Lian Li O11 Dynamic Mini Case + x570 Tomahawk + 5900x = Good idea?

[emcee2]

Budget (including currency): $2,000 to $2,500 (us dollars)

Country: usa

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: 2D, 3D, 4k vid, etc.

Other details :

I was hoping to get some opinions about the medium budget workstation I've specked out below.

 

After over 30 years behind a Mac, I'm making the switch from Mac to Windows. Only Windows version I've ever run was 1.0 which wasn't even an operating system. -- It was point and click DOS on top of DOS. It didn't even have icons. You got those with a 2nd app, called Click It. And they both required a rare peripheral called... a mouse. I had a white Microsoft mouse known as a Dove Bar to many... Good times. My current iMac is dying, the video card blinks out several times a day. It's old and the software on it is older. It's been a few years since I've had an up to date workstation. Now is a good time for me, unfortunately it seems like it's not a good time for the building community.

 

I feel confident in building a PC after watching many, many videos. Same for my choices, but I have not seen any examples of the CPU + Motherboard + Case combination I'm planning. It seems like it would be a popular combo, but it's not. Am I missing something? Is this a bad idea?

 

Part prices are a mix of Newegg, Amazon, and MSRP. My goal was $2,000. (US dollars) This came out over $2,600, and that's with some unrealistic MSRP prices. PC Parts Picker did not have many of the parts I wanted, forcing me to create this list.

 

Production / Content Creation workstation. Adobe suite featuring large photos and 4K video. Blender, C4D and Unreal Engine. Plus other 2D, 3D & audio apps as needed. Not a gamer, but might get RDR2.

 

SYSTEM

AMD Ryzen 5900x = $550 msrp

MSI MAG X570 Tomahawk WIFI Motherboard = $220 msrp

Lian Li O11 Dynamic Mini Case - Snow White = $130

Cooler Master V850 SFX Gold PSU = $145

Nvidia GTX 3080 GPU ??? = $700 msrp

 

MEMORY & STORAGE

G.SKILL Trident Z Neo 2x16GB DDR4 3600MHz = $175

2ea Samsung 970 EVO Plus SSD 1TB - M.2 = $300

 

COOLING

Arctic Liquid Freezer II 280 - White = $120

2ea FRCOLOR RGB Series Case Fans - 140mm White = $22

8ea Asiahorse FS-9002 800-1800 RPM - 120mm ARGB PWM White w/RGB Controller = $85 (1 extra)

 

MONITORS

LG 27UL500-W 27-Inch UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS Monitor = Have, still in box.

Sceptre 20" 1600 x 900 75Hz LED Monitor = $110

 

BLING

Power Cable Extensions - White = $15

Fan Cable Extensions - White = $8

Streamer RGB Cables = $32

Cable Combs - RGB = $22

 

I have the necessary peripherals but will need a copy of Windows. Which version should I get?

 

If it's not clear, the plan is to run 4 fans on the 280 radiator in a push-me, pull-you configuration. RGB fans on the inside and move the white fans to the back side. The unit would mount vertically on the side. (Need to confirm there is enough room for GPU, Rad, & Fans without a collision, due to the extra thick rad on the Arctic cooler). If you are familiar with this mini case, you'll know what I mean.

 

Thanks for looking this over, looking forward to hearing everyone's thoughts.

 

Thanks, emcee2

 

 

[jaslion]

Sure will work but you don't need the x570 board as you aren't using any of it's extra features so a cheaper board is more than fine here.

 

300$ is a lot for a 970 evo when you can get larger and even faster drives for less like a sabrent rocket 1tb for 145$ and I normally never recommend it as it's already more expensive then others :p.

 

Push pull will MAYBE give you 1c better cooling so no need for it. Save yourself the fans. Also if this is to reuse some fans from the case or what not don't. If the fans aren't identical push pull can often make cooling worse due to the other fans adding more obstruction than help.

 

Why such a terrible secondary monitor? For 110 you can get full hd ips stuff that is pretty darn good. Not a screen from 2008 :p.

 

For rgb stick to one brand and one brand only don't mix and match never ends up looking the same or working together well if at all. Stick to the asiahorse fans here as they have fan control but leave the arctic fans on the arctic cooler as those are static pressure fans whilst the asiahorse are not and will cool the heatsink a lot less well.

