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My First PC Build

VAVA Mk2

Member
Long time Xbox fan here and finally considering going gaming PC since MS is putting Halo and its other first party games on PC. Anyways, I am considering going with NZXT BLD and having them build a custom PC for me. Over time I want to learn more and upgrade parts myself as I need to, but just wanted to get everyone's thoughts on this build. Ideally want to have something good to play Halo Infinite on for 1080p (and eventually 1440p) at 144 Hz. Thoughts?

CASE:
NZXT H510i (White)
MSRP
$99.99
GPU:
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER - ZOTAC MINI
MSRP
$499.99
CPU:
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-Core 3.6GHz
MSRP
$199.99
CPU COOLING:
NZXT Kraken M22
MSRP
$79.99
MOTHERBOARD:
MSI MPG X570 GAMING EDGE WIFI
MSRP
$209.99
RAM:
Team T-FORCE Delta RGB 16GB 3200MHz
MSRP
$89.99
SSD:
MSRP
Intel 660p 1.0 TB
$119.99
HDD:
MSRP
Seagate Barracuda 4.0 TB
$99.99
POWER:
EVGA SuperNOVA 850W G5 Gold
MSRP
$149.99
RGBs:
MSRP
NZXT RGB Internal Lighting Kit
$59.99
ACCESSORIES:
MSRP
NZXT USB Expansion
$19.99
SOFTWARE:
Microsoft Windows 10 Home
MSRP
$119.99
SERVICE:
$99.00
BLD Assembly & Service Package Standard

$1,848.88
 

Chromata

Member
Considering NVIDIA is set to unveil Ampere soon, I think you're better off waiting for that than getting the 2070 Super.

If you buy this PC, you're already starting off weaker than next gen consoles (at least based on rumored specs on the GPU/SSD end).
 

VAVA Mk2

Member
Considering NVIDIA is set to unveil Ampere soon, I think you're better off waiting for that than getting the 2070 Super.

If you buy this PC, you're already starting off weaker than next gen consoles (at least based on rumored specs on the GPU/SSD end).
Good point. Will wait and see. Already have a One X so can play on that until I decide what to do.
 

A.Romero

Member
Chromata is right. Other than that I think you can find better RAM (brand wise) and a better SSD. At this point I think it's worth it to go for the pci express interface as the cost difference shouldn't be that long. In my experience you can cut 2 or 3 secs on heavy loading games like Total war.
 
Thats an excellent stating off build with lots of room to upgrade later.

Your chosen SSD is fine, normal day to day use and gaming you’ll never feel a difference between the more expensive SSDs.

On Ampere and nVidias next gpu, you’re looking at a possible announcement in March and the earliest availability only in September with only stock really being available and prices dropping to msrp in November’ish, put that in consideration if you want to wait.
 

Kenpachii

Member
if 1800 is you budget

Get 8 core ryzen at a minimum, however u can always slam in and upgrade the 6 core whenever u need tho, so not much of a issue really.
GPU is fine if you can wait on ampere probably june/juli launch wait tho.
Memory 16gb 3200mhz is fine
CPU cooler massive overkill.
RGB is just lights doesn't add anything towards your PC performance waste of cash in my view. If you like it where there you go.
Case u can buy whatever u want on that front.
SSD 1800 read and write is fine for now can always upgrade later on
570 is fine but expensive, more future proof for sure but could also be seen as a waste specially if you don't plan on upgrading much.
850 watt power supply, good quality one but total overkill, 750 would be fine. But can't complain about it i guess.
 
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It’s unlikely you’ll get 144fps for Infinite with a 2070 at either resolution in SP (MP will depend on the approach, whether it’s a small-scale arena shooter or if there’s some kind of BR component) but it’s unknowable until we have the game in-hand and are able to figure out how low the settings can be taken and whether the Slipspace engine is any good. The GTX 2070 is a great card for 1440p, but pushing frames that high only matters in MP games (anything north of 60fps in SP titles is acceptable).

You may want to consider waiting until the summertime when the 3000 series are announced and for the next line of Radeon GPU models (especially to see if headway gets made in making ray tracing more efficient). Granted, what news exists currently is wholly speculation, but if you’re gonna drop $500 on a GPU might as well try to get the best bang for your buck.
 
Have fun and enjoy op!

I always felt more of a sense of pride and satisfaction in building my own machines. Picking out all the components, considering power and appearances, and then putting it all together gives a nice sense of personalization and ownership. Ultimately much more satisfying than buying a box of the shelf, for me anyway.
 

