PC Building

[Scarter]

I decided to build a new PC.  I've built my own PC's before, from back in the day ordering parts in Computer Shopper magazine, to the most recent build in 2014.  In 2020, I bought an Alienware, but it gets too loud when I'm playing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.  So here I am, diving deep into the latest technology.  **bleep** is "M.2"?

[GreatnessRD · Accepted solution]

Just know I choked on air from laughing at "What is M.2". M.2 is just faster storage than standard sata drives. However, there are sata drives that come in the M.2 form factor. But most folks just grab the NVMe version of the M.2 gives you blazing speeds. You have Gen3, Gen4 and the recently released Gen5 versions of M.2's. The Gen3 and 4 drives are relatively cheap now.

What are you looking to do with your new build? Just gaming?

[Scarter]

Yes, this build is primarily for gaming, and I want it to be very quiet too.  The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Cyberpunk 77 maybe Hogwarts Legacy.  Plus I got Resident Evil 4 and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor as rewards for purchases.

I use the Alienware machine for day to day tasks, and the 2014 box has been relegated to the basement for, maybe archiving?  Not sure what I'll do with that yet.  It's functional, but needs some upgrading.

[GreatnessRD]

Oh ok, cool! Most OEM built PC never have good cooling. Since you're going the DIY route, you'll get a more adequate cooling solution for your new build. @Scarter 

What have you purchased so far for the new build? I see you made some purchases since you got the two game rewards.

[Scarter]

Here's the entire list, but not everything has arrived yet, so I'm spending a lot of time reading manuals, checking QVL's, and generally immersing myself in the latest technology, you know, like M.2 storage.😉

[GreatnessRD]

Oh, you wasn't playing! You got some major horsepower right there, lol. That's going to be an absurdly fun time once its all set up and done.

[Scarter]

Yeah, I'm pretty excited!  I'm a bit scared too.  I've never spent this much on anything that didn't have wheels or a front door.  All those sayings kept popping into my head: "You only live once."  "You can't take it with you."  "Enjoy it while you still can."  So that's what I'm going to do.

[GreatnessRD]

Haha! I completely understand. That's how I felt when purchasing the 6800 XT during launch. I've never spent close to $680 on a computer part, but I went with that saying as well. We only live once and can't take it with us, for sure. I'm glad you're going to enjoy it. Building it will be so much fun, too. Congratulations once again and Happy Birthday! @Scarter 

[BigAl01]

That is a listing of high-end components.  I've never used the E-ATX motherboard size before but I expect your case will support it.  One problem you are going to have is with the Windows install.  You bought Windows on the DVD format (optical drive) and you don't have an optical drive listed in your list.  I buy my Windows on the USB stick which makes the install very easy.  Is there room in that case to mount an optical drive?  Many newer cases will not accommodate one.

All that being said, I remember Computer Shopper Magazine - it was very big, like the old Sears Christmas catalog in December.  I bought a few things that way back in the 1990's.  

Are you going to perform any computer mods to your case?  There is a new SteamPunk computer mod contest that was just announced in the Red Team Modders section.  You have plenty of time to take a crack at it and submit an entry.

[Scarter]

I've never used an E-ATX board either!  It's a full tower case, so it should fit with no trouble.  This case can fit an optical drive, with some modifications.  I think I'd have to move the fans down, but I want to get the AIO cooler installed first to see what I've got to work with.  I do have an external USB optical drive that I can use for Windows installation.

The problem is, I got screwed over on the AIO cooler. The supplier kept changing the arrival date, but when I checked, it was never shipped.  I cancelled the order today, and need to find a replacement.

I don't plan to modify the case.  I'm going for the bad-ass stealth, quiet, black box look.

[BigAl01]

In that case, I recommend you go to Newegg and order this CPU cooler, assuming you have room for the three fans.  I'm happy to hear you have an external optical drive (I have one too):  

CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD XT Liquid CPU Cooler - IPS LCD Screen - AF120 RGB ELITE Fans - 360mm Radiator - Fits Intel® LGA 1700, AMD® AM5, and More

You want this for the IPS LCD display and it's customization.

[Scarter]

You may be wondering if I ever got this beast built.  Indeed, I have.  There are still a few things to do, like add another M.2 drive, then install a Linux dual boot OS.  But soon, I'll be playing Baldur's Gate 3 on that sweet, sweet machine.

[BigAl01]

Looks nice.  I see you have an UPS too.  Always a good idea to help protect the computer.  Do you have an UPS for your network switches / routers?  Sometimes the Internet doesn't go down when we lose power and that's kept us in contact with others using our cell phones on the wireless network (or cell towers of course).  Anyway, enjoy the new build.

[Scarter]

I do have a smaller UPS for my cable modem/router.  Since I use Google Fi for my phone, it's important to keep that up and running all the time.

I've got a bit over 50 hours of Baldur's Gate 3 in so far, and the computer is nearly silent.  I love it! 

[otacon]

Most new hardware is more than fast enough for all games. If you want the best game performance take a look at the Ryzen X3D chips, they clobber all the other CPUs right now. Be careful when getting an M.2 SSD, some use NVME, which is incredibly fast. Other drives use SATA and and are no faster than an older SSD despite having an M.2 interface. Hynix makes some very fast NVME SSD units.

Noctua makes a fanless CPU cooler, called the NH-P1. It can handle most 65W chips. Noctua has a CPU support list and recommended cases for it here https://noctua.at/en/nh-p1.

[Scarter]

Thanks for the tips.