Hey guys;
I apologize in advance for the long post...
I have been working on my new build for about a week now, but still don't have anything except the CPU set in stone.
I am going with the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X.
I thought I had a parts list set (on PC Parts Picker), but after doing some more research, I'm re-configuring just about everything.
For one thing, I have too much information to process (in my head, not on the PC!)
So let me list the components I have chosen in one build proposal:
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
Mobo: MSI B450 Tomahawk Max
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws V 32GB (2x 16GB) DDR4 3600 (CAS = 18)
Storage: Samsung 970 EVO 1TB M.2 2280 NVME SSD (for OS & programs)
Storage: Samsung 860 EVO 1TB 2.5" SATA SSD (for file storage)
Video: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super 8GB
Case: Fractal Design Meshify C ATX Mid-Tower (no glass)
PSU: Corsair RM (2019) 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX (I know I don't need 750W, but...)
Fans: 2ea Noctua NF-P14s redux-1200 PWM 140mm (for the front of the case). I will keep the supplied 120mm in the rear.
This list seemed all OK, until I dug deeper into the memory.
I was researching CAS timing, and eventually checked the G.Skill Ripjaws V on Amazon, and read in the description 'Intel'.
That got me thinking. Why is this kit specified for Intel?
I dug deeper, including a thread here, and it does appear that some kits don't work so well with AMD Ryzen series due to the AMD needing tighter timing specs.
I think the G.Skill Trident series was the one recommended for Ryzen. It is more expensive, but not by much.
Continuing with the memory kit, I'm trying to figure whether there is an advantage to buying 3200 vs 3600, and so far it doesn't look like much of a difference. From what I read, it's not just the speed, but the CAS timing as well.
I am not planning to overclock.
Next, there's the question of whether I should go with the MSI B450 Tomahawk Max or one of the MSI X470 boards.
The most prominent difference I can see between the B450 and X470 is that the X470 has two M.2 slots.
Would there be any advantage at all to having 2x M.2 and 1x M.2 and 1x SATA drives, assuming the ones I listed above?
I think the X470 also has more USB 3.0 ports, but most of my peripherals are still USB2. So either board has enough USB 3.0 ports to suit my current (and probably future) needs.
I know there is a lot of great info here on Tom's Hardware; That's where I have been researching most. But there are some things I don't quite grasp when talking about performance.
Funny thing is that, for the kind of games I want to play, I hardly think any of this is going to make a difference. But I am concerned about the memory issue.
Thanks for your help
Ultrarunner
I apologize in advance for the long post...
I have been working on my new build for about a week now, but still don't have anything except the CPU set in stone.
I am going with the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X.
I thought I had a parts list set (on PC Parts Picker), but after doing some more research, I'm re-configuring just about everything.
For one thing, I have too much information to process (in my head, not on the PC!)
So let me list the components I have chosen in one build proposal:
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
Mobo: MSI B450 Tomahawk Max
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws V 32GB (2x 16GB) DDR4 3600 (CAS = 18)
Storage: Samsung 970 EVO 1TB M.2 2280 NVME SSD (for OS & programs)
Storage: Samsung 860 EVO 1TB 2.5" SATA SSD (for file storage)
Video: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super 8GB
Case: Fractal Design Meshify C ATX Mid-Tower (no glass)
PSU: Corsair RM (2019) 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX (I know I don't need 750W, but...)
Fans: 2ea Noctua NF-P14s redux-1200 PWM 140mm (for the front of the case). I will keep the supplied 120mm in the rear.
This list seemed all OK, until I dug deeper into the memory.
I was researching CAS timing, and eventually checked the G.Skill Ripjaws V on Amazon, and read in the description 'Intel'.
That got me thinking. Why is this kit specified for Intel?
I dug deeper, including a thread here, and it does appear that some kits don't work so well with AMD Ryzen series due to the AMD needing tighter timing specs.
I think the G.Skill Trident series was the one recommended for Ryzen. It is more expensive, but not by much.
Continuing with the memory kit, I'm trying to figure whether there is an advantage to buying 3200 vs 3600, and so far it doesn't look like much of a difference. From what I read, it's not just the speed, but the CAS timing as well.
I am not planning to overclock.
Next, there's the question of whether I should go with the MSI B450 Tomahawk Max or one of the MSI X470 boards.
The most prominent difference I can see between the B450 and X470 is that the X470 has two M.2 slots.
Would there be any advantage at all to having 2x M.2 and 1x M.2 and 1x SATA drives, assuming the ones I listed above?
I think the X470 also has more USB 3.0 ports, but most of my peripherals are still USB2. So either board has enough USB 3.0 ports to suit my current (and probably future) needs.
I know there is a lot of great info here on Tom's Hardware; That's where I have been researching most. But there are some things I don't quite grasp when talking about performance.
Funny thing is that, for the kind of games I want to play, I hardly think any of this is going to make a difference. But I am concerned about the memory issue.
Thanks for your help
Ultrarunner