Gaming/Math Build

[NoneuclideanPlays]

Hello, I'm new to PC building but excited to get started. 

1. Budget & Location

I'd like to keep everything within $1000US, but I am willing to go over budget a bit for a significant boost to performance. I am located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas as well.

2. Aim

This computer will be used mostly for light to medium gaming. The games I play mostly are Dark Souls 3, The Witcher 3, LoL and Shadow of Mordor. I'm also perfectly fine with medium settings running 60fps, I don't need the highest settings at 4K resolution. Other than video games I will likely also use the computer for some mathematics computations. Programs like Wolfram Mathematica, Matlab and Python for everything math related. It likely won't be awfully heavy, but I do work with fractals which can take quite a bit of power.

3. Monitors

I only plan on running one monitor for a while at 1920x1080. But in the future I'd like to move to two monitors, both also at 1920x1080.

4. Peripherals

I will need to purchase a keyboard and monitor. Windows 10 would also be nice but I am considering trying Linux, most likely Ubuntu, before devoting the money to Windows.

5. Why are you upgrading?

I am upgrading because currently all I have computer-wise is a Samsung Notebook 7 740U. It gets the job done, but I would like to reduce clutter and files stored on it to make it a simple machine I can bring to class and do minor things on like Wolfram Alpha and Word.

 

How I currently think the build will be best as:

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/TyhMw6
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/TyhMw6/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor  ($159.99 @ Amazon)  (A nice CPU with nice number of cores for running Matlab)
Thermal Compound: ARCTIC - MX4 4g Thermal Paste  ($3.99 @ SuperBiiz)  (Generic compound, don't know much about the differences)
Motherboard: ASRock - AB350 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($73.88 @ OutletPC)   (Inexpensive motherboard with built-in wifi)
Memory: Mushkin - Redline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2800 Memory  (Purchased new in box for $30 off Craigslist)
Storage: Crucial - SanDisk - SSD PLUS 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($44.95 @ Amazon) (Inexpensive SSD off Craigslist)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.99 @ Amazon) (Purchased new open box for $50 off Craigslist)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB SSC GAMING Video Card  ($324.99 @ SuperBiiz) (Purchased B-stock for $250 off Craigslist)
Case: Corsair - SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case  ($39.99 @ Newegg) (Purchased, simple windowed case)
Power Supply: Thermaltake - Smart 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply  ($34.45 @ Amazon) (Purchased, simple PSU with plenty of power for my needs)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit  ($94.89 @ OutletPC) (Want to test Linux before purchasing)
Total: $897.68

As said previously, open to going over budget for performance boost. Also willing to purchase parts different than already purchased, just not preferable. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and advice. Thank you,

[RAM555789]

You want to go with a newer board to avoid having to flash the BIOS, and you will be able to get a better overclock. You can also get WAY cheaper OEM keys of sites like Kinguin. If your paying more then around $30 for an OEM key, your buying from  the wrong site. https://www.kinguin.net/category/19429/windows-10-professional-oem-key/

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor  ($159.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler  ($34.89 @ OutletPC)
Thermal Compound: ARCTIC - MX4 4g Thermal Paste  ($3.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI - X470 GAMING PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Mushkin - Redline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2800 Memory
Storage: Crucial - BX300 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($73.00 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB SSC GAMING Video Card  ($324.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair - SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case  ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Thermaltake - Smart 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply  ($34.45 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit  ($99.99 @ Adorama)
Total: $966.27
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-07-23 20:41 EDT-0400

[DocSwag]

The PSU is pretty crap. Get something better like a CX/CXM grey sticker. The thermal paste is also probably unnecessary.

[NoneuclideanPlays]

2 hours ago, RAM555789 said:

You want to go with a newer board to avoid having to flash the BIOS, and you will be able to get a better overclock. You can also get WAY cheaper OEM keys of sites like Kinguin. If your paying more then around $30 for an OEM key, your buying from  the wrong site. https://www.kinguin.net/category/19429/windows-10-professional-oem-key/

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor  ($159.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler  ($34.89 @ OutletPC)
Thermal Compound: ARCTIC - MX4 4g Thermal Paste  ($3.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI - X470 GAMING PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Mushkin - Redline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2800 Memory
Storage: Crucial - BX300 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($73.00 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB SSC GAMING Video Card  ($324.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair - SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case  ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Thermaltake - Smart 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply  ($34.45 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit  ($99.99 @ Adorama)
Total: $966.27
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-07-23 20:41 EDT-0400

