Executablefiles
Description
When I first got into PC gaming, all I had was an hp laptop with a core I5. The only thing I could really use it for was Minecraft. I heard about Fortnite and wanted to try it out. When I finally downloaded it (which took awhile and was really boring as Intel CPUs suck at multitasking), It crashed within an hour. At that point I decided I would save up my money and hope for a good gaming PC. Moving to Alaska really didn't help. A friend of mine, who knows a lot about computers, told me about PC building. I only knew a bit about computers at the time, but as I did more research, I became more fond of the pc world. I finally got enough money and checked my parts compatibility to make sure that it would work. I made sure to follow all the advice given and I ended up building this. When I showed this to my friend, he said that he was surprised to see how clean it was.
So far I really like my computer. The Ryzen 5 is really good at multitasking and it's processing power is quite respectable. The graphics card was recommended to me by my friend and it serves me very well. I decided on 2 SSDs for now as I like accessing files and games rather quickly. My RAM isn't the best out there but it does the job quite well. I plan to use it for regular schoolwork, as well as games like apex, fortnite, minecraft, or whatever becomes popular all of a sudden. I don't plan to overclock it just yet.
Any advice to make this build better than it is now would be gladly appreciated. I hope to see this build last 'til the end.
EDIT: well it looks like my PC stopped working. Hope to get it fixed. Edit 2: got it working again. Was the motherboard's problem. 7/3/19: Got a new GTX 1660 TI that has really improved my low framerates while using minecraft shaders. Overclocked my CPU to 4.0 GHz and temperatures are stable at 60C. Next up, RAM upgrade. Edit 4: Huge upgrade with peripherals. Besides much better ram, I got a better monitor, keyboard, and mouse. The new setup definitely improves my gaming experience. The upgrade from 2666 to 3200 MHz ram has greatly improved processor performance. The only other upgrades I can think of getting now is to add case fans and an actual gaming chair. Once that is done this build should be complete. 10/21/19: Got a new CPU cooler. I was tired of hearing my Hyper T2 whirr while playing RLCraft (good modpack, you should try it) and a slew of other games, so I got the pure rock CPU cooler. Definitely solved that problem. Now I just need to reassess my case fan setup and change my storage setup (turns out kingston has a bad rep). 11/26/19: WOW this thing boots up much faster than my other ssds did. Plus, no stuttering cause it actually has dram. Gonna get a hard drive next.
1/30/19: Got a new Firecuda SSHD and got rid of my 2 240GB SSDs. Also installed a Powerline adapter to improve connection. The SSHD seems to be a bit better than a standard hard drive, but reliability will hopefully be much better due to caching. At least I now have a place to store all of my stuff.
Part Reviews
CPU
For the price point, it can be quite a steal. Performs near equal to that of the Intel I5 9400F while being $20 cheaper. Was able to squeeze out 4.025GHz at 1.27v which will hopefully serve me well. Multitasking is a breeze for this thing. Plus efficiency is modest at worst. Never see temperatures climb too high on this beast
CPU Cooler
For the most part, temperatures stay below 50 C and only under full stress does the temperature rarely get above that. even under full load, my case fans drown out my cpu cooler, which aren't that loud. It is a bit large, but that may just be me. Only issue was getting the fan on since the wire that holds it on really hates bending.
Motherboard
Knocking off one star because it isn't the most tolerant to very sudden power connects and disconnects, but that may just be me. Accidentally plugged in my PC while the PSU switch was on and, since i kept unplugging and plugging it, trying to get it in, it silently fried my motherboard. Got it replaced and has been working just fine. The pci-e x16 slot is a bit difficult as the clasp is nerve-rackingly tight. Other than that, it does what it needs to do.
Memory
Perfect for Ryzen Zen+ series. Boosted my CPU performance much more than my 2666mhz ram did. Also I can finally allocate more ram into minecraft and be able to generate more chunks. Overall the perfect set for mid-relatively high end gaming.
Storage
This is a good drive to have ONLY if you have a hard drive to back up your files onto. It boots up windows in 11 seconds on average. However, One issue that I wish I had done research on is how these things are DRAM-less. Now i have a ticking time bomb that could go off between a few years to a few hours. Another issue I found is that the drive is starting to stutter when booting up windows which I believe, from what I've researched, is a common issue for Kingston SSDs. Will most likely get a researched and reliable M.2 SSD that is carefully researched. Only get this if you routinely backup your files.
Storage
Boot times? What are those? This thing is incredibly fast with sequential read speeds of up to 3000MB/s and write speeds of up to 2300MB/s. Takes care of windows in about 5 seconds tops. Since it came with a heatsink as well and has an endurance of 320TBW, it will last for a while as well.
Storage
Perfect for gaming and frequently used files. When using a large program such as a game initially, boot times take a while, However once opened again, the programs boot much quicker. Perfect for quick and reliable storage without breaking the bank.
Video Card
For the price it is amazing. I can get anywhere between 50-120 fps and an average of 100fps with Seus Renewed Minecraft shaders. The fans are very quiet while keeping the under 70C. The backplate blends in with the build and is very sturdy. Only complaint I have is that certain games will cause the card to produce a ghastly coil whine, even when not a full power, while others that are more demanding barely produce any coil whine.
Case
Looks nice and provides good airflow. Cable management could have been a bit easier but was still easy to do. Doesn't have much room for extra hard drives, and has no PSU shroud, but nothing a little DIY wont fix.
Power Supply
Works fine and provides ample power. The sleeved cables look great but are a little hard to bend. It's one of the few things in my build that I almost completely forget about. Haven't had any sort of problems with it at all.
Wireless Network Adapter
It has a bit of trouble with 5ghz band but that might just be because my setup is far away from the router.
Case Fan
Does its job well, provides good airflow, and looks pretty good as well. However, one of the fans I have will sometimes make a really fast ticking sound. Still don't know why.
Case Fan
Thought it would be a bit quieter, but it is a bit louder than my stock fan. Definitely keeps temperatures down. My graphics card gets much better air circulation.
Monitor
Big, fast, and colorful. The only problems are a bit of glare and the wobbliness of the stand.
Mouse
Feels nice, responds great, but it does take a bit of getting used to the sudden change in sensitivity.
Headphones
Clear sound, quality feels very superb, and was affordably priced as well. Would definitely recommend to anyone.
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