Looking for PC Build Project Guidance (Paid)

1103p · Oct 18, 2018

Hello,

We am currently in the process of starting a PC build. Although we have built smaller projects in the past, we are still leery getting the maximum build value to dollar ratio with all the recent product releases, etc.

We are willing to pay somebody to create a complete PC build list through Newegg (our preferred provider for parts). We would like to outline our budget, desired functionality, etc. to ensure the best build possible for our needs.

Please let me know if this is the correct forum for this question. Also feel free to PM for additional details or inquiries.

Thank you

Eximo · Oct 18, 2018

That service is more or less provided free here by volunteers. If you have need of discretion, I suggest contacting a boutique builder that you can interface with on a more professional level.

1103p · Oct 18, 2018

Eximo :

Thank you for the response Eximo. We don't need discretion on this project at all. Was just hoping to avoid pitfalls, that would be obvious to a long-time builder but easily overlooked by a novice.

With that said, would the best option be to post our entire potential parts list and members could comment on why or why not to pick certain things?

jeremyj_83 · Oct 18, 2018

What you can do is use pcpartpicker.com to put together your build and then post it here and ask for advice. Also state what your budget is and what the main purpose of the computer will be.

1103p · Oct 18, 2018

jeremyj_83 :

I never knew of this amazing resource. Thanks again. Will post the build list in a few days.

Eximo · Oct 18, 2018

PCPartpicker is great for consumers, if you are going beyond their list of available parts, not so much.

Plenty of configurations that go beyond their compatibility checker and the parts that aren't available from common e-tailers don't show in their lists. It also has less utility the farther you go outside of North America, UK, mainland Europe, and Australia, where there are more computer stores that offer APIs for data scraping. Some nations are fairly well represented and you can put together builds, but pricing isn't always optimized.

chris.lucernoni · Oct 18, 2018

Eximo :

Well either way, there's no reason for them to pay for advice. This forum is more than capable of providing great information for just about any build that they are considering, etc.

Vic 40 · Oct 18, 2018

When looking for a certain part for instance psu can you at the left side click "Show merchants...",here can you check Newegg only so only their options and prices are shown in the list made. When posting a list use the "BB code" option to copy a list here.

1103p · Oct 18, 2018

Alright tried to work through some configurations off of a base build. This PC will be used primarily (75%+) for HD video editing/creation. Used for some gaming, but primarily video and graphics work for our business. Our total budget is $1000 or less. Should we look at upgrading anything CPU/GPU wise, as we have ~$100 extra to stay within budget?

All comments welcome. Thanks again all.

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 1800X 3.6GHz 8-Core Processor ($249.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC - Freezer 13 CO 4.0 CFM Ball Bearing CPU Cooler ($30.71 @ Newegg)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver - 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste
Motherboard: Gigabyte - B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Mushkin - Source 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($73.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus - GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB STRIX Video Card ($214.98 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT - H500 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($74.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair - TXM Gold 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($43.98 @ Newegg)
Wired Network Adapter: TP-Link - TG-3468 PCI-Express x1 1000 Mbit/s Network Adapter ($16.45 @ Newegg)
Total: $890.06

jeremyj_83 · Oct 19, 2018

I would do something along these lines. I added Amazon onto the parts list as the M.2 SSD is only available through them, and don't believe the price that pcpartpicker is showing it is only $99.99, so take off $100 from the total cost https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MDRUXNZ/?tag=pcpapi-20 The reason for all the drives is you have the 240SSD for your OS and application drive. The M.2 is used for your projects, it has a ~1.5 DWPD endurance rating for 5 years so you should be good for the video and graphics work to be done on that drive. The HDD is to save projects onto after they are complete, if it isn't needed it can be removed. The Ryzen 2700 comes with a good CPU cooler so that expense is used towards other things.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 2700 3.2GHz 8-Core Processor ($249.81 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI - B450M PRO-VDH Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($73.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill - Aegis 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Patriot - Burst 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($36.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: MyDigitalSSD - BPX 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($58.50 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI - Radeon RX 570 8GB ARMOR OC Video Card ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design - Define Mini C MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($77.76 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair - TXM Gold 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Wired Network Adapter: TP-Link - TG-3468 PCI-Express x1 1000 Mbit/s Network Adapter ($16.45 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Fractal Design - GP14-BK 68.4 CFM 140mm Fan ($12.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $1091.43
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-10-19 08:54 EDT-0400

Vic 40 · Oct 19, 2018

You don't need the networkadapter,there's a lan port on the i/o of the motherboard which will do fine.

I agree on the Ryzen 2700,but do not know why you ned to change motherboard.If you want that just get a really better option.With the networkadapter out maybe money you could spend on a motherboard with better/more features.

I do like the look of the RX 570,especially with that promo at newegg.

jeremyj_83 · Oct 19, 2018

Vic 40 :

I tried to keep some of their specs the same and figured they might have a need for dual NICs. But I agree that if it isn't needed then don't add it.

