Pc Build Questions Whether To Choose Amd Apu Or Amd Cpu

Hi Experts,

I am new to PC Build and have few questions around it. Please guide me with the below queries.

Purpose:

Ø System should boot fast and should be smooth.

Ø I need to connect my PC with multiple monitors or laptop screens for multi-tasking.

Ø Daily usage like Microsoft Word, PPT, Excel. Copying files. Web browsing etc.

Ø I want to play games like GTA 5, assassin's creed and any other games similar to that. (I am not a Pro gamer)

Ø I do not do any video editing works.


Specs that I might need:

ü CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3xxx (Not sure whether to go with AMD APU or normal AMD CPU)

ü GPU: Not sure which one to pick

ü RAM: 8+8GB DDR4

ü SSD: 250GB M.2 NVME

ü HDD: 2TB SATA3.0

ü Motherboard: Should contain all the required ports. Should be capable for upgrading at later stage.

ü Power Supply: 550W or more (Not very sure what to pick as per the above specs)

ü Monitor: With 120Hz or 144Hz display assuming the game will run at more than 100 FPS

Questions that I have:

1. Based on my purpose that I mentioned above, do I need a CPU with integrated graphic card? If I go with AMD CPU without integrated graphics and a dedicated GPU, what problems I would be facing? Can I connect my PC with multiple monitors?

2. What GPU is best of normal gaming that I mentioned above?

3. I am planning to install games in HDD, will that affect the game performance? Will installing games in SDD improve the performance significantly?

4. Do I really need a 120Hz or 144Hz monitor to get the 100 FPS experience? Can I feel the 100FPS in a normal 60Hz monitor?

5. What power supply will be correct for my PC?

Thanks for your response!!

Thanks

Subbu

 

First, you did not state a budget so no one can give you any specifics. The answers would be significantly different if your budget is $500, $1500, or $3000.

1. The question should be, do you "need" a separate graphics card. And the answer is, "No". Unless you make your living programming games, you don't "need" to game. Plus, there are some very good CPUs with integrated graphics that game well. But for the best gaming, you need a separate graphics card. That said, if you get a CPU with integrated graphics, you can always add a card later when the budget (or "need") arises. But if you get a CPU without integrated graphics, you must get a card.

2. There's no such thing as "normal gaming". And again, without a budget, no one can answer. You can spend $50 on a card, or you can spend $1000 or even more on just the card.

3. When it comes to SSD vs HD, it depends on the game. But hard drives are always slower. You will notice the difference during game loads. After that depends on the game. Either way, if budget allows, I would go all SSD. Period. Even the slowest SSD will run circles around the fastest hard drive. So if you really need lots of storage, having a fast M.2 NVME SSD as your primary/boot drive, then a decent SATA SSD as a secondary drive is how I would go.

4. Depends a great deal on the size of the monitor.

5. The power supply is certainly one of the most important purchasing decisions you must make. You don't buy a fancy new Porsche then fill it up with watered down, dirty fuel at the corner Tobacco and Bait shop. But you won't know what size to get until AFTER you pick your components because you don't know how much power they need - in particular, how much the CPU and the GPU will need. And remember, graphics cards are often the most power hungry devices in our computers.

In any case, buy a quality PSU from a reputable maker. Get at least 80-Plus "Bronze" certified though I recommend "Gold". Unless you get a really good deal on a Platinum or Titanium, I would not bother. Stick with Gold. I like EVGA and Seasonic power supplies. And remember, ANY TIME you upgrade your hardware, you need to make sure the existing PSU will support it. It is not uncommon to need a bigger PSU when upgrading the graphics solution.

Other comments:
I don't know what you mean by the motherboard needs to be capable of upgrading. If you mean pulling it and replacing it with another, it is important to note that RAM and CPUs must be compatible with the new motherboard too. Or else you will need to buy a new CPU and new RAM with the new motherboard (and then, maybe, a new PSU to support them).

Notebooks do not accept video "input". That is, a notebook monitor can only display video from the notebook. Most PCs and most graphics cards support at least two monitors. Some cards support more. If you need more than two monitors, you may need more than one card. In some cases, if the motherboard/CPU supports integrated graphics, you can connect 1 or 2 monitors to the integrated and connect 1 or 2 monitors to a card too.

