[SOLVED] 3rd Tom's Hardware Build (AKA I need advice yet again)

jeh3566

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So, I have come to you guys for my last two gaming builds, and yet again I find myself here :) My systems have aged (as do they all), and I am looking to give my wife the current main rig for her Sims 4 addiction needs. In addition to CAD design and some SketchUp drawings to assist me in my woodworking hobby, I mainly use my home machine for gaming - WoW, Divinity: Original Sin 2, No Man's Sky, Shadow of Mordor, etc. Actually it is because of the last 3 in particular that I was driven to build a new unit - they play so horribly on my i5-4690/GTX 970 system that I had to give up on them despite how interesting they were...

As usual, I have stayed out of the PC parts world, so I am going off of very little good information for the parts I have come up with so far on the new build:

PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/GRMzNq

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7 GHz 8-Core Processor ($113.32)
Motherboard: Asus ROG STRIX B450-F GAMING ATX AM4 Motherboard ($113.32)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($113.32)
Total: $464.95

Ripped from oldest machine: Optical Drive and 1TB Western Digital Hard Drive (for data storage only).
Still sitting on my desk to use: old Dell and Asus 1920x1080 monitors, logitech speakers, keyboard and mouse.

Budget Goal: Under $1k is a must, even less is better

The CPU, Mobo, and SSD are a package deal from MicroCenter ($339.97)
. From what I have read, the Ryzen chip will be a good upgrade from the 4690K I've been using the past 5 years. I was tempted to get the Ryzen 5 3600, but it doesn't appear too much better, and price is a bit of a concern (especially when the mobos for that are higher as well). I may be going overboard with 32 gig of ram, instead of 16.

While I was originally going to post this for advice on GPU, case, and power supply, I am totally open to the whole thing being gutted if that is what's best. I am here for my 3rd time because you all know a heck of a lot more than I do, after all :) And I know that computers age like boiled eggs, not fine wine, but I hope I can end up with something that will still push through new games for a few years without huge upgrades.

Thanks in advance for the help!
 
Solution
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AbNeht4tAE

The 3600 is a good bit better for gaming, however both are excellent CPUs. For rendering and things like that, the 2700x may pull ahead. The 2700x will eat a 4690k for breakfast.

So your CPU choice makes sense with the deal.

A GTX 970 is still pretty capable today. I would see what performance is after these upgrades, and then chose whether you want to upgrade.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AbNeht4tAE

The 3600 is a good bit better for gaming, however both are excellent CPUs. For rendering and things like that, the 2700x may pull ahead. The 2700x will eat a 4690k for breakfast.

So your CPU choice makes sense with the deal.

A GTX 970 is still pretty capable today. I would see what performance is after these upgrades, and then chose whether you want to upgrade.
 
Solution
2700x is still a very capable CPU and should do great going forward with 8 cores. My only concern with your current choices is the SSD when you can get an Intel 660p nvme m.2 drive for cheaper.

As for case, many to choose from. Depends a lot on what look you want, small? Mid tower? Full tower? RGB? Not really many wrong choices these days.

PSU I like seasonic focus gold, Corsair has some decent TX, RM and RMx series and EVGA has their G3 supersonic.

GPU you don’t need much with a 1080p especially if it’s at 60hz. I agree you might be fine with a 970, however more VRAM might be helpful. If so I would say 1660ti.
 

jeh3566

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the 970 i have will go to the wifey, as she has been putting up with a rather old machine for too long. it should be more than sufficient for the Sims/WoW/Stardew Valley games she plays.

I only mentioned the Samsung drive because it was part of a combo deal - I'll happily replace it if it's suboptimal.

As for cases, I have zero preference - my machine sits on a wooden stand on the floor anyway.

1660ti - i will have to take a look at those. Hopefully not as bad as some video cards. Still can't believe I threw down over $500 for one before...
 
The 1660ti is about the best value mid ranger now. Better performance than a GTX1070, yet not too pricy\

The 860 is a good drive, especially if its part of a combo. An Intel 660p can outperform it in benchmarks and usually sells for less money, but as the 860 is in the combo, you shouldn't need to change drive.
 

jeh3566

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jeh3566

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ok, so found a cheaper 1660ti. With this, all I should need at this point is an affordable case and psu.

PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/jjXjp8

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7 GHz 8-Core Processor ($113.32)
Motherboard: Asus ROG STRIX B450-F GAMING ATX AM4 Motherboard ($113.32)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($113.32)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB WINDFORCE OC Video Card ($253.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $718.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-11-14 05:36 EST-0500

I've never been confident about choosing the power needs of a system. I know that this is about the extent of the guts I will have inside the case. (including the optical drive and old 1TB drive being ripped out of my oldest system) I don't want to go overboard... any tips on a cheap midsized case and power supply?
 
PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/q3FzNq

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7 GHz 8-Core Processor ($113.32)
Motherboard: Asus ROG STRIX B450-F GAMING ATX AM4 Motherboard ($113.32)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($113.32)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB WINDFORCE OC Video Card ($269.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Focus G ATX Mid Tower Case ($55.88 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS Gold 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($81.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $872.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-11-14 11:27 EST-0500

I never advise to go cheap on a power supply. This is the cheapest I’d recommend. There are some “decent” bronze units out there. Case should be sufficient.
 
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jeh3566

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All looks good, except the SeaSonic won't ship for 1-2 months at that price :( any alternatives that are acceptable (and readily available at that price or lower?)