First Build, I Need A Little Help...

I am building my first PC and the motherboard part has stumped me. I'm getting lost trying to make sure all the components are compatible. And before I'm told to google it, I have been researching parts all day. I'm still getting a little lost.

So far, this is my build....
Case: Corsair Carbide Series 200R
Power: CoolMax 400w (is this enough power?)
CPU: Intel Core i5 7500
GPU: GeForce 1050 Ti
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 2400 (2 x 4g)
Storage: Intel 520 120g ... I had this already, and I only use 64g on my pc.

I'm looking at the Gigabyte 1151 Sata e for the ability to upgrade later. All the parts look compatible, but I can see I'm juggling quite a lot for my knowledge base. As a side, I'm using an HP Envy 17 with i7 Core 2.4Ghz... And I want something that is faster. This build is not meant to be the best, just better, and gives me a chance to play around before I spend more money. If you think this design is costly and slower, I want to hear what you think is cheaper and better.

 

A couple comments.

It is not wise to try and shave a few $$ off the budget with a cheap power supply. I like to say you don't buy a new Porsche then fill it up at the corner Tobacco and Bait shop. Well, you might, but can you be sure the gas is good and not watered down? A car engine can miss a beat and keep running. Not so with high-speed digital electronics. So get a decent 80 PLUS certified supply. 80 PLUS ensures at least 80% efficiency across a full range of expected loads. I recommend at least Bronze certified, though Gold would be better.

Technically 400W is fine, but I recommend a little higher (500 - 550) in case you want to upgrade or add parts a year or two down the road. And check out the eXtreme Power Supply Calculator to determine your minimum and recommended power supply unit (PSU) requirements. Plan ahead and plug in all the hardware you think you might have in 2 or 3 years. This might include extra hard drives, a bigger or 2nd video card, more RAM, etc. I recommend setting Computer Utilization to 16 hours per day and CPU Utilization to 100%. These steps adjust for capacitor aging and ensure the supply has adequate head room for stress free (and perhaps quieter) operation. These steps also add a little buffer for unplanned future upgrades or added hardware demands.

Note that all power supply calculators tend to pad their results to avoid ever recommending an underpowered supply. It is always okay to buy too big a PSU (except maybe for the budget) but always bad to buy too small. But the eXtreme PSU calculator is, by far, the most conservative (a good thing) when it comes to padding results, and that is due, in part, because it has the most flexibility.

Gigabyte happens to be my preferred brand for motherboards. Like most board makers, Gigabyte maintains QVLs (qualified vendors lists) for each of their motherboards. These lists show the compatible CPUs and RAM for that particular board. You must buy a listed CPU to ensure compatibility. However, there are just too many RAM makers and models for board makers to test them all. So you don't have to buy listed RAM, but you do need to buy RAM with the same specs as listed RAM.

The thing to remember is you need to pick your board first, then select compatible RAM and CPU.

You might also check out PCPartPicker. This is a great site to help self builders pick compatible parts.

I realize you want to use your 120GB SSD but I think you should consider something closer to 240 - 256GB. 120GB will hold Windows, drivers, and more but it will not leave much room for anything else. And more importantly, because of the way "wear leveling" works on a SSD, having lots of free disk space greatly increases the expected life span of the SSD.

Last, understand a new motherboard is considered a new computer and new computers typically need a new Windows license. If the current Windows license on that SSD is an OEM license, or an upgrade from an OEM license (and the vast majority fall into these areas) you cannot legally transfer that license to this new computer.

 

Digerati has most of it covered.
I boot off a 124 GB SSD with a 16TB raid for apps and programs. This works well, but means two HDD and setting up a raid. Needless to say I have tons of games and movies.
Like posted above, choose your motherboard, find the sweet spot between price and performance for your CPU, you have your video card. Calc your power supply and get a good one, you don't want instability from a power supply.
One word of advice, the pins on the CPU are fragile. Watch videos and be careful. I watched a friend take his CPU out of the box, inspect it and put the CPU back with the protective cover on wrong. There is no fix for bent pins and no exchange. Leave the CPU in the box until you are 100% ready to install in the motherboard.

 

I'm gonna third this. He always recommends a UPS too. You don't want your investment going up in a puff of smoke.

That's true. 120GB is workable but still tight. In addition, I suggest an M2 NVMe SSD should you upgrade. You've got 2 slots on the motherboard, the price difference is negligible and the speed difference isn't. If you like playing games, the faster access time will pay off.

 

Except I forgot to above! But yes, I recommend all computers should be on a "good" UPS with AVR. You don't have to live in an area with poor grid service to need a UPS. Excessive power anomalies can originate from within the home too - such as when high wattage appliances like AC units or refrigerator motors cycle on and off, or when that 1500W $15 hair dryer fails.