I need suggestions / advice / opinions on my PC build (1,500 AUD)

[vagtasticplastic]

This is my build, ignore the prices because I'm buying from different stores and retail, if you have any suggestions, comments, opinions, I'm open to hearing all of them. For me, it costs $1,530, excluding peripherals, (AUD) and will be mainly used for 1080-1440p, 60-144fps, ULTRA settings gaming for most titles.

CPU: Intel i5-8400 2.8GHz
CPU Cooler: Antec A30 Intel/AMD Universal CPU Air Cooler
Base Fans: 3 x Sickleflow X LED Blue 120mm
Motherboard: ASRock H370 Pro 4
RAM: Team T-Force Vulcan 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4
GPU: GTX 1070 Ti Gigabyte Windforce
SSD: Kingston A400 120GB
HDD: WD Blue 1TB
PSU: Thermaltake Smart Power 80+ Bronze 550W
Case: Coolermaster Pro 5

Monitor: 24.5" 1ms Acer KG251QF 144Hz
Keyboard + Mouse: Masterset MS121 Combo

 

[CRO5513Y]

Your build looks fairly balanced overall but a few suggestions i would have without seeing prices:

- Don't bother with the aftermarket Antec A30. The included Intel Stock Cooler will do fine on the locked CPU.
- Consider getting a 240GB SSD over 120GB, this is something you'll regret not doing in the long run and without the cooler you should be able to save enough to do this with the same overall price.

Finally, i recommend putting your build together on here > https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/. It combines the prices of most the major online retailers/stores and this can be useful for comparing prices and different products at the same price for better performance. Hope this helps!

 

[das_stig]

Pay the extra a get a M2 as the boot and apps drive and cheap big SSD for games.

 

[vagtasticplastic]

Your build looks fairly balanced overall but a few suggestions i would have without seeing prices:

- Don't bother with the aftermarket Antec A30. The included Intel Stock Cooler will do fine on the locked CPU.
- Consider getting a 240GB SSD over 120GB, this is something you'll regret not doing in the long run and without the cooler you should be able to save enough to do this with the same overall price.

Finally, i recommend putting your build together on here > https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/. It combines the prices of most the major online retailers/stores and this can be useful for comparing prices and different products at the same price for better performance. Hope this helps!

https://au.pcpartpicker.com/user/ZANDERPANDA123/saved/VhMnHx

My build is $30 cheaper than this build but otherwise, it's pretty much the same

With the 240GB SSD, should I also store games onto it or purely OS and programs? I just don't see how I would need 240 for just the boot.

Thanks for your input anyway, it's comfort knowing my build isn't pathetic

 

[vagtasticplastic]

Pay the extra a get a M2 as the boot and apps drive and cheap big SSD for games.

Okay, so I have no idea what an M.2 does but do I need both that and 120-240-480GB SSD? Sorry, I would love if you were able to explain this to me...

 

[CRO5513Y]

Your build looks fairly balanced overall but a few suggestions i would have without seeing prices:

- Don't bother with the aftermarket Antec A30. The included Intel Stock Cooler will do fine on the locked CPU.
- Consider getting a 240GB SSD over 120GB, this is something you'll regret not doing in the long run and without the cooler you should be able to save enough to do this with the same overall price.

Finally, i recommend putting your build together on here > https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/. It combines the prices of most the major online retailers/stores and this can be useful for comparing prices and different products at the same price for better performance. Hope this helps!

https://au.pcpartpicker.com/user/ZANDERPANDA123/saved/VhMnHx

My build is $30 cheaper than this build but otherwise, it's pretty much the same

With the 240GB SSD, should I also store games onto it or purely OS and programs? I just don't see how I would need 240 for just the boot.

Thanks for your input anyway, it's comfort knowing my build isn't pathetic

It was just a suggestion in case you want more room for a couple games and what not. If you're happy with the SSD just being for the OS + Apps/Software then 120GB will do just fine. The build is defintiely not pathetic, it'll be a solid Gaming system for the price. An i5 8400 + 16GB RAM + 1070 Ti should max out most games at 1080p 60+ FPS easy. I have the exact same Graphics card and run most games in 1440p with High settings at 60 FPS. To your SSD question, M.2 is a connector type that is directly on the Motherboard (no SATA cable or power) and if you get one that's NVMe, it runs through PCI as opposed to SATA which is much faster, but also costlier. If you're only interested in cheap SSD for boot i wouldn't bother. An NVMe is going to cost you a fair amount more for speed you likely won't notice. As for the build overall, made a few adjustments:

