[SOLVED] $2,850 PC Build - I Must Recommend!

[Bonedancer]

Good morning,

Just wanted to share my recent build. Not my first build, but it's the first system I intend to overclock. I'm certainly not an expert - however, I did a fair amount of research for compatibility and performance. I ordered each piece from Newegg, Amazon, B&H, or MicroCenter. The parts came in two days ago and it's up and running. It's fast, quiet, and beautiful.

Component	Make/Model	Price
CPU	Intel Core i7-9700K	$320 (MicroCenter)
Motherboard	Gigabyte Z390 AORUS Master	$280 (Newegg)
GPU	EVGA RTX 2070 Super	$520 (Newegg)
RAM	32GB (4x8) Corsair LPX 3200 16C	$148 (Newegg)
PSU	EVGA Supernova 650 G2	$160 (Newegg)
Monitor	ASUS ROG PG279Q	$620 (MicroCenter)
SSD	Samsung 970 EVO Plus M.2 NVMe 1TB	$230 (Amazon)
Tower	Fractal Design Define 7	$170 (Newegg)
CPU Cooler	Noctua NH-U14S	$70 (Amazon)
Keyboard	ASUS ROG STRIX Flare RGB	$130 (B&H)
Mouse	ASUS ROG Gladius II Origin Wired	$64 (Amazon)
Mouse Pad	SteelSeries QcK Gaming Surface	$10 (Amazon)
OS	Windows 10 Home	$139 (Microsoft - Online)
	Total​	$2,861

• CPU was $60 cheaper than I've seen anywhere... I had to go to the physical store to get it.
• I have not yet overclocked the CPU or GPU (I'm new... scared... need more research), but RAM was easily boosted to 3200 MHz via XMP
• Note: Noctua's website does not list NH-U14S as "compatible" for this motherboard (doesn't say incompatible either). It's close to the RAM, but works great (I'm having trouble uploading pics... bummer)
• I cannot say enough great things about the case - VERY well built, spacious, a ton of cable management options, and it's by far the best-looking case I've seen (for someone who doesn't want a super flashy UFO-looking monstrosity)
• My kids love the lighting options on the keyboard
• The GPU/Monitor combo is terrific for 1440p gaming (the monitor is capable of 165 Hz refresh). Through the research I've done, upgrading these components for 4K gaming isn't worth it.
• I've only played Civilization VI, but settings are completely maxed out. Zero issues. And a new game loads before Sean Bean finishes his first sentence!
• UserBenchmarks: Game 116%, Desk 149%, Work 132%
• I intend to play Amazon's new MMO "New World" when it comes out in August.

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you want more specific model numbers, or questions on the build. Also, I'd be very glad to receive any recommendations (or concerns) you guys have.

Cheers

 

[g-unit1111]

This has a Ryzen 9 3900X, and a 2080 Super. It is also $500 cheaper, which gives you a lot of wiggle room for accessories and peripherals like monitor / keyboard / mouse / etc.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.8 GHz 12-Core Processor ($431.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM 97 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS ULTRA ATX AM4 Motherboard ($299.00 @ B&H)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($174.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Sabrent Rocket 4.0 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($199.98 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB BLACK GAMING Video Card ($709.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair iCUE 220T RGB Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ Best Buy)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G3 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($148.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($108.78 @ Other World Computing)
Total: $2343.69
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-05-08 13:31 EDT-0400

 

[USAFRet]

This has a Ryzen 9 3900X, and a 2080 Super. It is also $500 cheaper, which gives you a lot of wiggle room for accessories and peripherals like monitor / keyboard / mouse / etc.

To be fair, his does include the $620 monitor.

 

[Bonedancer]

Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB BLACK GAMING Video Card ($709.99 @ Newegg)

I went back and forth on the 2080S vs 2070S. Ultimately, I felt the 2080S was 100% solution to 1440p gaming compared to 99% for the 2070S. The 2080S struck me as an entry-level 4K card.

