Out of the PC building game for a while, looking for advice

Joined
Nov 5, 2018
Messages
20
Hey All,
I've been out of the PC building game for some time, and am looking to get back in with a bang. Historically, I've always built middle-end machines (running a i5 4590 with an R9 280x right now) but would like to get into the high end. With that in mind, I have a few things I'd definitely like to try and a few questions.

1.) I'd like to get into overclocking
2.) I'd like to get into watercooling (probably not ready for a custom rig or anything at this point)
3.) I'd like to delve into RGB for the funs!
4.) I'm very much on the fence on 1440p@144hz and 4k@60 hz. I play all kinds of games from fast FPS games to slow RPG games. I play them reasonably well but wouldn't consider myself a "competitve" gamer.
5.) While I know it's not truly possible to "future proof" a machine, I'm looking to do so as well as I can. This ties into the point above, as I worry that, with the technology available now, in 3-4 years, it won't be able to run future games in 4k at a reasonable frame rate.

Here's what I have so far:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-9700K 3.6GHz 8-Core Processor ($419.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: NZXT - Kraken X52 Rev 2 73.1 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($132.44 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - Z390 GAMING SLI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($152.06 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($172.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung - 970 Evo 1.0TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($227.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.88 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB Gaming OC 11G Video Card ($704.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design - Meshify C Dark TG ATX Mid Tower Case ($101.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($95.88 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($94.89 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: AOC - AG271QX 27.0" 2560x1440 144Hz Monitor ($349.99 @ Walmart)
Total: $2533.06
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-11-05 06:26 EST-0500

Additional questions based on the above are:
1.) Intel vs. AMD...my understanding is that the AMD chipsets may be more "futureproof" at this point, but I'm not entirely sure I understand why. Any thoughts on this?
2.) 1080ti vs. 2080 vs. 2080ti. The 2080 seems like a reasonable choice for $100 bucks more, given that it will potentially have some use in future games.
3.) Monitor: G-sync? I hear both that it is worth the markup and that it is not worth the markup. It seems to me that it would be most worth it if I am to go the 4k route? Also, IPS panel vs TN panel. Should I go with an IPS panel?
4.) Case: This case seems to be a nice balance of what I'm looking for. My priorities are to balance noise level and cooling performance, with the perk of having a nice glass panel to see the RGB stuff. Do I need additional case fans?

Any help would be appreciated. I'm planning on throwing down on this on cyber monday, so I have some time to figure it out.
 
Here is my opinion on future proofing. People want to get the best now because they think it will last longer. However, you usually pay substantially more for not much more performance. I think you are better off buying the best price/performance ratio and upgrading more often. That way you will always have a decent PC.

1. AMD says their next CPU will be compatible with it's current boards. Which is nice if you plan to make small upgrades every few years, but if you upgrade every 4 years then it won't make a difference.
2. 2080 is probably worth an extra $100.
3. Monitors, high refresh rate is nice for fast paced games. If you are not super competitive when playing them you might not care. I've never used G-sync, mainly because I am very competitive when playing and it is not good for that. IPS vs TN is again probably about how competitive you are. TN will be slightly faster, but IPS will look better.
4. What are you RGB plans? The only thing RGB you have listed is the cooler, and it does not have RGB fans just some RGB on the pump. I prefer to just have some RGB strips that light up my case and change color, along with a lot of white accents to really show the color. Another option is to also have RGB fans, RGB motherboard. You can either get solid colors or rainbow colors.
 
You better jump on that 1tb from amazon right away or new egg before it goes up. It is a temp price.
 
Here is my opinion on future proofing. People want to get the best now because they think it will last longer. However, you usually pay substantially more for not much more performance. I think you are better off buying the best price/performance ratio and upgrading more often. That way you will always have a decent PC.

