first time builder after feedback

[dazza555]

Hi all, after looking through some feedback on another post and hours of youtube videos (Thanks Linus) I've steadily narrowed down my list of components. Now I was after some feedback and thoughts from experienced builders out there so here goes:

Motherboard: Asus Prime Z270-A
Processor: i7 7700K
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15
Case: Cooler Master Master Case Pro 5
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury 16gb (2x8gb) 2133mHz
PSU: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze
Storage: Corsair Force MP500 120gb

Planned down the line
GPU: GTX 1060 6gb
Storage: 4TB 7200RPM 3.5" drive
Memory: Another 16gb of Kingston HyperX Fury
Disk Drive: DVD burner BluRay Reader
Maybe upgrade to water cooling

Initially all I need the computer for is media serving over my home network using my external drives as well as being able to run microsoft office for my uni work. Eventually a little light gaming is planned as well as the need to run virtual machine and some mid-range photo editing. Also I'm trying to keep close to the $1000 price mark and my initial build sits at $1300.

So as an experienced builder what changes would you make and why? I do have some concerns about the PSU I've chosen, is it worth the extra money for a higher end one and should I aim for something with a bit more power? I also have some concerns about cooling, aside from my CPU cooler what other fans should I be looking at getting? Finally is there anything I've over looked or got completely wrong?

 

Also I'm located in Melbourne, Australia and I already have a monitor, keyboard and mouse. My previous computers have all been laptops (currently an asus netbook hitting the 6yr mark) so this is not only my first build but first desktop PC. Before I forget also, any tips on saving a few dollars off the build will be appreciated too.

[ChackoM]

Go for Ryzen. The i7 is amazing for just pure gaming, but Ryzen is way better for productivity and what you're going to do with the PC.

 

It's also much cheaper

[genexis_x]

That PSU...

[dazza555]

Ok, between this forum and another I am being told that Ryzen is clearly a better choice for my computing needs. I'm leaning more towards the R7 1700 as it includes a cooling option and saves me about $150 off the i7 (including the cooler) and I fail to see much difference between it and the R7 1700X. The clock speeds between the 1700 and 1700X seem very small and the lack of an included cooler makes me not want to spend an extra $80. I am curious as to what the differences are between the R7's as the clock speed bump doesn't seem worth that much extra money.

 

So from here as I know nothing of AMD can I get some recommendations on motherboards? Is there any important differences between the capabilities of an R7 setup compared to an i7? Also is the significant difference between the R7 and i7's clock speeds going to drag my system down over time? I intend to keep this build for years to come and one of my factors for choosing the i7 is the fact that it can easily be overclocked to 5gHz to squeeze more speed out of an aging system.

[brob]

On 7/31/2017 at 5:25 AM, ChackoM said:

Go for Ryzen. The i7 is amazing for just pure gaming, but Ryzen is way better for productivity and what you're going to do with the PC.

 

It's also much cheaper

i7 is also better for lightly threaded work like photo editing and word processing.

 

Ryzen may seem a better option. But it only is if there is room in the budget for a gpu.

 

@dazza555, something like the following non-overclocking system will provide a powerful initial setup needing just a good gpu for gaming.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-7700 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($415.00 @ Mwave Australia) 
Motherboard: Asus - PRIME B250M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($119.00 @ Shopping Express) 
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($195.00 @ Umart) 
Storage: Crucial - MX300 275GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($128.00 @ Shopping Express) 
Storage: Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($62.00 @ Shopping Express) 
Case: Cooler Master - N200 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($58.00 @ Shopping Express) 
Power Supply: Corsair - CXM 450W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($85.00 @ Shopping Express) 
Total: $1062.00
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-08-06 00:06 AEST+1000