Edit 3:
After reading all the comments and a bit research, here is my final selection (still open to suggestions):
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/BX2C9J

  1. Graphic Card: PowerColor RED DEVIL Golden Radeon RX 580 (the price is cheaper for some reason but I heard that it is fat, not sure if it will fit with stock cooler of 2600) (also RX 580 perform better than 1060 in Witcher 3)
  2. CPU: Ryzen 5 2600
  3. Motherboard: ASUS Prime B450-Plus or GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO WiFi (cannot decide)
  4. RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 3000MHz or Corsair Vengeance LED 16GB (2X8GB) DDR4 3000MHZ (I can buy this at local store at cheaper price rather than LPX version, although LED is not needed at all. 2x4GB 3000MHZ price is also nearly 60% of 2x8GB) or go with 1 Corsair Vengeance LPX 8 GB and add another one later
  5. Case: Fractal Design Focus G Black Window ATX Mid Tower Case 
  6. Power Supply: Seasonic Ssr-550fm Focus Gold Series 550w (Although minimum System Power requirement for PowerColor RED DEVIL Golden Radeon RX 580 is 600W)
  7. Heat Sink and Fan: None, can be easy upgrade later.
  8. Storage: WD Blue™ 3D NAND SATA M.2 2280 SSD 1TB or WD Blue™ 3D NAND SATA M.2 2280 SSD 500 GB + 1 TB HDD 7200rpm (which ever is cheaper) or Samsung - 860 Evo 250 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive for now, add 1TB SSD later
  9. OS: Win 10 Home 64-bit
  10. Monitor: FreeSync monitor (wait for BF discount)
    What do you think of the current build?

Original post:
Edit #2: Currently compiling a parts table based on all the comments!!!! Will update my list tomorrow!!! Thank you all for the advice and recommendations!!!
Long story short, after a 5-year Marathon, the AMD graphic card on my laptop decided to take a long break. Now I am thinking of building my first desktop PC, and I am seeking some advice before buying.
And here is Ended

The purpose of the PC will be both educational and entertainment.
For educational, I aim to run AutoCAD (sometimes in 3D), AutoCAD Revit (not complex structure).
For entertainment, I am hoping the new PC can run The Witcher 3 on high setting with 50-60 FPS. (And still possible to run Cyberpunk 2077 when the game is released).

Here are all the parts I selected based on the info on Logical Increments with the budget of CAD $900-$1100 (or USD$700 to $850):
1. Graphic Card: GTX 1060 6GB or RX 580. (I cannot decide which one to choose, do the level of the graphic card match the level of CPU? Should I get RX 570 instead?)
2. CPU: Ryzen 5 2600X (Should I get better CPU for Rivit?)
3. Motherboard: ASUS Prime B450-Plus or MSI X470 Gaming Plus (probably ASUS Prime B450-Plus)
4. RAM: 8GB DDR4, (Update: will upgrade to 16 GB)
5. Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro Titanium Green Full Tower Chassis with Window (PH-ES614P_TG)
6. Power Supply: SeaSonic M12II 620 or SeaSonic SSR-650RM 650W.
7. Heat Sink and Fan: (Not sure if I need one, the stock HSF is enough if I do not overclock)
8. (Update) Storage: 250 GB SSD for OS, Office, and AutoCAD. Have two (2) 2.5'' 1TB HDD from old laptop. 1 @ 7200 rpm and 1 @ 5400 rpm (only a few months old)

#Main Concern:#
1. The compatibility of the parts (motherboard for later upgrade, say upgrade to 1080Ti)
2. Level of my current CPU and GPU (are they underpowered for what I need or overpowered)
3. Anything I missed?

There are 3 more GAs (Skullgirls, UNLOVED, and Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition) that sadly already ended in 2 hrs (clicked the wrong time for 3 GAs, that is something isn’t it?). If you are interested, let me know and I will add you to my whitelist (as long as you give away more games than you grab). Stay tuned for more (more like March 7, 2019 when TW:3K is released)

6 years ago*

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We all know why you are here

View Results
Mainly here for the GA(s)
lol, wall of text, TLDR;
5 years on laptop??!! what game did you play for all these years?
Potato
I am here for the WL
Go find a PC building store and go ask them, you are in the wrong place

Compatibility of your parts should be fine without bottlenecking.
People here already said that 16GB would be the better choice nowadays but I have maybe one little suggestion.
I am not sure how the prices in Canada are but here in Germany SSD's are getting cheaper and cheaper so I would suggest to buy a bigger one.
Oh and about your GPU. I guess you are talking about the 580 with 8GB and not 4GB? It shouldn't really matter then if you get a 1060 6GB or 580 8GB as they are about on par. (just get what is cheaper)

6 years ago
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Thanks. WLed
Yes, RX 580 8GB.

