MATX? Gaming Build Help Requested

[Sibrexis]

Background: I'm looking to build a small form factor gaming rig to replace my nearly 10 year old current PC. It's served well, but it's an i7 920 and it's just not able to keep up anymore. I've only built Intel systems previously, but I'm liking the AMD Ryzen line because of the promised forward compatibility to 2020 so that I have some room to upgrade if something much better comes out. Also, the lower prices don't hurt.

 

Budget: right around $1600

Location: Near Austin, TX
Specific Use: Web browsing/Netflix, lots of spreadsheets, occasional administrative work from home, and gaming. My gaming is mostly Ark or WoW with a side of Stellaris or Civ.
Any preferred components?: I'd really like to move to something smaller than my (huge) full tower chassis so I want to explore an MATX build if that's doable for the gaming I do. Also, I'd like to go Ryzen unless there's a huge performance difference between that and a relative similar priced Intel? Oh, and I really want to cram an NVME boot drive into this price.
Any spare parts you can re-use?: I have a 1000w PSU (this is probably way overkill - is it worth the cost to scale down?) and a Radeon 390 or 390x (I'll have to double check that). If it's still good enough to work then I have no issue reusing it in my next build. Oh, and an optical drive, if I need it.
Overclocking your processor?: Nope.
Need an Operating System?: Yes, I think it's time that I purchased Windows 10.
Need a Monitor? / Mouse? / Keyboard?: I would like to upgrade my monitors sometime later, but that doesn't need to be part of the price here. My mouse and keyboard are in good working condition.
Need a Wireless Card or Adapter? Nope.
Need Another Component? (Specify): Speakers, for the love of Gaben. I have to use my headset for everything and that's really bad for my hearing. I don't need top of the line, but something with good sound quality and a smallish profile for >$75 of the budget would be nice.

Preferred Case Features: I want something significantly smaller than my current HAF 832. Also, I'm not a fan of white cases as my husband's 10 month old NZXT Phantom 630 is already very yellow in places. Windows are meh for me. They're cool, but almost always on side of the case that faces a wall. 
Number of Monitors: 2 (or three... I really do want three, but I'm told that's overkill).
Other Info?: I'm probably about 2-3 months from this budget so ballparks are fine. I know prices change.

 

Current part list at PCPartPicker: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/PTnDD8

[paddy-stone]

OK, this is what I have so far https://pcpartpicker.com/list/kbZY4C

 

It's intel still, and for your usage I think that's the best choice right now still, especially as you don't want to overclock. I'm unsure if you want monitors in this build or not? not sure the budget is there for them. Is the PCPP list you have your current build? if not can you do one with your current parts and then I can see what might be able to be re-used to save some money on your build.

[Sibrexis]

To answer a your questions:

 

- My current system:

 

It's only a few years from museum quality.  The only thing that is probably usable isn't on that list - my PSU is a Raidmax RX 850AE. It's only about 2 years old thanks to the last one pooping out suddenly.

 

- I do not currently need monitors, but I would like the option to upgrade later (so a GPU capable of handling maybe 1080p, I doubt I'm going to do any 1440).

[jamesman8]

My PC has a 1070 and an 8700k, for around the same price. If you swap out my board for a smaller board you can practically have the same system. That SSD you have really isnt necesarry, with windows on an SSD and the rest on a HDD, i've never seen a lack in performance or windows slowing down.
(not including windows)
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/tcRXTH

[Sibrexis]

Yeah, I noticed that it hadn't updated - I had swapped the SSD for a general WD 1TB bulk storage. The big thing is just that I want Steam (mostly Ark) and Windows to boot from the NVME. I'm working on redoing the link above now.

 

Edit: Here's where I'm at now with the switch to Intel - https://pcpartpicker.com/list/GQPC3F. I nixed the speakers (sigh) to bring it down under my target price.

[lukart]

4 hours ago, paddy-stone said:

OK, this is what I have so far https://pcpartpicker.com/list/kbZY4C

 

It's intel still, and for your usage I think that's the best choice right now still, especially as you don't want to overclock. I'm unsure if you want monitors in this build or not? not sure the budget is there for them. Is the PCPP list you have your current build? if not can you do one with your current parts and then I can see what might be able to be re-used to save some money on your build.

 

Would say you dont need such powerful PSU and you could save as well some bucks on the M.2 and have a bigger SSD drive.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/zxcw9W

Edited November 28, 2017 by lukart

[paddy-stone]

9 hours ago, Sibrexis said:

Yeah, I noticed that it hadn't updated - I had swapped the SSD for a general WD 1TB bulk storage. The big thing is just that I want Steam (mostly Ark) and Windows to boot from the NVME. I'm working on redoing the link above now.

 

Edit: Here's where I'm at now with the switch to Intel - https://pcpartpicker.com/list/GQPC3F. I nixed the speakers (sigh) to bring it down under my target price.

There's no point in buying the K variant if you're not going to OC really, same can be said for the Z board, but as the other lesser mobos aren't available yet it's either that or wait for them.

Is there a particular reason why you chose such an expensive mobo?

Why do you want a pci-e SSD?

 

[Sibrexis]

- Mobo: There are only three listed once I limit down to MATX

 

I'm not that comfortable with MSI. I built a computer for a friend with an MSI and had issues that required RMA... twice. It's probably an exception, not the norm, but it was a pretty awful experience. How is AsRock? I'm not familiar with them because I don't think they were around 10 years ago.

 

- CPU: Switched to i5 8400 after a few more in depth reviews. The clock speed had me concerned, but apparently this thing is better than that umber makes it look.

 

- PCI-E SSD: That was really just a "Because I want it" part. I removed it from the most recent build and just subbed in a regular SSD as a boot/Steam drive. Anything to make Ark load in less than 5 minutes.

 

Here's where I'm at: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/9qkFcc