[SOLVED] Looking to build a PC

Duskie

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My budget is $2800*, and I'm willing to max it out. I'll be needing a pair of headsets and a good monitor, and I want my build to be centred around a 2080 Ti. The motherboard should have Wi-Fi capability. If my budget allows, try making the build look a little flashy as well ;)

Oh, and also it should be a mid-tower case. Any suggestions?

(Sidenote: I don't really have a preference for a CPU brand. Also, I'll be using the build primarily for gaming.)

* Budget is 3000 USD! Please max it out.
 
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Solution
Arguably dropping the GPU to an RTX 2080 Super and then aiming at a 1440p 144hz monitor would be a better fit, given you also need the money for 2 headsets (and an OS?)

A 2080 ti is a fair choice for 1440p 144hz, but perhaps not really needed. As you specified a 2080 ti, I added a 1440p ultrawide monitor to let the GPU flex its muscles as much as possible.

For this budget I'd argue for an R7 and an X570 motherboard, though you could go with B450 - but the VRMs plus PCIe 4.0 make X570 more attractive. That does eat a bit of the budget too though.

Here's a build with R7, X570, 2080 ti (2.75 slot cooler), 1440p ultrawide monitor, RGB case, excellent RGB CPU cooler, very fast SSD, high quality PSU

PCPartPicker Part List...

Oussebon

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Feb 17, 2020
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Arguably dropping the GPU to an RTX 2080 Super and then aiming at a 1440p 144hz monitor would be a better fit, given you also need the money for 2 headsets (and an OS?)

A 2080 ti is a fair choice for 1440p 144hz, but perhaps not really needed. As you specified a 2080 ti, I added a 1440p ultrawide monitor to let the GPU flex its muscles as much as possible.

For this budget I'd argue for an R7 and an X570 motherboard, though you could go with B450 - but the VRMs plus PCIe 4.0 make X570 more attractive. That does eat a bit of the budget too though.

Here's a build with R7, X570, 2080 ti (2.75 slot cooler), 1440p ultrawide monitor, RGB case, excellent RGB CPU cooler, very fast SSD, high quality PSU

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($308.89 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i RGB PLATINUM 75 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($139.99 @ Best Buy)
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard ($183.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($82.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB XC ULTRA GAMING Video Card ($1103.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master MasterCase H500 ATX Mid Tower Case ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair RM (2019) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: MSI Optix MAG341CQ 34.0" 3440x1440 100 Hz Monitor ($424.98 @ Amazon)
Headphones: Kingston HyperX Cloud II 7.1 Channel Headset ($77.52 @ Amazon)
Headphones: Kingston HyperX Cloud II 7.1 Channel Headset ($77.52 @ Amazon)
Total: $2789.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-24 07:49 EST-0500


No Windows - you didn't say if you need it, but if you already have a Windows licence on an existing system you may be able to transfer that to a new system instead:
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-transfer-windows-10-license-new-computer-or-hard-drive
 
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Duskie

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Jun 19, 2016
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Arguably dropping the GPU to an RTX 2080 Super and then aiming at a 1440p 144hz monitor would be a better fit, given you also need the money for 2 headsets (and an OS?)

A 2080 ti is a fair choice for 1440p 144hz, but perhaps not really needed. As you specified a 2080 ti, I added a 1440p ultrawide monitor to let the GPU flex its muscles as much as possible.

For this budget I'd argue for an R7 and an X570 motherboard, though you could go with B450 - but the VRMs plus PCIe 4.0 make X570 more attractive. That does eat a bit of the budget too though.

Here's a build with R7, X570, 2080 ti (2.75 slot cooler), 1440p ultrawide monitor, RGB case, excellent RGB CPU cooler, very fast SSD, high quality PSU

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($308.89 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i RGB PLATINUM 75 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($139.99 @ Best Buy)
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard ($183.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($82.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB XC ULTRA GAMING Video Card ($1103.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master MasterCase H500 ATX Mid Tower Case ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair RM (2019) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: MSI Optix MAG341CQ 34.0" 3440x1440 100 Hz Monitor ($424.98 @ Amazon)
Headphones: Kingston HyperX Cloud II 7.1 Channel Headset ($77.52 @ Amazon)
Headphones: Kingston HyperX Cloud II 7.1 Channel Headset ($77.52 @ Amazon)
Total: $2789.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-24 07:49 EST-0500


No Windows - you didn't say if you need it, but if you already have a Windows licence on an existing system you may be able to transfer that to a new system instead:
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-transfer-windows-10-license-new-computer-or-hard-drive

Admirable build! What I meant by a pair of headsets was just one; that may have been my mistake for wording it wrong! Sorry. I already have a copy of Windows so there will be no need to factor that in.

