• Welcome to TechPowerUp Forums, Guest! Please check out our forum guidelines for info related to our community.

Computer Upgrade King Continuum Micro Gaming PC (Ryzen 7 2700 + RX 580 4GB)

crazyeyesreaper

Not a Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 25, 2009
Messages
9,752 (1.78/day)
Location
04578
System Name Old reliable
Processor Intel 8700K @ 4.8 GHz
Motherboard MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon AC
Cooling Custom Water
Memory 32 GB Crucial Ballistix 3666 MHz
Video Card(s) MSI GTX 1080 Ti Gaming X
Storage 3x SSDs 2x HDDs
Display(s) Dell U2412M + Samsung TA350
Case Thermaltake Core P3 TG
Audio Device(s) Samson Meteor Mic / Generic 2.1 / KRK KNS 6400 headset
Power Supply Zalman EBT-1000
Mouse Mionix NAOS 7000
Keyboard Mionix
Computer Upgrade King comes out swinging with the Continuum Micro gaming PC. Packed with an AMD Ryzen 7 2700, Radeon RX 580, and 512 GB of SSD storage, it delivers a fantastic 1080p gaming experience without breaking the bank. It even comes fully loaded with RGB lighting effects to seal the deal.

Show full review
 
Last edited:
Joined
Nov 1, 2018
Messages
583 (0.30/day)
Isn't it a bit too late to launch a new prebuilt with R7 2700?

I mean, who would want to buy this when the much faster next gen is literally days away.
 

King Rob

CUK Rep
Joined
Jul 3, 2019
Messages
5 (0.00/day)
We're making a few changes to address the issues noted:
1. GPU runs hot: We are now avoiding MSI Armor RX 580 4GB (180W) and other components that create a lot of heat in the case opting instead for GPUs that don't exhaust so much hot air onto the motherboard VRMs i.e. GTX 1060 (120W) and blowers.
2. VRM lacks heatsink: We are switching from AsRock A320M & B450M w/o heatsinks to ASUS A320M (for upcoming Ryzen 3 3200G and 5 3400G APU Raven Ridge builds) and MSI B450M Bazooka v2 with heatsinks (for upcoming 7nm Ryzen 5 3600 and Ryzen 7 3700X builds with dedicated GPU) to address lack of overclocking potential caused by lack of heatsinks and general perception from EUs that AsRock is cost down.
3. RGB lighting doesn't appeal to all: There is a remote and you can press off to turn off all lights and then its just a simple all black case but with a black glass front panel.
4. RGB uses proprietary connection: The Continuum Micro stock we have with fans and controller with proprietary connection is being phased out quickly and we now have more stock on hand of the Continuum Micro with 6 PWM RGB fans with universal 3-pin 5V addressable RGB connections to the controller with sync and PWM cables to mobo so coolers like AMD Wraith Prism and Raijintek Orcus 240 can now have their built in RGB sync with our fans and the infinity window strip. The fans we are preinstalling now will be incredible at 600-2200rpm PWM with 87CFM airflow and 3.5mm H2O pressure measured at the 2200rpm speed. Cooler Master Air Balance was the only fan we found that was faster and only by about 10% at the 2500rpm speed setting so technically at the same speed settings ours is perhaps better. Currently if you want Continuum desktop with these fans, it is just a $20 upgrade and your cooling capacity would double and any AIO cooler you add will see big performance jump as the pressure on the included fans would be far superior.
5. Wraith RGB not set up: AMD Wraith cooler RGB needs 3-pin 5V universal connection so that is addressed by the new super high airflow and pressure 2200rpm PWM RGB fans we've developed that will be provided as upgrade for $20.

Besides these areas of improvement for which we are addressing we are also working to validate the best possible RAM. Our current testing of build with Ryzen 5 3600 and MSI B450M Bazooka mobo indicates that affordable Patriot 2x8GB 3600MHz CL17 RAM outperforms Team 2x8GB 3200MHz CL16 RAM by 5.8% in Passmark which costing only $16 more for 2x8GB while expensive GSkill 2x8GB 3600MHz CL16 RAM that costs $43 more than the Patriot scores only 1% better than the Patriot. We are now running in game benchmarks as well to test the difference but as it stands, we would be pairing dual channel 3600MHz CL17 RAM in all our 7nm Ryzen 3000 builds if in game benchmarks show nearly as big of a difference as Passmark.