6 years ago
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bump

6 years ago
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Deleted

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6 years ago
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16 RAM is the minimum today.
1080 ti if you find it second hand, can be a good deal.
SSD: Pick something bigger. It's actually safer.

PD: Interested in UNLOVED

6 years ago
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Go ahead.

6 years ago
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Deleted

This comment was deleted 5 years ago.

6 years ago
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my only comment is that you are aiming to 3d consumer gpu and not 2d professional ones, such as firepro or cuadro which would be typical 2d autocad gpu, but since you said educational use, I guess you're at school and pro cards would be overpriced for your target use.
so you're building a gaming pc that you'll use also for cad.
in that case I have no more comments than maybe pump up ram to 16 if you've money for it and check the multimonitor capabilities of the gpu you finally choose.

6 years ago*
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I recently graduated (not that recent because it is already November), but I still have my educational license for both software for about 1 more year. I figure it is a good time to learn more about Revit and CAD while I still get the chance. So for now, the PC serves as both gaming and light design work.
After that, if I can find a part time drafting job, pro cards, workstation, and proper subscription to Revit (Wallet may cry edition) are definitely needed

6 years ago
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I cannot build a PC myself, so when I will need to ask a company that can. I know one, rather small, so I hope they will focus on what they can get and not what the big company (like some computer markets) might want to get rid of/sell the most expensive parts. So on that part it's hard for me to help you.

But I agree with those that suggested SSD. I have one and the difference is enormous. I can compare to my laptop that uses normal HDD. Day and night!

Thank you everyone who replied! Even though I will outsource the building of my new PC, it's always good to have at least rudimentary knowledge on some stuff :D

6 years ago
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I am outsourcing mine too. For the reason: In the case of failure, that I may need to come out with more budget to replace and repair. That is what i am paying the PC makers for. I thought of Origin PC or Alienware but thankfully there is a PC maker here that is making a name for itself so I am taking the opportunity and perhaps in a week's time a good price during a PC exhibition.
Regards, Cruse~

6 years ago
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Well, that is the challenge - not to ruin the $1200 parts, especially for the first time builder. But it can be really rewarding if I succeed, lol

6 years ago
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That is indeed! However, I do not want to do the replacement of parts as all the parts are shipped and the price locally is marked up alot. If I am in NA, I am most certainly getting deals off Amazon to build my own. :D
Cheers~

6 years ago
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Hi, ColdOut. I've read most of the comments but as they get lengthy I quickly skim through the rest. I am still using a 7yr build although it is dying, 2GB RAM and GTX220. I have an IT Diploma so I was touched on the basics of Autocad, no further than just drawing layouts of an apartment and Xara for simple 3D models to use on a site not much of rendering a 3D movie. I have not build a pc myself. I had my PC custom made by a repair shop 7yrs ago. I thought of building one myself but eventually decide against it and just waiting for sale from a Custom PC maker locally. As you wanted a build that is both for Simple work and Play, here's based on my experience.

  1. Case: You do not need LED lights so look out for a simple tower. Check exactly how many slots you need for your drives and buy your tower to your needs. Do not get a tower with too many slots that you do not need which is a waste.
  2. MB: Invest in a good Motherboard if you want to future proof. I do not really have a recommendation but there are usually, MB+CPU combos so look out for them. Probably one with 4 RAM slots that can support up to at least 8GB each slot to 32GB for 4.
  3. PSU: Seems like you have your PSU covered as others mentioned earlier. I do not know much of the latest build. Though if you want to tidy up your build you may want Modular PSU but it cost a lot more, Non-Modular if budget. Last I check there's Plat,Gold,Silver,Bronze. PSU is pretty important, when I send my system to repair last time, the repair guy commented that the PSU was well chosen thus the longevity of the system. Thus far my problems for the PC is coming from Motherboards. Get at least a Gold standard imo. There is Gold+ standards but just a Gold will do.
  4. RAM: As you know by now, 16GB is the minimum. If you render 3D or do video editing then you need perhaps 32GB. I've been told by the repair guy 7 yrs ago whom built my system and chose my PSU that having splitting the RAMs will help enhance performance in a way. The logic is simple, with 1 16GB RAM you are using 1 lane, with 2 8GB RAM you run 2 lanes, so the CPU response more quickly and the processing is distributed.
  5. CPU + GPU: If you go for AMD CPU, I suggest to go with their GPU as there are combo deals for that and they are generally cheaper than Intel packages. Indeed at least get a Ryzen 5. I have nothing to add for Ryzen GPU as I am not familiar with them. AMD products are generally know to me to generate more heat than Intel. That said if you live in a colder country unlike my Tropical Island, you should be fine. If you are going for GTX then I suggest you go Intel with at least i7 base core. Rendering requires more processing power than graphical power. You may even use only the on-board Graphics if you are just only rendering. Instead of 1060, as others mentioned earlier get a 1050ti instead but that most probably won't allow you to play Witcher 3 nor Cyperpunk on Max settings. Personally, I am going for a 1070ti to future proof for the next 3yrs.
  6. Cooling: I do not think you need water cooling especially if you do not overclock. Some Ryzen models provide cooling fans so that is sufficient. However if you are running Intel then if they do not provide any fan, i feel a mid-range fan will be sufficient. Personally, when I spoke with a sales-staff from a custom PC maker in the last PC exhibition. When I mentioned my heat concerns apart from recommending a CPU fan, he suggest opening the side of the case. This is strictly optional, but it is what I had been doing since my last MB blew up due to heat 3yrs ago. I do not have any issues and I also use a Standing fan to blow from the back of the PC for extra cooling. Do becareful if you have kids or pets that get around your PC then its not advisable.
  7. Storage: I do not know which SSD you have. If you are on budget you may get a standard 2.5" SSD for example. I recommend at least a PCIE M.2 SSD. I am going for a 500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO NVME SSD as offered by the PC maker. Check the price for PCI and NVME I think NVME became cheaper. Get at least 500GB, a little investment for the future as storage rarely become faulty as to MB,GPU,PSU,etc.

