CPU Help With Build Configurations.

Hello,
Im looking to build my first gaming/other PC. As far as the building goes, electronics are not new to me so it is the least of my worries. I  have created 3 builds all are within my budget. I would appreciate any feedback and recommendations. Below is my list of what the goals of the build are as well as the links!

Gaming: FPS games like Call of Duty, as well as Apex ETC (list can go on)
Streaming: I occasionally stream, it would be nice to be able to do so without having any negative effects.
Design: I do alot of 3D Modeling (3d print modeling, Auto desk Inventor, Auto cad, Chief Architect Premier X11). Most of the time it is recreational, not 12 hrs a day. Any work related design is done on my work PC.

I would like to start using the RAY TRACE features on these applications to their ability and that is why I went with a RTX GPU. I wouldn't be opposed to a 5700 xt however for my wants and what I have read, the 2070 seems to be my best option?
Ryzen 7/2070S
https://www.microcenter.com/site/content/custom-pc-builder.aspx?load=e8892d37-55be-452b-bef0-560a2c425c0a

Ryzen 9/2070S
https://www.microcenter.com/site/content/custom-pc-builder.aspx?load=cb188571-08bf-4148-ab4c-a99711fb87d8

I7/9700k/2070S
https://www.microcenter.com/site/content/custom-pc-builder.aspx?load=7607c90b-1ac9-487e-a08d-b0b60788ee95

Comments

  • Your builds seem to be on point.  My only critique would be maybe finding a cheaper MOBO for the ryzen 7 build to cut the cost of the build overall and give yourself a more distinguished price points of like 1300 and 1500 to make up your mind.   But honestly I would go with your Ryzen 9 build.  The 3900x just wipes the floor with the I7-9700k considering the 50$ price difference.  So I would put your budget point to shoot for the Ryzen 9 paired with a 2070 super.  Gives you a nice upgrade path in the future to a 2080 or higher GPU and perhaps the next generation of Ryzen if they don't change the socket type.  Very nicely done.
  • TheITDad said:
    Your builds seem to be on point.  My only critique would be maybe finding a cheaper MOBO for the ryzen 7 build to cut the cost of the build overall and give yourself a more distinguished price points of like 1300 and 1500 to make up your mind.   But honestly I would go with your Ryzen 9 build.  The 3900x just wipes the floor with the I7-9700k considering the 50$ price difference.  So I would put your budget point to shoot for the Ryzen 9 paired with a 2070 super.  Gives you a nice upgrade path in the future to a 2080 or higher GPU and perhaps the next generation of Ryzen if they don't change the socket type.  Very nicely done.
    Thanks for the response! In regards to the motherboard is there a better option for less with the RYZEN 9 build? I would like the wi-fi function. I also dont think ill ever need more than 64GB of RAM. Also, i could care less about the case. I prefer a clean look, lights are cool to a point but it doesn't need to be overkill. corsair made a case for around 100 bucks i thought looked decent.  

    Is my cooling going to be adequate? Not sure if i should be thinking about liquid CPU cooling or additional case fans. The case i linked seems to come with 3. Again dont want the liquid cooling unless its going to significantly benefit me
    https://www.microcenter.com/product/607531/corsair-icue-220t-tempered-glass-rgb-atx-mid-tower-computer-case---black
  • TSTonyV
    TSTonyV ✭✭✭✭✭
    First Anniversary 5 Likes First Comment First Answer
    I wouldn't go any cheaper on the board if you're using a Ryzen 9. I would personally probably go with a more high end board paired with the Ryzen 9, something like an AUS X570-E ROG Strix, but it's quite a bit more expensive.

    I'll also definitely put a good word in for the Ryzen 7/9 if you plan to stream and are doing design work. In gaming only the 9700k would have a slight edge, however in streaming/production workloads the Ryzens pretty much wipe the floor with Intel because their multi-threaded performance is just flat out better. 
  • I'd say you can't go wrong with the Ryzen 9 or i7. I'd like to point out your choice of GPU a 2070 Super will perform well on COD at 1440p and nearly maxed out graphics. However, take a look at the RTX 2070 SUPER XC ULTRA GAMING. Based on the reviews and research I did previously before selecting that GPU, I read that it has slightly better thermals than the standard dual slot Black Card you selected. With your NZXT case there is enough room for the 2.75 slot card (just built a PC in this case, you can see it on the thread). For a little extra money on the GPU side, you should be able to squeeze a little extra performance out of it for only slightly extra cost. 
  • so maybe the I7 is going to be my best bet as far as cpus go.
    1. its a tad cheaper although thats not an issue, i want what is going to be right.
    2. Im pretty sure for what im going to to the i7 will do just fine as far as design/streaming. its primarily recreational/casual. Should i be looking at a different MOBO for the intel build? or is that board more than adequate?