We are trying to avoid all cost downs that negatively impact performance and reliability. We already are using rated PSUs for very cheap APU builds and Gold PSUs for nearly every build with dedicated GPU even ones under $1K price pt like this Ryzen 7 2700 + 580 build. Our pricing is still very low because we make next to nothing trying to get our name out there but its not because we sacrifice performance or reliability with cost downs. We hate it when DIYers say pre-builts are a rip and you have to build your own. We wish to buck that trend but not rip ppl off like some sites do.

Isn't it a bit too late to launch a new prebuilt with R7 2700?

I mean, who would want to buy this when the much faster next gen is literally days away.
On Monday 7/8 we can launch our Ryzen 3000 SKUs but this week we are forbidden by AMD so we sit tight. Just wait and specs will be changing for the better.
 
Last edited:

HammerON

The Watchful Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 2, 2009
Messages
8,397 (1.53/day)
Location
Up North
System Name Threadripper
Processor 3960X
Motherboard ASUS ROG Strix TRX40-XE
Cooling XSPC Raystorm Neo (sTR4) Water Block
Memory G. Skill Trident Z Neo 64 GB 3600
Video Card(s) PNY RTX 4090
Storage Samsung 960 Pro 512 GB + WD Black SN850 1TB
Display(s) Dell 32" Curved Gaming Monitor (S3220DGF)
Case Corsair 5000D Airflow
Audio Device(s) On-board
Power Supply EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 G5
Mouse Roccat Kone Pure
Keyboard Corsair K70
Software Win 10 Pro
Benchmark Scores Always changing~
Thanks for replying and welcome to TPU!
 
Joined
Nov 24, 2017
Messages
853 (0.37/day)
Location
Asia
Processor Intel Core i5 4590
Motherboard Gigabyte Z97x Gaming 3
Cooling Intel Stock Cooler
Memory 8GiB(2x4GiB) DDR3-1600 [800MHz]
Video Card(s) XFX RX 560D 4GiB
Storage Transcend SSD370S 128GB; Toshiba DT01ACA100 1TB HDD
Display(s) Samsung S20D300 20" 768p TN
Case Cooler Master MasterBox E501L
Audio Device(s) Realtek ALC1150
Power Supply Corsair VS450
Mouse A4Tech N-70FX
Software Windows 10 Pro
Benchmark Scores BaseMark GPU : 250 Point in HD 4600
We're making a few changes to address the issues noted:
1. GPU runs hot: We are now avoiding MSI Armor RX 580 4GB (180W) and other components that create a lot of heat in the case opting instead for GPUs that don't exhaust so much hot air onto the motherboard VRMs i.e. GTX 1060 (120W) and blowers.
Dont need to change RX 580 to GTX 1060. You guys just need to change the OEM for RX 580. A Sapphire, XFX or Powercolor RX 580 will run much cooler and quiter than MSI RX 580.
 
Joined
Dec 31, 2009
Messages
19,366 (3.72/day)
Benchmark Scores Faster than yours... I'd bet on it. :)
Agreed with a different AIB/cooling solution.

Gotta throw a 8gb 6gb+) card in there. If this is to last a couple/few years, 4gb is going to take away from the experience in some titles sooner than later (it's already happening now).

I like the updates... people keep these boxes and may not clean them so good airflow and heatsinks on the vrm is a good idea.

I get nervous about anything higher than a Ryzen 3 3600 in many b350 boards...their vrm sections can be potatos...make sure its robust and good airflow too.

Overall, seems solid.
 
Last edited:
Joined
May 7, 2019
Messages
277 (0.16/day)
System Name Cheapskate Maximus
Processor Xeon W3680 @ 3.99Ghz [133x30] [1.375v]
Motherboard HP Z400 Rev 2
Cooling Alpenfohn Brocken v1
Memory 3 x 4GB DDR3-1600
Video Card(s) Sapphire RX570 Nitro+
Storage 240GB WD SSD, 6 x 2TB HDD
Display(s) 27" iiyama XB2783HSU AMVA+
Case AeroCool
Power Supply HP 600w Bronze (Delta)
Keyboard Gots keys
Software W10 x64
The sag on that 570 is pretty insane, my Sapphire Nitro+ looks like it weighs a third more but is straight as a ruler with no supports or anything. System's cleanly built though.
 

