[SOLVED] Building a new Gaming rig (Max budget: $1,800 minus monitor and OS)

[jigz2009]

My current gaming rig (Gigabyte GTX970 + i5-4690K + Asus Z97 Sabertooth + 8Gb x 4 Gskill DDR3-1600 + Crucial 240GB SSD + CM Storm Trooper case) has served me well for more than 5 years and has just filed for his retirement. I'm now looking for his replacement. Here are my requirements and expectations:

1. Can play CS:Go with 250+ fps in 1920x1080 resolution + Medium in-game video settings

2. Can play PUBG, APEX Legends, and Overwatch with more than 100fps in 1920x1080 resolution + Ultra in-game video settings

3. Can play Dota2 and Heroes of the Storm with more than 100fps in 1920x1080 resolution + maximum in-game video settings without lags/freezes (I have a 20Mbps fiber broadband connection so internet connection is not an issue. And I always play in servers with the the least latency possible)

4. Can play strategy games i.e. Starcraft 2 more than 100fps in 1920x1080 resolution + maximum in-game video settings without lags/freezes (internet is excellent as stated above).

5. Can play other non-competitive games like tactical turn-based game (i.e. XCOM2, BattleTech, etc.), RPG/MMORPG (i.e. Diablo 3, Monster Hunter, etc.) more than 100fps in 1920x1080 resolution + maximum in-game.

6. Can play current games such us Battlefield V, Metro Exodus, Anthem with more than 100fps in 1920x1080 resolution + Ultra in-game video settings. (no ray tracing since my monitor is not 4K but if DLSS can be used for better anti-aliasing then much better).

7. Can do streaming without compromising fps expectations stated above

8. Looks good. you know... I also got infected with this "RGB epidemic" so yeah I want some RGB blings for my new rig. But I still want my case to be black, with tempered glass side panel, with very good ventilation/heat dissipation, and quiet at night.

9. Can do safe, light CPU overclock via BIOS utility or 3rd party software

10. future-proof at least for another 5 years. I might switch from 1080p to 1440p monitors soon if 1440p 144hz monitor prices goes further down.

Furthermore, I also need to replace my 8-year old, very beaten up Razer Arctosa keyboard with a mechanical wired gaming keyboard. Preferably a silent one; sleeping wife-proof and sleeping baby-proof, but has comparable performance with leading mechanical gaming keyboard brands. keyboard backlight/key illumination is a mandatory. RGB is a not mandatory but nice to have.

I already have a 24" 144Hz 1080p monitor, mouse, and a secondary storage (a 2TB HDD storage main for audio/video file and documents). While it's possible to salvage the full tower CM Storm Trooper case as well, I am now opting to go for a smaller mid-tower case this time due to space constraints and other practical reasons. My budget is $1,500. Any suggestions/recommendations to optimize my planned build will be highly appreciated.

This is what I've considered so far:

(updated Apr. 1, 2019)

1.) AMD Build: 2700X + X470 + GTX 1080Ti

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD - Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7 GHz 8-Core Processor | $294.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard | MSI - X470 GAMING PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard | $134.89 @ OutletPC
Memory | Team - T-Force Delta RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $114.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Crucial - MX500 250 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $49.85 @ OutletPC
Storage | Crucial - P1 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $124.99 @ Adorama
Video Card | Asus - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11 GB STRIX GAMING OC Video Card |- <---- 2nd hand. same price of a new RTX 2070. $500
Case | Deepcool - MATREXX 55 ADD-RGB ATX Mid Tower Case | $79.87 @ Newegg
Power Supply | Thermaltake - Smart RGB 700 W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply | $69.99 @ Amazon
Keyboard | Logitech - G513 Carbon Wired Gaming Keyboard | $129.99 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $1024.56
| Mail-in rebates | -$25.00
| Total | $999.56
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-04-01 04:47 EDT-0400 |


2.) Intel Build: 8700K + Z370 + GTX 1080Ti

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor | $375.89 @ OutletPC
CPU Cooler | Cooler Master - Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler | $24.99 @ Newegg
Motherboard | Asus - PRIME Z370-A II ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $153.98 @ Newegg Business
Memory | Team - T-Force Delta RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $114.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Crucial - MX500 250 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $49.85 @ OutletPC
Storage | Crucial - P1 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $124.99 @ Adorama
Video Card | Asus - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11 GB STRIX GAMING OC Video Card |- <---- 2nd hand. same price of a new RTX 2070. $500
Case | Deepcool - MATREXX 55 ADD-RGB ATX Mid Tower Case | $79.87 @ Newegg
Power Supply | Thermaltake - Smart RGB 700 W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply | $69.99 @ Amazon
Keyboard | Logitech - G513 Carbon Wired Gaming Keyboard | $129.99 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $1134.54
| Mail-in rebates | -$10.00
| Total | $1124.54
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-04-01 04:45 EDT-0400 |


Any suggestions/recommendations to optimize my planned build will be highly appreciated.

