX 3060ti once that card is launched (hopefully soon)

 

Here is a link to the PCPartPicker list I created:

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor	$299.00
CPU Cooler	Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition 42 CFM CPU Cooler	$26.99 @ B&H
Motherboard	Asus TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard	$129.99
Memory	G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory	$63.99
Storage	Crucial P1 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive	$83.99 @ Newegg
Video Card	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8 GB Founders Edition Video Card	$499.00
Case	Lian Li LANCOOL II-X ATX Mid Tower Case	$79.99
Power Supply	PowerSpec 650 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply	$64.99
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1257.94
	Mail-in rebates	-$10.00
	Total	$1247.94
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-11-16 20:34 EST-0500

 

 

NOTE: Some of the prices I put in myself either because PCPartPicker didn't have a price listed or I found the component at a lower price than it did.

 

I'm looking for some feedback on my parts list.  Any suggestions are appreciated.

 

I also may get a new monitor to go along with my PC.  I have been looking into the following and wondered if anyone had any input/opinions on these as well

https://www.newegg.com/p/1DG-0061-00401?Description=monoprice monitor&cm_re=monoprice_monitor-_-9SIA8SVC225371-_-Product&quicklink=true

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16824569005?Item=N82E16824569005

 

Thanks for your help/input in advance!

[Letgomyleghoe]

7 minutes ago, chris_lentini1 said:

Memory G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory $63.99

if 3200 cl14 or 3600 cl15 isnt to expensive you should go for that instead

 

9 minutes ago, chris_lentini1 said:

Power Supply PowerSpec 650 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply $64.99

there can be much better psu's to be had for that price, check out the forum tier list 

 

[brob]

I'd suggest a better psu. Something like https://pcpartpicker.com/product/qbK2FT/seasonic-focus-650-w-80-gold-certified-semi-modular-atx-power-supply-focus-gm-650

[Guiomar]

Thanks for posting this. I'm planning to build a PC as well. Any experienced ppl. here can give newbees like me on tips to canvas the best parts for a PC build?

[Rooked]

1 minute ago, Guiomar said:

Thanks for posting this. I'm planning to build a PC as well. Any experienced ppl. here can give newbees like me on tips to canvas the best parts for a PC build?

Here are some useful websites:

https://pcpartpicker.com/ (checks if your computer parts are compatible with eachother)

https://pc-builds.com/calculator/ (checks if your CPU and GPU don't bottleneck with eachother)

 (good for checking motherboard VRM quality)

(good for getting a good PSU)

[Corie]

@Rookedcould you look at this and tell me what you thing (Sorry for bothering you this is the last time) https://newegg.io/04327cd

[Guiomar]

7 minutes ago, Rooked said:

Here are some useful websites:

https://pcpartpicker.com/ (checks if your computer parts are compatible with eachother)

https://pc-builds.com/calculator/ (checks if your CPU and GPU don't bottleneck with eachother)

 (good for checking motherboard VRM quality)

(good for getting a good PSU)

Thanks man. I have a question: which is the best memory for an X570 Mobo? I'm looking at a Corsair. But I saw Linus and Gamer's Nexus use mostly some G.Skill TridentZ sticks on gaming builds. What do you suggest?

[chris_lentini1]

51 minutes ago, Letgomyleghoe said:

there can be much better psu's to be had for that price, check out the forum tier list 

@Letgomyleghoe Thanks for your response!

 

Are there prices or links to product pages on this list?  I am having trouble understanding how the list/ranking works and in turn I'm having trouble utilizing the list.  I tried searching google for some of the PSUs on that list, and had little luck finding purchase links.

 

Also, I am looking to spend about $60-70 on a psu and you said there are many better ones to be had at that price point.  Could you please provide me with some recommendations? Links appreciated.

[chris_lentini1]

29 minutes ago, brob said:

I'd suggest a better psu. Something like https://pcpartpicker.com/product/qbK2FT/seasonic-focus-650-w-80-gold-certified-semi-modular-atx-power-supply-focus-gm-650

@brob  Thanks for your response!

 

I am looking to spend a little less money than that on a psu.  Do you have any suggestions in the $60-$75 range?

[Letgomyleghoe]

18 minutes ago, chris_lentini1 said:

@brob  Thanks for your response!

 

I am looking to spend a little less money than that on a psu.  Do you have any suggestions in the $60-$75 range?

check out corsair CX series theyre not modular, but they have a B rating and are extremely good for the price

[brob]

10 hours ago, chris_lentini1 said:

@brob  Thanks for your response!

 

I am looking to spend a little less money than that on a psu.  Do you have any suggestions in the $60-$75 range?

 

Keep in mind that the psu affects the entire system. It plays important roles in system stability and component longevity.

 

You might look at the Corsair CX650M or Cooler Master MasterWatt 650W. Both have 80+ Bronze rated efficiency and are semi modular.

[chris_lentini1]

@Letgomyleghoe you mentioned getting different ram:

20 hours ago, Letgomyleghoe said:

if 3200 cl14 or 3600 cl15 isnt to expensive you should go for that instead

What's the difference between cl14, cl15, and cl16 and why is one better than the others?

[chris_lentini1]

9 hours ago, brob said:

 

Keep in mind that the psu affects the entire system. It plays important roles in system stability and component longevity.

 

You might look at the Corsair CX650M or Cooler Master MasterWatt 650W. Both have 80+ Bronze rated efficiency and are semi modular.

@brob  Thanks for the help! I'm looking at those and they look pretty good!

[Letgomyleghoe]

9 minutes ago, chris_lentini1 said:

What's the difference between cl14, cl15, and cl16 and why is one better than the others?

the lower the CL latency the better, 5th gen ryzen gets a measurable performance boost from better ram.

[brob]

4 hours ago, chris_lentini1 said:

@Letgomyleghoe you mentioned getting different ram:

What's the difference between cl14, cl15, and cl16 and why is one better than the others?

 

CL is a measure of the column addressing latency of memory modules. For same speed memory lower CL means better performance. As memory speeds increase CL tend to increase. Higher speed, higher CL may outperform lower speed and CL memory, but the calculation while trivial is beyond a simple explanation.