First time building a PC, looking for some clarifications with chosen parts

[EugeneChen]

Hi all,

First time building my own PC so need help with some questions! Many thanks in advance

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/rbxzjc

1) can GTX 1070 support active gaming on a 1440p monitor with idle 4k TV and idle 1080p monitor?

2) Is ASUS PRIME Z270-A ok for this build? i don't intend to overclock and am not sure if i
should be getting the other more expensive ROG 270 motherboards

3) can my build fit in this case and still have enough space to ensure decent cooling/airflow?

4) how many additional fans should I get and where should I place them?


5) just saw the CPU doesn’t come with stock cooler, any recommendations?


6) is my 650w PSU comfortably enough for this build?

 

[raisonjohn]

1) can GTX 1070 support active gaming on a 1440p monitor with idle 4k TV and idle 1080p monitor?
Yes. Getting a GTX 1070 would mean you are looking at gaming on a 1440p monitor. The other 2 monitors would only slightly take away some fps during your game (but very very miniscule as they both are idle, but still renders the desktop).

2) Is ASUS PRIME Z270-A ok for this build? i don't intend to overclock and am not sure if i
should be getting the other more expensive ROG 270 motherboards
No. If you do not intend to overclock (now or in the future), there is no point getting a Z270 motherboard (and even an unlocked CPU). You would be spending a lot of money for features that you won't / can't even use. I'd highly suggest you get a B250 motherboard for that matter.

For the CPU, your initially-selected unlocked i5-7600K has clock speeds of 3.8GHz (base) to 4.2GHz (boost) (non-OC'd), and operates at a high 91W TDP (non-OC'd), with no included CPU Cooler. The CPU costs ~$240, and adding an aftermarket CPU Cooler around ~$40, would mean you would spend around ~$280.

On the other hand, if you get the locked (non-K / non-overclockable) i5-7600, its clock speeds are 3.5GHz (base) to 4.1GHz (boost). Notice that it is very similar in performance with the K-version (only 100MHz difference) in non-OC'd scenarios. The main advantage of the non-K is power draw/heat/consumption, as it operates at a low 65W TDP, with an included CPU Cooler (stock Intel). This CPU costs ~$230. That's ~$50 savings from the above K-version setup.

So, no need to pay for a more expensive, higher temp/heat/power consumption, and non-usable features, for the same CPU performance. I'd recommend getting the i5-7600 + B250 combo as you don't intend to overclock.

3) can my build fit in this case and still have enough space to ensure decent cooling/airflow?
The case is not really known for airflow, but, for aesthetics (with all those tempered glass panels and RGBs). Decent, not the best, cooling may be achievable (depends on ambient temps and environmental conditions).

4) how many additional fans should I get and where should I place them? Or should I get a CPU cooler?
CPU cooler is a must. The Intel Stock Cooler will be sufficient (but not the best) for locked CPUs such as the i5-7600 I suggested (due to its lower TDP). If you decide on getting the i5-7600K which is unlocked and overclockable, you need an aftermarket CPU Cooler as that CPU does not have an included stock cooler. Whether you OC or not, you have to get a CPU Cooler for the i5-7600K (additional costs).

The number of fans to install will depend on the final chassis you will select and the actual temperature readings you have during your PC use. There's no hard-and-fast rule of how many fans you will have to install. Tests made on a typical chassis with a CPU air cooler resulted in the ideal number of case fans as 4x (i.e., 2x for front intake, 1x at rear exhaust, and 1x at top exhaust). It was shown that adding another fan would result in the same CPU and GPU temperature.

If you decide on getting the Corsair Crystalk 570X case, it already has 3x 120mm RGB fans mounted at the front intake. There are still 3x fan mounting locations left: 1x 120mm at the rear exhaust and 2x 120mm or 140mm at the top exhaust. As a minimum, you would have to buy at least 1x more fan (for the rear exhaust).

