New build advice

clough99 · 24 Jul 2021 at 12:11

Hi all,

My main PC has died this week there seems to be a bad issue on the memory bus ( mem tests failing with different sticks )
Despite cleaning the memory sticks and slots out it still is having issues - so it's time for a new rig

Currently I have an A68-hmplus mobo with an AMD A10-7860K APU and 16GB memory (patriot ddr3 12800) 2ssd 2hdd and a corsair vs450 psu.
and an asus r9290-DC20C-4Gd5 was added later

This has severved me reasonably well driving 2x1080p monitors. I mainly play wow and do some light cad work for 3d printing ( allong with the usual home browsing stuff)

so I've put together this spec on a site which is coming in at 806 pounds which is at the top of my budget.
I havent ordered this as I would love some advice first. I am looking to leave some scope for future changes.

Case : PCS 6003B BLACK CASE
Processor (CPU) : AMD Ryzen 5 3500X Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.1GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard : ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM) : 16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (1 x 16GB)
Graphics Card : 4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1050 Ti - DVI, HDMI, DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive : 512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply : CORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable : 1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling : STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste : STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card : ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card : 10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT

Thanks in advance !

Cadder · 24 Jul 2021 at 12:27

Have a look at this thread. I managed to spec up a decent new build for under £700 for a family member.

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/forums/threads/pc-build-under-700.18932726/

It allows for a bit of future upgrading too.

dfour · 24 Jul 2021 at 13:27

The ram you have chosen will hamper the ryzen chip big time. You need to use 2*8 and want 3200 mhz speed to get the most out of the ryzen. If you cant get that buy the cheapest ram configuration you can and replace it asap.

The case is junk. You would be better off getting the £48 one with 3 front fans and mesh on the front if your looking to buy from who I googled this as.

Cadder · 24 Jul 2021 at 22:58

Any update OP?

clough99 · 24 Jul 2021 at 23:14

Thanks for the input. That thread has given some food for thought and I'll be putting to gether a revised list of parts tomorow.

dfour yep the case is poor and I'll be looking for a better on - The one I have is 15 years old and had at least 5 different builds in over the years and is now showing its age, but it did well so I know the benifit of a better case - And thanks for the tip on the memory speed I'll make sure I go for a higher speed.

I'll report back later tomorow with the revised build . I'm lucky enough that the other half as agreed a decent budget with me

Quartz · 24 Jul 2021 at 23:18

Don't bother with a new GPU: your current GPU is just as good if not better than the 1050 ti. Save your money and buy a decent one when prices normalise.

And you want a B550 board, not B450, for PCIe v4 and better Ryzen 5000 support.

Tetras · 25 Jul 2021 at 02:33

Quartz said:
Don't bother with a new GPU: your current GPU is just as good if not better than the 1050 ti. Save your money and buy a decent one when prices normalise.

And you want a B550 board, not B450, for PCIe v4 and better Ryzen 5000 support.

This is very important, do NOT buy a 1050 Ti!

Your 290 is faster than even the 1050 Ti's replacement (GTX 1650).

The 3500X is a decent CPU, but it's usually barely less expensive than a 3600, which offers you 6 more threads.

If you're going B450 I'd suggest a B450 Tomahawk Max (ATX) or Mortar Max (M-ATX) instead, which are available on offer for £60 or £50 respectively.

Cadder · 25 Jul 2021 at 09:40

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/b-gr...cessor-retail-100-100000281box-bg-12w-am.html

EsaT · 25 Jul 2021 at 10:12

Quartz said:
And you want a B550 board, not B450, for PCIe v4 and better Ryzen 5000 support.

Don't think PCIe v3 would be any real bottleneck for graphics card good with 550W PSU until many years from now.

Quartz · 25 Jul 2021 at 10:44

EsaT said:
Don't think PCIe v3 would be any real bottleneck for graphics card good with 550W PSU until many years from now.

But PCIe v3 will become a bottleneck once Directstorage becomes a thing or if a second PCIe card is introduced.

clough99 · 25 Jul 2021 at 11:00

Tetras said:
This is very important, do NOT buy a 1050 Ti!

Your 290 is faster than even the 1050 Ti's replacement (GTX 1650).