PCPartPicker part list: https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/g3cXJ8
Price breakdown by merchant: https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/g3cXJ8/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel - Core i5-8400 2.8GHz 6-Core Processor ($266.43 @ Mighty Ape)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - Hyper T2 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.89 @ Amazon Australia)
Motherboard: ASRock - H370 Pro4 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($145.00 @ IJK)
Memory: Team - Vulcan 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($222.00 @ Skycomp Technology)
Storage: Kingston - A400 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($38.00 @ PLE Computers)
Storage: Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.50 @ Shopping Express)
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($599.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Case: Cooler Master - MasterBox Pro 5 RGB ATX Mid Tower Case ($125.00 @ Shopping Express)
Power Supply: Corsair - CXM 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.00 @ Shopping Express)
Case Fan: Cooler Master - SickleFlow (Red) 69.7 CFM 120mm Fan ($12.71 @ Amazon Australia)
Total: $1578.53
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-08-19 22:38 AEST+1000

- More reliable Power Supply that is also Semi-Modular (Better cable management) for the same price
- If you're insistent on not using the Intel Stock Cooler, i'd take the CM Hyper T2 over the Antec A30. Cooler and quieter.

Just a shame RAM prices are so terrible right now, particularly in Australia as i'm very familiar.

 

[vagtasticplastic]

Your build looks fairly balanced overall but a few suggestions i would have without seeing prices:

- Don't bother with the aftermarket Antec A30. The included Intel Stock Cooler will do fine on the locked CPU.
- Consider getting a 240GB SSD over 120GB, this is something you'll regret not doing in the long run and without the cooler you should be able to save enough to do this with the same overall price.

Finally, i recommend putting your build together on here > https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/. It combines the prices of most the major online retailers/stores and this can be useful for comparing prices and different products at the same price for better performance. Hope this helps!

https://au.pcpartpicker.com/user/ZANDERPANDA123/saved/VhMnHx

My build is $30 cheaper than this build but otherwise, it's pretty much the same

With the 240GB SSD, should I also store games onto it or purely OS and programs? I just don't see how I would need 240 for just the boot.

Thanks for your input anyway, it's comfort knowing my build isn't pathetic

It was just a suggestion in case you want more room for a couple games and what not. If you're happy with the SSD just being for the OS + Apps/Software then 120GB will do just fine. The build is defintiely not pathetic, it'll be a solid Gaming system for the price. An i5 8400 + 16GB RAM + 1070 Ti should max out most games at 1080p 60+ FPS easy. I have the exact same Graphics card and run most games in 1440p with High settings at 60 FPS. To your SSD question, M.2 is a connector type that is directly on the Motherboard (no SATA cable or power) and if you get one that's NVMe, it runs through PCI as opposed to SATA which is much faster, but also costlier. If you're only interested in cheap SSD for boot i wouldn't bother. An NVMe is going to cost you a fair amount more for speed you likely won't notice. As for the build overall, made a few adjustments:

PCPartPicker part list: https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/g3cXJ8
Price breakdown by merchant: https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/g3cXJ8/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel - Core i5-8400 2.8GHz 6-Core Processor ($266.43 @ Mighty Ape)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - Hyper T2 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.89 @ Amazon Australia)
Motherboard: ASRock - H370 Pro4 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($145.00 @ IJK)
Memory: Team - Vulcan 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($222.00 @ Skycomp Technology)
Storage: Kingston - A400 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($38.00 @ PLE Computers)
Storage: Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.50 @ Shopping Express)
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($599.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Case: Cooler Master - MasterBox Pro 5 RGB ATX Mid Tower Case ($125.00 @ Shopping Express)
Power Supply: Corsair - CXM 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.00 @ Shopping Express)
Case Fan: Cooler Master - SickleFlow (Red) 69.7 CFM 120mm Fan ($12.71 @ Amazon Australia)
Total: $1578.53
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-08-19 22:38 AEST+1000

- More reliable Power Supply that is also Semi-Modular (Better cable management) for the same price
- If you're insistent on not using the Intel Stock Cooler, i'd take the CM Hyper T2 over the Antec A30. Cooler and quieter.

Just a shame RAM prices are so terrible right now, particularly in Australia as i'm very familiar.

I can actually rock with the stock cooler, for the price difference, and without overclocking CPU, it's probably worth.

The PSU that I'm going with is $83 compared to that of the Corsair, $95... This build did initially start with a budget and I just continuously keep going over it, so I'd just like to go with the cheaper PSU at the moment, and maybe read some more reviews and whatnot.

If you're able to, considering you are a tech genius who can answer all my questions, I'm quite unsure about the motherboard, fan headers, fan splitters and fan speeds. With the particular motherboard I intend to get, it includes 1 CPU FAN connector (4-pin) and 3 chassis/water pump fan connectors (4-pin). I am going to get 3 fans with 1 fan included in the case, and the fans are specifically 3 pin fans (120mm), am I able to connect these to the 4-pin slots on the board, or do I have to get a specific cable to do so?

Since there are 3 chassis fan connectors, I would route 2 of the fans on their own fan connector and get a fan-splitter for the remaining two fans so I can put them onto the last fan connector, does this work okay?

How do I control fan speeds? Do they run at maximum speed at all times even if the computer is idle or under very low stress, like browsing youtube? If so, do I need to invest in a fan controller to control how fast they go at times?

