Snaebs PC Building Guide

[Big Head Tech]

After spending the better part of 3 days, I decided to restart my company, go all in with my fiance and my website's guide seen here: http://www.pcbudgetsolutions.com/resource-center.html

On March 2/3 I will be doing a build log of my new Ryzen CPU and real gaming Benchmarks so definitely keep an eye on this thread (or subscribe) if you want to see what Ryzen can do! My channel is PCBudgetSolutions

Below is the full guide!

 

 

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CPU:

When choosing a CPU a few things need to be factored in. First of all, your CPU and GPU should be the majority of your budget most of the time. Never skimp here or you will really regret it. Take a look at your overall budget to see where you stand with available funds. The other factors in choosing a CPU is, will you overclock? What games will you be playing? Is heat/power consumption an issue? Do you have a preference of AMD or Intel? Do you want the best performer or do you want better value?

 

Right now 2 CPU's that have come out has made a huge change to the CPU world.  The Intel Pentium G4560 and Ryzen R7 CPU's.  Intel has historically has always had better single threaded performance but that might change with Ryzen. Sadly, lower sku's are not going to be available for some time for AMD.

 

 

Entry Level Under $100 (Recommend Intel Pentium G4560)

 

~$60 Intel Pentium G4560 3.5GHz Dual+HT (LGA 1151):
This is such an interesting chip.  The clock speed is much higher than the previous generations and now with added hyperthreading it will boot and play most games to medium settings with supporting graphics cards

 

~$90 AMD Athlon x4 880k 4.2GHz Quad Core [Turbo 4.4GHz] (FM2/FM2+):
While the single threaded performance is not ideal, if you're in a situation where you need 4 cores either for video editing on the cheap and some gaming performance this CPU will serve well.  It offers more raw power in multithreaded applications than Intel's variant at a slight reduction in gaming performance.

 

Mid-Range $100-200 (Recommend Intel Core I5-7500)

 

~$110 Intel Core I3-6100 3.7Ghz Dual Core + HT
This is a great buy if you want a little more umph over the G4560 with a tad more clock speed with more L3 cache.  At the $100 price point this is an extremely viable option, but you would be better served spending the extra $50 on a better GPU or saving up for an I5-7500 overall.

 

~$180 Intel Core I3-7350k 4.2 GHz Dual Core + HT Overclockable (LGA 1151):  
I3's became finally relevant only for Intel to offer the first overclockable one at the same price as the I5's from the current generation.  There would be scenarios such as World of Warcraft where having an unlocked I3 would serve better than a slowly clocked I5.

 

~$190 intel Core I5-7500 3.4GHz Quad Core [Turbo 3.8GHz] (LGA 1151):
This is the recommended CPU for a few reasons. It offers 4 true cores vs hyperthreading or the module design of the FX CPU.  It multitasks as good if not better than the FX-6300 and offers the same if not better single threaded performance than the I3.

Top Gaming Tier $230-350 (Recommend Ryzen 7 1700):

 

~$240 Intel Core I5-7600k 3.8GHz Quad Core [Turbo 4.2GHz] (LGA 1151):
The newest CPU from Intel will offer the best single threaded performance. Code name Kaby Lake it doesn't offer more direct performance Skylake but 2 major changes that enthusiasts will love.  It has a great improved base clock of 3.8GHz that will autoturbo to 4.2GHz, but you will need to purchase an aftermarket cooler as one does not come with it.  With other chips on the market that just came out, unless a price adjustment is made, it is not an ideal buy.

 

~330 Ryzen 7 1700 3.0GHz 8 Core + HT [Turbo 3.7GHz] (AM4):
While the reviews are not official yet as it stands the single threaded performance should be =/- 5% of what kaby lake offers but the Ryzen 7 chip offers 8 physical cores with hyperthreading at 95W of power.  It appears to be able to be overclocked well and the raw performance if it holds true is way too good to pass up.  I would either spend the extra $100 here or on a GPU.

 

~$350 Intel Core I7-7700k 4.2GHz Quad Core [Turbo 4.5GHz] (LGA 1151): 
Especially with Ryzen coming out on march 2nd, this chip should be avoided until we know if Ryzen is as legit as the hype (Video coming soon).  Unless the Ryzen chips are nowhere near as powerful as expected or Intel makes a HUGE and I mean HUGE price cut, this chip will not be recommended for the foreseeable future.

 

 

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CPU Cooling (Air & Water)

 

After market coolers are not just needed because you want to overclock.  Maybe your PC is too noisy, maybe you prefer lower temps or maybe you just want to overclock.  Some of the best coolers on the market are very inexpensive, some are big and some even use a combination of air and water to keep things cool.  This section will cover air cooling and AIO (All in one) liquid coolers that require not maintenance, no filling or worries about assembly.

**Note** Many air coolers are large and require wider cases.  Make sure that your case can support the height and make sure your socket is supported.  For AIO’s they are smaller and easier to work with, but you NEED to make sure the case supports the radiator sizes and has clearance for things like the attached fans.

 

Tier 1 Air Coolers (Recommend Hyper 212 Evo) ~$15-50

In this range you will find a large range of products.  Anything below $20 bucks is generally going to be a replacement for a stock cooler with no OC.  The king of the air coolers is the Cooler Master Hyper Evo 212.  It generally runs between $25-35, however it offers quite operation, ability of push pulls and AMAZING cooling for the price.  In the upper range, of tier 1 you will find entry level Noctua coolers, which are UGLY but are very quiet and efficient, and other coolers like the Dark Knight, Shadow Rock and many other reputable ones.  Always check the reviews and there are MANY sites that do head to head comparisons.

 

Tier 2 Air and AIO 120/140mm Coolers (Recommend NH-D15) ~ $50-90

In this range, you will find MASSIVE twin tower air coolers like the Noctua NH-D15, things from Phanteks and single 120/140mm AIO coolers.  GENERALLY speaking, single 120/140’s often perform below that of an NH-D15 and many top tier air coolers.  However, single 120/140’s are not anywhere NEAR as large or in the way as the larger air coolers.  The only exception is double thick radiators or the NZXT X40.  If your case cannot support an NH-D15, I would strongly recommend a Hyper Evo 212, or get a 240/280mm AIO.  Be careful as sometimes tall ram sticks may not fit under these larger coolers.

  
Tier 3 AIO 240/280/360mm (NZXT Kraken X62) ~$90+

On occasion, below $90 you may find dual 120mm (aka 240mm) AIO’s like the Seidon 240.  But generally speaking there are only a few AIO’s recommended. The NZXT Kraken x62 is a 280MM AIO that seems to outperform the competition including the H110I, the GTX series by Corsair and even Swiftech but they are not offered in the US.  I personally use a Kraken x60 and it works great at 4.5GHz on my 4790k!

