Question Partial rebuild for Ryzen 3900x

[Fardringle]

Answers from the "sticky":

1. I'm looking to (finally) upgrade my very old main home PC. Primary uses are light gaming and heavy distributed computing (BOINC projects).

2. I'd really like to keep the budget around or below $800. Definitely need to keep it under $1000. I know that limits things, but it's all the boss (wife) will agree too. If she had her way, I wouldn't upgrade at all.

3. All parts will be purchased in the US.

5. Not a fanboy, but the Ryzen 3900x seems to be the best option for me right now to get as many fast CPU cores as possible on a limited budget for distributed computing projects.

6. Current PC is i7-3770, 32GB DDR3 RAM, 512GB Samsung EVO 850 SATA SSD, 2TB Western Digital HDD, EVGA GTX 1060, Corsair CX500 PSU, Corsair Carbide Air 540 case.
I'll be keeping the case, the SSD, the HDD, and the GTX 1060 (will probably upgrade the SSD to a cheap NVMe and maybe the GTX 1060 to something else eventually, but not any time soon). Might need to replace the PSU since it has two 6-pin PCIe connectors but only one 8-pin CPU connector and is only 500 watts.

7. Very light overclocking, if any at all. Not necessary, especially if running at stock will make it so the CX500 PSU will work.

8. 1080p light gaming

9. Want to build as soon as I sort out the best parts to get, but I can wait if price drops are expected in the near future.

10. No software really needed, but a 'discount' Windows 10 license could be useful to find in case my current license (upgraded to 10 from Windows 7) won't transfer.

These are my current thoughts on parts, but I'm not stuck on any of them except the Ryzen CPU:

CPU: Ryzen 9 3900X with Wraith Prism cooler: $450 from lots of places. Don't see it offered anywhere without the cooler. Microcenter has it for $399, but the closest one is about 800 miles away. I'd REALLY love to get the 3950X, but at almost twice the price it won't fit my budget.

Motherboard: Don't know. x570 is the best overall, but seem to all be well over $300. I've read that B450 boards are a good option for much lower cost for people who aren't using NVMe 4.0 drives (I won't be). A couple of sites recommended MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon (about $150).

RAM: Corsair Vengeance 3200MHz CL16 2x16GB - $147 and Crucial Ballistix 3600MHz CL16 2x16GB - $186 seem to be most recommended budget options, assuming they are on the QVL for the motherboard. 3600MHz is definitely preferred for my primary usage (distributed computing), but 3200MHz is fine if needed to fit the budget. I don't care about the color of the RAM, and definitely don't care if it has LED lights. Prefer not to have LEDs...

If the chosen motherboard has 4 RAM slots, then I can start with 2x8GB for now to save some money and get another 2x8GB later, but I will definitely want 32GB total eventually as some DC projects use a lot of RAM and I don't want to starve the 24 cores/threads of the CPU. If the board only has 2 slots, then I need to get 2x16GB right away.

PSU: If the current Corsair CX500 PSU will work, that's ideal as it leaves more of the $800 budget goal for RAM/motherboard. If not, then a good budget suggestion is appreciated. If the CX500 is borderline but will work short term, then I can get better RAM/Motherboard now and a better PSU later. I've run the build through several PSU calculators and all say that the system at 100% load will pull around 400 watts. I can also pull the 2TB HDD for a while if that will help make the CX500 work. The HDD just stores my movie collection so it doesn't necessarily have to be connected continuously.

 

[Flayed]

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.8 GHz 12-Core Processor ($439.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Best Buy)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $804.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-04-06 18:51 EDT-0400

 

[Fardringle]

Thank you for the suggestions!

I know that Noctua makes really good coolers for the Ryzen/TR chips, but is the included Wraith Prism cooler inadequate enough that it needs to be replaced right away?

Also, not including a PSU in your list, does that mean the Corsair CX500 should be OK at least for a while?

 

[Flayed]

Thank you for the suggestions!

I know that Noctua makes really good coolers for the Ryzen/TR chips, but is the included Wraith Prism cooler inadequate enough that it needs to be replaced right away?

