New PC builder here, need help.

[FreSch]

Hi, I'm new to PC building, and I'm kinda clueless on what to do here.
I have the basic specs of the PC that I want, but I don't know how to hone in on a specific part and where to get them.
Currently this is my list:

Ryzen 5 5600X
RTX 3070
16GB ram
500GB SSD
2TB HDD

anything else such as the motherboard and PSU I don't mind. The specifics for those parts (like RAM clock speed etc.) I don't have planned out either.
I have currently checked the pricelists for the 10 shops in Sim Lim that sell PC parts, but I have no idea which ones to take.
Also, yes I am aware of the AMD CPU and NVIDIA 3000 Part shortage. I want to have a solid plan on what parts I need so I can head down and get them as soon as they are in stock.
My budget is quite low at 2k, and I don't care about RGB lighting/looks, so I tend to cut corners with the PC case.
I have asked around on the web, but most of the advice doesn't really work here as the prices/supply is completely different, so I'm gonna try asking here.

If anyone can give me pointers on what to do, that would be great.
Currently I'm considering 3 options: building the PC myself, going to a company to do it for me (aftershock) or getting a 3rd party to build it (commissioning someone on carousell, etc.)

 

[Psycovirus]

Glad you did your research.

A few pointers i would like you to consider.

1) Aftershock has Ready to Ship PCs if you do not want to worry about not being able to find parts. You can consider their LEVEL 6 AMD : R5 5600X + RTX 3070 OC for $2175. If you play at or above1440p resolution, can go for the 3700X, their Level 5 PC at $1860. Do always check stock with them before purchasing.

2) For SLS, I recommend going to 1 shop to let them build your system. PC Themes and Dynacore are current shops to go to. Try to avoid shops like Bizgram which tends to sell you at scalper's prices. Also, WhatsApp and check stocks with them before heading down. The shops also help you build the PC if you buy the whole system from them.

3) Hard to recommend parts because no one can tell what is available in the store. But here are some thoughts.

• Case: Tecware has some budget cases with fans included and they work really well. Tecware Nexus Air is $65, 4 fans, ATX.
• [For cooling. Take a look at Cryorig H7 Plus or Scythe Fuma2/Mugan 5 for some nice performance cooling.
• For RAM, try to get 3600 Mhz, sweet spot for AMD CPUs
• For PSU, don't cut corners, get at least Gold rated. Seasonic/EVGA/FSP/Leadex/Silverstone are trusted brands.

4) Lastly, if you know someone who can help you navigate and advise you during your SLS trip, it will benefit you too. The shop assistance can always help you with advice too.

 

[FreSch]

Glad you did your research.

A few pointers i would like you to consider.

1) Aftershock has Ready to Ship PCs if you do not want to worry about not being able to find parts. You can consider their LEVEL 6 AMD : R5 5600X + RTX 3070 OC for $2175. If you play at or above1440p resolution, can go for the 3700X, their Level 5 PC at $1860. Do always check stock with them before purchasing.

2) For SLS, I recommend going to 1 shop to let them build your system. PC Themes and Dynacore are current shops to go to. Try to avoid shops like Bizgram which tends to sell you at scalper's prices. Also, WhatsApp and check stocks with them before heading down. The shops also help you build the PC if you buy the whole system from them.

3) Hard to recommend parts because no one can tell what is available in the store. But here are some thoughts.

• Case: Tecware has some budget cases with fans included and they work really well. Tecware Nexus Air is $65, 4 fans, ATX.
• [For cooling. Take a look at Cryorig H7 Plus or Scythe Fuma2/Mugan 5 for some nice performance cooling.
• For RAM, try to get 3600 Mhz, sweet spot for AMD CPUs
• For PSU, don't cut corners, get at least Gold rated. Seasonic/EVGA/FSP/Leadex/Silverstone are trusted brands.

4) Lastly, if you know someone who can help you navigate and advise you during your SLS trip, it will benefit you too. The shop assistance can always help you with advice too.

