Need help with 120k dream gaming setup

[Tumbledoor]

Hey folks, I'm looking to build my first desktop and would really appreciate your input on this.

1. What is the purpose of the computer? What all applications and games are you going to run? (Be exact. Which games? Which applications? Avoid the word 'et cetera.' Vague answers like 'gaming' or 'office work' will not work.)
This will primarily be for 1440p gaming - I will be playing MMOs (Guild Wars II, Final Fantasy XIV) and recent/upcoming AAA RPG games (Divinity Original Sin II, Baldur's Gate III, Obllivion, Horizon Frozen West).

Will also use the rig for streaming Netflix, Chrome (20+ tabs) and light PPT/Excel work

2. What is your overall budget? If you can extend a bit for a more balanced configuration, then please mention.
The budget is 120k (+10K). I am looking for a future proof (next 2 - 3 years) system that also has a small form factor. I would like to build a compact/minimalistic system and am looking at mini-ITX cases. So far, the NZXT 210 has caught my eye.

3. Planning to overclock?
No

4. Which Operating System are you planning to use?
Windows 10

5. How much hard drive / solid-state drive space is needed?
I'm looking at a 250gb SSD (not sure iv NVME is worth it, your advice would be appreciated) and a 1TB HDD

6. Do you want to buy a monitor? If yes, please mention the screen size and resolution you prefer. If you already have a monitor and want to reuse it, then do mention the screen size and resolution of the monitor you have.
No. I have a 24inch & 1080p AOC monitor right now, will continue to use that. In a few months, I intend to upgrade to a 1440p ultrawide monitor.

7. Which components you DON'T want to buy? i.e. which components you already have and plan on reusing?
Keyboard and mouse

8. When are you planning to buy the system?
mid-to-late September

9. Have you ever built a desktop before? Or, will this be done by an assembler?
No, this will be my first time assembling

10. Where do you live? Are you buying locally? Are you open to buying stuff from online shops if you don't get locally?
Living in Bangalore, open to buying online

11. Anything else which you would like to say?
I'm new to the world of desktop building, but over the last week, have done some research and come up with the first draft of the below config. Please share your thoughts/advice/alternatives.

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (Rs. 19,440 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X52 Cam-powered 240mm AIO Cooler (Rs. 10,200 @ VedantComputers)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B550i Aorus Pro (Rs. 19,300 @ VedantComputers)
GPU: Zotac Geforce RTX2070 Super Mini (Rs. 40,999 & VedantComputers)
RAM: G.Skill Trident RGB Series 8x2, 3200Mhz (Rs. 11,113 @ Amazon)
PSU: Gigabyte GP-B700H 700W (5,340 @ Amazon)
SSD: Kingston 250GB NVME (Rs. 3,940 @ Amazon)
HDD: Western Digital 1TB SATA (Rs. 3550 @ Amazon)
Cabinet Fans: Deepcool 120mm RGB x 2 (Rs.1400 @ Amazon)
PSU Cable Extension Kit: Sensei Mods Sleeved (Rs. 3499 @ Amazon)
Cabinet: NZXT 210 (Rs. 8499 @ Amazon)

Total - Rs. 127,280

I'm not too sure about the motherboard choice, but there don't seem to be a lot of affordable options at this form factor (mini-ITX). The Aorus motherboard does not have a USB-C front header so will not be able to connect to the USB-C front port on the case. Is there a workaround for this?

 

[Desmond]

If you can wait a couple of months, RTX 3000 series GPUs will be available.

 

[Tumbledoor]

Actually, I'm headed for an overseas job soon and I want to build the desktop here, rather than worry about sourcing components in another country.

In case covid delays plans, then I'll of course get the RTX 3000 series, but it's likely that I'll have to take the leap with the 2070 Super.

What are your thoughts on the setup?

EDIT: Found an MSI MPG B550I on mdcomputers so that should solve the issue with the front usb-c header.

 

[SaiyanGoku]

Actually, I'm headed for an overseas job soon and I want to build the desktop here, rather than worry about sourcing components in another country.

It's better to buy components there. You probably won't have to deal with 30-50% extra we pay here because of taxes and would be able to get a much better system.

 

[Tumbledoor]

Unfortunately that doesn't look to be the case. I'm moving to a South-east asian country and the prices of these components are actually +/- 10% of what they are in India

That being said, what do you think about the configuration @SaiyanGoku and @Desmond David ?

 

[Desmond]

The configuration seem okay to me, though perhaps @SaiyanGoku or @omega44-xt might suggest improvements. I'd be more concerned about transporting that CPU by air. Perhaps you should transport them all individually and then reassemble them when you reach your destination.