Also, not including a PSU in your list, does that mean the Corsair CX500 should be OK at least for a while?

It is because you said you will be doing DC work with the new system that I picked the Noctua heatsink. The bundled cooler is fine when you won't be pegging the 12 cores at 100% but not for mining or DC work.

I think the PSU should be ok for a while, I would see how it goes and look to replace it in the near future.

 

[Fardringle]

I can't argue with that reasoning. 👍

 

[pauldun170]

I just went through this a few weeks ago and built a 3900x based system.
I'm going to recommend what I used for my system.
3900X - > $399 at microcenter but you already mentioned that you have hike to get there. So I'm guesssing you are looking at $450
Gigabyte Aorus Elite X570 - > $199 from anywhere
Memory -> 32gb Crucial Ballistic 3200 memory ($145 at microcenter)
Seasonic Focus gold 650 (I paid under 100 for it)
Scythe Fuma 2 -> 60 bucks

That should stay under your price ceiling and you won't be forced to take shortcuts or cheap out on critical components.

Very happy with the Auros Elite X570. Thermals and stability have been excellent. In my air cooled case where all fans are low speed silent fans, the chipset never gets hot enough for the chipset fan to come on.

I tried the included Wraith. It managed temps fine and between fan profiles and your airflow in the case you might find it acceptable. Under light utilization, it was an ok cooler.
I like a silent rig. The noise on the Wraith under any sort of load was completely unacceptable to me. Instead of jumping on the Noctua or Be Quiet pro bandwagon I went with the Fuma 2, which I highly recommend.

As for windows, if you can't transfer your existing license (you should be able to if it's a retail license) and you are dealing with a budget situation you do have an alternative.
Download the ISO of the version of Windows you want from microsoft and then then just run that un-activiated until you are ready to purchase a license. There is no impact other than the little "activate windows" in the bottom right hand corner. I don't believe there is a time limit and you will have full functionality.

 

[Fardringle]

I appreciate the suggestion on the Gigabyte Aorus Elite motherboard! It allows the CPU to run in the newest chipset available for it, and while it does cost more than B450 boards, it's a much better price than a lot of other X570 boards, and a couple of reviews that I read say that performance is equal or better than more expensive boards and it actually uses less power at idle and at load than pretty much all other X570 motherboards. Probably because it isn't covered in LED decorations that I don't want...

I really like the Gigabyte SmartFan 5 feature, too. The Air540 case has mounts for five 140mm fans (currently using 3), and being able to control the speed of each of them separately based on a nearby temperature sensor sounds very useful.

I'm wavering on the Fuma 2, though. The reviews I found say that it does a good job cooling the CPU, but that it is significantly louder than the Noctua NH-D15. I'll have to decide if extra noise is worth $30.

 

[mopardude87]

Yeah the Elite board looks good, i am getting the wifi version with a 3900x myself. I think it will be a good pairing Op. My psu like yours only has the single 8 pin but i believe all versions of the Elite are only 8 pin for the cpu.

 

[pauldun170]

I appreciate the suggestion on the Gigabyte Aorus Elite motherboard! It allows the CPU to run in the newest chipset available for it, and while it does cost more than B450 boards, it's a much better price than a lot of other X570 boards, and a couple of reviews that I read say that performance is equal or better than more expensive boards and it actually uses less power at idle and at load than pretty much all other X570 motherboards. Probably because it isn't covered in LED decorations that I don't want...

I really like the Gigabyte SmartFan 5 feature, too. The Air540 case has mounts for five 140mm fans (currently using 3), and being able to control the speed of each of them separately based on a nearby temperature sensor sounds very useful.

I'm wavering on the Fuma 2, though. The reviews I found say that it does a good job cooling the CPU, but that it is significantly louder than the Noctua NH-D15. I'll have to decide if extra noise is worth $30.

