Replacing 6 Year Old mini-ITX Gaming Build in the next 30 days - Need second opinions!

[dredwulf]

Approximate Purchase Date: By the end of February

Budget Range: $1500-$1700

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Media Server, General Office Suite work

Are you buying a monitor: No, currently have 27" Acer ED273 Curved FHD 144hz monitor


Parts to Upgrade: Replacing entire computer, every component

Do you need to buy OS: No, have licensed version of Windows 10 Pro

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Best price possible. If a site is within a couple dollars of Amazon I will purchase from the non-Amazon site.

Location: 40 mins from Chicago, IL USA

Parts Preferences: Prefer AMD this go round, went Intel last time

Overclocking: Yes

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080 @ 144hz

Additional Comments: I don't need to have LEDs or bling but I'm not opposed to it either

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: Daughter needs a new PC and my current system has served me well. I'm passing it onto her and building myself a new rig. I usually do this every 5 years or so depending on how well my system handles the media I use it for.


Whats up all! As the title says I am moving on from my mini-ITX gaming rig of 6 years old and am ready to start a new build! I have been system building since 1998 so I consider myself kind of an old pro but storage solutions like nvme/m.2 drives are new to me. I liked my mini-ITX build but the lack of space and slots on the motherboard had me itching for an ATX build again. I'll be passing this PC down to my oldest daughter so that she can enjoy it as it can still compete well in the mid-range sector of gaming and light duty workstation productivity.

The computer I am replacing consists of the following components:

i5-4670k @ 4.2ghz, 1.198v on air ------ 28c @ idle 42c @ load
FSP Windale 6 Cooler
MSI Z87i AC Mobo
8GB Patriot DDR3 @ 3800 CL10
120GB Samsung 850 EVO with OS and a game or two installed
1TB WD Blue 7200 RPM 64 CACHE with all my movies for Plex and all other games installed on
Corsair CX500 PSU
GTX 970 @ stock clocks
Thermaltake Core P1 Glass Edition mini-ITX case

My computer is mostly used to play Overwatch but with my current setup I cannot run on anything but low and achieve anything over 144 FPS. I do play the occasional games of BFV, GTA5 w/mods, Skyrim SE with texture addons and played the Anthem Demo also last weekend. My computer is also used to stream media to other computers in my home via Plex. I have 3x kids and an entire collection of Studio Ghibli films and other media that they use their computers (and mine) to watch.

I'm looking to build another computer that will last me 5-7 years just like this one did. I have looked at both Intel and AMD builds and the prices are similar but I prefer AMD if they are competitive (which they are). My first build was an AMD K6-2 so I have a soft spot for them over Intel.

Here is the system I am planning to build. Any suggestions or recommendations would be appreciated, thank you!

[PCPartPicker part list](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Q9XFLJ) / [Price breakdown by merchant](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Q9XFLJ/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [AMD - Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7 GHz 8-Core Processor](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/bddxFT/amd-ryzen-7-2700x-37ghz-8-core-processor-yd270xbgafbox) | $308.99 @ Amazon

**Motherboard** | [Gigabyte - X470 AORUS ULTRA GAMING ATX AM4 Motherboard](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/TWzkcf/gigabyte-x470-aorus-ultra-gaming-atx-am4-motherboard-x470-aorus-ultra-gaming) | $119.89 @ OutletPC

**Memory** | [Patriot - Viper 4 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3400 Memory](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/nJhj4D/patriot-viper-4-16gb-2-x-8gb-ddr4-3400-memory-pv416g340c6k) | $119.99 @ Amazon

**Storage** | [Crucial - P1 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/pxKcCJ/crucial-p1-1tb-m2-2280-solid-state-drive-ct1000p1ssd8) | $144.89 @ OutletPC

**Storage** | [Seagate - BarraCuda 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/44Gj4D/seagate-barracuda-1tb-35-7200rpm-internal-hard-drive-st1000dm010) | $39.99 @ SuperBiiz

**Video Card** | [MSI - GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB Video Card](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/nczkcf/msi-geforce-rtx-2070-8gb-video-card-geforce-rtx-2070-duke-8g-oc) | $499.99 @ Newegg Business

**Case** | [Cougar - Panzer Evo RGB ATX Full Tower Case](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/pKGxFT/cougar-panzer-evo-rgb-atx-full-tower-case-panzer-evo-rgb) | $179.99 @ Amazon

**Power Supply** | [EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/dMM323/evga-supernova-g3-750w-80-gold-certified-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-220-g3-0750) | $79.89 @ OutletPC

**Wireless Network Adapter** | [Gigabyte - GC-WB867D-I REV 4.2 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/r7RFf7/gigabyte-gc-wb867d-i-rev-42-none-wi-fi-adapter-gc-wb867d-i-rev-42) | $39.89 @ OutletPC

| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $1573.51
| Mail-in rebates | -$40.00
| **Total** | **$1533.51**
| Generated by [PCPartPicker](https://pcpartpicker.com) 2019-02-01 11:28 EST-0500 |

 

[logainofhades]

Given your location, you might want to look at Microcenter for their CPU/motherboard combo deals. Since you want to overclock, I would maybe consider a regular 2700, and use the saving on a proper cooler.