 

[cdrkf]

Hi,

so the build you've got looks good, although you may run into the clock speed limit on that Ryzen 7 in the older titles like Starcarft, Dota 2 and CS:Go when trying to hit (and maintain) those high frame rates. Should be fine in anything newer (DX11 / DX12 stuff) but Ryzen isn't that well optimised for older titles and those games benefit from cpu clock speed over anything else.

On that basis, I wonder if you would be better going with an Intel setup, either an 8700K or 9700K would be your best options as they both have very high turbo clocks and on a good motherboard can be pushed to circa 5ghz.

That would mean less money for a gpu, although I think the GTX 1660ti would be plenty given you are playing at 1080p and should give you the spare cash for the higher priced cpu / motherboard.

Here's my suggestion:
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/6gQv9J

 

[jigz2009]

Hi,

so the build you've got looks good, although you may run into the clock speed limit on that Ryzen 7 in the older titles like Starcarft, Dota 2 and CS:Go when trying to hit (and maintain) those high frame rates. Should be fine in anything newer (DX11 / DX12 stuff) but Ryzen isn't that well optimised for older titles and those games benefit from cpu clock speed over anything else.

On that basis, I wonder if you would be better going with an Intel setup, either an 8700K or 9700K would be your best options as they both have very high turbo clocks and on a good motherboard can be pushed to circa 5ghz.

That would mean less money for a gpu, although I think the GTX 1660ti would be plenty given you are playing at 1080p and should give you the spare cash for the higher priced cpu / motherboard.

Here's my suggestion:
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/6gQv9J

Hmmm... if I will settle for the GTX 1660i instead of an RTX 2070, then I can up the specs of the CPU's and Mobo with the same $1,500 budget.


Ok here's an Intel build. Which will be a better for my gaming requirement? The AMD build or this Intel build?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel - Core i7-9700K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor | $418.99 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler | Cooler Master - Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler | $24.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | MSI - MPG Z390 GAMING EDGE AC ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $180.66 @ B&H
Memory | G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $129.99 @ Newegg Business
Storage | Crucial - P1 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $149.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card | EVGA - GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB XC BLACK GAMING Video Card | $274.99 @ SuperBiiz
Case | Corsair - SPEC-DELTA RGB ATX Mid Tower Case | $79.99 @ Corsair
Power Supply | Thermaltake - Toughpower Grand RGB 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $89.98 @ SuperBiiz
Keyboard | Corsair - STRAFE RGB MK.2 Wired Gaming Keyboard | $149.99 @ Corsair
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $1509.37
| Mail-in rebates | -$10.00
| Total | $1499.37
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-19 10:58 EDT-0400 |

 

[Darth Sicaedus]

You could probably drop down to DDR4-3000 RAM to save some money on the Intel build at least. You definitely won't notice a difference.

 

[cdrkf]

Hmmm... if I will settle for the GTX 1660i instead of an RTX 2070, then I can up the specs of the CPU's and Mobo with the same $1,500 budget.


Ok here's an Intel build. Which will be a better for my gaming requirement? The AMD build or this Intel build?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel - Core i7-9700K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor | $418.99 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler | Cooler Master - Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler | $24.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | MSI - MPG Z390 GAMING EDGE AC ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $180.66 @ B&H
Memory | G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $129.99 @ Newegg Business
Storage | Crucial - P1 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $149.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card | EVGA - GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB XC BLACK GAMING Video Card | $274.99 @ SuperBiiz
Case | Corsair - SPEC-DELTA RGB ATX Mid Tower Case | $79.99 @ Corsair
Power Supply | Thermaltake - Toughpower Grand RGB 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $89.98 @ SuperBiiz
Keyboard | Corsair - STRAFE RGB MK.2 Wired Gaming Keyboard | $149.99 @ Corsair
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $1509.37
| Mail-in rebates | -$10.00
| Total | $1499.37
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-19 10:58 EDT-0400 |

So for a lot of those high frame rate older titles, the Intel build will be faster even with the weaker GPU.... here's the 1660TI playing CSGO with the 2700x:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0lt5-0OmeM

The average fps at 1080p low setting (start of the vid) is ~210

Here is the 1660ti with a 9600K (which will perform similar to 9700 in CS GO as it doesn't use many cores):

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP5Y0-Yniw0

This vid doesn't include the average / min values but looking at the fps counter it never dips below about 220 and is probably more like 270 average.