To be fair, his does include the $620 monitor.

Yep, wasn't sure if a monitor was normally included in a build price... I also included my keyboard and mouse ($200) so maybe $2050 would be more accurate. You could also stick with 16GB of RAM (I think 32 was overkill... not sure I'll ever really use it - just bought it because it was on sale). This would get a comparative price below $2K. $350 below the AMD build from g-unit1111 above.

 

[g-unit1111]

I went back and forth on the 2080S vs 2070S. Ultimately, I felt the 2080S was 100% solution to 1440p gaming compared to 99% for the 2070S. The 2080S struck me as an entry-level 4K card.

I don't know how you arrived at that conclusion but the 2080S is significantly faster than the 2070S, which is why the cost is far greater. You can look up literally any number of benchmarks on these cards and they will tell you which is the faster card. The 2070, which I have also, can handle 4K gaming. It's certainly not an ideal card for 4K but it can get the job done.

 

[GarrettL]

Good morning,

Just wanted to share my recent build. Not my first build, but it's the first system I intend to overclock. I'm certainly not an expert - however, I did a fair amount of research for compatibility and performance. I ordered each piece from Newegg, Amazon, B&H, or MicroCenter. The parts came in two days ago and it's up and running. It's fast, quiet, and beautiful.

Component	Make/Model	Price
CPU	Intel Core i7-9700K	$320 (MicroCenter)
Motherboard	Gigabyte Z390 AORUS Master	$280 (Newegg)
GPU	EVGA RTX 2070 Super	$520 (Newegg)
RAM	32GB (4x8) Corsair LPX 3200 16C	$148 (Newegg)
PSU	EVGA Supernova 650 G2	$160 (Newegg)
Monitor	ASUS ROG PG279Q	$620 (MicroCenter)
SSD	Samsung 970 EVO Plus M.2 NVMe 1TB	$230 (Amazon)
Tower	Fractal Design Define 7	$170 (Newegg)
CPU Cooler	Noctua NH-U14S	$70 (Amazon)
Keyboard	ASUS ROG STRIX Flare RGB	$130 (B&H)
Mouse	ASUS ROG Gladius II Origin Wired	$64 (Amazon)
Mouse Pad	SteelSeries QcK Gaming Surface	$10 (Amazon)
OS	Windows 10 Home	$139 (Microsoft - Online)
	Total​	$2,861

• CPU was $60 cheaper than I've seen anywhere... I had to go to the physical store to get it.
• I have not yet overclocked the CPU or GPU (I'm new... scared... need more research), but RAM was easily boosted to 3200 MHz via XMP
• Note: Noctua's website does not list NH-U14S as "compatible" for this motherboard (doesn't say incompatible either). It's close to the RAM, but works great (I'm having trouble uploading pics... bummer)
• I cannot say enough great things about the case - VERY well built, spacious, a ton of cable management options, and it's by far the best-looking case I've seen (for someone who doesn't want a super flashy UFO-looking monstrosity)
• My kids love the lighting options on the keyboard
• The GPU/Monitor combo is terrific for 1440p gaming (the monitor is capable of 165 Hz refresh). Through the research I've done, upgrading these components for 4K gaming isn't worth it.
• I've only played Civilization VI, but settings are completely maxed out. Zero issues. And a new game loads before Sean Bean finishes his first sentence!
• UserBenchmarks: Game 116%, Desk 149%, Work 132%
• I intend to play Amazon's new MMO "New World" when it comes out in August.

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you want more specific model numbers, or questions on the build. Also, I'd be very glad to receive any recommendations (or concerns) you guys have.

Cheers

You have a solid gaming rig. I was torn between the 9700k and the Ryzen’s.

I have a 3800x and 2070S on the same Asus monitor that you have. It is also buttery smooth and as you stated gorgeous to look at on the IPS.

I never spent that much on a monitor and video card in my life but I’m glad I could swing it. Been gaming forever and I’m 52.

