Yeah that's a good one. I'd go for it. Not sure if you can feel out of he'd give you an even better deal at like $300 but worth a shot lol
-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
The PC Builders Thread ("I Need a New PC") v3
- Thread starter Crazymoogle
- Start date
- PC Tech OT
Yeah that's a good one. I'd go for it. Not sure if you can feel out of he'd give you an even better deal at like $300 but worth a shot lol
I would consider getting an 8+-core CPU if you're doing video editing/streaming.Hey folks! I've done 2 builds before, but both were fairly budget, and it's been a while. I'm looking to build something a little more serious this time around, with the following considerations:
Here's what I'm looking at currently, mostly using the logical increments "Superb" tier as a guide, but going a little larger on the storage and not going for the aftermarket HSF as I don't intend to overclock (though if you think I should reconsider, let me know).
- My main monitor is 1080p and I'm fairly happy with that. However, I do have a 4K HDR tv that I wouldn't mind hooking a pc up to occasionally if the option was available. But in general, if I can get something that can play at good frame rates and settings at 1080p, I'll be happy.
- I'm somewhat interested in VR, mainly the Valve Index, but will likely not invest in this in a while, and consider this a secondary consideration for the build. It may even be worth me lowballing the GPU now and upgrading later if price drops are expected in the near future.
- For games in general, I don't really play many graphically demanding games on PC (I have an Xbox One X for couch gaming), and stick to games like Civilization, Rimworld, and sometimes MMOs. I do have Gamepass Ultimate though and wouldn't mind playing around with some of it's PC library. I'm also interested in some of the Sony games coming to PC eventually like Death Stranding, Horizon, and FFVIIR.
- I'm mostly interested in something that would be good for video editing and streaming. I've streamed in the past and mostly stick to console games, especially Switch games. I already have an external capture card, a Hauppauge HD PVR 60, which has worked well enough in the past but I'm not really fond of the software it uses and it has some heavy lag, so I'd like to probably upgrade to something else. I use OBS right now, and if there's something that integrates directly into instead of needing to capture from a window that would be great.
System Builder
pcpartpicker.com
I'm wanting to keep the budget for the build itself between 1,000 and 1,500 USD, though I have a little wiggle room if needed. I'm happy with my microphone, webcam, mouse, monitors, and keyboard, so I'm not worried about the peripherals other than the aforementioned capture card. In the past, I have also bought Windows OS keys from resellers to save money, but if there is a legal or safety reason I should avoid doing that this time around, let me know.
Thanks!
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor
ca.pcpartpicker.com
Swap out your SSD for one that isn't QLC.
ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive
pcpartpicker.com
I'm iffy about the MOBO choice, but it seems your selection is very limited right now.
If you don't need PCI-e gen4, I would go to the recommended MSI Tomahawk MAX B450.
MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard
pcpartpicker.com
Otherwise, the cheapest X570 board i would go for right now is this one.
Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE WIFI ATX AM4 Motherboard
ca.pcpartpicker.com
Also, don't cheap out on your PSU. That's the part you really don't want to fail, ever.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/RW2xCL is basically what you're going to be looking at.
Seems like a great deal and a smart buy to me, dude. The 1080 and 1080ti are still kicking ass. That's a good, reliable one too.
I'm thinking something like this https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/hQyW7T - I use my pc for dev work with VMs and containers (and unfortunately JVM based languages) so always need ram and cpu grunt for compiling.
Apart from that I'm looking for an RT capable card and a decent upgrade from my 970.
I haven't added a monitor, but I'm looking for a 4k hdr capable monitor (doesn't have to be too big) so any suggestions welcome.
Apart from that I'm looking for an RT capable card and a decent upgrade from my 970.
I haven't added a monitor, but I'm looking for a 4k hdr capable monitor (doesn't have to be too big) so any suggestions welcome.
For fun. I'm still up in the air a bit about buying prebuilt or building our own. Here is a list I made. Note: This list was created with immediate availability in mind. I think everything is currently in stock and ready to go. Keep that in mind when telling me what you would and wouldn't change. Some of my first choices were either out of stock or backordered. I'm kind of impatient. So any thoughts? https://pcpartpicker.com/list/tMmLK4
I'm unsure about the dark rock pro, is i necessary or is the stock cooler good enough? I'm probably not going to overclock and I don't mind a louder build but I tossed it in anyway. Also I don't really know anything about what a good motherboard makes so feedback on that would be nice. Any opinions and swaps welcome, just keep in mind I am interested in items that are available.
