AMD RYZEN Builders Thread

[railroadmaster]

The Ryzen 1700 should be a fine performer. Canard PC had engineering sample clocked at speeds similar to the 1700 without many of its features disabled and it still performed quite well. Overclocking should enable even better performance.

I want greater core count for non gaming tasks like sound production, VFX, video conversion and rendering, software development, video editing, 3d animation, running virtual machines etc at a lower price so the 1700 is the best option.

For gaming the processor should be more than enough, I doubt it will be a significant bottleneck. Overclocking should help in this particular area. Plus I bought a GTX 1070 that I will also overclock which should be more than enough for most games.

 

[lopri]

OK here is my final build. Some parts may change, but most are settled on.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/2JXHQV

Definitely change the memory. One stick of DDR4-2133 will unnecessarily cripple the CPU's potential. Get two sticks of DDR4-2667 or higher. The tighter timings the better.

 

[Phaetos]

This is my components so far for a new build: (everything is from Newegg, and I had to keep it below $1000) If you see somewhere I can improve without much more cost, please inform me.


G.SKILL Ripjaws 4 Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 2666 (PC4 21300) Intel X99 Platform Extreme Performance ...
Fractal Design Core 1500 Black Compact MATX Mini Tower Computer Case
ASRock AB350 Pro4 AM4 AMD Promontory B350 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI ATX Motherboards - AMD
MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti DirectX 12 GTX 1050 Ti 4GT OC 4GB 128-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready ATX Video Card
CORSAIR CX Series CX600 600W 80 PLUS BRONZE Active PFC ATX12V & EPS12V Power Supply
AMD RYZEN 7 1700 8-Core 3.0 GHz (3.7 GHz Turbo) Socket AM4 65W YD1700BBAEBOX Desktop Processor
WD Blue 1TB Desktop Hard Disk Drive - 7200 RPM SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch - WD10EZEX
SAMSUNG 850 EVO 2.5" 120GB SATA III 3-D Vertical Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-75E120B/AM

 

[TemjinGold]

Thanks for pointing this out. Just placed my order for the 1800X

Glad it helped!

 

[TemjinGold]

This is my components so far for a new build: (everything is from Newegg, and I had to keep it below $1000) If you see somewhere I can improve without much more cost, please inform me.


G.SKILL Ripjaws 4 Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 2666 (PC4 21300) Intel X99 Platform Extreme Performance ...
Fractal Design Core 1500 Black Compact MATX Mini Tower Computer Case
ASRock AB350 Pro4 AM4 AMD Promontory B350 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI ATX Motherboards - AMD
MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti DirectX 12 GTX 1050 Ti 4GT OC 4GB 128-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready ATX Video Card
CORSAIR CX Series CX600 600W 80 PLUS BRONZE Active PFC ATX12V & EPS12V Power Supply
AMD RYZEN 7 1700 8-Core 3.0 GHz (3.7 GHz Turbo) Socket AM4 65W YD1700BBAEBOX Desktop Processor
WD Blue 1TB Desktop Hard Disk Drive - 7200 RPM SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch - WD10EZEX
SAMSUNG 850 EVO 2.5" 120GB SATA III 3-D Vertical Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-75E120B/AM

I wouldn't pay $65 for that PSU. There is much better you can get for that price. One example:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151136

 

[Phaetos]

I wouldn't pay $65 for that PSU. There is much better you can get for that price. One example:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151136

Why choose the SeaSonic over the Corsair? I currently have a Corsair PSU and have had no issues with it, that's why I picked that one.

 

[TemjinGold]

Why choose the SeaSonic over the Corsair? I currently have a Corsair PSU and have had no issues with it, that's why I picked that one.

You don't have to get that one in particular, that was just one example. The CX line is Corsair's budget line. For $65, you can get a PSU with much better build quality, be it Corsair or otherwise.

 

[PingSpike]

I'm thinking of waiting a bit, maybe getting the R5 1600x later on. What do you guys think of buying ram now? Stupid idea? It seems like its still trending up. Best guess, where do you think the price on DDR4 will be a year from now?

Was thinking of getting some cheaper 2400 CL14 corsair ram.

 

[unseenmorbidity]

Better components better warranty

 

[unseenmorbidity]

I'm thinking of waiting a bit, maybe getting the R5 1600x later on. What do you guys think of buying ram now? Stupid idea? It seems like its still trending up. Best guess, where do you think the price on DDR4 will be a year from now?

Was thinking of getting some cheaper 2400 CL14 corsair ram.

Go to r/buildapcsales

Look for deals there. You should be able to find 16gb of 3200mhz ram for under a $100

 

[Dresdenboy]

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ZtTbGf

I am not entirely sure which motherboard to get.

