ReBuild X6 Desktop for General Home/Office Use

[Van G]

Need to rebuild my current system since I find it lagging when doing video conversions, basic video editing, and CAD.

Current:
Asus M4A88TD-V EVO-USB3
AMD Phenom II X6 1055T
16 GB Ram
Nvidia GeForce GT 240
Dell U2410
2xCrucial CT250MX SSD
2xSamsung HD204UI Sata HD
SeaSonic M12II 520 Bronze
Fractal R3 Case

I'd like to add a second monitor.
I'd like to keep the budget to $500 or less and reuse as much as possible.

Can I simply upgrade my video card and add a second card for second monitor?

If it doesn't make sense to simply swap cards what should I consider for CPU/MOBO and what can I keep from current system?

 

[RLGL]

Can I simply upgrade my video card and add a second card for second monitor?

Most of the video cards can drive more than one monitor.

 

[Van G]

I guess I should have asked, will I see a signifcant performance bump simply putting in a newer video card, or do I need to do a complete rebuild.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

I guess I should have asked, will I see a signifcant performance bump simply putting in a newer video card, or do I need to do a complete rebuild.

That really depends. The GT240 is ancient. It'll certainly help, but your CPU is the main culprit for video editing. As for whether it's worth it, that depends on what you're replacing it with.

If you're willing to do a full rebuild, you can get a lot of performance for $500. Main issue is buying new RAM, since new CPUs use DDR4.

If you can find a Ryzen 1700 cheaply, that'll be a massive performance increase. They're frequently on sale right now, AMD is trying to get rid of stock. Coupled with an A320-based AM4 board it doesn't have to be that expensive overall.

 

[Van G]

Ryzen 7 1700?

What board and memory would you suggest?

 

[Flayed]

[PCPartPicker part list](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/7C4tKB) / [Price breakdown by merchant](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/7C4tKB/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [AMD - Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7 GHz 8-Core Processor](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/bddxFT/amd-ryzen-7-2700x-37ghz-8-core-processor-yd270xbgafbox) | $288.99 @ Amazon
**Motherboard** | [MSI - B450 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Hy97YJ/msi-b450-tomahawk-atx-am4-motherboard-b450-tomahawk) | $114.99 @ Amazon
**Memory** | [Team - Vulcan 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/DH...-x-8gb-ddr4-3000-memory-tlgd416g3000hc16cdc01) | $84.99 @ Newegg
| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
| **Total** | **$488.97**
| Generated by [PCPartPicker](https://pcpartpicker.com) 2019-03-16 13:49 EDT-0400 |

 

[Insert_Nickname]

What board and memory would you suggest?

Anything will do. The 1700/2700 is only a 65W CPU, so both cooling and power delivery don't need to be anything fancy. It's more a question of what number of PCIe, SATA and (10Gbit) USB3 ports you need. StoreMI perhaps?

Ryzen's memory controller is a little funny, so you'll have to rely on the QVL list for a particular board. Generally it really likes memory using Samsung B-die (more expensive).

[PCPartPicker part list]**CPU** | [AMD - Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7 GHz 8-Core Processor]
**Motherboard** | [MSI - B450 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard]
**Memory** | [Team - Vulcan 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory]

The OP will likely need a newer graphics card too. A basic GT1030 should be an inexpensive add-on, perhaps dropping to the non-X 2700 is enough to fund that? Otherwise looks good.

 

[Van G]

Here in Toronto there is currently about a $50 difference between Ryzen 7 1700 & 2700. Do I spend the $50

MSI B450 or A320 board? Given price difference what options will I be missing if I don't OC for gaming?

RAM: Corsair Vengence LPX is priced better here for same spec DDR4-3000

Graphics: couple options? Will be running 2 x 24" monitors.

