New system build

[jkallen2]

Trying to build a new computer for the first time in 15 years, is anything in this setup way out of place?

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/HBrfqk

CPU: AMD - FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor ($119.89 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard: Asus - M5A78L-M PLUS/USB3 Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($55.49 @ SuperBiiz)

Memory: PNY - Anarchy 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($103.57 @ Amazon)

Storage: Crucial - MX300 525GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($149.88 @ OutletPC)

Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB G1 Gaming Video Card ($175.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Case: DIYPC - Cuboid-R MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($38.89 @ Newegg)

Power Supply: Corsair - CSM 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive: Asus - DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.29 @ OutletPC)

Sound Card: Asus - Xonar DG 24-bit 96 KHz Sound Card ($27.89 @ OutletPC)

Wireless Network Adapter: Asus - PCE-N15 PCI-Express x1 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi Adapter ($24.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Case Fan: Cooler Master - R4-S4S-10AK-GP 60.9 CFM 140mm Fan ($6.77 @ OutletPC)

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

A few things:

-AMD's FX series is old and slow. Build AMD Ryzen instead. *Ryzen benefits from fast RAM. Get 3000MHz DDR4 or faster if you want best performance.

-Motherboards today have integrated HD audio; no need for a sound card unless it's really high-end.

-Maybe go with the newer Corsair CXM 2017 power supply.

 

[jkallen2]

A few things:

-AMD's FX series is old and slow. Build AMD Ryzen instead. *Ryzen benefits from fast RAM. Get 3000MHz DDR4 or faster if you want best performance.

-Motherboards today have integrated HD audio; no need for a sound card unless it's really high-end.

-Maybe go with the newer Corsair CXM 2017 power supply.

Changing the CPU and RAM required changing the motherboard, so the following are the updates (I also took out the sound card entirely based on your suggestion)

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 1700X 3.4GHz 8-Core Processor ($299.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - MasterLiquid Lite 120 66.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - GA-AB350M-D3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($78.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (1 x 16GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($159.52 @ Newegg Marketplace)
Case: DIYPC - Gamemax-W ATX Full Tower Case ($77.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair - CX (2017) 750W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($74.99 @ Amazon)

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

Okay now you will want 2x8GB RAM instead of 1x16GB. That way you can run in dual-channel for better performance instead of single-channel.

Also, I was expecting you to spend less on the power supply. You don't need 750W for that build. You can get a better gold rated/modular power supply for around that price. Or you can go with the cheaper CX650W for $59. You could even go with a really good 550W PSU, which would likely give you the best efficiency.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Power Supply: SeaSonic - FOCUS Plus Gold 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.59 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $79.59
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-10-25 18:00 EDT-0400

And finally, the 1700X is a bit overkill if all you have is a GTX 1050 Ti. I would recommend going with the Ryzen 5 1600, which has very similar performance as the Ryzen 7, and then putting that $100 in to a better GPU, such as an RX 570/580 or GTX 1060. Also, the Ryzen 5 1600 comes with a good cooler.

 

[g-unit1111]

Changing the CPU and RAM required changing the motherboard, so the following are the updates (I also took out the sound card entirely based on your suggestion)

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 1700X 3.4GHz 8-Core Processor ($299.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - MasterLiquid Lite 120 66.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - GA-AB350M-D3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($78.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (1 x 16GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($159.52 @ Newegg Marketplace)
Case: DIYPC - Gamemax-W ATX Full Tower Case ($77.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair - CX (2017) 750W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($74.99 @ Amazon)

Yeah that's better but you could definitely improve on this. What is your overall budget?

I also agree that there's zero reason to buy AMD FX in 2017.

 

[jkallen2]

Okay now you will want 2x8GB RAM instead of 1x16GB. That way you can run in dual-channel for better performance instead of single-channel.

Also, I was expecting you to spend less on the power supply. You don't need 750W for that build. You can get a better gold rated/modular power supply for around that price. Or you can go with the cheaper CX650W for $59. You could even go with a really good 550W PSU, which would likely give you the best efficiency.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Power Supply: SeaSonic - FOCUS Plus Gold 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.59 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $79.59
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-10-25 18:00 EDT-0400

And finally, the 1700X is a bit overkill if all you have is a GTX 1050 Ti. I would recommend going with the Ryzen 5 1600, which has very similar performance as the Ryzen 7, and then putting that $100 in to a better GPU, such as an RX 570/580 or GTX 1060. Also, the Ryzen 5 1600 comes with a good cooler.