1. AMD says their next CPU will be compatible with it's current boards. Which is nice if you plan to make small upgrades every few years, but if you upgrade every 4 years then it won't make a difference.
2. 2080 is probably worth an extra $100.
3. Monitors, high refresh rate is nice for fast paced games. If you are not super competitive when playing them you might not care. I've never used G-sync, mainly because I am very competitive when playing and it is not good for that. IPS vs TN is again probably about how competitive you are. TN will be slightly faster, but IPS will look better.
4. What are you RGB plans? The only thing RGB you have listed is the cooler, and it does not have RGB fans just some RGB on the pump. I prefer to just have some RGB strips that light up my case and change color, along with a lot of white accents to really show the color. Another option is to also have RGB fans, RGB motherboard. You can either get solid colors or rainbow colors.

Thanks for the response.

With regard to the RGB, I'm still wrapping my head around exactly how to make this work. As best I can tell, there are a variety of companies making RGB gear, and very little of it plays nicely together. Furthermore, you need either a motherboard or external RGB controller. It seems like the most user friendly way to do this would be to go with gear that all is supported by a single interface, like the Asus Aurasync. This, of course, limits the options.

I guess I'm either looking for guidance or a good resource with how to best create a well coordinated RGB build. Does anyone here have experience building something exclusively that coordinates with Aurasync?

For example, looking at something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor ($358.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - MasterLiquid ML240R RGB 66.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($116.67 @ Amazon)
Thermal Compound: Cooler Master - MasterGel Maker 4g Thermal Paste ($9.87 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus - ROG STRIX Z370-E GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($205.00 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($154.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung - 860 Evo 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($162.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.95 @ Amazon)
Video Card: NVIDIA - GeForce RTX 2080 8 GB Founders Edition Video Card ($899.95 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master - MasterCase H500M ATX Mid Tower Case ($209.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Cooler Master - V850 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit ($124.79 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Cooler Master - MasterFan MF140R ARGB 90.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($25.98 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Cooler Master - MasterFan MF120R ARGB 59.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($19.98 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus - PG279Q ROG Swift 27.0" 2560x1440 165Hz Monitor ($689.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $3178.13
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-11-06 09:34 EST-0500

Is this something that makes sense/is reasonable? When it gets into both coming up with an RGB build while looking for performance/value, I feel fairly out of my depth.
 
It looks reasonable (well, expensive lol). Just a couple of things, I wouldn't buy a 3TB Seagate HDD just coz me and my friend both had one and they both died just outside of the warranty period. I think I read something about the 3TB drives having a higher than usual failure rate but I'm not 100% on that. I would buy a Seasonic PSU instead of Cooler Master just coz well Seasonic units always get glowing reviews at HardOCP.
 
It looks reasonable (well, expensive lol). Just a couple of things, I wouldn't buy a 3TB Seagate HDD just coz me and my friend both had one and they both died just outside of the warranty period. I think I read something about the 3TB drives having a higher than usual failure rate but I'm not 100% on that. I would buy a Seasonic PSU instead of Cooler Master just coz well Seasonic units always get glowing reviews at HardOCP.

Do you see places where I could be saving money? For example, is there another alternative case with similar performance and ability to do some RGB stuff? Should I completely forgo the aurasync approach and go another direction? I initially had set my budget at $3000, but would love to come in well under it.
 
Here are a couple RGB examples:

One color at a time, you can choose a static color or make it rotate through all colors. You can usually also have a breathing effect, where the color dims and then gets brighter over and over.
dsc00968-100758971-large.jpg

The newest RGB has all colors at the same time and is usually constantly changing color to make it look like it is a moving rainbow.
1520140747_giphy.gif

If you go with static style RBG you can get away with white blade fans. The white will appear whatever color the RGB currently is. You can also do white cables, or even wrap your CPU cooler lines in white. It is usually cheaper, and has the most compatibility with motherboards. There are also some cases that have built in RBG controller for this. You usually just use a few LED strips, maybe LED fans and memory.

The rainbow stuff is generally more expensive. You have to have the rainbow RBG fans or Phanteks makes an RGB frame that can be put on any fan (looks best on fans with white blades). You also need the rainbow style LED strips.
 
i noticed a couple of places to save some loot.
memory- the gskill you linked to in your initial post is on sale for $140 until weds. i would grab it while its on sale.
psu- evga 1000 G1+ is on sale at best buy for $89. a bit overkill but a very solid unit. again i would grab it sooner rather than later.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/evga-1...269&siteID=rGMTN56tf_w-ydgXtvZcjaewxyouZgKp.g
theres a 2tb micron ssd at newegg for $249. it may be worth looking into if you would prefer a single drive.
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...VAS1pCh3ekAUqEAYYAiABEgJPhvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
if you have a microcenter nearby you may be able to save a bit more, $30 by getting the cpu/mb there.
 