If you look at vids with faster gpu's like 1080ti or 2080, the fps values aren't any higher as CS:GO is pure cpu limited with any good gpu.

That said, the 2700X + 2070 option will be better in games that push the gpu hard like Battlefield V, and is also a really great choice for streaming (although a 9700k is also good for that).

 

[Darth Sicaedus]

So for a lot of those high frame rate older titles, the Intel build will be faster even with the weaker GPU.... here's the 1660TI playing CSGO with the 2700x:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0lt5-0OmeM

The average fps at 1080p low setting (start of the vid) is ~210

Here is the 1660ti with a 9600K (which will perform similar to 9700 in CS GO as it doesn't use many cores):

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP5Y0-Yniw0

This vid doesn't include the average / min values but looking at the fps counter it never dips below about 220 and is probably more like 270 average.

If you look at vids with faster gpu's like 1080ti or 2080, the fps values aren't any higher as CS:GO is pure cpu limited with any good gpu.

That said, the 2700X + 2070 option will be better in games that push the gpu hard like Battlefield V, and is also a really great choice for streaming (although a 9700k is also good for that).

Unfortunately there is always a compromise in performance somewhere these days. It is pretty hard to find a best of all worlds with the wide variety of hardware out there with their own optimizations.

 

[jigz2009]

So for a lot of those high frame rate older titles, the Intel build will be faster even with the weaker GPU.... here's the 1660TI playing CSGO with the 2700x:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0lt5-0OmeM

The average fps at 1080p low setting (start of the vid) is ~210

Here is the 1660ti with a 9600K (which will perform similar to 9700 in CS GO as it doesn't use many cores):

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP5Y0-Yniw0

This vid doesn't include the average / min values but looking at the fps counter it never dips below about 220 and is probably more like 270 average.

If you look at vids with faster gpu's like 1080ti or 2080, the fps values aren't any higher as CS:GO is pure cpu limited with any good gpu.

That said, the 2700X + 2070 option will be better in games that push the gpu hard like Battlefield V, and is also a really great choice for streaming (although a 9700k is also good for that).

wow! thanks for the inputs bro.

awesome flick shots too

 

[mdd1963]

CS:GO favors Intel...go w/ the above 9700K-based recommendation...

I'd skip SLI, if it's not dead yet, it is sure close to it...

 

[jigz2009]

I just received a quote from one of the local shops here (i'm in Dubai by the way). They quoted me an i7-8700K + Z390 + RTX 2060 rig:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor | $379.99 @ Newegg
CPU Cooler | Cooler Master - Hyper 212 RGB Black Edition 57.3 CFM CPU Cooler | $44.84 @ Newegg
Motherboard | Asus - PRIME Z390-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $183.00 @ Amazon
Memory | G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $120.88 @ OutletPC
Storage | Samsung - 860 Evo 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $167.99 @ Amazon
Video Card | Zotac - GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB GAMING Video Card | $348.99 @ SuperBiiz
Case | Corsair - SPEC-DELTA RGB ATX Mid Tower Case | $79.99 @ Corsair
Power Supply | SeaSonic - 600 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | $65.99 @ SuperBiiz
Keyboard | Corsair - STRAFE RGB MK.2 Wired Gaming Keyboard | $109.99 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $1501.66
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-21 10:04 EDT-0400 |

What do you think? which is better than this 9700K + 1660Ti build?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel - Core i7-9700K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor | $418.99 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler | Cooler Master - Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler | $24.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | MSI - MPG Z390 GAMING EDGE AC ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $180.66 @ B&H
Memory | G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $129.99 @ Newegg Business
Storage | Crucial - P1 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $149.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card | EVGA - GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB XC BLACK GAMING Video Card | $274.99 @ SuperBiiz
Case | Corsair - SPEC-DELTA RGB ATX Mid Tower Case | $79.99 @ Corsair
Power Supply | Thermaltake - Toughpower Grand RGB 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $89.98 @ SuperBiiz
Keyboard | Corsair - STRAFE RGB MK.2 Wired Gaming Keyboard | $149.99 @ Corsair
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $1509.37
| Mail-in rebates | -$10.00
| Total | $1499.37
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-19 10:58 EDT-0400 |

By the way in local prices, Z390 mobo is almost the same price as the Z370. 9700K is $50-55 more than 8700K's . RTX 2060's are $100-120 more than 1660Ti's.