 

[SaiyanGoku]

I'm moving to a South-east asian country

May we know which country is that? Sometimes, importing stuff directly from USA to the said country is cheaper.

 

[Tumbledoor]

Good point @Desmond David , definitely something to consider. The company will be paying for transport and the insurance, but doesn't hurt to be safe and do the research.

@SaiyanGoku , will be moving to Indonesia. I've searched for the prices of these components on tokopedia and a few other ecomm shops. Everything is comparable to Indian prices.

 

[cute.bandar]

250GB SSD is wayyyy too low for a 120k system. For such a large budget 512GB should be the absolute minimum . I don't have any suggestions, but perhaps you could get cheaper options on the mobo, cooler, case ?

 

[Tumbledoor]

Hmm, the difference between 250GB and 500GB isn't a lot. Found a Kingston one for Rs. 5,500. I also think there's way too much RGB in this setup, so looking to change the RAM to a Corsair Vengeance (2x8GB).

I've been looking around for alternate ITX cases, but there don't seem to be too many good options. Since i'm a first time assembler, I'm hesitant in getting the really small cases. I considered the NZXT H1, which comes with a pre-installed cooler and PSU, but that's out of stock everywhere.

Planning to pay a visit to S.P. Road (electronics market in Bangalore) this week to see if I can get these components (or the NZXT H1 case) instead.


Here's what the updated system looks like. Let me know what you folks think!

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (Rs. 19,440 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X52 Cam-powered 240mm AIO Cooler (Rs. 10,200 @ VedantComputers)
Motherboard: MSI MPG B550I (Rs. 20,499 @ mdcomputers)
GPU: Zotac Geforce RTX2070 Super Mini (Rs. 40,999 & VedantComputers)
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX (2x8GB) DDR4 3200Mhz C16 (Rs. 7,200 @ Amazon)
PSU: Gigabyte GP-B700H 700W (5,340 @ Amazon)
SSD: Kingston 500GB NVME (Rs. 5,500 @ Amazon)
HDD: Western Digital 1TB SATA (Rs. 3550 @ Amazon)
Cabinet Fans: Deepcool 120mm RGB x 2 (Rs.1400 @ Amazon)
PSU Cable Extension Kit: Sensei Mods Sleeved (Rs. 3499 @ Amazon)
Cabinet: NZXT 210 (Rs. 8499 @ Amazon)

Total: Rs. 126,126

 

[omega44-xt]

If you can forget mini ITX, get these parts otherwise just change mobo, cooler & cabinet:

CPU - AMD R5 3600 - 17.4k

Cooler - CM Hyper 212 Black - 4.3k

Mobo - MSI MPG B550 - 16k

RAM - 2x8GB DDR4 3600MHz - 7.1k

GPU - Zotac RTX 2070 Super Mini - 41k

M.2 SSD - Kingston A2000 1TB - 11.5k

HDD - WD/Seagate 1TB - 3k

PSU - Corsair TX650M - 8k

Cabinet - CM MasterBox MB511 or other mid tower ATX - 6k (can vary)

Total - 114.3k

Check primeabgb, mdcomputers, theitdepot, vedant computers, onlyssd (online stores) for PC parts at a good price. Some parts have such low prices on amazon during sales as well.

Get a meshed front case for better air flow as India & Indonesia are hot countries compared to "Frozen" West.

 

[cute.bandar]

Since i'm a first time assembler, I'm hesitant in getting the really small cases. I considered the NZXT H1, which comes with a pre-installed cooler and PSU

I think the case comes with pre-installed case-fans, not CPU cooler.. You should know an aftermarket cooler isn't strictly necessary. Your CPU comes with one and that cooler is 'generally' sufficient. Googling around shows happy users with the stock cooler.

 

[omega44-xt]

I think the case comes with pre-installed case-fans, not CPU cooler.. You should know an aftermarket cooler isn't strictly necessary. Your CPU comes with one and that cooler is 'generally' sufficient. Googling around shows happy users with the stock cooler.

Many do complain about the included cooler, Wraith Stealth, & it's not that great in a hot country like India. Considering OP has the budget, even a relatively cheap air cooler will do though, no sure if 212 Black will fit inside a small case.

 

[Tumbledoor]

@omega44-xt , thanks so much for that input. Took me 15 minutes of Googling to see your point about having a mesh front PC case. I really like the idea of having a small form factor PC and am doing some research about thermal performance of the NZXT H200 and the NZXT H1. But, based on what I've read so far, I may have to shift to a mid-tower for better airflow and upgradability.

I've put together 3 options of the Build

Build 1 - Update on my original thought. It's a little over budget, but I guess I can drop the liquid cooling option and go with a cheaper air cooler. Got a question about the RAM, is ADATA a good brand? It's really cheap (7k compared to 9k of Corsair), but I haven't heard of it before.

