PC Build Thread

[nzwasp]

Are there any Ryzen 5000 Series Compatible Motherboards that you recommend that are onsale right now?

[Mitsu3000gt]

Are there any Ryzen 5000 Series Compatible Motherboards that you recommend that are onsale right now?

Not on Amazon, the PC component deals I have seen so far are pretty terrible this year.

This is a very good mid-range board that is on sale, but the non-WiFi version is still $10 cheaper if you don't need it: https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX77774

This is the cheapest X570 board worth buying: https://www.newegg.ca/asus-prime-x570-p/p/N82E16813119199?Item=N82E16813119199&nm_mc=AFC-RAN-CAN&cm_mmc=AFC-RAN-CAN&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_source=afc-PCPartPicker&AFFID=2558510&AFFNAME=PCPartPicker&ACRID=1&ASID=https%3a%2f%2fca.pcpartpicker.com%2f&ranMID=44589&ranEAID=2558510&ranSiteID=8BacdVP0GFs-grfUsG.JlXfwIZ6fDLITvg

You can go with the lower B550 chipset to save a few bucks but the good B550 boards are so close in price to the good X570 boards that IMO it's not worth it, especially if you are going to keep the build for a long time.

[nzwasp]

I dont need wifi because I have a PCI wifi card but I would prefer if it was onboard.

[Mitsu3000gt]

I dont need wifi because I have a PCI wifi card but I would prefer if it was onboard.

OK well then since it's on sale, for only $10 extra you get WiFi on that first board I linked, compared to the same board without it.

[nzwasp]

Why do motherboards still come with ps2 ports on them?

Is it worth getting those little NVMe SSD drives and does the TUF X-570 board support them? (i cant tell).
The reviews on the board suggest the ram speeds are a bit tough. As in it wont go past 2166 speed ram, and crashes when you try and push it past that.

[colsankey]

People like mechanical keyboards..

An m.2 nvme drive is defiantely worth getting, if you can get a decent price, I'd get a 500GB or 1tb for windows and a few apps.

Then a traditional sata3 ssd for games/apps.

If you love saving media to your pc, that's the only way I'd look at a standard hard drive these days. And only if you need more than 100-200gbs

[Mitsu3000gt]

Why do motherboards still come with ps2 ports on them?

Is it worth getting those little NVMe SSD drives and does the TUF X-570 board support them? (i cant tell).
The reviews on the board suggest the ram speeds are a bit tough. As in it wont go past 2166 speed ram, and crashes when you try and push it past that.

Some motherboards still have PS/2 for legacy peripheral support and mechanical keyboards. I can't imagine many people actually use it though. A lot of motherboards don't have it. The one I just bought doesn't have it.

These days there is no reason not to get a NVMe drive for your primary/OS drive. Prices have come down to the point there is no real difference between that and a SATAIII SSD in the smaller, more common sizes. As you get into the larger sizes like 2TB, the price difference becomes a lot bigger.

That Asus TUF board will take two M.2/NVMe drives and up to 8X SATAIII drives.

For Ryzen memory you want either 3200Mhz CL14 or 3600Mhz CL16 (3600Mhz is better regardless, slightly) for maximum performance. Neither are an issue for that board. Best to just check Asus' Memory QVL, which is a list of RAM they have physically tested and approved:

https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/SocketAM4/TUF_GAMING_X570-PLUS/Memory_QVL_for_3rd_Gen_AMD_Ryzen_Processors_X570_0722.pdf

Memory support is pretty extensive on that board, all the way up to 4400Mhz depending on the kit and the board itself can technically handle 5100Mhz which is gross overkill. Whoever said it won't go past 2166 either doesn't know what they're doing or has a defective board. I built a Ryzen PC for a friend of mine with that exact board in the Spring and it easily runs faster ram than 2166 with one click in the BIOS. Native memory speed on Ryzen 5000 is 3200Mhz and you can easily go above that. All you have to do is buy a 3600Mhz kit, say 2X16GB CL16, and then click one button in the BIOS and it automatically clocks up to 3600Mhz. Just make sure it's on the QVL or do your research before hand to make sure it plays nice with that board and Ryzen CPUs. AMD infinity fabric runs at 3733Mhz and generally speaking you don't want to go past a 1:1 ratio, so that is why 3600 Mhz is the sweet spot for most builds. If you want to do even less work, Gskill "Flare X" and Trident Z "NEO" Ram is specifically made for Ryzen, but tons of other kits work just fine.

Memory support was an issue with first gen Ryzen 1000 (300 series boards), but even then it got dramatically better with BIOS updates. By 2nd gen Ryzen 2000 the issues were mostly gone and Ryzen 3000 has virtually no issues. Ryzen 5000 has the same memory controller as Ryzen 3000.

[nzwasp]

Some motherboards still have PS/2 for legacy peripheral support and mechanical keyboards. I can't imagine many people actually use it though. A lot of motherboards don't have it. The one I just bought doesn't have it.

These days there is no reason not to get a NVMe drive for your primary/OS drive. Prices have come down to the point there is no real difference between that and a SATAIII SSD in the smaller, more common sizes. As you get into the larger sizes like 2TB, the price difference becomes a lot bigger.

That Asus TUF board will take two M.2/NVMe drives and up to 8X SATAIII drives.

