Discussion New Main Rig

[m1nty]

I expect to update this thread over time, so please treat this as a work in progress. I'll add pictures of my current setup and additional information to provide you all with what I am currently working with.

Below is a quick requirement sheet that I drafted. I also quickly created the following build list to address these requirements. You'll notice some redundancies with the storage as I didn't know what to get for the SSD/NVME drives. I tossed on a handful of HDDs for my NAS. I didn't really dig into the monitors to confirm they match my needs. I also went with Intel due to my track record with them for longevity builds and kind of set it and forget it mentality. I do have some reservations about the motherboard I selected...

Overall, my budget is <$2000. I know the list below doesn't even include a case and is well over $2000, but I foresee some parts will go on sale over the next two months with Cyber Monday and Christmas deals. If possible, I'd like to get something up and running over the next month and can surely add to it as time/sales permit.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-9700K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($359.99 @ Best Buy)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240R RGB 66.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($104.93 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z390 AORUS MASTER ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($289.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($116.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX500 2 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($219.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8 GB Video Card ($399.99 @ Best Buy)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G3 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BW-16D1HT Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($74.98 @ Amazon)
Monitor: LG 32GK650F-B 32.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor ($339.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: LG 32GK650F-B 32.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor ($339.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $3116.77
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-11-11 13:19 EST-0500

Main Rig Setup
Current Uses:

• Streaming Plex at 1080p to home TVs
• Gaming:
  • League of Legends
  • Defense of the Ancients (DotA)
  • Xbox connected through Elgato HD 60 PCI card and output to 1080p monitor
    • This monitor will stay relevant in addition to the two that I’d like to purchase
• Torrenting
• Coding (Visual Studio) (Going to school for another degree but this time in software engineering)
• Adobe (Premier Pro, Illustrator) (Hobbyist)
• Computer setup is on a Lift Desk

Must:

• Something generally quiet
• Low heat output (computer rig is in a small bed/gameroom)
• Good sound output
  • I would like to eventually purchase decent speakers to replace my $20 Logitech setup and expect some sort of card of dac that I’d need to purchase.
• Fast
  • No hiccups while swapping through tabs, running Norton in the background, watching YouTube videos at 4K, editing in Premiere Pro or designing in Illustrator
• Can work well with a NAS setup
  • So far I’ve been storing all of my media files on various drives split between two externals and 1 inter HDD. This will be my first time exploring this as an option, but I currently have about 4-6 TB worth of data (files and media). The videos I am more willing to lose should anything go wrong, so there’s no redundancy in my file storage right now except for the pictures and the files.
• 6’+ cord lengths for adjustable desk
• VESA compatible with monitors in case I want to mount on the wall.
• Streaming friendly (current ISP is Xfinity with 200 down, and I think 5-10 up)
• Longevity
  • My current setup is old, real old. But it has lasted me about 10 years through college and can hold its own. It has had a few upgrades over time, so I can expect to do the same with this rig.
• Recommendations on mouse? Keyboard?
• 2K

Should:

• Low heat and sound generation
• RGB
• 4K

EDIT1 -- swapped 2K and 4K from must and should lists.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Ooh, I'm looking forward to the responses on this one!

IMO opinion, your build is a little imbalanced (Ram type/speed, PSU, GPU, arguably CPU too).

There are lots of improvements to give better all round performance and for possibly a lot less money. Depends on how open you are to moving from Intel! I'd defo go a different way, but, annoyingly, I just want to sit back and see what others say on this one. It should be fun, and with some good recommendations. You've come to the right place for a critique, albeit, an ultimately helpful one!

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

On second thoughts, Ill throw a build out there:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.8 GHz 12-Core Processor ($499.99 @ Best Buy)
Motherboard: ASRock X570 Taichi ATX AM4 Motherboard ($269.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($157.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($442.95 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB BLACK GAMING Video Card ($484.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G3 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: LG 32GK650F-B 32.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor ($339.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: LG 32GK650F-B 32.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor ($339.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $2985.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-11-11 14:02 EST-0500

I'd like this instead

 

[m1nty]

Ooh, I'm looking forward to the responses on this one!

IMO opinion, your build is a little imbalanced (Ram type/speed, PSU, GPU, arguably CPU too).

There are lots of improvements to give better all round performance and for possibly a lot less money. Depends on how open you are to moving from Intel! I'd defo go a different way, but, annoyingly, I just want to sit back and see what others say on this one. It should be fun, and with some good recommendations. You've come to the right place for a critique, albeit, an ultimately helpful one!

On second thoughts, Ill throw a build out there:

PCPartPicker Part List

...

I'd like this instead

Thanks. This will span over two months and the holidays. I anticipate the NAS is not needed immediately nor the monitors. I will happily entertain the Ryzen idea; It seems that'll be my trade off to get a higher quality graphics card.

Transitioning my old rig to this new one will be a doozy, so any help on data migration is appreciated as well.

