[SOLVED] Compatibility Worries for Future First Build

[DrummerManSpike]

Hi! I'm Dan, new to the forums. I'm putting components together for my very first PC build. I've been doing tons of research on this the past few months, but I want to double check (with people that really know what they're doing in this field) that my chosen parts are compatible with each other, and wont cause problems down the road. I know PCPartPicker shows that they're technically all compatible with each other, but I have seen occasional complaints around the web that (x) part doesn't like working with (z) part, even though it should. Would like to avoid that!

I'm also open to suggestions for better parts that come at equal or lower costs!


Approximate Purchase Date: Sometime in March most likely

Budget Range: Would like to stay under $2,000 after taxes/shipping, current build is sitting at roughly $1,800 pre-tax

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Blender/other 3D Rendering, Video Editing, Multimedia (movies and TV shows)

Are you buying a monitor: Yes, two, which are included in my budget and components list


Parts to Install:

Case: Corsair Carbide Series 175R RGB Tempered Glass Mid-Tower ATX Gaming Case, Black
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7 GHz 8-Core Processor
Cooler: Scythe Mugen 5 Rev. B 51.17 CFM CPU Cooler
MTB: MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC ATX AM4 Motherboard
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory
Storage (OS): HP EX900 250 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive
Storage (storage): Samsung 860 QVO 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive
GPU: XFX Radeon RX 5700 8 GB DD Ultra Video Card
PSU: EVGA BQ 750 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply
Fans: Corsair HD120 RGB 54.4 CFM 120 mm Fans (x6) w/Controller (wont use)
Fan Control: Corsair LED Fan Hub and Corsair Commander Pro
Monitors: Sceptre E255B-1658A 24.5" 1920x1080 165 Hz Monitor (x2)
Keyboard: Corsair K55 RGB Wired Gaming Keyboard

I've put this together on PCPartPicker, my list is here ---> https://pcpartpicker.com/list/4XG64n

Headset and mouse are already purchased, and do not contribute to the current cost estimate. Additional LED strips are also a possibility, but it's completely dependent on how bright the interior gets with the LED fans.


Do you need to buy OS: Yes, planning for a USB of Windows 10, the case doesn't have slots for an optical drive

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg, B&H, BestBuy, any other retailers listed on PCPartPicker. Amazon is okay but only as a last resort or if it's by far the cheapest option.

Location: Gilbert, Arizona, United States

Parts Preferences: Ryzen heavily preferred for the CPU. AMD chipset for the GPU is preferred but Nvidia is fine too, if an equally/lower priced model gives the same or better performance. No preference on card manufacturer outside of price.

Overclocking: Maybe, if I'm not getting the performance I want. Supposedly the Ryzen 7 2700X comes pre-overclocked? OC'ing the RAM should be simple but I'm most worried about OC'ing the GPU.

SLI or Crossfire: Not for this build, but might upgrade to a dual GPU system waaaay down the road since the selected motherboard does support Crossfire

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080

Why Are You Upgrading: I bought an HP Omen 15 laptop almost a year ago, but it isn't quite as powerful as I'd like it to be, running an i5-8300 and a GTX 1050ti. Also that thing heats up like crazy, even with a good cooling pad!

Additional Comments:
1. Quietness isn't a huge preference for me, so long as the thing doesn't sound like a jet engine! Some fan noise is totally okay and will definitely be drowned out by any sounds coming from games, videos, etc..
2. I do not want any comments/suggestions along the lines of "You wont ever need 750W for your PSU!!!" I'm well aware of that. I still prefer it, and I'm still getting that (or higher if I change my mind somewhere and go for a higher wattage component).
3. I'm aiming for a good mid-range build. Not looking for super high-end anything, don't need a billion FPS when gaming (I don't think I've ever even looked at screen higher than 60 Hz / 60 FPS before), or ultra 8K resolution. I feel like I'd probably be getting an average of 60 FPS with this build, and that's just fine with me! Not that I'd be against it reaching a bit higher though, which it probably will.
4. Flat screen monitors heavily preferred, no curves please.

Again, my main concern is making sure every component will work well with each other. But let me know any and all of your additional thoughts too! Do you think this is a good build? Would you change anything based on your own preferences?


Many thanks!

- Dan

 

[Hellfire13]

Better CPU/Mobo/RAM/SSD/GPU/PSU/Monitor. This should be much better for that budget...

PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor | $322.99 @ SuperBiiz
CPU Cooler | Scythe Mugen 5 Rev. B 51.17 CFM CPU Cooler | $48.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard | Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard | $174.99 @ Newegg
Memory | G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory | $78.99 @ Newegg
Storage | ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro 512 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive | $75.98 @ Amazon
Storage | Crucial P1 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive | $99.99 @ Newegg
Video Card | Asus Radeon RX 5700 XT 8 GB TUF Gaming X3 OC Video Card | $369.99 @ Newegg
Case | Corsair Carbide 175R RGB ATX Mid Tower Case | $68.98 @ Amazon
Power Supply | Corsair RM (2019) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply | $109.99 @ Best Buy
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit | $106.99 @ Other World Computing
Case Fan | Corsair HD120 RGB 3-Pack w/Controller 54.4 CFM 120 mm Fans | $73.98 @ Amazon
Monitor | AOC C24G1 24.0" 1920x1080 144 Hz Monitor | $144.99 @ Amazon
Monitor | AOC C24G1 24.0" 1920x1080 144 Hz Monitor | $144.99 @ Amazon
Keyboard | Corsair K55 RGB Wired Gaming Keyboard | $49.88 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $1871.72
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-09 18:39 EST-0500 |

 

[DrummerManSpike]

Hi, thanks for the reply.

With the 3 additional fans and the Commander Pro not included in your list, the pre-tax total actually comes out to just above 2,000. I know PCPartPicker says prices include taxes, but every item I've individually checked actually doesn't. That'll probably bring the post-tax total to around 2,100 or even 2,200 depending on the retailer. I'd like to keep close to where I currently am price-wise, if possible.

(Also my apologies, I know my original post said 2,000 pre-tax but I thought it over and decided roughly 2,000 post-tax is my budget. I've edited the original to avoid further confusion)

I'd also like to stay away from curved monitors, especially when using a dual monitor setup. Heard it causes complications with over curving, and I also just don't like curved screens on any platform.

I'll hand it to you though, that list is pretty close to what I originally had in mind for this build. I wanted to shave off some dollars without giving up too much performance though, that's how I ended up with the current list.

 

[GarrettL]

I like Hellfire13's list...because it's similar to my recent build

The only thing I would tweak is to drop the ADATA NVMe for a good 1TB SSD. The M2 slots are really fast but at this time you won't see much difference between the them.

Also, you don't have to buy a cpu cooler as the Wraith does a good job so you could save a few bucks there if needed. But it can get a bit loud at high fan speeds.

Otherwise, you're gonna love that build. Gaming is so smooth with it.

 

[DrummerManSpike]

The only thing I would tweak is to drop the ADATA NVMe for a good 1TB SSD. The M2 slots are really fast but at this time you won't see much difference between the them.

The M2 is mainly just for the OS and any other important programs to keep em running fast, I'm still planning for a good 1TB 2.5" for file storage and such, the 860 QVO had a mountain of good reviews.

Also, you don't have to buy a cpu cooler as the Wraith does a good job so you could save a few bucks there if needed. But it can get a bit loud at high fan speeds.

Hadn't really thought of it before, but I guess I can try out the stock cooler first! I've seen a lot of reviews that mention aftermarket coolers show much better temperatures, but I guess it wont hurt to work with the stock for a bit before deciding on separate cooler. At the same time though, I've seen people sell the stock cooler for like $50 which would totally cover the cost of the one I'm looking at too. We'll see!

 

[Hellfire13]

Hi, thanks for the reply.

With the 3 additional fans and the Commander Pro not included in your list, the pre-tax total actually comes out to just above 2,000. I know PCPartPicker says prices include taxes, but every item I've individually checked actually doesn't. That'll probably bring the post-tax total to around 2,100 or even 2,200 depending on the retailer. I'd like to keep close to where I currently am price-wise, if possible.

(Also my apologies, I know my original post said 2,000 pre-tax but I thought it over and decided roughly 2,000 post-tax is my budget. I've edited the original to avoid further confusion)

I'd also like to stay away from curved monitors, especially when using a dual monitor setup. Heard it causes complications with over curving, and I also just don't like curved screens on any platform.

I'll hand it to you though, that list is pretty close to what I originally had in mind for this build. I wanted to shave off some dollars without giving up too much performance though, that's how I ended up with the current list.

