General Discussions

[mer]

Dear all.

firstly I am not a tech guy or anything of that sorts, so I am here seeking advice, help, etc.

This would be the first computer I ever build, below a list of the components I'm planning to order, please let me know if I could do better keeping the price about the same.

MOBO: Gigabyte X470 Aorus Ultra Gaming ($ 156.90)

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 2700x ($ 358.80)

RAM: G.Skill Ripjaw's V DDR4 16GB Kit (2x8GB) 3200MHz CL16. ($ 154.65) - Will later add more RAM to make it 32GB.

GPU: MSI Radeon RX580 Armor OC - 8GB ($ 268.90) - or a Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1050Ti OC 4 GB, this would save me decent money if it can work for this build.

SSD: Samsung 979 EVO NVMe M.2 - 250GB (85.90) - I have external drives to use as storage until I can get 1 or 2 TB SSD.

PSU: Corsair Vengeance Series 650M-650W ($ 79.80)

Case: LC Power Gaming - Solar Flare ($ 64.30)

Total price: $ 1,169.25

I should also state that I don't play games on PC, I want this machine for video editing and this is what I could come up with for the budget I have. I really would appreciate the input from others with experience in building PC, I think I did my research, but a big problem is the contradictions from one forum to the other on the compatibility of the components and also the "tech language" that I do not understand.  

Thanks in advanced.

[elstaci]

Before buying the RAM and SSD (M.2), make sure they are listed at Gigabytes Support site for your Motherboard: X470 AORUS ULTRA GAMING (rev. 1.0) | Motherboard - GIGABYTE Global

I have attached the QVL List for the RAM Memory compatible with the Ryzen 7 2700X and the SSD (M.2) drives for your motherboard. Just click on it to download it from this post.

Make sure your motherboard has the updated BIOS installed before purchasing it for the Ryzen 7 2700X. If it has an old BIOS installed your computer won't boot up with the Ryzen 7 CPU installed.

The correct BIOS you motherboard should have for the Ryzen 7 2700X is BIOS Verison F2. By the list at Gigabyte Support this seems to be the original BIOS for the motherboard which is "F2" installed.X470 AORUS ULTRA GAMING (rev. 1.0) | Motherboard - GIGABYTE Global

AMD	Ryzen 7 2700X	8C/16T	3.7GHz / 4.35GHz	4MB	16MB	N/A	Pinnacle Ridge	12nm	B2	105W	F2

[mer]

Hello,

I am checking now the details.

G. Gkill  I have selected is F4-3200C16D-16GVKB, and the QVL list has  F4-3200C16Q-64GVK. I assume this means it is not a guaranteed compatibility?

SSD Samsung 970 EVO i selected has the nr. MZ-V7E250BW and the QVL list has a nr. MZ-V7E250 (with out the BW at the end) does this matter?

Thank you.

[elstaci]

To be on the safe side, I would go with the exact RAM Memory Part number in the QVL list. The RAM listed all have been tested to work correctly and be totally compatible with your CPU and motherboard.

As to the SSD, it most likely should be okay. It should be compatible.

I also agree with billy72​ that you should upgrade to a higher wattage PSU. I would personally go with a 850 Watt PSU myself with at least a Metal rating like Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum rated.

[mer]

I will try to find a ram with the exact part number. even if I need to go down to 3000MHz (but I have read the higher the better).

As to power supply, I will try to get the higher one, the one I listed is "80 plus Bronze" rated.

I also found at about the same price, just like 10$ more a PSU with the below details.

dates
input voltage	110 - 240 volts
Maximum power	750 watts
Standard (s)
design	ATX
ATX 12V	2.x
Efficiency label	80 plus bronze
cooling
Fan	135mm inside
connections
Molex (4-pin)	6 pieces
Floppy (4-pin)	2 pieces
SATA (15 pin)	6 pieces
system	1x ATX Power 20 + 4-Pin, 1x EPS12V 4 + 4-Pin
PCIe	4x 6 + 2-pin
Modular construction	Yes
Dimensions
width	150 mm
height	86 mm
depth	158 mm

would this be a good replacement to the 650W?

Thanks again.

[leyvin]

I'd strongly suggest the Asus B350/B450 Prime Plus., even if this was being built for gaming... the "High End" Motherboards are frankly little more than eye-candy most of the time; if you absolutely must have an X470 (say for the Storage MI technology., which it's shady that AMD have limited it to said Chipset when this is an arbitrary limitation) then again Asus Prime Pro is cheaper and a better option.

As a key point-of-note., Asus might not provide the "Best Performance" it does provide the best compatibility, are consistently keeping their BIOS up-to-date and will (at least today) provide the best longevity for Extended "Uptime" Usage. This is especially true in regards to Gaming Boards., which are designed to "Sprint" not "Marathon" with the understanding that most who use such Hardware are most likely to upgrade every 18 months and have < 12 Hours Uptime / Day.

In terms of Memory., I've said this in the past and I'll keep repeating … ALWAYS go with Kingston HyperX for AMD Platforms.