    GPU wise i like the idea of the super ultra for the little cost addition. What about the 3 fan model? I think it is 25 buck more than the xc ultra 2 fan version.
  • The ASROCK MOBO  i chose for the I7 build does mot have on board wifi but it could be added by the looks of it

  • I personally went with the 2 fan version of the GPU and play COD: Modern Warfare without any issues on throttling due to heat. I have the same case, but did add 2 intake fans. The EVGA SUPER XC ULTRA GAMING should perform well and the Precision X1 app for it gives you easy access to customize it. As for MOBO, I went with the MSI Motherboard Z390 MPG Gaming Edge AC. The only reason was I wanted the built in Wifi. In hindsight since I plug in ethernet, I could have saved a little without Wifi, and if I ever needed it just get a USB Adapter. But, the MOBO was easy to work in with enough slots for some extra fans. 
  • I went with a Ryzen 9 on an ASUS Crosshair VIII Hero, same graphics card. Here's my build for reference: https://www.microcenter.com/buildpost/310/amd-3950x-workhorse,-creator-build
    I do a bunch of Photoshop and Lightroom, and am just getting into 3d modeling, using Autocad inventor. The motherboard might be a little overkill for me, but it has some nice features for overclocking, like a safe boot option if you screw your settings, like I've done a couple of times :) It also has an LN-2 mode, but I don't think I'll be playing with that, since this is my workhorse PC.
  • TSTonyV
    TSTonyV ✭✭✭✭✭
    First Anniversary 5 Likes First Comment First Answer
    Tristan said:
    so maybe the I7 is going to be my best bet as far as cpus go.
    1. its a tad cheaper although thats not an issue, i want what is going to be right.
    2. Im pretty sure for what im going to to the i7 will do just fine as far as design/streaming. its primarily recreational/casual. Should i be looking at a different MOBO for the intel build? or is that board more than adequate?

    GPU wise i like the idea of the super ultra for the little cost addition. What about the 3 fan model? I think it is 25 buck more than the xc ultra 2 fan version.
    The i7 is cheaper than the Ryzen 9, but the Ryzen 7 3700x is still cheaper than the 9700k and should perform better in anything that's not gaming only (streaming, 3d modeling, rendering, etc...). It also comes with a pretty good stock cooler whereas you have to buy a CPU cooler separate with the 9700k which adds some extra. A 9700k + CPU cooler is going to end up being around $100 more than the 3700x. 

    That's not to say the 9700k is bad, but for the things you're planning to do, I think the 3700x would be a better overall choice. I personally have a 3700x in my build and live stream often. The 3700x barely breaks a sweat, it's been really really solid since I've gotten it. 

    The three fan models are nice in terms of cooling performance if that's a big consideration for you. In terms of gaming performance any difference would be very minor, I would just go with what you're comfortable spending the money on or what you think would look the coolest. 
  • TSTonyV said:
    Tristan said:
    so maybe the I7 is going to be my best bet as far as cpus go.
    1. its a tad cheaper although thats not an issue, i want what is going to be right.
    2. Im pretty sure for what im going to to the i7 will do just fine as far as design/streaming. its primarily recreational/casual. Should i be looking at a different MOBO for the intel build? or is that board more than adequate?

    GPU wise i like the idea of the super ultra for the little cost addition. What about the 3 fan model? I think it is 25 buck more than the xc ultra 2 fan version.
    The i7 is cheaper than the Ryzen 9, but the Ryzen 7 3700x is still cheaper than the 9700k and should perform better in anything that's not gaming only (streaming, 3d modeling, rendering, etc...). It also comes with a pretty good stock cooler whereas you have to buy a CPU cooler separate with the 9700k which adds some extra. A 9700k + CPU cooler is going to end up being around $100 more than the 3700x. 

    That's not to say the 9700k is bad, but for the things you're planning to do, I think the 3700x would be a better overall choice. I personally have a 3700x in my build and live stream often. The 3700x barely breaks a sweat, it's been really really solid since I've gotten it. 

    The three fan models are nice in terms of cooling performance if that's a big consideration for you. In terms of gaming performance any difference would be very minor, I would just go with what you're comfortable spending the money on or what you think would look the coolest. 
    Its purpose is going to be primarily gaming, my thoughts behind it were when i do use any cad programs etc, it shouldn't have a problem. am i wrong in saying that?   also would a cpu fan be fine or should i consider water cooling. Again i want it to look nice but dont want to go waaaayyy overkill if i dont need too 
  • Im headed to force myself to commit to something today. one final curve ball......
    If i changed cpu to the ryzen 7 and bumped my card to the 2080 xc super ultra, would that be superior to the previous configurations mentioned?
  • TSTonyV
    TSTonyV ✭✭✭✭✭
    First Anniversary 5 Likes First Comment First Answer
    edited April 2020
    Tristan said:
    Its purpose is going to be primarily gaming, my thoughts behind it were when i do use any cad programs etc, it shouldn't have a problem. am i wrong in saying that?   also would a cpu fan be fine or should i consider water cooling. Again i want it to look nice but dont want to go waaaayyy overkill if i dont need too 
    You're not incorrect in saying that, like I said there's nothing wrong with the 9700k at all. Just that in cad/design type programs, the 3700x should perform better since it it's 8cores/16 threads as opposed to 8 cores/8threads. Live streaming is also a thread-bound task so it would perform equal or better there, which is really compelling given the price point/not being required to purchase an aftermarket cooler. 

    If you're really into overclocking I would probably explore water cooling (or a beefy air cooler like the Noctua products) but if you're not overclocking, a normal air cooler like the Hyper 212 EVO would be fine (or if you go with the 3700x, the included AMD Wraith Prism Cooler would work well).

    If jumping down to the 3700x lets you jump up to the 2080 super, I would say that is a superior configuration since you're bumping up the GPU. That will have a bigger gaming performance impact than the CPU would when you're in this category of processor/build. 

    Neither of the CPU choices is bad. Either way I think you'll be happy, I just think the 3700x is the more compelling option both performance and value wise. 
We love seeing what our customers build

Submit photos and a description of your PC to our build showcase

Submit Now
Looking for a little inspiration?

See other custom PC builds and get some ideas for what can be done

View Build Showcase

SAME DAY CUSTOM BUILD SERVICE

If You Can Dream it, We Can Build it.

Services starting at $149.99