lukebandy
Description
My previous PC is approaching its 9th birthday, so whilst I recover from a fractured pelvis I figured it would be time to build a new rig. My main goals of the build were:
- Much smaller size; the handle on my CM Storm Scout was great for transporting, but I wanted something that can potentially fit under a TV.
- Much quieter; non-PWM fans have been driving me crazy.
- Can support and not bottleneck the RTX 3070 once it comes out; I just upgraded to a high refresh rate, HDR, 1440p monitor and would like to fully utilise it. EDIT: Unfortunately, the case wouldn't fit my larger than Founders Edition 3070; check my profile for a re-build using a Lian Li TU150
I tend to use my laptop for DJing, outside of work data science, and game jams. Meanwhile, my desktop just gets used for playing games and solo game development. I've listed a 1050 Ti, but this is just a temporary stand-in from my last PC until the RTX 3070 releases. The parts list is fairly standard, so here's a quick rundown on my thoughts:
- The case was pretty easy to build in, but as expected air recycling is an issue so the CPU runs a bit hot. As soon as the pandemic ends I'll be 3D printing a duct.
- It's dead silent outside of playing games.
- The only issue that I've run into is with the GPU fan scraping into the case fans; I've bodged this with a couple of soft pads (pictured), but I'm worried about the adhesive melting so I'll be replacing these shortly. If you only use one fan case fan then you can use the included GPU support, but this fan position would likely be the less useful of the two.
- I'm slightly disappointed that the motherboard is not RGB, as the promotional pictures make it look like it is. The photos I've taken make it look RGB/shiny, but in person, it just looks silver.
- I'm undecided whether or not I should have spent more on the CPU; benchmarks suggested similar gaming performance at a much lower cost than a 3600X. At least the motherboard will allow for a solid upgrade. Edit: Nope, between the CPU and 4x the RAM I'm getting way more FPS now on the same GPU. Great CPU for the price.
Part Reviews
CPU
Probably the best budget gaming CPU right now if you're not overclocking and need some low thermals.
CPU Cooler
Thin, black, quiet, and not crazy expensive.
Motherboard
A great amount of features considering the size, especially the double M.2 slots. My main gripe is that I thought it was RGB, when in fact the stripes just twinkle like a rare pokemon. Asus gives you amazing fan control allowing for a really quiet build within AI Suite 3, but Armory Crate is almost bloatware.
Storage
Pretty good for the money, but if you have the money (and can find one) then go for a Samsung 970 instead.
Video Card
Great card for the price. It can take a fair amount of work before even turning the fans on, and has a socket for a PWM fan if your motherboard doesn't support curves based on GPU temps.
Case
Cheap, clean looking, and easy to build in for the size. Doesn't deal with removing hot air well though.
Power Supply
Bit expensive compared to it's bigger counterparts, but it's great for small and silent builds.
Case Fan
If only the anti-vibration pads were black.
Comments