A note about the fan headers on the Elite.
It has 4 fan headers (CPU, CPU_OPT, System 1, System 2)
1 of them is going to be for CPU cooler. If you want to drive 4 fans in addition to the CPU you are going to need some splitter cables.
Keep in mind that with the exception of the CPU fan header, you can link any of the other fans to any of the sensors on the board. For example, I can have the rear exhaust fan tied to the CPU or the VRM mos OR system 1 OR system 2.

In my setup, I used the included splitter that came with the Fuma 2.
My current setup is a pair of Phantek 140mp's for a push pull and the big Cooler Master 200 up top.
Side note: I ended up removing the second intake fan after test revealed that it actually cause an increase in chipset temps when running. Just keep that in mind as you load your case up with fans.

As for the Fuma 2 vs NH-D15 debate.
I'd like to see where you are finding reports that its is significantly louder than a NH-d15. I'm pretty picky about noise and in it is exceptionally quiet in my case under normal usage. With the fan curves I have in place its either silent or being over taken by other fans in the system (Example - Gaming....the video card dominates the sound profile)

NH-D15, along with the dark pro 4 are highly regarded coolers and usually the great choices if you have the budget for it. I haven't heard a NH-d15 running at full blast so I can't directly compare but I will vouch for the Fuma 2. I have zero buyers remorse on it.

 

[Flayed]

I would like a Fuma 2 for my system but there is no stock in the UK :/

 

[UsandThem]

As for the Fuma 2 vs NH-D15 debate.
I'd like to see where you are finding reports that its is significantly louder than a NH-d15. I'm pretty picky about noise and in it is exceptionally quiet in my case under normal usage. With the fan curves I have in place its either silent or being over taken by other fans in the system (Example - Gaming....the video card dominates the sound profile)

Every Fuma 2 review I've read show it is far from being a noisy cooler. I'm not sure why the OP thinks it's significantly louder than the NH-D15.

https://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/9223/scythe-fuma-2-cpu-cooler-review/index6.html
https://www.techpowerup.com/review/scythe-fuma-2-dual-tower-cpu-cooler/7.html

 

[Fardringle]

I'm having trouble finding the specific reviews again, but I saw some that said the Fuma 2 is about 8-10 db louder than the Noctua NH-D15 at full load. Not loud, just louder than the Noctua...

The reviews in your links say that's inaccurate, so maybe just different testing methods.

 

[Shmee]

Depending on the age of the CX500, I would be very weary using it in a new system with a 12c CPU running DC. With the new system I would get a new PSU. 650-750W on quality one should be fine and also give you room to upgrade the GPU later.

Also, I would get a decent X570 board as mentioned, make sure you get one with good power delivery, as you are running the 3900X. They can be had for not too much. GL!

 

[pauldun170]

I'm having trouble finding the specific reviews again, but I saw some that said the Fuma 2 is about 8-10 db louder than the Noctua NH-D15 at full load. Not loud, just louder than the Noctua...

The reviews in your links say that's inaccurate, so maybe just different testing methods.

Aside from the Fuma 2 vs Noctua decision (lol....drove my self nuts with that as well), what have you decided on?
Keep in mind that if you decide on the Noctua, that will impact your memory options. Also you'll need to measure your case in case you have to do this

 

[Fardringle]

It seems the Scythe Fuma 2 is out of stock everywhere. And there aren't many ~650W gold+ PSUs in stock anywhere for less than around $180 at the moment.

The Carbide Air 540 case has about 170mm of clearance for the CPU heatsink, so there shouldn't be any problem with that..

I'm not sure which RAM I want yet, but I am pretty sure I want to spend a little extra to get 3600mhz cl16 RAM since some DC projects will take all of the memory bandwidth they can get, and lots of reviews say that 3600 is the 'sweet spot' for the Ryzen 9 3900x...

 

[pauldun170]

It seems the Scythe Fuma 2 is out of stock everywhere. And there aren't many ~650W gold+ PSUs in stock anywhere for less than around $180 at the moment.

The Carbide Air 540 case has about 170mm of clearance for the CPU heatsink, so there shouldn't be any problem with that..