What if I upgrade the case to a full tower? I heard it has better airflow and better aesthetics but I'm not sure. What's your opinion?

Also... 32GB RAM? :x

I could increase the budget to 3000 USD. What can I get with that budget maxed out?
 
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Oussebon

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For generic gaming, 32gb RAM is pointless. If you have certain non-gaming uses like video editing, or very, very niche quasi-gaming uses like modded simulations then maybe. But for straight gaming by the time games benefit from more than 16gb the rest of the system is going to be obsolete anyway so it won't matter.

What I meant by a pair of headsets was just one; that may have been my mistake for wording it wrong!
Cool, I understand now :D Like a pair of headphones (I think headset is usually singular.. for some reason..)

What if I upgrade the case to a full tower? I heard it has better airflow and better aesthetics but I'm not sure. What's your opinion?
That's not necessarily true. It depends on the design of the individual case. The H500 is a good case:
https://www.gamersnexus.net/hwreviews/3334-cooler-master-h500-case-review-recommended
It has solid airflow while also providing RGB fans and tempered glass. Bigger doesn't have to mean better. There are other cases ofc if you wanted a different aesthetic. For flashy (while being a good performer) check out the
https://www.corsair.com/uk/en/Categ...Tempered-Glass-ATX-Smart-Case/p/CC-9011169-WW

Or the Corsair 500D SE RGB:
https://www.corsair.com/uk/en/Categ...RGB-SE-Premium-Mid-Tower-Case/p/CC-9011139-WW

I could increase the budget to 3000 USD. What can I get with that budget maxed out?
A slightly higher budget could go on a different case if you wanted. And/Or a more expensive monitor.

e.g. ASUS ROG Strix XG35VQ, AOC Agon AG352UCG for 1440p ultrawide

For 1440p 144hz, e.g.
(32" VA curved) LG 32GK850F, MSI Optix MAG322CQRV
(27" IPS) 27GL850-B / LG 27GL83A-B, AORUS FI27Q Asus TUF VG27AQ

Your budget is already pretty generous so you're not missing much :)
 
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Duskie

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Jun 19, 2016
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For generic gaming, 32gb RAM is pointless. If you have certain non-gaming uses like video editing, or very, very niche quasi-gaming uses like modded simulations then maybe. But for straight gaming by the time games benefit from more than 16gb the rest of the system is going to be obsolete anyway so it won't matter.

Cool, I understand now :D Like a pair of headphones (I think headset is usually singular.. for some reason..)

That's not necessarily true. It depends on the design of the individual case. The H500 is a good case:
https://www.gamersnexus.net/hwreviews/3334-cooler-master-h500-case-review-recommended
It has solid airflow while also providing RGB fans and tempered glass. Bigger doesn't have to mean better. There are other cases ofc if you wanted a different aesthetic. For flashy (while being a good performer) check out the
https://www.corsair.com/uk/en/Categ...Tempered-Glass-ATX-Smart-Case/p/CC-9011169-WW

Or the Corsair 500D SE RGB:
https://www.corsair.com/uk/en/Categ...RGB-SE-Premium-Mid-Tower-Case/p/CC-9011139-WW


A slightly higher budget could go on a different case if you wanted. And/Or a more expensive monitor.

e.g. ASUS ROG Strix XG35VQ, AOC Agon AG352UCG for 1440p ultrawide

For 1440p 144hz, e.g.
(32" VA curved) LG 32GK850F, MSI Optix MAG322CQRV
(27" IPS) 27GL850-B / LG 27GL83A-B, AORUS FI27Q Asus TUF VG27AQ

Your budget is already pretty generous so you're not missing much :)

So I've been looking around and have my eyes set on the Alienware AW3418DW for a monitor. Is it a good one?

Here's a roundup of my more or less completed build:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($299.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i RGB PLATINUM 75 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($159.99 @ Best Buy)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5 g Thermal Paste ($6.30 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard ($183.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($82.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB XC ULTRA GAMING Video Card ($1149.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master MasterCase H500 ATX Mid Tower Case ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair RM (2019) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($119.99 @ Best Buy)
Monitor: Dell AW3418DW 34.1" 3440x1440 120 Hz Monitor ($719.98 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: SteelSeries Apex Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard ($188.98 @ Amazon)
Headphones: Corsair VOID PRO RGB USB (Black) 7.1 Channel Headset ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $3242.17
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-27 23:48 EST-0500


If you have any recommendations or suggestions for any changes I could make, please do let me know!
 