Disclaimer: I am by no means an expert, I am merely sharing my experience from my own encounters and research. Feel free to advice otherwise.

*I am interested in your Injustice gift on your WL but I am not sure if you read this in time. Hahaha anyways, Happy shopping and hopefully you'll get the PC you are happy with. Cheerios, Cruse~ :D

6 years ago
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Just in case you are interested in my possible build from my local PC maker: Aftershock
Basic Small White Tower PC BOLT [Intel Value Gaming PC] - Offered Black/White
ASROCK Z370 Motherboard - Best MB offered
Intel® Core™ i7-8700 / i7-8700K / Intel® Core™ i7-9700K - I am still undecided on the CPU; i7-8700 selected for Pricing
NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1070TI 8GB GDDR5 + 550W 80+ PSU - PSU standard by maker
AIR COOLING : ID-Cooling IS-40 - Best Cooling Fan offered
16GB (8GB x 2) DDR4 2666MHZ KLEVV Low Latency RAM - getting 2666 instead of 3200 as I read 3200 is for overclocking
500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO NVME SSD
TOSHIBA 2TB 3.5 INCH HDD - Got 2TB instead of 1 for storage, standard offered by maker. I am thinking of still using my current PC so I am keeping the 1TB HDD
ASUS PCE-AC68 Dual-band Wireless-AC1900 - Might get this for Wifi access as I am in my room. Thinking of buying a long fibre wire too.
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - Standard must have.
Cost: SGD 2381.00 Local dollars.
Regards, Cruse~

6 years ago*
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550W 80+ PSU - PSU standard by maker

Without a name it's difficult to know if the PSU is good, 550W 80+ could mean everything from an Itek bomb to an EVGA B2.

Basic Small White Tower - Offered Black/White

Again, without a name it's difficult to know if it's a decent choice. Besides you're putting in it high peformance parts (1070ti, 8700), so a decent case will make your pc easier to mantain, clean and cooler. Good and cheap cases are Noua Crystalix, Antec DF500 and Thermaltake Versa, which should all retail around 50-60 €.

AIR COOLING : ID-Cooling IS-40 - Best Cooling Fan offered

How much? It's a Mini-ITX cooler and if you decide to overclock your 8700 it won't be enough. You'd better get a Cryorig H7 or Noctua NH-U12S, which should cost more or less the same.

6 years ago
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Hi, Sorry, that is all the information given to me on the their site. I have updated the site into my earlier post. The casing is their inhouse customise case much like other companies, Alienware, Origin. I am guessing their PSU and Cooling Fans are inhouse builts too but modeled standards. Even for the GPU its not the best brands. I am thinking of Asus I may have to add more money if I request for Asus.
Regards, Cruse~

6 years ago
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It seems that their case is custom built from a Fractal Design one, which is great.
Unfortunately in the photo i see an EVGA 550 BT, which is based on a Sheznen PSU, a chinese maker known for their crappy OEM products. If that's the PSU you're getting i wouldn't trust it to power up such an expensive rig. Maybe you can ask for the exact model before buying, just to be sure.

6 years ago
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That seems to be the case. I doubt I am able to get a different PSU. Though I spoke with the Salesperson and was told I could buy my own parts and they can fix it for me. I'm not sure if I could buy everything except the Case for them to piece it up for me as that might not be covered by their Parts Warranty. I'll certainly put it in mind to ask if there are better PSUs though chances are low. Now I vaguely remembered I've asked them if I can get bigger Watts but was refuted. Do you have some recommendations for 550W so I may have some reference?

