New Gaming Rig - iBuyPower Custom Build

[Squidious]

Budget (including currency): $3200-$3500 USD

Country: Canada

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: Escape From Tarkov, Call of Duty, Battlefield 2042, Cyberpunk 2077 / Adobe Creative Suite

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): 

Will be gaming on a 32" 1440p Monitor    Looking for approx. 100+ fps on all games in 1440p   Upgrading to a 4k monitor in the future, but not for a while.  I do graphic design, so I will also be using programs like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.

That's about it!  Looking for something I won't have to upgrade for a few years.  I'm buying from iBuyPower as it's almost impossible to get the GPUs elsewhere, especially in Canada.  I've done a hell of a lot of research and I'm more or less just looking for a second opinion on what I have chosen.  To see if anything stands out or seems off, that I may have missed.  Also any recommendations.

*Note: The GPU I have listed here is just a place holder, as I do not know the exact make or model they will send me.  ...I know, I know.    
**Note: I will be adding two more sticks of the same RAM sticks for a total of 32GB.  The deal is only for 2 x 8GB dimms and I wanted to save a few bucks. 

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/wbhKvf

Thank You in advance!  
Have a fantastic day folks!     

[jaslion]

The motherboard is very much so overkill and you are paying a lot for a board you'll likely never ever use what you paid extra for. A half price msi b550 tomahawk is plenty and a EXCELLENT board.

 

The samsung qvo  drive is garbage. Can literally be slower than a hdd. Look for a wd blue or mx500 drive for mass storage.

 

Otherwise nothing bad really just a lot of money for a system that would be 1000$ less normally.

[RodrigoRS]

As @jaslion said, the Asus X570-E is a bit too much. I have one with an 5900X and is overkill. You can save a bit switching the mobo for a good B550.

 

Regarding about the ram, I was to advice to get 32gb for that kind of build but I just read the **Note, so good for you.

 

Have a good time and sorry that the GPU prices are so overinflated.

[Squidious]

13 minutes ago, jaslion said:

The motherboard is very much so overkill and you are paying a lot for a board you'll likely never ever use what you paid extra for. A half price msi b550 tomahawk is plenty and a EXCELLENT board.

 

The samsung qvo  drive is garbage. Can literally be slower than a hdd. Look for a wd blue or mx500 drive for mass storage.

 

Otherwise nothing bad really just a lot of money for a system that would be 1000$ less normally.

Thank you for your advice!  Picking out a motherboard was the hardest part, for me at least.  I also had my eye on the MSI MPG B550 GAMING CARBON and the GIGABYTE B550 AORUS PRO AC.  Of the 3 b550s them what would be best?
I went with an x570 thinking I may want to upgrade to two M.2 Gen 4 drives in the future.  Not a big deal I guess. 

[Squidious]

1 minute ago, RodrigoRS said:

As @jaslion said, the Asus X570-E is a bit too much. I have one with an 5900X and is overkill. You can save a bit switching the mobo for a good B550.

 

Regarding about the ram, I was to advice to get 32gb for that kind of build but I just read the **Note, so good for you.

 

Have a good time and sorry that the GPU prices are so overinflated.

Appreciate it!  Maybe the MSI MPG B550 GAMING CARBON then?  That would be my next choice I think. 

[jaslion]

3 minutes ago, Squidious said:

Thank you for your advice!  Picking out a motherboard was the hardest part, for me at least.  I also had my eye on the MSI MPG B550 GAMING CARBON and the GIGABYTE B550 AORUS PRO AC.  Of the 3 b550s them what would be best?
I went with an x570 thinking I may want to upgrade to two M.2 Gen 4 drives in the future.  Not a big deal I guess. 

I mean I doubt you'll have more than 2tb worth of games that you want to have load in 3-5 seconds instead of 6 seconds :p.

 

Of the 3 boards (this is including the tomahawk right?) all 3 are pretty much equal so get the cheaper one that you like. But the tomahawk is better suited to handle the likes of a 5950x.

[RodrigoRS]

8 minutes ago, Squidious said:

Thank you for your advice!  Picking out a motherboard was the hardest part, for me at least.  I also had my eye on the MSI MPG B550 GAMING CARBON and the GIGABYTE B550 AORUS PRO AC.  Of the 3 b550s them what would be best?
I went with an x570 thinking I may want to upgrade to two M.2 Gen 4 drives in the future.  Not a big deal I guess. 

In the minute 15:10 you can see all the B550 tested and all are good. If you can choose anyone, pick the one that fits your needs the most. All three of them can handle a 5950X if you wanted to so no worries (check the graphs of the video).

