Questions regarding components for build

HI! I am researching parts for a future build. My build would look like this, in a nutshell, without all the details:

AMD Ryzen 5 1600
Asus Prime B350-Plus
16GB of RAM in a 2x8GB configuration @ 2400mhz or 3200mhz (maybe a bit lower or somewhere inbetween)
250GB or 500GB SSD (Samsung, Adata)
1TB or 2TB or 3TB HDD (preferably Western Digital)
GTX 1070 8GB with good cooling and decend price to performance ratio
PSU: 500-600W Bronze or Gold (is this a good enough range for the wattage?)
Thermaltake Versa H25 ATX Mid tower case (cheap, simple, enough space)

My monitor is a 21" 1080p @ 60hz LG - I will buy a better monitor because of the graphics card later, but I would like to hear recommendations. A higher refresh rate would be welcome, I will look at 1080p or 1440p models but only if the price is acceptable, like $200 to $300, maybe a little bit more.

Assume a budget of around $1200 but I'm not going to buy a GTX 1080 or a new monitor right away. Disregard an OS or peripherals.

I have a couple of questions:

1) I watched a Linus Tech video about RAM speeds where Linus states that 2400mhz is the sweetspot. Is that true? If so, what brands would you recommend for a 2x8GB setup? I've been considering Kingston (HyperX Fury and Predator XMP) and G.Skill (Aegis or Ripjaws). These are also RAM kits I can buy locally.

2) Regarding GPUs - what is the best GTX 1070 model? I've read that the MSI Aero is the worst of the bunch because it has reference cooling and has major overheating issues. Other than that, I don't really know which card to pick. Gigabyte, Asus or MSI are all pretty good picks from what I've read.

3) HDD - 5400 rpm or 7200 rpm? I am going to use it to store music and movies. I want to buy an SSD for windows and a few games. But since I know that games are just bloated now, I may consider installing them on the HDD. Thoughts?

4) SSD - 250GB or 500Gb? SATA3 or M.2? Which brands to consider?

4) PSU - Bronze, Gold or something better? How many watts? Which brand? Who should consider platinum rated PSUs and why? Which PSUs are considered a safe bet?

5) CASE - I am considering the Thermaltake Versa H25 ATX Mid Tower case since it can house all my components with ease, is cheap and simple.

If you have read all of this, thank you. :)
 

Jiniix

Well-Known Member
Looks like a good value PC.
1: RAM works different for Ryzen CPUs. Faster RAM is good, because the CPU is built by two modules that talk together tied by RAM speed/timings. Usually RAM speed doesn't matter.
2. The Aero from MSI is bad because it uses reference design, or blower-style cooler. It's only good in a bad airflow environment. I highly recommend ASUS' Strix coolers.
3. I doubt you can find 5.400RPM drives these days, unless you move to NAS/surveilliance/eco drives. A WD Blue or Black will always be 7.200RPM and is the standard today.
4. Get the size you want/need. Can't really help here. I prefer SATA over M.2, because I hate UEFI and all the troubles it can bring. M.2 usually is a bit faster though, and possibly more pricy. Samsung, Adata, Corsair and Crucial are all reliable brands today.
4(2). Bronze is fine, gold is good. The important part is the internal quality, which doesn't reflect directly on effeciency. Anything from Seasonic or XFX is the best, most from Corsair are great.
5. The Define R5, NZXT S340 or H440, Phantek Enthoo Pro / Eclipse P400 are all much greater cases in all aspects, and roughly only $20-50 more. The Verso looks flimsy to me.

I would also look at getting something like a Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo, or any other after market cooling. They are $20-40 and reduce temperature and noise substantially.
 
Thanks for the answers, and thanks for that compliment. I've been trying really hard to be more knowledgable about my parts, because I want to build this myself.

Funny you should say that about the HDDs because at the shop there are more 5400 rpm drives than 7200 rpm. I decided to get a Western Digital 1TB SATA3 64MB WD1003FZEX. I'll combine it with my older SATA3 HDD of the same sort and my external HDD. But now I have another question : when should I replace an older HDD?

SSD - then I'll just get the 250 gig one. Plenty of space.

PSU - Hm. I've been considering Seasonic S12II-620 620W or 520W. What do you think? Power consumption is at 326W according to pcpartpicker.

CASE - This is the weakest part regarding my pc tech knowledge. I simply don't know and really don't care about the case as long as it's big enough, has enough air cooling, has enough I/O ports and has USB 3.0 headers.

Phanteks Eclipse P400 Antracit PH-EC416PSC_AG - I like how this one looks. But maybe I will ask in the shop maybe they could recommend something. PCpartpicker flags it as incompatible because the GTX 1070 is so long it will block a drive bay. Should I be worried about an incompatibility note like that?

Will look into the cooler.
 

Cisco001

Well-Known Member
i usually reuse old one. You just need to 'health check' the HDD every so often.

