Custom Budget Build

[ashari]

Hello Ari

After having built a Skylake HTPC 2-3 years ago with the help of TBG, I'm back, but this time wanting to build a regular desktop.  I believe the $750 Budget Gaming PC will suit my needs.  Hope you can give some insight on the below questions with the changes I want to make:

Since I've never owned an AMD PC, I was thinking of building one using the August 2019 setup with the Ryzen 5 2600X.  Any particular reason, other than price, for the switch to Intel i5-9400F for September 2019?  The Ryzen 5 2600X is still a bit cheaper on Amazon Canada and I'm planning on getting the GTX 1660 mentioned.

With regards to memory, I'd rather have a 2x8GB 2666 MHz RAM with the Crucial Ballistix at a decent price on Amazon Canada.
https://amzn.to/2zugkkG
Any particular reason to opt for a higher frequency RAM?

For the case, I like the look and design of the CoolerMaster Q300L rather than the Thermaltake Versa H17, thus I prefer the former.

Finally, for the PSU, both the Seasonic S12II 450W and the EVGA BR 450W are pretty expensive for my liking.  Any reason not to consider the Corsair CX450 instead which is posted at CAD$65?
https://amzn.to/2L50HXP

Thanks beforehand for your valuable insights, Ari!

[Ari Altman]

Hello Ari

After having built a Skylake HTPC 2-3 years ago with the help of TBG, I'm back, but this time wanting to build a regular desktop.  I believe the $750 Budget Gaming PC will suit my needs.  Hope you can give some insight on the below questions with the changes I want to make:

Since I've never owned an AMD PC, I was thinking of building one using the August 2019 setup with the Ryzen 5 2600X.  Any particular reason, other than price, for the switch to Intel i5-9400F for September 2019?  The Ryzen 5 2600X is still a bit cheaper on Amazon Canada and I'm planning on getting the GTX 1660 mentioned.

With regards to memory, I'd rather have a 2x8GB 2666 MHz RAM with the Crucial Ballistix at a decent price on Amazon Canada.
https://amzn.to/2zugkkG
Any particular reason to opt for a higher frequency RAM?

For the case, I like the look and design of the CoolerMaster Q300L rather than the Thermaltake Versa H17, thus I prefer the former.

Finally, for the PSU, both the Seasonic S12II 450W and the EVGA BR 450W are pretty expensive for my liking.  Any reason not to consider the Corsair CX450 instead which is posted at CAD$65?
https://amzn.to/2L50HXP

Thanks beforehand for your valuable insights, Ari!

Welcome back, ashari! Glad to hear your HTPC experience was good enough that you're interested in building another PC, and I'm also glad TBG is still around to help you out!

So, as to your questions, let me answer them one by one:
(1) The 2600X vs. 9400F question all comes down to performance for the price. And in the US, the 9400F is now slightly cheaper, and it remains a bit faster in gaming overall. So that gives it the win. Last month, the 2600X was a bit cheaper. It looks like the 9400F is also a bit cheaper in Canada, so that is the CPU I recommend if gaming is your main purpose. The 2600X would be better for HTPC use, game streaming, or video production, but for pure gaming, the 9400F wins.

(2) If you use the 2600X, you will want Ballistix RAM, ideally of the DDR4-3200 variety. If you use the 9400F, you cannot utilize anything higher than 2666, and any brand will do. The AMD platform is sensitive to RAM type, and Ballistix makes "single-rank" RAM that is better for Ryzen.

(3) Get whichever PSU you can find - the CX450 isn't even being sold in the US anymore due to tariffs.

(4) Glad you like the Q300L case. It sells out constantly, so grab it if you find it in stock!

Also, one request - to help support this forum, make sure to order your products using the Amazon Canada links in the TBG $750 Gaming PC Guide. Thanks!

[ashari]

Hi Ari

Thanks for the insight as always. 

It looks like the price of the Ryzen 2600X went up as well on Amazon Canada, so will probably fall back to the 9400F.  There's no difference in price between the motherboards MSI B360M Bazooka and Gigabyte B360M DS3H on Amazon Canada right now and the only difference between the 2 that I could find is that the Bazooka has an extra PCIe x1 slot whereas the DS3H has a PCIe x4 slot.  I don't know much about the difference between the 2, but is there any pros of choosing one over the other?