bug

Joined
May 22, 2015
Messages
13,163 (4.07/day)
Processor Intel i5-12600k
Motherboard Asus H670 TUF
Cooling Arctic Freezer 34
Memory 2x16GB DDR4 3600 G.Skill Ripjaws V
Video Card(s) EVGA GTX 1060 SC
Storage 500GB Samsung 970 EVO, 500GB Samsung 850 EVO, 1TB Crucial MX300 and 2TB Crucial MX500
Display(s) Dell U3219Q + HP ZR24w
Case Raijintek Thetis
Audio Device(s) Audioquest Dragonfly Red :D
Power Supply Seasonic 620W M12
Mouse Logitech G502 Proteus Core
Keyboard G.Skill KM780R
Software Arch Linux + Win10
Why are all front panel photos taken from exactly the same angle?

Also, based on the random 4k QD1 values, I think you may have mixed reads and writes.
 
Joined
Feb 18, 2013
Messages
2,178 (0.54/day)
Location
Deez Nutz, bozo!
System Name Rainbow Puke Machine :D
Processor Intel Core i5-11400 (MCE enabled, PL removed)
Motherboard ASUS STRIX B560-G GAMING WIFI mATX
Cooling Corsair H60i RGB PRO XT AIO + HD120 RGB (x3) + SP120 RGB PRO (x3) + Commander PRO
Memory Corsair Vengeance RGB RT 2 x 8GB 3200MHz DDR4 C16
Video Card(s) Zotac RTX2060 Twin Fan 6GB GDDR6 (Stock)
Storage Corsair MP600 PRO 1TB M.2 PCIe Gen4 x4 SSD
Display(s) LG 29WK600-W Ultrawide 1080p IPS Monitor (primary display)
Case Corsair iCUE 220T RGB Airflow (White) w/Lighting Node CORE + Lighting Node PRO RGB LED Strips (x4).
Audio Device(s) ASUS ROG Supreme FX S1220A w/ Savitech SV3H712 AMP + Sonic Studio 3 suite
Power Supply Corsair RM750x 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular
Mouse Corsair M65 RGB FPS Gaming (White)
Keyboard Corsair K60 PRO RGB Mechanical w/ Cherry VIOLA Switches
VR HMD Pico 4 128GB AIO VR Headset* (* = in consideration of getting one)
Software Windows 10 Professional x64 (Update 22H2)
this RX580 has some serious sag issue. There are other 580s out there with a backplate for a small premium, which makes the overall system look a little better. For lighting, not a fan of generic RGB lighting when budget is the main selling point. Rather go without the lights or add a bit more for a better quality lighting solution.
 
Joined
Sep 16, 2014
Messages
290 (0.08/day)
We are trying to avoid all cost downs that negatively impact performance and reliability. We already are using rated PSUs for very cheap APU builds and Gold PSUs for nearly every build with dedicated GPU even ones under $1K price pt like this Ryzen 7 2700 + 580 build. Our pricing is still very low because we make next to nothing trying to get our name out there but its not because we sacrifice performance or reliability with cost downs. We hate it when DIYers say pre-builts are a rip and you have to build your own. We wish to buck that trend but not rip ppl off like some sites do.
What do you mean by a rated power supply? 80PLUS certification? Because that has nothing to do with the quality or performance of a power supply. It's only efficiency, but that doesn't even has to mean that a 80PLUS Gold PSU is more efficient then for example a 80PLUS Bronze PSU perse. An 80PLUS power supply can be overal more efficient if it only loses at 100% load, which is not something that happens a lot in real life.

If you take the current Thermaltake Smart series for example, that are power supplies you normally try to avoid. I can't see which Themaltake Smart power supply of 600W you did choose. But I guess it's a low quality one and it probably uses an old double forward design with group regulation. Which could give you stability issues, because a design like this doesn't like the high power spikes from the graphics card. It could also give you instability under low load or sleep states, because it doesn't have individual regulated voltages. Voltages can easily go out of spec under sleep states. That could lead to a PC that freezes in sleep.

A much better choice would be a power supply that at least uses DC-DC so that it's compatible with the modern sleep states of a PC and preferable also use a LLC resonant converter primary for better compatibility with graphics cards with higher power consumption and high current spikes. A PSU like that doesn't have to be more expensive.
 