I think I've been too much off the pace for PC building for at least the last 3 yrs, there are too many terms nowadays though mainly the parts work the same. It seems like the parts companies and PC makers come together to get the standards and variations named out just to make it "illiterate" for common users so they benefit. Hahaha

Thank you for suggestions and information, Regards and Cheers, Cruse~ :D

6 years ago
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Some good and cheap PSUs are EVGA B3, Corsair CXm and Seasonic S12II. All of them are available around 550 W models and use decent japanese caps. Otherwise a Thermaltake Berlin (the old 80+ Bronze model, not the 80+ White which is crappy) is still available today. You actuqlly don't need a higher wattage PSU, just a reliable one, 500 W is plenty for your rig.

6 years ago
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Indeed, Thank you for the suggestions. I do not like that they only wrote the Watts for the PSU. When I asked the sales person he was just nonchalant, I did not really like it. When I approach another brand the sales person was more proactive. These sales people are hired just for the events so they might not know what could offered to me at store front. I intend to visit the exhibition on the 1st day and once decided, I'll visit their store front the next day.

The other PC maker is pretty good but they are much newer in their 1st yr of existence I think and their price is higher. I am thinking of getting 2 monitors for the setup so I am trying to save what I can. Of course building my own is cheapest but I pay a little extra for warranty and service. Cheers~

6 years ago
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Wow, thanks for the advice.
1) That is very true. I will look for another case.
2) Good idea
3) SeaSonic SSR-650RM 650W is 80 PLUS Gold and semi-Modular. This should be fine.
4) 2 8GB RAM for sure.
5) I will shop for GPU last as Charlie22 mentioned.
6) Ryzen 5 2600X comes with heatsink. If I decide to use intel later, I will definitely add HSF.
7) Have not checked the price for PCIE M.2 SSD. I will also wait for a bit before buying SSD because price may drop in 1 month.

Added you to my WL. You still have 5 hrs before the WL giveaway ends. :)

6 years ago
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I guess you are more knowledgeable after reading all the comments.
2) I may suggest you get a 550W Gold+ to save a little off the corners.
Write the list down and go a little shopping now at BestBuy see what's the price like and look at the different prices and write them down like the 650W and the 550W PSU. It'll give you a better picture of where you can play with the prices. :)

Thank you for the WL., Entered and Very much appreciated.
Sincere Regards + Cheers, Cruse~

6 years ago
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I do. I have been compiling a parts table recommendation from comments for the past hr. I will update the post tomorrow morning.
Thanks again!
There are also GAs for Skullgirls and UNLOVED, if you have some spare point, join them so they can have 5 entries.

6 years ago
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Can't actually help you, but I'm planning on upgrading my rig in the next 12 year, so I'm gonna steal all the advice you get here!
Mwa·ha·ha·ha... (cue evil laugh)

6 years ago
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I guess you mean 1-2 yrs? :)
Cheers~

6 years ago
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I'm replacing mine after 12 years (although I changed GPU in the meantime). So maybe they are aiming for the same longevity? ;)

6 years ago
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That would be great! For 7yrs I think my PC had gone a long way. Gratz on your 12yrs. Recently one of my RAM stopped working. I started with 4GB then 3 now 2. Lol~ The journey has been great but its time to move on. I hope to still keep using the current PC for chats and streams though. :) Cheerio~

6 years ago
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Haha, I wrote 12 months, then changed it to 1 year, so I ended up with 12 year :D

6 years ago
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Hahaha, don't you just love little mistakes like this that gives you a good laugh ;D
Have a great day ahead, Mdk~ Cruse~

6 years ago
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I love that in all of these kinds of threads, I constantly see the "do not buy AMD because I never buy it and I have no experience with it, so it must be bad" kind of comments.

At any rate, the specs in your current starting post are more than okay. The Ryzen is a more sensible choice with the current market selection. If you are undecided about the GPU, then it is simple: the Nvidia has 5-15% better performance in current games, but the AMD one has more memory for future games. It also should be 5-15% cheaper. Both are equally good choice.
Keep in mind that if you ever decide to buy a variable refresh rate monitor, then Nvidia uses Gsync that has a significant markup price. AMD uses Freesync, which has little impact on the monitor price, but it is more rare.

6 years ago
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If program someone use supports CUDA, and it will give them significant boost in rendering then it's better to go with NVidia for the same price.

But otherwise it doesn't matter. Both cards in the same budget are good. Both AMD and NVidia had problems with hardware and drivers, so no one's more "faulty" here.

6 years ago
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Thanks for the advice!

6 years ago
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Alot of good advice already so i'll only add this:

You might consider a Ryzen 1600/1700 cpu (X or non X) instead of the new ones.
Amazon has a 1600 for $130 and I've seen 1700 around $180-190 (2 extra cores are worth it imo).
Performance difference isnt that big to justify price difference between those and the newer 2600/2700.
Use the savings to upgrade the SSD to at least 480~512gb. Highly recommend Samsung ssd for most reliability.
Ryzen likes ram speed, so if possible aim for ddr4-3000 and check compability before you buy.
Get a ram kit with 2 sticks (2x8gb or 2x16gb) as ryzen often doesnt like running 4 sticks and if it does may downclock the speed.

