First PC build

[rarei]

Budget (including currency): <650€ (GPU excluded)

Country: Austria (the one without kangaroos)

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: Maybe Overwatch? Idk, I am trying to get back into PC games a little bit. So, entry to mid-level level gaming (both my skill level and hardware requirements). Nothing too excessive. Maybe also as workstation for MS Office applications and statistics (depends on final power consumption of build).

Other details (existing parts lists, whether any peripherals are needed, what you're upgrading from, when you're going to buy, what resolution and refresh rate you want to play at, etc): 

Peripherals are not needed, upgrading from nothing. Going to to buy in the next 1-2 months. Display (upgrade planned some way down the road but certainly not this year): 1920x1080,

60Hz. Existing part: Was gifted my friend's old GPU: 4GB Palit GeForce GTX 760 JetStream.

 

Planned Build:

MoBo: MSI B550-A Pro (7C56-002R) ~110€@iPon

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600, 6C/12T, 3.60-4.20GHz, boxed (100-100000031BOX)197€@alza

RAM: Kingston FURY DIMM Kit 16GB, DDR4-3600, CL17-21-21 (HX436C17FB3K2/16) 95€@Proshop

GPU: Existing.

Storage: Crucial P1 SSD 1TB, M.2 (CT1000P1SSD8) 97€@iPon

PSU: be quiet! Pure Power 11 CM 500W ATX 2.4 (BN297) ~69€@Cyberport

Case: Corsair Carbide Series 110Q (CC-9011184-WW) ~60€@Proshop.

 

I plan to later upgrade along the way: case fan and data storage. GPU,....
Are there incompabtibilities or large flaws in my build that I did not recognize?

 

 

[Somerandomtechyboi]

https://de.pcpartpicker.com/list/hWBhfP

Maybe something like this?

 

Yea pretty hard to improve on your build since you did it quite well

 

Only issues i found were the case not having good airflow and the ram being overpriced

[Jonathan Lee]

I would mainly recommend getting a NVME with a Dram Cache. Something like a Kingston A2000 or Silicon Power A80 on the cheaper end. On higher end, Mushkin Pilot-E or ADATA XPG GAMMIX S11 Pro are good choices.

[rarei]

@Somerandomtechyboi & @Jonathan Lee

Thanks so much for your helpful replies!

 

It's a lot to process for me and I have follow-up questions. I have some knowledge about this topic (PC hardware) but I would really need your help with what I do not know (or I only think I know but don't really) and oc all the intricacies that I am not familiar with as I am a first-time builder. So please bear with me...

1. CPU-Cooler: I was told that the included cooling solutions for AMD-CPUs are sufficient (also for the Ryzen5 3600 as it only has a TDP of 65W). Should I still plan for a 'non-boxed' Ryzen 5 3600 and include quality-manufacturer cooling?

2. RAM: I didn't find those Crucial modules on the list of supported RAM for the MoBo+CPU. Is that going to be a problem? Also, would 32GB of RAM benefit me or would it be a waste of money?

3. Storage: I am kinda lost here... Cache will make my read/write faster? Could you direct me towards an article about this topic in laymen's terms so I get a little bit of an idea about it? atm I don't feel like I am able to ask the right questions. I deviated from the PCMR many years ago, when HDDs were loud, slow and 160 GB of additional storage space was a noteworthy upgrade.

4. PSU: Why 700W instead of 500W?

 

5. Case Fans: Thanks for the suggestion!

 

6. Case: Ironically the part which I spent most of my time on to choose from so many options out there. My requirements are: Subtle aesthetics (I do not want RGB, extravagant lighting or transparent panels). Acousting insulation is not a must but nice to have and it should not be too larger. And of course decent material/build quality. As I don't have the experience to estimate the thermal output of my system relative to the capabilities of my case the question becomes this: Of course more cooling is better, but is the case (Corsair Carbide Series 110Q) definitely going to be a problem concerning thermals or otherwise?

[Somerandomtechyboi]

1 hour ago, rarei said:

@Somerandomtechyboi & @Jonathan Lee

Thanks so much for your helpful replies!

 

It's a lot to process for me and I have follow-up questions. I have some knowledge about this topic (PC hardware) but I would really need your help with what I do not know (or I only think I know but don't really) and oc all the intricacies that I am not familiar with as I am a first-time builder. So please bear with me...