 

With regards of the two M.2 Gen4, to be honest, is really hard to notice the difference between a good Gen3 and a Gen4 M.2 in the real life, for normal use. So don't think too much about that and choose the one that fits your need (For example, if you want Wi-Fi/Bluetooth included with the Mobo. I thinkg there is a version of the MSI Carbon that has that.)

 

Good luck!

 

Edit: In the video, you can see a brief explanation of each of the three motherboards you are trying to choose from.

[Kronion]

3 minutes ago, jaslion said:

I mean I doubt you'll have more than 2tb worth of games that you want to have load in 3-5 seconds instead of 6 seconds :p.

I second that. I have the B550 Tomahawk with both a Gen 4 and a Gen 3 M2 drive in it. Virtually no difference in game loading times (yes, I actually tested that) and both blazingly fast.

[jaslion]

8 minutes ago, Kronion said:

I second that. I have the B550 Tomahawk with both a Gen 4 and a Gen 3 M2 drive in it. Virtually no difference in game loading times (yes, I actually tested that) and both blazingly fast.

It's been tested over and over and whilst the numbers in benchmarks show that yeah a 980 evo is faster than a mx500 by A LOT in real world usecases like gaming and general use the ONLY time you MIGHT notice a difference is in the booting of windows by a second difference.

 

So just like your testing yeah there is a difference technically but really you won't notice it.

[Squidious]

14 minutes ago, jaslion said:

I mean I doubt you'll have more than 2tb worth of games that you want to have load in 3-5 seconds instead of 6 seconds :p.

 

Of the 3 boards (this is including the tomahawk right?) all 3 are pretty much equal so get the cheaper one that you like. But the tomahawk is better suited to handle the likes of a 5950x.

My thinking was I wanted to prepare for DirectStorage but now they are saying Gen 3 will also be compatible with DS.  I'm open to downgrading to a Gen 3 Drive, I just thought it would be more future proof.

Thanks for your thoughts! 

[jaslion]

Just now, Squidious said:

My thinking was I wanted to prepare for DirectStorage but now they are saying Gen 3 will also be compatible with DS.  I'm open to downgrading to a Gen 3 Drive, I just thought it would be more future proof.

Thanks for your thoughts! 

Anything is a pcie based technology so pce 2.0 and 1.0 drives should work too but those don't exist so we'll never now :p.

 

I don't see it as downgrading because well your main drive is still 4.0 and 3.0 is still REALLY REALLY fast. We don't even have games now that max out a sata drive let alone a pcie based one.

[RodrigoRS]

5 minutes ago, Squidious said:

My thinking was I wanted to prepare for DirectStorage but now they are saying Gen 3 will also be compatible with DS.  I'm open to downgrading to a Gen 3 Drive, I just thought it would be more future proof.

Thanks for your thoughts! 

If you really want the X570, go for it. At the end, you are building a high end system with almost zero compromises. But regardless of that, we like to find improvements in the build you just posted.

 

If money is not that important and you want the top of the top for future profing and you like Gen4 a lot, go for the X570 and a 5900X/5950X. But, as I said before, you may no notice any difference between a X570 and a B550 (and Gen4 vs Gen3) in your everyday usage.

 

Have a nice day!

[Squidious]

16 minutes ago, RodrigoRS said:

If you really want the X570, go for it. At the end, you are building a high end system with almost zero compromises. But regardless of that, we like to find improvements in the build you just posted.

 

If money is not that important and you want the top of the top for future profing and you like Gen4 a lot, go for the X570 and a 5900X/5950X. But, as I said before, you may no notice any difference between a X570 and a B550 (and Gen4 vs Gen3) in your everyday usage.

 

Have a nice day!

I know, and I really do appreciate the advice.  I'm asking questions to try and gain a better understanding.  I'm not questioning your criticism.   I'm new to PC gaming and just trying to learn.  

Thanks again!

 

PS.  I don't have kids, so I'll spend the extra cash on this.  This will be my new baby. 

[RodrigoRS]

 

3 minutes ago, Squidious said:

I know, and I really do appreciate the advice.  I'm asking questions to try and gain a better understanding.  I'm not questioning your criticism.   I'm new to PC gaming and just trying to learn.  

Thanks again!

I'm not mad neither I tought you were not appreciative! Sorry if I made you think that. Just want to emphasize that If you want a top of the line PC, get a top of the line PC. Is not wrong to have the money and spend it as you like. A lot of people want (and need) to save up money were they can in different components so that's why we try to emphasize that.

 

Nevertheless, do as you like and is never wrong to learn all you can about something before buying it. It will help you easy some potential buyers remorse.