1103p · Oct 19, 2018

jeremyj_83 :

Jeremy, thank you for the input. We looked at and really like the suggestions. After you explained the reason for the multiple drives that makes sense as the SSD is significantly more $/GB. The CPU cooler is a bonus and the GPU is a great find. Thank you

On a side note, are there any other minor things that might not be obvious but could make the PC even more functional? For example (and a bad one probably at that), Bluetooth capability, optical drives, additional ports, etc.? As this build will be an investment for years, would like to make sure we do it right the first go.

Thanks again

jeremyj_83 · Oct 19, 2018

1103p :

The case I had chosen does not have any external 5.25" or 3.5" bays on it so if you wanted an optical drive you would have to use an external one that connects via USB. That being said if you think you will need one then it can be added, however, most of the time now no one needs an optical drive. What might would would be to get an external card reader. That way you can plug your SD, Compact Flash, etc.. directly into the computer. Bluetooth is again something that can be added later by a USB adapter, however, unless you want to have a Bluetooth mouse or have your phone connect to the PC I don't see a need for it on a computer.

Is this computer going to be connected to the network via Wifi or Ethernet cable? If Wifi I would suggest getting an adapter that would be installed onto the motherboard via the PCIe x1 slot with 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac capability. ASUS make a good one, the PCE-AC55BT B1 https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0713RRZMB/?tag=pcpapi-20 Other than that you should be able to add anything else externally if you find out that you need it later.

1103p · Oct 20, 2018

The case I had chosen does not have any external 5.25" or 3.5" bays on it so if you wanted an optical drive you would have to use an external one that connects via USB. That being said if you think you will need one then it can be added, however, most of the time now no one needs an optical drive. What might would would be to get an external card reader. That way you can plug your SD, Compact Flash, etc.. directly into the computer. Bluetooth is again something that can be added later by a USB adapter, however, unless you want to have a Bluetooth mouse or have your phone connect to the PC I don't see a need for it on a computer.

Is this computer going to be connected to the network via Wifi or Ethernet cable? If Wifi I would suggest getting an adapter that would be installed onto the motherboard via the PCIe x1 slot with 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac capability. ASUS make a good one, the PCE-AC55BT B1 https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0713RRZMB/?tag=pcpapi-20 Other than that you should be able to add anything else externally if you find out that you need it later.

Jeremy,

I have a couple questions. I noticed the case you recommended seems to already come with two 120/140mm fans. Can I remove that from the parts list? Or am I missing something else that will need that 140mm fan?
The computer will always be connected to our home Ethernet for large file upload/downloads, but the WiFi/Bluetooth capability would be nice. I also noticed MB's are available that include these capabilities built-in for about the cost of purchasing the PCI add-in. Is there merit in having an add-in part, as opposed to a built-in part, for transfer ability to another machine or MB in the future?

Thanks again

jeremyj_83 · Oct 20, 2018

1103p :

The additional 140mm fan is so that you would have 2x intake and 1x exhaust. This will make sure that your case has positive air pressure. What that does it it make sure that you have minimal dust buildup inside the case as the only places the fresh air can get into the case is via dust filter covered spots. With negative air pressure inside the case, any opening can suck air in which includes spots without the dust filters. Also hot air that was expelled from the case can be immediately sucked back in with negative air pressure.
You can go with a motherboard that already has Wifi built into it, however, on the B350 & B450 motherboards their Wifi cards aren't as powerful, or fast, as the Asus I recommended.

1103p · Oct 20, 2018

Thanks again for the help. We look forward to our parts arriving and completing the build. I may need to post a few more times during the build, if we hit some spacing/configuration snags.

1103p · Nov 25, 2018

Ok, I appreciated all the advice I received a month ago collecting a parts list for our build. I waited until this week to order to find some nice deals. I did have a question regarding the M.2 Storage and extra fan that was recommended with the build. What is the appropriate/most effective setup for those three drives. I expect the OS is going to be installed on the Patriot SSD and the bulk of the storage will obviously be on the Seagate drive. Where would the M.2 fit in? Maybe I understood incorrectly, but I did read that M.2 essentially is wiped blank once powered down unlike a SSD or regular hard drive. Even a point in the right direction to a guide for correct storage setup would be great.

As for the fan setup, would somebody possibly be able to make a quick sketch on the chosen tower in terms of the correct install points for all fans concerned to provide the "positive" pressure discussed early?

Thanks again for the help.

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 2700 3.2 GHz 8-Core Processor
Motherboard: MSI - B450M PRO-VDH Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard
Memory: G.Skill - Aegis 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory
Storage: Patriot - Burst 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Storage: ADATA - XPG 512 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: MSI - Radeon RX 570 8 GB ARMOR OC Video Card
Case: Fractal Design - Define Mini C MicroATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Corsair - TXM Gold 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus - PCE-AC55BT B1 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter
Case Fan: Fractal Design - GP14-BK 68.4 CFM 140mm Fan
Monitor: Asus - VZ279H 27.0" 1920x1080 60 Hz Monitor
Keyboard: Logitech - MK550 Wireless Ergonomic Keyboard w/Laser Mouse
Mouse: Logitech - G Pro Wired Optical Mouse

Vic 40 · Nov 26, 2018

1103p :

No the M.2 is a "harddrive" like an ssd,but faster so what you store on it will not be wiped. Read more and in certain tools when using as scratch disk you can set it to be wiped i found out.

