Question Thoughts on build/compenent feedback

alexswede

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Apr 26, 2017
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I've been saving up for a new gaming pc for a while now, since my current one is at the point of no return in terms of upgrading. My main hobby is playing video games, so a great gaming pc would be amazing for me. I am currently using a pc with these specs playing on a 1440p monitor:

Geforce GTX 1060 Founders Edition (overclocked)
Intel Core i5-4570 (4 core, 4 thread)
14GB DDR3 RAM
B85M-E MoBo
ANTEC BP430 430W PSU
RAIDMAX Blade ATX-298WY Black / Yellow Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Acer Predator XB271HU 144Hz 1440p Monitor
Fan cooling


After a lot of research and forums posts i've come down to what i would like to think is the final version of my build, but before i go ahead and start ordering the compenents i thought i would post this here and get some feedback on what is good and what isn't. In terms of what im looking for is a "future-proofed" pc that can handle new triple A titles at high/ultra settings, 1440p, 80+fps (i can deal with 60 but like i said, i would like it to be relativly future proofed for the next 3-ish years). Thanks for your answers and feedback.

Build:

Thermaltake View 71 TG RGB - Svart / Transparent
Intel Core i7 9700K 3.6 GHz 12MB
EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11GB Black EDITION GAMING/2080ti Ventus
MSI Z390-A PRO/Gigabyte z390 auros elite
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 250GB
G.Skill 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 3000MHz CL16 Trident Z RGB
Seagate BarraCuda Desktop 4TB 5400rpm 256MB
Corsair Hydro H100i RGB Platinum
EVGA Supernova G2 650W

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/alexswede/saved/TT4tgs
 
A very nice build.
You can build as is.
I have some suggestions:

1. Your post says RTX2080ti and your link says RTX2080.
Either is great. If you are ambivalent about the choice, buy a EVGA RTX2080 planning to use the evga 90 day upgrade option.

2. I7-9700 is really as good as it gets for gaming.
With a well ventilated case like yours, I would use one of the twin tower air coolers like a noctua NH-D15s, or Phanteks, cryorig, Silverstone ...

3. love the 970 evo, but consider 500gb up front and defer on the hard drive until you actually need the space.
If you need a 4tb drive, I think WD or Hitachi might be more reliable and 7200 rpm will be faster.
Here is an article on the wd rainbow:

Also, consider a 16 or 32gb optane device to act as a cache for a slow hard drive. They are not expensive.

4. Lastly, while evga G2 is an excellent quality unit, consider a 750w psu.
I also like the Seasonic focus units which are very good with long warranties.
 
Last edited:

alexswede

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Apr 26, 2017
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A very nice build.
You can build as is.
I have some suggestions:

1. Your post days RTX2080ti and your link says RTX2080.
Either is great. If you are ambivalent about the choice, buy a EVGA RTX2080 planning to use the evga 90 day upgrade option.

2. I7-9700 is really as good as it gets for gaming.
With a well ventilated case like yours, I would use one of the twin tower air coolers like a noctua NH-D15s, or Phanteks, cryorig, Silverstone ...

3. love the 970 evo, but consider 500gb up front and defer on the hard drive until you actually need the space.
If you need a 4tb drive, I think WD or Hitachi might be more reliable and 7200 rpm will be faster.
Here is an article on the wd rainbow:

Also, consider a 16 or 32gb optane device to act as a cache for a slow hard drive. They are not expensive.

4. Lastly, while evga G2 is an excellent quality unit, consider a 750w psu.
I also like the Seasonic focus units which are very good with long warranties.
Thanks for the reply! I was thinking about using the 970 evo as just a boot drive, and then having a Optane/Barracuda4TB as my main HDD (since speeds should rival SSDs thanks to optane https://blog.seagate.com/consumers/...ssd-pair-seagate-barracuda-with-intel-optane/) You also suggested changing out the AIO cooler for a air cooler, whats the major benefit other than having a well ventilated case? Lastly, the more i look at the cheaper 2080ti options, i think the higher end 2080 would serve me nicely. Would it be worth the extra 400-500 dollars to get a 2080ti Ventus or a 2080ti Black edition gaming? (these were the graphics cards i first had on the build, but after some questions with a proffesional pc builder, he said it really wasnt worth the trouble)
 

Aeacus

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As far as AIOs vs air coolers go, you won't gain any cooling performance if you go with AIO over air cooler since both are cooled by ambient air.
For equal cooling performance between AIOs and air coolers, rad needs to be 240mm or 280mm. Smaller rads: 120mm and 140mm are almost always outperformed by mid-sized air coolers. Single slot rads are good in mini-ITX builds where you don't have enough CPU cooler clearance to install mid-sized CPU air cooler.

