[SOLVED] First time building a PC - I would love some feedback on the parts I have selected before buying

[JSteward]

Hi! This is my first time building a PC and would love some feedback before buying anything. Below are the links to the parts I am thinking about getting. I have outlined some goals for the PC and some questions/concerns I have with the current parts I have chosen. I welcome any feedback you can give me. Example would be if I am missing parts, parts aren't compatible, or better parts exist. Also if you know the answer to any of the concerns that would be great too. Looking forward to your feedback

Parts:

CPU	Intel i7, 8core, 3.8GHz, Socket LGA 1200	https://www.amazon.com/i7-10700K-De...i7-10700k&qid=1632198722&s=electronics&sr=1-3
Motherboard	ASUS Prime Z490-A LGA 1200	https://www.amazon.com/i7-10700K-De...i7-10700k&qid=1632198722&s=electronics&sr=1-3
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 PCIe 3.0	https://www.amazon.com/Nvidia-GeFor...9:nVidia&rnid=2528832011&s=electronics&sr=1-1
RAM	Crucial Ballistix RGB 3600 MHz DDR4 DRAM 16GB (8GBx2)	https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-Ball...L/dp/B083VN642Z/ref=psdc_172500_t2_B083V93HJG
Hard Drive	SAMSUNG (MZ-V8V1T0B/AM) 980 SSD 1TB - M.2	https://www.amazon.com/SAMSUNG-MZ-V...lectronics&sprefix=M.2,electronics,242&sr=1-3
CPU Cooler	Noctua NH-D15 chromax.Black, Dual-Tower CPU Cooler	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y87YHR...colid=SUFVTWMHTPA3&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
Power Supply	Corsair RM550x, 550 Watt, Fully Modular Power Supply	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079HGL41...are-us-1211227920914234600-20&geniuslink=true
Case	LIAN LI LANCOOL II MESH RGB Black	https://www.amazon.com/Lian-Li-PERO...ance&qid=1632708993&s=electronics&sr=1-1&th=1
Rear Case Fan	ARCTIC P12 PWM PST RGB	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08Y8MVJG...wg=G2Pg5&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_asin_0_img

Main Goals for my PC:

1. Primary function to be a great gaming PC
2. I want to have 2 USB ports and TRRS audio jack on top of the case for easy access
3. Cost between $900-$1300 (not including the graphics card, I already have it)
4. Have some cool RGB lighting effects

Main Concerns:

1. Can the Motherboard's USB3.2 Gen 1 header be split in two in order to connect with the two USB3.0 connectors on the case top panel? Basically I am asking will I be able to populate the USB3.0 connectors on the case top panel?
2. Is there a way with this Motherboard to get TRRS audio from the motherboard to the case top panel TRRS jack?
3. Will 550W power supply be enough power?
4. Does the power supply come with all the cables I would need?
5. Will I be able to split the Motherboard's two aura RGB headers to be a total of four headers so I can control 3 RGB fans in front and one RGB fan in the back?
6. Will the CPU Cooler fit in the case?

 

[taeioum]

Hey man,

Let's try to quickly tackle these questions:

1. There's no need to split any USB front panel cables. Both of the USB ports on the front connect as one connector on your motherboard.
2. The front audio port is a TRRS port and will be connected to the motherboard with the same cable that connects your front USB ports.
3. I'd upgrade your PSU. It's enough for now, but you're going to need a PSU upgrade if you were to replace your GPU. Here's a good replacement: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PDZ5ZLT?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1
4. They do, yep. All cables you'll potentially need are supplied.
5. I'm not very familiar with connecting RGB fans and such. You may need a hub or something like that..
6. Yes, it does. It won't be a super tight fit, you'll be fine fitting that cooler in that case.

Also, are you sure you want to go with that motherboard? The AORUS Z490 Elite is supposed to be better and it's cheaper: https://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-Z49...ywords=z490+aorus+elite&qid=1632985867&sr=8-1

 

[JSteward]

Hey man,

Let's try to quickly tackle these questions:

1. There's no need to split any USB front panel cables. Both of the USB ports on the front connect as one connector on your motherboard.
2. The front audio port is a TRRS port and will be connected to the motherboard with the same cable that connects your front USB ports.
3. I'd upgrade your PSU. It's enough for now, but you're going to need a PSU upgrade if you were to replace your GPU. Here's a good replacement: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PDZ5ZLT?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1
4. They do, yep. All cables you'll potentially need are supplied.
5. I'm not very familiar with connecting RGB fans and such. You may need a hub or something like that..
6. Yes, it does. It won't be a super tight fit, you'll be fine fitting that cooler in that case.

