Build Critique (Noob Edition)

[Prelude_dude]

New to PC building; been using gaming laptops for the last 15 years; bought a Lenovo Y520 last June and my motherboard decided to fry it self in September. Waiting on approval from VISA for my warranty claim; but I decided I'm not going back to laptops and try my hand at building a PC.

With the help of MemEX they gave me a preliminary build with a budget of around $1500; did my researched added and picked out a couple of different parts here and there. Any comments on the build?

Looking to get one of those new budget gaming monitors, i currently have the MSI MAG24C; but i am torn between the MSI and the ASUS VG248QE. Both monitors are 144hz 1080P 1MS; with the MSI being a VA panel (and curved) and the ASUS being a TN panel. Tons of great reviews of the ASUS panel; but the curved panels look so sleek and cool. Any comments?

Here is the build:

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/user/jonnie5/saved/Gvh299

TIA

[94CoRd]

I am in no way a PC gamer, but just looking at some of the components, you could probably quash the 128GB SSD and 1TB HDD, and just go with a single 1TB SSD? That is unless you're set on separating the OS and game files. Do games benefit from running on a solid state? Also, if you're doing the build yourself, try out water cooling. Might help if you plan on OC'ing?

[Prelude_dude]

I just have the 128 M.2 SSD and 1TB HDD included on the build so that PC Part Picker will tell me if there is any conflicts. I am not actually buying those parts; I'm actually bringing them over from my dead laptop and reusing the parts.

Just from what I have heard from buddies, loading games on a SSD definitely helps the load times. I am just trying to keep my budget as low as possible; but still purchase something that will last me a good amount of time.

[94CoRd]

Fair enough. Definitely re-use if possible! Good luck on the build. Hopefully other gamers can chime in on the processor and video card selection. Looks like a good PC to me!

[cyra1ax]

Build looks fine to me. Looks like you missed the "I already own this" button for the HDD so there's actually $80 slack in your budget right now.
Only real critique I would say is to change the PSU to something that's at a minimum semi-modular. Preferable fully modular so you can only plug in the cables that you need. The PSU that you picked is going to have alot of extra cables and it's going to be a pain to find space to hide them all in the case that you've got. This is a good PSU (https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX64227) that shouldn't break the bank.
Also Black Friday/Cyber Monday is around the corner so I'd suggest you wait to buy your parts then. Might even be a CPU+mobo combo for cheaper. Another option is to go AMD as well. You can get a 6 core with 12 threads for around $20 less than the processor you've picked out. The Ryzen 2600 is what I would pick for this application and it has the benefit of using the same socket for a while so you can easily upgrade to something way more powerful in the future. I do have to caution that in some games you will lose FPS vs the Intel processor but it makes that up in the productivity space(eg. encoding/rendering video or streaming).

I can't say anything about the monitor so I'll let someone else speak about that.

[Prelude_dude]

Awesome, thanks for the feedback. The PSU you recommended is actually a really good price as well. Will be picking that up. Definitely waiting for black Friday, but just wanted to start pricing stuff out so I have an idea of what I need.

How are computer parts pricing on black friday? Buy the parts at midnight online on thursday?

I had a bad experience with and and laptop years ago, kind of ruined and for me.il I primarily game anyways so I'll take all the fps I can get.

Thanks again for all the suggestions!

[CompletelyNumb]

Black Friday and cyber monday are usually great for components. New Egg USA has their black Friday flyer out already.

[Mitsu3000gt]

The build looks OK to me now that you have one of the best PSUs available in it - most people try to cheap out here and it is one of the worst places to do so.

Only thing I would consider is switching CPU/MOBO to Ryzen - you can get double the threads for less money which is pretty huge depending on what your usage is like. If it were me I would go with a Ryzen 2600/2600X instead of that Intel CPU - it even comes with a decent cooler. The value proposition is off the charts. Intel locking out hyperthreading on those i5 CPUs is unacceptable IMHO. Other than the 9900K, I would be buying Ryzen right now for most mainstream PCs. The only exception would be if everything you did was single threaded, but then you wouldn't need an i5 either.

Ryzen does like fast dual-channel RAM though so if you go that route, bump it up to 3000-3200Mhz - it's exactly the same price so you should be doing that regardless.