I'm unsure about the dark rock pro, is i necessary or is the stock cooler good enough? I'm probably not going to overclock and I don't mind a louder build but I tossed it in anyway. Also I don't really know anything about what a good motherboard makes so feedback on that would be nice. Any opinions and swaps welcome, just keep in mind I am interested in items that are available.
Last edited:
I need to build a new PC soon. Resolve is starting to drop frames on 4K playback after going into the Color tab and doing color work. On an i7 4 core / 8 thread CPU, but I'd like to move to Threadripper, as more cores / threads would improve my rendering and scrubbing performance while also being fine for gaming. I think I'll keep my 1080Ti until Nvidia launches whatever chip comes after Turing, as the 10XX series is holding up fine for whatever I throw at it gaming wise at 3440x1440
This is very similar to my build, black version of the meshify C tho. I recommend an Aorus pro or ultra over the MSI board, and ditch the mechanical drive, consider a sata SSD or upgrade the nvme drive to a terabyte. Also I went with the regular dark rock 4 instead of the pro. Its amazing, the PC is almost silent even under heavy load.
Edit: if you change the things I mentioned, you have the exact build I did two weeks ago. It was a total breeze, looks great and runs great. Cable management with that case and the modular PSU took like 2 minutes.
Thanks!I would consider getting an 8+-core CPU if you're doing video editing/streaming.
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor
Swap out your SSD for one that isn't QLC.
ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive
I'm iffy about the MOBO choice, but it seems your selection is very limited right now.
If you don't need PCI-e gen4, I would go to the recommended MSI Tomahawk MAX B450.
MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard
Otherwise, the cheapest X570 board i would go for right now is this one.
Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE WIFI ATX AM4 Motherboard
Also, don't cheap out on your PSU. That's the part you really don't want to fail, ever.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/RW2xCL is basically what you're going to be looking at.
Regarding the mobo, it seems the only difference between the original mobo I picked and the one you suggested is the built in wifi, but it's $100 more. I'm going to have a wired connection anyway, so is that trade off worth it, or am I missing something? I checked the Tomohawk mobo, but PC part picker seems to have some concerns about compatibility. Though it is cheaper so I'd probably go with that if it's fine.
Also, would you recommend that I go cheaper on the GPU, maybe something in the $200 range, until I'm ready to purchase an index? I saw that there's speculation that GPUs might be coming down soon when the next wave of hardware comes, so I'm not too concerned about raw power for games at the moment.
Thanks for the input. I would really prefer building my own. I also might go with the black case. It just feels like a much better idea, but it's not fully my decision. Also yeah I will swap for a larger ssd. I'll look into the boards you recommended. Finding a good board that is available is proving difficult for me.
For cooling you can always test it out first and see if you need it. GPU is really the largest heat source. It might also be worth looking at benchmarks comparing the Ryzen 3600 and 3700x, which could save you $100+ (newegg has 3600 on sale now for $174). My thinking in that regards is there isn't that significant of a performance boost (unless you really need the extra threads for another use case) and since you are getting a X570 motherboard it'll be easy to upgrade the cpu.
If you're not going to put it together yourself, then you might as well get a pre-built.
I totally get paying the tax to have something delivered to you pre-assembled. What I don't like is how you get a gutter tier PSU, RAM, and a cheap motherboard. The one benefit you will get though is very tidy cable management. Plus whatever warranty or guarantee. But it sucks to have poorly accessible parts or case if you need to swap something out later.
Well the reason we have the 3700x is for my spouse to stream games, which is something she has always wanted to do. Otherwise I agree, I would prefer to go with the 3600. I think I will take your advice though and knock off the cooler to see if it's necessary. Anything else you see issues with or recommend?
Yeah after posting on here last night, it's the cheap parts that have really turned me off of the prebuilt pc. Also MazeHaze made me feel a bit more comfortable about building our own. So that's what I am leaning toward personally.
Good idea. The non-modular, non-accommodating power supply can be a real PITA.