 

[Darth Sicaedus]

CS:GO favors Intel...go w/ the above 9700K-based recommendation...

I'd skip SLI, if it's not dead yet, it is sure close to it...

True that, I only went SLI because I bought the second 1070 Ti for $250 used off a friend. If the cash flow was there, I would have gone 1080 Ti or 2070-2080.

 

[Darth Sicaedus]

I just received a quote from one of the local shops here (i'm in Dubai by the way). They quoted me an i7-8700K + Z390 + RTX 2060 rig:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor | $379.99 @ Newegg
CPU Cooler | Cooler Master - Hyper 212 RGB Black Edition 57.3 CFM CPU Cooler | $44.84 @ Newegg
Motherboard | Asus - PRIME Z390-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $183.00 @ Amazon
Memory | G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $120.88 @ OutletPC
Storage | Samsung - 860 Evo 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $167.99 @ Amazon
Video Card | Zotac - GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB GAMING Video Card | $348.99 @ SuperBiiz
Case | Corsair - SPEC-DELTA RGB ATX Mid Tower Case | $79.99 @ Corsair
Power Supply | SeaSonic - 600 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | $65.99 @ SuperBiiz
Keyboard | Corsair - STRAFE RGB MK.2 Wired Gaming Keyboard | $109.99 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $1501.66
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-21 10:04 EDT-0400 |

What do you think? which is better than this 9700K + 1660Ti build?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel - Core i7-9700K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor | $418.99 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler | Cooler Master - Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler | $24.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | MSI - MPG Z390 GAMING EDGE AC ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $180.66 @ B&H
Memory | G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $129.99 @ Newegg Business
Storage | Crucial - P1 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $149.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card | EVGA - GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB XC BLACK GAMING Video Card | $274.99 @ SuperBiiz
Case | Corsair - SPEC-DELTA RGB ATX Mid Tower Case | $79.99 @ Corsair
Power Supply | Thermaltake - Toughpower Grand RGB 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $89.98 @ SuperBiiz
Keyboard | Corsair - STRAFE RGB MK.2 Wired Gaming Keyboard | $149.99 @ Corsair
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $1509.37
| Mail-in rebates | -$10.00
| Total | $1499.37
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-19 10:58 EDT-0400 |

By the way in local prices, Z390 mobo is almost the same price as the Z370. 9700K is $50-55 more than 8700K's . RTX 2060's are $100-120 more than 1660Ti's.

There is definitely nothing wrong with either build. I would personally go with the GTX 2060 build for games that are more GPU dependent considering you won't notice much of a difference between the 8700K and 9700K.

 

[jigz2009]

Just visited several PC shops to canvas for prices and availability. Here are the best quote i got for both AMD and Intel builds:

1.) AMD Build: 2700X + X470 + RTX 2070

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD - Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7 GHz 8-Core Processor | $289.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard | MSI - X470 GAMING PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard | $124.99 @ Amazon
Memory | Team - T-Force Delta RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $104.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Crucial - MX500 250 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $49.95 @ Amazon
Storage | Crucial - P1 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $149.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card | MSI - GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB Video Card | $504.99 @ B&H
Case | Deepcool - MATREXX 55 ADD-RGB ATX Mid Tower Case | $85.98 @ Newegg
Power Supply | Thermaltake - Smart RGB 700 W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply | $69.99 @ Amazon
Keyboard | Logitech - G513 Carbon Wired Gaming Keyboard | $129.99 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $1525.76
| Mail-in rebates | -$15.00
| Total | $1510.76
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-24 14:04 EDT-0400 |


2.) Intel Build: 8700K + Z370 + RTX 2060

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor | $379.99 @ Newegg
CPU Cooler | Cooler Master - Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler | $24.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | Asus - PRIME Z370-A II ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $168.89 @ B&H
Memory | Team - T-Force Delta RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $104.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Crucial - MX500 250 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $49.95 @ Amazon
Storage | Crucial - P1 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $149.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card | Zotac - GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB GAMING Video Card | $348.99 @ SuperBiiz
Case | Deepcool - MATREXX 55 ADD-RGB ATX Mid Tower Case | $85.98 @ Newegg
Power Supply | Thermaltake - Smart RGB 700 W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply | $69.99 @ Amazon
Keyboard | Logitech - G513 Carbon Wired Gaming Keyboard | $129.99 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $1523.55
| Mail-in rebates | -$10.00
| Total | $1513.55
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-24 14:10 EDT-0400 |


I also decided to get a dedicated M.2 SSD for the OS and other non-game programs. I'm still kinda torn between choosing the AMD build or the Intel build as i both like them.
Which do you think is a better deal?