Also, are you sure you want to go with that motherboard? The AORUS Z490 Elite is supposed to be better and it's cheaper: https://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-Z49...ywords=z490+aorus+elite&qid=1632985867&sr=8-1

Thank you for the feedback! It sounds like hooking up the USB ports and audio jack to the case is going to be easier than I was originally thinking (just one cable). Is that cable something that would come with the case? I like your suggestion on the PSU. That does look like a better power supply. I am definitely open to getting a different motherboard. I was noticing the one you suggested didn't have a Display port connection which I am wanting.

Some of the things I have been looking for in a motherboard are:
-has both Display port and HDMI
-has USB3.0 or better ports
-it has DDR4 RAM slots
-has M.2 SSD slots
-has shielded I/O (not sure how important this is?)
-has RGB headers
-has USB and audio to connect to case front panel

 

[helper800]

So there are some things to consider with your build. How far do you want to go with the whole RGB thing? This can be impacted by what motherboard you pick.

The motherboard video connectors should not determine what motherboard you get because you are going to be using the 1080 to drive your monitors.

The Lian Li Lancool II mesh is a great case but if you want the USB-C port on the case front I/O functioning you need to buy and install a separately sold cable.

Another thing to note would be that the 970 evo + is a much better drive than the 980 both from Samsung.

You can also get an AIO with better cooling than the D15 for the same price.

 

[JSteward]

So there are some things to consider with your build. How far do you want to go with the whole RGB thing? This can be impacted by what motherboard you pick.

The motherboard video connectors should not determine what motherboard you get because you are going to be using the 1080 to drive your monitors.

The Lian Li Lancool II mesh is a great case but if you want the USB-C port on the case front I/O functioning you need to buy and install a separately sold cable.

Another thing to note would be that the 970 evo + is a much better drive than the 980 both from Samsung.

You can also get an AIO with better cooling than the D15 for the same price.

I am not trying to go all out about the RGB stuff. It can take a back seat to the computers performance.

I am glad you pointed that out to me about the Display ports. As you can see, I am new to this It totally makes sense that the GPU has the Display ports on it and I will be using those.

Thanks for the heads up about the USB-C cable.

I will definitely consider the 970 evo + SSD. Just for my own learning what is better about it than the 980?

I will look into the AIO cooler. Are water coolers safe? I just worry about if it ever leaked then it could cause some real damage to the motherboard or GPU. Will the one you suggested have similar cooling performance?

 

[RodroX]

Hi! This is my first time building a PC and would love some feedback before buying anything. Below are the links to the parts I am thinking about getting. I have outlined some goals for the PC and some questions/concerns I have with the current parts I have chosen. I welcome any feedback you can give me. Example would be if I am missing parts, parts aren't compatible, or better parts exist. Also if you know the answer to any of the concerns that would be great too. Looking forward to your feedback

Parts:

CPU	Intel i7, 8core, 3.8GHz, Socket LGA 1200	https://www.amazon.com/i7-10700K-De...i7-10700k&qid=1632198722&s=electronics&sr=1-3
Motherboard	ASUS Prime Z490-A LGA 1200	https://www.amazon.com/i7-10700K-De...i7-10700k&qid=1632198722&s=electronics&sr=1-3
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 PCIe 3.0	https://www.amazon.com/Nvidia-GeForce-Founders-Graphics-Renewed/dp/B07QWZT2FV/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=NVIDIA+GeForce+GTX+1080&qid=1632200469&refinements=p_89:nVidia&rnid=2528832011&s=electronics&sr=1-1
RAM	Crucial Ballistix RGB 3600 MHz DDR4 DRAM 16GB (8GBx2)	https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-Ball...L/dp/B083VN642Z/ref=psdc_172500_t2_B083V93HJG
Hard Drive	SAMSUNG (MZ-V8V1T0B/AM) 980 SSD 1TB - M.2	https://www.amazon.com/SAMSUNG-MZ-V8V1T0B-AM-980-SSD/dp/B08V83JZH4/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3CX2V82BDMPZ0&dchild=1&keywords=m.2+ssd+1tb&qid=1632199659&s=electronics&sprefix=M.2,electronics,242&sr=1-3
CPU Cooler	Noctua NH-D15 chromax.Black, Dual-Tower CPU Cooler	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y87YHR...colid=SUFVTWMHTPA3&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
Power Supply	Corsair RM550x, 550 Watt, Fully Modular Power Supply	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079HGL41...are-us-1211227920914234600-20&geniuslink=true
Case	LIAN LI LANCOOL II MESH RGB Black	https://www.amazon.com/Lian-Li-PERO...ance&qid=1632708993&s=electronics&sr=1-1&th=1
Rear Case Fan	ARCTIC P12 PWM PST RGB	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08Y8MVJG...wg=G2Pg5&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_asin_0_img

