Build Advice Time to build a new PC...

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kentuckyMarksman

Jul 27, 2020
8
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So it's been a while since I last built a PC for myself (it was an AMD Phenom 9600 years ago...), anyway, I ended up selling it some time ago, and I've been using an old Compaq 6300 since, with an Intel I3 3240, and 12gb of RAM. That computer is about to bite the dust, so I need to replace it.

Anyway, at work my work PC is an Intel i7 6700, 16gb Ram, 2tb storage space, with nvidia quadro video cards for dual monitors. I work as a C# / web developer. I typically have MS SQL Server Management Studio (connected to a SQL database) running, along with several instances of Visual Studio, and I may have some online videos playing in the background.

I've been working from home for 4 months, working from my personal computer. I need to build something that will allow me to basically do the work that I do, support dual monitors, and since I don't have my own dedicated SQL Server running at home, it needs to also be able to host SQL databases.

I was hoping to stretch my current PC out into Ryzen 4 was released, but my current PC isn't going to make it. I was thinking a build with either the Ryzen 5 3600 processor or Intel 10th gen i5 (which would you pick? Or do I need i7 level cpu?) 32gb of RAM, about 1tb of SSD storage, and a video card allowing multiple monitors. Do you think this would cover my needs?

I've been out of the video card game for a long time. 1 of my monitors has HDMI, Display Port, and VGA connections. the other monitor has DVI and VGA. I'd prefer to use my existing monitors, but am open to replacing 1 monitor if it helps make getting a video card easier. Any suggestions on a video card? I don't game, so I don't need any gaming oriented video cards.
 
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kentuckyMarksman

Jul 27, 2020
8
1
15
I'm more concerned about meeting my needs than cost, as it's a tool I use for my livelihood.

I have a newer power supply I can use, and a case (it's an 15 year old micro atx case), but wouldn't mind a newer case with better air flow. I have a windows 10 license as well.

Ideally, I'd like to spend under $800, but I know I'll likely spend more than that. I'm willing to spend more for a longer useful life.
 
julienruc

julienruc

Honorable
Aug 8, 2018
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Your work PC is not that old and you mentioned Nvidia Quadro Video Cards. Do you have more than one? If yes, which model is it? A single Quadro card of that era can comfortably handle a triple monitor setup.

The GPU is the least of my worries here. I am not familiar with C#, MySQL, and Visual Studio, but after looking into it, it doesn't seem like it requires you to handle heavy 3D rendering software such as CAD, which is what Quadro cards are designed for.
This means that a low-end GPU such as the GTX 1050 2GB or RX570 4GB is more than enough to satisfy your monitor needs. Even overkill I would say.
These cards have the encoding necessary to watch 4K videos on Youtube, can output 4K resolution using HDMI and DP, and 2K resolution with DVI. It also supports multi-monitor setups for just shy of 100$.

Though these are gaming GPUs and I agree that they are not necessary here, Quadro equivalents are far more expensive. On top of that, I am not familiar with non-gaming GPUs and actually can't think of any recent models. Maybe the GT 1030? Although even this one was advertised as a gaming-capable one and could also handle multi-monitor setups.

In that regard replacing your monitor won't be necessary, which is a good thing as the budget will be more manageable. 800$ will be able to get you quite far here.

Here's what I suggest:
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($279.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B550 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team T-FORCE DARK Za 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial P1 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($104.99 @ B&H)
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P300A Mesh ATX Mid Tower Case ($66.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: be quiet! Pure Power 11 500 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($69.90 @ B&H)
Case Fan: ARCTIC F14 Silent 46 CFM 140 mm Fan ($9.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: ARCTIC F14 Silent 46 CFM 140 mm Fan ($9.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: ARCTIC F14 Silent 46 CFM 140 mm Fan ($9.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $806.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-07-27 20:16 EDT-0400

This suggestion is without the GPU as I'm assuming that you may recycle one from your work PC. However, in the event where you do need one; here's a list (from more than enough to overkill)
  • GT 1030 (as low as 80$ )
  • GTX 1050
  • GTX 1050 Ti
  • RX 570
  • GTX 1650 (150$)
--> I would recommend the GTX 1650 only because it's the most recent card and the others are starting to be "old" but that will be more than enough for the next several years.

On a side note, you could also turn that laptop into a dedicated SQL server. According to Microsoft's recommendations that laptop is enough:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sq...alling-sql-server-ver15?view=sql-server-ver15

The issue with 4K:
Some of these cards do have restrictions when it comes to running 4K and multiple monitors. It sometimes comes with a tradeoff such as multiple 1080p monitors or a single 4K monitor (for the lower-end ones on the list I suggested), and whether they support the version of HDMI you require for outputting the desired video resolution and refresh rate. I'd suggest you post your current monitors' model and if you have intentions of upgrading/adding 4K monitor(s).
For dual 1080p60Hz - the GT1030 is enough.
For quadruple 1080p60Hz - the GTX 1050 is enough.
If you don't want to worry about this stuff - the GTX 1650 will handle dual monitors at 4K60Hz comfortably.
i.e: I ran an RX570 4GB with a triple monitor setup whilst gaming: 1440p165Hz, 1080p60Hz, 720p60Hz.