Custom loops (water cooling)

A good place to start is here: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/1755-water-cooling-101-a-good-place-for-newbies-to-start And here http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/5435-watercooling-faq-some-basic-qa.  These will pretty much cover anything you may want to know about building a custom water loop.

 

 

 

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Memory

 

Ram is such a simple concept but things you want to look out for.  If you’re running a big CPU air cooler, make sure your heat sinks are not high like the Corsair Vengeance ram or just buy bare ram w/o heatsinks.  Unless you plan to overclock your ram pretty far, they are mostly for aesthetics..  Otherwise, make sure it matches the following:

 

For Intel based systems using DDR3 follow these guidelines:

• Try to keep @ or below 1.58V
• Try to keep it below 11 Cas (9 is preferred)
• Always try and get a dual channel kit (2x4GB or 2x8GB)
• Gaming wise, the minimum is 8GB of memory but in 2017 16GB wouldn't hurt due to games+chrome can eat up 8GB easily.  The general rule is buy memory from reputable vendors, check the reviews and compatibility with your motherboard.  Upcoming Ryzen chips utilizing 4 sticks of memory will not run above 2400MHz, 2 sticks are good to about 3200MHz.  Otherwise find the color/setup you desire. 

 

 

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Motherboards

This used to be a much longer section telling people what to buy in different price points.  In 2017, most boards are selected more on style and features over quality because the level of quality have improved quite a bit over the passed few years.  Some things to consider when selecting a motherboard are:

 

• Overclocking capabilities
• M.2
• Number of ram slots
• Number of SATA Ports
• USB 3.0 header (sideways vs vertical)
• VRM Cooling
• Rear I/O
• Color Scheme (RGB Lighting anyone?)
• Gone are the days of spending $200+ for most consumer grade motherboards.  Below will be a few suggestions based off of price/feature sets.

 

Intel (LGA 1151):

~$70 Asrock B250M-HDV
The cheapest board pretty much out there for the newest Intel socket.  It features 6 Sata 3 ports, USB 3.0 front header, M.2 slots, with 3 fan headers (1 for the CPU).  For $70, this board offers A TON of value.  If you do not need multiple GPU support, more than 32GB of ram, overclocking or more rear I/O, this board should be perfect for you!

 

~ $130 Asus ROG Strix B250F Gaming
This is the highest end no OC board I can recommend.  It might have some Blk oc capabilities, but the feature set is awesome!  It has 4 ram slots, 12 SATA 3 ports, 2 USB 3.0 headers, SLI/Xfire support, 2 M.2 slots, 4 fan headers (2 for CPU), 8 USB ports with USB 3.1 and USB-C as well.  Also note, the PCI-E top slot has extra support built in for heavier graphics cards.

 

~$190 Asus Strix Z270F Gaming
A few minor upgrades from the previous board.  This features RGB lightning, 2 PCI-E slots with extra support, even better VRM cooling with more power phases.  It has a similar rear I/O but appears to have more fan support.

AMD (AM4/FM2+):

~$90 ASrock Fatal1ty Gaming A88X

If you're going with FM2+ you're hopefully going to overclock the CPU pretty far.  So a good quality board with good VRM cooling, enough power phases and features is ideal.  Also at this price range you can even do some side rendering with up to 32GB of ram supported.

 

~$100 Asus Prime B350-Plus (AM4)
Standard feature set.  It has one M.2 slot, 4 ram slots, USB 3.0 front headers, but only 4 ram slots. It has 8 USB rear ports with 2 being 3.1 and the PCI-E slots are both reinforced as well.  A ton of features with overclockability as well!

 

~$170 Asus Prime X370-Pro (AM4)
This board I ordered for my Ryzen build for 2 reasons.  First, the Asrock board I ordered went out of stock and 2 this has RGB lightning.  All jokes aside, it has 2 M.2 slots, dual PCI-E extra socket support, plenty of fan headers, USB 3.1 in the rear and solid VRM cooling.

 

 

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Graphics Cards

 

The graphics card is often the most expensive part of any gaming computer out there.  When matched with a proper CPU, your gaming experience can heavily rely on this part of your purchase.  The difficult part is, like processors the spec sheet is not the end all be all answer.  My previous card a GTX 980 TI has 2816 cuda cores vs my Fiance's GTX 1070 has just under 2000.  Yet her cards core clock and memory clock were quite a bit a head so they ran pretty evenly/
This section will cover many different parts of a graphics card.  What is important, brands to buy, pricing and everything in between!

What is there to compare?  Well here is a list of important stats to compare

• Stream Processors and Cuda Cores
• Core Clock
• Memory Clock
• Bandwidth
• Memory Interface
• Vram
• Architecture

 
Stream Processors/Cuda Cores:

The only time measuring these are if you are comparing 2 cards in the same reasons, such as a GTX 10xx, 9xx, 7xx or AMD R7-xxx, R9-xxx Rx-xxx.  But comparing a GTX 10xx to a GTX 9xx, cuda cores are almost irrelevant. AMD seems to favor stream processors over core clock where NVidia favors core clock more than anything else.

 

Core Clock:
In the recent generations of NVidia has been pushing over 2000MHz core clock where AMD has yet to release a flagship card with their RX480 pushing 1300-1400MHz.  Like core count on GPU's, these are only relevant when comparing 2 like cards in the same series.

 

Vram (Video Memory):
Video memory or Vram is essentially memory on the graphics card.  It stores textures and other things while the video card renders the previous frame.  Higher resolution, higher resolution textures, antialiasing, and anisotropic filtering all requires more memory on the graphics card as these things take up more space.  The more pixels per inch, the larger the picture file is a good way to look at it. 

The minimum requirement for graphical memory is 2GB at 1080p, but we are at a point where 4GB does not hurt and above 1080p 6GB is ideal.  Some games have such high resolution textures that they eat up video memory waiting to be rendered.

 

Memory Clock:
This is part of the bandwidth calculation.  Think of the memory clock as the speed of traffic on a highway.  The faster the speed the faster you get there.  The faster the memory clock, the faster the graphics card can render textures store in the video memory.  These are measured in a few ways.  In the case of GDDR5, you have the actual speed say 1250MHz and times it by 4 to have an effect speed of 5000MHz or 5GHz.  In the case of GDDR3, you only multiply that by 2.  This is why GDDR3 is recommended AGAINST for gaming.  The higher the better.

