Thoughts on $2280 Supercomputer-Like PC? (UPDATED PART LIST)

[Icaraeus]

So I am upgrading from my old desktop which has Intel i5 3570, Radeon R9 270X, 8GB DDR3-1600 and a whole bunch of other stuff, to a new mini ITX system and I would like to know your thoughts and how I could (preferably!) reduce the cost of the system without compromising on performance. I will be building the system in June. The computer case has already been bought and received.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7GHz 8-Core Processor ($319.00 @ Amazon)
Thermal Compound: Thermal Grizzly - Kryonaut 1g 1g Thermal Paste ($13.25 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus - ROG STRIX X470-I GAMING Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard ($209.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($356.99 @ Newegg Business)
Storage: HP - EX920 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($175.99 @ Newegg Business)
Storage: Western Digital - Black 1TB 2.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($62.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital - Black 1TB 2.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($62.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Zotac - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB Mini Video Card ($849.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: DAN Cases - A4SFXV2-S Mini ITX Desktop Case (Purchased For $0.00)
Power Supply: Corsair - SF 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($114.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua - NF-A9 PWM 46.4 CFM 92mm Fan ($16.59 @ OutletPC)
Other: Asetek 545LC 92mm AIO CPU Liquid Cooler + AM4 Bracket ($92.00)
Total: $2274.77
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-05-05 10:39 EDT-0400

Notes:

The Asetek 545LC AIO is a necessity
The system is meant for 4K video editing and graphics rendering, thus I believe 32GB RAM is also a necessity
The computer case supports only a dual slot, up to 303mm long video card
I have a maximum spending budget of $2280 USD.
I will be purchasing the monitor I want separately.
The inflated video card and system memory prices really make me sad D:

 

[kanewolf]

Why two 1TB disks? That is just more noise and heat. I don't know that a $900 graphics card is the best choice. 4K video editing doesn't need it and I don't know what percentage increase you will get in rendering compared to a plain 1080.

For video editing, I think you need to spend more on solid state storage and less on graphics card.

 

[profoundnoah]

This is basically the same build that I'm working on rn, and I must say those are some good components. The 2700X is good, but I don't know how much you'll benefit from the 1080 Ti, it's really program specific. Otherwise, good choices on the hardware. However, you could save $30 if you act fast: Newegg has the exact RAM sticks up for individual sale, and they're marked down. https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820232090&ignorebbr=1&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker,%20LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID= If the 4k editing isn't an absolute editing necessity, then I'd hold off on pulling the trigger on the RAM: There are lawsuits being filed may actually put an end to these huge price markups, but it will definitely take time. As for the other parts, I'd give the go ahead.

 

[kanewolf]

I do not recommend purchasing RAM in single sticks and hoping they play together. Get a matched set. The manufacturer guarantees they play together.

 

[Icaraeus]

Why two 1TB disks? That is just more noise and heat. I don't know that a $900 graphics card is the best choice. 4K video editing doesn't need it and I don't know what percentage increase you will get in rendering compared to a plain 1080.

For video editing, I think you need to spend more on solid state storage and less on graphics card.

because I want more than 1TB storage, 2.5 inch hard drive max capacity at 7200RPM is 1TB, and the system isn't just for video editing. It's for rendering videogames at 4K as well.

 

[kanewolf]

Why two 1TB disks? That is just more noise and heat. I don't know that a $900 graphics card is the best choice. 4K video editing doesn't need it and I don't know what percentage increase you will get in rendering compared to a plain 1080.

For video editing, I think you need to spend more on solid state storage and less on graphics card.

because I want more than 1TB storage, 2.5 inch hard drive max capacity at 7200RPM is 1TB, and the system isn't just for video editing. It's for rendering videogames at 4K as well.

Both of those things will be faster with solid state disks rather than mechanical HDDs. You can only render as fast as the slowest component. Storage is usually the slowest component.

 

[profoundnoah]

The HDD solution is justified; however, in response to the earlier concern of the RAM "playing together", these are the EXACT same sticks that are in the double kit, timing for timing, clock for clock, part number for part number. I would normally agree with that concern if they were from different manufacturers, different timing, different speeds etc. but I don't see the major concern in this scenario. Worst case the OP runs on 16 GB while he fixes the issue.

 

[Icaraeus]

Why two 1TB disks? That is just more noise and heat. I don't know that a $900 graphics card is the best choice. 4K video editing doesn't need it and I don't know what percentage increase you will get in rendering compared to a plain 1080.

For video editing, I think you need to spend more on solid state storage and less on graphics card.

because I want more than 1TB storage, 2.5 inch hard drive max capacity at 7200RPM is 1TB, and the system isn't just for video editing. It's for rendering videogames at 4K as well.

Both of those things will be faster with solid state disks rather than mechanical HDDs. You can only render as fast as the slowest component. Storage is usually the slowest component.

I'm not sure I can fit a 2TB SSD for $2280 total... and I am purchasing the HP NVMe SSD already?

 

[kanewolf]

The HDD solution is justified; however, in response to the earlier concern of the RAM "playing together", these are the EXACT same sticks that are in the double kit, timing for timing, clock for clock, part number for part number. I would normally agree with that concern if they were from different manufacturers, different timing, different speeds etc. but I don't see the major concern in this scenario. Worst case the OP runs on 16 GB while he fixes the issue.

We will just disagree on this one. It may be the case that they are the same. But you don't have a guarantee. Ryzen is notorious for being finicky about high clock RAM. If the OP is OK with running at 2133, then two random DIMMs are probably OK. If he/she wants to run at high clock speed then a matched set is the best answer.