I think you will find an incredible amount of self-satisfaction once you've fully assembled your own PC. Just try to go into it with the right attitude, a bunch of patience, and realize that there's a chance that you could receive a DOA component. It will seem like it took a long time to build, but then when you get done you'll come to the realization of how easy it will be the next time.
Thanks for the reassurance.
----
Here is an updated list for all. https://pcpartpicker.com/list/smtCvW I'm struggling to find a better motherboard. Is the ram alright or is 3600 overkill and should I scale back to save a few bucks? Any improvements I can make are welcome. This pc will be used for gaming and streaming games on twitch.
I'd encourage everyone buying a new Ryzen CPU to at least TRY the cooler it comes with. It does everything it needs to. If fan noise is an issue then you can throw money at it anytime you like.
I'd go with the MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX for $115. Over the MPG X570 for $260.
I mean for $145 extra its gonna perform very similar unless it has some feature you need.
Last edited:
Something about the VRMs on the regular Gigabyte UD one is subpar. That's why I upgraded it. Wifi vs Non-Wifi was about $5.
One Wifi thing that is really nice that people don't think about until later, is that it's also Bluetooth capable, meaning you can sync up your Bluetooth console controllers if you ever want to use that for gaming.
X570 Motherboard VRM Overview – der8auer
der8auer.com
As long as you get the MAX version of the Tomahawk, it'll work with Zen 2 CPUs. The warning is there for old versions of the board that requires a BIOS update before you can install the CPU.
If you can skimp on the GPU for now, I would do it. The new generation should be out sometime later this year, which should drive all current GPU prices downwards.
Last edited:
I tend to hear that Ryzen definitely benefits from higher RAM speeds and 3600 is the recommendation I've heard thrown out the most in watching reviews on youtube. But there's also this LTT video that did a lot of testing of various RAM speeds and settings if you really want to see all the details. The benchmarks were all for 1080p gaming I'd guess to ensure CPU/RAM side limitations. If you are going for 4K or 1440p gaming,and pushing your GPU to the limit, then I'm not sure if the performance differentials due to RAM would still exist and the video results might be irrelevant (meaning no real difference from 3200MHz to 3600MHz).
Going to a 3200 speed without any other changes looks like it may be a difference of 10 fps or so in some cases. The conclusion, as I understand it, is 3600 is a safe bet if you don't want to worry about overclocking or messing with Infinity Band settings. Though if you are ok with doing that, then a lower speed RAM with lower CAS latency could give you performance pretty much equal to the 3600 Mhz. I don't know if sifting through all this is worth $10-20 in savings or if you see a good deal.
I don't really know anything about how the speed impacts streaming or if it's just a memory size issue though.
Thank you for this and all the help. We talked and we are going forward with ordering parts. Wish us luck.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ynsnFG Here is what I think is our final build. Unless any folks in here have any objections, here is to hoping these parts all show up and that they work. Thanks to everyone for the help.
Any reason the Asus 2080 Super would be worse than the Gigabyte AORUS?
It seems to be cheaper and other than 1 less HDMI the specs look the same.
pcpartpicker.com
Gigabyte's standard model was recommended when I mentioned I don't care for lights but I would like at least 2 HDMI. I might never want a 3rd but I know I'll want to run a second monitor. Unless this is not what limits the display ports, I maybe just don't know what those ports are for. (This is my first PC)
pcpartpicker.com
I was hoping maybe the Asus version would be the same, but I don't know if theres a reason the performance won't be as good.
It seems to be cheaper and other than 1 less HDMI the specs look the same.
Video Card Comparison
pcpartpicker.com
Gigabyte's standard model was recommended when I mentioned I don't care for lights but I would like at least 2 HDMI. I might never want a 3rd but I know I'll want to run a second monitor. Unless this is not what limits the display ports, I maybe just don't know what those ports are for. (This is my first PC)
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB GAMING OC Video Card
pcpartpicker.com
I was hoping maybe the Asus version would be the same, but I don't know if theres a reason the performance won't be as good.
Anything from those big brands with a good cooler will do just fine. GPUs these days barely have any performance difference outside of top binned ones. Just get something within your budget and is decently cooled.
Awesome, I have my final build I believe then. Mind taking a look. Lots of great help from here, this thread has been huge.