Most of my experience is with a ryzen 1700 so the ram speeds and 4 stick issues might not be present on the newer ones.

6 years ago*
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Thanks. WLed.
The price for 1600 is about $50 cheaper as 2600X, lol. O, Canada!

6 years ago
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Personally if I was building a PC now I wouldn't buy anything under a GTX 1070.

6 years ago
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It will go over my budget sadly

6 years ago
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Yeah, as the dude under me suggested get a good power supply, and if you plan on doing any kind of overclocking, a proper motherboard that has those thermal sinks on it.

If it was me I'd try and get the goddamn 1070 or 1070Ti (im not sure how much more expensive the TI is but if I remember correctly the Ti version is close to a normal 1080 or something like that...) by either getting a cheaper component which isnt paramount and can easily be replaced later on, or simply wait a bit longer to buy it.

Either way, I hope you get some good info here and manage to buy what you want. :)

6 years ago
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My 2 cents:

Cent #1 - If it fits your budget, go for water cooling. Noisy PC are not fun in the long run.

Cent #2 - Make sure the Power Supply is enough for both current components and future upgrades. I've seen PCs crash due to having a power supply feeding to few W to the components. It's not pretty and not easy to figure out and diagnose. Or at least it wasn't easy for my amateur skills... If you go for a hungry graphics card, a couple HDDs and a water pump for cooling, consider the power requirements. You may need more then 650W, or you may not, but it does not hurt to check beforehand.

WL for Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition, please

6 years ago
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GO ahead

6 years ago
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My advice is to wait to next Ryzen Gen if you can

6 years ago
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Cannot wait till May 2019 :(

6 years ago
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Looks like a great setup, the weakest link will be the GPU I think but not by much. You may end up wanting to get a 1080 or 1080ti when prices come down.

I have that same exact PC case and be warned- it is GIANT. Make sure you can fit it wherever you are putting it! XD

6 years ago
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Will keep that in mind. WLed, there are 3 more GAs that will end in 3 hrs.

6 years ago
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If you can fit the case though you are going to love it. The airflow is so great 3 different air cooled gpus in it never go over 72

It has a giant fan in the front, best airflow of any case I've ever owned. I love the thing.

6 years ago
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I did not read all the other stuff people wrote but:

  • wait a week and AMD will release the 590. It looks like it will not be lot more expansive than the 580 but 10% faster.
  • Ryzen 2600 and 2600x is not that big difference in power. If the X is asking more than 15% more than the 2600, go with the 2600
  • Ryzen loves fast RAM! Go at least with 3000mhz and good timings (I go with 3200 and 16)
  • Your PSU is to much for this system. Go with seasonic (they are great) but 500w will be more than enough,
  • Take a cheap mainboard
6 years ago
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Will do. Thanks! Added you to WL.

6 years ago
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Graphic Card: Get either the 1060 6GB or 580 8GB, whichever is cheaper. If you care about noise at all, avoid the blower coolers and get an MSI Gaming X, ASUS, or Gigabyte card or any EVGA cards - they have much better fans and coolers, being quieter and cooler.
CPU: Ryzen 5 2600X - I'm not sure what the Rivit requirements are, but it should be great. You could probably use the basic 2600 as well. The 2600X has higher stock clocks, but both overclock to about the same speed, so you could go with whichever is cheaper if you're not afraid of overclocking the 2600.
Motherboard: I've always had good experiences with ASUS, though I've heard Gigabyte is really good too.
RAM: 8GB DDR4, (Update: will upgrade to 16 GB) - Definitely get 16GB, games are already exceeding 8GB. I also highly recommend 3200MHz or faster memory.
Case: Phanteks Enthoo - Looks fine. I also highly recommend Fractal Design Define R cases - they're a pleasure to work with, and nice and quiet.
Power Supply: I recommend the SeaSonic SSR-650RM, I've been using similar SeaSonic PSUs for years and love them - rock solid and silent.
Heat Sink and Fan: Stock heatsink should be fine. I also really like the Cooler Master Hyper 212+ Evo - it's cheap, it's practically silent, great in a spacious case.
(Update) Storage: Get as big an SSD as you can, I recommend 500GB minimum. You will fill up a 250GB drive before you know it. Samsung 860 Evo and Crucial MX500 are both great options.

Main Concern:
The compatibility of the parts - Shouldn't be any issues here with the 650W PSU.
Level of my current CPU and GPU - CPU is fine, GPU is good for 1080p. A better GPU is always going to be better if you can afford it, but the 580 should be good for 60fps, 1080p gaming at max or near to max settings for the immediate future.

