Budget Server/Mid-Level Gaming PC - Budget $900 Advice Needed

Meulsie on 21/06/2017 - 11:30
Last edited 21/06/2017 - 12:13 by 1 other user

Hi guys,

Looking to purchase a low-mid level gaming PC that can also be left running nearly 24/7 kind of like a home server, I already have a couple of options I would appreciate any opinions on whether they are good value for below requirements:

  • Silent/very quiet and a case with little to no lights, happy for it to be very plain
  • Safe to leave running for long periods of time
  • Gaming would be pretty light: Overwatch, Rocket League etc.
  • Some audio production and also running multiple virtual machines but nothing too hectic
  • Budget around $800-$900 (exclusive of monitor)

Options #1:
With case upgrade/change to Cooler Master Silencio 352 for $49 and another 8GB DD4 RAM for $78

TOTAL after eBay 20% off: $865.60

This option seems decent as it's pre-built and although it has the GTX 1050 instead of RX 460 they are apparently comparable and 1050 should perform a bit better gaming wise I'm not sure if it's as quiet however?

Option #2:

TOTAL: $902

This was a build I had someone make up for me based on the above requirements. This should fit my requirements a little better as the cooling would be more silent than option 1, however it would require me to build the PC which is something I have never done before and is more expensive than option #1.

Any other suggestions are appreciated!

Computing

Comments

  • scrimshaw on 21/06/2017 - 11:41
    +3

    The differences in option 1 vs option 2 is not just the price.

    Option 2 has:

    • a 3rd party cooler that's probably better than stock.

    • the RAM is faster and will give you more performance. Ryzen CPU's benefit greatly from faster RAM, if you can find DDR4 3200mhz RAM that's cheap, go for it. Check the motherboard to see if it does support 3200mhz RAM though.

    • an actual branded power supply while PC.Byte doesn't tell you what PSU they will use. It's most likely a chinese OEM generic which is not safe to use.

    If you were to buy Option 1, you might ideally select a better power supply (my recommendation).
    Note some very cheap power supplies run their fans pretty loud due to use of cheaper bearings / or lacking temperature controlled fan speeds.

    • Meulsie on 21/06/2017 - 12:11

      Thanks a lot, I don't really know much about parts so had no idea about the RAM and powersupply being a lot different. Do you think Option 2 is a decent build for the requirements I listed?

      • scrimshaw on 21/06/2017 - 12:17
        +1

        Pick a better power supply from Tier 2 or Tier 3

        Higher tier means better quality, possibly longer lasting and more efficient, although nothing wrong with going for tier 3 if you are looking for budget build.

        power supply quality tiers can referred to here
        https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/631048-psu-tier-list-up…

        regarding building a PC yourself, it's worth a try and you'll get to know how to build a PC once you've done it once.

        • Meulsie on 21/06/2017 - 12:24

          Perfect I actually forgot to change that, I was going to go for the RM550 or 550X which is from your Tier 2, initially had the cheaper model just for budget but the RM should be quieter supposedly because the fan on it isn't constantly going?

        • scrimshaw on 21/06/2017 - 12:25
          +1

          @Meulsie:

          RM550 is actually quite good. It has Zero RPM mode, which can turn off the fan when the PSU doesn't need a fan going.

          Also the EVGA G2 Supernova has the same zero rpm mode too. an alternative.

          http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=EVGA+SuperN…

        • Meulsie on 21/06/2017 - 12:27

          @scrimshaw:

          Yep, only downside is it's another $90 but I think it will be worth it. Great, now I just need to figure out how to assemble it :D

        • KitchenSink on 21/06/2017 - 12:51
          +1

          @Meulsie: It's not hard to put together, there's plenty of guides online such as on youtube on how to build/assemble a PC in general. Once you've done your first one, its the same for most builds and upgrades will be a piece of cake.

          The hardest is making it all nice with the cable management for optimum air flow.

          Just a note on the case for Option 2 - Cooler Master - Silencio 352
          I have this case. I noticed the case fans run quiet noisy which is because the case's fan pins are connected to the molex connectors and in which will be powered by the Power supply. This results in the fans running at full speeds and loud.

          If you disconnect the molex from the case's fan and join the the fans to the motherboard instead, it runs quiet since the motherboard can regulate the temperature.

          This drove me nuts for the first hour and there wasn't any instructions on it. It was also a while since I built my own PC and didn't think about it.

        • Meulsie on 21/06/2017 - 12:54

          @KitchenSink:

          Great note, cheers.
          Interesting you also mention cable management as another complaint about this case was that cable management is very hard due to the layout.

          That seems really strange about the fans considering it's a case built to be quiet. This might be a dumb question but are those fans necessary? Would it get too warm if they were disconnected completely?

        • KitchenSink on 21/06/2017 - 13:11

          @Meulsie: No the cable management is fine for the case, I don't know why those people complained, but go with a PSU with modular cables if you can for less clutter.

          When I tucked my cables behind the motherboard, the case side panel didn't close as easy but did close with some force. I think its because of my cheap PSU with a thick cable (24 pin cable for the motherboard was beefy). Also the case has some noise cancelling foam but its cheap and thin which I don't think does much but added some thickness to the side panel for the cable management too.

          As for the fans, its always good to have to remove/draw in air so the PC runs better and more efficient. I guess you can remove 1 fan like the front and see how it goes

  • currentfad on 21/06/2017 - 15:12
    +1

    If you're going with option 2, just some personal thoughts (from someone who doesn't really know much about server aspects and such, only the gaming side)

    1. Don't need an aftermarket cooler. Ryzen cooler than comes with the CPU will do fine for that CPU.

    2. I agree that the VS is not a very good PSU, but the best budget PSU I always recommend is the Corsair CX-M series. You can usually pick the 450w up for around $80.

    3. Mobo has 2 ram slots only. If you buy 2x4 kit that's it, you will need to buy another kit of 2x8 if you want to upgrade in the future. My recommendation is to buy 1 stick of 8gb, or buy a slightly better mobo with 4 ram slots which won't cost you much more.

    4. For ram check the compatability with the mobo you buy. Some mobos support up to certain frequencies at this point as Ryzen is still relatively new - the update bios all the time to support more things.

    5. I like to stay away from Kingston SSDs. Get a Crucial or something.

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