 

For windows go on ebay and get a 3$ key. Version doesn't matter just install a 64 bit one.

As for cooling no need for a liquid cooler a simple sycthe fuma 2 is plenty good enough here and cheaper (normalyl 60$).

 

Just a heads up but this case isn't mini it's basically a wider normal mid tower. If you want something small but still easily expandable and not mini itx get a matx board and a fractal meshify c mini or something similar. It's smaller than the lian li case overall and allows for a normal size psu too.

[RollinLower]

 

this should work without a problem, the only thing i can think of that might not work is the radiator in that spot with a push/pull configuration. I have a build in the same case, and i have a 240 reservoir mounted there and it's a super tight fit with the GPU already, so depending on the GPU you get it might not work.

 

Spoiler

 

 

[jaslion]

6 minutes ago, RollinLower said:

 

this should work without a problem, the only thing i can think of that might not work is the radiator in that spot with a push/pull configuration. I have a build in the same case, and i have a 240 reservoir mounted there and it's a super tight fit with the GPU already, so depending on the GPU you get it might not work.

 

  Hide contents

 

 

Totally off topic but sweet loop like the metal tubing and it's really really really clean. The symmetrical ram sticks is the finishing touch that makes it for me :p.

[Kinda Bottlenecked]

will you be adding multiple gpus in the future? If you're not building for expandability why not build an ITX workstation instead? 

 

 

[KKLawrence]

I personally wouldn't go for that case with that hardware. Linus said something in a recent video about SFX Power Supplies, that may be interesting:

Easy Small Form Factor Build? No. - YouTube

 

I would opt for a case that fit's a normal ATX PSU, they are usually cheaper.

Also the O11 is a case designed for watercooling first. So if you get a Corsair 5000D or a Fractal Design Meshify S2, they would probably have a better airflow, as they were designed as high-airflow cases. 

48 minutes ago, emcee2 said:

SYSTEM

AMD Ryzen 5900x = $550 msrp

MSI MAG X570 Tomahawk WIFI Motherboard = $220 msrp

Lian Li O11 Dynamic Mini Case - Snow White = $130

Cooler Master V850 SFX Gold PSU = $145

Nvidia GTX 3080 GPU ??? = $700 msrp

 

MEMORY & STORAGE

G.SKILL Trident Z Neo 2x16GB DDR4 3600MHz = $175

2ea Samsung 970 EVO Plus SSD 1TB - M.2 = $300

 

COOLING

Arctic Liquid Freezer II 280 - White = $120

2ea FRCOLOR RGB Series Case Fans - 140mm White = $22

8ea Asiahorse FS-9002 800-1800 RPM - 120mm ARGB PWM White w/RGB Controller = $85 (1 extra)

 

MONITORS

LG 27UL500-W 27-Inch UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS Monitor = Have, still in box.

Sceptre 20" 1600 x 900 75Hz LED Monitor = $110

 

BLING

Power Cable Extensions - White = $15

Fan Cable Extensions - White = $8

Streamer RGB Cables = $32

Cable Combs - RGB = $22

 

I have the necessary peripherals but will need a copy of Windows. Which version should I get?

 

If it's not clear, the plan is to run 4 fans on the 280 radiator in a push-me, pull-you configuration. RGB fans on the inside and move the white fans to the back side. The unit would mount vertically on the side. (Need to confirm there is enough room for GPU, Rad, & Fans without a collision, due to the extra thick rad on the Arctic cooler). If you are familiar with this mini case, you'll know what I mean.

The CPU is a good choice, great for almost all tasks, but I would pair it with a solid B550 board. They are usually equally as good at a smaller price point. Also you can't use that much of the full PCIe Gen4 adavantage of a X570 board for now, as only a few GPU's and SSD's support Gen4.

The 3080 is a great card, maybe go less for looks and opt for the 3080TI instead. Oh and don't calculate 700 bucks, maybe more like 1400. I think only the 3060Ti will be available at 700$.

Good memory choice, but I would personally go for 64GB, or at least upgrade to it if you going to multitask on that PC with the programs you mentioned.

The drive's are solid, but a bit overkill. Maybe go a Samsung 970 Evo Plus and the a WD Blue Sn550, they are cheaper and great for storage.