 

Memory Interface:
This is also part of the bandwidth calculation.   Think of the memory interface as how wide the highway is.  4 lanes wide means you will not get into traffic jams, but 1 or 2 lanes wide you might, especially if the speed is slower.  You generally will see 128, 256 384 and 512 bit interfaces on gaming graphics card.  192 has been popular as well.  Historically speaking, the higher the better, but NVidia has come out with a way to compress data that has made it so much more efficient that faster speeds benefit much more than interface.

 

Bandwidth:
This section can be extremely important as it brings everything together.  Think of usable or required Vram as traffic on a highway.  Memory interface is how many lanes there are and memory clock is how fast traffic (can) move.  At 1920x1080, you will be using about 2GB of Vram in top tier games.  Ideally you want a MINIMUM of 256bit interface (think of this as 2 lanes wide on a highway).  4 or 512 bit is a bit overkill and 384 bit or 3 lanes is perfect usually.  Bandwidth is a combination of memory interface and memory clock which is basically how much data can be rendered per second.

Now as resolutions increase, AA increases or textures increase more Vram maybe required and 256bit won't cut it anymore.  In these cases you want a wider memory interface and a faster memory clock.  An R9-290 has a bandwidth of about 320, where as a GTX 780 TI is around 340.  Even though the R9-290 has a wider interface 512 vs 384, the memory clock of the GTX 780 TI is 7GHz effective vs 5GHz effective.  The theory is, if you have 3 lanes of traffic moving consistently at 70MPH, you will have more cars go from point A to point B than 4 lanes of traffic moving at 50MPH.

Memory bandwidth calculation is as such: Memory interface / 8 * memory clock * multiplier (2 for GDDR3 and 4 for GDDR5).  So 512 / 8 * 1250 * 4 = 320gbps on the R9-290.  The GTX 780 TI would be 384 / 8 * 1750 * 4 = 336gbps.

What should I buy?

 

Under $100
AMD Rx460 2GB GDDR5
This GPU will run most modern games at 1080p with about medium settings assuming you have the CPU behind it to keep up.
For about $20 more you can get a GTX 1050 which is about 10-20% faster on average

 

Under $150
AMD Rx470 4GB GDDR5
This card will start allowing some games to push a little higher and the extra memory will allow older games and games like LoL, Overwatch to be playable at 1440p.

 

$200-250

AMD Rx480 4GB GDDR5 ~ $200
This card should run most games at high/ultra at 1080p and the 8GB variant will push 1440p on most games medium/high and max settings on older games.  The 8GB variant is the ideal budget card for future VR.
 
GTX 1060 6GB GDDR5 ~ $250
This card trades blows but wins mostly against the RX480 8GB variant.  It is a little more expensive and still a fantastic buy if you can allot around $250 on a GPU.

Over $250
NVidia Geforce GTX 1070/1080 8GB GDDR5/5X
These card I own and are expensive.  They retail for $400/600 respectably.  They are ideal for 1440p 144Hz gaming which is my current setup.  Unless you're above 1080p or pushing very high FPS for competitive play, these cards are just not worth it.

 

 

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Hard Drives & Solid State Drive

 
This section is by far not my forte.  Western Digital, Seagate, Toshiba, and Hitachi seem to be the most popular out there.  You will find 2 kinds of hard drives, standard 7200rpm and 5400rpm eco drives (also laptop drives).  There are a few different ones as well such as WD Raptor that are 15000rpm as well.  Just make sure it is the storage you need and you'll be fine.

Solid State Drives are far more reliable, smaller, run cooler and MUCH MUCH faster than mechanical drives.  The only issue is that the price per GB is still higher.  Right now larger drives run about $0.2-0.3/GB which is not that feasible.

SSD’s have a limited life cycle, but even TLC flash will last a casual user years.  Otherwise, the controllers and firmware are so advanced that the chances of them failing prematurely are a FRACTION of that of a mechanical drive.

SSD’s can benefit everyone either as the only hard drive for office users or as a boot drives for editors and gamers.  The advantage is, much of your work is done on the SSD, so if you have a mechanical drive for storage, it is accessed far less and chances of dying early on is much less.

 

There are a few things to look at when looking at SSD’s.

 

• SLC MLC and TLC
• Firmware
• Size
• Speeds (sequential and random 4k’s)

 

SLC is single level cell, MLC is multi-level cell, and TLC is triple level cell.  In generally, SLC is the fastest in writing and TLC is the slowest.  SLC is generally not in the consumer market and most drives are MLC.  The only company that uses TLC is Samsung in their 840 Evo drives.  SLC writes 1 bits per cell, MLC is generally 2 bits per cell and MLC is 3 bits per cell.  TLC in theory has the shortest life span of the 3.  However, the Samsung 840 Evo has built in firmware to allow it to act as a SLC SSD in some scenario in order to increase speeds.

 

Firmware is the software installed into the SSD that makes it work.  Better firmware is always good and often companies have updates if they find issues in the firmware.  Firmware is key especially in cases of the early Sandforce based drives like OCZ that had a higher than normal failure rate.  Bad firmware couldn’t keep the fast speeds of the controller from failing.

Size and speeds are pretty important.  How big do you need?  Anything below 120GB suffers in performance as there are less chips to write too.  Size also helps with longitivity.  A 256GB drive has twice the amount of write cycles as a 128GB drive.  But now days this is not that important unless you’re writing 40-50GB/day to the drive.

 

So what do I recommend?

 

• Crucial MX1/2/3xx series
• ADATA SP 5/6/9xx
• Kingston Hyper 3K
• Intel 730
• Samsung 9xx evo/pro
• Sandisk Ultra II
• Plextor M6S/M5P

Avoid the following SSD's

 

• Anything OCZ (No more warranty and high failure rate)
• Kingston V300 (barely twice as fast as HDD now days)
• PNY/Mushkin (They just are not big enough players to be recommended)
• Seagate/WD (They are getting better but still alot of mixed reviews for now)
• G.Skill (Just not enough info out there to recommend them)

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Cases & Fans

 

Cases

Cases are bought on 2 needs: functionality and looks. There are so many cases out there that it can be hard to choose.  I cannot tell you which case to use, but I can tell you what to avoid.  Cases are generally personal tastes and needs.  Do you need a mid-tower, full tower or maybe a micro or ITX tower?  Do you have a color scheme you want?  Do you want silence or airflow optimized?  Do you want a built in fan controller?  Do you need 8 hard drive cages?  

 

Recommend?