Keyboard, mouse, monitor? A FreeSync monitor would pair fantastically with an RX 580, and would make it a viable 1080p gaming choice for years to come.

People will tell you that memory speed doesn't matter, but that is not correct. Faster memory won't increase your average framerate, but it will help remove memory as a bottleneck to increase the 1% and .1% lows (aka spikes in frametimes, sudden slowdowns and stuttering). It will make your games smoother, particularly if you're not using a FreeSync monitor, and 3200 MHz is the sweet spot for avoiding those drops in framerate (or spikes in frame times, depending on how you look at it).

Finally, look for bundles. You can often find great bundles combining the CPU, GPU, Motherboard, and/or memory. And if you're at all unsure about building your own system, there's no harm in buying a pre-built one. I've always built my own, but I've also learned that it's not for everyone.

If you have any questions, feel free to add me on Steam. I've built PCs for myself, family, and friends for the last 18 years.

6 years ago*
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Thank you for the advice.
I will check the Fractal Design Define R cases. Phanteks Enthoo might be providing too many slots for me even with future upgrades.
I am thinking about buying a FreeSync monitor. As for keyboard and mouse, they are currently placed at low priority (can be easily upgraded later)
Sent you a request on steam and added you to SG WL.

6 years ago
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Thank you. :)

As far as too many slots, I don't really see that as a problem unless size is of concern or you're carrying it from place to place. More space gives you more room to work in, more room for large (aka quiet) heatsinks and video cards, will accept a full size motherboard, and provide better airflow for cooling. Fractal Design also make smaller cases, though, if you're looking for something a bit smaller. I have personal experience with the Define R series, and they're really nice cases - well made, spacious, easy to work with, and very quiet.

I used to be (and still am) an Antec case fan, but Antec cases range from great to not so great, while all of Fractal Design's cases are really good.

6 years ago
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From somebody who built 3 Ryzen based systems so far:

  1. GeForce is a safer bet for DX11, with Vulkan/DX12 they are almost equal.
  2. I don't know about Revit but this CPU is more than enough for either GPU. For GTX 1080 or something more powerful 2600X starts to be bottleneck. Intel prices right now are so retarded they aren't even worth considering.
  3. ASUS has the best BIOS and RAM compatibility but in B450 segment their prices are a bit high and often you can get better (in terms of component quality) MSI board for the same price.
  4. 16 GiB (2x8 GiB), 3200MHz or 3000MHz - due to Infinity Fabric design fast RAM is a must have for Ryzen.
  5. Okay-ish airflow but I think it's a bit overpriced.
  6. Good quality are reliable PSUs but they are prone to coil whine noise.
  7. It's not Intel, supplied cooler is sufficient but noisy.
  8. M.2 NVMe SSDs are definitely worth their price for OS partition, ADATA SX8200 (Pro) is one of the best performance per dollar right now.

The compatibility of the parts (motherboard for later upgrade, say upgrade to 1080Ti)
You should check motherboard vendor memory compatibility list. Some kit's don't play nice with some motherboards.

Level of my current CPU and GPU (are they underpowered for what I need or overpowered)
2600X is more than enough for 1060/580 but it will be holding back 1080TI.

6 years ago
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Thanks! Will definitely consider all of them. Added you to WL.

6 years ago
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As someone who works and lives with building and fixing PC's, this is my recommendation.

Add the SSD later. And only use 8GB RAM until you have the money to expand with another 8GB

PCPartPicker part list: https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/HdcvYT
Price breakdown by merchant: https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/HdcvYT/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor ($224.04 @ Amazon Canada)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($86.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 8 GB (1 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($88.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 8 GB (1 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($88.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Storage: Samsung - 860 Evo 250 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Storage: Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6 GB SC GAMING Video Card ($366.94 @ Amazon Canada)
Case: Corsair - 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.00 @ Vuugo)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - G 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($93.99 @ Mike's Computer Shop)
Total: $1156.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-11-11 15:53 EST-0500

6 years ago
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You don't really need a 2600X unless you plan on overclocking and running heavy video editing software. If you do plan on overclocking. Get the following instead:

PCPartPicker part list: https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/CMdt8Y
Price breakdown by merchant: https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/CMdt8Y/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600X 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($274.99 @ Amazon Canada)
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-U12S 55 CFM CPU Cooler ($78.75 @ Vuugo)
Motherboard: MSI - X470 GAMING PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard ($172.04 @ Amazon Canada)
Total: $525.78
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-11-11 15:57 EST-0500

6 years ago
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Thanks for the detailed parts. I will check them out. For me, the first setup looks great. I do not plan to overclock at the moment (just started build my first PC, I am still new to all these. All the tinkering will happen later when I am familiar with everything).
Added you to my WL!