I know I went above your budget here. But I went for what makes sense for a build of this caliber.

Let me know if you need me to readjust to fit the budget (which will probably be dropping the RAM to 2x8GB as it's more than sufficient for gaming as well as a cheaper headset as there are excellent lower-priced options out there).

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($299.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X62 Rev 2 98.17 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE WIFI ATX AM4 Motherboard ($203.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($174.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Toshiba X300 5 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($124.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB Founders Edition Video Card ($1199.99 @ Best Buy)
Case: NZXT H510 Elite ATX Mid Tower Case ($148.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair TXM Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($98.38 @ Amazon)
Monitor: LG 32GK650F-B 32.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor ($349.00 @ B&H)
Headphones: SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Headset ($329.99 @ Adorama)
Total: $3220.29
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-28 03:46 EST-0500
 

Oussebon

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Feb 17, 2020
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So I've been looking around and have my eyes set on the Alienware AW3418DW for a monitor. Is it a good one?

Here's a roundup of my more or less completed build:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($299.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i RGB PLATINUM 75 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($159.99 @ Best Buy)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5 g Thermal Paste ($6.30 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard ($183.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($82.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB XC ULTRA GAMING Video Card ($1149.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master MasterCase H500 ATX Mid Tower Case ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair RM (2019) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($119.99 @ Best Buy)
Monitor: Dell AW3418DW 34.1" 3440x1440 120 Hz Monitor ($719.98 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: SteelSeries Apex Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard ($188.98 @ Amazon)
Headphones: Corsair VOID PRO RGB USB (Black) 7.1 Channel Headset ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $3242.17
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-27 23:48 EST-0500


If you have any recommendations or suggestions for any changes I could make, please do let me know!
Overall the spec looks good to me - though you can drop the thermal paste as the Corsair ones apparently have quite decent stuff pre-applied.
 
My budget is $2800*, and I'm willing to max it out. I'll be needing a pair of headsets and a good monitor, and I want my build to be centred around a 2080 Ti. The motherboard should have Wi-Fi capability. If my budget allows, try making the build look a little flashy as well ;)

Oh, and also it should be a mid-tower case. Any suggestions?

(Sidenote: I don't really have a preference for a CPU brand. Also, I'll be using the build primarily for gaming.)

* Budget is 3000 USD! Please max it out.
With that kind of budget, you can create a beast with much better hardware to last you longer...

PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.8 GHz 12-Core Processor | $469.99 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler | Noctua NH-D15 CHROMAX.BLACK 82.52 CFM CPU Cooler | $99.95 @ Amazon
Motherboard | Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard | $183.99 @ Amazon
Memory | G.Skill Ripjaws V 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory | $159.99 @ Newegg
Storage | ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive | $149.99 @ Amazon
Video Card | MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB VENTUS OC Video Card | $1079.99 @ Newegg
Case | Corsair 275R Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case | $79.98 @ Amazon
Power Supply | SeaSonic FOCUS Plus Gold 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply | $114.99 @ B&H
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit | $99.99 @ B&H
Monitor | Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQ 27.0" 2560x1440 165 Hz Monitor | $429.00 @ B&H
Headphones | Corsair VOID RGB ELITE 7.1 Channel Headset | $78.98 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $2946.84
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-28 08:30 EST-0500 |
 

Oussebon

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R9 3900x + 32gb RAM great for worktstations - pointless for gaming. By the time new releases benefit from that kind of hardware to any meaningful degree, we'll be new gens of CPU down the line, and on DDR5 RAM anyway. So it's not helpful now, and it's not futureproof either. Better to save the money towards a future upgrade or spend it elsewhere.
 
R9 3900x + 32gb RAM great for worktstations - pointless for gaming. By the time new releases benefit from that kind of hardware to any meaningful degree, we'll be new gens of CPU down the line, and on DDR5 RAM anyway. So it's not helpful now, and it's not futureproof either. Better to save the money towards a future upgrade or spend it elsewhere.
By saving if you mean to create a part list more expensive than my above list with a lesser CPU, then its pointless. 3900x + 2080ti is laced with as much longevity as possible, within that budget.
 

