Advice for building first PC

[gamero]

Hi everyone,

This is my first time building my own PC, and I have selected the parts as shown below.

MOBO+CPU: ASROCK Z370M PRO 4 + i5-8600K ($551 from Tradepac)
GPU: GALAX GTX1070 EX O.C WHITE 8GB ($597 from Tradepac)
Casing: TECWARE F3 ELITE($49 from itsmine.pc)
RAM: CORSAIR 16GB 2400MHZ ($278 from itsmine.pc)
Fan: COOLER MASTER HYPER 212 LED ($48 from itsmine.pc)
SSD storage: old 250GB SSD ($-)
HDD storage: old 1 TB HDD ($-)
Power supply: SEASON S12II 620W ($95 from itsmine.pc)
Monitor: Acer G247HYL ($167 from Tradepac)
Total: $1,785


It would be great to get your thoughts on the following:

• Do you have any general thoughts about this build?
• Are there any incremental benefits I can generate, without spending more than what my current budget is?
• Are there strong synergies between my MOBO+CPU?
• How's the performance of both the MOBO and GPU?
• Does my GPU go well with my chosen monitor?
• I'm storing this below a table which has a relatively lower air circulation as compared to when placing it on the table, should I be worried?
• How do I check if my old SSD and HDD storage is compatible with my MOBO?
• Should I consider a gold power supply (or something better than bronze)?
• Are there other 1080p60 IPS monitors you would recommend over my choice?

 

[Ark Law]

MOBO+CPU: ASROCK Z370M PRO 4 ($551 from Tradepac)

Chance to kena carrot/out of stock because not buying whole set from Tradepac

 

[gamero]

Chance to kena carrot/out of stock because not buying whole set from Tradepac

Sorry, what's "kena carrot". Also, any advice to circumventing the issue?

 

[dataworld111]

Hi everyone,

This is my first time building my own PC, and I have selected the parts as shown below.

MOBO+CPU: ASROCK Z370M PRO 4 ($551 from Tradepac)
GPU: GALAX GTX1070 EX O.C WHITE 8GB ($597 from Tradepac)
Casing: TECWARE F3 ELITE($49 from itsmine.pc)
RAM: CORSAIR 16GB 2400MHZ ($278 from itsmine.pc)
Fan: COOLER MASTER HYPER 212 LED ($48 from itsmine.pc)
SSD storage: old 250GB SSD ($-)
HDD storage: old 1 TB HDD ($-)
Power supply: SEASON S12II 620W ($95 from itsmine.pc)
Monitor: Acer G247HYL ($167 from Tradepac)
Total: $1,785


It would be great to get your thoughts on the following:

• Do you have any general thoughts about this build?
• Are there any incremental benefits I can generate, without spending more than what my current budget is?
• Are there strong synergies between my MOBO+CPU?
• How's the performance of both the MOBO and GPU?
• Does my GPU go well with my chosen monitor?
• I'm storing this below a table which has a relatively lower air circulation as compared to when placing it on the table, should I be worried?
• How do I check if my old SSD and HDD storage is compatible with my MOBO?
• Should I consider a gold power supply (or something better than bronze)?
• Are there other 1080p60 IPS monitors you would recommend over my choice?

i would recommend you call them and ask if their 1070 still in stock or not. From what i understand, stocks have been flying off the shelves lately

 

[Neptunes43]

Hi there,

I think you might have missed out your CPU from the list.

Edit: Check out CPU availability too. Coffeelake is known for being out of stock.

Hi everyone,

This is my first time building my own PC, and I have selected the parts as shown below.

MOBO+CPU: ASROCK Z370M PRO 4 ($551 from Tradepac)
GPU: GALAX GTX1070 EX O.C WHITE 8GB ($597 from Tradepac)
Casing: TECWARE F3 ELITE($49 from itsmine.pc)
RAM: CORSAIR 16GB 2400MHZ ($278 from itsmine.pc)
Fan: COOLER MASTER HYPER 212 LED ($48 from itsmine.pc)
SSD storage: old 250GB SSD ($-)
HDD storage: old 1 TB HDD ($-)
Power supply: SEASON S12II 620W ($95 from itsmine.pc)
Monitor: Acer G247HYL ($167 from Tradepac)
Total: $1,785


It would be great to get your thoughts on the following:

• Do you have any general thoughts about this build?
• Are there any incremental benefits I can generate, without spending more than what my current budget is?
• Are there strong synergies between my MOBO+CPU?
• How's the performance of both the MOBO and GPU?
• Does my GPU go well with my chosen monitor?
• I'm storing this below a table which has a relatively lower air circulation as compared to when placing it on the table, should I be worried?
• How do I check if my old SSD and HDD storage is compatible with my MOBO?
• Should I consider a gold power supply (or something better than bronze)?
• Are there other 1080p60 IPS monitors you would recommend over my choice?