Here are the positive sides of both (air and AIO) CPU cooling methods;

Pros of air coolers:
less cost
less maintenance
less noise
far longer longevity
no leakage risks
doesn't take up case fan slots
additional cooling for the RAM
CPU cools down faster after heavy heat output

Pros of AIOs:
no RAM clearance issues*
no CPU clearance issues
CPU takes longer time to heat up during heavy heat output (about 30 mins)
* on some cases, top mounted rad can give RAM clearance issues

While how the CPU cooler looks inside the PC depends on a person. Some people prefer to see small AIO pump in the middle of their MoBo with tubing going to the rad while others prefer to see big heatsink with fans in the middle of their MoBo.

Main difference between AIO and air cooler is that with AIO, you'll get more noise at a higher cost while cooling performance remains the same.
Here's also one good article for you to read where king of air coolers (Noctua NH-D15) was put against 5x high-end AIOs, including king of AIOs (NZXT x61 Kraken),
link: http://www.relaxedtech.com/reviews/noctua/nh-d15-versus-closed-loop-liquid-coolers/1

Personally, i'd go with air coolers every day of the week. With same cooling performance, the pros of air coolers outweigh the pros of AIOs considerably. While, for me, the 3 main pros would be:
1. Less noise.
Since i like my PC to be quiet, i can't stand the loud noise AIO makes. Also, when air gets trapped inside the AIO (some AIOs are more prone to this than others), there's additional noise coming from inside the pump.
2. Longevity.
Cheaper AIOs usually last 2-3 years and high-end ones 4-5 years before you need to replace it. While with air coolers, their life expectancy is basically unlimited. Only thing that can go bad on an air cooler is the fan on it. If the fan dies, your CPU still has cooling in form of a big heatsink. Also, new 120mm or 140mm fan doesn't cost much and it's easy to replace one. While with AIOs, the main thing that usually goes bad is the pump itself. And when that happens, your CPU has no cooling whatsoever. Since you can't replace pump on an AIO, you need to buy whole new AIO to replace the old one out.
3. No leakage risks.
Since there's liquid circling inside the AIO, there is always a risk that your AIO can leak. While it's rare, it has happened. It's well known fact that liquids and electronics don't mix.
 
A nice explanation from Aeacus.
A couple of other things:

1. Mounting a AIO radiator is a catch 22 thing.
If you mount it to draw in outside cooling air, you will cool the CPU better, but the heated exhaust will heat the motherboard and make GPU cooling less efficient.
OTOH, if you mount the radiator to expel air out of the case, your cpu cooling will be less efficient.

2. With a front mounted intake of 2 or 3 120/140mm fans, you will have sufficient air intake that can be filtered.
That will keep your parts cleaner.

3. A good aio will have a 240 or 280 radiator which has essentially the same radiator capability of the better dual tower air coolers like the Noctua NH-D15s. The only big difference is where the heat exchange takes place.
True, the efficiency of liquid is a bit better than the heat fluid in an air cooler.
But, ultimately it is all about getting heat out of the case

4. google something like H100 leak
 

alexswede

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Apr 26, 2017
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As far as AIOs vs air coolers go, you won't gain any cooling performance if you go with AIO over air cooler since both are cooled by ambient air.
For equal cooling performance between AIOs and air coolers, rad needs to be 240mm or 280mm. Smaller rads: 120mm and 140mm are almost always outperformed by mid-sized air coolers. Single slot rads are good in mini-ITX builds where you don't have enough CPU cooler clearance to install mid-sized CPU air cooler.

