[Aonarch]

August 2019 AMD Gaming Rig Builds

In case anyone has been wanting a nice desktop, this build is tried and true:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($197.75 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240L RGB 66.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($58.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus ROG STRIX X470-F Gaming ATX AM4 Motherboard ($165.00 @ B&H)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($94.99 @ Corsair)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 250 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($69.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($94.99 @ B&H)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 5700 XT 8 GB PULSE Video Card ($449.38 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT H500 ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Best Buy)
Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower Grand RGB Sync Edition 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($80.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1281.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-08-17 13:11 EDT-0400

For a single row radiator the Kraken M22 ($70) is amazing.

How to lower the price and stick to 1080p Ultra:
CPU, Go with a 2600, 2600X, or 2700X prices are fluctuating (Saves $80)
Asus TUF B450M-PRO GAMING Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard (Saves $40)
Storage, just go with one NVME drive, and reuse old SSD, the Intel 660p performs well and is inexpensive. (Saves $70)
GPU, go with a 5700 (Saves $50)
PSU, go with say a Corsair CXM +Bronze whatever is on sale probably a 550W. (Saves $30)
Total: $1010
This can destroy any AAA game at 1080p and play games at 1440p very comfortably

How to dip into 4k:
CPU, Stay with the 3600 or go with an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X (Adds $130) 8 cores vs 6, which is very important in upcoming games
CPU Cooler, Corsair H115i Pro $140 (Adds $80)
GPU, EVGA 2070 Super $520-550 (Adds $170)
Total: $1530-1660

4k Gaming:
CPU, the 3700x is still excellent (Add $130), but you can go with a 3900x if you want to go crazy (Add $200)
CPU cooler, the H115i Pro can handle the 3900x, but you can go with a triple radiator setup like a Corsair H150i PRO (Add $130)
Motherboard, not a huge difference, we are talking 1-3% better gaming performance, but go with an ASUS ROG Strix X570-F Gaming (Add $125)
Storage, might as well go top tier, Samsung makes insanely good SSDs/ memory dies, Evo 970 Pro/ Plus replace Intel with this 1TB (Add $130)
Memory, tighter timings same speed or higher, G.Skill Trident Z RGB 16 GB CL15 (Add $100), 16GB is all you need for gaming, Ryzen loves fast RAM (3200+)
Case, might as well upgrade NZXT H510 Elite (Add $100)
PSU, is still completely fine, but you can go with a say EVGA SuperNOVA P2 750W 80+ Platinum (Add $40)
GPU, RTX 2080, 2080 Super, 2080 Ti $650-1600, you will be doing a ton of research if you buy these god tier cards
Total: ~$2,000-3,300

A god tier build with open loop cooling etc is around $4,000.

 

[XClayX]

Your first build is similar to the one I've been day dreaming about.

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700x
CPU Cooler: Big Shuriken 3 or there's a few other low profile air coolers. Kindof avoiding an AIO.
Motherboard: Ideally an X470 ITX board
Memory: Whatever lower profile DDR4 36-- 16gb of ram looks good. Maybe RGB if I'm feeling fancy.
Storage: 2x M.2 drives (I think these boards have dual slots)
Storage: 2.5 in SSD 1TB
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 5700 XT 8 GB PULSE Video Card ($449.38 @ Amazon) <-- Yes, although the styling isn't great.
Case: ??? not sure yet NZXT H200 ITX Tower Case / Fractal Design Nano S / Cougar QXB / ( Streacom DA2 or N1case if I'm feeling like spending money)
Power Supply: Own... Seasonic 650 Gold

For real storage ideally just buy a NAS.


I built my first ITX build years ago, it was an AMD e-350 in a Lian lain case and SWORE I was never going to touch an ITX board again. I think the case was the issue at the time more then the board was. Now I kindof want the space back in the room our entertainment center is taken up by my current HTPC in a full size case.

 

[XClayX]

Looks like each of your builds has an AIO cooler. Do you have a preference or just what fits the bill? Brand, size, fan layout, fin count ect.

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

 

[Avus]

Looks like each of your builds has an AIO cooler. Do you have a preference or just what fits the bill? Brand, size, fan layout, fin count ect.

I would not recommend to go for AIO cooler unless you just want to spend more $$ or "look better" inside...

If AIO liquid cooler won't perform better than a good air/fan cooler for a 5GHz Intel CPU, it definitely won't have any cooling advantage for an AMD CPU.

Instead of spend $60 for an "extra" cooler for an AMD Ryzen 5 3600, I rather spend $50 an AMD Ryzen 3600X which COMES with a better Wraith Spire cooler and you get a "faster CPU" as a bonus.