I don't intend on overclocking my system, at most I would raise the hertz of my RAM because of how Ryzen is sensitive to it. I'm also fine waiting for the AMD boot CPU to update the BIOS or paying some business to update it for me. I'll probably change the board to an ASUS STRIX B350-F Gaming board, but I don't think anything more than that is necessary for my use of the machine. As I won't be overclocking the CPU I don't think I need the CRYORIG cooler since the stock Wraith Stealth is a decent cooler. I'm also not sure if you changed the SSD or if it was a glitch in the site, since I actually had that one originally, but I think the performance boost between the Crucial BX300 and the SanDisk SSD Plus is not worth the extra $28 (it's actually $35 on Amazon, PCPartPicker just has the wrong price for some reason.  I may go with your advice on the Kinguin OEM though, should I find I need Windows instead of Linux. I appreciate the feedback, but I do think you're misinterpreting the use of my system. I am new to PCs and as such am uncomfortable with overclocking, I would not want to jeopardize my expensive equipment for the performance boost, I'd rather buy better hardware. 

[NoneuclideanPlays]

1 hour ago, DocSwag said:

The PSU is pretty crap. Get something better like a CX/CXM grey sticker. The thermal paste is also probably unnecessary.

The CX grey sticker is essentially the same PSU as the Thermaltake Smart, Thermaltake just has slightly less amperage. They are also both 80+ Bronze certified. I fail to see the need for a more expensive PSU with only a slight amperage boost, especially considering I already purchased the Thermaltake PSU. Could you please explain? Along the same lines, how is the thermal paste unnecessary? It's useful to create a conductive and psuedo-adhesive layer between the CPU and cooler, no? I would imagine that would help thermals, which I find evidenced in the fact it is used in nearly every, if not all, PC builds. Unless you mean that specific paste is useless? To which I would ask could you please explain how? As I stated in the original post I'm not too familiar with the types of thermal compounds and I would definitely appreciate some more knowledge on the subject. Thank you for your feedback.

[seon123]

3 minutes ago, NoneuclideanPlays said:

The CX grey sticker is essentially the same PSU as the Thermaltake Smart, Thermaltake just has slightly less amperage

The same way the Reliant Robin and the Rolls Royce Ghost is essentially the same car. The Reliant just has slightly less wheels. 

 

No, they're completely different. The Smart is an old group regulated PSU, while the grey label CX and CXM are much newer DC-DC platforms. 

[NoneuclideanPlays]

14 minutes ago, seon123 said:

The same way the Reliant Robin and the Rolls Royce Ghost is essentially the same car. The Reliant just has slightly less wheels. 

 

No, they're completely different. The Smart is an old group regulated PSU, while the grey label CX and CXM are much newer DC-DC platforms. 

Could please explain the difference? I understand the analogy but fail to see how it corresponds to these PSUs. On paper they perform nearly identically. I also don't understand what you mean by DC-DC platform? I can't find that after a quick Google search and the closest thing I can think you mean is direct current. If that's so, I'm more confused. Houses run off AC power, not DC, so a PSU would have to be AC-DC to be useful. As well, as far as I can tell the CX Grey Sticker is AC-DC, so I think I am misunderstanding. 

[seon123]

3 minutes ago, NoneuclideanPlays said:

Could please explain the difference? I understand the analogy but fail to see how it corresponds to these PSUs. On paper they perform nearly identically. I also don't understand what you mean by DC-DC platform? I can't find that after a quick Google search and the closest thing I can think you mean is direct current. If that's so, I'm more confused. Houses run off AC power, not DC, so a PSU would have to be AC-DC to be useful. As well, as far as I can tell the CX Grey Sticker is AC-DC, so I think I am misunderstanding. 

So yes, both PSUs are AC-DC. The DC-DC refers to the 3,3V and 5V rails being generated from the 12V rail. They are DC-DC, and all of the rails are independently regulated. 

In the Smart, the 12V and 5V rails are generated together, meaning that a high load on the 12V rail and a low load on the 5V rail would make both go out of spec. 

Other than that, the fan bearing type will be different (higher end rifle bearing on the grey CX, sleeve bearing on the CXM and Smart, though the one in the CXM should still be better), the capacitor quality will be better, the protection circuit will be better and the transient response will be better. The noise level will also generally be lower with better PSUs. 

There will be more advanced differences that are too advanced for me, but there are people that know more than me in the PSUs and cases section, as well as on professional review websites. 

[NoneuclideanPlays]

3 minutes ago, seon123 said:

So yes, both PSUs are AC-DC. The DC-DC refers to the 3,3V and 5V rails being generated from the 12V rail. They are DC-DC, and all of the rails are independently regulated. 

In the Smart, the 12V and 5V rails are generated together, meaning that a high load on the 12V rail and a low load on the 5V rail would make both go out of spec. 