The Arctic cooler is great, but I have never seen a white model, maybe that is US specific. Push Pull is maybe nice, but keep in mind, that the performance gain will be minimal. Arctic got you covered and the 360mm version of this cooler is available as an A-RGB model.

With a good case, you won't need that much fans. The fractal one comes with 3 already included fans. Rather invest in looks afterwards and put more money to the GPU, that will be quite expensive.

 

I would go for a list more like this:

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/6D4xwz

 

Upgrade Storage afterwards first, another good NVMe drive will be enough.

And get the best GPU available, a 3070 will probably not be enough for your tasks...

[Somerandomtechyboi]

2 hours ago, emcee2 said:

After over 30 years behind a Mac, I'm making the switch from Mac to Windows. Only Windows version I've ever run was 1.0 which wasn't even an operating system.

Spoiler

 

Though i suggest trying linux too

Who knows maybe youll like it, maybe not

 

Though i do suggest more beginner friendly distros such as mint

linux is open source and free so no need to pay for a stupid liscense

and insanely customizable

 

Though you will have to get used to the terminal since you will need to use it alot

 

Just an fyi just incase if you might like linux more than windows

 

 

2 hours ago, emcee2 said:

SYSTEM

AMD Ryzen 5900x = $550 msrp

MSI MAG X570 Tomahawk WIFI Motherboard = $220 msrp

Lian Li O11 Dynamic Mini Case - Snow White = $130

Cooler Master V850 SFX Gold PSU = $145

Nvidia GTX 3080 GPU ??? = $700 msrp

 

MEMORY & STORAGE

G.SKILL Trident Z Neo 2x16GB DDR4 3600MHz = $175

2ea Samsung 970 EVO Plus SSD 1TB - M.2 = $300

 

COOLING

Arctic Liquid Freezer II 280 - White = $120

2ea FRCOLOR RGB Series Case Fans - 140mm White = $22

8ea Asiahorse FS-9002 800-1800 RPM - 120mm ARGB PWM White w/RGB Controller = $85 (1 extra)

 

MONITORS

LG 27UL500-W 27-Inch UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS Monitor = Have, still in box.

Sceptre 20" 1600 x 900 75Hz LED Monitor = $110

 

BLING

Power Cable Extensions - White = $15

Fan Cable Extensions - White = $8

Streamer RGB Cables = $32

Cable Combs - RGB = $22

Look i know rgb is applealing to some people but for the love of god tone it down

 

Why?

Spending over 100$ on rgb is just stupid asf

 

Im ok with asthetics but overspending on them will lead you to downgrading your important stuff like cpu and gpu

 

 

Swap the ram for a cheaper alternative such as 3200mhz tforce rgb

Swap the x570 for a b550 tomahawk

Bye bye all the expensive rgb, esp that fking controller like wtf, swap for cheaper rgb alternatives

Well i guess you can try finding cheaper rgb cables but its still noticable so keep

 

Easily saves over 100$

 

And the most you are gonne get is prob a 3070ti as the 3080 is hard to get, the founders edition at nvidia site just sells out instantly

[emcee2]

9 hours ago, jaslion said:

Sure will work but you don't need the x570 board as you aren't using any of it's extra features so a cheaper board is more than fine here.

 

300$ is a lot for a 970 evo when you can get larger and even faster drives for less like a sabrent rocket 1tb for 145$ and I normally never recommend it as it's already more expensive then others :p.

 

Push pull will MAYBE give you 1c better cooling so no need for it. Save yourself the fans. Also if this is to reuse some fans from the case or what not don't. If the fans aren't identical push pull can often make cooling worse due to the other fans adding more obstruction than help.

 

Why such a terrible secondary monitor? For 110 you can get full hd ips stuff that is pretty darn good. Not a screen from 2008 :p.

 

For rgb stick to one brand and one brand only don't mix and match never ends up looking the same or working together well if at all. Stick to the asiahorse fans here as they have fan control but leave the arctic fans on the arctic cooler as those are static pressure fans whilst the asiahorse are not and will cool the heatsink a lot less well.

 

For windows go on ebay and get a 3$ key. Version doesn't matter just install a 64 bit one.