I will definitely use the links provides on TBG, but just wanted to make sure how it works.  Can I just click on the link on TBG and save the product in my cart, or should I order the product asap?

Thanks

[Ari Altman]

Hi Ari

Thanks for the insight as always. 

It looks like the price of the Ryzen 2600X went up as well on Amazon Canada, so will probably fall back to the 9400F.  There's no difference in price between the motherboards MSI B360M Bazooka and Gigabyte B360M DS3H on Amazon Canada right now and the only difference between the 2 that I could find is that the Bazooka has an extra PCIe x1 slot whereas the DS3H has a PCIe x4 slot.  I don't know much about the difference between the 2, but is there any pros of choosing one over the other?

I will definitely use the links provides on TBG, but just wanted to make sure how it works.  Can I just click on the link on TBG and save the product in my cart, or should I order the product asap?

Thanks

Between the MSI B360M Bazooka and Gigabyte B360M DS3H on Amazon Canada, definitely get the Bazooka. It has a better slot layout, better USB port setup, and better looks too.

Now, as for supporting the forum, the way to do it is to add items to your cart from any link, or all of the links if that makes it easier to find the components, and then purchase them within 24 hours. If you put them in your cart and then buy them a week later, the affiliate credit expires. Thanks for your consideration!

[ashari]

Hello Ari

I finally got my budget build up and running this weekend.  The parts that I bought are mainly the ones that you suggested in the October build, except for the below:
SSD - 512GB Intel SSD6 M.2 PCIe
PSU - Corsair CX 450M
Case - Thermaltake Versa H18 Tempered Glass, which was on discount on Amazon.  If I'm not mistaken, you suggested it once in the monthly builds.

One thing I'm unhappy about is the stock Intel CPU fan which is really loud even when idle.  Initially I thought it was the rear case fan, but when I disconnected it from the motherboard, I found the culprit.  I've modified the setting to Silent in the UEFI, but even that I found the noise to be unbearable.  I'm not sure if the Thermaltake case is accentuating the noise because there are lots of space inside.  The reason why I'm saying that is I used the same stock Intel CPU fan of an i3-6100 in a Silverstone RVZ02 for my HTPC and I can barely hear it.

What would be your recommendation?  Should I get a quieter CPU cooler instead?

Thanks

[Ari Altman]

Hello Ari

I finally got my budget build up and running this weekend.  The parts that I bought are mainly the ones that you suggested in the October build, except for the below:
SSD - 512GB Intel SSD6 M.2 PCIe
PSU - Corsair CX 450M
Case - Thermaltake Versa H18 Tempered Glass, which was on discount on Amazon.  If I'm not mistaken, you suggested it once in the monthly builds.

One thing I'm unhappy about is the stock Intel CPU fan which is really loud even when idle.  Initially I thought it was the rear case fan, but when I disconnected it from the motherboard, I found the culprit.  I've modified the setting to Silent in the UEFI, but even that I found the noise to be unbearable.  I'm not sure if the Thermaltake case is accentuating the noise because there are lots of space inside.  The reason why I'm saying that is I used the same stock Intel CPU fan of an i3-6100 in a Silverstone RVZ02 for my HTPC and I can barely hear it.

What would be your recommendation?  Should I get a quieter CPU cooler instead?

Thanks

Glad to hear your new build is working out for you! There have been a lot of changes in the case, SSD, and power supply markets over the past few months, which is why those three products are different this month that last month or the month before, but yes, your SSD, PSU, and case are all great picks.

I agree, however, that the stock Intel fan is not great. It's free, but that's about the only thing it has going for it. I know you're using an Intel Core i5-9400F, which pushes that cooler to its max, so I'd suggest an upgrade to a tower cooler. Your Core i3-6100 was a dual-core, the 9400F is a six-core, hence the difference in noise levels.

