Opinions on this first gaming PC build

Beth

Beth

Beth

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8 Jul 2018
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Hi, here is my PC build for streaming gaming. I was wondering if anyone has any opinions. I'm not interested in overclocking and really want to stream 1080p with no lag. Do you think AMD is the way to go or Intel?

**Competitor links removed**

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600X 3.6GHz 6-Core Processor
Motherboard: MSI - X470 GAMING PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard
Memory: *ADATA - XPG Z1 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory
Storage: Crucial - MX500 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: Palit - GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8GB Dual Video Card
Case: BitFenix - Nova TG (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Corsair - TXM Gold 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bitMonitor: LG - 24MP59G-P 23.8" 1920x1080 75Hz Monitor
Total: £1310.34
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by ************ 2018-07-07 20:12 BST+0100
 
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Spankme said:
all those expensive components and your goin with a cheap and nasty case?
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Oh yeah, seconded!

I couldn't put such nice internals into such a cheap'n'nasty case either!

The thing is you don't have to spend too much to get a nice case. My Phanteks Enthoo Pro M is actually a very nice case, and it was only £15-20 more than the one you've specced. There's an InWin glass-sided case that's nice as well for around the same price. Hell, there are loads of decent cases in the £50-75 bracket that are much better than what you're looking at in terms of aesthetics, ease of build, features and airflow.

You will probably want at least reasonable airflow so that the 2600X can boost as well as possible. You don't need to worry about overclocking with these Ryzen chips, as they do it so well themselves with Performance Boost and XFR, giving nice single- or all-core boosts depending on what you're doing. However, these boosts are limited by both power draw and thermals. For that reason it's worth thinking about a case with good airflow, and also an aftermarket cooler (the stock one is okay, but it's definitely limiting the boosts on my 2600X and I'm going to get a new cooler in the next month or so). Guessing if you're streaming games you'll want the best FPS your set-up could manage?

From what I've read, the Ryzens are good options for streaming. The 8700k is probably better than the 2600X for this because it's got the same core count but higher clocks and IPC (of course, it's a fair bit more expensive). The 2700X with its extra 2 cores and 4 threads might do a fair bit better, but I'm not a streamer so I'd recommend researching that for yourself.

Another thing: that RAM is not going to be great for Ryzen! You want Samsuing b-die RAM or you'll likely have issues running it at rated speeds. Also Ryzen loves fast RAM, and performance scales very nicely up to 3200MHz at least. The easiest way to be sure you get decent stuff is to look for the 8-Pack kits on here.

I don't really know much about the motherboard you've selected, but I'd also recommend research into this if you want the best performance.

Oh yeah, you'll want to remove ALL references to OcUK competitors or you will invite the wrath of the mods!
 
Thanks, I've had a look at the case you recommended and I think I'm possibly going to get that one. I can't really afford an aftermarket cooler at the moment. I've looked into other CPU's but again don't really have much more money to spend. I see you have a similar build, do you think yours would be able to handle streaming?
 
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Would you say that this RAM is better? **Competitor links removed**

The problem is that I can't really afford it, are you sure the original one won't be suitable enough?
 
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Beth said:
Thanks, I've had a look at the case you recommended and I think I'm possibly going to get that one. I can't really afford an aftermarket cooler at the moment. I've looked into other CPU's but again don't really have much more money to spend. I see you have a similar build, do you think yours would be able to handle streaming?
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I couldn't afford a cooler either at the time I bought everything, but that's fine. The case is easy to work in and you can always add a cooler a few months down the line if you want better boost performance. My case was wired a bit wonky and so lacks a reset switch it seems, but I think this is a freak happening and otherwise it's very nice, with good airflow and easy to work with.

When I first started building PCs I always used the cheapest possible cases. The time I sliced my finger open on a sharp PCI-slot metal protrusion was the last time. :) Cases are an important part of any build too, as they dictate airflow (and therefore temperatures and performance), noise, looks, and how difficult it is to actually put together! :)

I have no idea about streaming, but having six cores and 12 threads for this price is a very nice option for streamers I would think. If this is your budget range I'd say it was a good choice.

Definitely change your RAM selection as well! You will regret it if you don't! Ryzen is a nice platform but it's very picky about RAM, and you don't want that holding you back for the sake of £20 or so more!

Beth said:
Would you say that this RAM is better?
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Nope, afraid not. 3200CL16 still looks like Hynix rather than Samsung b-die.
 
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Beth said:
Thank you for your help! What is the cheapest RAM that you think would work better?
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This stuff is probably the best. It's not cheap, but unfortunately good RAM isn't cheap right now. You could think of an Intel system with cheaper RAM as that's not as picky, so would be okay with cheaper kits. The CPU is more expensive though, and the socket is end-of-life, so it's swings and rounabouts.
 
Ok, thanks :) Do you think overall Intel would be better for streaming? I'm going to struggle to afford this RAM, is it going to make a big difference if I can't get it?
 