A case is mostly a personal choice.  Chances are there are 8-10 cases that meet your needs but only 1-2 that look the way you want.  Many manufactures make great cases.  I only recommend a hand full because these are just my favorite to work in cases.  Just people a case is not on here does not mean don't buy it.  It just means I have not used it yet or recommend it yet.  I

 

Mini ITX
Mini ITX are generally VERY small cube cases.  Usually no bigger than 15 inches any specific way.  Some of them use specific SFX power supplies like Silverstone Mini ITX cases.  They also can be tough to build in but a fun small project. While you can never run SLI/Xfire, you can build a pretty high end system in them! Mini ITX cases require a Mini ITX board.

 

Cooler Master Elite 130
Very inexpensive compact case that has decent airflow/cooling that supports full size ATX power supplies and even an AIO (140 I believe).  It is plastic and mesh but serves GREAT for an inexpensive HTPC or if you need to cut costs on a build

 

Corsair 250D/380T
I have seen nothing but GREAT reviews on this case.  It comes with a bigger price tag, but an H100I will fit in 250D, it has a SLEEK design and it also fits full ATX power supplies.  It also has 2.5/3.5 dedicated mounts 4 of either!

 

Bitfenix Prodigy
Mixed reviews about this mainly because I have never used it.  From what I have heard and read it's not a bad case.  Can be a bit pricey and not the easiest to work in, but it does get the job done.  It has a different style and comes in many different colors!

 

Micro ATX
Smaller towers that can house full fledged gaming systems (sometimes SLI/Xfire) but still do not take up a ton of space.  Most of the time, a micro ATX case is all you need, however cable management, especially in lower end cases can lack.  You need a Micro ATX or Mini ITX board for these cases.

 

Cooler Master N200
Not a bad case for the price.  Features 2 fans for decent airflow and while cable management is not great, it is easy to work in.  It has all the standard features, full 2.5 inch HD support, USB 3.0 etc.  It is a good contender for the price.

 

Corsair 350D
A bit on the pricey side and it's close to a mid tower in size, but it fully supports SLI/Xfire, can fit up to a 280mm AIO/Rad in the top and has even been known to house full scale liquid cooling.  It comes in 2 options, Windowed or Nonwindowed. Cable management seems solid for this case

 

Fractal Design Arc Mini R2
I really liked this case.  My only complaint was I felt cable management could have been better.  Fractal Design is known for putting quality in their cases and this is no exception.  It is more silence optimized and can fit many extra fans.  The only other downside is only 4 PCI Expansion slots so SLI/Xfire won't be as good/easy.

 

ATX Mid-Tower
Most Mid-Towers are plenty for most people.  If you select the right one, it will offer great airflow, good cable management and most features you need.  They can be quite big and still classified as a mid tower.  These can fit anything from a standard ATX size and down.

 

Cooler Master
They have alot in this category, from the N400 and higher series, to the CM 690 and the HAF series.  My biggest issue is spending this kind of $$ some of these lack dust filtered intakes.  Which is a BIG nono for me, but otherwise they are very solid, offer decent cable management and a good feature set

 

Fractal Design Define R4/R5/Arc Midi R2
One of the most popular cases in the technology world.  Sleek look, solid cable management, comes with or without a Window, silence optimize, good cooling expansion and full 280mm AIO support.  Like other Fractal cases, quality is what makes this case great!

 

Corsair
Anything in the R series is going to be solid.  Also the Air 540 series (which I own and LOVE) are GREAT choices.  They all feature at least decent cable management, very nice looks from sleek to flashy, easy to work in, plenty of expansion and support and all around is just a great manufacture to buy from!  Other cases to consider are the 2xx/6xxt series as well as the Spec series as well (check cooler clearance)

 

NZXT
Anything from the basic Source 210 to to the H440 silence case is a good buy.  In this range the popular S340 which is a very popular case because it is easy to build in and looks great! The Source 210 is one of the most popular budget cases on the market.  They all feature at least decent cable management, amazing looks and style and good AIO support as well!  I believe the Source 210 should support at least a 240mm AIO up top, maybe even a 280!

 

Phanteks
Back when I wrote this Phanteks was not a big player in the game.  Now with their Enthoo Evolv series and the case I just ordered P400 (For $70 nonetheless), they have great options with amazing build quality in every price range!

 

ATX Full Tower
These are monster cases generally.  They can range from larger Mid-Towers to 6 feet tall Caselabs cases.  These will almost ALWAYS have great cable management and by design bigger cases usually offer better cooling.  Reason being is, the more open space the more spread out the heat can be.  These can support most boards even E-ATX and XL-ATX, HOWEVER check with the specifications because these 2 bigger sizes can vary between manufacture and model!

 

Corsair
The 2 I recommend from them in this category is the 7xx/9xxD and 7xxT.  These series feature huge designs, some with tempered glass and even RGB LED's as well!.  Both feature plenty of cable management, great expansion and airflow!

 

NZXT
Basically all the same as the Mid-Towers except bigger.  Some of the higher end cases have built in fan controls which is a nice thing!  Most still use a plastic finish but these are quite roomy!  You'll see the higher end Phantoms and Switches in this series.

 

Fractal Design Arc XL
The newest revision seems to be quite nice not real complaints.  It looks like a giant Arc Midi/Mini  from a distance.  Features excellent cable management rear mounting SSD's and a solid build quality!

Case Fans
Case fans are very important when designing a computer.  More fans does not mean better or even more airflow.  There is positive and negative air pressure.  Positive is when you have more volume of air coming in than out and negative is the opposite.  Ideally anything used as an intake SHOULD have a dust filter, especially if you have positive pressure.  But the choice of fans is never an easy task, should I buy a 4 pack Logysis LED kit or spend 100 bucks on Noctua NF-F12's?

 

Static Pressure vs Airflow (CFM)
There is where static pressure vs CFM become important.  Static pressure is important especially in restricted airflow such as hard drive cages or radiators/heat sinks.  You need more static pressure to force air passed those areas.  Static pressure fans can be used as almost any kind of fan, but airflow fans perform poorly as static pressure fans.  Static pressure is rated at mm/h20 and anything above 1.5 is considered pretty good.  Using SP fans as intake is not a bad idea, especially if you have drive cages by it.  But for exhaust fans generally go with an airflow style fan.

 

What else to consider?
You don't want loud fans nor do I know anyone that does.  While I understand not everyone is a silence freak, a fan as loud as a reference R9-290 would drive anyone crazy.  Ideally you either want a fan that undervolts well via PWM control on the motherboard or has a low max RPM, below 1800 preferred for 120-140mm and below 1,000 at 200mm+

Lastly, consider the cost, quality and look.  Does looks matter?  Do you want an LED fan but also want performance?  Do you not care about looks, want silence and high SP (Noctua)?  Do you want a fan with a crappy bearing that will die in a year?  There is much to consider when choosing a fan.  Below I will rate each fan by 4 categories, airflow, static pressure, looks and noise.

