First Gaming PC Build Advice

3,324 Views | 60 Replies | Last: 4 yr ago by tk for tu juan
saltydog13
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AG
I'll be building my first pc later this year and am trying to do as much research as I can. If there's any improvements or changes to the parts I'm all ears. I'm going with all AMD as I want to take advantage of my 240hz freesync monitor.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/3QYdx6
Vade281
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Gotta post the shared link. This one is blank
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MGS
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I'd probably wait until the new Ryzens come out this spring before deciding on a CPU.
saltydog13
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AG
I think it should be good now
Vade281
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I recommend switching to the 2070 super at that price range.
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saltydog13
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Even though I have a freesync monitor? I don't know if it's g sync compatible. It's an Alienware 2518HF
aezmvp
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Don't know the performance for that monitor but free sync can very wildly. I'd also recommend picking up a second HD for long term storage and maybe a ssd for the games that you use semi regularly but don't keep on the m2 drive.
saltydog13
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AG
aezmvp said:

Don't know the performance for that monitor but free sync can very wildly. I'd also recommend picking up a second HD for long term storage and maybe a ssd for the games that you use semi regularly but don't keep on the m2 drive.

Yeah I didn't know if freesync is that big of a deal to stay with AMD gpu or go with nvidia. I play mainly FPS games
BourbonAg
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AG
Have you checked online to see if your Freesync plays nicely with G-Sync? Some do.
AGSPORTSFAN07
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AG
saltydog13 said:

Even though I have a freesync monitor? I don't know if it's g sync compatible. It's an Alienware 2518HF
I thought Nvidia caved and added Freesync compatibility....

Yup...here's the article:

https://www.techspot.com/article/1779-freesync-and-nvidia-geforce/

Quote:

There's also a fourth tier that Nvidia only talks about briefly. And that's the ability to use any FreeSync or VESA Adaptive Sync monitor with an Nvidia GPU via a toggle in the Nvidia Control Panel.

Nvidia claims that this is for "VRR monitors yet to be validated as G-Sync compatible" and says that when enabling the feature "it may work, it may work partly, or it may not work at all". Of course, only certified monitors are guaranteed to work, and by Nvidia's numbers -- 12 supported monitors out of 400 tested -- your prospects may look bleak, however the drivers do not restrict you and in reality every adaptive sync monitor is now supported. All you have to do is enable the toggle, and away you go.

Now, Nvidia spent a bit of time during their keynote and on the showfloor attempting to convince people that the G-Sync compatible program is necessary, because apparently non-certified monitors are rife with issues. They showed off monitors that were flickering and blanking, and basically used those examples to tarnish the entire FreeSync ecosystem. Nvidia claims the G-Sync compatible monitors they've certified do not have these issues, while any non-certified monitors likely will.
saltydog13
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BourbonAg
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Google your monitor to see if works well with G-Sync. Even though Nvidia cards now support Freesync via their G-Sync system, it only works well on certain monitors.
saltydog13
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AG
Seems to be hit or miss so I'll be sticking with either the 5700 or 5700xt
Vade281
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AG
Fair enough.
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saltydog13
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Is there that big of a difference between the 5700xt and the 2070 super?
tk for tu juan
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They are back and forth on how they perform game to game.

Vade281
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If I was buying one today, I'd get the one with RTX support.
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saltydog13
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I don't really have a preference since anything would be an upgrade from console.
FIDO95
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Done with console Fortnite are you?!?

I've been doing some of the same research. Someone on another thread posted this site and I have found it incredibly useful. I'm looking at a "great" build around $800.

https://www.logicalincrements.com
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
saltydog13
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AG
Yeah I'm not the biggest fan of FPS drops down to 10-15. Modern warfare would be much improved too, especially since there's FOV on PC. Just console gaming in general. I'd prefer the performance/customization of a PC
Philip J Fry
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AG
Still need a thermal management setup. What's your plan? Air cooled or water?
saltydog13
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AG
Is the stock wraith cooler not enough?
tk for tu juan
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It should be if you are not aggressively overclocking the CPU.
Vade281
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AG
I'm a big fan of the noctua dh15 cooler. No pun intended.
saltydog13
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AG
I think for the beginning I'll run the stock cooler and then upgrade to water cooled if needed. The NZXT kraken seems to have some of the highest reviews on PC part picker
HossAg
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I've heard driver support alone makes the 2070s worth it.
HossAg
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AG
One thing I noticed is that the Corsair AIO coolers have the tube connections to the pumps a lot closer, and the kraken can occasionally get in the way of the RAM when the Corsair won't.
tk for tu juan
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Got thru most of a similar (and first) build last night. Just need to install the PSU and route all the cables to the board, which I will do tonight. Will get a good idea on temps with the stock cooler this weekend
HossAg
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AG
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/z6kbwh

Just ordered my parts. Went with Ryzen 7/RTX 2070 Super combo. Also went with the 1080p Asus VG279Q 144 hz ips monitor. 1440p isn't a huge deal to me and I'd rather be able to lock at 144 in basically any game I'll be playing at high or ultra. Also looks the same as my current VG245h (great monitor).

Pretty excited about it, I'll post pics next weekend and and beginner's issues I run into that are worth noting.
saltydog13
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AG
Looking forward to pics of the builds.
tk for tu juan
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Pics of the somewhat finished build last night, the rats nest, and the final RGB glory. The hardest part so far has been figuring out the BIOS settings to get the USB drive to boot the Windows install and getting the correct formatting to transfer the Windows ISO I had downloaded to the MacBook Pro.



saltydog13
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AG
Did you just use the windows download tool to put it onto a flash drive for the new computer?
tk for tu juan
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I had downloaded it from Microsoft onto the hard drive on my Mac. It is a 5.3 GB iso file, so I had formatted the USB thumb drive to exFAT since FAT32 couldn't handle that file size. The new computer wouldn't find the disc image after multiple tries, so I found a driver for the MacOS to create a NTFS format on the USB drive; that still didn't work. I then reformatted the USB drive to FAT32 and tried splitting the file into smaller pieces and reforming it on the drive by using the Terminal commands "split -b" and "cat". While reforming the iso file it stopped at 4.3 GB since that is the limit for FAT32.

Finally after all of that, I realized I needed to take the individual contents from the iso file and place them on the thumb drive; booted right up to the Windows install. Lesson learned, just buy the Microsoft USB thumb drive at the store.
DayAg!
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S
Quote:

I'm looking at a "great" build around $800.
Dang man my video card cost almost that much. (EVGA 1080ti.)
"Poor soul, he was just too high strung. I'm afraid the strain was more than he could bear."
tamusc
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AG
tk for tu juan said:

I had downloaded it from Microsoft onto the hard drive on my Mac. It is a 5.3 GB iso file, so I had formatted the USB thumb drive to exFAT since FAT32 couldn't handle that file size. The new computer wouldn't find the disc image after multiple tries, so I found a driver for the MacOS to create a NTFS format on the USB drive; that still didn't work. I then reformatted the USB drive to FAT32 and tried splitting the file into smaller pieces and reforming it on the drive by using the Terminal commands "split -b" and "cat". While reforming the iso file it stopped at 4.3 GB since that is the limit for FAT32.

Finally after all of that, I realized I needed to take the individual contents from the iso file and place them on the thumb drive; booted right up to the Windows install. Lesson learned, just buy the Microsoft USB thumb drive at the store.
You can use the Boot Camp Assistant to create a bootable Windows 10 install USB drive when you're using a Mac.

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-create-windows-10-installer-usb-drive-mac
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