Thanks for all the help, this was so much simpler in 2001.

A couple of things: I am having a bit of difficulty choosing between GPUs, as I don't fully understand what all of the stats for the item mean and how it relates to performance, I have made a selection, but would the RX 570 or 580 be a better choice?

To answer g-unit, my stated budget is about $850, but with strategic purchasing, I can probably sneak another $400 by my wife before she really starts to notice.

I do have a question specifically related to RAM, I had the 1x16 there with the plan to add an additional 1x16 in 6-12 months. How much performance would I be losing going with 1x16 for that amount of time? If I do go with the 2x8 and want to upgrade, would adding a single 1x16 at a time, so for half a year or so, having 2x8 + 1x16 create the same problem as going with just the 1x16 as the only RAM?

Here is the updated list with the latest suggestions:

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/kF3pXH
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/kF3pXH/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($193.88 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard: Gigabyte - GA-AB350M-D3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($78.89 @ OutletPC)

Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($156.34 @ Newegg Marketplace)

Storage: Crucial - MX300 525GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($149.88 @ OutletPC)

Video Card: MSI - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB ARMOR OCV1 Video Card ($269.86 @ B&H)

Case: DIYPC - Gamemax-W ATX Full Tower Case ($77.98 @ Newegg)

Power Supply: Corsair - CSM 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive: Asus - DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.29 @ OutletPC)

Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($89.89 @ OutletPC)

Wireless Network Adapter: Asus - PCE-N15 PCI-Express x1 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi Adapter ($24.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Case Fan: Cooler Master - R4-S4S-10AK-GP 60.9 CFM 140mm Fan ($6.77 @ OutletPC)

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

RX 580 is better than RX 570. Though GTX 1060 6GB tends to be slightly faster than both.

You could run your RAM like that, with 2x8GB in dual-channel and 1x16GB in single-channel. But that's not ideal. What will you be using the system for? I don't see you needing over 32GB in the life of the system unless you will be doing something unusual. So 2x8GB now, anther 2x8GB later is ideal so you can run all modules in dual-channel for optimal performance.

Just putting this out there, but I like the ASRock AB350M Pro4 motherboard better than the Gigabyte you have selected. The ASRock is cheaper at the moment also.

 

[jkallen2]

RX 580 is better than RX 570. Though GTX 1060 6GB tends to be slightly faster than both.

You could run your RAM like that, with 2x8GB in dual-channel and 1x16GB in single-channel. But that's not ideal. What will you be using the system for? I don't see you needing over 32GB in the life of the system unless you will be doing something unusual. So 2x8GB now, anther 2x8GB later is ideal so you can run all modules in dual-channel for optimal performance.

Just putting this out there, but I like the ASRock AB350M Pro4 motherboard better than the Gigabyte you have selected. The ASRock is cheaper at the moment also.

So, try to keep your laughter to a minimum, but, mainly, what I want, is a 10 year future proof setup that will run multiple programs and internet video at the same time. It would also be nice to be able to stream game play for the purpose of racing 8 and 16 bit video games (played on emulators). I am interested in overkill on RAM as I loath the system slow down that I currently face with 4 GB on a 7 year old laptop and not much really running. I was overkill on the power supply so that there would be no problems adding RAM later if I wanted to go all the way up to 64 GB.

For the motherboard, I have swapped out for the ASRock AB350M Pro4 you have suggested, as I had no particular attachment to the one that was previously selected. It took me a bit to find that one, as it appears that there are about 40 ASRock A(maybe B maybe not)350(maybe M maybe not) (maybe Pro4 maybe not) different options. It all starts to run together with my limited experience.

 

[jpe1701]

Speaking from experience the diypc gamemax case might not live up to your expectations. It is small for a full tower and there isn't room behind the motherboard tray for any cable management. I felt very cramped when I built in it and the mid tower case I switched to felt bigger even though it was supposed to be a full tower.

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

Well it doesn't have to be the M (MicroATX), but the M is cheaper. There's simply a Pro4 that is MicroATX and one that is standard ATX (without the M). Either one is fine.

I can understand you wanting to upgrade down the road. 10 years is a long time. 10 years ago 2GB RAM was standard, 4GB was better. Now, 8GB is standard, 16GB is better. Either way multiply today's number by 4 and you still get 32GB standard in 10 years. Still better than your 4GB now. (wacky way of figuring i know)

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

Speaking from experience the diypc gamemax case might not live up to your expectations. It is small for a full tower and there isn't room behind the motherboard tray for any cable management. I felt very cramped when I built in it and the mid tower case I switched to felt bigger even though it was supposed to be a full tower.