 

Cougar
Their hydraulic bearing series is amazing.  They are cheaper than noctua and are one of the best LED fans out there.  They are very quite at 12V and offer 1.78 mm/h20 (120mm) of static pressure.  I personally use these in my rig and I love them!  They only run at 1000/1200rpm but they keep my rig cool!
Hydraulic Bearing Series
Airflow: 7
Static Pressure: 8
Looks: 9
Noise:8

 

Cooler Master
They offer a wide range of decent and affordable fans.  Their sickleflow series is decent and offer bright LED's but are known to be quite loud.  However they are often extremely inexpensive.  Their other fans like the one on the Hyper 212 Evo offers great static pressure and low operating sound when controlled under PWM.
Sickle Series
Airflow: 8
Static Pressure: 6
Looks: 9
Noise:5

 

Bitfenix
They are very similar to Cougar but have a wider range of offerings.  They have both 200/230MM Spectre Pro LED and NonLED.  From my experience, the 230MM is quite loud for a fan of its size.  But it moves a TON of air.  The biggest difference is the PWM option in the LED section, but these fans are often hard to find due to low availability.
Spectre Pro
Airflow: 8
Static Pressure: 8
Looks: 8
Noise:8

 

Silverstone
Silverstone is often forgotten in this category.  They make a wide variety of fans but specifically their AP (Air Penetrator) 12x series is very solid.  Good static pressure, decent noise level, looks great and solid airflow.  They do come in LED hence why they are quite popular in the tech world.
AP 12x
Airflow: 8
Static Pressure: 8
Looks: 9
Noise:8

 

Noctua
Ugly ugly ugly, but amazing.  These fans undervolt better than any other fan out there.  Their true advantage is being used in a custom loop at 5V.  They offer the highest static pressure of any fan at 5V and are extremely quiet.  The issues are they are the most expensive fan out there and they are ugly as sin.
NF-F12/14
Airflow: 8
Static Pressure: 10
Looks: 3
Noise: 9

 

Corsair
They offer 2 main types of fans.  AF(Air Flow) and SP(Static Pressure) Series.  The SP120's come in RGB as well as an optional fan controller to adjust on the fly.  The SP140's come in colors just not RGB.  The AF series is a solid option for anyone using them as intake/exhaust when static pressure is not needed.
SP QE Editions
Airflow: 7
Static Pressure: 9
Looks: 10 (Now with RGB)!!!
Noise:9

 

 

Quote

Power Supplies

 

 

Never skimp on a power supply, but don’t go overkill either. Power supplies are made to run at or over 50% and generally most efficient between 50-80%. There is one rule of thumb to follow, ALWAYS MAKE SURE IT’S AT LEAST 80+ Certified. Here is the reason why. A power supply that is 80% efficient means that the conversion from AC to DC is 80% efficient.

If a 500W power supply needs 500W of power from the wall, at 80% efficient it’s pulling 625W from the wall and it loses 125W in the conversion. But a “standard” power supply that is 50% efficient would draw 1,000W from the wall. So a cheaply made power supply is taking in TWICE the max power it can convert in, you see how it can end poorly.

Unless you’re running SLI/Xfire the MAX power supply that most people need is 600W. A decent quality 600W PSU can handle an FX-8350 @ 5.0Ghz and an HD 7970GHz @ 1300/1800 all day. This tool here is actually pretty accurate:

http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

 

The General Rule

The general rule is a 600 PSU will power just about any single GPU system even when overclocks are factored in. Unless you plan on doing some crazy stuff or SLI, anything past 600W is not efficient and costly. 

 

Recommendations

 

~$50 Seasonic S12II 520W 80+ Bronze PSU

It has been recommended to me from several sources and a minor oversight on my part that this PSU is available at a $50 price point.  Costing only $50 and receiving a 9.7/10 from Johnnyguru.com, this PSU should be able to fit in nearly any budget.

 

What else?

A few things to consider is what else is important?  Do you want fully modular, semi or neither?  Does Cable Mods make sleeved cables for the PSU?  Do you prefer shorter cables or standard length?  How about zero rpm mode?  Below are some reputable series to consider:

 

• EVGA GSG2/G3/P2
• Corsair RM/RMx/AX/AXi/CSM/CSM (Newer ones only)
• Seasonic S12II/SSR/SSP 

 

Quote

Monitors

So people often ask what kind of monitor should they get?  Well first thing first is get the size you need.  Bigger displays mean less image quality.  A 48 inch 1080p TV has 4 times less pixel density as a 24 inch 1080p monitor.  It's all about pixel density and the type of display that you want.  Do you play mostly FPS games or play competitive?  Do you need the high HZ SMOOTH FPS and colors/viewing angle doesn't matter?  Do you need LOW response time and input lag?  What kind of hardware do you have? There are 3 types of monitor's on the market at the moment.  IPS, TN and PLS.  Brand wise, Acer, Dell, Asus, Samsung, LG all make a decent monitor.  

(This section was contributed by Mephala seen here: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/13182238187)

 

SCREEN SIZE
fairly straightforward. just go for the size you want within your price range. just keep in mind, a larger screen with the same resolution will have larger pictures and may not look as crisp from the same distance away.

 

RESOLUTION
This isn't often misunderstood but let me kind of go over this and how it is measured.
1080p is a resolution of 1920x1080 (multiply it out and you get 2 million, 73 thousand, 6 hundred pixels)
720p is a resolution of 1280x720, often times monitors are actually 1366x768 or something, they are essentially the same resolution. do the math and you will see that though the second figure is 3/4 or so of 1080, the full amount of pixels multiplied out is less than half.

 

higher resolutions are 1440p with about 3.6mil pixels, and 4k (2160p, 3840x2160) with over 8.2 million pixels. now you know why its not really practical to run 4k. more than 4x the resolution stressing on your video card. just a quick warning about 4k monitors if you're thinking of getting one, #1 cheaper ones normally run 1080 at a higher refresh rate, but they will only run 4k res at 30hz. #2 most single video cards and cpu setups wont run 4k smoothly, for a lot of games at least.

the benefit to running at a lower resolution is that the game will run smoother if your graphics cards or processor is too slow to run at 1080p. I would commonly recommend running 720p on a laptop due to the fact that the screen the smaller so the pixels are still quite small and the hardware in laptops normally isn't that great. unless you spend a lot on it.

