Helping a friend with a 2k can gaming build

[johnspack]

Okay, on this I'm leaning towards a 3800x, and he seems to be set on an rtx2700s. He's okay with a x570 mobo in case in the future he may want to go 3900 or 3950. Although I'm not sure if that's needed or not. He needs a psu, prob 700 wattish? Need some recommendations here. I think I got him to where he'll spend over 300can on a mobo, but I see them up to 500 for the x570s. Told him to find samsung b-die ram. Not really sure what's best there. We'll have to buy from newegg.ca. Guess he'll need a case too for preferably under 200can. I've never built a modern amd system, so need some help here.....

 

[EarthDog]

Total budget?

What does he use his pc for??

 

[johnspack]

2000 can. I think mainly gaming, but may try other things. A 9900k was mentioned, but he will probably keep this system for many years.
I'm thinking with the amd system, he can still upgrade the cpu in the future, whereas with the intel.....

 

[moproblems99]

2000 can. I think mainly gaming, but may try other things. A 9900k was mentioned, but he will probably keep this system for many years.
I'm thinking with the amd system, he can still upgrade the cpu in the future, whereas with the intel.....

Ah ok, I couldn't figure out what 2k can was. Makes sense now.

Skip the 3800x and get the 3700X. Or even skip the 3700X and get the 3600X.

 

[robot zombie]

X570 likely isn't imperative, unless PCIe 4.0 is needed. Otherwise an X470 or even some of the B-series boards are fine - just check for bios support and avoid ones with chintzy VRM's for hopefully better boosting characteristics. Lotta debate still going on there with talk of bios issues (clouded more by driver/AGESA quirks,) potentially better memory traces on the X570 boards... things like that. Personally I think if you get a good X470 there's not really anything physically holding the chip back. It's all gonna be bios-related. The only likely issue is that some may never support the 3950X. I can tell you my Strix X370-F only supports up to a 3900X... it makes sense that it would, since it supports the 2700X which has the same TDP - not to mention the memory controller is integrated into the CPU itself - the mobo is a basic host just setting parameters and delivering power with all Ryzen CPU's. Chipset is mostly for I/O functionality. How other components on the board interact is up to them.

Of course, just because a board supports it doesn't make it a great idea or anything, but in terms of power consumption and such, there shouldn't be any huge issues with the older high-quality boards. There's just no telling how much attention manufacturers are going to give to getting things right on thier older boards. So far a few of them have been okay. I wouldn't rule it out. All I can really say.

I dunno if the 3800X is worth it for the extra cash. In practice they're not much faster than a 3700X... just a little better binned. If a future upgrade to the 3950X is possible, it doesn't make sense to me to overspend for a little edge-up. Even the 3600x is pretty solid for gaming and beyond. Later that edge just cuts a little deeper...

Honestly though, the 3900X and younger, fitter bro 3950X are gonna be major overkill for most people. Those are about as good as it gets as far as consumer CPU's go. If you want it, you want it. If you need it, you need it. But most people I think would be extremely satisfied with what their latest ocata-cores have to offer. For gaming and 'other things' too. That money may be better spent elsewhere in the build.

 

[johnspack]

Yeah, dam, the 3700x is probably enough, even the 3600x, which is a proven game performer. I need to make sure he gets a good psu as well, so if I could shift some money to the psu, that is good. And I guess a good x470 mobo will do as well.

 

[Hyderz]

2k can for just the main box? Or he needs a monitor as well?

 

[Deleted member 185158]

Meh, just slapped this together. There's so many good cases and stuff.....

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(just realized that's a mini itx case, dismiss that, added the wrong one to the cart ooops)

 

[johnspack]

Hmm, guessing he has monitor and all peripherals already. And yes, he wants full atx case ect. It will be for gaming, so needs cooling. And I guess now I think of it.. a cpu cooler. What do these things use for good air cooling?

 

[Deleted member 185158]

Hmm, guessing he has monitor and all peripherals already. And yes, he wants full atx case ect. It will be for gaming, so needs cooling. And I guess now I think of it.. a cpu cooler. What do these things use for good air cooling?