[cyra1ax]

Just wanted to point out that you can get an RX590 which was just released a couple of days ago for cheaper or the same price as the GTX1060, and benchmarks have it coming in at around 5-10% faster than the 1060.

[Prelude_dude]

The build looks OK to me now that you have one of the best PSUs available in it - most people try to cheap out here and it is one of the worst places to do so.

Only thing I would consider is switching CPU/MOBO to Ryzen - you can get double the threads for less money which is pretty huge depending on what your usage is like. If it were me I would go with a Ryzen 2600/2600X instead of that Intel CPU - it even comes with a decent cooler. The value proposition is off the charts. Intel locking out hyperthreading on those i5 CPUs is unacceptable IMHO. Other than the 9900K, I would be buying Ryzen right now for most mainstream PCs. The only exception would be if everything you did was single threaded, but then you wouldn't need an i5 either.

Ryzen does like fast dual-channel RAM though so if you go that route, bump it up to 3000-3200Mhz - it's exactly the same price so you should be doing that regardless.

Shit thanks for the info. What MOBO would you recommend? Going with ryzen 2600 and amd rx490, would this be a decent 1080p gaming machine? I primarily game.

[Prelude_dude]

Just wanted to point out that you can get an RX590 which was just released a couple of days ago for cheaper or the same price as the GTX1060, and benchmarks have it coming in at around 5-10% faster than the 1060.

Shit thanks for the heads up! This way I can actually use freesync on my monitor as well.

[cyra1ax]

Shit thanks for the info. What MOBO would you recommend? Going with ryzen 2600 and amd rx490, would this be a decent 1080p gaming machine? I primarily game.
I have this guy (https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813119100) with my 2600X but if you're going with the non-x 2600 then it's overkill. A good B450 mobo will be good for you, you can even go down to a B350 for additional cost savings. When you're doing your research, pay attention to the VRM number and quality as that makes a difference with these Ryzen processors.

Shit thanks for the heads up! This way I can actually use freesync on my monitor as well.
No problem!

[Prelude_dude]

kk, I've done up a AMD build; it actually worked out cheaper than my previous build.

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/6t4qQZ

I keep reading online that the RX 590 is a power hog; so i upgraded the PSU to the Supernova 650; is that over kill? Or is the Supernova 550 sufficient?

Will this set up be good for gaming?

TIA

[BigDL]

kk, I've done up a AMD build; it actually worked out cheaper than my previous build.

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/6t4qQZ

I keep reading online that the RX 590 is a power hog; so i upgraded the PSU to the Supernova 650; is that over kill? Or is the Supernova 550 sufficient?

Will this set up be good for gaming?

TIA

I ran a 1060 6gb with a R7 1700 oc to 3.8 all core and at 2560x1080 no real big issues, except Ark with all the settings cranked up, so at 1080p you should have 0 issues. I also had a B350 prime and for the most part it was okay, some instability with trying to get my non Samsung b-die Ram to clock at 3200 but that doesn't really effect the 2XXX series vs the first gen Ryzen.

Shameless plug but I do have to 1060 6gb for sale ;)

[Gman.45]

Regarding the Asus 24” 144hz monitor - it was the first 144hz monitor I bought about 6 or 7 years ago now. I ran 3 in triple screen for a couple years and they were bullet proof. Haven’t tried or seen the other MSI unit to compare, but you can’t go wrong with that Asus lcd.

[Prelude_dude]

Regarding the Asus 24” 144hz monitor - it was the first 144hz monitor I bought about 6 or 7 years ago now. I ran 3 in triple screen for a couple years and they were bullet proof. Haven’t tried or seen the other MSI unit to compare, but you can’t go wrong with that Asus lcd.

Thanks, yea it's been a staple monitor for gaming for years.

The zotac GTX 1070 is going to be on black Friday sale for 349.99 at bestbuy, how is that card compared to the amd Rx 590?

[cyra1ax]

Thanks, yea it's been a staple monitor for gaming for years.

The zotac GTX 1070 is going to be on black Friday sale for 349.99 at bestbuy, how is that card compared to the amd Rx 590?