By the way, I forgot to mention that my 1080p monitor has a 144Hz refresh rate. I read that a monitor with higher refresh rate (more than 60Hz) will utilize more VRAM than a 60Hz monitor. Will the 6GB RTX 2060 be enough to yield those FPS expections? Or should I go with the 8 GB RTX 2070?

 

[jigz2009]

Someone offered today an 8-month old Zotac GTx 1080Ti previously used for crypto mining for $500, almost the same price of a brand new RTX 2070. If I'll go the AMD build it'll be Ryzen 2700x + MSI X470 + GTX 1080Ti. What do you guys think? GTX 1080Ti is still a better card than RTX 2070 for 1080p 144Hz gaming?

 

[cryoburner]

Someone offered today an 8-month old Zotac GTx 1080Ti previously used for crypto mining for $500, almost the same price of a brand new RTX 2070. If I'll go the AMD build it'll be Ryzen 2700x + MSI X470 + GTX 1080Ti. What do you guys think? GTX 1080Ti is still a better card than RTX 2070 for 1080p 144Hz gaming?

With used cards, there can be some more risk involved, since they may lack warranty coverage, or at least have less of their warranty remaining. I would want as much warranty coverage as possible on a $500 graphics card. That said, price-wise it might not be a bad option if you are willing to take the risk. A 1080 Ti should be faster than a 2070 in most current games, and closer in performance to a 2080.

As for spending on graphics card versus CPU, I would try to get a fairly fast graphics card in there if you are considering moving to 1440p on the same card in the future, as that higher resolution brings with it a significant performance hit, typically cutting frame rates by more than 30% in graphically-demanding games. At 1440p, CPU performance matters a lot less, since most newer games running at high settings will be limited by graphics performance more than anything. In my opinion, a 1660 Ti would be inadequate for running 1440p resolution at high settings, particularly if you are planning to not upgrade your graphics card for another five years.

On average, a 2070 should offer around 40% more performance than a 1660 Ti in current games, and a 2060 performs roughly in between the two. By comparison, moving from a Ryzen 2700X to a 9700K or 9900K will only result in around 5% higher frame rates at 1440p when paired with a high-end graphics card (like a 1080 Ti or 2080) in newer games, and not even a 10% difference at 1080p. That difference can be higher or lower depending on the game though, and older, less-demanding titles like CS:GO will likely see a greater difference in frame rates. If I had to choose between a 2700X paired with a 2070, or a 9700K with a 1660 Ti, I would go with the faster card paired with the Ryzen processor, as that should be more balanced for a gaming system, especially at 1440p.

An 8700K paired with a 2060 might also be a decent compromise though, as that processor should perform quite close to a 9700K in games. Looking at that latest Intel build you posted, you might even be able to adjust some things to get both an 8700K and an RTX 2070. For example, there's no real need for two SSDs, so you could skip the 250GB one. You could probably go with a bit less expensive motherboard too, and the same goes for the keyboard. I'm not sure exactly how prices might vary in Dubai though.

(no ray tracing since my monitor is not 4K but if DLSS can be used for better anti-aliasing then much better).

4K and raytracing are not directly related. In fact, current high-end graphics cards would struggle to run games at 4K with raytracing enabled, due to the big performance hit it requires. Raytracing is used for improved lighting effects, such as more realistic shadows or reflections. However, it significantly cuts into frame rates, even with the dedicated raytracing hardware found in the 20-series cards, and from what I've seen of the three games that support it so far, the improvements to visuals tend to be subtle, so it might not be worth enabling in many cases.

As for DLSS, what's been shown so far doesn't seem particularly good. Only a handful of games currently support it, and they only use it as a means of upscaling from a lower resolution to improve performance. So, enabling it effectively reduces image quality in exchange for somewhat higher frame rates. What's worse is that it has actually been shown to look and perform worse than other upscaling methods that don't require special hardware, making it kind of useless. Maybe it will somehow improve in the future, but what's been shown so far doesn't look too promising.

 

[jigz2009]

With used cards, there can be some more risk involved, since they may lack warranty coverage, or at least have less of their warranty remaining. I would want as much warranty coverage as possible on a $500 graphics card. That said, price-wise it might not be a bad option if you are willing to take the risk. A 1080 Ti should be faster than a 2070 in most current games, and closer in performance to a 2080.