Oussebon

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Oh, third option, buy something like your list but without the 100% waste of cash that is the R9 and 32gb RAM for a gaming PC :)

It's tempting to BUY MOAR to 'futureproof' but really it's a waste of cash versus saving the cash for something else e.g. a future upgrade.
 
Oh, third option, buy something like your list but without the 100% waste of cash that is the R9 and 32gb RAM for a gaming PC :)

It's tempting to BUY MOAR to 'futureproof' but really it's a waste of cash versus saving the cash for something else e.g. a future upgrade.
That actually depends on the kind of games played by OP. Some CPU intensive games do require as much juice as possible in terms of RAM and CPU power. RAM specially is not a waste even if you go 32gb. 16gb used to be a lot in the past, but games have moved past that point since. Done forget that if you open a couple of Chrome tabs simultaneously, or multitask for that mater, that essentially requires a lot of RAM. Not to mention, your system reserves some for background ops.
 

Oussebon

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See above comments. Games have not moved past 16gb yet by any stretch with the exception of a few niche things like Simulators which the OP didn't specify.
https://www.techspot.com/article/1770-how-much-ram-pc-gaming/

And CPU intensive games are more than fine with an R7.
https://www.techspot.com/review/1869-amd-ryzen-3900x-ryzen-3700x/
An R9 is completely pointless.

By the time these things do actually give benefit for general gaming, we'll be on new CPU architectures and DDR5 RAM, and it's far better to save the money towards that.

There's just no merit to an R9 and 32gb RAM for gaming - unless the OP wants to let us know they play mainly heavily modded Sim City or flight sims...
 
See above comments. Games have not moved past 16gb yet by any stretch with the exception of a few niche things like Simulators which the OP didn't specify.
https://www.techspot.com/article/1770-how-much-ram-pc-gaming/

And CPU intensive games are more than fine with an R7.
https://www.techspot.com/review/1869-amd-ryzen-3900x-ryzen-3700x/
An R9 is completely pointless.

By the time these things do actually give benefit for general gaming, we'll be on new CPU architectures and DDR5 RAM, and it's far better to save the money towards that.

There's just no merit to an R9 and 32gb RAM for gaming - unless the OP wants to let us know they play mainly heavily modded Sim City or flight sims...
Again, you missed the point. Those analysis are for purely gaming under synthetic conditions. There is no mention of simultaneous utility operations that most people indulge in like streaming or recording or multitasking in any form or shape. DDR5 RAM and next gen. CPUs are about to hit the shelves in a couple of months time. If you keep waiting, you keep waiting forever for something better. Usually when you build a machine you look to avoid upgrading the core platform(cpu/mobo/ram/gpu) for as long as possible. If you go by those launch schedules, then even an R7 is a waste and a R5 is sufficient. Then again you should be sure of upgrading upfront while building the machine.
Here is a gist of upcoming launches, but keep in mind these are tentative schedules for reference only...
https://www.techpowerup.com/review/future-hardware-releases/#ddr5
 

Oussebon

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The OP didn't specify streaming... of course you can benefit from a better CPU for streaming >.<

Recording has quite a low CPU impact, especially when run off the GPU via e.g. Shadowplay, and chrome tabs aren't a justification to buy an R9 CPU, and I don't think anyone would serious argue that....

This really is just an argument to BUY MOAR COARS and DOWNLOAD MOAR RAM tbh.

As for waiting, I didn't suggest waiting, I suggested the best way to futureproof is not to throw money up the wall on hardware with no merit now, and rather to save it for future tech.

And no, not suggesting that we should all buy new stuff with every launch - rather than the ~$250 savings can just be kept for a time when an upgrade is needed.
 

Duskie

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See above comments. Games have not moved past 16gb yet by any stretch with the exception of a few niche things like Simulators which the OP didn't specify.
https://www.techspot.com/article/1770-how-much-ram-pc-gaming/

And CPU intensive games are more than fine with an R7.
https://www.techspot.com/review/1869-amd-ryzen-3900x-ryzen-3700x/
An R9 is completely pointless.

By the time these things do actually give benefit for general gaming, we'll be on new CPU architectures and DDR5 RAM, and it's far better to save the money towards that.

There's just no merit to an R9 and 32gb RAM for gaming - unless the OP wants to let us know they play mainly heavily modded Sim City or flight sims...

Yup. I don't stream. I usually play triple A titles, Overwatch and League of Legends. I notice that I spend time dwelling in games like AC Odyssey and whatnot.