1070 is much better than the 590. Only knock against it is that people seem to have more issues with Zotac cards.

[Prelude_dude]

1070 is much better than the 590. Only knock against it is that people seem to have more issues with Zotac cards.

Hrmm thanks for the info, you are right, seems people have issues on the forums with the fans crapping out.

[Mitsu3000gt]

kk, I've done up a AMD build; it actually worked out cheaper than my previous build.

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/6t4qQZ

I keep reading online that the RX 590 is a power hog; so i upgraded the PSU to the Supernova 650; is that over kill? Or is the Supernova 550 sufficient?

Will this set up be good for gaming?

TIA

You don't need Arctic Silver - the included AMD cooler has paste already. Unless you are going for a big OC, the stock cooler and paste is totally fine.

You're probably fine with either power supply. One advantage of going bigger is if you run it in ECO mode (a little switch on all EVGA PSUs), the fan won't even be on most of the time. It gives you headroom for future upgrades too. Most people still buy too much power supply though. To give you an idea I have a power hog X299 setup with a i7 7820X OC'd to 4.7 GHz on all 8 cores, Nvidia Titan X, 32GB RAM, 4 spinner drives, 4 SSDs, 5 fans, etc. and the most I have ever seen for a power draw from the wall is about 550-600w and that includes my monitor and all peripherals. I use an 860W PSU.

Also you can get 3200 Mhz RAM for the same price, so swap out that 3000 Mhz. Ryzen CPUs want the fastest RAM they can get. Price beat this stuff at MemEx: https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/Cf98TW/gskill-memory-f43200c16d16gvkb

That Mobo will be great, the Asus Prime boards are my go-to for standard builds. That one is cheap too - Ryzen builds are such good bang for the buck.

Also if it becomes an option, get an EVGA video card - by far the best warranty and post purchase service should something go wrong. Your power supply also has a 10 year warranty which is awesome.

The only other thing you might consider is getting a better case. For $150 or so you can buy pretty well the best cases available, and they are sound deadened with asphalt - it also comes with 3 good quality fans so you don't need to buy any, making the price difference between what you have selected not much at all:

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/jGGxFT/fractal-design-define-r6-black-atx-mid-tower-case-fd-ca-def-r6-bk

[Prelude_dude]

Sick, thanks so much for all the info and suggestions.

Got the case, fans, ram from new egg on their pre black Friday sales. Ended up with the tempered glass version of the cooler master for like 20 bux off, so I just went with that one. Trying to keep my budget as low as possible. Got the monitor for a decent deal on sale from mem ex, now just seeing what's going to be on sale for Psu, gpu and mobo on Thursday night online at mem ex. Wish me luck!

[Mitsu3000gt]

It's going to be a sweet build :thumbsup:

[Prelude_dude]

unfortunately due to the Canada Post strike, everything that i ordered on Monday from newegg is getting delayed by the strike. Keep getting emails from Canada Post that it keeps getting delayed further and further. Estimated time for everything is mid to late next week now.

[Prelude_dude]

Alright! Got everything ordered; now just waiting for everything to come in the mail. Black Friday deals were pretty good; managed to stay under my budget of $1600 and get some better parts.

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/p33Rhy

[Mitsu3000gt]

Newegg has some promo codes and mail in rebates on those EVGA PSUs, make sure you take advantage of everything.

[Prelude_dude]

Newegg has some promo codes and mail in rebates on those EVGA PSUs, make sure you take advantage of everything.

oh yea i believe i have about $40 dollars worth of mail in rebates to claim. Just a pain in the ass that you still have to cut out the barcode... like i can't just take a picture of it?

Still waiting on the GPU.... stupid canada post is still backed up.

Starting piecing the computer together. This is fun as shit; I love building models; so this was right up my alley. If I knew it was this fun, I would of started doing this years ago. The cable management took me forever though; took me about 4 hours lol. Screwing the CPU Cooler actually pretty tough; you really have to push down hard on those mother boards... so scared to break the thing. To do some rewiring and organizing, I had to pull out the huge plug for the PSU to the motherboard; that made me sweat lol; that thing locks in tight.

Below are some pictures of the build so far minus the CPU. I feel pretty proud of the cable management lol, not sure if its actually any good though.