Beth said:
Ok, thanks :) Do you think overall Intel would be better for streaming? I'm going to struggle to afford this RAM, is it going to make a big difference if I can't get it?
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There is a pretty noticeable performance hit/boost with Ryzen with slow/fast RAM. In my opinion, it's better not to cut corners you'll regret later. There are some things (like coolers) you can upgrade later easily, but with RAM, you'd probably end up wanting to sell your kit at a loss and then upgrade. You can have a search of these forums to see lots of people having issues with lower quality RAM on Ryzen (not just performance, but running at rated speeds, stability).

I like the Ryzen platform in general, and that's why I switched from having an Intel system for 12 years or so. It's probable that a 8700k would be better for you than a 2600X right now, but I switched to Ryzen with a view to the options offered by forthcoming CPUs, and I bet that over the next five or six years I'll get more mileage out of this system with swapping a CPU in a couple of years than I would with Intel. However, of course the 8700k is over £120 more than the 2600X and that's way more than you'd spend getting better RAM. IMHO it doesn't offer £120-worth of extra performance (far from it!).

Really, though, in some ways (and not others - hello sky-high RAM and GPU prices!) it's a good time to be buying because both Intel and AMD have really strong offerings.
 
strumpusplunket said:
This stuff is probably the best. It's not cheap, but unfortunately good RAM isn't cheap right now. You could think of an Intel system with cheaper RAM as that's not as picky, so would be okay with cheaper kits. The CPU is more expensive though, and the socket is end-of-life, so it's swings and rounabouts.
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If your passionate on getting the best performance regardless what it is then you cannot go wrong with the above link, team group 8 pack ram is where it is at, with nice timings.

Edit

Yes amd ryzen 1 or 2 loves fast ram get 3200mhz ram at least.

Make sure you get a decent motherboard because amd will be supporting the am4 socket until 2020.

Also i hear of the VRM being hot problem on some AM4 motherboards but not mine for sure.
 
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lltfdaniel said:
If your passionate on getting the best performance regardless what it is then you cannot go wrong with the above link, team group 8 pack ram is where it is at, with nice timings.

Edit

Yes amd ryzen 1 or 2 loves fast ram get 3200mhz ram at least.

Make sure you get a decent motherboard because amd will be supporting the am4 socket until 2020.

Also i hear of the VRM being hot problem on some motherboards but not mine for sure.
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Yeah, for sure this is also something to take into account.

It's one of those cut corners you might regret later. Like I said, probably best to do some thorough research on motherboard choice, but it's not the one I'd go for. If needs must in terms of budget, then I guess it will do, but in terms of platform longevity I would want something that I was sure could deliver the power needed to the CPU without power ceiling or VRM heat issues. I went for the Strix X470-F gaming as the cheapest-best option. A lot of people like the Gigabyte Aorus 5 series at a similar price point. Of course what you have might be fine for your needs, but it depends on a few things - how long you want this platform to last, what your future upgrade budget/priority would be, what sort of FPS you'd want from which games, etc.

I'd add to the above - if you're shopping around for RAM, look for 3200CL14. That is very likely to be Samsung b-die, but it's always best if you can get confirmation that the RAM is of this make.
 
What I would go for in your position and budget around £1300-1400ish...

AMD:
My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £1,374.39 (includes shipping: £12.60)
​



Intel:
My basket at Overclockers UK:
Total: £1,415.83 (includes shipping: £0.00)
​


Or these is this pre-built AMD option if you prefer (you can overclock to 2600X levels of performance if you could stretch to it):
My basket at Overclockers UK:
  • 1 x OcUK Gaming Gigawattz - Limited Edition Ryzen 5 2600 Gaming PC = £1,286.98
    • Memory:Team Group Dark Pro "8Pack Edition" 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 PC4-25600C14 3200MHz Dual Channel Kit - Black/
    • Graphics:Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070Ti Gaming 8192MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card
    • SSD Option:WD Blue 3D NAND 250GB 2.5" SATA 6Gbps Solid State Drive (WDS250G2B0A)
    • Storage:Seagate BarraCuda 1TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache HDD - *System Stock*
    • Case:phanteks Eclipse P300 Glass Midi Tower Case - Black
Total: £1,301.08 (includes shipping: £14.10)
​

I think I'd go with the self-build AMD option, but all are viable for around your budget.
 
Beth said:
Would you say that this RAM is better? https://uk.************.com/product/sykwrH/gskill-memory-f43200c16d16gtzb

The problem is that I can't really afford it, are you sure the original one won't be suitable enough?
Click to expand...

What a great deal of people forget is value vs. performance, Ryzen systems lover faster RAM, with better timings also being a significant upgrade. However, getting a balance of cost to performance is the key when you have a budget.

The RAM you have listed is fine for the Ryzen 2600X, and it will run at 2933/3066MHz without issue at the rated C16 speeds, changing to 3200 C14 RAM will give you an upgrade in games, and other applications, of between 3-5% in the extreme, but it is adding anywhere from 20-56% more cost, which as a total component cost is a significant upliftt, without gaining the same back in performance.