For Ryzen memory you want either 3200Mhz CL14 or 3600Mhz CL16 (3600Mhz is better regardless, slightly) for maximum performance. Neither are an issue for that board. Best to just check Asus' Memory QVL, which is a list of RAM they have physically tested and approved:

https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/SocketAM4/TUF_GAMING_X570-PLUS/Memory_QVL_for_3rd_Gen_AMD_Ryzen_Processors_X570_0722.pdf

Memory support is pretty extensive on that board, all the way up to 4400Mhz depending on the kit and the board itself can technically handle 5100Mhz which is gross overkill. Whoever said it won't go past 2166 either doesn't know what they're doing or has a defective board. I built a Ryzen PC for a friend of mine with that exact board in the Spring and it easily runs faster ram than 2166 with one click in the BIOS. Native memory speed on Ryzen 5000 is 3200Mhz and you can easily go above that. All you have to do is buy a 3600Mhz kit, say 2X16GB CL16, and then click one button in the BIOS and it automatically clocks up to 3600Mhz. Just make sure it's on the QVL or do your research before hand to make sure it plays nice with that board and Ryzen CPUs. AMD infinity fabric runs at 3733Mhz and generally speaking you don't want to go past a 1:1 ratio, so that is why 3600 Mhz is the sweet spot for most builds. If you want to do even less work, Gskill "Flare X" and Trident Z "NEO" Ram is specifically made for Ryzen, but tons of other kits work just fine.

Memory support was an issue with first gen Ryzen 1000 (300 series boards), but even then it got dramatically better with BIOS updates. By 2nd gen Ryzen 2000 the issues were mostly gone and Ryzen 3000 has virtually no issues. Ryzen 5000 has the same memory controller as Ryzen 3000.

Thanks for that.

Does NVMe brand matter. I see the WD blue 500GB ones are $80 but the Samsung Evo NVMe are $140 for the same size.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Thanks for that.

Does NVMe brand matter. I see the WD blue 500GB ones are $80 but the Samsung Evo NVMe are $140 for the same size.

There are different types of NAND such as TLC, 3D, 2DMLC, etc. etc. Cheaper drives using lower quality NAND won't last as long, are slower and less reliable. To the average user though it's unlikely you will notice any huge difference.

The go-to bang for the buck NVMe drive for your OS is a Samsung 970 EVO in whatever capacity you need. It has top notch performance at a very low relative price. That board along with Ryzen 5000 also supports the brand new PCI 4.0 NVMe standard which is more than twice as fast, but outside of some niche scenarios nothing currently is able to take advantage of a drive that fast and of course they are the most expensive. Regardless, it will be an option for you in the future if you buy an X570 board. For your primary drive, I would spend a few extra bucks on a quality NVMe SSD. There's nothing inherently wrong with the WD blue NVMe drives but they are about 50% slower than something like a Samsung 970 EVO because they are limited to using 2 PCI lanes instead of 4 and therefore have a hard speed cap of around 2GB/s. They also have a very small SLC cache and no DRAM which means burst performance falls off a cliff after a brief period, but for typical use you may never notice. It's still way better than a SATAIII SSD in terms of performance, but just because it's NVMe doesn't mean it's great. It's a low end drive with low end features, but is fine for general use.

For secondary SSD storage (some people like to keep their games on a separate SSD and buy a smaller OS drive), you can stick to SATAIII SSDs with no noticeable downside (most games are written for slow hard drives because that's what most people have), and there are lots of good cheap options like the Crucial MX500 series or Samsung 860 Evo. The MX500's in particular are often on sale for very cheap on Amazon - last year I grabbed a 2TB for $170.

[2Legit2Quit]

2TB nvme drive for $270 - https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07YLDWCYV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

It's just an ADATA drive

[nzwasp]

Is this a good case? https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX56952 I like black because theres less of a chance for my wife to know that I have a new PC.

[pheoxs]

Is this a good case? https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX56952 I like black because theres less of a chance for my wife to know that I have a new PC.

Yeah perfectly good case. Add a top fan to get some nice cooling in there if you want.

[colsankey]

That case is fine, if you dont want or need a window, look at the meshify-c in black, theres a side panel (no glass) option.

[nzwasp]

Alright I bought a black ATX case, a 2 x 16GB Gskill FlareX Ram kit, Samsung 970 Evo NVMe Drive, and the Asus TUF X570-Plus (wifi) board. Getting it all shipped to work which is directly across the road from a memory express. A bit bummed I cant just pick it up instore.

- - - Updated - - -

Since AMD is coming out with an awesome processor, is there next line of ATI Gaming cards also going to be awesome? I thought they used to be all the rage about 8 years ago.

[colsankey]

Currently the nvidia 3080 is top dog (but super rare) AMD's top card I think is the 5700 XT, but they havn't done more than tease their next card release which is imminent, if your looking to spend more than $500 on a GPU, I'd wait a few weeks, the onboard video processing on the latest Ryzen chips has been pretty impressive, it could get you by for just a little bit longer to make an informed decision.

[nzwasp]

Currently the nvidia 3080 is top dog (but super rare) AMD's top card I think is the 5700 XT, but they havn't done more than tease their next card release which is imminent, if your looking to spend more than $500 on a GPU, I'd wait a few weeks, the onboard video processing on the latest Ryzen chips has been pretty impressive, it could get you by for just a little bit longer to make an informed decision.

well right now i have a 1060 so Im thinking I can use that until a 3070/3080 is in stock. Also not building until a new Ryzen cpu is released, Im not in a hurry.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Is this a good case? https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX56952 I like black because theres less of a chance for my wife to know that I have a new PC.

It's a fine case if all you care about is that it's a case. If you value sound dampening, high airflow, etc. then there are other things to look at.



Since AMD is coming out with an awesome processor, is there next line of ATI Gaming cards also going to be awesome? I thought they used to be all the rage about 8 years ago.

AMD's 6000 series GPUs were 'teased' at the Ryzen 5000 launch event and appear to have similar performance to the 3080 in the titles they chose to show. The mid-range Nvidia cards and AMD 6000 cards aren't available anywhere yet though, assuming you aren't looking for a $1000+ GPU.

Also make sure the RAM you got is 3,600 Mhz. Timings don't matter much for Ryzen, but the bandwidth makes a significant difference.