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
1,849 (0.28/day)
System Name Air Cooled Caselabs BH8
Processor Intel Coffee Lake 8700K @ 4.7
Motherboard MSI Gaming M5
Cooling Noctua D15s, 5x 140mm Noctua Chromax, 1x 120mm Noctua Chromax, 2x 80mm Noctua fans
Memory G. Skill Trident Z RGB series 3200mhz
Video Card(s) ASUS STRIX GTX 1080
Storage Samsung EVO 840 250gb SSD, Samung EVO PRO 256gb SSD, 2 TB WD Black Edition HDD.
Display(s) 24" Asus Gaming ROG 144hz
Case Black Caselabs BH8
Power Supply 850w EVGA SuperNOVA G2 Gold PSU with individually sleeved black cables
Mouse Logitech Wireless G403
Keyboard Corsair Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Software Windows 10
Wouldn't waste my money... look at the GPU sag, that is horrendous..
 
Joined
Mar 18, 2015
Messages
2,960 (0.90/day)
Location
Long Island
Dont need to change RX 580 to GTX 1060. You guys just need to change the OEM for RX 580. A Sapphire, XFX or Powercolor RX 580 will run much cooler and quiter than MSI RX 580.

1. The 1060 is the better performer and creates less heat cause it uses less power.

2. AMD is the OEM for all cards. MSI / Sapphire are AIB Vendors

3. The " run much cooler and quieter is not supported by testing

MSI 580 tested by TPU ran at 76C w/ OC @ 32 dba

Sapphire 580 tested by TPU ran at 75C at 32 dbA
 

crazyeyesreaper

Not a Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 25, 2009
Messages
9,752 (1.78/day)
Location
04578
System Name Old reliable
Processor Intel 8700K @ 4.8 GHz
Motherboard MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon AC
Cooling Custom Water
Memory 32 GB Crucial Ballistix 3666 MHz
Video Card(s) MSI GTX 1080 Ti Gaming X
Storage 3x SSDs 2x HDDs
Display(s) Dell U2412M + Samsung TA350
Case Thermaltake Core P3 TG
Audio Device(s) Samson Meteor Mic / Generic 2.1 / KRK KNS 6400 headset
Power Supply Zalman EBT-1000
Mouse Mionix NAOS 7000
Keyboard Mionix
The sag on that 570 is pretty insane, my Sapphire Nitro+ looks like it weighs a third more but is straight as a ruler with no supports or anything. System's cleanly built though.
They include a bracket in the box that can be installed which eliminates the sag, or as I did I just repositioned the cables a bit and the problem disappeared as well.

Why are all front panel photos taken from exactly the same angle?

Also, based on the random 4k QD1 values, I think you may have mixed reads and writes.
Front panel photos... cause i like it that way? :toast:

As for the 4QD1 values you sir are correct. Fixing that now.

this RX580 has some serious sag issue. There are other 580s out there with a backplate for a small premium, which makes the overall system look a little better. For lighting, not a fan of generic RGB lighting when budget is the main selling point. Rather go without the lights or add a bit more for a better quality lighting solution.
See reponse MRGriMv25 above
 
Joined
Mar 18, 2015
Messages
2,960 (0.90/day)
Location
Long Island
2. VRM lacks heatsink: We are switching from AsRock A320M & B450M w/o heatsinks to ASUS A320M (for upcoming Ryzen 3 3200G and 5 3400G APU Raven Ridge builds) and MSI B450M Bazooka v2 with heatsinks (for upcoming 7nm Ryzen 5 3600 and Ryzen 7 3700X builds with dedicated GPU) to address lack of overclocking potential caused by lack of heatsinks and general perception from EUs that AsRock is cost down.

Besides these areas of improvement for which we are addressing we are also working to validate the best possible RAM. Our current testing of build with Ryzen 5 3600 and MSI B450M Bazooka mobo indicates that affordable Patriot 2x8GB 3600MHz CL17 RAM outperforms Team 2x8GB 3200MHz CL16 RAM by 5.8% in Passmark which costing only $16 more for 2x8GB while expensive GSkill 2x8GB 3600MHz CL16 RAM that costs $43 more than the Patriot scores only 1% better than the Patriot. We are now running in game benchmarks as well to test the difference but as it stands, we would be pairing dual channel 3600MHz CL17 RAM in all our 7nm Ryzen 3000 builds if in game benchmarks show nearly as big of a difference as Passmark.