VAVA Mk2

Member
Chromata is right. Other than that I think you can find better RAM (brand wise) and a better SSD. At this point I think it's worth it to go for the pci express interface as the cost difference shouldn't be that long. In my experience you can cut 2 or 3 secs on heavy loading games like Total war.
Yeah to be honest I would rather go with a Samsung EVO 870 1 TB M.2 but the price difference was substantial through NZXT. Would swap it out down the road after price drops or a sale on Amazon or New Egg.
 

VAVA Mk2

Member
It’s unlikely you’ll get 144fps for Infinite with a 2070 at either resolution in SP (MP will depend on the approach, whether it’s a small-scale arena shooter or if there’s some kind of BR component) but it’s unknowable until we have the game in-hand and are able to figure out how low the settings can be taken and whether the Slipspace engine is any good. The GTX 2070 is a great card for 1440p, but pushing frames that high only matters in MP games (anything north of 60fps in SP titles is acceptable).

You may want to consider waiting until the summertime when the 3000 series are announced and for the next line of Radeon GPU models (especially to see if headway gets made in making ray tracing more efficient). Granted, what news exists currently is wholly speculation, but if you’re gonna drop $500 on a GPU might as well try to get the best bang for your buck.
Is Big Navi 2 really going to close the gap on AMD vs nVidia? Obviously rumors until Apmpere and new AMD cards with Big Navi get unveiled, but my understanding is nVidia is still the way to go for GPUs.
 
Is Big Navi 2 really going to close the gap on AMD vs nVidia? Obviously rumors until Apmpere and new AMD cards with Big Navi get unveiled, but my understanding is nVidia is still the way to go for GPUs.
Nothing from the rumors I’ve been hearing suggest otherwise. But a competent competitor to the 2070 has been suggested, but it may very well be a competent alternative to a 2019 card, sticking to the trend AMD has had of being one step behind Nvidia’s output.
 

VAVA Mk2

Member
Have fun and enjoy op!

I always felt more of a sense of pride and satisfaction in building my own machines. Picking out all the components, considering power and appearances, and then putting it all together gives a nice sense of personalization and ownership. Ultimately much more satisfying than buying a box of the shelf, for me anyway.
I could do that and feel that way myself. Honestly how hard is it to build yourself one you pick out your gear? My concerns are static and cabling.
 
I could do that and feel that way myself. Honestly how hard is it to build yourself one you pick out your gear? My concerns are static and cabling.

Oh, I'm sure you could do it. Most anyone can do it. Static and cabling aren't too tough either. The best way, if you decide to build yourself is to, like many things in life, just dive right in and do it.

Edit: If you're really scared of messing things up, I might suggest putting together a trial run with a super cheap build or using old components you can scrounge up. That way, you'll feel more comfortable in the unlikely event that you screw up horribly. You'll be fine.
 
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VAVA Mk2

Member
It's not as easy as some people say, but it isn't that hard either. And there are plenty of youtube step by step guides to help you out.
Got it. Got some time to figure things out as I would not do it until after Ampere announcement and release and of course I know what spec requirements for Halo Infinite are.
 
Got it. Got some time to figure things out as I would not do it until after Ampere announcement and release and of course I know what spec requirements for Halo Infinite are.
Don't worry about static, either. You can wear an anti static wrist band, or just ground yourself first. A lot of people don't bother doing either because the risk is so minimal.
 

VAVA Mk2

Member
Nice rig, brotha

I just installed two extra SSDs into my PC this morning and I had forgotten how satisfying it is to tinker around a PC tower. I used to love building/installing components but other than GPU it’s been awhile

enjoy your new PC!
Thanks but haven't bought yet. Getting feedback/opinions on a potential build from NZXT BLD or potentially building myself later this year after I hear more about Halo Infinite PC requirements and Ampere is announced by nVidia.
 

AndrewRyan

Member
Since you've got such a beautiful PCIe 4 based system, I'd get an nVME 4 drive too. The MP600 is $140/500GB or $230/1TB. You probably don't need an 850w ps so can save a little there. I'd go to urcdkeys for your windows license and get get win10 pro for less than $20. Just install from a flash drive then enter the new key after installation in the settings. Agree with others that next-gen graphics cards should be a significant boost over todays cards so if you're running 4k, just get something to tide you over till they come out later this year. You're spending $80 on cpu cooler but I'd just go for the next best CPU and use the stock cooler instead, maybe a 3700x or 3800x. Don't think you need a better cooler unless you're OC. There are good sales, MicroCenter just had the 3800x for $280. Anyways, congrats on your future build!
 