1. CPU-Cooler: I was told that the included cooling solutions for AMD-CPUs are sufficient (also for the Ryzen5 3600 as it only has a TDP of 65W). Should I still plan for a 'non-boxed' Ryzen 5 3600 and include quality-manufacturer cooling?

2. RAM: I didn't find those Crucial modules on the list of supported RAM for the MoBo+CPU. Is that going to be a problem? Also, would 32GB of RAM benefit me or would it be a waste of money?

3. Storage: I am kinda lost here... Cache will make my read/write faster? Could you direct me towards an article about this topic in laymen's terms so I get a little bit of an idea about it? atm I don't feel like I am able to ask the right questions. I deviated from the PCMR many years ago, when HDDs were loud, slow and 160 GB of additional storage space was a noteworthy upgrade.

4. PSU: Why 700W instead of 500W?

 

5. Case Fans: Thanks for the suggestion!

 

6. Case: Ironically the part which I spent most of my time on to choose from so many options out there. My requirements are: Subtle aesthetics (I do not want RGB, extravagant lighting or transparent panels). Acousting insulation is not a must but nice to have and it should not be too larger. And of course decent material/build quality. As I don't have the experience to estimate the thermal output of my system relative to the capabilities of my case the question becomes this: Of course more cooling is better, but is the case (Corsair Carbide Series 110Q) definitely going to be a problem concerning thermals or otherwise?

1. Cpu cooler will suffice but prefferable get a cheap 4 heatpipe tower cooler like the freezer 34, se 224 xt, pure rock 2, etc. Just to have lower temps and the cpu to boost higher

 

2. Mobo ram compatibility lists are bullcrap nowadays though ive heard some asus boards are picky with ram, so just stick whatever ram module youd like, just make sure it isnt under 2400mhz tho cause from what ive heard it causes a massive drop in performance

 

3. Dram cache doesnt always make ssds go faster but generally most fast ssds have dram cache, the silicon power a80 a budget ssd with dram cache is on the slower side of ssds though its more than enough for regular users asuming you arent regularly transfering massive files like 4k videos

 

4. Futureproofing or extra headroom for an upgrade or reliability

 

5. your welcome, p12 fans from what ive heard are pretty good

 

6. Depends, it is better than an h510 but the airflow is still eh, if you want a clean case then go for a pure base 500, decent airflow and good looks, though id go the mattrexx 55 mesh case instead cause its cheaper and will prob have better airflow, thpugh if you have the money then sure, atleast its better than wasting on a garbage airflow windowed case with a crap ton of disco ball rgb lights that dont do crap to performance

[KKLawrence]

So first of all, a different case to maybe aim for is a be quiet one, since they are basically silent if not under to heavy load.

https://de.pcpartpicker.com/list/gq3WkX

Something like that would come into my mind. But if you want more airflow, which is maybe a bit louder under normal load (browsing, office, etc) but quieter and cooler under gaming load, then opt for something like this:

https://de.pcpartpicker.com/list/4zNsTJ

If you have RGB Fans, turn the RGB off and use them as simple fans. Unfortunately the case only comes with RGB fans, but its one of the best price/perfomance packages out there.

To your questions:

 

1. Stock cooler will be enough, but if you want to be under load for longer times, a dedicated 3rd party cooler is recommended. But that can be also bought later, as the non-boxed 3600 is (in germany) often the same price.

 

2. 16GB of Ram is enough for gaming and having discord and spotify open. When you start to use more memory-intensive programs, then you should upgrade. But you can do that afterwards with a second similar kit.

 

3. You kinda want an SSD with cache, as the cache gets used by the OS a lot. Therefore, if you use your SSD as a boot drive, better with cache then without it.

 

4. 650 or 700w are the sweet spot right now, in terms of price to wattage. They also futureproof your system for a GPU Upgrade, that would be recommended, since linus showed in a recent video, how outdated even the 780TI nowadays is...

 

5. You only need fans, if the case doesn't have enough or you could improve thermals and noise with adding fans, otherwise, stock configs will be fine.

 

6. When talking cases, it's more than just a box these days. So get a good case for your needs, either go airflow oriented or "noise" oriented. But from my own experience, a noise isolated case is great for idle or small load applications, but gaming? The fans will ramp up to 100% and your PC will be hella loud. My airflow case on the other hand is just great, maybe a little louder when idle but definitly cooler and more silent under gaming load.