Other than that, the fan bearing type will be different (higher end rifle bearing on the grey CX, sleeve bearing on the CXM and Smart, though the one in the CXM should still be better), the capacitor quality will be better, the protection circuit will be better and the transient response will be better. The noise level will also generally be lower with better PSUs. 

There will be more advanced differences that are too advanced for me, but there are people that know more than me in the PSUs and cases section, as well as on professional review websites. 

I really appreciate the explanation, thank you. But I am curious if I would ever reach a point where I would need separately generated rails? My build insofar is about 200W below what the PSU is rated for and I won't be overclocking, so I'll only be using about 3/5 of the PSUs power. What causes the rails to go out of spec? What would I have to be doing? The other issues I think are negligible, especially considering I already own the Thermaltake PSU. I don't believe the extra money devoted to a new PSU would be worth the rest of the differences. The only thing that concerns me are the rails. Unless you think I should be more worried about the other issues? I'm still not 100% confident in my knowledge of PSUs.

[DocSwag]

10 hours ago, NoneuclideanPlays said:

The CX grey sticker is essentially the same PSU as the Thermaltake Smart, Thermaltake just has slightly less amperage. They are also both 80+ Bronze certified. I fail to see the need for a more expensive PSU with only a slight amperage boost, especially considering I already purchased the Thermaltake PSU. Could you please explain? Along the same lines, how is the thermal paste unnecessary? It's useful to create a conductive and psuedo-adhesive layer between the CPU and cooler, no? I would imagine that would help thermals, which I find evidenced in the fact it is used in nearly every, if not all, PC builds. Unless you mean that specific paste is useless? To which I would ask could you please explain how? As I stated in the original post I'm not too familiar with the types of thermal compounds and I would definitely appreciate some more knowledge on the subject. Thank you for your feedback.

It's not as simple as wattage, amperage on different rails, and efficiency. Plus, the Thermaltake is actually only 80+ certified whereas cx/cxm is 80+ bronze. As @seon123 mentioned, the Thermaltake is a group regulated unit, whereas the newer cx/cxm is not. When you apply a crossload (some rails loaded up high whereas others are not) the voltages on some of the rails can increase or decrease dramatically. This isn't good for your components as you don't want them getting, say, 4.6v when they should be getting 5v. I wouldn't be surprised if the voltage ripple, the constant rippling of the voltage back and forth is also worse on the Thermaltake. To add, I highly doubt stuff like the capacitors inside the Thermaltake are as good as those used in the cx/cxm series, which would reduce the lifespan of the psu.

 

Is it still possible to return it? If you bought it recently it should still be within the return period. The CX450 is only $5 more, or even cheaper if you count nail in rebates.

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Q7L7YJ/corsair-cx-2017-450w-80-bronze-certified-atx-power-supply-cp-9020120-na

[NoneuclideanPlays]

7 hours ago, DocSwag said:

It's not as simple as wattage, amperage on different rails, and efficiency. Plus, the Thermaltake is actually only 80+ certified whereas cx/cxm is 80+ bronze. As @seon123 mentioned, the Thermaltake is a group regulated unit, whereas the newer cx/cxm is not. When you apply a crossload (some rails loaded up high whereas others are not) the voltages on some of the rails can increase or decrease dramatically. This isn't good for your components as you don't want them getting, say, 4.6v when they should be getting 5v. I wouldn't be surprised if the voltage ripple, the constant rippling of the voltage back and forth is also worse on the Thermaltake. To add, I highly doubt stuff like the capacitors inside the Thermaltake are as good as those used in the cx/cxm series, which would reduce the lifespan of the psu.

 

Is it still possible to return it? If you bought it recently it should still be within the return period. The CX450 is only $5 more, or even cheaper if you count nail in rebates.

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Q7L7YJ/corsair-cx-2017-450w-80-bronze-certified-atx-power-supply-cp-9020120-na

Sadly the PSU was purchase quite a while ago, though it's never been used, just sitting in a closet waiting to be used. I also no longer have the UPC or packaging so I cannot return it. I don't think the risk is worth the extra money for the newer PSU, but what do you think? I feel like I can trust the one I already have. At least for a while.

[DocSwag]

4 hours ago, NoneuclideanPlays said:

Sadly the PSU was purchase quite a while ago, though it's never been used, just sitting in a closet waiting to be used. I also no longer have the UPC or packaging so I cannot return it. I don't think the risk is worth the extra money for the newer PSU, but what do you think? I feel like I can trust the one I already have. At least for a while.

It's not gonna blow your house up or anything. Maybe in a year or two perhaps when you do an upgrade you could buy a solid PSU to go with it; or if you're like me I justified buying a new PSU because my old one was kinda loud