Last edited:
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
Thanks for the help everyone. I'm not planning on purchasing anything yet, as I'm still trying to work out the build, but I appreciate the heads up on the deals.

Regarding the graphics card, I want a minimum of a 1080 ti for this system, so a 2070 would be out of the question.

The thing I'm still trying to wrap my head around with regard to RGB, is what methods I have to get everything well coordinated. For example, asus has AuraSync which, if you have compatible parts, allows you to coordinate the RGB setup. Similarly, NZXT seems to have a solution. Is this all there is to it? Is there a resource that can give me the rundown?
 
Thanks for the help everyone. I'm not planning on purchasing anything yet, as I'm still trying to work out the build, but I appreciate the heads up on the deals.

Regarding the graphics card, I want a minimum of a 1080 ti for this system, so a 2070 would be out of the question.

The thing I'm still trying to wrap my head around with regard to RGB, is what methods I have to get everything well coordinated. For example, asus has AuraSync which, if you have compatible parts, allows you to coordinate the RGB setup. Similarly, NZXT seems to have a solution. Is this all there is to it? Is there a resource that can give me the rundown?

Most manufacturers have their own RGB controller/software. Some are compatible with motherboards, some are not.

I have Phanteks stuff mainly because I bought a Phanteks case. They have two lines, standard RGB (the lights are 1 color at a time) and digital RGB (which is rainbow effect). All of their stuff is compatible with Asus and MSI boards, their standard stuff is also compatible with Gigabyte. They also have their own controllers as well, some of their cases include these. They have LED strips and fan halos which turn any fan into RGB. All their stuff just daisy chains together and then plugs into their controller or your motherboard. For the motherboard you need an adapter, the starter 2 pack of LED strips includes the motherboard adapter though.

Silverstone also offers RGB fan rings and other options that are compatible with most motherboards.

Corsair RGB fans only work with Corsair's controller/software. I would assume most if not all of their RGB stuff is that way.

For fans you might be better off with the RGB Halo/Rings like Phanteks and Silverstone sell. A lot of RGB fans aren't great, if you get separate frames you can put them on high quality fans.

If you want RGB ram G.Skill is compatible with Asus Aura, Corsair is compatible with MSI and Gigabyte and their own controller/software.

If you want RGB on your keyboard and mouse to sync as well I think you would be limited to either Asus or Corsair accessories and would be locked into their controller/software.
 
Most manufacturers have their own RGB controller/software. Some are compatible with motherboards, some are not.

I have Phanteks stuff mainly because I bought a Phanteks case. They have two lines, standard RGB (the lights are 1 color at a time) and digital RGB (which is rainbow effect). All of their stuff is compatible with Asus and MSI boards, their standard stuff is also compatible with Gigabyte. They also have their own controllers as well, some of their cases include these. They have LED strips and fan halos which turn any fan into RGB. All their stuff just daisy chains together and then plugs into their controller or your motherboard. For the motherboard you need an adapter, the starter 2 pack of LED strips includes the motherboard adapter though.

Silverstone also offers RGB fan rings and other options that are compatible with most motherboards.

Corsair RGB fans only work with Corsair's controller/software. I would assume most if not all of their RGB stuff is that way.

For fans you might be better off with the RGB Halo/Rings like Phanteks and Silverstone sell. A lot of RGB fans aren't great, if you get separate frames you can put them on high quality fans.

If you want RGB ram G.Skill is compatible with Asus Aura, Corsair is compatible with MSI and Gigabyte and their own controller/software.

If you want RGB on your keyboard and mouse to sync as well I think you would be limited to either Asus or Corsair accessories and would be locked into their controller/software.

Thanks muchly for this!