Seasonic S12II 520W is cheaper.
 

Jiniix

Well-Known Member
I still have a bunch of Samsung HD320HJ's lying around. Old disks from like 2008. I've also had a disk die after few months.
Run a disk check if you're unsure, usually referred to S.M.A.R.T. check.
As for the PSU, personally I would buy the 620W, even though the 520W is enough. Ideally, you want your PSU to use 60-70% of it's power at peak, as it's the most effecient there.
About the case, I googled your exact model number for the P400 case and got this:
11-854-031-12.jpg

It will absolutely fit a 1070 :)
 

Agent Smith

Well-Known Member
You definitely don't want a 5400 speed HDD. Those are meant for laptops and they have slow seek times. And anything higher then 7200 will generate a lot of heat. So stay away from 10,000. Get a normal 7200 RPM HDD.

I have read that PSUs that say they're gold, bronze, etc, is all a marketing gimmick. It really doesn't matter and I'm sure the margins are negligible.

If you plan on overclocking you'll want fast RAM. The fastest you can afford and that the MOBO can support.

The GTX 1070 requires a 500 watt or greater PSU. Not sure on what the exact amp requirements are on the 12v rail, but I would get a 600 watt or better PSU.

http://outervision.com/power-supply-calculator
 
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Jiniix

Well-Known Member
The rating is not a gimmick by any means. It's a scientific curve regarding it's effeciency.
The power saving difference between bronze and gold can be used as a marketing gimmick, sure.
As you can see on the charts:
V1LyGhyG.png

For me (EU) the difference between bronze and gold is about 4%. That's not a lot. For a server house, the difference between bronze and titanium is closer to 8-10% - which they get a hard on for.
Note that these are the minimum values to get a rating. You could in theory have a bronze rated PSU that achieved titanium values at peak, but at idle it couldn't live up to the standard.
 
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Agent Smith

Well-Known Member
I said,

I'm sure the margins are negligible.

Looking at the difference from bronze to gold it's just a few percent. 5% to be exact. So you are spending buku bucks for a 5% savings?
 

Intel_man

VIP Member
I said,



Looking at the difference from bronze to gold it's just a few percent. 5% to be exact. So you are spending buku bucks for a 5% savings?
Higher rated PSU's often carry higher quality components to reach those ratings. Which also means their MTBF is often higher.
 

Agent Smith

Well-Known Member
Higher rated PSU's often carry higher quality components to reach those ratings. Which also means their MTBF is often higher.


Perhaps. But I know my Antec 520 Gamer has all solid Japanese capacitors. It's been pretty good to me for about 7 years now. I did run a line splitter and measured the current from the computer at load and it only consumes about an amp which is 120 watts. So I guess I'm really not putting too much of a load on the PSU. I want to use it with my new build with the i5 6600k. With any luck it will work.
 
I am kinda stumped on the motherboard though. I see that the MSI B350 Tomahawk is also a good pick for a board. It has less USB ports but supports higher clocked RAM. Thoughts?

Also, I have a 1080p monitor running at 60hz. Isn't the GTX1070 overkill for such a monitor? I don't really want to buy a 1440p monitor if I don't have to. I've been considering the GTX 1060 6GB ASUS Strix model. Switching to the GTX 1060 would fit more into my budget and could allow me to go for a 80+ Gold PSU.
 

Agent Smith

Well-Known Member
I wouldn't compare vid cards to monitors. The vid card is going to be more for gaming horse power then anything. If you don't want extra high settings in games, then go with a cheap card that supports your monitor res. Otherwise the GTX 1060 is a fine choice.

I never heard of the MS Industrial PSU before that you list in your sig.

What games do you play?
 
Because my PSU is trash.

I mostly play stealth games (Hitman, Thief, haven't really tried Splinter Cell or MGS), first person shooters, the occassional RTS or turn based game.
 

Agent Smith

Well-Known Member
So I reckon a GTX 1060 would suffice well for you then. Unless you have the cash to blow on a 1080. Definitely replace that PSU. The PSU is at the heart of the system and if that goes it could take your whole comp. with it.
 

Jiniix

Well-Known Member
You should get any PSU within your budget from XFX, Seasonic or Corsair. If there's a gold on sale at the price of a bronze, obviously get it. But don't put too much weight on it.
 

beers

Moderator
Staff member
80 plus ratings are just in relation to efficiency. Jumping from something like gold to titanium is generally not worth the cost.

You don't -have- to have a gold rated PSU, however. Using a lesser rated one would end up costing a few more bucks in electricity.
 

C4C

Well-Known Member
I am kinda stumped on the motherboard though. I see that the MSI B350 Tomahawk is also a good pick for a board. It has less USB ports but supports higher clocked RAM. Thoughts?

User preference. If you get 3000MHz RAM and have a lot of little things to plug in, you'll want the extra USB ports!
 
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