GPU-less PC setup. Looking for guidance.

[FaceFoiled]

Budget (including currency): €1200 (without GPU.. sadly :P)

Country: Ireland (Republic of Ireland, not Northern - so no UK purchases due to VAT/import shenanigans).

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: Triple A gaming with some streaming on the side and hope to try VR in the future as well. I'll add that it helps being able to play/test more demanding builds for work. I'd like this system to be "ready" for a few years to come, family life for me means it's tricky to upgrade sporadically (wife aggro).

Other details: I added my current monitors and GPU for reference. Hope that will do me for a while longer until I can get a 3070 or 3080.

I do like the current price tag, seems very reasonable for what I get. While I do understand that RGB adds performance like race stripes does for cars, not into it myself.

I looked around on the forum for some reviews/suggestions and ended up with the following.

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor  (€244.51 @ Custompc) 
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition 42 CFM CPU Cooler  (€49.90 @ Komplett) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte B550M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard  (€108.45 @ Custompc) 
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory  (€255.13 @ Custompc) 
Storage: Western Digital SN750 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  (€172.15 @ Custompc) 
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4 GB GAMING Video Card  (Purchased For €0.00) 
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P400A ATX Mid Tower Case  (€114.38 @ Custompc) 
Power Supply: Corsair RM (2019) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  (€149.85 @ Komplett) 
Monitor: Asus VG278H 27.0" 1920x1080 120 Hz Monitor  (Purchased For €0.00) 
Monitor: AOC CQ32G1 31.5" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor  (Purchased For €0.00) 
Total: €1094.37
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-04-09 20:22 IST+0100

 

CPU upgrade option:

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor  (€478.61 @ Custompc) 

Updates the Total: €1328.47

 

 

What I'm not sure about (got confused after reading too much :P)
Motherboard - am I right with the x570 format for PCIE gen 4? 

Storage - that is fast right, making use of gen 4? 

Edited April 9, 2021 by FaceFoiled
Made changes, added CPU option

[RegulatorRWF]

 

3 minutes ago, FaceFoiled said:

Motherboard - am I right with the x570 format for PCIE gen 4? 

Yes

 

Storage - that is fast right, making use of gen 4? 

I don't see storage listed, maybe I missed it, what are you using for storage?

 

[Hairless Monkey Boy]

8 minutes ago, FaceFoiled said:

Motherboard - am I right with the x570 format for PCIE gen 4? 

B550 also has PCIe gen 4 for the 16x GPU slot, and a single M.2 slot also connected to the CPU. For your workload, there is no reason to go with X570, and so you are overspending on your motherboard, and would be better off with a stronger CPU instead. Maybe a Ryzen 5 5600X or better.

8 minutes ago, FaceFoiled said:

Storage - that is fast right, making use of gen 4? 

There is no storage in your list, but a gen 4 drive would be overkill for your workloads. A gen 3 NVME drive would suffice, with no noticeable difference in performance. Again, your budget would be better spent elseware.

 

In addition ,the PSU you picked out, while very good, is much more than your system needs. Do you intend to pick up an RTX 3080 in the future?

 

Finally, you should go with a kit of 3600Mhz, CL16 RAM rather than 3200Mhz. 32GB is probably more than you need, but it's not excessive.

[curiousmind34]

PCIE gen 4 ssds work on b550 if they are on the top slot, no need to spend so much on motherboard


The ram you chose was pretty expensive, this kit would probably be better
https://ie.pcpartpicker.com/product/8BLwrH/gskill-aegis-32-gb-2-x-16-gb-ddr4-3200-memory-f4-3200c16d-32gis

I would say go 3600mhz, but ram prices are super high and 3600mhz comes at a 40 euro premium

[FaceFoiled]

15 minutes ago, HairlessMonkeyBoy said:

B550 also has PCIe gen 4 for the 16x GPU slot, and a single M.2 slot also connected to the CPU. For your workload, there is no reason to go with X570, and so you are overspending on your motherboard, and would be better off with a stronger CPU instead. Maybe a Ryzen 5 5600X or better.

There is no storage in your list, but a gen 4 drive would be overkill for your workloads. A gen 3 NVME drive would suffice, with no noticeable difference in performance. Again, your budget would be better spent elseware.

 

In addition ,the PSU you picked out, while very good, is much more than your system needs. Do you intend to pick up an RTX 3080 in the future?