Based on all of the input and help here, I've made a few modifications with a few things in mind. First, I think since I'd like to use a Kraken x62, I'll just stay in the NZXT rgb zone and go with the Hue 2. Second, I stumbled upon the Lian Li pc-o11 Dynamic case which looks awesome and, for the quality, is relatively inexpensive because it comes with no fans, allowing me to not waste up front money on fans and just purchase RGB alternatives.

I've not yet made some of the changes suggested above (to the HDD, for example, because the HGST looks like it is now a different version and now lower quality.

Also, changed the monitor up.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor ($358.89 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: NZXT - Kraken X62 Rev 2 98.17 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($145.59 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock - Z370 Extreme4 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($158.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($164.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung - 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($162.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 3 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($84.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI - GeForce RTX 2080 8 GB GAMING X TRIO Video Card ($839.99 @ Walmart)
Case: Lian-Li - PC-O11DW ATX Full Tower Case ($135.39 @ Newegg Business)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($85.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($95.89 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: NZXT - Aer RGB120 (3-pack) 61.4 CFM 120mm Fans
Case Fan: NZXT - Aer RGB120 (3-pack) 61.4 CFM 120mm Fans
Monitor: Asus - PG279Q ROG Swift 27.0" 2560x1440 165Hz Monitor ($686.00 @ Amazon)
Other: Nzxt HUE 2 RGB Lighting Kit Black (AC-HUEP2-M1) ($45.72 @ Amazon)
Total: $2965.30
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-11-09 19:35 EST-0500


Any thoughts?
 
That does look like a nice case, damn I kind of want one now lol

i agree, its one of my favorites. both the black and white versions are sweet. if i could fit all of my rads in it id be rockin one for sure. just a heads up theres a sweet deal on evgas 750 g1 for $59.
https://www.evga.com/products/product.aspx?pn=120-GP-0750-X1
you may want to check out the 9700k vs the 8700k. from what ive seen they clock really nicely with good cooling. they are about $50 more expensive tho. a good place to check on sweet deals is the hot deals section. theres a deal on a 32in gsynch monitor in there that may interest you.
i know you said you wanted to get into ocing. if your interested in ocing your memory. keep an eye out for solid ocing ddr4 3200, it runs around $190- $230(depending on sales). watch specifically for ddr4 3200 kits with 14-14-14-34 timings, thats the stuff you want for ocing. for example
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820236442 or https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820232485
the corsair is on sale so thats probably the best price youll get for it but the gskill drops into the $210 range pretty regularly. the ics they run are samsung b-die. known to regularly oc well beyond their rated speeds and latencies.
just found this hyperx rgb ddr4 4000cas19,cas 17 at 3600- if you buy individual 2- 8gb modules its $215 vs $226- this is an excellent price for ddr4 4000 either way. i wish i had seen this before i bought my corsair :(
https://www.amazon.com/HyperX-Predator-Technology-HX440C19PB3AK2-16/dp/B07GMZKNK6
have fun, your building a sweet rig!
 
Last edited:
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
you may want to check out the 9700k vs the 8700k. from what ive seen they clock really nicely with good cooling. they are about $50 more expensive tho.
This will also require a different motherboard chipset, no? If so, any recs on motherboards?
i know you said you wanted to get into ocing. if your interested in ocing your memory. keep an eye out for solid ocing ddr4 3200, it runs around $190- $230(depending on sales). watch specifically for ddr4 3200 kits with 14-14-14-34 timings, thats the stuff you want for ocing. for example
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820236442 or https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820232485
the corsair is on sale so thats probably the best price youll get for it but the gskill drops into the $210 range pretty regularly. the ics they run are samsung b-die. known to regularly oc well beyond their rated speeds and latencies.
just found this hyperx rgb ddr4 4000cas19,cas 17 at 3600- if you buy individual 2- 8gb modules its $215 vs $226- this is an excellent price for ddr4 4000 either way. i wish i had seen this before i bought my corsair :(
https://www.amazon.com/HyperX-Predator-Technology-HX440C19PB3AK2-16/dp/B07GMZKNK6
have fun, your building a sweet rig!