Video of all the lights as well lol. I am loving RGB.

84171

84170


https://photos.app.goo.gl/KBwd3puf3F3rFzmSA

[Mitsu3000gt]

Looks awesome man, glad you're happy with it :thumbsup:

You can pull out that lower drive bay and get more airflow if you want, it's blocking about half of your lower front fan. If that's an SSD on top (can't tell with the pic size) you could even just velcro it to the bottom of the case if there is nowhere else to put it. Some cases have mounts for it near the back of the mobo on the opposite of the case but I don't see any on that particular case - you can velcro it back there too if you want if there's room, or use some 2-sided tape. Those SATA III SSD's don't really need to be cooled (if that's what it is).

[Prelude_dude]

Looks awesome man, glad you're happy with it :thumbsup:

You can pull out that lower drive bay and get more airflow if you want, it's blocking about half of your lower front fan. If that's an SSD on top (can't tell with the pic size) you could even just velcro it to the bottom of the case if there is nowhere else to put it. Some cases have mounts for it near the back of the mobo on the opposite of the case but I don't see any on that particular case - you can velcro it back there too if you want if there's room, or use some 2-sided tape. Those SATA III SSD's don't really need to be cooled (if that's what it is).

its actually a 2.5inch spinner HDD; does that make a difference? Can i still just mount it there? I actually laid some electrical tape down on the bottom where its laying so the metal part of the HDD is not touching the metal cage.

[Mitsu3000gt]

its actually a 2.5inch spinner HDD; does that make a difference? Can i still just mount it there? I actually laid some electrical tape down on the bottom where its laying so the metal part of the HDD is not touching the metal cage.

Ah, I see. As long as there is good airflow in the case you don't really need any active cooling for HDDs, especially if it's a storage drive and not something you are hammering on all the time. I imagine the slower (5400RPM) drives generate less heat too. It's not bad the way you've got it set up, so it's totally up to you. If you mounted it on the bottom of the case maybe slip a little foam or something under it for a vibration/shock buffer. The same fan would still be cooling it too, just without that big empty drive bay blocking airflow from the front bottom fan to the rest of the case. Or if you can roate that drive bay 90 degrees the air could flow through and you could leave the HDD where it is. Just some suggestions anyway, you're not hurting anything the way it is.

Also those stock AMD collers looks great - and they are actually decent, unlike the garbage Intel ships with.

If your TUF mobo is like mine, there is a dedicated fan for the M2 SSD as well which is cool.

[Prelude_dude]

Ah, I see. As long as there is good airflow in the case you don't really need any active cooling for HDDs, especially if it's a storage drive and not something you are hammering on all the time. I imagine the slower (5400RPM) drives generate less heat too. It's not bad the way you've got it set up, so it's totally up to you. If you mounted it on the bottom of the case maybe slip a little foam or something under it for a vibration/shock buffer. The same fan would still be cooling it too, just without that big empty drive bay blocking airflow from the front bottom fan to the rest of the case. Or if you can roate that drive bay 90 degrees the air could flow through and you could leave the HDD where it is. Just some suggestions anyway, you're not hurting anything the way it is.

Also those stock AMD collers looks great - and they are actually decent, unlike the garbage Intel ships with.

If your TUF mobo is like mine, there is a dedicated fan for the M2 SSD as well which is cool.

No, unfortunately my TUF mobo does not have a dedicated fan for the M.2 SSD; but no complaints so far.

Got the GPU! This baby is up and running and oh is it so sweeeeeeet! Thanks for all the help from everyone on this. Check out the entire desk set up.

84346
84347
84348

Tried to hide the wires as best as possible; took forever, but I think it looks pretty clean. I did tighten up the cable management a bit even more so it looks even better.