The 3500X is a decent CPU, but it's usually barely less expensive than a 3600, which offers you 6 more threads.

If you're going B450 I'd suggest a B450 Tomahawk Max (ATX) or Mortar Max (M-ATX) instead, which are available on offer for £60 or £50 respectively.

Thanks !! I was debating about keeping my current GPU - and youve helped me make my mind up to do so - it also saves me a good chunk of budget to spend elsewhere.
The current GPU is filthy as a result of my old case not having any mesh filters so I'll hve to get cleaning.

clough99 · 25 Jul 2021 at 13:54

So this is now what I'm thinking of getting. I'm keeping my current psu and gpu and adding them to these

WD Black 500GB SN750 M.2 2280 NVME PCI-E Gen3 Solid State Drive (WDS500G3X0C)
**B Grade** RYZEN 5 3600XT SIX CORE 4.5GHZ (SOCKET AM4) PROCESSOR - RETAIL (100-100000281BOX)
**B Grade** MSI MAG B550 Tomahawk (AMD AM4) B550 ATX Motherboard
**B Grade** Kingston HyperX Fury 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 PC4-28800C17 3600MHz Dual Channel Kit
be quiet! Pure Base 500 Midi Tower Case - Black

I'm not too sure about the case as I would like something that would fit a 3.5 inch bay card reader in . But I am adding in my old drives (3x2.5 and 1x3/5 )

Thanks for all the advice so far - it's been very helpful and easy on the pocket !

mickyflinn · 25 Jul 2021 at 14:11

£200 for the 3600xt makes no sense especially when a 3600 new cost £170. Offer them £150 and make sure it comes with a cooler, motherboard offer them less vat.

clough99 · 25 Jul 2021 at 15:02

well processor swapped now to this one
**B GRADE** RYZEN 5 3600 SIX CORE 4.2GHZ (SOCKET AM4) PROCESSOR - MPK
the price difference doesnt make the 3600xt really worth the little extra
and going for the following case
PURE BASE 600 MIDI TOWER CASE - BLACK
I'll be able to add my card reader with an adaptor bracket
total 489.45 now so think I'll order tonight unless there are any alarmbells ringing with people

Thanks for all the input it really is appreciated

Cadder · 25 Jul 2021 at 15:51

How old is the power supply? I didn't notice a new one in your list.

clough99 · 25 Jul 2021 at 16:51

Cadder said:
How old is the power supply? I didn't notice a new one in your list.

its coming up to 5 years old. Would it be wise to change ?

Cadder · 25 Jul 2021 at 19:35

clough99 said:
its coming up to 5 years old. Would it be wise to change ?

I personally don't know but I have read plenty of similar threads where the advice was to replace the PSU.

If you're planning on getting a beefier GPU in the near future (like a 3080) and/or upgrade your CPU, getting a new PSU with a bid of headroom will give you scope for accommodating that.

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will jump in with the right advice.

clough99 · 25 Jul 2021 at 20:11

Cadder said:
I personally don't know but I have read plenty of similar threads where the advice was to replace the PSU.

If you're planning on getting a beefier GPU in the near future (like a 3080) and/or upgrade your CPU, getting a new PSU with a bid of headroom will give you scope for accommodating that.

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will jump in with the right advice.

Ive decided to play it safe and get a new cpu - especially when this one was at 39.95
**B GRADE** MODULAR POWER 700W 80 PLUS BRONZE MODULAR POWER SUPPLY

Cadder · 25 Jul 2021 at 20:46

clough99 said:
Ive decided to play it safe and get a new cpu - especially when this one was at 39.95
**B GRADE** MODULAR POWER 700W 80 PLUS BRONZE MODULAR POWER SUPPLY

What's the make and model? Did you check reviews?

clough99 · 25 Jul 2021 at 21:34

Cadder said:
What's the make and model? Did you check reviews?

it was a Kolink Modular Power 700W 80 Plus Bronze Modular Power Supply.

And reading a bit more I see these may not be a desired unit. I'm probably better spending a bit more and going with something like this
Corsair RM SERIES RM650 650W '80 PLUS GOLD' MODULAR POWER SUPPLY (CP-9020194-UK)