 

[kanewolf]

Why two 1TB disks? That is just more noise and heat. I don't know that a $900 graphics card is the best choice. 4K video editing doesn't need it and I don't know what percentage increase you will get in rendering compared to a plain 1080.

For video editing, I think you need to spend more on solid state storage and less on graphics card.

because I want more than 1TB storage, 2.5 inch hard drive max capacity at 7200RPM is 1TB, and the system isn't just for video editing. It's for rendering videogames at 4K as well.

Both of those things will be faster with solid state disks rather than mechanical HDDs. You can only render as fast as the slowest component. Storage is usually the slowest component.

I'm not sure I can fit a 2TB SSD for $2280 total... and I am purchasing the HP NVMe SSD already?

A 2TB SATA SSD would be better overall than the NVMe and the HDDs, IMO.

 

[profoundnoah]

Icaraeus, I personally have no issues with your storage solution setup. I have been running a video editing/rendering setup off of a 512 GB 840 pro for over 2 years now, have had no issues with the speeds at all. As a solution to the issue the moderator proposed, simply store the games, immediate project files, and recording/rendering media/software on the SSD. When the project is finished, transfer/archive it to one of your two HDD's. Not sure about that expand-ability of that case, but it's highly likely you can add in a new SSD if you feel the need to later. However, I would recommend examining the option of the 2 TB SSD.

 

[Icaraeus]

The HDD solution is justified; however, in response to the earlier concern of the RAM "playing together", these are the EXACT same sticks that are in the double kit, timing for timing, clock for clock, part number for part number. I would normally agree with that concern if they were from different manufacturers, different timing, different speeds etc. but I don't see the major concern in this scenario. Worst case the OP runs on 16 GB while he fixes the issue.

We will just disagree on this one. It may be the case that they are the same. But you don't have a guarantee. Ryzen is notorious for being finicky about high clock RAM. If the OP is OK with running at 2133, then two random DIMMs are probably OK. If he/she wants to run at high clock speed then a matched set is the best answer.

Didn't I already pick a matched SDRAM kit? I'm confused,

 

[Icaraeus]

Icaraeus, I personally have no issues with your storage solution setup. I have been running a video editing/rendering setup off of a 512 GB 840 pro for over 2 years now, have had no issues with the speeds at all. As a solution to the issue the moderator proposed, simply store the games, immediate project files, and recording/rendering media/software on the SSD. When the project is finished, transfer/archive it to one of your two HDD's. Not sure about that expand-ability of that case, but it's highly likely you can add in a new SSD if you feel the need to later. However, I would recommend examining the option of the 2 TB SSD.

I thought StoreMI included with X470 motherboards deals with all the file transferring.

 

[profoundnoah]

As I have not finished my 2700X build, I can't personally attest to the efficacy of storeMI. From what I've seen, it's a priority assigning device, not quite too sure on how it works yet. Worst case though, you can manually move what you need. As for the SDRAM kit, your pick was fine. I was merely advising that you could save some money if you bought the sticks in the kit individually https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820232090&ignorebbr=1&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker,%20LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID= , since if you buy two of those instead of the 32 GB kit, you could save $30. Just a thought, not a glaring issue.

 

[Icaraeus]

As I have not finished my 2700X build, I can't personally attest to the efficacy of storeMI. From what I've seen, it's a priority assigning device, not quite too sure on how it works yet. Worst case though, you can manually move what you need. As for the SDRAM kit, your pick was fine. I was merely advising that you could save some money if you bought the sticks in the kit individually https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820232090&ignorebbr=1&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker,%20LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID= , since if you buy two of those instead of the 32 GB kit, you could save $30. Just a thought, not a glaring issue.

So apart from that is there anything I should change?

 

[profoundnoah]

In my opinion, no. You've got a very nice, powerful build there. However, the only other thing I'd consider is the price difference between the 1080 and 1080 Ti. Puget Systems, an extremely reliable PC info source, has a bunch of tests on how the 1080 and 1080 Ti compare to each other in adobe premiere. https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/Premiere-Pro-CC-2017-GeForce-GTX-1080-Ti-11GB-Performance-912/ I'll let you be the judge to determine if those numbers are worth the price gap, but just remember that either way, you're going to have an extremely capable system that will last a long time. Cheers!

 

[Icaraeus]

In my opinion, no. You've got a very nice, powerful build there. However, the only other thing I'd consider is the price difference between the 1080 and 1080 Ti. Puget Systems, an extremely reliable PC info source, has a bunch of tests on how the 1080 and 1080 Ti compare to each other in adobe premiere. https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/Premiere-Pro-CC-2017-GeForce-GTX-1080-Ti-11GB-Performance-912/ I'll let you be the judge to determine if those numbers are worth the price gap, but just remember that either way, you're going to have an extremely capable system that will last a long time. Cheers!

I thought I should just clarify the graphics card is for rendering videogames at 4K, it isn't exactly for the video editing software.

Also I'm using Vegas Pro 14 Edit 😛

 

[profoundnoah]

By rendering video games, do you mean actual production of a game/content? If so, then that changes the nature of the build by a bit. Can you give me a list of the main programs you'll be using aside from editing?

 

[Icaraeus]

By rendering video games, do you mean actual production of a game/content? If so, then that changes the nature of the build by a bit. Can you give me a list of the main programs you'll be using aside from editing?

Mmm I meant just using the computer to play games at 4K resolution.

 

[profoundnoah]

That clears it up a lot more. If you're gaming at 4k as well, then definitely pull the trigger on the 1080 Ti. Good bit faster and more memory for editing as well.