Check my build list? (getting close to ordering parts for two builds)

[wchang99]

EDIT: thanks for the help - have pulled the trigger and ordered the parts.

I'm getting close to ordering parts for two builds. Asking for people to check; hope I'm not making any mistakes (first time)?

The first system is for Dad, and will be an everyday internet/office computer with slightly better CPU to last a few more years (CPU always ends up the bottleneck for us as our computers age). I'm taking advantage of low prices for Ryzen 1st gen at Microcenter. I wanted GPU to be on par with what AMD introduced in the 2400G APU (wondering if this will become a new standard for iGPU's if Intel follows suit), so chose a GT 1030 which might otherwise be unnecessary.

Second system is for CPU-based rendering, everyday use and minimal gaming. Not sure if I'll wait for Ryzen 2700X, but if so, most of the other parts will stay the same. Similar GPU rationale as in the first system (I bought a used GTX 750 partly for 4 monitor outputs, and hoping it doesn't have reliability issues).

The PSU's are oversized, but wanted to allow ability to add 1x ~GTX 1060 in system 1, and either 1x ~GTX 1060 or 2x ~GTX 1060 or 2x ~GTX 1070 in system 2 (for GPU-based rendering, not SLI). I understand the Corsair CX650 in fact has only two PCI-E plugs so can't support 2x GTX1070 and above but can live with that.

Antec Three Hundred Two is kind of old school, but wanted ODD bays and airflow.

***System 1***
AMD Ryzen 7 1700                            $200 Microcenter
Asus PRIME B350-PLUS                        $60  Microcenter
GSkill Ripjaws V 2x4GB F4-3200C16D-8GVKB    $110
WD Blue 1TB                                 $46
Gigabyte GT 1030 2GB Silent Low Profile     $80
Antec Three Hundred Two                     $60
Corsair CX (2017) 550W Bronze               $50

total (not incl tax)                        $606

***System 2***
AMD Ryzen 7 1700X                           $250 Microcenter
CRYORIG H7                                  $35
Gigabyte GA-AB350-GAMING 3                  $70  Microcenter  
GSkill Ripjaws V 2x8GB F4-3200C15D-16GVK    $210
Toshiba P300 2TB                            $63
Gigabyte GTX 750 2GB (already purchased)    $70
Antec Three Hundred Two                     $60
Corsair CX (2017) 650W Bronze               $40 AR

total (not incl tax)                        $798

No CPU or GPU overclocking, and screen resolution for what little gaming occurs can be 720p if 1080p doesn't work. Might add case fans later (Antec 302 includes two). I am in the U.S.

Many thanks, I appreciate it.

 

[Crono]

No SSDs? Even if the budget is tight I would suggest getting an SSD for the OS and applications, even if it means cutting back on other specs or buying used parts (which is relatively safe for components like RAM and CPU). They make a world of difference in speed of almost everything in day to day use.

I'd step down to a Ryzen 5 1600 for your dad's system, which isn't much of a hit in performance in heavier multithreaded workloads (and negligible for everday productivity/browsing), and shouldn't hurt much even from futureproofing standpoint. Get an inexpensive 128GB or 256GB SSD for both systems. SSDs fare better over time versus mechanical drives as well.

Also there are plenty of cases with ODD support that have sufficient cooling, even with a trend towards plain front or full front mesh. Nothing wrong with the Antec if it has latest I/O support, but I'd personally go for cases from Phanteks, NZXT, Fractal Design, Thermaltake, Cougar, etc with better stock fans, better cable routing, and other more current features.

None of the components you selected or the 1060/1070 will run particularly hot even under load, so front mesh or side panel fan isn't strictly necessary.

 

[wchang99]

Thanks. Yes, I realized the HDD is the next remaining bottleneck on my Dad's system (and on mine too, other than GPU).

For my Dad, I was thinking that with the way he uses the computer, an SSD might not be noticeable most of the time: he leaves the computer on (other than sleep mode) and doesn't reboot much, and usually just keeps an instance of Chrome already open. He doesn't usually run games, heavy programs, or programs infamous for taking a long time to load (like Photoshop).

I was focused on doing away with his CPU bottleneck (his current computer is a Pentium 4 from 2004 which can't even play a lot of the streaming videos he tries to watch), but I think you're right in that an SSD also could be worthwhile. At the least, I'll present the option to him (possibly show him some Youtube videos showing SSD in action compared to HDD) and see what he thinks.