It looks good, but as others said, maybe you should wait for the new cards. Amd is also supposed to have big navi this year.
And if you could bump that ryzen 5 to ryzen 7 you'd be golden.
 

VAVA Mk2

Member
Considering NVIDIA is set to unveil Ampere soon, I think you're better off waiting for that than getting the 2070 Super.

If you buy this PC, you're already starting off weaker than next gen consoles (at least based on rumored specs on the GPU/SSD end).
Since you've got such a beautiful PCIe 4 based system, I'd get an nVME 4 drive too. The MP600 is $140/500GB or $230/1TB. You probably don't need an 850w ps so can save a little there. I'd go to urcdkeys for your windows license and get get win10 pro for less than $20. Just install from a flash drive then enter the new key after installation in the settings. Agree with others that next-gen graphics cards should be a significant boost over todays cards so if you're running 4k, just get something to tide you over till they come out later this year. You're spending $80 on cpu cooler but I'd just go for the next best CPU and use the stock cooler instead, maybe a 3700x or 3800x. Don't think you need a better cooler unless you're OC. There are good sales, MicroCenter just had the 3800x for $280. Anyways, congrats on your future build!
Is that site legit? Can't believe how cheap I could get a Windows 10 Pro key for.
 

Chromata

Member
You shouldn't pay more than about 5 bucks for Windows 10. And it's all legal.

Not necessarily. It depends on how the keys were obtained, I know that they can be rescinded or deactivated by Microsoft but it's unlikely.

Either way, it's a common route so it's not like they'll single you out and put you in prison :messenger_squinting_tongue:
 

Justin9mm

Member
If you've got that much for your budget OP, I agree with others about waiting... Don't rush it before the next gen consoles are released. It's a while away yet and the X is more than enough to see you through until then.
 

Justin9mm

Member
Don't worry about static, either. You can wear an anti static wrist band, or just ground yourself first. A lot of people don't bother doing either because the risk is so minimal.
I second this, I've built many a PC's and never worried about it or had an issue.

If you are worried, just quickly touch something else first to ground you before touching the components, you'll be right!
 
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Bolivar687

Banned
I wouldn't spend that much on hard drives and there's no reason not to spend more than a couple bucks on a Windows license (not sure if reddit still has the microsoft software swap subs).

You should deal hunt on the case, GPU, power supply and ram and go for the CPU + Motherboard combos that a lot of places offer. Look out for and take advantage of mail in rebates.

I wouldn't spend $1,900 on a Ryzen 5 and 1070 build. Watch youtube walkthroughs a couple times with a similar motherboard and do it yourself. Static and cable management should not intimidate you.
 

GreatnessRD

Member
PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/c2rbRk

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($308.89 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken M22 Liquid CPU Cooler ($75.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard ($183.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($72.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($119.00 @ Adorama)
Storage: Seagate BarraCuda 4 TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($84.33 @ Walmart)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB BLACK GAMING Video Card ($653.98 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT H510i ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G3 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($108.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1798.12
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-23 18:48 EST-0500
 

mr.dilya

Banned
Quick question sorry to hijack the thread but I recently got a set up with a 2700x and RTX2060 6gb, 16gb DDR4 3000 mhz ram. How long will this set up hold me if I'm only looking for 1080p gaming, and maayybeee 1440p on occasion?
 

GreatnessRD

Member
Quick question sorry to hijack the thread but I recently got a set up with a 2700x and RTX2060 6gb, 16gb DDR4 3000 mhz ram. How long will this set up hold me if I'm only looking for 1080p gaming, and maayybeee 1440p on occasion?
You should be fine for a while.

Haven't built anything yet. Trying to determine what I should get if I go through NZXT BLD or recommendations for building myself.

I posted you a PC Part picker about three post up. :D
 

VAVA Mk2

Member
PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/c2rbRk

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($308.89 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken M22 Liquid CPU Cooler ($75.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard ($183.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($72.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($119.00 @ Adorama)
Storage: Seagate BarraCuda 4 TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($84.33 @ Walmart)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB BLACK GAMING Video Card ($653.98 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT H510i ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G3 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($108.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1798.12
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-23 18:48 EST-0500
Damn will have to keep that in mind and build myself. Gonna wait to see what nVidia's Ampere cards are like and required specs for Halo Infinite, though.
 