Also make sure you did your price-beats with memory express as they are usually one of the worst prices around unless something is on sale. Put your parts in ca.pcpartpicker.com and get them to beat the best prices there of in-stock items.

[nzwasp]

It's a fine case if all you care about is that it's a case. If you value sound dampening, high airflow, etc. then there are other things to look at.



AMD's 6000 series GPUs were 'teased' at the Ryzen 5000 launch event and appear to have similar performance to the 3080 in the titles they chose to show. The mid-range Nvidia cards and AMD 6000 cards aren't available anywhere yet though, assuming you aren't looking for a $1000+ GPU.


I guess what I would be concerned about would be compatibility for something not released yet with VR and oculus. I would like to use my rig for VR oculus link gaming.

[Mitsu3000gt]

I guess what I would be concerned about would be compatibility for something not released yet with VR and oculus. I would like to use my rig for VR oculus link gaming.

If you're waiting for Ryzen 5000 anyway, you will have the luxury of seeing what the market brings to the GPU world in the next 1-2 months. I wouldn't worry about it too much, and you always have your 1060 to tide you over in the meantime until you can get something more suited for VR use.

[Mitsu3000gt]

I'm not sure what capacity of 970 evo you got but the faster evo PLUS 500GB is a good price at Newegg right now $119: https://www.newegg.ca/samsung-970-evo-500gb/p/N82E16820147690?Description=970%20evo&cm_re=970_evo-_-20-147-690-_-Product

[nzwasp]

It was 500GB - the 1TB was a bit more than I wanted to buy. I think I will get a couple of SSD's for additional storage like my current PC has. Im unsure what I will do with this current PC probably stick it in the basement and use it as a home server/plex server type thing. The problem with my house though is because I have google wifi I dont really have any ethernet capability.

[Mitsu3000gt]

It was 500GB - the 1TB was a bit more than I wanted to buy. I think I will get a couple of SSD's for additional storage like my current PC has. Im unsure what I will do with this current PC probably stick it in the basement and use it as a home server/plex server type thing. The problem with my house though is because I have google wifi I dont really have any ethernet capability.

If you paid $119 or more for the 500GB 970 EVO (non-plus) you should return it and order the EVO Plus at $119 if you can. It's the updated, faster version of that drive. They are similar but if the price is the same you might as well get the Plus.

[pheoxs]

It was 500GB - the 1TB was a bit more than I wanted to buy. I think I will get a couple of SSD's for additional storage like my current PC has. Im unsure what I will do with this current PC probably stick it in the basement and use it as a home server/plex server type thing. The problem with my house though is because I have google wifi I dont really have any ethernet capability.

The Nest Wifi Router has one extra LAN port doesn't it? Could connect the plex box directly to it. Or buy a small 4 port switch and connect that then anything you need to that.

[nzwasp]

The Nest Wifi Router has one extra LAN port doesn't it? Could connect the plex box directly to it. Or buy a small 4 port switch and connect that then anything you need to that.

Yeah it does I have it connected to a switch at the moment that has 4 ports however the place where the google wifi is connected is to a coax point and theres no ethernet jack that leads to the basement there so it just allows me to connect other devices in that same area. This is all behind my tv in the living room, a place I dont really want to have a a Mid Tower hanging out. When my houses was built noone though to have a coax jack and an ethernet jack in the same place. And for whatever reason google / nest wifi only have ethernet ports on their main router not on the satellites.

[pheoxs]

Yeah it does I have it connected to a switch at the moment that has 4 ports however the place where the google wifi is connected is to a coax point and theres no ethernet jack that leads to the basement there so it just allows me to connect other devices in that same area. This is all behind my tv in the living room, a place I dont really want to have a a Mid Tower hanging out. When my houses was built noone though to have a coax jack and an ethernet jack in the same place. And for whatever reason google / nest wifi only have ethernet ports on their main router not on the satellites.

That sucks. What about Ethernet over power adapters and run it through a power outlet? The adapters do a couple hundred mb/s and should be sufficient.

[nzwasp]

I have had mixed experience with POE adapters, they seem to be worse in my experience than the PCI wifi card I have running.

I have 300Mbps to the house, and this is the speed with the pci wifi card:

94724

It will be interesting to see if the mobo wifi onboard card on the new system gets better results. Hate Shaws limited upload speed though. But im Saving about $100 a month versus my old telus service.

[D'z Nutz]

Since AMD is coming out with an awesome processor, is there next line of ATI Gaming cards also going to be awesome? I thought they used to be all the rage about 8 years ago.

No, they stopped being the Rage about 20 years ago. They're the Radeon now.

[A790]

No, they stopped being the Rage about 20 years ago.

:rofl:

[nzwasp]

No, they stopped being the Rage about 20 years ago. They're the Radeon now.

lol I did not know that. i think ive always known them as radeon. All my early cards were 3DFX and then the Nvidia Geforce range.

[sl888]

This will be my first build. I'll decide on final CPU and GPU as soon as prices drop.

PCPartPicker Part List: https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/tj6tJf

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($424.50 @ Vuugo)

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S 55 CFM CPU Cooler ($79.75 @ Vuugo)

Motherboard: Asus ROG Strix X570-I Gaming Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard ($319.99 @ Newegg Canada)

Memory: G.Skill Trident Z 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL17 Memory ($189.99 @ Canada Computers)

Storage: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($124.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Storage: Samsung 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($149.99 @ Memory Express)

Video Card: Zotac GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8 GB AMP Video Card ($579.99 @ Best Buy Canada)

Case: NZXT H210 Mini ITX Tower Case ($99.50 @ Vuugo)

Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS Plus Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($125.99 @ PC-Canada)

Case Fan: Noctua A14 industrialPPC-2000 PWM 107.41 CFM 140 mm Fan ($36.60 @ Amazon Canada)
Case Fan: Noctua A14 industrialPPC-2000 PWM 107.41 CFM 140 mm Fan ($36.60 @ Amazon Canada)
Case Fan: Noctua F12 industrialPPC-2000 PWM 71.69 CFM 120 mm Fan ($33.15 @ Amazon Canada)
Case Fan: Noctua F12 industrialPPC-2000 PWM 71.69 CFM 120 mm Fan ($33.15 @ Amazon Canada)

Total: $2234.19

This rabbit hole gets deep! Currently watching videos on how to lube switches.

