Rate PC Build

Quincystincy

Prominent
Jul 25, 2017
6
0
510
Hello everyone,

I recently got my first "real" job, and have decided to decommission Ol' Faithful and try my hand at building something from the ground up.

I'm a big PC gamer, so that's what I'll be primarily using it for. I also capture and edit video from time to time. Longevity is a must, so I'm hoping to build something that will last me for the years to come.

My price range is between $1200-$1500, and my build is within that. Let me know if you think this build would work out well, and suggest other parts if things don't look quite right!

Here's the link to my PCpartpicker build! https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Qf6LTH
 
Solution
1. For editing etc, and for longevity, I'd look beyond a Quad core chip at this time.
A Ryzen5 1600 would be a smart option in the pricepoint IMO.

2. What resolution do you play at? Do you have any intention of gaming beyond 1080p inthe relatively near future ? Would you upgrade the GPU in time?
A 1060 (6GB) is a solid 1080p card today, but for higher resolutions (or longevity), a 1070 may well be a smarter option.

3. A 120GB SSD fills up fast. I'd recommend a minimum 240GB

4. The NEX lineup of PSUs are pretty poor. Especially at the price, you can do much better.

5. Always buy your RAM in a "kit" sold together. Even the exact same models, sold independently can be problematic. Also, you should really be looking at higher...

Barty1884

Retired Moderator
1. For editing etc, and for longevity, I'd look beyond a Quad core chip at this time.
A Ryzen5 1600 would be a smart option in the pricepoint IMO.

2. What resolution do you play at? Do you have any intention of gaming beyond 1080p inthe relatively near future ? Would you upgrade the GPU in time?
A 1060 (6GB) is a solid 1080p card today, but for higher resolutions (or longevity), a 1070 may well be a smarter option.

3. A 120GB SSD fills up fast. I'd recommend a minimum 240GB

4. The NEX lineup of PSUs are pretty poor. Especially at the price, you can do much better.

5. Always buy your RAM in a "kit" sold together. Even the exact same models, sold independently can be problematic. Also, you should really be looking at higher speed RAM in a ~$1,500 build.


I'd suggest something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($197.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! - Dark Rock Pro 3 67.8 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler ($83.78 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI - X370 GAMING PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard ($106.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: GeIL - SUPER LUCE 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial - MX300 275GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($97.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($66.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1070 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card ($434.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Phanteks - Enthoo Pro M Acrylic ATX Mid Tower Case ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($62.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1246.47
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-07-25 14:42 EDT-0400

That keeps SLI options open etc. You could do it even cheaper by removing that functionality from the equation, going with a B350 board and opting for a cheaper cooler (or using the stock cooler if you wanted)...... you could even take it in mATX form factor and look at a different/smaller case (I really like the look of the MasterBox Lite 3.1)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($197.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock - AB350M-HDV Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($66.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: GeIL - SUPER LUCE 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial - MX300 275GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($97.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($66.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1070 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card ($434.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($62.98 @ Newegg)
Other: MasterBox Lite 3.1 mATX Case with DarkMirror Front Panel and External ($46.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1129.58
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-07-25 14:46 EDT-0400
 
Solution

Quincystincy

Prominent
Jul 25, 2017
6
0
510
Thank you for such a detailed answer! I really didn't expect someone to put in that much effort! To answer a few of your questions.

Editing - A very minor priority. Something I do rarely, but frequent enough to consider a processor that doesn't bog the process down a whole lot (as well as the other inherent benefits of a fast cpu) .

Resolution - I don't plan on going farther than 1080 at this point, but I do plan on using duel monitors (one for gaming, one for web browsing/console gaming/anything else). I already have a more than capable 1080p 144hrz display.

SSD - The ssd would be only used for my OS and perhaps a few select programs/games. The one's you've suggested are cheap enough for my wallet so I think I'll take your advice.

Once again, thank you for your quick and thorough answer! If there's anything else you'd recommend, I'd love to hear it!
 

Barty1884

Retired Moderator
Yeah, while opting for more cores seems of little benefit when editing is so minor of a priority, some games are starting to use >4 cores.... and, while Intel's offerings are quite simply "better" from a gaming perspective (the "best" being the i7-7700K), the "bang for your buck", longevity & "all rounder" winner(s) are in the Ryzen lineup.

Consider the price differences. i5-7600K, 3.8-4.2GHz stock. $225 (and then Z270 boards are a minimum $100) so $325 for a Quad Core.

An i7-7700K 4.2-4.5GHz stock is $310 + board. So $410 for a 4C/8T

Then the Ryzen5 1600 takes a drop in clock speed to 3.2-3.6GHz (although it's a lower, 65W TDP), gives you 6C/12T and can be paired with a cheaper $60-70 board which allows overclocking for around $260-$280.


Depending on the titles you play, a 6GB 1060 may not be capable of 144Hz 1080p gaming, to keep it in line with your refresh rate, a 1070 would be beneficial - and should last a little longer.

As for the SSD, while people generally think a 120GB would suffice as they'll only put their OS on there; An OS can add up over time with updates etc, and then you forget to redirect a sizeable game file.... and the 120GB fills up fast. You have to put a solid amount of time into storage management, which can be (somewhat) negates by a 240+GB drive. Bulk storage still goes to the HDD (music, videos, pics.... even save game files if you wish), but you have the room to install all of your frequently used programs/games to the SSD without an issue.