As for spending on graphics card versus CPU, I would try to get a fairly fast graphics card in there if you are considering moving to 1440p on the same card in the future, as that higher resolution brings with it a significant performance hit, typically cutting frame rates by more than 30% in graphically-demanding games. At 1440p, CPU performance matters a lot less, since most newer games running at high settings will be limited by graphics performance more than anything. In my opinion, a 1660 Ti would be inadequate for running 1440p resolution at high settings, particularly if you are planning to not upgrade your graphics card for another five years.

On average, a 2070 should offer around 40% more performance than a 1660 Ti in current games, and a 2060 performs roughly in between the two. By comparison, moving from a Ryzen 2700X to a 9700K or 9900K will only result in around 5% higher frame rates at 1440p when paired with a high-end graphics card (like a 1080 Ti or 2080) in newer games, and not even a 10% difference at 1080p. That difference can be higher or lower depending on the game though, and older, less-demanding titles like CS:GO will likely see a greater difference in frame rates. If I had to choose between a 2700X paired with a 2070, or a 9700K with a 1660 Ti, I would go with the faster card paired with the Ryzen processor, as that should be more balanced for a gaming system, especially at 1440p.

An 8700K paired with a 2060 might also be a decent compromise though, as that processor should perform quite close to a 9700K in games. Looking at that latest Intel build you posted, you might even be able to adjust some things to get both an 8700K and an RTX 2070. For example, there's no real need for two SSDs, so you could skip the 250GB one. You could probably go with a bit less expensive motherboard too, and the same goes for the keyboard. I'm not sure exactly how prices might vary in Dubai though.


4K and raytracing are not directly related. In fact, current high-end graphics cards would struggle to run games at 4K with raytracing enabled, due to the big performance hit it requires. Raytracing is used for improved lighting effects, such as more realistic shadows or reflections. However, it significantly cuts into frame rates, even with the dedicated raytracing hardware found in the 20-series cards, and from what I've seen of the three games that support it so far, the improvements to visuals tend to be subtle, so it might not be worth enabling in many cases.

As for DLSS, what's been shown so far doesn't seem particularly good. Only a handful of games currently support it, and they only use it as a means of upscaling from a lower resolution to improve performance. So, enabling it effectively reduces image quality in exchange for somewhat higher frame rates. What's worse is that it has actually been shown to look and perform worse than other upscaling methods that don't require special hardware, making it kind of useless. Maybe it will somehow improve in the future, but what's been shown so far doesn't look too promising.

So basically Ray Tracing and DLSS are useless kinda insignificant and will remain as such for let's say 2 more years?

 

[cryoburner]

I like the idea of raytracing, and it can improve visuals, but the performance hit is quite large. For example, Shadow of the Tomb Raider just recently added support for raytraced shadows, but enabling the feature cuts frame rates by over 40% on average compared to the standard 'ultra' shadows setting, with an even larger hit to performance in certain areas. And while the shadows might be cast more accurately, they don't necessarily look much better most of the time. See this video Hardware Unboxed released the other day where they investigate raytracing performance in that game...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywDdjKIEzfQ


They also previously tested performance in the other two games that support Raytracing so far. Battlefield V sees a similar performance hit to raytrace reflections on some surfaces, which in a fast-paced competitive game like that, are probably not worth giving up so much performance for. Metro Exodus uses it to enable raytraced global illumination, but that game is quite demanding to begin with, and much like with the others, you may not want to give up a significant amount of performance for some moderately better lighting effects. In general, unless the graphics card is massively overpowered for the resolution being used, performance is likely to drop well below 60fps in many situations with the effects enabled. Maybe there will be some upcoming games that utilize raytracing hardware more effectively, but it may just be that this first-generation hardware is not powerful enough to make these effects viable.

 

[cdrkf]

Someone offered today an 8-month old Zotac GTx 1080Ti previously used for crypto mining for $500, almost the same price of a brand new RTX 2070. If I'll go the AMD build it'll be Ryzen 2700x + MSI X470 + GTX 1080Ti. What do you guys think? GTX 1080Ti is still a better card than RTX 2070 for 1080p 144Hz gaming?

The 1080ti is a nice card- I would still advise you pair that with an Intel cpu if you are looking for 144hz gaming.