[nzwasp]

If you paid $119 or more for the 500GB 970 EVO (non-plus) you should return it and order the EVO Plus at $119 if you can. It's the updated, faster version of that drive. They are similar but if the price is the same you might as well get the Plus.

I bought the evo plus for 114

Why does every brand have its own rtx card? What makes one brand better than another.

[The_Rural_Juror]

Cooling fans, looks, and LEDs.

[colsankey]

Nvidia only used to make reference boards and chips, not completed cards and let their AIB partners do the final cooling solutions and design work.

That didn't change till thee 10 series founders edition cards, and I assume its because nvidia realized they could capture another 5-15% of the overall sale price if they didn't farm out the final product.

But the AiBs sell way more product overall for them, so they can't cut them out entirely.

[Mitsu3000gt]

I bought the evo plus for 114

Why does every brand have its own rtx card? What makes one brand better than another.

What happens is when Nvidia or AMD makes a new GPU, they make a reference card that sets a benchmark for performance and showcases the new series. These are the cards you see at launch events. Then they turn around and sell the GPUs to all the the board partners (ASUS, EVGA, Gigabyte, etc.) who have a lot of leeway in how they want to make their video cards. They can change things like the factory overclock, cooling ability, connectivity (DP, DVI, HDMI, etc.), power handling, VRAM, OC potential, liquid cooling options, aesthetic options, quality of board parts, etc. They have different warranties and policies as well which also factors into the value proposition.

Generally speaking, partner cards are almost always better than the OEM reference cards.

[2Legit2Quit]

Started piecing together my new build, had bought the asus tuf mobo that was on sale at memex a week or so ago(it's on sale even cheaper on amazon right now of course) and trying to figure out what to do in regards to flashing the bios for zen 3 support as I am highly doubting the bios is up to date coming off a shelf.

Coming from intel so no chip and don't want to wait for the AMD loaner program which requires a valid zen chip purchase first.

edit - looks like they have an aorus elite with flashback on sale for $265, might just go return/swap.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Started piecing together my new build, had bought the asus tuf mobo that was on sale at memex a week or so ago(it's on sale even cheaper on amazon right now of course) and trying to figure out what to do in regards to flashing the bios for zen 3 support as I am highly doubting the bios is up to date coming off a shelf.

Coming from intel so no chip and don't want to wait for the AMD loaner program which requires a valid zen chip purchase first.

Mobo partners started updating their BIOS' for Ryzen 5000 in August, so it depends on the board and the manufacturer date.

You need a BIOS with AGESA 1.0.8.1.

For a board without BIOS flashback, you have 2 options - you can get Memory Express to mount the CPU for you (you will probably have to re-do it properly and with good thermal paste but that's quick), or you can borrow a previous gen Ryzen CPU from AMD or someone else so you can get it up and running long enough to flash the BIOS.

I would send the serial number to ASUS and get them to tell you what BIOS that specific board has before you go to too much trouble.

If you only bought the TUF a week ago, give Memory Express a call and get them to refund you the difference - you have at least 2 weeks to do that I believe.

[pheoxs]

You can also just take the mobo to MemEx and they'll update the bios for free if you. Pretty sure if you bring it back /w the receipt when you buy the processor they'll mount it and update the bios for you too. If you want.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Alternatively you could swap the TUF board for The Gigabyte Aorus Elite which is slightly better and in the same general price category - it has BIOS flashback without the need for a CPU.

[zipdoa]

I'm not sure what capacity of 970 evo you got but the faster evo PLUS 500GB is a good price at Newegg right now $119: https://www.newegg.ca/samsung-970-evo-500gb/p/N82E16820147690?Description=970%20evo&cm_re=970_evo-_-20-147-690-_-Product

Definitely worth another $6 to get the Evo Plus.

https://www.newegg.ca/samsung-970-evo-plus-500gb/p/N82E16820147742

Keep in mind the 2TB Evo Plus goes on sale for $399 regularly

[msommers]

Coming from an i7 2600k, Asus P8P67 and 32GB G.SKILL Sniper Series RAM, I've been waiting for a substantial upgrade and it seems like Ryzen is head and shoulders better than Intel at this point (https://www.techradar.com/news/leaked-benchmark-shows-amd-ryzen-5-5600x-overpowering-the-intel-i5-10600k).

So in order to change systems, would I need a new CPU, Mobo and RAM? I could keep my hard drives, cooling unit (https://www.corsair.com/ca/en/Categories/Products/Liquid-Cooling/Hydro-Series%E2%84%A2-H100i-GTX-Extreme-Performance-Liquid-CPU-Cooler/p/CW-9060021-WW) and GPU?

[dirtsniffer]

Yes to all of the above

[Mitsu3000gt]

Coming from an i7 2600k, Asus P8P67 and 32GB G.SKILL Sniper Series RAM, I've been waiting for a substantial upgrade and it seems like Ryzen is head and shoulders better than Intel at this point (https://www.techradar.com/news/leaked-benchmark-shows-amd-ryzen-5-5600x-overpowering-the-intel-i5-10600k).

So in order to change systems, would I need a new CPU, Mobo and RAM? I could keep my hard drives, cooling unit (https://www.corsair.com/ca/en/Categories/Products/Liquid-Cooling/Hydro-Series%E2%84%A2-H100i-GTX-Extreme-Performance-Liquid-CPU-Cooler/p/CW-9060021-WW) and GPU?