5) is my 650w PSU comfortably enough for this build?
It is MORE than enough. With your original i5-7600K + GTX 1070 setup (including all the other components), even a good-quality 500W PSU would suffice. A bit more headroom in wattage wouldn't hurt (such as a 550W PSU). What is more important is total combined amps at the PSU's +12V rails if the power provided would be sufficient for all the PC components (which mostly uses +12V) and the number of PCIE supplemental power connectors (i.e., those 6-pin or 6+2-pin/8-pin) your chosen PSU have to power the GPU of your choice.

The i5-7600K, as I mentioned has a 91W TDP, which roughly translates to 91W of power draw, non-OC'd. Since you don't intend to OC, let's leave it at that value. The Asus GTX 1070 Dual OC requires a single 8-pin PCIE power connector. This means that the theoretical power draw of the GPU can reach 225W (i.e., 150W from the 8-pin + 75W from the PCIe x16 slot of your motherboard). So, CPU + GPU = 91W + 225W = 316W. Add roughly some more headroom for other components and you'll see that the power draw of your PC would probably not reach ~400W.

If you decide on getting the non-K CPU (i.e., the i5-7600), then max. possible power draw would be less since TDP of that CPU is only 65W (or 26W less than the above computation).

Your selected PSU (Corsair RM650x) is a good-quality PSU. But it is slightly an overkill as you can possibly run two GTX 1070s in SLI with that PSU. If you like that PSU model, I'd suggest getting the RM550x instead, for a lower price enough for a rig built around a single GTX 1070, with headroom for future upgrade should you get a GTX 1080/Ti.

6) just saw the CPU doesn’t come with stock cooler, any recommendations?
Assuming you would get the i5-7600K and assuming you WON'T overclock (as you mentioned), then any affordable CPU Cooler will suffice. The Cryorig H7 would nicely match your white-theme build (with white fan) and performs very well to handle temps at a good price (~$35). You can also get the Cryorig M9i, a smaller variant, with slightly lesser thermal dissipation than the H7, at a more affordable price (~$20).

 

[sadams04]

MB + CPU - Since you don't plan to overclock, look toward the B250 or H270 chipset with the i5-7600 or i7-7700 (non-K series).
CPU COOLER - The non-K series CPUs include a cooler that will be just fine.
MEM - The chipsets mentioned above are limited to DDR4-2400.
SSD - Nice and all, but you won't realize its full potential and would be just fine with a traditional SATA based SSD. The Samsung EVO would be a good alternative if the price were to come down. Check out SK Hynix, Sandisk X400, Crucial MX300 or the WD Blue.
HD - When you have an SSD handling the majority of the workload, you don't need a performance drive for a storage drive.
GPU - Higher factory overclock on the EVGA below for less cost.
CASE - Without overclocking, and with a single GPU, the stock case fans in most cases will provide sufficient airflow. The Fractal R4 or R5 lineups are good cases.
PSU - A quality 550w PSU is plenty of power and would allow for some expansion down the road.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor ($299.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B250M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($68.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($101.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: SK hynix SL308 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($144.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Blue 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($68.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC GAMING ACX 3.0 Black Edition Video Card ($379.99 @ Jet)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 w/Window (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1224.22

 

[EugeneChen]

thanks all for the excellent recommendations. I have decided to go with the i5-7600 + B250 combo as suggested.

Just two final questions from me.

1) Should i go with the Asus Prime B250M Plus Or B250MK? I note that the Plus has more RAM slots and higher max memory. Not sure if i should bother future proofing though, my motherboards tend to need replacing after 3-5 years.

2) I don't understand the Rear I/O port functionality even after reading through a few articles. Would anyone be so kind as to explain it's use to me? I note the B250M K does not have HDMI in the I/O port. Should that be a concern if i intend to fully utilize my GTX 1070's 2 HDMI ports?

http://motherboards.specout.com/compare/6511-6542/ASUS-PRIME-B250M-PLUS-vs-ASUS-PRIME-B250M-K

 

[EugeneChen]

bump

 

[raisonjohn]

thanks all for the excellent recommendations. I have decided to go with the i5-7600 + B250 combo as suggested.