Click the link, I included a cooler. Remove the case from the shopping cart, and select another.

 

[Vario]

Heres a recommendation from me... the ram is B-Die, its 3000 CL14, so you should be able to run it much higher clock. The B450 Tomahawk Max has good reviews and compatibility, though because its B450 PCPartPicker pops a warning. Selecting a B450 allows you to save a lot of money that you can put elsewhere into the build.

System Builder

ca.pcpartpicker.com

 

[cucker tarlson]

3600+2080S > 3800X + 2070S

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

A solid mini-ITX build is possible, considering the moderate gaming demands, you just need the right case. It‘s certainly not the only or best way to go, but it does offer some space savings if that’s a factor. Thermaltake Core V1 is nice case for cheap. /End sidebar.

 

[johnspack]

Looks like a solid build above. I was hoping to future proof him a bit in case he ever wants a 3950, so I might try to squeeze an x470 in there. I think he wanted water cooling for the cpu, but I
don't think much will beat a D15.

 

[Valantar]

@Vario's build looks solid all in all. A few points for mulling over before pulling the trigger, though:

• The biggest argument for X570 isn't PCIe 4.0 by itself, but more PCIe for storage in general. More fast NVMe slots = better, and both B450 and X470 fall behind here. This is worth thinking about for a PC that will be kept for many years.
• B-die isn't really necessary. Micron E-die (for example Crucial Ballistix with part numbers ending in AES) works very well for Ryzen and clocks high, even if timings are worse than good B-die - and normally costs a lot less. Not all B-die is good either (though on average they are the best there are still lemons bins of B-die too). People seem to have no issues hitting max FClock with Micron E-die.
• Going lower on the CPU and higher on the GPU makes sense, at least until you start dropping below the 3600 series. On the other hand, the GPU is the first to get upgraded anyhow, so there are definitely arguments for going over the top with the CPU right off the bat.
• Don't worry about PSU wattage - with a PSU from a half-decent brand on a somewhat modern platform, label wattages are accurate for continuous load. A build like this will likely barely exceed 300W under intensive gaming loads unless overclocked. So, 750W can be considered overkill, though overkill has its merits too (such as staying within the fanless wattage range of some PSUs). Still, with a setup like this I would prioritize a top-quality 550W PSU over a good or middling 750W. Higher efficiency doesn't save you noticeable money, but makes the PSU run cooler and last longer.
• If you care about airflow and cooling, don't get a solid front panel case like the P400. There are quite a few good mesh-front options available these days, and this has a huge impact on actual temperatures. GamersNexus' case reviews is a good starting point. Also, unless your case comes with a bunch of fans, invest in a couple of good ones to add in.

 

[Vario]

@Vario's build looks solid all in all. A few points for mulling over before pulling the trigger, though:

• The biggest argument for X570 isn't PCIe 4.0 by itself, but more PCIe for storage in general. More fast NVMe slots = better, and both B450 and X470 fall behind here. This is worth thinking about for a PC that will be kept for many years.
• B-die isn't really necessary. Micron E-die (for example Crucial Ballistix with part numbers ending in AES) works very well for Ryzen and clocks high, even if timings are worse than good B-die - and normally costs a lot less. Not all B-die is good either (though on average they are the best there are still lemons bins of B-die too). People seem to have no issues hitting max FClock with Micron E-die.
• Going lower on the CPU and higher on the GPU makes sense, at least until you start dropping below the 3600 series. On the other hand, the GPU is the first to get upgraded anyhow, so there are definitely arguments for going over the top with the CPU right off the bat.
• Don't worry about PSU wattage - with a PSU from a half-decent brand on a somewhat modern platform, label wattages are accurate for continuous load. A build like this will likely barely exceed 300W under intensive gaming loads unless overclocked. So, 750W can be considered overkill, though overkill has its merits too (such as staying within the fanless wattage range of some PSUs). Still, with a setup like this I would prioritize a top-quality 550W PSU over a good or middling 750W. Higher efficiency doesn't save you noticeable money, but makes the PSU run cooler and last longer.
• If you care about airflow and cooling, don't get a solid front panel case like the P400. There are quite a few good mesh-front options available these days, and this has a huge impact on actual temperatures. GamersNexus' case reviews is a good starting point. Also, unless your case comes with a bunch of fans, invest in a couple of good ones to add in.