[Squidious]

Just now, RodrigoRS said:

 

I'm not mad neither I tought you were not appreciative! Sorry if I made you think that. Just want to emphasize that If you want a top of the line PC, get a top of the line PC. Is not wrong to have the money and spend it as you like. A lot of people want (and need) to save up money were they can in different components so that's why we try to emphasize that.

 

Nevertheless, do as you like and is never wrong to learn all you can about something before buying it. It will help you easy some potential buyers remorse.

Truth is, I've been saving for this PC for almost 3 years.  I know it's a lot to spend, but it will be worth it.  That being said, I am very thankful for the advice, and if I do go with a b550, it will same me like $150. 

Now I'm thinking downgrade on the mobo and spend more on the ram to get 32Gb of GSkill trident z.    

[RodrigoRS]

6 minutes ago, Squidious said:

Truth is, I've been saving for this PC for almost 3 years.  I know it's a lot to spend, but it will be worth it.  That being said, I am very thankful for the advice, and if I do go with a b550, it will same me like $150. 

Now I'm thinking downgrade on the mobo and spend more on the ram to get 32Gb of GSkill trident z.    

I have the G.Skill Trident Z Neo (2x16GB) 3600MHz CL16-19-19-39 ram. Is really good if you don't want to mess with the timings by yourself. Just set DOCP on and let it be. Is, ofc, no the top of the line, but does a great job for the price.

[Squidious]

30 minutes ago, RodrigoRS said:

I have the G.Skill Trident Z Neo (2x16GB) 3600MHz CL16-19-19-39 ram. Is really good if you don't want to mess with the timings by yourself. Just set DOCP on and let it be. Is, ofc, no the top of the line, but does a great job for the price.

The 3600MHz would be nice, but it's very expensive.  Might have to stick with 3200MHz. 

Do you have a list of your PC parts?  I'd be interested. Sounds like you have a decent rig. 

[narrdarr]

I'd have to agree with many things said here, but I'd like to add to it.

 

go with a b550. actually grab one with wifi/bt. even if you dont use wifi. bt is way more handy than I ever thought it would. also having it onboard is way stable than using a dongle.

 

(not a big deal) I recommend a different aio. 

ex: ek aio, arctic liquid freezer ii. only time I reccomend corsair is for controlling rgb. they are best in class for rgb hands down. but you better be ready to dish out a couple/few hundred dollars and commit to their single rgb eco system. mixing rgb eco is always frustrating. try to stick to one.

 

ram: unless you productively usage requires more than 16gb. than I'd stick with 16gb. I'd also use 3600 cl16. only runs 20 30$ more. but worth it imo.

 

storage: maybe look at sabrant rocket  q and rocket 4 plus.

 

 the 500dx maybe larger than you think. it's a good case,just keep that in mind. 

 

unless you already using 32 1440p I advise against it. 27 at 1440p is as big as I would. not including ultrawides (that's different). 1440p @ 32 somethings get weird like text and screen door effect. plus all the 27 inch versions seem to preform better.

 

I'm sure there are some typos in here. typing on my phone

 

ps you dont need to spend so much on windows 

[RodrigoRS]

14 minutes ago, Squidious said:

The 3600MHz would be nice, but it's very expensive.  Might have to stick with 3200MHz. 

Do you have a list of your PC parts?  I'd be interested. Sounds like you have a decent rig. 

3200Mhz should be more than enough.

 

My parts? I upgraded CPU, Mobo and Ram but I'm reusing all my parts for my previous setup. GPU upgrade is still pending.

 

CPU: Ryzen 9 5900X

Mobo: Asus Strix X570-E Gaming

Ram: G.Skill Trident Z Neo (2x16GB) 3600MHz CL16

GPU: My old Colorful RTX 2060 6GB

Storage: Samsung SSD 860 EVO 250GB (for OS), WD 2TB Blue Nand SSD (games and aplications), WD 2TB Blue HDD (for mass storage)

 

As you can see, is not that fancy. I'm waing since the end of last year for a new GPU but I'll have to wait longer till the prices lower a bit more.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, jaslion said:

 But the tomahawk is better suited to handle the likes of a 5950x.

How so ? They are going to perform pretty much the same, as shown in the video posted above. The B550 Tomahawk actually measured 1 deg hotter than the B550 Gaming Carbon and B550 Aorus Pro with the overclocked 3950X.

[Squidious]

8 minutes ago, narrdarr said:

I'd have to agree with many things said here, but I'd like to add to it.

 

go with a b550. actually grab one with wifi/bt. even if you dont use wifi. bt is way more handy than I ever thought it would. also having it onboard is way stable than using a dongle.

