[SOLVED] mobo and memory for Ryzen 7

BradHP

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It's finally time to upgrade the system that I built almost 10 years ago, so it's been a while and I'm a little out of touch on the best parts. The GPU is staying for now (RX 570 is the one and only part that's been updated since the original build), and then the PSU, case, and hard drive are also staying (will be adding an SSD as the boot drive).

I'm set on the Ryzen 7 3700x for the cpu, but I'm a little overwhelmed by the motherboard options. I'll be using this for playing and making games, so I'll be running Unreal Engine, Maya, Substance Painter, Illustrator, and a few other programs. I'll probably do some light overclocking, not push it too hard, but I do want to make sure I'm getting the max performance I can.

I've read up a little on the differences between B550 and X570 and I'm still not sure sure which is the better choice or if it makes a difference for how I plan to use it. I don't want to go to far above $170-180 max on the mobo, and if I can find a cheaper option that will handle everything I need, that would be great. I don't need wi-fi, as I'm on a wired connection.

Other question is memory. I'd really like to get 32 GB, but the prices a pretty high. Would I do better to get a faster speed of 16GB? Will DDR4-3600 give me a very noticeable increase over 3200? Currently looking at these guys here https://www.microcenter.com/product...el-desktop-memory-kit-f4-3200c16d-32g---black
 
Solution
I'd look at something like this:
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($299.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Mugen 5 Rev. B 51.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($48.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard ($164.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $618.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-09-14 20:47 EDT-0400


That's assuming you also have a Case, PSU and HDD's, SDD's to use for this build.

You can do without the Cooler for now as long as your current case has good airflow.

DMAN999

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I have a 3700x with 16 GB of G.Skill RipJaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin SDRAM PC4-28800 DDR4 3600 CL16-19-19-39 1.35V Dual Channel Desktop Memory Model F4-3600C16D-16GVKC on an Asus ROG Strix X470 and an RTX 2060 Super and I am Very happy with my setup so far.
I use it for casual gaming (@ 1080p), video encoding and streaming to multiple 1080p TVs via PLEX.
I also have a 2600 Rig with G.SKILL TridentZ RGB Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600) Intel XMP 2.0 Desktop Memory Model F4-3200C16D-16GTZR in it that I use as a back up PC.
I used that 3200 TridentZ RGB RAM in the 3700x rig for a few weeks while I waited for the 3600 kit and to be honest the 3600 kit doesn't show any noticeable performance increase except in benchmarks.

What X570 and/or B550 motherboards are you looking at ?
What is your total Budget ?

The 3700x is definitely a solid choice for gaming and programming/designing games.
But you might be better off with a B450 or X470 motherboard if you don't need a PCI-E 4.0 capable board.
 

BradHP

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I have $600 total to play with (that's what I just got paid for a project I'm currently working on, so I figure I'd invest it back into working faster on the rest of the project), but it would be nice to come in as far under that so I can and leave some in the bank.


Gigabyte Aorus Elite WiFi X570 is one I found on the higher end, but I don't really need the wifi.
MSI B550 MAG Tomahawk is one I just saw recommended since my initial post.

For some perspective, my current CPU is an i5 2500k. I can easily say this thing was a beast and is going to be remembered as one of the greatest pieces of hardware Intel ever made, but it's definitely showing it's age now. So anything is going to feel blazing fast to me.
 

DMAN999

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I'd look at something like this:
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($299.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Mugen 5 Rev. B 51.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($48.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard ($164.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $618.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-09-14 20:47 EDT-0400


That's assuming you also have a Case, PSU and HDD's, SDD's to use for this build.

You can do without the Cooler for now as long as your current case has good airflow.
 
Solution

BradHP

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I think I have it down to the Gigabyte Auros Elite or the Asus TUF Gaming Plus. The big question is X570 or B550.

I'm getting it from Microcenter so whichever board I get will be another $20 off bundled with the CPU. The X570 wifi versions of both (they don't have non wifi in stock) are $189, minus $20.

The Gigabyte B550 is $129 after the bundle discount and the Asus B550 is $149 after discount.

That's money I can save towards replacing the power supply later this year (in response to the comment above, it's almost 10 years old but the system has seen only minimal use for the last 4-5 years when my laptop was my main system. I just made this my main system again a few months ago).

It's just driving me crazy to think that I might be missing some performance or future proofing by not getting the X570. I know it probably won't make any difference in reality, but I'm the type who takes forever researching before I can decide on something.

And huge thanks to everyone who responded so far!
 