Using the price sheet I decided that allstars might be a viable option to build the PC at.
Sadly I do not have any local contacts, so I will go into SLS completely blind.
Also, I realize why you shouldn't cut corners on this psu, but does it have to be a gold standard?
And I'm not completely trusting of radeon graphics yet, I recently switched from being an Intel fanboy to an AMD person, but for now I want to stick with NVidia.

 

[ItsmeagainhK]

Bring the 2k in cash and just go to all the sls shops and tell them your required specs and see if they can mix and match the other parts. Of course, it has to depend on the stocks they have or not. Once they give you the pricelist, check that it indeed has what you need. If all is okay, bargain. Since you are actually getting a full build with them. Your chances of getting the 5600x and 3070 is a lot higher this way. It’s just the matter of price.

Save on everything except the psu. Don’t cheapen out on that part.

 

[FreSch]

Bring the 2k in cash and just go to all the sls shops and tell them your required specs and see if they can mix and match the other parts. Of course, it has to depend on the stocks they have or not.

Save on everything except the psu. Don’t cheapen out on that part.

I was planning on using cash from the start, so no issue there. The main issue is the specifications. Can I give them the vague ones I have here or do they have to be specific models?

 

[ItsmeagainhK]

I was planning on using cash from the start, so no issue there. The main issue is the specifications. Can I give them the vague ones I have here or do they have to be specific models?

Cash and nets are fine. Cc will come with admin charges. Yup, just give them the generic parts like what you listed. Why give them the generic parts? Because it will open up your options to the model and availability. You can then ask them what other 3070 they have on hand and you can decide for yourself.

Ie. you want 3080 asus strix specifically, they don’t have but they only got the zotac trinity 3080. That is if you are ok with getting any kind of brand, model

 

[FreSch]

Cash and nets are fine. Cc will come with admin charges. Yup, just give them the generic parts like what you listed. Why give them the generic parts? Because it will open up your options to the model and availability. You can then ask them what other 3070 they have on hand and you can decide for yourself.

Ie. you want 3080 asus strix specifically, they don’t have but they only got the zotac trinity 3080. That is if you are ok with getting any kind of brand, model

I'm still worried I might very likely be ripped off as I'm inexperienced with this sort of thing. Anything I can do to prevent that situation?

 

[skrekro]

Option 1 is like 3 if you do this, point out what parts you want and ask the shop to build for you.

Buy ram, ssd and hdd on amazon. Hdd can be bought in SG as sometimes price almost same.

 

[NightRaven49]

I'm still worried I might very likely be ripped off as I'm inexperienced with this sort of thing. Anything I can do to prevent that situation?

just dont let them build the full pc for u and u should be fine

regarding psu, cheaper psus tend to not include certain safety protections that premium psus have. they may also be more unstable when delivering power to ur system, resulting in damage to ur components over time. so it is better to spend on the more expensive models, which generally use high quality parts to prevent such occurrences. u also usually get a longer warranty unlike most other parts, so u can reuse it across multiple builds.
80+ gold rating is generally rock solid quality; that said though, 80+ rating is not a definitive measure of quality. psu is must see brand one, brands with good reputation (imo at least) are seasonic, superflower, silverstone, evga and maybe corsair. fsp seems alright. anything else is buy at ur own risk.

 

[FreSch]

just dont let them build the full pc for u and u should be fine

regarding psu, cheaper psus tend to not include certain safety protections that premium psus have. they may also be more unstable when delivering power to ur system, resulting in damage to ur components over time. so it is better to spend on the more expensive models, which generally use high quality parts to prevent such occurrences. u also usually get a longer warranty unlike most other parts, so u can reuse it across multiple builds.
80+ gold rating is generally rock solid quality; that said though, 80+ rating is not a definitive measure of quality. psu is must see brand one, brands with good reputation (imo at least) are seasonic, superflower, silverstone, evga and maybe corsair. fsp seems alright. anything else is buy at ur own risk.