As for cooling no need for a liquid cooler a simple sycthe fuma 2 is plenty good enough here and cheaper (normalyl 60$).

 

Just a heads up but this case isn't mini it's basically a wider normal mid tower. If you want something small but still easily expandable and not mini itx get a matx board and a fractal meshify c mini or something similar. It's smaller than the lian li case overall and allows for a normal size psu too.

Thanks for taking the time to look over my post. I'm interested in some of your comments but you stopped short of making recommendations.  You don't like the X570 Motherboard but you did not recommend an alternative. What would you recommend?

 

Which low budget RAM do you like for a graphic workstation?

 

That 2nd monitor I had on the list was a last minute add and a bad choose, found much better one for $10 more.

 

Looks like the Arctic Liquid Freezer II 280mm does not come in white and is too thick to do what I had planned. So I'm looking for a white 280 AIO again, any suggestions? (Air cooled seems too little to keep up with the demands of 3D rendering and 4K editing).

 

So all 64 bit Windows versions are the same. That is a surprise to me (and really confusing).

 

I really like the look and size of this Lian Li case. As an artist, I like the idea of an attractive, custom machine. (Bling and all). So I'll be keeping it on my list.

 

Thanks again for your comments, emcee2

[emcee2]

10 hours ago, RollinLower said:

 

this should work without a problem, the only thing i can think of that might not work is the radiator in that spot with a push/pull configuration. I have a build in the same case, and i have a 240 reservoir mounted there and it's a super tight fit with the GPU already, so depending on the GPU you get it might not work.

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

Looks like the Arctic Liquid Freezer II 280 is not going to work for me. So I'm now on the lookout for an alternative 280 AIO cooler in white.

 

A custom water cooled system is not in the cards for me at this time. Although I do like what you've done with yours.

 

Thanks for the comment, emcee2.

[IkeaGnome]

25 minutes ago, emcee2 said:

Thanks for taking the time to look over my post. I'm interested in some of your comments but you stopped short of making recommendations.  You don't like the X570 Motherboard but you did not recommend an alternative. What would you recommend?

The MSI MPG B550 is a good budget board. It's what I use(with a 5800x).

 

26 minutes ago, emcee2 said:

Which low budget RAM do you like for a graphic workstation?

How much RGB are you wanting to keep in your build? 

11 minutes ago, emcee2 said:

A custom water cooled system is not in the cards for me at this time.

Have you thought about doing an air cooler for now and then custom loop later? Or do you just want to go AIO?

For reference, here's my air cooled Dynamic Mini

Spoiler

 

28 minutes ago, emcee2 said:

(Air cooled seems too little to keep up with the demands of 3D rendering and 4K editing).

What coolers have you looked into that made you decide that? The Fuma 2 and NH D15 are really good air coolers.

Spoiler

 

 

[emcee2]

9 hours ago, KKLawrence said:

I personally wouldn't go for that case with that hardware. Linus said something in a recent video about SFX Power Supplies, that may be interesting:

Easy Small Form Factor Build? No. - YouTube

 

I would opt for a case that fit's a normal ATX PSU, they are usually cheaper.

Also the O11 is a case designed for watercooling first. So if you get a Corsair 5000D or a Fractal Design Meshify S2, they would probably have a better airflow, as they were designed as high-airflow cases. 

The CPU is a good choice, great for almost all tasks, but I would pair it with a solid B550 board. They are usually equally as good at a smaller price point. Also you can't use that much of the full PCIe Gen4 adavantage of a X570 board for now, as only a few GPU's and SSD's support Gen4.

The 3080 is a great card, maybe go less for looks and opt for the 3080TI instead. Oh and don't calculate 700 bucks, maybe more like 1400. I think only the 3060Ti will be available at 700$.

Good memory choice, but I would personally go for 64GB, or at least upgrade to it if you going to multitask on that PC with the programs you mentioned.

The drive's are solid, but a bit overkill. Maybe go a Samsung 970 Evo Plus and the a WD Blue Sn550, they are cheaper and great for storage.

The Arctic cooler is great, but I have never seen a white model, maybe that is US specific. Push Pull is maybe nice, but keep in mind, that the performance gain will be minimal. Arctic got you covered and the 360mm version of this cooler is available as an A-RGB model.

