Initial Setup, Overclocking Possibility? (Seeking Guidance)
Initial Setup, Overclocking Possibility? (Seeking Guidance)
I’ve decided to go with a PC, though I’m not very familiar with it. I need to play games such as Rainbow Six Siege, GTA V, Rocket League, and Battlefield 1 at over 60 FPS on a 1080p monitor at 144Hz with High-Max settings. I’m curious how well this setup will perform. My budget is about $900, and I’m okay spending a bit more, but if I buy around Christmas, I might find better deals. I’ve built both an Intel and AMD system. Which one suits me better for gaming?
PCPartPicker part list
Price details by seller
CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor (($197.19 @ SuperBiiz))
Motherboard: MSI - B350 PC MATE ATX AM4 Motherboard (($71.98 @ Newegg))
Memory: GeIL - EVO X 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (($135.88 @ OutletPC))
Storage: Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (($45.87 @ OutletPC))
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC GAMING ACX 3.0 Black Edition Video Card (($404.98 @ Newegg))
Case: Deepcool - TESSERACT SW RED ATX Mid Tower Case (($39.99 @ SuperBiiz))
Power Supply: SeaSonic - S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (($39.99 @ SuperBiiz))
Total: $935.88
Includes shipping, taxes, and applicable discounts
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-09-08 22:28 EDT-0400
If this setup meets requirements, it should perform well against alternatives. The stock cooler may help manage heat, but adding an SSD later would be beneficial. However, a 128GB SSD alone wouldn’t make much difference.
On the Intel side, a 7600k core is rarely justified due to high cost compared to a 1600 build, making it hard to justify the budget. By Christmas, 6-core i5 models will likely be available, so their pricing will guide better choices.
Don't be alarmed by the price this shows, because by Christmas they will come down, especially the GTX 1070's price - it's heavily overpriced right now due to mining.
PCPartPicker part list
/
Price breakdown by merchant
CPU:
AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor
($197.19 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard:
Asus - PRIME B350-PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard
($91.98 @ Newegg)
Memory:
Team - Vulcan 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory
($134.99 @ Newegg)
Storage:
Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
($45.87 @ OutletPC)
Video Card:
Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Windforce OC Video Card
($454.98 @ Newegg)
Case:
NZXT - S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case
($79.89 @ B&H)
Power Supply:
Corsair - CX (2017) 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply
($49.99 @ Amazon)
Total:
$1054.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-09-08 22:39 EDT-0400
Case is a personal choice, pick what you like. When you buy it, if budget allows, add an SSD as well - a 200-275 GB is usually recommended, so that you can keep a few games along with Windows and apps on it. If that feels too expensive, get a 120-130 GB one and store just Windows and apps on it, it won't hold games.
Edit 1: As for Intel, avoid the 7th gen products now, even the i7's. If you want Intel, wait for the 8th gen, it is rumored to have major upgrades, something Intel hasn't done for a long time now. 4 cores are a thing of the past, and with Intel's 8th gen, that will get validated even further.
1. The stock cooler that comes with the R5 1600 will allow for OC up to 3.7, maybe 3.8 GHz. Nothing over that without aftermarket cooling.
2. There are micro-ATX B350 boards, like the MSI Gaming Pro B350M.
3. You can save money by waiting for the GTX 1070 to come down to normal prices. Its price is inflated right now due to mining, hopefully by the time Christmas comes the issue will be over.
4. Now that's a topic deserving a thread of its own. The short version is this - Intel is better for high refresh rate gaming, i.e, 144+ Hz. AMD is better for long-term usage, at least right now. Since you're looking for a 60+ Hz experience, I'd still say AMD is better, even with a 144 Hz monitor. This stays true until Intel's Coffee Lake 8th gen CPUs are launched, and do have the rumored 6-core 12-thread i7's. In that case, I'd probably recommend going for the 8th gen i7's. If they do come out by Christmas, I'd suggest asking for suggestions then, but I think they'll be the better deal for 144 Hz gaming.
But that's the future, can't say much about it right now since it's all just speculation. Right now, Ryzen's the deal. Whether it stays so till Christmas is something that depends on Coffee Lake's launch date.
I considered using the 128GB SSD to download Windows onto and clearing out my 1 TB HDD used for XB1, then mounting it. I also looked for a motherboard that supports DDR4 3000, but if I can find an affordable one that works, I’ll go for it. Thanks for your assistance. I’ll try to choose a 1070 if it fits my budget somehow.
I considered using the 128GB SSD to install Windows and would erase my 1 TB HDD used for XB1, then mount it. I'm also searching for a motherboard that supports DDR4 3000, but if I find an affordable option that works, I'll choose it. Thanks for your assistance. I plan to consider a 1070 if it fits my budget. Regarding the Xbox One hard drive, I'm unsure if it's compatible with PCs—external drives might work, but I don't know about internal ones. If you have experience, you can help me.
sessoms.will :
Oh, okay. Yeah, I'm most likely going to wait for the i8's if they're available. Is it appropriate to look at past GPU prices before the mining spike as a gauge for future prices? VERY helpful, thank you
Okay firstly, the 8th gen isn't called i8 - they're called 8th gen i7's, or Coffee Lake in general. There's nothing like an i8(be thankful you didn't say this in front of a hyperactive PC enthusiast, they would have mocked you for life).
Secondly, it might be a good measure to just look at the MSRP of the card you want to purchase, and add anywhere form $10 to $50 to the MSRP for the aftermarket cards. Companies charge extra for their superior cooler designs, hence the extra cost over the MSRP of the cards. Looking at prices before the mining craze could be a good indicator, though not fully accurate of course.