PC Building Guide and Discussion #12

[SniperHF]

Decided to upgrade my setup's sound so I bought a Sound BlasterX G6 and a pair of Klipsch speakers. Man, I've been missing out. Onboard audio can't hold a candle to soundcards. My motherboard is a number of years old now, but I've seen comments from people who have expensive new ones and even they say theirs can't match the audio quality this badboy puts out. This stuff certainly put a dent in my wallet but you get what you pay for.

Some onboards are okay but yeah I haven't ever not had a soundcard of some sort going back to ISA cards . Currently using a Sound Blaster Z.


I still miss EaX though

 

[Osprey]

Some onboards are okay but yeah I haven't ever not had a soundcard of some sort going back to ISA cards . Currently using a Sound Blaster Z.


I still miss EaX though

I miss A3D. It was better than anything that Creative Labs had, including EAX, so Creative Labs sued... and lost, but Aureal still went bankrupt from the cost of the legal battle. Creative Labs then bought up their assets so that no one could successfully sue them with them and then let the technology die. They were the ultimate example of a top dog bullying the little guy with scummy business practices. That was 20 years ago, but I'll never forget it or respect them as a company again.

 

[guinness]

I miss A3D. It was better than anything that Creative Labs had, including EAX, so Creative Labs sued... and lost, but Aureal still went bankrupt from the cost of the legal battle. Creative Labs then bought up their assets so that no one could successfully sue them with them and then let the technology die. They were the ultimate example of a top dog bullying the little guy with scummy business practices. That was 20 years ago, but I'll never forget it or respect them as a company again.

I had an Aureal sound card, bought cheap around the time they went bankrupt. I didn't have the sound setup I do now, but I remember getting proper XP drivers was a pain. Honestly, can't even say if onboard sound was even a thing back then though.

I now have a Sound Blaster G5, paired with a tube headphone amp, and things are peachy. The G5 got rid of line noise that my mobo sound out had.

Yesterday, I bought the Apple USB C to 3.5 mm adapter as a makeshift DAC for my laptop, and I'm floored for $9 plus the cost of a USB A->C dongle. There's punching above your weight, and then there's that - happy what it can do for my Beyer 990 250 ohm cans, although those realistically are on my desktop always.

 

[Osprey]

I had an Aureal sound card, bought cheap around the time they went bankrupt. I didn't have the sound setup I do now, but I remember getting proper XP drivers was a pain. Honestly, can't even say if onboard sound was even a thing back then though.

Yeah, Aureal went bankrupt a year before XP was released, so their chips never got final drivers for it. I believe that one of their card makers released a beta driver that worked for all Aureal cards, but it was just that, a beta.

Yesterday, I bought the Apple USB C to 3.5 mm adapter as a makeshift DAC for my laptop, and I'm floored for $9 plus the cost of a USB A->C dongle. There's punching above your weight, and then there's that - happy what it can do for my Beyer 990 250 ohm cans, although those realistically are on my desktop always.

If you don't want to pay through the nose, don't buy Apple products . You can find USB A->C adapters on eBay for just a few dollars or in 2-packs on Amazon that are still cheaper than the single that you bought.

 

[CanadienDude]

Been researching for a bit and just want some suggestions/recommendations.
Currently have a PC thats around 6 years old and running into issues so I've decided to upgrade/build a new pc while using the same case, gpu , and cooler (Antec Eleven Hundred and RX580).
Trying to keep this around 1000$ CDN and I will upgrade the GPU at a later time.
System Builder - Ryzen 7 2700 3.2 GHz 8-Core, Eleven Hundred V2 ATX Mid Tower - PCPartPicker Canada

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

This is finally up for pre-order. Seriously f***ing tempted. Wooting two - Full-size Analog input Mechanical Keyboard

 

[SniperHF]

Trying to keep this around 1000$ CDN and I will upgrade the GPU at a later time.
System Builder - Ryzen 7 2700 3.2 GHz 8-Core, Eleven Hundred V2 ATX Mid Tower - PCPartPicker Canada

Looks pretty straight forward. I'd probably switch the 212 to a Scythe Fuma Rev B. It's a beast of a cooler for the money. Not too much more expensive than the 212.

 

[SeidoN]

came into a little money today and cant decide whether to upgrade my RX480 to a Vega 56 (after seeing Hardware Unboxed's 2019 video of Vega 56 vs GTX1080 im very interested) or to swap out my i7 2600k + Motherboard + Ram. the latter would be more expensive, but lately ive been feeling the need to move to a more modern CPU platform.