Damn will have to keep that in mind and build myself. Gonna wait to see what nVidia's Ampere cards are like and required specs for Halo Infinite, though.

Waiting to see is an endless tail to chase. Get a computer now, sell your video card later if you want to upgrade. There is always something greater just on the horizon.
 
If you're gonna spend that much then get a 3700X instead. Or better yet wait for next gen Ryzen and new GPUs unless there's something you really want to play right now.
 

scout62

Neo Member
Looks good but I would suggest a better cooler that will last a few upgrade, the M22 is not great compared to their other coolers.
 

Hostile_18

Banned
I'm not a pc gamer but that seems like alot of money just to game at 1080p when consoles will be 4k or close to it for a fraction of that price.

You could buy a XSeX and a PS5 and have money left for PSVR2.

Unless PC exclusives mean alot to you it dosnt really seem worth it IMO.
 

TheSHEEEP

Gold Member
Don't wait for new CPU/GPU, because new models come every year/two, and you want to play now.
And honestly, the very newest models are never needed the moment they come out.
You basically pay extra without getting any real use out of it. And then you won't know how well they will perform in the long run, because there was no long run yet.

I'd always suggest to go for one of the best cards that have already been out for a year or so if you have the budget for it.
Those have already been tested well and you know what you are getting.

Assembly is the best part of getting a new PC and its kind of hard to make a mistake nowdays.
Eh, speak for yourself.
I did it often enough and you are right that it isn't difficult any more if you can follow one of the plenty guides online.

But it is very time intensive, space intensive (you need good lighting, etc.), cable management is a nightmare especially if you assemble the entire thing yourself.
I'd gladly pay 100$ to get rid of all that nuisance - and could still do upgrades myself.
After all, you can always get more money, but it is impossible to get more time.

And 100$ is not that much. Assembling the entire PC can take a few hours (incl. all the other steps around it), and then you need to test it, of course - can't exactly give the customer something not well tested ;)
That's also one of the few parts that actually earn you any money, it's not like hardware is free for stores, either.
 
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Knch

Member
Eh, speak for yourself.
I did it often enough and you are right that it isn't difficult any more if you can follow one of the plenty guides online.

But it is very time intensive, space intensive (you need good lighting, etc.), cable management is a nightmare especially if you assemble the entire thing yourself.
I'd gladly pay 100$ to get rid of all that nuisance - and could still do upgrades myself.
It was never difficult, save space by putting the boxes under your desk, get a tiny flashlight for the one second it takes to hook up the front IO, pulling most of the cables to the back and/or shoving it in a drive cage really doesn't take that long. (If you bought a glass-backed case, you've brought the hassle on yourself :p and even so it would still be optional)
 

chigstoke

Member
I'd argue you could go to a 650w PSU really, think 850 is overkill in that build. I'd say your CPU cooler could be dropped a peg as well for some more savings. RGB you've listed is expensive so that could be a few quid saved again, and then your Win 10 license which if you were inclined enough, grab an ISO online and spoof activation.

I run a 650GQ with a 1800x, x370 Gaming Plus, Wraith RGB, RTX 2080, 16GB 2933, Recon3D, 1TB WD Black and 180gb Intel SSD (Can't remember model name) and with a bit of OC'ing and not noticed any power issues at all, after testing.

Every little helps, and you can put the savings into a pot for a new upgrade in the future or for something else you might want/need.
 

VAVA Mk2

Member
I'm not a pc gamer but that seems like alot of money just to game at 1080p when consoles will be 4k or close to it for a fraction of that price.

You could buy a XSeX and a PS5 and have money left for PSVR2.

Unless PC exclusives mean alot to you it dosnt really seem worth it IMO.
While true, my laptop (while running alright with some upgrades over the years) is 7 years old and my wife said rather than replacing get a desktop which makes more sense as I already have a laptop for work and a Chromebook for just lounging around and browsing so this makes sense.
 

AGRacing

Member
Why no photo?
I built one this week. First one in years and years.
Ryzen 7 3700X
Gskill 16gb ddr4 3600
Red Devil 5700XT
Tomahawk B450 Max
Intel 660p 512GB SSD
Adata 1TB SSD
4TB “bulk storage” drive
An ikea led light strip I had laying around ;)


8nfYJWq.jpg


Most fun I’ve had with this stuff for a long time.
 
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