Choose a suitable motherboard and CPU fan based on your system requirements and budget.
Choose a suitable motherboard and CPU fan based on your system requirements and budget.
For a 9700k build, the Z390 "Gigabyet Z390 UD" is the best choice if you need a more affordable board—it handles 9900k overclocks easily and is perfect for that without trouble. Stick to this model if you want to avoid budget options that aren’t available at retailers. If you opt for a Ryzen with a solid AM4 motherboard, you can get a CPU that’s only slightly better than Intel’s 3600 or 3700X chips, and it will still work well with the upcoming Ryzen 4000. The B450M Pro4 offers great value and is easy to find. For the x570 path, MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX provides similar power delivery but with improved BIOS and overclocking support. If you go all the way, consider ASUS or ASRock boards on more budget-friendly platforms—just don’t choose cheap MSI X570s, as they’ve removed quality VRMs and introduced safety risks. It’s impressive how a small business can make such impactful decisions, especially when you understand component pricing and availability.
It looks like you're considering a different setup than what your case suggests. You mentioned an i7-9700 which is more powerful than the phantom 506 you have, and you're focusing on gaming and VR. Your goal is to set up for those areas, not just general video editing. The i7-9700 offers better performance for demanding tasks like gaming and VR compared to the 506.
The issue lies in the modest boost clock speeds, making it comparable to more affordable R5 3600 models. Where are you located?
New Jersey and I're moving from my i7 6700 and gtx 970. We're also planning to use the SSD we have now. Not sure if getting a Ryzen would work, since it might not be compatible with everything I'm used to. I've always been an Intel fan, but I know AMD produces great products too. It's tough because this computer I got back in 2015 was from iBuyPower, and I'm trying to upgrade it so it doesn't start from zero. I'm planning to upgrade everything inside to boost gaming performance. Another point is, I'm on a tight budget—Best Buy is currently offering the 9700 for $335, which seems like a good deal.
Here’s a revised version of your note:
Your existing PSU is still decent, though I’d consider upgrading it. The parts list includes an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-core processor for $189.99 at Best Buy, an ARCTIC Freezer 33 CPU cooler for $24.14 on Amazon, a MSI B450 Gaming Plus MAX ATX motherboard for $99.99 at B&H, and a Phanteks AMP 550 W power supply with 80+ Gold certification for $79.99 on Newegg. The total comes to $394.11, which covers shipping, taxes, and any available discounts. This information was generated by PCPartPicker on December 12, 2019 at 7:45 AM EST.
The site notes the 9700 offers slightly better performance compared to the 3600. Your recent purchases include an 1660ti and a 600W Bronze PSU, which should support your setup. You can afford higher-end processors while still maintaining good functionality with your current SSD.
Sure, just a small note—adding about $200 makes the total cost higher than expected. The GPU works fine, but I’d consider returning the power supply unit if possible. Otherwise, I’ll keep it, since it’s acceptable with this GPU.
Looking for suggestions on the Intel side, similar to your previous choices. You mentioned wanting something around $350 and possibly a more powerful Ryzen option.
i7 9700k or i9 9900k can be unlocked, especially when boosted to around 5GHz, which might improve gaming performance. Whether it's worth the investment is unclear. On AMD, going beyond R5 3600(X) isn't beneficial since it mainly offers strong MT performance for future use, and ST performance doesn't match the price rise seen in models like R7 3700X and R9 3900X.