2 hours ago, rarei said:

@Somerandomtechyboi & @Jonathan Lee

Thanks so much for your helpful replies!

 

It's a lot to process for me and I have follow-up questions. I have some knowledge about this topic (PC hardware) but I would really need your help with what I do not know (or I only think I know but don't really) and oc all the intricacies that I am not familiar with as I am a first-time builder. So please bear with me...

1. CPU-Cooler: I was told that the included cooling solutions for AMD-CPUs are sufficient (also for the Ryzen5 3600 as it only has a TDP of 65W). Should I still plan for a 'non-boxed' Ryzen 5 3600 and include quality-manufacturer cooling?

2. RAM: I didn't find those Crucial modules on the list of supported RAM for the MoBo+CPU. Is that going to be a problem? Also, would 32GB of RAM benefit me or would it be a waste of money?

3. Storage: I am kinda lost here... Cache will make my read/write faster? Could you direct me towards an article about this topic in laymen's terms so I get a little bit of an idea about it? atm I don't feel like I am able to ask the right questions. I deviated from the PCMR many years ago, when HDDs were loud, slow and 160 GB of additional storage space was a noteworthy upgrade.

4. PSU: Why 700W instead of 500W?

 

5. Case Fans: Thanks for the suggestion!

 

6. Case: Ironically the part which I spent most of my time on to choose from so many options out there. My requirements are: Subtle aesthetics (I do not want RGB, extravagant lighting or transparent panels). Acousting insulation is not a must but nice to have and it should not be too larger. And of course decent material/build quality. As I don't have the experience to estimate the thermal output of my system relative to the capabilities of my case the question becomes this: Of course more cooling is better, but is the case (Corsair Carbide Series 110Q) definitely going to be a problem concerning thermals or otherwise?

 

[rarei]

Ok, I am going to opt for the BQ Pure Base 500. Because of the looks (I like the white with black accents) and it does seem to be a really good case according to its reviews. It is on the larger side of what I had in mind but it will be fine. But: There are 2x140mm fans preinstalled (one in front, one in back, BQ Pure Wings 2). I know that there is a 3- and a 4-pin version. I am assuming that they use the 3-pin version in their case but they don't explicitly state that on ther homepage. Will this be a problem? What is even the difference between 3-pin and 4-pin? The 3-pin can also regulate speed via its voltage (pin) according to system temperature, can it not?

True, R53600 box and tray makes basically not difference when it comes to cost (also in AUT). Might go for boxed and upgrade to tower cooler + case fans.

 

All other points: I will use 16GB of RAM with 3200 MHz instead of 3600 MHz, upgrade PSU to 650 or 700W and get a better M.2 SSD with Cache.

[KKLawrence]

Yeah the fans wont be a problem, a 3 pin fan will fit in a 4 pin connector on the motherboard. And you can regulate the speed also. So no problem there.

Just put two 140mm in the front and one in the back and you will be fine with airflow

 

You will lose 1% performance by going with 3200MHz, but thats fine, I also use only 3200MHz memory.

A good m.2 with cache is important for boot drive performance.

Good choices!

[rarei]

Case Fans: Ok I found a helpful article and I understood the concepts for 3-pin and 4-pin fans. But I am still a bit foggy about how my fans will be controllable. Connecting my 3-pin fans to 4-pin connections on the MoBo will just leave the PWM-pin disconnected, so far so good. But will I be able to control the fans via a fan curve or something like that (i.e. control the voltage pin over a piece of software)? Or will I need some piece of hardware (i.e. fan control box) to control the fan speeds?

 

Thanks to all for your help, I really appreciate it! I will try to finalize the changes once I have some time to do so and repost (I have the feeling that some additional questions will pop up ).

[KKLawrence]

Yeah you will be able to control your fan speed over the bios. If you use the 3 pin fans, the fan curve will be controlled via voltage. And you can address the voltage in percent.

So no additional fan header needed. To be sure, check your motherboard and count the fan headers (should have one for CPU and 2 to 4 additional ones) and when you come up short 1 header, there are extension cables that connect 2 fans to 1 header. These are way cheaper than a fan hub, and some are even included in some cases (like in my small fractal define nano s).

 

And its always great to ask questions! Better educate yourself before rather then afterwards.