 

[m1nty]

My current setup:

https://imgur.com/a/3A4jYPr

View: https://imgur.com/a/3A4jYPr


A little messy but functional at the moment. I want to play with the monitors and how they're setup eventually; ideally, they would move with the table if mounted on the wall in some manner.

I have an APC surge protector that I plan to replace that Belkin one only due to age of the unit. Additionally, my connection is all wireless. I have a Netgear R7500-200NAS Nighthawk X4 pushing out the signal from my living room, where I probably get ~90% of the speed I pay for.

 

[m1nty]

On second thoughts, Ill throw a build out there:

PCPartPicker Part List

...

I'd like this instead

I've dug more into your recommendations and started comparing components in more detail. I've done some research on the Ryzen 9s vs. the Intel 9th gens as well, so I am slightly more inclined to switch over.

That being said, why suggest ASRock motherboard over some other manufacturers? My current mobo that has lasted me >8 years is from Gigabyte, so without much thought, I'd go for that -- I saw their Elite model fairly cheaper as well.

Also, why recommend 2070 vs. 2080? Would that additional power help with me process the media/games faster that I plan to run?

I've updated the list to remove unnecessary items at this point in time related to my NAS and accessories. One key item that I've added here was a case. I saw that a lot of the full tower cases still included USB 2.0, which didn't sit well in my book since we're almost in the year 2020 and newer versions of 3.0 have already been released. The Cooler Master case seemed to have good reviews, easy to clean, relatively appealing/open concept, and cheaper than most:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.8 GHz 12-Core Processor ($499.99 @ Best Buy)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE ATX AM4 Motherboard ($199.00 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($198.48 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX500 2 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($219.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB Video Card ($424.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master MasterCase 5 ATX Mid Tower Case ($105.72 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G3 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BW-16D1HT Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($74.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $2013.13
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-11-19 09:30 EST-0500

 

[m1nty]

A lot of things have happened since my last post, but I have been fortunate enough to consider this rig now again. I have updated my list for a new mobo and switching around my memory storage. Thoughts on compatibility? I'm going to try and get all of my components from either Amazon or Newegg.

EDIT

With memorial day weekend coming up, do any of these components typically go on sale? I've seen the 3900 go on sale for ~$420, but what about the other components?

EDIT END

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.8 GHz 12-Core Processor ($434.00 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($39.99 @ B&H)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS MASTER ATX AM4 Motherboard ($359.00 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB WINDFORCE OC Video Card ($719.99 @ B&H)
Case: Phanteks ECLIPSE P600S ATX Mid Tower Case ($157.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair RM (2019) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($124.99 @ Best Buy)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($109.99 @ B&H)
Total: $2325.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-04-18 18:03 EDT-0400

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Memory: G.Skill Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($99.99 @ Newegg)

You've got two different speed set of DIMMS there. Be best to have them matching at same speed.

I would also consider a beefier cooler. If you're going with air, then a Nocuta NH-D15 will much better performance, and keep your chip prob about 5-10c lower than the Hyper 212, and would be much quieter at load too.

 

[m1nty]

You've got two different speed set of DIMMS there. Be best to have them matching at same speed.

I would also consider a beefier cooler. If you're going with air, then a Nocuta NH-D15 will much better performance, and keep your chip prob about 5-10c lower than the Hyper 212, and would be much quieter at load too.

Ah, yes. They would be the same.

Any pros/cons with the other components? I am finding it actually hard to source these parts swiftly and without shipping from multiple places.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Everything else looks good. PSU, SSD, Mobo, Case.

As long as you get the right ram, and maybe a beefier cooler, it's a pretty solid gaming/multitasking, productivity build.

 

[m1nty]

Everything else looks good. PSU, SSD, Mobo, Case.

As long as you get the right ram, and maybe a beefier cooler, it's a pretty solid gaming/multitasking, productivity build.

Thanks. Unfortunately the PSU is on backorder, so I've been leaning towards EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G3. Reviews look good. Between Newegg and B&H, I think I can get most parts this week.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

The G3 is pretty darn good. A solid replacement.

Good luck with the build. Take it slow and handy. I love spinning up a rig for the first time. Very exciting seeing it all come together. Plus, you will have a gaming beast of a PC, at the end of it. Jealous.com Have fun!

 

[m1nty]

Build update:

All parts have been ordered as anticipated EXCEPT:

• EVGA PSU
• Gigabyte X570 Master MOBO

I've been leaning towards the Seasonic Prime GX-1000 PSU. I know it's way overkill, but at certain loads, I can expect this thing to be quiet and be more than enough to support add-ons later.

On the other hand, I have no idea what to do about the motherboard. That specific model has been out of stock almost everywhere and has been having its prices inflated nearly 20%.

Can anyone recommend a back up X570 motherboard? Is the Taichi, previously recommended, still the next one in line to be a top proconsumer contender?

Other things on backorder: computer case...

I'll try and update my parts list altogether to aid any new viewers.