Just CPU and Mobo technically, but Ryzen benefits massively from fast RAM, where the sweet spot is 3600Mhz. if your RAM is the same vintage as your 2600K, it could probably use updating. Timings don't matter as much. If you want to keep your RAM anyway, at least make sure you check it on the QVL of whatever mobo you buy to make sure it's compatible.

CPU Cooler you can keep too as long as it has an AM4 socket bracket (should be easy to get if it wasn't included with the H100i).

GPU you can use no problem.

Drives you can use no problem.

[nzwasp]

Coming from an i7 2600k, Asus P8P67 and 32GB G.SKILL Sniper Series RAM, I've been waiting for a substantial upgrade and it seems like Ryzen is head and shoulders better than Intel at this point

Ive got basically the exact same processor and motherboard with less ram, all from 2012.

[pheoxs]

Just CPU and Mobo technically, but Ryzen benefits massively from fast RAM, where the sweet spot is 3600Mhz. if your RAM is the same vintage as your 2600K, it could probably use updating. Timings don't matter as much. If you want to keep your RAM anyway, at least make sure you check it on the QVL of whatever mobo you buy to make sure it's compatible.

CPU Cooler you can keep too as long as it has an AM4 socket bracket (should be easy to get if it wasn't included with the H100i).

GPU you can use no problem.

Drives you can use no problem.

2600k was DDR3, they need new RAM

[Mitsu3000gt]

2600k was DDR3, they need new RAM

I think you're right, thanks for the correction. 2011 was a long time ago :nut:

[spikerS]

So, time has come, I am going to start building my new desktop. Want it to be a pretty decent computer, able to stream, play video games, act as a minecraft server for the kids, able to push a 3D printer etc...

I am going to piece meal this together over the next few months. I figure because things change so rapidly, I should start with the things that are pretty standard over time, like getting a big case, fans, and a decent PSU.

And yeah, I want the blingy flashy stuff too lol

Was thinking about this case? seems like it is pretty good, and has lots of room for whatever I choose down the road... https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX79211

Thoughts?

[Mitsu3000gt]

So, time has come, I am going to start building my new desktop. Want it to be a pretty decent computer, able to stream, play video games, act as a minecraft server for the kids, able to push a 3D printer etc...

I am going to piece meal this together over the next few months. I figure because things change so rapidly, I should start with the things that are pretty standard over time, like getting a big case, fans, and a decent PSU.

And yeah, I want the blingy flashy stuff too lol

Was thinking about this case? seems like it is pretty good, and has lots of room for whatever I choose down the road... https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX79211

Thoughts?

Great case, but you have to supply all your own fans if that is an issue.

People don't put nearly enough effort into case selection as they should IMO, especially with how much they can affect thermals.

I just bought a Phanteks P500a. It has the best combination of cooling performance, noise performance, and quality that I have seen so far. There is an RGB version too if you want. If you don't need lots of HDD bays, you can also look at the Cooler Master H500P Mesh but the P500a is a better case.

If you want quiet over cooling, look at the Be Quiet! Dark Base Pro 900v2 - it compares well with the 011D XL.

I was a Fractal fan for a long time, they still make good cases but others are as good or better these days.

[OTown]

Ive got a Phanteks P400 and I love it. So well constructed and thought out. The cable management and LED control is awesome as well.

[msommers]

Are the stock fans in these cases at the Noctua level?

[The_Rural_Juror]

Nope.

[spikerS]

Great case, but you have to supply all your own fans if that is an issue.

People don't put nearly enough effort into case selection as they should IMO, especially with how much they can affect thermals.

I just bought a Phanteks P500a. It has the best combination of cooling performance, noise performance, and quality that I have seen so far. There is an RGB version too if you want. If you don't need lots of HDD bays, you can also look at the Cooler Master H500P Mesh but the P500a is a better case.

If you want quiet over cooling, look at the Be Quiet! Dark Base Pro 900v2 - it compares well with the 011D XL.

I was a Fractal fan for a long time, they still make good cases but others are as good or better these days.

Yeah, I don't mind buying the fans. I want a bigger case so that I can put anything I want into it.

As far as fans go, I am waiting until I decide if I want to do water cooling, or just stick with air. If I go with a radiator setup, it will come with fans, so purchasing a bunch of fans I won't use seems dumb.

And I figure a 750w power supply should be sufficient for whatever I choose for my other components.

[dirtsniffer]

what's the probability of springing a leak in a water cooling system? Seems like a good way to ruin a bunch of components

[nzwasp]

Seems like the radiator units are pretty good now. Linus Tech Tips seems to install one everytime he does a pc build lately.

[pheoxs]

what's the probability of springing a leak in a water cooling system? Seems like a good way to ruin a bunch of components

If you buy quality components and leak test everything its pretty minimal risk. The pump/rad and maybe reservoir would be the only thing I'd see a higher chance of leaking. Typically you mount those off to the side so any dripping would go away from electronics. Most of the quality waterblocks and pretty reliable.

Watercooling has come a long way from a decade ago when it was enthusiast only and people hacking things together. Lots of factory OEMs have watercooling on their high end specs.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Are the stock fans in these cases at the Noctua level?

No, but some are close. For example BeQuiet! and Fractal's highest end fans in their most expensive cases are very good, probably not worth swapping out even if Noctua's are slightly better. Corsair ML (Mag lev) Pro fans are also excellent, I actually went with those in my last build because shit-brown didn't fit my desired aesthetic.



Yeah, I don't mind buying the fans. I want a bigger case so that I can put anything I want into it.

As far as fans go, I am waiting until I decide if I want to do water cooling, or just stick with air. If I go with a radiator setup, it will come with fans, so purchasing a bunch of fans I won't use seems dumb.

And I figure a 750w power supply should be sufficient for whatever I choose for my other components.