The plan was to get the parts and assemble at home. I'll make sure to get a good PSU, ty

 

[FreSch]

So that means, once I confirm they have stock, I can head down to one of the shops, give them the vague pricelist and have them recommend me parts? Then I'll assemble the PC at home, right?

Some have been saying to let them build, while others say to self assemble. So that means both are viable options, right? I'll try to bring a local who can help me negotiate, as I'll most likely be ripped off (I look very ang mo)

 

[ItsmeagainhK]

I'm still worried I might very likely be ripped off as I'm inexperienced with this sort of thing. Anything I can do to prevent that situation?

Go pcthemes then. Generally slightly more expensive but I guess the most positive one among the others based on what users here say. Have not personally build one with them though.

 

[ItsmeagainhK]

So that means, once I confirm they have stock, I can head down to one of the shops, give them the vague pricelist and have them recommend me parts? Then I'll assemble the PC at home, right?

Some have been saying to let them build, while others say to self assemble. So that means both are viable options, right? I'll try to bring a local who can help me negotiate, as I'll most likely be ripped off (I look very ang mo)

You can ask them not to assemble for you. They will be more than happy. But if unlucky, parts doa or maybe you assemble already cannot boot and you bring back, they may charge a fee.

 

[Boltstorm]

So that means, once I confirm they have stock, I can head down to one of the shops, give them the vague pricelist and have them recommend me parts? Then I'll assemble the PC at home, right?

Some have been saying to let them build, while others say to self assemble. So that means both are viable options, right? I'll try to bring a local who can help me negotiate, as I'll most likely be ripped off (I look very ang mo)

Dude just get a dreamcore or something.
If you need to arrange someone to help you it seems more effort than it's worth. Plus I can almost guarantee that if you go down to the shop they won't have everything that you want and they won't be able to tell you when exactly they will be in.

 

[FreSch]

Dude just get a dreamcore or something.
If you need to arrange someone to help you it seems more effort than it's worth. Plus I can almost guarantee that if you go down to the shop they won't have everything that you want and they won't be able to tell you when exactly they will be in.

Problem for me is the budget. I checked those kinds of services and they overstepped the budget by quite a bit.

 

[illusion00]

• Case: Tecware has some budget cases with fans included and they work really well. Tecware Nexus Air is $65, 4 fans, ATX.
• [For cooling. Take a look at Cryorig H7 Plus or Scythe Fuma2/Mugan 5 for some nice performance cooling.
• For RAM, try to get 3600 Mhz, sweet spot for AMD CPUs
• For PSU, don't cut corners, get at least Gold rated. Seasonic/EVGA/FSP/Leadex/Silverstone are trusted brands.

thx for the case recommendation, 3 front fans still cheaper than C.M MASTER BOX NR600 T-GLASS, which only has 1 front fan, was what i was looking at initially.

 

[Yongkit]

Problem for me is the budget. I checked those kinds of services and they overstepped the budget by quite a bit.

Based on all your reply you doesn't sound like desperately need to assemble the pc in short time I suggest you take some time to research the components you need instead of open to suggestions by retailer.

Without a specific wish list you are open the opportunity to get less desired quality components with same price point even the retailers have the stock available.

 

[Yongkit]

thx for the case recommendation, 3 front fans still cheaper than C.M MASTER BOX NR600 T-GLASS, which only has 1 front fan, was what i was looking at initially.

Is this your main account

 

[FreSch]

Based on all your reply you doesn't sound like desperately need to assemble the pc in short time I suggest you take some time to research the components you need instead of open to suggestions by retailer.

Without a specific wish list you are open the opportunity to get less desired quality components with same price point even the retailers have the stock available.

Yes, that's what I was asking for here. I'm not in that big a hurry, so I wanted to know how I could pick out the best parts before going to buy them.

 

[FreSch]

Is this your main account

If you mean me, no it's not lol, someone must've just jumped in halfway