Build 2 - Assuming I can get the NZXT H1 locally or online, highly doubt it due to supply issues, but one can dream! I really like the clean design and the easy assembly process. This case doesn't have the clearance to support to support the major 3600Mhz RAM, so opted for 3,200 MHz instead. Is there going to be a noticeable difference?

Build 3 - MidTower build using the Corsair 275r Airflow cabinet. This was the only cabinet that I could find that has a good airflow and doesn't look hideous. Saw a lot of great Phanteks and Liam Li cabinets, but they are all out of stock. What I really like about this rig is that it makes no compromises on performance and fits within budget.

Let me know what you guys think! Over this weekend, I'll probably be visiting the local vendors in Bangalore to see if I can get better prices.

 

[cute.bandar]

One important thing most people miss is that the included cooler is given by the CPU company itself. They best understand the requirements, they are not likely to give subpar cooler as it only increase their headaches - support / reputation. In almost all cases stock coolers are sufficient. Of course if someone do have temp issues, one can always go for one later. Or if someone is just an entusiast with money to splurge then its different. just my 2 c

 

[Tumbledoor]

@cute.bandar - Appreciate the input!

I'll do more research on the stock cooler for Ryzen 5 3600 and see if that's a viable alternative to the CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Black. At this budget point, I just want to play it safe.

I may drop the liquid cooling option in Build 1 (mostly for aesthetics anyway) for an Air Cooler. Should save me 6k.

 

[TheSloth]

If its Mid-tower then try to get Meshify C offline. For reference, you can visit gamer nexus channel or website for the reviews of cases.

*www.gamersnexus.net/guides/3604-best-gaming-pc-cases-for-airflow-in-2020-right-now

 

[Tumbledoor]

GamerNexus is what kept me up till 3am last night!

I have a list of cabinets that I need to try and find offline. This is what I have so far.
- Lian Li 011
- Fractal/CoolerMaster Meshify C
- bequiet Purebase 500DX
- Phanteks P300A

 

[whitestar_999]

One important thing most people miss is that the included cooler is given by the CPU company itself. They best understand the requirements, they are not likely to give subpar cooler as it only increase their headaches - support / reputation. In almost all cases stock coolers are sufficient. Of course if someone do have temp issues, one can always go for one later. Or if someone is just an entusiast with money to splurge then its different. just my 2 c

Not necessarily, processors nowadays are designed with thermal throttling & thermal-safe shutdown features so using a bad/inadequate cpu cooler will at worst result in bsod/reboot/lower performance. Stock coolers are sufficient by the same logic using which majority of laptops sold in India still have TN panels even when 7-8k phones nowadays comes with ips screen. As long as majority remains unaware/uninterested(which btw is true for pc users) companies will only make the lowest common denominator product.

 

[omega44-xt]

@omega44-xt , thanks so much for that input. Took me 15 minutes of Googling to see your point about having a mesh front PC case. I really like the idea of having a small form factor PC and am doing some research about thermal performance of the NZXT H200 and the NZXT H1. But, based on what I've read so far, I may have to shift to a mid-tower for better airflow and upgradability.

I've put together 3 options of the Build

Build 1 - Update on my original thought. It's a little over budget, but I guess I can drop the liquid cooling option and go with a cheaper air cooler. Got a question about the RAM, is ADATA a good brand? It's really cheap (7k compared to 9k of Corsair), but I haven't heard of it before.


Build 2 - Assuming I can get the NZXT H1 locally or online, highly doubt it due to supply issues, but one can dream! I really like the clean design and the easy assembly process. This case doesn't have the clearance to support to support the major 3600Mhz RAM, so opted for 3,200 MHz instead. Is there going to be a noticeable difference?


Build 3 - MidTower build using the Corsair 275r Airflow cabinet. This was the only cabinet that I could find that has a good airflow and doesn't look hideous. Saw a lot of great Phanteks and Liam Li cabinets, but they are all out of stock. What I really like about this rig is that it makes no compromises on performance and fits within budget.


Let me know what you guys think! Over this weekend, I'll probably be visiting the local vendors in Bangalore to see if I can get better prices.

Adata is a good brand, XPG is their gaming line-up.

3200MHz is usually the price to performance sweet spot, but anything over 3000MHz is fine. There will be some 2-3% difference maybe.

275R doesn't have a meshed front like CM MB511 or MSI MAG Forge 100M or Deepcool Mattrexx 55 Mesh or cheaper Antec cases.

My recommendation is a mid-tower case, if possible, but mini ITX is not bad per see, just more expensive & bit higher temps all around.