Just two final questions from me.

1) Should i go with the Asus Prime B250M Plus Or B250MK? I note that the Plus has more RAM slots and higher max memory. Not sure if i should bother future proofing though, my motherboards tend to need replacing after 3-5 years.

2) I don't understand the Rear I/O port functionality even after reading through a few articles. Would anyone be so kind as to explain it's use to me? I note the B250M K does not have HDMI in the I/O port. Should that be a concern if i intend to fully utilize my GTX 1070's 2 HDMI ports?

http://motherboards.specout.com/compare/6511-6542/ASUS-PRIME-B250M-PLUS-vs-ASUS-PRIME-B250M-K

You're welcome. You should select which motherboard would fit your needs as to the number of ports, connectors, PCIe configurations, and to an extent, aesthetics/layout. Between the 2 motherboards (Asus B250M Plus and Asus B250M-K), the general differences are the following:

Plus has 4x RAM slots supporting up to 64GB | K has only 2x RAM slots up to 32GB
Plus has HDMI, DVI-D and VGA on-board graphics display outputs | K has only DVI-D and VGA
Plus supports multi-GPU configuration (2x AMD CrossFire) | K does not support multi-GPU (single GPU only)
Plus has 2x PCIe x16 slots running at [x16] / [x4] speeds | K only has 1x PCIe x16 slot running at [x16]
Plus has only 1x PCIe x1 slot | K has 2x PCIe x1 slots
Plus has 2x M.2 sockets | K has only 1x M.2 socket
Plus uses Intel I219V LAN Controller | K uses Realtek LAN Controller
Plus has 1x PS/2 combination Keyboard/Mouse rear port | K has 2x PS/2 separate rear ports
Plus has 3x USB3.0 Type-A and 1x USB5Gb/s Type-C rear ports | K has 4x USB3.0 Type-A rear ports
Plus has 6x Audio rear jacks | K has only 3x Audio rear jacks
Plus has a total of 3x Fan Headers (1 for CPU; 2 for case) | K has only 2x Fan Headers (1 for CPU; 1 for case)
Plus is mATX form but slightly larger at 244mm x 224mm | K is mATX form but slightly smaller at 226mm x 185mm
Plus has a Black + Dark Gray with Red Accent color theme | K has a Black + Silver/Gray color theme

So, among these general differences between the two boards you can easily determine which one you need, want, or like. If you need 4x RAM slots, then certainly get the Plus. If you don't intend to use multi-GPU, then the K shall suffice. If you need 2x M.2 sockets, then get the Plus. If you don't like Red accents, then get the K. Weigh all the factors and the prices of these motherboards, then, you'll be able to decide which one suits you best.

For your second question, those HDMI or DVI-D or VGA or in some boards a DisplayPort, only pertains to display output using the integrated graphics card (if the CPU has one, which in your case, it does). You won't concern too much of these on-board graphics outputs if you'll be using a dedicated graphics card (GPU) as your monitor/s would certainly be connected to the GPU.

 

[EugeneChen]

thanks all for the excellent recommendations. I have decided to go with the i5-7600 + B250 combo as suggested.

Just two final questions from me.

1) Should i go with the Asus Prime B250M Plus Or B250MK? I note that the Plus has more RAM slots and higher max memory. Not sure if i should bother future proofing though, my motherboards tend to need replacing after 3-5 years.

2) I don't understand the Rear I/O port functionality even after reading through a few articles. Would anyone be so kind as to explain it's use to me? I note the B250M K does not have HDMI in the I/O port. Should that be a concern if i intend to fully utilize my GTX 1070's 2 HDMI ports?

http://motherboards.specout.com/compare/6511-6542/ASUS-PRIME-B250M-PLUS-vs-ASUS-PRIME-B250M-K

You're welcome. You should select which motherboard would fit your needs as to the number of ports, connectors, PCIe configurations, and to an extent, aesthetics/layout. Between the 2 motherboards (Asus B250M Plus and Asus B250M-K), the general differences are the following:

Plus has 4x RAM slots supporting up to 64GB | K has only 2x RAM slots up to 32GB
Plus has HDMI, DVI-D and VGA on-board graphics display outputs | K has only DVI-D and VGA
Plus supports multi-GPU configuration (2x AMD CrossFire) | K does not support multi-GPU (single GPU only)
Plus has 2x PCIe x16 slots running at [x16] / [x4] speeds | K only has 1x PCIe x16 slot running at [x16]
Plus has only 1x PCIe x1 slot | K has 2x PCIe x1 slots
Plus has 2x M.2 sockets | K has only 1x M.2 socket
Plus uses Intel I219V LAN Controller | K uses Realtek LAN Controller
Plus has 1x PS/2 combination Keyboard/Mouse rear port | K has 2x PS/2 separate rear ports
Plus has 3x USB3.0 Type-A and 1x USB5Gb/s Type-C rear ports | K has 4x USB3.0 Type-A rear ports
Plus has 6x Audio rear jacks | K has only 3x Audio rear jacks
Plus has a total of 3x Fan Headers (1 for CPU; 2 for case) | K has only 2x Fan Headers (1 for CPU; 1 for case)
Plus is mATX form but slightly larger at 244mm x 224mm | K is mATX form but slightly smaller at 226mm x 185mm
Plus has a Black + Dark Gray with Red Accent color theme | K has a Black + Silver/Gray color theme

So, among these general differences between the two boards you can easily determine which one you need, want, or like. If you need 4x RAM slots, then certainly get the Plus. If you don't intend to use multi-GPU, then the K shall suffice. If you need 2x M.2 sockets, then get the Plus. If you don't like Red accents, then get the K. Weigh all the factors and the prices of these motherboards, then, you'll be able to decide which one suits you best.

For your second question, those HDMI or DVI-D or VGA or in some boards a DisplayPort, only pertains to display output using the integrated graphics card (if the CPU has one, which in your case, it does). You won't concern too much of these on-board graphics outputs if you'll be using a dedicated graphics card (GPU) as your monitor/s would certainly be connected to the GPU.

got it! thanks so much again

But does this part below mean that this mobo is incompatible with the casing i have selected? The corsair x570 has 3 front fans in the casing and as u suggested, i will be getting 1 rear fan and 1 on top for a total of 5 fans. The B250M plus looks to support only 3 fans in total.

"Plus has a total of 3x Fan Headers (1 for CPU; 2 for case) | K has only 2x Fan Headers (1 for CPU; 1 for case)"

 

[raisonjohn]

It is still compatible. There are many ways to power a fan, and the number of fans is never limited to how many fan headers your motherboard have.

One option is to power 2 fans in 1 header using a Y-splitter. Some even use 3-way or 4-way splitter to power 3 or 4 fans off of 1 motherboard header as long as the total current draw of all the fans connected to the header does not exceed 1A (or for safety, 0.75A). Note that some fans only draw minimal current (e.g. ~0.2A) and plugging 3 of these on one header will only draw ~0.6A (the mobo's fan headers are usually rated at 1A max.).

Another option is to run the fan using a Fan Hub. Some cases have built-in/included Fan Hubs. These Fan Hubs can connect multiple fans (from 4, 5, 6, or in some cases, up to 12). In most cases, the fan hub itself is usually powered by the PSU (via SATA power or Molex power), though there are smaller fan hubs that act as splitters by drawing power from the motherboard's fan header. Some hubs have a signal connection to the motherboard for speed monitoring and/or control.

You can also directly power a fan (or multiple fans) directly to the PSU via 3/4-pin-to-Molex adapter cables. This would let the fan run 100% (full speed) on constant 12V power. You cannot monitor the fan speed based on temperature though.

There is also an option to use a Fan Controller (usually mounted on 5.25" Exterior Bay/s and controlled manually via knobs but there are also some controllers that are mounted inside the case and controlled via software). A controller acts as a fan hub but you can control (and sometimes monitor) individual fan speed/voltage/etc. depending on what features the fan controller offers.