Edit: Typos & added fans to build
Edit 2: 4K concerns
 
Last edited:
K

kentuckyMarksman

Jul 27, 2020
8
1
15
julienruc said:
Your work PC is not that old and you mentioned Nvidia Quadro Video Cards. Do you have more than one? If yes, which model is it? A single Quadro card of that era can comfortably handle a triple monitor setup.

The GPU is the least of my worries here. I am not familiar with C#, MySQL, and Visual Studio, but after looking into it, it doesn't seem like it requires you to handle heavy 3D rendering software such as CAD, which is what Quadro cards are designed for.
This means that a low-end GPU such as the GTX 1050 2GB or RX570 4GB is more than enough to satisfy your monitor needs. Even overkill I would say.
These cards have the encoding necessary to watch 4K videos on Youtube, can output 4K resolution using HDMI and DP, and 2K resolution with DVI. It also supports multi-monitor setups for just shy of 100$.

Though these are gaming GPUs and I agree that they are not necessary here, Quadro equivalents are far more expensive. On top of that, I am not familiar with non-gaming GPUs and actually can't think of any recent models. Maybe the GT 1030? Although even this one was advertised as a gaming-capable one and could also handle multi-monitor setups.

In that regard replacing your monitor won't be necessary, which is a good thing as the budget will be more manageable. 800$ will be able to get you quite far here.

Here's what I suggest:
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($279.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B550 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team T-FORCE DARK Za 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial P1 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($104.99 @ B&H)
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P300A Mesh ATX Mid Tower Case ($66.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: be quiet! Pure Power 11 500 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($69.90 @ B&H)
Case Fan: ARCTIC F14 Silent 46 CFM 140 mm Fan ($9.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: ARCTIC F14 Silent 46 CFM 140 mm Fan ($9.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: ARCTIC F14 Silent 46 CFM 140 mm Fan ($9.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $806.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-07-27 20:16 EDT-0400

This suggestion is without the GPU as I'm assuming that you may recycle one from your work PC. However, in the event where you do need one; here's a list (from more than enough to overkill)
  • GT 1030 (as low as 80$ )
  • GTX 1050
  • GTX 1050 Ti
  • RX 570
  • GTX 1650 (150$)
--> I would recommend the GTX 1650 only because it's the most recent card and the others are starting to be "old" but that will be more than enough for the next several years.

On a side note, you could also turn that laptop into a dedicated SQL server. According to Microsoft's recommendations that laptop is enough:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sq...alling-sql-server-ver15?view=sql-server-ver15


Edit: Typos & added fans to build
Click to expand...
Thanks for the suggestion! Looks like a decent build. Couple of problems though, my work PC is at my office building, and because of the Pandemic, I'm not allowed in the building, so I've been working remotely. That PC and the video cards in it belong to my employer, even if I could get in the building, I can't remove the PC from the building. That's why I need to replace my personal desktop (The Compaq 6300). I've been working using my personal desktop pc.

Those are good suggestions for the video cards!

I noticed the Intel I7 is on sale today. Would I gain anything with it over the AMD chip?

I appreciate the help finding a build within my budget.
 
julienruc

julienruc

Honorable
Aug 8, 2018
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kentuckyMarksman said:
Thanks for the suggestion! Looks like a decent build. Couple of problems though, my work PC is at my office building, and because of the Pandemic, I'm not allowed in the building, so I've been working remotely. That PC and the video cards in it belong to my employer, even if I could get in the building, I can't remove the PC from the building. That's why I need to replace my personal desktop (The Compaq 6300). I've been working using my personal desktop pc.

Those are good suggestions for the video cards!

I noticed the Intel I7 is on sale today. Would I gain anything with it over the AMD chip?

I appreciate the help finding a build within my budget.
Click to expand...

I understand, you definitely will need a new GPU then. I'm happy to revisit the build in order to match the 800$ budget as 8C/16T is a bit over the top despite being a good luxury for your line of work.

Which intel i7 are you referring to? Generally speaking these days, you would recommend AMD for productivity and Intel for gaming. Primarily from a price-to-performance standpoint. Although both are equally capable of doing the job well. AMD does come with a better cooler though and comes in slightly cheaper in comparison to their Intel equivalents.
 
julienruc

julienruc

Honorable
Aug 8, 2018
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Flayed said:
I would get a faster SSD for visual studio. It can take an age to load!
Click to expand...