I didn't know anything about the case, but since you mention it I will gladly recommend the Phanteks Eclipse P400. It's a step above the NZXT S340 ( I have both). A great case with lots of room for cables and such. Only compaint though is only 2x 3.5" drive bays and 2x 2.5" drive bays. But that's good enough for me.

 

[jkallen2]

Speaking from experience the diypc gamemax case might not live up to your expectations. It is small for a full tower and there isn't room behind the motherboard tray for any cable management. I felt very cramped when I built in it and the mid tower case I switched to felt bigger even though it was supposed to be a full tower.

Speaking from experience the diypc gamemax case might not live up to your expectations. It is small for a full tower and there isn't room behind the motherboard tray for any cable management. I felt very cramped when I built in it and the mid tower case I switched to felt bigger even though it was supposed to be a full tower.

I didn't know anything about the case, but since you mention it I will gladly recommend the Phanteks Eclipse P400. It's a step above the NZXT S340 ( I have both). A great case with lots of room for cables and such. Only compaint though is only 2x 3.5" drive bays and 2x 2.5" drive bays. But that's good enough for me.

With cases, I was looking for the following: Something that had a little bit of lift from the ground, at least 2x2.5" internal drive bays so that I can add an additional SSD later if I want, and that the rest of the parts fit, and I'd like it to have a couple of USB ports. Apparently the Eclipse P400 doesn't have a 5.25" external bay for the CD/DVD drive.

Other than the case, it seems that I should be good on the rest of the setup, again, thank you for the suggestions. I don't want to be out of date and not upgrade-able in just a couple of years, and picking everything on my own, I probably would have ended up it that exact situation.

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

Right, forgot about the disc drive. What about this one? I'm sure it has the same or better Phanteks quality in its design. The P400 is a cheaper model.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Case: Phanteks - Enthoo Pro M ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $79.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-10-25 21:43 EDT-0400

 

[g-unit1111]

Right, forgot about the disc drive. What about this one? I'm sure it has the same or better Phanteks quality in its design. The P400 is a cheaper model.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Case: Phanteks - Enthoo Pro M ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $79.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-10-25 21:43 EDT-0400

I'd pretty much recommend anything Phanteks makes. I have the Enthoo Pro and it is one of the best cases I've ever owned.

 

[jkallen2]

Right, forgot about the disc drive. What about this one? I'm sure it has the same or better Phanteks quality in its design. The P400 is a cheaper model.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Case: Phanteks - Enthoo Pro M ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $79.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-10-25 21:43 EDT-0400

That one looks good to me, I am not particularly concerned with aesthetic as it will be under a desk, or in a bookshelf cubby it if will fit (probably won't).

Final questions before I start pulling the trigger on some of these parts: Last time I built one of these, I had to cut holes in the case for fans, it appear that this should no longer be needed, if I am reading the case specs correctly. Once I have everything it would be a matter of maybe a few pop outs, some screws, and then assembling everything in proper order.

Additionally, would I need any cables that do not come with the parts, or should all of the parts come with the necessary cables?

Thank you

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

You may need a digital display cable. The new GPUs don't come with analog display outputs (VGA). Does your monitor have a DVI-D, HDMI, or Display Port connection? If not then you would require something like an HDMI to VGA active converter.

Some motherboards come with SATA cables. Not sure if you'd need those, you might.

Maybe you want a MicroATX case? It would be smaller.

 

[jkallen2]

You may need a digital display cable. The new GPUs don't come with analog display outputs (VGA). Does your monitor have a DVI-D, HDMI, or Display Port connection? If not then you would require something like an HDMI to VGA active converter.

Some motherboards come with SATA cables. Not sure if you'd need those, you might.

Maybe you want a MicroATX case? It would be smaller.

I have a couple of HDMI cables lying around the house and my monitor has HDMI inputs, so I should be ok.

SATA cables seem to be pretty cheap at the local computer parts store so I can run and grab some if I need any extra.

I think that the Phanteks case that was previously picked is what I am going to stick with, I don't think I can get one small enough to fit the bookshelf in my desk.

I think I am going to start acquiring parts in the next week or so. It may take me a month or three to get them all, but I will post an update when I get everything put together. Thank you for the help, I would have been lost without it.