With a good case, you won't need that much fans. The fractal one comes with 3 already included fans. Rather invest in looks afterwards and put more money to the GPU, that will be quite expensive.

 

I would go for a list more like this:

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/6D4xwz

 

Upgrade Storage afterwards first, another good NVMe drive will be enough.

And get the best GPU available, a 3070 will probably not be enough for your tasks...

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. I swear, I saw a YouTuber talking about a white Arctic Liquid Freezer II 280 but I seem to be mistaken. I've also lost confidence in it playing well with the GPU in the case.

 

Yes, I do plan on adding/upgrading drives and RAM over time. The Bling will come later as well.

 

I'm a little surprised how little love the case and motherboard are getting here as my research showed both we're highly respected, even if not used together.

 

Who knows what graphic card I will end up going for. Seems like it's up to the gods, not us mere mortals.

 

Thanks again, emcee2.

[KKLawrence]

7 minutes ago, emcee2 said:

Yes, I do plan on adding/upgrading drives and RAM over time. The Bling will come later as well.

 

I'm a little surprised how little love the case and motherboard are getting here as my research showed both we're highly respected, even if not used together.

Good strategy upgrading later! Bling can always be added afterwards.

 

To the case and Mobo:

I like the case, but it is not an easy case to plan for. SFX PSUs can be difficult to obtain and as Linus said in the Video I linked, they are a lot harder to plan about.

Therefore I opted for a primarily Air cooled case. The O11 dynamic looks great, but is water cooling case first. So if you are going to use that, then go for it. But for aircooled systems and stuff, there are better cases.
You can use the O11 dynamic, but you will have to buy a lot of fans. Wasted money I think. Money that could be invested in a GPU.

The Motherboard is also great, but X570 is overkill. And in your budget, I wouldn't go for Overkill.

If you want a quality board, get a AsRock B550 Steel Legend or a Gigabyte Aorus B550 Pro V2. They are great Motherboards.

If you dont want to Memory Overclock to 4000+ MHz, then the Gigabyte Aorus B550 Elite is going to be enough.

 

So yes, you chose a great motherboard and case, but I think you can allocate your budget a bit better.

[emcee2]

7 minutes ago, IkeaGnome said:

The MSI MPG B550 is a good budget board. It's what I use(with a 5800x).

 

How much RGB are you wanting to keep in your build? 

Have you thought about doing an air cooler for now and then custom loop later? Or do you just want to go AIO?

For reference, here's my air cooled Dynamic Mini

  Reveal hidden contents

 

What coolers have you looked into that made you decide that? The Fuma 2 and NH D15 are really good air coolers.

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

I'm still not thinking the B550 is the way to go. The ATX Tomahawk motherboards components and build quality set it apart and of course expandability.

 

RGB fans will be part of the initial build with the Bling coming later. I know not everyone is a fan of RGB but it makes me smile.

 

While, I do see people happy with air cooled 5900x chips. I don't feel that's the direction I want to go. I'll stick with an AIO system, but it turns out the Arctic Liquid Freezer II 280 is not a good fit.

 

Thanks for your comments,  emcee2

 

 

[IkeaGnome]

16 minutes ago, emcee2 said:

I'm still not thinking the B550 is the way to go. The ATX Tomahawk motherboards components and build quality set it apart and of course expandability.

 

RGB fans will be part of the initial build with the Bling coming later. I know not everyone is a fan of RGB but it makes me smile.

 

While, I do see people happy with air cooled 5900x chips. I don't feel that's the direction I want to go. I'll stick with an AIO system, but it turns out the Arctic Liquid Freezer II 280 is not a good fit.

 

Thanks for your comments,  emcee2

 

 

Have you thought about the Galahad 360 and then doing the AIO in the top of the case?

You could also swap the fans out that you listed in the OP for these to match.

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/fnpzK8/lian-li-st120-6917-cfm-120-mm-fans-3-pack-st120-3w

Get one set now, throw the two on the side where the AIO was going to be. Let those be intake, put one on the back panel for intake, and then let the GPU pull air in through the bottom until you get another 3 pack of them.

[emcee2]

4 hours ago, IkeaGnome said:

Have you thought about the Galahad 360 and then doing the AIO in the top of the case?