That's an NVMe SSD. Are you referring to 4th Gen or something like the Samsung EVO 970? I personally feel like unless you go Gen4, the price difference doesn't change that much from a P1?

At this budget, you would need to sacrifice CPU performance to meet your SSD concerns. It doesn't sound appealing to me personally although I feel like you have more experience in this field than I do.
 
F

Flayed

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Jun 23, 2015
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julienruc said:
That's an NVMe SSD. Are you referring to 4th Gen or something like the Samsung EVO 970? I personally feel like unless you go Gen4, the price difference doesn't change that much from a P1?

At this budget, you would need to sacrifice CPU performance to meet your SSD concerns. It doesn't sound appealing to me personally although I feel like you have more experience in this field than I do.
Click to expand...
Maybe a WD SN550 is still not so expensive but faster than the P1
 
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julienruc

julienruc

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Aug 8, 2018
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kentuckyMarksman said:
Thanks!

The Intel that on sale is the i7 10700 for $309.

I'm perfectly happy with an AMD chip, just curious
Click to expand...

I would say the AMD chip does come out on top for your specific needs. However, at this point, it makes such little difference that I'm sure some people will argue that the Intel chip will be better. They also wouldn't be wrong. It gets very technical beyond this point and we'd be discussing over the fine details.

I would say that in the end, both are fantastic chips and neither would be a bad choice.

Although, despite the Intel chip being slightly more expensive, it is newer though and I think the motherboard prices are also lower than the AMD options so, in the end, you might save an extra buck by going with Intel. This budget can then be allocated to something like a faster SSD like @Flayed suggested.

Here's what that may look like:
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-10700 2.9 GHz 8-Core Processor ($309.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock B460 Pro4 ATX LGA1200 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Team T-FORCE DARK Za 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Blue SN550 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P300A Mesh ATX Mid Tower Case ($66.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: be quiet! Pure Power 11 500 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($69.90 @ B&H)
Case Fan: ARCTIC F14 Silent 46 CFM 140 mm Fan ($9.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: ARCTIC F14 Silent 46 CFM 140 mm Fan ($9.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: ARCTIC F14 Silent 46 CFM 140 mm Fan ($9.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $806.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-07-27 21:26 EDT-0400

Also, I've just noticed something quite important. The Intel chip comes with integrated graphics and these have come a long way. This may hopefully be enough for dual monitors. It could be worth a shot.

Edit: more coherence
Edit 2: build alternative + intel integrated graphics.
 
Last edited:
K

kentuckyMarksman

Jul 27, 2020
8
1
15
Thanks for the update! I like the idea of not buying a dedicated graphics card if I don't have to. Just ordered the Intel i7 10700. Will order the rest of the parts tomorrow.
 
F

Flayed

Splendid
Jun 23, 2015
3,097
703
22,990
julienruc said:
I would say the AMD chip does come out on top for your specific needs. However, at this point, it makes such little difference that I'm sure some people will argue that the Intel chip will be better. They also wouldn't be wrong. It gets very technical beyond this point and we'd be discussing over the fine details.

I would say that in the end, both are fantastic chips and neither would be a bad choice.

Although, despite the Intel chip being slightly more expensive, it is newer though and I think the motherboard prices are also lower than the AMD options so, in the end, you might save an extra buck by going with Intel. This budget can then be allocated to something like a faster SSD like @Flayed suggested.

Here's what that may look like:
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-10700 2.9 GHz 8-Core Processor ($309.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock B460 Pro4 ATX LGA1200 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Team T-FORCE DARK Za 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Blue SN550 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P300A Mesh ATX Mid Tower Case ($66.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: be quiet! Pure Power 11 500 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($69.90 @ B&H)
Case Fan: ARCTIC F14 Silent 46 CFM 140 mm Fan ($9.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: ARCTIC F14 Silent 46 CFM 140 mm Fan ($9.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: ARCTIC F14 Silent 46 CFM 140 mm Fan ($9.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $806.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-07-27 21:26 EDT-0400

Also, I've just noticed something quite important. The Intel chip comes with integrated graphics and these have come a long way. This may hopefully be enough for dual monitors. It could be worth a shot.

Edit: more coherence
Edit 2: build alternative + intel integrated graphics.
Click to expand...
Looks good. The only thing is Intel doesn't allow memory overclocking on non z series motherboards so you can save a few $ and get slower memory
 
K

kentuckyMarksman

Jul 27, 2020
8
1
15
Ended up spending a little more and got the WD Black DN 750.

I'm reusing a case that I have. I have a several case fans sitting around, and a nearly new Seasonic 650w PSU I'm going to use.

All told, I spent $719. I think I'll be pretty happy with this build. Thanks for the help!
 
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