 

(not a big deal) I recommend a different aio. 

ex: ek aio, arctic liquid freezer ii. only time I reccomend corsair is for controlling rgb. they are best in class for rgb hands down. but you better be ready to dish out a couple/few hundred dollars and commit to their single rgb eco system. mixing rgb eco is always frustrating. try to stick to one.

 

ram: unless you productively usage requires more than 16gb. than I'd stick with 16gb. I'd also use 3600 cl16. only runs 20 30$ more. but worth it imo.

 

storage: maybe look at sabrant rocket  q and rocket 4 plus.

 

 the 500dx maybe larger than you think. it's a good case,just keep that in mind. 

 

unless you already using 32 1440p I advise against it. 27 at 1440p is as big as I would. not including ultrawides (that's different). 1440p @ 32 somethings get weird like text and screen door effect. plus all the 27 inch versions seem to preform better.

 

I'm sure there are some typos in here. typing on my phone

Ha ha!  I couldn't care less about typos!  This is exactly why I posted here.  I wanted to get the advice of more experienced builders and it's already made my system better!   

-I definitely don't need wifi, what exactly or why would I want a board with wifi/bt?

-I don't have a whole lots of choice when it comes to AIOs.  I was thinking of the Kraken X53, but I saw a review that said it wasn't the best so i went with Corsair.  Otherwise I can choose from the MSI MAG CORE LIQUID 240R.  I think I'll stay clear of the Thermaltake AIOs.  

-I hear so many different opinions on 16 vs 32.  lol

-I have a few cases in mind, but ultimately it will depend on the other components. 

-I didn't realize that about 32" monitors.  Good to know!

Thank you very much for your thoughts.  They definitely help.    

 

[Squidious]

30 minutes ago, RodrigoRS said:

3200Mhz should be more than enough.

 

My parts? I upgraded CPU, Mobo and Ram but I'm reusing all my parts for my previous setup. GPU upgrade is still pending.

 

CPU: Ryzen 9 5900X

Mobo: Asus Strix X570-E Gaming

Ram: G.Skill Trident Z Neo (2x16GB) 3600MHz CL16

GPU: My old Colorful RTX 2060 6GB

Storage: Samsung SSD 860 EVO 250GB (for OS), WD 2TB Blue Nand SSD (games and aplications), WD 2TB Blue HDD (for mass storage)

 

As you can see, is not that fancy. I'm waing since the end of last year for a new GPU but I'll have to wait longer till the prices lower a bit more.

I mean the 2060 isn't exactly an old card.  Otherwise that's quite a beast. Are you just going to make the jump to the 4000s or go with a 3000 series? 

 

So is it bad to have the OS and games and apps on the same drive? 

PS. I'm assuming I can update the build list as we go here, and you guys would see the updated parts? 

[Squidious]

14 minutes ago, lee32uk said:

How so ? They are going to perform pretty much the same, as shown in the video posted above. The B550 Tomahawk actually measured 1 deg hotter than the B550 Gaming Carbon and B550 Aorus Pro with the overclocked 3950X.

I'm just watching the video now.  I've heard good things about the Aorus Pro, specifically the B550 version, but bad things about Gigabyte boards in general.  So I don't know.  The search continues!   

[narrdarr]

11 minutes ago, Squidious said:

Ha ha!  I couldn't care less about typos!  This is exactly why I posted here.  I wanted to get the advice of more experienced builders and it's already made my system better!   

-I definitely don't need wifi, what exactly or why would I want a board with wifi/bt?

-I don't have a whole lots of choice when it comes to AIOs.  I was thinking of the Kraken X53, but I saw a review that said it wasn't the best so i went with Corsair.  Otherwise I can choose from the MSI MAG CORE LIQUID 240R.  I think I'll stay clear of the Thermaltake AIOs.  

-I hear so many different opinions on 16 vs 32.  lol

-I have a few cases in mind, but ultimately it will depend on the other components. 

-I didn't realize that about 32" monitors.  Good to know!

Thank you very much for your thoughts.  They definitely help.    

 

bt=bluetooth.. you can connect all sorts of things wirelessly. cellphone( make calls, tranfer file, text from pc), wireless controllers(xbox,ps, other(nice for certain games), bt speakers/ headset, or whatever. 

. I tried so many bt dongles. they all sucked one way or another. having bt on the board is so nice.

 

for ram if you not sure of what you needs are than the answer 99/100 is 16gb.

and yes I stand buy using 3600mhz cl16 

 

for the aio. if the options are slim stick with what you have chosen.

 

 

 

 

[narrdarr]

17 minutes ago, Squidious said:

So is it bad to have the OS and games and apps on the same drive? 

no it's ok to do so. but there are benefits of having your game and file on a different drive. if there is an issue with your os you can simply reinstall without having to figure out what to do with your files/games