As far as the case goes, I knew of the Antec having some disadvantages such as smaller motherboard tray openings to pass cables through and awkward SSD mounts, but felt I could live with this since I don't work inside the case often, and subjectively preferred the appearance (didn't feel the disparity in function was too much). The price was also a factor compared with some cases, and I actually was avoiding a side window once I decided I wasn't doing an RGB build. Other cases looked at include Phanteks Enthoo Pro M, Fractal Design Focus G, Corsair 300R, several Cooler Master and Deepcool, Thermaltake Core V31.

Thanks so much. I definitely needed a pair of experienced eyes to go over my list and make sure there wasn't anything horribly wrong (I vetted everything to the nth degree, but as a first-time builder, you never know), and thanks for pointing out the issues.

 

[dlerious]

Cooler Master MasterWatt 650 for $32 after rebate. Don't know how long the deal will last. https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171113

 

[B-Riz]

If you are going to Micro Center for CPU and board, they have house brand SSD's for a really good price.

 

[Yuriman]

For what it's worth, I've found that in some cases a 7 year old laptop with a mobile Pentium dual core (Sandy Bridge) can be more responsive than a 6th or 7th gen desktop i7 with a spinning disk. Considering you can get a 128GB SSD from a reputable brand (Samsung, Intel) for $35, it makes very little sense to me to skimp on that.

 

[XavierMace]

For system 1, I'd drop the video card and processor and go with a 2200G. For a general web browsing system, the 2200G is a superior option to the 1700 and the onboard video is more than sufficient as well. You can then use that $180 to buy an SSD.

 

[wchang99]

Cooler Master MasterWatt 650 for $32 after rebate. Don't know how long the deal will last. https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171113

Thanks dlerious. Shortly after my last post, I already bought most of the parts, so I'm already committed to the Corsair model. I read (sort of) good things about it though, at Jonnyguru (PSU-oriented website and forum).

 

[wchang99]

If you are going to Micro Center for CPU and board, they have house brand SSD's for a really good price.

Thanks B-Riz - I didn't know about this. I'm starting to wonder about an SSD since I put the build together and the HDD (lack of) responsiveness is much more noticeable than I expected when the CPU was so slow.

 

[wchang99]

Thanks XavierMace and Yuriman. Yeah, I'm wondering if I was too adamant on the CPU speed compared to the HDD speed (even with the way my Dad uses the PC).

Yuriman - I'll look at lower-cost SSD's (from Samsung or Intel), as you said, as an add-on option.

(XavierMace - I already bought the parts before seeing your post. Thanks for your suggestion and I can kind of see it that way.)

 

[Yuriman]

When building low-cost machines, I often look for OEM-branded pulls, e.g. Samsung PM and SM (e.g. SM961) M.2 cards. You can get them for next to nothing on eBay and I've yet to have a problem with any of them. On the flip side, I've had a couple of no-name SSDs purchased new fail.

 

[Markfw]

This is what you want for memory: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820232205

Samsung b-die cas 14.

 

[wchang99]

When building low-cost machines, I often look for OEM-branded pulls, e.g. Samsung PM and SM (e.g. SM961) M.2 cards. You can get them for next to nothing on eBay and I've yet to have a problem with any of them. On the flip side, I've had a couple of no-name SSDs purchased new fail.

Thanks for that suggestion, as well. I think I might go with the other approach you mentioned - the new, reputable brand SSD, if you can find for cheap. (Although I may have given the impression of thinking about budget first, reliability is still more important to me in this build, so prefer a new over a used SSD.)

But, it's definitely good to know there are more options than I realized.

 

[wchang99]

This is what you want for memory: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820232205

Samsung b-die cas 14.

Thanks Markfw. I had already ordered the parts at the time of your post (my bad for not updating the OP to reflect this), but your suggestion of the cas 14 Samsung B-die is tempting. I decided to go with what I already have, though, since the difference is perhaps $25 if I ship my old RAM back, and from what I've understood so far, the latency would matter more in gaming? I did go out of my way to get 3200MHz, but that was enough for me. The amount of gaming I do will be limited, and any additional money I put towards that should be to a better GPU if it comes to that.

Thanks for your help, I appreciate it.