You could also swap the fans out that you listed in the OP for these to match.

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/fnpzK8/lian-li-st120-6917-cfm-120-mm-fans-3-pack-st120-3w

Get one set now, throw the two on the side where the AIO was going to be. Let those be intake, put one on the back panel for intake, and then let the GPU pull air in through the bottom until you get another 3 pack of them.

From what I understand, a 360 rad will not clear the top of a full size motherboard when installed in the top of the case. Seems like it almost works, but no joy.

 

I'm now thinking of a 240 rad on the side. Down from a 280 because I would like it to be white. Lian Li rad and fans are pricey. What about a brand like ID-Coolings  Iceflow model?

[emcee2]

6 hours ago, KKLawrence said:

Good strategy upgrading later! Bling can always be added afterwards.

 

To the case and Mobo:

I like the case, but it is not an easy case to plan for. SFX PSUs can be difficult to obtain and as Linus said in the Video I linked, they are a lot harder to plan about.

Therefore I opted for a primarily Air cooled case. The O11 dynamic looks great, but is water cooling case first. So if you are going to use that, then go for it. But for aircooled systems and stuff, there are better cases.
You can use the O11 dynamic, but you will have to buy a lot of fans. Wasted money I think. Money that could be invested in a GPU.

The Motherboard is also great, but X570 is overkill. And in your budget, I wouldn't go for Overkill.

If you want a quality board, get a AsRock B550 Steel Legend or a Gigabyte Aorus B550 Pro V2. They are great Motherboards.

If you dont want to Memory Overclock to 4000+ MHz, then the Gigabyte Aorus B550 Elite is going to be enough.

 

So yes, you chose a great motherboard and case, but I think you can allocate your budget a bit better.

Speaking of GPUs. I have a feeling that no matter how much money I can set aside, it might be a while before I get my hands on one. I was thinking I had some time to start aggressively hunting one down (at a reasonable price). But it looks like all of the other components On my list are starting to becoming available.

 

Except for the GPU.

 

So I started to wonder, what if I picked up a $55 GT-710 while I wait for one of those unobtainable 3080s to show up. That way I won't have much cash tied up in it till I get a chance at a proper GPU. -- Will a GT-710 (or something else in that price range) work with a 5900x and an x570?

 

I'm not looking for much performance, just getting it up and running and making sure I don't need to return anything before the 30 day window closes. (Lots of Amazon Prime orders, so things can be returned).

 

Anyone have any idea if this will work?

 

Thanks, emcee2

 

[KKLawrence]

4 hours ago, emcee2 said:

Speaking of GPUs. I have a feeling that no matter how much money I can set aside, it might be a while before I get my hands on one. I was thinking I had some time to start aggressively hunting one down (at a reasonable price). But it looks like all of the other components On my list are starting to becoming available.

 

Except for the GPU.

 

So I started to wonder, what if I picked up a $55 GT-710 while I wait for one of those unobtainable 3080s to show up. That way I won't have much cash tied up in it till I get a chance at a proper GPU. -- Will a GT-710 (or something else in that price range) work with a 5900x and an x570?

 

I'm not looking for much performance, just getting it up and running and making sure I don't need to return anything before the 30 day window closes. (Lots of Amazon Prime orders, so things can be returned).

 

Anyone have any idea if this will work?

 

Thanks, emcee2

Yeah, GPU's are quite difficult to come by right now. My suggestion is:

 

get old used model, maybe a GTX 760 or RX 470, something in that price range. A GT710 is no joy at all. With a used old GPU you can at least game lightly and they'll work just as good. Maybe even an old 1050TI or something like that.

 

I just couldn't wait and overpayed a bit on mine, but that was just because I wanted to sell my old PC now. GPU prices wont calm down that fast, Linus explains this in his recent Video about the RX 6600XT.

So Maybe think a bit about restructuring your build and budget...

[emcee2]

8 hours ago, KKLawrence said:

Yeah, GPU's are quite difficult to come by right now. My suggestion is:

 

get old used model, maybe a GTX 760 or RX 470, something in that price range. A GT710 is no joy at all. With a used old GPU you can at least game lightly and they'll work just as good. Maybe even an old 1050TI or something like that.