In practice, how big of a difference are those 2ms in cas latency (that was the only difference I could find)? Are we talking one stick of ram is overclockable and the other is not at all, or are we talking a few MHz difference in the end result?

Appreciate all the help!
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
You've got a pretty similar build to what I ended up going with.

You'll really like Gsync. 2nd best upgrade, to me.

If you are spending $3k, just get the cas14 3200mhz and be done with it.

Slowly start buying stuff when you see it as a good deal. Like your SSD for example.
 
im pretty sure the z370 will support the 9700 but most likely only with a bios update. i could be wrong it may already be updated. to avoid any hassles you may as well upgrade to the z390 for nearly the same price.
actually you can go with the z390 equivalent of your current choice($10ish dif). here are all of the asrock mbs with the z390 extreme4 @$176 with a $10 rebate. it can handle ddr4 4300 right out of the gate. heres a quick and dirty review of it from anandtech, along with 29 other mbs lol.
https://www.anandtech.com/show/13407/intel-z390-motherboard-overview-every-motherboard-analyzed/11
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16813157849

the difference with high binned b-die ics on an intel chipset can be as little as 3600 cas16, or as high or higher than 3800/4000 c19/20 it depends on the mb and ics. gskill does a great job of leaving ocing headroom, while corsair bins their ics alot tighter so it can be harder to bump them up. that hyperx rgb predator 4000 kit looks really solid, i just havent been able to find out what ics it runs. at that speed im betting its b-die. if i had seen that kit a week ago i would have gone with it rather than the corsair vengeance rgb pro c14 i bought. ocing memory may not give huge improvements like a cpu or gpu upgrade but once you get the hang of it youll never run your memory at stock again!
 
found that the hyperx is in fact b-die and ocs very nicely. its getting hard to find, the word got out.
 
Thanks muchly for this!

Based on all of the input and help here, I've made a few modifications with a few things in mind. First, I think since I'd like to use a Kraken x62, I'll just stay in the NZXT rgb zone and go with the Hue 2. Second, I stumbled upon the Lian Li pc-o11 Dynamic case which looks awesome and, for the quality, is relatively inexpensive because it comes with no fans, allowing me to not waste up front money on fans and just purchase RGB alternatives.

I've not yet made some of the changes suggested above (to the HDD, for example, because the HGST looks like it is now a different version and now lower quality.

Also, changed the monitor up.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor ($358.89 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: NZXT - Kraken X62 Rev 2 98.17 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($145.59 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock - Z370 Extreme4 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($158.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($164.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung - 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($162.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 3 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($84.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI - GeForce RTX 2080 8 GB GAMING X TRIO Video Card ($839.99 @ Walmart)
Case: Lian-Li - PC-O11DW ATX Full Tower Case ($135.39 @ Newegg Business)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($85.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($95.89 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: NZXT - Aer RGB120 (3-pack) 61.4 CFM 120mm Fans
Case Fan: NZXT - Aer RGB120 (3-pack) 61.4 CFM 120mm Fans
Monitor: Asus - PG279Q ROG Swift 27.0" 2560x1440 165Hz Monitor ($686.00 @ Amazon)
Other: Nzxt HUE 2 RGB Lighting Kit Black (AC-HUEP2-M1) ($45.72 @ Amazon)
Total: $2965.30
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-11-09 19:35 EST-0500


Any thoughts?


Good build for sure.
I would just use a different PSU, seasonic is better choice. You dont really need 850w , unless you want to SLI in the future.
 
Good build for sure.
I would just use a different PSU, seasonic is better choice. You dont really need 850w , unless you want to SLI in the future.
A seasonic Focus 850w supply looks like it'll be on sale on Black Friday at Newegg for 69.99, so I think I might go that route.

