I'm setting up my first PC, do you think these components are suitable?
I'm setting up my first PC, do you think these components are suitable?
Hello, I'm setting up a PC for the first time for a friend on a budget. Someone with more experience could review the components you've chosen and confirm they fit well together and function properly.
Additionally, the weaker GPU you mentioned is intentional—it's an older model second-hand, and a future GPU upgrade is planned. The power supply should already support the increased load, and everything is designed to be future-proof since your friend doesn't intend frequent small upgrades.
Your main concerns:
- Is the CPU cooling sufficient? Should I consider additional cooling?
- Will all components work together smoothly?
If your main purpose is gaming, I recommend the options listed below. You should opt for two sticks of RAM instead of four to avoid overloading the memory controller. DDR5-6000 CL30 fits these AM5 CPUs perfectly.
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor – $449.00 (Amazon)
CPU Cooler: ID-COOLING FROZN A620 PRO SE 58 CFM – $29.99 (Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI PRO B650-A WIFI ATX AM5 – $179.99 (MSI)
Memory: TEAMGROUP T-Create Expert 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 – $86.99 (Amazon)
Storage: Acer Predator GM7000 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD – $132.99 (Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte EAGLE OC GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8 GB – $86.99 (Amazon)
Case: Montech AIR 903 BASE ATX Mid Tower – $65.00 (Newegg)
Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 TT Premium 850 W – $89.99 (Amazon)
Total: $1033.95
All prices include shipping, taxes, and applicable discounts.
Selected parts based on predefined criteria.
Created by PCPartPicker
2025-01-07 08:43 EST-0500
The only serious mistake is using two mismatched kits of ram.
If you want 64gb, pick a single kit that shows up on the motherboard's ram qvl supported list.
https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/B65...ort-memsup
Note that ram support differs by the intended processor.
Other thoughts:
Your case is an excellent one for air cooling.
Noctua maintains a list of suitable coolers for various processors,
Here is the list for the 7800X3d:
https://ncc.noctua.at/cpus/model/Ryzen-7-7800X3D-1649
Any of the NH-D15 versions would be good and run quiet.
Did you know that aio coolers do not last forever?
In time the mechanical pump fails or collects debris.
Air will eventually intrude through the tubes and the unit will need to be replaced.
Think of an aio as a 5 year rental.
As a first time builder:
MY build process:
Before anything, while waiting for your parts to be delivered, download
and read, cover to cover your case and motherboard manual.
Buy a long #2 magnetic tip philips screwdriver.
A small led flashlight is also useful.
I find it handy to buy a power switch like this for testing.
https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16812119009...tion=power switch&cm_re=power_switch-_-12-119-009-_-Product&quicklink=true
1. I assemble the critical parts outside of the case.
That lets me test them for functionality easily.
A wood table or cardboard is fine.
2. Plug in only the necessary parts at first. Ram, cpu, cooler, psu.
Do not force anything. Parts fit only one way.
Attach a monitor to the integrated motherboard adapter if you have one, otherwise to the graphics card.
3. If your motherboard does not have a PWR button, momentarily touch the two pwr front panel pins with a flat blade screwdriver.
4. Repeatedly hit F2 or DEL, and that should get you into the bios display.
5. Boot from a cd or usb stick with memtest86 on it. memtest will exercise your ram and cpu functionality.
They boot from a usb stick and do not use windows.
You can download them here:
MemTest86 - Official Site of the x86 Memory Testing Tool
MemTest86 is the original self booting memory testing software for x86 and ARM computers. Supporting both BIOS and UEFI, with options to boot from USB.
www.memtest86.com
Memtest86+ | The Open-Source Memory Testing Tool
Memtest86+ is an advanced, free, open-source, stand-alone memory tester for 32- and 64-bit computers (UEFI & BIOS supported)
www.memtest.org
If you can run a full pass with NO errors, your ram should be ok.
Running several more passes will sometimes uncover an issue, but it takes more time.
Probably not worth it unless you really suspect a ram issue.
Opinions vary on updating the bios.
Normally, one does not update a bios unless there is a fix for something that is impacting you. I violate this rule on a new build and will update to currency up front.
Use the usb option, not the windows option.
If there is a severe problem, the impact is small.
6. Install windows.
7. Install the motherboard cd drivers. Particularly the lan drivers so you can access the internet.
Do not select the easy install option, or you will get a bunch of utilities and trialware that you don't want. Drivers only.
7. Connect to the internet and install an antivirus program. Microsoft defender is free, easy, and unobtrusive.
8. Install your graphics card and driver if you tested with integrated graphics.
You will need to remove the graphics card later to install your motherboard in the case.
As a tip when screwing the motherboard into the posts, give the screw a small counterclockwise turn until you feel a click.
That lets you know that the screw will engage properly.
Make a note of how the graphics card latches into the pcie slot.
The mechanism will be hidden under the card and may be difficult to work if you have not previously checked how.
9. Update windows to current.
10. Only now do I take apart what I need to and install it in the case.
11. Now is the time to reinstall your graphics card.
Hey, I want to thank you so much for taking the effort to write all of this up for me, it is incredibly helpful and useful!
I was wondering about just a few things though;
* I understand that it might be inefficient to use 4 sticks of ram when going for an amount of memory that is achievable with 2. But I don't understand your comment that they are mismatched? In my research, it seemed like 4 sticks of ram would be totally fine if they were of the exact same type. Is there more to this than I thought?
Thank you for your question. I was curious about the reasons behind the various components. It seems you chose a different motherboard maker, storage, memory, case, and power supply. The reason could be due to better performance, cost, or both. Regarding brand comparisons, thermaltake is often considered superior to corsair and MSI in terms of board quality.
Yes, there is more to it.
Ram is sold in kits for a specific reason.
A motherboard needs to handle all the ram according to the same voltage, case, and speed specifications.
The internal design is tailored to the capacity of the kit.
Ram from the same vendor and part number might have different manufacturing components over time.
Some motherboards are particularly sensitive to these changes.
This becomes more challenging when multiple sticks are used.
Ram must be compatible for optimal performance.
The embedded xmp (or expo) settings set the requirements for running that kit at its rated capacity.
If the ram doesn’t match, the xmp settings on each stick can vary, leading to confusion.
Additionally, ram operates in dual-channel mode whether there are two sticks or four, so there’s no performance benefit from using four instead of two.
I would opt for a similar setup, with a cost under $20 more. It would include a quicker CPU, improved RAM settings, a better board, and additional storage space. The 1 TB allocated for operating systems and applications, while the remaining 4 TB is reserved for gaming needs.
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D 4.7 GHz 8-Core Processor ($479.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420 72.8 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($98.55 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X870 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ATX AM5 ($229.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Flare X5 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital WD_Black SN850X 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME ($74.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital WD_Black SN850X 4 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME ($284.99 @ Best Buy)
Video Card: Gigabyte EAGLE OC GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8 GB ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec FLUX PRO ATX Full Tower Case ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 TT Premium 850 W (80+ Gold Certified, Fully Modular ATX) ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1607.48
Includes shipping, taxes, and applicable discounts
Mostly the cost stays the same. All the items I mentioned are of good quality but won’t cost a fortune. You’ll be able to cut a few dollars by choosing this motherboard.
PCPartPicker Part List
Motherboard:
*
Asus PRIME B650-PLUS WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard
($149.99 @ Amazon)
Total:
$149.99
Prices cover shipping, taxes, and any available discounts
*Selected lowest prices based on the criteria set
Created by
PCPartPicker
2025-01-08 15:10 EST-0500