Apologies for the late reply. I didnt get any update notification for this thread.

Coming to the configuration...

1. I would start with the stock cooler as Garrett suggested.

2. I would start with one NVME drive and add another later on down the line. NVME is plenty fast than that Samsung one you have chosen and will benefit for your non gaming tasks mentioned in the original post.

3. I would try to get a Windows license cheap. There are plenty of options out there if you research. Even if you do not activate it right away, it wont make any difference in performance and you will still get the security updates. There will just be a watermark. You can always activate it down the line...
https://www.howtogeek.com/244678/you-dont-need-a-product-key-to-install-and-use-windows-10/

4. I wont go for a TN panel anymore when there are plenty of cheap VA options available., as they are better in most ways...
https://www.gamingscan.com/ips-vs-tn-vs-va/

PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor | $324.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard | Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard | $174.99 @ Best Buy
Memory | G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory | $79.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Crucial P1 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive | $104.99 @ Newegg
Video Card | Asus Radeon RX 5700 XT 8 GB TUF Gaming X3 OC Video Card | $369.99 @ Newegg
Case | Corsair Carbide 175R RGB ATX Mid Tower Case | $68.98 @ Amazon
Power Supply | Corsair RM (2019) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply | $119.99 @ Best Buy
Case Fan | Corsair HD120 RGB 3-Pack w/Controller 54.4 CFM 120 mm Fans | $73.98 @ Amazon
Monitor | MSI Optix MAG271R 27.0" 1920x1080 165 Hz Monitor | $219.00 @ Amazon
Monitor | MSI Optix MAG271R 27.0" 1920x1080 165 Hz Monitor | $219.00 @ Amazon
Keyboard | Corsair K55 RGB Wired Gaming Keyboard | $43.99 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $1799.89
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-13 02:54 EST-0500 |

 

[DrummerManSpike]

2. I would start with one NVME drive and add another later on down the line. NVME is plenty fast than that Samsung one you have chosen and will benefit for your non gaming tasks mentioned in the original post.

So just the one drive for the OS and everything else? I guess I could do that, I just figured the OS would run much faster with nothing else taking up its shared storage space. I'll give it a shot though!

3. I would try to get a Windows license cheap. There are plenty of options out there if you research. Even if you do not activate it right away, it wont make any difference in performance and you will still get the security updates. There will just be a watermark. You can always activate it down the line...

I didn't even think twice about something like that, that's gonna be a HUGE help as long as Windows doesn't try anything funky with it down the road. Thanks!

4. I wont go for a TN panel anymore when there are plenty of cheap VA options available., as they are better in most ways...

I did want a VA panel at first, but I'll still try out the TNs for a short while to save some cash. I'm not super super picky about the differences between them, but if I'm not happy with the TN's picture I can always return it within the return period and go for that VA instead

 

[Hellfire13]

So just the one drive for the OS and everything else? I guess I could do that, I just figured the OS would run much faster with nothing else taking up its shared storage space. I'll give it a shot though

Doesnt work that way. Usually a larger drive is faster than a smaller drive of same brand/model. Create a 100gb partition for your Windows and use the rest as storage. Should work and feel like two seperate drives.

 

[DrummerManSpike]

Create a 100gb partition for your Windows and use the rest as storage. Should work and feel like two seperate drives.

Had no idea that was even a thing, gonna do a bit of research on that!

I noticed the Crucial P1 is gonna be out of stock for a bit so I'm looking at other drives just in case it's not available again by the time I buy. What are your thoughts on the Silicon Power P34A80? I noticed the max read/write speeds are over 50% faster than the P1, and for only about $20 more. Tons of 5 Stars on Amazon too. What are your thoughts?

Huge thanks for being so helpful by the way, it's very much appreciated

 

[Hellfire13]

Had no idea that was even a thing, gonna do a bit of research on that!

I noticed the Crucial P1 is gonna be out of stock for a bit so I'm looking at other drives just in case it's not available again by the time I buy. What are your thoughts on the Silicon Power P34A80? I noticed the max read/write speeds are over 50% faster than the P1, and for only about $20 more. Tons of 5 Stars on Amazon too. What are your thoughts?

Huge thanks for being so helpful by the way, it's very much appreciated

Thats perfectly fine. You can go for it.