1. IIRC, the MSI and ASRock use the ALC892 Codec and the Asrock / Asus 320M the even lower grade ALC887. For a gaming box, I'd much rather spend a bit more for ALC1220. And at that price point your already getting Z series (Intel) and / X series (AMD) chipsets.

2. While Passmark gives reasonable performance justifications for a cost increases, the impact on a gaming box is much less so. STALKER was a good go to series to go to to show this... these days F1 will do so. On the multi-core side, Premiere is probably the one most will care about.
 
Joined
Jan 21, 2013
Messages
326 (0.08/day)
I think $939.99 is a bit high considering that Mobo and GPU. A similar system can be built for much less, even if you're paying $100.00 for Windows Home.

 
Joined
May 7, 2019
Messages
277 (0.16/day)
System Name Cheapskate Maximus
Processor Xeon W3680 @ 3.99Ghz [133x30] [1.375v]
Motherboard HP Z400 Rev 2
Cooling Alpenfohn Brocken v1
Memory 3 x 4GB DDR3-1600
Video Card(s) Sapphire RX570 Nitro+
Storage 240GB WD SSD, 6 x 2TB HDD
Display(s) 27" iiyama XB2783HSU AMVA+
Case AeroCool
Power Supply HP 600w Bronze (Delta)
Keyboard Gots keys
Software W10 x64
They include a bracket in the box that can be installed which eliminates the sag, or as I did I just repositioned the cables a bit and the problem disappeared as well.

Ahh that makes sense, but with a tempered glass screen, a backplate with light card with some extra rigidty would've saved them the cost of the stand (depending on whether the stand was a lot cheaper than a different AiB part of course - and I'd imagine the stand would have been a lot cheaper though)
 
Joined
Jan 31, 2010
Messages
91 (0.02/day)
Processor Xeon E3 1230 V2
Motherboard ASRock B75M-ITX
Cooling Corsair H40
Memory 2X8GB 1600MHZ DDR3
Video Card(s) GTX960 4GB
Storage Sandisk 480GB SSD plus a few HDDs
Display(s) Dell UP2516D
Case Cubitek Mini-Cube
Power Supply Corsair SF 450
Mouse Logitech G15
Keyboard Cooler Master Quick Fire TK
1. The 1060 is the better performer and creates less heat cause it uses less power.

2. AMD is the OEM for all cards. MSI / Sapphire are AIB Vendors

3. The " run much cooler and quieter is not supported by testing

MSI 580 tested by TPU ran at 76C w/ OC @ 32 dba

Sapphire 580 tested by TPU ran at 75C at 32 dbA

AMD only designs and sells the reference models with blower coolers.



That is the reference RX480 PCB. The reference PCB is also used by the RX580 reference designs:

Notice how the PCB has AMD printed on the bottom.

MSI and Sapphire design their own PCBs and coolers. They are OEMs. The only AMD designs they sell are the rebranded reference designs.

The following pictures are from the reviews you linked to:





You clearly also have not used blower coolers - they run hotter. I use a GTX1080FE:

It uses a blower cooler but runs at over 80C and 37 dbA under load. The GTX1060FE which is also blower runs at nearly 80C and 34 dbA under load:


Also "quieter not supported by testing and the GTX1060 is the better performer" - have you even read the reviews you linked to? Well here is what TPU says about the higher end MSI RX580:

  • Faster than the GeForce GTX 1060
  • Overclocked out of the box
  • Quiet in gaming
  • Fans turn off in idle
  • Backplate included
  • HDMI 2.0b, DisplayPort 1.4
Here is what is said about the Sapphire:

  • Faster than the GeForce GTX 1060
  • Large overclock out of the box
  • Quiet in gaming
  • Fans turn off in idle
  • Dual BIOS
  • RGB illumination
  • Two replacement fans included
  • Blu-ray power consumption reduced
  • Backplate included
  • HDMI 2.0b, DisplayPort 1.4
 

King Rob

CUK Rep
Joined
Jul 3, 2019
Messages
5 (0.00/day)
Dont need to change RX 580 to GTX 1060. You guys just need to change the OEM for RX 580. A Sapphire, XFX or Powercolor RX 580 will run much cooler and quiter than MSI RX 580.
Out of 70 desktops with GTX 1060 inside shipped from 5/1-6/20, only 2 were refunded which is only a 3% rate and given buyer remorse returns are factored in, this is probably one of the most if not the most reliable configuration we currently sell. When we measured refund rates for desktops sold with RX 580, it was very high. Our cost up is only $5 switching to GTX 1060 3GB but its much higher switching to a different brand of 580. For that reason, on Amazon at least we've removed 580 as option altogether and are selling a lot more desktops with 1060. Raymond is 100% accurate when he points to Armor 580 not being a great GPU and our refund rates for past orders certainly reflect that. I agree with you too that Sapphire, XFX, or Powercolor would be good choices. However for us, we have to consider cost and reliability and we have proven reliability with the 1060 and switching doesn't impact our cost much which is why we decided for our Amazon listings at least to stop offering 580 and just to go with 1060 for a lot more configs we sell.

