[SOLVED] ~$1000 Computer Build/Headphone Advice

[Bakuryu42]

Approximate Purchase Date: ASAP

Budget Range: ~1000, might be willing to go slightly higher. After Rebates; After Shipping

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Game Development

Are you buying a monitor: Yes, but maybe not right away?

I currently own these two monitors
https://www.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/model/UM.FG6AA.B01
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0098Y77OG/


Do you need to buy OS: No, bought a Windows 10 OEM key a while back, hopefully it still works

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: As long as its the cheapest, and is a reputable site, I have no loyalty. I do have Amazon prime though just an FYI.

Location: US - Allentown, PA

Parts Preferences: Never really been loyal to one brand really. I've heard some people have had issues with Ryzen stuff recently, not sure if that's still true?

Overclocking: Maybe, this will be my third built computer for my self and I never overclocked the last two. If given good enough reasons and the wear on the hardware is negligible then I will consider it.

SLI or Crossfire: No, never heard a good example of where these were actually useful.

Your Monitor Resolution: Currently my monitors are maxed at 1080, but I'd like to get to 1440p at least and have the game still run well. One of my monitors is 144Hz though.
I have yet to full utilized that functionality as most games I would need to significantly dumb down the graphics to reach the FPS needed to get it. So that brings a question, was it worth it? Should I push to try to go this route again?

Additional Comments:
Game Setting Goal - On single player games I want to play on roughly max settings 1440p/60fps at minimum. Multiplayer games mostly shooters I willing to lower res some if it gains me more FPS, but I think most of those games are optimized for that already?
Games I am looking to player or play in the future: CS:GO, Overwatch/2, Rise of The Tomb Raider, The Witcher 3, Red Dead Redemption 2, GTA V, Titanfall 2, Cyberpunk 2, Any game on gamepass.

Tower - I never really be one to show off my computer tower and they usually ended up on the ground or on a stand. That said I do have a decent amount of desk space.

This is an old picture, the monitor is and old one, the newer ones are 24 inchs. Similar position, but farther back and mounted on a two monitor stand that I am less than thrilled with, but does save me some space. So where it is in that picture wouldn't be ideal as the side would be blocked by the second monitor. The other side would make more sense, but depending on what side the tempered glass/plastic is I would be able to see it any way. Main thing I am concerned with is air flow and the amount of dust that gets in.

Headphones: I currently own a pair of Seinnheiser HD 558's and while they have served me well I cannot for the life of me find good reviewed replacement ear pads for them. Also due to them being headphones versus a headset I have had to provide my own mic which clips on to the headset. While not a huge issue I'm thinking maybe its time to upgrade to something a little more streamlined. I don't want to spend anymore then $100 (outside my computers budget) on them, but I would like good sound quality. I currently have ASUS Xonar DGX PCI-E GX2.5 Sound Cards that I am not sure is worth keeping/transfering to my new build, but if I did then the headphones probably need have the proper jack(s) for it. Any suggestions would be great appreciated.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: My last build is from 2012... its really time.

If you have an other questions to help you guys make suggestions please don't hesitate to ask. Thanks.

 

[Dj0gany]

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/DjerizCigan/saved/vNFDcf

 

[maxamillionfeettall]

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/DjerizCigan/saved/vNFDcf

link is private

 

[Dj0gany]

try now :https://pcpartpicker.com/list/H3j3Qq

 

[WildCard999]

It's been difficult to find that Tomahawk MAX in stock for a reasonable price so you may need to go B550.

PCPartPicker Part List

Motherboard: Gigabyte B550M AORUS PRO Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($129.99 @ B&H)
Total: $129.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-06-19 20:27 EDT-0400

For $1,000 the Ryzen 3600, 2x8gb at 3600mhz and the RTX 2060-2070 (or AMD equivalent) would handle 1440P gaming fairly well.