Here are the positive sides of both (air and AIO) CPU cooling methods;

Pros of air coolers:
less cost
less maintenance
less noise
far longer longevity
no leakage risks
doesn't take up case fan slots
additional cooling for the RAM
CPU cools down faster after heavy heat output

Pros of AIOs:
no RAM clearance issues*
no CPU clearance issues
CPU takes longer time to heat up during heavy heat output (about 30 mins)
* on some cases, top mounted rad can give RAM clearance issues

While how the CPU cooler looks inside the PC depends on a person. Some people prefer to see small AIO pump in the middle of their MoBo with tubing going to the rad while others prefer to see big heatsink with fans in the middle of their MoBo.

Main difference between AIO and air cooler is that with AIO, you'll get more noise at a higher cost while cooling performance remains the same.
Here's also one good article for you to read where king of air coolers (Noctua NH-D15) was put against 5x high-end AIOs, including king of AIOs (NZXT x61 Kraken),
link: http://www.relaxedtech.com/reviews/noctua/nh-d15-versus-closed-loop-liquid-coolers/1

Personally, i'd go with air coolers every day of the week. With same cooling performance, the pros of air coolers outweigh the pros of AIOs considerably. While, for me, the 3 main pros would be:
1. Less noise.
Since i like my PC to be quiet, i can't stand the loud noise AIO makes. Also, when air gets trapped inside the AIO (some AIOs are more prone to this than others), there's additional noise coming from inside the pump.
2. Longevity.
Cheaper AIOs usually last 2-3 years and high-end ones 4-5 years before you need to replace it. While with air coolers, their life expectancy is basically unlimited. Only thing that can go bad on an air cooler is the fan on it. If the fan dies, your CPU still has cooling in form of a big heatsink. Also, new 120mm or 140mm fan doesn't cost much and it's easy to replace one. While with AIOs, the main thing that usually goes bad is the pump itself. And when that happens, your CPU has no cooling whatsoever. Since you can't replace pump on an AIO, you need to buy whole new AIO to replace the old one out.
3. No leakage risks.
Since there's liquid circling inside the AIO, there is always a risk that your AIO can leak. While it's rare, it has happened. It's well known fact that liquids and electronics don't mix.
So which air cooler do you think would fit into my build?
 

Aeacus

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Since you have CPU cooler clearance of 190mm, any CPU air cooler will do just fine, even the big boys.

If you want the king, look towards Noctua NH-D15 or NH-D15S. NH-D15S is a bit off centered to give more clearance for GPU on some MoBos,
NH-D15, specs: https://noctua.at/en/nh-d15
NH-D15s, specs: https://noctua.at/en/nh-d15s
pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/4vzv6h,xCL7YJ/

Since NH-D15 aesthetics isn't best due to the beige/brown coloring of their fans, i usually suggest going with Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 which has far better aesthetics while cooling performance difference is 1-2 degrees Celsius from NH-D15,
review: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/be-quiet-dark-rock-pro-3-cpu-cooler,4350.html
pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/9bFPxr/be-quiet-cpu-cooler-bk019
 
Aesthetics are a personal matter.
In regard to the noctua coolers, you can buy the same noctua fans used in black,
or, any other same sized brand even RGB fans if you are into that fashion(not for me, to me, pretty is as pretty does) One of the plusses for noctua is that they are very efficient fans and very quiet.
The cooler mounting system is also very easy.

On the noctua NH-D15s, the fan is sandwiched in between the twin cooling towers and not as visible as you might think.
 

alexswede

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Apr 26, 2017
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Since you have CPU cooler clearance of 190mm, any CPU air cooler will do just fine, even the big boys.

If you want the king, look towards Noctua NH-D15 or NH-D15S. NH-D15S is a bit off centered to give more clearance for GPU on some MoBos,
NH-D15, specs: https://noctua.at/en/nh-d15
NH-D15s, specs: https://noctua.at/en/nh-d15s
pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/4vzv6h,xCL7YJ/

Since NH-D15 aesthetics isn't best due to the beige/brown coloring of their fans, i usually suggest going with Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 which has far better aesthetics while cooling performance difference is 1-2 degrees Celsius from NH-D15,
review: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/be-quiet-dark-rock-pro-3-cpu-cooler,4350.html
pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/9bFPxr/be-quiet-cpu-cooler-bk019
Any major difference between the d15 and the d15s? other than height of course
 

alexswede

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Apr 26, 2017
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Since you have CPU cooler clearance of 190mm, any CPU air cooler will do just fine, even the big boys.