 

INTERFACE
DVI - your go to for video only. this is the best way to deliver the smoothest best quality pictures at the highest refresh rates to your monitor. note: anything above 60hz will require a video card that supports the higher refresh rate ( meaning the port on the card supports it, most do nowadays ), a dual link dvi cable, and a monitor that can display the refresh rate you are going for. 

Display Port - Display port is by far the best standard out there.  It carries audio/video at the highest quality including up to 8k 60 FPS.  It is extremely common in GPU's but only higher end monitor.

HDMI - not the best for video delivery, but will do both that and audio. I use this on my htpc so the audio goes straight to my televisions speakers. only started supports higher refresh rates at version 2.0 from what I understand, so every link in your chain (video card, cable, and display) must support hdmi 2.0 to deliver the higher refresh rates.

 

BRIGHTNESS
this matters more for daytime gaming, because your display will seem dimmer if there is a lot of sunlight in the room you game in. 250 brightness is average and 300 is very bright, as a max brightness for your monitor. note: higher is better because you can always just turn it down.

 

CONTRAST
"Is the difference in appearance of two or more parts of a field seen simultaneously or successively"
put simply, if you are gaming and the screen seems too dark, its either brightness (which is more the case if its daytime and theres a lot of sunlight in your room) or your contrast is too low. a lot of gamers use monitors that have the option to switch this type of setting on the fly, so if they switch to a dark game / map to a lighter map or room then they can just flip this on the fly. note: higher is better because you can always just turn it down.

 

RESPONSE TIME
This is, put simply, the time it takes for one pixel on the display to change from grey to a color and back to grey again. this matters more for competitive play to be honest. anything 12ms and under wont make a difference to the untrained eye.

 

REFRESH RATE:
Refresh rate has been a topic of debate for a long time.  Anyone who says that people cannot see more than 60 fps is flat out wrong do your research.  144Hz does make your experience feel smoother.  But this require a lot more GPU power, especially at 1440p as my panel is.

 

OTHER AESTHETICS (INCLUDING PANEL TYPE):
Pertaining to the screen's color production, overall quality, looks, and even the panel type there are anti-glare, glossy finish monitors, and other things to take into account when considering a computer monitor. generally the different "panel" types, which effect HOW the pixels switch color, and what arrangement the pixels are in, will effect your overall experience with the monitor. Also, certain monitors have different technologies built in which well effect the clarity and smoothness of the picture. For instance benq has it's flicker free technology or nvidia has its gsync technology. Generally though, mostly when speaking about monitors in the same price range, ips monitors do offer superior color production and aesthetics and look more vivid, while more expensive tn panel monitors offer higher aesthetic experiences while offering other features like higher refresh rates, faster response times etc.... but you'll pay a premium.
Also worth noting is that if this is a major concern for you, check reviews for the particular monitor you are considering because certain monitors cost a premium for a higher refresh rate or lower response time but still don't look as good as an ips monitor."

 

TN Monitors
These are generally can offer higher refresh rate (alot of them are 60hz however), have lower response time and lower input lag.  These kinds of monitors are generally for people who don't care about resolution, color depth, but rather high FPS such as 120-144hz/fps and lower response time.  However the color depth, viewing angles are not great and these monitors generally cap out at 1920x1080.  You also need some very high end hardware to push 120/144Hz.  If you're eyeing up a 144Hz monitor, I recommend the ASUS VG248QE.  Otherwise for the standard 60Hz, anything from a major brand with decent reviews would be sufficient.

 

IPS Monitors
These are generally 60hz, but they offer amazing color depth, 178* viewing angles and are very affordable even above 1080p.  A good IPS 1080p monitor will run somewhere between $120-170 without going overboard.  IPS displays often come in resolutions above 1080p such as 1440p.  In this scenario, you have about 1.8 times the pixel count as 1080p which means (generally speaking) a clearer picture.  However, a good 1440p IPS panel will run between 400-550 dollars.  For 1080p I recommend the ASUS VS239H-P and 1440p I recommend the ASUS PB Series PB278Q.  For 1080p, you will often find sales between 120-150 for a good IPS Monitor.

 

PLS Monitors (offered by Genesect on the WoW forums)
"The Korean imported models you find on eBay and other places use rejected (A- rated, due to slight imperfections) and resold IPS/PLS panels from LG and Samsung. As for the A- rating on the Korean imports - it is really irrelevant for most people, as it will mostly relate to light backlight bleeding or a few dead pixels. The manufacturers that usually use these panels (like ASUS) demand A+ panels. QNIX and other Korean off-brands do not care as much when selling these products, which is one of the reasons you can get them for so much cheaper. Also, most IPS/PLS panels can be overclocked anywhere from 72-120hz. What kind of overclock you can get before getting errors depends on the panel but that is another thing those Korean panels have going for them."

I personally use the Pixio PX277 1440p 144Hz IPS Display

 

What about 4K?
So what about 4K?  Well 4K requires an enormous amount of power.  Even my old GTX 980 TI had issues pushing 4k and SLI had quite a bit of screen tearing.  It is nice and if you play older games or have the hardware for it, it is a nice experience.

 

Quote

Example Builds

 

So you either have exhausted your way through this guide or just want me to give you a breakdown of a build cost wise. All prices are based on the cheapest vendor (sometimes prices change but take a day or 2 to update). A few things to note however. Prices do not include the cost of Windows.  There are many ways to obtain system builder licenses that are not super expensive and legitimate as well!

This is a mix of personal preference and market demand. EVGA is legendary for customer service, Corsair makes fantastic cases and cooler master has great cooling products. By no means do you NEED to stick to these guidelines, just my personal preference

 

The Cheapskate

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/YBhKM8
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/YBhKM8/by_merchant/

 

CPU: Intel Pentium G4560 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($61.99 @ Jet) 
Motherboard: ASRock B250M-HDV Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($67.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: G.Skill Aegis 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($51.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Sandisk SSD PLUS 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($130.98 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1050 2GB ACX 2.0 Video Card  ($108.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Case: NZXT Source 220 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($54.99 @ B&H) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($46.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $523.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-03-02 11:07 EST-0500

 

Boys just wanna game

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/s4BTD8
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/s4BTD8/by_merchant/

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-7400 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($188.75 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: MSI B250M PRO-VDH Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($79.98 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: G.Skill Aegis 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($88.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Sandisk SSD PLUS 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($130.98 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 480 4GB NITRO D5 OC Video Card  ($187.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair Carbide SPEC-M2 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($51.89 @ Newegg) 
Total: $778.57
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-03-02 11:08 EST-0500

 

 

