Build Advice Appreciated!

[ChrisN_93]

Hi, I am dreaming to build my own gaming PC hopefully this year, I would love to get your feedbacks on it! Any improvements (that doesn't cost a lot of $$) that can be made on this build? Or you have any input that some parts are not a good match and should be replaced by others?

I'm not really educated in PC building so your advices are much appreciated!

Here are the build:

• Mobo : Asus ROG Strix B450-E Gaming motherboard
• CPU : AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6Ghz 6-core
• RAM : Corsair Vengeance 2x8gb DDR4-3000
• SSD : 2x ADATA XPG SX6000 Pro 256gb M.2-2280
• GPU : Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 6gb OC Rev 2.0
• PSU : Seasonic Core GM-650
• Case : Corsair 4000D Airflow
• Cooler : Stock fan

It will be used mostly for gaming and daily uses. A little bit of rendering but nothing too demanding. Am planning to use this PC for a long time. Currently as I said I'm not doing anything too demanding except for gaming, so I think the fan airflow will suffice and I won't be splurging on the cooling system. If I have to, I was thinking of installing the NZXT Kraken M22.

 

[ChrisN_93]

As digital said I would improve the storage 2x256GB isn’t very much space especially with the size of some games. If cost is a limiting factor I would change them out for 1x500Gb drive and see how you get on. Easy to add a second drive later then if you are low on space whilst still only using m.2 drives.

whilst the stock cooler that comes with ryzen CPU’s is far better than the stock intel coolers I still found it a bit noisy when the system was under load. I would either go for:
Arctic freezer 240mm which is a similar cost to the kraken you listed but with twice as much radiator capacity and gets really good reviews. https://www.overclockers.co.uk/arct...ormance-cpu-water-cooler-240mm-hs-07b-ar.html

or if you want to go air cooling for ease and to save a bit of money I would suggest a be quiet unit such as this - https://www.overclockers.co.uk/be-quiet-dark-rock-slim-cpu-cooler-120mm-hs-01g-bq.html

Since there are many drive slots I would be adding them later on if needed. But definitely will explore more to get the most out of it!
I've never had any experience with water cooling device but have always been interested in them. My plan is to try to go with the stock cooler first, if I need more then I will install a better one. The arctic freezer does have a load of positive reviews, added them to my watchlist!

Do you think my PSU is too much? the estimated wattage of the system comes to around 300-370W, i'm not sure what's the rule of thumb for it. I dont think i'll ever upgrade to the power hungry GPU like the 3080. so my power consumption shouldn't see any huge increase in the future.

 

[ChrisN_93]

My only concern is the storage. 256GB and todays games that will fill up rather quickly. Do you have a HDD lying about for games? or just using the 256GB for now until you get more?

Thanks! I think I should have one or two HDD which I can use here. Do you have recommendations for a better mobo or gpu choice that would fit better here?

 

[ChrisN_93]

You may be able to get a cheaper mobo, but with cheaper products you get less features generally. I recently bought my stepdad a B450 Aorus Elite and works fine with a Ryzen 2600 I got him as well. Second hand it was £67 so I would shop around. ROG products tend to be on the pricier side but they are nicer looking products and may have the features you want.

As for the GPU, that depends on what you're paying for it. It's quite hard to find reasonably priced GPU's atm so again, second hand may be worth it, may be not from a warranty view.

Edit: I'd recommend either this: https://www.overclockers.co.uk/msi-...ocket-am4-ddr4-atx-motherboard-mb-35u-ms.html (I use an X570 Tomahawk and they are very good boards)

or this: https://www.overclockers.co.uk/asus...ocket-am4-ddr4-atx-motherboard-mb-6fm-as.html

Both are 3rd Gen Ryzen ready.

True true.. Prices are quite crazy, I don't really have a deadline, so i might be buying some parts first, GPU might be the last thing i'll purchase, hoping the price would slow down by then. Thanks much for your tips man!

 

[ChrisN_93]

The unit you have selected is spot on. What you have selected is a sensible wattage with a good rating from a good brand. You might be able to save £15-20 be reducing to a bronze rated unit with non modular cables but I wouldn’t.

hmm do you think it's worth it to get the gold certified? I read up for the power saving it's kinda not really significant. I'm not sure if the certification has any bearing on the quality and safety of the machine though. Do you know anything about it?

 

[ChrisN_93]

Any rated power supply is fine. The reason the PSU you picked out is a good choice is that it has more than just a gold rating. It is semi modular which means that cable management is easier, it is the right wattage, it has a long warranty if there are any issues and is from a very reputable PSU manufacturer. You could go for something like this https://www.overclockers.co.uk/koli...us-bronze-modular-power-supply-ca-04j-kk.html if you were looking to save some money but the reviews aren't as good and the warranty isn't as long.

Consider that if the PSU fails at any point there is a chance that it will take other components with it, I would say that spending the additional money for a unit with a longer warranty (which means better quality parts) from a top manufacturer is worth it. There are areas of builds where you can save money with no noticeable difference and there are areas where spending a bit more is worthwhile. I would say PSU's fall in to the second category.

I just found out that I have a Seasonic SG12-550 (Gold) lying around that I can use! would work just fine right instead of a 650 PSU? =[