[SOLVED] Building Ryzen 3 Desktop

[arnuld]

QUESTIONS:

1. Any problems with this build?
2. Can I improve it for the work I do?
3. Any other suggestions?

USE: Programming, Occasional video/audio encoding, Watching BluRay 1080p videos/movies, YouTube in HD, Browsing with 10-15 tabs in one Firefox window with 2 more windows opened. 12-15 hours a day
OS: Arch Linux (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_Linux)
BUDGET: $2000 (150,000 Indian Rupees)
LOCATION: Hyderabad, India
BUYING FROM: Amazon India (https://www.amazon.in/), Newegg India (https://www.newegg.com/global/in-en), MDComputers (https://mdcomputers.in/)
BRAND: AMD-Fanboy
GAMES: No
Overclocking: No
BUILDING WHEN: In 2 weeks from today
UPGRADE: After 4 years


Breakdown in Indian Rupees is down here, all parts are clickable links to respective sites I mentioned above:

AMD Ryzen 3700X = 32,000
Hyper 212 Black Edition = 4,000
ASUS ROG STRIX Vega 56 = 24,000
MSI Gaming Pro Carbon AC = 13,000 (see note down)
Crucial MX500 512 GB M.2 SSD = 5,500
Gskill TridentZ RGB (2x8GB) 3000MHz = 10,000
Samsung 27" Monitor, Curved Bezel Less = 18,000
APC UPS BR-1000G = 10,000
Corsair CX650 80+ Bronze = 8,000
HP External DVD Writer = 1,500
Antec GX202 Case = 4,000

Total = 130,000

NOTE: MSI has BIOS update for Ryzen 3 series on their site (https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/support/B450-GAMING-PRO-CARBON-AC). This Motherboard has BIOS flash utility and hence I can update it with a USB drive without putting on a CPU.

 

[arnuld]

The only problems I see with Ryzen 3rd gen and navi chips are their support in Linux. Luckily, BIOS was updated on 10th of July to work with Linux but for navi, there is no news yet when it will be supported.

 

[Bob Bobson]

The only problems I see with Ryzen 3rd gen and navi chips are their support in Linux. Luckily, BIOS was updated on 10th of July to work with Linux but for navi, there is no news yet when it will be supported.

I found this article quite good on this matter

The Current State Of AMD Ryzen 3000 CPUs And Radeon RX 5700 GPUs On Linux

It's not the best month to be an early adopter on Linux. Here's what you need to know.

www.forbes.com

 

[arnuld]

Looks like I avw to wait more. The driver is released: https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=AMDVLK-2019.Q3.2

but it can be paired only with 5.3 kernel, which no one knows when it will be released. I use Arch Linux which is bleeding-edge distro and I get anything new within few days of its release. So far Arch Linux is on 5.2.1 kernel. So 5.3.0 will take few months I guess

 

[Bob Bobson]

Looks like I avw to wait more. The driver is released: https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=AMDVLK-2019.Q3.2

but it can be paired only with 5.3 kernel, which no one knows when it will be released. I use Arch Linux which is bleeding-edge distro and I get anything new within few days of its release. So far Arch Linux is on 5.2.1 kernel. So 5.3.0 will take few months I guess

Yup, they say its expected sometime in fall

 

[arnuld]

I think I got the perfect match of my table, case and Noctua D15 dimensions. Thermaltake Commander series cases.

 

[King_V]

Just to throw in an opinion for the video card: The link for the monitor you mentioned doesn't work for me - so I don't know what resolution/refresh rate that monitor is, nor whether it has FreeSync, GSync, or neither.

If it's 1920x1080 @ 60Hz, then (and I understand you prefer AMD, as I generally do as well) you might consider stepping down to a GTX 1660Ti or maybe even a GTX 1660. Both are slower than the Vega 56, but consume notably less power, and can be had for less money than the Vega 56, while managing 1920x1080 @ 60fps at high details in most games.

Of course, if I'm wrong about your monitor's specs, then ignore what I just said, lol

Still, the comparison on this page (the next page for 2560x1440) give an idea.

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/nvidia-geforce-gtx-1660-turing-tu116,6027-3.html


And here is my PC Part Picker search result for video cards, sorted by price, for India, with the following cards (in order of least to greatest overall performance)
GTX 1660
GTX 1660Ti
Vega 56
GTX 2060 (about tied with Vega 56)
RX 5700 (none show up with any prices, so out of the question in India I guess)

https://in.pcpartpicker.com/products/video-card/#c=439,438,436,445,404&sort=price

 

[arnuld]

Just to throw in an opinion for the video card: The link for the monitor you mentioned doesn't work for me - so I don't know what resolution/refresh rate that monitor is, nor whether it has FreeSync, GSync, or neither.

