New Power Build

P

paul-a

Member
Hey everyone - I would appreciate you advice on a new build where the main requirements are;

  1. Primary use is software development
  2. Using virtual machines - so memory intensive (the 16gb machine i use now is maxed out on ram)
  3. Programming is reasonably cpu intensive, and very intensive in spikes (such as when compiling the software being developed)
  4. Monitor - 2 x 27inch 2k monitors, which can accept display port or hdmi
  5. Running linux as the OS
  6. In a small office - so low noise in important
  7. Budget - £1800, perhaps a little more
Using the build guide I come up with the below spec. I would appreciate you feedback and particular advice on;

  • General feedback - is this the right balanced spec for the needs, do i need to consider anything else
  • RAM - I selected 32GB. Is there any noticable performance differences between 2 x 16gb vs 4 x 8GB
  • Case - I was not sure which to select, so chose send my own. What cases would you recommend, either from PCS or elsewhere (for me to send in for the build)
  • Case fans - Should I select additional case fans for cooling
Thanks for your help

Case
Send In Your Own Case
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12 Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.8GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® STRIX B550-F GAMING (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (4 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PRO XT Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Subject to stock availability on pre-order products
Price: £1,655.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/NHec8tjJFE/
 
S

Steveyg

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
You had a very solid build to begin with mate so I just tuned it a little

Namely a more suited motherboard for the 5900X and what I consider to be a better cooler for it as well. You can drop the extra thermal paste as the Corsair & Coolermaster CPU coolers come with their own very high quality paste

I'd always go with 2 Sticks of RAM simply because it'll allow to go to 64GB should you ever need to easily

Case
Send In Your Own Case
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12 Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.8GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Subject to stock availability on pre-order products
Price: £1,753.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/zBtQdPmgfr/
 
P

paul-a

Member
Steveyg said:
You had a very solid build to begin with mate so I just tuned it a little

Namely a more suited motherboard for the 5900X and what I consider to be a better cooler for it as well. You can drop the extra thermal paste as the Corsair & Coolermaster CPU coolers come with their own very high quality paste

I'd always go with 2 Sticks of RAM simply because it'll allow to go to 64GB should you ever need to easily

Case
Send In Your Own Case
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12 Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.8GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Subject to stock availability on pre-order products
Price: £1,753.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/zBtQdPmgfr/
Click to expand...
thanks, i appreciate you advice.

What are your thoughts regarding a recommended case, and if I would need to consider addition case cooling fans. I thought that the best option would be to look elsewhere for a case and send it to PCS for the build, but have no idea on which case to go for?
 
S

Steveyg

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Well if you wanted a case and fan from PCS I would go with the below. I'm a big fan of the 5000X case

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12 Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.8GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Extra Case Fans
3x Corsair LL120 RGB LED Fan + Controller Kit
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Subject to stock availability on pre-order products
Price: £1,946.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/qjhGZBwbTY/
 
D

Deleted member 17413

Guest
Its a build for an office and low noise is a requirement, so I would think about maybe going for the fractal Define 7 and sending in a case, unfortunately can only see the white version in stock on £149 on Overclockers unless you went for the full tower, but thats £50 more.

Wanted to note, a RTX 2060 is only £30 or so more, and might be worth taking over the 1660S and you'd want a SSD as a main data drive , if your budget can stretch to it a 1TB PCS is a good choice, then maybe add storage/bulk SSD as you need it.

It all depends how much flex their is in your budget,

Case
Send In Your Own Case
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12 Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.8GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Subject to stock availability on pre-order products
Price: £1,815.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/duT0Dah3z5/

I dropped the PSU to the 750W as I dont think you'll be using high end GPU's and maxing out power consumption so tried to trim a little, I also though as going into an office you might not need WiFi/Bluetooth? So can trim that off to knock £20 off, as mentioned the RTX 2060 adds about £30.

I would think the H115i RGB Pro XT would do the job so theres a £20 trim there, but the Capillex does a much better job and gives real value with improved fans and a commander core as well.

So theres a few tweeks you can play with to squeeze, but I think you get value from the added cost.
Hacking it back into budget, would probably mean a 5800X rather than 5900X CPU.
Not sure about putting a 5900X on a Tuf X570 so worth asking the question, that would save £70ish and bring you back towards budget, a 5800X/Tuf X570 is a good pairing and would bring you in on budget.... so I think check out the specific programs you use and are likely to use and see how they do on 8 core vs 12.
 
P

paul-a

Member
sibun1 said:
Its a build for an office and low noise is a requirement, so I would think about maybe going for the fractal Define 7 and sending in a case, unfortunately can only see the white version in stock on £149 on Overclockers unless you went for the full tower, but thats £50 more.

Wanted to note, a RTX 2060 is only £30 or so more, and might be worth taking over the 1660S and you'd want a SSD as a main data drive , if your budget can stretch to it a 1TB PCS is a good choice, then maybe add storage/bulk SSD as you need it.

It all depends how much flex their is in your budget,

Case
Send In Your Own Case
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12 Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.8GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Subject to stock availability on pre-order products
Price: £1,815.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/duT0Dah3z5/

I dropped the PSU to the 750W as I dont think you'll be using high end GPU's and maxing out power consumption so tried to trim a little, I also though as going into an office you might not need WiFi/Bluetooth? So can trim that off to knock £20 off, as mentioned the RTX 2060 adds about £30.

I would think the H115i RGB Pro XT would do the job so theres a £20 trim there, but the Capillex does a much better job and gives real value with improved fans and a commander core as well.

So theres a few tweeks you can play with to squeeze, but I think you get value from the added cost.
Hacking it back into budget, would probably mean a 5800X rather than 5900X CPU.
Not sure about putting a 5900X on a Tuf X570 so worth asking the question, that would save £70ish and bring you back towards budget, a 5800X/Tuf X570 is a good pairing and would bring you in on budget.... so I think check out the specific programs you use and are likely to use and see how they do on 8 core vs 12.
Click to expand...
thanks, very useful.

i had not spotted the rtx 2060 was only 30 more, looks a good upgrade. i agree given it is office based / non high end gpu trimming the wifi and psu to 750w makes sense.

the machine i have now suffers from heat / throttling, so i'm very conscious of getting the right airflow/cooling - based on that the capillex seems a no brainer to include. what's your thoughts on open vs. closed front cases and any other potential case options? a review i just found on the fractal said there was a 10 degree temp difference inside the case when they compared having the door closed vs the door open, but presumably there are noise and dust consideration too for having an open front?

can you expand on your reservations with pairing the 5900x with a tuf x570 and any potential better motherboard pair if i were to stick with the 5900x?
 
D

Deleted member 17413

Guest
The strix is a better 570 board than the Tuf, and more able to support the CPU properly.
I think the strix would be recommended for the 5900X generally but I dont know enough if you could drop to a Tuf and be ok...need someone with better knowledge.

The Tuf X570 is fine on a 5800X but i've a feeling the 5900X needs a little more.
In the builds above, I think the Strix has been used anyway...I was simply trying to think of ways to help with the pricetag.
 
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