Unlike Intel POS cooler, AMD Wraith Spire (3600X) and Wraith Prism (3700X and up) are actually very good coolers. If you really want to spend more $$ on cooler :screwy:, get Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO for $35US or Noctua premium coolers that beat most AIO liquid cooler. (in both cooling and quietness performance and less complicated)

* My mom's "hand-me-down" Intel i5-4690k with Cooler Master 240mm AIO cooler, both CPU and AIO still work BUT CPU pump are making a low level "whining" sound intermittently after 1.5year. Definitely not the quietest. It was my previous gaming system. I always :banghead::banghead: for spending $90 AIO for an i5-4690k instead of just get an i7-4770. Never do this stupid move again....

** My current HTPC using Ryzen 5 1600 and gaming PC using Ryzen 5 2600. Both using their stock coolers and run perfectly.

 

[Aonarch]

Your first build is similar to the one I've been day dreaming about.

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700x
CPU Cooler: Big Shuriken 3 or there's a few other low profile air coolers. Kindof avoiding an AIO.
Motherboard: Ideally an X470 ITX board
Memory: Whatever lower profile DDR4 36-- 16gb of ram looks good. Maybe RGB if I'm feeling fancy.
Storage: 2x M.2 drives (I think these boards have dual slots)
Storage: 2.5 in SSD 1TB
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 5700 XT 8 GB PULSE Video Card ($449.38 @ Amazon) <-- Yes, although the styling isn't great.
Case: ??? not sure yet NZXT H200 ITX Tower Case / Fractal Design Nano S / Cougar QXB / ( Streacom DA2 or N1case if I'm feeling like spending money)
Power Supply: Own... Seasonic 650 Gold

For real storage ideally just buy a NAS.


I built my first ITX build years ago, it was an AMD e-350 in a Lian lain case and SWORE I was never going to touch an ITX board again. I think the case was the issue at the time more then the board was. Now I kindof want the space back in the room our entertainment center is taken up by my current HTPC in a full size case.

Go with an Asus X470-I Strix, amazing board. I have the B350. Or you can grab a D-ATX/ D-ITX board, which is just a slightly taller mITX board where the GPU sits. DITX is awesome, the logic is if you have a GPU hanging off the motherboard anyways, the GPU is already occupying space in the case, so the board might as well join the party.

I'm not sure if the X570 mITXs are out yet for Asus, but honestly their aren't major improvements 400-500. Even 300-500 chipsets are minor (Besides guaranteed 3000 support out of the box).

My Asus B350-I Strix (mITX) has dual M.2, which is a MASSIVE feature. I couldn't find a single good mATX board with dual M.2. I had to go ATX.

https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/1046357-motherboard-tier-list-x570-update/

Looks like each of your builds has an AIO cooler. Do you have a preference or just what fits the bill? Brand, size, fan layout, fin count ect.

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

I know AIO is still a touchy subject, I'd say maybe 50/50 in the gaming world, but for my case (Cooler Master Elite 130) I have to run an AIO. I've been running water cooled PC's since the late 2000s, I even built a mineral oil computer in 2003... YES 2003. Commercial grade epoxy, acrylic, a dremel, and aquarium equipment.

As long as you PC has an AIO header there is no issue running an AIO. The header enables your MOBO to alert you if the pump is failing or has failed. If you do not have an AIO header you can cook your CPU if it fails.

I run a Corsair H60 in a push/ pull fan configuration with upgraded Corsair fans and it keeps my OC'd CPU almost ambient at idle.

I would not recommend to go for AIO cooler unless you just want to spend more $$ or "look better" inside...

If AIO liquid cooler won't perform better than a good air/fan cooler for a 5GHz Intel CPU, it definitely won't have any cooling advantage for an AMD CPU.

Instead of spend $60 for an "extra" cooler for an AMD Ryzen 5 3600, I rather spend $50 an AMD Ryzen 3600X which COMES with a better Wraith Spire cooler and you get a "faster CPU" as a bonus.

Unlike Intel POS cooler, AMD Wraith Spire (3600X) and Wraith Prism (3700X and up) are actually very good coolers. If you really want to spend more $$ on cooler :screwy:, get Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO for $35US or Noctua premium coolers that beat most AIO liquid cooler. (in both cooling and quietness performance and less complicated)

* My mom's "hand-me-down" Intel i5-4690k with Cooler Master 240mm AIO cooler, both CPU and AIO still work BUT CPU pump are making a low level "whining" sound intermittently after 1.5year. Definitely not the quietest. It was my previous gaming system. I always :banghead::banghead: for spending $90 AIO for an i5-4690k instead of just get an i7-4770. Never do this stupid move again....

** My current HTPC using Ryzen 5 1600 and gaming PC using Ryzen 5 2600. Both using their stock coolers and run perfectly.

You can also sell the Wraith Spire on ebay for like $40 and buy a Hyper 212 EVO or Noctua.

I've had a Hyper 212 Evo and a Noctua and they both are fantastic. I had a FX-8350 OC'd with a Hyper 212 Evo and it kept everything completely reasonable.