 

[DSzymborski]

I don't know how you arrived at that conclusion but the 2080S is significantly faster than the 2070S, which is why the cost is far greater. You can look up literally any number of benchmarks on these cards and they will tell you which is the faster card. The 2070, which I have also, can handle 4K gaming. It's certainly not an ideal card for 4K but it can get the job done.

I actually think he means 99%/100% in the more figurative sense, not that the 2080 Super is literally 1% faster than the 2070 Super.

 

[Deicidium369]

[Q

Good morning,

Just wanted to share my recent build. Not my first build, but it's the first system I intend to overclock. I'm certainly not an expert - however, I did a fair amount of research for compatibility and performance. I ordered each piece from Newegg, Amazon, B&H, or MicroCenter. The parts came in two days ago and it's up and running. It's fast, quiet, and beautiful.

Component	Make/Model	Price
CPU	Intel Core i7-9700K	$320 (MicroCenter)
Motherboard	Gigabyte Z390 AORUS Master	$280 (Newegg)
GPU	EVGA RTX 2070 Super	$520 (Newegg)
RAM	32GB (4x8) Corsair LPX 3200 16C	$148 (Newegg)
PSU	EVGA Supernova 650 G2	$160 (Newegg)
Monitor	ASUS ROG PG279Q	$620 (MicroCenter)
SSD	Samsung 970 EVO Plus M.2 NVMe 1TB	$230 (Amazon)
Tower	Fractal Design Define 7	$170 (Newegg)
CPU Cooler	Noctua NH-U14S	$70 (Amazon)
Keyboard	ASUS ROG STRIX Flare RGB	$130 (B&H)
Mouse	ASUS ROG Gladius II Origin Wired	$64 (Amazon)
Mouse Pad	SteelSeries QcK Gaming Surface	$10 (Amazon)
OS	Windows 10 Home	$139 (Microsoft - Online)
	Total​	$2,861

• CPU was $60 cheaper than I've seen anywhere... I had to go to the physical store to get it.
• I have not yet overclocked the CPU or GPU (I'm new... scared... need more research), but RAM was easily boosted to 3200 MHz via XMP
• Note: Noctua's website does not list NH-U14S as "compatible" for this motherboard (doesn't say incompatible either). It's close to the RAM, but works great (I'm having trouble uploading pics... bummer)
• I cannot say enough great things about the case - VERY well built, spacious, a ton of cable management options, and it's by far the best-looking case I've seen (for someone who doesn't want a super flashy UFO-looking monstrosity)
• My kids love the lighting options on the keyboard
• The GPU/Monitor combo is terrific for 1440p gaming (the monitor is capable of 165 Hz refresh). Through the research I've done, upgrading these components for 4K gaming isn't worth it.
• I've only played Civilization VI, but settings are completely maxed out. Zero issues. And a new game loads before Sean Bean finishes his first sentence!
• UserBenchmarks: Game 116%, Desk 149%, Work 132%
• I intend to play Amazon's new MMO "New World" when it comes out in August.

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you want more specific model numbers, or questions on the build. Also, I'd be very glad to receive any recommendations (or concerns) you guys have.

Cheers

Replace the PS with Seasonic - not a brand like EVGA. Seasonic makes the best power supplies - and the power supply is the single most important compnent.

I have that same Motherboard - ZERO issues

I would get a Gigabyte video card - EVGA is not a premium brand.

Stick with the 9700K since this is a gaming rig

 

[refillable]

A few comments that I want to make:
Could've waited for Comet Lake. It surprisingly brought good value. Also, if you do something else other than gaming you could've also gone for Ryzen.
The PSU. $160 for a 650 W G2 is too expensive. That should be 80+ Platinum territory.
Samsung 970 Evo is no longer the best SSD choice out there. For almost $100 less you could have gotten something like ADATA SX8200, WD SN550, or Intel 665p that practically performs 90-95% that of the Samsung.

