First gaming build advice (compatibility check)

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kottler.sam

Aug 14, 2018
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Approximate Purchase Date: I want to be able to build it by the end of next week.

Budget Range: $800 US

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Light gaming (Civ V / minecraft), programming (for school and for fun), web browsing / movies

Are you buying a monitor: Probably not. I have an old monitor that I think will work for now.

Do you need to buy OS: No. I prefer linux. All of the games I like are either available on linux or run fine on wine.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Amazon

Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Parts Preferences: I would like a Nvidia gpu so I can learn to program in CUDA

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: 1440x900

Additional Comments: Here's the list I've put together so far. I know I could afford slightly better parts but for what I'm going to be using it for I think this is probably fine power wise. The biggest thing I'm worried about is whether the power supply is enough.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: My laptop just isn't cutting it.
 
Solution
Hellfire13


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor ($165.99 @ Walmart)
Motherboard: MSI - B450M PRO-M2 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Team - Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($85.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial - MX500 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($89.99 @ Newegg Business)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB GAMING Video Card ($269.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair - SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair - CXM 550W 80+...
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logainofhades

logainofhades

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Power supply is a poor choice, quality wise. You will want to shop around for the best deals. This is an all around better machine.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - GA-AB350M-Gaming 3 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($71.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Team - Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($85.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial - MX500 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB GAMING Video Card ($269.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Rosewill - FBM-X1 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($21.99 @ Newegg Business)
Power Supply: Corsair - CXM 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $749.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-08-14 20:36 EDT-0400

 
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K

kottler.sam

Aug 14, 2018
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Thanks for your help. I have a few questions.

First, the GTX 1060 seems overpowered for what I would be using it for. Would it still be worth getting the 1060 instead of the 1050 TI for the games I mentioned?
Second, it looks like that motherboard doesn't have WiFI built in. I can't run an ethernet cable to my router in the place that I'm renting so I need WiFi. Would it be better to get a board with WiFi or get something like this? Or would a USB adapter be best?
 
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logainofhades

logainofhades

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I forgot to add the wifi adapter. PCI-E is better than USB, for this. GPU might be overkill, but it will last you that much longer, and should a newer title catch your eye, you will be better prepared for it.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - GA-AB350M-Gaming 3 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($71.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Team - Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($85.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial - MX500 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB GAMING Video Card ($269.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Rosewill - FBM-X1 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($21.99 @ Newegg Business)
Power Supply: Corsair - CXM 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte - GC-WB867D-I REV 4.2 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter ($33.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $783.80
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-08-15 10:18 EDT-0400


 
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K

kottler.sam

Aug 14, 2018
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Ok, some more questions:
First, the two SSD's you two picked look the same except one is M.2. Since they are both SATA should I expect similar performance?
Second, I think I'm going to go with the Gigabyte wifi card. It uses an Intel chip which plays much nicer with linux.
Third, would this motherboard work for the Ryzen 5 2600? Then using that processor would only be $15 more.
 
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omegadoom13

omegadoom13

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I think both SSD's on that build list are SATA. The M.2 form factor of the Crucial mx500 should perform the same as the Sata version. I remember reading a review article comparing the m.2 vs SATA mx500. People pick m.2 because it's smaller so better airflow in case and you don't have to deal with extra sata cable. M.2 is also a better choice if your laptop can use it....

found teh article http://www.thessdreview.com/our-reviews/crucial-mx500-m-2-sata-ssd-review-500gb/
 
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omegadoom13

omegadoom13

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yep the MSI B450M Pro-M2 will work

https://www.msi.com/blog/amd-ryzen-b350-vs-b450-chipset-difference

Pick a b350 board if you want to save a few dollars.... BUT I would go with a B450 board.
 
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Hellfire13

Hellfire13

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Apr 20, 2016
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Something like this...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor ($165.99 @ Walmart)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - B450 AORUS PRO WIFI (rev. 1.0) ATX AM4 Motherboard ($121.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($154.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial - MX500 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.09 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI - GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB Video Card ($164.89 @ OutletPC)
Case: Corsair - SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair - CXM (2015) 450W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($26.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $798.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-08-15 17:07 EDT-0400
 
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omegadoom13

omegadoom13

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looks good. Definitely go with b450 board to pair with SSD + HDD.
AMD StoreMI Technology
AMD’s answer to Intel Optane™ is here – AMD StoreMI Technology. However, unlike Optane™, it doesn’t need yet another hardware part to work. Your current SSD and HDD will do just fine! It combines your relatively smaller-capacity SSD (Solid State Drive) with your higher-capacity HDD (Hard Disk Drive) to create a single, easy-to-manage drive. This essentially creates a single super drive that melds the speed of an SSD with the high-storage-capacity of an HDD to give you the best of both worlds.

In addition to delivering a smoother OS experience and faster load times, AMD StoreMI makes mass storage easy and fast again. StoreMI offers a perfect middle-ground for buyers who simply don’t want to splurge an absurd amount of money on a high-capacity SSD, but also covet the speed and capacity on offer.

Since AMD StoreMI is available only on the 400-series chipsets, it presents yet another reason you might want to consider upgrading to AMD’s latest platform.


For about $23 more, I would have picked the Corsair - TXM Gold 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply. https://pcpartpicker.com/product/dDH48d/corsair-txm-gold-550w-80-gold-certified-semi-modular-atx-power-supply-cp-9020133-na
https://www.anandtech.com/show/12070/the-corsair-tx550m-80plus-gold-psu-review
 
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K

kottler.sam

Aug 14, 2018
7
0
10
How does this look. I can use the extra $16 to maybe get a nicer looking case.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor ($165.99 @ Walmart)
Motherboard: MSI - B450M PRO-M2 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Team - Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($85.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial - MX500 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($89.99 @ Newegg Business)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB GAMING Video Card ($269.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Rosewill - FBM-X1 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($21.99 @ Newegg Business)
Power Supply: Corsair - CXM 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte - GC-WB867D-I PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter ($34.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $783.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-08-15 17:11 EDT-0400
 
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Hellfire13

Hellfire13

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Apr 20, 2016
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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor ($165.99 @ Walmart)
Motherboard: MSI - B450M PRO-M2 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Team - Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($85.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial - MX500 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($89.99 @ Newegg Business)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB GAMING Video Card ($269.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair - SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair - CXM 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte - GC-WB867D-I PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter ($34.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $801.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-08-15 17:28 EDT-0400
 
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Solution
omegadoom13

omegadoom13

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Jan 12, 2011
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Yeah i prefer mid tower cases

unless you want to do a micro / mini build.
 
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K

kottler.sam

Aug 14, 2018
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I do want to build something really small at some point but since this is my first build more space will probably make it easier. The corsair case only comes with one fan while the cheaper one comes with two. Is that a problem for this case?
 
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omegadoom13

omegadoom13

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Jan 12, 2011
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Yeah i saw that too about the rosewill case.
Fan Options Front: 1 x 120mm fan (pre-installed)
Rear: 1 x 80mm fan (pre-installed)

You can install more case fans later depending on cooling requirements. Case choice is up to you. A case offering more than 1 preinstalled fan is definitely a plus.
 
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K

kottler.sam

Aug 14, 2018
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10


I think I'll go with the corsair. It looks like the Rosewill one doesn't come with dust filters which would be good for the room I'll have this in and doesn't have room for any additional fans.

Thanks for all your help.
 
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