Ryzen 3400G Build for My Mom - Part Check

Darren

Moderator
Staff member
Hey Guys! Holidays coming up I felt it was time to finally replace the decrepit HP media center machine my parents have been using for nearly 10 years. I've done builds a few times now but figured extra sets of eyes couldn't hurt.

Usage is basic, web browsing, bills, email, etc. I understand it's a little overkill but I want it to last at least 5+ years and want to get her something nice as she's complained about the terrible Athlon triple core my dad bought her refurb'd in 2010.

In particular curious about the SSD as I'm a little out of the loop on them. Case because she likes purple, open to suggestions there on something small. The CPU is set but open to suggestions on the motherboard. Prefer MicroATX and can flash it out of the box if needed for the 3400G with my 1700.


PCPartPicker Part List
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3400G 3.7 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($130.00 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($70.98 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($79.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: ADATA XPG SX6000 Pro 512 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Case: DIYPC F2 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($39.92 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 500 W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.99 @ ModMyMods)
Total: $425.86
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-11-15 08:14 EST-0500


Probably toss their old 3.5" HDD in there as extra storage.
 

Intel_man

VIP Member
Honestly probably don't need a nvme drive for that use case. lol

Could probably save you a few bucks by going to a sata ssd in either m.2 or 2.5" form factor.

Do you need a WiFi card or is it going to be connected straight to the router/modem?
 

Darren

Moderator
Staff member
Honestly probably don't need a nvme drive for that use case. lol

Could probably save you a few bucks by going to a sata ssd in either m.2 or 2.5" form factor.

Do you need a WiFi card or is it going to be connected straight to the router/modem?
I think I put a PCI-E WiFi card in the HP I can salvage. If not I'll buy a good WiFi card, AP is on a different floor.

Yeah the M.2 NVME isn't necessary but it's not really any more expensive than a 2.5" SATA either. Longevity is more a concern than speed if anything, although unsure which would last longer. She's coming from an Athlon II X3, 4GB of RAM, unsupported onboard video in W10, and a 5400RPM drive. All of this is overkill haha.
 

Darren

Moderator
Staff member
Just my opinion, but that case is godawful ugly. I'd personally suggest this:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/rn...l-microatx-mini-tower-case-mcb-q300l-kann-s00

Built a friend's PC in one, they're pretty nice. Compact, too ^_^. Could always add some purple fans, but hey, that's just more money. So if she likes the case you chose, then stick with it.

Besides that everything looks a-ok to me.
I know her and I bet she'd like it, Dad agreed. Probably not the best to work in but I've done a few DIYPC MicroATX cases and they work well enough for a one off basic build.

I do quite like that Cooler Master one though.
 

Intel_man

VIP Member
I mean... if you're really worried about durability of the ssd, you could just go for Samsung's Pro lineup. They're pretty stupid expensive for what they are but they have a high MTBF and longer warranty than most of the other ssd's out there.
 

Darren

Moderator
Staff member
If it meant to last another 10 years, it may worth invest a little more on a decent PSU.
Probably right. Just ordered the case from above, a Corsair CX450M for $55 and some GSkill V 2x16GB 3200MHz for $60. Remember RAM being triple that not long ago... Considered buying myself a 2x16GB kit and throwing her my old sticks but probably unnecessary.

Will be watching Black Friday for deals, might journey up to MicroCenter in Overland Park (*cough* @beers) for a CPU/Mobo combo. Saw a 2700X going for $130 last week.
 

OmniDyne

Active Member
They're pretty stupid expensive for what they are but they have a high MTBF and longer warranty than most of the other ssd's out there.

Definitely stupid expensive and they really have almost no advantage at this point. All E12-based SSDs have higher MTBF, same warranties, and almost 1.5x the rated 5-year TBW endurance for a fraction of the price. Samsung 2-bit MLC really can't hold a candle to Toshiba 64L TLC unless sustained writes are your thing. The gap widens with E16 and Toshiba 96L over PCIe 4.0. Anything with SM2262 and Micron 64L/ 96L TLC outperforms and enjoys higher 5-year TBW warranties than more expensive Samsung Pro drives (again, sustained performance notwithstanding). Pretty much every NVMe-SSD based on any of these platforms enjoys a 5-year warranty, so Samsung has also lost the warranty advantage.
 
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Darren

Moderator
Staff member
y u no itx?
Thought about it but MicroATX is easier/cheaper generally and space isn't that big of a concern. Just didn't need it yuge.

Got all my parts here. WD Blue 3D NAND 500GB M.2, Ryzen 5 3400G, and an Asrock B450, all on sale on Black Friday. I'll throw up some pics this week for good measure when I build it Friday.
 

Intel_man

VIP Member
Thought about it but MicroATX is easier/cheaper generally and space isn't that big of a concern. Just didn't need it yuge.

Got all my parts here. WD Blue 3D NAND 500GB M.2, Ryzen 5 3400G, and an Asrock B450, all on sale on Black Friday. I'll throw up some pics this week for good measure when I build it Friday.
Hell yeah!
 

beers

Moderator
Staff member
I build it Friday.
Bro it's totally Friday where them shits at :p

Are there a good selection of ITX boards for AMD now? or is it the same old story back when Ryzen first came out and only a couple are available on the market.
I don't have an enormous exposure to them, I threw this guy into my wife's PC and it's pretty solid. Most of the other ones had similar features, it's a lot more convenient now with nvme where the only connectors you need are for power and front panel.

https://www.asrock.com/MB/AMD/Fatal1ty B450 Gaming-ITXac/index.asp
 
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