 

I just couldn't wait and overpayed a bit on mine, but that was just because I wanted to sell my old PC now. GPU prices wont calm down that fast, Linus explains this in his recent Video about the RX 6600XT.

So Maybe think a bit about restructuring your build and budget...

Looks like this will be my next mission. Trying to figure out what the best disposable temp graphic card is to get. Problem is, I know nothing about old PC cards. There's plenty of info about current hardware but less about the generations before that.

 

You've nixed the GT-710 and tossed a couple suggestions into the ring. (Thanks for that) I know nothing about The GTX 760, RX 470, and 1050 TI. (and I'm guessing there might be others of this ilk as yet undiscovered by me). I'm not expecting much performance but it would be nice to get everything up and running. Do I need to be careful with which cards will work with the CPU and motherboard?

 

I'm thinking $75 might be a realistic number to shoot for (yes, it's arbitrary as hell). I'm now on a mission to find the best card out there, that nobody else wants. Any other suggestions? Anyone? Used eBay cards is probably the way I'll have to go to keep the price down.

 

Thanks again, emcee2

 

 

[emcee2]

Build List 2.1

 

2D, 3D, 4K, UE workstation build, incorporating suggestions but keeping Case & Mobo. Pretty happy with how this is developing, just need help with a temporary, crappy $75 GPU.

 

$1,600ish = Primary build

$1,000 = 1st upgrade

$300 = 2nd upgrade

 

SYSTEM

AMD Ryzen 5900x = $550

MSI MAG X570 Tomahawk WIFI Motherboard = $260 (should drop to $220)

Lian Li O11 Dynamic Mini Case - Snow White = $130

Cooler Master V850 SFX Gold PSU = $145

SAPPHIRE Radeon RX 550 = $150

*When available - Nvidia GTX 3080 GPU = $700 msrp

 

MEMORY & STORAGE

G.SKILL Trident Z Neo 2x16GB DDR4 3600MHz = $175

Sabrent 1TB Rocket NVMe PCIe M.2 2280 Internal SSD = $130

Samsung (MZ-V8V1T0B/AM) 980 SSD 1TB - M.2 NVMe = $110

 

COOLING

ID-COOLING Iceflow 240 - Snow = $90

ID-COOLING XF-12025-ARGB-TRIO-SNOW 3 Pack Case Fan 120mm 2ea (6 fans total) = $60

 

MONITORS

LG 27UL500-W 27-Inch UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS = Have, still in box.

Philips 241E1S 24" 1920x1080 Full HD IPS = $120

 

BLING

Power Cable Extensions - White = $15

Fan Cable Extensions - White = $8

Streamer RGB Cables = $32

Cable Combs - RGB = $22

 

I have the necessary peripherals but will need a cheap 64bit Windows key. Does it matter which version I get? Does the version chosen affect the path to Windows 11?

 

Parts in italics are upgrades to follow later. 2nd round of upgrades will be more RAM and maybe more SSD storage.

 

Thanks again to all who've made suggestions (Keep them coming. It is truly making my build better.

 

emcee2

 

 

 

Edited August 5, 2021 by emcee2

[emcee2]

17 hours ago, KKLawrence said:

Yeah, GPU's are quite difficult to come by right now. My suggestion is:

 

get old used model, maybe a GTX 760 or RX 470, something in that price range. A GT710 is no joy at all. With a used old GPU you can at least game lightly and they'll work just as good. Maybe even an old 1050TI or something like that.

 

I just couldn't wait and overpayed a bit on mine, but that was just because I wanted to sell my old PC now. GPU prices wont calm down that fast, Linus explains this in his recent Video about the RX 6600XT.

So Maybe think a bit about restructuring your build and budget...

What do you think about the SAPPHIRE Radeon RX 550?

 

I thought I found a cheap 1050ti, but it turned out to be fake (wrong ports amongst other things). If I go with this card, I can start to order my components.

 

Thanks, emcee2

 

[KKLawrence]

5 hours ago, emcee2 said:

What do you think about the SAPPHIRE Radeon RX 550?

 

I thought I found a cheap 1050ti, but it turned out to be fake (wrong ports amongst other things). If I go with this card, I can start to order my components.

