Looking for advice

[x I'm tc]

I'm trying replace what is currently an old Sony Via Duo laptop with a system that I can work on programming in Unity on with my kids, 8 and 10. The laptop is hooked up to a monitor, mouse and keyboard, and so is really just acting like a SFF PC.

I don't want to date myself, but I built a couple of PCs before year of the flood. I think my last custom PC was a Pentium III with something like a 40 GB HDD, 128 MB of RAM, and Matrox Parhelia card. I asked my kids if they wanted to help me build a new PC, from scratch, and they didn't understand that PCs could come in boxes with components--they've only ever seen laptops (when we went to look at cases, my daughter asked if the glass panel on the side of one was the screen).

So, I want to build a small PC, but also a fun one. In particular, I want a glowing lights that the kids can control with software--these things didn't exist last time I contemplated building a PC. I don't think I'm brave enough to attempt things like liquid cooling, but go ahead and talk me into it if you think it's a must. I'm not planning on overclocking.

I'm really just looking for some advice from the more wizened amongst you about this part list I put together, with a little help from PC Part Picker. (I forced all the prices to be from Amazon, and when PC Part Picker couldn't find them there, I entered them manually.) I want this PC to be usable for 3-5 years without giving it a thought as to upgrading anything. I also want to keep the price under $2K. What do you think about:

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/xImtc/saved/ctJzYJ

Case	SilverStone	Raven RVZ03B-ARGB	$134.99
Power Supply	SilverStone	Strider Platinum 550 W 80+ (PS-ST55F-PT)	$109.99
Case Fans	SilverStone	Slim (15 mm) 120 mm ARGB Fan (FW124-ARGB)	$71.97
Motherboard	Asus	ROG STRIX X470-I GAMING Mini ITX	$215.09
CPU	AMD	Ryzen 7 2700X	$294.99
CPU Cooler	Noctua	NH-L9a-AM4	$39.90
Memory	Corsair	Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-2666	$164.99
Storage	Intel	660p Series 2 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive	$219.99
Video Card	Asus	Radeon VII 16 GB	$729.99
			Total
			$1,981.90

Have I made any glaring compatibility mistakes? Do you forsee any other serious problems? Like am I missing something important? Have I ordered something I really don't need?

Thanks in advance for the advice!

 

[Lee_Bo]

Looks good.

Since you're wanting to add lights that the youts can control, I'd look at a couple of these from Amazon:

LEDdess RGB LED 120mm Case Fan with Controller for PC Cases, CPU Coolers, Radiators System (3pcs RGB Fans, 2pcs led Strips, 2nd Gen RF Remote Control, A Series)
https://www.amazon.com/LEDdess-Cont...ag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUwpUvbUpU3778599

MUSETEX ATX Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case 6 RGB LED Fans 2 Translucent Tempered Glass Panels USB 3.0 Port,Cable Management/Airflow, Gaming Style Window Case(903-D6)
https://www.amazon.com/MUSETEX-Gami...ag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUwpUvbUpU3778599

 

[Golfdriver97]

Hey...how is it going? I'm not very proficient with AMD components, but I'll throw in my 2 cents....

Have I made any glaring compatibility mistakes?

It doesn't appear so. The only thing I can see is, from what I understand, is Ryzen like higher clocked RAM. The board looks like it can support faster RAM, but it might need a BIOS change to utilize it.

Have I ordered something I really don't need?

The only thing I would counter is the size factor. Mini ITX is expensive because you are paying for the compact dimensions. I would look at some smaller Micro ATX cubes to help save on space, but at the same time, you can save a lot of cash, just by going to a slightly bigger form factor. Slim cases can also be more difficult to build in, due to constricted size.

I would counter suggest this case: https://forums.windowscentral.com/e...t.aspx%3FItem%3D9SIA2F86WZ4972&token=gCRjFbji
I know it's from NewEgg, but at least you get the idea. I find shopping for some PC parts on Amazon to be difficult.

So, see what the different board, case, and Power supply will run you and compare the price difference.

As for the GPU....I'm an Nvidia guy, so I'm not quite sure where the card holds up against the GTX lineup, but you could go with either a 1080Ti, or a 1070 and save some cash.


General build ideas: I'd go with a smaller OS drive and invest in some HDDs to increase your storage capacity for the lowest cost.

 

[Golfdriver97]

I just blueprinted a build that I think might be a better cost to performance: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/JWcdRJ

I left everything as the lowest price.

 

[x I'm tc]

Wow. What a thorough set of responses.

I have taken a look at your build and it definitely saves some bread. I assume you are suggesting just get a big-enough SSD to boot off of and put all your stuff on a slower, 2.5" drive. I think that makes a lot of sense.

Also, I did a little reading, and I think you're right about the RAM.

Thank you for the feedback!!!

 

[Golfdriver97]

Wow. What a thorough set of responses.

I have taken a look at your build and it definitely saves some bread. I assume you are suggesting just get a big-enough SSD to boot off of and put all your stuff on a slower, 2.5" drive. I think that makes a lot of sense.

Also, I did a little reading, and I think you're right about the RAM.

Thank you for the feedback!!!

Not so much as just enough for the OS, but, smaller so that you can save some serious cash. A 120 GB would even be good enough. There are rare cases when a lot of SSD storage is needed, but I doubt that applies to you.

I would highly suggest to look at some build videos for that slim case so you know what you are getting into.

 

[x I'm tc]

I watched a lot of videos, and did manage to get the whole thing together. It's not pretty on the inside, but it runs great (knock wood).

I made a little video with the kids to celebrate: https://youtu.be/5ziLKvhF4Ks. Thanks to all for the help!

 

[Golfdriver97]

I watched a lot of videos, and did manage to get the whole thing together. It's not pretty on the inside, but it runs great (knock wood).

I made a little video with the kids to celebrate: https://youtu.be/5ziLKvhF4Ks. Thanks to all for the help!

Added to watch later. Glad you got the build up and running though.