 

[Suxnet]

came into a little money today and cant decide whether to upgrade my RX480 to a Vega 56 (after seeing Hardware Unboxed's 2019 video of Vega 56 vs GTX1080 im very interested) or to swap out my i7 2600k + Motherboard + Ram. the latter would be more expensive, but lately ive been feeling the need to move to a more modern CPU platform.

I would wait until next gen processors (2020) which is what I'm doing. Should be a big year from the chip makers. AMD especially. I can't remember since I read it a while ago (on Anandtech maybe), but the rumors are we're supposed get a sizable upgrade from those chips than compared with previous gens like 8th vs 9th. Maybe @SniperHF has read something similar.

 

[SeidoN]

I would wait until next gen processors (2020) which is what I'm doing. Should be a big year from the chip makers. AMD especially. I can't remember since I read it a while ago (on Anandtech maybe), but the rumors are we're supposed get a sizable upgrade from those chips than compared with previous gens like 8th vs 9th. Maybe @SniperHF has read something similar.

yeah thats the thing, I really wanna hold out for Ryzen 3k later this summer, which is when I was gonna save up for my full CPU+Mobo+RAM revamp

I think ill spring for a Vega 56. seeing it beat the 1080 in some games now and consistently match the 1070ti makes me happy, especially since the Vega card is significantly cheaper here

heres the video for anyone interested

 

[SniperHF]

Personally I wouldn't upgrade any 8 thread Intel until something provable actually needs it. Unless you need something from the new feature set anyway

 

[Osprey]

Is that a video card in the thumbnail or a hoverboard? It might just be the photo, but that thing appears massive. Also, with that many fans, it probably could be used as a hoverboard.

 

[Zodiac]

picked up a Vega 56 last night off amazon ...

Sapphire 11276-02-40G Radeon Pulse RX Vega 56 8GB

https://www.amazon.ca/Sapphire-1127...+8GB&qid=1558440098&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull

comes with Tom Clancy’s Division 2 Gold Edition and World War Z, which isn't bad.

haven't owned an ATi (AMD) card since the 1990s, and at the time i only used them for 2d, while using 3dfx Voodoo for 3d.

from what i've read, this Sapphire card is one of the better vega 56 cards.

so ya ...should be interesting.

edit: upgrading from a gtx680 4gig.

 

[SniperHF]

Sapphire card

Sapphire is generally my favorite partner board maker.

Every so often I think about upgrading my 480 but really all that would buy me is a bit more anti aliasing

 

[SeidoN]

those Ryzen 3000 specs :O

 

[SniperHF]

those Ryzen 3000 specs :O

Yeah some people were going a little gaga over the purported synthetic scores.

Synth scores usually translate pretty well to productivity stuff.

 

[Commander Clueless]

I watched Lisa Su's keynote because I'm a hopeless nerd.

Some pretty exciting tech coming out of Team Red in short order....although I admit actively cooled motherboards give me pause.

I'm really excited to see real world Radeon 5700 benchmarks.

 

[Ricelund]

I built a PC about a year ago mostly for playing Starcraft 2. The goal was to keep it compact and cheap. Here's the build I ended up with:

CPU: Intel - Core i3-8100 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($129.99 @ Newegg Business)
Motherboard: MSI - B360I GAMING PRO AC Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial - Ballistix Sport LT 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($47.17 @ Amazon)
Storage: SanDisk - SSD PLUS 480 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($58.69 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI - GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4 GB Video Card ($169.99 @ B&H)
Case: Silverstone - SG13 Mini ITX Tower Case ($50.50 @ B&H)
Power Supply: Corsair - CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($32.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($99.39 @ OutletPC)

I'd like to upgrade so I can play other games like PUBG, etc.

CPU: Intel - Core i5-9600K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor ($249.99 @ Walmart)
CPU Cooler: Corsair - H60 (2018) 57.2 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($65.81 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI - GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB VENTUS XS OC Video Card ($279.99 @ Newegg)

How are these for upgrades? Overkill? Is it worth upgrading the CPU or should I just upgrade the GPU?

 

[SniperHF]

PUBG

For PUBG a CPU upgrade is probably worth it. Your i3 is a 4 core 4 thread CPU which is starting to chug in CPU demanding games of which PUBG is one.


You probably don't need an H60 liquid cooler unless you plan on OCing, and really there's not much point in OCing a 9xxx CPU anyway. I'd just get a $30ish air cooler. Also keep in mind you might have fit issues in your mini ITX case.