 

Finally, you should go with a kit of 3600Mhz, CL16 RAM rather than 3200Mhz. 32GB is probably more than you need, but it's not excessive.

 

20 minutes ago, curiousmind34 said:

PCIE gen 4 ssds work on b550 if they are on the top slot, no need to spend so much on motherboard


The ram you chose was pretty expensive, this kit would probably be better
https://ie.pcpartpicker.com/product/8BLwrH/gskill-aegis-32-gb-2-x-16-gb-ddr4-3200-memory-f4-3200c16d-32gis

I would say go 3600mhz, but ram prices are super high and 3600mhz comes at a 40 euro premium

Thanks for the feedback!

 

MOBO:

Nice, that's a good tip. Switched to the Gigabyte B550M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard - saved a bit there already right away as well. The main thing I checked for was PCIe gen 4, and having 2 M.2 slots (in case I want to expand).

 

CPU: 

How much of an impact would that difference make, as it would double the cost.

 

NVME/SSD:

Bugger - was swapping things around when comparing, I derped at the end. These 2 were in consideration, I put the cheaper option in the updated list at the top now.Storage: Western Digital SN750 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  (€172.15 @ Custompc) 
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  (€208.95 @ Komplett) 

 

PSU:

I do intend to upgrade yeah. Ideally I do that now, my 970 is reaching it end. ^_^. But sadly that's just not really a viable option with the current market, will see how long I can hold off for now. I technically could even just use my current one if it comes to it. "Corsair Enthusiast Series TX 750W V2 High Performance Power Supply  (had to check my original order confirmation from 2011 "

 

MEMORY:

Good tip thanks, switched that around as well to the Crucial Ballistix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory - Initially went with 3200Mhz following (seemingly) shitty self-investigations!

[Hairless Monkey Boy]

2 minutes ago, FaceFoiled said:

MOBO:

Good choice. The DS3H is solid for the price.

 

2 minutes ago, FaceFoiled said:

CPU: 

The 5600X is much stronger, especially in games. Try not to overspend on it. It has been available for €364, so try to get it for around that.

4 minutes ago, FaceFoiled said:

NVME/SSD:

See below. I think this config would serve you well. PCIe gen 4 storage is not necessary for your workload.

 

5 minutes ago, FaceFoiled said:

MEMORY:

Good choice.

 

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor	€363.99 @ Currys PC World
CPU Cooler	Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition 42 CFM CPU Cooler	€49.90 @ Komplett
Motherboard	Gigabyte B550M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard	€108.45 @ Custompc
Memory	Crucial Ballistix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory	€255.13 @ Custompc
Storage	Samsung 970 Evo 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive	€169.94 @ Komplett
Storage	Crucial P1 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive	€115.48 @ Custompc
Video Card	MSI GeForce GTX 970 4 GB GAMING Video Card	Purchased For €0.00
Case	Phanteks Eclipse P400A ATX Mid Tower Case	€114.38 @ Custompc
Power Supply	Corsair RM (2019) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	€149.85 @ Komplett
Monitor	Asus VG278H 27.0" 1920x1080 120 Hz Monitor	Purchased For €0.00
Monitor	AOC CQ32G1 31.5" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor	Purchased For €0.00
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	€1327.12
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-04-09 20:47 IST+0100

 

 

[FaceFoiled]

13 minutes ago, HairlessMonkeyBoy said:

39 minutes ago, FaceFoiled said:

NVME/SSD:

See below. I think this config would serve you well. PCIe gen 4 storage is not necessary for your workload.

Thank you so much for the time investigated so far, and the information shared. 

For the NVME's, I initially had 2 different "options" as I was not sure which would be better. Is there a reason why you decided to go with 2 different options here?

[Hairless Monkey Boy]

1 minute ago, FaceFoiled said:

For the NVME's, I initially had 2 different "options" as I was not sure which would be better. Is there a reason why you decided to go with 2 different options here?

Nope I just misunderstood your intent. Go for the single 970 EVO. It's a great drive.

[BahnStormer]

Good call on sticking with the GTX970 for now - nice to see people being sensible and not fueling the scalper bonfire!

 

Let's all hope that either crypto prices crash or there's a new mining-only card that annihilates all the GPU's and suddenly nobody wants GPU's for mining any more... and just for gravy, maybe a few scalpers get their pocket's burned in the subsequent GPU price crash! #fingerscrossed

[FaceFoiled]

On 4/12/2021 at 11:40 PM, BahnStormer said:

Good call on sticking with the GTX970 for now - nice to see people being sensible and not fueling the scalper bonfire!