6 years ago
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If you do desire your first made PC. I do heavily recommend getting a Gold certificate PSU, anything less and you risk your entire system. Also, anything above 550Watt is way overkill. Also, Seasonic is the best PSU brand out there. Most of the other brands are actually using Seasonics Architecture. A good alternative is "be Quiet!" they are also Seasonic PSU's but they specialise in keeping the noise to a minimum, and you will pay extra for those goodies.

In addition, don't get the 570. It's worse than the old 480. And in regards to the 580 vs 1060 6GB. They perform roughly the same, but the eVGA GPU's is considered high-end products are usually very silent and offer much better cooling compared to most other brands.

If you are having trouble with budget take the cheapest of the 2. But I do recommend getting the 1060 from eVGA.

Here for comparison:
https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-1060-6GB-vs-AMD-RX-580/3639vs3923

6 years ago
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Both the Ryzen 5 2600 and Ryzen 5 2600X are unlocked and can be overclocked, the only difference is that the X version is slightly faster off the box and have a better cooler

6 years ago
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GAs for Skullgirls and UNLOVED are currently under 5 entries, if you have some spare point, join them so they can have 5 entries.

6 years ago
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6 years ago
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WLed you. You should now see it in Group GA.

6 years ago
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6 years ago
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6 years ago*
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Check and see if the Seasonic PSU uses flat ribbon cable. All my Seasonics use flat cable which I personally don't like when doing cable routing. That's why I like the EVGA G3 series with the round sleeved cables - easier to work with in my opinion. I would recommend a Gold PSU at the minimum. Above I saw a recommendation for an EVGA B2 series - I would avoid it. The $10 to $15 increase in price for a gold is easily noticeable when you are working with the cables and plugging and unplugging things. The 10 year warranties suggest your PSU is probably the component you will keep the longest and will most likely move to your next build.

I think the place you can really save money is on the case and CPU cooler. Both of these can be changed later without altering your OS - it just might take an extra hour of work. Too bad you're not in Southern California or I could give your some decent cases for free. Save the money on the fancy cooler and run stock - at least until summer next year. I'm pretty sure the stock wraith cooler will do fine even with small overclocks considering you're in Canada and should have low ambient temps.

16GB of RAM it is - anything from the big manufacturers should work well with the newer Ryzen boards. Go either 3200 CL16 or 3000 CL15 speeds and your Ryzen will work at max speed.

I noticed there is no mention of the display. What are you outputting to? That should influence your video card selection.

6 years ago*
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I agree, I will choose a cheaper case because I do not need all those 8 slots the case provide, lol
As for display, I will decide GPU first, it will make monitor selection easier.

6 years ago
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A little late but here are my thoughts (They are not my first choice recommendations but recommended with your considerations and budget in mind)
Since you're going for a budget build, AMD option is the way to go.

Your GPU choice: GTX 1060 6GB or RX 580
My choice: ASUS Dual Series GeForce GTX 1060 6GB or Radeon™ RX 580 8GB. Both choices are solid choices with your CPU choice, however the 1060 uses lesser power, from what i've seen its about 2/3 of the 580. But the 580 slightly outperforms the 1060, with this in mind, get whichever is cheaper as both are a decent choice. RX 580 should be cheaper and better for budget builds, as freesync monitors are also way cheaper than the G-Sync version.

Your CPU choice: Ryzen 5 2600X
My choice: Ryzen 5 2600X, this is already a very decent CPU for your budget, so i do not see any need to change. The 2600X has a good stock cooler and maybe add a little thermal paste that comes with it, search online on how much you need to add as the thermal paste is just to cover up air pockets. For additional fan coolers, refer to my fan choice below. There is actually bottleneck if you run your GPU and CPU choices at max speed, but its alright as it doesn't really matter, unless you want to downgrade it to better fit with your GPU.

Your Motherboard choice: Motherboard: ASUS Prime B450-Plus or MSI X470 Gaming Plus
My choice: Asus Prime B350. For a lower price point, Asus Prime B350 is more than enough. Both the B350 and B450 are very similar with B450 having better power delivery, memory compatibility. Both with OC capability max speeds of 3200Hz, 2666Hz being the default for both.

Your RAM choice: 8GB DDR4
My choice: Upgrade it to 16GB like you said. However its not needed if you need to lower your budget, as 8GB is more than enough for current and games for the near future if you're playing at 60 fps, 1080p. 16GB is only for future proofing, otherwise you won't really need it or use it. Also always get 2x4GB or 2x8GB as its better to split the load for rams and is proven to run noticeably faster than 1x. Even with AutoCAD won't really have much difference between 8GB and 16GB, 16GB really only comes into play when doing video rendering and photo editing, otherwise not needed unless you have the budget. I would recommend getting 2x4 / 2x8 DDR4-3200(if you are going to overclock your motherboard) and 2x4 /2x8 DDR4-2666(if you're not going to OC). Brand wise, G-Skill is a safe bet but generally all brands are quite decent.
Edit: I read the comments and plenty of people are just asking you to upgrade to 16GB and 32GB (this is simply just overkill, and you will never make use of so much ram unless you do heavy graphics design), all i can say is that 8GB is great for normal casual usage, even for some heavy gaming. Unless you opting for like super high end, 16GB is already more than enough at either a budget build, casual build and high end build regardless. It's just mindless to just go for any higher as ram doesn't equal to performance, it's just an indication that you can run more programs at once.

