[SOLVED] Can I cut cost on this video-editing build?

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foolonthehill

May 26, 2020
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I put together this video-editing pc ( https://pcpartpicker.com/list/6Jg8q3 ) build based on a few posts I found online, notably https://www.logicalincrements.com/articles/videoediting, and upgraded the CPU. As is, comes in at $600 (the ASRock mobo would add another $85, for a total of $685).

It's over my budget. Do you see any ways I can cut $100-$150 off and keep the capability?

Full list:
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($197.82 @ B&H)
Motherboard: ASRock B450M PRO4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8 GB (1 x 8 GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($36.99 @ Best Buy)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8 GB (1 x 8 GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($36.99 @ Best Buy)
Storage: Kingston A400 480 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: ASRock Radeon RX 570 4 GB Phantom Gaming D Video Card ($123.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($49.13 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair CXM 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($79.98 @ Amazon)
Wired Network Adapter: TP-Link TG-3468 PCIe x1 1000 Mbit/s Network Adapter ($14.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $599.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-05-26 00:14 EDT-0400
 
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Do you already have the motherboard, and a CPU that works in it, because that motherboard stands a good chance of not coming with a Ryzen 3000 ready BIOS installed and it will likely need to be updated before you can use that CPU in it.

You also don't need to buy that network adapter. Practically every motherboard on the market right now comes with Gigabit ethernet built in, and some are starting to come with 10Gbps ethernet onboard. Unless there is a problem with the network adapter on your board, that is just a waste of money.

Buying two individual sets of RAM is a HUGE no-no as well. Don't EVER do that. It's like BUYING a problem, on purpose. ALWAYS buy your memory in matched sets. It's usually cheaper anyhow. Plus, you really DON'T want that slow as hell 2400mhz memory with ANY Ryzen platform. Ryzen is a turd with slow memory. It is VERY responsive to fast memory. Going with a 3000mhz kit is less expensive than buying those two slower kits anyhow, plus you gain a little speed in the exchange.

Other than this, I don't really see any reasonable way to cut costs further without dropping functionality, performance or quality, significantly.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($197.82 @ B&H)
Motherboard: ASRock B450M PRO4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard
Memory: Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Kingston A400 480 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: ASRock Radeon RX 570 4 GB Phantom Gaming D Video Card ($123.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($49.13 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair CXM 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($79.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $570.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-05-26 00:32 EDT-0400
 
Last edited:
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Yes, that looks much better. The MSI B450 Gaming Plus or Gaming Plus max, both have the same VRM configurations as the Tomahawk and Tomahawk max, but are about fifteen bucks cheaper, usually. Unfortunately they don't seem to be available right now, and I'm kind of surprised the Tomahawk max is because it has been in and out of stock, mostly out, the last few weeks due to the lack of shipping from China due to the whole Covid 19 situation, so I'd jump on it while it's still in stock if it were me. Be careful to pay close attention to the stock/available date. That Best Buy listing is ONLY available IN STORE, so unless you have a Best Buy near you and you plan to go pick it up direct from the store, it's going to be a problem because it is not available to be shipped to home.
 
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The B450M Gaming Plus, which is a micro ATX board, would work fine if you do not REQUIRE a full sized ATX board. If you don't need more than four SATA headers for drives, and if you don't mind picking up a couple of four dollar PWM fan splitter cables if you plan to run more than just a CPU cooler and two case fans (Only has two system chassis fan headers plus the CPU fan header, so with a pair of splitters you can run the CPU cooler and four case fans), then it might be a good choice AND it has BIOS flashback so IF it doesn't come with the required BIOS support for Ryzen 3000 series CPUs, you can easily flash it to the latest BIOS version with just a flash drive and the push of a button.

You don't even need to have a CPU installed and there is a very good video tutorial available here on how to do this.

It's also cheaper.

https://www.amazon.com/MSI-Performance-Micro-ATX-Motherboard-B450M/dp/B07F7WQDZJ


 
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That motherboard does not have BIOS flashback. If it doesn't come with a new enough BIOS, which, unlike in past generations, it probably won't because the newer BIOS versions tend to remove support for some of the 1st Gen Ryzen CPUs and they don't want to do that out of the box, then you are going to have a motherboard that is useless to you with that CPU.

ASRock doesn't have ANY B350, B450 or X470 motherboards with BIOS flashback.

List of B350, B450 and X470 motherboards with BIOS flashback
 
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Well, as much as I'm sure you'd like to get this done now, my advice would be to either wait or if you don't mind paying for the Crosshair Hero, that's a really good board, but it's not cheap and I'm not even sure that IT is still available anywhere. Right now it's looking like most retailers are indicating availability on motherboards should become a thing again sometime towards mid June. Before then, it's going to be hit or miss and five minutes might make the difference between getting one or not. I'm sure that a lot of it is due to people trying to take advantage by buying them up and then reselling them at a premium.

It's no different than what was happening with graphics cards during the mining craze.
 
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Thanks for all your help w/this.

It has been at least a decade since I flashed a BIOS. What's the difference between "Instant Flash", which the ASRock B450M PRO4 specs say the board supports, and Flashback?
 
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Instant flash is run from within the BIOS and requires a compatible CPU to be installed along with memory, so that the system can POST and you can get INTO the BIOS to begin with.

BIOS Flashback allows you to download a new BIOS firmware image from the motherboard product page, and flash that image to update the firmware WITHOUT a CPU even installed, by inserting a flash drive that contains the new BIOS firmware into a specific USB port on the motherboard and then pressing the BIOS flashback button until the light begins to blink at which point you simply wait until it's done. As per the video I posted previously.

A small percentage of boards, regardless of chipset, offer BIOS flashback. For Ryzen chipsets, there are many MSI boards that offer it, a few ASUS boards and that's about it.
 
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