The D11 XL is a great case then, and the hot swappable drive bays are cool if you need that sort of thing.

An air cooler like the NH-D15 has equivalent cooling surface area to about a 280mm AIO, plus the fans help cool your RAM and VRMs. Unless you plan on doing heavy overclocking you can probably just stick to air (if you want) and avoid all the AIO disadvantages. Also if this is a PC you leave on 24/7 or while you're away from the house, that is a strong argument for air.


what's the probability of springing a leak in a water cooling system? Seems like a good way to ruin a bunch of components

Many AIOs will die or suffer coolant permeation by the 6yr mark or earlier. Cheaper coolers also use crappy coolant that degrades the tubing and cold plates much sooner than that. If you want to be completely safe, you should be replacing your AIO every ~3 years which is a very expensive and annoying proposition, and still not a guarantee. Also if you leave your PC on 24/7 or unattended for long periods of time I would not go with an AIO. Unless you go 280-360mm and plan to OC, there is no real performance advantage over Air. The big radiators are dust magnets too, I don't like cleaning them. I think the longest AIO warranty is 6 years (NZXT) but good luck actually claiming anything if it leaks and wrecks the PC.

[zechs]

In regards to fans


Nope.

RJ is correct. Having went through the build process in the spring, nothing touches Noctua. Yes, I do have some Arctic fans in my build still just because I was sick and tired of returning and buying new stuff.

Noctua also offers most of its fans in black now I believe if brown doesn't suit your tastes.

To reiterate, there is no comparison, Noctua is the best time and time again. There may be better fans for a specific situation, but overall, for quiet operation that still moves air, Noctua's are the best.

If you buy all Noctua's, realistically your next noise focus will be the gpu. I don't really remember if any of the reviewers do fan noise analysis from different manufacturers, but dear god gpu's running at full tilt are noisy. I have a vega56 that is undervolted and have custom tuned the fan profile, fans never spin over 1400rpm, very quiet even under full load.

As for Corsair ML Pros, they are complete shit. Memex didn't have the Noctuas or Arctics I wanted, so I bought those. Promptly returned them, loud as hell.

I do agree with the AOI. I went with one, but then changed out the fans because again, loud as get out. When I could have just went with the DH15 and called it a day likely.

[msommers]

Thanks guys. I assume most (or all?) cases come with their own fans or can you typically order a case without and save some cash?

[pheoxs]

Thanks guys. I assume most (or all?) cases come with their own fans or can you typically order a case without and save some cash?

Most cases come with one or two fans but often have expansion slots where you could add additional fans. Oddly some of the higher end cases actually don't include any fans as they expect the customer to choose their own. Some people opt for RGB ones, others focus on quiet, etc so it gives more flexibility.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Thanks guys. I assume most (or all?) cases come with their own fans or can you typically order a case without and save some cash?

It's a mishmash. There are cheap cases with/without fans and premium cases with/without fans. The premium cases that do include fans usually include pretty good ones (I.e. BeQuiet Dark Base cases). I would say more cases than not come with 2-3 fans. Some cases even include PSUs but they are often junk.

The Corsair ML Pro fans are silent up to around 1000-1500rpm which is why I chose them. They are loud at their maximum 2400 RPM but nobody in their right mind would let them run that high in a normal usage case. Honestly any 'premium' fan is going to be just fine, you can choose between quieter with slightly less air flow or louder with slightly more airflow. Static pressure is more important if you are trying to force air through something like a radiator or restrictive case, otherwise high CFM / Low noise is usually ideal.

[The_Rural_Juror]

I am planning to go all blacked out Noctua on my next build as I hope to grow out of my LED obsession. Also an open case like this.

https://www.amazon.ca/Thermaltake-Helicopter-Styled-Tempered-CA-1Q4-00M1WN-00/dp/B084QH12KV/ref=sr_1_10?dchild=1&keywords=helicopter+case+computer&qid=1603471964&sr=8-10

[A790]

The itch is full-on now so I'm building a HTPC so I can game in my living room. Thinking of using a micro-ITX build an AIO and a 3060.

[Mitsu3000gt]

The itch is full-on now so I'm building a HTPC so I can game in my living room. Thinking of using a micro-ITX build an AIO and a 3060.

I have a Cooler Master Elite 110 you can have for $40 BNIB if you want. Awesome little Mini ITX case, basically a 1-foot cube and good support for ATX sized PSU/GPUs. May want to consider sticking to air though on a HTPC.

[msommers]

It's a mishmash. There are cheap cases with/without fans and premium cases with/without fans. The premium cases that do include fans usually include pretty good ones (I.e. BeQuiet Dark Base cases). I would say more cases than not come with 2-3 fans. Some cases even include PSUs but they are often junk.

The Corsair ML Pro fans are silent up to around 1000-1500rpm which is why I chose them. They are loud at their maximum 2400 RPM but nobody in their right mind would let them run that high in a normal usage case. Honestly any 'premium' fan is going to be just fine, you can choose between quieter with slightly less air flow or louder with slightly more airflow. Static pressure is more important if you are trying to force air through something like a radiator or restrictive case, otherwise high CFM / Low noise is usually ideal.

Good to know, cheers. What I have noticed is the minimal noise from the tower doesn't bother me so much as how much dust it gets inside of it because all summer it was in the office with an open window. I have some fine magnetic mesh filters on 2 intakes, they work quite well. The mainly front intake doesn't fit them though :(

[A790]

I have a Cooler Master Elite 110 you can have for $40 BNIB if you want. Awesome little Mini ITX case, basically a 1-foot cube and good support for ATX sized PSU/GPUs. May want to consider sticking to air though on a HTPC.