 

[maxamillionfeettall]

Ryzen 3000 has been out for a while now, any teething issues are now gone for the most part.
AMD b550 motherboards has just released, if you can find one, pick it up.
If you want, you can re-use your old pc case. Technology hasn't changed THAT much haha.
Skimping on the psu is a hard NO. There is currently a shortage as per pandemic, So keep an eye out for good units like any seasonic focus, corsair rm/rmx, maybe a txm as well. The seasonic I linked went out of stock while making this list lol.

Intel cpu's are still faster, but at 1440p, its really only a few franes behind, not worth the premium imo.

You can swap out the gpu for a rtx 2060 to keep it under budget, I went for a 3700x as a 3600 with an aftermarket cooler comes in only $50 less. But if you want to save some more, a 3600 is ample enough, its cooler is a bit dinky is all.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($274.49 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Freezer 34 CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B550 GAMING X ATX AM4 Motherboard ($139.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial P2 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($64.98 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB Video Card ($426.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P300 ATX Mid Tower Case ($60.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Seasonic Core Gold 650w ($99.99)
Total: $1132.40
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-06-19 20:35 EDT-0400

 

[Bakuryu42]

try now :https://pcpartpicker.com/list/H3j3Qq

I've heard from a friend the Tomahawks have been having issues?

It's been difficult to find that Tomahawk MAX in stock for a reasonable price so you may need to go B550.

PCPartPicker Part List

Motherboard: Gigabyte B550M AORUS PRO Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($129.99 @ B&H)
Total: $129.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-06-19 20:27 EDT-0400

For $1,000 the Ryzen 3600, 2x8gb at 3600mhz and the RTX 2060-2070 (or AMD equivalent) would handle 1440P gaming fairly well.

Are the Tomahawk considered better? As for handling 1440p is that at 60? What FPS can I except on max for the games listed above?

Ryzen 3000 has been out for a while now, any teething issues are now gone for the most part.
AMD b550 motherboards has just released, if you can find one, pick it up.
If you want, you can re-use your old pc case. Technology hasn't changed THAT much haha.
Skimping on the psu is a hard NO. There is currently a shortage as per pandemic, So keep an eye out for good units like any seasonic focus, corsair rm/rmx, maybe a txm as well. The seasonic I linked went out of stock while making this list lol.

Intel cpu's are still faster, but at 1440p, its really only a few franes behind, not worth the premium imo.

You can swap out the gpu for a rtx 2060 to keep it under budget, I went for a 3700x as a 3600 with an aftermarket cooler comes in only $50 less. But if you want to save some more, a 3600 is ample enough, its cooler is a bit dinky is all.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($274.49 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Freezer 34 CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B550 GAMING X ATX AM4 Motherboard ($139.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial P2 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($64.98 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB Video Card ($426.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P300 ATX Mid Tower Case ($60.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Seasonic Core Gold 650w ($99.99)
Total: $1132.40
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-06-19 20:35 EDT-0400

Are the new B550 mobos better than the tomahawks? I haven't seen anyone mention overclocking is it worth it and if so do these mobos have good tools for it?

As far as cases go, my front fan just died, so I guess it could be cheaper to just replace the fan, but its an old case so likely the other fans aren't far behind. That plus the cable management for it wasn't great. I've seen Phanteks and NZHT's any reason for one or the other? Something like the Phanteks Enthoo Pro Tempered Glass, I really love the swing door concept although I can see that breaking pretty easily. That said its a little pricier than the others. I really want a clean look for this one I might even do some hard research on it when the time comes.

I don't know a lot about memory and I do know there are a lot of factors that go into what makes it good. Any tips here on how to know whats good and why you chose the ram you chose? For example isnt a low CL better in which case I saw a set from the same brand, still DDR4-3600, but with a CL16. Maybe it just doesn't make that big a difference?

I noticed you picked a 500 GB M2 while Djoza had a 1TB one. The price difference is too much was there another reason for that other than to just same some money?

Lastly anyone got some headphone suggestions?

 

[maxamillionfeettall]

I've heard from a friend the Tomahawks have been having issues?