 

[Rashkae]

1. There is no sich thing as magical "synergy" between a motherboard and CPU. Not sure where you get your ideas from.

2. Tradepac needs strong will and steady negotiation skills.

3. If you buy piecemeal from everywhere, you will pay more than getting it all from one place

4. Lots of second hand GPUs out there in the marketplace

5. Ram wise I'd target 3000

 

[dgenex]

Hi everyone,

This is my first time building my own PC, and I have selected the parts as shown below.

MOBO+CPU: ASROCK Z370M PRO 4 ($551 from Tradepac)
GPU: GALAX GTX1070 EX O.C WHITE 8GB ($597 from Tradepac)
Casing: TECWARE F3 ELITE($49 from itsmine.pc)
RAM: CORSAIR 16GB 2400MHZ ($278 from itsmine.pc)
Fan: COOLER MASTER HYPER 212 LED ($48 from itsmine.pc)
SSD storage: old 250GB SSD ($-)
HDD storage: old 1 TB HDD ($-)
Power supply: SEASON S12II 620W ($95 from itsmine.pc)
Monitor: Acer G247HYL ($167 from Tradepac)
Total: $1,785


It would be great to get your thoughts on the following:

• Are there strong synergies between my MOBO+CPU?
  You did not list your CPU. And, no there is no such thing as synergy between Mobo and CPU.
  
• How's the performance of both the MOBO and GPU?
  1070 is good enough for 1080p gaming.
  
• Does my GPU go well with my chosen monitor?
  Just ensure that your monitor has the same kind of input as your GPU has for output (e.g. HDMI, DVI etc.)
  
• I'm storing this below a table which has a relatively lower air circulation as compared to when placing it on the table, should I be worried?
  If you are not overclocking your CPU, a 1070 shouldnt have too much thermal problems
  
• How do I check if my old SSD and HDD storage is compatible with my MOBO?
  Check whether its 2.5", 3.5" or M.2 and ensure your case got slot for the corresponding size.
  
• Should I consider a gold power supply (or something better than bronze)?
  Some people just get bronze and change every few years, others get gold and use for longer period, up to you. I'd suggest gold if you have the budget, otherwise 80+ bronze is generally fine as long as you get reputable ones.
  
• Are there other 1080p60 IPS monitors you would recommend over my choice?
  Can take a look at Dell S2318H

Answers in red above

 

[tmfwy]

Hi everyone,

This is my first time building my own PC, and I have selected the parts as shown below.

MOBO+CPU: ASROCK Z370M PRO 4 ($551 from Tradepac)
GPU: GALAX GTX1070 EX O.C WHITE 8GB ($597 from Tradepac)
Casing: TECWARE F3 ELITE($49 from itsmine.pc)
RAM: CORSAIR 16GB 2400MHZ ($278 from itsmine.pc)
Fan: COOLER MASTER HYPER 212 LED ($48 from itsmine.pc)
SSD storage: old 250GB SSD ($-)
HDD storage: old 1 TB HDD ($-)
Power supply: SEASON S12II 620W ($95 from itsmine.pc)
Monitor: Acer G247HYL ($167 from Tradepac)
Total: $1,785


It would be great to get your thoughts on the following:

• Do you have any general thoughts about this build?
• Are there any incremental benefits I can generate, without spending more than what my current budget is?
• Are there strong synergies between my MOBO+CPU?
• How's the performance of both the MOBO and GPU?
• Does my GPU go well with my chosen monitor?
• I'm storing this below a table which has a relatively lower air circulation as compared to when placing it on the table, should I be worried?
• How do I check if my old SSD and HDD storage is compatible with my MOBO?
• Should I consider a gold power supply (or something better than bronze)?
• Are there other 1080p60 IPS monitors you would recommend over my choice?

Firstly
Check stock

1. Your graphic card may not be available . Please top up wallet for Asus GTX1080 and above. This should be reasonably available due to its high price.

