Hey there,
I haven't built a PC in probably 12 years and only used laptops for the past 7 years or so. I used to visit this site a lot and also worked for Alienware way back when, so i was pretty decent around desktop PCs but it's been a while and can barely tell things apart now lol. My last build was an ATX mobile athlon xp 2400 OCed to 3200XP level and i think a x800xl, 2GB of system RAM
inside a very heavy AW Predator 2.0 steel case
I'd like your feedback on my first approach for a new PC, it will be used for gaming and code development both in Windows and Linux (Ubuntu mainly). I currently have a 27" AOC IPS 1080p monitor and will look at adding a second one in the future (for coding, but game with just one monitor). Windows mostly for games, and I'm looking forward to playing GTA V, rFactor2 (will need a wheel down the road), Forza Horizon 3, latest Farcry whatever that is, whatever the latest COD is, perhaps get back into WOW too, etc. I will also need it for 3DS Max under Win every now and then. The PC will spend most of its time in Ubuntu running Unity3D for game development. It might see some Blender usage under Linux too. I'm in North Carolina and will buy from whichever vendor has good offers (and I have Amazon Prime if that makes a difference)
Parts
CPU: Ryzen 5 1600 - $219.99
From what I've read this will be ideal and i'm hoping it will reduce the time waiting for my Unity 3D imports and builds. 6 cores and 12 threads sounds awesome. I will OC it as far as the stock cooler will let me.
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB SSC GAMING ACX 3.0, 6GB GDDR5, LED, DX12 OSD Support (PXOC), 06G-P4-6267-KR - $249.99
or
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 Windforce OC 3GB GDDR5 Graphics Card (GV-N1060WF2OC-3GD) - $189.75
I was initially going for an RX 480/580, but it seems under Linux it's still best to stick with nVidia, both from a performance as well as a less hassle viewpoint. I'm thinking the cheaper 3 GB version might be enough for my needs and the price difference makes sense to me, it looks like it can run the games i'm interested in at 1080p but would like your opinions, seeing the Mirror's Edge Catalyst [Hyper] test here makes me wonder if down the road i'll be wishing i'd gone for 6gb. I like Newegg's free game offer which Amazon doesn't seem to list (maybe by omission?)
Motherboard: ASUS Prime B350-Plus AMD Ryzen AM4 DDR4 HDMI DVI VGA M.2 USB 3.1 ATX B350 Motherboard - $99.99
I'll admit i haven't done my research here, and might want something smaller than ATX. I won't be doing dual GPUs, I'd like an M.2 slot that's in a thermally advantageous position, I'd like to be able to OC on the stock cooler and down the road i'm sure I'll add a second storage device though that might be external so it sounds like USB 3.1 is a good thing (right?)
Memory: CORSAIR Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3000 (PC4 24000) Memory Kit Model CMK16GX4M2B3000C15 - $122.99
It looks like Ryzen likes fast memory, but I probably should to more research to better understand the point of diminishing returns
Storage: Intel SSD 600p Series (256GB, M.2 2280 80mm NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4, 3D1, TLC) Reseller Single Pack - $109.99
I love the idea of M.2 based storage, though i'm still reading up on it, i didn't know of it until 3 days ago so any advice is more than welcome. It sounds to me like mobo's with the slot under the hot GPU are a bad idea. Down the road i might install more storage and have a few mobile HDD and SDDs lying around.
PSU: EVGA 600 BQ, 80+ BRONZE 600W, Semi Modular, FDB Fan, 3 Year Warranty, Power Supply 110-BQ-0600-K1 - $49.99
Looks good to me but my last PSU was a non modular 450W and more expensive than this, thoughts?
Case: Corsair Carbide Series CC-9011106-WW Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ATX (not included) Power Supply - $62.05
I might go for something smaller but this one looks ok, however i don't get why it has the empty space where ODD and HDDs used to be, i'd much rather it was shorter given we no longer need these legacy devices or a radiator. Totally open to other suggestions, a few front ports, simple/elegant looks and good airflow are all I need. We live in the south US and like to let our house get to 80 deg before AC kicks in, so the latter is important. I'll add fans as needed. Also why are hot PSUs on the bottom nowadays?