There are some people that have bios instability issues, it's relatively low % considering how many of the boards are out there though.

Are the new B550 mobos better than the tomahawks? I haven't seen anyone mention overclocking is it worth it and if so do these mobos have good tools for it?

Yes, the b550 boards have better vrms and run quite a bit cooler, depending on the model.

I noticed you picked a 500 GB M2 while Djoza had a 1TB one. The price difference is too much was there another reason for that other than to just same some money?

Tbh, I don't remember. Prolly price, haha.

 

[Bakuryu42]

Still debating on Nvidia vs AMD on the graphics side, I could save some money if I go AMD, but again I heard there were some driver and even overheating issues. Any idea if that stuff was worked out yet? Many people seem to be leaning toward the 2070, and reason for going with 2070 vs 2070 Super?

 

[maxamillionfeettall]

Many people seem to be leaning toward the 2070, and reason for going with 2070 vs 2070 Super?

The 2060 super/2070 is adequate for 1440p 60fps. If you want higher fps, then go for the 2070 super, it his $100 more though.

Amd released a driver in March that supposedly fixed most of the problems, and I'm sure it did for much of the population. But in general, AMD has always had driver problems, if you are patient and can methodical, the RX 57xx series are an incredible value. I never managed to fix the frame drop issue with my r9 380x, and in the end I sold it off and got a gtx 1060, no issues since, but that's my bias.
Overheating is dependent on the manufacturer model, some models had heat pads that were too thick, or heatsinks mounted too tightly, those aren't AMD problems but the third part manafacturer.

Side note, Nvidia gpu's have Nvenc and other goodies to make streaming easier if that's your thing.

Lastly anyone got some headphone suggestions?

For a short while I had some Fostex T50rp MK3's, and they were amazing, but they needed an amp to drive them, so I used a Topping dx3 dac amp combo. It was great, but too expensive, so I'm now just using old junk I had laying around. I might pick up some t50's again.

The Hifiman planars are good, but the build quality of the bands are bit.....they mighta changed it, idk.

An acquaintance raved about the beyerdynamic dt770, and I've only heard good things.

 

[Bakuryu42]

It seems like find a 2070 for the price you listed is kind of difficult. In fact I'm finding supers before I see any 2070's on part picker. We still having issues getting stock in for stuff because of the pandamic?

I noticed only one person recommended a third party cpu cooler are the amd stocks really that good? Would you still recommend using a different thermal paste?

For a short while I had some Fostex T50rp MK3's, and they were amazing, but they needed an amp to drive them, so I used a Topping dx3 dac amp combo. It was great, but too expensive, so I'm now just using old junk I had laying around. I might pick up some t50's again.

The Hifiman planars are good, but the build quality of the bands are bit.....they mighta changed it, idk.

An acquaintance raved about the beyerdynamic dt770, and I've only heard good things.

These seem to be mostly above budget. Look for ~$100 . The fostex look good I like the material for the ear pads mostly because I think they are easier to clean. My last ones were felt like the beyerdynamic ones, but they are a pain for up keep and replacement tend to be impossible to find. Also the last two dont have mics, which if I got a dedicated mic would be an issue, but that's more expensive. I dont know if they exist but I really want an affordable, maintainable, headset with good quality sound. Also because I have a sound card preferably one that use aux.

 

[Zerk2012]

It seems like find a 2070 for the price you listed is kind of difficult. In fact I'm finding supers before I see any 2070's on part picker. We still having issues getting stock in for stuff because of the pandamic?

I noticed only one person recommended a third party cpu cooler are the amd stocks really that good? Would you still recommend using a different thermal paste?


These seem to be mostly above budget. Look for ~$100 . The fostex look good I like the material for the ear pads mostly because I think they are easier to clean. My last ones were felt like the beyerdynamic ones, but they are a pain for up keep and replacement tend to be impossible to find. Also the last two dont have mics, which if I got a dedicated mic would be an issue, but that's more expensive. I dont know if they exist but I really want an affordable, maintainable, headset with good quality sound. Also because I have a sound card preferably one that use aux.