Your Case choice: Phanteks Enthoo Pro Titanium Green Full Tower Chassis with Window
My choice: Nope. Full tower cases are overkill and not needed at all for your build. Get a mid tower case, its much more compact and have much better fan flow inside. Think of it this way, a large space will take a much longer time to cool and need more fans and power to effectively cool the area in contrast to a smaller space. So get mid tower case, large towers are always not needed unless going for double GPU builds and watercooling. Brands i recommend that are similar design to what you picked, NZXT and Fractal design. Casing i can't really give you a particular model as its more to personal taste, the only things to look out for is maybe functionality, casing fans and design.

Your Power Supply choice: SeaSonic M12II 620 or SeaSonic SSR-650RM 650W.
My choice: Get either SeaSonic or Corsair. 550W is good but 650W is a safe bet for your components. Gold rating is almost a must and 'best' for price to power efficiency-wise. Platinum and Gold+ ratings are better but they are not worth the price for budget builds. Bronze and Silver rating is a no from me and only get them if you really need to cut your budget.

Your Heat Sink and Fan choice: Not needed.
My choice: Its not needed at all with your build since they already have good enough stock cooling even with overclock. To be safe, just get a casing with at least 2 built in fans. However, do get a CPU cooler, i recommend the CRYORIG C7 for your build, small, quiet, cheap and effective.

Your Storage choice:Storage: 250 GB SSD for OS, Office, and AutoCAD. Have two (2) 2.5'' 1TB HDD from old laptop. 1 @ 7200 rpm and 1 @ 5400 rpm
My choice: Ya just split them up. 250GB for SSD is sufficient for your main programs and 1TB or 2TB HDD for your games and miscellaneous. For the models, get Samsung 860 Evo SSD for your cheaper choice, with a higher budget i would go for 970 Pro SSD as it can fit in your motherboard.

For expansion, both the B450 and B350 which i recommend for your budget can fit a 1080ti no problem. Even your current choice CPU can handle the 1080ti, so it shouldnt be an issue. However you might need to upgrade your power supply to a 750W if you have lots of LEDs' running inside, otherwise its good with 650W

Hope this helps, if anything just feel free to ask ^^

6 years ago*
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Thanks for the advice, I have updated the my selection.

6 years ago
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Hi, sorry for waking up an old thread but as I mentioned earlier in this thread, I was going to buy a new PC soon-ish. And now the time has come ;)

I got the hardware list from the PC shop that is going to put it all together for me (I don't have such skills). After comparing my list with a couple of threads here I started wondering if their option to go with 2x4 GB RAM would be enough and I stumbled upon your comment. Getting 2x8 would make the RAM 1/3 more expensive and I am on a rather tight budget. But I really want the new computer to last for very long time (as I mentioned, my previous one was working for 12 years with upgrades, of course).

Would you mind adding your 2 cents? :)

5 years ago
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Firstly congrats on your upcoming new PC
I'll just touch up on the points i mentioned above, 2x4 GB RAM is more then enough for daily usage, 2x8 GB RAM is more for work that requires graphic design and some demanding games. 2x8 GB RAM is more of an option then a need. With budget constraints, having a 2x4 GB RAM is still going to be fine. However you might need to provide some details on what are you using your PC for and your budget so that i have a better view on what you're going for. I'll add you on steam to talk :)

5 years ago*
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Thank you very much for your input! <3

5 years ago
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I'm using GTX 1060 6GB G1 gaming from Gigabyte since 1,5 year and no problems so far.
I recommend it especialy if you want to have quiet setup, it have semi passive cooling so when no intensive playing or just browsing internet, it will go fanless so it's silent.
Of course if you load it with some modern game, fans will start spinning but they are very quiet, i have big tower cooler with 140mm fan so generally the most noisy part in my setup is PSU fan.
With almost all uber settings excluding nvidia hairworks it can handle most of the time close to 60fps in Witcher 3 at 1080p.
It's worth mentioning it has pretty good OC capabilities too and VR ready.

6 years ago
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BYE BYE COLDOUT

6 years ago
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Absolutely get a fan/heatsink.
Absolutely don't go under the minimum Power Supply wattage recommended by your hardware.
Other than that, looks good.

5 years ago
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Closed 5 years ago by ColdOut.