2. You are getting parts from multiple places. In current market situation, the most important thing is to secure the GPU. Anything else ( including price ) is secondary. It will save you time to just buy from whoever can supply you the card that you want.

3. Be prepared with a budget. Like all " carefully planned scenarios ", the plan will not survive the rigours of war. be prepared to add additional funds or to change specs on the go.

 

[yusoffb01]

avoid tradepac for peace of mind. the cheap prices you see are out of stock. if you go there they will recommend pricier item which is similar to other shops.

if you still want to buy from tradepac, do not pay until they gather the items for you.

 

[Ark Law]

Sorry, what's "kena carrot". Also, any advice to circumventing the issue?

avoid tradepac for peace of mind. the cheap prices you see are out of stock. if you go there they will recommend pricier item which is similar to other shops.

if you still want to buy from tradepac, do not pay until they gather the items for you.

My personal rule of thumb is that if one needs to ask about shopping at TP, he/she ought to not shop at TP.

When shopping at TP, point #3 raised by tmfwy almost always surfaces

 

[ArcticCheetah]

LOL. Everyone talks as if tradepac is shady when other shops sell at $100 markup
I never regretted buying at tradepac but regretted buying at PC themes

 

[singupingu]

Guess you haven't tried their "out of stock and recommend <insert random replacement parts at same price>" tactic that they do on newbies. Some newbies dunno 80+ Gold vs 80+ white and kena chop price with psu (very often seen by my own eyes)

Sent from Finally Unbanned using GAGT

 

[FlipGor]

LOL. Everyone talks as if tradepac is shady when other shops sell at $100 markup
I never regretted buying at tradepac but regretted buying at PC themes

OK la tbf, tradepac not the most Shady one. Shady ones are some shops that will say GPu no stock or ram no stock but ownself sell to own ppl or sell high high on carousel

 

[Ark Law]

LOL. Everyone talks as if tradepac is shady when other shops sell at $100 markup
I never regretted buying at tradepac but regretted buying at PC themes

Seasoned buyers no problem lah. But if henchmen see new face, can expect the below pattern

"out of stock and recommend <insert random replacement parts at same price>" tactic that they do on newbies. Some newbies dunno 80+ Gold vs 80+ white and kena chop price with psu (very often seen by my own eyes)

Sent from Finally Unbanned using GAGT

Although having said that, I hate having to wait 15mins for them to fetch a bloody sodimm stick

 

[shadow84]

LOL. Everyone talks as if tradepac is shady when other shops sell at $100 markup
I never regretted buying at tradepac but regretted buying at PC themes

To be clear ah, other shops are selling at RRP whereas tradepac and a few shops are selling at a lower price, meaning their profits are lower.

Do show us which shop is selling $100 above RRP??? Dun confuse discounts with retail price.

 

[ArcticCheetah]

Guess you haven't tried their "out of stock and recommend <insert random replacement parts at same price>" tactic that they do on newbies. Some newbies dunno 80+ Gold vs 80+ white and kena chop price with psu (very often seen by my own eyes)

Sent from Finally Unbanned using GAGT

They got price list leh.
Check pricelist, pricelist is not for show if not take other shop pricelist as reference.

 

[ArcticCheetah]

To be clear ah, other shops are selling at RRP whereas tradepac and a few shops are selling at a lower price, meaning their profits are lower.

Do show us which shop is selling $100 above RRP??? Dun confuse discounts with retail price.

SG pricing already way above US price + mark up = ?
RRP already reserve profit margin at Retail shop

 

[tmfwy]

To be clear ah, other shops are selling at RRP whereas tradepac and a few shops are selling at a lower price, meaning their profits are lower.

Do show us which shop is selling $100 above RRP??? Dun confuse discounts with retail price.

To be fair

Price is not everything

I prefer paying for service coz i want my ultimate client , whether it ends up being me or otherwise to be happy with a no problem system.

I'd rather pay more to deal with a shop who bears responsibility for what they sell. Anything wrong, dun tcss tell me go distributor at ulu place.

I bought something i just want it replaced on the spot, even if it means disty needs to van down with replacement part. It is just a matter of RMA paperwork.
I bought something and it does not work for what i intended it to be used for, i expect it to be changed. Eg; Nvidia to AMD or monitors. I don't want to go sell second hand market. I just want shop to deal with my problem to make it theirs ( just means RMA paperwork ).