With regard to ram and overclocking ram, can you help me understand the difference between the ram you posted, hittinquitit, and this: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...eflyer-_-111918-112418-_-20-232-728-_-pg7pos7

Looking at it, I see that the timings are obviously different, but the stick that I posted is rated 3600 out of the box.
 
primarily its the ics, oc potential, and resulting timings that differ. that 3600, 18-22-22-42 likely wont give much better speed or timings than what it runs at stock speed. you may be able to downclock it with tighter timings but sometimes even that can be difficult with hynix/micron/elpida ics(no idea what that kit uses). the alternative to those modules would be these @ 3600 16-16-16-36
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16820232491
with b-die ics that will oc far better but are also much more expensive at $230. thats the draw back of the higher ocing b-die ics. gskill and newegg know which is which and they price them according to the ics. anything b-die is going to be more expensive unfortunately. its essentially a choice of wanting to oc or run them at stock speeds. which is absolutely fine with an intel chipset/cpu. as your not going to notice the impact of running higher speed/tighter timing ics as much as if you were running a ryzen rig. if budget allows for it, try your hand at ocing some solid b-die. if not go with the cheaper 3600 and see what you can get out of them. it will primarily only effect benchmarks and some software. you could max out your capacity by going with the 3600 c18 for far less. 32gb at $350ish isnt a bad option at all if you can use it. where as if you go with the b-die ocers it will be much more expensive but as you know it will allow for much better ocing.
long story short the cheaper it is the worse it will oc. i should have just said that from the beginning i guess!

for reference these are about the cheapest b-die modules i could find.
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820232221
draw back is no rgb, the cheapest rgb b-die modules are probably the corsair vengeance rgb pro 3200c14@$215.

edit 2 seasonic is going to increase prices :( i dont think its going to effect bf tho
https://www.anandtech.com/show/13567/seasonic-increases-msrps-of-psus-in-the-us
 
Last edited:
primarily its the ics, oc potential, and resulting timings that differ. that 3600, 18-22-22-42 likely wont give much better speed or timings than what it runs at stock speed. you may be able to downclock it with tighter timings but sometimes even that can be difficult with hynix/micron/elpida ics(no idea what that kit uses). the alternative to those modules would be these @ 3600 16-16-16-36
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16820232491
with b-die ics that will oc far better but are also much more expensive at $230. thats the draw back of the higher ocing b-die ics. gskill and newegg know which is which and they price them according to the ics. anything b-die is going to be more expensive unfortunately. its essentially a choice of wanting to oc or run them at stock speeds. which is absolutely fine with an intel chipset/cpu. as your not going to notice the impact of running higher speed/tighter timing ics as much as if you were running a ryzen rig. if budget allows for it, try your hand at ocing some solid b-die. if not go with the cheaper 3600 and see what you can get out of them. it will primarily only effect benchmarks and some software. you could max out your capacity by going with the 3600 c18 for far less. 32gb at $350ish isnt a bad option at all if you can use it. where as if you go with the b-die ocers it will be much more expensive but as you know it will allow for much better ocing.
long story short the cheaper it is the worse it will oc. i should have just said that from the beginning i guess!

for reference these are about the cheapest b-die modules i could find.
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820232221
draw back is no rgb, the cheapest rgb b-die modules are probably the corsair vengeance rgb pro 3200c14@$215.

edit 2 seasonic is going to increase prices :( i dont think its going to effect bf tho
https://www.anandtech.com/show/13567/seasonic-increases-msrps-of-psus-in-the-us

Is there a primer on ram overclocking you might point me toward? Some of the things you are saying are just going over my head. For example, "b-die". I'd like to get myself more familiar with the details.
 
Drop the spinning rust entirely and get the lowest price 2TB SSD you can scrounge up. My 4TB platter drive spinning up from low power mode and causing brief application hangs has been driving me up the wall lately. You're going for a high performance build, platters are so much slower than everything else that you are putting an air-cooled VW bug engine into a Porsche.

I just went full SSD in my new build. No platters here, I have an A-Data 2TB drive for movies and storage.
 
samsung b-die is referring to the ics- integrated circuits. Each of the three big manufacturers Samsung, Micron and Hynix produce their own ics. Samsung is currently building the best ones right now, the b-die ics.
here is a good place to start
https://www.tweaktown.com/guides/6899/ddr4-memory-overclocking-report-beginners-guide/index.html

Thanks for all your help with this. I ultimately am gonna go with the slower ram for cheaper. All I read seems to suggest that, while it makes a difference, the difference is probably the smallest out of all components I'm using.