The B550 boards are not really better they do offer a few more upgrades that to your average user is a non factor.

The stock coolers are barely adequate and in most cases actually limit the boost speed of the processor by a bit.

Yes the pandemic makes it a lot tougher to find some items in stock.

 

[maxamillionfeettall]

Ah yeah, I forgot that you needed a gaming headset, whoops. Then I can't recommend anything, I've always used a budget $10 external usb mic after realizing how cruddy gaming headset mics were.

I can, however, recommend avoiding logitech g430/432(terrible mic and sound, flimsy), and Astro a40/50 (sounded fine but audio controller switched the channels randomly, too expensive for what they are). My bud raved about the hyper cloud revolver s, but then after 6 months the solder joints failed, so idk.

 

[Bakuryu42]

Ah yeah, I forgot that you needed a gaming headset, whoops. Then I can't recommend anything, I've always used a budget $10 external usb mic after realizing how cruddy gaming headset mics were.

I can, however, recommend avoiding logitech g430/432(terrible mic and sound, flimsy), and Astro a40/50 (sounded fine but audio controller switched the channels randomly, too expensive for what they are). My bud raved about the hyper cloud revolver s, but then after 6 months the solder joints failed, so idk.

What kind if external mic I ended up ordering these super cheap clip on mics, but the cord ended up being longer than my headphones once I extended it and now there's a ton of slack and an extra wire to worry about.

 

[maxamillionfeettall]

A samson condenser on a scissor mic stand, such set ups are not for everybody though.

It seems like find a 2070 for the price you listed is kind of difficult. In fact I'm finding supers before I see any 2070's on part picker. We still having issues getting stock in for stuff because of the pandamic?

Have you bought any parts since?

 

[Bakuryu42]

A samson condenser on a scissor mic stand, such set ups are not for everybody though.


Have you bought any parts since?

They make $10 samson condensers?

I haven't pulled the trigger yet in any parts. Should I for anything that risks shooting up in price?

 

[maxamillionfeettall]

I haven't pulled the trigger yet in any parts. Should I for anything that risks shooting up in price?

No no, twas just wondering. AMD is supposedly releasing the next gen cpu's within the next few months, so if you haven't bough anything yet, you could wait a bit more.

They make $10 samson condensers?

ebay
Just checked the prices, lol, it was originally $10, now I can't find one under $70, RIP.

 

[Bakuryu42]

No no, twas just wondering. AMD is supposedly releasing the next gen cpu's within the next few months, so if you haven't bough anything yet, you could wait a bit more.


ebay
Just checked the prices, lol, it was originally $10, now I can't find one under $70, RIP.

Really? I thought it was new GPU's that were possibly coming (Big Navi)? The problem is I always keep hearing there's a next big thing coming soon and when it happens it's usually either nothing special or out of my price range.

Dam that's hell of a deal you found then cause the lowest I found was like $40, but it was for a small portable one.

 

[maxamillionfeettall]

The problem is I always keep hearing there's a next big thing coming soon and when it happens it's usually either nothing special or out of my price range.

That's a fair point, especially with the gpu's, they always release the top end parts first,so even though a new release is coming around holiday, only the top end parts that will be released. More budget options come out months later. With the AMD cpu release, there has been hear say that states a 15% ipc increase and a release date around october. IMO, if you're considering the 3700x, it's not worth the wait as the replacement chip will release $50-100 higher in price. Whereas with the 3600, the 4600 will likely release at the original $200 price, only $25 more then the current 3600 pricing.

If you're still interested in building a rig, do note, parts for sale disappear and reappear randomly. It's quite problematic with psu's, I rather you wait for a good unit to get back in stock then get a overpriced or low quality unit that is in stock. Here's a tier list you can use to cross check.