I'm not sure which RAM I want yet, but I am pretty sure I want to spend a little extra to get 3600mhz cl16 RAM since some DC projects will take all of the memory bandwidth they can get, and lots of reviews say that 3600 is the 'sweet spot' for the Ryzen 9 3900x...

Seasonic 650s ?
Looks to be in stock. Just gotta deal with shipping cost

Seasonic USA FOCUS GX-650, 650W 80+ Gold, Full-Modular, Fan Control in Fanless, Silent, and Cooling Mode, 10 Year Warranty, - Micro Center

Get it now! The newly upgraded FOCUS GX series is the successor to the FOCUS PLUS Series in 80 PLUS Gold efficiency ratings, which became an instant the top seller in the power supply market after its launch, Seasonic engineers have made improvements on the popular series, removing the inline...

www.microcenter.com

Seasonic USA FOCUS GM-650, 650W 80+ Gold, Semi-Modular, Fits All ATX Systems, Fan Control in Silent and Cooling Mode, 7 Year - Micro Center

Get it now! The newly upgraded FOCUS GM power supplies are the successor to the FOCUS Series. FOCUS series' affordability, reliability and efficiency made it instantly became the top seller in the power supply market after its launch in 2017.

www.microcenter.com

 

[Fardringle]

That's more than I was hoping to pay for a PSU since it, along with the rest of the parts, will probably put me over my $1000 maximum budget, but at least it is a good one and actually in stock, so I appreciate that.

 

[pauldun170]

That's more than I was hoping to pay for a PSU since it, along with the rest of the parts, will probably put me over my $1000 maximum budget, but at least it is a good one and actually in stock, so I appreciate that.

Unfortunately, a PSU is probably the most important component in the system and pricing kinda sucks nowadays. You can count me among those that are suspicious of old CX500's but I'm sure you'll way the risks and make the decision that you feel comfortable with.

In regards to options, if Fuma 2 ends up a no-go, have you consider the Noctua D15S? You can always add a second fan if you need too. You might not and then you get the benefit of a slight lower sound profile than the standard D15.

Consider the next point as being about "budget minded"
As for memory, 3200 vs 3600. 3600 Cost more. Is it worth the cost? Aside from benchmarks, is there anything that you need to do that mandates peak bandwidth? Only saying this after watching people getting the cheapest "fast memory" they can afford vs the best memory they can afford and then listening to there complaints that they have spent all week trying to get their memory running to its rated speed.

Obviously, some these decisions get easier if you have confidence in your CX psu and won't get a new one.

Side note: Do you consider you CX-500 a silent PSU?

 

[Fardringle]

I haven't directly listened to the fan on the CX-500 so I can't give an honest answer to that specifically, but the computer as a whole is barely audible sitting under my desk with me in front of it except when the GTX 1060 is running under full load and then the GPU fan can be heard over everything else. And silence, while nice, isn't a high priority as long as it's not annoyingly loud.

I really should replace the PSU at some point even if I don't do it immediately, since it is at least five years old. I am tempted to try the system with the old PSU for a little while to make the budget easier, and then find money for a new PSU a little later, but I don't want to risk damaging something with the old power supply if that's a possibility...

The NH-D15S is interesting because of the better RAM and GPU spacing compared to the NH-D15 and nearly the same cooling performance. Only slightly cheaper right now, though, and a second fan (if needed) would cost more than the price difference between the two. Does make it easier to pick RAM since clearance isn't nearly as much of an issue with the D15S. The fan setup on my case might make a second CPU fan unnecessary as well since I can have a 140mm pointed almost directly at the HSF as a "long distance" push fan.

From what I've read, AMD says that 3600MHz CL16 RAM is the "sweet spot" for the 3900X and 3950X processors. And pretty much every brand I've looked at, the 3600 is only about $20-$30 more than the 3200 for 2x16GB. Many DC projects will make use of as much RAM speed as they can get. I don't HAVE to get 3600 RAM, but I would definitely like to..