New computers typically need new Windows' licenses. You most likely will need to budget for a new Windows license too. And, a new motherboard constitutes a new computer. So if you "upgrade" the motherboard with a new motherboard, that requires a new license. The only exception here is if the original Windows license is a full "retail" license that was purchased separately through an authorized retailer. But note the vast majority of Windows licenses are "OEM/System Builders" licenses that were bought for or pre-installed on a previous computer. And OEM/System Builders licenses cannot "legally" be transferred to new computers under any circumstances.

I don't see a case listed. The case is also a critical component in any build because it must support all your components, protect them from physical abuse, and most importantly, supply a sufficient supply of cool air flowing through the case. And for me, it must have removable, washable air filters, and it must do a great job of suppressing fan noise. I really hate fan noise. I like Fractal Design cases.

 

My bad, i didnt mention my budget.

I am new to PC Build and live in India. I have few questions around it. I am not in a hurry and also I can wait for 6-8 months, if there is any new component that’s planned to be released in the near future. Please guide me with the below questions.

My Budget:

Only PC - INR (approx. 75000rs). In US Dollar its $1000.

Monitor – INR (30000). In US Dollar its $400.

My Purpose:

Ø System should boot fast and should be smooth enough to handle daily activities like Microsoft Word, PPT, Excel, Copying files, Web browsing etc.

Ø I need to connect my PC with at least 2 monitors (1 Primary and another screen for multi-tasking-can be laptop screen as well).

Ø I want to play games like Far Cry 5, GTA 5, Battlefield 3, Assassin's creed and any other games similar to that. (I am not a pro gamer or regular player).

Ø I do not do any video editing works.

Specs I think that I might need:

ü CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600

ü GPU: GTX 1660 Super or GTX 1660Ti or RTX 2060 or AMD RX 5700 (Not sure which one to pick)

ü RAM: 8+8GB DDR4 or 16+16GB DDR4 (Not sure if 8+8 is sufficient for my use)

ü SSD: 250GB SATA SSD or 250GB M.2 NVME (Not sure which one to pick)

ü HDD: 1TB 7200 rpm SATA3 (I might add another 1TB later)

ü Motherboard: ATX. It would be great if it has a built in Wifi/Bluetooth. Should contain all required ports based on my purpose. Should be capable for upgrading at later stage. (Not sure if I need to look at some other specs).

ü Power Supply: 80 Plus PSU with 550W or more (Not sure if 550W is sufficient)

ü Case: Full ATX case with better cooling system. (Not sure if I need to look at some other specs).

ü Monitor: 1440p IPS panel with 120Hz/144Hz display, assuming the game will run at more than 70 FPS. (Not sure if Free-Sync monitor can be used with NVIDIA GPU). I prefer Free-SYNC monitor as it’s cheap.

Please guide me on the above specs where I mentioned “Not sure”

Other questions I have:

1. Can I connect my PC with multiple monitors as I am not using an integrated graphics card?

2. If I pick any of the GPU that I mentioned above, can I use it for another 5-6 years at least?

3. I know that only G-Sync/Free-sync are the only options available to get a smooth gameplay if my FPS and refresh rates are not same. Considering this, can I buy a Free-sync monitor with NVIDIA GPU? What is the best monitor you would recommend? What all ports I need in a monitor?

Thanks for your response!!

Thanks

Subbu

 

The GTX 1660 super can support up to 4 monitors with 3 display ports, and one HDMI port.
You would need to consider the resolution you wish to run...........twin 1080p monitors would be fine, however you would probably need a larger card for 4K.

It presents better value than the Ti as it gets GDDR6 memory, which the Ti misses.

If you keep the card cool, and care for your system, you should get many years of reliable service!

https://www.pcgamer.com/nvidia-geforce-gtx-1660-super-review/

 

There are some differences with connections, clock speeds, dimensions etc. for the 37 1660 Super listed:

Chip clock boost: from 1700MHz (37) from 1800MHz (26)
Overclock boost clock: under +20MHz (1) from +20MHz (25) from +40MHz (18) from +60MHz (8) from +80MHz (1) unknown (11)
video connectors types: DisplayPort 1.4 (37) DisplayPort (37) HDMI 2.0b (37) HDMI 2.0 (37) HDMI (37) DVI (23) without DVI (14) without VGA (37)
HDMI Quantity: from 1x (37) from 2x (3)
DisplayPort Quantity: from 1x (37) from 2x (14) from 3x (11)
DVI Quantity: from 1x (23) unknown (14)
Digital outputs quantity: from 3x (37) from 4x (14)
Cooling: active (37) semi-passive (0dB-zero-fan-mode) (8) Axial-fan (37) custom design (37)
Fans quantity: from 1x (37) from 2x (27) from 3x (5)
Fan size: from 70mm (37) from 80mm (36) from 90mm (28) from 100mm (10)
Total height: dual-slot (25) triple-slot (12)
Power supply external: 1x 8-Pin (37)
Interface: PCIe 3.0 x16 (37)
Length from: from 160mm (37) from 170mm (33) from 180mm (28) from 190mm (27) from 200mm (25) from 205mm (23) from 210mm (21) from 220mm (20) from 240mm (12) from 260mm (5) from 280mm (2)
Length up to: up to 170mm (5) up to 180mm (9) up to 190mm (11) up to 200mm (12) up to 205mm (14) up to 210mm (17) up to 220mm (19) up to 240mm (25) up to 260mm (32) up to 280mm (37)
Width: up to 120mm (14) up to 130mm (37)
Special features: overclocked (26) NVIDIA G-Sync (37) NVIDIA VR-Ready (37) Backplate (24) fan control (3) H.265 encode/decode (37) Vulkan (37) 10bit colour channel depth (via Studio Driver) (37) HDCP 2.2 (37) mini-ITX-format (up to 185mm) (9) LED lighting (RGB) (11) LED lighting (white) (4)
Warranty: from 2 years (37) from 3 years (35)

 

A couple comments based on your reply.

Again, you cannot display your PC's video out on to a laptop monitors. Again, laptops do not accept video "input".

You do not need a "full" tower case. "Full" tower cases are HUGE - designed to support the largest EATX motherboard, 10-12 or more drives and 8 or more expansion cards. A quality "Mid" tower is plenty spacious. All will support ATX motherboards (some support EATX), 6 - 8 drives, and 6 or more expansion cards. A quality case will also support extensive cooling options including multiple large fans and lots of radiator options. The new Fractal Design Define 7 "Mid" tower case is a great example.

As far as the GPU lasting 5 - 6 years, there's no way to answer that. Ideally, our electronics get retired before they die. Keep in mind, the longevity of the electronics greatly depend on how they are treated during their lifetime, to include proper cooling and quality power.

I recommend waiting until you can buy everything at once instead of buying piecemeal over several months. It is important to remember return policies and more importantly, warranties begin on the date of purchase.

 

If you use selected words from your listed requirements at vendor web sites, such as newegg.com and amazon.com, and then sort the results by 'average customer review', you will usually see some good choices.

Some helpful links:

• http://www.powersupplycalculator.net/
  =
• https://pcpartpicker.com/
  Join for free; save multiple parts lists; favorite parts; price/availability monitoring
  =
• 
  A good case recently released by Lian Li
  =
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxPapQH4XEI&list=LL&index=8&t=0s
  A good case recently released by be quiet!
  =
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBoLyC0tSDQ&list=LL&index=14
  good review of case fans with links
  =
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXbZyo9rEqA&list=LL&index=51&t=0s
  tests and review of several CPU coolers
  =
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KebELRNwIbY
  tests and review of Scythe Fuma 2 CPU cooler
  =
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u8rGgYrRZY
  Gamers Nexus: best and worst cases of 2019
  =
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2RkwBXaYQA
  Gamers Nexus: best and worst cases of 2018
  =
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s32Nw6WoGo
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqoGsaYJIzU
  Reviews: Fractal Design Meshify C - I have one; very good quality, design; good to build in
  =
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffe..._Coffee_Lake_processors_(Coffee_Lake_Refresh)
  List of Intel 9th generation Coffee Lake processors
  =============
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_AMD_Ryzen_microprocessors
  List of AMD Ryzen microprocessors
  =================

 

No recent updates, https://outervision.com/power-supply-calculator is better anyway.

 

Yeah, thanks. I remember outervision. That's the one I used to use. I must have lost the link.

 

Odd! That Power Supply Calculator first mentioned "appears" to be (or was) a licensed "mini" version of the OuterVision eXtreme Power Supply Calculator. But as satrow correctly notes, it is woefully out of date. It does not even list DDR4 RAM.

So was it licensed, or is it a knock-off? IDK but I find it a bit disturbing it solicits donations through bitcoin or litecoin.

Anyway, OuterVision's version has an active staff behind it, doing regular research to keep it current. And because it has so many sections, and offers so many hardware options making it so flexible, it can be much more conservative. No calculator wants to recommend an underpowered PSU so they all pad the results and that's fine. But OuterVision's version does not go overboard on those recommendations. And that's a good thing.