As for memory, I'll probably get the cheapest one. Don't care too much about memory speed at this point.

You might focus on low latency memory (<=10ns, as this has a bigger effect in some tests and games than raw bandwidth alone.

 

[Chiropteran]

Cancelled my 1700 and ordered an 1800X now that they are back in stock.

Newegg annoyingly told me the memory I ordered (which was obviously showing in stock at the time) is actually out of stock, so they removed it from my order. Ordered some similar RAM that was at CL 14 instead of 16, for about $90 more total. Go big or go home, right?

 

[Valantar]

I have a feeling that the Ryzen 7 1700 is going to be a dud and even a fancy water cooler isn't going to be able to fix that.

Why else would it be clocked so low?

To make it viable with a 65w TDP?

I do however feel a little bit for the folks who were hoping for the 6 core models being available at launch. I can completely understand their disappointment.

Yeah, I'm definitely in that camp. It's smart from AMDs side, though. My PC died the weekend before last, so I'm very seriously considering stretching my budget to fit a 1700 - it just depends on OC potential, as I was planning to get the higher-clocked 1600X for gaming. If the 1700 OCs horribly, I'll either have to start pinching pennies and aim for an 1700X, or go a month or more with only my crappy 2010-era laptop (and my consoles for gaming, of course), until the 1600X eventually arrives.

The secret to RAM prices is to wait for the 8-10 year "out of date" gap then sell it when working modules are scarce. DDR2 spiked at one point when machines that needed it were still kind of in service but the RAM was no longer being produced in bulk.

So you're saying I should try to unload the 4x2GB DDR2-1066 Corsair Dominator chips from my now-dead desktop at a premium?

Why choose the SeaSonic over the Corsair? I currently have a Corsair PSU and have had no issues with it, that's why I picked that one.

"I haven't had any issues with my current one" is a bad reason for choosing a PSU. You can't know for sure that your current unit hasn't been placing unnecessary stress on your components from bad voltage regulation or ripple suppression, for example. For all you know, it might fail soon and take your entire PC with it. That's why you read PSU reviews that go into detailed analysis and invest in high-quality parts. The PSU is connected to every single part in your PC. And provides them all with electricity. You seriously don't want to skimp on PSUs - they can screw you over big time.

In general: buy the highest quality PSU, with the longest warranty and highest quality components you can afford. And do not, unless you're willing to gamble with your PC, buy a PSU without reading reviews and comparing it to the competition.

I'm thinking of waiting a bit, maybe getting the R5 1600x later on. What do you guys think of buying ram now? Stupid idea? It seems like its still trending up. Best guess, where do you think the price on DDR4 will be a year from now?

Was thinking of getting some cheaper 2400 CL14 corsair ram.

I debated the same thing recently - even made a thread about it. Feedback was mixed. I ended up ordering a 16GB kit of G.skill TridentZ 3200 C16 the other day, simply because I now know I'm buying Ryzen (due to my desktop dying on me), and as long as prices are rising I figured "Why the heck not." That particular kit was cheap, too, where I ordered it - I had originally ordered a 3000 C15 kit for NOK 200 (~$20 when VAT is taken away) more, but changed my order as soon as I saw that kit. I ended up paying around $120 (not counting VAT). Not the cheapest RAM, but perfectly acceptable IMO.

 

[PingSpike]

AM4 Motherboard Summary

I have never even heard of MAXSUN before. Useful chart though.

 

[Phaetos]

You don't have to get that one in particular, that was just one example. The CX line is Corsair's budget line. For $65, you can get a PSU with much better build quality, be it Corsair or otherwise.

Well that one is on sale ... I'll look into it ...

 

[Valantar]

Well that one is on sale ... I'll look into it ...

Or you could spend another $25 and get one of the best power supplies ever made. Or even save another $5 by moving down to the 550W version. With a 1050 Ti, it's not like you'll ever exceed 300W of load anyway. You'll probably be hard pressed exceeding 200W during normal use. An 600W+ PSU is complete overkill for a build like that. Heck, you can run a 1080 off a ~400W PSU, not to mention a 550W of high quality.

 

[TemjinGold]

Well that one is on sale ... I'll look into it ...

Also, note if budget is a concern, you don't need anywhere NEAR 600 watts. If you find something 400 watts you'd be more than fine.

 

[IEC]

Or you could spend another $25 and get one of the best power supplies ever made. Or even save another $5 by moving down to the 550W version. With a 1050 Ti, it's not like you'll ever exceed 300W of load anyway. You'll probably be hard pressed exceeding 200W during normal use. An 600W+ PSU is complete overkill for a build like that. Heck, you can run a 1080 off a ~400W PSU, not to mention a 550W of high quality.