Hey sick, I'll take you up on that! DM me :)

[pheoxs]

https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX76118
Regular Price
$269.99
Instant Savings
($70.00)
Sale Ends: Oct 29, 2020, 21:59 MDT
Only$199.99

1tb evo plus on sale. Kinda annoyed as I bought the 512 from newegg but oh well

[Mitsu3000gt]

https://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX76118
Regular Price
$269.99
Instant Savings
($70.00)
Sale Ends: Oct 29, 2020, 21:59 MDT
Only$199.99

1tb evo plus on sale. Kinda annoyed as I bought the 512 from newegg but oh well

Good price on that one.

The 980 Pro 1TB (PCI 4.0) is only $100 more now too but they are still pre-order status in Canada I believe.

I might grab that EVO Plus as a scratch drive for PS.

EDIT: Same price on Amazon for those not wanting to deal with MemEx or pay for shipping.

[Mitsu3000gt]

NH-D15 Chromax is finally back in stock (Amazon) if shit-brown isn't part of your preferred design aesthetic.

[The_Rural_Juror]

NH-D15 Chromax is finally back in stock (Amazon) if shit-brown isn't part of your preferred design aesthetic.

I saw that this morning. I want it but I don't need it.

[Xamim]

So the reviews are out for the 3070 FE. What are your guy's thoughts? Seems like great performance to dollar ratio, especially if you're gaming at 1440p. I was waiting for the reviews to come out to decide between the 3070 vs. and the 2070/2080. Wonder if the availability is going to be crap just like the other 30 series cards. Also, AMD announcement tomorrow but I've heard that AMD cards have lots of driver issues and that's why I'm leaning toward Nvidia.

Edit: Just checked ME and it looks like they got rid of all the 2080 cards on their site. I know for sure they had a couple of them just days ago.

[pheoxs]

Assuming ME has the new Ryzen chips I'm debating going first thing next Thursday to nab one, beyonder meetup in line? haha

[Xamim]

Assuming ME has the new Ryzen chips I'm debating going first thing next Thursday to nab one, beyonder meetup in line? haha

I have until next Wednesday to return a 3700x I got as a bundle with my motherboard, just waiting to see what the pricing/availability on the 5600x would be.

[2Legit2Quit]

I will be out waiting at the SE location on release day most likely.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Assuming ME has the new Ryzen chips I'm debating going first thing next Thursday to nab one, beyonder meetup in line? haha

I talked to 2 guys at Memory Express, one said don't expect them until the new year, the other said AMD is really good and we should get them in November lol.

I know the Ryzen 3000 launch wasn't too much longer than the USA in Canada, so I'm optimistic. I don't know if we'll see them right on the 5th or not but I have my name on a 5950X.

[pheoxs]

I talked to 2 guys at Memory Express, one said don't expect them until the new year, the other said AMD is really good and we should get them in November lol.

I know the Ryzen 3000 launch wasn't too much longer than the USA in Canada, so I'm optimistic. I don't know if we'll see them right on the 5th or not but I have my name on a 5950X.

I'm hopeful but we'll see the day before. Prob call and see if they'll have any for release and then try online too

[Mitsu3000gt]

Some of the best RAM available for Ryzen is on sale today and is the lowest price it's ever been:

https://www.newegg.ca/g-skill-32gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820232860?Item=N82E16820232860&nm_mc=AFC-RAN-CAN&cm_mmc=AFC-RAN-CAN&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_source=afc-PCPartPicker&AFFID=2558510&AFFNAME=PCPartPicker&ACRID=1&ASID=https%3a%2f%2fca.pcpartpicker.com%2f&ranMID=44589&ranEAID=2558510&ranSiteID=8BacdVP0GFs-OD9UKRalIwnnyXgTvnoYBA

I just grabbed a set.

It's 3600MHz Samsung B-die at 16-16-16-36 (2X16 GB).

Should be easy to slightly OC too if you get lucky with your fclk.

Also eligible for Black Friday protection, so if Newegg sells it for less they automatically refund the difference.

[pheoxs]

So Ryzen release tomorrow ... any one know if MemEx will actually have any? Or if they'll go live on any sites / what time?

[Mitsu3000gt]

So Ryzen release tomorrow ... any one know if MemEx will actually have any? Or if they'll go live on any sites / what time?

NW location told me that they anticipate to have some tomorrow and it's in-person first come first serve only.

SW location told me they may not get any until 2021 and they were happy to put me on a list :rofl: Hopefully they don't change that policy but I guess we'll see.

Online I haven't seen anywhere that is allowing preorders yet but I have only been looking at the 5950X.

Rumors are that lots of 5600X and 5800X available with a lot fewer 5900X and 5950X.

[2Legit2Quit]

There's only 5 AMD dealers in Canada, if any of the Memex locations don't have stock of any sort tomorrow then it's fucking sad and these releases are a joke/waste of time more so than they already are.

Memex supposedly under strict NDA, along with everyone else for that matter, so I wouldn't be surprised if they're just throwing out false information about tomorrow to deter scalpers. Scalpey McScalperson might not want to wait in line tomorrow morning if there's no guaranteed stock available.

Listings everywhere are supposed to go live at midnight EST tonight I believe, but not available for purchase. Amazons supposed links to the chips have been "live" since last night and have slowly been updated with technical details so I think the pages are legit.

Seems like it's going to be a fuck show tomorrow, sucks as I have a work call at 7AM that I can't get out of so not sure purchasing in person is an option tomorrow for me if lines are going to be starting early on.

[sl888]

Only listing I've seen for 5000 series
https://www.cdw.ca/product/amd-ryzen-9-5900x-3.7-ghz-processor/6292280?pfm=srh


Some of the best RAM available for Ryzen is on sale today and is the lowest price it's ever been:

https://www.newegg.ca/g-skill-32gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820232860?Item=N82E16820232860&nm_mc=AFC-RAN-CAN&cm_mmc=AFC-RAN-CAN&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_source=afc-PCPartPicker&AFFID=2558510&AFFNAME=PCPartPicker&ACRID=1&ASID=https%3a%2f%2fca.pcpartpicker.com%2f&ranMID=44589&ranEAID=2558510&ranSiteID=8BacdVP0GFs-OD9UKRalIwnnyXgTvnoYBA

I just grabbed a set.