To be honest

SLS is a volume market. Shops earn more by selling more. The more they troubleshoot for you, the less they earn. SO service oriented shops need to earn more. nothing wrong with this

What tradepac is soding, nothing wrong. IT is just a margins issue, part and parcel of the buying game. As long as said item is NOT sold for an insane amount beyond RRP, its good

SLS is famous for the replacement trick
1. Want to buy Sony Monitor. Sure. got stock. come to counter talk more. At counter, Sorry bro, no stock. But got this Sharp Monitor. Sharper than sony. for xyz. If customer insist, other problems such as power adaptor US or finally really no stock will appear.

Age old tactic

2. Advertise Sony PSX for loads cheaper than RRP. When come to counter to dealk, must buy transformer at insane price. I used to think this is a shady tactic but now when i reflect back, its just a tactic to earn ore money. If total cost is not much more than RRP, its ok, But if total cost is hideously above RRP, its a scam!

So yeah
Cheap and Service don't go hand in hand
There used to be a legend Wenxie in Fuwell, who opened his own Shop Infinity. Been patronising him for 15y and never looked back.

Another is Nigel from PC Themes

And of tourse, there are loads more.
Cybermind ( aka Choppermind ) is pretty decent too.
Last time also got Bell ( i think the legend @ Bell has opened up a repair shop in a back alley forgot which floor ) and Laser

Don't be afraid to pay more if this is first time. Think of it as school fees. Pay for a shop who makes your problem theirs, rather than pay supposedly cheap prices to a shop, only to tell you where each distributor is when problems appear. YEah. Convergent wasn't that hard to go to when they were at SLS 6th Floor and OG. Imaging buying a system
Go to Avertek for one component
Corbell for another, then Ban Leong, Tech Dynamics, East Asia and so on..

 

[MoneyFace =p]

They got price list leh.
Check pricelist, pricelist is not for show if not take other shop pricelist as reference.

Sometimes...

Price list is really for show...

From latest Tradepac price list

 

[ArcticCheetah]

What talking you?
RMA has always been GO TO DISTRIBUTOR what?
If they restock for you it is additional also would you want to buy a restocked unit?
Well if I want service I would pay for service

To be fair

Price is not everything

I prefer paying for service coz i want my ultimate client , whether it ends up being me or otherwise to be happy with a no problem system.

I'd rather pay more to deal with a shop who bears responsibility for what they sell. Anything wrong, dun tcss tell me go distributor at ulu place.

I bought something i just want it replaced on the spot, even if it means disty needs to van down with replacement part. It is just a matter of RMA paperwork.
I bought something and it does not work for what i intended it to be used for, i expect it to be changed. Eg; Nvidia to AMD or monitors. I don't want to go sell second hand market. I just want shop to deal with my problem to make it theirs ( just means RMA paperwork ).

To be honest

SLS is a volume market. Shops earn more by selling more. The more they troubleshoot for you, the less they earn. SO service oriented shops need to earn more. nothing wrong with this

What tradepac is soding, nothing wrong. IT is just a margins issue, part and parcel of the buying game. As long as said item is NOT sold for an insane amount beyond RRP, its good

SLS is famous for the replacement trick
1. Want to buy Sony Monitor. Sure. got stock. come to counter talk more. At counter, Sorry bro, no stock. But got this Sharp Monitor. Sharper than sony. for xyz. If customer insist, other problems such as power adaptor US or finally really no stock will appear.

Age old tactic

2. Advertise Sony PSX for loads cheaper than RRP. When come to counter to dealk, must buy transfer at insane price. I used to think this is a shady tactic but now when i reflect back, its just a tactic to earn ore money. If total cost is not much more than RRP, its ok, But if total cost is hideously above RRP, its a scam!

So yeah
Cheap and Service don't go hand in hand
There used to be a legend Wenxie in Fuwell, who opened his own Shop Infinity. Been patronising him for 15y and never looked back.

Another is Nigel from PC Themes

And of tourse, there are loads more.
Cybermind ( aka Choppermind ) is pretty decent too.
Last time also got Bell ( i think the legend @ Bell has opened up a repair shop in a back alley forgot which floor ) and Laser

Don't be afraid to pay more if this is first time. Think of it as school fees. Pay for a shop who makes your problem theirs, rather than pay supposedly cheap prices to a shop, only to tell you where each distributor is when problems appear. YEah. Convergent wasn't that hard to go to when they were at SLS 6th Floor and OG. Imaging buying a system
Go to Avertek for one component
Corbell for another, then Ban Leong, Tech Dynamics, East Asia and so on..