[Jonathan Lee]

On 7/27/2021 at 1:45 AM, rarei said:

3. Storage: I am kinda lost here... Cache will make my read/write faster? Could you direct me towards an article about this topic in laymen's terms so I get a little bit of an idea about it? atm I don't feel like I am able to ask the right questions. I deviated from the PCMR many years ago, when HDDs were loud, slow and 160 GB of additional storage space was a noteworthy upgrade.

Yea, this is a question most people have so don't worry about it too much. Determining if a SSD has a dram cache is also a nightmare, as most companies don't state it on their spec sheets. You typically have to check reviews and use the almighty google. In general though, DRAM helps with overall snappiest of system. While it won't really affect your gaming performance, it will allow the SSD to download files and updates much faster than ones without. It's more a quality of life thing than a more FPS scenario. There's a livestream with TechDeals on youtube where he explains what a DRAM cache is and how to pick an SSD.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjegNh_vLFs&ab_channel=TechDeals

 

He starts talking about at the 2:18:00 mark. Yes he normally has very long livestreams XD and rabbles a lot.

[rarei]

21 hours ago, KKLawrence said:

Yeah you will be able to control your fan speed over the bios. If you use the 3 pin fans, the fan curve will be controlled via voltage. And you can address the voltage in percent.

So no additional fan header needed. To be sure, check your motherboard and count the fan headers (should have one for CPU and 2 to 4 additional ones) and when you come up short 1 header, there are extension cables that connect 2 fans to 1 header. These are way cheaper than a fan hub, and some are even included in some cases (like in my small fractal define nano s).

 

And its always great to ask questions! Better educate yourself before rather then afterwards.

Does this mean that I will have to access BIOS for every fan speed change and do it "manually"? Or can I set a fan curve via BIOS? Just asking because the last BIOS I accessed was not nearly as sophisticated (purely from a visual standpoint) as some user surfaces I've seen in some youtube build videos. I guess I will check out the original fan configuration of the case and the controls of it and then decide if I will upgrade to 3x140mm fans (all 4-pin fans) and replace the pure wings 2 (1-3 pcs of ARCTIC P14 72.8 CFM 140 mm Fan).

 

16 hours ago, Jonathan Lee said:

Yea, this is a question most people have so don't worry about it too much. Determining if a SSD has a dram cache is also a nightmare, as most companies don't state it on their spec sheets. You typically have to check reviews and use the almighty google. In general though, DRAM helps with overall snappiest of system. While it won't really affect your gaming performance, it will allow the SSD to download files and updates much faster than ones without. It's more a quality of life thing than a more FPS scenario. There's a livestream with TechDeals on youtube where he explains what a DRAM cache is and how to pick an SSD.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjegNh_vLFs&ab_channel=TechDeals

 

He starts talking about at the 2:18:00 mark. Yes he normally has very long livestreams XD and rabbles a lot.

Thanks! Watched the video, I'll opt for your earlier suggestion: Kingston A2000, 1TB.

 

I updated the build:

https://de.pcpartpicker.com/list/xGKGQD

 

Changes from original: Added CPU cooler, changed to 16GB of RAM (3200MHz, is on the supported RAM list, cause I'm overcautious like that), changed to a suggested SSD with DRAM cache, bequiet Pure Base 500 case, 650W instead of 500W PSU. Additional case fan(s?) will be added later once I have seen and figured out the situation a little bit better .

 

Remaining question (aside from the bios/fan speed situation):
How can I find out if CPU cooler and RAM will interfere? I have the cooler dimensions (124x157x86 mm) and I have the RAM module height (42.2 mm). Just from looking at MoBo pictures and estimating the whole geometric situation it should be fine. But is there actually a way for me to know for sure?

 

 

[KKLawrence]

1 hour ago, rarei said:

Does this mean that I will have to access BIOS for every fan speed change and do it "manually"? Or can I set a fan curve via BIOS? Just asking because the last BIOS I accessed was not nearly as sophisticated (purely from a visual standpoint) as some user surfaces I've seen in some youtube build videos. I guess I will check out the original fan configuration of the case and the controls of it and then decide if I will upgrade to 3x140mm fans (all 4-pin fans) and replace the pure wings 2 (1-3 pcs of ARCTIC P14 72.8 CFM 140 mm Fan).