 

Thanks, emcee2

 

The RX550 will give you sufficient Video output. So if you get it for cheap, it will be enough for videos and age of empires 2. But I wouldn't throw more at it.

So for the right price a solid video output and old gaming card!

[emcee2]

15 hours ago, KKLawrence said:

The RX550 will give you sufficient Video output. So if you get it for cheap, it will be enough for videos and age of empires 2. But I wouldn't throw more at it.

So for the right price a solid video output and old gaming card!

I found a new one for $125us and ordered it. I even did something I never do. I spent an extra $13 for a 3 year warranty. Seems like buying something old and almost obsolete is asking for trouble, so I went with a little insurance.

 

With this on the way, I've started ordering some of the other components. Not everything on my list is available. I started with the items that just dropped in price or just became available. Some have gone up in price and I'll wait a bit to see if they go back down.  (Not too long though, needs to be everything playing well together before my 30 day return window closes). 

 

I guess there's no going back now.   Most of my research has been on picking components and assembling them into a living and breathing creation, not unlike Dr. Frankenstein. And much like Doctor Franky, I haven't given enough thought as to what happens next.

 

I seen a few vids on bios and think if I watch/pause while I follow along, I should be able to make my way through it. (What could go wrong). I'm counting on the good graces of the wizards who live in the Internet to help me find the right path.  But then what? I've read up on the individual apps I'll be using, most will be the same ones I've used on the Mac. I've also got a list of apps I've coveted from afar. Again, I'm assuming modern installers will take me pretty far. -- But I really don't know anything else about finding my way around a PC. 

 

If anyone could point me toward a tut or vid about how I should set up the file structure... I don't even know what to ask, I'm that inexperienced with the Dark Side. Any pointers?

 

Anyone else make the jump recently? What surprised you? What should I watch out for?

 

And to those who are not from the world of Mac, what advice can you give an old rookie?

 

Thanks once more to all who've helped. 

emcee2

 

[emcee2]

Most parts of my epic build have been ordered, some have arrived. Only a few steps left to go...

 

I was hoping to find RAM that was a little cheaper then the $175 G.SKILL Trident Z Neo 2x16GB 3600MHz CL18 on my wish list. --I really wanted that RAM, only cheaper. But alas, no joy. 

 

I've been searching for alternative sticks of RAM (with a little RGB) at a lower price. So far, I haven't found any that I'm drawn to. I did find some none RGB RAM at a higher price that I'm now coveting. 

 

Crucial Ballistix 3600 MHz 16GBx2 CL16 BL2K16G36C16U4W (WHITE). No RGB, but the white color will look quite nice. The problem is the 2 sticks are $187.95us. That's going up in price not down. That was NOT the plan.

 

I'm still mulling this over. I'm also still struggling with my MoBo choice. I love the X570 Tomahawk at $220, but turns out it's gone up to $260 and I'm no longer sure our love was meant to be.

 

I need to figure this out soon and place these last 2 orders. Any thoughts, ideas or recommendations?

 

 

 

[Downkey]

10 minutes ago, emcee2 said:

Most parts of my epic build have been ordered, some have arrived. Only a few steps left to go...

 

I was hoping to find RAM that was a little cheaper then the $175 G.SKILL Trident Z Neo 2x16GB 3600MHz CL18 on my wish list. --I really wanted that RAM, only cheaper. But alas, no joy. 

 

I've been searching for alternative sticks of RAM (with a little RGB) at a lower price. So far, I haven't found any that I'm drawn to. I did find some none RGB RAM at a higher price that I'm now coveting. 

 

Crucial Ballistix 3600 MHz 16GBx2 CL16 BL2K16G36C16U4W (WHITE). No RGB, but the white color will look quite nice. The problem is the 2 sticks are $187.95us. That's going up in price not down. That was NOT the plan.

 

I'm still mulling this over. I'm also still struggling with my MoBo choice. I love the X570 Tomahawk at $220, but turns out it's gone up to $260 and I'm no longer sure our love was meant to be.

 

I need to figure this out soon and place these last 2 orders. Any thoughts, ideas or recommendations?

 

 

 

Do you need Wifi? If not, just get the B550 Tomahawk. Will perform identically to the X570 tomahawk for 100 less. If so, get the MSI MPG (the wifi version)