I'm Building a New Computer.

[Esper]

Hey there guys,
I'm a rookie in PC building and this is going to be my second build. This time I am going to document the whole process and hopefully teach other that may be interested in it as well.
Any advice you pros may have would be more than welcome.

Here are the (current) list of parts I have and am planning to get.

• Case: NZXT H440 MID TOWER (red) - In Posession
• MOBO: ASRock Fatal1ty Z370 Gaming K6
• CPU: Intel Core i5-8600K 
• GPU: EVGA GTX 1070 FTW
• RAM: Undecided
• SSD: Undecided
• PSU: Undecided
• Heatsink: Undecided

This is what I've got so far.

If anyone has suggestions for other parts, let me know.

[WARPed1701D]

I recommend using pcpartpicker.com to spec out your build. It helps identify configuration problems and find the cheapest supplier of the parts you decide upon. You can search/see other people's builds that match your components and learn from their mistakes. When I built my VR rig at the end of 2016 I was building a very powerful highly compact rig and seeing what others were using helped me work out things like what would fit in the space constraints of the case, what coolers would fit and not foul the RAM heatsinks, which PSU's were too deep and fouled the GPU etc.

This was my build spec https://pcpartpicker.com/list/XY8c3F. I never got around publishing it and doing a write up. Wish I had now.

[Esper]

10 minutes ago, WARPed1701D said:

I recommend using pcpartpicker.com to spec out your build. It helps identify configuration problems and find the cheapest supplier of the parts you decide upon. You can search/see other people's builds that match your components and learn from their mistakes. When I built my VR rig at the end of 2016 I was building a very powerful highly compact rig and seeing what others were using helped me work out things like what would fit in the space constraints of the case, what coolers would fit and not foul the RAM heatsinks, which PSU's were too deep and fouled the GPU etc.

This was my build spec https://pcpartpicker.com/list/XY8c3F. I never got around publishing it and doing a write up. Wish I had now.

I actually used that website for my first build. 
https://pcpartpicker.com/user/DNA_Instinct/saved/hDChP6

[Kens]

Now it a bad time to build a new system imho..

 

1st: because GPU and DDR4 ram are still tanking since they comes out.

Everyone blame cryptocurrency for GPU price.  Before cypto mania, GPU price will go down gradually in a year time. But this year GPU price are going up instead of going down. It just recently they coming back down close to their MSRP. I just can't stomach buying 10 month old card for the same price as when they are release.

 

2nd: Intel 9th gen rumored will be release in September: https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/intel-9th-generation-solder/

I'm not expecting humongous improvement over the 8th gen but when it comes out the 8th gen should be on sale making your i5-8600K much cheaper. And also if the 9th gen CPU uses new chip set then your Z370 mobo will be discounted too..

 

3rd: nvidia will release next gen cards in a month or two with almost the same price as the current gen card  right now.

Hopefully the new cards will be design solely for gaming and video processing purpose while nefring those who will use it for crypto mining.

 

I suggest you do more research on that next gen nVidia cards before opening your 1070 FTW this Saturday.. and wait few more month until Black Friday / Cyber Monday if you can then buy last gen components that will be on sale by then..

[Esper]

I appreciate that @Kens 

But prices have been fluctuating for over a year because of crypto mining. I am actually buying an unopened GPU second hand from a local in my area. They just had a kid, and don't have time for gaming like they used to. It would actually be a tiny bit more expensive than what I paid for my 1060 6gb.
As for the other parts, You may be right with price dropping, and since I still have not yet actually bought the motherboard, I can investigate cpu's more freely, But as the current cpu I want is only 260, I may or may not get it.
Also, this pc, though it may be pretty beasty for what it would be used for, is not for me, it is for my girlfriend.
The current machine she is using is my old old desktop which runs a gtx 660 

Another tip, If you hold [Shift] and press enter, you go to the next line, instead of doing a double space, it does a single space.

[Kens]

2 minutes ago, Esper said:

I appreciate that @Kens 

But prices have been fluctuating for over a year because of crypto mining. I am actually buying an unopened GPU second hand from a local in my area. They just had a kid, and don't have time for gaming like they used to. It would actually be a tiny bit more expensive than what I paid for my 1060 6gb.
As for the other parts, You may be right with price dropping, and since I still have not yet actually bought the motherboard, I can investigate cpu's more freely, But as the current cpu I want is only 260, I may or may not get it.
Also, this pc, though it may be pretty beasty for what it would be used for, is not for me, it is for my girlfriend.
The current machine she is using is my old old desktop which runs a gtx 660 

Another tip, If you hold [Shift] and press enter, you go to the next line, instead of doing a double space, it does a single space.

Trying [Shift] and enter...
Whoa it's closer!!! 