Good advice, P400A has a mesh front, that is why I picked it.

 

[Valantar]

Good advice, P400A has a mesh front, that is why I picked it.

Ah, I missed the A, didn't know they had a mesh version of that too. Good to know!

 

[Vario]

Ah, I missed the A, didn't know they had a mesh version of that too. Good to know!

Yep I am averse to the solid front panel case trend but I saw dirtyferret's post about the mesh panel on the P400A and it seemed like a pretty good case all around.

How unrestrictive is a mesh front panel? Let's find out...

So needing a new case for the wife's PC I went with the Phanteks P400A black (she's going from a larger Corsair Obsidian 400R) which allowed me to swap out the front panel on my P400S and do some temp testing. I posted my results from the Phanteks P400S test already. So using the exact same...

www.techpowerup.com

 

[Zach_01]

Heres a recommendation from me... the ram is B-Die, its 3000 CL14, so you should be able to run it much higher clock. The B450 Tomahawk Max has good reviews and compatibility, though because its B450 PCPartPicker pops a warning. Selecting a B450 allows you to save a lot of money that you can put elsewhere into the build.

System Builder

ca.pcpartpicker.com

View attachment 135452

3600+2080S > 3800X + 2070S

Yes a 100% on this... Just downgrade the CPU and upgrade the GPU. Its by far the better choice/performance

As for B450 vs X470 I'd say skip the X470 and consider a X570 at about 200$. Otherwise stay with B450. The tomahawk max is a solid option.

 

[moproblems99]

Yes a 100% on this... Just downgrade the CPU and upgrade the GPU. Its by far the better choice/performance

As for B450 vs X470 I'd say skip the X470 and consider a X570 at about 200$. Otherwise stay with B450. The tomahawk max is a solid option.

Agreed as well. That said, if you still go x470, try to go with one that has a 32mb bios chip. Pretty sure all AsRock x470 boards have 32mb chips although their bios leaves much to be desired.

 

[johnspack]

Interesting... looks I need to go x570 then. I'm pretty sure he wants at least an 8 core, so 3700x min. And up here, the 2800s is 300 more than the 2700s. So more shifting would need to be done.
I've already got him to 2200 can now for the build.

 

[Vario]

Interesting... looks I need to go x570 then. I'm pretty sure he wants at least an 8 core, so 3700x min. And up here, the 2800s is 300 more than the 2700s. So more shifting would need to be done.
I've already got him to 2200 can now for the build.

The cost to performance ratio really isn't there for X570 IMO. Better to buy what performs today than try to plan out the future when everything in your rig is slow and needs an upgrade, that is when you part out what you had and upgrade again.

 

[johnspack]

Well, this is something he will be using for years. I'd like to make sure he has an upgrade path over the years, instead of being stuck with what he buys now for many years.
It's cheaper to buy a higher core, faster cpu, than replacing a whole system.

 

[Zach_01]

If you really into X570 then dont skip on cost especially if you are looking for the highest core counts in future. Go with a 200US$ board at least.
I had the same mindset when building mine. I did go with X570 because I tend to keep the mainboard a lot of years. Last one was 7years old.
CPU wise I dont really need for now anything better than the 6C/12T R5 3600 and I mainly play games. No editing or rendering or anything like that.
The plan is to keep this CPU 2~3 years max and then go for a higher core count ZEN3 (4000series) which will be AM4 compatible (IPC + clocks increased), at least for 500series chipset.
Upgrade(s) for GPU will also going to happen. My estimation is that this will keep the PC close as possible to top performance (for the 1440p monitor upgrade I'm also planning), for the next 6 or even 8 years.
1 upgrade for the CPU, and 2 for GPU.
My current GPU is only good for 1080p (high/ultra settings)

Keep us informed for the choises you make so we can comment on them... hehe!