The advice of going with AMD and getting the stronger gpu is generally good if you are looking at playing at high resolution and high settings as Ryzen cpu's are plenty fast enough. I run an R5 1600 + GTX 1070 and have no complaints. That said, due to the architecture AMD use for ryzen it does have a bit of a weakness vs Intel when it comes to very high refresh rates- it uses something called 'infinity fabric' to communicate between the cpu cores and system memory, which results in slightly higher latency than an Intel CPU which use a different system called 'ring bus' (note Intel's HEDT cpus use a mesh interconnect which performs very similar to AMD's Infinity Fabric, which is why super high end Intel cpu's are usually worse than their more standard parts in games). The Intel 14nm manufacturing process can also hit higher clock speeds than AMD can (Ryzen tops out at 4.2 ghz, Intel can push to 5ghz).

The combination of ring bus + high clocks mean that you can push higher maximum frame rates from the higher end Intel CPU's than you can on AMD. The option you listed using an 8700K is a good choice- 8700K performs near identically to 9700K in games so if you can get the 8700K for less money it's the better option. If you could get that machine and pair it with that 1080ti that'd be the fastest setup by far.

If you were playing mainly AAA titles, and running them at 1440p or 4K at ultra settings, then going with the AMD setup and putting the money into a faster gpu would be the better option. However given the games you've listed, and the fact you are after really high frame rates (250fps + in CS:GO), you just need to know you won't get that from the 2700x due to the way it's built. I also know from personal experience that Starcarft 2 and Dota don't like AMD cpu's very much, friends with much older cpu's than my 1600 get better performance (intel 3000 and 4000 series i5 chips can outrun Ryzen in those games- even though my 1600 is much much faster in more modern titles- it's down to how Blizzard optimised the game itself).

 

[jigz2009]

Ok I will be proceeding in purchasing my gaming rig this coming weekend and I finally decided to go for an Intel build. I have $1,000 at hand right now and will get another $300 this weekend from a friend who's buying my old gaming rig. So I have $1,300 to buy stuffs (I already bought a $500 used Asus ROG Strix GTX 1080Ti last week).

Got a few more quotes from local shops here in Dubai. Kinda interesting that prices of "2018 or older models" have further decreased in a span of just 2 weeks. I got offers for the i7-9700K which is only $20-25 more than the 8700K. They also offered further discount to your total purchase f you decide to buy all items from a single store. They even offered assembly, windows installation, testing of all component all for free and they'll do it in front of you.

Since my max. budget is effective $1,800 now, I think I can splurge a bit more on better components. Here's are the best offers I got so far:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel - Core i7-9700K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor | $409.89 @ OutletPC
CPU Cooler | Deepcool - GAMMAXX 400 74.34 CFM CPU Cooler | $24.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | Asus - ROG STRIX Z390-E GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $209.99 @ Amazon
Memory | G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $119.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Crucial - P1 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $104.99 @ Amazon
Video Card | Asus - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11 GB STRIX GAMING OC Video Card | $1806.67 @ Amazon <--- bought as 2nd hand for $500
Case | Deepcool - MATREXX 55 ADD-RGB ATX Mid Tower Case | $85.98 @ Newegg
Power Supply | Corsair - RMx (2018) 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $89.99 @ Amazon
Keyboard | Logitech - G513 Carbon Wired Gaming Keyboard | $128.88 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $2991.27
| Mail-in rebates | -$10.00
| Total | $2981.27
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-04-04 01:38 EDT-0400 |


I'll try to negotiate further on the SSD if I can get a Samsung 970 Evo Plus. I'll also try to haggle further on the RAM and see if I can make it a 32GB RAM build ^_^ kekekeke..

 

[Darth Sicaedus]

Ok I will be proceeding in purchasing my gaming rig this coming weekend and I finally decided to go for an Intel build. I have $1,000 at hand right now and will get another $300 this weekend from a friend who's buying my old gaming rig. So I have $1,300 to buy stuffs (I already bought a $500 used Asus ROG Strix GTX 1080Ti last week).

Got a few more quotes from local shops here in Dubai. Kinda interesting that prices of "2018 or older models" have further decreased in a span of just 2 weeks. I got offers for the i7-9700K which is only $20-25 more than the 8700K. They also offered further discount to your total purchase f you decide to buy all items from a single store. They even offered assembly, windows installation, testing of all component all for free and they'll do it in front of you.