I think I have it down to the Gigabyte Auros Elite or the Asus TUF Gaming Plus. The big question is X570 or B550.

I'm getting it from Microcenter so whichever board I get will be another $20 off bundled with the CPU. The X570 wifi versions of both (they don't have non wifi in stock) are $189, minus $20.

The Gigabyte B550 is $129 after the bundle discount and the Asus B550 is $149 after discount.

That's money I can save towards replacing the power supply later this year (in response to the comment above, it's almost 10 years old but the system has seen only minimal use for the last 4-5 years when my laptop was my main system. I just made this my main system again a few months ago).

It's just driving me crazy to think that I might be missing some performance or future proofing by not getting the X570. I know it probably won't make any difference in reality, but I'm the type who takes forever researching before I can decide on something.

And huge thanks to everyone who responded so far!

The Gigabyte aorus elite b550 is an excellent board, if that's the one you can get for $129 it's an absolute no brainer and you should go for it at that price.
 
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BradHP

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I ordered the Aorus Elite, and it said in stock when I ordered, but it was apparently a glitch in their system and they don't have it. But they're going to substitute the Asus TUF Gaming Plus, which was $20 more, for the same price. So I guess that's okay.
 

Fiorezy

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Changing from Intel to R7 3700x caused me to almost replace my entire system except for the RTX 2060 Super which I got last year along with SSD and HDD. I bought the 3700x with an x570 mobo, then my nvme died when I installed the new mobo so I got a sata ssd to boot Windows, then while I was testing the cpu I faced many issues such as high voltage, bad performance caused by high temps so I went ahead and bought a cooler which helped a lot with thermals but still not very satisifed with the performance as I wasn't getting what I paid for, so I upgraded my 16Gb 2666Mhz to 3200Mhz CL16 but I just saw very minor difference, then I kept hearing that Ryzen loves cool temp so it could boost to higher clock, so I replaced the chassis to a one with better airflow and got 4x 140mm fans and there when I started hacing good cooling with better performance. When I was done with all of this, I looked at my not so reliable PSU and said: Man I spent a lot on this system what if this PSU will cause one of these precious parts to burn? And ofc as you guessed I replaced it with a better one from Corsair.

And that is what happens when you upgrade to a 3rd gen Ryzen CPU.
 

BradHP

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Put everything together last Sunday, and just about a week later everything is running beautifully. I haven't pushed it too hard yet so I'm not sure about the Wraith Prism, but it seems to be pretty damn good for a stock cooler. Should I plan to eventually replace it, and if so what's a good option for the money? I'm surprised that I actually like the RGB lighting and would like to do more lighting as I upgrade more things.

I do plan to change the power supply and case as soon as I get some more spending money. I currently have a Corsair Enthusiast TX850, but as mentioned above it's close to 10 years old. No issues with it, but I'd rather be safe. Current GPU is an RX 570 4GB, I'm watching for Prime and Black Friday deals on the 5700XT. I've plugged my current components into a few different calculators and it's recommending a 650W supply. Should I be safe going for a smaller wattage? Any recommendations on a modular psu?
 
Put everything together last Sunday, and just about a week later everything is running beautifully. I haven't pushed it too hard yet so I'm not sure about the Wraith Prism, but it seems to be pretty damn good for a stock cooler. Should I plan to eventually replace it, and if so what's a good option for the money? I'm surprised that I actually like the RGB lighting and would like to do more lighting as I upgrade more things.

I do plan to change the power supply and case as soon as I get some more spending money. I currently have a Corsair Enthusiast TX850, but as mentioned above it's close to 10 years old. No issues with it, but I'd rather be safe. Current GPU is an RX 570 4GB, I'm watching for Prime and Black Friday deals on the 5700XT. I've plugged my current components into a few different calculators and it's recommending a 650W supply. Should I be safe going for a smaller wattage? Any recommendations on a modular psu?

PSU prices are all over the place at the moment, so it's best to look at on a need to buy basis at the exact time.

Your current components could be run on a good 450w psu easily.
Moving up to a 5700xt a good 550w would manage but a 650w would give you plenty of headroom.

https://www.newegg.com/antec-high-c...&ranSiteID=8BacdVP0GFs-_bhyR4v6KY5tbRcYcAUyDw

Probably the best priced unit at the minute but that could change tomorrow.
Its essentially a seasonic focus plus gold rebadged by antec.

Gald your systems up and running well, the wraith prism can handle the 3700x, most people have an issue with fan noise rather than temps which tends to be the main reason for buying an aftermarket cooler.
 
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