 

[Flayed]

Don't use an A320 board for an 8 core cpu the power delivery on the board won't be up to it. The 2700 is only 65W at 3.2Ghz the boost speed pushes up the power. There is a thread on here with someone trying to run a 2700x on a320, he had to buy another board.
corsair ram would be fine. graphics get a gtx 1030 or rx 550 or rx 560
1700 or 2700 the newer cpu is faster up to you if its worth $50

 

[Flayed]

I did another list as you are in Canada. I like doing lists lol I checked the motherboards QVL for memory compatibility.
[PCPartPicker part list](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/ZDqw4q) / [Price breakdown by merchant](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/ZDqw4q/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [AMD - Ryzen 5 2600X 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/6mm323/amd-ryzen-5-2600x-36ghz-6-core-processor-yd260xbcafbox) | $249.99 @ Amazon Canada
**Motherboard** | [MSI - B450M GAMING PLUS Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product...s-micro-atx-am4-motherboard-b450m-gaming-plus) | $114.75 @ Vuugo
**Memory** | [Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/MYH48d/corsair-memory-cmk16gx4m2b3000c15) | $151.99 @ Amazon Canada
**Video Card** | [Gigabyte - GeForce GT 1030 2 GB Silent Low Profile Video Card](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product...-silent-low-profile-video-card-gv-n1030sl-2gl) | $104.99 @ Amazon Canada
| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
| **Total** | **$621.72**
| Generated by [PCPartPicker](https://pcpartpicker.com) 2019-03-16 18:30 EDT-0400 |

 

[Flayed]

Thinking you may be better off with Intel as they have IGP graphics.
[PCPartPicker part list](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/2zP7NQ) / [Price breakdown by merchant](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/2zP7NQ/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [Intel - Core i5-8400 2.8 GHz 6-Core Processor](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/LHYWGX/intel-core-i5-8400-28ghz-6-core-processor-bx80684i58400) | $237.00 @ Powertop
**CPU Cooler** | [Cooler Master - Hyper T2 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/FNXfrH/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rrht228pkr1) | $24.50 @ Vuugo
**Motherboard** | [Gigabyte - B360M DS3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product...ds3h-micro-atx-lga1151-motherboard-b360m-ds3h) | $97.42 @ Amazon Canada
**Memory** | [Team - Vulcan 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product...x-8gb-ddr4-3000-memory-tlred416g3000hc16cdc01) | $109.99 @ Newegg Canada
| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
| **Total** | **$468.91**
| Generated by [PCPartPicker](https://pcpartpicker.com) 2019-03-16 18:41 EDT-0400 |

 

[Van G]

You have a passion for builds!

How does the IGP with i5 compare to GTX 1030?

 

[Flayed]

You have a passion for builds!

How does the IGP with i5 compare to GTX 1030?

The 1030 is much faster than IGP for gaming. For general desktop usage though it's fine. The IGP is good for playing video from streamig sites although I'm not sure if it will decode 4k video. Probably not.
I don't know anything about video editing so if that requires gpu horsepower the 1030 would be better. You can always add a discrete card later if needed.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

Here in Toronto there is currently about a $50 difference between Ryzen 7 1700 & 2700. Do I spend the $50

2700 has a better turbo implementation, slightly higher IPC (due to cache improvements) and a better memory controller. For $50? I'd say worth it.

MSI B450 or A320 board? Given price difference what options will I be missing if I don't OC for gaming?

Primarily StoreMI. You'll have decide whether that feature is worth it.

BUT if you're going with the 2700 you'll want the B450 as it has out-of-box support for Pinnacle Ridge. A320 board aren't guaranteed to have it, they might need a BIOS update first.

Don't use an A320 board for an 8 core cpu the power delivery on the board won't be up to it. The 2700 is only 65W at 3.2Ghz the boost speed pushes up the power. There is a thread on here with someone trying to run a 2700x on a320, he had to buy another board.

The 65W Ryzens will be fine on a A320 board. It's the 95W and higher parts that have trouble on low-end boards. The 2700X is a 105W part, and can go a lot higher (>130W). A 3+1 phase board is quite inadequate for it.