Also I have been trying to update the BIOS on this MOBO, which is a ASUS TUF B450 PLUS and i am not having any luck. Anyone have any experience doing this for ASUS motherboards? I've downloaded the BIOS, and using the EZFLASH its not recognizing the file.... when i try to scan the barcode in the manual on how to update the BIOS, it takes me to the chinese asus website.... no fucking help at all lol.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Looks awesome :thumbsup:

On my ASUS TUF board the BIOS update is really simple, so hopefully you're just missing a step:

1) Download the new BIOS and put only that file on a fresh USB drive (it is a "CAP" file)
2) Pop in the USB drive and boot into the BIOS
3) Go to "Advanced Settings" then "Tools" then "EZ Flash"
4) From the dropdown menu of drives, select the flash drive (all your internal drives will show up too - ignore them)
5) Once you select the flash drive you should see the new BIOS file and select it - it will ask "if you really want to read the file" Say Yes

That should be it - it will update and may reboot a couple times in the process.

You get the file here, but you probably already know that if you've got as far as trying to install it (double check the exact mobo model):

https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/TUF-B450-PLUS-GAMING/HelpDesk_BIOS/


The other thing is if you aren't having any issues with anything, you could just not update the BIOS. A lot of people have the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" mentality with BIOSes because often times the new BIOS versions come with a new set of bugs. Go on some forums to find out if the new BIOS is stable and if anyone is having issues with it first - if you're confident it's all good, then go ahead and update.

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

I just drop mine onto the root of my C:\ drive, and flash from that.

[BigDL]

My C6H has issues trying to update inside of the Bios, i could only get it to recognize the file if I used ezupdate via the asus app in windows. It would then reboot and launch the update in the bios.

[Prelude_dude]

Didn't miss a step; tried both methods, booting from the BIOS and the ezupdate via asus app in windows.

Both would not recognize the .cap file... so weird.

Probably just leave it as is at this point; the updates to the current BIOS don't really affect me; i have the last update that contained stability changes.

Just kind of annoying that it was not allowing me to do it.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Didn't miss a step; tried both methods, booting from the BIOS and the ezupdate via asus app in windows.

Both would not recognize the .cap file... so weird.

Probably just leave it as is at this point; the updates to the current BIOS don't really affect me; i have the last update that contained stability changes.

Just kind of annoying that it was not allowing me to do it.

That is odd. There is probably a way to do it, but not worth the effort if you don't have any issues. I have made more problems for myself by updating the bios than not over the years for sure. The most important things in the last year or so have been optimizations to Intel/AMD code to improve the performance hit due to their patching of vulnerabilities (meltdown/spectre), and even then you would only notice that under certain scenarios. That and RAM compatibility, but only if needed. If it's working for you I'd say just leave it for now and continue enjoying the new PC.

[Prelude_dude]

That is odd. There is probably a way to do it, but not worth the effort if you don't have any issues. I have made more problems for myself by updating the bios than not over the years for sure. The most important things in the last year or so have been optimizations to Intel/AMD code to improve the performance hit due to their patching of vulnerabilities (meltdown/spectre), and even then you would only notice that under certain scenarios. That and RAM compatibility, but only if needed. If it's working for you I'd say just leave it for now and continue enjoying the new PC.

I'm such a noob lol.... I was trying to install the TUF B450 Plus Gaming BIOS when mine is the TUF B450M Plus Gaming.... that stupid M lol...

There was actually stability improvements, so i ended up using EZFlash and updating the BIOS. As you speculated though.... after updating the BIOS my corsair ICUE software now cannot detect my Vengeance Pro RGB ram now... so my RGB's is all sporatic; based on the forums other people are having this issue as well. Not a huge deal, just the colours are flashing randomly now.

[Mitsu3000gt]

I'm such a noob lol.... I was trying to install the TUF B450 Plus Gaming BIOS when mine is the TUF B450M Plus Gaming.... that stupid M lol...

There was actually stability improvements, so i ended up using EZFlash and updating the BIOS. As you speculated though.... after updating the BIOS my corsair ICUE software now cannot detect my Vengeance Pro RGB ram now... so my RGB's is all sporatic; based on the forums other people are having this issue as well. Not a huge deal, just the colours are flashing randomly now.

Aw jeez, haha. Oh well - at least now you know it has to be very specific for the next time.

Yeah often the best thing to do before BIOS updates is to pour through forums (I like overclockers.net mobo specific threads where Asus employees are active) after they have been out for a while, and try to see what kind of issues people are having and if they will affect you. Since that takes a lot of time, I generally suggest people just leave it alone unless there are major performance/stability updates or if it solves a specific problem (i.e. specific RAM compatibility). You can roll back or you can look for a solution on the flashing RAM, up to you - at least it's just cosmetic! Also any custom settings you changed in the BIOS will have to be re-entered (i.e. fan curves, overclocks, etc.) so it's a good idea to write those down or take pictures of the screens with your phone, if applicable.