It's 3600MHz Samsung B-die at 16-16-16-36 (2X16 GB).

Should be easy to slightly OC too if you get lucky with your fclk.

Also eligible for Black Friday protection, so if Newegg sells it for less they automatically refund the difference.

How important is QVL? Seems like these faster Trident Z Neo CL16 (16-16-16-36 and 16-19-19-39) are not compatible with my motherboard.

[pheoxs]

Ryzen processors popped on MemEx last night. Out of stock online but had a bunch in Calgary. I scooped a order for in store pickup and saw the quantity drop. No idea if it'll actually be there today or if they'll cancel it and sell them at the door but they did show stock of all the new processors and bundles.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Ryzen processors popped on MemEx last night. Out of stock online but had a bunch in Calgary. I scooped a order for in store pickup and saw the quantity drop. No idea if it'll actually be there today or if they'll cancel it and sell them at the door but they did show stock of all the new processors and bundles.

How do you do an online order for in-store pickup? They told me it was in-person sales only and that's what it says beside the item too :cry:

[2Legit2Quit]

The mobo/cpu bundles they offered around 10:30 last night allowed in store pick up, well it was the only option that worked...would error out if you tried to select ship to you.

I got a 5900x bundle last night, see if they call or email me today to go pick up.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Only listing I've seen for 5000 series
https://www.cdw.ca/product/amd-ryzen-9-5900x-3.7-ghz-processor/6292280?pfm=srh



How important is QVL? Seems like these faster Trident Z Neo CL16 (16-16-16-36 and 16-19-19-39) are not compatible with my motherboard.

What motherboard do you have?

The QVL is just memory that they have tested and guaranteed to work, it doesn't necessarily mean something not on that list will not work.

[pheoxs]

The mobo/cpu bundles they offered around 10:30 last night allowed in store pick up, well it was the only option that worked...would error out if you tried to select ship to you.

I got a 5900x bundle last night, see if they call or email me today to go pick up.

Yup, out of stock for online shopping but still let you add to cart then at the checkout screen you could select pickup location

[mazdavirgin]

Ten or so people lined up outside of the SE MemX this morning. Really don't understand peoples need to stand in line to buy new untested products the day of release but whatever it's not my money or my time...

[Mitsu3000gt]

Ten or so people lined up outside of the SE MemX this morning. Really don't understand peoples need to stand in line to buy new untested products the day of release but whatever it's not my money or my time...

Lots of people have tested it, the review embargo lifted today.

Spoiler: They're as good as the rumors/leaks said they were.

[mazdavirgin]

Lots of people have tested it, the review embargo lifted today.

Spoiler: They're as good as the rumors/leaks said they were.

Yeah and lots of people tested the RTX 3000 series and look at how that panned out for some folks. There's stuff that never gets caught by reviewers until there's mass deployment of products. Still don't agree with buying untested stuff at release.

[2Legit2Quit]

Linus review, chips are what they said they are ~20% better performance than Zen 2 chips and kill Intel in both gaming and productivity.

https://youtu.be/iZBIeM2zE-I

[Mitsu3000gt]

Best buy has 980 Pro's in stock (online), just picked up a 1TB.

[2Legit2Quit]

Folks on reddit that are in line or have waited in line reporting some online orders from last night are being cancelled due to low stock, soooo who knows if any of the bundles will honored because that's how quality these launch days are.

[colsankey]

Other than a bad beta driver due to tight NDAs that was fixed in a few days, and shit availability, what negative things have been said about the 30X0 cards?

[2Legit2Quit]

Folks on reddit that are in line or have waited in line reporting some online orders from last night are being cancelled due to low stock, soooo who knows if any of the bundles will honored because that's how quality these launch days are.

And actually checking memex's website right now, the bundles are listed as in store purchase only...bleh, have a feeling my order is going to be cancelled. Hope to be proven wrong but won't be surprised.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Memex just told me they are not going to honor my pre order, nice.

[pheoxs]

Memex just told me they are not going to honor my pre order, nice.

In person or called em? I was gonna head up before lunch to try and pick up

[pheoxs]

NW is out of 5800 and 5900x I guess. Went in and said they'd fill my order in a few weeks. Yet again bullshit by MemEx. 5800 is still showing in stock there too

[Mitsu3000gt]

In person or called em? I was gonna head up before lunch to try and pick up

I had an email & phone call to confirm that I wad first in line for a 5950X at the SE store. Today they tell me too bad, that didn't mean anything, and the 3 they had sold out before I could make it there. I wish we had other local options, they are the worst.

Amazon, Newegg and the other online retailers haven't posted their first wave of stock yet.

I will continue to go out of my way to avoid giving memex any of my money unless absolutely necessary.

[msommers]

Damn MemEx that sucks. I wonder if employees are getting first dibs.... "yeah someone came in and bought them all already, sorry bruh"

[ExtraSlow]

It's kinda a shame that the best local option doesn't have a particularly great reputation.

[pheoxs]

I had an email & phone call to confirm that I wad first in line for a 5950X at the SE store. Today they tell me too bad, that didn't mean anything, and the 3 they had sold out before I could make it there. I wish we had other local options, they are the worst.

Amazon, Newegg and the other online retailers haven't posted their first wave of stock yet.

I will continue to go out of my way to avoid giving memex any of my money unless absolutely necessary.

Newegg has, they're at the bottom of when you search. Been live all morning but was sold out before I woke up

[Mitsu3000gt]

Newegg has, they're at the bottom of when you search. Been live all morning but was sold out before I woke up

Oh ok, yeah I see the listings, they were just all OOS every time I checked.