The HD One
PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/vqRvYr
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/vqRvYr/by_merchant/

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-7600K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($238.75 @ OutletPC) 
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.99 @ NCIX US) 
Motherboard: MSI Z270 GAMING M3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($159.99 @ B&H) 
Memory: G.Skill Aegis 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($88.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Sandisk SSD PLUS 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($112.99 @ Best Buy) 
Storage: Hitachi Ultrastar 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.45 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB SSC GAMING Video Card  ($256.99 @ Jet) 
Case: Phanteks ECLIPSE P400 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($65.99 @ NCIX US) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($79.49 @ SuperBiiz) 
Total: $1092.63
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-02-28 23:40 EST-0500

 

 

I Need that FPS!
PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/DTY9BP
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/DTY9BP/by_merchant/

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($338.89 @ OutletPC) 
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.99 @ NCIX US) 
Motherboard: MSI Z270 GAMING M3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($159.99 @ B&H) 
Memory: G.Skill Aegis 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($88.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Sandisk SSD PLUS 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($112.99 @ Best Buy) 
Storage: Hitachi Ultrastar 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.45 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC GAMING ACX 3.0 Black Edition Video Card  ($379.99 @ Jet) 
Case: Phanteks ECLIPSE P400 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($65.99 @ NCIX US) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($79.49 @ SuperBiiz) 
Total: $1315.77
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-02-28 23:41 EST-0500

 

 

The Gaming Creator
PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/kMVwpb
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/kMVwpb/by_merchant/

 

CPU: AMD RYZEN 7 1700 3.0GHz 8-Core Processor  ($329.99 @ B&H) 
Motherboard: Asus PRIME B350-PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($99.99 @ B&H) 
Memory: G.Skill Aegis 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($88.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Sandisk SSD PLUS 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($112.99 @ Best Buy) 
Storage: Hitachi Ultrastar 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.45 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC GAMING ACX 3.0 Black Edition Video Card  ($379.99 @ Jet) 
Case: Phanteks ECLIPSE P400 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($65.99 @ NCIX US) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($79.49 @ SuperBiiz) 
Total: $1216.88
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-02-28 23:42 EST-0500

The Copy
PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/tYXy9W
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/tYXy9W/by_merchant/

 

CPU: AMD RYZEN 7 1700 3.0GHz 8-Core Processor  ($329.99 @ B&H) 
Motherboard: Asus PRIME X370-PRO ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($162.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: G.Skill TridentZ Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($189.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Crucial MX300 1.1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($262.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB FTW Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card  ($609.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Phanteks ECLIPSE P400 TEMPERED GLASS ATX Mid Tower Case  ($87.98 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($79.49 @ SuperBiiz) 
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series White 2 pack 52.2 CFM  120mm Fan  ($20.49 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: Corsair SP120 RGB 3-Pack w/Controller 52.0 CFM  120mm Fans  ($62.99 @ Newegg) 
Other: Blk/Wht cable mods cables ($49.99)
Total: $1856.88
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-02-28 23:56 EST-0500

[GDRRiley]

1080 just got a price drop to 500$ and make sure to update with ryzen. 

[Big Head Tech]

1 minute ago, GDRRiley said:

1080 just got a price drop to 500$ and make sure to update with ryzen. 

I pulled this from my website, I'll update it in a few days.

[Droidbot]

I had a spasm with the CPU and PSU parts.

Why the 7400 when the 6500 is cheaper, boards are cheaper, etc..

Why the EVGA PSU when the S12II or CX450M is significantly better for similar or the same money?

 

PNY is a reputable SSD brand. OCZ still exist as part of Toshiba and support their older products.

Recommend 480/1060 8/6GB instead of just one. Put 470 in place of 1050Ti, 1050Ti is shite. 

I would not recommend the 7350K if you paid me. Get a quad-core that's quicker and will last longer. 

G4560 has the same amount of cache as i3 6100 iirc, and remove the 6300 from your recommendation, AM3+ is fucking dead. 

 

[Big Head Tech]

Just now, Droidbot said:

I had a spasm with the CPU and PSU parts.

Why the 7400 when the 6500 is cheaper, boards are cheaper, etc..

Why the EVGA PSU when the S12II or CX450M is significantly better for similar or the same money?

 

PNY is a reputable SSD brand. OCZ still exist as part of Toshiba and support their older products.

Recommend 480/1060 8/6GB instead of just one. Put 470 in place of 1050Ti, 1050Ti is shite. 

I would not recommend the 7350K if you paid me. Get a quad-core that's quicker and will last longer. 

G4560 has the same amount of cache as i3 6100 iirc, and remove the 6300 from your recommendation, AM3+ is fucking dead. 

 

Which EVGA PSU are you referring to?  The G2/G3/GS is one of the best PSU's out there.  The 7350K has a niche group, but I'll consider it.  The 470 is about $50 more than the 1050 TI hence why it was recommended at that level.

[Guest]

One must not put an i5 and FX at the same category or i5 (K) with i7 (K)

[Guest]

Just now, Snaeb said:

Which EVGA PSU are you referring to?  The G2/G3/GS is one of the best PSU's out there.  The 7350K has a niche group, but I'll consider it.  The 470 is about $50 more than the 1050 TI hence why it was recommended at that level.

He is talking about the 500B and 430B/White evga which is regarded as really not good

[Droidbot]

Just now, Snaeb said:

Which EVGA PSU are you referring to?  The G2/G3/GS is one of the best PSU's out there.  The 7350K has a niche group, but I'll consider it.  The 470 is about $50 more than the 1050 TI hence why it was recommended at that level.

The 80+ White. In the US the 470 is under $150 and barely $20 more than the 1050WasteOfTimeTI

[Big Head Tech]

Just now, deXxterlab97 said:

He is talking about the 500B and 430B/White evga which is regarded as really not good

That's why I didn't choose the B series.  The standard 500W 80+ Certified received an 8.2/10 from johnnyguru.com and it costs less than $40.  For the extreme budgeting.

[Big Head Tech]

1 minute ago, Droidbot said:

The 80+ White. In the US the 470 is under $150 and barely $20 more than the 1050WasteOfTimeTI

I will add it to changes to be made, I overlooked that.  I had one of the best guides in the world back in 2013/2014, trying to catch up lol.

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Snaeb said:

That's why I didn't choose the B series.  The standard 500W 80+ Certified received an 8.2/10 from johnnyguru.com and it costs less than $40.  For the extreme budgeting.