What do you mean by a rated power supply? 80PLUS certification? Because that has nothing to do with the quality or performance of a power supply. It's only efficiency, but that doesn't even has to mean that a 80PLUS Gold PSU is more efficient then for example a 80PLUS Bronze PSU perse. An 80PLUS power supply can be overal more efficient if it only loses at 100% load, which is not something that happens a lot in real life.

If you take the current Thermaltake Smart series for example, that are power supplies you normally try to avoid. I can't see which Themaltake Smart power supply of 600W you did choose. But I guess it's a low quality one and it probably uses an old double forward design with group regulation. Which could give you stability issues, because a design like this doesn't like the high power spikes from the graphics card. It could also give you instability under low load or sleep states, because it doesn't have individual regulated voltages. Voltages can easily go out of spec under sleep states. That could lead to a PC that freezes in sleep.

A much better choice would be a power supply that at least uses DC-DC so that it's compatible with the modern sleep states of a PC and preferable also use a LLC resonant converter primary for better compatibility with graphics cards with higher power consumption and high current spikes. A PSU like that doesn't have to be more expensive.
The PSU in this desktop that was reviewed was a 600W 80+ Gold made by Thermaltake. Its not sold retail so you wouldn't recognize it. Thermaltake sells it to system builders in bulk (not individual retail boxed) packaging and it has all the required certs. We use this 600W Gold Thermaltake PSU for a lot of our builds that are in the $800-$2K range but we increase up to 700W or 750W for anything with i9-9900K since we make sure max system power draw (stressing with Prime95+Furmark) is no greater than 80% of the PSU's capacity. For $349-$599 desktops with only Ryzen 3 or 5 APU CPU and no dedicated GPU that don't pull much more than 150W under load, that is when we go with low cost PSU like 80+ white. AMD builds need at minimum 80+ white or else the variance in the voltages supplied will cause stability issues.
 

bug

Joined
May 22, 2015
Messages
13,163 (4.07/day)
Processor Intel i5-12600k
Motherboard Asus H670 TUF
Cooling Arctic Freezer 34
Memory 2x16GB DDR4 3600 G.Skill Ripjaws V
Video Card(s) EVGA GTX 1060 SC
Storage 500GB Samsung 970 EVO, 500GB Samsung 850 EVO, 1TB Crucial MX300 and 2TB Crucial MX500
Display(s) Dell U3219Q + HP ZR24w
Case Raijintek Thetis
Audio Device(s) Audioquest Dragonfly Red :D
Power Supply Seasonic 620W M12
Mouse Logitech G502 Proteus Core
Keyboard G.Skill KM780R
Software Arch Linux + Win10
Out of 70 desktops with GTX 1060 inside shipped from 5/1-6/20, only 2 were refunded which is only a 3% rate and given buyer remorse returns are factored in, this is probably one of the most if not the most reliable configuration we currently sell. When we measured refund rates for desktops sold with RX 580, it was very high.
Ouch, this will hurt a lot of users around here.
 

King Rob

CUK Rep
Joined
Jul 3, 2019
Messages
5 (0.00/day)
I think $939.99 is a bit high considering that Mobo and GPU. A similar system can be built for much less, even if you're paying $100.00 for Windows Home.

The case with tempered glass front panel with infinity window behind, tempered glass left door with hinge for easy opening or removing and the 6 RGB PWM fans with controller were not cheap nor was the 600W Gold PSU. Also, the RAM was 3000MHz and the Ryzen 7 2700 was purchased for about the price you see online today as those are depreciating quickly making the overall cost value of the build less appealing. All in all, once we have Ryzen 3000 configs up next week with Bazooka B450M for default, the value will look a little better.

