Ryzen 5 2600 Custom PC Build Log
I had been using my previous build with the i5 4590, and in 2019 it wasn't cutting it for what I wanted it to do. Solidworks assemblies, Python/Matlab compilations, Video recording and encoding were not as quick and snappy as I wanted it to be.
The Ryzen series cpu was always going to be my next processor due to the great value for money. AMD has brought some serious competition in the market with the Ryzen line-up and healthy competition is always good for the consumer.
My main requirement for this system was basically being an upgrade to the previous build.
For the CPU, I chose the Ryzen 5 2600. Even though the Ryzen 3000 series was released by the time, I opted for the zen+ variant since it was more than enough for what I wanted it to do. Unlocked processor, base clock of 3.4Ghz, single core boost of 3.9Ghz. Definitely plan to attempt an overclock at 4Ghz since I have a beefy cooler on it.
Speaking of a beefy cooler, the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 is a monster. It was either this or the Noctua NH-D15. The prices were the same and since the be quiet has similar performance to the Noctua, and has all black fans and fins, the be quiet! was the winner.
For the motherboard, I chose the ASRock B450M Micro ATX board. Micro ATX is a very underrated form factor in my opinion, it does not get a lot of love. Mini ITX is too tiny, and a regular ATX is a bit too big for my taste. The ASRock board was perfect, it has enough ram slots for an upgrade in the future, and enough expansion slots for a GPU and a pcie wifi adapter.
I opted for 16GB of DDR4 memory for. 8GB should have been enough, but I did not want it to be a limitation and ram prices being so cheap it was an easy choice. Ryzen benefits from high speed memory so 3000Mhz was a minimum.
Reused the storage from previous builds, the Crucial MX300 750GB and WD 1TB 2.5" HDD, with the main operating system being on a Samsung 970 Evo plus NVMe SSD.
I managed to find a barely used Sapphire RX 580 Nitro+ 8GB for super cheap. At the moment it is more than enough for 1080p 144Hz, but I do plan on upgrading to the 5700 or the 5700XT Navi cards, maybe even the 2070 Super. Undecided.
I wanted an 80+ Gold fully modular power supply, and the corsair RMx series was one of many options. 500W would have been enough, but I wanted to give myself headroom if I ever planned on upgrading the CPU and GPU. Fully modular since I planned to use custom cables, but I ended up getting the Bitfenix Alchemy extension kit instead.
On to the case. I wanted to try to make this build look good, wanted to see for myself, if all the RGB and tempered glass hype was worth it. So I opted for the NZXT H400i Micro ATX Case, which was very close in pricing to the regular H400, so this was an easy choice. Comes with two RGB strips and a fan controller which can be operated via NZXT CAM software. The case comes with 3 fans, 2 intake and 1 exhaust. I wanted quieter fans so 140mm be quiet! fans were overall better. At the moment I have 4 fans in the case. 3 intake and 1 exhaust. 8 if you include the CPU and GPU fans. Yes, 8. But you can't really count GPU and CPU fans so it's just 4, really.
I got an Asus VG278Q 27" 144 Hz monitor and the Samsung SF350 72 Hz 24" Display for my secondary monitor. Multitasking is always easier with dual monitors.
Keyboard, Mouse and Headset were reused from my previous build. Thoughts below.
For my keyboard I went with the CoolerMaster Masterkeys Pro L with Cherry MX Brown switches. Build quality is brilliant. Feels like a tank. It is a bit complicated to record macros and change led controls via the keyboard but once you get used to it, all is good. After having used mechanical keyboards, I cannot go back to rubber dome switches. They don't work for me anymore.
The Mionix NAOS 7000 was my mouse of choice for being the most ergonomically comfortable mouse for me. I have fairly large hands and like to rest ring and pinky fingers. This is perfect for that. Also it has an amazing sensor, ADNS 3310, so its a bonus.
The Hyper X Cloud II was my headset of choice. With a half decent microphone included, the ear cups are large enough for them to be comfortable and the sound quality is good.
Remarks
Very satisfied with the improvement in performance. I don't have to worry about running out of resources while performing different task simultaneously.
Cinebench R20 score of 2852. Idle temps of ~36 degrees CPU. Load temps of ~65 degrees.
Planning is always important during a build, but in this case it was not required as much since it wasn't an ITX case. Although I do have some remarks.
Because of the large size of the CPU cooler and the position of the 8 pin CPU slot on the motherboard, it was slightly tricky to get the CPU cable connected. Plug in the ram, NVMe ssd to avoid having a difficult time after the cooler is installed. Removing the white bracket in the case is necessary for easy installation of components.The thumb screws are rather tight, but manageable once loosened with a phillips head screw driver, although the whole point of thumb screws is you should not require a screw driver.
Having spent the extra time and money to get the build to look as good as it does, with the RGB and custom cables and tempered glass panel, I can safely say that it is NOT worth it. Looks are subjective, and I do want the build to look nice, but in my opinion the RGB rainbows are not worth it. And the case gets far too heavy with the tempered glass side panel on. Glass is brittle and it is just waiting for a disaster to happen.