Sorry about that. Here are two links:

Samsung 27" Curved Monitor - Price, Reviews & Specs | Samsung India

Buy Samsung Cured Monitor online. Learn all about 27" Curved Monitor 3 Side Bezel Less including prices, offers, specifications & shop from Samsung India

www.samsung.com

https://www.amazon.in/Samsung-inch-...inch+monitor&qid=1563468178&s=gateway&sr=8-14

If it's 1920x1080 @ 60Hz, then (and I understand you prefer AMD, as I generally do as well) you might consider stepping down to a GTX 1660Ti or maybe even a GTX 1660. Both are slower than the Vega 56, but consume notably less power, and can be had for less money than the Vega 56, while managing 1920x1080 @ 60fps at high details in most games.

I thought GPU was not just related to resolution+refresh-rate. It is about heavy applications like JupyterLab and Python Anaconda, Data Analysis, Python SciPy, NumPy Scientific Libraries and 2D and 3D visualizations.

Am I wrong in saying that Vega will perform much better than 1660 on what is needed beyond the display resolution and refresh rates? I am just interested in the work and productivity and I ain;t upgrading till 2023

Still, the comparison on this page (the next page for 2560x1440) give an idea.

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/nvidia-geforce-gtx-1660-turing-tu116,6027-3.html

I know 1660 is a good GPU. Problem with Nvidia is Open-Source drivers, it is so easy to just plug-in an AMD card and find it working with an Open-Source driver on my Arch Linux. RX 580/590 will suit better.

And here is my PC Part Picker search result for video cards, sorted by price, for India, with the following cards (in order of least to greatest overall performance)
GTX 1660
GTX 1660Ti
Vega 56
GTX 2060 (about tied with Vega 56)
RX 5700 (none show up with any prices, so out of the question in India I guess)

https://in.pcpartpicker.com/products/video-card/#c=439,438,436,445,404&sort=price

In terms of the cost:

RX 580 = Nvidia 1660 - $100
RX 590 = Nvidia 1660
Vega 56 = Nvidia 1660
5700 = Nvidia 1660 + $50

 

[King_V]

Ah, I hadn't considered non-gaming use.

Given the prices you've listed, if you can get the 5700 at only $50 above the price of the Vega 56 or GTX 1660, I would recommend it.

 

[arnuld]

Ah, I hadn't considered non-gaming use.

Given the prices you've listed, if you can get the 5700 at only $50 above the price of the Vega 56 or GTX 1660, I would recommend it.

Oh that was a typo. 5700 is $100 above Vega 56. Vega 56 too I am getting the heaviest model, ASUS ROG STRIX with 3 fans:

https://mdcomputers.in/asus-rog-strix-rxvega56-o8g-gaming.html

Perhaps I can get a cheap support bracket for it from DeepCool:

https://www.amazon.in/DEEPCOOL-GH-0...+card+support&qid=1563471690&s=gateway&sr=8-5

 

[King_V]

Hm, yeah, at $100 extra, the 5700 is harder to justify...

 

[Darkbreeze]

If there's a 100 dollar diference, then that changes things. Earlier you said the Vega 64 and RX 5700 were the same price in your region. If the RX 5700 is more expensive than the Vega 64 or 56 at ~100 difference over the 56, then what are the actual price differences of all these cards according to where you are able to purchase them from?

Just list the cost for each card. The way you have it above is too confusing, at least, to me it is.

 

[arnuld]

Yeah, you are right, it is confusing. We have here in India continuous change in GPU, Motherboard and PSU prices+deals on different trusted online retailers . Here is the what I see now, both in rupees and US dollars:


RX 580 = 18,000 ($262) -- (https://mdcomputers.in)

RX 590 = 19,000 ($276) -- (New egg India, https://www.newegg.com/global/in-en/)

RX Vega 56 = 24,000 ($350) -- (only one model, ASUS ROG STRIX from https://mdcomputers.in/asus-rog-strix-rxvega56-o8g-gaming.html)

RX Vega 64 = 27,000 ($400) -- (https://mdcomputers.in/asus-rog-strix-rxvega64-o8g-gaming.html)

RX Vega 64 = 31,000 ($450) -- (Amazon India, https://www.amazon.in/Asus-Overcloc...s=amd+rx+vega&qid=1563511729&s=gateway&sr=8-1)