Again, i'm sorry for bugging you with my silly questions, but I am seriously unsure... Thanks for your patience

 

[CRO5513Y]

Your build looks fairly balanced overall but a few suggestions i would have without seeing prices:

- Don't bother with the aftermarket Antec A30. The included Intel Stock Cooler will do fine on the locked CPU.
- Consider getting a 240GB SSD over 120GB, this is something you'll regret not doing in the long run and without the cooler you should be able to save enough to do this with the same overall price.

Finally, i recommend putting your build together on here > https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/. It combines the prices of most the major online retailers/stores and this can be useful for comparing prices and different products at the same price for better performance. Hope this helps!

https://au.pcpartpicker.com/user/ZANDERPANDA123/saved/VhMnHx

My build is $30 cheaper than this build but otherwise, it's pretty much the same

With the 240GB SSD, should I also store games onto it or purely OS and programs? I just don't see how I would need 240 for just the boot.

Thanks for your input anyway, it's comfort knowing my build isn't pathetic

It was just a suggestion in case you want more room for a couple games and what not. If you're happy with the SSD just being for the OS + Apps/Software then 120GB will do just fine. The build is defintiely not pathetic, it'll be a solid Gaming system for the price. An i5 8400 + 16GB RAM + 1070 Ti should max out most games at 1080p 60+ FPS easy. I have the exact same Graphics card and run most games in 1440p with High settings at 60 FPS. To your SSD question, M.2 is a connector type that is directly on the Motherboard (no SATA cable or power) and if you get one that's NVMe, it runs through PCI as opposed to SATA which is much faster, but also costlier. If you're only interested in cheap SSD for boot i wouldn't bother. An NVMe is going to cost you a fair amount more for speed you likely won't notice. As for the build overall, made a few adjustments:

PCPartPicker part list: https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/g3cXJ8
Price breakdown by merchant: https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/g3cXJ8/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel - Core i5-8400 2.8GHz 6-Core Processor ($266.43 @ Mighty Ape)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - Hyper T2 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.89 @ Amazon Australia)
Motherboard: ASRock - H370 Pro4 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($145.00 @ IJK)
Memory: Team - Vulcan 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($222.00 @ Skycomp Technology)
Storage: Kingston - A400 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($38.00 @ PLE Computers)
Storage: Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.50 @ Shopping Express)
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($599.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Case: Cooler Master - MasterBox Pro 5 RGB ATX Mid Tower Case ($125.00 @ Shopping Express)
Power Supply: Corsair - CXM 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.00 @ Shopping Express)
Case Fan: Cooler Master - SickleFlow (Red) 69.7 CFM 120mm Fan ($12.71 @ Amazon Australia)
Total: $1578.53
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-08-19 22:38 AEST+1000

- More reliable Power Supply that is also Semi-Modular (Better cable management) for the same price
- If you're insistent on not using the Intel Stock Cooler, i'd take the CM Hyper T2 over the Antec A30. Cooler and quieter.

Just a shame RAM prices are so terrible right now, particularly in Australia as i'm very familiar.

I can actually rock with the stock cooler, for the price difference, and without overclocking CPU, it's probably worth.

The PSU that I'm going with is $83 compared to that of the Corsair, $95... This build did initially start with a budget and I just continuously keep going over it, so I'd just like to go with the cheaper PSU at the moment, and maybe read some more reviews and whatnot.

If you're able to, considering you are a tech genius who can answer all my questions, I'm quite unsure about the motherboard, fan headers, fan splitters and fan speeds. With the particular motherboard I intend to get, it includes 1 CPU FAN connector (4-pin) and 3 chassis/water pump fan connectors (4-pin). I am going to get 3 fans with 1 fan included in the case, and the fans are specifically 3 pin fans (120mm), am I able to connect these to the 4-pin slots on the board, or do I have to get a specific cable to do so?

Since there are 3 chassis fan connectors, I would route 2 of the fans on their own fan connector and get a fan-splitter for the remaining two fans so I can put them onto the last fan connector, does this work okay?

How do I control fan speeds? Do they run at maximum speed at all times even if the computer is idle or under very low stress, like browsing youtube? If so, do I need to invest in a fan controller to control how fast they go at times?

Again, i'm sorry for bugging you with my silly questions, but I am seriously unsure... Thanks for your patience

Yes, you can use 3-pin fans on 4-pin fan headers, you just plug it in from the left-right leaving a single empty pin on the right. Fan splitters do generally slow down the fans as a single port can only power so much. As for controlling speeds, you can do this in many ways. By default your Motherboard should have them set to Auto in the BIOS which will run slow or fast depending on your CPU/Motherboard temps. You can easily change this to always be minimum or maximum and maybe more specifically depending on the BIOS on your board. But there are plenty of programs you can download to customise it inside Windows. SpeedFan is one that comes to mind... Glad to help, that's what we're here for! (well most of us...)