Question Time for a new PC - Advice appreciated

Jan 6, 2021
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Hi

I am considering building a new system as my current system is getting old. I built it some time ago, so would be grateful for some advice and recommendations on the current available hardware.

CPU

My current system has an i5 3570K processor and I later regretted not getting an i7. It seems that the AMD Ryden chips are the way to go.

Price is obviously a consideration, so the RYZEN 9 5950X is not really an option. That leaves the RYZEN 9 5900X, the RYZEN 7 5800X or the RYZEN 5 5600X

I have read that for gaming, there is a minimal performance difference between the RYZEN 5 5600X & the RYZEN 9 5900X. So, is it worth the extra cost for the extra 6 cores which for gaming only provide a minimal benefit? Or, for future-proofing, is the RYZEN 9 the only real option?

MOTHERBOARD

I have a full size tower, so will get a full size ATX version, and I have been looking at the Asus ROG STRIX B550-F GAMING (AMD AM4) B550 ATX MOTHERBOARD. This seems a decent board, or are there any other recommendations?

I do not need one with Wi-Fi capability.

I have read that some MB's will need a BIOS update before they will take the RYZEN 9 chip. From that, it seems that the chip does not need to be in / working on the board to flash the BIOS. Is that the case?

I expect that this would be done through the BIOS flashback utility BEFORE the chip is installed?

RAM

I want at least 32GB, possibly 64GB. Do you get better performance if all 4 DIMM slots are occupied, and if so does it make that much difference?

If it does, I'll need 4 X 16GB modules, but was only planning on getting 32GB at the moment, adding more later if needed, though some say that this is not recommended as it should all be from the same batch. How much of an issue is this, as packs of 4 modules aren't that common?

Is 3600 MHz RAM the best speed to get?

SSD

Looking at the Samsung 970 EVO PLUS 500GB M.2 2280 PCI-E 3.0 X4 NVME SOLID STATE DRIVE, though some reviews question its durability. Is the WD BLUE SN550 500GB NVME M.2 2280 PCIE GEN3 SOLID STATE DRIVE a better option?

I only need a boot drive, the data drives I have will be moved over.

COOLING

The i5 runs pretty cool, even under heavy load. I believe that the RYZEN 7 & 9 run quite hot, but the RYZEN 5 doesn't seem to have this issue.

I have an Artic cooler at the moment which is fine, so if I get a RYZEN 5 I am looking at the ARCTIC FREEZER 34 ESPORTS DUO WHITE CPU COOLER - 2 X 120MM. Will this do the job?

How much cooling is needed for the RYZEN 7 & 9?

GRAPHICS

I have a RTX 2060 Super at the moment. It’s not at the top of the range but will be fine for a while. I'll upgrade later.

POWER SUPPLY

I already have a 850W Modular PSU.


Thanks for any help
 

Lutfij

Titan
Moderator
Welcome tot he forums, newcomer!

What is the make and model of the 850W PSU and it's age? Over time the capacitors in the PSU will degrade meaning that they'll offer less power to the entire system. What is the make and model of your case? People who use older cases realize late into the build(or early) that their case lacks the creature comforts of those found some few years ago.
 
Jan 6, 2021
2
0
10
The PSU is a few years old, and is a OCZ ZX Series 850W 80+ GOLD.

No idea of the make of the case. Its a full tower, I have had it a while and I've modded it for extra cooling etc.