Finalized Build, But Require Building Advice

[MasonK]

As of today, I finalized my first PC build, except for the storage solution(s) because I noticed prices are fluctuating for SSDs and HDDs. If you have any advice, feel free to send some advice my way. Oh, and I’m only considering the 970 pro because I’m told it delivers more consistent speeds, and boasts a longer lifespan.

 

As for the remainder of my components, I’m completely settled on those, but I was wondering what thermal compound I should consider. I’m unaware of the differences that different grades of thermal paste can achieve for overclocking, and basic everyday performance if you have a good enough cooler.

 

Finally, I’ve watched a myriad of building tutorials but besides a philips screwdriver and following those same guidelines, are there any other tips and tricks some of the PC-building veterans on this forum would recommend? 

 

PC Part List: https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/FmsHq4

[Herman Mcpootis]

a 970 evo will do the job just fine, the thermal compound that comes with the cooler is good enough.

[Guest]

In general:

- Anti static wrist straps are overrated, as long as you're touching some part of the case every now and then you'll be fine

- Components aren't really that delicate, only thing you should worry about are LGA socket pins. Even PGA CPU pins are pretty strong

- That said, go light on the screwing. If you slip you can hit the motherboard which can damage it if you hit the wrong spot

- Read the manuals for things like your case or cooler

- Try not to rush it too much

- Overall just don't be an idiot and you'll probably be fine

 

In terms of overclocking, if you get to that:

- Only thing that can really kill a component is voltage

- Try not to exceed 1.45v on any CPU. 1.5 is doable but pretty much the limit unless you're on LN2 or something

- XMP is all well and good but it's better to manually key in your RAM timings into the BIOS

[Herman Mcpootis]

some slight changes:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz 6-Core Processor  ($464.99 @ Amazon Canada) 
CPU Cooler: EVGA - CLC 280 113.5 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($129.99 @ Amazon Canada) 
Motherboard: EVGA - Z370 Classified K ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($214.99 @ Amazon Canada) 
Memory: Team - Vulcan 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($175.99 @ Newegg Canada) 
Storage: Samsung - 970 Evo 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive  ($229.99 @ Amazon Canada) 
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($73.99 @ Mike's Computer Shop) 
Video Card: NVIDIA - GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Video Card  (Purchased For $525.00) 
Case: Fractal Design - Define R6 Gunmetal TG ATX Mid Tower Case  ($189.99 @ Amazon Canada) 
Power Supply: Corsair - RMx (2018) 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($149.99 @ Mike's Computer Shop) 
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit  (Purchased For $200.00) 
Software: Malwarebytes - Anti-Malware Premium (1 Year Subscription) Software 
Monitor: Dell - S2716DG 27.0" 2560x1440 144Hz Monitor  ($637.98 @ Amazon Canada) 
Total: $2992.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-09-04 00:18 EDT-0400

[forregacc02]

2 hours ago, MasonK said:

As of today, I finalized my first PC build, except for the storage solution(s) because I noticed prices are fluctuating for SSDs and HDDs. If you have any advice, feel free to send some advice my way. Oh, and I’m only considering the 970 pro because I’m told it delivers more consistent speeds, and boasts a longer lifespan.

 

As for the remainder of my components, I’m completely settled on those, but I was wondering what thermal compound I should consider. I’m unaware of the differences that different grades of thermal paste can achieve for overclocking, and basic everyday performance if you have a good enough cooler.

 

Finally, I’ve watched a myriad of building tutorials but besides a philips screwdriver and following those same guidelines, are there any other tips and tricks some of the PC-building veterans on this forum would recommend? 

 

PC Part List: https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/FmsHq4

Your build looks fantastic! You don't need a thermal compound to be honest. The one included in the cooler is fine. As for the tools needed, it's an option to have a cable tie cutter with you since the NZXT H700i comes with a bunch of cable ties to help with the cable management

[MasonK]

18 hours ago, Herman Mcpootis said:

a 970 evo will do the job just fine, the thermal compound that comes with the cooler is good enough.

Okay, perfect then! I’ll switch to the 970 evo and save myself some money on this rather pricey build. Oh, and I didn’t realize coolers included thermal compound! Thank you for informing me of that fact.

 

18 hours ago, Leinad4400 said:

In general:

- Anti static wrist straps are overrated, as long as you're touching some part of the case every now and then you'll be fine

- Components aren't really that delicate, only thing you should worry about are LGA socket pins. Even PGA CPU pins are pretty strong

- That said, go light on the screwing. If you slip you can hit the motherboard which can damage it if you hit the wrong spot

- Read the manuals for things like your case or cooler

- Try not to rush it too much

- Overall just don't be an idiot and you'll probably be fine

 

In terms of overclocking, if you get to that:

- Only thing that can really kill a component is voltage

- Try not to exceed 1.45v on any CPU. 1.5 is doable but pretty much the limit unless you're on LN2 or something

- XMP is all well and good but it's better to manually key in your RAM timings into the BIOS

I appreciate the advice, and i’ll keep it in mind during the next few weeks while I await my parts. 

 

15 hours ago, forregacc02 said:

Your build looks fantastic! You don't need a thermal compound to be honest. The one included in the cooler is fine. As for the tools needed, it's an option to have a cable tie cutter with you since the NZXT H700i comes with a bunch of cable ties to help with the cable management

Thank you for the commendation - it means a lot, considering it is my first build. Luckily, I indeed have some cable tie cutters lying around so there’s no need to purchase any other tools.