So no, you wont have to change them manually. Typically every BIOS nowadays lets you change the fan curve. Just try it out and adjust the settings after some testing. Typically, you adjust the fan speed in percentage, tied to the cpu temps or other temps (some motherboards let you choose the GPU for example).

The be-quiet fans are usually pretty good, so no need to replace them.

 

1 hour ago, rarei said:

Changes from original: Added CPU cooler, changed to 16GB of RAM (3200MHz, is on the supported RAM list, cause I'm overcautious like that), changed to a suggested SSD with DRAM cache, bequiet Pure Base 500 case, 650W instead of 500W PSU. Additional case fan(s?) will be added later once I have seen and figured out the situation a little bit better .

 

Remaining question (aside from the bios/fan speed situation):
How can I find out if CPU cooler and RAM will interfere? I have the cooler dimensions (124x157x86 mm) and I have the RAM module height (42.2 mm). Just from looking at MoBo pictures and estimating the whole geometric situation it should be fine. But is there actually a way for me to know for sure?

 

 

Good changes, you can go 3600MHz and you will be fine 99% of the time. If you buy from known brands, you'll find the information most likely on their webpage (brands like crucial, g.skill, corsair...). As I said above, add 1 fan now and I think with 2x140 intake and 1x140 exhaust you will have sufficient air flow.

 

Regarding your CPU cooler: Great that you have a dedicated one. Because your cooler is pretty small, I see no reason of how it would interfere with your ram. Ram clearance is important for coolers like the be quiet dark rock pro or noctua d15, that have to finstacks and two fans. These "titans" of cooling need space, but my arctic freezer e33 eSports for example, only slightly touches the ram on my ITX board. No reason to worry.

[rarei]

Sorry, had a mix-up there: The Kingston A2000 was actually suggested by @Jonathan Lee.

With all your advice I feel comfortable with all parts on the list right now. What is not on the list: GPU because I have it already. It is a 4GB Geforce 760 Jetstream (Palit). So no expenses there.
But man, that thing sure is dusty... Probably not the right section but I'll just go for it as it is a significant part of the build: GPU maintenance.
After I asked him my friend claimed that I would not have to replace the thermal compound because it had pads and not paste. But firstly, I think he is wrong (there should be paste on the processor, pads on other parts (what are those? VRAM?)) and secondly, after seeing that thing I do not wan to put that dust bowl into a new build.

 

So my question is: After at least 3 years of usage (I am just guessin. Maybe more) what kind of maintenance and cleaning is most likely necessary? No disassemly and just thoroughly clean it with a soft brush and compressed air as good as possible? And then just try it out and watch the thermals? Or: Take it apart, deep cleaning and replace the paste, reuse pads? Take it apart, deep cleaning and replace the paste and pads?

[Somerandomtechyboi]

Maybe as an alternative to the pure base 500 you could go for the metallic gear neo silent

 

Though you will have to add a fan for airflow, pref 2 fans

[Jonathan Lee]

2 hours ago, rarei said:

After at least 3 years of usage (I am just guessin. Maybe more) what kind of maintenance and cleaning is most likely necessary? No disassemly and just thoroughly clean it with a soft brush and compressed air as good as possible? And then just try it out and watch the thermals? Or: Take it apart, deep cleaning and replace the paste, reuse pads? Take it apart, deep cleaning and replace the paste and pads?

Best way to maintain and keep a system clean is to use compressed air or an electric duster to blow out air every few months. Only repaste if you notice thermals are getting bad.

[rarei]

Finally, the whole PC building thing is picking up speed a little bit. Just had MoBo and M.2 drive delivered a few days ago. And further good news: My friend just bought another GPU and he again gave his old one to me (am I lucky or what?!). I am now able to upgrade from the planned 4GB Palit GeForce GTX 760 JetStream to a ASUS Dual GeForce GTX 1060 (90YV09X4-M0NA00) with 6GB and less power consumption (score!!!). Also, white graphics card for white case. Now I am rethinking the whole "I want a case without window" thing. Still waiting for the rest of the components and I am getting really excited.

I have another question though: My MoBo has a heat sink for the M.2 drive with (I guess looks like) a thermal pad facing the drive. But my M.2 drive has a sticker on it (containing usual info but also the obligatory "warranty void if removed"). Leave it on or take it off once I know if the drive is working properly?