From what i remember would you use the smallest ssd for storage of windows and programs and would the M.2 be used as "scratchdisk".Don't use tools like adobe for instance so google this.
one thing with basic info,
https://www.google.nl/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiC0qmMhvLeAhUJzKQKHZ4gA0QQFjAEegQIARAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FScratch_space&usg=AOvVaw3gQNdqxhw2nYAbCCZDYHpw

A common error in that program is "scratch disks full", which occurs when one has left the scratch disks configured to the default setting, being the boot drive. Many computer users gradually fill up their primary hard drive with permanent data, slowly reducing the amount of space the scratch disk may take up.

so don't make this mistake. Google scratchdisk anyway. Think in Adobe you are able to designate what drive to use for this,but that's just a guess,like you can choose what gpu to render.

For Adobe for instance,how to use/set up scratch disk,
https://www.google.nl/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj2k43ih_LeAhVC3qQKHQzBBuMQFjAAegQICRAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fhelpx.adobe.com%2Fpremiere-elements%2Fusing%2Fscratch-disks.html&usg=AOvVaw34Js46Pwt5F6Fmx79FoedZ

Saw you bought an extra case fan,if you put this in the front of the case next to the other 14cm fan would you get positive pressure.

The next will show you how to use the hdd for storage,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMo8krAJd5Q
Might well be that your hdd is already recognized so you could skip that step in that case. Other vids or tutorials can be found.

1103p · Nov 26, 2018

Thank you Vic for the guidance.

It makes sense regarding the fan placement that should be a easy setup. I dont know yet the length of the power dongle on that fan, hope it reaches the MB fine from that location.

I have tried to slog through reading more into M.2 use and specs. From what I have read the M.2 seems it should be the work horse. The transfer rates from the data I was seeing make it appear the M.2 will store and load data even quicker than the Patriot 240GB drive. As it can be arranged to not wipe on power down, would it make sense to essentially store all program installs on the drive to maximize loading and response times? The Patriot would maybe hold the OS files (and not sure what else) in that case? Although it would appear to be a waste to setup that way, as using only ~10-15% of the Patriot drive permanently would be a poor $/GB storage option.

I don't think I would ever make full use of any "scratch-disk" options, as even my large projects would never even come close to occupying 100+ GB at any time.

Vic 40 · Nov 26, 2018

Saw just now that your motherboard only has one system fan header so attaching the two fans that already come with the case will be a hassle,getting three on there form different parts of the case would i not recommend,maybe look at a different motherboard or a fan controller.

You could partition the M.2 and make use of one partition for programs,even install windows+programs there,keep the other partition for scratch disk and use the normal ssd for other stuff like maybe storing the few games you play if i read the thread well.

jeremyj_83 · Nov 27, 2018

The idea would be that the OS and applications like Word, Excel, Adobe Reader, etc... are installed on the SATA SSD. Games and projects are installed/built on the M.2 SSD as those would benefit the most from the extra speed of the NVMe drive, but it wouldn't be a "scratch disk" just the area where you run projects, ie still permanent storage just used for projects until it is finished. On the motherboard there are 2 system fan headers and 1 cpu fan header. You can either use a splitter to connect the front 2 fans to one header or use a molex adapter to have one of the fans powered. For the case all you have to do is move the pre-installed fan up as far as it will go and then install the other one below it. There will be directions in the case that shows how the fans can be installed (at least there were when I build a computer with the Fractal Design Nano S).

Vic 40 · Nov 27, 2018

jeremyj_83 :

Not on this one "MSI - B450M PRO-VDH".

1103p :

Was looking at that btw,but don't know if any more money can go to a bit better motherboard looking at features.

jeremyj_83 · Nov 27, 2018

Vic 40 :

jeremyj_83 :

Not on this one "MSI - B450M PRO-VDH".

1103p :

Was looking at that btw,but don't know if any more money can go to a bit better motherboard looking at features.

https://ibb.co/56VFp6x If this upload worked correctly, I don't want to sign up for any accounts, I circled both the headers. While there could be a better board out there, this one worked into the budget of the build.

Vic 40 · Nov 27, 2018

That picture indeed shows two,the specs list says,

1 x 4-pin CPU fan connector
1 x 4-pin system fan connector

If he could use a splitter to connect the two front to the lower one and the back fan to the upper would he be fine.
Other option.Know the fans are not pwm,but they will fit.
Did also see this,
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA6J35UD1023&Description=3%20pin%20splitter&cm_re=3_pin_splitter-_-9SIA6J35UD1023-_-Product

Looking for PC Build Project Guidance (Paid)

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