Currently sitting at $898, https://pcpartpicker.com/user/Alelanza/saved/86LNGX
Appreciate your comments in advance,
Alex
I haven't built a PC in probably 12 years and only used laptops for the past 7 years or so. I used to visit this site a lot and also worked for Alienware way back when, so i was pretty decent around desktop PCs but it's been a while and can barely tell things apart now lol. My last build was an ATX mobile athlon xp 2400 OCed to 3200XP level and i think a x800xl, 2GB of system RAM
inside a very heavy AW Predator 2.0 steel caseI'd like your feedback on my first approach for a new PC, it will be used for gaming and code development both in Windows and Linux (Ubuntu mainly). I currently have a 27" AOC IPS 1080p monitor and will look at adding a second one in the future (for coding, but game with just one monitor). Windows mostly for games, and I'm looking forward to playing GTA V, rFactor2 (will need a wheel down the road), Forza Horizon 3, latest Farcry whatever that is, whatever the latest COD is, perhaps get back into WOW too, etc. I will also need it for 3DS Max under Win every now and then. The PC will spend most of its time in Ubuntu running Unity3D for game development. It might see some Blender usage under Linux too. I'm in North Carolina and will buy from whichever vendor has good offers (and I have Amazon Prime if that makes a difference)
Parts
CPU: Ryzen 5 1600 - $219.99
From what I've read this will be ideal and i'm hoping it will reduce the time waiting for my Unity 3D imports and builds. 6 cores and 12 threads sounds awesome. I will OC it as far as the stock cooler will let me.
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB SSC GAMING ACX 3.0, 6GB GDDR5, LED, DX12 OSD Support (PXOC), 06G-P4-6267-KR - $249.99
or
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 Windforce OC 3GB GDDR5 Graphics Card (GV-N1060WF2OC-3GD) - $189.75
I was initially going for an RX 480/580, but it seems under Linux it's still best to stick with nVidia, both from a performance as well as a less hassle viewpoint. I'm thinking the cheaper 3 GB version might be enough for my needs and the price difference makes sense to me, it looks like it can run the games i'm interested in at 1080p but would like your opinions, seeing the Mirror's Edge Catalyst [Hyper] test here makes me wonder if down the road i'll be wishing i'd gone for 6gb. I like Newegg's free game offer which Amazon doesn't seem to list (maybe by omission?)
Motherboard: ASUS Prime B350-Plus AMD Ryzen AM4 DDR4 HDMI DVI VGA M.2 USB 3.1 ATX B350 Motherboard - $99.99
I'll admit i haven't done my research here, and might want something smaller than ATX. I won't be doing dual GPUs, I'd like an M.2 slot that's in a thermally advantageous position, I'd like to be able to OC on the stock cooler and down the road i'm sure I'll add a second storage device though that might be external so it sounds like USB 3.1 is a good thing (right?)
Memory: CORSAIR Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3000 (PC4 24000) Memory Kit Model CMK16GX4M2B3000C15 - $122.99
It looks like Ryzen likes fast memory, but I probably should to more research to better understand the point of diminishing returns
Storage: Intel SSD 600p Series (256GB, M.2 2280 80mm NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4, 3D1, TLC) Reseller Single Pack - $109.99
I love the idea of M.2 based storage, though i'm still reading up on it, i didn't know of it until 3 days ago so any advice is more than welcome. It sounds to me like mobo's with the slot under the hot GPU are a bad idea. Down the road i might install more storage and have a few mobile HDD and SDDs lying around.
PSU: EVGA 600 BQ, 80+ BRONZE 600W, Semi Modular, FDB Fan, 3 Year Warranty, Power Supply 110-BQ-0600-K1 - $49.99
Looks good to me but my last PSU was a non modular 450W and more expensive than this, thoughts?
Case: Corsair Carbide Series CC-9011106-WW Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ATX (not included) Power Supply - $62.05
I might go for something smaller but this one looks ok, however i don't get why it has the empty space where ODD and HDDs used to be, i'd much rather it was shorter given we no longer need these legacy devices or a radiator. Totally open to other suggestions, a few front ports, simple/elegant looks and good airflow are all I need. We live in the south US and like to let our house get to 80 deg before AC kicks in, so the latter is important. I'll add fans as needed. Also why are hot PSUs on the bottom nowadays?
Currently sitting at $898, https://pcpartpicker.com/user/Alelanza/saved/86LNGX
Appreciate your comments in advance,
Alex
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