 

[dredwulf]

Given your location, you might want to look at Microcenter for their CPU/motherboard combo deals. Since you want to overclock, I would maybe consider a regular 2700, and use the saving on a proper cooler.

Thanks for the recommendation! I'm new to Chicago and haven't even looked local yet. I was going for the 2700x because of the binning. Can I reach 4.2 on the stock cooler with a regular 2700?

 

[g-unit1111]

That build is a pretty good start. I might make a few changes to some of your part choices:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7 GHz 8-Core Processor ($304.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Corsair - H115i RGB PLATINUM 97 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus - ROG STRIX B450-F GAMING ATX AM4 Motherboard ($129.00 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($144.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung - 970 Evo 250 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($87.00 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung - 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($147.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB XC GAMING Video Card ($549.99 @ B&H)
Case: Corsair - Crystal 460X RGB ATX Mid Tower Case ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - FOCUS Plus Gold 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($98.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1852.82
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-02-01 14:18 EST-0500

- Crystal 460X is better looking and cheaper than that Cougar Panzer is.
- Better motherboard
- Also includes a liquid loop as opposed to stock fan and RGB RAM

 

[dredwulf]

That build is a pretty good start. I might make a few changes to some of your part choices:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7 GHz 8-Core Processor ($304.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Corsair - H115i RGB PLATINUM 97 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus - ROG STRIX B450-F GAMING ATX AM4 Motherboard ($129.00 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($144.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung - 970 Evo 250 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($87.00 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung - 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($147.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB XC GAMING Video Card ($549.99 @ B&H)
Case: Corsair - Crystal 460X RGB ATX Mid Tower Case ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - FOCUS Plus Gold 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($98.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1852.82
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-02-01 14:18 EST-0500

- Crystal 460X is better looking and cheaper than that Cougar Panzer is.
- Better motherboard
- Also includes a liquid loop as opposed to stock fan and RGB RAM

I was just looking at the Crystal 570x @ Microcenter, I do like the looks and cable management. I was under the impression that the B450 series mobo's just weren't as good as the X470. Things like worse audio and power/voltage components. Thanks for the recommendations!

 

[g-unit1111]

I was just looking at the Crystal 570x @ Microcenter, I do like the looks and cable management. I was under the impression that the B450 series mobo's just weren't as good as the X470. Things like worse audio and power/voltage components. Thanks for the recommendations!

That's half true - the only real differences between B450 and X470 is that X470 can support higher overclocks and SLI / Crossfire. If you're not doing SLI then you would be better off buying a B450 motherboard. But if you're doing an X470 setup there's definitely better motherboards that you can get - the Asrock Taichi and Asus Prime are far better than that Gigabyte board that you selected.

And as far as cases go, I do like the Corsair Crystal series and I would generally prefer them over something like a Couger, but case is really subjective.

 

[dredwulf]

Well I've decided to go with the Corsair case and a Samsung 970 Pro 512GB instead of the Crucial 1TB. I guess the QLC nand just isn't as up to snuff at the moment so better spent elsewhere. I can get the X470 for the same price as the B450 and from all the reviews they're nearly identical. I like some of the features on the X470 that are absent on the B450 so for the same price I think I'll stick with the X.

I've also decided to go with a standard 2700 instead of the 2700x. I'll be overclocking and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to hit near 4.2ghz on a 2700 so why not save the cash.

 

[g-unit1111]

Well I've decided to go with the Corsair case and a Samsung 970 Pro 512GB instead of the Crucial 1TB. I guess the QLC nand just isn't as up to snuff at the moment so better spent elsewhere. I can get the X470 for the same price as the B450 and from all the reviews they're nearly identical. I like some of the features on the X470 that are absent on the B450 so for the same price I think I'll stick with the X.

That Gigabyte board isn't that good though, there's definitely other X470 boards like the Asus Prime that are worth the extra money. This is one area where I wouldn't skimp or compromise.