The non B is even more shit than the B. I'd get a Seasonic SSP/SE for that extreme budget to pair a 1050ti/RX 470

[Big Head Tech]

3 minutes ago, deXxterlab97 said:

The non B is even more shit than the B. I'd get a Seasonic SSP/SSE for that extreme budget to pair a 1050ti/RX 470

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story6&reid=384

 

I'd say 8.0/10 is a great rating for a sub $40 PSU.

For a SSP 650W you can get a G2/GS from EVGA which is a superior unit.

[Herman Mcpootis]

2 minutes ago, Snaeb said:

That's why I didn't choose the B series.  The standard 500W 80+ Certified received an 8.2/10 from johnnyguru.com and it costs less than $40.  For the extreme budgeting.

that unit failed Hardocp's testing.

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2015/02/19/evga_430w_power_supply_review/9

Quote

Since the EVGA 430W makes a lot of compromises in its low end build quality, unimpressive voltage regulation, and mediocre DC output quality this unit unfortunately has nothing by the numbers going for it that we can point to and say "yeah, but it does XXXXX" well enough to justify buying other than its "OK" Transient Load Test results, which still aren't good enough to make up for its failure in our regular load test.

 

[Big Head Tech]

1 minute ago, herman mcpootis said:

that unit failed Hardocp's testing.

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2015/02/19/evga_430w_power_supply_review/9

 

" EVGA's older and less efficient precursor to the 500B is no great gift to the world of power supplies. There are no new groundbreaking technologies in the housing. You don't get a bag full of stickers, zip ties, posters, or any other tomfoolery that you don't need. What you do get is quite possibly the most solid forty dollar unit on the market today. Would I buy it myself? If I was on that tight a budget, yes. I would. Again... you could do a heck of a lot worse, and not just at this price point. "

[Herman Mcpootis]

@STRMfrmXMN

[Droidbot]

Just now, herman mcpootis said:

@STRMfrmXMN

oh shit he summoned the PSU god

get out your leadex 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Droidbot said:

oh shit he summoned the PSU god

get out your leadex 

is @Energycore dead or smt? maybe @Starelementpoke

[Droidbot]

Just now, deXxterlab97 said:

is @Energycore dead or smt? maybe @Starelementpoke

he got mod and disappeared into the abyss

[Herman Mcpootis]

2 minutes ago, deXxterlab97 said:

is @Energycore dead or smt? maybe @Starelementpoke

messaged him 2 weeks back or so, apparently he had some real life matters to attend to

[Big Head Tech]

3 minutes ago, Droidbot said:

he got mod and disappeared into the abyss

I've built I believe 481 computers to date so far.  Of course I would want the best power supply, best case, best of everything in every single build.  But many times that just won't happen.  My fiance rocks the EVGA 500W in her 4690K with a GTX 1070 (recent upgrade) and over 2 years of OC and it has no failed yet.  It's all about budgeting a PC properly, and a $70 dollar PSU in a $400-500 dollar build might not be ideal on a tight budget.  I actually just uploaded a power supply video to my channel and it's almost done posting.

[Droidbot]

Just now, Snaeb said:

I've built I believe 481 computers to date so far.  Of course I would want the best power supply, best case, best of everything in every single build.  But many times that just won't happen.  My fiance rocks the EVGA 500W in her 4690K with a GTX 1070 (recent upgrade) and over 2 years of OC and it has no failed yet.  It's all about budgeting a PC properly, and a $70 dollar PSU in a $400-500 dollar build might not be ideal on a tight budget.  I actually just uploaded a power supply video to my channel and it's almost done posting.

I'm not saying drop $70 on a PSU. But there is very good options under that. 

S12II 430 - $42 at Newegg

S12II 520/620 - $47 at various retailers 

S12G 550 - $57 at Newegg

CXM 450 - $59 somewhere

CXM 750 - $60 at Newegg

XFX TS (Bronze) 550 - $62 at SuperBiiz

CSM 650 - $65 at Newegg

Antec Neo Eco - $65 at SuperBiiz

 

That's just a couple.. 

[Herman Mcpootis]

1 minute ago, Snaeb said:

I've build I believe 481 computers to date so far.  Of course I would want the best power supply, best case, best of everything in every single build.  But many times that just won't happen.  My fiance rocks the EVGA 500W in her 4690K with a GTX 1070 (recent upgrade) and over 2 years of OC and it has no failed yet.  It's all about budgeting a PC properly, and a $70 dollar PSU in a $400-500 dollar build might not be ideal on a tight budget.  I actually just uploaded a power supply video to my channel and it's almost done posting.

just because you know how to build computers doesn't mean you know how to pick good parts. just because one unit of that particular model of power supply hasn't failed under high stress doesn't make a low-end power supply good and okay for high end components like an unlocked i5 and gtx 1070. and who told you that you needed a $70 psu in a $500 build? cuz it sure as hell isn't us. this s12ii from seasonic is only $42 after rebates and shipping and will do a better job than W1 you picked in your build, with better quality capacitators and a 5 year warranty.

[Big Head Tech]

3 minutes ago, Droidbot said:

I'm not saying drop $70 on a PSU. But there is very good options under that. 

S12II 430 - $42 at Newegg

S12II 520/620 - $47 at various retailers 

S12G 550 - $57 at Newegg

CXM 450 - $59 somewhere

CXM 750 - $60 at Newegg

XFX TS (Bronze) 550 - $62 at SuperBiiz

CSM 650 - $65 at Newegg

Antec Neo Eco - $65 at SuperBiiz

 

That's just a couple.. 

When I revamped the guide the S12II's were around $60.  The CX series is garbage and has been avoided since like 2014. Also the Antec Neo series is an older series and is dated.  Would go with a G2/GS for that price.

[Guest]

Just now, Snaeb said:

When I revamped the guide the S12II's were around $60.  The CX series is garbage and has been avoided since like 2014. Also the Antec Neo series is an older series and is dated.  Would go with a G2/GS for that price.

 

[Big Head Tech]

5 minutes ago, herman mcpootis said:

just because you know how to build computers doesn't mean you know how to pick good parts. just because one unit of that particular model of power supply hasn't failed under high stress doesn't make a low-end power supply good and okay for high end components like an unlocked i5 and gtx 1070. and who told you that you needed a $70 psu in a $500 build? cuz it sure as hell isn't us. this s12ii from seasonic is only $42 after rebates and shipping and will do a better job than W1 you picked in your build, with better quality capacitators and a 5 year warranty.

I agree, but I only put the 500W in low end builds?  I'll double check but I thought I used the G2 in the other builds.  I also don't include rebates in my pricing as it's an after thought.

 

Also, I've used the 500W 53 times with 1 failure because the kid put his PC on carpet and suffocated the PSU.