 

Let's all hope that either crypto prices crash or there's a new mining-only card that annihilates all the GPU's and suddenly nobody wants GPU's for mining any more... and just for gravy, maybe a few scalpers get their pocket's burned in the subsequent GPU price crash! #fingerscrossed

Has nothing to do with me being cheap... .... If I could, I likely would have bought a 3070 tbh. But it's bonkers money. This is my order in the end:

 

CASE: PHANTEKS Eclipse P400A Mid Tower
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.7 GHz 
COOLER: Cooler Master Hyper 212 
MOTHERBOARD: Gigabyte B550M DS3H
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws V 32GB DDR4 K2 32GVKC 3600 (2x16GB) C16, F4-3600C16D-32GVKC
SSD: Sabrent M.2 NVME SSD Gen4 Solid State Drive

Total price: €976.51

(1,465.18 CAD / 1,168.06 USD)
(includes VAT/Delivery)

 

Should ideally have been a bit cheaper, but RAM was hard to find in stock and ended up buying a few items from the same retailer for ease of shipping. Not too bad though.

[BahnStormer]

2 hours ago, FaceFoiled said:

Has nothing to do with me being cheap... .... If I could, I likely would have bought a 3070 tbh. But it's bonkers money.

simply not worth the scalper-premiums and you've got a reasonably solid backup plan there for a a few months at least.... it could be a case of paying today's money for a GTX1070 or getting a RTX3070 for the same money in 12 months... (well that's the hope / theory anyway!!)

Quote

MOTHERBOARD: Gigabyte B550M DS3H
SSD: Sabrent M.2 NVME SSD Gen4 Solid State Drive

Both great bits of kit, but last I checked, the gen4 NVME's were a bit of a price premium relative to modest extra performance - if that's changed for your region, then no reason not to go for it, but in my experience there's very little real-world difference between similar "good" NVME's, even my WD Blue SN550 (in a 4x slot) vs my 970 EVO Plus.

 

The BIG performance step is from spindle to SSD and cached NVME is a smaller step up, but still noticeable.... after that you're paying increasingly large premiums for increasingly small increases in performance.

 

That said, a B550 will be a little more future-proof (PCIe gen4 NVME / graphics), but otherwise the same features as most B450's which are normally at least $CAD100 cheaper - the main reason I might opt for a B550 is future PCIe4 features and that based on the reference design, they get higher spec, really solid VRM's... so there will be a little more scope for low risk, stable OoTB overclocking.

[FaceFoiled]

1 hour ago, BahnStormer said:

That said, a B550 will be a little more future-proof (PCIe gen4 NVME / graphics), but otherwise the same features as most B450's which are normally at least $CAD100 cheaper

Yeah same for the Gen 4 NVME. I found a pretty good price for both Mobo (€82.99) and NVME (€159.89). I know I could do with Gen3 for cheaper, and would certainly meet my needs for gaming etc. But I figured, might as well get to Gen 4 for a slight increase, for future proofing and just to treat myself. OS running on Gen4 nvme will be nice ^_^.

[BahnStormer]

12 minutes ago, FaceFoiled said:

Mobo (€82.99)

Wow. I'll shut up now. Glad I asked as B550 at that price is worth it... I was thinking is was a €50-€80 premium... but that is more like €10-€20.... well worth it!!

 

I cannot comment on the case (no experience), but the rest of the build looks really solid. Good luck and enjoy!

[FaceFoiled]

On 4/15/2021 at 10:31 PM, BahnStormer said:

Good luck and enjoy!

Thanks! As of today, all orders have shipped, can't for the arrivals and start to tinker with it all.

[FaceFoiled]

Bit of an update! System arrived and worked well for a day. All nicely installed and updated, motherboard died the next day. Had it checked quite thoroughly to see if I caused something, but seems it is just something within the motherboard that is buggered. RMA'd it and should get my new one in the next few days (already shipped).

 

So while troubleshooting the initial "oh shit, black screen", I found out that my old GPU is on it's last legs. It has 2 fans, one of which spins normally, the other stops and starts. It still works just fine, but is there anything I should do to prevent any issues down the line? Kinda banking on this card for at least the rest of this year (going by the GPU shortage). 

[BahnStormer]

Oh man, that sucks, sorry to hear about the motherboard!! Gigabyte boards are usually really robust... I don't have any loyalty to one brand, but I move back and forth between ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI and the odd value build on Asrock.... the MSI boards went through a really annoying patch with their AMI BIOS a few years back, but never actually had a problem with them.