 

[Fardringle]

Just for kicks, I put together a complete build on PC Part Picker, including all of the parts that I already have and will continue using (so the total price is completely inaccurate), and it says that estimated wattage for the system is 364 Watts. If that's at all remotely close, I might be able to squeeze by using the old PSU for a little while and get a new PSU when the wife approves more budget, and maybe have time to find something on sale.

I'm not sure about that specific G.Skill RAM, but it's a good price, has good reviews, and appears to be on the approved list for the motherboard.

I'm also debating whether to get the NH-D15S right away, or just use the stock heat sink for a while and hope someone gets the Fuma 2 back in stock again...

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/7jzxNq

 

[pauldun170]

Just for kicks, I put together a complete build on PC Part Picker, including all of the parts that I already have and will continue using (so the total price is completely inaccurate), and it says that estimated wattage for the system is 364 Watts. If that's at all remotely close, I might be able to squeeze by using the old PSU for a little while and get a new PSU when the wife approves more budget, and maybe have time to find something on sale.

I'm not sure about that specific G.Skill RAM, but it's a good price, has good reviews, and appears to be on the approved list for the motherboard.

I'm also debating whether to get the NH-D15S right away, or just use the stock heat sink for a while and hope someone gets the Fuma 2 back in stock again...

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/7jzxNq

I'm sure news like this doesn't help you pull the trigger today.

AMD B550 Motherboards To Launch on 16th June - Cost-effective PCIe Gen 4 Options For Ryzen 3000 CPUs

AMD will be introducing its B550 line of budget & mainstream motherboards for Zen 2 based 7nm Ryzen 3000 CPUs on 16th of June.

wccftech.com

As for the cooler situation....
The stock cooler will get the job done. With the right fan profile set and the right case fan setup you should be ok at stock speeds.

I ran the stock cooler for short while until the Fuma 2 showed up and I had gotten to the point where I could deal with noise levels under normal usage. Load was another story but like I said before, I'm a noise snob.

If you are going to put off a purchase for a bit, I'd hold off on the cooler.

Apply the savings to the PSU (The seasonics I listed are very quiet and well built).

 

[DrMrLordX]

@Fardringle

I'm surprised you're having so much trouble finding a decent PSU for under $180? There are Platinum units for less than that:

Choose A Power Supply

pcpartpicker.com

You might want to read reviews before picking up any of those units, but it's hard (though possible) to produce a genuinely bad platinum-rated PSU.

 

[Fardringle]

@Fardringle

I'm surprised you're having so much trouble finding a decent PSU for under $180? There are Platinum units for less than that:

Choose A Power Supply

pcpartpicker.com

You might want to read reviews before picking up any of those units, but it's hard (though possible) to produce a genuinely bad platinum-rated PSU.

Sorry if I wasn't clear on that. I don't really even want to spend $100 on a PSU right now, although I'll probably have to. The problem is that most of the ones that I actually checked on that PCPartPicker list are not in stock.

 

[DrMrLordX]

Sorry if I wasn't clear on that. I don't really even want to spend $100 on a PSU right now, although I'll probably have to. The problem is that most of the ones that I actually checked on that PCPartPicker list are not in stock.

I'm not a huge fan of EVGA G5, but if you're having problems finding something in stock:

Are you a human?

www.newegg.com

It'll work.

EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G5 Power Supply Review

The SuperNOVA 750 G5 is fully modular, compact, and promises for high performance. Will it be able to meet the popular Corsair and Seasonic offerings though?

www.tomshardware.com

 

[Fardringle]

OK, I need some follow-up help so I can get this system put together.

Amazon says they will have the Fuma 2 back in stock for $60 in about a week on 5/7, and Microcenter dropped the price a little on the Seasonic Focus Plus 650 Watt Gold PSU making it slightly less painful on the budget.

However, everywhere I've looked online says that the Gigabyte Aorus Elite X570 (and the wifi version) is out of stock with no expected stock dates, so I'd appreciate a pointer to someone that has it in stock. Or if not, a good alternative board that is in stock and compatible RAM to go with it.

Thanks!