Btw, what she will be using it for? Word processing? Playing games? Editing video? Create a self-aware AI that will destroy humanity??

[WARPed1701D]

There is never a good time to buy computer parts. If you wait for prices to drop or new tech to be released you'd never buy anything. I'd have echoed your comment on the GPU 3 or 4 months ago but the crypto market is already tanking. 10 series cards are in stock again and selling at RRP. 

[Esper]

She would be watching youtube, and playing some games that are about 5 years old. I think her current list of games is, Sims 4 and Path of Exile. We would play some newer games but the options are severely limited right now. The choices of what she can do with it compared to what she is doing now can't compete. 

[Kens]

47 minutes ago, WARPed1701D said:

There is never a good time to buy computer parts. If you wait for prices to drop or new tech to be released you'd never buy anything. I'd have echoed your comment on the GPU 3 or 4 months ago but the crypto market is already tanking. 10 series cards are in stock again and selling at RRP. 

But the announcement is just 2 month away.. I'll agree with you if we are still 3+ month away.

27 minutes ago, Esper said:

She would be watching youtube, and playing some games that are about 5 years old. I think her current list of games is, Sims 4 and Path of Exile. We would play some newer games but the options are severely limited right now. The choices of what she can do with it compared to what she is doing now can't compete. 

1070 FTW should be fine then if you got it at a bargain price. For the CPU would you consider Ryzen platform? AMD tend to use the same CPU socket for few generations so you may not need to buy new mobo when she choose to upgrade.

For heatsink they have sale for AIO water cooler on Newegg: 
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103236
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103252

[Esper]

The case we have is Black and Red with a window. I was planning on that Mobo because its black and red. Is there a good AMD chip that is comparable in performance yet similar in price? I've always been a Intel fan, and I know how their stuff works. I'd want to be able to maintenance it myself without having to do a ton of research. 
I'll look into Ryzen and see if I can find one that is also black and red. I wonder if they have shrouded pcie ports! I've always wanted one of those. They look cool!

[Bob Eisenman]

11 hours ago, Esper said:

HDD: Undecided

Try a solid state drive (SSD) for faster boot times.

?

[Hunka Hunka Burning Love]

I haven’t built a system for quite a long time.  SSD RAID 10!  I set up a 1U hexacore server with four Crucial M SSDs, and it really was zippy.  Maybe a bit overkill for a home build, but the reliability factor and speed are nice.

[Esper]

8 hours ago, Bob Eisenman said:

Try a solid state drive (SSD) for faster boot times.

?

I was planning on that, but I forgot to put that up.  Good catch though. I like to get both though. one for storage, one for everything else.

[Bob Eisenman]

There is also a hybrid drive

http://www.microcenter.com/product/482146/FireCuda_1TB_7200RPM_SATA_III_6Gb-s_35_Internal_Hybrid_Solid_State_Drive

 

[Esper]

41 minutes ago, Bob Eisenman said:

There is also a hybrid drive

http://www.microcenter.com/product/482146/FireCuda_1TB_7200RPM_SATA_III_6Gb-s_35_Internal_Hybrid_Solid_State_Drive

 

Is that better than getting one of each?

[Bob Eisenman]

2 minutes ago, Esper said:

Is that better than getting one of each?

The last time I was considering buying one I read that the hybrid drive technology associates system boot type data to the flash memory SSD part while leaving games and other non-system data on the rotary disk.

??

[Esper]

3 minutes ago, Bob Eisenman said:

The last time I was considering buying one I read that the hybrid drive technology associates system boot type data to the flash memory SSD part while leaving games and other non-system data on the rotary disk.

??

First, What is that little icon thing that you have on the bottom of your post there? It doesn't show up on the PC and looks like little boxes that are faint to see.

Second, Yes that is also what I read before as well. Which means it would be better to have just a SSD, or one of each. I like to place really large games on the SSD to reduce loading screen times. In example, FO4 on my old HDD took about 1-2 minutes per loading screen. (bad I know) and when I got my SSD and moved it over, the load times are less than 20 seconds, with no loading screen being the fastest.

[Bob Eisenman]

7 minutes ago, Esper said:

It doesn't show up on the PC and looks like little boxes that are faint to see.

Interesting....they are emojis from Android 8 keyboard choices

 

11 minutes ago, Esper said:

Which means it would be better to have just a SSD,

SSD prices have come down in price quite a bit since a few years ago

 

 

 

[Esper]

17 hours ago, Kens said:

For the CPU would you consider Ryzen platform? AMD tend to use the same CPU socket for few generations so you may not need to buy new mobo when she choose to upgrade.

So, Should I go for the Ryzen 7 or the new Ryzen Threadripper? I've read that the new gen AMD is a lot better than anything Intel has right now. But it might just be overkill? Maybe not though as tech always improves.