The 1700/2700 main strength is that they pack 8C/16T in a 65W envelope, so you don't have to spend a lot on the mainboard. There is even a 45W 2700E that can be passively cooled*, but it's hard to source and not worth the premium.

* https://www.arctic.ac/eu_en/alpine-am4-passive.html

 

[VirtualLarry]

If you can find a Ryzen 1700 cheaply, that'll be a massive performance increase. They're frequently on sale right now, AMD is trying to get rid of stock. Coupled with an A320-based AM4 board it doesn't have to be that expensive overall.

DON'T get an A320 board. Not with 3rd-Gen Ryzen CPUs coming down the pike, and some/many A320 boards, not even getting UEFI updates to support the Athlon 200GE and friend.

Get at least a B350, if you're planning on dropping in a 1700, and possible a 3rd-Gen Ryzen CPU.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

DON'T get an A320 board. Not with 3rd-Gen Ryzen CPUs coming down the pike, and some/many A320 boards, not even getting UEFI updates to support the Athlon 200GE and friend.

Just out of curiosity, which A320 boards would that be? I have an Asus A320M-K, and it runs AGESA 1.0.0.6 (BIOS 4207*), with full support for everything on AM4. Even including Bristol Ridge.

Want to know which brands to stay clear off. If they don't support their boards, I don't want to support them.

*There is actually a newer version (4406) available. Hinting at "Update AGESA 0070 for the upcoming processors and improve some CPU compatibility." Ryzen Gen3...?

 

[Van G]

Alright, so purchasing:
AMD - Ryzen 7 2700 3.2 GHz 8-Core Processor
MSI - B450 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard
Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory
Gigabyte - GeForce GT 1030 2 GB Silent Low Profile

Setting up the drives:
SSD 1 - OS
SSD 2 - StoreMI
HDD 1 & 2 - Raid 0
HDD 3 - Backup
NAS - Backup

Does StoreMI need an entire 256GB drive?
Can I still run 2TB HDD's in Raid 0?

 

[Insert_Nickname]

Alright, so purchasing:
AMD - Ryzen 7 2700 3.2 GHz 8-Core Processor
MSI - B450 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard
Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory
Gigabyte - GeForce GT 1030 2 GB Silent Low Profile

Looks good.

Setting up the drives:
SSD 1 - OS
SSD 2 - StoreMI
HDD 1 & 2 - Raid 0
HDD 3 - Backup
NAS - Backup

Does StoreMI need an entire 256GB drive?
Can I still run 2TB HDD's in Raid 0?

Caching a RAID array? Yes, that is certainly possible.

StoreMI can use up to 256GB for caching.

Depending on your storage requirements, I'd start saving for a >1TB SSD. Except for bulk storage and archiving, HDDs days are numbered. The jump in performance is well worth it especially for a work drive.

 

[Van G]

Sort of what I was thinking - these HDD's are into their golden years.

I'm assuming no need for StoreMI if I'm using 1 TB SSD and chucking all the bulk stuff onto the NAS.

$300 for 970 EVO 1 TB - Ouch

 

[Insert_Nickname]

Sort of what I was thinking - these HDD's are into their golden years.

I'm assuming no need for StoreMI if I'm using 1 TB SSD and chucking all the bulk stuff onto the NAS.

Unless you're doing something exotic like caching to Optane, no. Of course, you could combine a small fast SSD and large slow SSD. But there is little reason to, with SSD pricing as it is.

$300 for 970 EVO 1 TB - Ouch

Don't let the EVO moniker fool you. That's a high-end NVMe drive. With cost to match. For a budget NVMe drive, the Intel 660p is a better fit, if you're willing to risk long term issues with QLC NAND.

A large SATA drive like the 860 EVO or MX500 provides plenty of performance and doesn't break the bank. For a real budget SATA drive, there is the BX500 series. But it does come with some drawbacks.

 

[Sgt. York]

I need to do a complete rebuild.

That's fascinating!