I am curious if my motherboard has USB C it didnt quite look like it and that seems like something it should have right?
PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/zMYmK4
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Freezer 34 eSports DUO CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive
Video Card: Asus GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB STRIX GAMING Advanced Video Card
Case: Fractal Design Meshify C ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GA 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
Monitor: Acer XV273K Pbmiipphzx 27.0" 3840x2160 144 Hz Monitor
I am curious if my motherboard has USB C it didnt quite look like it and that seems like something it should have right?
PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/zMYmK4
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Freezer 34 eSports DUO CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive
Video Card: Asus GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB STRIX GAMING Advanced Video Card
Case: Fractal Design Meshify C ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GA 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
Monitor: Acer XV273K Pbmiipphzx 27.0" 3840x2160 144 Hz Monitor
Hi all, I have a few questions and I'm not exactly sure if this is the right place to ask, but it seems like people here might be able to point me in the right direction.
I've been looking for a new project to start and thinking that I would like to get into building my own custom PC. I mainly want it to play 90's PC games, so it obviously doesn't need to be powerful, but I do want have a more customized appearance and in its functionality. Since I have all my old games on GOG and already running on Windows 10, I would prefer to not have to get them running on another operating system, but at the same time since this will not be my main computer I could do without a lot of the usual bloat of Windows, it wouldn't even need internet. So my questions:
I've been looking for a new project to start and thinking that I would like to get into building my own custom PC. I mainly want it to play 90's PC games, so it obviously doesn't need to be powerful, but I do want have a more customized appearance and in its functionality. Since I have all my old games on GOG and already running on Windows 10, I would prefer to not have to get them running on another operating system, but at the same time since this will not be my main computer I could do without a lot of the usual bloat of Windows, it wouldn't even need internet. So my questions:
- Where is a good place to learn how to make custom Windows builds? This is basically the only reason I would need another computer, because I don't want to mess up my main one. A non-YouTube source is preferable.
- Is it possible to create a custom Windows 10 setup where when you turn on the computer it skips a lot of usual start up programs and automatically launches a custom shell or something with limited functionality? Basically I just want to hit power, be taken to a game selection screen and go.
- Are there places that sell modern computer parts (case, keyboard, mouse) with retro aesthetics or would I have to customize them myself?
I don't think it has usb c header for the front panel, I don't see it. The Aorus Elite of similar price does. But the meshify C also doesn't have a usb C either.
edit: It has one in the back. I thought you meant for the front panel
Awesome, thanks. Getting really excited to pull the trigger and join PC era.
- Note:The Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard has an additional 4-pin ATX power connector but the EVGA SuperNOVA GA 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply does not. This connector is used to supply additional 12V current to the motherboard. While the system will likely still run without it, higher current demands such as extreme overclocking or large video card current draws may require it.
Last edited:
OP
OP
No. This is the LN2 port and you don't need to use it, period, unless you plan on going to extreme power consumption or liquid nitrogen. I don't use it.
Great! Vulcano had recc that previously so I was pretty certain it would be correct I just thought Id ask to be sure before ordering since I never asked about that warning.
OP
OP
I have that board, actually. The plug is not necessary, and to point Buildzoid (kind of an authority on motherboard overclocking on youtube) thinks using it is ridiculous if you're not a stunt-overclocker. It's just delivering unnecessary power. So you can safely ignore PCPP's overzealous warning!
I plan on none of that! This is replacing my 2015 Retina MBP. It's for editing and gaming but I have no plans on OC at all since the machine will handle everything I need without.
Steam big picture mode might work? You could have it launch directly after a reboot, and you can set up shortcuts to non-Steam games. This is what I do, but I only have a handful of games installed at a time (across uPlay, Origin, Epic for example) so it's relatively simple to set up a couple of shortcuts to those games. It might be a bit more faffy to set up a lot of GOG games.
I wonder if there are any alternatives? It'd be great if GOG Galaxy had its own big picture mode.
So I checked out the buyers guide for SSD's (once again, thanks so much for these!) and I'm looking at maybe getting the following: https://www.centrecom.com.au/crucial-p1-1tb-3d-nand-nvme-pcie-m2-ssd
I plan to use this old thing which I've had for nearly five years: https://www.pccasegear.com/products/30449 as my main drive and the Crucial P1 for my Steam library etc.