[Chandler_Racing]

Have some cash burning a hole in my pocket. Don't know it's worthy of a new thread but looking at a semi high end gaming station.

Wanted to see if I am missing anything or should I be changing certain components? I will price check or match with pcpartpicker just used ME's system configurator for now.



Corsair Obsidian 500D RGB SE Series Premium ATX Mid Tower Case w/ Tempered Glass, 3x 120mm LL120 RGB Fans, Black
$349.99

Intel Core™ i7-9700K Processor, 3.6GHz w/ 12MB Cache
$529.99

Arctic Cooling MX-2 Thermal Compound, 65g
$39.99

Asus ROG Strix Z390-I Gaming w/ DDR4 2666, 7.1 Audio, Dual M.2, Gigabit LAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
$279.99

Corsair Dominator Platinum 16GB DDR4 3000MHz CL15 Dual Channel Kit (2x 8GB), Black
$259.99

Samsung 970 PRO NVMe M.2 PCIe x4 SSD, 512GB
$259.99

EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Black GAMING 8GB PCI-E w/ HDMI, Triple DP, USB-C
$999.99

Corsair RMx Series RM1000x 80+ Gold Fully Modular ATX Power Supply, 1000W
$204.99

Memory Express Assemble Hardware

Philips Brilliance 499P9H 49in 32:9 Super Wide 5K QHD Curved HDR LED LCD w/ USB 3.1 Gen2 Hub, KVM, FHD Web Cam
$1,769.99

[Xtrema]

I know it's cash burning in your pocket, but it may be interesting to wait til June to see what AMD say about Ryzen 3 line up is going to be like?

I got a feeling even if you decide to stick with Intel, it will be a lot cheaper or competitive. But I think AMD got Intel beat with 7nm process this time around.

[KRyn]

Have some cash burning a hole in my pocket. Don't know it's worthy of a new thread but looking at a semi high end gaming station.

Wanted to see if I am missing anything or should I be changing certain components? I will price check or match with pcpartpicker just used ME's system configurator for now.

Any interest in a very, very lightly used Fractal Define R6 Black USB C (https://www.fractal-design.com/home/product/cases/define-series/define-r6-usb-c) case?

[Chandler_Racing]

Not against waiting till June as it is the ideal time to have it but unlikely to purchase AMD products. With that said, there is always a latest and greatest coming out so never been a fan of waiting for a slightly better solution.

In terms of the Fractal case not something I am interested in.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Have some cash burning a hole in my pocket. Don't know it's worthy of a new thread but looking at a semi high end gaming station.

Wanted to see if I am missing anything or should I be changing certain components? I will price check or match with pcpartpicker just used ME's system configurator for now.

AMD Showed Ryzen 3 beating a 9900K at CES, but not a lot of details were known. I'd probably wait to see what they come out with if I was dropping $3K+ on a new system, but it's entirely up to you. Once their 16C/32T R3 sku drops I will be tempted to upgrade.

If it were my build I would change the following:

- Trident Z 3200 Mhz RAM for the same or less money
- EVGA Supernova G3 1000W is an as good or slightly better PSU for less money and better warranty (service) than the Corsair RM1000x, but both are top tier PSUs that should give you zero problems for the life of the system.
- Fractal Design R6 case, partially personal preference there. $350 is also a lot for any case and that is low hanging fruit for savings, plus I have not see a better case from a functionality or build quality standpoint than the Fractals.
- There is no need to get a 970 Pro, the EVO is almost identical and more than what 99% of users will need. The difference is primarily warranty and write endurance which are both not really important in a typical usage scenario. $60 isn't a ton of savings but you can put it towards a 1TB EVO or just enjoy the savings
- I wouldn't buy IPR - 4year IPR on a $3,000 system is about $600 LOL

1000W is also overkill for that system if you are only using the 1 GPU, so if you want you can drop down to 750-850W pretty easily and still have tons of headroom for overclocks with a ~$50 savings. The nice thing about good PSUs is they actually perform at their advertised ratings under load. The two PSUs discussed here actually run at almost Platinum efficiency even though they are Gold rated.