Since my max. budget is effective $1,800 now, I think I can splurge a bit more on better components. Here's are the best offers I got so far:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel - Core i7-9700K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor | $409.89 @ OutletPC
CPU Cooler | Deepcool - GAMMAXX 400 74.34 CFM CPU Cooler | $24.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | Asus - ROG STRIX Z390-E GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $209.99 @ Amazon
Memory | G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $119.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Crucial - P1 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $104.99 @ Amazon
Video Card | Asus - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11 GB STRIX GAMING OC Video Card | $1806.67 @ Amazon <--- bought as 2nd hand for $500
Case | Deepcool - MATREXX 55 ADD-RGB ATX Mid Tower Case | $85.98 @ Newegg
Power Supply | Corsair - RMx (2018) 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $89.99 @ Amazon
Keyboard | Logitech - G513 Carbon Wired Gaming Keyboard | $128.88 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $2991.27
| Mail-in rebates | -$10.00
| Total | $2981.27
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-04-04 01:38 EDT-0400 |


I'll try to negotiate further on the SSD if I can get a Samsung 970 Evo Plus. I'll also try to haggle further on the RAM and see if I can make it a 32GB RAM build ^_^ kekekeke..

I am pretty happy with my 9700K and I am sure that I would have been pretty happy with 8700K too, but most games are more dependent on per core performance, than thread count. The 9700K out performs the 8700K in a lot of games from what I have seen. I think at this point, anything else you add to the build, will just be icing on the cake. It is already pretty solid.

 

[cdrkf]

Ok I will be proceeding in purchasing my gaming rig this coming weekend and I finally decided to go for an Intel build. I have $1,000 at hand right now and will get another $300 this weekend from a friend who's buying my old gaming rig. So I have $1,300 to buy stuffs (I already bought a $500 used Asus ROG Strix GTX 1080Ti last week).

Got a few more quotes from local shops here in Dubai. Kinda interesting that prices of "2018 or older models" have further decreased in a span of just 2 weeks. I got offers for the i7-9700K which is only $20-25 more than the 8700K. They also offered further discount to your total purchase f you decide to buy all items from a single store. They even offered assembly, windows installation, testing of all component all for free and they'll do it in front of you.

Since my max. budget is effective $1,800 now, I think I can splurge a bit more on better components. Here's are the best offers I got so far:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel - Core i7-9700K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor | $409.89 @ OutletPC
CPU Cooler | Deepcool - GAMMAXX 400 74.34 CFM CPU Cooler | $24.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | Asus - ROG STRIX Z390-E GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $209.99 @ Amazon
Memory | G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $119.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Crucial - P1 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $104.99 @ Amazon
Video Card | Asus - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11 GB STRIX GAMING OC Video Card | $1806.67 @ Amazon <--- bought as 2nd hand for $500
Case | Deepcool - MATREXX 55 ADD-RGB ATX Mid Tower Case | $85.98 @ Newegg
Power Supply | Corsair - RMx (2018) 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $89.99 @ Amazon
Keyboard | Logitech - G513 Carbon Wired Gaming Keyboard | $128.88 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $2991.27
| Mail-in rebates | -$10.00
| Total | $2981.27
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-04-04 01:38 EDT-0400 |


I'll try to negotiate further on the SSD if I can get a Samsung 970 Evo Plus. I'll also try to haggle further on the RAM and see if I can make it a 32GB RAM build ^_^ kekekeke..

That is a nice build, can't argue with any of that.

9700K + 1080ti should fly in anything you throw at it. The 9700K turbos up to 4.9ghz out of the box as well, so shouldn't need to mess around with overclocking it either although looking at the PSU and motherboard you are using you should be able to push it a little further if you really wanted to.

 

[jigz2009]

Thanks for all the inputs guys, especially for convincing me to stick with the Intel build

I spend the entire day haggling at 50+ shops yesterday and it was a very, very rewarding experience as I got offer way more than what I was expecting.

Here’s what I got with my $1,800 budget ($1,870 to be more precise):


Mobo: Asus Rog Strix Z390-E

1. CPU: i7-9700k

2. CPU Cooler: Cooler Master MA620P RGB

3. GPU: Asus Rog Strix GTX1080Ti Gaming (2nd hand)

4. Case: Corsair 570x RGB Mirror Black (refurbished, with few scratches at the tempered glass side panel and with a missing 2.5” bracket. I covered those deep scratches with Asus ROG stickers which came with the motherboard ^_^ )

5. Additional RGB fans: Cougar 120mm RGB Vortex 3-in-1 set (provided free with the refurbished 570X case)

6. 32GB RAM: Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4-3200 (16GB x2)

7. M.2 SSD #1: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 250GB (dedicated for OS and non-game programs)

8. M.2 SSD #2: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB (dedicated for games)

9. HDD: Seagate Barracuda 4TB (for files. bought it at 50% sale)

10. PSU: Corsair RM750x (just less than $10 more than the 650W)

11. Keyboard: Logitech G513 Carbon Romer-G Linear (2nd hand, just 3 months used)