Ahh that makes sense, but with a tempered glass screen, a backplate with light card with some extra rigidty would've saved them the cost of the stand (depending on whether the stand was a lot cheaper than a different AiB part of course - and I'd imagine the stand would have been a lot cheaper though)
Since we got the stand designed along with case and mass produced by the thousand, cost for stand was no more than $2. Its metal and its screwed down so the GPU isn't going anywhere. During shipping, we just have to add instapak expandable foam above GPU to make sure it doesn't shift up.

You clearly also have not used blower coolers - they run hotter.
Blower GPUs are good for anything 180W or greater since alternative is hot air being blown up onto the VRMs and CPU. It definitely comes into play for RTX 2080 TI. For that, we are waiting on MSI to send us their server grade Aero blower which they have used on multiple data center projects now without any issues. It has 2 DP and an HDMI with no thunderbolt but that allowed for larger heatsink and vent area they say. For 2080, we like to use an ASUS blower. We are mostly writing off 580 right now and we aren't impressed with Navi given its high TDPs and fact that NVidia is dropping 2070 and 2080s by $40 via IR right now and releasing Super versions at the same MSRPs ($499 and $699). For 2070, we prefer triple fan and for 2060 double fan but on 2080 and 2080 TI its definitely blower since we prefer keeping the CPU (when its not liquid cooled) and VRMs cooler.
 
Joined
Sep 17, 2014
Messages
20,780 (5.97/day)
Location
The Washing Machine
Processor i7 8700k 4.6Ghz @ 1.24V
Motherboard AsRock Fatal1ty K6 Z370
Cooling beQuiet! Dark Rock Pro 3
Memory 16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX 3200/C16
Video Card(s) ASRock RX7900XT Phantom Gaming
Storage Samsung 850 EVO 1TB + Samsung 830 256GB + Crucial BX100 250GB + Toshiba 1TB HDD
Display(s) Gigabyte G34QWC (3440x1440)
Case Fractal Design Define R5
Audio Device(s) Harman Kardon AVR137 + 2.1
Power Supply EVGA Supernova G2 750W
Mouse XTRFY M42
Keyboard Lenovo Thinkpad Trackpoint II
Software W10 x64
We're making a few changes to address the issues noted:
1. GPU runs hot: We are now avoiding MSI Armor RX 580 4GB (180W) and other components that create a lot of heat in the case opting instead for GPUs that don't exhaust so much hot air onto the motherboard VRMs i.e. GTX 1060 (120W) and blowers.
2. VRM lacks heatsink: We are switching from AsRock A320M & B450M w/o heatsinks to ASUS A320M (for upcoming Ryzen 3 3200G and 5 3400G APU Raven Ridge builds) and MSI B450M Bazooka v2 with heatsinks (for upcoming 7nm Ryzen 5 3600 and Ryzen 7 3700X builds with dedicated GPU) to address lack of overclocking potential caused by lack of heatsinks and general perception from EUs that AsRock is cost down.
3. RGB lighting doesn't appeal to all: There is a remote and you can press off to turn off all lights and then its just a simple all black case but with a black glass front panel.
4. RGB uses proprietary connection: The Continuum Micro stock we have with fans and controller with proprietary connection is being phased out quickly and we now have more stock on hand of the Continuum Micro with 6 PWM RGB fans with universal 3-pin 5V addressable RGB connections to the controller with sync and PWM cables to mobo so coolers like AMD Wraith Prism and Raijintek Orcus 240 can now have their built in RGB sync with our fans and the infinity window strip. The fans we are preinstalling now will be incredible at 600-2200rpm PWM with 87CFM airflow and 3.5mm H2O pressure measured at the 2200rpm speed. Cooler Master Air Balance was the only fan we found that was faster and only by about 10% at the 2500rpm speed setting so technically at the same speed settings ours is perhaps better. Currently if you want Continuum desktop with these fans, it is just a $20 upgrade and your cooling capacity would double and any AIO cooler you add will see big performance jump as the pressure on the included fans would be far superior.
5. Wraith RGB not set up: AMD Wraith cooler RGB needs 3-pin 5V universal connection so that is addressed by the new super high airflow and pressure 2200rpm PWM RGB fans we've developed that will be provided as upgrade for $20.