I have 5 different G2/P2 units ranging from 750W-1300W. They are excellent units particularly if you catch them on sale with a rebate. It seems eVGA have only improved upon it with the third iteration in the series.

 

[PingSpike]

To make it viable with a 65w TDP?
So you're saying I should try to unload the 4x2GB DDR2-1066 Corsair Dominator chips from my now-dead desktop at a premium?

Heh, I think you missed the window on that one. I mostly nailed the window last time though, traded all my DDR2 for DDR3 for only a net loss of $5 or something. The thing I learned from it though is slow small modules aren't going anywhere, big and then fast sells though. People already have small slow modules lying around or in their machines that need upgrades so that stuffs value drops and then stays down.

I'm not sure when the DDR3 window is going to happen...has happened?

Based on that I should probably buy fast sticks so I'll be in a good position for DDR5, LOL.

 

[Valantar]

I have 5 different G2/P2 units ranging from 750W-1300W. They are excellent units particularly if you catch them on sale with a rebate. It seems eVGA have only improved upon it with the third iteration in the series.

Yep, I have a 750W G2 myself, and I'm exceedingly happy with it. I got the 750W mostly for the 10-year warranty, although in hindsight 7 years is also plenty. Especially with units as amazingly well built as the G3 series.

 

[Valantar]

Heh, I think you missed the window on that one. I mostly nailed the window last time though, traded all my DDR2 for DDR3 for only a net loss of $5 or something. The thing I learned from it though is slow small modules aren't going anywhere, big and then fast sells though. People already have small slow modules lying around or in their machines that need upgrades so that stuffs value drops and then stays down.

I'm not sure when the DDR3 window is going to happen...has happened?

Based on that I should probably buy fast sticks so I'll be in a good position for DDR5, LOL.

Given that 2GB sticks at 1066hz was about as good as it got for DDR2, I should still be OK then. In fact, I just fount the exact kit I have (I just have another 2x2GB Dominator kit with 5-6-6-18 timings as well) on Ebay for $69. I'd gladly take that (although shipping out of Norway would probably eat up half of that).

 

[moonbogg]

Or you could spend another $25 and get one of the best power supplies ever made. Or even save another $5 by moving down to the 550W version. With a 1050 Ti, it's not like you'll ever exceed 300W of load anyway. You'll probably be hard pressed exceeding 200W during normal use. An 600W+ PSU is complete overkill for a build like that. Heck, you can run a 1080 off a ~400W PSU, not to mention a 550W of high quality.

I got the G3 in 1000w flavor. It seemed like the perfect PSU for me. 10 year warranty, power for SLI if I want, and not worth the extra cost to go platinum and certainly not titanium. Those G3's nearly passed platinum qualifications. Plus the 1000W is shorter in length than most and those G3's actually look pretty cool. I think that 750 G3 is a good buy. That's what I'd get over that other one he was looking at if the price allows it.

 

[Valantar]

If you are trying to slow down the Ryzen hype train, you will need a much larger and more robustly engineered set of brakes.


I got the G3 in 1000w flavor. It seemed like the perfect PSU for me. 10 year warranty, power for SLI if I want, and not worth the extra cost to go platinum and certainly not titanium. Those G3's nearly passed platinum qualifications. Plus the 1000W is shorter in length than most and those G3's actually look pretty cool. I think that 750 G3 is a good buy. That's what I'd get over that other one he was looking at if the price allows it.

If I may ask, why should he get a 750W PSU for a setup with a 95W CPU and a 75W GPU? Even if both are overclocked into oblivion, he'll never see 300W under any type of load. Even the 550W would be inaudible and under no noticeable stress at those loads. On the other hand, the more oversized the PSU, the farther outside its efficiency sweet spot you'll land. There's a significant difference in efficiency between a G3 550W and 750W at 200-250W loads.

 

[unseenmorbidity]

If I may ask, why should he get a 750W PSU for a setup with a 95W CPU and a 75W GPU? Even if both are overclocked into oblivion, he'll never see 300W under any type of load. Even the 550W would be inaudible and under no noticeable stress at those loads. On the other hand, the more oversized the PSU, the farther outside its efficiency sweet spot you'll land. There's a significant difference in efficiency between a G3 550W and 750W at 200-250W loads.

ppl go crazy over buying a "quality" psu.

I have never spent more than $50 for a psu, and I have never had an issue. Just buy something decent.

 

[sm625]

This is my components so far for a new build: (everything is from Newegg, and I had to keep it below $1000) If you see somewhere I can improve without much more cost, please inform me.

ASRock AB350 Pro4 AM4 AMD Promontory B350 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI ATX Motherboards - AMD

All AM4 boards are out of stock at newegg.