Replace the PS with Seasonic - not a brand like EVGA. Seasonic makes the best power supplies - and the power supply is the single most important compnent.

That's completely not true. It depends on what PSU is being discussed.

I would get a Gigabyte video card - EVGA is not a premium brand.

This makes less sense. Neither of them are a "premium brand". No GPU brand is a "premium brand".

 

[Barty1884]

Replace the PS with Seasonic - not a brand like EVGA. Seasonic makes the best power supplies - and the power supply is the single most important compnent.

You realize the G2 is a Superflower Leadex Gold platform, consistently reviewed as one of the best units out there..... Right? It's a slightly older platform, and EVGA do have some poor quality units in their product stack (this isn't one), but for any holes that could be picked in the OPs build, the PSU is certainly not one of them.

I would get a Gigabyte video card - EVGA is not a premium brand

I'd love to hear your rationale here. At their core, any 2070Super = any other 2070Super, it just boils down to the cooler, the warranty & the customer service. Coolers vary depending on where the GPU sits in any vendors product segmentation, warranty (in terms of length) are pretty standardized these days, but EVGA are miles ahead of their competition from a customer service standpoint.

Gigabyte, ASUS, Zotac, EVGA etc all make "premium" cards for each GPU.... No 'brand' is more premium, across the board, than any other -- what matters is the individual model from said brand.

 

[johnsoner13]

[Q

Replace the PS with Seasonic - not a brand like EVGA. Seasonic makes the best power supplies - and the power supply is the single most important compnent.

I have that same Motherboard - ZERO issues

I would get a Gigabyte video card - EVGA is not a premium brand.

Stick with the 9700K since this is a gaming rig

Others have already picked you apart for your comments on the PSU and GPU so I won’t touch on that... but did you read the post? You’re talking like he’s asking for build advice and hasn’t built his PC yet, he’s just sharing his already completed build.

 

[Bonedancer]

I don't know how you arrived at that conclusion but the 2080S is significantly faster than the 2070S, which is why the cost is far greater.

Yep, it's faster. I was only trying to articulate that the 2080S, to me, is too much if I'm going to stick with 1440p. Call it a 124% solution if you like to separate it from my relatively ambiguous 99% score I attached to the 2070S. I wasn't willing to spend an extra $200 for it.

I actually think he means 99%/100% in the more figurative sense, not that the 2080 Super is literally 1% faster than the 2070 Super.

DSzymborski seemed to understand what I was saying...

You realize the G2 is a Superflower Leadex Gold platform, consistently reviewed as one of the best units out there..... Right?

Thanks Barty1884... I felt like I did a great deal of research on this. I went with the older G2 because it seemed damn-near unanimous that this thing has stood the test of time, and it was more than enough to power my system. Not sure why he trashed EVGA as a whole - seems a bit unfair.

Could've waited for Comet Lake. It surprisingly brought good value. Also, if you do something else other than gaming you could've also gone for Ryzen.
The PSU. $160 for a 650 W G2 is too expensive. That should be 80+ Platinum territory.
Samsung 970 Evo is no longer the best SSD choice out there. For almost $100 less you could have gotten something like ADATA SX8200, WD SN550, or Intel 665p that practically performs 90-95% that of the Samsung/

Thanks refillable - couldn't wait for the Comet Lake because, well, sometimes the wife's "authorization" has a time limit on it. I caught her on a good week. Not to mention when I saw the i7-9700K at MicroCenter for $60 less than I thought it was... I pulled the trigger.

As for the Samsung 970 EVO Plus... well, I'll admit to brand loyalty. It's Samsung/Intel or bust for me with a "buy once, cry once" mentality.

 

[refillable]

I went with the older G2 because it seemed damn-near unanimous that this thing has stood the test of time, and it was more than enough to power my system.