It purely is an aesthetic choice. Air coolers are cheaper and very effective. But if I am building a $3000 system with a tempered glass case, I'm going AIO.

I'd personally pony up for a 3700x instead of a 3600x. Or go 3600 with a Hyper 212 Evo and OC it. OC'ing now-a-days is so damn easy.

 

[XClayX]

I've been liking the look of the top down (downdraft?) cpu coolers lately. The last two builds I did ran 212 (evo / plus) coolers which work pretty well for the price. They just take up a huge a mount of space in the case. There's a few top down coolers like the Scythe Big Shuriken 3 and a few others that come close to tower cooler levels.

I like the idea of the CPU cooler removing the heat from RAM / VRM's although I've never seen any tests on its effectiveness. As pointed out previously the stock Wrath coolers are reported to be pretty decent so its really just looks at this point. With the ITX build idea, I've come to the realization that I've never "upgraded" either of my m-atx based PCs. Built them and just run it. So now I'm thinking why not go small "er" form factor.

 

[Hostile]

I’ve been running my 8700k @ 5Ghz with an AIO (240mm rad) for a couple years and am happy. It’s way quieter then a heat sink/fan would be.

 

[Aonarch]

Picked up a PowerColor Reference 5700 XT today for $330!!! Microcenter ftw.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[XClayX]

How loud is that reference card? I know a lot of people complain about them but day to day do your really notice it?

 

[BRealistic]

How loud is that reference card? I know a lot of people complain about them but day to day do your really notice it?

Stock fan curve?

 

[XClayX]

Stock fan curve?

Yeah I was just looking at the photo Aonarch posted. Open air case, reference care right next to where your sitting. Internet seem to rag on reference cards for being to hot and loud. Just wondering in your opinion if you feel its justified.

 

[Aonarch]

How loud is that reference card? I know a lot of people complain about them but day to day do your really notice it?

Stock fan curve?

Yeah I was just looking at the photo Aonarch posted. Open air case, reference care right next to where your sitting. Internet seem to rag on reference cards for being to hot and loud. Just wondering in your opinion if you feel its justified.

It was temporary until I picked up a 5700 XT Red Devil, which I got a few weeks ago.

The blower was very loud, but I undervolted it and manually adjusted the fan curve.

 

[BRealistic]

Yeah I was just looking at the photo Aonarch posted. Open air case, reference care right next to where your sitting. Internet seem to rag on reference cards for being to hot and loud. Just wondering in your opinion if you feel its justified.

Most Tek Utoobers seem to use open air benches for their cpu and gpu testing.
I guess that is considered the best case scenario (no pun intended), but blower style cards should definitely benefit from a full case with positive air pressure, which would help the blower fan push air through the card and out the back of the case.

 

[2pointSLO]

Picked up a PowerColor Reference 5700 XT today for $330!!! Microcenter ftw.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

Thermaltake P3? or P5? Any issues with the riser cable? Read that some had connectivity issues.

I have the P3(also white) but opted not to get the riser cable. I'm running an AMD build.

 

[BRealistic]

Make sure to get a quality riser cable versus a cheap non-name one.

Linus was able to do THREE METERS of PCI-e cable extensions!
Granted, these are high quality cables.

 

[2pointSLO]

Make sure to get a quality riser cable versus a cheap non-name one.

The Thermaltake cases have an option to buy them with the riser cable. Just read reviews that some had connectivity issues with them and to see what issues if any the OP had with them.

 

[FuelInMyVeins]

Little off topic, but do you guys have any recommendations for a gaming monitor that won't break the bank? I currently have 24" Asus with 1920x1200 resolution that I bought back in 2014. Really want something with higher resolution and preferably 27". Thanks:thumbup:

i7 4790k
MSI 1070 GTX

 

[BRealistic]

The Thermaltake cases have an option to buy them with the riser cable. Just read reviews that some had connectivity issues with them and to see what issues if any the OP had with them.

Science Studio just did a video about riser cables.
(Decent channel... but he still takes an SCDkey sponsor, which is dubious for a "real" channel since those cheap keys are meant for 3rd world countries)
He mentioned PCI-e gen 4 causes major issues with the cables.
Something about PCI-e gen 4 needs repeaters for the signal that the cables don't have.
You can change the PCI-e slots to gen 3 on his mobo.

 

[Avus]

Little off topic, but do you guys have any recommendations for a gaming monitor that won't break the bank? I currently have 24" Asus with 1920x1200 resolution that I bought back in 2014. Really want something with higher resolution and preferably 27". Thanks:thumbup:

i7 4790k
MSI 1070 GTX

probably too late for this...

 

[HarrisJrld]

probably too late for this...

Acer Predator xb271hu is definitely the best in 1440p 140Hz 27" market right now, better to save up than to buy something cheap and feel sorry later.