If you want the king, look towards Noctua NH-D15 or NH-D15S. NH-D15S is a bit off centered to give more clearance for GPU on some MoBos,
NH-D15, specs: https://noctua.at/en/nh-d15
NH-D15s, specs: https://noctua.at/en/nh-d15s
pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/4vzv6h,xCL7YJ/

Since NH-D15 aesthetics isn't best due to the beige/brown coloring of their fans, i usually suggest going with Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 which has far better aesthetics while cooling performance difference is 1-2 degrees Celsius from NH-D15,
review: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/be-quiet-dark-rock-pro-3-cpu-cooler,4350.html
pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/9bFPxr/be-quiet-cpu-cooler-bk019
hows the dark rock 3 compared to the dark rock 4?
 

Aeacus

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Are you sure you're talking about Dark Rock 3/4 and not Dark Rock Pro 3/4? Since there are a non-pro CPU coolers from Be Quiet! as well and those are a single tower coolers.
E.g Dark Rock 4 specs: https://www.bequiet.com/en/cpucooler/1376

When it comes to the Dark Rock Pro 3 vs Dark Rock Pro 4, there is only once difference between the two:
* Dark Rock Pro 4 has a center (135x22mm SilentWings) fan max RPM capped to 1500 RPM while Dark Rock Pro 3 center fan max RPM is 2000.
That 500 RPM difference is enough to make Dark Rock Pro 3 better at cooling the CPU than it's successor Dark Rock Pro 4. Though, with Dark Rock Pro 4, you'll get less noise.

Here's also Dark Rock Pro 4 review which also includes comparison to Dark Rock Pro 3,
link: https://www.tomshardware.co.uk/be-quiet-dark-rock-pro-4-cpu-cooler,review-34292-2.html

Despite there's Dark Rock Pro 4 out, i still suggest going with Dark Rock Pro 3 since you can set the center fan to 1500 RPM to match the noise level of Dark Rock Pro 4. But if you go with Dark Rock Pro 4, you can't make the center fan go any faster than 1500 RPM, if you want to have the same level of cooling to Dark Rock Pro 3.
 

alexswede

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Apr 26, 2017
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Are you sure you're talking about Dark Rock 3/4 and not Dark Rock Pro 3/4? Since there are a non-pro CPU coolers from Be Quiet! as well and those are a single tower coolers.
E.g Dark Rock 4 specs: https://www.bequiet.com/en/cpucooler/1376

When it comes to the Dark Rock Pro 3 vs Dark Rock Pro 4, there is only once difference between the two:
* Dark Rock Pro 4 has a center (135x22mm SilentWings) fan max RPM capped to 1500 RPM while Dark Rock Pro 3 center fan max RPM is 2000.
That 500 RPM difference is enough to make Dark Rock Pro 3 better at cooling the CPU than it's successor Dark Rock Pro 4. Though, with Dark Rock Pro 4, you'll get less noise.

Here's also Dark Rock Pro 4 review which also includes comparison to Dark Rock Pro 3,
link: https://www.tomshardware.co.uk/be-quiet-dark-rock-pro-4-cpu-cooler,review-34292-2.html

Despite there's Dark Rock Pro 4 out, i still suggest going with Dark Rock Pro 3 since you can set the center fan to 1500 RPM to match the noise level of Dark Rock Pro 4. But if you go with Dark Rock Pro 4, you can't make the center fan go any faster than 1500 RPM, if you want to have the same level of cooling to Dark Rock Pro 3.
Is it worth the extra 30 or so dollars for the extra cooling ability? Im probably going to go for the dark rock series since the d15 looks terrible with the brown aesthetic is just terrible in a black RGB case imo.
 

Aeacus

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When it comes to the CPU cooling, you'd want more than enough cooling capacity rather than coming short of CPU cooling. Since i7-9700K is powerful CPU, Dark Rock Pro 3 is suitable CPU cooler for it due to it's size. Dark Rock 4 with it's single tower may not be enough to cool it.