Main Goals for my PC:

1. Primary function to be a great gaming PC
2. I want to have 2 USB ports and TRRS audio jack on top of the case for easy access
3. Cost between $900-$1300 (not including the graphics card, I already have it)
4. Have some cool RGB lighting effects

Main Concerns:

1. Can the Motherboard's USB3.2 Gen 1 header be split in two in order to connect with the two USB3.0 connectors on the case top panel? Basically I am asking will I be able to populate the USB3.0 connectors on the case top panel?
2. Is there a way with this Motherboard to get TRRS audio from the motherboard to the case top panel TRRS jack?
3. Will 550W power supply be enough power?
4. Does the power supply come with all the cables I would need?
5. Will I be able to split the Motherboard's two aura RGB headers to be a total of four headers so I can control 3 RGB fans in front and one RGB fan in the back?
6. Will the CPU Cooler fit in the case?

You already have answer for your question so I would just add, if I was buying and if it fit inside the budget I would get a higher wattage PSU. The RM550X is a good unit and should be enough for the i7 and GTX 1080.

But if you wana switch GPUs later on it may turn to be a little too close in the wattage area.

 

[helper800]

I am not trying to go all out about the RGB stuff. It can take a back seat to the computers performance.

I am glad you pointed that out to me about the Display ports. As you can see, I am new to this It totally makes sense that the GPU has the Display ports on it and I will be using those.

Thanks for the heads up about the USB-C cable.

I will definitely consider the 970 evo + SSD. Just for my own learning what is better about it than the 980?

I will look into the AIO cooler. Are water coolers safe? I just worry about if it ever leaked then it could cause some real damage to the motherboard or GPU. Will the one you suggested have similar cooling performance?

1. Perfect then the motherboard you get does not matter as much.

2. Don't worry about it, these are some of the little things that are not so obvious to newer PC users.

3. Of course, its an extra item as an addon so it makes sense to mention that it is.

4. The 970 evo + has a small amount of RAM used as cache which makes it significantly faster in bursty workload. The drive itself is also just faster as well. It costs a bit more right now but it is something to consider.

5. Water coolers are considerably less prone to spillage as they used to be 7 or so years ago, that being said there is always a small chance of a leak. What you gain from that is a much cleaner looking build without 5 pounds of aluminum and copper hanging off backplate of a motherboard. The one I suggested is better in that the amount of mass is greater and the method of transferring that heat away from the CPU more efficient. AIOs do have moving parts though, so they tend to last about 4-8 years max. These particular coolers are very high quality though so I have high hopes for the latter end of that range. Lian Li also makes an excellent AIO and it would go with the case, but they are more expensive than both the d15 and the arctic freezer.

 

[Why_Me]

I'd look to make these changes ...

Either of these boards will allow you to run that cpu down below with the power limits turned off. It's a round a bout way of OC these cpu's as it keeps them in turbo boost mode longer.

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813144396
MSI MAG B560M BAZOOKA $139.99

or ...

https://www.newegg.com/gigabyte-b560m-aorus-pro/p/N82E16813145332
GIGABYTE AORUS B560M AORUS PRO $139.99

https://www.newegg.com/intel-core-i7-11700-core-i7-11th-gen/p/N82E16819118237
Intel Core i7-11700 $354.99

https://www.amazon.com/Gelid-Solutions-Phantom-Black-Cooler/dp/B07CK6BXX5/
Gelid Solutions Phantom Black CPU Cooler $39.99

https://www.amazon.com/PNY-CS2130-Internal-Solid-State/dp/B0869B4Q66/
PNY CS2130 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe Gen3 x4 Internal SSD $109.00


Now size up to an RTX 3060 ...

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rtx+3060...+30,electronics,277&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_5_6

https://www.newegg.com/p/pl?N=100007709 601361654


https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MAG-B560M-BAZOOKA

https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/B560M-AORUS-PRO-rev-10#kf

 

[JSteward]

You already have answer for your question so I would just add, if I was buying and if it fit inside the budget I would get a higher wattage PSU. The RM550X is a good unit and should be enough for the i7 and GTX 1080.

But if you wana switch GPUs later on it may turn to be a little too close in the wattage area.

Yes I think I will be upgrading my PSU to the one suggested above MSI MPG Series A750GF PSU: 750 Watt, Full Modular