You don't mention what CPU cooler you're getting, I'd suggest a Noctua NH-D15, and then you also don't need that Arctic Silver as it comes with it's own paste. It outperforms most 240mm AIO's without having to ever be replaced or leak.

You might need a copy of W10 Home too.

Just my $0.02

[Xtrema]

Not against waiting till June as it is the ideal time to have it but unlikely to purchase AMD products. With that said, there is always a latest and greatest coming out so never been a fan of waiting for a slightly better solution.

In terms of the Fractal case not something I am interested in.

Nothing wrong with your built.

Assuming your monitor's 60hz is fine? Assuming you are going after 32:9 aspect ratio instead?

[Chandler_Racing]

AMD Showed Ryzen 3 beating a 9900K at CES, but not a lot of details were known. I'd probably wait to see what they come out with if I was dropping $3K+ on a new system, but it's entirely up to you. Once their 16C/32T R3 sku drops I will be tempted to upgrade.

If it were my build I would change the following:

- Trident Z 3200 Mhz RAM for the same or less money
- EVGA Supernova G3 1000W is an as good or slightly better PSU for less money and better warranty (service) than the Corsair RM1000x, but both are top tier PSUs that should give you zero problems for the life of the system.
- Fractal Design R6 case, partially personal preference there. $350 is also a lot for any case and that is low hanging fruit for savings, plus I have not see a better case from a functionality or build quality standpoint than the Fractals.
- There is no need to get a 970 Pro, the EVO is almost identical and more than what 99% of users will need. The difference is primarily warranty and write endurance which are both not really important in a typical usage scenario. $60 isn't a ton of savings but you can put it towards a 1TB EVO or just enjoy the savings
- I wouldn't buy IPR - 4year IPR on a $3,000 system is about $600 LOL

1000W is also overkill for that system if you are only using the 1 GPU, so if you want you can drop down to 750-850W pretty easily and still have tons of headroom for overclocks with a ~$50 savings. The nice thing about good PSUs is they actually perform at their advertised ratings under load. The two PSUs discussed here actually run at almost Platinum efficiency even though they are Gold rated.

You don't mention what CPU cooler you're getting, I'd suggest a Noctua NH-D15, and then you also don't need that Arctic Silver as it comes with it's own paste. It outperforms most 240mm AIO's without having to ever be replaced or leak.

You might need a copy of W10 Home too.

Just my $0.02

Will the motherboard support 3200 ram?

I do have an 850 watt power supply in my computer now could probably just repurpose that one.

Fractal case is just not my style.

I will downgrade from the pro on storage and agreed on IPR.

For the cooler, was thinking Be Quite ones but will do some research on them.

The 60hz is somewhat of an issue for a gaming monitor. I believe dell offers a 49” ultra wide but it was $2,200 a little silly for a computer monitor.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Will the motherboard support 3200 ram?

I do have an 850 watt power supply in my computer now could probably just repurpose that one.

Fractal case is just not my style.

I will downgrade from the pro on storage and agreed on IPR.

For the cooler, was thinking Be Quite ones but will do some research on them.

The 60hz is somewhat of an issue for a gaming monitor. I believe dell offers a 49” ultra wide but it was $2,200 a little silly for a computer monitor.

Yup - the mobo you have selected can handle up to 4,500 MHz RAM. Running the 3200Mhz should be as simple as clicking the XMP Profile box in the bios. The reason the board is advertised at 2666Mhz is that technically you are overclocking the RAM to get higher than that.

BeQuiet make some good coolers too. If you're looking at the Dark Rock Pro 3/4 the NH-D15 is still the better performer to my knowledge. The NH-D15 is kind of the 'gold standard' air cooler but lots of companies are copying that design now. A lot of coolers including Noctua come with their own paste so you may not need that Arctic Silver depending what you buy.

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/be-quiet-dark-rock-pro-4-cpu-cooler,5559-2.html
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/be-quiet-dark-rock-pro-3-cpu-cooler,4350-2.html