 

Regarding the GPU,

 

Two options: repair / bodge / aftermarket.

 

Reapir will be very difficult, but you may be able to find an appropriate size fan with a similar current draw to your current fans (best guess)... then try to mount that over the location where your existing fans are.... chances of finding a good fit and making a clean repair are pretty low though.

 

I would be tempted by the "bodge"/aftermarket options option, as this worked for me really well when I wanted to build a LAN party PC to game and only had an old card sparewith a broken cooler: just mount a big 120mm/140mm fan on the outside (find appropriate self-tapping screws that will get between the heatsink fins and get it secure).... but you'll probably have to drive that off a motherboard header as a GPU header is unlikely to support the current that fan will need (even if you didn't mind redoing the wiring).

 

I can't recall what the Gigabyte fan management software is like, but make sure you set your fan profiles so it spins up fairly early based on a motherboard/CPU temp increase as soon as you start to game... so you keep the GPU cool, but not have it spun up the whole time... 

 

IF the onboard fan is really screwed, you could strip those out and any shrouding, to allow better airflow over the heatsink too...

 

Aftermarket cooling: see what's available on eBay, etc... there may be a decent aftermarket cooler for your GPU - or even one of those secondary slot coolers for ~€25?

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162860535920?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=162860535920&targetid=1140014332782&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=1006538&poi=&campaignid=12126077997&mkgroupid=116380011786&rlsatarget=pla-1140014332782&abcId=9300480&merchantid=7298214&gclid=CjwKCAjwm7mEBhBsEiwA_of-TG6jQMqndwZkBVegmAwQqnTqbAtlzi38cECfAgGzXlls-u7IV1DHUBoCunQQAvD_BwE

 

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/jonsbo-vf-1-graphics-card-heatsink-aluminum-magnesium-housing-support-aura-motherboard-rgb-light-eff-ca-01h-jb.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwm7mEBhBsEiwA_of-TLMuZ7kCcDwPi0IzcmBkiR5FxQWYE3W7lPKEPGIvEWwos4tGfcdTVBoCrVwQAvD_BwE&__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=8456d4efec1a9f5fa180c24d19cb0a5a1da1e702-1619992588-0-Aa-5sVfXgJDRpGfCZ4B5wZxxpAlySRrTsxWfwa24ow2D2i36ePgJ5hmycbCkiCKzDv5OU7bt6NIEL05Peu9Wb6AfOjcMrDUq2pBiMKMMEbu-cG1aEP0qO9538tYNRNP1LWtCe90wXaJrSTKSxlJcKMJK6-bH76AdM96TS_tBV6khCxWGQuERUupwgZaB1yNtaNfkIBCc1VpGot8m0AxETEhQR7E_kcjGJgG7ZDx8livGPFco-rEUjwHNdpKZp9VdQ7DymfC1XbEfzAqTOptUaFmhtDh5Cj46_yKxuabhXc82f_G6iMctVEU7YQ0ZzQfKaRauhw7DaRdi8mFE0U0_0ijd7uDgUXxBUCijKH25xYaEA-A78h4HvXHbZOM652jXlpZ25O2MKDPfC8PH6gjTN-p0BfRdPrB9Nmo3uyL8lyC4tZlT5Z1YndrLxkCxj-CTYpub1gNAFvtlAA_fd1-tiUOdmv01S8FmvxqLdITO9o-hm39rLWycLbqyW_aiW92LhNNuGY2HoRvbsfCVGbu-w4xV_VguufFnKTcQNzp8DORMDT6eO9Jy0ZqPpD0U6YPHpATvKJ7OgcgXV2vchJJpeUTs_6frQlM1RhqUOAhuDz5GRkbT8roAlLTdYuvnHGd89e14s3glsTPYgt8nNuoickqO14RXvmhlJpN-DgWAdPNlMS0RtbQnz17A8LKd07LWB86tAwu3M2lm95ln2mWo-bzlQC4rfRMisZhzC1b3wltR

 

 

Or ask this guy where he got to? But I think he might have been after something with a higher spec, waterblock options, etc...

 

 

[FaceFoiled]

On 5/2/2021 at 11:05 PM, BahnStormer said:

Oh man, that sucks, sorry to hear about the motherboard!

All is good now, had it replaced and up and running again. Thanks for the feedback and tips on the GPU!