They will always have 100% Compatibility and the Lowest Latency., and YES this is even over the "AMD Compatible" Branded Memory.

As for the Graphics., I'd strongly suggest Sapphire … as they're the quietest under-load, are capable of the best clocks, run the coolest and don't look like a Toy Store exploded all over the Chassis., instead they keep quite a nice Professional look to them.

XFX isn't too bad... also as a note if Gaming isn't important then the RX 570 at present is currently under MSRP., and isn't too far behind the RX 580 in terms of performance., especially in regards to Compute (Professional) workloads.

You might also find you can pick up a Samsung EVO 960 cheaper than the 970., and their performance difference is negligible.

Use what you save to either get a AIO Liquid Cooler for the CPU, as for Video Editing and Encoding this will allow it to sit more comfortably (and quietly) at 4.2GHz., instead of 3.9-4.0GHz; or alternatively get another 2x8GB (16GB) DDR4.

I'd also as a side note recommend if possible looking for 2666MHz Memory at CL14., or 3000/3200MHz at CL16 that states it supports Full CL Range while Underclocking (again another reason to get Kingston as all their Memory does this); as beyond 2666MHz you don't get any additional bandwidth., instead what you want is Lower Latency (which comes from as Low CL and enabling T2) as possible. This will make a BIGGER difference in terms of performance especially in Massively Multi-Threaded Applications … for gaming, eh not so much; but Professional Workloads., it just provides better responsiveness and faster Encoding Times.

[mer]

Thank you leyvin,

My original motherboard of choice was the AsRock AB350 Pro4, but there were some reviews that it might not boot with the Ryzen 7 2700x, that there is a higher possibility that I would need to update the bios and I would not be able to do that. Taking it to a tech person here is not an option to get it updated, would cost me at least 300$ if I'm lucky.  Any input to this, if it is true For the Asus Prime B350 plus (as this I can get at almost half the price on discount compared to the X470) might not boot with the 2700x? this is why I changed over to X470. The Asus prime B350 plus states it has UEFI Bios (don't understand what it means).

The Samsung Samsung 960 EVO NVMe M.2 - 250GB cost $135.00 and the Samsung 970 EVO NVMe M.2 - 250GB is $85.00. I will then stay to the 970, I want this only to run windows and my programs.

I am looking again at the memory, will try to find the ones that are compatible with the B350 AB350 and X470.

I already paid for the XFX 8GB GPU, was for under 200$, the Sapphire is going for almost 400$

[mer]

I have found a good discount on the ASUS PRIME B450-PLUS, would this be a good way to go?

[mer]

Updated Part List

CPU - Ryzen 7 2700X Boxed

RAM - HyperX Predator DDR4 16GB Kit (2*8GB) 3200MHz CL16

GPU - XFX RX580 8GB

SSD Samsung 970 EVO - 250GB

MOBO - ASUS Prime B450 Plus

PSU - LC Power  Prophecy 3 - 750W - 80 plus Bronze

CASE- Cooler Master MasterBox Lite 5 RGB

Hope this is better. the Manufacturer number on the RAM is compatible with the motherboard and CPU.

[mer]

Dear All,

One last question before the time of truth, I should receive today the final component for the build.

If after I set everything up and power on the system and everything boots properly and when I enter into the BIOS, it recognizes the components installed etc., do I still need to check if the bios is the most recent? If it's not the most recent, is it necessary to update it? If it is absolutely necessary, then can I do it after windows is installed or does it need to be before. I am asking as I would really rather avoid messing with the board, read sometimes it goes wrong and then the board is no longer usable, etc.

Thank you all in advance again for the much-needed support.

[leyvin]

If everything works "as-intended" then updating the BIOS isn't necessary, but it is always recommended to keep it up-to-date.

It's quite simple to update Modern BIOS., as most have the option to "Update from Internet" and "Update from USB Flash Drive"

I've personally not had much luck with the 'From Internet' as it can never seem to recognise it exists, which is odd as it's a Hardline.

Yet it's easy enough via a USB Flash, as you download... copy it across, then select from the Menu.

It'll list any / all BIOS on the Drive and you just select the one you want to "Update" to., in-fact most Chipsets today have protections in place to prevent you from using a Custom BIOS (I mean you can, but it'll warn you about various security risks, hardware risks, etc. etc. etc. where-as signed BIOS will just begin installation).

The whole process takes a few moments to maybe a minute.

Windows (7  / 8.x / 10) will be perfectly fine. Most Mainstream Linux should be as well.

The only time you have to worry about updating the BIOS typically is if you're using nTDP … you won't know what that is, and it will be disabled by default; there's no need to ever touch it unless you know what it is.

[mer]

Hi all.

For now everything seems to be going smoothly. System boot fine. I updated the BIOS, went with out any issues. Will install windows in a few.

Left it running for about half hour and temp was holding at 47 degrees or so, even after the bios update so hoping im good in that area.

Thanks again for the support.