If you look at the actual cost difference from the RAM you selected to that suggested Team Group Dark Pro, it is £78, that is enough almost to go from the 2600X to the 2700X, and if you are gaming an streaming, I know which one would offer better performance in the long term.

You'll want to keep the SSD at 500GB as you have listed, it offers an excellent price per gigabyte, and is about the fastest SATA bus based M.2 drive you can buy, presently.

The case is a personal thing, it adds zero real performance, as long as the airflow is not terrible but it can add a significant cost. You only need to look at the junk the pre-built systems here are put in to prove that if performance was an issue they wouldn't use them, since they are pretty nasty at best.

To sum it up, nothing wring with what you listed, it offers really good balance of price to performance. :)
 
Journey said:
What a great deal of people forget is value vs. performance, Ryzen systems lover faster RAM, with better timings also being a significant upgrade. However, getting a balance of cost to performance is the key when you have a budget.

The RAM you have listed is fine for the Ryzen 2600X, and it will run at 2933/3066MHz without issue at the rated C16 speeds, changing to 3200 C14 RAM will give you an upgrade in games, and other applications, of between 3-5% in the extreme, but it is adding anywhere from 20-56% more cost, which as a total component cost is a significant upliftt, without gaining the same back in performance.

If you look at the actual cost difference from the RAM you selected to that suggested Team Group Dark Pro, it is £78, that is enough almost to go from the 2600X to the 2700X, and if you are gaming an streaming, I know which one would offer better performance in the long term.

You'll want to keep the SSD at 500GB as you have listed, it offers an excellent price per gigabyte, and is about the fastest SATA bus based M.2 drive you can buy, presently.

The case is a personal thing, it adds zero real performance, as long as the airflow is not terrible but it can add a significant cost. You only need to look at the junk the pre-built systems here are put in to prove that if performance was an issue they wouldn't use them, since they are pretty nasty at best.

To sum it up, nothing wring with what you listed, it offers really good balance of price to performance. :)
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Well, I think you're right in that everything originally listed will work okay. But I always think when you're spending that much on a system you might as well ensure you have quality throughout if possible.

Whilst one system might work fine for now, I'd favour one that gives you longevity. You can paint yourself into a corner a bit if you've skimped on a case or a board - what happens if you decide you want to push the CPU with an aftermarket cooler in a year's time, for instance? Or drop in a more powerful Zen 2 CPU further down the line? That's the thinking I based my build on. I could have cheaped out on RAM, case and board, but I'm pretty sure I'll have this base system with a Zen 2 chip and an NH-D15 on it in 18 months or so, so it represents good value as I'm hoping that will last me another seven or eight years like my 2500k system did.

Is it possible to be that confident that the RAM will work at 2933C16 as well? I'm sure I've seen a few people on here struggling with stability with Hynix RAM, and I thought the general thinking was to avoid it if possible? (You can probably find cheaper b-die stuff if you shop around, btw, but we can't link to it here...)

The AMD system I specced above only adds <5% to the original cost, but is built with an eye to lasting performance and possible upgrades. OP, if you're sure you'll never OC the CPU or try to get the most of how it boosts (nor want to upgrade to Zen 2) then yeah, you can get by with cheaper components.
 
strumpusplunket said:
snip...
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I'm also believe that spending more is sometimes justifiable, but if it as the expense or sacrifice of other parts, and paying over the odds for a single component isn't wise most of the time.

As far as the OP's build suggestion goes it will be fine, and the RAM will work as I have already suggested. From the countless Ryzen builds I've done, not once have I missed getting RAM rated at 3000MHz or below to its rated speed or timings, and with Zen+ it is much easier than the first gen. People having difficulty were those with 3200+ kits trying to get precisely that, and in the early days of non mature BIOSs and early AGESA versions.

So, £219 for RAM, or £139, saving £80 which is enough to buy a 500GB SSD, or the 2700X upgrade.

Spending "only" £105 more than the budget suggested isn't really worth it, for the gains made. Especially when most of that is going on the RAM which is already over priced to begin with. :)
 
Journey said:
I'm also believe that spending more is sometimes justifiable, but if it as the expense or sacrifice of other parts, and paying over the odds for a single component isn't wise most of the time.

As far as the OP's build suggestion goes it will be fine, and the RAM will work as I have already suggested. From the countless Ryzen builds I've done, not once have I missed getting RAM rated at 3000MHz or below to its rated speed or timings, and with Zen+ it is much easier than the first gen. People having difficulty were those with 3200+ kits trying to get precisely that, and in the early days of non mature BIOSs and early AGESA versions.

So, £219 for RAM, or £139, saving £80 which is enough to buy a 500GB SSD, or the 2700X upgrade.

Spending "only" £105 more than the budget suggested isn't really worth it, for the gains made. Especially when most of that is going on the RAM which is already over priced to begin with. :)
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That makes sense. I'm sure I saw one guy in one of the Ryzen threads who was struggling to get his Hynix RAM stable above 2400MHz, but I guess that could be an outlying case of bad luck with board and RAM compatibility. It sounds like you've done a lot of work with Ryzen builds, so I bow to your experience on this. :)
 
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