[Esper]

Ahh that makes sense. The forum has their own emoji list. Those ones I can see. 

[Kens]

50 minutes ago, Esper said:

So, Should I go for the Ryzen 7 or the new Ryzen Threadripper? I've read that the new gen AMD is a lot better than anything Intel has right now. But it might just be overkill? Maybe not though as tech always improves.

Go for Ryzen 7 if you can spend a bit more than your i5-8600K. Threadripper is just a bragging rights for most people. I can assure you that clock speed is more important than core counts for casual user, semi-pro user, and gamer.

With that said you can get 6 more virtual cores (because of hyper threading) and bigger L1 L2 L3 cache with Ryzen 5 2600X for $20 bucks cheaper than i5-8600K:
https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/Mr2rxr,6mm323/

For storage if she does not store a lot of pictures and videos then consider splurging for 2TB SSD by micron that goes on sale few times a month lately for $200 ~ $250 on Slickdeals. Micron is OEM company means that they usually sell components to other businesses just in case you never heard 'em: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micron_Technology

For mobo just pick your poison: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/motherboard/#Y=600056&sort=-price&page=1
Everything is red and black in AMD land 

 

[Esper]

12 minutes ago, Kens said:

Go for Ryzen 7 if you can spend a bit more than your i5-8600K. Threadripper is just a bragging rights for most people. I can assure you that clock speed is more important than core counts for casual user, semi-pro user, and gamer.

With that said you can get 6 more virtual cores (because of hyper threading) and bigger L1 L2 L3 cache with Ryzen 5 2600X for $20 bucks cheaper than i5-8600K:
https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/Mr2rxr,6mm323/

For storage if she does not store a lot of pictures and videos then consider splurging for 2TB SSD by micron that goes on sale few times a month lately for $200 ~ $250 on Slickdeals. Micron is OEM company means that they usually sell components to other businesses just in case you never heard 'em: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micron_Technology

For mobo just pick your poison: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/motherboard/#Y=600056&sort=-price&page=1
Everything is red and black in AMD land 

 

Thanks! I'll for sure look into this in much greater detail over the next few days and let you know what I've picked. As for the Ryzen 5 2600X, is that better than the i5-8600K? I'm still learning what each spec means. 

[esaj]

I started building PC's in the mid-90's (back at the time of AT-power supplies, not ATX, where you could actually get the connectors wrong and burn the motherboard... ), but stopped doing that about a decade ago... plus I don't play much games these days,  6+ years in a game company kinda burned me out of it   So I can't really say what is good or not these days, but back in the day, I used to buy the "closer to top-end" GPU from the previous generation, which usually cost about half of the current gen, and wasn't that much slower (the difference could be like 10-15%). Sometimes you could find those used and in good condition for about 100€. Don't know if it holds true these days.

[Esper]

46 minutes ago, esaj said:

I started building PC's in the mid-90's (back at the time of AT-power supplies, not ATX, where you could actually get the connectors wrong and burn the motherboard... ), but stopped doing that about a decade ago... plus I don't play much games these days,  6+ years in a game company kinda burned me out of it   So I can't really say what is good or not these days, but back in the day, I used to buy the "closer to top-end" GPU from the previous generation, which usually cost about half of the current gen, and wasn't that much slower (the difference could be like 10-15%). Sometimes you could find those used and in good condition for about 100€. Don't know if it holds true these days.

If you are talking Nvidia, their 10 series is around 50% better than the 9 series. They are smaller, faster, and use less power too. Comparing the two cards I currently have. The GTX 660 in my old pc uses at max power, 300 watts, and the new GTX 1060 6GB uses 120 watts. The GTX 990 Ti is faster than the 1060 6GB by ~15% but the 1070 FTW is better than the 990 Ti by 25% so that is a 40% difference from the 1060 6gb to the 1070 FTW. 

I'm told this is the biggest leap Nvidia has done in generational tech for a long while. I'm curious how the 11 series will stack up when it comes out.

[Esper]

A question for anyone savvy with internet hardware lingo.

I'm planning on getting the Gigabit plan by comcast but I want to be prepared before I do it. I've taken the time to research what Modem and Router or combo I want and I've narrowed down my search to a few different options I'll place below.

My question; Should I go with a DOCSIS 3.0 24x8 channel modem or a DOCSIS 3.1 32x8 channel modem? The wifi speed is not really a problem as all the devices will be cable connected.

Here are the devices I'm looking at. All items being Netgear.
C7000 Modem/Router ~$190
C7500 Modem/Router ~$300
CM1000 Modem ~$180 With one of the following routers;
R6700 ~$100
R7000 ~$180

If I go for the two $180 options for a total of $360 would it be better to just get the C7800 for ~$400?

Edit: I've decided for the C7000.