Now one consideration in terms of cooler choice is height, as your Thermaltake H18 case can only fit coolers up to 155mm tall. My recommendation for a cooler that will be significantly quieter than the Intel cooler and actually fit in your case is the Scythe Mugen 5 Rev. B, which is available from Amazon.aa for CAN$85. Just click on "available from these sellers" and choose Scythe. Another nice option is the compact Noctua NH-U9S, which is CAN$75 on Amazon.ca. Definitely not as powerful as the Scythe, but equally quiet and easier to install. It's a good match for the Core i5-9400F, but if you ever wanted to upgrade to an eight-core processor, you'd probably want a new cooler.

[ashari]

Thanks for the suggestions.  Actually I tried to measure the noise level of the stock Intel cooler when idle using an app that I downloaded on my phone and it recorded between 55-60 dB.  I do not know how accurate the recording is, but it's pretty loud compared to the recording of my i3-6100 HTPC which was around 45 dB with that same app.

Now coming back to the 2 suggestions, I've never installed a custom CPU cooler before and I'm not sure which one to pick.  Would I need to completely remove the motherboard from the case to install any of the 2 coolers?  The Scythe Mugen 5 Rev. B looks like I have to build the cooler before mounting it on the MB which could be quite challenging.  I'm not sure if the Noctua NH-U9S comes ready to be installed out of the box same as an Intel stock cooler.  I'll probably need to look for some videos for some help.  Also, does the Scythe come with thermal paste?  The NH-U9S has it according to Amazon.

Additionally, if I want to replace the rear case fan of the H18, which one would you recommend?

Thanks

[Ari Altman]

Thanks for the suggestions.  Actually I tried to measure the noise level of the stock Intel cooler when idle using an app that I downloaded on my phone and it recorded between 55-60 dB.  I do not know how accurate the recording is, but it's pretty loud compared to the recording of my i3-6100 HTPC which was around 45 dB with that same app.

Now coming back to the 2 suggestions, I've never installed a custom CPU cooler before and I'm not sure which one to pick.  Would I need to completely remove the motherboard from the case to install any of the 2 coolers?  The Scythe Mugen 5 Rev. B looks like I have to build the cooler before mounting it on the MB which could be quite challenging.  I'm not sure if the Noctua NH-U9S comes ready to be installed out of the box same as an Intel stock cooler.  I'll probably need to look for some videos for some help.  Also, does the Scythe come with thermal paste?  The NH-U9S has it according to Amazon.

Additionally, if I want to replace the rear case fan of the H18, which one would you recommend?

Thanks

Both the Mugen and the NH-U9S need to be assembled, but the Noctua is easier, so that's what I'd suggest. You don't need to remove the motherboard, but you will need access to the back of the motherboard, which you can get by removing the right side panel. This is where you'll insert a metal bracket that the U9S attaches to. It's really not that hard - no harder than some of the other things you've already done!

Two tips that should help you along: you'll need to remove the thermal paste from your Intel heatsink, and to do so, you can use rubbing alcohol and a paper towel. Then when you apply the new thermal paste (included in a handy syringe with the U9S), you put a drop the size of a pea in the center of the CPU and just allow it to spread out on its own as you tighten down the heatsink.

As for the case fan, I wouldn't replace it, I'd add to it. In other words, you can put a fan in the front of your case for additional cooling. If you'd like to go that route, I'd suggest the Arctic F14 Silent. If you feel the stock Thermaltake rear fan is just too loud, you can also go with an Arctic P12 in the rear. Note that these are different sizes, as the front of the case can fit larger fans than the rear.

[ashari]

I just ordered the NH-U9S using the Amazon link.  I will keep you posted on how it went after installation.
Thanks again.

[ashari]

Hi again Ari

I just installed the NH-U9S and wow... what a difference in terms of noise.  I just want to make sure that I installed it properly and here is a link to the pic I took.
https://imgur.com/a/mc29Gr0

Also, here's a snapshot of HWMonitor
https://imgur.com/a/R8Ljr4c

Thanks

[Ari Altman]

Hi again Ari

I just installed the NH-U9S and wow... what a difference in terms of noise.  I just want to make sure that I installed it properly and here is a link to the pic I took.
https://imgur.com/a/mc29Gr0

Also, here's a snapshot of HWMonitor
https://imgur.com/a/R8Ljr4c

Thanks

Looks perfect! Glad you're enjoying your PC more now!