Also your motherboard cannot overclock a K series CPU so you can potentially save some money and get a non-K CPU. I think the i5 9400 is the closest in spec. Your motherboard may need a BIOS update before you change CPUs. Check into that first.


BUT I will say that you could always buy the video card and RAM first, see how PUBG runs with your i3, and if you're happy don't spend the money. This is probably what I'd do. Changing the CPU now or later doesn't make a ton of difference effort wise.

 

[Ricelund]

For PUBG a CPU upgrade is probably worth it. Your i3 is a 4 core 4 thread CPU which is starting to chug in CPU demanding games of which PUBG is one.


You probably don't need an H60 liquid cooler unless you plan on OCing, and really there's not much point in OCing a 9xxx CPU anyway. I'd just get a $30ish air cooler. Also keep in mind you might have fit issues in your mini ITX case.


Also your motherboard cannot overclock a K series CPU so you can potentially save some money and get a non-K CPU. I think the i5 9400 is the closest in spec. Your motherboard may need a BIOS update before you change CPUs. Check into that first.


BUT I will say that you could always buy the video card and RAM first, see how PUBG runs with your i3, and if you're happy don't spend the money. This is probably what I'd do. Changing the CPU now or later doesn't make a ton of difference effort wise.

Awesome, thanks!

Is the card I chose a solid choice for my purposes? Or should I splurge and go with something like the RTX2060?

Also, given your comments on the CPU, is the i5-9400F a good choice? It's $100 cheaper than the i5-9600K which is nice.

 

[SniperHF]

Awesome, thanks! Is the card I chose a good upgrade? Or should I splurge and go with something like the RTX2060?

If it's just 1080p I wouldn't bother.

 

[Commander Clueless]

Also, given your comments on the CPU, is the i5-9400F a good choice? It's $100 cheaper than the i5-9600K which is nice.

The 9400F is a much better fit with your B360 motherboard, but keep in mind it lacks the integrated graphics of other Intel chips. You won't be able to use your motherboard video outputs. Not really a problem so long as you have your 1660 Ti in place, but worth noting.

 

[Ricelund]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I ended up going with the i5-9400F, GTX 1660 Ti, and 2x8GB of RAM.

On another note, a friend of mine wants to build a PC mostly for playing X-Plane 11. He loves the size of my case and I told him I'd put it together for him. He wants to keep it as cheap as he can while running the game on relatively high settings @ 1080p. How's this build look? Where can he save money? Ideally, he'd like to keep it as close to $500 as possible so he'll probably be buying used parts. Thanks again.

CPU: Intel - Core i5-9600K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor ($249.99 @ Walmart)
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-L9i 33.84 CFM CPU Cooler ($39.95 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI - B360I GAMING PRO AC Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital - Blue 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($59.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus - GeForce GTX 1070 8 GB Video Card ($389.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone - SG13 Mini ITX Tower Case ($50.50 @ B&H)
Power Supply: Corsair - CXM 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($59.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1030.19

 

[Commander Clueless]

I might go closer to a copy of your system

The 9600K will be underutilized on a B360 chipset, and the NH-L9i isn't recommended for processors with a higher than 65W TDP. The 9600K is 95W.

The 9400F may again be the better and cheaper option here.


As for the 1070, I don't think it's at a very efficient price point here. Your 1660 Ti is significantly cheaper and similar in performance, while a 2060 (if you can fit it in the SG13B) is a similar price and more powerful on average....unless, as you mentioned, he goes used parts and can find a really good deal on a 1070.



You could potentially shave a few bucks by switching to Team Red and going for a Ryzen 5 2600 or Ryzen 2400G. Not quite the same gaming performance, but still plenty of power for cheaper (also have to switch to an AM4 motherboard, of course, and use the L9a instead of the L9i).

Side note, but if he's planning on waiting for a bit, the Ryzen 3000 series is right around the corner....

 

[Ricelund]

I might go closer to a copy of your system

Awesome, thanks. Here's what I'm netting out with then:

CPU: Intel - Core i5-9400F 2.9 GHz 6-Core Processor ($149.89 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Rosewill - RCX-Z775-LP 33.5 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($12.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI - B360I GAMING PRO AC Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($67.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital - Blue 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($59.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI - GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB VENTUS XS OC Video Card ($279.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone - SG13 Mini ITX Tower Case ($50.50 @ B&H)
Power Supply: Corsair - CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($32.98 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Acer - G226HQLBbd 21.5" 1920x1080 60 Hz Monitor ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $844.21