I have a new question for you all, though. With the Lian Li case (for reference: http://www.lian-li.com/pc-o11-dynamic/ ) I will have a 280 mm radiator from the Kraken x62, and 6 120mm case fans, and I'm curious about people's thoughts on where to place them. My initial thought was to have the radiator/fans at the top of the case as exhaust and to have 3 fans on the side and 3 fans on the bottom. The other big option is to have the radiator on the side as intake.

Any thoughts on this and what might be the most efficient for cooling?
 
I am using the Corsair HD RGB fans, LED Strips, and Corsair cooler so it is all controlled by their software.
I have it normally set to a single color, but it can do the rainbow color thing as well,
IMG_2406.JPG IMG_2489.JPG
 
i hear ya, nothing wrong with saving some loot. here is the best deal youll find on gskill tridentz rgb 3200 but its only on sale for 12 more hrs, $134 2x8gb. usually the 3600 and 3200 are about the same price but for some reason the 3600 is way more expensive. if you have a choice on black friday try to get the 3600 vs the 3200. the extra bandwidth will help your intel chipset/cpu.
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820232476

ideally if you can have your bottom as inlets and the tops as outlets that would/should give you the best case flow. the side fans erm, i cant really say. usually its recommended to have them pulling air in but i think with that case, i would test all possibilities before making up your mind.
 
i hear ya, nothing wrong with saving some loot. here is the best deal youll find on gskill tridentz rgb 3200 but its only on sale for 12 more hrs, $134 2x8gb. usually the 3600 and 3200 are about the same price but for some reason the 3600 is way more expensive. if you have a choice on black friday try to get the 3600 vs the 3200. the extra bandwidth will help your intel chipset/cpu.
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820232476

ideally if you can have your bottom as inlets and the tops as outlets that would/should give you the best case flow. the side fans erm, i cant really say. usually its recommended to have them pulling air in but i think with that case, i would test all possibilities before making up your mind.

That's the stuff I bought!

I'm leaning toward having the radiator at the top as an outlet and having the side and bottom as inlets. We'll see.
 
Just wanted to say that I'm going to be building this machine this weekend (assuming my last package arrives tomorrow, like it's scheduled to!) Will post pics moving forward!
 
Build is complete! Still working some things out, but it's running stably at stock settings (Ram at 3200) Still have some work to do, but pretty thrilled so far!

This was the build that I ultimately ended up going with:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-9700K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor (Purchased For $399.99)
CPU Cooler: NZXT - Kraken X62 Rev 2 98.17 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (Purchased For $124.99)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - Z390 AORUS MASTER ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (Purchased For $229.00)
Memory: G.Skill - Trident Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory (Purchased For $134.99)
Storage: Western Digital - Black NVMe 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (Purchased For $89.99)
Storage: Samsung - 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For $129.00)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 3 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For $59.99)
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce RTX 2080 8 GB GAMING OC Video Card (Purchased For $749.99)
Case: Lian-Li - PC-O11DW ATX Full Tower Case (Purchased For $115.20)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA P2 850 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $79.99)
Monitor: Asus - PG279Q ROG Swift 27.0" 2560x1440 165 Hz Monitor (Purchased For $549.00)
Other: NZXT Aer RGB 2 140mm RGB LED Fan, Hue 2 Compatible (HF-28140-B1) (Purchased For $26.99)
Other: NZXT Aer RGB 2 140mm RGB LED Fan, Hue 2 Compatible (HF-28140-B1) (Purchased For $26.99)
Other: NZXT Aer RGB 2 140mm RGB LED Fan, Hue 2 Compatible (HF-28140-B1) (Purchased For $26.99)
Other: Nzxt AER RGB 2 120mm Case Fans Triple Starter Pack with Hue 2 Black (HF-2812C-TI) (Purchased For $117.00)
Total: $2860.10
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-12-02 11:56 EST-0500

ytKimTR
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20181201_194552.jpg
    IMG_20181201_194552.jpg
    341 KB · Views: 0
Last edited:
Back
Top