Have someone told you that EVGA G2/first-gen Super Flower Leadex PSUs have capacitor hold-time issues? The PSUs provide inaccurate/below ATX spec signals if it is suddenly cut from the power wall. I know this might be extremely nitpicky as the signal is only sustained for single-digit milliseconds, but if you live in a region with frequent power outages, you might want a solution.

Thanks refillable - couldn't wait for the Comet Lake because, well, sometimes the wife's "authorization" has a time limit on it. I caught her on a good week. Not to mention when I saw the i7-9700K at MicroCenter for $60 less than I thought it was... I pulled the trigger.

As for the Samsung 970 EVO Plus... well, I'll admit to brand loyalty. It's Samsung/Intel or bust for me with a "buy once, cry once" mentality.

Haha, I'm too young to understand that trigger thing, looks complicated 😆 .

Going with Intel wasn't particularly that bad IMO especially it looks like it is a gaming-only system. I actually hold a grudge for Samsung on SSDs, they have been dominant for years and now with cheaper alternatives performing a lot like Samsung, many still buy Samsung. I saved $40+ on a 500GB SSD going with ADATA SX, and it's not worse than the 970 by any means.

 

[Bonedancer]

Have someone told you that EVGA G2/first-gen Super Flower Leadex PSUs have capacitor hold-time issues? The PSUs provide inaccurate/below ATX spec signals if it is suddenly cut from the power wall.

I didn't hear it, but I'm going to dig into it. If it's true, I wonder if adding a UPS would protect it? I think EVGA offers a 10-year warranty if I register the PSU within 30 days... I should probably get on that. I'm in Virginia, so we get the occasional high-winds/hurricanes and I can expect 1-2 power outages per year.

 

[refillable]

I didn't hear it, but I'm going to dig into it. If it's true, I wonder if adding a UPS would protect it? I think EVGA offers a 10-year warranty if I register the PSU within 30 days... I should probably get on that. I'm in Virginia, so we get the occasional high-winds/hurricanes and I can expect 1-2 power outages per year.

That's not too bad if it's that predictable. Probably wouldn't be an issue unless the PC gets really old (5+ years). In Jakarta where I live, I am expecting about one to two power outtages every month, y'know, third world country electricity. This is when you should start worrying about something nitpicky like this. It's not the PSU that you should worry about, it's the other components that recieve the innacurate signals (such as the VRMs on the GPU & motherboard), so a PSU warranty won't help, but a UPS should very well help.

 

[Barty1884]

Have someone told you that EVGA G2/first-gen Super Flower Leadex PSUs have capacitor hold-time issues? The PSUs provide inaccurate/below ATX spec signals if it is suddenly cut from the power wall. I know this might be extremely nitpicky as the signal is only sustained for single-digit milliseconds, but if you live in a region with frequent power outages, you might want a solution.

I don't know if nitpicky is the word here ... No PSU is going to hold up indefinitely if it's constantly having power cut to it. Some will handle better/long than others, but the 'problem' in this scenario is the power outages, not the PSU.

The solution is a UPS, not a reevaluation of the PSU choice.

Thanks Barty1884... I felt like I did a great deal of research on this. I went with the older G2 because it seemed damn-near unanimous that this thing has stood the test of time, and it was more than enough to power my system. Not sure why he trashed EVGA as a whole - seems a bit unfair.

And you make a great choice. The G2s remain great PSUs, although near impossible to find new or for a good price these days. Long-since replaced by G3s (which was objectively marginally worse) and now the G5s.

 

[refillable]

I don't know if nitpicky is the word here ... No PSU is going to hold up indefinitely if it's constantly having power cut to it. Some will handle better/long than others, but the 'problem' in this scenario is the power outages, not the PSU.

I was specifically talking about the hold-up problem that Super Flower PSUs have, which may break other parts other than the PSU. Frequent power outtages can definitely break the PSU, but longer hold-up times will save the other components. PSUs are way less sensitive than motherboards, CPUs, and GPUs.