Besides these areas of improvement for which we are addressing we are also working to validate the best possible RAM. Our current testing of build with Ryzen 5 3600 and MSI B450M Bazooka mobo indicates that affordable Patriot 2x8GB 3600MHz CL17 RAM outperforms Team 2x8GB 3200MHz CL16 RAM by 5.8% in Passmark which costing only $16 more for 2x8GB while expensive GSkill 2x8GB 3600MHz CL16 RAM that costs $43 more than the Patriot scores only 1% better than the Patriot. We are now running in game benchmarks as well to test the difference but as it stands, we would be pairing dual channel 3600MHz CL17 RAM in all our 7nm Ryzen 3000 builds if in game benchmarks show nearly as big of a difference as Passmark.

We are trying to avoid all cost downs that negatively impact performance and reliability. We already are using rated PSUs for very cheap APU builds and Gold PSUs for nearly every build with dedicated GPU even ones under $1K price pt like this Ryzen 7 2700 + 580 build. Our pricing is still very low because we make next to nothing trying to get our name out there but its not because we sacrifice performance or reliability with cost downs. We hate it when DIYers say pre-builts are a rip and you have to build your own. We wish to buck that trend but not rip ppl off like some sites do.


On Monday 7/8 we can launch our Ryzen 3000 SKUs but this week we are forbidden by AMD so we sit tight. Just wait and specs will be changing for the better.

Not a fan of prebuilt, but this response is welcome and the content of it is good news across the board... apart from perhaps the noisy, blower style GPU choice. I would rather see solid case airflow instead and I reckon it will sell better too with decent open air GPUs. This is the metric a gamer is going to be looking at literally all the time. Many people play with in-game Rivatuner OSDs and see those clocks and temps. And they will notice differences when comparing with your average 'tuber elsewhere.

Welcome!
 

bug

Joined
May 22, 2015
Messages
13,163 (4.07/day)
Processor Intel i5-12600k
Motherboard Asus H670 TUF
Cooling Arctic Freezer 34
Memory 2x16GB DDR4 3600 G.Skill Ripjaws V
Video Card(s) EVGA GTX 1060 SC
Storage 500GB Samsung 970 EVO, 500GB Samsung 850 EVO, 1TB Crucial MX300 and 2TB Crucial MX500
Display(s) Dell U3219Q + HP ZR24w
Case Raijintek Thetis
Audio Device(s) Audioquest Dragonfly Red :D
Power Supply Seasonic 620W M12
Mouse Logitech G502 Proteus Core
Keyboard G.Skill KM780R
Software Arch Linux + Win10
Not a fan of prebuilt, but this response is welcome and the content of it is good news across the board... apart from perhaps the noisy, blower style GPU choice. I would rather see solid case airflow instead and I reckon it will sell better too with decent open air GPUs. This is the metric a gamer is going to be looking at literally all the time. Many people play with in-game Rivatuner OSDs and see those clocks and temps. And they will notice differences when comparing with your average 'tuber elsewhere.

Welcome!
As far as blowers are concerned, I wonder why nobody made a blower with a larger fan (something like the Arctic Coolers of the old) and perhaps mount it at an angle to push air slightly towards the back of the case rather than directly at the PCB. That could have cut back on the noise.
 
Joined
Sep 17, 2014
Messages
20,780 (5.97/day)
Location
The Washing Machine
Processor i7 8700k 4.6Ghz @ 1.24V
Motherboard AsRock Fatal1ty K6 Z370
Cooling beQuiet! Dark Rock Pro 3
Memory 16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX 3200/C16
Video Card(s) ASRock RX7900XT Phantom Gaming
Storage Samsung 850 EVO 1TB + Samsung 830 256GB + Crucial BX100 250GB + Toshiba 1TB HDD
Display(s) Gigabyte G34QWC (3440x1440)
Case Fractal Design Define R5
Audio Device(s) Harman Kardon AVR137 + 2.1
Power Supply EVGA Supernova G2 750W
Mouse XTRFY M42
Keyboard Lenovo Thinkpad Trackpoint II
Software W10 x64
As far as blowers are concerned, I wonder why nobody made a blower with a larger fan (something like the Arctic Coolers of the old) and perhaps mount it at an angle to push air slightly towards the back of the case rather than directly at the PCB. That could have cut back on the noise.

No idea, but what I do know is that blowers are noisy because they cool much worse per RPM of the fan and that has everything to do with how a radial fan works. Won't fix that with a bit of angle.. or maybe it will save a tiny bit barely noticeable in the scheme of things. I don't know, we're already complaining about tripleslots... this would introduce tripleslot blowers.
 
Top