RX 5700 = 32,000 ($465) -- (both from mdcomputers and Newegg India)

Changing the RAM from Trident RGB to Corsair Vengeance LPX because of lesser RAM clearance from NH-D15:

https://www.amazon.in/CORSAIR-Vengeance-1x8GB-3200MHZ-Desktop/dp/B07PNW4Q3F/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2RBRNDE58BGW8&keywords=corsair+lpx+8gb+ddr4+3200&qid=1563512860&s=gateway&sprefix=corsair+LPX,aps,299&sr=8-1



Changing PSU from Corsair CX to EVGA SuperNOVA G3 because price difference is not much:

https://www.newegg.com/global/in-en/evga-supernova-750-g3-220-g3-0750-x1-750w/p/N82E16817438093?Description=evga g3&cm_re=evga_g3--17-438-093--Product


I will start buying at the end of the month once I get money. Newegg India, Amazon India and mdcomputers are three primary sites that I can trust. I am fine with prices as long as budget is within $2000 (same as 150,000 indian rupees)

 

[Darkbreeze]

WHICH productivity applications do you primarily run? Please list the most common applications that you typically run in order of priority.

 

[arnuld]

These are all the apps I use:

1. Arch Linux OS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_Linux
2. GNOME 3: https://www.gnome.org/gnome-3/
3. Firefox: 15-20 tabs in one window, total 3-4 windows
4. Google Chrome: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Chrome
5. Jupyter Lab, Jupyter Notebook: https://jupyter.org/
6. Python Anaconda: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaconda_(Python_distribution)
7. SciPy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SciPy
8. NumPy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NumPy
9. Matplotlib: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matplotlib
10. Seaborn: https://seaborn.pydata.org/
11. SciKit Learn: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scikit-learn
12. Tidyverse: https://www.tidyverse.org/
13. Julia: https://julialang.org/
14. VS Code: https://code.visualstudio.com/
15. Spyder: https://www.spyder-ide.org/
16. Atom: https://atom.io/
17. GCC: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Compiler_Collection
18. GIMP: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIMP
19. FFmpeg: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FFmpeg
20. ImageMagick: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImageMagick
21. LibreOffice: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LibreOffice
22. Deluge: https://www.deluge-torrent.org/

These are the major ones. There are more but they are as much CPU and memory intensive like the ones above.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Ok. I don't see anything there that "I" know for sure is particularly fond of Nvidia over AMD or visa versa, so the camp you choose probably isn't a factor.

I think the RX580 or any card above it (RX590 is a lame refresh of the RX580. Don't fall for it unless it's LESS expensive than what you can get an RX 580 for because you can EASILY overclock the RX580 to RX590 levels of performance on practically any RX580 card model) is more than sufficient for anything you have listed unless you are using GIMP to create very complex projects with extremely high resolutions and MANY layers. If so, then buy the most powerful card you can reasonably afford.

There might be a few programs you listed that have the ability to make use of GPU resources though, and if so, that might also be a consideration. Or if I missed something that is specifically GPU intensive, please forgive me. I'm not familiar with every program on your list.

 

[arnuld]

I wouldn't go for the 3800X, its advantage over 3700X marginal. I second your choice to go with nh-d15, I think it's a best cooler out there, I like dark rock pro 4 I bit better because of the looks, but d14 and 15 have much better mounting system imo. I have 3700X now, it's really good chip. With ambient of 32C I got up only to 69C with prime 95 and a stock cooler. With something like noctua it will be very quiet. Also if you benefit from more cores, and are willing to consider 3800X, maybe you could even take a look at 3900X. It's 12 cores run smoothly on most of B450 and X470. My friend has it in x470 aorus ultra gaming, which is only 4 real phase mobo, and he said it works just fine, with Vrm temps in the same range as his 2700x before.

In terms of card. If you have an option to go for a Navi card, I would do that. Probably the 5700 is the best value for you.

I have one rule I learned from UNIX hackers: never buy the latest and greatest, always look seriously one level below and if you have less budget then two levels below. That is because latest and greatest are always highly priced and never a VFM thing. So, latest and greatest are 3900X and 5700 XT and one level below are 3800X and 5700. Two levels below are 3700X and RX Vega 64. For anyone considering 3800X, this video review by GamesNexus will convince you to buy 3700X instead (or even 3600):

View: https://youtu.be/PAGQwWDyURI


According to the pricing by first week of August, I will order either one of Vega or 5700. So far, Vega 56 wins the battle in pricing.