Does this seem like a good idea? If there's some other way I could be approaching this I'd be happy to learn about it.
I plan to use this old thing which I've had for nearly five years: https://www.pccasegear.com/products/30449 as my main drive and the Crucial P1 for my Steam library etc.
Does this seem like a good idea? If there's some other way I could be approaching this I'd be happy to learn about it.
So I bought a Wi-Fi + Bluetooth pcie card, mainly for the bluetooth so I can connect some wireless headphones and controllers.
Problem is, it requires a USB 2.0 header and my motherboard is out of those. Ideally I would get a splitter, but there are hubs too. Any recommendations?
Problem is, it requires a USB 2.0 header and my motherboard is out of those. Ideally I would get a splitter, but there are hubs too. Any recommendations?
Thanks for replying, but I was thinking more of a custom launcher. I do play some Steam games through big picture on my TV, but ultimately I don't want to have Steam or Galaxy installed at all on the computer. Since GOG games don't need Galaxy to run, I was hoping to find a more customizable program or shell. I don't want any of the functionality, I just want it to have a DOS aesthetic.
whats the best budget friendly card for 1080 gaming that won't be obseltte in 2 years? For reference i don't care about HDR, Ray Tracing, or other stuff. I just want something that will run games at a good rate with minimal tweaking in settings
So my sons PC had the power supply go last night. It was almost 4 years old, 600 watt non name brand. Very limited power supplies in stock it seems. Is this due to supply issues due to the Rona?
Also, we had the power go off in his room. It tripped a circuit breaker I had to reset. Afterwards, his pc wouldn't power up at all. Everything points to the power supply, right? Crossing fingers that it didn't damage anything else.
Also, we had the power go off in his room. It tripped a circuit breaker I had to reset. Afterwards, his pc wouldn't power up at all. Everything points to the power supply, right? Crossing fingers that it didn't damage anything else.
I will never unstand why so many still cheap out on PSU. Getting a no-name PSU is like installing a ticking timebomb in your pc that can blow up any moment.
It was a pre-built system from cyberpower. I wish I had the funds to go ahead and upgrade his motherboard and processor while we are doing this, but saving that for his birthday and Christmas time. Currently has a i5 6400. From what I've read a Ryzen 7 would be a nice cost/performance upgrade.
1080p aka mainstream cards usually don't have 2 years of max settings to spare. They are often quite easily outpaced by graphics advancement. A 1660Ti seems right up your alley but in two years time it might not cut it. Or you could go up a cut and grab a 2060 Super which is a good 1440p card these days and probably can hold out nicely at 1080p later.
I mean you're kinda juxtaposing two completely different qualifications there. The best cheap 1080p card you can get right now is the 1660 Super for around $230. But that's a budget card. It should run 1080p games well for awhile, but it's not going to age gracefully or be a great card in two years. You'd be making concessions by going with anything lower than that which I wouldn't recommend (1650 Super, Radeon 570, 580, or 590). But the 1660 Super should be ideal for your needs.
(The 1660 Ti and Super have similar performance and are basically the same. The Ti predated the Super. The Super came out more recently at a cheaper price.)
Is there a big difference between a 2060 and a super?
Yeah I know, but I mostly play turned base games but would like to get into AAA without selling a kidney. I am really not that big on graphics as long as frame rate is good and stable.
Once you get past the 1660 Super and the 5600 XT things begin to get quite a bit more expensive with the AMD 5700 XT and Nvidia RTX 2060.
The 1660 Super is the card you're describing. Otherwise you can check the used market for a GTX 1070 Ti or 1080 too.
There's also the 5700 (non-XT). However, maybe wait until after Nvidia's announcement on May 14th? We should know more by then.
By that time the Ryzen 4000 Series should be available which will be a very nice upgrade for sure.
the 5700 is not typically found at a price point that can be recommended.
Going by benchmarks and MRSPs, you're basically getting RTX 2060 Super results at $50-$80 cheaper.
AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT Review
The Radeon RX 5600 XT is a respectable product that has pushed for lower prices and better performance at $300. For that alone, we commend it. The...
www.techspot.com