 

[johnsoner13]

For headset at $100 it’ll be hard to beat the philips SHP9500S and v moda boom pro mic. Theyre open back headphones like your sennheiser hd558s although I believe those are a great pair and probably better than the shp9500s

 

[Bakuryu42]

That's a fair point, especially with the gpu's, they always release the top end parts first,so even though a new release is coming around holiday, only the top end parts that will be released. More budget options come out months later. With the AMD cpu release, there has been hear say that states a 15% ipc increase and a release date around october. IMO, if you're considering the 3700x, it's not worth the wait as the replacement chip will release $50-100 higher in price. Whereas with the 3600, the 4600 will likely release at the original $200 price, only $25 more then the current 3600 pricing.

If you're still interested in building a rig, do note, parts for sale disappear and reappear randomly. It's quite problematic with psu's, I rather you wait for a good unit to get back in stock then get a overpriced or low quality unit that is in stock. Here's a tier list you can use to cross check.

Yea I was considering the 3700x, so I'll probably just grab it when I get most of my other stuff locked in.

Yea that psu you picked was a good price I cant find any under a $100 for that amount of power. Is 650W recommended for that type of build? Pcpartpicker seems to be recommended half that although to be safe I'd probably go at least 450W. So would I want to stick to tier A from that guide/list you linked?

For headset at $100 it’ll be hard to beat the philips SHP9500S and v moda boom pro mic. Theyre open back headphones like your sennheiser hd558s although I believe those are a great pair and probably better than the shp9500s

Those headphones look nice. My only gripe is the mesh/foam earpods. I really want to use headphones for as long as I can because good ones are pricey. But the earpads and head pads get dirty and wear out and replacing them can be a pain or hard depending on the manufacturer still makes them. Then again these look easier to clean then the felt ones I have on the sennheiser. That boom mic looks great, so it just replaces the headphone wire completely?

 

[johnsoner13]

Yea I was considering the 3700x, so I'll probably just grab it when I get most of my other stuff locked in.

Yea that psu you picked was a good price I cant find any under a $100 for that amount of power. Is 650W recommended for that type of build? Pcpartpicker seems to be recommended half that although to be safe I'd probably go at least 450W. So would I want to stick to tier A from that guide/list you linked?

Those headphones look nice. My only gripe is the mesh/foam earpods. I really want to use headphones for as long as I can because good ones are pricey. But the earpads and head pads get dirty and wear out and replacing them can be a pain or hard depending on the manufacturer still makes them. Then again these look easier to clean then the felt ones I have on the sennheiser. That boom mic looks great, so it just replaces the headphone wire completely?

Yes, the headphones come with a detachable cable so you take that out and the v moda boom pro takes its place so it’s just one cable to your pc

 

[maxamillionfeettall]

Is 650W recommended for that type of build?

For a 2060 Super/2070, a good 550w is enough, like a RM550x. Most people, me included, prefer to have a bit more breathing room, so I'd opt for a 600w+. I would keep an eye out for any corsair RM/RMx, Thermaltake GF1, Seasonic Focus Plus, Fractal design Ion+(they've been popping up recently), the phanteks amp and xpg reactor(both seasonic focus plus units and they pop up once in a while), and sometimes you can find an Evga supernova G3. All the units should be around the $100-120 price point.

So would I want to stick to tier A from that guide/list you linked?

For the most part yeah, there are many on the B tier that are also quite good though, the list is really there to cross check rather then a strict guideline.

 

[Bakuryu42]

Yes, the headphones come with a detachable cable so you take that out and the v moda boom pro takes its place so it’s just one cable to your pc

Any chance you know of a good place to get good replacement pads for the hd558? All the ones I see on amazon and Ebay keep showing people getting wildly different pads than what they show.

 

[Bakuryu42]

Going back to GPU's should I downgrade my card choice and wait for the new cards to come out? Will I know max said they typically come out with the slightly lower end GPU's after the main line ones, but potentially those will end up being the same price I'm paying for a 2070 while being more powerful? An article from this site just said it was the worst time to buy a GPU. https://www.tomshardware.com/amp/news/bad-time-to-buy-graphics-card