pc-build Feedback on gaming & all-round PC, fresh build

Caffeine2numbers · February 17, 2021

Budget (including currency): ca 21000 NOK

Country: Norway

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: Various modern games, chess engine, some numerical computations (in Python w. libraries and other software), some AI & neural network, general purpose

Other details

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor
CPU Cooler	Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler	$89.95 @ Amazon
Thermal Compound	Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut 1 g Thermal Paste	$10.81 @ Amazon
Motherboard	Asus PRIME B550-PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard	$149.99 @ Amazon
Memory	Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory
Storage	Kingston A2000 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive	$116.33 @ Amazon
Storage	Toshiba P300 3 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$105.99 @ Amazon
Video Card	MSI GeForce RTX 3070 8 GB SUPRIM X Video Card
Case	Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply	SilentiumPC Supremo FM2 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
Case Fan	Noctua A14 PWM 82.5 CFM 140 mm Fan	$21.95 @ Amazon
Case Fan	Noctua A14 PWM 82.5 CFM 140 mm Fan	$21.95 @ Amazon
Case Fan	Noctua A14 PWM 82.5 CFM 140 mm Fan	$21.95 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$538.92
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-02-17 00:22 EST-0500

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/QVnFy4

Hi!

I am in the prosess of building a PC with parts shown above. This is a bit late as I have already ordered all the parts in this list from one place, but since there is a wait on RTX 3070, there is time to change my order if necessary. I want CUDA-support, since it's more efficient than OpenCL in the applications I plan to run, so this basically rules out AMD GPUs.

What are your opinions on this build? What do you think about the quality of the components? Will it be reasonably "future proof"?

Some comments regarding the incompatibility warnings in the list:

- The site from which I ordered the parts, says that the motherboard is ready for 3rd gen. Ryzen.

- The RAMs are low enough to fit under the cooler according to the same site.

- Do you think that the cpu cooler really requires a mounting adapter to fit the Asus PRIME B550-PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard?

I am also planning to try out (moderate) overclocking, and I have heard that the motherboard in the list doesn't have very good VRMs. Do you have any suggestions whether I should change the motherboard?

I want a reliable motherboard with decent VRMs and heatsinks, and with features similar to the board in the list. I am not sure if I am willing to pay a lot extra for an X570-board (entry-level X570 are within budget).

The motherboard shouldn't cost much more than the ASUS PRIME B550 Plus, since I have already stretched the budget a bit, but a few bucks more is OK.

I have no preferences regarding the make of motherboard, but a reputable brand is preferable.

I haven't skimped on the fans because I'd like the PC to run cool and quiet. This is probably not going to be the cheapest RTX 3070-based PC around.

SupaKomputa · February 17, 2021

D15 is not necessary for 5600x, it's not a hot cpu, even overclocked. That thing is HUGE (dual array heatsink).

I suggest getting a single array heatsink like Hyper 212, Deepcool Gamaxx 400 or noctua nh-u14s.

The motherboard is pretty decent since it got double VRM heatsink, and it supports Ryzen 5000.

For the mounting, you don't need an adapter since it's already included in the package.

GhostRoadieBL · February 17, 2021

24 minutes ago, Caffeine2numbers said:

haven't skimped on the fans because I'd like the PC to run cool and quiet. This is probably not going to be the cheapest RTX 3070-based PC around.

First off you can swap the a14's for redux without losing any performance.

Kryonaught is unnecessary, the included noctua paste is fantastic, if you want to go another step up from it get kingpin's paste for around the same price and it works slightly better.

Most (including that one) B550 boards have the same or better quality vrms as x570. Compared to other higher price b550 boards it's a little low end but still well over spec for overclocking a middle watt chip like the 5600x.

Hdd is a little overpriced, I'd recommend a pair of 2tb for $50 each and pool the drives or you can get exos or other enterprise grade for that price

Ssd is a decent price, if you don't need 4tb total storage you'd be able to get a 2tb nvme for very close to the combined cost of the drives.

Overall well balanced.

Caffeine2numbers · February 18, 2021

Thank you for your replies!

I have changed the motherboard to a MSI B550 Gaming Edge which has better quality VRMs and components, and can handle overclocking and higher output CPUs better if I decide to upgrade in the future. The price difference is not too off-putting; there are several much more expensive B550-motherboards.

The only downside is that it's got fewer USB-ports.

I will keep the fans and the oversized Noctua. One important point with this build is that the cooling must be able to handle everything even at low fan-speeds.

I live in Norway, and the prices are usually higher than in the US, but interestingly the Toshiba HDD is about the equiv. of $10 cheaper than on Amazon!

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/Caffeine2crunchednumbers/saved/3Hgz6h